2 Peter 1:9

YOV have seene their honour and happinesse, that beautifie their faith with good workes: that as by the one GOD justifies them, so by the other they may glorifie GOD. Behold now their miserable estate, that boast of a naked and leane faith: Hee that lacketh these things is blinde, &c. But, the Apostle dis-joynes them from fruitfull professours, by a word of Exception or separation; But. Whom doth hee reject? Cui haec non adsunt, The man that Lackes these things. What if hee wants one or two of those graces? They may come in time: but if hee lacke These, All these. In what state is hee? Blinde; his eyes bee not like the Eagles, but the Moles. Is hee starke blinde? No, perhaps hee may see, quae ante pedes sunt, things fast by him; but not Farre off: he wants the Optickes, to see so farre as Heaven. How is hee proved to be thus thicke-sighted? Because hee hath forgotten. Why, they that are blinde, have commonly the best memories? This is true indeed, concerning secular objects, the naturall things of this world: but wilfull spirituall Cecitie is punished with Oblivion. But there is a good Forgetfulnesse, Philip. 3.13. I forget those things that are behinde: Nay, but this man hath forgotten his owne purgation, how hee hath beene formerly cleansed: as the Swine when shee runnes to the mudde, forgets that shee came out of the cleare streames. Wherein consisted that purgation? Hee was washed from sinne, the most sordid pollution and feculencie. What, from all sinnes? No, but from his old sinnes: for he commits new ones that bring him to the speedier damnation. Now as Saint Augustine calls Psalm. 41. Scripturam pauperis, the poore mans Scripture, and 1 Tim. 6. Scripturam divitis, the rich mans Scripture: and Luke 18.11. the proud mans Scripture: and the booke of Iob, the afflicted mans Scripture: so this Text may be called Scriptura coeci, the blinde mans Scripture. Who is described by his Penury, He lacketh these things. Cecitie; He is blinde and cannot see afarre off. Apostacie; Hath forgotten, &c.

The Summe is: whosoever shall trust his salvation upon a starved faith, and not order his life by the pre-mentioned rules, erres in darkenesse, and holds not that way which the light of the Gospell hath directed him. Hee that hath the true knowledge of Christ will bee fruitfull, verse 8. Hee that is unfruitfull, vainely presumeth the knowledge of Christ, vers. 9. So from the connection of both these verses, we finde that true knowledge must precede sanctitie of life. He that hath not these things is Blinde: and hee that cannot see well, cannot walke well, 1 Iohn 2.4. Yee obey not, why? because yee know not, 1 Ioh. 3.6. Whosoever sinneth, hath not seene him, nor knowne him. You sin, why? because you know not, 2 Tim. 3.6. Why are they laden with sinnes, and led away with divers lusts? Because they know not the truth, Ephes. 4.18. Why are they strangers from the life of God? Because their understanding is darkned. The Romanists pretend, that they will helpe men to heaven by ignorance, Matth. 23.13. and by ignorance they shut them out. They keepe the keyes, and neither enter in themselves, nor admit others. Every Christian in his Baptisme hath taken presse-money of Christ, to be his souldier, and to serve him in the field of this world, against his and our enemies: now he will fight poorely without weapons: he must have Gladium verbi, and Clypeum fidei; the Sword of the Spirit, and the Shield of Faith. And he must have these in his owne hand: for he shall be smitten in his owne person, therefore should resist in his owne person: now shall he be content to beare the blowes, and let another weare the sword? But, say they, there are many hard things in Gods Word, past common reach: true, and many easie enough, within their reach: there is milke for weake stomackes, and strong meat for abler digestions: there are fords for Lambes, and depths for Elephants. In the most champian places, some mysteries are as hillockes, higher than the rest: in the steepest hill there is some footing, whereby wee may come to that height, to discover the Land of Canaan.

But, say they, this takes away the glory of the Church, when every man may controll his Teacher. Nay, rather let them know the truth, that they may avoid such as teach against the truth. Because some have beene seduced; shall all be deprived? Then away with Preaching, for it is the savour of death unto many: away with the Sacraments, for some eat CHRISTS flesh to choake them: away with CHRIST himselfe, for hee is the Luke 2.34. fall of many in Israel: and a Stone to crush their bones to perdition. Then let the Lambe cast off his fleece, because the Lion hath worne it: Because some quarrell in the armie, therefore let no souldier have a sword. Then put out the candle, lest it burne the house. But, say they, put not knives into the hands of children: but the Scripture admits no such comparison: we rather put good swords into the hands of men. Discharge us of the Lords service; or it is against the law of armes to take away our weapons. Indeed there is cause to commend the policie of their Clergie, but not the honestie. For how should they have sold their bad wares, unlesse they had first put out the peoples eyes! As theeves first out with the light, that they may rifle the house more safely in the darke. Otherwise the merchandize of Masses could not so easily have beene vented abroad, but would have lien rotting upon their hands at home; if men were suffered to bring the light of truth into their pack-houses. But, say they, we have kept it from hogges and dogges; yea, and from sheepe and lambes too. Besides, all that have some uncleannesse in their lives, are not to be reputed hogges and dogges: this is their mercy, but the mercy of GOD is more. They have a contrary spirit to CHRIST: for he often preached in the knowne hearing of dogges, the Scribes and Pharisies: and would doe so, rather than the children should want their bread. But, said they, some by searching the Scripture diligently, have erred shamefully. This is as good a reason, as if one training up a childe to be an Archer, should give him this principle and rule; that by aiming at the marke most fairely, he should misse most foulely. No, Iohn 5.39. Search that you may not erre: not, be content to erre, rather than search. But now at last being ashamed of this, and convinced by common equitie, that the truth is not wholly to be with-held; they have published a part of it, the New-Testament, with their Rhemish Commentary: Not, say they, upon any absolute necessitie, but to avoid corruptions by reading other translations. They found the people would no longer be made such fooles, as when that universall mist was over the face of the earth: therefore they gratifie them with a parcell of it. But as the peoples curses before ranne thorow their eares into their soules, for ingrossing into their hands the graine of life: so their curses follow them still, for selling them such musty and mildewed corne. Their wickednesse is no lesse now in poysoning them, than it was before in starving them. How blessed are we that freely enjoy that Gospell, which can take away blindnesse, and give us the saving knowledge of IESUS CHRIST!

But.] Here is the Diversitie; this dis-joynes these blinde and barren professours from the former, by a manifest opposition. As the future life shall put an everlasting difference betweene the elect and the reprobate, Matth. 25.46. the one going to eternall paine, the other to eternall peace. Here they are scarce distinguished; but then there shall be a Luke 16.26. great gulfe fixed betweene them. So even on earth the Scripture dis-joynes them with a But. The adversaries of Stephen gnasted on him with their teeth, Act. 7.55. But he himselfe was full of the HOLY GHOST: Stephen was under them for outward condition, but farre above them for inward consolation. The waves may fome against the rocke, and exercise their vaine malice, but the Rocke is unmoveable, Psal. 1.6. The LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: But the way of the ungodly shall perish, Psalm. 32.10. Many forrowes shall be to the wicked: But hee that trusteth in the LORD, mercie shall compasse him, Psal. 5.11. Destroy thou the wicked: But let all those that trust in thee, rejoyce. There was darknesse in Aegypt, but light in Goshen. The Tares are suffered to grow up with the Wheat; but in the harvest they shall be severed. Slay utterly old and young; Matth. 13. But come not neere them that have the marke, Ezek. 9.6. In the tenth of the Proverbs, the first foureteene verses, have their medium distinguished with this But. Indeed most of them are but paires of crosse and thwart sentences, manifesting the contrariety of good to evill: 1. This is both in regard of a former ordination, Rom. 9.13. Iacob have I loved; But Esau have I hated. Some Iude verse 4. are of old ordained to condemnation, others to life. 2. And in regard of a present disposition, for the faithfull love the things above, the wicked dote upon terrestriall objects. The Saints would but lodge in Samaria, their faces are toward Ierusalem: the ungodly doe but lodge for a night in Ierusalem, their faces, their hearts are toward Samaria. 3. And in regard of their future condition; the wicked are brought to a destructive end in a moment, Psal. 73. But marke the upright man, and behold the just; for the end of that man is peace. This is a secret and unseene distinction; there is little difference in outward shew: vessells of dishonour have often the most credite; whereas the vessells of honour, elected to shine as stars in heaven for ever, are here sullied and kept under. Yet there is an invisible difference; But betweene them. Among men where all reputation is measured by the acre; melior qui ditior; we enter rich men into our bookes, but refuse to trust the poore. But God in his booke records Lazarus, and forgets the Rich-mans name.

