2 Peter 2:20 (part 1 of 2)

IT is not the least happines in this world, not to be taken with the happinesse of this world. Plinie the younger could say, Capio hinc aliquam voluptatem, quod voluptate hac non capior. To walke daily through this garden of temptations, and plucke none of the forbidden fruits or flowers, is a temperance so farre above nature, that no man, but He that was more than man, ever attained it. If a meere stranger passeth alone through the streets of a populous City, and follows his affaires close; he may returne uninfected, because unsaluted. But for a known Citizen to doe so, to blanch all his acquaintance with prejudice, to deny all those friends that offer their cruell courtesies at the next Taverne, to refuse all the invitations of profit or pleasure, requires a well resolved abstinence. Christ was a stranger upon earth, so should every Christian be: but this is the country wherin we are borne, (though it benot the country wherto we are borne) and it is hard for a man to denie his country. Mundus allicit, afficit, inficit: and though wee pretend for heaven, yet still we beare about us a tang of our native countrey. Even they that would faine get out of the world, yet cannot get the world quite out of them. They purpose well; and if those thoughts (not theirs) begin to lift them up from their earth; presently he that rules in the aire, stoopes upon them with his powerfull temptations, or the world puls them downe againe with a sweet violence: so as they know not whether they be compelled or perswaded to yeeld. There is in the best such a deale of infirmitie, but a great deale more of treacherie. How willing are we to be deceived, how loth to be altered? Si t••tum valet mundus in extraneos, quale imperium exercet in suos? But now when a man is pull’d out of these bryars and thornes with a bleeding skinne, and made sensible of those wounds which he hath received in this forrest, and is in time healed of those hurts; if he rush againe into that dangerous wildernesse, and hazard new mischiefes; he falls (almost unpitied) into the hands of robbers and murderers, destitute of both rescue and resistance. To be recovered from the waies of death, to walke awhile in the waies of life; and after all this, to turne from the land of the living to the Golgotha of the dead, from the forsaking of sinne, to the sinne of forsaking religion and goodnesse; this is the fearefull condition of the Apostates in my Text, whose latter end is worse than their beginning.

We have three generall parts: A Proposition, They have escaped, &c. Supposition, If againe they be intangled. Conclusion, Their latter end is worse.

In the proposition are three particulars; First, Quid, they have escaped. Secondly, Vnde, or a quo, from the pollutions of the world. Thirdly, Quomodo, by the knowledge of Christ In the Supposition observe two particulars; First, Facilitatem intricandi, the easinesse of falling backe; If againe; it may bee so, it is no waies impossible. Secondly, Difficultatem extricandi, the hardnesse of recovering them, which appeares by the two phrases: Intangled; it will cost labour to unsnare them: overcome; it will cost a price to redeeme them; neither of both which is afforded them. But lastly, the Conclusion followes, The latter end with them is worse than the beginning. The Text begins with hope; They have escaped: goes on with feare They are againe intangled: and concludes in despaire, Their latter end is worse than their beginning.

They have escaped.] Next to the finding an unexpected benefit, it is a great happinesse to scape an unsuspected danger: yea the scaping of a great danger, is more joy, than the receiving of an ordinary benefit. David did not so much blesse Abigail for relieving the hunger of his body, as for preventing the sinne of his soule. She saved him from spilling the blood of another, 1 Sam. 25.33. he thankes her as much as if shee had hindred another from spilling his blood. Nabal did not more rejoyce in escaping death, than David in that hee was kept from being the author of it. Never was good man delivered from a knowne perill, but hee blessed his deliverer. Psal. 124.7. Our soule is escaped as a bird out of the snare; the snare is broken, and we are escaped: the Church doubles the memory of that mercie: Psal. 118.10, 11, 12. there it was but twice. Psal. 118. He speakes thrice of compassing, of dangers, of enemies, of multitudes, like swarmes of Bees: still he blessed God for escaping, even with the destruction of his foes: there it is thrice. How worthy is he to perish in the next danger, that is not thankefull for escaping the former? Iudg. 5.11. They that are delivered from the noise of the Archers in the places of drawing water, there shall they rehearse the the righteous acts of the Lord. They had set a song of thanksgiving for that deliverance. My soule is escaped from the Lyons, saith David, therefore will I praise thee. In that bloudy peragration of Egypt, when every house had a carcase in it, and that of the first borne, Israel escaped: and shall the remembrance of this mercie vanish? No, every yeere they shall keepe that day holy to the Lord, with the great feast of their Passeover. That treason which should have beene done with a match: that matchlesse conspiracie; whereof the scene was laid at Westminster, the stage was the Parliament house, the plot contrived at Rome, the intention was the confusion of a whole State; Aras & focos, regalia, sacra, veiusta: yet betwixt the fire and the powder, that short intervallum, we escaped. Shall that deliverance escape without our thankes? No, unblest shall be that yeare, where the fift of November is not rubrick’d in the Kalendar, where our escaping is not acknowledged with thankefull hearts. Our late King of happy memory, escaping the danger of a conspiracy in Scotland, contented not himselfe with a commemoration of it once a yeare: his subjects had the fift of August; himselfe kept one day every weeke. He that escapeth a perill, without thankefull acknowledgment, is indebted for his deliverance. Now there is no danger like sinne; for there could have been no danger but for sinne: and the greater the danger the greater praise belongs to the deliverance. Daniel was among the Lyons; they could but have torne his flesh, and sent his soule to heaven through those painefull breaches. But to escape from that roaring Lion, whose teeth water at mens soules, as being too dainty to feed on flesh; how great is this happinesse! Three servants of God were cast into that seven times heated fornace: all those flames could not scorch their soules, whatsoever they had done to their bodies. But the fire of hell hath a secret and supernaturall property to torment the soule: Luk. 16.24. I am tormented in this flame, saith the rich Churle; that [I] must be his soule, his body was in the grave: and that with a fervour not lesse violent than everlasting. To escape that, may well chalenge thankes from either men or Angels.

If we escape a dangerous sickenesse, and doe not blesse God with heart, voice, and life for our recovery; we rise from our beds, and owe for our physicke. Hath Gods Angell forbore to sheath his sword in our bowels, when thousands have fallen under his impartiall hand? Let us be humbly thankfull; otherwise there is a worse plague left behind for us, yea in us. Argue with all the world, they will conclude; there is no vice like to ingratitude. Ioh 5.14. Thou art made whole, sinne no more, lest a worse thing happen unto thee. We commit new sinnes, while we are thanklesse for escaping the punishment of our old ones. God justly for the first sinne, had concluded all the world under sinne: some through his grace in Christ are escaped from this condemnation: shall they teare the instrument of their pardon? No, wee see it done, let us kisse the seale, and confesse his mercy. Wee were overwhelmed with sinne and ignorance: God hath called us out of darknesse into his marvelous light: shall wee put out the lampe whereby wee are escaped? No, we must be thankfull.

