2 Peter 3:18 (part 5 of 5)

1. The heart must begin this holy song. Psal. 68.26. Blesse the Lord from the ground of the heart: Eph. 5.19. Make melodie in your hearts to the Lord. Otherwise we shall but set forth his prayses, as ignorant Papists say their Latine prayers; their hearts not knowing what their tongue utters. Psal. 47 7. Sing ye praises with understanding. The heart beares the inner part, and if that be left out, 1. Cor. 14.14. it disgraceth the musicke. There may be parata cithara, and parata lingua, and parata manus, and paratum canticum: but if there be not Paratum Cor, no harmonie. The heart is a little man within: therfore Peter calls it, 1. Pet. 3.4. the man of the heart. There is the hidden heart of a man, and the hidden man of the heart. The former is so hidden, that it cannot be seene: the other will be seene, though it be hidden. The heart lies close in the body, there is no window into it. It may professe holynesse, and be beleeved, because it cannot be discerned: but the man that is the Master of his owne heart, will make demonstration of his integritie, by good actions. Ier. 17.9. The heart of man is deceitfull, but the man of the heart scornes to dissemble. It is not Cor hominis, but homo cordis, that does the deed, in giving Christ his glory. Indeed, grace is the heart of the heart: and a heart without grace is no better than a man without a heart. Nature hath given us an heart, but grace gives a heart to that heart, which makes it a heart indeed. It is Cor cordis, and animae anima. Therfore Sursum cordae; that is ever the cliffe, or first note in the song of praise. Luk. 1.46. My soule doth magnifie the Lord: the soule ever leads. The tongue is not enough, that organ would sound but harshly, unles the affection of the soule doe give it breath, and the understanding of the soule keepe it in tune. Mark. 7.6. They honour God with their lippes, but their heart is farre from him: but-no heart, no harmonie. The lippes, hands, and feete may be in motion: but if the heart be not amongst them, to regulate their motion, there will be nothing but discord and confusion. Let a deafe stranger, who never saw that sportive excercise before, passe by men as they are a dancing; and because, he heares none of their musicke, he will thinke them mad. When Christ heares us talking of him, or spending our discourse upon his creatures, without a heart desirous of his glory, he knowes us for meere hypocrites. The Virgins that presse to the wedding, and leave the bride behind them, shall never be welcome to the Bridegroome: Vbi sponsa mea? will be his first question. If the bride of Christ, our heart or soule be absent in his solemne services, there is no entertainement for us. Devotion that hath not deeper roote than the lippes, is like that unprosperous corne sowne in the high wayes. Diverse great warriours, dying in forraine countreys, have yet sent their hearts home to be buried: Let us send our hearts up into heaven, whatsoever becomes of our bodies.

2. The tongue followes with her part; the onely vocall Instrument in the consort of man. The heart is primum mobile, and that sets this wheele a going. Psal. 116.10. I beleeved, and therfore I spake: if the heart beleeves, presently the tongue confesses. Psal. 45.1. My heart is inditing of a good matter, my tongue is the pen of a ready writer. To sing the praises of the heavenly king, is a good matter indeed: the ditty is honourable: no sooner can the heart pricke the notes, than the tongue is ready to sing them. It can sing at first sight, yea it can sing by heart. The heart is the most noble part, but not the most able part of man: it hath an affective, not an effective power. Yet as a king, whose bodily constitution is but weake, can move great armies by his authoritie: so the heart hath command over the strongest members of the body. And as a king cannot subsist, but by his subjects: so nor can the heart doe any thing, but by those instruments. The heart then hath need of the tongue for an Interpreter: loose that colt, and let it goe for the Lord hath need of it: but let it not goe without a bridle. God will not heare the tongue, but by the heart: as man cannot heare the heart, but by the tongue. The praises of Christ conceived in the heart, without the utterance of the tongue, are still-borne; they never live to speake. Why is our tongue called our Psal. 108.1. Glory, but for the setting forth of Gods glory? It doth not service enough by calling upon God in our private praiers: Psal. 51.15. Open thou my lippes and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise: Hee hath not opened our lippes, that our mouth might shew Him his praise, but that it might shew forth his praise. Solitude is not much better than a grave: Lord, in the grave no man shall praise thee: and in a wall, in an Hermitage, in a separation from all society, no man shall heare us praise thee. What holy use is there of our tongues, but to confesse our sinnes, to informe our brethren, and in all to praise our Maker? Luke 11.14. But there is a dumbe Devill that possesseth the world, and stoppes the mouthes of men from those usefull and necessary services. It is no small honour, whereof that malicious Spirit shall robbe his Maker, if he can close up the mouth of his onely rationall and vocall Creature: and turne the best of his workemanship into a dumbe Idoll, that hath a mouth and speakes not.