He that lacketh these things. It is a received maxime, that God and Nature hath wrought nothing in vaine: no part or facultie of the body can be well spared. Thou hast two eyes, two eares, two hands, two feet; thou canst spare none of them. Man hath five senses, if he lose any of them, the very want will tell him the worth of the habite. The father that should sell one of his children, to buy bread for the rest, and redeeme them from famine; lookes over them all, and at last concludes he can part with none. What part of thy selfe after much study couldst thou lose? yet a man may lacke some, and be saved too, Marke 9. with losse of a hand, foot, an eye, he may enter into heaven. But what speake I of our members; we are loth to spare the superfluities of this world: those same Adjectiva, as Christ calls them; Adjectanea, as Paul sayes. Our very delights have their set vicissitudes, and not one is omitted for feare of b eaking the ranke. Covetous worldlings will hardly spare the poore some of their fire to warme them, some of their water to drinke, some of their ground to lodge on; though it were no more hurt to them, than the lighting of a candle at their torch. We can lacke nothing for this world; but for heaven, O the mercy of GOD! Quantum est in rebus inane! Wee can quietly lacke things that conduce to our eternall peace. What is the reason? Superna in fastidio, terreas in desiderio. Ignoti nulla cupido: A man never misseth what hee cares not for. If a man Lacke riches, Psal. 4.7. 2 King. 4.13. he complaines; Who will shew us any good? If he Lacke honour, hee is glad to heare a friend in the Court say to him, as Elisha to the Shunamite; wouldest thou bee spoken for to the King, or to the Captaine of the Host? Few would answer with the Shunamite; I live among mine owne people; I had rather dwell at home. If hee Lackes children, hee is readie to say with that Patriarch, Genes. 15.2. What wilt thou give, seeing I goe childelesse? If an Ahab have a whole Manour, yet he lackes Naboths Vineyard; that very nooke disfigures his Lordship. If Haman have Ahasuerus favour, yet he lackes Mordecai’s knee and cappe; and is angry that other men thinkes him not so good as he thinkes himselfe. Though Ioab have renowne with David, yet a word of disgrace from Abner troubles his stomacke: he can neither swallow it downe, nor vomit it up. Because another is not his friend, he resolves to be his owne enemie. Let the Engrossers barnes and granaries be never so full of corne, yet if he lackes price for it in the market answerable to his desire, hee is readie to hang himselfe; and be epitaph’d on as that Pope; Vixit lupus, moritur canis. He that desires much, wants as much as he that hath nothing. The drunkard is as drie as the sweating traveller. The Apostles said, Silver and gold have we none, Act. 3.6. The Devill sayes; All these are mine, Luke 4.6. And the Rich-man, I have much goods laid up for many yeares, Luke 12 19. Now take thy choice; whether had’st thou rather lacke with those Saints, or abound with these Devils? Say with Paul, Philip. 4.19. My GOD shall supply all my need: And as Abraham answered Isaac, complaining for a sacrifice; GOD will provide. LORD, thou art my portion: and hee is too covetous that IESUS CHRIST cannot satisfie, Psalm. 23.1. The LORD is my Shepheard, I therefore can lacke nothing. A man may lacke outward things, yet come never the later to heaven; yea, the sooner, the surer: but woe to him that lackes these things. This is the want now least feared, and this shall be the want most lamented, Matth. 6.33. First seeke the kingdome of heaven, then other things shall come in due place and time. Sequere tu pietatem, te caetera squentur pium. Follow thou righteousnesse, the rest shall follow thee. There was a young man that thought well of himselfe, Matth. 19.20. All these have I kept: What lacke I yet? What? it is answered, vers. 21. If thou wilt be perfect, give all to the poore: it is better lacke all the rest, than lacke Charitie. Terrene opulencie is a meere titular thing: as Petrus Blesensis wrote to Innocentius, Bishop of Rome, concerning an Ecclesiasticall dignitie in England; Draco non habens vnde possit vivere, nisi à vento; A preferment standing upon naked and pure supposals. But grace is solide and reall; for the Prov. 10.22. Blessing of God maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it.

Pray then to him that is onely able to supply these wants; as Paul, 2 Cor. 12.8. For this I besought the Lord thrice. What then? Si ter pulsanti nemo respondet, abito? If after thrice praying, wee feele no full concession: shall wee give over? No, pray still, and GOD will answer; My grace is sufficient for thee. 2 Cor. 12.9. What is wanting in our endevours, GOD shall make up with his sufficient mercies. Wee have need to sacrifice: Doe wee lacke fewell? the LORD supplies us with penitence and patience, faith and love. Yet we lacke fire: hee gives us Zeale, an immortall fire from heaven. Yet lacke we an altar? he gives us a pure heart. Is there yet wanting a sacrifice? Immola teipsum; offer up thy selfe. Psal. 145.19. Hee will fulfill the desire of them that feare him. The Lions doe lacke, and suffer hunger: but they that feare the LORD, shall Psal. 34.10. not lacke any good thing. Then Domine, tolle omnia, & da mihi teipsum: Lord take away the rest, and give mee thy selfe. If wee can hold Christ, No good thing shall be with-holden from us. Whatsoever we lacke, Psal. 84.12. let us not Lacke these things.

Is Blinde.] We come from the Penury and want, to the Cecitie or Blindnesse, wherein his understanding suffers. Blindnesse is nothing else but a privation of sight; so ignorance is a destitution of knowledge. The Schoole makes three sorts of this spirituall Blindnesse. 1. Ignorance negative, that is, Purae negationis, or nescientia. The not knowing of impertinent things is tolerable: as wee need not know how oft wee have breathed, &c. To this knowledge wee are not obliged. 2. Ignorance privative, which is Merae & simplicis Privationis; and carentia scientiae debitae inesse. This is considered in necessary things, and concerning our selves. And is Non tam peccatum, quàm supplicium: miseria potius quàm transgressio; It is not so much our sinne, as our punishment for sinne: an affliction as much as a transgression. 3. Ignorance corruptive; which is perversae dispositionis; a refractary and desperate aversenesse from knowledge: the other was morbus mentis, this is morsus serpentis. This is wretched, for a man to be ignorant of his owne ignorance: Laodiceas disease, Revel. 3.17. to be blind as not to know her owne blindnesse. Such an eye is not darke, in the concrete; but darkenesse it selfe in the abstract. Now if the light be darkenesse, how great is that darkenesse! Matth. 6.23. It is both a sinne and a punishment, a sinne, Matth. 15.14. Esa. 56.10. a punishment, Deut. 28.28. Esa. 59.10. Blind are we all by nature; like the man that sate by the way side begging, Luk. 18.35. sitting by the way, not seeing the way: begging but hee knowes not of whom. Now there is also a contracted blindnesse, an affected ignorance: and there are diverse causes, as of the corporall, so of the spirituall cecitie.

By abundance of rheume the eyes are harmed: so factious singularitie is a hot scalding rheume to bleare the eye of the soule. Qui sapere voluut ultra rationem, insipere solent ultra moderationem. Wee have many such rheumaticke spirits, that will goe a new way, or no way. They care not for Noahs Arke, the Church: but climbe up to a mountaine apart, a private conventicle by themselves. They are blind, and see not the danger of the Floud.

By a violent blow, or such accidentall hurt. The eye is tender, and therefore hath two lids to defend it. Non patitur ludum, fama, fides, oculus. The devill blinds this intellectuall eye by a suddaine blow given to the soule, 2 Cor. 4.4. The God of this world have blinded their eyes that they beleeve no. How is this? Rom. 1. by filling them with vaine imaginations and turpitudes? lusts darken the mind.

By dust throwne into them: the dust of this world makes many blind. They digge like moles into the earth and there lose the sight of heaven. Gifts blind the wise. Such men may sit on benches, be taken into councells, have their eyes of policie quicke as Eagles; and yet be blind. Perhaps they have the proud scorne of the Pharisies; Ioh. 9.40. Are we blind also? To whom it is answered; If yee were blind, ye should have no sinne: but now yee say, wee see; therefore your sinne remaineth. These that have so much knowledge to heape up wealth, who dares call them fooles for heaven. Hee that dares justifie it, Luk. 12.20. Thou foole; this night shall thy soule be taken from thee. Hee could see to fill his barnes but not to get salvation. The devill labours to keepe men blind during the presumption of their lives: and only opens their eyes in the desperation that waites on their deaths: like the Syrians, whose 2 King. 6 20. eyes were never opened till they were in the midst of their enemies. Oculos, quos culpa clausit, paena aperit. Sinne shuts up mens eyes, but punishment opens them. For he that will be Caecus in peccato, blind when he sins; shall be made Sapiens in supplicio, wise when he suffers.

The summe is this; he that lackes Grace, lackes knowledge: Qui malus est moribus, caecus est oculis. They that wander in by-pathes declare themselves ignorant of the right way: so if a man be lewd in his manners, we conclude him blind for the way of salvation, Rom. 3.16. If their workes be full of cursednesse, murder, and destruction, we inferre; The way of peace they have not knowne. O the infinite number of blind soules? if all that be ungodly, live in darkenesse, how few of this world have eyes! or if they that have, they see not, Esa. 43.8. Bring forth the blind people, that have eyes. Every one indeed is ready to taxe anothers ignorance, not his owne. If two blind men rush one upon another in the way either complaines of others blindnesse; neither of his owne. O that this blindnesse were a little removed, that by a selfe-inspection we might see our owne hearts. If the sinner would look into that secret cloisture, how would the spectacle amaze him! Hee should find a will more warped than a bow: affections more perverse than an unbroken dromodary: a soule bleeding with unstanched wounds, a chamber full of fiends; one holding downe the reason, another dulling the memorie, a third tempting the will, a fourth fearing the conscience. Thus they possesse the Citadell, his heart; possessing they vexe it, vexing they laugh at it, laughing they destroy it, and after destruction they torment it. How lies the poore ravished soule panting under these adulterers; slaved in the chaines of a most miserable bondage; where the bread of life, and bloud of CHRIST is kept from her: beholding with Ruth her deare children, her affections, faculties, and addictions to good, butchered before her eyes; expecting the fatall houre, when her selfe must be haled to the great tribunall, and receive her eternall doome Let us all therefore now look inward; be not longer blind at home, strangers to our owne bosomes. Now he that opened the eyes of Paul, open ours; and rescue our soule from destructions, our darling from the Lions; Psal. 35.17. and our selves from the houre and power of darkenesse.

And cannot see a farre off. The originall is μυωπάζων, Lusciosus, thicke-eyed. It signifies Pati affectum τοῦ μύωπος, and that is derived quasi μύειν τὰς ὦπας: claudereoculos non penitùs, sed parumper. Some translate it, Connivere oculis, to winke, Prov. 6.13. he winketh with his eyes. Others thus; Oculos aperire non valens; one that cannot open his eyes. But to take it, as wee here read it; one that cannot see a farre off. Now to the former word, τυφλὸς, this seemes to be subjected per quandam correctionem: he is blind, aut si non prorsus caecus, caecutit tamen instar lusciosi. It is a voluntary darkning the eye to heavenly things. Lusciosus is such a one as sees a little at the day dawning, worse after the sunne rising, never a whit after the sunne setting.