Wee make vowes to God in our dangers; shall wee not pay them after our dangers? Our obedience is a debt, though we had never revowed it: shall we forfeit all these bonds? Thou owest thy service to God for escaping sinne and hell; pay, pay. Prov. 22.7. Thou hast received all, thou owest all; thinke of payment. They are infamous that get the goods of others into their hands, and then breake. The subject that is intrusted by his Prince with keeping of a fort, and shall give it up to the enemy, is a desperate traitor. Our tongues, eyes, hands, bodies and soules, are delivered from the Prince of darknesse, by the Sonne of righteousnesse, and deposited to our keeping: if wee yeeld them backe to their old usurper, by blasphemy, pride, uncleanenesse, wee shall die the death of traitors. Thou slightest an offended neighbour; I care not for him, I owe him nothing: sure wee owe the devill nothing, but our detestation; why then should wee doe him any service? Wee owe all to God, both for escaping hell, and for our hope of heaven: Psal. 116.14. What shall we render to him for all? Thankfulnesse and obedience are our vowes, and we will pay our vowes unto him.

But wee say, alas, non habemus undè; wee have not Matth. 18.25. wherewithall. Men that are runne farre in debt, and pay, and pay, yet see small hope of comming out, often grow desperate. Not so: we owe an infinite summe; and wee have an infinite summe to pay it withall; the infinite obedience and merit of Iesus Christ: this is able to discharge all, were the debt greater. For our owne actuall obedience, let us pay so farre as wee can. This is the difference betweene debts owing to God, and to men. The more of our debts wee pay unto men, the lesse wee have remaining of our owne: but the more wee pay to God, the more wee have, and are the better able to pay. God hath delivered us from the bondage of Satan, to whom (by reason of sinne) wee ow’d our soules: Christ hath discharged that debt, and wee are escaped: yet still we are Rom. 8.12. debtours: this debt is not cancelled, but translated: every benefit is a new obligation. Onely wee are delivered from those scattering debts to that mercilesse creditor, Satan: and God hath taken it into his owne hand: now all that we owe, is to him. The principall we pay him in his owne coine, the blood of his Sonne: the interest is our thankfull service and obedience. Wee are escaped from the captivity of that Tyrant; Christ hath paid our ransome: onely we will pay him our praises, our service, our selves.

The pollutions of the world.] Delivered from the world? Perhaps this was none of their hearts desire. They found no danger in it: and hee that should promise them eternall riches, Matth 19.21. taking away the present possession of these temporals, they would thinke did them to losse. They are so farre from contending to scape the world, that the world shall not scape them. They court it as their chiefe Paragon, the mistresse of their affections. Tell them of any blemishes or defects in it; as the cares, thornes, stings, trechery, and a thousand such inconveniences, which are nourished in the heart of this strumpet; no matter, they will take her with all faults. Sampson will have his Philistian cockatrice, though he lose both his eyes.

It is true indeed, the world it selfe doth no harme: for hee made it, and all things in it, that could make nothing amisse. And that the valdè bona there, is turned into inquinamenta heere, it may blame sinne, and sinne may blame man, and man may blame woman, and woman may blame the devill. Nor yet does it defile us materialiter, as pitch defiles the handler: but occasionaliter, as an unskilfull Mechannicke cuts his fingers with good and usefull tooles. The pollutions of the world bee even a world of pollutions: they contend for number with the very creatures. There is scarce any thing made for man, whereby man doth not marre himselfe. Who would thinke that a spider should fetch venime out of a rose? Woman was made an helper for man; what a multitude of men have fallen by woman? Bread and sustenance is necessary for the preservation of life; yet how many have made their table a snare? Here is field-roome enough, and it were hard not to expatiate: for it may be said of this Land, as it was of Carthage; It is as full of pollutions, as of people: or as Augustine of Lazarus; Tot ora, quot ulcera: so many sores, so many mouths, crying out for redresse. But I reduce all unto three.

1. The pollutions which wee contract from the riches of the world: not that riches are noxious in themselves, for then no good man would not have renounced them. 1. Tim. 6.17. Charge them that be rich in this world. As Saint Iohn distinguisheth of being in the Church, and being of the Church: so men may bee rich in the world, yet innocent and happy: for while their estates are below, their hearts are above. But those are rich of the world, that are worldlings in heart, as well as in estate. Whose affections have devoured so much of the world as they can, and are sorry that they cannot swallow it all. The rich of the world are in it, but the rich in the world are not of it. The world is in mens eares, the world is in their hearts; and they are not in it onely, but of it. And there can bee nothing in them that are of the world, but enmity to God, and that which God repayes with enmity: so as there is no way for them but perishing with the world. It is not for nothing, that the same word in the Hebrew signifies both riches and unrighteousnesse. Psalm. 52. Psal. 52.7. The man that strengthened himselfe in his wickednesse, or in his substance: so closely doth wickednesse cleave to many mens substance.

There be too many that sell the poore to slaughter, and yet thanke God for the price; but God will never thanke them for it. Those butchers say, Zach. 11.5. Blessed bee God, for I am rich. This is a pollution that will hardly ever bee washed off: no not expiated with building of an almes-house; for God will not bee bribed with an Hospitall. There is not a penny got by such unjust courses, but it stickes a foule spot on the soule: therefore the Apostle cals it filthy lucre; and Zephanie for this cryed out against Ierusalem; Woe to the filthy and polluted citie. Many Prophets have denounced the same woe to this City: they meant the men more than the wals, though peradventure the wals did as much observe them. Were your Thames ten Iordans, it could not wash off this Leprosie. The covetous ride through plashes and puddles, through bogs and sloughs, and quagmires: it is impossible they should scape the badges of their travell, the aspersions of mire. With what delight soever they hunt after riches, I am sure they have but a dirtie way of it. At last they fall into the quicke-sand of all swallowing death; and then they vainely wish, that they were to begin a new Pilgrimage; on condition, they had lost all the pleasure of their former journey.

