2 Peter 3:17 (part 2 of 2)

2. There is a pronenesse in the nature of man to fall. Not that when we stand, we are held up by force: for God offers no violence to the will of man, but sweetly disposeth it to desire the owne good. Yet the Second Adam hath not so farre cast out the first, but that the new ingraffed siens doth rellish of the old stocke; and still there is a a tang of originall corruption left in us: as a vessell, after much rinsing and clensing, will smell of the first seasoning. Rom. 7.14. I am carnall, sold under sinne. Sold? This is not such a sale, as wherein there is a seller a buyer, a thing sold, and the price: So in Adams selling, Satan was the buyer, Innocencie and heaven sold, and the price was an apple. So Ahab sold himselfe to Satan for a slave, 1. King. 21.25. to worke wickednes, by his wives instigation, and setting him on to the bargaine. Paul was not sold thus: Aug. lib, 7. in Iudic. cap. 17. but there be two kinds of slaves: one that selleth himselfe into captivitie, and willingly obeyeth a tyrant: another that is sold into servitude against his will, as Ioseph was sold by his brethren: and so was St. Paul sold. Selling is sometimes taken for a simple tradition, without any price. Ye have have sold your selves for nought, Esa. 52.3, and ye shall be redeemed without money. But this selling and buying must be understood in a different sense. In the Sale, the price is Nought; but it is nought in respect of God, for he had no honour by it: no gaine redounded to him: And yet while they sold themselves, they sold not their owne, but Gods: and in reason, the owner of the thing sold should have the price. So in the purchase or Redemption, the price is nothing: that is, nothing to them: it cost them nothing: they payed not one penny for their owne deliverance. But in respect of God, the price was not nothing: Psal. 49.8. for the redemption of their soule is precious: It cost him much; even as much as it could cost him; the precious bloud of his deare Sonne.

Sinners out of Christ are sold two wayes. First, they are sold in the common market of man, when Adam sold himselfe and all his posteritie. Next they have made a new bargaine with Satan, and sold themselves over to him againe for the pleasures of the flesh. Thus did Ahab, and Iudas, and Demas wilfully sell themselves, though long agoe they repented the match. But Paul does not speake there of himselfe, as in the person of a naturall man: for every man considered in nature, is sold under sinne: And there be some that have abandoned and prostituted themselves to sinne: so that as Iude calls them Arbores his mortuas, Iud. vers. 12. Trees twice dead: so we may call these animas bis venditas, soules twice sold. The buyer hath fine and recoverie upon them. But St. Paul speakes in the person of a regenerate, spiritual, supernatural and sanctified man: meaning that no man upon earth, in what measure so veler holy, can so emancipate himselfe from that captivitie wherein Adam hath inthraulled him, but that he is still enwrapped in sinne, Bez. and sold vnder sinne. There be two kinds of servitude: Some are slaves because they are so borne, being the children of slaves and bond-parents: Others have sold themselves, and wilfully become bondmen. Like to the first are the regenerate, for they are borne servile, being Psal. 51.5. conceived in sinne. The unregenerate are like to the other, for they have sold themselves into bondage. Yet may the very regenerate be said to be sold two wayes. First, In regard of originall corruption; for which they may thanke their first parents; if at least it be worth their thankes. Secondly, Because the embers, the spawne, the leaven of that originall sinne remaines in them, and makes them subject to many infirmities: so that they cannot doe what they would, but they too often doe what they would not.

The conclusion then is plaine, that there is still a proclivitie left in our nature to be led away into errour. The seed of all sinne is within us, therefore even of apostacie. A good scholar, that will ply his booke in his Masters presence, yet may flie out when his backe is turned. The bird that hath long contented herselfe with her cage, feeding and singing there; yet if she spyes the doore open, will whippe out, and flie abroad. Our nature is Psal. 78.57. Like a deceitfull bow: which when it is bent to the full, except it be followed hard, till it be sure and fast; starts backe againe, and is as farre off as ever. It is called the flesh: and such flesh is it as will Sine sale putrescere: if it be not corned, it will of it selfe bring forth corruption.

For vse of this conclusion: we find here just cause to deplore our miserable estate by nature, and to consider how deeply our first parents have ingaged us: so that (not to let goe the former metaphor) we are all even sold under sinne. We exclaime against any man that hath sold a citie, or a countrey, or an army, to the enemie: but Adam sold the world. He sold his children, and childrens children; Abraham, Isaac, and Iacob: he sold all the Patriarchs, and all the Prophets, and all the Princes of the earth: he sold all the Apostles, Peter and Paul, and both their Regiments, the glorious hemispheres of the world, Iewes and Gentiles: he sold all, even the dearest friends that God had among the sonnes of men: even the Disciple whom the Lord loved, and the mother of the Lord herselfe, whom all generations call blessed. He sold his wife, yea he sold himselfe: and if Christ had not provided for himselfe by a miraculous generation, Adam had sold him too. If Christ had bene conceived in originall sinne, he must have dyed for himselfe: nay he could not have dyed for himselfe, but must have needed another Saviour. Such an unthrift had we to our Father: and we take after him, for in this respect we are all prodigall children.

But now what was the price of us? He sold all; what had he for it? When the Patrimonie is at sale, the children looke for portions. Alas, he had nothing for us, and nothing could he leave us; but Sinne, Shame, and Sorrow: that is; the portion of all the sonnes of men. We complaine now that land will not sell, that the price of it is fallen: that twenty yeares purchase is come downe to sixteene. Yet sure, as cheape as it is now, it was cheaper at first; both land, and Landlord. What was Paradise sold for? What was the whole earth fold for? what was mankind fold for? what had Eve for her part? It could be but a little fruite: so little, that the Scripture will not tell us what kind of fruit it was: yet she had something. What had Adam for his part? Yea, for the whole? Nothing besides a morsell of fruite; except it were any content to him in pleasing his wives humour: as Ierome thinkes, he so dearely loved his wife, that he did eate, lest otherwise she should have bene discontented. Yet if he had that satisfaction he had something. But now after both these, what had we for our part? He sold our Inheritance as well as his owne: it is fitte, we should have somewhat for our right. Now what fell to our share? What had we for earth, and heaven too? For Innocencie and happynes too? Alas, nothing could accrue to us by this sale, but sin and woe. Adam sinned, and we suffer. Before we had any possession of felicitie, or could claime any interest in it, we had (in him) forfeited it. We had a punishment, before we had a being: God was displeased with me, before I was I. I was built up not fifty yeares agoe, in my mothers wombe: and I was cast downe almost sixe thousand yeares agoe, in Adams loynes. We all heere are borne in the last age of the world; yet dyed in the first. This is that portion left us by our parents; originall sinne, and a corrupt inclination of our nature to transgresse, to be led away into error: and the most holy soules upon earth cannot be quite ridde of it. Rom. 7.24. O wretched men that we are, who shall deliver us from the body of this death? We are prone to fall.

3. If any fall away from their owne stedfastnesse, it is their owne fault. A Deo est quòd statur, à nobis quòd ruitur. If God did cast us downe, our Cavete would doe no good, there were no remedy, wee must fall. But seeing there are but three that can doe it; the Divell, his engines, or our selves; the Cavete is requisitely put upon us: and if we doe hit it right, it will save us. But if we will fall for want of circumspection, it is in vaine for us to blame any but our selues. Saul would have put his transgression upon the people, but it would not doe: God would not take that for an excuse. Adam would have discharged his sinne upon his wife: but God findes Adam guilty, and so judgeth him. Ier. 4.18. Thy way and thy doings have procured these things unto thee: They be our own, and we must answer to them, and answer for them. We may have leaders into temptation: but it is our fault if we follow them. Nay, to come closer home, doe not we tempt our selves? Satan is not the sole cause of evill. The fowler sets his glasse, spreads his net, whistles like the bird: yet cannot all this make the fowle come into his nette whether shee will or no. If we had not pliable eares, and flexible affections, the Syrens might sing in vaine. But there is something within us, that befriends temptation: some combustible matter, which that fire soone takes, and will soone take that fire. If we were pure Chrystall glasses, that would endure no poyson, it were some security: but naturally Satan is not more ready to offer, than wee to receive his infection. So that the Apostles Cavete is of use at every turne: As God hath set Timete upon the very porch of our house, Bern. and made it The beginning of all our wisedome. Vis in timore securus esse? Securitatem time. The onely way to be secure in feare, is to feare security. So saint Paul helpes them out with their Si permanseritis, by this advise; Rom. 11.20. Be not high minded, but feare.

