2 Peter 3:17 (part 1 of 2)

IT is the policy of that old Serpent, to get upon us the same way that hee did at first: which is by drawing shadowes over substances, as hee did the body over the soule. The way to mend this, and to cheat the Divell, is to turne man the right side outwards, and to set the soule formost againe. Iosephus thinks that the Serpent, before it was an instrument of Eves temptation and fall, did goe upright and speake: and that his present mutenesse and creeping, were a curse laid upon him for that fact. But if hee formerly went upright, if he formerly spoke, it might bee wished that hee did so still: Because if hee did goe upright, wee should the sooner see him; if hee spoke, the sooner heare him. In his curse wee are cursed too; his very creeping undoes us. When hee presents pleasing objects to our eyes, the snares and bates of sinne, hee saies nothing: he is a dumbe serpent, but still a serpent. When hee windes errour and falshood into our soules, through the labyrinth of our eares, hee lickes the dust in a cozening humility: he is a creeping serpent, but still a serpent. The vanities of the world, honour, pleasure, wealth, envenome our affections: but the errors of the world, schisme, faction, separation; these impoison our judgements: There the body is more taken, here the soule. The rule to helpe the former is this; that the body and the soule still goe together, but the better before. The rule for the other, that the soule ever follow God, as the body followes her: that shee never stand to her owne judgement, but to his that made her. The rule for both; that wee lay hold upon the Gospell of grace with both hands, of faith and practise: for so the understanding and the will, which is the whole soule of man, is made up againe, and sanctifies the body. Let us keepe the will and testament of our once dead, and ever living Testator, the sacred record of the Gospell, perpetually in our hands, in our hearts; and then Errour may knocke at our doores, but finde no entrance: it shall not come in. The wicked may invite us to their house, and promise us pleasant cheare, novelties and dainties; new opinions, new positions, new speculations, rare forren stuffe; but wee will not goe. Thus if wee sticke close to the evident written truth; when thousands perish in their strange devices, which did creepe like serpents into their wanton heads, and stung their hearts; we shall not fall from our owne stedfastnesse: which is our Apostles speciall care in this place: Ye therefore beloved, seeing yee know, &c.

The maine building of the Text is a caution: the Porch or entrance into it, is by an insinuation. The Apostle insinuates himselfe three waies. First Per viam illationis, by an illation upon the premisses; Therefore: Secondly, Per viam dilectionis, by his love to their soules; Beloved. Thirdly, Per viam concessionis, by granting their former acquaintance with these dangers; Seeing ye know these things before. The caution armes us against two miscarriages; the one of wandring; that we be not led away: the other of Falling; that we do not fall away. The former is a sinfull way, the latter a fatall end. In the way, there is Quiddam activum, the error of the wicked: and Quiddam passivum, the Seducement of the weake. In the end, we have a Station, Firmitas, a Stedfastnes: and a precipitation, or falling from it, But then there seemes to be a kind of Dilemma in the words: for if they were stedfast, how could they fall? If they did fall, where then was their stedfastnes? It is cleared by distinguishing the times: So long as they continued stedfast, they never fell: but when they once fell, they ceased to be stedfast. 1. Cor. 10.12. He that standeth now, may yet fall hereafter.

Therefore: this Illative bids us looke backe a little: There is no word superfluous, that ever droped from the pen of the holy Ghost: somewhat sure there is in it, and that of no small moment. As David answered his brother Eliabs chiding; 1. Sam. 17.29. Is there not a cause? Certainely there is a cause. Wheresoever we find an Igitur, we must not slippe it: for the whole weight of the sentence lyeth upon it. It is the ground that feeds the roote, it is the roote that beares up the tree, on which all the fruites grow. It is the Prophets rule; First to looke to the Esa. 37.31. roote downeward, before to the fruite upward. Every argument is shut up with an Ergo; it is the knowne note of a Conclusion. Thus may the Syllogisme be framed: Whosoever would escape destruction, must adhere to the trueth: But you all desire to escape destruction: Vos igitur, Ye therefore sticke to the trueth. Erring from the Scriptures, is the Medius terminus, whereupon the whole argument runnes; from which the very life of the Induction breathes. There is perdition threatned to them that abuse Gods word: this we would faine avoid: Cavete igitur; Beware of committing, such an abuse, beware of being led away with such an error. The Wherefore of it is destruction, and who would not flie from that? Yet we are naturally so slow, that we must be spurred on with a Caution.

Beloved.] Of all the medicines and electuaries, ministred to us by our spiritual physicians, Love is the sweetening. Bitter pilles will downe, when they are made up in Love. We will suffer incisions, the opening of our veines, and the letting out of our blouds, when we know it is done in Love to our healths. And shall we not suffer the word of Exhortation, when it is the argument of Love to our soules? Paul with passion, Christ with compassion, reproved sinners all in love. If there bee any other intention in the dispensers of these heavenly mysteries; whether it be Covetousnes; as Simon Magus would have bought the holy Ghost, that he might have sold him, and so got money by him: Or pride; as the sonnes of Sceva would needs be casting forth devills, without a commission: Or Flatterie; that say to men that Ier. 23.17. despise God, Yee shall have peace: Like Chaplens of Abiathars humour, that with blanching vices at the Table, spoile their grace before dinner: Or vain glory; as the Pharisees made long prayers, and (doubtlesse) longer Sermons; that the people might commend their memories, and have a rare opinion of their merites: Or emulation, as Tertullus offered to outvie Paul with eloquence: Or envie, as those that bitterly stomached that Apostles credite: Or hypocrisie, as Iudas preached against unnecessary wast, because he would faine have put it in his owne purse: Or contention, as s some Preached Christ in strife; that contend more for the honour of their owne witte, then of Christs Gospell: If any of these springs set our wheeles a moving, if these bee the ends of our Preaching such an end will follow it, as we had better be without it, even such a miserie at the end, as will know no end of miserie.

Love, Love is the promptuary of all our labours: this obligation, this adjuration, did not Christ lay upon Peter only, but upon every Minister; Ioh. 21.16. If you love me, feed my sheepe. Love is the Master of all difficulties, the digester of all injuries, the silences of all excuses, the heart and life of all good actions. Law is not so strong as Love: we do many things in Love, which we need not do in law; be pleased to note here the difference of affections, that is in the Pastor & the peole, he people will render no duties to their Pastor, but what they are compelled to by Law: Nay, Vtinam vel sic, would it were no worse. It might bee wished, they would doe but that: wee finde the contrary, they doe not. Wee doe not, like dull Oxen, tread out no more corne than the goad of the Law prickes us to: but though you muzzle our mouthes, wee fill your garners. Onely love constraineth us; and that with so pleasing a violence, that we even love our owne fetters.

But we crie out on the want of love on all sides. The Minister professeth love to his people, but they will not beleeve it. The people pretend no lesse love to their Minister, though hee cannot finde it. How shall they be tryed? There is one rule to trie both faith and love: the proofe lyes in Iam. 2.18. good workes. What you doe for us, and what we doe for you; this shewes in what measure we love one another. I we feed you with our spirituals; this is a demonstration of our love to you: But if you let us languish for want of your temporals, I am sure here is no proofe of your love to us. If wee should all examine our hearts according to this infallible rule; your want of love to us would be judged by your owne consciences.

Wee like any charity well, but the doing charity: If our love would cost us nothing, wee would make it welcome. But gracious love is of a nobler nature: it hath Eagles wings, and will flie to doe good: it will runne, where it cannot flie: it will goe, when it cannot runne: yea, love will creepe, where it cannot goe. Sometimes charity flies; as an Eagle to feed her young ones: shee flies East and West, swifter than the winde, with an ardent desire of doing good: she flies up to Heaven, and would shew her selfe in those glorious Courts: and this is an Angels pace. Sometimes she runnes, faster than Cushi or Ahimaaz to David, or Peter and Iohn to the Sepulcher of the Sonne of David: Luke 19.8. Halfe my goods I give to the poore: His almes ranne from the fountaine of his heart, as streames from an overflowing spring: and this is a Saints pace. Sometimes it goes; if with a slower agilitie of foot, yet with the same alacrity of minde: when the Samaritan saw the wounded Passenger Luke 10.34. He went to him. 1 Thess. 2.18. Wee would have come unto you, but Satan hindred us: hee could not come yet he sent; Chap. 3.2. We sent Timotheus our brother: and this is a Friends pace. Sometimes it is driven to creepe: such a Creeple was Saint Peter in his purse, as the other was in his legges; whom hee thus gratified; Acts 3.6. Silver and Gold have I none, but such as I have I give thee. Exod. 35.26. At the building of the Tabernacle, if mens estates could not reach to Gold, or Silver, or Scarlet; yet their Goats haire was accepted. Love will seeke many wayes. If the rich afford their almes, the poore may give their prayers: Marke 12.4•. so the Widow gives her two mites; all: and this is the Widowes pace. Two Considerations here, are not to be omitted.