A farre off. What are those things a farre off, that he cannot see? Hee sees the Sunne, the Moone, the Starres; and these are a farre off So doe the beasts, and some of them more clearely. What, is it meant of a physicall remotenesse; that he cannot see In ultima naturae, into the deepe secrets of nature; not perceive how to derive benefites a fonte, from the fountaine head? If he would have bread, does he not know to deduce it by a naturall course? As first to till his ground, then to sow his seed, then to reape and carry it into his barne: and when he hath it there, to bring it under the Flaile, the Fanne, the Mill, the Oven, and so to perfect it into bread. If he would have cloath, and not to goe to the shop for it; knowes hee not to sheare his sheepe, to spinne his wooll, to weave, full, and colour it, and to fit it to his owne wearing? Or, is it meant of terrene objects, distanced off by a locall interjection. Why hee hath then a perspective glasse, to represent a remote thing, as it were at his foote. Or some opticke instruments, to stand on a Tower and read a booke lying in the streets. Or some politicke eyes, that by intelligence he may know in his chamber, the state affaires of forraine kingdomes. Or demoniacke eyes, whereby he can see in a glasse things as farre as Iudia; by a cunning delusion. So Saul was perswaded that he saw Samuel; who indeed was as farre off him as heaven from earth. What, is it then meant for a searching into the secret purposes and fetches of men? Ier. 17.9. But the heart of man is deceitfull above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it? The worlds principall studie is to keepe their meanings a farre off, as the Foxe preyes furthest from home. The Labyrinth had a way out, but mans heart is more intricate, and fuller of windings than Meander. You may travell with a man as far as the Indies, and yet still find the way into his heart a farther Iourney. These things are farre off, but we must looke further: not to the things beneath, but to them above, Ioh. 8.23.

Those remote things which this man cannot see, are such as bee separated from humane sense; whereof flesh and bloud was never an eye witnesse. For we walke by faith, not by sight, 2 Cor. 5.7. 1 Cor. 2.14. The naturall man receiveth not the things of the spirit, neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. He may see Carnalia mundi, quia praesto sunt; the sensuall things of this world, for they are at hand but not Magnalia Dei, quia procul sunt; not the great mysteries of Godlinesse, for they are farre off. But doth not the Gospell bring heaven neere us? and doth not CHRIST say Matth. 12.28. The kingdome of God is come unto you? Yes, it may be neere to men, and yet men farre from it. Indeed the Saints that were once by nature farre off, are made nigh to him by the bloud of Christ, Eph. 2.13. But unbeleevers, and impenitents are farre off still.

Heavenly things are farre off from carnall sense: hee that will beleeve no more than he sees, shall be for ever blind. The best things are Invisible to humane eyes: Invisiblis Deus, Heb. 11.27. Moses saw him who is invisible. Invisibilis Lux, 1 Tim. 6.16. God dwelleth in the Light, which no man hath seene, nor can see. Invisibilis Christus, Iohn 14.19. Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more. It was a great miracle that dying Stephen should see him at the right hand of his Father: and so wonderfull a vision to Iohn, to behold him in that glorious majestie, that he fell dead at his feete, Ioh. 3.8. Revel 1.17. Rom. 1.20. Invisibilis Spiritus, like the wind, the sound wherof we heare but see not whence it commeth, nor whither it goeth. Invisibilis potestas, His Power and God-head are called the Invisible things of God. Invisibile Regnum, Ioh. 3.3. Except a man be borne againe, he cannot see the kingdome of God. The best eyes see but in a riddle, 1 Cor. 13.12. We see now through a glasse darkely. Here faith supplies all defects; For fides est credere quod non vides, Augu. cujus merces erit videre quod credis. It is the office of faith to beleeve that we doe not see, and it shall be the reward of faith to see that wee doe beleeve, Iohn 20.29. Blessed are they, that have not seene, and yet have beleeved.

These are the remote objects: in every pious thing there is somewhat affare off, to humane eyes. In devotion or worship of God, the prostration of the body is seene, 1 Sam. 1.13. not the humilitie of the soule. Eli could see Hanna’s lips pay their tributes to God, he did not see the zeale of her heart: but she spake in her heart, and Eli thought she was drunke. In the sacrament, bread and wine are seene of reprobate eyes, but there is an invisible thing farre off to them; the body and bloud of CHRIST, that nourisheth the soule to everlasting life in the Gospell, how neere is the historie, how farre off the mysterie! In the word preached, the world perceives, Sonum, non sensum, the audible sound, not the profitable sense. As an ignorant man sees the painted Images of vertues; he saies they are goodly pictures, but he knowes not what they meane; the morall is farre off from his apprehension. As little children, who looke upon the babies in a booke, regard not the matter therein contained. Concerning a Christian, the world can see his house well furnish’d, his grounds well stock’d, his barnes well filled, his purse well money’d, if these things be: but the joy of his spirit, the peace of his conscience, the grace of his heart; these are things afarre off from the world. The peace and prosperitie that accompanies the Church, they delight to see and tast; that every man may sit under his owne figtree, and drink the milke of his owne flocke: but the remission of sins, the effusion of grace, the Communion of Saints, the possession of comforts; those spirituall priviledges, more glorious than the States of kingdomes, are invisible and too farre off. 2 Cor. 4.18. Let us not looke at the things that are seene, but at the things that are not seene: for the things that are seene, are temporall: but the things that are not seene, are eternall.

O that your eyes could looke a little beyond the earth: there are two severall countreys afarre off: they lie beyond the Poles; yet undiscovered, farther than the Glasse of the Scripture presents to the eyes of faith. The Countreyes are Heaven and Hell: there are two waies to them, which be neere and Visible, Pietie and Profanesse. There are two doores to passe, before men arrive to either of them; Death and Iudgement. Many thinke these farre off, Amo. 6.3. They put farre away the evill day: and say, Ezck. 12.27. The vision that he seeth is for many daies to come, and he prophecieth of the times that are far off. Men oppresse, ryot, lust, blaspheme, as if the Iudgement were farre off: as that malefactor being ask’d by whom he would be tried, answered deridingly, By CHRIST and his twelve Apostles: it was replied, that they were in heaven: no hast, quoth he, I am content to tarry till they come. But the End of all things is at hand, 1 Peter 4.7. And let them read and tremble, Revelations 22.12. Behold, I come quickely, and my reward is with mee. Serior esse solet vindicta severior.

If you could see so farre off as Hell below: if the smoky gates of that bottomlesse pit were opened to give you but a glimpse of the damned spirits under torture; those flames, those shriekes, those feares and horrors; that palpable darkenesse mixed with unquenchable fire: the reprobates ever boiling, never consumed: ever dying, never dead: ever crying never pitied. Where the covetous Churle, that would not give a bitte of bread, begges as fast for a drop of water: yet if rivers should runne into his mouth, what were it to quench those rivers of brimstone that inflame it? where there is no intermission of complaints, no breathing from paine; after millions of sorrowfull yeares, no possibilitie of comfort. If the stroke of a temporall miserie be so smart, that often death is wished to ease it; what is the full violl of Gods wrath? If the racke of a gowt, convulsion, or strappado be so cruell, what is everlasting torment? If this sight so farre off might be admitted us, how would we weepe and bleed for our sinnes, how uncessantly pray for pardon, how rectifie our crooked and cursed steps; that we might never come to such a place, as to see Abraham afarre off? Luk. 16.23. Luk. 19.42. O that we knew these things in this our day: but alas, they are hid from most mens eyes. If mens fore-sight were but halfe so sharpe as is their sense, that would be their greatest feare, which is now their cheefest pleasure. Let Dives come out of hell to his former riches, the sensible world shall admire his charitie. Let Iudas be ransomed out of hell, he will no more betray. Let Esau find that favour, he will never againe sell his Birthright. Nabal then would no longer be a churle, nor Achitophel a false counsellor, nor Ahab a bloudy tyrant, nor Cain fratricide. There is not a peece of a line in the Scripture, which speakes of that lake of fire and brimstone, but by a hundred thousand parts it importeth more than it expresseth. Beleeve that you cannot see, lest you feele that you would not beleeve.

If you could see so farre off as heaven above, or might be admitted to looke into that glorious house! Kings use not to dwell in cottages of clay, but in royall Courts fit for their Majestie: what is then the Court of the King of Kings! This world seemes glorious, such a Carbuncle as the sun to lustre it, stars far more precious then Chrysolites, a pavement checkerd over with various colours, adorned with innumerable delights: now if God hath provided such an habitation for his enemies; what a one is that he hath ordained for himselfe, and his friends? Earthly Princes have dwelt in Cedar and Ivorie: but the palace of the highest hath a wall of Iasper, Revel. 21. a building of gold, a foundation of precious stones, and gates of pearle. We see now but the pavement of it: O how goodly is it stucke full of lights, more sparkling then diamonds? Did the Centurion say, Non sum dignus, ut tu, &c. Matth. 8.8. I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roofe: and yet CHRIST was than but in his humbled estate? Doe thou say, Non sum dignus ut ego; I am not worthy to enter into thy shining and glorious house. It was said, he that hath beene once at Ormus, will never love his own countrey againe. He that hath had a glimpse of heaven, how poorely will he thinke of this earth, which many lose their owne soules to purchase? LORD, lift up our eyes to see thus farre: let the scales of earthly affections quite fall off; carry us up to thy glory. Thou that didst lay clay upon the blind mans eyes, and so open them: take away this clay of earthlinesse from our eyes, whereby they are shut. Cast into us the beames of that celestiall glory: and because we cannot yet ascend to that, let that come downe upon us. Ravish our eyes with thy owne beautie, that like Eagles, we may disdaine all objects but the sunne. Thou that hast prepared heaven for our soules, prepare also our soules for heaven, Act. 17.27. Thou art not farre from every one of us: thou art neare to us, bring us also neare to thee O God, shew us thy selfe, and we shall love thee: let us see thee, O blessed IESUS, now with the eyes of grace, and hereafter with the vision of perfect glory.

And hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sinnes. We see the curse that lies upon his understanding; he is blind: now for that lies upon his memorie; hee hath forgotten. To pull the words a sunder, were to martyr the sense: they must be considered Sensu composito, in composition. As they are, they describe a wicked Apostate: lyet separate them, and all signifie good. There is a forgetfulnesse, this may be good, (as to forget a wrong:) there is a purging, this may be better: there is a purging from sinnes, this may be best of all: but put them together; he hath forgotten that he was purged from his sinnes; there is the miserie. The earth, water, and man, are all safe while they keepe Loca sua, their owne proper places, but when the water overwhelmed the earth, there was evill to man: the mixture and confusion spoiles all. Good simples are often marred in the compounding, a good sentence lost in the mispointing. So here, purgation, and purgation from sinnes, and purgation from sinnes by the bloud of CHRIST; all lost by the ingratitude of forgetfulnesse. This same (he hath forgotten) is the confusion of all the rest. It is said of Achitophel, 2 Sam. 17.23. that seeing his counsell neglected, hee sadled his Asse, and rose; hee prepared himselfe for a returne; that was well: hee gate him home to his house that was better: he put his houshold in order, that was best of all: but when he hanged himselfe, and became his owne executioner, preventing the mercie of David, the mercie of God; this was the bane of all. If after purging from old sinnes, this man had preserved the mercie in memorie, and answered it in pietie, he had beene happy. But he gets new corruption, and forgets his former purgation: therefore God forgets his righteousnesse, and takes him away in his wickednesse, Ezek. 18.24. In the sin that he hath sinned, he dies.