Matth. 6.25. Is not the life better than meat? Nonnè anima praestantior esca? Yea, is not the soule better than dirt, that for dirt they pollute the soule? But alas, they are so rooted in the earth, that they are quite turned into the nature of the soile. Others may have a tang, a dash of the foule earth, by travelling through it to their home: but worldlings are rooted in the earth, and therefore not to bee plucked up without violence. The devill shewed Christ the Crownes of the earth, but not the thornes of those Crownes: so the covetous shew their cumulos, and tumulos pecuniae, but not their stimulos conscientiae. It is the honour of the holy, Omnis decor ab intùs, they are all glorious within, what outward wants soever would disgrace them. It is the disgrace of the worldly, Omnis faetor ab intùs, they are all filthy within, what outward abundance soever doth honour them. Psal. 51.6. God requires truth in the inward parts: but alas, wee may say too truely of these, that Their inward parts are very wickednesse. The rheumaticke and spawling Cynicke, when hee was intreated by the dainty mistresse of the house, where hee was entertained, that he would spit in the foulest part of the house; did hereupon unmannerly chuse to spit in the mistresses owne face, because that in his opinion was the foulest. So when God sees the rich mans house kept neat and cleane, the floores swept, the wals hung, the vessels scowred, his apparell brush’d, his body adorned, all curiously highted; onely his heart filthy and polluted: certainely hee will spit his contempt upon that heart. Ier. 4.14. Therefore wash thy heart from iniquity, O Ierusalem, that thou maiest be saved.

2. The pollutions wee derive from the honours and dignities of the world. Pride heere chalengeth the first place; and let her have it: even to bee the Queene of all sordid filthinesse. This not onely lifts men up above others, but above themselves. Nor is it any wonder, that they should not know their neighbours, that have forgotten themselves. This is a coagulated ulcer, spreading over the whole soule; like a cloth that is taken from a Leper; stiffe indeed, but onely stiffe with corruption. The bush that hangs out, shewes what wee may looke for within; a plaister’d face argues a defiled heart. Every colour that art laies on the cheekes, sizeth into the soule, and dyes that in graine; quite of another hew than God ever made, or will owne. For surely hee will never acknowledge that face hee never made, nor that haire hee never made theirs, nor that body that is ashamed of the maker, nor that soule that disguises the body. Let mee tell them one thing which perhaps they never noted before. The first painted woman we read of in the Scriptures, was a witch and a whore. 2 King. 9.22. So Iehu told Ioram of the whoredomes and the witchcrafts of his mother Iezabel. And the first painted woman wee read of in prophane stories, was a whore and a witch too; Medea: the end of them both was destruction, and a destruction without end; for the terror of all their proud followers. From hence ariseth the boile of burning malice, the carbuncle of envy, the plague-tokens of raging madnesse; yea even the horrid and frightfull aspersions of blood-guiltinesse; a sinne that thunders in the eares of justice. The homicide, through a killing favour, is pardoned, and granted his life: God drawes his sword, and by his plague spils a thousand lives for it. Water comes downe to moisten the earth, but blood flies upward to bedeaw heaven.

It is the misery of greatnesse, to bee lawlesse: how many had beene good, if they never had beene great? All the soot in the house, is to bee found in the chimnies. It was a grave and smart answer of a great Statesman in the Land, when hee was consulted by the Queene about the lawfulnesse of monopoly licences; Licentiâ omnes deteriores sumus; wee are all the worse for a Licence. Place gives a licence to doe ill: and in evill, the best condition is Non velle, no will to it: the next, Non posse, no ability to doe it. Nor doe they admit of reproofe: when that wind riseth, we may well looke for a tempest. Touch the mountaines, and they will smoake, saith the Psalmist. Great men are like mountaines; when the Word of God touches them, they presently smoake with passion. Alas, who shall shew them their pollutions? Their owne eyes cannot tell them, and the eyes of their Parasites will not tell them. They have Glasses to see all the disorders of their externall habits; even to the ruffling of a Purle, or the misplacing of a haire. But there is another Glasse which they seldome use, the Word of God, that alone shewes the spots of conscience. Therefore as it was said of Naaman; that he was 2 King 5.1. Captaine of the King of Syria’s Host, a great man with his Master, honourable for his many atchievements, and a mightie man in valour: but he was a Leper. Here were divers noble priviledges, but one thing dishonoured all the rest: But he was a Leper. There may be great dignities, powerfull offices, high commands, popularitie, and applause; yea, even policie, and some good acts to the countrey. But if there be a stench of inward pollutions, a false heart to Religion and innocencie; this is a But, a barre in their Armes, a blemish in their noble Scutchions, an indeleble Motto, Sed erat leprosus, But he was a Leper.

3. The pollutions wee deduce from the pleasures of the world. O what a torrent of turpitudes here streame in upon us! Immoderate dyet, or rather surfet: all the varieties and delicacies of nature, cook’d with the most studious art, stand on our Tables, like the goodly buildings of a fortified Citie. To this wee lay firie siege: where our sensuall appetite is the great Generall, and our teeth the common souldiers: here wee skale the walls, there wee rase the foundations: our knives are the weapons, and the Instruments of Warre are Amos 6.5. the Instruments of Musicke; Boules of Wine the Colours, innocent creatures the spoyle, and Songs of wantonnesse crowne the triumphant victorie. All which concludes in sleepe, if that be not prevented by uncleannesse. The people of Israel required meat for their lust, and the people of England nourish lust for their meat. Ebrietie is a fellow-devill to the former; both are sinnes ambitious to prevent the day of Iudgement; for then God will destroy both meat and the belly: these will not stay so long, but before-hand destroy both the belly and meat. The honour of man is the Image of God; but this vice flies at the very face of this Image, and scratcheth it out of the soule. The drunkard is a certaine thing that hath beene a man; but now most prodigiously hee hath swallowed downe himselfe through his throat. So he lyes intombed, with the drinke in his owne bowels; and that doth burie him, which is buried in him.

Both these pollutions prepare for a third: the bloud that is fired with Bacchus, must be cooled with Venus. The Devill should forget both his office and malice, if he did not play the Pandar to Concupiscence. Idlenesse makes way for loose companie, loose companie makes way for Wine, Wine makes worke for Lust, and Lust makes worke for the Devill. No marvell if the Poets called it a Pegasus; for it is a winged Horse, whereon many ride post to Hell. Our Climate, and therefore our naturall constitution, is not so hot, that it needs the Popish Indulgence to the flesh, the erection of Stewes; unlesse this artificiall heat were unnaturally added to it. It is intemperance that prepares fewell for the fire of vengeance. O that our luxurious Strumpetiers could reade in their diseased bodies the estate of their leprous soules.