1. It is our love that makes us 2 Cor. 11.2. jealous over your soules, with a godly jealousie: like Guardians that have the charge of some noble Virgins, wee dare not trust you with your selves. Paul in his constrained absence, 1 Thes. 3.5. sends to know their faith. wee would not have you, like to Pharaohs leane Kine, feed much, and be never the fatter. Ioh. 10.13. The Hireling careth not for the sheepe: they are not his owne, and what mindes he whether they be fat or leane? A mercenary Advocate lookes onely to his fee: let his Clients cause stand or fall, it is all one to him, so long as he hath his money. A Capon that hath moulted away all his feathers, and is cold and naked; in the absence of the Hen, will runne to her nest; not for any love to the Chickins, but to warme his owne sides. Such heteroclyte and imperfect Pastors have more love to your riches, than to your soules. 2 Cor. 12.14. I seeke not yours, but you, saith Paul: that is the voice of love. With no lesse fervency, with no fewer teares, doe we pray for you, than for our owne foules. The Dogge forbeares to barke, because he is attentus ad offam: Canes multi, quia canes avidi: therefore are Esay 56.11. they dumbe; because they are greedy Dogges. 2 Cor. 12.15. I will gladly bestow, and hee bestowed for your soules. Hee will bestow: that love is welcome, which brings meate in the mouth of it; which talkes of bestowing. In our measure, we thus strive to bestow our loves too: Impendamus; yet what, alas, have we to bestow? For Gold and Silver, you have it already; wee have it not. But our studies, our labours, our loves, our lives; these we have to bestow, and wee bestow what we have. Fecit quod potuit, saith Mar. 14.8. Christ, of Maries piety: Luke 21.4. and Dedit quod habuit, of the Widowes charity. If nothing but Gold and Honour were worth the bestowing, our liberality were soone stalled. But by the Grace of God there is something else. There bee Talents; though the world scarce value them at pence a peece; and Col. 2.3. Treasures of wisedome, and Riches that never fade, comforts everlasting; and these are worth the bestowing, and worth the accepting too, when wee consider all. For howsoever in our vaine dayes, wee looke upon these proffers with fastidious eyes; as it is usuall with men to have no sense of their soules, till they must leave their bodies: yet when they must part from them, or when they are disquieted within them; that they may either keepe them in peace, or in peace forsake them: then some gift of our love, some counsell or comfort will be held worth the bestowing: and it is our love to bestow it.

Yet our love stickes not here; but we even yeeld our selves to bee bestowed. There bee many that care not what they bestow, so they may not bee bestowed. we would spare our goods; but rather let them perish than not spare our selves. If it once trench upon life, then Propitius esto tibi: Matth. 16.22. Be it farre from thee: favour thy selfe then, or never. Iob 2.4. Skinne for skinne, and all a man hath, will he give for his life: we will give all to our skinne, to save the bloud under our skinne; spend all we have, to spare our selves. There we part with our goods, not our blouds; with our living, not with our life. We have not ventured Heb. 12.4. unto bloud: nondum ad sanguinem: it is not yet come to that. Our goods are but Bona fortunae: our labours are but Bona naturae: our prayers, but Bona gratiae: But when it comes to our lives; that we must 1 Ioh. 3.16. lay downe them for the brethren; here is love in his zenith and exaltation. This is a Cant. 8.6. Love strong as death: and Majorem nemo: Ioh. 15.13. Greater love hath no man than this; to lay downe his life for his friends. When a man dares chalenge death to a single combate; and all this, causâ alienâ, non propriâ: We then shew proofe that you are our Beloved; when to preserve your spirituall life, wee sacrifice our owne naturall life. Eccles. 12.12. Much studie is a wearinesse of the flesh: Folia vertimus, corpora terimus: it makes our flesh weary of our worke, yea, it makes our soule weary of our flesh. Wee abridge our naturall course, draw on untimely diseases, and hasten upon us death, before wee have halfe runne our Race of Life.

This our love costs us more than the sweat of our browes; even the teares of our eyes, the sorrow of our hearts, the vexation of our mindes, and the very anguish of our soules: all to testifie, that you are our Beloved. 1 Tim. 5.23. Timothy must ply his booke, and give attendance to reading, till hee grow sicke againe: Ier. 9.1. Ieremies eyes must runne like spouts: Lots righteous soule must bee vexed: and 2 Cor. 11.29. Pauls heart must be grieved. Lay the peoples unkindnesse upon our soules, together with the burden of our calling on our bodies: and wee doe (in effect) antedate the day of our death, prevent our terme, and pay the debt of nature ere it bee due. In this sense we may say with Paul, 1 Cor. 15.31. that we die daily. We make no more reckoning of our labours, than of chaffe: and are more glad of our losse, than others would be of their gaine. We doe not hold our very life precious, to win the soules of our Beloved. Death is bitter, and losse is not sweet: yet love can so change their natures, that in losse wee shall finde sweetnesse, and gladnesse in death. This is love indeed, the very soule of love; and without this, all the rest is but a carcasse. Not the outward action, but the inward affection is all in all. If we cast up the bill of our expences; the expence of our goods, of our bloods; yet without this love, the summe will amount to nothing: Nihil est, They are all but cyphers, till the figure of charity bee set to them Cor. 13.3. then they have their valuation, and rise up to tennes, and to hundreds. Lay all these together, and deny if you can that you are our Beloved.

2. But now it is time to see what will become of all this b••d what fruite our law will bring forth in you. Love againe, at the lest sure: wee can looke for no other. Nulla est major ad [amorem] provocatio, quam [praevenire amando.* No] attractive like this: He that beginnes to us in *love, lookes that we should pledge him. That man hath an obdurate heart; qui amorem etsi nolebat impendere, 〈◊〉 tamen [rependere]: that will neither lead, nor follow; neither one way; nor other, will be wonne to love. We may commend love, as one did water, for two good properties: it neither makes a man in debt, nor in drinke: so love is neither hard •o go•, nor costly to keepe. If for all our expensive love, so liberall of our meanes, of our health, of our life, wee cannot finde bare land naked love againe, wee have very ill lucke. Yea such lucke had [saint] Paul. 2 Cor. 12.15. The more aboundantly I love you , the lesse I am loved. For all his deare and p•••iol• bounty of love, he fought onely to winne the like favour and mutuall love at their hands; without respect to any other thing in the world: yet he even missed of that. If hee had gotten it, yet what singular thing were it: Mat. 5.46. If ye love them that love you, what reward have you? In a word, there is but one Sunne, infinite rayes: all our loves are but the beames of the love of God: All rivers runne into the Sea; and all loves shall be swallowed in the love of Christ.

Seeing yee know these things before.] The Orators which declaimed in the presence of the Romane Emperours, in their Panegytiques, tooke this course to make those Emperours see what they were bound to doe, by saying that they had so done already. Sic facienda docent, quae modo facta vocant: For this both encreased the love of the Prince to his people, to be told how well he had done: and withall conveyed a counsell into the Prince, to doe so still. Such praises come of good respects and wishes; and is a forme of civility, that workes much upon noble natures: Landando praecipere, to wrappe up the pills of good advice, in the golden leafe of commendation: when by telling men what they are, they represent unto them what they should bee. As their way was to procure things to bee done, by saying they were done: So our Apostle here takes another way; and by telling them what they should bee, doth in effect tell them what indeed they are. His caution for the future, is but a narration for the present. When hee biddes them take heed of falling, hee doth praise their standing. By exhorting them to what they should doe, hee insinuates what they have done already. As if hee spake not to moove a wheele that stood still, but to keepe the wheele in due motion perswading them, not to beginne, but to continue in goodnesse: and proposing to them their owne examples, to be as constant still, as hitherto they have beene. Praise is the reflection of vertue: but it is as the glasse or body is that giveth the reflection. Here it comes from a mouth that would not flatter: and falls upon a subject which it might make better; by no meanes worse. It might not make them proud of their standing: it might humble them with feare of falling. Heb. 13.8. Iesus Christ the same yesterday and to day, and for ever. In adhering to the truth, let us be so too: yesterday, and to day, and the same for ever here. So then hereafter, when time shall bee to more; no more yesterday, no more to day, yet for ever and ever, wee shall enjoy that comfort and glory, which shall never be taken from us.

1. We gather out of these words, this doctrinall summe, or evident conclusion; that constancy in goodnesse, is not the inseparable effect of knowledge; for then this caution were in vaine. Beware last yee fall. Potastis simul & hac scire, & à firmitate excidere. Looke to it well, for it is no impossible matter: neither is it rare to finde knowledge in the head, without goodnesse in the heart. [Scientia] instat, Charitas aedificat. Luk. 10.25. A certaine Lawyer stood up and tempted Christ. Hee came not to be caught by him, but to catch him: not to reverence that Divine wisedome of his Teacher, but to magnifie himselfe for some great Scholar. Let him know never so much, he is resolved to be never the better man. All things are valued by their proper good ••item commendat fortilitas, Sen. Ep. 77. sapor vinum, vilocitas Cervam. We minde the strength of the Oxe, which we buy for the plough: the fatnesse of another, which we buy for foode. Wee would have our Hound of a quicke sent, [investigare] of a swife foote, [consequi] of a bold courage, aggredi & invadere. That is best in every thing, for which it was made. Man was made to serve God: if he be not good at that, he mistakes his end. Knowledge is but the Comment••i••, Obedience is the Act: that prepares, this perfects. As when that [Hippomachus Aliptes,* in] *Plutarch, a man of exceeding tall stature, was commended to the place of a Champion, and warranted to winne the day: another answers, yes, if the prize were given to him that could reach highest, his height would much advantage him: but it is valour, not stature, that must get the Crowne. So if the Kingdome of Heaven were promised to learning, then the greatest scholar would soonest obtaine it. But it is well done good servant, not well read great scholar, that carries it. Iohn 13.17. If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye doe them: Doe them; never happy till then. Did you never heare of some miserly merchants, that sell rich wines, and drinke nothing but water themselves? Nor of hypocrites, that will lie, cheate, slander, whore, and doe such close villanies, that are never without a Bible in their pockets.