Forgotten; the originall is ad verbum, λήθην λαβών, ut qui oblivionem ceperit: one that did voluntarily attract forgetfulnesse to himselfe: the author of his owne mischiefe; courting his owne destruction: forgetfulnesse did not so much take him, as he did take forgetfulnesse. The Poets wrote of Lethê, a certaine Stygian river; that whosoever dranke of it, forgot presently all passed things. He wilfully ingurgitates this Lethean drinke, and calls in oblivion to lodge in his heart. The ungodly as if they were impatient at the delay of their owne vengeance, hasten to have their 1 Tim. 5.24. sins goe before unto judgement. They scarce stay the devills leasure to tempt them, therefore doe it themselves. They tarry not till oblivion and ingratitude be offered to them, but they snatch it like revenous stomachs, that will not endure till their meate bee dressed. This forwardnesse is expressed, Prov. 1.16. Their feete runne to evill, Mic. 2.1. They rise early to put it in practise, Esa. 5.18. They draw it on with cords and cartropes. They doe not accept it as being offered, but extort it as being prohibited. This saves the divell a labour, Prov. 21.10. when men call iniquity to themselves. The soule of the wicked desireth evill: if it comes not, they will fetch it, flie to it: but they had better have crept like snailes. For mischiefe comes soone enough, there is no need to seeke it: it is more easily found, than avoided, Iam. 4.7. Resist the divell, and he will flie from you. Give to God obedience, to the Prince allegiance, to our Superior reverence, to the weake assistance; onely to the devill and sinne resistance, Eph. 4.27. Give not place to the devill: for the divell hath no place but where it is given him. I like not that Iesuites humilitie, that sitting in a chaire, and seeing the divell approch, rose up to give him his seate; because he said, he was more worthy of it than himselfe. But Give him no place, saith Saint Paul: admit no conference with him. He was a foole that went up and downe the earth to find Senectutem, old age: which, if he sate still at home, would be sure to find him. Sin will come fast enough; let us not hunt it, nor snatch it: but rather strive to resist it, to expell it.

The points I am to speake of are foure: there is The corruption of the heart Sinnes. The danger of that coruption Old sinnes. The deliverie from that danger Purged. The unthankefulnesse for that deliverie Forgotten. The greatnesse of his Miserie, (Sinne Inveterate) commends the goodnesse of Gods mercie (that had Purged him) and condemnes the vilenesse of his ingratitude (that hath Forgotten it.) There is. 1. a Sicknesse. 2. a Lightning. 3. before death Old sinne was a lingring sicknesse: Purging, that is his lightning: but Forgetfulnesse of it, is his death.

First, for the corruption, Sinne: this is the most sordid feculencie in the world. Lazarus lay full of sores at the rich mans gate, yet was he not so foule and noisome as the rich man himselfe within dores. Death takes away the bodies filthinesse; and CHRIST shall change our vile body, that it maybe like his owne glorious body, but he that dies in his sinnes, shall find his sinnes ever living in himselfe. Blessed is hee whose sins die before his body: death can doe that man no harme, though it rot his flesh to dust. The traveller that is persued by a Lion, throwes off his cloke, and runnes nimbly into his house, from the window whereof he beholds the Lion tearing his garment, but rejoyceth that himselfe is safe. Death can but teare thy coate, and bloudy it, as Iosephs was, but they selfe art safe. There are many things we loath which are not detestable; as our brothers Leprosie, &c. but that which is indeed most odious, is held most delectable. We shunne sickenesse with hate, we follow wickednesse with joy. Which consideration caused Nazianzen to say, that Melior est conditio vitii, quàm morbi: Sinne is in a better condition than sicknesse. For at a Lazarous, Leprous, diseased man, we stop our nostrills, and turne away our eyes; yet here is Gods Image. But to a Prodigall drunkard, a rich usurer, a proud courtier, we insinuate our selves: yet onely for these we have a charge, De non tangendo; and there is the Image of the divell. A man will not enter the house where he knowes the plague is, for feare of infection: yet hee will venture on the place where GOD is blasphemed, and never prepend the danger, saying with Abraham, surely the feare of God is not in this place; Saint Iohn would not tarry in the bath where Cerinthus was: Gen. 20.1.1. there is no pestilence so deadly a sinne. What a blessed turne is it then to bee purged from sinne? Psal. 51.2. Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sinne. The breaking of his bones, the sorenesse of his flesh, he complained of; but nothing so troubled him as his sinnes. Therefore there is no such comfort as the remission of sinnes: David intitleth the 32. Psalme his Learning; Maschil, or Giving instruction. Why, what great learning is in it? Yes, the remission of sins ver. 1. Blessed is the man whose sinne is forgiven: there is no learning more sweet and blessed. For this CHRIST taught us to pray continually; Forgive us our sinnes. The Lords prayer in that one petition teacheth, Nos esse quotidianos peccatores, Luther. & ut tota vita sit paenitentia; that we are daily sinners, and that our whole life should be nothing else, but a Lent to prepare our selves against the Sabaoth of our rest, and the Easter of our Resurrection. The Creed teacheth us to beleeve the Remission of our sinnes; Esa. 44.22. and that God will blot out all our transgressions. Yea, that they are so remitted, as if they never had beene committed. The Lambe of God takes them away. Dimittendo quae facta sunt, & adjuvando ne fiant, & perducendo, Lambor. ad vitam ubi omnino fieri non possunt: by pardoning sinnes past, and preventing sinnes to come, and bringing us to that place where sinne can be no more: ô blessed place where is no sinne! Coelum est, Ambros. ubi cessat culpa. Heaven begins, where sinne ends. We cannot be so quit of it yet: it is well, saith Luther, if as God told Rebecca; Major serviet minori: the elder shall serve the younger. Our enemies are older, our sinnes greater than we, yet they shall serve for our good: for they must needs be comprehended within that universal and indefinite number of All things, that shall worke together to our best, Ro. 8.28. Thus if we could see the irkesome filthinesse of our sinnes, we would thinke our Purging the greatest happinesse. As David of his enemies, so let us comfort our selves concerning our sins, Psal. 118.12. Though they compasse us about like bees, yet in the Name of our Lord Iesus we shall destroy them.

Secondly, consider further the danger of this corruption; Old sinnes. That we translate, A veteribus peccatis; [τῶν πάλαι ἁμαρτιῶν]; must be thus supplied; τῶν πάλαι πεποιημένων; a peccatis jam olim commissis; from sinnes that he hath done of old. This aggravates the danger of corruption; for an old ulcer is hardly cured. Long nurture is another nature. When a certaine man had brought his possessed sonne to the Disciples, and they could not cure him; he comes to Christ himselfe: and he demands, Marke 9.21. How long is it agoe since this came unto him? The father answers, Of a childe; therefore, Sipossis aliquid; If thou canst doe any thing, pitie us, and helpe us. A disease bred from a childe is hardly cured; a sinne of long continuance hardly purged, Psal. 129.2. They have afflicted me from my youth up, yet they have not prevailed against me. If sinne have infected us from our youth up, it is a great wonder that it prevailes not still against us. The Physitian comming to his patient, enquires Decubitum, the time when he tooke his Layre; if he have beene long infected, it poseth his skill, Ioh. 9.1. There was a man blinde from his birth: but if so long blinde, none can cure him but CHRIST, vers. 32. It was never heard since the world stood, that any man save CHRIST, Iohn 6. opened the eyes of one borne blinde. The same Physitian found a patient sicke of an infirmitie eight and thirty yeares: he comes to him with a Visne sanari, Wilt thou be made whole? Alas, he despaires it: yet Christ performed it; Rise, take up thy bed, and walke.

Old sinnes. How farre must we looke backe to finde out this antiquitie. First, as farre as the time of their perpetration; old sinnes, because done long agoe, in the wildernesse of youth, Psal. 25.7. Remember not the sinnes of my youth, Iob 13.26. Thou writest bitter things against me, when thou makest me to possesse the sins of my youth. Youth hath a hotter aptitude and proclivitie to sinne: their bloud is sooner stirred to choler, their heat to lust, their strength to intemperance. Nequitiae cursus celerior quàm aetatis: their sinnes out-run their yeares: and they are discerned to be the children of Adam, before their faces have discovered their sexes. Therefore it was the Wise-mans counsel; Eccles. 12.1. Remember thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth: And S. Paul charged Timothy, 2 Tim. 2.22. to flie youthfull lusts. The new earthen pots will retaine the savour of their first seasoning, Prov. 22.6. Season their youth with the feare of God, as Obadiah said, 1 King. 18.12. I feare the Lord from my youth. As Timothy knew the Scriptures from a childe, 2 Tim. 3.15. Quae fuerunt inania juventutis gaudia, haec sunt acerba senectutis gravamina. The vanities of youth, prove the vexations of age, and if there be any grace in us; that is now matter of repentance, which was then matter of jovisance. It is enough to terrifie the soule, the respection into old sinnes.

Yet let us looke a little further backe, to finde this age of sinne: even as farre as the originall, from whence comes all the copie of imitation. Be they never so new in act, they are old in example, Psal. 106.6. Peccavimus cum patribus nostris; We have sinned with our fathers. God tells them, they had rebelled of old, Act. 7.51. As your fathers did, so doe yee. Antiquitie is no infallible argument of goodnesse: though Tertullian sayes, Perfectiora quae prima; the first things were the best things: And Quo minus ab ortu aberant, the lesse they distanced from the Beginning, the purer they were; but he must be understood onely of holy customes. For Iniquitie can plead antiquitie: hee that commits a new act of murther, finds it old in the example of Cain: drunkennesse may be fetched from Noah; contempt of parents from Ham; womens lightnesse from the daughters of Lot. There is no sinne but hath white haires upon it; & valde senescit, is exceeding old.