But the tongue of the soule is Conscience, the voice with which shee is best acquainted: this (when all the doores are shut to the voices of men) speakes within; and that with a language lowd enough to be heard, easie enough to be understood. But the common course of such dissolute sinners, is to drowne her voice with a lowder: as hee that was troubled with a scolding Wife, made way to his quiet, by out-scolding her. Who shall tell the family of their faults, when the Monitor is dumbe? They have stopp’d the mouth, and taken away the voice of their conscience, by lowd and roaring excesse: and who is left to reprove? Iohn Baptist was called the voice of Christ; Vox clamantis, The voice of him that cryes in the Wildernesse. Herod did cut off his head. Now Christ spake not many words to his apprehenders, and accusers; not many to the High Priest, nor to the Iudge, Pilate: but when hee came before Herod, hee spake never a word at all. Among other reasons, this is wittily given; hee spake not a word to Herod, because Herod had taken away his Voice, in beheading Iohn: and how should hee speake without a voice? There may be a voice without speech, there cannot be speech without a voice. So they have tongue-tyed their conscience, taken away her voice; and who shall controule them? But when God shall untie those strings, and unmuzzle their conscience, shee will be heard; and ten Consorts of Musicke shall not drowne her clamorous cryes. Now their conscience is bound, and they are loose: but in the day of trouble, themselves shall be bound, and God shall let loose their conscience. It shall be hard for them, with that franticke Musician, to fall a tuning their Vials, when their house is on fire about their eares: ô then rather, one drop of mercie, yea flouds of pittie, to coole the flame, and mitigate their sorrowes.

All wise men affect the conclusion to be best: to ride two or three miles of faire way, and to have a hundred deepe and foule ones to passe afterward, is uncomfortable; especially when the end is worse than the way. But let the beginning be troublesome, the progresse somewhat more easie, and the journeyes end happie, and there is faire amends. Psal. 37.37. Marke the upright man, and behold the just; for the end of that man is peace. Marke him in the setting out, hee hath many oppositions; marke him in the journey, hee is full of tribulations: but marke him in the conclusion, and the end of that man is peace.

By the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ.] Wherein I desire to touch upon these foure observations or conclusions. First, that there is no knowledge to doe good in corrupted nature and filthinesse of the flesh. Secondly, there is no escaping out of this filthinesse and corruption, but by knowledge. Thirdly, no knowledge can deliver us, but that of our Saviour Christ. Fourthly, no knowledge of our Saviour can effect this, but that which is sanctified with faith and repentance.

First, miserable is the estate of man, before hee hath escaped from the world. As Adams body was cast out of Paradise, to seeke his fortune in the wide and wild earth; or as Nebuchadnezzar was turned off, from being a King among men, to become a companion of beasts: so by the corruption of nature, man is debarred the societie of God, and put out of the severall into the Commons, to shift for himselfe in the broad world, where sinnes and sorrowes strive for number. This was the Poets meaning by their Pandora; a beautifull woman, framed by Vulcan: to whose making up, every god and goddesse gave a contribution. They put into the hand of this faire Inchantresse a goodly Boxe, fraught and stuffed with all woes and miseries; onely in the bottome of it they placed Hope. It was presented to Prometheus, but Providence refused it; then to Epimetheus, and Afterwits accepted it. Which hee no sooner rashly opened, but there came out a swarme of calamities, fluttering about his eares. This he perceiving, clapp’d on the Cover with all possible speed; and so with much adoe saved Hope, sitting alone in the bottome. Such an armie of miseries, like the troupe issuing from the Wombe of the Troian Horse, invaded the world, by opening the Boxe of Pandora, by tasting the Apple of Evah; that if the mercie of God had not left us Hope, Solam solantem Spem, in the bottome, wee had all perished. Lam. 4. The precious sonnes of Sion, comparable to fine Gold, whose Nazarites were purer than Snow, whiter than Milke, and more ruddie than Rubies, and their polishing of Saphyre; now have visages blacker than Coales. The Body, that is made of Earth, can stand upright, and looke toward Heaven; the Soule, that came from Heaven, is become crooked, and lookes toward Earth.

All are miserable, onely some know it, and others know it not. As Socrates put from himselfe the repute of wisdome which the Delphicke Oracle had ascribed to him; saying that here was all the difference betwixt him and others; He was not wise, and knew it: others were not wise, and knew it not. He that is escaped from the world, knowes their unhappinesse that be entangled with it, because hee was so. But they that are intangled with it, know not the happinesse of him that hath escaped it, because they never were so. 1 Cor. 6.11. Such were ye, but ye are sanctified.

2. The way to escape the worlds filthinesse, is through knowledge. There is nothing in the world both more esteemed, and disesteemed, than knowledge: valued by them that have some, vilipended by them that have none. When the Cynicke Philosopher was asked in a kind of scorne, what was the reason that Philosophers haunted rich men, and not rich men Philosophers: hee answered, because the one knew what they wanted, the other did not. Wise men want wealth, and feele it: rich men want wisedome, and are not sensible of it. Yet knowledge hath their well wishes, and faint desires, though not their endevors. Mat. 11.19. Wisedome is justified of her children; yea even of the children of follie. So a Pharaoh could say, Come let us worke wisely. Even fooles would pretend wisdome, and have their cunning absurdities passe for mature prudence, and the successe for happinesse. Herein Satan is subtler than they, who layes the plot to make them fooles, by mistaking villanie for vertue. There is no povertie of estate, or consumption of body, to a leane starved soule; which neither knowes, nor cares to know.

The small love which the world beares to wisedome, appeares by their usage of the children of wisedome. Vt diligunt artifices, ita intelligunt artes. They will give more to a Rider for breaking their horses, or to a Dancer for teaching them the measures; than to any professor of learning for informing their soules. So Aristippus answered him, that wondred why men should rather give to the poore, than to scholars; because they thinke themselves may come to be poore, never to bee scholars. Of all the wants in the world, fewest complaine the want of knowledge. The opinion of having enough, is one of the greatest causes of having so little. Yet the very Philosophers, by that knowledge of the world which they got from the light of nature, learned to contemne it: yea they despised him that did not despise it. They did not videre & invidere, envie the rich and potent, nor covet abundance. But rather Cernunt & spernunt, they saw enough to hate this world though they saw not where to find a better.