Speculation, be it never so excellent, is not the whole building of a Christian: but it is rather the ground-worke of action. The former is like the lower milstone, that of it selfe lies still: put practise, that upper mooving milstone to it, and they both will grinde well together. Where exercise is not, learning will want experience: and where experience failes, errors will creepe in: and where errors creepe in, knowledge will creepe out, or be thrust out perforce: and where knowledge is outed, the soule will quickely bee seduced. So for all their knowing of these things before, Saint Peters caution is not in vaine, to take heed of falling from their owne stedfastnesse. The Priests and Scribes may know where Christ is to bee borne, and truely informe Herode of the place; yet never stirre a foote towards him. Such men are like artificiall teeth set into the mandibles: they may bee of some use for speaking, they are of none for eating. What availes it a Philosopher, that he can dispute learnedly of the nature of fire, when he is ready to perish with cold? Or the Physician to prescribe a wholsome diet, when himselfe feeds fowly, and surfets with intemperance? When the answerer gave for his question a matter of State, and the replier, who was something dissolute, found fault with it: We may not meddle with this: the answerer said, that the priviledges of the Schoole were much wronged, by confining it onely to such questions as wherein they were practised: and added; wee have heard you dispute of vertue, which no man will say, you much put in practise: You are loth to meddle with that. Practise is the soule of knowledge.

Cant. 1.11. We will make thee borders of gold, with studdes of silver. Murenulas aureas, vermiculatas argento: so Hierome reads it. Who ever saw the like? For borders of silver to bee hatched and overlaid with gold, it is common: the better mettall covers the baser, ever. But to overlay gold with silver, is a rare kinde of polishment. Yet that is the fashion of the Saints: they are silver without, but gold within: that holinesse which appeares, is nothing so pretious as that which lies hidden. Hypocrites will guild copper: but they that are good as well as wise, though their conversation bee but silver, will have a golden heart. There is a double martyrdome: a bloody one, when Christ is magnified in the Roses of his Church, by death: and a bloudlesse one, when he is magnified in the Lilies of his Church, by life. This is not onely verball, by confession of the mouth: but reall, when our deeds make good our words. Mat. 5.16. God is glorified, Christ is magnified, and Wisedome justified; all of their children: not onely by the testimony of their lippes, but of their lives. Our knowledge prepares us to doe it, but our holinesse does it indeed.

Geographers speake of a footlesse bird, that is still hovering in the Aire: such footlesse soules have they, that are still hovering in the Aire of contemplation, but never descend to action. Take the carcasse of a man, and cloth it with a thousand garments, yet you shall never make it warme; because it wants the naturall heate within, which those adventitious helpes might cherish. If a soule bee dead to goodnesse, though you feed it with a thousand precepts, till it become a quicke Library of learning, a Magasin of knowledge: yet you cannot put the heate of holinesse into it, because the living principle is wanting; Grace Divine. Let that sparke be first in it, and then all these helpes will blow it into a flame. Otherwise knowledge is but a faire light, put into a fowle and dirty Lanthorne, and gives but a poore glimmering. By a redundance of meate, and excessive repletion of the stomach, are caused obstructions: and from them ariseth an opilation or stopping of the liver and that stopping breeds the head-ach: and that head-ach often growes to a phrensie, sometimes to an epilepsie. The vices of an inordinate life are such obstructions to mens knowledge, that they come to forget God and all goodnesse: their knowledge Psal. 102.4. withers away with their hearts: and they forbeare to listen to their conscience, as if they forgate to eate their owne bread. No marvell then, if the Apostle warnes them of an extidatis, though hee praise them for an Haec nostis: for knowledge will fall from us, when wee fall from goodnesse. They both love to dwell together: and if we once turne goodnesse out of our doores, knowledge will not tarry behinde with us.

2. The foreknowledge of assaults, is a speciall helpe to the resistance of them. If we know these things before they come, we may the better withstand them when they doe come. When we finde men perverting the Scriptures, this is not Res inandita: we knew they would doe so: and if they doe so, it is no more than was foreknowne to us. He that is told of his enemies postures, and at what ward hee will lie; may both the better avoid him, and the more easily vanquish him. We make but a sorry use of our knowledge, if our adversary wanting a sword, can foile us with the scabberd. This makes to the conviction of two defects in hearers. First, of them that will not remember the good they did once know. Secondly, Of them that will not doe the good, they both know and remember.

1. For the former, it is easy to forget the lessons we have beene taught: but then to forget them, when we should use them, is unhappily dangerous. David who had long beene exercised in the schoole of patience, yet in the provocation of Nabal, had his lesson to seeke. He that happily digested all the railing and persecutions of a wicked Master, cannot put up this affront of a neighbour: Nothing can asswage his choler, but blood. There bee two shrewd picke-lockes, that wrench open the closset of our memories: Wine is one, the subtile fumes whereof unrivet every joynt of it, and loose the ciment that holds it fast. Deepe drinkers have shallow memories. Women is another: Dalilah crept so farre into Sampsons bosome, that she forced a secret from him with her weakenesse, which all the Philistines could not have wrung out with their strength. The greatest blessings that ever be fell: mankinde have beene rusted with this canker of oblivion: even the death and passion of our deare Saviour, and the redemption by that act purchased. For why should we crucifie him againe, and make his wounds bleed afresh, but that we forget his sufferings? How durst we, with serpentine tongues, full of the venome of oathes and curses, blaspheme his sweete and precious Name? All our excuse is, that though we know these things in the History, yet we forget them in the act of our sinne and blasphemy.

A traveller hath balsame about him, to cure any wound: he falls among robbers, receives wounds, faints, and bleeds to death, and quite forgets his balsame all the while. We know many comfortable doctrines, and have layed them up in our memories: Yet when temptations assault us, we are foiled: what is the reason? That same Reminiscentia, the key to unlocke our memories, is wanting: and so we fall into grosse errors and odious crimes. Luk. 17.32. Remember Lots wife: we all know the storie; and yet when the occasion comes that we should use it, we utterly forget it. It fareth with Sentences, as with coines: In coines, they that in smallest compasse containe greatest value, are best esteemed: and in Sentences, those that in fewest words comprise most matter, are most set by. The shorter, the better: the better carried away, and the better kept, and the better called for when we need them. Remember Lots wife, is one of rich contents, yet very compendious: it consists but of three words, and five syllables: so that we are without all excuse, if we doe not remember it. Yet alas, when we are departed from Sodome, and have bidden farewell to our sinfull pleasures; there is still such an itch, to returne, upon us; or at least a mind to looke backe so farre prevailes with us, that we neither remember Christ, nor Lots wife, nor our selves. Luk. 23.42. Lord remember mee when thou commest into thy kingdome: thinke on me then, and there. So Christ to us; Remember me, ô man, in thy thraldome: now, and heere thinke upon me. You know me well enough, but give your mind to remember me. Ioh. 15.20. Remember the word that I said unto you. If we remember what Christ hath said unto us, we shall the better remember what he hath done for us. When we are tempted to wantonnesse, by beautie: or to covetousnes, by gaine: or to drunkennes, by dissolute companions: or to Idolatrie, by Papists: doe we not know the vilenesse of these sinnes? 1. Cor. 6.9. Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherite the kingdome of God? Yes, Scientia is not wanting, but Reminiscentia; that failes. We are all valiant souldiers, till we come to fight; excellent philosophers, till we come to dispute; and good Christians, till we come to master our owne lusts.