So then there is somewhat intra nos, quod contra nos: we may challenge others for misleading us; but Iam. 1.14. Every man is tempted, when hee is drawne away of his owne lust: which is not any one appetite, but the fountaine of all corrupt affections. And this remaines in the most regenerate: Rom. 7.23. There is a law in our members, warring against the law of our minde. How holy so ever we are: yet Pareus. Secundum repugnantia principia, repugnantia habemus studia. Our owne feete carry us to sinne, and wee love the journey. Our owne affections seduce us, and wee runne into errours by our owne wills. We are not onely sold in Adam; there begun the mischiefe; but we have confirmed the sale; by further selling over our selves unto vanity. By him wee are sold to originall sinne: to actuall and habituall sinnes, by our selves. Wee, we have beene our owne undoers. Esa. 50.1. You have sold your selves; and your owne immortall happinesse. Immortality was sold in that first contract betweene man and sinne. We talke of twenty yeeres purchase: but what number of yeeres was the price of immortality: It is our eternity: God hath another manner of Eternity in him, even an whole eternall day: an eternall forenoone, and an eternall afternoone too: for as he never shall have end, so hee never had beginning. We have an eternall afternoone, in our immortality: for we shall no more see an end, than God hath seene a beginning. Millions of yeeres, multiplied by millions, make not up a minute to this Eternity. And yet this we sold; wee, to witnesse that the fault is in our selves. And what did wee sell it for? When that tormented worldling in Hell valued one drop of water at so high a rate; what would he have given for a river? How poore a clod of the Earth is a Mannor? How poore an inch, a Shire? How poore a spanne, a Kingdome? How poore a pace, the whole Earth? And yet wee have sold our bodies, and soules, and consciences, and Heaven, and Eternity, for a few graines of this dust.

Whom then can we blame for our falling? we have sold our selves, and all our ability of goodnesse. Doe you aske for what? Our first father sold us cheape: but we sell our selves cheaper. Our selves, all our selves: our bodies to lust and intemperance, our soules to pride and malice, our consciences to hypocrisie and unfaithfulnesse, and all this for nothing. For sinne is but a privation, and privations are nothing, Rom. 6.21. What fruite had ye then in those things, whereof yee are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. That wee got by it, is but barrennesse, shame, and death. Barrennesse is a privation of fruite; shame a privation of innocency, and death a privation of life: For these privations wee sell our selves, and these privations are nothing, positively nothing. But hath not the covetous man gold and riches for his soule? would hee sell his conscience for nothing, though he esteeme it nothing worth? Hee may have gold, and want comfort: riches, without the use of them: as the miser’s curse is, Penuria in Penaria; hunger in plenty: and what is hunger more than nothing, unlesse it bee worse than nothing? The adulterer satisfies his filthy lust: he hath his pleasure; therefore he sells himselfe for something. To night indeed sinne may looke like a purchase, like a treasure: but aske him to morrow how hee likes his bargaine: then his awaked conscience will confesse, that hee hath sold himselfe for nothing: for weakenesse in his limbes, for darkenesse in his understanding, for emptinesse in his purse, for absence of grace in his soule. Now weakenesse, darkenesse, emptinesse and absence, are privations, and privations are nothing. All the name of substance that sinne takes, is that it is a heavy and intolerable burden. Psal. 38.4. My iniquities are a burden too heavy for mee. All the treasure that is in it, is Rom. 2.5. that Treasure of wrath, against the day of wrath. All the positive reality, that it is a vexation to the conscience. Now vexation doth but deprive us of peace, a burden of ease, and wrath of comfort: And this is a fearefull privation, of the grace of God here, and of the face of God hereafter: a privation so much worse than nothing, as that they upon whom it falls, would faine be nothing, and cannot.

The conclusion is cleare then, that this falling away is our owne fault; and so much our fault, that we sell our selves to that purpose. Rather than want sinnes, we are apt to tempt our selves. He that frequently feeles not some secret invasions upon his honesty, as when he is poore, to steale; when he is rich, to be idle; when he is full, to wantonnize; when he is in authority, to bee proud; is nearer an Angel than a Man. Nay, how often doe wee save Satan the labour, and become our owne tempters? Concupiscence is in some a flash, in others a flame o• in the former it is soone gone, in the other it burnes long: but what man is quite without this fire? This same flesh and blood is a giddy guide: as when the Serpents taile would needs lead the body, there followed mad courses, and desperate precipices. Passions, like Actaeus dogges, when they are once blooded, will devoure their owne Master. Our affections will bee doing, set them on what worke you will. Like horses, whether you put them to your perfumed coaches, or to the noisome soile-carts, they will draw. Hence it comes, that lust in the desire and thought, (contemplative uncleannesse) is often more punished than lust in the act: because to the latter we are tempted partly by others, to the former, we wholly tempt our selves: And he that wilfully but wounds a man, is more punishable than he that kils him against his will. The Drunkard hunts after the wine: temptation neeeds not stand like a Taverne-bush in his way, for he invites himselfe. The Iob 24.15. Adulterer waits for the [twy-light]: the Harlot needs not to attract him with her wanton lookes or language: Ipse se allicit. The Movere to sinne within us: Satans Promovere is but a working upon us. In a maner, we are Devils to our owne hearts: wee push our selves downe, and are the maine occasion of our owne falling. What a mockery is it to pray, Lead us not into temptation; when as we in the meane while seeke temptation? Age quod postulas. Then shall we finde, that though Tentat diabolus, sustentat Dominus: for Satans tentation we shall have, Gods sustentation: yea Lord, Deliver us from evill, for thine is the kingdome, the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

4. If God suffer some to fall that have stood, yet this is no impeachment to his Iustice: because he leaves none without meanes of standing, or hope of rising. In the Text it is granted, that there is knowledge in generall, and fore-knowledge of these things in particular, in them: therefore they may stand: there bee Seducers forewarned of, and a leading away by them is not denyed to bee unpossible: and a Cavete is given them for that purpose: therefore they may fall: yet being downe; their fall is not pronounced desperate; therefore they may rise againe. This Conclusion hath two branches: the former vindicates God from Injustice, if wee doe fall: the other saves us from despaire though wee are fallen.

1. That Peccatum should be causa peccati: for sinne is no Eunuch: it can and will beget children, and that in the owne likenesse: Or that Peccatum should be Poena peccati, as the brood of the Viper kill their Damme, or as Senacharib was slaine by the issue of his owne loines: who can complaine of either? Whether God doth deliver us over to punishments for sinnes; that when the measure of our sinne is full, He shall empty the measure of his Iudgements upon us: Or to sinnes for punishments; making future iniquities the scourges of former; there is no Injustice in it. If hee shall leave any particular soule that hath left him: or withdraw his Spirit from a whole Church, that hath withdrawne her selfe from his Trueth: this is not done out of any tyrannicall wilfulnesse, but out of a punishing Iustice: not for for his pleasure, but our deserts. Hee is not bound to sticke unto them that forsake Him. If He opens his bosome when wee come to Him, and holds us there so long as wee will tarry with Him; it is his Mercy: But when wee will flie from his armes, if Hee lets us goe, is it not his Iustice? They mis-judge the liberty of our infinite Creator, that imagine Him any wayes bound to his Creature. Wee are obliged to Him, not He to us: wee not to offend Him, not He to defend us.

If they will goe unto captivity, let them goe: yea, if they will needs goe, He will send them, and give them up into the hands of their enemies, and deliver them over to punishment for sinne, or to sinne for punishment. If Hee takes the sinne which He findes within us, and makes it his executioner upon us; so that future sinnes become the plague of former; still Hee is just. It is no easie smart wee feele, when God lasheth us with punishment for our errours: but to punish one errour with another; Peccatum grande, Peccato grandiore; O this is a sore revenge. David had his choise of three Roddes; Warre, Famine, Pestilence: either of them could sccourge him throughly, and fetch bloud of his soule: but if all three had bin inflicted on him together, they had not bin so heavie, as when God gave him over into his owne hands, and suffered the sin in his owne bosome to become his master. Lust now hath the regiment of David, and that sends him to Adultery, Adultery prompts him to Murder, Murder must be secreted by Hypocrisie, and that produceth Impenitency and a senslesnesse in sinne. After hee had fallen one story, into Uncleannesse, he staies not there, but fals another story, into Homicide: and from that to another, Dissimulation: till at last hee fals to the very bottome, Security and benummednesse of soule; and lower hee could not fall. Being there, hee had cause to lift up his voice, with Psal. 130.1. De profundis clamavi. Now all these were his owne sinnes: God had no hand in the doing of them. The Adulterie was his; hee polluted the marriage bed: the Murder was his; hee flew Vriah with the sword: 2 Sam. 12.9. Though Vriah fell by the sword of the children of Ammon, yet saies Nathan, Thou hast slaine him. The Blasphemy was his: it came out of the mouth of the uncircumcised, even of the Lords enemies; yet because he gave the occasion, it was his Blasphemy. The obduratenesse and persisting a whole yeare without remorse, was his sinne: all his: Psal. 51.3. I acknowledge my transgressions. God had no hand in the doing of them, but God will have a hand in the disposing of them. With an idle wantonnesse hee beganne: God tooke his Adulterie, and made it his Bayliffe to attach David for his idlenesse: and then He tooke his Murder, and made it his Bayliffe to attach David for his Adulterie: and then Hee tooke the Gentiles Blasphemy, and made it his Bayliffe to attach David for his Murder: and then Hee tooke his long deadnesse of heart and made it his Bayliffe to attach David for that Blasphemy: So here was a generation of sins, a race of iniquities; one begetting another, and the last worse than the former.

