2 Peter 3:18 (part 3 of 5)

Empty vessels will dry apace, and so fall to pieces. Whiles there wants moisture within, to resist the heate without, they will rive and cracke and cleave asunder, and be unracable to hold any water. This mischiefe befalls us through the emptynes of our hearts, that we cannot containe the heavenly moisture powred into us. When they were able to hold grace, we would not receive it: now we receive grace, but cannot hold it. Wee are false at the bottome: a Sermon runnes out as fast as it came in. Wee have two doores, as wee have two eares: the one is a fore doore, whereat the word enters; and the other is a backe-doore, at which it departs. Let us beseech the Spirit of grace to make up the breaches of our hearts, that they may be able to hold the water of life.

Empty vessells, by their long vacuitie, become so dry and sere, that they are good for nothing but the fire: when they can serve for no other vse, their end is to be burned. This would be a wofull end for us, if the Divine Iustice should make such an end with us: yet such is the reward of emptynes. The word preached hath a filling facultie: it Act. 2.2. filled all the house where they were sitting: all sound from heaven is replenishing: and they were all filled with the holy Ghost. Vers. 4. Wee have many sounds from heaven, but where is our fulnesse. Wee have empty braines, we understand nothing; emptie memories, we retaine nothing: and empty hearts, for we practise nothing. But if we be not filled with desire, and filled with delight, and filled with the love of grace and knowledge, we shall never be filled with the reward of glory. There is nothing so hinders us from mature knowledge, as the opinion of a competencie; the conceit that we have enough to serve our owne turnes. But Mat. 5 6. blessed are they which doe hunger and thirst after righteousnes; Luk. 1.53. for the hungry shall be filled with good things. Let us humbly confesse our owne emptynes, that Christ may mercifully fill us. Lord, we are ignorant, doe thou fill us with knowledge: we are empty, doe thou fill us with grace: our heads are empty, fill them with illumination: our hearts are empty, fill them with sanctification: fill us here with the knowledge, and hereafter with the glory of Iesus Christ.

2. There must be no stop of this encrease. Growing implies a continued act: if we once yeild to an intermission, presently there followes a cessation, and a recidivation upon that. First fall off the fruites, then the leaves, after them the branches, and last of all comes downe the tree it selfe. Many trees doe not take every yeare: but all Gods plants fructifie every day. Psal. 92.12. The righteous shall flourish like a Palme tree, he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. The palme tree is alwayes in the flourish: aestate virescit, nec arescit hyeme. What tree is comparable to the Cedar, vers. 13. for straightnes and stature. They that be planted in the house of the Lord, shall flourish. Naturall trees are planted abroad, spirituall ones within doores. The other are either in the wide and wild forrest, or enclosed in our gardens and orchiards: These grow in the house; but it is in Gods house, in domicilio Sanctorum, And they flourish in his Court: vers. 14. many are ambitious of honour in the Kings court; these flourish in the court of the king of kings. They shall bring forth fruit in old age. Materiall trees wither with age, and cease to beare: these are still growing, still flourishing, still fructifying: as Abraham and Sara had that promised Sonne in their old age. Yea, toward their end, they most abound with good workes: they droppe from them in abundance; like ripe and mellow fruite from a bounteous tree, Read Hos. 14.5.6.7. Ioh. 20.12. Two Angels sate in Christs Sepulcher, one at the head, and the other at the feete. The head ever stands for the beginning, the feete for the end: As the beginning of a river is called the Head, and the end of a song the Foote. An Angel there should be both at our head and feet: Let us be carefull, not onely to have our beginnings glorious, like an Angel at the head: but our endings also gracious, our conclusion comfortable, an Angel also at the feete. Not a Virgo formosa supernè, with a Desinat in turpiter atrum: let not that end with a blacke Angel, which began with a white. King. 17.9. The ravens brought Elias bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening. Let us not onely take our breakfast on this heavenly food, but our supper too: as wee desire to goe to bed in peace, and rise againe with comfort. In the morning let us feed on it, all day make it our repast, and in the evening of our dayes let it fill our soules. What though this sacred knowledge be brought us by a raven; by a Minister uncleane in himselfe, and fowle with carnall aspersions; a bird of prey, given to rapine: yet the food is cleane and holy; no Elias will refuse it.

Let Christ be Reu. 1.2. the Alpha of our youth, and the Omega of our old age: who hath both protected our tables, and perfumed our coffins; that we may live with confidence, and die with comfort: He is, and was, and is to come; and ours in all these respects. He was our God, in a free and gracious election of us: Is our Redeemer, in dying for us, in sanctifying us to himselfe: Is to come our Saviour, in crowning us with an immortall diadem of glory. The state of grace is the perfiction of this life; to grow still from grace to grace, and to profite in it: as to goe on forwards is the perfection of a traveller, till he comes neerer and neerer to his journeys end. Luk. 13.32. Behold, I doe workes to day, and to morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected. As God blessed the latter end of Iob more than his beginning, so Iob doubtlesse in his latter end did more blesse God than in his beginning. Commonly God reserves his best comforts to our latter end; to try us whether we will hold out to our latter end, or not. We are apt to expect a reward for our patience, repentance, and obedience, before it be done: we thinke it long ere the blessing fall. But But let us know, that as there is no reward due; so (if there were) it is not due yet: we are in our non-age, not comne to be capable of the Inheritance. 2. Tim. 4.7. I have fought a good sight, and finished my course; now is layd up far me the crowne of righteousnes; That was the right time: in the end of his victorious combate, to expect a glorious Crowne. So we must prolong our patience, and eke out our repentance, and renew the vigour and spirits of our obedience; awaiting the Lords goodnes unto the latter end: and then there is no doubt of the blessing. Psal. 37.37. The end of that man is peace. As the Israelites dealt with the Moabites, 2. King. 3.24. smiting them in their countrey: still they went forward in that execution: so let us goe forwards, smiting our sinnes with the sword of repentance. As there is nothing but our sinning, that keepes off Gods blessing: so there is nothing but a serious repentance, that can breake off our sinning. Heb. 4.1. Let us feare, lest any of us should seeme to come short. Our obedience and righteousnes must be of some length; such as will reach out, as farre as the reward: which falls not upon the beginning of any grace or vertue, but still upon the latter end. What shall become of them then, that leave off growing, before they come to the end of perfection, the perfection of their end? As Ioh. 6.66. many of Christs Disciples went backe, and walked no more with him. Lots wife did but looke backe, and she perished: how worthy are they to perish, that goe backe from Christ? For them there is a wofull Discedite in store: Mat. 25.42. Depart ye cursed: since you would needs goe, get you gone. They would needs depart, when Christ would have them tarry with him: now they would faine tarry with him, but he commands them to depart. But blessed are they that goe with him, and grow in him, for they shall be called to him; Come ye blessed of my Father.

3. If we know Christ, let us make vse of him, to his glory, and our owne benefite. He takes it for an honour, when our humble confidence will enrich it selfe out of his treasure. Knowledge breeds societie, and societie binds faster than beneficence. There be that have a giving hand, but a denying face: and their sullen looke discredites their bountie. Like one that flings his almes at the beggars head, or throwes his charitie in the dirte. Such a man hath recompence enough, if his benefites be pardoned, though they be not praised. But Christ both is, and loves a cheerfull giver. If we truely know him, and his love to us, we will (in a due regard) be familiar with him: And familiaritie makes a friends bosome our closset, to lay up both our joyes and sorrowes; for the better enlargement of the one, and mitigation of the other. If in our sufferings there may be helpe had, there we find remedie: if not, yet we find ease. Do we know him to be Esa. 9.6. The Counseller; why then doe we not goe to him for counsell? If he be be a Esa. 61.3. Comforter, to comfort all them that mourne in Sion, why goe we not to him for comfort?

We know him to be the best Counseller; why then doe we undertake any matter of importance without consulting his oracle? Hence it is that so many dote on a false religion, because for their choise they have not enquired at Christ. Christianitie is become the footstoole to policie: some have made a bargaine with the world for an unive sall monarchie; and religion is but the labell to that Indenture. Those respects have filled Poperie with more clients, than either devotion or conscience. If a man attempt some great designe, without the advise of his knowne friend, shall he not heare him justly expostulate: You neglect me: have you ever found me unfaithfull? Did we ever find Christ, either not wise enough to direct us, or not ready enough to helpe us, that his counsell prevents not our resolution? He tells us Act. 2.10.27. all his counsell, that may concerne us, shall we make daintie to let him know ours? His is a bottomlesse depth of wisedome, ours a shallow puddle. His counsell prevailes for good, ours like Achitophels, is often turned into folly. He knowes our thoughts, without our revealing them: shall we sticke to tell him what he knowes? He lookes to have it from our owne lippes; not for his satisfaction, but for the tryall of our loves. He is patient to heare us open our cause, and takes no fee but our prayers. He counsells us without flatterie, and rules us without ambiguitie. He is ready to advise us in all our doubts, and to resolve us in all our deliberations. We chuse a Counseller that is gracious with the Iudge: how deare is that counseller who is the Iudge? This is to make some vse of our knowledge, of Christ.

We know him to be a sweet Comforter: therfore as the patient discloseth his griefe to the physician in hope of cure; so let us confesse our sinnes and sorrowes to Christ, in assurance of comfort. Men may reveale our shamefull secrets, and so make the scarres worse than the wounds: Christ will not faile to cover them from others, that are humbly discovered to him. How many Psalmes did David begin in feare, which he ended in joy? You shall see terrible anguish sitting in the doore, irremediable sorrow looking in at the window, despaire bordering in the margine, and offering to creepe into the Text: yet after a sharpe conflict, nothing appeares but joy and comfort. So that you would thinke them two severall Psalmes; one of perplexitie, and another of reliefe. Or if but one Psalme, yet composed by two men, of contrary dispositions: Yet is it but one Psalme, and made by one man. What, did there a messenger of good newes come in, as he was writing his Odes? As 2. King. 5.8. Elisha sent to the king of Israel, whiles he was rending his clothes? No, but as his soule grew still more inward with God, it became lighter and lighter; rising from under the burden with comfort. Shall we still hold our hand on the paine, and pine away with an obstinate sullennes; that may by cured even by saying, we are sicke? Suppressed teares are a double smart: though otherwise they may be unprofitably spent, yet they give aire to the griefe, and discharge us of some lode. But when they are spent in the bosome of Christ, as Maries were on his feete, we shall be sure of comfort. Much is forgiven us, yea even all the sinnes that we weepe for. Our sighes and teares are vapours and moisture, which Christ drawes up to returne them backe upon us in showers of mercie. Psal. 32.5. I said, I will confesse my sinnes; he had not yet done it: God gave him a pardon; even as soone as he had a will to aske it. Psal. 38.9. Lord all my desire is before thee, and my groning is not hid from thee: Even that was a powerfull oratory. Mercie often prevents repentance, but repentance never failes of mercie. Therfore he required our humble acknowledgment; not because he hath need of our confession, but because we have need of his pardon. And why should he in Iustice grant it, to them that will not vouchsafe to crave it? Wicked men afflicted, are like franticke men wounded; who finding ingredients prepared to dresse them, teare them all in pieces; But if we know the soveraigne cordialls, that Christ hath in store for us; we will seeke to none but him and his holy Spirit for comfort.