2. For the other; many are good at the Noscere, but naught at the Facere: they know, and remember too; but practise and they are strangers. Our dutie is not discharged in knowing our Masters will; few Christians should then ever goe to hell. To small purpose doe we keepe the Law in memorie, and breake it in life: in vaine doe we remember Christ in our words, and forget him in our deeds. It is not a speculative, but a practicke memorie, that pleaseth God. What though we had a memorie beyond Cyrus; that could call every souldier in his army by name? What though the evidences of time were recorded in our braine? Yet without the obedience of life, the life of obedience, all this knowledge would but animam pragravare, comber the soule, as Sauls armour did David. Iam. 1.22. Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers onely, deceiving your owne selves. He that doth so, how sure soever he makes himselfe, and how wisely soever he thinkes to carry the matter, is fallen into a Deceptio visus: and if he heare no otherwise, into a Deceptio auditus too. His receiving of the word, is nothing but a deceiving of himselfe. All the matter is in the word Onely: we cannot speake so much good of hearing as we must speake evill of hearing Onely. To heare, is somewhat, but not all: a part, not the whole. Luk. 10.42. One thing is needfull, and Mary hath chosen the good part. Though Christ commendeth hearing, and urgeth the necessitie of it: yet he calls it but a part: The better part: is but a part: it is not the whole: Vnum, but not Vnicum. 1. Cor. 12.17. Is all the body an eare? Is all hearing? Yet as some are like Malchus, with his right eare cut off; that heare all sinisterly: so others put all the senses into hearing, and make all the body an eare, whiles they place all religion in hearing. Thus it comes about, that many Praescientes in speculation, prove nescientes when it comes to action. The birds of the aire seeme to be wiser than we: for when they know the ginne, they will avoid it: but we, knowing the devills illusions yet wilfully runne into them.

We have a knowledge; but there is an untoward Sine that marres it: It is sine cura, sine conscientia, sine humilitate. There was such a conceit in a fiction, that a well informed Citie found yet many defects in her members, and wondred where the fault should rest. It was told her by a Criticke, that there was one small particle, Sine, Without, that spoiled all; advising the extermination of it. An edict was made, and certaine orders set downe, for the banishment of Sine, and for the exprobration of them that retained it. A Magistrate without Iustice, is Fluvius Sine aqua, a river without water: a rich man without liberalitie, arbor sine fructu, a tree without fruite: a young man without repentance, Domus sine recta, a house without a roofe: a woman without modestie, Cibas sine sale, meate without salt: a scholar without discretion, Calamus sine atramento, a pen without inke: worth without silence, thesaurus sine custodia, a treasure without a keeper: a designe without power to goe through with it, Volatus sine pennis, a flight without feathers: witte without patronage, terra sine rore, land without deaw: knowledge without practise, Fumus sine intensa, smoke without incense: a Christian without patience, Equus sine freno, a horse without a bridle: and intendment without constancie, rota sine pondere, a wheele without a spring or balance. If we could be once ridde of this Sine, without, all would be well we should then no longer have fidem sine operibus, faith without workes; which is like fire without light or heate: Nor poenitentione sine emendatione, repentance without amendment; which is a washing without being cleane: Nor professionem sine honestate, profession without honestie; which is a face of goodnes without a body: Nor Zelum sine scientia, Zeale without knowledge; which is a fire without a chimney: Nor Scientian sine obedientia, knowledge without obedience; which is an eye without a foote: Nor religionem sine conscientia, religion without conscience; which is a body without a heart. If these Sine’s, these privations that so offend pietie, were gone: the rest, that so offend felicitie, would follow. For then we should attaine to peace without trouble, comfort without sorrow, light without darknes, health without sicknes, life without death, glory without envie, and joy without end.

Lest ye also being led away with the errour of the wicked.] Man is naturally such an arch-flatterer of himselfe, that he hath a better conceit of his owne rules, than of the Divine principles: and thinkes that he can guide himselfe well enough, without God. More than once were the Israelites chidden for going a whoring after their owne inventions. The way taught us by God, dislikes us: we must have one of our owne invention. Deut. 8.12.14 Ye shall not doe whatsoever is right in your owne eyes; but what I command you, saith the Lord. But our Father Adams old disease stickes upon us; we must scire bonum & malum: something we must find out to our selves, or make to our selves: of somethings we must be the authors and inventors, that so we may seeme to be as wise as God, if not wiser: and to know what is for our turnes, as well as hee, if not better. This is not onely a disease of our common life, that we still labour of new inventions: We invent new meates for our dyet, new fashions for our apparell: and there is not onely Ingeniosa gula, that studies the witty gluttonie of a meale: but ingeniosa manus, forming new garbes for the backe, and tempering new colours for the face: And these inventions have not their vicissitudes, like the seasons of yeare; but their successions, and posterities, and genealogies, like the descents of nature, And as fast as we are weary of one, a new invention is found out; which we must embrace, cost what it will: though the price of it hinders our giving of almes, yea though it bring us to the begging of almes; yet have it we will. These be our inventions: we spend all upon them, and we know no end of them. Yet were this vanitie confined to secular matters, it were more tolerable: but even in the worship of God we have our inventions too. 2. Tim. 4.3. We have itching eares; and after our owne lusts heape to our selves teachers. We fill the chappells of our eares with new Teachers, that they may fill our heads with new inventions. We are still devising trickes, opinions, and fashions, Deut. 32.17. which our fathers never knew of. God charged Saul to destroy all Amalek: but he would invent a better way, which God perhaps could not thinke of: In frugalitie, he will spare some: in policie, the fat and best: and in pietie, forsooth for sacrifice. Such an error was once in Peter; Mat. 16.22. Be it farre from thee, Lord: This shall not be unto thee: As if he had found out a better way, as he thought, than Christ could devise. These new inventions have such a taking qualitie, that the authors once infected with them, become pestiducts to others, and meanes of a vast contagion. There is enough in the first view of them to make them hated.

1. They are Errours: and what beautie can we find in Errour, that we should be in love with it? Errour is nothing but a wandring out of the way. Psal. 107.4. They wandred in the wildernes, in a solitary way. When a traveller is bound for Ierusalem, where his Inheritance lies; is it a pleasure unto him to wander in the wildernes? It is a curse to Psal. 107.40. wander in the wildernes, where there is no way. Wandring is for rogues and drunkards: The former are so taken by the Statute; for vagabonds: they are never out of their way, because they acknowledge no certaine home, whither any way should bring them. For the other; Iob. 12.25. They grape in the darke, and stagger like a drunken man: though they were in the way, yet it is very hard for them to goe upright. We are all prone to erre: some out of ignorance: Mat. 22.29. Ye erre, not knowing the Scriptures. Others out of malice: Psal. 95.10. It is a people that doe erre in this heart. All out of weaknes: Esa. 53.6. All we like sheepe have gone astray: we have turned every one to his owne way. As if the Bellweather or leading sheepe takes a vagary, all the flocke will follow him: So when Adam went out of the way, we all turned aside, and have wandred ever since. Nor could we ever have recovered the way againe, unlesse the Sonne of God had become the Sonne of man, Luk. 19.10. and so reduced us: For, He came to seeke and to save that which was lost. Neither yet, without Him, can wee hold right one moment: wee cannot keepe the way, except Hee keepe us in the way. In Epist. ad Marcellum. Saint Augustine seemes to bee very angry with his friends, that they would offer to vindicate him from all errour. I my selfe, saith hee, am able to judge both you and my selfe: for both I have erred, and you erre in saying I have not erred, It shall never please mee, to bee esteemed what I am not. Such men doe not love Augustine, but some other man under the name of Augustine: Si non quod sum, sed quod non sum, diligunt. For such a bragge, he condemnes that great author of the Romane eloquence; who gave out of himselfe, that he never spake that word which he wished recalled: Tearming it a speech that better became a foole than a Philosopher: And to say trueth, he had great cause to recall even that word, by which he so meant to cleare all the rest from any need of recalling. St. Augustine concludes; That of Tully does not please me; Non necesse est verbum revocare: But rather, that of Horace does grieve me; Nescit vox missa revert. To erre than is very easy: In te stas, & non stas: Per te vadis, & vel erras vel cadis. An Infant that will offer to goe alone, shall fall: and a blind man without his guide, will misse the way.

Why therefore should errour tempt us? That which is rottennesse in fruits, barrennesse in the earth, darknesse in the aire, sicknesse and deformity in the body is errour in the minde. Was ever any man in love with corruption in his meat, raggednesse in his clothes, Leprosie in his skinne, or with famine, or any uncomfortablenesse that is? Why then should a reasonable soule doat upon errour? A man affected with errour, is an heddy beast: one that will be miserable in despight of pitie. The divine Word, humane reason, and the direction of nature, he abhorres. Admonish him, he jeeres you: shew him the way, hee scorns you: offer to lead him, hee spurnes at you. Hee is the onely man in his owne conceit, that having a shoppe without tooles, can build a city without materials, cure this sicke without medicines, and be a great States-man without any braines. Hee is his owne Academie, his owne Magazine; and is in all things, Sibi compendium, aliis ludibrium. One onely Companion he admits, him hee trusts, with him cohabites; and that is Custome. Hee takes his owne wayes, whether his fancie leades him; and thinkes himselfe onely in the right: till at last hee fals into a deepe bogge, and there is an end of him.