Beware therefore: for if you bee once led away, who knowes where you shall stoppe? Errour begets errour: and if we once languish or bate of our owne stedfastnesse, still wee fall lower: and the lesse hold we have of God, the more hold Satan hath of us. 2 Sam. 24.14. Let us fall into the hands of God, saies that straitned King, for his mercies are great: and not into the hand of man. Betweene God and man there may be some kinde of comparison: But would any sinner say, Let mee fall into the hands of the Divell, and not of man? Rather into more sinnes, than some punishments? It was a most fearefull imprecation upon Gods enemies: Psal. 69.27. Adde iniquitie unto their iniquity: that was wofull: But, Let them not come into thy righteousnesse, into which they can never come, unlesse they first come into repentance; this is the fatall doome. Among all the phials of wrath, there is none more tetricall and deadly; when men shall be suffered to adde sinne unto sinne, that Finis unius mali sit gradus alterius; and never offer to repent of their past sinnes, till they are past repentance. This is that reprobate sense, to mistake miseries for mercies, sinnes for comforts. So many thinke to asswage the anguish of one sinne, by doing another: which is a remedie farre worse than the disease.

Prodigality is a gallant sinne: but the Prodigall cannot but see that his patrimony wastes: how then shall hee maintaine his riot? Why, it is but coupling another sinne with it; oppression of his Tenants, extortion of sines, and taking of forfeitures; and all shall bee well. All well? So the Divell thinkes it, but so hee shall not finde it. If the horror of whoredome and prodigious uncleannesse have caused in others a dejection of spirit; how should they remedy this? How? Strait, there is a factour of hell present, that cries; Come, you are melancholy, let us to the Taverne: hee can cure all your sadnesse with a charme of wine. How could the common Strumpet ever sleepe, without this incantation of strong drinke? Her affrighted conscience would bee a worse fury within her, than the severest Marshall could bee about her; but that the incessant noise of sinne will not let it be heard. The covetous mucke-worme could never digest his legall pillage; but that the hope of the next advantage adjournes the anguish of the former. These sinners take all such carnall satisfactions for medicines: but God sends them for plagues: O madnesse, Wisd. 14.22. to call great plagues peace! To smother sinne from the eye of the world, or to shadow it from the eye of our owne conscience, by interposing more sinnes, is a physicke prescribed by the devill. Repentance is appointed by God, the onely physicke for sinne; a remorse for the evill we have done: not the adding of more evill to it. As the drunkard is sicke in the morning, till he hath qualified the old heate with a new. To cure sinne with sinne, is but to heale an ulcer by deading the flesh: which indeed doth not make us whole, but insensible of paine. Repentance be our physicke: this if we take, we may be cured: this if we continue, we shall be saved.

2. As this cleares God, so the other branch of the conclusion comforts us. If we have fallen, let us not conclude upon our selves that we shall never rise againe: for God doth not say so: Not in this Text, not in this Epistle, not in the whole Bible. Farre be it from us, to impose upon our selves a necessitie of perishing. There may be a falling off on our part: and there may be a withdrawing of grace on Gods part: yet he hath still reserved to himselfe the power of restitution, in both parts. There be many termes of union betweene God and us, none of separation, that disioynes us from God, that I ever read of: Of eternall separation none, I am sure, in the Scriptures. Esa. 59.2. Your iniquities have separated betweene you and your God: this is the nearest to it. And yet that was particularly spoken to the revolting Iewes, not indefinitely to all sinners: And it was a commination, that if they persisted in sinne, so it would be; rather than a conclusion that so it was: Or it was a Caution, that it might not be so; rather than a commination, that it should be so: Or: it was a complaint, that they had done enough on their part to make it so; rather than a decree on Gods part, that it should be so indeed. Or take it in the most strict and literall sense, yet it was not a determination without a condition. Though they were now divided, they might be united: though their sinnes had put them as-under, yet their repentance might bring them together againe.

He is called our Psal. 103.13. Father, and full of pitie: what will not a father doe, and suffer, to reclaime his sonne, before he leave him to his owne desperate wayes? It must be a prodigious offense, that can separate a sonne from the love of his father. He is compared to a mother: Esa. 49.15. Can a mother forget her child? was Gods question to Zion. He stayes not her answere, nor assures himselfe of any good answere from her; but addes to it: Yea, a mother may forget her child, yet I will not forget thee. Can God doe it? Did God ever doe it? Did he ever cast off without possibilitie of re-accepting? When? Where? Whom? We neither can shew the time, nor the place, nor the persons; to whom God gave such a peremptory repulse, saying, you shall never repent, but you shall perish. That of the Prophet is most comfortable: Hos. 2.19. I will betroth thee unto me for ever. The husband and wife are una caro, one flesh: Christ and our soule, by this marriage, unas spiritus, 1. Cor. 6.17. one spirit. The words of the Contract are, Sponsabo te mihi in aeternum. There can be no divorce imagined, where there is no marriage: and if there be a marriage with God, there can be no divorce, neither: for Sponsat in aeternum, Therefore as often as our hearts, upon the dolefull consideration of our sinnes, be afraid of a divorce from our God; let us cheare them up with the comfort of a marriage with our God. So Ambrose sweetly and saftely: Audisti repudium? Crede conjugium. Did God ever take in a favourite, and afterwards utterly reject him? The Crow went out of the Arke, and came no more: the Dove went, and came againe, and came with an olive branch. God may absent himselfe, on purpose that he might be sought: but he comes againe, and that with an olive branch of peace. The Iewes did indeed put away their wives; not onely for the wives fault, but for the husbands frowardnes: But we have too good experience of our Gods love and patience, ever to charge him with that: we must deny him first, for he cannot deny himselfe.

To follow this comfortable metaphore of our marriage to God, and to take away all mistrust of a separation: Let us consider for what causes the Iewes might put away their wives, and by that precedent examine whether God (our Husband) hath so threatned to put away us. And because in the place where divorce is permitted, Deut. 24. those essentiall circumstances are not set downe, which were required in those bills of divorce, and without which they were void: give me leave to borrow so much exemplification from a great light in our Church, as he hath collected for the clearing of this point.

1. This bill of divorce might not be written in private; not in the Husbands bed-chamber; but by a Scribe, a publicke Notary, or some such authorized officer. Where, ô disconsolate soule, canst thou find such a bill sent thee from the hand of God? There is no looking for it in his Bed-chamber, in his unrevealed decrees, for they are kept private in heaven: but in his publicke Records his Scriptures. Now these are bookes of Covenant, of Contract not of Separation or divorce. In what place hath God said to thy sad soule, get thee gone, I will none of thee? If any clause in that sacred Instrument seemes to trouble thee, doe not follow the mis-interpretation of thine owne braine, but consult the Dispensers of those holy Mysteries: from them thou shalt find comfort.

2. The wife, how guilty soever in her owne conscience, might not take herselfe to be put away, except the husband had expressely given her a bill of divorce. Hath thy Husband, thy God done so to thee? Hath he any where set downe the peremptory sentence of thy condemnation? Ezek. 33.11. As I live, saith the Lord, I would not the death of a sinner, nor the falling away of any soule. If of none, why of thine? 1. Tim. 2.4. He would have all men to be saved: If all, does he except thee?

3. Those bills of divorce were to be testified by witnesse, and these beyond exception. If thou imagine a bill of reprobation against thee, what witnesses be there to it? Heere thou mayst bring in against thy selfe, the melancholy of a distempered braine, the uncomfortable sadnes of a sullen heart, the dejection of a jealous spirit, the distrust of mercie, and diffidence in the promises of the Gospell: But are these witnesses to be heard against God? Yea, against thy selfe? They have not sanam mentem; their testimonie is nothing worth. O but my conscience is a thousand witnesses. It is, that thou hast committed a thousand sinnes: it is, that thou hast received a thousand blessings. But that there is an eternall decree of reprobation against thee, thy conscience (mis-informed) can be no witnesse: for thou wast not called to the making of those decrees. God calls heaven and earth to witnesse, that he hath offered thee thy choise of life or death: but that he hath thrust death upon thee, in heaven or earth there is no witnesse.

4. Those bills of divorce were to be authentically sealed: but canst thou shew any such bill of everlasting separation from God, with his seale to it? Hee hath given us two faire and broad seales of his mercy, in both the Sacraments: Seales in white, and Seales in red waxe: Of white, in the participation of the candor and innocency of his Sonne, in our Baptisme: Of red, in the participation of his Body and Blood, in the holy Supper. But for any seale of reprobation, or of irrevocable divorce from God, thou canst shew none: there is none. If thou pretend such a one, because thou hast fallen into sinne; know that it is but a counterfeit deed, an instrument of Satans forging: there is neither Gods hand nor seale to it. O but I am plagued more than other men? What of that? Is this a seale of Gods anger? It was not to be a seale of Gods favour. Heb. 12.6. Whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth. For spirituall defects; there may bee a scruple in thy Conscience, a perplexity in thy resolution, a darkenesse in thy understanding; yet who dares call all this, a seale of Gods utter dereliction? For temporall sufferings, not a suddaine death, not a shamefull death, not a stupid death, not a raging death; must bee to thy selfe by the way, or to those that see thine end, an evidence or seale of reprobation, or of finall falling from God. That God, who hath unsearchable wayes to his unsearchable ends, both blesse us from all these in our selves; and from making any of these, when they fall upon others, seales and tokens of his everlasting wrath.