But let us looke farther backe yet, even to Adam; there is the age of sinne. This is that Saint Paul calls the Old man: it is almost as old as the root, but older than all the branches. Therefore our restitution by Christ to Grace, is called the New-man. There is a relation, or rather an opposition, betweene the Old-man and the New, 1 Cor. 15.22. As in Adam all die, so in Christ shall all be made alive. The first Adam was made a Living soule, the last Adam was made a Quickning Spirit. Therefore he that makes all things new (Rev. 21.5. Ecce, nova facto omnia) can also make us new. 1 Cor. 15.49. That as we have borne the image of the earthy, so we may beare the Image of the heavenly. Coloss. 3.10. Adam was made in Gods Image, but he begate a sonne in his owne image, not in Gods. The corruption of our nature is the image of the old Adam; the renovation of our mindes is the Image of the New. Therefore, Put off the Old-man, and cast it away; Marke 14.51. as Ioseph forsooke his coat rather than his faith: or as the young man, that Relicto syndone aufugit, left his linnen garment and fled. For, Meliùs perit tunica quàm anima; Better lose generation, than regeneration; better part with thy old corruption, than misse thy new hope of salvation.

Of Old things, some are pleasant, some unprofitable, some pernicious. Pleasant, is an old friend, Proverb. 23.10. Thy old friend and thy Fathers friend forsake not: A good old servant, an old monument of honour, old truth, the Ierem. 6.16. old way, unprofitable; an old tree past bearing, an old house past inhabiting, an old ship in danger of sinking, an old garment past mending, an old ill custome past curing. Pernicious; such is Satan, that old Serpent, Revel. 20. Old sinne, Nah. 2.11. The old Lion devoures terribly, an old dogge bites sore, that old Serpent stings deadly, 2 Esdr. 5.53. A woman when shee is old, brings not forth so goodly children, as in her youth: shee ceaseth teeming. But Concupiscence, the older shee growes, the stronger she is to beare the children of unrighteousnesse. The world is old and weake, man old and sicke, sinne old and more infecting, the Devill old and more prevailing. The only way to evade their danger, is to become new; to talke with new tongues, Marke 16.17. and walke in new wayes, Matth. 2.12. then shall we have new names, Revel. 2.17. put on new garments, and have a portion in the new Ierusalem.

That hee was purged from his old sinnes.] Wee have considered the corruption and inveteratenesse of sinne; now observe what measure of mercie was extended to him in the delivery from it; Hee was purged. This place seemes not so easie at the first blush, as upon better search it will appeare diffcult. Hee was purged, yet he is granted an ungodly person: Now how can a reprobate be said to be purged from his sinnes? For this is a sure ground; Deus remittit omnia peccata, vel nulla: If God remit some sinnes, he retaines none: if no sinne be remitted, that man is not purged. If hee bee purged, how can he forget it? If he have forgotten it, how was he purged?

Some understand it thus; that this purging is meant by the shedding of CHRISTS bloud, whereby the whole world is purged, Iohn 1.29. But that all men are purged by CHRISTS bloud, is neither a true position in it selfe, nor a true exposition of this place. The bloud of Christ onely purgeth his Church, Ephes. 5.26. And there are none admitted to stand before the Throne, but such as have washed their roabes, and made them white in the bloud of the Lambe. Revel. 7.14. If any soule be thus washed, he shall never be confounded. If this man were thus purged, how could he forget it? God was in Christ reconciling the world to himselfe. 2 Cor. 5.19. Yet no man thinkes that the whole world shall goe to heaven; for then were hell mad to no purpose. So God loved the world, that hee gave his Sonne; 1 Iohn 5.19. yet the whole world lies in wickednesse. Thus it is cleare; Expiation was offered for the world, and offered to the world; but those that are blessed by it, be separated from the world, Ioh. 15.19. I have chosen you out of the world. Salvation may be said to belong to many, that belong not to salvation. Now the reprobate forgets, that a purgation was made for him, by the shedding of the Messiah’s bloud, which is a wretched thing, to forget so great a ransome?

Goe to the Garden, and there behold thy Saviour groaning under the weight of sin, heavie enough to have pressed to death millions of Angels, legions of men, the whole world; sweating drops of bloud, as if he were cast into the furnace of Gods wrath that melted him. Behold him offring that mouth, which spake as never man or Angell spake, to a traitor to kisse. Quod Iudas vendidit, & Iudaeus emit; What the traitour sold, and the murtherer bought, thou hast obtained: he is thine, not the Iewes that purchased him: now hast thou gotten him, and yet forgotten him? That which tickles thy heart with laughter, made the heart of thy Saviour bleed; and hast thou forgotten it? His soule was pressed to death with the sinnes wee never shrinke at: his eyes wept teares of bloud, ours flow with teares of laughter: hee felt those torments wee cannot conceive: wee cannot understand what hee did stand under. Were wee so foule, that nothing but his bloud could purge us, and doe wee forget that purging? Doe we forget that crie, whereat heaven and earth, men and Angels, stood amazed, My GOD, my GOD, why hast thou forsaken mee? The very senselesse creatures did not forget it: the heavens were hung with blacke, the Sunne did hide his face like a chiefe mourner, and durst not behold his Passion. Now, Solus homo non compatitur, pro quo solo Christus patitur? For man alone was all this passion, yet in man alone is least compassion. I know thou condemnest Iudas, and that worthily; who sold CHRIST a man, there was murther: CHRIST his Master, there was treason: CHRIST his Maker, there was sacriledge. Murther is a crying sinne, Treason a roaring sinne, Sacriledge a thundring sinne.

Thou condemnest the Iewes for buying him: they bought him not to possesse as their owne; they should so have made the best purchase in th world, to have bought Him that bought them. But they bought him to sell him againe, as Simon Magus would have bought the HOLY GHOST; given money for him, to have got money by him. Prov. 23.23. Buy the Truth, and sell it not. They bought him to binde, abuse, mocke, spit on, scourge, crucifie him. Thou condemnest these; and shall not these, and the GOD of all condemne thee, if thou use thy SAVIOUR after the same manner? They crucified Iesum humilitatum, Christ in his mortalitie: thou crucifiest Iesum glorificatum, Christ in his immortalitie. Thy sinne is, and thy judgement shall be greater; because thy knowledge, and his glory is more.

Hath he suffered all this to purge us, and will we not yet let him alone? Shall we not suffer the Sonne of God to be at rest in his heaven? Shall wee blaspheme and sweare him quite over, open his wounds with our oathes, give him new potions of gall with our drunkennesse, pierce him againe with our oppressions, defile him againe with our lusts, runne him into the heart with our homicides; and still forget all this? Take wee heed, for he feeles it, and therefore does not forget it: the lewd Christian may come to see him, even whom himselfe hath pierced. Doe we offer violence to that glorified SAVIOUR; and with a presumptuous hand lifted up to the heaven, pull him downe from his Throne to his Crosse? Is it not enough that hee died once for us? Are those paines so light, so slight, and have wee so soone forgotten them, that every day wee should redouble them? Is this the recompence of those infinite torments? In vaine thy tongue cries Hosanna, when thy hand crucifies him. How darest thou receive the Sacrament with that hand, that is so imbrued in his blood whom thou receivest! Hee that sells that for a little pleasure, which CHRIST bought with so much paine; Stultum reputat Christum mercatorem; Thinkes CHRIST but a foolish buyer, and that hee had a hard peny-worth: but indeed Stultum se praebet venditorem; he proves him a foolish seller; and with Esau, will repent his bargaine.

Now hath Christ done so much to purge us, and can we forget it? Can such a benefit die in our memories? No, Toto nobis figatur in corde, qui totus pro nobis fixus in cruce, August. Let every redeemed heart, remember his Redeemer. Forget not the Passion of thy Saviour, O my soule: but Totus sit fixus in me, qui totus est crucifixus pro me; Let him be wholly fastned in me, that was wholly fastned to the Crosse for me.

Some understand by this Purging, true Regeneration: in this Exposition the Romanists are confident and peremptorie. But so taken, it is mistaken: for if hee were regenerate, hee could never forget it. Vpon this collection they build, that a man may fall away from grace, and that without distinction, even totally and finally. Here they crie Vicimus, wee have conquered; the Calvinians are confuted, confounded: but this trumpet might bee blowne with a straw. Their Logicke is too hastie; they force theit conclusion to ride post. As in their Indulgences and Pardons they move men to presumption: so in this they drive them to desperation; any way serves their turnes to deceive. If this their position were true, they must needs be false, Ioh. 13.1. Whom he loves, he loves to the end: and that Rom. 8.38. Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ: And Heb. 13.8. then were Iesus Christ not the Same, yesterday; and to day, and for ever. But the Spirit of Adoption is an everlasting Spirit: and Gods mercy, like his Majestie, endures for ever: and the gifts of grace are without repentance: God will never retract them, for he is no changeling. I the Lord change not. Man is unconstant, Malac. 3.6. riches are unconstant, honour is inconstant, friends are inconstant, a wife is inconstant, the world is inconstant: onely Ego Iehovah non mutor; I the Lord change not. Hee doth not to day love dearely, and to morrow hate deadly; but whom he blesseth, Gen. 27.33. shall be blessed. CHRIST will not quench the smoking flax, but inflame the least sparke of grace. Fides concussa, non excussa: the light may bee eclipsed, not extinguished. But they object, Matth. 18.32. I forgave thee all the debt: yet vers. 34. he cast him into prison, till he should pay all that was due unto him: The debt remitted, is againe required. I answer, that the scope of that parable is to shew, that God will no otherwise forgive us, then we forgive others. For certainly if a man be once acquitted, hee can never for that debt be damned. Gods covenant depends not on our obedience, but our obedience depends on Gods covenant. Wee are not therefore loved, because we are holy: but we are therefore holy, because we are loved. If this purging had beene absolute Regeneration, it could never be forgotten: for all the promises of God are Yea and Amen in Iesus Christ.