Praise is not more necessary than complaint; praise of God, than complaint of our selves: yea, in complaining of our selves, we doe no lesse than give praise to God. Iosh. 7.19. There needed no other evidence against Achan, when God had accused him: yet as the sinne was hatched in his heart, so Ioshua will have it out of his mouth: Give Glory to God. As his honour is blemished by our sinne, so the humble confession of our sinne makes to his Glory. The onely amends wee can make to God, when wee have not had the grace to avoid sinne, is to confesse the sinne we have not avoided. Ier. 3.13. I am mercifull, saith the Lord: Onely acknowledge thine iniquity: as if Hee asked no more. This is the spunge that wipes out all the blurres of our lives. 1 Iohn 1.9. If we confesse, Hee is faithfull to forgive. There is no way to purge the sicke soule, but upwards; by casting up the vicious humours wherewith it is clogged. Therefore the Divell strives to hold the lippes close, that the soule may not disburden it selfe by confession. We have a tongue for God, when wee praise his Name; Psal. 32.3, 4, 5. a tongue for our selves, when wee pray and confesse our sinnes: a tongue for our brethren, when wee informe them in the truth. To faile in these dueties, is to yeeld to the dumbe Divell. Where doe we not finde that accursed Spirit? He is in the conversation of men, when the tongue belies the heart, flatters the guilty, and forbeares repróofes even in the foulest crimes. When the partiall Iudge determines not for trueth and innocency, that dumbe Devill is on the bench. When the Preacher shall humour the times, and adulterate the message of God, that dumbe Divell is in the Pulpit. When the irreligious Iuror dares lend an oath to feare, to hope, to gaine, he is at the Barre. When the consciencelesse Chapman shall for his penny, sell his trueth and his soule, he is in the market. Where is the Glory of Christ all this while? In that wee are dumbe: but take us to any thing else, and wee have winde at will, and tongue enough. Christ opened his mouth for us, Father forgive them: yea, He opened his side for us, his very bloud did speake, Father forgive them: and shall wee be dumbe in his praise? It is an easie labour to speake: for our selves wee can talke fast enough: and are wee tongue-tyed when it comes to the point of Christs Glory? No, Psal. 71.24. My lippes shall rejoyce when I sing of thee, my tongue shall talke of thy righteousnesse all the day long.