We know the sweetnesse and excellencie of Christ; therefore wee cannot but love Him: and if wee love Him, how grievous will it bee to lose Him? To lose Cant. 3.1. her soules love, might well nettle the spouse. This caused Maries teares to streame forth; Ioh. 20.13. Sustulerunt Dominum; her Lord was gone; how should she be quiet? This, had it beene true, was cause enough of teares. Shee wept to see Him suffer death; there she knew that He was taken away. But though his soule were gone, his body was left her; that dead Object of her love and pitie. For his Death shee had wept her fill; yet his body remained, a cold Corpse: one would thinke cold comfort for her. But this was all she had now left of Him; and Sustulerunt? Have they taken away that too? This set her a weeping. Sublatus demonumento, grieved her more, then occisus in ligno. There she had something left her, now nothing at all, taken away quite and cleane, this was not all, but I know not where they have laid Him: August. she had wept a-maine for his Death, this taking away renewed her tears: but Nescio ubi, was the extreme astonishment. To lose Christ, and so to lose him, as not to know where to finde him, is most fearefull to them that know him. Though hee bee taken from us, it is some comfort if we can tell where to fetch him againe: but to lose him at home, to misse him in our hearts, without knowledge where to finde Him abroad, may well put both the Luke 2.48. Maries to their teares. Iohn 20.13. They, she knew not who: had taken Him away, she knew not how: and carried Him, shee knew not whither: and laid Him, she knew not where: there to doe with Him, shee knew not what: and to finde Him againe, shee knew not when: no need to aske her why she weepes.

They that have such a losse, and have not withall lost themselves in insensiblenesse, cannot bee without great cause of mourning. Sapiens miser, magis miser: they that know not Christ, thinke it no such great matter to lose Him. What cares a stupid Worldling for the removall of our Candlesticke? What is it to him, if the superstition and blindenesse of Popery did over-shadow the Land, and turne day into night? It is nothing to him, if he can see to get money. Light or darkenesse, Scripture or tradition, the King or the Pope, Christ or Antichrist, are all one to him. To heare a Sermon, or see a Masse; he likes them both alike. But to them that know Christ, the losse of Him is terrible: and doth not that Nation lose Him, that loseth his Gospell? As Mary would not bee comforted with the sight and speech of Angels, not with the sight and speech of Iesus Himselfe, till Hee made her know that Hee was Iesus. So there is nothing in men or Angels, nothing in earth or heaven that can quiet the troubled heart, till Christ be found. Till He that is taken away, be restored to us, though it should come from Heaven, from the Angels themselves, our soules would refuse all maner of comfort. Such was her sorrow for a supposed losse of Him; what should bee ours then, that lose Him, not dead but living; not once, but often: not in supposall, but in very deed: and that by sinne, the worst way of losing Him: and that not by others taking Him away, but by our owne wilfull defaults? Shall not we be moved, nor grieved, nor breake any of our sleepes or sports for the matter? Doe wee reckon Him as good lost, as found? When Christ, and the holy Ghost, and the favour of God, and all is gone, by our obstinacy; wee can soone be comforted againe for all this. There needs none to say unto us, Why weepe you? But rather, Why weepe you not? If we know the sweetnesse, the joy, the Heaven that is in his Presence, and finde Him departed from us; let our teares runne down in abundance: let us allow our selves no rest, till Christ be found; till Hee be reconciled to us by faith and repentance, and have reconciled us to God by mercy and forgivenesse.

4. Let us encourage our growing unto the end, Heb. 11.26. by the recompence wee shall finde in the end. For though God bee good unto us all the way, yet hee will bee best at last. As hee did blesse Iob temporally, so hee will blesse all his Saints eternally; him on Earth, all the rest in Heaven; that Iob 42.12. their latter end shall bee happier than their beginning. And if our vertue, like to his patience, doe not hold out to the end, if we be not best at last, wee cannot looke for such a reward. How was Iob thus blessed? First, in the duplication of his children: If you object, that both at first and last he had an equall number of them: seven sonnes and three daughters; tenne in all: yet know in faire probability, that the former tenne were in Heaven, encreasing the number of the Saints triumphant; and the latter tenne on Earth, to encrease the number of the Saints militant. Tenne he had with God, and tenne God had with him: Iob 1.2. so that they were doubled. Secondly, in the duplication of his substance: 42, 13. for if we compare the first chapter of that booke with the last, we shall finde that God doubled his wealth: and that to a good man is a blessing. Thirdly, the blessings hee had in the beginning, hee had in common with other Princes of the East: they made him but unum ex multis, one of Gods Children at large: Matth. 5.45. being blessings given to the good and bad. But this long chastisement, and a patience full as long as that, made him Gods speciall darling: for Heb. 12.6. God scourgeth the sonne which he tenders and cockers, above the rest of his Children. Fourthly, his fame and renown is much enlarged by it: which is a blessing to Persons no lesse religious than honourable. He was in the beginning Notus Deo: hee knew what he would doe, and how he would hold out: Now he is become Notus nobis; Iam. 5.11. Yee have heard of the patience of Iob. Heard of him? we cannot chuse. Iob. 1.7. The Divell in his beginning was faine Perambulare, to compasse the Earth, before hee could finde him: Greg. in Ezek. lib. 2. Hom. 20. Chrys. Serm. 3. de Patient. Iob now he cannot tempt any of Gods children in their afflictions to impatience, but presently he heares of him. One Iupiter set out by Homer the Poet, was worth tenne Iupiters set out by Phydias the carver, sayes Philostratus: Because the former flew abroad throughout all the world, whereas the other never stirred from his pedistall at Athens. So at first the honour of Iob was confined to Vz, a little corner of Arabia: now it is spred as farre, as the Sunne can extend his beames, or the Moone her influence. His booke beganne with Erat vir, there was such a man: but before it ends, it shewes that Erat sanctus, there was such a saint: there was such a favourite of Heaven, such a mirrour of the Earth, such a wonder of the world. Fifthly, he was a good man before: they that knew him, might well acknowledge it, for Iob. 1.8.9. God himselfe does confesse it, and the Divell could not deny it; But yet he was not tried: put him to the test, and see what hee will prove then. Many a man goes for good and honest; so others thinke him, so he thinks himselfe; and hee findes not in his owne heart any cause to the contrary, but so he should continue; but let him bee had to the triall, furnish him with spirituall weapons, put him into the lists, charge him with a combatant: let temptation, tribulation, and misery be champions against him; see how he will behave himselfe against these Antagonists: If now he comes off with victory, record his name in the Chronicle of the Saints, and enroll him for one of Christs conquerors, So did Iob fight, and so did he overcome: proving himselfe to bee Miles Domini, one of Gods worthies. He was a rich and good man before; but this advanced him to his honour of knighthood: He was made a knight of Christs owne order; a knight of the crosse: and in the last day, when that great Generall comes to his glorious triumph over his enemies, Iob shall not be without his honorable equipage: but adorned with the rich collar of his sufferings, and covered with his afflictions like the robes of the Martyrs, and crowned with his patience, which is supercrowned with everlasting blessednesse.

In all these respects God blessed the latter end of Iob more than his beginning: which hee would never have done, if his beginning had beene as perfect as his latter end. What an encouragement is this to us? Who would not bee still growing in knowledge and goodnesse, that is sure of so happy a recompense? What though we be not like Iob, rewarded with honour, children, friends, prosperity, power and riches, and such temporary moveables, in the end of our daies? Yet we shall be filled with peace, joy, glory, and eternall life at the end of our daies. If we be not made lords of the Earth, yet we shall bee kings in Heaven. Besides, even for the present, Aug. in Psal. 66. Quamvis arca exinanita sit auro, cor tamen est plenum fide. We may come to be poorer in earthly things toward our end, than wee were in the beginning: yet we may grow in grace and knowledge more than many others, that grow in place and preferment above us. But what wee want in the riches of the flesh, we have in the riches of the Spirit: we have it in the one, or the other balance. The peace of conscience, and the comforts of the holy Ghost, are our happinesse here: and the Kingdome of Heaven shall be our inheritance hereafter.

5. Lastly, for caution; every vertue hath a profest enemy: Darkenesse is not more contrary to light, nor sickenesse to health, nor death to life, than vice to goodnesse. Humility hath a profest enemy, which is pride: Charity, a profest enemy, which is malice: Hope a profest enemy, which is despaire: Mercy hath a profest enemy, which is cruelty: Faith a profest enemy, which is infidelity: Liberality a profest enemy, which is covetousnesse: So obstinacy is a profest enemy to obedience: apostacy, to perseverance: Atheisme, to religion: hard-heartednesse, to compassion. If these bee not alwaies in the field, they are alwaies in feud: a continuall warre is proclaimed by them, one against another; no reconciliation, no peace, no truce is to bee admitted. They are sworne enemies, and will never give over the combate, till one side lie in the dust. So the profest enemy of knowledge is ignorance. Darkenesse is raised up by the prince of darkenesse out of Hell, to oppose the light which comes downe from the Father of lights out of Heaven. When Christ displayes his banners, the Divell will muster up his forces. Rev. 12.7. He hath an army of rebels, to wage warre with Michael and his Angels. But besides these publike and open foes, that professe hostility; every vertue hath a Psal. 41.5. secret enemy, that does her the most mischiefe. It is damnable policy, per amici fallere nomen. Absolon so upbraided Hushai with a pleasant scoffe of his professed friendship to David, 2 Sam. 16.17. Is this thy kindenesse to thy friend? So hope besides her profest enemy, despaire; hath a secret one, Presumption: this seemes to be but an improvement of her selfe: at worst but an excesse, an extreeme, an over-weening hope. So liberality besides her profest enemy, gripulousnesse; hath a secret one, prodigality: this seemes to be nothing else but an aduancement of her worth, and al for her honor; to scatter abrod her riches with a blinde and open hand. Religion besides her profest enemy, Atheisme, hath a secret one, a superstitious mis-devotion. In the glorious temples of Idolatry, this may seeme to exalt her into Heaven: whereas indeed it corrupts her upon Earth, and precipitates her to Hell. So knowledge, besides her common enemy ignorance, hath secret ones: which howsoever they may seeme her friends, betray her to ruine: these are sloth and pride. As profusenesse cuts the throte of liberality, and presumption breakes the necke of hope, and superstition is a plague to infect religion, so these are the bane of knowledge. Sloth in the disuse, and pride in the abuse: The former starves her to death for want of food, the other tickles her to death with selfe-conceit. These be not Satans ban-dogs, but lurchers: not violent robbers, but privy theeves: indeed his cheaters, which cuffen our soules, and filch away our knowledge of Iesus Christ: or rather hinder the growth of this knowledge, which is my present argument. Let it not seeme tedious to you, for me to remove these two blockes out of the way of our spirituall knowledge.

1. Slothfulnesse and neglect is the former: When we cease to vse our knowledge, we lose it. God did not give us this ground, that we should let it lie fallow: if we doe, it will bring forth nothing but weeds and nettles; which will both stinke to God, and sting our owne consciences. Esa. 53.11. Christ by his knowledge doth justifie many, and we by our knowledge must satisfie many. Act. 9.22. Pauls growth in the knowledge of Christ, was seene in confuting the Iewes which denyed Christ. What is a man the better for his land, if he let it lye untilled? Bad husbandry will find but a thinne croppe: no tillage, no harvest. Mat. 26.26. The talent that lies uselesse by us, shall be taken from us. The Schoolemen and Casuists run out the metall of their knowledge, into tinkling bels and cymballs; and languish into a thousand needlesse and endlis questions: thinking to magnifie it, and themselves by it, by spending and venting it in unprofitable, cold, and bloudlesse subtleties. But what is the notionall sweetnes of honey, to the experimentall tast of it? If we be not the better for our knowledge, we were better never to have had knowledge. Otherwise, it is but a faire estate in the hands of a foole; or like the pencill of an exquisite painter, in the hand of a cobler. It is storied of an ancient and reverend Rabby, who that he might by some demonstration, winne the people to make vse of their knowledge, and to reduce it to practise; put himselfe into the habite of a Mountebanke, or travelling Aqua-vitae-man: and in the market made proclamation of a soveraigne cordiall, or water of life that the had to sell: Divers call him in, and desire him to shew it: wherupon he opens the Bible, and directs them to severall places of comfort in it: Intimating that as they had the knowledge of the Scriptures, so if they would make use of it, they it, they should both live holy, and die happy; for that indeed was the water of life. It is not Gods meaning that any grace should lie dead in us, much lesse knowledge. It is never out of excercise, though the labours if it be different, according to the seasons. Hugo. de claustro animae. lib. 2 In childhood we are subjected to the labour of discipline; in age to the labour of doctrine: in the time betwixt these to the labour of practise. Quae quis nescit, in pueritia discat: quae didicit, in juventute ad usum ducat: quod ad usum ducit, in senio doceat: so that knowledge hath no time to be idle.