3. Indeed no knowledge can doe this, but onely that of our Lord Iesus Christ. 1 Cor. 2 2. I determined not to know any thing among you, save Iesus Christ, and him crucified. Paul was enriched with all manner of knowledge; he knew as much as the most learned Iew or Pagan; nothing could deliver him from the pollutions of the world, till he became a Christian. Alas, the reason of man doth but flowt the wisedome of God. Mocking the Apostles, they said, Act. 2.13. These men are full of new wine: which Peter confutes by affirming it to be but the third houre of the day; It was too early to be drunke. Yet that’s not all: for fulnesse of wine doth take away speech and disable the tongue: wee have knowne it spoile men of the use of their mother tongue, we never knew it teach men to speake languages which they never learned. Pythagoras, Plato, Aristotle travelled and sought into every corner of the world, to conferre with learned men: we never read that they went into Iury; yet there the best knowledge was to be had. They knew not that, how could they? The wandring sheepe doe not seeke the shepheard, but the shepheard them. The lost goat did not seeke the woman, but the woman it. Paul indeed was seeking for Christ; but how? to persecute him, not to beleeve on him. Christ must reveale himselfe to us, before wee can set our selves to seeke him. And till that High Sheriffe of the King of heaven comes with a writ of Ejection Luk. 11 22. the world will hold his possession. The hands defiled with raking in the kennell of this world, cannot be clensed but by washing them in the laver of regeneration. Nor can we wash in Christs fountaine till we know where hee dwells, where that fountaine runnes. This is the onely means of escaping the pollutions of the world; through the knowledge of Christ: he must wash us. Ioh. 13.8. If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me. God hath ever shewed himselfe a lover of cleanlinesse, as it appeares by all those legall ablutions. He never shewed it so much as when hee vouchsafed to wash us himselfe, with his owne royall hands; Rev. 1.5. the bath being his owne royall Bloud. This, and nothing but this could get out the long contracted staines of our soules. Corruption had so sized into the very graine of our natures and whole compositions; that it must bee bloud, and warme bloud, and the warme bloud not of a meere man, but of him that is also God, that could fetch it out. None would wash us, we were so lothsome: none could purgeus, wee were so leprous; but onely Christ. Elisha bad Naaman, Goe and wash: Christ came himselfe to wash us.

Here then we learne that onely meanes, whereby we can escape inquinamenta mundi, the filthinesse of sinne; the sole fountaine of the Lambe of God. Not all the mysteries of nature, not all the secretaries, the philosophers of the world, with their best Principles of Moralitie, could doe this cure. No knowledge can purge the soule, but the knowledge of the Lord Iesus. 2 King. 5.10. Goe wash in Iordan seven times, and thou shalt be cleane. How did this appeare to that naturall Syrian as a meere scorne and mockerie? Goe wash? alas, what can water doe? It can clense from foulenesse, not from leprosie. And why in Iordan? what differs that from other streames? And why just seven times? What vertue is either in that chanell, or in that number? In what a chafe did hee fling from the Prophets doore? Am I come thus farre to fetch a flowt? Could the Prophet finde no man to play upon but mee? Thus doth the reason of man fight against the ordinances of God. What is Baptisme to purge the conscience? What is the sprinkling of a few drops on the face, to wash away corruption from the soule? One hath shed guiltlesse bloud with his hands, let him wash those hands ten times a day in fresh waters, will it get out that murderous tincture from his conscience? Thus carnall minds despise the foolishnesse of preaching, the simplicitie of the Sacraments, the homelinesse of ceremonies, the seeming inefficacie of censures: they looke upon Iordan with Syrian eyes. So Naaman goes on; If water would doe it, what needed I to come so farre for this remedie? Have I not often done this in vaine? Have we not better streames at home, than any can be afforded in Israel? Are not Abana and Pharphar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of waters of Israel? Abana and Pharphar; two for one: Rivers, not waters: Of Damascus, a stately and incomparable City: they are, who dares deny it? Better, not as good: than the waters, not the rivers: All the waters, Iordan and all the rest: Of Israel, a beggarly region to Damascus. Alas, how wretched be the devices of men to the Institutions of God? How odious and damnable is it to make any comparison betweene them? One drop of Iordan, set apart by divine ordination, hath more vertue than all the streames of the world. Indeed Naaman might have washed there long enough in vaine, if the Prophet had not sent him. Many a leper had bathed in that streame, and come forth no lesse uncleane than he went in. It is the Word, the Ordinance of God that puts efficacie into those meanes, which of themselves could doe nothing. Ista non tribuunt, quod per ista tribuitur. His institution hath put that vertue into the Sacramentall Font; that it shall not more wash the face, than purge the soule.

Let us therefore get the knowledge of Christ, if we would bee happy; and wash off our sinnes in his blood, that we may be holy. He that knowes Christ, knowes that the pardon of sins, the ablution of uncleannesse, the perfection of righteousnesse, the peace of conscience, and the heavenly Inheritance come along with him: hee cannot doate on the world, that knowes Christ. Can wee unfainedly say with Peter, Matth. 19.27. Lord Iesus, wee have forsaken all and followed thee? Wee need not aske, what shall we have therefore? For God tels us, that hee Rom. 8.32. hath given us his Sonne, and with him all things. How sweetly doe those Scriptures answer and satisfie one another, and both satisfie the heart of a Christian? Christ never comes alone, never empty, but his reward is with him. The shaddow doth not more inseparably follow the body, than all blessings follow Christ. Matth. 6.33. First, seeke the kingdome of God, and these things shall bee added to you: like an & caetera in the end of a sentence. Yet alas, though we know this, we doe not seeke Christ in the first and chiefest place. In this drought, one seekes raine in the new Moone, another in the turning of the wind, a third in this or that signe; none almost seeke it in Christ; therefore God hath confounded all our signes and observations. Men may have temporall good things without Christ; but as the thiefe hath the true mans purse, or dogs the bread of the children. But we can want nothing, if we want not Christ: the prodigall doubteth not of Bread enough, if he can regaine his father. Iohn of Alexandria, sirnamed the Almoner, did vse yeerely to make even with his revenues, and when he had distributed all to the poore, he thanked God that he had now nothing left him but his Lord and master Iesus Christ; to whom hee longed to flie with unlimed and unentangled wings. When Alexander the great passed into Asia, he gave large donatives to his Captaines and men of merit; insomuch that Parmenio asked him; Sir, what doe you keepe for your selfe? Hee answered; Hope. Crosses, calamities, povertie may take from us all the goods of this world; or our charity may give them away: the worldlings aske us what wee have left for our selves; we answer, onely Iesus Christ.