3. The hand must not bee left out; in our words men heare his Glory, but in our good workes they see it. Then doth our Light shine indeed, when Mat. 5.16. Men see our good workes, and thereby glorifie our heavenly Father. This is a full evidence: all the Sermons of Christ did not move the people so much, as his miraculous workes. Healing diseases, ejecting divels, over-ruling elements, raising the dead; these workes convinced them, and they went away glorifying God: Wee never saw it on this fashion. Mat. 6.1. And when He forbids us the doing of such workes to be seene of men; Non prohibet videri, ut Deus laudetur; sed videri, ut nos laudemur; as Saint Augustine expounds it. And as our lippes must not bee labra muta, so nor our workes opera mutila; lame and defective. Mal. 1.13. Shall I accept this of your hand, saith the Lord. The best testimony that can be given to Christ, is our holy conversation. Inutilis & mortuus aequiparantur injure: Our hands are counted dead in Law, because they give nothing. If wee doe not glorifie Christ in our actions, men will never beleeve our words. Such men are like dissolute Choristers, that sing Gloria Patri in the Queere, but chant Carmina Bacchi in the Taverne. Let us doe something to his Glory, yea, 1 Cor. 10.31. Doe all things to his Glory. Defend wee the honour of Christ, not onely with our speeches; (though they may not be left out, like parentheses) but with our goods, with our blouds, when just occasion calls for them. Thus did the Matyrs give Him Glory, by dying for the witnesse of his Gospell. Potiùs quàm Christus perderet gloriam, Christianus perdidit vitam. This makes his praise beautifull; white and red, and in both most lovely: White, In innocentia viventium; and Red, in sanguine morientium. If a blow be comming, the arme naturally lifts up it selfe to receive it, and to defend the head, whereof it is a member. What injury soever is meant to our Head, the Lord Iesus, if wee bee Christians, we strive to intercept it; and had rather be wounded to death, than the least finger of his honour should be scratched.

Yes, we all pretend a forwardnesse to this interposition; and say, wee would rather lose our life, than the least part of our glory. This is a good saying, but all this while where is the doing? Let us heare the bells of Aaron strike on both sides; with a holy profession, which is one stroke, that other stroke of a holy conversation. As wee have commonly seene upon those bells that hang out for signes; upon the one side is written, Feare God: on the other, Honour the King. Whiles we onely say, we feare God, and glorifie Christ, all this while the bell doth but toule, it strikes but on one side; But when wee come to honour the King, to doe good to all men, which is the practise and exercise of holy workes, then the bell rings out to Gods glory, it sounds forth his prayses on every side. It is true that our well doing extends not to God: not immediately, but mediately it does, or at least he so takes it. Mat. 25.40. What you have done to these little ones, you have done to me. If we defend not his Church, how doe we glorifie him? They meane small honour to the Head, that doe not their best to save the Body. We have and enjoy plentifull blessings: blessed be his Name that gives them to us: But let us eate our sweete Passeover with sowre herbes, and bee mindefull of the affliction of Ioseph. Some tribes of the Lords Israel doe not fare so well: shall we doe nothing for them, for Christ in them? If Herod was so taken with Herodias dauncing, that hee promised her a boone to the one halfe of his kingdome. Shall not we be moved with Rachel weeping, weeping for her children because they are not; and they are not, because bloody Herod hath taken them away? Can we see the Churches teares, and not doe our utmost endeavours to comfort her? Ephorus an Historian, and scholar to Isocrates, had no remarkeable thing to write of his countrey, and yet was willing to insert the name of it in his History: and therefore brings it in with a cold parenthesis: Athens did this famous thing and Sparta did that; and at that time my countrey men, the Cumins did nothing. God forbid that England should be so recorded in the Ecclesiasticall History, as to have her name put in with a blanke: Such a Church did thus nobly, and such a Church suffered thus pittifully; and at that time my countrey men of England did nothing. I thinke it would be no more honour for us, so to bee put into the Chronicle, than it was for Pilate to have his name mentioned in the Creed. To be more particular; we abound with riches, our brethren are necessitous: we feast upon delicates, they want bread: we are strong and healthy, they feeble and sickly: yet we are so farre from relieving them with charitable deeds, that wee scarce vouchsafe them our hearty prayers. Thinke of it thou rich churle, from whose iron hands no perswasion can skrew a poore almes: if thou wilt not be moved with the compassion of thine owne bowels, yet vouchsafe to learne charity by faire examples. There bee not onely walls upon Earth, but a booke in Heaven, wherein the names of pious benefactours are written. Wouldest thou not bee glad at the last day, to finde thine owne name there? Such a man did so much, and such a man gave so much, for the glory of Christ and succour of poore Christians: and at that time thou didst nothing, thou gavest nothing. Something thou hast done to the griefe of others, nothing to their comfort: So nothing shalt thou receive to thy comfort, enough to thy everlasting sorrow.