No sooner had God given the king of Israel wisedome, but all Israel shall be witnesse to the wisdome of their king. 1. King. 3.16. The decision of that controversie betweene the two harlots, shall make him talked of. Our all-wise maker will find occasiens to draw foorth his graces to use. Dan and Beersheba were too narrow bounds for the fame of Solomon: it flies over all lands and seas, and transports the whole world with an admiration of his more then humane knowledge. Kings send their Ambassadors, and a 1 King. 4.34. great Queene comes in person, to heare the wisedome of Solomon: thire is still more worke for him. Aer detentus corrumpitur: viae non tritae silvesant. Musicall Instruments, without handling, will waspe and become nothing worth. A sprightly horse will lose his mettle, by standing unbreath’d in a stable. Rust will take the swords that hang by the walls. The Cynicke, rather than want worke, would still be removing his Tubbe. It was a law of Solon, that if the father had taught his sonne no trade in his youth, whereby he might get his living; that sonne should yeeld no reliefe to his father in his age. In that day wherein we doe no good how can we without shame pray for our daily bread? All vertues have their severall employments, and so hath knowledge. God hath no vse of the darke lantornes of secret and reserved perfections. We our selves doe not light up candles, to put them under bushells. The great lights, whether of heaven or earth, are not intended to obscuritie: but as to give light to others, so to be seene themselves. How did Pomponius in Plutarch, pull his sonne Numa out of private obscuritie, and put him upon publicke artions fitte for his abilities? We are not a little beholding to Cresiption, for sturring up St. Ierome in the easterne countreys: and to Hilary, for rowsing up St. Augustine in the westerne countreys; to withstand the spreading infection of Pelagius. There is a Honestum in every vertue, which is proper to the possessors: but Withall there should be an Vtile, which is common and beneficiall to their neighbours.

There is a shamefast modestie, which slackens the bridle: and there is a preposterous zeale, too hote on the spurre. Some will hardly come forth, when they be called: as others will run, before they are bidden. I cannot tell which is worse in the time of need: for the learned to hide themselves with Vlisses, or for the unlearned to thrust themselves forward with Thirsites: certainly neither is excusable. As the latter overshootes by boldnes, so the former falls short by bashfulnes: both are to blame. Socrates tooke no lesse care to persuade Charmides, Plato’s uncle, to undertake the publicke businesse of State, than to dissuade Glaucos, Plato’s brother, from it. The former of these was a man of much worth, but too litle boldnes: the latter was a man of very much boldnes, but too little worth. The fault of the latter was more odious, but the fault of the former was more noxious: Glaucos was sicke of impudence, Charmides faint with diffidence. There was more reason to blame the former, but more need to blame the latter. Glaucos by too much undervaluing of others, and arrogating to his owne wisedome, made himselfe contemptible: But Charmides by too much admiring the worth of others, and despising his owne, made himselfe unprofitable. The former by his audaciousnes, fell into the contempt which he might have avoided: the other by his timorousnes, lost the honour which he might have gained. As the one needed the bitte, so the other the spurre: He bold one for his owne sake, to escape a private losse: the other for the common wealths sake, to performe a publike good.

The rust and disuse of knowledge, in men fitted and called to the service of God, is a sinne almost unpardonable. Silence is the daughter of shamefastnesse: both which, as they are excuses for mediocrity, so they are prejudices to excellency. They are alwaies the wisedome of fooles; and sometimes the folly of the wise. The labours of the learned are Thesaurus Ecclesiae: not by way of indulgence, to profit the dead: but by way of instruction, to comfort the living. Act 12.3. The holy Ghost came downe upon the Apostles, in the forme of Tongues. Why like Tongues? In regard of themselves it was enough to receive the Spirit of wisedome: the receiving Him in the shape of Tongues, respects us. They have not only a supernaturall knowledge given them, for the illumination of themselves: but also Tongues, for the communication of this knowledge to us. This conveyes it from man to man: Reason is impressed in the soule, expressed by the tongue: therefore the Latines call Oratio, quasi oris ratio. The soule is the fountaine of knowledge, and the tongue a chanell from that fountaine. As Holophernes stopped the fountaines of Bethulia, so Preachers that use not their tongues, stoppe the current of the holy Ghost. Indeed there be some that preach, as Nabal did feast; once in a yeare, and that must bee a sheepe-shearing too; when they receive the benefits of their flocke, the rents of their Rectories. Some are tongue-tyed from their birth, as was Croesus his sonne: they cannot vent their knowledge, it may be they have no knowledge to vent. Some are tongue-tyed by riches, as Demosthenes was by the Milesians: they say to their tongues, as that Epicure did to his soule: Luke 12.19. Your have enough; e’en take your ease: these men have a fee to be silent. Others are tongue-tyed by Greatnesse: rather than to speake against the streame of the times, they must forbeare to speake against the sinnes of the times. These doe know that matters goe amisse; yet for quietnes sake, they even sit still and let them alone. Alas, if they should touch upon their Lords delirement, what hope have they of their Lords preferment? The limbes after long sitting, are scarce able to walke: sluggish rest will make our gifts rust. Idlenesse ingenders unablenesse: they will not preach at the first, they shall finde that they cannot preach at the last. It was the Souldiers lie, Matth. 28.13. His Disciples came by nigh and stole Him away. But it is too true here; by night, when we put our selves into the darkenesse of workes, into the workes of darkenesse, this privie Theefe comes, and steales away from us the knowledge of Christ, while wee sleepe in supine carelesnesse. Therefore let us use it, and doe good with it, and then it shall doe good unto us.

2. Pride and Vaineglory is the other hindrance. We need not be told againe, that knowledge is one of the fairest flowers in our garland: let us not then blast it with the unwholesome winde of Vaineglory. Saint Gregory gives us this memorable caution concerning our knowledge; Nè dum ignorantiae tenebras illuminat, lumen humilitatis tollat. When Pride comes upon the stage, Exit Sapientia. The one doth not more enlighten the head, than the other doth darken the heart. He goes on: By this we may discerne of our spirituall knowledge: if it workes more upon the heart, than upon the head, it is right. The first operation of proud knowledge, is to make the head light: the first worke of this divine knowledge, is to make the heart heavie. Not that it deprives us of joy, but prepares us for joy. It does not make us proud, but humble; nor set our fancies a running, but our eyes a weeping. The first eradiation of this light, like some flash of lightening, breakes the stone in the heart. Aquin. 2 a. 2 a. qu. 69. art. 3. The Schoolemen, when they suite the Beatitudes with the gifts of the Spirit, joyne sorrow with science; weeping for sinne with knowledge: and they give this reason for it: That sorrow for sinne can issue from no other fountaine but the knowledge of God; nor doth this couple ever part. They are not therefore mis-matched: for there is no clearer way of seeing God upon earth, than through teares. Eccles. 1.18. He that encreaseth knowledge, encreaseth sorrow. Hee that encreaseth the knowledge of Christ, shall ever encrease the sorrow for his sinnes. Psal. 3.4. So Augustine applies it: and E converso: Hee that encreaseth his sorrow for sinne, shall prove a great Clerke in the Schoole of Christ. The gall and bitternesse of sinne being througly felt, restoreth a Christian to his perfect understanding; Luther. as the gall of the fish did Tob. 11.8. Tobit, to sight. Multum crucis, multum lucis, we are best instructed, when we are most afflicted. Gen. 45.1. Before the sonnes of Iacob shall know Ioseph for their brother, they shall feele his displeasure. Iob 42.5. When God hath exercised his children with roughnesse, then He will be perfectly knowne to them. Christs Crosse begins our learning: that reall Alphabet of true Christianity is spell’d out by suffering, not by reading. Thus the knowledge of Christ breeds humility, not vaineglory: not arrogance, but repentance. They that are puffed up with their knowledge, never sought it for Christs, but their owne honour. Hence it comes, that Isidor. de sum. Bon. lib. 3. Ibi peccant, ubi peccata emendare debuerunt. But above all; God saith, Ier. 9.23. Let not the wise men glory in his wisedome: yet many doe so, and blesse themselves in so doing. Offic. 10. Tully could say, Deforme est de scipso praedicare. Yet this man, so qualified, that nothing but the eloquence of a Tully could sufficiently praise Tullies eloquence; is taxed even by those friends, that would have concealed his small blemishes: That the speech which flowed from him as sweet as honey, was made to taste as bitter as gall, by the enterlacing of his owne praises. Cato the elder had a faire commendation given him by consent, Plin. to be Optimus Orator, optimus Senator, optimus Imperator: a prime Orator, a better Senator, and a most excellent Commander: yet he was so given to boast himselfe, that his best friends were ashamed of him.

There bee three Corrosives, which well applied, may eat out this Ulcer and Impostume of Vaineglory, and purge the aire of our knowledge from the killing infection of Pride.

1. The uncertainty of our knowledge in secular and politicall businesses. The most wise God hath hidden from us the event of things: Horat. Caliginosa nocte premit Deus. Future contingents may fall out otherwise than wee imagine. The Chirurgion that deales with an outward wound, can tell whither he can cure it, and guesse in what time: but the Physician that undertakes the cure of a Fever, can neither set the time of his Patients recovery, nor assure him that hee shall be recovered at all. The Artisan with his convenient shoppe and tooles, can make up his dayes worke if hee bee not hindered. But the Merchant Venturer can promise himsefe no such matter: hee must have one winde to bring him out of the Haven, another to carry him about to the lands end, and perhaps another to drive him unto the place of traffique: so that he can promise nothing; neither for the time of his returne, nor the venting of his commodity: but as the winde, and the weather, and the Marriners, and the seas, and the time of trade will give him leave. All politicke successes are conjecturall, not demonstrative: they stand in need of the concurrence of many causes, which are casuall; and of many mens mindes, which are mutable; and of many opportunities, which are accidentall: so that we cannot build upon them. In stratagems of warre, much hope is grounded on the negligence of our enemies: wee may thinke them asleepe, who bee as waking as our selves. Antigonus made full account to set upon Eumenes unawares: but hee found Eumenes as vigilant as himselfe; and so was faine to retire with a flea in his eare, as wise as he came. So for warre; and the like we finde in the passages of peace. Solomon, that wonder of wisedome, might thinke by joyning in affinity with his neighbour Princes, and marrying their daughters, to strengthen his owne kingdome; yea more, to winne those Heathen to the Kingdome of God. Why should not they be brought to worshippe the God of Israel, that were so allyed to the King of Israel? Hee was deceived in both; for this turned to the ruine of his kingdome, and well neere of himselfe. For the secret Underminers of his State and succession, where were they entertained, but among his Allies? Hadad with 1. King. 11.18.40. Pharaoh, probably Solomons owne father in Law: Ieroboam too was harboured in Egypt. And for his wives, They turned away his heart after other gods: he could doe no good upon them, they wrought him to much evill. So Constantine, that religious Christian, and famous Polititian, thought that by building a City in the confines of Europe and Asia, which might bee Aemulae Romae, a match for Rome; and by placing one of his sonnes to keepe his Court there, he should impregnably fortifie the Empire. But the building of new Rome, was the decay of old Rome: and the division of the Empire, was the destruction of the Empire. So Phocas thought by dignifying the Prelate of Rome, with that extravagant Title of Vniversall Bishop: and Pipinus by endowing the Church of Rome with large Revenues and Principalities; thought they had done wondrous well. But the lifting up of the man of Rome, was the lifting up of the man of Sinne; and the encrease of his estate, was the diminution of his pietie. So crosse oftentimes are the events to our purposes: Ier. 10.23. the way of man is not in himselfe. There is no policie so provident, no providence so circumspect, but it is subject to errors: therfore not to be trusted on, much lesse to be gloried in. That which is so full of uncertentie, can be no cause of glory.