4. That knowledge of Christ which is not joyned with faith and obedience, repentance and amendment of life, cannot deliver us from perishing with the world. If it were enough to know, the devill would lose abundance of clients and customers. There is a floating knowledge swimming in the braine, like a piece of corke on the top of the water. Wicked men understand good things per alienam speciem, not in their true formes: Scientiâ disciplinariâ, not intuitivâ. They are sent them as Pharaohs dreame, which they shall never bee able to understand. The mysteries of Religion appeare to them like a dimme taper, whereof they are still disputing, picking out problems and paradoxes and subtleties: and so darken the Truth by discoursing of it, like a man that puts out the candle with snuffing it. They read and minde not, or minde and understand not, or understand and remember not, or remember and practise not. There bee some whose speeches be witty, while their carriage is weake: whose deeds are incongruities, while their words are apothegmes. It is not worth the name of knowledge, that may bee heard onely, and not seene. Good discourse is but the froth of wisdome: the pure and solid substance of it is in well framed actions. Ioh. 13.17. These things if yee know, happy are yee if yee doe them. Knowledge is but a pre-requisite to the maine of obedience, a staire to the turret of happinesse. That was Christs farewell-close, with a deepe impression driving home his former counsels: like the last strong and loud knole of a bell, that puts an end to all the foregoing peales: a Sermon that did put life into all his other Sermons; urging the life and practice of them: like that Luk. 11.28. Blessed are they that heare the Word of God, and keepe it; with which we commonly conclude our Sermons. We say of Statutes and Proclamations, there is a multitude of them: but there should be one Statute, one Proclamation made, to enforce the keeping of all the rest: so that one Text bindes us to the observation of all others. Therefore hee Ioh. 13.9 washed the Disciples feete, and shewed them an example of doing: as if there was not so much need of teaching them what they knew not, as of pressing them to doe what they knew. Because knowledge would not serve the turne, hee first does the things, and then expresseth his intent. These things it is not enough to know, but to doe.

Knowledge and practice together blesse a Christian, both in his cardinall vertues, and arch-mysteries of faith; farre more than the knowing and doing of all the naturall, morall, or manuall sciences in the world. Knowledge separated from obedience, doth but enflame a mans reckoning, and helpe him to a greater measure of condemnation. Ioh. 15.22. If I had not come and spoken to them, they had not had sinne: but now they have no cloke for their sinne. Ignorance may seeme to bee a cloke for errours: but knowledge takes away that cloke, and leaves them naked of all excuses. Not that ignorance can acquit men; Excusat à tanto, non à toto. It will not justifie me, to say I did not know that I did sinne; when I sinned in neglecting to know. Ignorantia mollit, non tollit rationem peccati. Antecedent ignorance will not save a man; much more will consequent ignorance condemne him. God will not favour a man, because hee hath studied hard, and knowne much: but rather the more punish him, because hee hath knowne good, and done evill.

I deny not that many sinnes are committed after knowledge: the lusts of the flesh, like the vapours of a replete stomach rising up and damping the braine, often obscure the beames of knowledge: during which violence and distemper, David and Peter fall into fearefull sinnes. But the willing practice of knowne sinnes, and repentance, can never stand together; no more than fire and water can agree in the same subject. As a hot liver commonly makes a cold stomach: so the unnaturall heate of continued sinnes, makes but a cold repentance. There is a deepe well in the yard: shall a man therefore wilfully set his house on fire, because he knowes where to fetch water to quench it? Alas, the fire suddainly takes, and ragingly goes on: but Ioh. 4.11. the Well is deepe, or the bucket is small, and can bring up a little at once. The well of thy heart is deepe, it is a great way to fetch it: the skrew or pully is unwieldy, there is much labour to draw it. Yea, God must both put water into the well, sorrow into the heart; and helpe thee to pumpe it out, extract teares from thine eyes; as hee did supply David and Peter from his infinite springs of grace; or this burning will not be quenched.

Rather let us labour to avoide sinne by our knowledge, than venture to sinne upon the conceit of repentance. No wise man will make himselfe sicke, though he knowes he hath a very good medicine. They bee desperate Mountebankes that wound their owne flesh, to advance the sale of their balsames. Alas, that men should be skillfull in the history of Christ, and wilfull in their rebellions against Christ: that they should have the Bible in their braines, and blasphemie in their lippes. Like Posts, that bring truth in their letters, and lies in their mouthes. Alas, that men should frequent the Temples, and flocke to sermons, and yet bee never the better in their lives: as boyes goe into the water, to play and paddle there onely, not to wash and be cleane. But let all them that have the knowledge of Christ, give obedience to him, that they may be saved by him.

If they are againe intangled.] This is the Supposition; where I considered, Facilitatem relabendi: If; it is no impossible thing. Yea, the commonnesse proves it too easie. How many have given up their names to Christ, and slunke away from his service? How many be Satans subjects, and yet Gods pensioners? How many have taken his presse-money, and revolted to the enemie? Demas had been with Paul, professed with Paul, laboured with Paul, yet 2 Tim. 4.10. for this present world hee forsooke Paul, and Gospell, and Christ himselfe. Indeed hee that loves God for himselfe, and goodnesse because it is goodnesse: can never turne from that goodnesse, from that fountaine of goodnesse, God. Turne him loose into the world, trust him in the throng of temptations; his heart is so filled with Christ, that there is no roome for a strange love to enter. But they that loved God onely for his temporall blessings, faile him, when those blessings faile them. Mutinous souldiers; no longer pay, no longer fight; as that desperate mercenary said, he came not to fight for his countrey, he came to fight for his money. Like the Law, Logicke, and the Switzers; they are for his service, that gives them the best readie wages. Here Satan takes his hint, to usurpe upon the children of perdition. Religion bring crosses; Ecclesia est haeres Crucis: Greg. they find their devotion answered with tribulation; and cannot be quiet, because they seeme to be good. Now steps in the Devill: Why should you buy miserie with want; when as you may want miserie? Why will you embrace certaine cares, in hope of uncertaine comforts? Why doe you take paines to be poore, when you may be rich with ease? Here they that have not the grace, nor the face, to give the Devill the Lye, throw the Plough into the hedge, and will not wait till Harvest; but lay hold on these new offers of the world, and for a Messe of Pottage sell their Patrimonie.

There be some to whom God doth not so much as give an Evangelicall Call, and they never looke toward Heaven. For where he takes away the Key, it is a signe that he never meanes to open the doore. There be some that have beene called, and answered that Call, and made a shew of following it, bearing up towards the celestiall Kingdome; when on a sudden the world whistles, shewes them their old Love, newly dressed and painted and trick’d up with fresh colours. Backe the foole runnes, flings by Counsaile, treads upon Conscience, trips up the feet of Reason, and shewes Religion his heeles, if he does not kicke at it with contempt. 1 Cor. 10.12. Wherefore let him that thinkes he standeth, take heed lest he fall. Some thinke they stand, but doe not; they looke to be saved, and scarce can tell who should save them. They examine their conscience, as a favourable Iudge doth the malefactor whom hee meanes to acquit; his very questions are so indulgent, that they teach him an answere: and then he concludes; I find no fault in this man, let him pay his Fees, and be gone. Thus they are like a man in a dreame, that thinkes hee is travelling abroad, doing this or that businesse; but waking, he finds himselfe fast in his bed. We all dwell in a house readie to fall, sayle in a ship full of leakes. Perhaps we doe not stand; or have stood, and are fallen; are fallen, and know not how to rise; rise, and are readie to fall againe. 2 King. 8.13. Am I a Dog, that I should doe thus, saith Hazael to the Prophet? As if he would never doe it while he continued man; count him a Dog, when it comes to that. Yet by his leave, whether man or Dog, he did it. None know what they shall be, few know what they are. There is no Salt, but may lose his savour; no Flower, but may lose his sent; no Beautie, but may be defaced; no Fruit, but may be blasted; no Light, but may be eclipsed; no State, but may be changed; no Soule, but may be corrupted.