To conclude; let us sacrifice all we have, all we are, to the glory of Christ. If our lives be not called for, yet our goods may: if we have no goods to give, yet our hearts and lippes we have, the poorest among us may give prayses to God. And the more hee spares us in our blood and estates, the more our tongues are obliged to thankefulnesse. When tribute was to bee paid to Cesar, and Christ himselfe was to pay it; rather than faile, the fish shall bring it in his mouth. There is not a fish that swimmes in our waters so dumbe, not a beggar amongst us so poore but he hath gold in his mouth to pay this tribute: to give praise and Glory to Iesus Christ. Gratitude can give eloquence, even where nature hath commanded silence: They are more mute than fishes, that doe not pay this tribute of thankefulnesse. Bee we never so rich, wee are still begging for more comforts: Blessings we receive, but what blessings doe we restore? God lookes to be blessed of us, as well as we looke to be blessed of God. One of Philips souldiers, being courteously and plenteously entertained by his Host, where for a good space he was billeted, did yet at his going away begge some of his Hostes lands: but king Philip branded him with Ingratus hospes; he set that marke on his forehead. If we be still praying for new favours, without praising God for the old, wee deserve to be branded with the ignominious title of unthankefull Clients. Indeed God would have us pray, hee commands us to pray, hee teaches us to pray, hee holds himselfe honoured by our prayers, hee grants the blessings for which wee pray: but withall, hee would have us pay still as wee take up; and cleare the old skore, before we run farther in debt. In a word, hee lookes that wee should pay him the rent of thankes, for all his favours to us in Iesus Christ.

Quando, when must this Glory be rendred? Nunc, Now, without any delay. All time is Gods: Antiquus dierum: though some be more specially his, as the Sabath is called Dies Domini. The day is thine, and the night is thine: therefore at all times we are bound to prayse him: If we can find a time, which is not Gods owne proprietie, we may take that time wherein to give him no Glory. Eccl. 3.2. Every worke hath the owne season; onely Gods worke requires every season: especially this worke of praising his Name. Some actions of Gods service may vary according to their occasions: when hee frownes upon us, that is a time of mourning; ver. 4. when hee smiles, then our hearts are set a dancing. Their is a time to get, ver. 6. and a time to lose; a time to get his favour; and alas, there may be a time to lose it. ver. 7. There is a time to rent our hearts with repentance, and a time to sew them up againe with faithfull assurance. These acts have their severall times: but for the promulgation of Gods glory, no time is excluded. There is a time to keepe it, but no time to cast it away: a time to speake, but no time to keepe silence. What, not in adverse fortunes? when the hand of God hath undone us, by losses on sea or land; when he hurles us downe from a rich state to beggarie; shall we then praise him? then give him glory? Yes, Iob did so; Iob. 1.21. Blessed be his name, not onely for giving, but even for taking away. I confesse, this is a hard taske put upon flesh and bloud; to be smitten, and yet to blesse; to give thankes for miserie. Iobs wife could hardly be got to do so, though she dwelt in a familie where religion was so truely observed by morning and evening sacrifice, and by a constant devotion: yet her husbands extreme calamitie made her so farre forget herselfe, as to say to him, Iob. 2.9. Doest thou still retaine thine integritie? Curse God and die. To curse God, was the way to die indeed, even to be stoned to death; and to end all his miseries with a worse beginning. I know there are some so favourable interpreters of her weaknes, that they would faine excuse her; and that from the doubtfull acception of the word, which signifies to blesse, as well as to curse: Blesse God and die; pray for thy dissolution, and cessation of this trouble. But why then does Iob reply; Loqueris vt stulta calling her foole for her counsell? Yes, for even that was a foolish advice: though a Cupio dissolvi, onely to be with Christ, be a good desire: yet wearynesse under the crosse is base and degenerate cowardice, farre from the valour of a Christian. They alledge farther, that if Satan had power to destroy all that Iob had, his goods, his servants, his children, why not also his wife? They answere that she was out of his commission: Iob. 1.12. Onely upon himselfe put not forth thy hand: onely himselfe was exempted, and his wife was himselfe: una caro. Besides, of her body were the other seven sonnes and three daughters begotten; for we doe not read that Iob had a second wife. And lastly, when Iob offered sacrifice, to expiate the sinnes of his friends, he offered none for his wife: therfore in all likelyhood she was holy. Yet against all this it might be said, that she was una caro with him, not unus spiritus: many a religious husband is knitte to an ungodly wife: And it is the opinion of the Fathers, that the Divell spared her, on purpose to vexe him: what tempter could hee finde more fit, than her that lay in his bosome? Nor did her speech a little trouble him: for during all his triall, not one other so hasty a word dropt from him, as to call any body foole. Besides, which strikes it home, she expostulates with him about his integrity: as if she tooke it ill that he tooke it no worse: his patience made her impatient. O how rare a grace is it in men, to blesse God for their crosses, to kisse the hand that strikes them? 2. King. 6.33. Behold this evill is of the Lord, sayes that mad-braind king of Israel, What should I waite for the Lord any longer? We are soone weary of our attendance: we can waite at the gates of the Divine bountie, so long as we feele benefites a comming, like insatiate beggars for more almes: but if we be corrected for our unrulinesse, then why should we waite on the Lord any longer? This evill is of the Lord: this evill, this one evill: None of his mercies or good turnes are thought on, but this one evill stickes in our stomachs. In unthankfull hearts, one of Gods afflictions marres the glory of all his blessings. Now therfore we must praise him: now, even in the time of our adversitie: Iob. 2.10. For shall we receive good things of God, and not evill? Nullum tempus occurit Regi: none must prevent Christ of his right, which is his glory.