5. The names of the parties must bee set downe, and of both the parties parents, and that to the third generation. Is there any such thing in our fained bill? We may conceive three descents on our husbands side, in the blessed Trinity: First God the Father, then God the Sonne begotten of the Father; and then God the holy Ghost proceeding from the Sonne and the Father. The holy Spirit we know to be the God of our consolation: the Sonne, to be the God of our Redemption: the Father to bee the God of our Creation: but can wee finde a God of Separation, a God of rejection among all these? Wee may conceive three descents on our owne side: first as we are the children of dust, of nothing: next, as we are the children of Adam, reducible to nothing: last, as wee are the Children of God in Christ, in whom we are all things. God hath married us in all these estates. First in the house of dust, where he made us good: then in the house of ruine, where he found us lost: and last in the house of peace and grace, where he redeemeth us in Christ. He did not put us from him in our creation, nor utterly reject us in our prevarication: and now in the house of our restitution, in the Church, in the Body of his Sonne, will he divorce us there? Who can suspect it?

6. Lastly, if the Bill were interlin’d, or blotted, or dropt upon, it was voide. Pretend any place of Scripture that may seeme to condemne thee; and know that that place is interlin’d; interlin’d by the Spirit of God, with conditions, limitations, provisions and exceptions, If thou repent, if thou returne: that interlining cancells the Bill. Looke well, and thou shalt finde it blotted and dropt upon: the venome of the Setpent is dropt upon it: the worme-wood of thy desperation is dropt upon it: the gall of thy melancholly is dropt upon it: and this voids the bill. And if thy moody and clouded eyes cannot discerne these drops; doe thou droppe upon it thy selfe. Droppe upon it the teares of true contrition and repentance: that shall voide the bill. Droppe upon it the blood of thy Saviour; that shall destroy the bill. Through that blood looke upon the bill, and thou shalt see that it was nayled to the Crosse, when hee was nailed; and torne, when his body was torne: and that hath quite cancelled the bill. Now Vbi libellus? Esa. 50.1. Where is the bill of your divorcement? There is none such: never imagine it, for God hath not made it. There is a Booke of his Covenant with us in Iesus Christ: to that let us adhere faithfully, and we shall never fall away from his mercy.

5. Men called into the truth, may yet fall farre from their owne stedfastnesse: that is, from that measure of stability which for the present they have: Yet not totally, so as to have no firmenesse at all, to lose even the very foundation and principles of truth, or to suffer an utter eradication of grace: Or if they fall so fearefully, yet this lapse may not be finall: the grace of God is not debarred them, nor the gate of mercy shut against them, nor is the sentence of irrevocable damnation passed upon them. Falling must needes include a mutation of state and place: hee is not fallen, that is not removed from off the place, or downe from the station which hee had, and wherein hee stood. A man may slippe, or stumble, or stoupe low: but if he fall, his footing was lost, his hold-fast gone. He is not Vbi erat nor Vti erat: neither Statu, nor Gradu, the same that he was before. There is a consummation, when holinesse is crowned with reward in the end: and there is a continuation, which holds out to the end: and there may bee an interruption; either by the seducing of others, or falling away of our selves, in the Text: which yet is not quite secluded from mercy, nor deprived of hope: For after one, moe, many falls, there may bee as many recoveries by grace. Multi dantur ad gratiam recessus: Hee that falleth to day, may rise againe to morrow, hold out to the end, receive the reward of righteousnesse, and be crowned with immortall glory. In this great question, which at this present so exerciseth the studies of the Christian world; whether a man may fall from grace; or if he doe fall, whether totally and not finally, or finally and totally, or neither; it were a dangerous boldnesse for me to determine. Non est nostrae parvitatis dicere: humble Doves, must not presume to see so farre as Eagles. That which I purpose to deliver concerning this argument, shall bee short, profitable, and comfortable: and all this by way of application and use, in three words: Cavete, Sperate, Confidite; of Caution, Hope, Confidence.

1. Cavete, Beware: that is our Apostles rule here; so he teacheth mee: it is my rule; so I desire to teach you: and let it be your rule, so to guide your owne hearts. There be foure degrees that incline and dispose us to falling; as it were foure staires ere wee come to the bottome: Haesitatio, Remissio, Retrospectio, and Alienatio cordis: this Cavete is to be set on the forehead of them all. First, Haesitatio, a wavering: when we beginne to doubt, and to question that truth, which we have so long embraced: This is the first steppe of falling from our owne stedfastnesse. Unbeleefe is the bane of constancy and perseverance: of constancy in the purpose of our minde, of perseverance, in the tenour of our life. When we once come to dally with Gods Word, and to regard it by halves, wee are in the way to despise it, or not to regard it at all. Let him that standeth, take heede lest hee fall: If the Divell can but once get us to stand still, he conceives hope of our falling. His salvation, is like the theefes; stand and deliver: no sooner stand at a stay in goodnesse, but presently deliver your innocence. Secondly, Remissio, a fainting; when we grow weary of the walke of righteousnesse. Fainting is the next steppe to forsaking: they that keepe not their old pace, have a minde to tire. Cavete, beware of both these; Ne sistas, that thou stand not to demurre: Ne deficias, that thou languish not in the way. Thirdly, Retrospectio, a looking backe: so Lots wife lost herselfe. Her charge was, Looke not backe, lest thou die: she would looke backe, to die for it. Gal. 6.9. Be not weary of well doing: It is ill to buy the ease of our body, with the hazzard of our soule: but worse to looke backe; for that is as much as to say, we have left our heart behinde. The first thing that a recreant souldier forsakes, is his courage: and the last thing that forsakes him, is his heels. He that hath but his eye set a running from the spirituall warres, meanes that his soule and body shall follow after. Fourthly, Alienatio cordis, an estranging of the heart; that is the lower staire: when we come to be glutted with godlinesse, to loath Manna, and to be weary of our obedienne. So Lots wife was weary of shifting so often; and removing from Vr to Haran, from Haran to Canaan, from Canaan to Egypt, from thence to Canaan againe, then to Sodome, and now to Zoar: shee takes the conceite of more troubles ensuing still: and therefore even resolves to prefer Sodome and her pleasures, before Zoar and the desolate mountains.

Cavete, beware of these dangerous precipices. First, let us thinke that it is the Divells suggestion; you neede not make so much haste: you shall come thither time enough: Heaven will not runne away. Secondly, that wee forfeit all the fruite of our former well continued course, by a relapse: wee have done all in vaine. Nay, wee have not onely lost our owne labour; but have caused Christ to loose his labour too; so that all his sorrowes and sufferings are in vaine, to us. Thirdly, let us thinke on the folly, Gal. 3.3. Of beginning in the Spirit, and ending in the flesh: of laying a precious foundation of our house, and then finishing it with a covering of thatch. Ezek. 18.24. If the righteous man turne, all his righteousnesse shall be forgotten. Would it not grieve us, by the errour of one houre, to make void the perseverance of many yeeres? Fourthly, Let us thinke on the disgrace, the scandall, the infamie of this recidivation: the disgrace to our selves, whiles we live: the scandall to others, when we are dead: and the infamy of our names to be inrolled in the Catalogue of The revolters from the faith. Fifthly, Let us thinke on the difficulty to be reclaimed: when the residence of one Mat. 12.45. wicked spirit is filled up with seven worse. Sixthly, Let us thinke on Gods exemplary judgements upon the relapsed: how Gen. 19.26. Lots wife in the act of her looking backe was turned into a pillar of salt. Wee desire to repent ere we die, she was taken away in the very article of her sinne. Wee desire to die with respite, and from suddaine death we pray God to deliver us: hers was suddaine: she looked backward, and never looked forward more: it was her last looke. Num. 16.29. Wee would die the common death of mankinde, and be visited after the visitation of other men. Hers was a strange kinde of death. Being dead, our wish is to be buried: she remained above ground, the spectacle of Gods wrath to posterity. A reed she was, a pillar shee is: shee was melting water, she is congealed to salt. Seventhly, Consider, that not to continue, shall speed as ill as not to beginne. Non ingredientes, and Non progredientes; not to enter the way, and not to keepe the way, finde but little difference at last. Not to come out of the stase of sinne, is to perish: and to relapse when wee are come out, is to perish too. One and the same end is to the sinner without repentance, and to the righteous without perseverance. Eightly, Yea lastly, revolting beleevers shall justifie unbeleeving sinners: their frossen iniquity shall condemne our melting piety. If they bee obdurate in vice, shall not we be constant in vertue? Cavete therefore: you may fall, beware you doe not: you may fall very farre, God keepe you from it.