2. The imperfection of our knowledge many wayes may well abate our pride. In Divinitie it may get most: because toward the furnishing of our selves with the knowledge we have most helpes. Yet the most acute and judicious Divines have acknowledged their ignorance, and deplored their errors, in diverse points. 1. Cor. 13.9. We know but in part: If he that learned his Divinitie among the Angels, yea to whom the holy Ghost was an immediate Tutor did know but in part; it is well for us, if we know but a part of that part. That which an Egiptian Priest said to a Grecian, Ye Grecians are alwayes children; will be found true; not onely of the Grecians, but even of the Egiptians, yea and of Christians too; that for understanding we are children, all of us. I deny not, but among the Romanes, Nosica was called Corculum, for his pregnancie of witte. Among the Grecians, Democritus Abderita was called, not σοφὸς, but σοφία, wisedome it selfe. Among the Britaines, Gildas was called Gildas Sapiens, Gildas the Sage. Among the Iewes, Aben Ezra was called Hechachan: they said of him, that if knowledge had put out her candle, at his braine she might light it againe: and that his head was the Throne of wisedome. Before him, among the Israelites, Achitophel was the man; his counsell called an oracle: 2. Sam. 17.14. yet because anothers advise was once preferred to his, he falls into a desperate discontent. So proud was he of wisedome, that it went to his heart to heare of any wiser than himselfe. This caused him to mis-interpret a poore disgrace, and to over-rate it. What if he were not the wisest man of all Israel; must he needs therfore goe hang himselfe? What if his counsell were despised? A wise man knowes how to live happy, in spight of an unjust contempt. What if another mans counsell was held better? Was it not madnes in him, to revenge another mans reputation upon himselfe? Worldly wisedome is no protection from shame and ruine. We talke of wisedome, but where is it? Why should Nilus overflow onely in the summer, when waters are at the lowest? Who could ever satisfie others or himselfe, by delivering a cause of that? Why should the Load stone draw yron, or incline to the Polestarre? Who hath knowledge to give a reason of that? We all pretend to it, but where is it? Iob. 28.12. The depth saith, It is not in me, &c. This wisedome is not in the depth, but the depth is in this wisedome. Rom. 15.33. O the depth of the wisedome and knowledge of God! Our best knowledge is repentance: Iob. 28.21. The feare of the Lord is wisedome, and to depart from evill is understanding. All our other knowledge is unperfect, and who will brag of his imperfections? Indeed stories report, that Agesilaus bragged of his stumpe foote, and Sertorius of his one eye; and played upon their owne defects wheresoever they came. But I beleeue, this was Sardinius risus: a tricke to prevent the jeering of others, rather than any delight they tooke in it themselves: for naturally men doe not boast of their deformities. This defect in our knowledge may well nippe our glory.

3. It is not our owne, nor of our selves; and why should we glory in that which is anothers? The ape is proud of his masters Iacket, the dog of his gorgeous collar: the asse jettes it in the lyons skinne: and the crow braved it furtivis coloribus, in her stollen feathers. We scorne to be sampled with such irrationall creatures, we take all these for ridiculous fopperies: yet we cannot reflect upon our selves, nor consider our owne priding it in anothers riches. 1. Cor. 4.7. What hast thou, which thou hast not received? Ioh. 3.27. A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from Heaven: especially not wisedome. Act. 2.4. The Spirit of wisedome, and the Tongue to expresse it; all Desuper, from on high. Iam. 1.17. Every good and perfect gift is from above: they grow not in us, we spinne them not out of our selves, but they come from above. Therfore Quid gloriaris? If it be given, why forget we the giver? Let him be had in memorie; he is well worthy to be thought on: yea let him have all the glory, for it is his. 1. Tim. 2.6. He that payd our ransome for us, when we were not worth a groate: Ezek. 16.6. He that cast his owne garment upon us, when we lay naked; and healed us, when we lay wallowing in our owne bloud: Luk. 1.79. He that redeemed us from all our enemies: will he take it well at our hands to glory in these his bounties, as if we were beholding to none but our selves! Yet foolish man will be wise, naked man will be brave, filthy man will be pure. Though for all the cost and charges that God is at upon us, we remaine poore beggars; yet in the midst of this beggery we can find in our hearts to glory: Gal. 6.14. not in the crosse of Christ, which he endured for us; but in the gifts of Christ, for which we are beholding to him.

These three corrosives well layd on, may eate out the cancer of pride and vainglory, which so cleaves to our knowledge: to which I might adde a fourth for conclusion: That this is a secret theefe which steales away our knowledge. It is like the Albugo, or white spot in the eye, which dimmeth our understanding; and makes fooles of Cato’s and Plato’s, and Tullies, and Achitophels; leaving them at last never an eye to see withall: That we cannot know our owne defects, nor the summe of our debts, nor the depth of our miserie: That we cannot know Gods infinite riches, nor the worth of his pardon, nor the height of his mercie; what may we thanke but pride? Eccl. 10.1. These be those dead flies that corrupt the ointment. As famished bodies that have nothing to feed on, will fall to their owne flesh: so vainglorious men, for want of parasites, will be their owne trumpeters; thought they displease God and man. For God, he will find meanes to meanes to manifest thy knowledge when it may make for his owne glory. Thy knowledge is a colt, a wild asses colt: Iob. 11.12. vaine man would be wise, though he be borne like a wild asses colt. Tie up this colt till God calls for him. If thou find that Luk. 19.31. the the Lord hath need of him, then lose him and let him goe. And for men; whiles thou art silent, they will speake thy praise: but if thou speake thine owne proise they will be silent. Clem. Alexan. lib. 5. Strom. There was a Temple in Diospolis, a citie of Egypt, wherein were pictured a little boy, an old man, an eagle, a fish, and a crocodile. For the devise of this Hieroglyphicke; there was a boy painted, to signifie generation: an old man, to signifie corruption: an eagle, which for the quicknes and clearnes of sight, was meant to symbolize God, who seeth all things: a fish, to insinuate hatred, Herodo. lib. 2. for fishes were abomination to the priests of Egypt: and lastly a crocodile, which they present as the embleme of insolencie. The whole sense being layd together, imports this: O ye that are young, and comming on: O ye that are ould, and going out of the world; to you, and to all be it knowen, that God doth hate pride and insolencie. The Saints, when they would magnifie Gods mercies to them, vsed first to declare their owne former conditions. Gen. 32.10. With my staffe came I over this Iordan, and now I am become two bands, saith Iacob. I walked alone with my staffe, like a poore private souldier; now I am become the Generall of two Regiments. Psal. 78.71. He chose David from the sheepfolds, and set him to feed Iacob his people. I was a meane sheepheard, that tended my Fathers flocks in the desart: Thou hast made mee a King, and that over thine owne people, and set mee in the Throne of Majestie. To this purpose Amos; Am. 7.15. I was an heardman, Thou hast made mee a Prophet; In stead of feeding beasts upon earth, I am honoured to know and teach the secrets of heaven. Yet in the height of these Dignities, they all kept lowly mindes: no pride crept into the honour of the one, or knowledge of the other. So doth the Lord hate pride, that they two could not endure to dwell together in one wide Heaven, how should they endure to dwell together in one narrow brest? One heart can never containe them, if one Heaven could not hold them. CHRIST will know none but the humble, and none but the humble soules truely know CHRIST.

Thus long and late I am come to a Period of this Argument, concerning the growth of the knowledge of Christ. All they will pardon the prolixitie, that have had any rellish of the sweetnesse. It could be tedious to none, but those that either doe not, or will not know him to their comforts. I begge not their favourable construction, but Eph. 1.16, 17, 18. I pray for their happy illumination. Carnall mindes are so farre from learning how to know Christ, that they doe not know how to learne him. They thinke they can as well learne him at home, as at Church; by following their Profession, as by going to a Sermon. And this learning of theirs discovers it selfe in their actions. For they have learned to sweare by him, they have learned to teare his holy Name in peeces with lewd blasphemies; they have learned to crucifie him againe by their malicious sinnes. Of this learning they have store in their hearts; and this learning they derive to their children; who can sweare as soone as they can speake: they learned that of their parents: it was one of the first lessons that ever they taught them; if not by precept, yet by practice and example. Eph. 4.20. But non itae didicistis Christum: the Divell taught them that kinde of learning; it came not downe from Heaven, but up from hell. Some sinne comes to us by kinde, it cost us nothing: other by custome, and that is not very chargeable, neither. But they both did cost our Saviour Christ deare, even his owne precious bloud: And if they bee not unlearned againe, and quite broken off from us by Repentance, they will cost us deare too, even our owne precious soules. But there is another manner of learning, another way of knowing Christ: which consists in Eph. 4.22. putting off the corruption wee have by nature, and putting on the holinesse of Grace. This is a good learning, and happy thus it is to know Christ. Without this, it is with us in our sinnes, as it was with Peter in his [extasie]; Luk. 9.33. We know not what we speake. But with that Direction, we may use the words of Christ; Ioh. 3.11. We speake that we doe know. Without it we are foolish, Ier. 5.4. and know not the way of the Lord: with it wise, even to Salvation. Suffer but two Meditations more, and I have done.

1. Knowledge hath a difference from the other virtues, though it bee a virtue it selfe. Some virtues are onely conversant about good; and some onely abstaine or restraine from evill; Knowledge hath respect to both good and evill. Some vertues are onely and properly fixed upon good; albeit collaterally, or by way of consequence, they keepe us from evill. So the Object of Charity is goodnesse; the Orbe wherein it moves, is goodnesse. It loves God above all, who is the chiefest good: next the Saints, who in their degrees and measure are good. With the heart it loves good, with the hand it does good. Paul indeed gives it some negative attributes, and that rightly: 1 Cor. 12.4. It vaunteth not it selfe, seeketh not her owne. But these are not the walke of charity: they may be assaults and ambushes to trouble her in her walke, which she spurnes out of her way as she goes: but her way is good, and her walke is good, and her end is good. So the object of faith is good; the promise of God, which is sure and good: the merites of Christ, which are precious and good: the Inheritance of Heaven, which is firme and good, It is true that she is often put to it; to remove doubts, to cleare difficulties, and to dispell sorrowes: but her eye is not fastned upon them. Her object is the Sunne of righteousnesse: these are but cloudes betwixt her and the Sunne. It is not the purpose and scope of her journey to meddle with these, but these will meddle with her. They are not her way, but enemies in her way. So are all sinnes, and the father and mother of sinnes, the devill and the world. Psal. 1.37.9. She does not onely braine those Babylonish litle ones against the stones, and kill the young whelpes and curres of that cursed litter; but even confounds the Sire and the Damme. The Sire, 1. Pet. 5, 9. Faith resists the devill: The Damme, 1. Ioh. 5.4. Faith overcomes the world. Still her object is good, yea God. No lesse may be said for hope; it lookes onely for good: no man hopes for evill. The beginning of it is good, for it is rooted in comfort: the progresse good, for it goes on in cheerfulnes: and the end is good, for it is onely blessednesse. Evill is the object of feare, good of hope. It may have some conflicts by the way: feare, and despaire, and presumption are three shrewd adversaries: but hope evercomes the evill, Rom. 8.24. and pursues the good, and saves the soule. No lesse might be said of meeknesse, which is onely pitched upon a quiet good, and Mercifullnes, which minds onely a beneficent good: and of purenesse of heart, which consists in an innocent good.