We have three considerations here: or this Nunc may be considered in three relations: By way of Position, by way of Opposition, and by way of Composition. First, Positively, in the right and true nature of it: what it signifies in it selfe. Secondly, Oppositively, as it is opposed to that externall duration after this world, when time shall be no more. Now, and for ever: this short Now, compared with that long For ever. Thirdly, Compositively, as it respects all times, and all occasions: every opportunity is a Nunc, and this Nunc is nothing else but opportunity.

1. All the terme we have in this world, is but a Nunc: that which was in the morning, is past: what may bee in the evening, is not yet come: the former may be already lost, and the future we are not sure of; we can onely make much of our Nunc. The time past is irrecoverable, the future to us is contingent, and the very Nunc is slippery and transient: And yet this is all the terme we have: wee must enjoy this or nothing. Aut nunc, aut nunquam, is a frequent offer. To call backe the the elapsed time, is a foolish imagination: to bid the Sunne, when it is full South, to goe backe to the East; or when it is noone, to make it but the third houre of the day: who would attempt this but a mad man? And as we cannot revocare praeteritum, so nor accelerare futurum: wee have planted trees, but wee must stay for the fruite untill the Season comes. When it is ripened of it selfe, wee may reach out our hand, and gather it before it fall off: but wee cannot hasten the ripening of it: wee cannot make the Winter-fruite mellow in Iune. In the curing of a Fever, till there be some concoction of the disease, the Physicians themselves must be Patients. Any disorder of the Patient, any pretermission of the Physician, may exalt the disease, and encrease the violences of it: no diligence can hasten the maturity; they must all tarry the season. And why should we looke for that in a disease, which is the disorder, the irregularity, and rebellion of the body, which we cannot finde in nature it selfe? It were scarce a disease, if it could be ordered, and made obedient to our times. The great Lady, in matter of childebirth, cannot put off her nineth moneth to a tenth; nor hasten it to a sixth, without bearing an abortive issue. Men in authority will not be put to change their seasons: wee must take them in their Nunc, or faile of our purpose. We cannot looke for this indulgence in time: there is an opportunity, which is the Nunc of time: let slippe that, and time will not be at our becke. O that such and such sinnes were to doe againe; wee then would never admit them: this is Vox lugentium in infernis. O that the time of doing such and such things were come: this is Vox insipientium in terris. 2. Sam. 15.4. O that I were made a Iudge in the land: What an excellent Iudge would Absolon be? But when by offering violence to time, hee had skrew’d out a Nunc for his affected Magistracy, he proved an unnaturall Traitor. Take therefore thy Nunc, the opportunity that God sends thee: use it, and be thankfull.