2. Sperate: when we consider sin in the horrid fowlnes of it, we have great cause of dejection: And to him that will not fall down on his knees in repentance, for falling from his owne stedfastnesse, I dare promise no comfort: no hope of comfort: no more than I can promise fruits to that piece of ground, upon which no moisture falls. We have erred, and so are guilty of weakenesse: we have erred after knowledge, and so are guilty of wickednesse: we have erred after the receit of many mercies, and so are guilty of unthankefulnesse: wee have erred against many stoppes and gratious withstandings of our sinne, and so are guilty of wilfulnesse. If all this cannot humble us, and breake our hearts with remorse, no Sperate: Looke not for that at my hands. I dare not, I cannot open the doore, when God hath shut it: no more than I can or dare shut the doore, when God hath opened it. Rev. 3.7. He that hath the key of David, openeth and no man shutteth, shutteth and no man openeth. He hath opened the doore of mercy to repentance, and who dare shut it with a Discedite? Against impenitency hee hath barred it, and who can open it with a Sperate? But when on the other side, we consider the infinite mercy of our gracious God; how farre our evill comes short of his goodnesse; how readily he answeres to the voice of repentance, how willing he is to lift up those that be downe, and that call upon him for helpe; how able he is to re-advance the dejected: then wee proclaime to all them that would stand, and yet doe fall; to them that are fallen, and would rise; that are led away, and would returne; Sperate, be of good cheere. 1 Cor 10.13. God is faithfull, and will not suffer you to bee tempted above that you are able. Ier. 31.3. I have loved you with an everlasting love. Iohn 13.1. Whom he lov’s, to the end he lov’s. Psal 37.24. Though he fall, he shall not utterly hee cast downe: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand. Heb. 13.5. I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. Every sentence breaths into our fainting hearts a Sperate; sure comfort.

Though you may thinke in your sorrow, that you have quite left God: yet God in his purpose, hath not quite left you. But it is you say, a common complaint: Psal. 29.38. The Lord hath forsaken us. Thou hast cast off and abhorred. David expostulates; Why hast thou forsaken me? Yet the Sonne of David came to this; My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken mee: Yet consider: did God forsake either of them? He might be angry with David his servant, for his grievous sinnes: more angry with Christ his Sonne, for the sinnes of all the world: And in their present sense, that anger might worke in them an apprehension of his forsaking them: But he did not forsake them, nor will he forsake thee: thou mayest thinke so, but God will not doe so. Who should occasion such a forsaking? It must be either God, or thy selfe: Cedo tertium: no devising of a third. Satan is an enemy, and God will not heare him: thou knowest him a lier, doe not then beleeve him. God will not doe it, hee never forsakes first. If it be done, it must bee thy fault: and if thou acknowledge that it is done for thy fault, it is not done: for that acknowledgement implies a free confession: that confession proceeds from a true repentance: repentance procures a pardon: and what is pardoned, is as if it never was committed.

3. Confidite: Let us trust in the Lords strength, by which alone we may bee kept from falling; and in the Lords mercy, by which alone we may be raised up when wee are fallen. So feeble are we without the supportation of grace, that there oftentimes appeares very little difference betweene the righteous and unrighteous. Both are subject to, and the former more exercised with temptations. When a bad motion is suggested, the wicked receive it, and delight in it: and by your favour, so did David as well as Saul: and so doe wee all too often. The wicked give consent of will to it: so doe the other, if grace but a little hide it selfe. They practise it: so sometimes doe the righteous, if the Spirit restraine them not. The ungracious lie in sinne: and so doe the other, till God raise them. Where then is the difference? Surely, somewhat in the persons: the ungodly are carried into sinne without resistance: the other are over-borne with violence, but not without resistance, Rom. 7.19. Malum quod nolo, facio. But the maine difference is in the mercy of God: if we escape temptation, it is his mercy: if wee stand in temptation, it is his mercy: if our wills consent not, it is his mercy; if we consent and the act be hindred, it is his mercy: if we fall and rise againe by repentance, all is his mercy. All our trust stands in his mercy, Not that thereby we should be encouraged to fall; for that were presumption: but being fallen, that thereby we should hope to rise againe; and so be kept from desperation. We are nothing in our selves; wee have no way but to trust in IESVS CHRIST.

6. It is dangerous to fall at any time; but then worst, when wee have stood some time in the trueth. To have stedfastnesse, and not to hold it; after long standing, then to fall, is deadly. The neerer to heaven, the sorer bruise in falling downe to the earth. For the Iob. 6.15. winter brookes, if they dry: for the Amos 8.1. summer fruits, if they rotte: for Amos 6.4. the morning cloudes, if they scatter: for the Mat. 13.20. shallow-rooted corne, if that wither: for flitting and unstable professours, if they languish: the griefe is the lesse, because there was little better hope of them.

But for men that have embraced the Trueth, a long time defended it, suffered many iniuries for the defence of it; digested the bitternesse of many sorrowes, when that shewed them their sinnes; and sucked the sweetenesse of many comforts, when that assured them of forgivenesse: that these men, after all this, should fall from their owne stedfastnesse: Proh dolor! How can it bee thought on without teares? Pharaoh could seeme religious when the fitte tooke him: every great plague did put him into a fever, and then hee was godly on the suddaine. O pray for mee now. But when the fitte was over, Pharaoh was Pharaoh againe; as profane as ever. Nine times hee beganne to relent, and nine times againe hee hardened his heart. But hee was never good, egge nor bird: his beginning was naught, his proceeding worse, and who could looke for any better at his latter end? Saul kept himselfe well for two yeeres, Iudas for three yeeres, and (as it is storied) Nero for five yeeres: yet all fell into damnable wickednesse: scarce three worse in the world.

But most lamentable is the memory of Lots wife: How long did shee stand stedfast? By computation of time, from Abrahams going out of Vr, to the destruction of Sodome, it was thirty yeeres; so long did shee abide in the family of the faithfull, full thirty yeeres. Shee escaped the superstitions of Egypt, she was not defiled with the sinnes of Sodome: neither the famine of Canaan, nor the fulnesse of the cities of the plaine, made her fall away: She endured much with Abraham and Lot, in their exile, in their travell, in all their afflictions. Yet she that escaped all these perils on the sea of this world, shipwrackes in the very Haven; at the entry of Zoar: where she should have saved her life, she wilfully lost it. How should we tremble at these precedents? what a sensible impression should we take of our owne weakenesse? Let the wicked bee like goates; the elder they grow, the worse and more fulsome meate they are: and in their old age, not edible, not indurable. But that men should appeare sheepe all their dayes, and in their latter end turne to goates, from pillars in the Church, for their stedfastnesse; to reeds in the wildernesse, for their levity; is sad newes to Heaven and Earth, to Angels and Men: and onely welcome tidings to the fiends in Hell. Beware therefore, let us not verefie Nebuchadnezzars dreame, to bee golden proselites, brassen professors, iron polititians, and then to end our old age in clay. Let not our soules turne to clay, before our bodies bee turned into clay. But rather in this, let us be like Fame, which vires acquirit eundo; Or let our goodnesse be a river; which is small at the spring or beginning, but enlargeth it selfe, gathers in fresh watets, fills the channell, and at last empties it selfe into the Ocean of mercie.

7. Lastly, the summary use, the principall scope, the maine antidote to prevent all this, is Perseverance to the end. When God had created the Light, it is added, Gen. 1.4. He saw that it was good. When hee had created and disposed the Heaven, the Earth, the Waters, ver. 10. He saw that it was good. When hee had distinguished the lights of Heaven, ver. 18. He saw that it was good. When he had blessed the earth to bring forth Plants, Grasse, Herbes, and made the Beasts and Cattell to feed upon it: ver. 12.25. He saw that it was good. When hee had replenished the Aire with Fowles, the Water with Fishes; ver. 21. He saw that it was good. He gave them all his approbation, and commended them every one in the beginning; Vidit quòd bonum: each in particular, all in generall, very good. But when hee came to man, and had made him for whom hee made all the rest, hee paused upon the matter, and never graced him with the least commendation in the beginning. What might bee the reason? Saint Ambrose gives it, Lib. 7. de Institut. Virg. Prius probandus, quàm laudandus: hee was first to bee tryed, and respectively to be commended. In Christianis non laudantur initia, sed finis. Psal. 119.•2: I will keepe thy statutes alwayes, even unto the end. We belong to Christ, if Heb. 3 6. we hold fast the confidence, and rejoycing of hope firme unto the end. We are partakers of Christ, Heb. 3.14. if wee hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end. Rev. 2.10. Bee thou faithfull unto the death, and I will give thee a crowne of life. Rev. 2.26. To him that keepeth my words unto the end, will I give the morning starre. This is the way to bee safe while wee live, and to be saved when we die. Wee have many considerations and motives to spurre us on to perseverance.