Againe, some vertues are principally excercised with evill, and all their strength is employed in the victorie of that. Est virtus abstinentia. What is Sobrietie, but an abstinence from drunkennesse? What is chastitie, but an abstinence from uncleannes, whether in thought or act? What is temperance, but an abstinence from excesse? So St. Augustine defines it; Lib. de mor. Eccl. Munus temperanti est in coercendis & sedandis cupiditatibus. Wherein consists the honour of patience, but in the quiet and unmoved suffering of evills? Greg. in Ezek. Hom. 7. Nunquam est patientiae virtus in prosperis. Where there is no evill, patience hath nothing to doe. And what is repentance, but a sorrowing for evill? Wherein doth it properly consist, but in griefe for sinne? These latter vertues are not properly positive; Nil ponunt in esse but privative: their excercise is not seene but in the conquest of evill. Uncleannes is evill; to avoid that is chastitie: Drunkennesse is evill; to shunne that is sobrietie: Excesse in dyet, apparell, pleasure, is evill: to preclude that is temperance. Contempt and injurie are evills; to beare them meekely is patience: All sinnes are evill, to wash them off with teares is repentance. These vertues, like the starres, shine brightest in the night. To abstaine, not onely from evill, but from some good, is a vertue: Est virtus placitis abstinuisse bonis.

Knowledge is of a middle nature betweene both these; and yet participates whith them both. It is not wholly excercised with good nor wholly taken up with evill; but it knowes both good and evill. Before man fell from his Innocencie, he knew nothing but good: but as his ambition was to know evill with it, so to know evill was his punishment. In this he thought to have become like God, and he became indeed, like the Devill. It hath cost the elect part of mankind many a sigh, many a grone, and many a teare; this knowledge of evill: for the refused part, it costs them their eternall soules. But here comes in the blessed remedie, brought by Iesus Christ to his chosen, that they cannot but know both good and evill; yet the good they know, shall doe them good: but the evill they know, shall not bring evill upon them. For they know the evill, to avoid it; and the good, to embrace it, and so come to be saved by it.

2. There can be no full satisfaction, or consolation of the mind in any knowledge, but the Knowledge of IESVS CHRIST. The Ancient Poets had a strange Fable of their Sphinx, which they fained to bee a Monster of divers formes: with the face of a Virgin, the wings of a Bird, and the tallons of a Griphin. This thing did set upon all travellers that passed by, and propounded to them certaine Riddles, which hee received of the Muses. These, if the miserable captives could not resolve and interpret, hee would presently teare them in pieces. The Countrey being a long time thus plagued with him, proffered their Kingdome of Thebes to that man that could expound his Riddles; for if one of them were answered, the Monster had no more power, but forfeited his life. Oedipus, a man of lame feet, but of an ingenious head, accepted the condition, undertooke the challenger, and got the Kingdome. Hee resolved the Riddle, slew the Monster, and laid his body upon an Asse for triumph.

To make some profitable use of this fiction, conceive here, first, by Sphinx, mans naturall knowledge: this is a Monster of diverse shapes, being so metamorphosed and transformed by sinne. It hath the talons of a griphin; catching and tenacious hookes, that will take hold of any thing. It hath the wings of a bird: for knowledge flies from man to man by discourse, a bird cuts the aire from place to place: The communication of science, is as the kindling of one light at another. It hath the face of a virgin, so beautifull and amiable that every man is in love with it. Sphinx had his riddles from the Muses: and the sententious axiomes of a sublime knowledge are wrought out with much studie and contemplation. That Monster devoured those that could not unfold his riddles: so humane knowledge hath made a prey of fooles. It was more policie than power, whereby diverse men got a Principalitie among the heathens: They that could get a dominion over mens mindes by their wits, might soone prevaile to acquire a soveraignty over their bodies. A twofold condition was propounded with Sphinx his aenigma’s: to him that could not expound them, death: to him that could, a Kingdom. Secondly, the Oedipus that undertakes to cleare these Riddles, invented by the witte of man, is the Christian.

Man hath his knowledge from Nature, the Christian his from Grace: the one is from earth, the other from Heaven. Religion is the Science of Soules, whereof God is the Teacher. Oedipus had lame feete, but an intelligent head: The Christian is slow in the pursuit of worldly things, but for spirituall things hee hath a cleare understanding. What can the Naturian aske him, which hee cannot answere? What is the most glorious thing of the world? Humilitie. What is the richest? Charitie. What is the wisest? Seasonable Silence. What is the subtilest? Simplicitie. What is the strongest? Patience. What is the freest? The Service of God. What is the best Builder? Faith: for that layes the Foundation in Heaven. What is that which can reduce things to nothing? Repentance; for that can take away sinne; as if it had never beene. As Oedipus overcame Sphinx, put him to death, and laid his carcasse upon the backe of an Asse: So the knowledge of Christ vanquisheth all naturall Wisedome, resolving all her subtle questions with Divine answeres: then puts her to death, nailes her to the Crosse of Christ, mortifies her by Repentance, laies her carcasse upon an Asse, shewes her the folly of her former condition, exposeth her to her owne contempt: So shee willingly yeeldes her selfe captive to the conquering knowledge of Christ.

But all this while what was Sphinx his Riddle to Oedipus? What is that Creature, which immediately, after his birth, goes upon foure legges, next upon two, then upon three, and last of all upon foure legges againe? Hee answered, Man: which in his very infancie crawles upon all foure, not long after stands upright upon two feet; growing old, hee leanes upon a upon a staffe, and with it supports himselfe, so that hee may seeme to have three feet: at last in his decrepite yeares, his strength so failes him, that he fals groveling againe upon all foure, and lyes bed-rid. There might be another riddle propounded to us, and that a more mysticall one. What is that Creature, which was condemned ere it was borne? Which must bee twice borne, ere it can live? Which gets life by dying? Which lives by the life of another, not by it owne? Which cures all his owne diseases, with his owne teares? Which is of meane and poore parentage, yet Heire to a Crowne? Which hath the body on earth, and the head in heaven? Which can see an object that is invisible? Which though he be dust and ashes, is partaker of an Nature that cannot die, even God of Himselfe? As the former was a Man, so this is a Christian. First, condemned ere He was borne; because He was Psal. 51.5. conceived in sinne: Nor onely so; but Hee sinned in Adam, and for that was justly condemned in the beginning of the world, though hee dye not till toward the end of the world. Secondly, borne twice ere hee can live: for Ioh. 3.3. Except a man bee borne againe, hee cannot enter into the Kingdome of Heaven. If he be not regenerate, he does not live in grace, without which there is nothing but death: for otherwise he is dead in sinnes and trespasses. Thirdly, he gets life by dying: By mortification and dying unto sinne, he gets vivification and living unto grace: yea, and by the death of his body, hee gets the life of glory. Fourthly, hee lives by anothers life, not by his owne. Ioh. 3.3. Now live not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life I live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Sonne of God. Fifthly, he cures all his diseases, by his owne teares; sinnes are our sickenesses; and the medicine that heales us of them, is the teares of repentance. Sixthly, he is of poore parentage, yet Heire to a Crowne. We are the children of sinfull Progenitors by nature, yet by Adoption in grace the Inheritors of a Kingdome. Rom. 8.17. Being Ioint-heires with Christ, Luk. 12.32. It is his Fathers will to give us the Kingdome. Seventhly, hee is a member of that body on earth, whose Head is in heaven: So we are members of the Church militant below, yet Christ is our Head triumphant above. Eightly, hee can see an object that is invisible: so it is expressely testified of Heb. 11.27. Moses. Ninthly, he is made partaker of a Nature that cannot dye, though hee be dust and ashes. We are mortall in the condition of our bodies, yet 2 Pet. 1.4. Partakers of the divine Nature by union with Christ. This is indeed a riddle to flesh and bloud, a paradox to meere humane capacity: the best candle in the Philosophers study could not give light enough to resolve it. Onely the Christian knowes it, and feeles it, and really verefies it. Such blessednes comes by the knowledge of Iesus Christ.

Of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ.] Thus farre I have spoken generally, now particularly. The Object of our knowledge is the Sonne of God; who is here set forth by foure attributes. First; Lord. Secondly, Saviour. Thirdly, Iesus. Fourthly, Christ. The first a Name of Dominion and Greatnesse: the next, of Compassion and Goodnesse: the third, the Name of his Nature, Iesus: the last, the Name of his Office, Christ. For the two latter, because I have elsewhere treated of them, and they may seeme to bee comprised under the two former: (For what is Iesus, but a Saviour? And what is Christ, but Anointed? Now Hee was anointed to bee a Priest, a Prophet, and a King; to all which, Lord, is appliable. Aaron was no lesse, though a Priest. My Lord Elias, sayes Elisha to him; yet Elias was but a Prophet. That it is ascribed to the King, no question; Our Lord the King. Every Lord is not a King; but every King is a Lord.) Therefore I reduce the foure into two; Lord and Saviour: and in both these relations wee must know Him, or not looke to be saved by Him. Not Lord onely, without Saviour; there is no comfort in that: Not Saviour onely without Lord; there is no manners in that. In the severing of them, we shall either forget his dignity, or our owne duety. There is a Pronoune that waits upon each of these Titles; an emphaticall one, and by no meanes to be omitted; Our. It is this Noster that does all the good, both in respect of Gods honour, and our owne happinesse. We acknowledge Him Our Lord; this tends to Gods glory: We beleeve Him to be Our Sauiour; this tends to our owne felicity. A Lord ungodly sinners confesse Him: A Saviour, the very Divels cannot deny Him. Yea, they goe farther; The Lord, and The Saviour; they both acknowledge Him: The Lord, the Lord of Lords; an absolute and independant Lord; that hath a dominion over the Princes of the earth, and principalities of hell: Kings and Emperours are his subjects: at his frowne they all tremble: Others doe not more feare them, than they doe feare Him. With his breath He can dissolve them to dust: and with one word, Discedite, cast them downe to torment. By Him they hold their Crownes, and must put them off when Hee cals for them. Crownes and heads too, are at his command. Psal. 110.1. The Lord said unto my Lord. The Lord; so farre a Reprobate may goe in his confession. So much honour hee will give unto Christ, as to call Him The Lord. But not, My Lord: this hee stickes at: for then his obedience and voluntary subjection must come in. The Lord let Him bee, but not My Lord at any hand. Many shall cry at the last day, Matth. 7.22. Lord, Lord; but there is no Noster put to it. The Lord He must needs be, but their Lord they cannot say He hath been. So The Saviour goes easily downe with them: Act. 4.12. For there is no other Name under Heaven whereby wee must be saved, than Iesus. This the Divels know to their vexation; that Hee hath, and doth, and will save millions, though they bee none of that number themselves. Salvator, they must acknowledge: but Noster, they despaire of. Indeed profane transgressors would faine, with the substantive Noune, joyne the possessive Pronoune; and with Salvator, couple Noster: Their Saviour they call Him, and theirs they would have Him. But they separate Dominus from Salvator, and so have right to neither. Both these Titles belong to the same Person: Dominus and Salvator is but one Christ. Those that God hath joyned together, let no man put asunder. Before I come to speake of these Titles in speciall, let me consider two observable things in them. First, the position or order. Secondly, the composition or juncture of them.