The Scripture is very liberall, when it cals our life a day: for in the day there be twelve houres, saith our Saviour. It is too much to call it an houre, which is but the twelfth part of a day; for in the houre there be sixty minutes: Nay, call it a minute, the sixtieth part of an houre. Minutum is little, yet not little enough: we must come to Punctum, and take that for all the certainty of our allowance: we can be sure of no more than our very Nunc. Psal. 63.4. I will blesse the Lord while I live: and no certaine tenure of life more than for a Nunc. The wicked are Psal. 73.19. brought into desolation as in a moment: In momento, let that bee our Memento: within the compasse of a Nunc, we may be gone. That same 2 Cor. 6.2. dies salutis is called but a Nunc: the day of salvation may be longer to the world, no particular man can challenge more than his Nunc. When was the longest Nunc in the world? Iosh. 10.13. In the daies of Ioshua, when the Sunne stood still in Gibeon. Why was this extention of time? Why this stoppage in the wheeles of nature, as if the plummet had been downe? It was for that purpose, for which our Nunc is here given us, that God might have the Glory. Israel was then in pursuit of their enemies; it was the time of execution: they cut them off with the sword, God with hailestones. Had Ioshua onely respected the slaughter; he knew that Gods Ordnance from Heaven could have done that sufficiently: the Sunne needed not stand still to direct the shot. God can as well hitte as shoote; kill, as hitte. But that all Nations might know, that the same hand commands in Earth, in the Cloudes, in Heaven; the Sunne and Moone shall stand still in Heaven, whiles volleyes of shotte play upon them from the Cloudes. The whole Earth could not see that Cloude of haile, which because of the heavy burden flew but low: all the Earth might see the Sunne and Moone. All the world must needs be witnesses of that, which the eye of the world stood still to see. Who would not inquire the reason why the Sunne rested from motion? Or what wonderfull businesse was in hand, that hee stayed his course to behold it? All was for the glory of God: he never had got himselfe so much honour among those Heathen by one dayes worke, as hee did by that, when the Iosh. 10.13, 14 Sunne and Moone suspended their courses, to become spectatours. That was a long Nunc indeede; never any like it. A Nunc of twelve houres long, for so it appeared to be; because the Sunne which is the measure of Time, stood still about a whole day. We cannot looke for such a favour, to have our Nunc stretched out to twelve houres; that the Sunne should stand still in Heaven, whiles we are killing up our enemies, and by the sword of repentance doing execution upon our sinnes. But Now, while the word is sounding, let us fall a repenting: and at every Nunc, upon every occasion, let us give glory to Christ.

This easily solves that riddle; what is the longest, and the shortest? the oldest, and the yongest thing in the world? Time: It is the longest, for it reacheth from the beginning of the world to the end: the shortest for it is but a Nunc; gone in the turning of a hand, in the twinkling of an eye: it lasts but for a moment. The oldest thing, for it is just as old as the Creation, as the beginning of the world: it is five dayes older than man. As Time is the register of all things below, so the world is the register of time: it was borne on the first day, the first moment of the first morning; older than the Sunne and Starres, Death is grown a very old man, though he hath yet strength enough to kill: sinne is older than death, man is older than sinne, time is older than man. Yet still is time the yongest thing: it is borne, and dies within the compasse of a Nunc. It makes all things aged, yet is it selfe never above a minute old. That which was heretofore is not: that which shall be hereafter, is not: that which is, was not heretofore, nor shall be hereafter. We stand by a river: the present water that is now passing by, was never there before, nor shall it ever returne againe. Nunc is all we have; this onely is our certaine tenure.