1. Without this, all our service is a maimed sacrifice. If a sacrifice be offered to God, he likes it not, unlesse it come entire; Greg. mor. 1. cap. 40. cum cauda, with it’s latter end. No defective oblation pleaseth: the Mal. 1.8. lame and sicke will be refused by the very Governour. It must have Psal. 69.31. horne and hoofe: and not want so much as a tayle: for the taile-piece (by name) is disposed of in the Lev. 3.9. sacred Rituals. To shew that no holy course is accepted, if it be not closed up with a good end. The holy oile which was powred on Aarons head, ranne downe to the skirts of his vestiment: In extremis deficere, if God doe not find the unction of his grace in the conclusion of our life; if that be dryed up in the skirts; we might as well have neither had garment nor oile at all. Perseverance is the sister of patience, the daughter of constancie, the mother of peace, the mistresse of concord: Bern. epist. Nutrix ad virtutem, mediatrix ad praemium. Muria virtutum, saith Gregory: the pickle and preserver of vertues, without which they will putrifie. The Salt of the Covenant, without which the flesh of our sacrifice will take wind and corrupt.

2. Vnstedfastnes is an argument of unsoundnes: they that are not constant, never were syncere. Prov. 17.17. A friend loveth at all times; for ever: and he was never a true friend, that ceaseth to be so. He that truely loves Christ, never leaves him. Luk. 22.28. Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations: I, that’s the tryall: they love him indeed, that love him in his distresse. It was a just complaint of that rebellious generation, that Psal. 78.8.37. their spirit was not stedfast with God; their heart was not right with him. Though it be an argument a Posteriore, yet it holds: if we see men give over their loyaltie to God at last, their hearts were never upright with him at the first. God takes up no roome in the corporation of man, for his bedchamber, but the heart: He lies at the signe of the Heart. Therfore the voice of constancie is, Paratum cor, my heart is ready: If thou wilt make me a king, paratum cor: if I must continue a shepheard, still paratum cor. So Paul was ready for honour, ready for disgrace; for povertie or riches, for joy or sorrowes, for life or death; for all ready. Such a Christian is well shod: he will hold out to the latter end.

3. It is a rule in the civill law: That is as good as nothing, which holdeth not. Nihil dicitur factum, quamdiu aliquid superest ad agendum. A Will unfinished, is no Will: a deed, unles it be signed, sealed, and delivered, is no deed. In the paying of money upon bond, the want of a shilling forfeits a hundred pounds. Greg. mor. lib. 22. c. 6. Nisi totum soluitur, nihil solvitur: nec absolutus est debitor qui multa reddit, sed qui omnia. They that wrought in the vineyard, must labour to the evening, before they have the reward: will any master thinke his servants dayes worke done, when he goes to bed at noone? Is that house finished, which wants a roofe? Concedunt prima postremis: the former part of our life yieldeth unto the latter, and the latter carries it quite away from the former. The sinner that repents, hath his wickednes blotted out: Ezek. 18.22.24. in his present righteousnes he shall live: The righteous that relapseth shall not have his righteousnes mentioned: in his present sinne he shall die. Secundum quod sumus, non quod fuimus, we shall be judged. Mary Magdalen was a sinner at first, at last a Saint: so a Saint she shall be found in Iudgment, not a sinner. Herode heard Iohn; good was his beginning: he did many things well; better was his proceeding: but when he concluded with the murder of Iohn, this marred all. His beginning is forgotten, his proceeding not thought on, but his conclusion was his confusion; that sent him to hell. Iudas shall not be judged as a Preacher, but as a traitor: not according to his Apostleship, wherein he lived: but according to his treacherie, wherein he dyed. Reu. 2.4. Our first love will doe us no good, if we forsake it: Gal. 3.3. nor our beginning in the Spirit, if we end in the flesh. As Gregorie the great was said to be the first of the bad Bishops of Rome, and the last of the good ones: The first of the bad, because he brought in Innovations: and the last of the good, because there never came any so good after him. So our standing at a pawse in religion, and weighing (with Demas) the trueth of the Gospell in one balance, for which we are so troubled; with the peace of the world in the other balance, by which we may be so enriched, may be called the first of our bad actions, and the last of our good ones. The first of our bad; for he that shall but dare to bring Christ in competition with the world once, hath ingratefully sinned: The last of our good: for to trie the spirits, and by examination of the truth to confirme our owne faith, may be a good worke: but Christ so scornes to be put into the scales with the world, that he justly gives that man over to the world, which durst offer to ranke it with Christ.

4. The end of every thing is all in all. Hieron. Terminus ad quem dat appellationem: The end for which a thing is ordained, denominates it. Ante obitum nemo beatus: die well, then blessed. Reu. 14.13. Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord: they that die blessed, are sure to live blessed for ever. Blasphemers and secure transgressors were so hedged in with prosperitie, that David stood at a maze, wondring what the Lord meant to doe with them: at last he was let into the Sanctuary, and suffered to behold, and Psal 73.17. then he understood their end; which was indeed suddaine destruction. But Psal. 37.37. marke the righteous, and the end of that man is peace. The children of this world seeing the righteous so encompassed with troubles; their eyes still wette, their whole life excercised with sufferings, give them for lost men, quite out of Gods bookes: but marke their end: Wisd. 5.5. Now they are numbred among the children of God, and their lot is among the Saints: Loe now the wicked are of another mind. We say, All is well that ends well: so the maine end of our whole life, should be to make a good end of our life. We may also say; That is ill which ends ill: he that dies a bad man, was never indeed a good one. In shew there might be little difference: but the end distinguisheth all, as St. Bernard speakes of Paul and Iudas. Ad Soror. cap. 20. Iudas benè coepit, sed malè finivit: quamvis Paulus benè finivit, malè coepit. The bulrush, in the fable, derided the vine, that it must endure such digging, and weeding, such pampination or pruining, and binding, and be vexed with such a deale of trouble, onely to yield man a little good liquour: whereas the other without any molestation might injoy it owne happynes. Summer comes, the Sun scorches, yet stil the vine flourishes shaded with leaves, and loden with fruites: but the moisture of the bulrush being spent, it hangs downe the head, and droopes, and withers; and being trodden upon with beasts, confeeth that the end is all: in vaine is it in the beginning to flourish, and in the end to perish.

5. Christ persevered for us: and shall not wee persevere for Him? In Him? To Him? He was a Friend indeed; for Ioh. 13.1. He loved to the last. To the end, shall I say? Nay more; of his love there is no end. There was no beginning of his love, nor can there be an ending. He is not onely Heb. 12.2. the Founder, but the Finisher of our salvation. To signifie this, He appeared to Saint Iohn, Rev. 1.13. vestitus podêre, in a long garment downe to his lower end. He never rested, till He could triumph in his Consummutum est: till all was done, that was to be done, for the accomplishment of our Redemption. Much He endured, and that much long, even to the last gaspe. How strangely was that heavenly Vine pruined upon earth? His honour was pruined cultro Ignominiae: his peace, cultro Inimicitiae: his estate, cultro Paupertatis: his friends, cultro Persecutionis: and yet He held out, till his life was pruined cultro Mortis. Nor was this a common death: but Tristius ipsa Morte genus mortis. Matth. 26.38. My soule is exceeding sorrowfull, even unto death. Not his scourges, nor his Thornes, nor his nailes, made Christ open his mouth; but the sorrow of his soule. Why then did He not give over? All that He was to endure that night and the day following, was presented to his minde, when He said, My soule is heavie even unto death. Why then did Hee not draw backe? Why did He not follow Peters counsell; Hoc tibi non fiat, Matth. 16.22. this shall not be unto thee? No, the love of our soules triumphed over the love of his owne life: on He will goe, and persevere He will, till his last droppe of bloud be spent on the Crosse for us. Yea, what King ever went so willingly to be crowned, as Hee to bee crucified? Who so gladly from execution, as He to it? What man was ever so desirous to save his life, as Christ was to lose it? Witnesse that speech; Luk. 12.50. I have a Baptisme to bee baptised with, and how am I pained till it be accomplished? His minde was in paine, till his body and soule came to it. And to him that disswaded Him from it, Hee used no other termes than to the Divell himselfe; Matth. 16.23. Avoid Satan. So willingly went Hee to it, so unwillingly would He be kept from it. Hee went on foot when Hee was to preach and doe good: but Hee rode for haste, when Hee was to suffer evill. His willingnesse was so great, that his bloud would not stay the Executioners leasure, but did burst out into a Sweat, a strange Sweat, in his bitter Agonie in the Garden.