Alas, that a man should buy errour so deare, when he may have trueth so good cheape! Wee onely thinke those things costly, for which wee pay money: so we complaine of deare commodities, deare purchases, and deare bargaines: but we never thinke that deare, for which we pay our selves. That errour and vanity, which stands us in no lesse price then our owne soules, wee esteeme penyworth good enough: wee never grudge, never sticke, or hunch at this: For which if we were to pay our dwelling house, or all the coine in our purse, we would take time to thinke upon it; and consider well ere wee bought it. Which makes it plaine, that Nihil cuique se vilius: the vilest, basest, and cheapest thing wee have, we hold our selves. O that we could learne, both by the estimation of our monies, how highly to prize our soules: and by the deare valuation of our soules, how to hate errours and vanities! But as in Luthers time it was a Paradox: Iustitia causa injustitiae: a conceited righteousnesse was the chiefe cause of all unrighteousnesse. First, because it makes men proud; and pride is an ougly sinne. Secondly, because it does not perceive it selfe to stand in so much need of Christ; without whom there is nothing but sinne. So we may say, Prudentia causa stultitia; an opinionated wisedome is (in a maner) the sole cause of all folly: For it so transports a man with the imagination of his owne knowledge, that hee runs into errour with confidence. And whiles hee forbeares to take God along with him, hee is most certaine to leave the trueth behinde him. Thus errour at first creepes in at the backe doore, till trueth be dispossessed of her old dwelling: and then hee revels, domineres, and keepes open house. This deformity, that it is errour, is enough to make it loathed.

2. Nefariorum: it is the Errour of the wicked: this aggravates it, and makes it yet more detestable. For there may be an errour of infirmity, without any notorious wickednesse of life: and there may bee wickednesse in life, without any palpable errour in Iudgement: They are both bad, asunder: put them together, and they are so much the worse. There were Heretikes, called the Nicolaitans; wherewith God charged the Church of Pergamos: Rev. 2.15. Thou hast them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolitans, which I hate: Sprung from Nicolas, one of the seven: and their posterity, the Gnostiques, from Carpocrates: as Eusebius testifies. These held, saith Epiphanius, that onely faith was necessary: and so a man did beleeve and embrace their positions, live how hee list, hee could not chuse but be saved. There be some of their minde still: that thinke, so they forget not their Creed, they cannot miscarry. Which is as much, as if a man carrying his sword in his hand, might not be drunke at the Taverne, or stumble into a ditch. The Encratites, sprung from Latianus, fell into the other extreme. Non est curandum quid quisque credat: id tantum curandum est quid quisqui faciat. So the Creed might be well enough cancelled, because a good course of life is onely regarded with God: and in every sect, he that lives well, shall be saved. Which is as if a traveller should throw away his weapon, and yet never be in danger of theeves: or reject the light, and yet feare no darknes.

Nefariarum: Hierome reads it, Insipientium: which Lorinus labors modestly to reconcile: by telling us, that in the Scriptures, the foole is evertaken for the wicked man. But he should also have shewed us Econverso that the wicked man as alwayes taken for the foole. But false Teachers, though they be wicked enough, yet are cunning fooles. The devill is that wicked one; yet we do not vse to call him foole. He is the great Patron of Seducers; and indeed he makes fooles of them: but withall, he makes them wise enough, to make fooles of us. It is not his foolie, but his wickednes and cunning that does us the mischiefe. And if his Instruments were not more Abitophels, than Nabals, more cheats than sots, our danger were the lesse. But as the bristle could not draw in the grosse and pitchy threed, unles way were first made for it by the naule; so these Doctrina daemoniorum, so called as they are the Inspirers and authors; and Doctrinae hominum, so termed as they are the Instruments; being so blacke, pitchy, and sooty as hell it selfe; would find no entrance into our beleefes, if they were not brought in by that cunning way of sophistication and plausiblenes. Iren. lib. 1. advers. Haereses. Certaine Impostors, having the Statue of the king curiously carved, and composed of gold and precious gemmes; for their profite, melt it, and cast the same gold and Iewells into the Image of a dogge: and then give out, hanc imaginem suam canis, esse Imaginem Regis. that this is the very Image of the king: because heere is the same gold, the very same precious stones. So Heretiques take the Scriptures, which is the word of the great king: they coine new glosses and expositions upon it; giving such strange and uncouth senses, that they force it to speake what it never meant: yet still persuade their hearers, that is it the very gold they looke for; the right Scripture, word for word, weight for weight. But as we say of the former Image so changed, that it is neither the kings, nor a dogges, but rather their owne that devised it: So we may say of the Scripture thus abused, that it is neither Gods word, not it owne selfe; but theirs that have corrupted it. Sed male dum recitas, incipit essetuus; sayes the Poet to a base repeater of his verses.

Psal. 50.16. What hast thou to doe to declare my Statutes, or that thou shouldest take my covenant in thy mouth? Seeing thou not onely hatest it in they heart, but also pervertest it with they lippes? It were good and fitte that such men, before they be suffered to meddle with the Scripture, should put in sureties, that the senses they give of it shall be orthodoxe, and consenting with the Church. For the trusting of every man upon his single bond, to interpret any place of Scripture, is the occasion of much error: So grow they bold to utter their owne fancies, and looke to be beleeved upon their bare word: which is Dominari fidei, to be Lords over the faith of their hearers. If Satan came to us in broad termes, charging us to renounce Christ, we should utterly defie him: the trueth (he knowes) we will embrace. Therefore he creepes in like a Serpent, and Mat. 13.25. Superseminat errores, sowes tares: that these growing together with the seeds of trueth, may in time choake them. Chrys. Orat. 2. de Providen. The things that were ordained for a meanes, whereby the Gentiles might come to know God, by Satans illusion became occasions of their more offending him. Rom. 1.20. By the visible things of the Creation, they might have understood the invisible things of the Godhead: so they might. But they fell to worship the Sunne, Moone, and creatures, omitting to know their maker: so they did. Where should we know Christ, but out of the Scripture? Ioh. 5.39. Search the Scriptures: they testifie of mee. Basil. in libr. de vera virginitate. Yet as it often happens, that in the very high way, we cannot see for the dust: so upon the face of this sacred spring, the devill collects such cloudes of errours; that many men doe lose Christ, in the very place they are appointed to find him. Or as in darke nights, pyrates vse to kindle fires, and make great lights upon the rockes and maritime coasts: whither when the seamen steere in hope of harbour, they meete with wracke and ruine: Origen. in Ep. ad Rom. cap. 14. So heretickes flourish with Scriptures, or at least with some flashes of it, like false lights: to which when distressed soules repaire for succour, these pestilent seducers feed them with nothing but pernicious errour. Fowlers by setting up a dead tree, besmeared with Lime, and dead birds upon it, as if they were all living; allure the live-birds to them, as to their friends and acquaintance, and so bring them to destruction. The application is easie; the experiment too common: Dead errours are the snares of living soules.

This is the cunning of these wicked impostors: something they will have good; to draw downe the evill: the greater part shall bee evill, to poyson the good. Greg. Mor. lib. 5. cap. 11. Miscent recta per versis: ut ostendendo bona auditores ad se pertrabant: & exhibendo mala, latenti peste corrumpant. If Rome had not some truth, she would never be beleeved: if she were not full of errors, her followers could not be deceived. As the Apostle here from God, so wee from the Apostle, by the commandement of God, warne you of these things; that yee fall not into the error of the wicked. It may be that you slight our speaking: but they of whom we warne you, wold give much to have us hold our peace. If the truth had not some champions, errour would soone over-run the field. Philip of Macedon besieging Athens, sent Legates to the city, conditioning with them; that if they would deliver into his hands tenne of their Orators, such as he should chuse, whom hee pretended to be the disturbers of their common wealth, hee would raise his siege, and bee at peace with them. But Demosthenes smelt out his plot; and with the consent of the Athenians, returned him this apologicall answere. The Wolves came to treat of a league with the sheepheards; and told them thus: All the feud and discord betwixt you and us, ariseth from a certaine generation of dogges which you maintaine amongst you: Deliver us up those dogges, and we will be good friends with you, neither will we any waies wrong you. The dogges were delivered up, the peace was concluded, the shepheards secure: but Oh the wofull massacre that was presently made amongst the poore lambes: they were all devoured, the shepheards undone; and all by parting with their dogges. If the Popish faction could once get the Ministers of the Gospell to hold their peace, or procure them to bee muzzled by authority, or to bee delivered over to their Wolvish cruelty; woe were to your soules. Errour would then play Rex, Darkenesse triumph, Hell make play-day, Truth would languish, and all goodnesse fall flat to the Earth. As little as you now regard us, you would then misse us, and wish for us, and say, Blessed is he that commeth to us in the Name of the Lord.

3. That ye be not led away.] This touches our coppy-hold: for there may bee errour in men, and yet this not to extend to wickednesse: there may bee a wicked errour in others, and yet that not extend to us; farther than to bee an occasion of our teares and prayers for their recovery. But if we be led away with it, now the danger is come home to us: it nearely concernes our selves. There is an errour in judgement, and an errour in practise: That in judgement persisted in, and violently defended, growes into heresie: That in practise continued and resolved upon, growes into wickednesse: Either of them is a wicked errour. A man may stumble and not fall: or fall, and rise againe: It prooves to a mans good sometimes, that he hath erred into evill. But it is better to erre tenne times in via pedum, than once in via morum.