1. For order of placing them; Lord is set before Saviour; and with good reason. Let us not thinke him a Titular Lord, that hath some under him, and others above him: But one that commands in chiefe; Lord Paramount certainly. Now such a Lord is a Prince; and a Prince gives lawes, and those lawes must bee kept. Here let us pawse a while, and consider have wee kept the lawes of this Lord? We are his vassells; have we done what hee commanded vs? No such matter: nay, we have done the contrary: not onely passing by observantiam legis, but running into contemptum regis; yea into crimen laesae majestatis. We have left undone those things which we ought to have done, and wee have done those things which we ought not to have done. But what? Be the lawes of this Lord irrita Iura? Are they not obligatory? yes, as there be rewards promised to the observation, so there be punishments threatned to the transgression of them. Gal. 3.12. Gen. 2.17. Doe this and live: Do it not, and perish. These lawes we have not kept; not a man of us: What then should keepe us from perishing? If the law-giver were flexible, and might be wonne to remitte offences, either by mans intreaty, or his owne partiality, there were some hope of escaping that dismall sentence, But this Lord is just, even Iustice it selfe; and in justice can bate nothing of the penalty, but will see it executed to the full rigour. In what case are we now? Die we must, who should save us from it? Yes, yet there is comfort; for this Lord is also a Saviour. And well is it for us, that he is a Saviour: How desperate were our estate otherwise? But Lord first, that we may know ovr sinnes, and what we have deserved by them: This is no slight punishment, not a censure to bee bought out with money, nor an imprisonment to be worne out in time: But death, and this not a short one, where a man is not sixe minutes a dying: but an everlasting one, where a sinner lives a dying for ever: A death not of the body onely by some painefull violence, but of body and soule too by fiery torments. This is our doome for the breach of the law of our Lord: it is time now to seeke about for a Saviour; and blessed be God, we have one whom we looke for.

Therefore is Lord placed first, that wee might see in what neede we stand of a Saviour: And it is a right method, that humiliation should goe before comfort, and sorrow prepare us for joy. Among all Christs converts, none loved him dearer than Mary, the more bitter her penance, the sweeter her forgivenesse: and the greater her pardon, the stronger Luk. 7.47. her affection. Thus the law of our Lord, prepares us for the Gospell of our Saviour. The law is a glasse that shewes us our sinne, and the Gospell is a glasse that shewes us our remedy. There wee finde Christ a Lord, here wee finde him a Saviour: There pronouncing death against us, here suffering death for us: there presenting himselfe in his glorious Majesty, here in his gracious mercy. There as a Lion condemning the world for sinne, here Ioh. 1.29. The Lambe of God taking away the sinnes of the world. Psal. 50.22. Heare this ye that forget God, lest I teare you in peeces, and there be none to deliver you: There a terrible Lord. 1. Tim. 1.15. This is a true saying, that Iesus came into the world to save sinners: there a mercifull Saviour.

Thus this Title, Lord, calls upon us for repentance; as we call upon this Saviour for forgivenes. Me thinkes I see Sorrow sitting in the soule, destitute of all comforts; like a sicke man, given over by his physicians: They have ministred diverse medicines to him, and made many experiments upon him; and finding all to faile of wished effect, they even leave him to nature, to live or die at her pleasure. Such is the case of an humble and broken-hearted soule; that hath received the sentence of death in herselfe, and is condemned by the verdict of her owne conscience: She lookes to her riches, and finds that those bribes will not be taken: to her friends, and perceives them to be in as much danger as herselfe: to her old companions, carnall delights, the common refuge of melancholy sinners; and sees them running from her affrighted, like rattes from a house on fire. Pleasure, like Orpah, kisses indeed, but parts: onely griefe like Ruth, weepes for her, and tarries with her. No joy will downe, till there be hope of a pardon. During all this humiliation, and mourning, and running downe of teares, Christ shewes himselfe a severe Lord, exacting his debts to the full. But when she is througly mortified, then he changeth his forme and presents himselfe a Saviour to her: bids her looke upon his Crosse, and there find all her debts discharged, and her selfe acquited for ever. Woe to them that come to the sight of their sinnes without this Saviour: for that is as if a man should waken out of a melancholy dreame in the darke: there is no sparke of comfort. Ioh. 16.22. But I will see you againe, and your heart shall rejoyce, and your joy no man can take from you. In the comming of Iesus there is joy, unspeakable joy; which neither the world can give, nor can the world take away.

2. For the union or conjunction of them; both are combined in one Person. In Lord, Greatnes: in Saviour, Goodnes: both make but one Christ. Will to save, quia Salvator: Power to save, quia Dominus; both are concentred in one Iesus: There may be a Lord, which is no Saviour: but there can be no Saviour, which is not Lord. Power without will, is an unkind ablenes: will without power, is an unable kindnes. Both together in one man, is for the honour of him that hath them, and for the good of such as need them. If Christ had not bene Lord, he could not: if not a Saviour, he would not have satisfied for our sinnes. If not Lord, and such a Lord as was Dominus dominantium, even the infinite God; he could not have payed a ransome that must be of infinite value, or els not, passe currant for our redemption. If not a mercifull Saviour, he would never have submitted himselfe to such a condition, as to take on him our nature; and in that nature to suffer such torments as meere man could not have endured. It was a wonder that he made us: more, that he made himselfe for us: but most of all, that he unmade himselfe, that he dyed to save us. He not onely made man for himselfe, but he made himselfe man for man. The maker was Lord, the creature man: two natures are united in one Person: so the Sonne of God is Lord and Saviour. In the one nature, we contemplate his Dominion: in assuming the other, his Compassion: in both we find our Salvation.

As Lord, he could not die for us; as man he might: As man, he could not satisfie for us; as God he might: He must be both, or no Saviour. In his death, his Lordship concealed it selfe: Many of his servants, the Martyrs, seemed to have more chearfulnes in their death, than their Lord had in his. They were knowen to be men, therfore had the strength of God: Christ was God, therfore left like a man. They did more than men, because they were filled with the power and Spirit of God: Christ declared himselfe to be God, in doing the workes of omnipotent God: therfore he was also declared to be man, in the weaknesses of men. Those fluenta gratiae were alwayes at high tyde in him: yet he seemed both partly to his owne sense, and to the senses of the beholders, a forlorne creature. This caused him to cry, My God, why hast thou forsaken me? Matth. 26.38. Naturall affection in him cryed, My God: sensible, Why hast thou forsaken me? Not that these two, Lord and Saviour, could then part: God and man could not bee sundred. In the extremity of all his sorrowes, his manhood did not lose the union, but the vision of his Godhead. His soule, by the union of the Deity, had a glorious state: though by the union with his body, it was full of anguish. As there is no contrariety betweene the hate of one thing, and love of another: betweene the ignorance of one thing, and knowledge of another: so nor between the sorrow of Christs soule for our sinne, and the joy of that soule in the vision of God. Our sinnes upon Christ, were not in their proper element; therefore He felt them in their weight and heavinesse: for Suo loco nullum elementum ponderat. But as the shadow of the earth obscures the Moone, so did the worlds sinne darken Christs soule.

When He was to act the Saviours part, Hee did not lay by the Lord quite: for the Manhood could never have borne those unspeakeable torments, but for the supportation of the Deity. But the Lord did hide Himselfe from the Manhood, during the sad time of that expiation: so that it might say with Mary, Iohn 20.13. They have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they laid Him, nor what is become of Him. They were then, and are still, united in one Person: distinguish them we may, divided they can never bee. Neither must wee fixe our mindes upon Lord onely, without Saviour; which is the way to desperation: Nor upon Saviour onely, without Lord; which is the way to presumption. Dejected sinners thinke upon Lord onely, and leave out Saviour: Profane sinners thinke upon Saviour onely, and forget their Lord. The one without the other, is but halfe a Iesus: and wee must rely upon a whole one, that is both Lord and Saviour. Esay 43.25. I am hee that for mine owne sake will blotte out thy transgressions. Cum propter neminem, cum propter nihil, as thou art a just Lord; yet propter teipsum dimittis peccata, as thou art a mercifull Saviour. This Lord as He is God, satisfied Himselfe in that capacity as Hee is man, for the sinnes of all Beleevers. Therefore Lord, Noli ita attendere peccatum meum, ut propterea obliviscaris nomen tuum. Doe not so remember thy selfe to be a Lord over me, as to forget to be a Saviour unto me: Nor let me so remember thee to be a Saviour unto me, as to forget that thou art Lord over me. But as thou art both these in one infinite Person; so bee thou both to my soule, in thy mighty power, and mercifull salvation. I come to the Particulars.

1. Hee is Lord, not onely as God, Quatenus Christus. Matth. 28.18. All power is given unto Him in heaven and earth. Kings may talke of their large Territories, but what command have they in heaven? Christ is Lord of heaven too. In heaven and earth He is Lord, but hath He no power on the sea? Is that priviledged or exempted from his dominion? No, Psal. 135.6. he doeth what he pleaseth in heaven, earth, in the seas and all deepe places. Princes are potent, but yet they cannot doe all they would: this Lord can. Heaven, earth, and sea are his; but is Hell or the grave excluded? No, Reu. 1.1.8. he hath the keyes of hell and of death: even thither his Lordship reaches. To Phil. 2.11. Him must all knees bow, and all tongues confesse that he is the Lord. All must confesse it, either from the depth of their heart, or from the heart of the deepe. Saints and Angels doe, in excelsis: devills and reprobates doe, in profundis: and shall mortall sinners in the middle way deny it? No, acknowledged he will be, either on earth with comfort, or in hell with torments: Here chearfully, or there upon the racke: Either they shall joyfully sing out, or painefully rore out this confession. He is the lambe of God, the Saviour of the world, yet take heed of Psal. 2.12. angring him: for if his wrath be kindled, yea but a litle, how soone doe men perish? But blessed are they that trust in him. If he be angred, there is no escaping his hands as he is a Lord; but by running into his armes as he is a Saviour. Heb. 12.29. Our God is a consuming fire: as he is a wall of fire about them that serve him, so a consuming fire against those that provoke him. Psal. 90.11. When he is angry, all our dayes are gone. With one word, let there be a world: nay with one thought of this Lord cast toward it, (for his speaking in the creation was but a thinking) he made all of nothing: and can be not reduce all to nothing, if he will? Is not the recalling of that word, the withdrawing of that thought, in the sequestring of his providence, enough to annihilate them? Shall ants, and bees, or lyons contest with their maker? Shall any one rationall ant, (the wisest philosopher is no more) or any roring lyon, (the most ambitious and devouring Prince is no more) or any hive of bees, (the most politicke Counsells and Parliaments are no more, in respect of him) presume to stand without him? What are armies on the land, if this Lord be not their Generall? What are navies on the sea; if he bee not their Pilot?