All this He foresaw before He suffered: and whiles He did foresee, He suffered. This made his soule so heavie: it might arise from three Causes: Ex objectorum gravitate; never sorrow like his sorrow, for never sufferings like his sufferings. Ex patientis susceptibilitate: He was able (through that hypostaticall union) to suffer all that Gods Iustice cold inflict; all the punishments due to all the sins of all men. Ex doloris simplicitate; no reliefe, no ease, no comfort: He found never a Reuben to say, Gen. 37.26. Let us not kill him, for hee is our brother. There was no such cleare apprehension of sinne as in Him: He saw it in all the fowlenesse. No such perfect detestation of sinne as in Him: He hated it with all extremenesse: yet He must suffer for it: Esay 53.6. The Lord laid on Him the iniquities of us all. Hee foreknew all this: why did Hee not prevent it? Why did it not dishearten Him? Hee was safe enough; who could touch Him? Hee was at supper among his friends; why did He goe into the Garden among his enemies, where the Traitor waited for Him? His Apprehenders fell backeward with a word of his mouth: why then did Hee not leave them? When Hee had smarted with the scourges, why would He endure the Thornes? Losing so much bloud with the Thornes, why would He yeeld to the nailes? O Lord, how little sorrow makes us draw backe, and slinke away from Thee? Yet no torments could procure Thee to forsake us? Thus did Christ persevere unto the death, that He might save us: and shall not we persevere all our life in our service to Him? Hee is Rev. 1.8. Alpha and Omega: not onely Alpha, for his happy beginning: but Omega, for his thrice happy ending. He never left us, till He had made it sure that God would never leave us. Now the highest act of Religion, is for the Christian to conforme himselfe unto Christ. Hee never fell from us: wee are basely unthankefull, if ever wee fall from Him.

August. 6. God Himselfe is eternall, who expects our service. Now what hath levity and inconstancy to doe with eternity? When doth God give overfeeding, and protecting, and blessing of us; that wee should give over serving of Him? In youth? No, Thou hast upholden me ever since I was borne. In old age? No, I am feeble and gray-headed; but thou art my comforter. In my joy? Psal. 23.5. No, For thou makest my cup to overflow. In my sorrow? No, Psal. 94.19. For in the multitude of the sorrowes in my heart, thy comforts refresh my soule. At any other time? No, Heb. 13.5. For thou wilt never leave mee, nor forsake mee. Is there any time then for us us to forget Him in? In our jollity? No, Psalm. 137.6. I will remember thee in my mirth. In our sorrowes? No, Esay 26.16. In trouble we will visite thee, and pray when thy chastening is upon us. In youth? No, then wee must Eccles. 12.1. remember our Creator. In our old age? No, let Asa’s example forewarne us of that. The Lord takes charge of us so long as we have any being: therefore so long as wee have any being, let us looke to the charge of the Lord. If God blesseth thee, O Christian, in aeterno suo: Hee lookes that thou shouldest serve Him in aeterno tuo. His love lasts longer than our service: yet let our service last as long as our life: this is all wee can doe, and our gratious Maker askes no more.

7. The reward of our service is eternall; why should not our service be so? Why should not God require a long lasting obedience, for an everlasting recompence? Why not, holinesse unto the end, for a blessing in the end, which shall be without end? Bern. Gaudium in fine, sed gaudium sine fine. Indeed it is base, meerely to serve for the reward. That is causa impulsiva, not causa constituens or efficiens: for the good man would be good, were there no Heaven. The Heathens called vertue, Bonum Theatrale: as if a man would not bee vertuous, if hee had no spectators, to take notice of him. But it is false: for vertue will be as cleare in solitudine, as in Theatro; though not so conspicuous: onely it may grow more strong by the observation and applause of others, as an heat that is doubled by the reflection. Of two Horses, the one will goe well without the spurre, the other will goe better with the spurre: Shall wee say of this latter, Tush the life of this Horse lyes but in the spurre? No, for the spurre is no matter of impediment, but an ordinary instrument. So the reward, which is glory, and honour and eternall life, are but the spurres to righteousnesse and good workes; which would often lagge and languish without them: and these are ever ready to attend upon goodnesse. So though wee would runne well without a reward, yet the consideration of this reward may make us amend our pace. The Lord and Giver of life did not refuse the proposed reward. Heb. 12.2. Who for the joy that was set before him, endured the Crosse. Though hee were the fountaine of joy, and had it infinitely in himselfe; yet the better to beare out his sorrowess in the way, he propounded to himselfe the joy in the end. I know that verus amor non sumit vires de spe; it loveth without hope of benefit: yet to quicken our love, which is so apt to faint, let us remember the reward. Ezek. 9.4. The foreheads of the righteous are marked with Tau: which (as Omega in the Greeke) is the the last letter in the Hebrew Alphabet; and the signe of Consummatum est, among them. Now these Titles are inseparable to the reward. It is not onely a life, but a Mat. 26.46. Life everlasting: not onely an Inheritance, but an 1. Pet. 1.4. Inheritance incorruptible: Not onely a Kingdome, but Heb. 12.28. a Kingdome that cannot bee shaken: Not onely a Crowne, but a Crowne of Immortality. These bee the attributes that belong to the reward; and must not the like belong to the service? Bern. de Consid. l. 5. Aeternitatis Imago Perseverantia. All that wee can doe, is to serve God whiles wee live: and all that wee can wish, is to raigne with God when wee die. O then let us fixe our eyes on the prize, and gather up our feete to the race, and still tendere in anteriora: Phil. 3.14. forgetting the things behinde, and pressing toward the marke, for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus.

8. As Perseverance is the Queene of all vertues, Quia ea sola coronatur. so it is also, Quia Satanas ei soli insidiatur: the devill is ever fighting against the latter end. As the king of Syria charged his captaines, 1. King. 22.31. to fight neither with small nor great, save onely with the king of Israel: So the Prince of darknes commands his commanders, the leaders of his troupes, and those that stand at the head of his companies, his master-temptations; not to fight against any vertue, small or great, but onely against Perseverance in goodnes: Quam solam novit coronari, upon whose head he knowes the Crowne must full. He bestirres himselfe; not onely because Reu. 12.12. he knowes his owne time to be short, but because he perceives our time to be short. Therefore he redoubles his forces, as if he still meant to make the last conflict the sorest: resolving to set all at that stake, and either now to winne, or to sit downe with losse and despaire. The most fiery dart in his quiver, he reserveth to our death bed: if we can quench that, the enemie is hopelesse. Good cause have we then to make much of Perseverance, which the devill would so faine get from us. Eternall life is not given to all, for then we would all presume: nor to none, for then we would all despaire: but vincenti dabitur, it is given to him that overcommeth. Fight therefore to the last minute: the eye of thy Saviour is upon thee; if thou faint, to cheare thee; if thou fight, to second thee; if thou conquer, to crowne thee. So that no combate, no conquest: no conquest, no triumph. Continuance is the crowne of all other graces, and heaven shall be the crowne of continuance.

9. The wicked are constant in their sinnes: why are not we so in holynes? They labour hard for that which shall confound them, and shall we thinke any paines too much for that which shall save us? They will not be persuaded to breake off their sinnes by repentance: and shall we be tempted to breake off our repentance by sinne? If they will know no period of their rebellion, till they sinke downe into hell: for shame let us know no date of our obedience, till we come up into heaven. Wickednes, like the sea, hath bounds: God by his blessed providence, hath limited the raging waves of them both: but goodnes knowes no limitation. They cannot be so evill as they would, we have libertie to be so good as we can. The children of grace, and the children of disobedience, have their severall races: they set out together: heaven is the gaole of the former, hell of the other: indeed the wicked may sooner and more easily get to their Iourneys end; for facilis descenses: it is but tumbling downe the hill: yet though we cannot be in heaven so soone as they are in hell, we may be as sure of the joyes of the one, as they are of the paines of the other, if we hold on our journey. Though our salvation be with more difficultie wrought up, than their perdition; yet grace, time, and diligence may worke it up in due season. You find none of them hankering in the wayes of sinne: the drunkard will hold out till he have lost his eyes: the incontinent, till he hath wasted his loynes: the contentious, till he hath beggard his purse. Quis pudor, quòd infaelix populus Dei non tantam habent perseverantiam in bono, quantam mali in malo? If ever they turne from sinne, it is Gods especiall grace that gives them repentance: but when we fall from our stedfastnes, it is through the defect of our owne perseverance. The Lord make the former good, and the other better unto the end!

10. Lastly, it is Perseverance alone that carrieth away the crowne. Bern. de Pass. Dom. cap. 14. Finis, non pugna, coronat. Patience and perseverance are fellow-labourers in Gods harvest: they worke together, they sweate together: they suffer together: Bern. libello qui vocatur. 8. punt. and if either of them be compelled to beare the heavyer lode, it is Patience: yet though Patience endure the burden, Perseverance goes away with the blessing. Iob. 42.12. The Lord blessed the latter end of Iob: yet he was blessed very well in the beginning: For he had Iob. 1.3. seven thousand sheepe, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred shee asses: and for the heires of all this substance, seven sonnes and three daughters. But his extraordinary blessing came at the last, when all his temptations were past: in the latter end of his booke, and the latter end of his pacience: God blessed the latter end of Iob. The maine matter is not Aug. Civit. Dei. lib. 17. cap. 5. In quo medio, sed in quibus extremis. Men are either cursed or blessed, not as they suffer in the middle, but as they speed in the end. Iob might have some blessings in the beginning, sure he had many troubles in the midst, but his end made amends for all: God blessed the latter end of Iob. Christianitie is compared to a race: now in a race, all that run, winne not: onely 1 Cor. 9.24. one receiveth the price. He gets the garland, that first gets the gaole. But in this spirituall race it is otherwise: Not he that commeth first, Chrys. but every one that holds out to the last, is crowned. Non qui primus venerit, sed qui cunque pervenerit. I deny not, but we must also make hast and not onely strive to out-run them that run with us, but even to out-run our selves. Let this dayes pace mend yesterdayes, and to morrowes exceed them both. Old age, in secular races, is the more unweildy disposition: but in this, the more vigorous, as being neare the end of the course, and almost having the prize in hand.