The maine scope of the point armeth us against vacillation and inconstancy. There be some that will 2 Tim. 4.4. Turne away their eares from the truth, unto fables: very toyes will lead away fooles. So greedy is our nature of change, that it will listen to any whisper of innovation: To the Papist, when hee promiseth change: and what change doth he promise? You shall have the old religion againe. wherein (for your comfort) you shall never understand a word, what either God speakes to you, or you must speake to God: and for variety, you shall have halfe a Communion for a whole one: is not this a faire exchange? To the Sectary they will listen, when hee promiseth change: and what is his change? O you shall have a fine new Church-governement for your old one: a Presbytery is better for you than an Hierarchie; Elders than Bishops. There bee braines that are the forges of such alterations: and there be eares that drinke in, and fingers that itch for such fatall projects. In the Inventors, pride and malice breeds them: because they cannot rise themselves, they would ruine all: and make it their practise to bring men to the bough though they have never a tree in their garden for the purpose, as Timon had. One calls them fit-tymber out of which Politicians are to be hewen: knee-timber, which is good to make shippes of, that are ordained to be tossed on the seas; but not for houses that should stand firme on the Land: These bee the Leaders. In the embracers, it is at first weakenesse, then wilfulnesse, that yeelds to this leading away. Without patience and perseverance, wee could never hold out our journey. For as our nature is tender, and would not endure the crosse but for patience: so it is flitting, and would soone be weary of any good course, but for perseverance. The Romanes were highly commended by S. Paul: Rom. 1.8. That their faith was spoken of throughout the whole world: And yet when Paul was convented at Rome, 2 Tim. 4.16. They all forsooke him: all shrunke away. Mat. 26.33. Though men be as confident as was Peter; Et si omnes non ego: yet they may faile as Peter did. The motives of perversion or leading away, be commonly two: Aliquod novum, or Aliquod mirum.

1. The former is the way of Schismatickes, who are therefore called Novelists. The lower parts of Germany are grievously pestered with them: as I have heard of above thirty severall sects of religion in one Towne: So that, come, will you be of our Church? is as familiar among them as good morrow. It is reported, I know not how truly, that diverse among us, transported by the novell doctrines of their halfe Lunaticke teachers, are taking up for a new plantation beyond the seas: but it were happy for the old plantation, if she were well ridde of them. Such men are led away with quid novi? A new fashion does not more take your proud lady, nor a new play your gallant, nor a new Taverne your drinker, nor a new tricke your cheater, nor a new drugge your empiricke, than a new opinion does your schismaticke. Which having once handsomely formed, and outwardly beautified, hee dares now advance in the Pulpit; and there is such crowding to it, as if it were the onely Iewell in request. Mat. 11.7. What went ye out into the wildernesse to see? A reed shaken with the winde? Yea, O ye reeds shaken with the winde, what went ye out into the wildernesse to see? A vanity lighter than your selves? Yet as the golden Calfe tooke the Israelites, because it was made of their eare-rings: so a factious conceit transporteth these hearers, because it is made fitte for their eares.

2. If it be Res mira, it is more catching; for then Res nova is included in it. It could not be strange, if it were not new. Not new in it selfe, but new to us: for familiarity takes away strangenesse, as time takes away the newnesse of any thing. By this tricke the Romists lead away their Proselytes: they tell you of wonders: here is nothing in your Church, but what is common and obvious: come to us, and we will shew you glorious objects: Temples adorned like Theaters, Priests like Actors, Images richer in their ornaments than Queenes: vtensils, and properties, and appendances; no Millaners shop can compare with us: We have a great Master that commands kings, that can pardon sinnes, that can give faire indulgences: To all which the amazed heater answeres, It is very strange. Wonder in naturall things, is but the daughter of ignorance: and if ignorance bee in love with these vaine shewes of wonder, who can wonder at it? As in the Poet, Myrrha, was in love with her owne father: so give ignorance leave to bee affected with her owne daughter. Mira cannut: they doe almost nothing but worke miracles: Naturall effects, with them, are miracles: casuall accidents, miracles: magicall illusions, miracles. They can make a miraculous drawing of a tooth, a miraculous cutting of a corne. So Iustus Baronius affirmes, that when hee was converted to them, he was miraculously cured of the Colique, by stooping to kisse the Popes foote. Pope Iohn 22. did pile up miracles so fast, that he said in the Canonization of Aquinas, Tot miracula confecit, quot determinavit quaestiones. Which of their Saints is not reported to have done many miracles? It is a great favour of them that they have not put S. Iohn the Baptist quite out of the Catalogue of Saints; because the Scripture testifies of him, that he wrought no miracles. Indeed to me this appeares the greatest miracle, that they can finde men to beleeve their miracles.

But Beloved, shall they lead us away thus? Shall they catch us with such a poore tricke, as the ostentation of miracles? Their relying upon miracles, implies an induction of new doctrines: That which is old, and received, needs no ratification by miracles. So that we have just cause to suspect their doctrine of Novelty, because they so labour to uphold it by miracles. And shall that which is new, the invention of man; lead us from that which is old, the institution of God? Wonders we have at home; we need not goe to Rome for them. Our Faires, and Marts, and popular streets abound with wonders. If there may be found any Heteroclytes; any stigmaticall monstrosities; or but so much as uncommon formes, and uncouth productions of nature; they are exposed to view for mony. Men that are growne up toward the stature of Gyants, or stunted to Dwarfes, Hermaphrodites, or the like; are held very strange things. Yet the plaine Christian Tell-troth did know a stranger thing than all these. Being demanded what it was, he answered, A Sinner. That a man should provoke God, so gracious and mighty: that he should beleeve Satan the father of lies and cruelty: forget his owne death, so imminent and inevitable: obey the command of his flesh, a drudge so ignoble: admire the world so fickle and dangerous: despise Heaven, so blessed and glorious; and all for vanity, such a wretched emptinesse: this hee good man, thought the strangest thing in the world: And so indeed it is, in one sense; in regard of reason: though not so in the other sense, in respect of custome.

This indeed might seeme strange, if wee that are bred children of the truth, should be led away with the erour of the wicked. This would bee a griefe to our Father: The holy Spirit leads us into all truth: and shall a lying spirit lead us away into falsehood? Rom. 8.14. If we be led by the Holy Ghost, we are the Sonnes of God: If we be otherwise mis-led, what are wee but bastards? Eph. 4.30. Grieve not that Holy Spirit of God, by whom ye are sealed to the day of redemption: By no meanes let us grieve our Father. This would bee a griefe to our mother: the Church mournes when shee loseth her children. She loseth them, or rather they lose her and their owne blessing, when they are led away by the wicked: Let us not grieve our Mother. This would be a griefe to our brethren: to see one that sprung from the same wombe, and was nourished with the milke of the same brests, to turne recreant, and revolt to the common enemy: Our brother is lost, is a wofull complaint: Let us not grieve our brethren. But the worst griefe will bee to our owne soules: for in being led away from our Father Mother, Brothers, we have lost our selves. Wee have chosen our profest foes for fast friends, and made our true friends to become our foes. And if this leading way were by force and compulsion, against our wills, it were more tolerable? as Israel was led away captive by their enemies: But wilfully to follow seducers, against our owne conscience, is most damnable. Take here two remedies for the avoiding of this mischiefe.

1. Let us truely waigh the folly of inconstancy. Heb. 13.9. Bee not carried about with strange doctrines: for it is a good thing that the heart he established with grace. To bee loose then, in the maine joynts of religion, must bee very bad. The tottering wall is soone blowne downe: but being downe, who shall set it up againe? The righteous soule is like a body of a square figure: turne it on which part you will, lay it how you list, it will still be constant, and like it selfe. An unstable Christian is the worlds worst mooveable: a little resembling the silkeworme, but not of such profit: one day you shall finde him a flie, another time a maggot; seldome twice in the same shape. Take gold and throw it into the water; yet it loseth neither the value nor colour: cast it into the fire; and it comes forth purer: but dirt is hardned with the fire; and dissolved with water. The sonnes of levity are such, as that they are joyned withall would have them to bee: hard or soft, cold or hote, tall or low, great or small; of any temper. Their soules are like common strumpets, that take in all suggestions. For shame let us once bee steddy, before we are laid in the steddy earth, wherein there is no motion. We say the Fowler cannot easily kill the flying Bird: but whether wee stand or goe, lie or sitte; in what posture or place soever wee are; death can both hitte, and wound, and kill us. And in the grave, the most pragmaticall busie-body shall be quiet. There is no shifting of ground, no changing of sides there. They that troubled all their neighbours, shall bee there as tame and calme as their fellow-cloddes. The body shall be confined to one place, the soule to another, without removing: till they be removed to the Barre, and brought before the Tribunall of Christ.