Man goes forth in the morning weake and unarmed, to encounter with Powers and Principalities. To fight this combate, hee takes a Second with him, and that’s his Flesh; a familiar enemie, a friendly traytor: the Devill comes against him with his Second too, and that’s the World. Soone doth the flesh revolt to the world, and both sticke to Satan: so here is terrible oddes; Three to One. Besides all this, the enemie hath gotten all the advantages; as the Hill, the Sunne, the Wind. The Hill; for man is climbing upwards to Heaven, and Satan comes downe upon him with the stronger violence. The Sunne; for all the glorious beames of honour, pleasure, wealth, are on his side, dazling the eyes of man. The Wind; stormes and blasts of raging Persecution march under his Banner; all against poore man. Now if he have no other succour but himselfe, he is surprized in an instant, and the adversarie gets the day. But he that truly knoweth Christ, comes not into the field without this Captaine: and then, If God be with us, who can be against us? Besides, he hath a Shield that is, armour of proofe, darts of fire cannot pierce it; an invincible Faith: if he doe but lye under this Target, he is safe. Divers cannot cunningly handle the Sword, yet they can hold up the Buckler. If thou be not able to give Satan blow for blow, yet hold up thy Shield; that shall ward all his blowes. But when a man is besieged in an impregnable Fort, where he hath enough both of provision to subsist, and munition and furniture to defend: yet if through a coward pusillanimitie, he shall leave his Hold, and thinke to save himselfe by flight; hee worthily falls into their hands, who otherwise had fallen under his. Psal. 91.1. Hee shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. That is a Fort sure enough: he that forsakes it, deserves to be forsaken of it.

I conclude: If we forsake not Christ, he will never forsake us: it can never be shewed by any observation, that hee fell off first. Prior in amore, posterior in odio. But that it is easie to forsake him, for the present sweetnesse of gaine and pleasure in this world, too lamentable experience proves it. Thousands for scores follow after temporals, with neglect of eternall things: and soules that came from heaven, that should returne to heaven, are incurvate to the earth. As if Nature were become preposterous, the world turned upside downe, and Satan had got the day of Christ. This Diogenes unhappily express’d, when hee was asked how he would be buried: he answer’d, with his face downeward: for within a while, he said, the world would be turned upside downe, and then he should lye right. Let it be our endevour to turne the right side upward againe, to set our soules in the due position, trampling the world under the feet of disdaine, and lifting up our spirits to heaven, which was made to receive all those that seeke and love the Lord Iesus.

The difficultie of recovering them, after their relapse, followes; and is expressed by two Metaphors, Implicantur, Superantur: They are intangled, and overcome.

They are intangled:] As Birds are caught in an evill Net; where the more they struggle to get out, the faster they sticke. Or be taken with Lime-bushes; where those feathers ensnare their bodies, which before did carrie their bodies: nor can they save their lives, but by losing their feathers. The world stickes fast to mens hearts, and by embracing, imprisons them: the Lime that holds them, is Satans temptation; the feathers by which it holds them, are their owne covetous affections. These loose wings betray their soules: and if ever they save their soules, it must be by parting with their feathers, by being stripped of their riches. Mat. 19.21. Give all thou hast to the poore, and thou shalt have treasure in Heaven. Alas, his feathers were limed, his soule so intangled with the world, that hee could not possibly mount up so high. Luk. 14.20. I have married a Wife, and I cannot come: No wonder; hee was wedded to the world, tyed in the conjugall bonds of affection to sinne, the strongest contract on earth; hee cannot come. You may as well call a Deere out of his Toyle, a prisoner out of his Iayle, yea, a dead man out of his Grave; he cannot come.

Satan hath severall tyes for severall sinners. The adulterer is tyed by the eye, his mistresses lookes enchant him. The drunkard is tyed by the throat, he cannot come till he have his load; and then he is so loaden, that he cannot come. The swearer is tyed by the tongue: it were well if hee were tongue-tyed. The Epicure is tyed by the teeth: a disease hee had from his grandmother. The slothfull is tyed by the foot: the lazie Gowt hath bound him to the Chayre of wickednesse. The covetous is tyed by the Purse-strings: and hee would hate even Pleasure it selfe, if he should find it a Cut-purse. The superstitious Imageworshipper is tyed by the knees, and hee cannot rise from his Pupper-Deities. The trecherous Iesuite is tyed by the necke with a Romish chayne: it were well if his necke were tyed to the due place. The voluptuous is tyed with a twinethred of vanitie, as a Naturall is tyed with a Rush, and thinkes himselfe in durance. Satan hath intangled these with the world, that you may as well bid mountaines remove, or bid them remove mountaines, as forsake worldlinesse: they cannot come. The Devill tyes worldly things to the affections, which are the feet of the soule: as the Faulconer, when he hath mann’d his Hawke to his service, hangs Bells at her legges, that whithersoever they flye out, he may know [where] to find them againe: it is but casting up his Lure, and they stoope to his fist he presently hath them. Luk. 14.19. I have bought five yoke of Oxen, and I goe to prove them: as if himselfe had beene one of the Teame, tyed up in the Geeres of his Oxen; he must be excused. It is Saint Gregories counsaile; Hom. 36. in Evang. Sic teneas quae mundi sunt, ut per ca quae mundi sunt non tenearis. Good men will not bind the world to themselves, and bad men bind themselves to the world. Terrena res possideatur, non possideat: sint temporalia in usu, aeterna in desiderio: illa in itinere, haec ut in termino. Gehezi’s soule is bound up in the bagges of Naamans money: But what followed? Gehezi’s flesh shall be bound up in the scurfe of Naamans Leprosie. The Eccl. 2.26. sinner hath travell, labour, sorrow, and care; these be the strings of his Purse, and he keepes them: but for the Purse it selfe, the Riches he hath gather’d, these God will give to another; even the Purse it selfe.