The Schoolemen make of this Perseverance, not any one particular vertue, Bonavent. in Sent. 3. Aquin. 1. 26 Iu. 5.8. ar. 3 but Conditionem annexam cuilibet virtuti, a condition implyed in every vertue. I is Aug. de bon. Pers. lib. 2. Dei donum, quo coetera servantur dona: Gods rare and especiall gift; the maintainer and preserver of all his other gifts. Without this, faith would languish into diffidence, hope give over her expectation, patience sinke under her burden, and charitie be weary of welldoing. Perseverance to vertue, is like the lungs to the heart; which keepes it in breath, and encourageth it to the end of the race. Mat. 24.13. He that endureth unto the end, shall be saved: and he that doth not, shall lose all that he hath done. Comming but a foot short, may make a man misse the prize, and lose the wager he ran for. As in travell to a citie, he loseth all his paines in the way, that gets not to his journeys end. True it is, that Iam. 1.7. every good and perfect gift is from above, and commeth downe from the Father of lights. The vertues that adorne a Christian soule, doe every one of them claime kinred of allmighty God: Et Deus est in vtroque parente: they descend from him in the one, and the other line. Bern. August. Yet Perseverance is vnica filia, his onely daughter and heire, which carries away all the Patrimonie. Cùm enim omnes virtutes currant in stadio, sola Perseverantia accipit bravium. Patience, repentance, temperance, all run well: onely Perseverance to the end gets the Cuppe; the cuppe of Gods blessing: as God blessed the latter end of Iob. Our blessed Saviour once provided a Table on earth, for the people, Mat. 15.32. who had continued with him three dayes: not because they heard him, and a little followed him; but Quia perseverarunt, because they continued with him. And he hath promised a Table in heaven; Luk. 22.30. Ye shall eate and drinke at my table in my kingdome: but to whom? Not to those that onely heard him with some attention, and followed him with some admiration: but to them onely Qui permanserunt, that continued with him. Luk. 22.28. Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations. To teach us, that both these Tables, the blessings of earth, and the blessings of heaven too, are provided onely for them, which persever in their righteousnes unto the end.

All those graces which the holy Ghost hath wrought in us, must be cherished and continued to the latter end; for of those the Lord onely blesseth the latter end. Patience is an excellent grace, but without Perseverance it would often be to seeke: as when an unwonted blow comes, the Fencer is put from his ward. Repentance is a happy and necessary grace, yet without Perseverance it would be dashed out of countenance, and be jeered for a sullen melancholy: Lacrymâ nihil citius arescit: nothing dryes up faster than a teare: Tull. it seldome continues moist a whole day. Obedience it selfe would lose the reward by comming short, but for Perseverance: for no vertue can expect those eternall blessings, but that which holds out to the latter end. Nothing but Eternitie can looke to be rewarded with eternitie. Per nostrum aeternum consequimur Dei aeternum. If we looke for a happynesse that shall continue as long as Gods being, we must continue in a holynesse which shall last as long as our being; I meane our mortall being on earth. So that no grace can lay claime to that blessednes, which is in the eternitie of God; but Perseverance to the end, which is the eternitie of man. We would be happy upon earth, but especially we desire to be blessed in heaven: we cannot rise from the one to the other, but Per scansum: Iacobs ladder is our way. Let us begin at the foote, which is grace heere below: and so get up to the toppe, which is glory there above. But still remembring the state and condition of that Ladder: Bern. Ep. 253. there were Angels descending, and Angels ascending: but none sitting, none standing still. If we desire to have our faith blessed with vision, our hope changed into fruition, our repentance comforted with pardon, our charitie crowned with glory, and all our service rewarded with eternall life; let us keepe these graces in breath and motion, ever in the ascendent, climbing higher and higher, till they come to the toppe of Immortalitie. And as when rivers toward their end, approch neare unto the sea, then the tyde comes and meetes them: So when the course of our pietie draweth neare to the end of our life, God comes and meetes us; comforts us with a tast of heaven before our death, and gives us, after death, the everlasting possession of it through Iesus Christ.

We see (by this time) the manifold dangers, and manifest ruines, which follow upon the falling away from our owne stedfastnes: But Greg. in Evan. 36. Quid ista proderit praenosse, si non contingat evadere? Take therfore some short rules, to keepe you constant in the way.

1. Begin with resolution: forecast the worst, and prepare for it. Sen. Ep. 24. Et aequissimum spera, & ad iniquissimum te para. Sonne professors are but like those that goe to sea upon pleasure: they purpose to saile no further, than they see the way cleare before them: if the sea begin to worke, or they to be sicke, backe againe with all hast to the shore. But the right Christian is bound for heaven, as the merchant is for his Port: stormes and tempests cannot affright them: on they goe, through faire or fowle, till they arrive at the desire of their owne hearts. Resolve to continue, or never begin.

2. Fortifie thy heart with synceritie: be that within, which thou wouldst appeare without. Ambr. offic. lib. 2. cap. 20. Nihil fictum, diuturnum. A false glosse disgraceth the stuffe. Cypr. ad Donat. Caduca sunt, quaecunque fucata sunt. Counterfeit pearles will not hold their lustre. Psal. 78.37. If our heart bee not right, wee cannot bee stedfast: the Mat. 13.21. seed among stones will not prosper: hollow-hearted, and shallow-rooted, soone gone. Whereas the firme plant Aug. in Psal. 43. Sole ardente nutritur & virescit, non arescit. As Iehu to Iehonadab, 2 King. 10.15. Is thine heart right? Then come up into my charriot: Come up; no descending, but all ascending and rising then. Some 2 Tim. 3.5. have a forme of godlinesse, but deny the power thereof: all because they are not sound at the heart, A man is what he is, when hee is tried: the times of peace shew no difference: every man then thinkes himselfe good, but knowes not whether he be so or not. Persecution is the touchstone: then many of the forward slinke away; and they that made the least show of religion, sticke closest to it. The outward profession of some is a blaze; the inward holinesse of others a sparke: persecution is the bellowes, which blowes the sparke into a flame, the blaze into nothing; to the wonder of all men.

3. Keepe a good conscience in all things, and thy 1 Tim. 1.19. faith from shipwracke. Conscience is the Barke, and Faith the commodity imbarqued: if the Barke miscarry, what shall become of the commoditie? Sinnes against conscience make fowle breaches in this shippe: Repentance indeede is the Calker, to stoppe the leakes: but it is better to prevent the making of a breach, than put it to the remedy of stopping. We deale with our conscience, as with our apparell: when we have got on a new suite, fresh and faire, we are very chary of abusing it: we take heede where we sit, what we touch, or against what we leane: but when it once growes a little old, soiled and sullied, we have no such regard of it: wee little passe what wee doe with it, nor minde where wee cast it, So the uxorious husband at the first Idolizeth his wife: no noise must disturbe her, the cold winde must not blow upon her, the Sunne must bee shaded from her beauty, her feete must scarce touch the Earth; nothing must offend her: shee commands all: her will is a law. The sinner that is suddainely turned zealous professour, is no lesse tender over his conscience: not a word must passe his lippes, nor a thought bee admitted into his heart, without her strict examination and approbation. But full soone doth that dotard grow sicke of his wife, and this zelot grow weary of his conscience: their loves will languish, and if they doe not fall into the other extreme, of abusing their wives; yet they could both bee content to become widdowers. The new suite is brush’d, and carefully look’d to: the wife at first is tenderly regarded: and the conscience for a while is kept most pure. But ere long, the suite will grow old, the wife stale, and the conscience troublesome; and there is no more respect had of them: so little duration there is in extreemes.

4. Encourage thy heart to perseverance, by considering how short a time is set downe for thy laboriousnesse. So we to God Psal. 89.47. Remember how short my time is: So God returnes it to us; yea O man, remember this thy selfe, and be not weary of thy paines. Sen. Ep. 49 Punctum est quod vivimus: and what can be long in that, which is so short of it selfe? Rev. 2.10. Be faithfull unto death; no longer is required: it is a note of stint, as well as of extent, there. Not that our fidelity to Christ shall then cease, but then it shall be out of the danger of ceasing. Doe but hold out to that day, and then thou art sure for ever. It is but for a spurt, for a brunt, that we serve and suffer: and who would not for a short brunt or spurt endure any hardnesse, to live at hearts ease for ever after? We would serve a hard and unkinde master upon such termes: Mat. 20.28. much more a Lord so kinde and liberall, that came to serve for us, ere he required this service of us. It is not long, but light, which is exacted of us, in respect of that which is expected by us, and promised to us. 2 Cor. 4.17. Our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a farre more exceeding and eternall weight of glory.