Some expound it thus; he was purged, that is, hee thought himselfe purged: hee was onely cleane in his owne opinion. So CHRIST calls the Pharisies Iust, because they justified themselves, Luke 15.7. Luke 15.7. This opinionative purging easily revolteth to prophanenesse: hee that never had but the case of a sheepe, may very well be a Wolfe. They slumber, and suppose themselves good Christians: their faith is but a dreame, their hope but a dreame, their charitie but a dreame, their obedience but a dreame, their whole religion but a dreame; and so their assurance of salvation is but a dreame. They have regeneration in conceit, repentance and righteousnesse in conceit, they serve GOD well in conceit, doe the workes of pietie and charitie in conceit, and they shall goe to heaven onely in conceit. Get better assurance than onely to thinke thy selfe good: pure and naked supposalls bring no man to eternall life.

Others; as Luther, referre this Purging to Baptisme: which exposition may carry a probable and profitable sense. This Saint Paul calls the Laver of Regeneration; but Metanimicè; hee meanes the signe or seale of it. Our purgation by CHRISTS bloud is not onely granted to us in the Charter of the Gospell, but also confirmed in the Sacramentall Seales. In the old Testament there was Circumcision, contra peccati reatum: and Occision, or the Passeover, contra peccati poenam; as the Schoole speaketh.

Answerable to these we have Baptisme and the LORDS Supper: now it is the generall consent of the Fathers, that in the most compleat Baptisme sinne is not so taken away, Quod non sit, sed quòd non obsit: non quoad actum, sed quoad reatum; Sinne is still within the faithfull, but it shall not be destructive to them in whom it is. Indeed if wee consider the inward baptisme of the Spirit with the outward, there is a true purging. The laver of regeneration cleanseth from the guilt of all sinnes, quae vel humana traxit nativitas, vel contraxit iniquitas, August. So Lactantius sings of the baptised Infant: Candidus egreditur nitidis exercitus undis: Atque vetus vitium purgat in amne novo. Aquinas sayes, this Sacrament is a Commemoration, a Demonstration, a Prognostication: a Commemoration of Christs Death, that is past: a Demonstration of CHRISTS grace, that is present: a Prognostication of CHRISTS Glory, that is to come. Thus can the GOD of Power effect his will by weake meanes: as the aspersion of bloud on the doores without, shall save the effusion of bloud in the house within. Exod. 12. Naaman must wash in Iordan, the blinde in Siloam, the lame in Bethesda, wee in the sacred Font. As none entred the Sanctuarie, but they first washed in the golden laver: so ordinarily none enter the Church, but they are first washed in this holy fountaine.

Now to this, outward Baptisme is necessary, necessitate conditionata, with a conditionall necessitie: inward, necessitate absoluta; with an absolute necessitie. Baptisme purgeth not, Pareus. Vt pharmacum, aut opus expiatorium, sed ut Sacramentum, foederis obsignatorium; It healeth not as a medicine, by it owne inherent vertue; but as a seale of his mercy, by whose grace we are saved. Not necessitate medii, sed mandati; the necessarinesse of it is derived from the Commandement of GOD. A man may have it, and yet bee lost: as Magus had Sacramentum virtutis, but not virtutem Sacramenti; the Sacrament of grace, but not the grace of the Sacrament. Another may want it, and yet bee saved: as that penitent malefactour was never washed in Iordan, yet received into Paradise. Sacraments then save not, Efficienter, sed efficaciter; not necessarily, but ordinarily. Vnde tanta vis aquae, ut dum corpus lavet, cor abluat? non quod dicitur, sed quod creditur, August. Whence hath the water such vertue, that washing the bodie, it should purge the soule? Not because it is so said, or, so sprinkled; but because it is so beleeved. It is not therefore enough to have Sacramentum fidei, but Fidem Sacramenti; Not to have the Sacrament of faith, but the faith of the Sacrament. Hee that beleeves, and is baptised, shall bee saved. Hee that is thus baptised, is truely purged: and as upon CHRIST being baptised, the HOLY GHOST descended: so the Spirit, which once moved on the face of the waters, shall worke with the water upon his soule. And as there came a voice to CHRIST from heaven; This is my beloved Sonne, in whom I am well pleased: So doth GOD the Father secretly spake to the baptized Infant; Thou art my beloved childe; with whom (though before I was angry) I am now well pleased. Before thou wast a childe of wrath, an heire of perdition: but now Psal. 2.7. thou art my sonne, this day have I begotten thee.

If this wicked man had beene so purged, hee could never have forgotten it. But hee had onely Baptismum Fluminis, non Flaminis; The Baptisme of water, not of the Spirit. And is not this a miserable and damnatorie sinne, to forget a mans Baptisme? Not to remember that his name is Christian? It is pitie that ever the water of Baptisme was spilt upon his face. Wert thou borne in sinne, non prius natus quàm damnatus; A stranger to the life of GOD? And loe, then did thy parents bring thee to the sacred Font; and when thou couldest not answer for thy selfe, was not GOD pleased to take sureties for thee, witnesses of thy future obedience? Did the Church open her bosome to receive thee to her Mother-hood, GOD to his Father-hood, CHRIST to his Brother-hood, Angels to their guard and societie, all the Elect to their prayers and charitie; and canst thou forget all this? Wilt thou disclaime Christians, despise the Angels, deny thy Brother, defie thy Mother, reject thy Father, and runne a course crosse to pietie and eternall life? Shall not, at that great day, men forsake thee, devils accuse thee, Angels repudiate thee, the Church be ashamed of thee, thy Father disinherite thee, yea, even thy Brother now become thy Iudge, the LORD IESUS condemne thee? What can save thee, if thou forget thou wert a purged Christian?

Beloved, thinke of the end of your washing; it was that you should no more foule your selves, Acts 22.16. Bee baptized, and wash away your sinne, calling on the Name of the LORD. The Eunuch being baptized, became a Saint: Descendit Ethnicus, resurgit Christianus: Hee went downe into the water a Heathen, hee came up a Christian. The cruell Gaolor, baptised, became a zealous professour. Baptisme is in poenitentiam, Matth. 3. to amendment of life. Therefore say with the Spouse, Cant. 5.3. I have washed my feet, how shall I defile them? Forget not that Sacramentall vow made to God, in the presence of men and Angels. Did it flie up to heaven, and does it not stay there to testifie against thee? Thou vowed’st thy selfe a souldier, not a neuter: to fight for the Lord, not to stand still and looke on; much lesse to fight against him: for Cursed is hee that takes not the Lords part. Iudg. 5.23. Thou must fight: thou doest fight; but against whom? not against the world, thy owne lust, the power of Satan; but against thy brethren. Vpon every slight occasion we must to Law: like Cockes of the game; that fight neither pro patria, nor pro domo: so wee contend not pro cure, jure, thure; not for the title of inheritance, not for the right of the poore, nor for the cause of Religion: but Quia alter alteri cedere non vult; but because one will not yeeld to another. Turbulent Lawyers are the abettors that set them on; the Cock-pit is Westminster-Hall; and when they have pecked out one anothers eyes, they pull their feathers. Is this to fight the LORDS battell? No, it is to bee on the Dragons side. Doe wee warre against the world? No, wee fight not like Alexander, to subdue it to our selves, but to subdue our selves to it. Runne thorow the shoppes of this Citie, and you may know by their weapons; false measures, false ballances, false lights, false tongues; what they fight for. O the mercie of GOD! Have wee forgot our names? Is there no memory of our Christianitie left? Wee had but some prints and reliques of it at first; and may we now say, as of Ierusalem; Etiam periere ruinae? Is there no ruine nor stone left, to tell a mans selfe; This building was a Christian? It is reported of Orbilius, a Grammarian, that hee forgot not onely the letters of his booke, but even his owne name. We forget both the prints and letters of the Gospell, and withall our owne names; that wee are Christians. As GOD said to that evill servant; Ex ore tuo te judico; Luke 19.22. Out of thine owne mouth I will judge thee: So he will speake to this Apostate, Ex nomine te damno; By thine owne name will I condemne thee: Thou namest thy selfe Christian, yet shamest the profession. Now the Spirit of God purge us from this forgetfulnesse, and grant us never to forget our purging. Let us never forget such a benefit, that we may never be forgotten by the Author of it.

He hath forgotten that hee was purged. Here is his unthankfulnesse for this deliverance. What, blinde, and forgotten too? How comes this to passe? Blindnesse should ever have the best memory: what is taken from one sense, is divided among the rest. The eare retaines what it is intrusted with, the better; when the eye wants occasion to direct it. The memorie is like a cage, the eare is the doore of it, the eye the window: good doctrines are put like birds in at the doore, and flie out againe by setting open the window. Indeed the defect of corporall sight hath often mended the memorie; but it is not so for spirituall, Mark. 8.18. Having eyes, see yee not? and doe yee not remember? They neither saw, nor remembred. A carnall heart is blinde to conceive, readie to forget, 2 Timoth. 3.7. Ever learning, never able to come to the knowledge of the truth: slow to get, apt to forget. As Nescitis, know you not, was a word often used by Saint Paul: so, Doe you not remember, was frequent from our SAVIOUR CHRIST, 2 Tim. 1.13. Hold fast the forme of sound words; that good thing which was committed to thee, keepe. An auditour should not bee like the spunge, that holds all water both good and bad: nor like the sieve, that holds no water, neither good nor bad: nor like the boulter, that keepes in the course branne, and throwes out the fine flowre: but like the scrie, that keepes in the good seed, and casteth out the dust and unprofitable darnell. One said of our Countrey, that it had faire houses, but bad chimneyes, because they have so little smoke of hospitalitie: so we have excellent eares, but bad memories: quick conceptions, brittle retentions: not a Nation under heaven heares so many good Sermons; not a Nation under heaven sooner forgets them. Many arts are taught among us, of quicke reading, of short writing; where by brachigraphicall characters they will take a Sermon verbatim. But there is one art, I would some good body would teach it us; it is the art of memory. That as Sermons are taken word for word in our papers; so they might be written sense for sense in our hearts

Now if my power were answerable to my will, I would teach you this art. Posse mihi Is tribuat qui mihi velle dedit. To dispose this discourse of memorie into some method, lest it be confounded in that should teach it. The object of memorie specified in the Text, is double; the estate of sinne wherein we lay polluted, and the estate of cleansing wherein we stood recovered. So that the point is here confined to sinnes or good workes. For our sinnes, let us first learne how to remember them, and then how we may forget them.