Bonaventure compares him to the Mole, in foure respects. First, hee is blacke, Diaeta salus. cap. 6. as a Mole: White is the colour of Innocence; the faithfull have white garments: Blacke is the contrarie, even the colour of iniquitie. Secondly, hee is blind, as a Mole; Ignorance hath deprived him of his sight. In a contrarietie to God, who sees clearely in all places: Psal. 139.12. The darkenesse and the light are both alike to him: night and day are all one, for he sees in neither. Thirdly, hee is buried, as a Mole: all his hoords and heapes of wealth are so many sepulchers to his soule, wherein he digs his owne grave. Fourthly, he is preposterous, as a Mole: which is still cast ng up the earth, that it may fall on her backe, and cover her from the Sunne. So he layes himselfe under his riches, and interposeth the earth betwixt his soule and heaven: all his goods are so many strong Tarryers to him. When the Serpent catcheth his prey, he so claspes and winds about it with his flexile and folding body, that hee holds it sure. Satan, that old Serpent, so twines himselfe about the world-addicted soule, and his spirits like a Bed of Snakes so intangle it, that nothing but Thunder can dissolve them. There is no evasion out of this Labyrinth, except the Spirit of God give us the Clew of grace. With pleasure and ease sinners come in; but no paines, no industrie, no wisedome of man can find the way out.

The poore sheepe followes her pasture, and suspects no danger: but on the sudden she is so intangled with the bryers and brambles, that shee is glad with some losse of her wooll, yea scratches of her skin, to be gone; and not seldome cannot doe so, without the helpe of the shepheard. It is happie for us, if with losse of our fleece, of our flesh, we can be extricated from these 1 Tim. 6 9. temptations, and foolish Lusts, which drowne so many in perdition. The Israelites were set by Pharaoh to gather Straw for themselves, but not to make Brickes for themselves: and when they had done their best, were beaten for not doing better. So Satan, that mercilesse Tyran, and swarthy Egyptian, imployes his slaves to gather Straw and Thatch, the Trash of this world; with all which they shall never build a house of rest or harbour for themselves, and at last be scourged with impartiall torments. A great fish devoures a lesse; a greater, him; and he againe becomes food for the greatest: yet at last this greatest is caught, with Hooke or Net. They be fooles, that Hab. 1 16. sacrifice to their owne Nets, with which they have caught others: but they are mad men, that sacrifice to the Nets of others, with which they are caught themselves. Yet these desperate prisoners love their bondage, and find such sweetnesse in their intangling, that they desire not to be delivered. Onely when ought of their sensuall delights is taken from them, they mourne and blubber; and bestow that sorrow upon their shame, which they should have spent on their sinne. I have heard, that when a man is wounded with a Sword, looke what medicine is proper to the Patient, if it be applyed to the Sword, it shall care him: annoint the weapon, and heale the wound. (I will not racke my Faith, to beleeve it.) The weapon that hath wounded us, is the world; the medicine that can only cure it, is heartie sorrow. Shall we grieve for worldly losses? This were to apply the medicine to the wrong place; barely to annoint the weapon, whiles the wound rankles to death: for worldly sorrow causeth death. Not let us apply it to our heart, mourne for our sinne, detest and abandon the world, and fixe our confidence in God; then shall we be healed through Iesus Christ.

And overcome.] Some may say, this Theme of Intangling hath almost intangled me, as if I could not tell how to get you out of this argument: loe, now we are deliver’d. And yet me thinkes I am not sooner got out of this Forrest, but presently I see a Lion, even that roaring Lion, with extended jawes, readie to devoure; a malicious and mercilesse enemie marching forward, to the conquest of soules: and my very next step falls upon that conquest, Arma virumque cano: with the subversion of worldlings, They are overcome.

That which puts a man from the use of his Reason, or a Christian from his exercise of Religion, overcomes him. So we say of the Drunkard, he is overcome with Wine, when it shall get the better and upper hand of his wit. The doting Lover is overcome with fancie, when it hath blinded his Reason. The ambitious are overcome with the desire of honour; so that they are not their owne men. Of all, the worldlings are basely overcome: for they thinke they have the world in a string, when the world hath them in a strong chaine. This worse than beastly appetite (for not many beasts desire more than will serve their turnes) is like a violent streame, which beginning from a small current, vires acquirit eundo, takes in many emergent waters by the way, till it become a mightie torrent, bearing downe all before it; yet at last it selfe is swallowed up into the Sea. 2 Tim. 2.4. No man that warreth, intangleth himselfe with the affaires of this life. For implicando se involvitur, involvendo detinetur, & detinendo superatur. No wonder, if he that is intangled, be soone overcome. David being to encounter with Goliah, in that unequall combate, is arraied with the warlike habite of a King: thus furnished, he might looke upon himselfe, and thinke his out-side glorious. But when hee offered to walke and move, hee found these Armes not so strong as unweildie, more for shew than use, that they rather hindred than advantaged him. Off hee puts those accoutrements of honour, and craves pardon to goe in no clothes but his owne: hee had rather be a homely Conqueror, than a glorious Spoile. Hee takes his Staffe in stead of the Speare, his Shepheards Scrip for a Brigandine; in stead of the Sword, he takes his Sling; and for Darts and Iavelines, five smooth stones out of the Brooke: thus got he the victorie. 2 Cor. 10.4. So the weapons of our warfare are not carnall, but mightie, through God. Not the policie, the succours, the abundance of earthly things; these doe but intangle us, and rather disable our resistance, than helpe us to the conquest. But the wisedome, the comfort, the powerfull grace of the holy Spirit, these be our Armes; with these we shall beat downe our enemies.

Cyrus said, that his poore souldiers were his best souldiers; for they had nothing to lose, but there was something they hoped to gaine. Wealth is the rich mans strong Castle, yet that Castle will not hold out a long siege; death will demolish it, if it be not done to his hands before hee comes. Hezekiah shewed the Embassadors of Babylon his treasure: what came of it? Esa. 39.6. Behold, all shall be carried away. It was the incredible wealth which Cleopatra shewed Caesar, whereby shee thought to overcome him, that brought Caesar into Egypt, to make himselfe master of it. As when Croesus, for his glory, shewed Solon his huge masse of Gold; Solon told him, If another come that hath better iron than you, he will be master of all this Gold. Any man that travailes toward Iericho, Luk. 10.30. may fall among theeves: yea how should he avoid them? Povertie is a theefe, to steale away wealth; sicknesse is a theefe, to steale away health; death is a theefe, to steale away life; the world it selfe is a theefe, to steale away the world. But wee must thanke God for that which so overcomes us, that it overcomes the love of the world in us.