When this Lord is angry, he shall but need Sibilare muscam, to hisse or whisper for the flie, for the waspe or hornet. Nay he shall not need to whisper for them abroad, or to call in forraine enemies: for we have locusts enow at home; swarmes of conkers and caterpillars to devoure us. Nay, we will devoure one another, when he sets us together by the aares. As this Lord is impartiall, so are his Iudgments: there is no respect of persons with him, whether in his favour or his anger. Psal. 68.21. He will wound the hairy scalpe of him that goeth on in his wickednesse. Be it bald or hairy, it is no defense against the blowes of the Almighty. No head-piece, but Eph. 6.17. the helmet of salvation, can ward his blowes. He can breake the covered, as well as the naked head; wound the armed, as easily as the bare brest. The mitred, and the Turband, and the crowned head, that lifts up it selfe against Christ, lies as open to his Iudgments, as his that must not put on his hatte, as his that hath no a hatte to put on. We know by wofull and bleeding experience, that he can call up dampes and vapours from below, and powre downe putrid defluxions from above, and bid them meete and condense into a plague: And that such a plague, as shall not onely be uncurable, but unquestionable: both inexorable, and indisputable: It shall not onely not admit a remedie when it is come, but not give a reason how it did come. The cause could not be found out by the most learned physicians, the effect was felt by the labouring patients. O happy they that found him their Saviour; that though their bodies were cut off by burning fevers from the earth, yet their soules might escape the the burning flames of hell.

Lord therefore let us acknowledge him; for it will goe wrong with us, when we shall be driven to complaine, Esa. 26.13. Other Lords have had dominion over us. Tyrans are cruell Lords, and woe to the people under such an authoritie: For there it is crime enough to be innocent, where the Tyran is pleased to interpret innocencie for a crime. Sinnes are worse Lords within us, than those tyrans without us: Our goods, possessions, and lives are under the command of those oppressors; but sinne is an usurper over our soules. Satan is a bloudy Lord: he is so farre from mercie in killing, that he would not give a man leave to pray for mercie ere he must die. These be cursed dominions: from such Lords this Lord of heaven and earth evermore deliver us.

2. Saviour; this comes well after Lord: there is small comfort in that Title, till Saviour be put to it. Esa. 45.21. Hos. 13.4. There is no Saviour but Hee: no Name but Iesus carries any salvation in it. The Prophets foretold it, the Evangelists demonstrate it, the Apostles preached it, the better part of the world received it, and all they beleeve it, that shall be saved. He came to save, and what did he refuse to doe or suffer, that he might save? 1. Cor. 9.22. Omnibus omnia factus, was more true of the Master, than of the servant: Pauper pauperibus, divitibus dives. Lazarus so poore that he begged crummes; Christ then in his povertie, sent him to heaven by his Angels. Zaccheus rich, and gave the poore a large contribution: Christ was richer than hee, and gave him Luk. 19.9. salvation. Esurientibus esuriens sitientibus sitiens. The Disciples were hungry in the field, their Lord in the wildernes. The Samaritan woman thirsts, and Christ thirsts too: they both meete at Iacobs well. The Apostles feast, and he feasts with them: Mary weepes for the losse of her brother, and Iesus weepes too. Hee is the doore to them that would enter, the way to them that would walke, a light to them that would come out of darknes; bread to the hungry soule, and wine to the thirsty. All his actions shewed him to be a Saviour, his passion proved it. When he first shone forth into the world, like the Sunne at his first rising, he drew all eyes afther him: His miraculous cures drew patients, his Divine oracles drew auditors: both together drew the admiring multitude after him by troupes. They followed him as a Saviour, through desarts and mountaines, over land and seas. All his actions were so many characters, out of which the simplest capacitie might spell a Saviour. But at his death, he wrote a letter of love to us in his owne bloud: the Crosse being the paper, the speare his penne, his bloud the inke, and the contents, 1. Tim. 1.15. Iesus Christ came into the world to save sinners. Hee came into the world to save sinners, yea and he went out of the world to save sinners. His comming in was but the purpose, his going out, and so going out was the performance. Hee meant it when he came in, but hee dispatched it as he went out. All his life was a furtherance, but his death did the deed: that saved us. His resurrection crowned the deed; Rom. 4.25. He was raised againe for our justification. His ascension crowned that; for then Eph. 4.8. he led captivitie captive: His glory and Session in Heaven crownes all: and so crownes him, that Reu. 4.10. all crownes are cast downe before him. Thus his death was the crowne of his enterprise, his resurrection the crowne of his death, his Ascension the crowne of his resurrection, his sitting at the right hand of his Father, the crowne of his ascension; and all these make up a crowne for us: Through all these Iournals we may read him a Iesus, and that.

3. Our Saviour; which is the next point. Our, both Lord and Saviour, and both together. It was not so Stylo veteri: in the law it was Dominus Deus, Exod. 20.2. the Lord our God: but Christ hath changed it, and made it Stylo novo, Dominus Salvator, The Lord our Saviour. Salvator stands in stead of Deus; to shew that in Christ Deus is become Salvator. It mends the terme, and it mends the matter much; that a just God is become a mercifull Saviour. We are bound to Christ, for making such an alteration in God Style, to our unspeakable comfort. Yet were all this nothing (something indeed in it selfe, but nothing) to us, without this Noster. This is that pronoune, which like a pipe derives the water of life out of that infinite fountaine, into our particular cisternes; that appropriates both Lord and Saviour to us. That hand of faith, which with a holy violence seiseth upon Christ, as he lies in the bosome of his Father, and chalengeth him for Our owne: He is My Saviour. Without this Noster, Dominus and Salvator, and all were lost to us; and we no better than if they had never bene. There in no true and full comfort but in heaven, no comfort in heaven without God, no comfort in God without a Saviour, no comfort in a Saviour without Noster: if he be not our Saviour, comfort is farre from us. This gives us a proprietie and interest in them all; and not onely in them, but in all theirs. For if this Lord and Saviour be ours, he is our Brother: if so, then are we the sonnes of his Father: and if that, his Fathers estate cannot be kept from us: Every one must have a childs part: and this part we shall have, yea and more than a part: Luk. 15.31. Sonne all that I have is thine. If he be ours, all that he hath is ours; and what can we wish more, than all that God hath, all that ever he is worth? The most vast desire wlll be satisfied with this. If he be a Lord, and a Saviour too, then what the Saviour hath got, the Lord will keepe. Ioh. 10.28. No man can plucke my sheepe out of my hands. David redeemed a sheepe out of the paw of the Lion; yet that sheepe might be lost againe: there was a time, when David might be absent, when David must be a-sleepe. But Christ is never absent from us; Mat. 28.20. (I am with you alway, to the worlds end) never a sleepe; Psal. 121.4. (the keeper of Israel never slumbers. That roaring Lion may goe about, and seeke: but he can never find either time or place, when Christ is absent from his: Vt nec superare Christum, sic nec separare a Christo, unquam potest. Which may well raise up our dejected spirits from the deepest consternation, to a holy chearfulnesse and peacefull alacritie; that Rom. 8.39. nothing can separate us from the love of God in Iesus Christ our Lord. As he is Iesus, to save what was lost: so he is Lord also, to keepe what is saved.

4. This makes to our everlasting comfort: for as Lord and Saviour are united in one Person, so in no action they are divided. So that the Lord does nothing to his Church without the Saviour, nor the Saviour without the Lord. We are not put upon the law whereof the Lord is Iudge, without libertie to appeale unto the Chancerie, where the Saviour sittes Iudge. We may fall into bitter afflictions, and into the sorrow of all sorrowes, the perturbation of conscience; and thinke that this is the Lords doing onely, as if the Saviour had no hand in it: but these two never part. Diverse men may doe diverse things, but one Person can doe no action without himselfe. Christ is Lord of all that thou hast or art; and the Proprietary may doe what hee will with his owne: Give, or let, or set, or sell. So thy disconsolate heart may suspect, that hee hath sold thee to sinne, to sadnesse, to sicknesse, to error; which be the Midianite merchants that buy up our Iosephs, our soules. But this Saviour will never so devest his dominion, or deface his Lordship, as not to reserve a power and will in himselfe to redeeme thee, if thou wouldst be redeemed. Our Lord may lend us out, and that even to Satan for a while: who will put us to drudgerie enough, and presse us to his owne warres, to fight against our friends and allies: as he hires souldiers out of England unto the Romish partie, to fight against their owne countrey, and (which is worse) sometime against their owne conscience. Thus Paul was lent out to the Scribes and Pharisees, to serve them in their persecutions: wherein he pursued those members of Christ to the death, for whom afterwards he willingly lost his life: So our Lord may lend us out. He may let us out for a time, to those that will use us as farmers doe their grounds; plough us, and harrow us, and get the heart out of us, by their injuries and oppressions; and reserve himselfe but a little rent, a little glory in our patience. Thus he did let out Iob, to all the losses and crosses, to all the sores and sorrowes, that the devill could bring upon him: So our Lord may let us out. He may mortgage us to a long sicknesse, that will drinke up our bloud, and wast our marrow; or to a shorter but sharper extremitie. Either to a three yeares famine, or to a three moneths invasive hostilitie, or to a three dayes pestilence: thus he mortgaged David and Hezekiah, two Kings and Saints: So he may mortgage us out. Our Lord may lease us out for certaine yeares, almost all the time we have in this world; and reserve himselfe onely a last yeare, a last day, a last houre; suffer us to continue in unrepented sinnes, till we come to our death-beds, and then reclaime us. Thus Hee did lease out that Theefe till hee came to the very Crosse: and then Satans time in him was expired, and Christs reversion came in: So our Lord may lease us out. But howsoever He may seeme to make over his present estate, Hee will not sell reversions: Though wee have long been sinners, He will not sell his future Title to us. Whensoever wee shall grow due to Him, by a new and true repentance, Hee will challenge his owne, and re-assume us into his favour, and re-enter us into his revenue. Our Lord will not part with us, our Saviour will not lose us, nor shall we lose Him for ever.

This Hee hath done for us, but now is there nothing to bee done for Him? Doth He require no duty at our hands? Yes, if Hee be our Lord, we have cause Mal. 1.6. to feare Him: if our Saviour, we are bound to 1 Cor. 16.22. love Him. Yea, we must doe both, and in both respects; Psal. 116.1. Love Him as our Lord, and feare Him as our Saviour. So Peter professed to love Him, and by that very Name; Iohn 21.15. Lord thou knowest that I love thee. He is to be feared, even as a Saviour; Psal. 130.4. With thee there is forgivenesse that thou mayest be feared. Though thy friend be never so kind and loving, and apt to remit offences; yet thou hast no ingenuous nature in thee, if thou doest not feare to displease Him. There is a love that casteth out feare, and there is a feare that casteth out love. Hearty love banisheth all base feare, and servile feare will be without hearty love. These duetyes I might more liberally commend to your practise, but I come to that which I take to bee more apposite. These two Titles more especially exact two other offices from us; Service and Faith. If He be our Lord, we are bound to serve Him: if our Saviour, to beleeve in Him. Whom will a man serve sooner than a gracious Lord and Master? Whom will he trust sooner, than a mighty Friend and Saviour? As He is our Lord then, He lookes for our obedience: as our Saviour, Hee deserves our confidence. Hee is both our Saviour, Clementia, mercifull to save us: and our Lord, Disciplina, just to rule us.