First, for their remembrance; Chrysostome saies, nothing more helpes us forward in a good course, than the frequent recognition of our sinnes. David specially intitleth the 38. Psal. a memorandum. A Psalme of David to bring to remembrance. Vpon good reason saith Euthymius, because he made it when he called his sinnes to remembrance. Cum commissa olim a se delicta memoria repeteret, Uer. 4. My iniquities, &c. Paul thus remembers his former sinfulnesse of life; 1 Tim. 1.13. I was a blesphemer, &c. and so he became more zealous to save sinners than before hee had beene furious to kill the godly. Quod fecit Saulus, patitur Paulus: of a violent persecutor, he became a valiant sufferer. Our sins are innumerable, Psal. 19.12. who can tell how oft he offendeth. Thou remembrest not the sins of one day, how great a masse have many dayes made up! Ier. 44.9. too great a bottome for one houres sorrow to ravell out. Have you forgotten the wickednesse of your fathers, and your owne wickednesse that you are not humbled even unto this day? If we forget our sinnes, God will remember them. The wicked man would put out the eye of knowledge, & stupefie the memory of infinite comprehension: Psal. 10.11. Psal. 5•.21. He saies in his heart, God hath forgotten. But, These things hast thou done, and I kept silence: therefore thou thoughtest that I was altogether such a one as thy selfe: but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes. The forborne debter may forget, but the forbearing Creditor remembers: every parcell is set downe in his booke. Ahab had forgot Nabaoths bloud, but God remembers it. Ioab had forgot the murder of Abner and Amasa; but David chargeth Salomon to remember it: 1 King. 2.6. Let not his hoary head goe downe to the grave in peace. But if we remember our sinnes in the day of repentance, God will forget them in the day of vengeance. He will answere as Cato to him that stroke him in the Bath, and afterwards submitted himselfe to his mercie; Non memini me percussum; I doe not remember that I was smitten. Ananias pleaded against Paul, Act. 9.13. Lord remember how much evill he hath done to thy Saints: but the Lord answers, Oblitus sum, he is my chosen vessell. Act. 17.30. The times of this ignorance God winked at, but now he commandeth all men every where to repent. Repent then, and all shall be forgotten. At what time soever, what sinner soever, shall turne from what sinne soever, heartily; I will put all his wickednesse out of my remembrance: the Lord wil forget it, Heb. 8.12. I will be mercifull to them, and their sinnes I will remember no more. But it is the Holy Ghost, Ioh. 14.26. that brings all things to our remembrance. Now this holy spirit of memorie, teach us thus to remember our sinnes: that we may thinke of them with penitent sorrow, and God forget them to our eternall joy.

There is a way also for us to forget them: as we remember them to repentance, so we must forget them in respect of continuance. Otherwise the memorie of them doth not reduce us to life, but forward us to death. This is to fetch poison out of a dunghill formerly cast forth. He that remembers his sinnes in sorrow, falls like Abraham, forward on his face to God: he that remembers them to practise, falls like the Iewes, backward from IESUS CHRIST. If thou be on the mountaine, have no love to looke backe to Sodome. If thou bee in the Arke, flie not backe to the world, as the Raven did. If thou be set on for Canaan, forget the fleshpots of Aegypt. If marching against Midian, forget stooping to the waters of Harod. Iudg. 7. Mark. 13.15. If on the house top, forget that is below thee: Luk. 9.62. If thy hand be put to the plow, forget that is behind thee. Themistocles desired rather to learne the art of forgetfulnesse, than of memorie. Philosophy is an art of remembring, Divinity includes in it an art of forgetting. The first lesson that Socrates taught his Scholers, was Reminiscere, Remember: for he thought that knowledge was nothing else but a calling to remembrance of those things the mind knew, ere it knew the body. But the first lesson that Christ teacheth his Schollers, is Obliviscere; Forget, Psal. 45.10. Forget thine owne people, Matth. 4.17. Repent, 1 Pet. 3.11. First, eschew evill

They which dye cloth, doe not immediately change one contrary into another; but first turne white into an azure, then make it a puke, &c. so we can never hold colour, or have our integrity died in graine, but by mediate degrees. Nisi dediscimus benè, quod dicimus non benè, Lirinens. What we did ill get, we must well forget: and happily unlearne what we did unhappily learne. They that worke in waxe, cannot forme a new impression, but by defacing the old: till Satans image be extinguished, CHRISTS cannot be imprinted in us. We must forget the wildernesse, that wee may dwell in Canaan. Faith is that faire Helen, which drinkes to us in a cup of Nepenthe, and saies; Revel. 21.4. There shall be no more sorrow; for vetera transierunt, the former things are passed away. The hearty draught of the living fountaine, shall make a man not to remember the daies of his life; because God answereth him in the joy of his heart. The Scripture is full of this language, Esa. 43.18. Remember not the former things, neither consider the things of old. There are some dissolute persons, that laugh at the memoriall of their sinnes: shall they not weepe teares of bloud for those smiles? Woe bee to them that thus laugh, for they shall weepe. When they are past committing, Luk. 6.25. they applaud themselves in recounting, in reporting their aspersions of fraud, bloud, or lust: Phil. 3.19. they glory in their shame. They remember that on earth laughing, which they must remember in hell howling. This is a cursed commemoration; when an old man shall glory in his former whoredomes, boast his homicides; yea perhaps (if it be possible) make himselfe worse than ever he was. Some men lie to save their credits; and that is as if one should wipe his mouth on his sleeve to spare his napkin. But this man tells lies to encrease his discredit; and to fill up the measure of his torments. As if his damnation could not otherwise be heavy enough, his tongue shall make up the waight which his hands failed to accomplish. Here is a damnable remembrance of sinne; not by penitence to cleanse the soule, but by impudence, more to foule it, Psal. 52.1. why boastest thou thy selfe in mischiefe.

No, but if thou hast had a fluxe of malice, as that woman a fluxe of bloud, Marke 5. 12. yeeres; now being cured, forget that bloudinesse. If thou hast beene depressed with worldlinesse, as another woman with a spirit of infirmitie, 18. yeeres. Now being rectified, forget that crrokednesse. Though blind from thy birth, as the man, Luk. 13. Ioh. 9. now having thine eyes opened, forget thy former cecitie. Though formerly deafe and dumbe, upon CHRISTS Ephata, forget those orbities. Mark. 7.32. Though thy charitie were dryed up, like that mans withered hand, Matthew 12.10. yet now upon the restitution of it, forget all drynesse and niggardice. Act. 14.8. Though thou wert a creeple from the wombe, yet now being recovered, forget all limping and halting with God. Though buried in the grave foure daies, yet now being revived, forget all deadnesse in sinne. Though before tormented with seven divells, as Mary Magdalen; yet being dispossessed, forget the devill and all his workes. Forget Babylon, but remember Ierusalem, Psal. 137.5. If I forget thee, O Ierusalem; If I doe not remember thee; let both my hand and mouth miscarry, and forget their offices. Forget thy old sinfull life; Psal. 45.11. So shall the King greately desire thy beauty. Forget not the mercies of God, lest God forget to doe you good: but forget all the injuries of men: write the wrongs in their dust, and cover all offences done to you with a mantle of charitie. The Summe of all is; remember your sinnes to repent of them, forget to practise them: that God may forget them in judgement, and remember you in mercie and salvation.

This be the method of memorie in respect of sin; now for the workes of grace; I doe not meane such as GOD hath wrought in us, but such as our selves by his grace have done. There is a rule how they may be remembred, and how they must be forgotten.

Our vertues and good workes may be after some manner remembred. Quàm immensa est laetitia de recordatione transactae virtutis! Bern. Rom. 14.17. Our conscience is exceedingly comforted by the memorie of our zealousnesse to serve God. The kingdome of God consists in righteousnesse, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. Now, if there be knowledge of righteousnesse, then certainly there will bee peace of conscience; and these cannot bee without joy of the Holy Ghost. Iob hath a whole Chapter of these holy remembrances. Chapter 31. If I have walked, &c. and hee concludes; My heart shall not condemne me for my dayes. So sicke Hezekiah cheared himselfe. Esa. 38.3. Lord, remember how I have walked before thee with a perfect heart. So Obadiah after a sort justified himselfe to Elias, 1 King. 18.13. Diddest thou not heare, how I saved the Prophets of the LORD from Iesabel? The purpose of this repitition, is not to boast merits, but to seeke mercies. Neither must this line of remembred goodnesse be there cut off, but extended forth still: like a man that counts his miles past, but yet goes on his journey. Hee that is holy, let him bee holy still, Revelations 22.11. The further men fetch their careere backward to take their runne; the further they leape forward when they have runne. So a sober recognition of our former obedience, remembring what peace of conscience wee had in that service, encourageth our future constancie. There are some who looking to this Record, find their owne names blanke. What, no good deeds yes, but they have lost their memories: they cannot call to mind where, or when, or how they performed them. Like the drunkard who sought all the Innes in the towne for his horse, when indeed he came thither on foote. These men may blame their bad memories, but the fault is in their bad hands and hearts. Some have their good deeds written upon Hospitall walls; perhaps lest God should forget them. But we will charitably construe it; that they were recorded there rather by the gratitude of the receivers, then by the popular desire of the contributers. Howsoever, it is somewhat that they have good deeds to remember. But too many have none at all: will you blame their memories? no, God amend their lives.

In another course, our good workes are to be forgotten, and not mentioned: let them be remembred to enliven our obedience, and comfort our conscience: but rather than we should arrogate merite by them, oblivion take them. He that in pride remembers his vertues, hath indeed no vertues to remember; because he wants the mother vertue of all, humility. Here is one difference betweene good and evill men: both remember vertues; Pii aliorum, impii suas: good men remember the vertues of others, evill men their owne. They thinke on others vertues as ensamples to imitate, these on their owne as miracles to wonder at. The way to have God remember them, is for our selves to forget them. Abraham was content to offer up Isaac, but then he forgets it, therefore God remembers it, Gen. 22.16. Because thou hast done this thing: there is the generall: what thing? the particular followes, And hast not withheld; not thy servant, but Thy sonne: and not onely thy sonne, but thy onely sonne; therefore in blessing, I will blesse thee. Mary shewed to CHRIST great kindnesse; but when she had done, she thought it not worth remembrance: therfore CHRIST repeats it, Luk. 7.44. and amplifies it from point to point. Simon, thou gavest me neither water to my feete, nor kisse to my mouth, nor oile to my head; but shee hath washed me with teares, kissed with her lips, and anointed my very feete.