2. If we would not be led away, let us sticke close to our God. We are sheepe apt to wander: wee shall not, if we keepe to our sheepeheard. Wee are reeds, moveable with every winde: yet binde the reed to a pillar, and it stands firme. It is ill sticking to any thing but God: all other proppes will faile us. Riches cannot keepe us, but that we may be led away from them: not keepe themselves, but that they may bee led away from us. Nay, doe they not rather helpe to lead away our confidence from God? The Forresters knowing that the Elephant useth to sleepe leaning against some tree, are wont to cut the likeliest tree with a saw so deepe, that the unsuspecting beast thinking to rest upon it, falls downe with it, and so is surprised by them. They that put their trust in man, shall soone finde him hewen downe by death; and then there lies their hope in the dust with him. God appeares to the Iewes in types, signes and figures: but at last hee departed from that people, because they too much trusted in them. In the fulnesse of time he appeared to his Church in himselfe in his Son; and from that Church Hee will never depart, because wee cannot too much trust in him. I will hold my selfe fast by the hand of my God: as to that purpose the royall Prophet. Let us wed our selves to him, wedge our selves to him: so shall we not be led away. Antaeus, when Hercules threw him to the ground, still rose up the stronger; because he got new strength by touching of his mother: So if wee hold our selves fast to the Lord, and depend upon him by our faith and prayers; all the forces of Satan shall not lift us from the truth, because wee shall perpetually get new strength and vigour by touching our Father.

If we flinch never so little from God, presently errour catcheth us: as chickins that will stray from the wings of the henne, are in danger of the kite. Hee that would describe a circle in paper, if hee hath brought that circle within one inch of finishing, and but remove his Compasse a little, hee cannot make it up a perfect circle, except hee beginne againe, and finde out the same or a new center. Though we have so made God our Center, as to fixe our hearts upon him; yet the least remove of our Compasse, a little wandring from him, may endanger us to errour. Nothing can fill a mans heart but God: so that if God be in the mind, though nothing else be there, it is full: If God be not there, although it bee full of other things, it is still empty. For the world like that transformed king, does but feede upon thistles; things that will pricke, but never satisfie. So nothing can keepe a man from wandring, but the manutenency of God: if he let goe his hand from us, wee will presently goe from his hand: and going from his hand, which is truth, wee are presently surprized by the hand of errour. The Divell does but watch this opportunity: if we stirre forth of doores without God, he instantly sets his bandogges upon us; Schisme and Heresie. So the Novelists, leaving him, by leaving that order and discipline whereby hee governes his Church; hee hath suffered to bee led into factions and errours, till they crumble away into private conventicles; and at last become nothing, either in existence or appearance. That Church which will needs bee the forme to all Churches, because she hath left his written will, he hath left to her selfe and her owne traditions: and now shee is swollen into tumours and ulcers, and blisters. When men once neglect Gods leading, their next steppe beginnes at this leading away. How often hath the fantasticall desire of seeing Masse, beene plagued with falling into idolatry? As foolish young men have beene so taken with an enterterlude, that they must needs, (forsooth) become Players. But as Vlisses bound himselfe to the Maste, that the Syrens might not tempt him: so let us unite our selves to the Lord, our Faith to his Word, our Obedience to his Will, and our Confidence to his Power and Promise: and then as no strength Ioh. 2.28. can plucke us out of the hand, so no perswasion can lead us away from the side of IESVS CHRIST.

4. Cavete nè exidatis, beware least ye fall from your owne stedfastnesse.] There be two things much conducible to the keeping of us upright: Elevation when wee are downe, circumspection when we are up. For the former; Ier. 8.4. Shall they fall and not rise? For the other; 1 Cor. 10.12. Let him that thinketh he standeth; take heed least he fall. It is good to goe on; provided that wee be in a good way; or else it is better to returne. Gen. 21.18. If Agas bee going from Abrahams house toward Egypt, the Angell cals her to returne, and not to persevere: Gen. 19.17. but if Lots wife bee going from Sodome toward Zoar, the Angell willeth her to persevere, and not to returne. St. Peters Cavete, here; is but an exposition of his Masters Luk. 17.32. Memores estate, elsewhere: Both fortifie us against recidivation. Eccles. 12.11. As there bee Goads, to pricke us on to goodnesse: so there bee Nailes, to fasten us into goodnesse. As our mothers had not onely wombes to bring us forth, but also brests to bring us up: so the Church, as shee daily strives to convert and make new Proselytes, so thinkes it an honour to shew old and constant Professors. The Poet did put no lesse vertue into Tueri, than into Quaerere. Nor will the Lawyer passe a conveyance with a meere Habendum; but hee will adde a Tenendum too. The Physician ends not the cure of his Patient, with the cure of his disease: but after all, mindes the preventing of a relapse. Our first study is Vt accedatis, to winne your entrance: next, Nè excidatis, to hearten your continuance. Wee are glad of a Well begunne good Convert: but most joyfull to heare that Enge at the last; Well done good servant; that’s the Crowne of all.

Our blessed Saviour did not alwaies content himselfe with Venite adme, Matth. 11.28. Come unto mee: but sometimes changed his note into Manete in me, Ioh. 15.4. Abide in mee. To one that would enter into the Church, and be baptized, Saint Philip had his condition, Act. 8.37. Si credideris, If thou beleevest: To the other, that were entred, and thereby might be secure, Saint Paul had his caution; Si permanseris, Rom. 11.22. If thou continuest: otherwise even thou shalt be cut off. The first care is to lay the foundation sure, Nè corruat; least it fall, like the house built on the sands: Matth. 7.25. the next, to perfect the roofe, Nè perpluat; that it raine not through, and rotte the principals. It is not enough to call them backward, which are loth to come on; but to spurre them forward, that are ready to lagge behinde. There is an Ingredimini, proclaimed to them that are without: and there is a Progredimini, inculcated to them that are within. Of all the Stories in the old Testament, Christ sets a Memento upon the head of Lots wives turning backe: as if he earnestly desired those that have forgotten, to remember it; and those that doe remember, never to forget it. With salt from her Pillar, let us sprinkle our selves; that wee never goe backe, or fall from our owne stedfastnesse. Gen. 19. There were two memorable monuments of Gods Iudgment in that Story; The Lake of Sodome; and Lots wives Pillar: the one the plague of resolute sinne, the other of faint vertue. The Sodomites are an example of Impenitency; Lots wife of Instability: they of obstinate perversenesse: she of relapsing righteousnesse: they of never being good, she of turning from good to evill. To them that wilfully continue in the state of sinne, there is a monument of Reclamation; the Lake of Sodome: For them that languish in the state of grace, there is another monument of caution; Lots wives Pillar. But our Cavete here, points directly to the latter; that wee fall not from our owne stedfastnesse. This the Apostle disswades us from by his counsell; as his Master shewed the danger of it by an example. Let us borrow a little more light of the Lords example, that wee may the better embrace the servants counsell. Two particulars let us examine; why shee was turned into a Pillar? Why into a Pillar of salt?

First, why into a Pillar? First, shall we say, for the similitude it beares unto an humane body? That were something: both were erected to stand upright. Secondly, or that it was a usuall monument of the dead? Absalom in his life, built himselfe such a pillar against the time of his death: and great Monarchs had their Piles and Pyramides. But that was not the intent of this Pillar: it was never meant for Lots wives honour. Thirdly, or because when they intended in elder times to disgrace men to the world, they ingraved their faults on Pillars? Fourthly, or because when shee should move, she stood still; therefore shee was turned to a Pillar; alwayes to stand still, and never to remove. This is indeed somewhat neere the matter: but not all. Fifthly, a Pillar is a durable thing, and God meant her a spectacle to posterity. They that lived in those times, (and it lasted long, even to Iosephus his daies) might be instructed by their eyes: wee have a Memento for our eares: yea, this Pillar is set up for our sakes. And this is one good which the Lord drawes out of evill; that He suffers not evill examples to vanish as shadowes, but to remaine as Pillars, to warne them that come after. When we come at this Pillar, we are put in minde to change our course, and take another way: so shall we not be led into errour, nor fall from our owne stedfastnesse. This way tooke she that perished: that way went hee that was saved: Let us remember Lots wife, but follow Lot: remember her, but follow him; by no meanes looking backe.

Next, why of salt? Saint Augustine gives the reason of it; Condire nos, for our seasoning: Vt sal statuae sit nobis condimentum vitae. For our benefit, God erected this monument: Hee does not onely embalme the memory of the just, for our imitation: but powders and makes brine of the evill, for our admonition. So that if wee take the Pillar, and engrave Christs Memento upon it; there is both a Statue, and a Statute. God could have sunke her into the earth, or blowne her up into aire, that no visible relict of her should remaine: But hee makes her a Pillar; not onely for gazing; but of salt, for our seasoning. If wee finde any itch of relapsing to the world, any corrupt humour of returning to our former lusts, let us draw it out with the salt of this Pillar. This is an happy arte of extracting salt out of others, as Triacle out of Vipers: and to make them profitable to us, that were unprofitable to themselves. Though Lots wife were evill, yet her salt is good. If wee have seene others mis-carry before us, by being led away with errours; and can remember Saint Peters Cavete; we shall draw honey out of hemlocke, the strength of standing from their weaknesse in falling. Why are not Traitors buried, so soone as they are executed? Why are their heads and limbes advanced upon poles, but in terrorem omnium? God could root out the remembrance of the wicked, together with their lives from the earth: hee does not; but rather sets up their Quarters in stories; Vt poena Impii sit eruditio Iusti; that their punishment may be our advertisement. He does not powre out their bloud, and cast it away, but saves it for a Bathe; Vt lavet Iustus pedes in sanguine peccatoris; Psal. 58.10. that the Righteous may wash his feet in the bloud of the Wicked. Cavete then, and wee are safe: this is a handfull of salt to keepe us, and to make us keepe. Put them both together; Et hac columna nos fulciat, & hic sal nos condiat: Let this Pillar prop our weaknesse, and this salt season our sacrifice, that we may be kept in our owne stedfastnesse. For some usefull application.