1. Obedience must bee given to this Lord; which He respects more than Sacrifice: Greg. mor. Lib. 35. Quia in victimis caro aliena,, per obedientiam voluntas propria mactatur. Bethanie is said to signifie the house of obedience: there dwelt Mary, and Martha, and Lazarus; the brother and his two sisters. By Lazarus wee may understand humble devotion, by Martha charitable workes, and by Mary penitent teares: but all these must dwell in Bethanie, in obedience, or else Christ will not come unto them, nor shall they come unto Christ. Humility, diligence, and repentance must keepe in Bethanie, and not looke to bee accepted without obedience. There Christ Iohn 11.5. loves them all: out of that place it is to be doubted that they shall not finde such a gracious respect from Him. Right obedience doth not regard Quale sit quod praecipitur; but contents it selfe with this; Quia praecipitur. Psal. 39.9. David was dumbe, because the Lord did it: so let there be no dispute, because the Lord bad it. No grumbling at hard precepts, when we know the Commander. Hee that would rather have the command suted to the pleasure of his obedience, than conforme his obedience to the pleasure of the Commander, shewes himselfe more a Lord than a servant. So Solon being asked whether he had given the Athenians the best lawes; answered, yea, the best of them that they would admitte. When wee looke that the Lord should observe our humours in his Injunctions, rather than we yeeld to his Will in our pliablenesse, doe we call this obedience? No, but My heart is ready, saies David: he is the better servant, Bern. de praecept. & dispens. Qui paratum se exhibet ante mandatum, quàm qui obedire satagit post mandatum. The same Father sets downe this for a rule: In difficult precepts, the obedience is more acceptable, than the neglect is damnable: but in light commands, the omission is more damnable, than the performance could be acceptable. We have a saying; He is unfit to be a Master, that hath not first learned to serve. Some thinke they know the art of obedience without any direction, and will undertake to teach, rather than to learne: Nec se egere putant magistro, nec idonei sunt magisterio. But Christ Himselfe was Phil 2.9. factus obediens, before He was advanced to the honour of exaltation. Heb. 5.8. Though He were a Sonne, He became a Servant.

Our service is required; for if there be none to serve Him, where is his Lordship? But Hee hath many: even Kings and Princes have thought it there greatest honour, to be this Lord’s servants: and valued this Title above their Crownes. Christianus tertius, Rex Christianisssmus, King of Denmarke, did alwayes use to confesse his sinnes to one of Christs Ministers on his bended knees: and without regard to matter of State or Soveraignty, desired absolution in all humility: at which the preciser spirits of that reformed Church stormed: What, no difference betwixt a King and a Subject? Will he bring in Popery againe by his owne example? Hee unmoved replies, that hee ought this honour to God, and hee would duely pay it: that he must forget himselfe to be a King, when he comes before the King of Kings: that hee presented himselfe, not as a princely Commander, but as a miserable sinner: and was absolved, not of man, but of God. The feare of Popery must not supplant piety: wee plie our prayers, though wee doe it without beads: In stead of a superstitious bead, we let fall a teare. Wee relieve the poore with our goods, though we abhorre the opinion of merits. Wee come into the temple with reverence and devotion, though not with a ridiculous gesture and superstition. Wee have our publike, and personall fasts; wherein wee abstaine from all sustenance: not as they, who refraine from flesh, and feed on junkers; wherewith their owne flesh is more pamper’d: what is this, but (as it were) to coozen God almighty? We preserve Chastity, though wee honour Matrimony. They are likely to bee more honest men, that have wives; than they that without wedlocke have their choice of Strumpets. Blessed be God, we are freed from the papall tyranny, but not from the excercise of vertue. They that live among us otherwise, Exuerunt quidem Antichristi lora, sed induerunt Satanae compedes: have shaken off the Popes cords and put on the Divels fetters. Our Saviour then hath not priviledged us from obedience to our Lord: nay, by this we know Him to be our Saviour. if as to our Lord, wee give Him all our service.

2. Our Saviour requires faith; He was therefore sent, that we should Iohn 3.16. beleeve in Him. As Alexander used to say of his two friends, Craterus and Hephestion; that Hephestion loved Alexander, and Craterus loved the King: yet they were both but one man: So obedience gives respect to our Lord, and faith gives respect to our Saviour; yet both looke to one and the same Christ. This is the tenure we hold Him by, Faith: and without this tenure, He is no Saviour of ours. His tenure of us is manifold, ours of Him but single. We are his divers waies; by Creation, his Workemanship, because Hee made us: by Redemption, his Purchase, because He bought us: by Vocation, his Family, because He hath admitted us: by Sanctification, his Inheritance, because Hee possesseth us: by Glorification, we shall be of his Court, because He will crowne us: every way his. He is but one way ours, onely by Faith. This being then our Tenure, and (as Saint Paul cals it) our Heb. 11.1. Evidence; it behooves us to looke well unto it. What doth our blessed Saviour require of us, for all his infinite favour to us? For all his bloud, and pangs, and torment, to redeeme us? For all his merits to enrich us? For all his graces, to adorne and honour us? For all his glory, wherewith He purposeth to crowne us? What doe He aske at our hands? No more but to beleeve on Him: It is a very easie request: wee can doe little, if wee cannot put our trust in Him, whom we have found so good unto us. It is a duety, Chrys. in Matth. 25. Quod nuda paupertas, despecta mediocritas, indocta simplicitas facile implere potest. Here is no wearying of the bones with labour, nor breaking of the braines with study, nor distraction of the minde with difficulty, nor emptying the purse of money: no more but onely beleeve. Thou needest not spend thy dayes in travell by land or sea; as men doe to the West Indies for Gold, and to the East for Spices. Quod à te, & pro te reposcitur, intra te est: with the heart a man beleeves. God hath laid up the meanes of thy salvation within thine owne bosome: Vt undè peccatum egreditur, indè & peccati medicina peteretur.

There be some that seeke it without them, in their good workes: these thinke, they can keepe the Lawes of the Lord, and never bee beholding to this Saviour. They would goe the old and naturall way to worke, Quid faciam? Matth. 19.16. What shall I doe to inherite eternall life? They would walke, and worke, before they bee alive. They suppose, they shall not bee welcome, except they come with their cost. They would accept of a pardon, if they might pay for it. But Christ scornes a mercinary beneficence: his gifts are free: He bids thee come and buy without money; or else He sayes, Thou and thy money perish. Did Christ indent with Zaccheus for restitution and almes? Or Paul bid the Iaylor first repent, and doe good workes, and then beleeve? I deny not that good workes are necessary; as being Fructus fidei, Effectus gratiae, & praecursores gloriae; the followers of grace, and the forerunners of glory. But when the strict Iustice of the Lord shall putte them in the ballance, they will be found too light: put in faith to them, and that makes them up full weight: for faiths sake they are accepted, not for themselves. It is reported that in times of blinde Popery, they used to paint Doomesday on Church-wals, and God sitting in Iudgement, and Saint Michael by Him, with a paire of scales in his hand, to weigh the soules as they came up. The soule, and her good deeds were put in one ballance: her sinnes and evill deeds in the other; but the soule proved farre too light. Then was our Lady painted with a great paire of beads, casting them into the light ballance, to make up the weight. That was a blasphemous fiction: but indeed, if our good workes bee put in one scale, and our evill deeds in the other; this latter will much overpoise the former: but heere put in faith, and this makes it up: Not by it owne worth or weight, but because it brings with it Christ, and all his righteousnesse: and puts in, not the mothers beads, but the Sonnes merits. This is that faith which makes Him our Saviour; and this that Iesus which makes us all acceptable to God the Father, through the Sanctification of the holy Ghost our Comforter.

To whom be glory both now and for ever.] Christ is the Center: Grace from Him, Glory to Him. Blessings come from Him, like so many lines from the Center to the Circumference: Praises returne to Him, like so many lines from the Circumference to the Center. The former part of the Verse was a Benediction from heaven to the earth: this latter, a benediction from earth to heaven. That was a gracious discent, this a glorious ascent: Grace comes downe, Glory goes up. That was a contribution of benefits, this a retribution of thankes. In that appeared Christs bounty, in this mans duety. Crescite in gratia; that is Gods good will to us; Tibi sit Gloria; that is our good will to God. Hee hath given us all the happinesse we have, and wee will give Him all the honour we can. They are unworthy of any favour, that doe not thanke their Benefactor. So our Apostle begins, and ends: hee begins with Grace from Him: Chap. 1.2. he concludes with Glory to Him. As He is Alpha, the Fountaine from which our Grace springs: so Omega, the sea to which all Glory runnes. Primus, in the course of our blessednesse: and Novissimus, in the recourse of our thankefulnesse. Wee could never have been, much lesse have been happy, but by Him: Hee can bee never the more glorious for us: yet Hee takes our gratitude in good part when wee give it, because Hee sees we would give more if we had it.

To him be glory: so St. Peter shuts up his Epistle: to him, and him onely. Who can but wonder at the superstitious impietie, and audacious presumption of the Romanists, in joyning another with him? So Bellarmine shuts up his controversiall disputes; and Tolet his commentary upon the Epistle to the Romanes, with Laus Deo omnipotenti, & gloriosissimae ejus Matri. So Pererius concludes, Laus Deo, & Dei Genetrici, Mariae semper virgini: If we should argue with them in cold bloud. First, Did any of the Apostles thus conclude their Epistles! Doubtlesse, they all honoured the virgin Mary; yet they durst not give her the Divine glorie. Our Apostles doctrine is, 1. Pet. 4.11. If any man speake, let him speake as the oracles of God. To joyne the Mother with the Sonne, in our prayers and praises, is not to speake like the oracles of God. The Apostles did not speake so, and yet they spake the oracles of God. They spake by the Spirit: but by what spirit doe they speake, and according to what oracle of God, that divide his glory with another? Secondly, Though she were the most excellent and most blessed creature on earth; yet she is but a creature: and no creature must share the glory of the creator. My glory, saith God, I will not give to another: and if to no other, then not to his owne mother. And if he will not give it, nor allow it; how dare we give it; without his allowance? When Christ was borne, the Angels sung, Gloria in altissimis; to his Father above, not to his Mother below. Our blessed Saviour, as foreseeing this superstition, and on purpose to prevent this inconvenience, thrice spake home against it. Luk. 2.49. How is it that you sought me? roundly telling her, that she hath forgot herselfe in prescribing him. To the woman that sayd, Luk. 11.27. Blessed is the wombe that bare thee, he answered, Yea rather blessed are they that heare the word of God and keepe it. As if he would anticipate her conceit of that externall priviledge. She is still a blessed creature, but not a Goddesse in being Mother of the Creator. Mat. 12.50. He that doth my Fathers will, is my brother, and mother: There he ranketh her with other beleevers: His brother in the faith is as deare to him as his mother in the flesh. Thirdly, Did the virgin Marie indict the matter they wrote? Did she inspire their minds, or direct their pennes? Why then, to her the glory? We never read that Christ did make her a partner in the Deitie: or proffer her, as Ahasuerus did Hester, or Mar. 6.23. Herod his daughter in law, the halfe of his kingdome. The whole kingdome of glory is hers, and the whole glory of the kingdome: for that is Tantum singulis, quantum omnibus: But Christ hath another glory, proper to himselfe, and not communicable to any creature: no Saint, nor Angel must be partner with him in this. Let this shew them, how they incurre the wrath of the Sonne, by the rivalitie of the mother: and therfore leave deifying the mother, and cleave onely to the Sonne;

To him be glory.] In the words, which are generally a retribution of praise, there be fixe particulars; Quid, Cui, Vnde, Quomodo, Quando, and Quousque.

1. Quid, what must be given; Glory: not a slight acknowledgement, but a franke and full payment: the best thing that man can give, and God can receive, Glory.

2. Cui, to whom this glory is due; To him, that is Christ: Not to the holyest or highest creature, but to the Lord and Saviour: and good reason. First in regard of his bountie: he gives grace, and all good things; therfore deserves thankes and glory. Next, in regard of his former humilitie: he that stooped so low for us, should be highly advanced by us: so he deserves glory.