Who dare boast himselfe to God! If in a brave theomachy, thy memorie produceth a thousand good workes, Gods memorie will bring forth tenne thousand of thy sinnes, to knocke thee downe. Therefore let us cast downe our most flourishing Matth. 21.8. branches, and our most glorious Revel. 4.10. Crownes at the feete of CHRIST. If Senacherib have conquered kingdomes, Dan. 4.30. you shall heare him cracke it, Esa. 37.13. Where is the king of Hamach, &c. If Nebuchadnezzar have built a stately palace, hee must bragge of it; Is not this great Babylon, I have built for the honour of my majestie? David himselfe could not be content with the multitude of his people, but he must needs number them, 2 Samuel 24.2. If Hezekiah have rich treasures, hee must needs shew them, 2 Kin. 20.13. victorious Sampson must glory in his conquests, Iudg. 15.16. With the jaw of an asse have I slaine a thousand men. But for us, though we give almes, let us sound no trumpets, Matth. 6.2. though we fast twice a weeke, let us make Luke 18.12. no words of it. God best likes of those good workes, that be covered under the fleece of humble silence. So the Lord that seeth in secret, will reward openly, Matth. 6.4. Humilitas animi, sublimitas Christiani. The christians glory is his humility. Saint Paul was in nothing behind the very chiefest Apostles; Leo. yet hee accounts himselfe nothing, 2 Cor. 12.11. I laboured more aboundantly than they all, 1 Cor. 15.10. yet he forgets it. I speake with tongues more than you all. 1 Cor. 14.18. I speake wisdome among you that are perfect, 1 Cor. 2.6. I fought with beasts at Ephesus after the manner of men, 1 Cor. 15.32. yea he cals all the former sufferings, things without: hee had a thing within that troubled him; 2 Cor. 11.28. The care of all the Churches. He was rapt up to the third heaven, and perfected his knowledge among the Angels. Yet he esteemes, hoc aliquid, hoc magnum, hoc mirum, hoc totum, nihil; He forgets all this in regard of merit, as if it were nothing. Whereas we, if wee have done one thing well, or at one time well, thinke we have done enough. Orpheus going to hell to fetch out his wife Euridice, had her granted him on this condition, that he should not turne backe to looke upon her till he had brought her forth. But being forward a good way, in an excessive love, Flexit amans oculos, & protinus illa relapsa est: he looked backe and so lost both her sight and her selfe: but perhaps when he considered better of the matter; he was willing to be rid of her. This fiction is not without the morrall, if we have any vertue, though it be as deere as a wife unto us, let us not dote on it with a selfe-loving admiration; lest by too much looking, and too well liking, we lose it. let us not be too memorious of our good workes; it is enough that God will not forget them. Matt. 26.13. This deed shall be told for a memoriall of her. We had better have one written in heaven, than a thousand in earth: whosoever forgets them, the comfort is, they shall be remembred of Christ.

The summe of all is this; unthankfulnesse is even forgetfull. This is the first degree of apostacie. Psal. 78.11.42 They forgate his workes, and remembred not his hand, nor the day when he delivered them from their enemies. Nathan taxed David with this forgetfulnesse, 2 Sam. 12.8. How much hath God done for thee, yet hast thou forgotten it, and despised his Commandement? So Pharaohs officer forgate Ioseph, when he came to his preferment. 2 Chron. 24.22. Ioash the King remembred not the kindnesse of Iehojada, but slew his sonne. Hath God delivered, purged, blessed us, and can we forget it? Deut. 8.14. Beware lest thou lift up thine heart, and forget the Lord. David would not suffer the blessings of God to lye in tenebris, unseene of men, unremembred of his owne heart, but he proclaimes them, Psal. 66.16. Come all yee that feare the Lord, and I will tell you what he hath done for my soule. Let others write the kindnesses of their friends, I will relate to you the mercies of my God, Psal. 40.10. and 71.15. Of all faculties of the soule, the memory is most delicate, tender and brittle, and soonest decayeth: and of all objects of memroy, Primum senescit beneficium, a benefit soonest growes old. Yet it is an easie worke of memory, to thinke on him that made us: here is no over-charging it with numerous objects; to remember onely one thing, the mercy of thy God. It is no weakening to thy body, no decay to thy store, no emptying to thy purse; O then be thankfull! And yet all thy riches, thy fatlings, thy first fruits, thy best oblations are not so acceptable: it is more welcome than the Bullocke that hath horne and hoofe, Psal. 77.9. Hath God forgotten to be gracious? He hath then left his old wont: No, David had forgotten the richnesse of his mercy; therefore hee recollects himselfe, vers. 10. This is mine infirmitie; but I will remember the yeeres of the right hand of the most High. Not the moments, nor the houres, nor dayes of a few short afflictions; that his left-hand hath dealt to me: but the yeeres of his right hand; those long, large, and boundlesse mercies wherewith he hath comforted me. 1 Sam. 12.9. When they forgate the Lord, he sold them into the hand of Sisera, and to the Philistims- They that forget the Lord, shall be delivered into the hand of Sisera, Captaine of the enemies host, that is, Satan; or to the Philistims, the Lusts of the Flesh; or to Moab, that’s the world. Psal. 50.22. Consider this yee that forget God: though you forget your owne countrey, and your fathers house: though you forget the wife of your bosome, and the fruite of your owne loynes: though you forget to eate your bread, and take your sleepe: yet remember your sanctification, forget not that you were purged by the bloud of CHRIST. If you have treasures and Iemmes, you desire a Cabinet to put them in: I have shewed you a Cabinet for all the Iewells of grace you have gathered, the memorie. If you have received any good, there preserve it. Paul tells the Hebrewes, Hebr. 12.5. You have forgotten the exhortation: let it never bee said of you, that yee have forgotten the exhortation spoken to you.

Forgotten that he was purged. There remaines yet one degree more of application and amplification of this point. Consider we the price of our Pargation, and we shall more willingly part from our corruption. If the bloud of Gods sonne was spilt and spent to discharge us of sinne; how odious should sinne appeare to us! Oh let no sinne be held so deare as to be retained, when God retained not his dearest sonne for us. When Abraham offered up Isaac, God said; I see thou lovest me: but when God offered up his sonne for us, (that were, not as God to Abraham, a friendly Creator, but) enemie creatures, we may well say; LORD, we see that thou lovest us. Abrahams offering Isaac was a grievous tryall; both for the matter and the manner: that Talis, Talem, Taliter. 1. That the sacrificer should be a father. It is contranaturall and execrable for a sonne to slay his father; to give death to him, that gave him life. Herodotus writes of some that held it unpossible for a sonne to kill his father. A great law-giver made no Law for it, as a thing never to be done. If any were suspected or accused for it, they would conclude that either he had not done it, or that he was a bastard; they could not be perswaded that any sonne would commit parricide. But now it is more strange for a father to slay his sonne: for love more descends than ascends. Wee have read of young ones that killed their owne damme, we never read of a damme that killed her owne young ones. But here Isaac is doomed to die, not by the hand of an enemie, not by a stranger, not by an executioner, not by a murderer; but by a father; a mild, gentle, holy, loving father. O utinam tantummodo moriturus, non patris manu moriturus! Abraham might say, Oh that it were only his destinie to die, and not to die by the hand of his father. 2. That the sacrifice should be his sonne, his Isaac, his joy: not onely his sonne, but his only sonne. Not one of many; yet Iacob cannot spare one of twelve, he weepes for Ioseph, he is grieved to part with Benjamin. Yea, that it must be that sonne, from whom the Messiah was to come; the hope of salvation to himselfe, and all the ends of the earth. 3. That hee must die after such a manner: a sacrifice to GOD, who delights not in the bloud of men: and this himselfe not standing by, but with his owne hand. Since he must die, ô that alienâ manu, non propriâ; that another hand might doe it, and the father not see it! Si fleres filium mortuum, quid si jussus occidere? doest thou lament thy sonne dying, what wouldest thou doe if thy selfe were commanded to kill him? God remembers this faithfull service with an oath. By my selfe have I sworne, that I will blesse thee for it. Sure he was loth his tender sonne to kill: Gen. 22.16. but much more loth to breake his fathers will.

But now to what purpose is all this? Yes, Abraham puts us in mind of God the Father, Isaac was a type of CHRIST: either gives up his only sonne, but with great difference: Abrahams dutie was but a shadow of Gods bountie. 1. Abraham at Gods command was bound to doe it, as a creature to his maker; but who could command God? Children are commanded by parents, their parents by magistrates, those magistrates by Princes, those Princes by God, God himselfe by none. 2. Abraham did this for a loving friend, God did it for hating enemies, Rom. 5.10. When we were enemies, he reconciled us by the death of his Sonne. 3. Abraham tradidi filium moriturum, Deus filium immortalem morti. Abraham offered a mortall son sure to die, God offered an Immortall sonne to death indeed. The one must have died though his father should never kill him: the other could never have died, unlesse the father had delivered him to death. Besides, he that was mortall scaped, he that was immortall died.

Now wherefore did God all this? to purge us from sinne. Sic filium crucifixit, ut peccatum occideret: so he killed his sonne, that he might kill our sinne: he was crucified that iniquity might be mortified. Ponder them, and waigh the reasons why our Saviour died: Sampson suffered his heire, his strength, to bee lost for Dalila: CHRIST suffered himselfe to be betrayed and murdered for us. Iacob endured foureteene yeeres service for Rachel. CHRIST above thirtie yeeres passion for us. Rachel was faire, therefore Iacob loved her: wee were foule and polluted, yet CHRIST loved us. Tollere peccatum mundi, intermisit gloriam caeli: he did descend from his owne royaltie, to deliver us from miserie. Diverse Kings have left their regall seates for a monasterie: CHRIST forsooke heaven for earth, a crowne of joyes for a crowne of thornes. Exemplum sine exemplo! Many refuse heaven for earths sake, because they know not those supernall joyes; CHRIST knew heaven, for it was his owne. All this for sin: fie filthy sin, that any soule should hereafter love thee! for this cause turne from iniquity to righteousnesse: doe thou for GODS sake not spare thy dearest sinne; when GOD for thy sake did not spare his dearest Sonne. Fall not backe to wickednesse and pollution; remember thou art purged by Iesus Christ.