1. Let us shunne the society of idolatrous Seducers, and hate the very aire wherein they breathe. So deepely doth God detest Idolatry, 1 King. 13.9. that Hee forbids the Prophet to eate the bread, or drinke the water of a people infected with it. That inhibition might be personall, but the grounds of it are common. No pestilence should bee more avoided than the conversation of the mis-religious, or openly scandalous. Wee shall hardly winne them to goodnesse: their familiarity will easily infeoffe us of their wickednesse. Wee may doe good turnes to the superstitious, but it is dangerous to receive any from them. Kindenesse is more safely done to a Papist, than taken from him. That which is done to him, obligeth him: that which is taken from him, obligeth us. His obligation to us may be an occasion of his good: our obligation to him may occasion our hurt: the surest way is to keepe a-loofe from all pestilent Seducers.

2. The greater shew of sanctity that errour puts on, the more suspitious let us bee of the intended mischiefe. 1 King. 13.18. Ieroboam threatens, the Prophet stands undaunted: Ieroboam fawnes and promises, the Prophet is not moved. But then comes a gray-headed. Seer, and pleads a counter-message from God; the Prophet yeelds and transgresseth. It may be he thinkes; An aged man, a Prophet, an old Prophet, will not (sure) belie God to a Prophet: No man will forge a lie but for an advantage: what can hee get by this but the entertainment of an unprofitable guest? Though God would not suffer mee to feast with Ieroboam, yet Hee may allow mee to eate with a Prophet. Why are not Gods Revelations as free to others, as to mee? A counter-mand from an Angell of God releaseth mee from my strict charge. My fidelity is approved in refusing the bread of Bethel: God may in pity of my faintnesse, afford me sustenance otherwhere. Thus if we once come to dispute with Gods expresse commands, how easily doe wee fall from our owne stedfastnesse? Who would have look’t for a Liar under hoary haires, and an holy mantle? Who ever saw more externall strictnesse, than in those Emissaries of Rome that come to turne us from our God? Who would not trust that gravity, that austerity which they seeme to carry over themselves? It is the conclusion of simple soules, These men must needs be Saints. There is no Tentation so dangerous, as that which comes shrowded under a vaile of holinesse, and pretends authority from God himselfe. Nothing is so apt to deceive us, as the fairest semblances, as the sweetest words. Satan as a Fiend may afright us, but hee would appeare an Angell of light when hee educeth us. Our safest way to bee kept from errour, is not to beleeve the speech for the person, but the person for the speech.

3. Let us consider, that these Seducers helpe to overthrow us, and cast us downe; but what helpe is there in them to raise us up? There they leave us; in a forlorne condition, as the Priests left Iudas after his treason. Mat. 27.4. What is that to us? See thou to that. 1 King. 13.23. Or as the old Prophet of Bethel left the Prophet of Iudah: Hee could take the paines to fetch the man of God into sinne, but hee will not beare him company one foot at his departure. Hee had been the occasion of his fault, but he was loth to be enwrapped in his judgement. All the kindenesse hee will doe for him, is to interre him in his owne sepulcher, and to weepe over him. It is a cruell courtesie to kill a man, and then helpe him to his grave; to betray him with our lips, and then to bedeaw him with our teares: The Prophet had needed no such friend if hee had not met with such enemie. So the Romists teach their followers to direct their prayers to Saints: but for themselves, when they come to die, then Christ, and none but Christ. When they have brought their Proselytes whither they would, then let them shift for themselves. The mischievous guides of wickednesse leave a man, when they have led him to his bane: as familiar Devils forsake their Witches, when they have brought them once into fetters.

Bewere least you fall from your owne stedfastnesse.] After all these premised particulars, for the better methode in handling the summary Doctrine, I will sette downe certaine Theses, conclusions, or grounds; which either are radically in the Text, or naturally without force may be derived from it. First, men may fall from their owne stedfastnesse, or else this Cavete had been in vaine: for no man is charged to beware of that which cannot happen. Secondly, there is a pronenesse in the nature of man to fall: the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weake: therefore there is great need of this Caution, Ne excidatis. Thirdly, If any fall away, it is their owne fault; they are not compelled, nor throwne downe by God, but they fall of themselves: it is by their owne weaknes, or their owne wilfulnes: Another thing implyed in the Cavete: for if the Almighty power should doe it, all the Cavete’s in the world could not withstand it. Fourthly, 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, they have knowledge granted; therfore they may stand: there be Seducers forewarned of; therfore they may fall: and the fall is not pronounced desperate; thefore they may rise againe. Fifthly, Men may fall farre; from their owne stedfastnes, that is, from that measure of stabilitie 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 trueth, or to suffer an utter eradication of grace: Or if so much, so farre, so desperately they fall; yet this lapse may not be finall: the grace of God is not debarred them, nor the gate of mercie shut against them, nor is the sentence of irrevocable damnation passed upon them. Sixtly, It is dangerous to fall at any time; but then worst, when Chistians have stood sometime in the trueth; as these to whom our Apostle writes: To them a Cavete ne excidatis, is especially needfull: for the nearer heaven, the greater fall to the earth. Seventhly, Lastly the summary vse, the principall scope, the maine antidote to prevent all this, is a constant Perseverance unto the end.

Conclusion. 1. Men may fall from their owne stedfastnes. Though it be true; Abundans cautela non nocet: yet there is no need of warning, where is no possibilitie of danger. Now this falling can be incident to none but Christians: for they that never were up, cannot be said to fall: Qui iacet in terram, non habet unde cadat. Nay not onely to Christians at large, in the latitude of all that are baptized: for in that number, we shall find abundance of heretickes, no fewer hypocrites, and innumerable ungodly persons: some not informed in their Iudgments, the rest not reformed in their lives: these cannot be said to fall, for they never stood. But we must restraine it to converts, such as are called into Christ, have embraced the Gospell, graced their faith with good workes, and conformed their demeanor to pietie. Yet that these may fall from their owne stedfastnes, there is possibilitie: that they doe fall so, it is great pitie. Oh that this point were not to be proved by too deare experience. How many have fallen, even with all the helpes of standing about them? Iudas was continually in the presence of Christ: he heard his Sermons, he saw his miracles, he tasted his bountie, did eate at his table, even that Sacramentall bread: yet he fell. Who would thinke that the devill durst enter into Christs owne Colledge? Or that any of his Colledge should entertaine the devill? So in Noahs octonary familie, one was a sonne of Belial: he saw the Iudgment of the floud upon all the world: by a miraculous mercie himselfe escaped: he was at his fathers Sacrifice: yet he fell. In the little familie of Lot, one fell off: she was by being Lots wife, incorporated into the house, and made partaker of the blessings of faithfull Abraham: she was brought out of the Idolatrous world, kept safe in Egipt, preserved from the sinne of Sodome, from the fire of Sodome, delivered from the captivitie of the five kings, from the perishing of the five cities: how gracious were all these mercies? what abundant meanes, and strong helpes had she to stand? Yet she fell. She was brought out of Sodome, warned of the ensuing danger; had Angels to goe before her, her husband to goe with her daughters, to attend and follow her: she was gotten to the entrance of Zoar: Yet that place she made choise of to perish in, which God had picked out to save her. Thus she sinned, in respect of her selfe, desperately: in respect of the Angels, contemptuously: in respect of her husband and daughters, scandalously: in respect of God and his mercies, unthankfully: and fell away in the wickednes of a willfull defection. There were but twelve in Christs familie, and one of them fell away: but eight in Noahs familie, and one of them fell away: but foure in Lots familie, and one of them fell away. Ham was preserved in the Arke yet he fell. Lots wife was reprieved by the Angels, yet she fell: who would not feare, if one may perish in the companie of Angels? Yea, Iudas was under the Tuition of Christ himselfe; yet he fell. There is then a possibilitie of falling.

For use and application, here, it is but having recourse to our Apostles Caution: we may fall, therfore let us looke to our standing. We may be led away: the devill will venture to trie: therfore let us not budge, not give him one foote of ground: but if he beckens one way, be we sure to take the contrary: There have bene some that stood in as little feare of falling, as now they are in hope of rising: Pride and wantonnes was the cause of their fall: faith and humilitie must keepe us upright. When we remember what we have bene, we have just cause Erubescere, to be a shamed: so when we consider what we may be we have no lesse cause contremiscere, to be afrayd. We know our beginnings, Bern. we doe not foreknow our endings. We may be certaine that thus we are: but that thus we shall be, is above our assurance. We see how much of our way we have past: we see not how much is left, or whether we shall be able to hold out to the end. As we have cause to pray; Psal. 71.18. O God, when we are old, and gray-headed, forsake us not: so to gird up our loines, and redouble our strength, that we may persevere. 1. Thess. 5.23 For it is nothing to begin, unles we continue: nor to continue, unles we doe it unto the end.