2. In respect of opposition to for ever: Now let us glorifie Christ, as we hope to doe it for ever. For this we pray; that his will may be done in Earth now as it is in Heaven for ever. His Will is his Glory; and must have the nunc temporis heere, as it hath the Diem aeternitatis there. Punctum may bee something ad lineam, because continued points make a line: Nunc may be something ad diem; though there bee many Nunc’s in a minute, and many minutes in an houre, and twelve houres in one day: yet still there is a proportion betweene Now and Day; because Nunc is a part of the whole. Points enough will make up a line; and store of Nunc’s will run out to a full dayes length: But there is no proportion betweene time and eternity: for eternity is not a duration of time, not an extention of time, nor can time be any part of eternity. Now therefore wee must glorifie him, or not for ever: here below, or not there above. Nay, if wee doe not glorifie him, Nunc, in aeterno nostro: he will not glorifie us Tunc, in aeterno suo. Our surest course is to doe it now, whilest we may: lest we unhappily wish that we had done it, when we may not. We acknowledge in our prayer, Thine is the Kingdome: that it is a powerfull kingdome, for Thine is the Power: that it is a glorious kingdome, for Thine is the glory: that it is an everlasting kingdome, For ever and ever. God, as he is three Persons, hath three Kingdomes. There is Regnum potentiae, the kingdome of power and providence: and this we attribute to the Father. There is Regnum gloriae, the kingdome of peace in Heaven: and this we attribute to the Sonne, and to his purchase: Mat. 25.34. Come yee blessed, inherit the Kingdome: He gives it. Betweene them two, there is Regnum gratiae, the kingdome of grace, which wee attribute to the Holy Ghost: Because he takes them, whom the King of Power hath preserved, and the King of Glory hath redeemed; and brings them along through the Kingdome of Grace to the Kingdom of Glorie. The two former Kingdomes, of Power and of Grace, are in this World; but neither of them is of this World, because they both referre to the Kingdome of Glorie. The Kingdome of the Father, which is the Providence of God, doth preserve us. The Kingdome of the Holy Ghost, which is the Grace of God, doth sanctifie us. And the Kingdome of the Sonne, which is the Glory of God, doth crowne us. Power and Grace are exercised on Earth, Glory is exhibited in Heaven. Though to the Saints, this World bee the way to their Kingdome; yet their Kingdome is not of this World. Ioh. 18.36. My Kingdome is not of this World, saith the King of all: if not his, much lesse ours. In two of these Kingdomes wee have our Nunc: For ever, belongs to the Kingdome of Glorie. All the Kings in Heaven shall glorifie Christ for ever there: we that hope for that Kingdome, must doe it in our Nunc heere. The Gospell is our Nunc; and this (wee know) is called a Kingdome, the very Kingdome of Heaven. First, Because it Rom. 16.25. revealeth a Kingdome; discovers a Kingdome before it bee utterly unknowne to the World. Secondly, Because it prepares us for a Kingdome: for onely grace can make us Col. 1.12. fitte for glory. Thirdly, because it Luk. 12.32. promiseth a Kingdome, and makes good that Promise. Fourthly, Because it rules us as a Kingdome, subduing our wills and affections to the obedience of Christ. 2. Cor. 10.5. Our Nunc lies in this Kingdome, during the raigne of the Gospell. As Daniel prospered in the raigne of Darius, and of Cyrus the Persian: so let our goodnesse prosper under the raigne of both these Kingdomes: of God the Father, over us in his Providence, and of God the Holy Ghost, over us in his Grace; that so God the Sonne may advance us to his glory. Out of this flower Nunc, wee may sucke a double sweetnesse; both encouragement, and instruction.

1. For our Encouragement, it is but a short time that we have to serve: our apprentiship will soone run out. They that mind their worke, and ply their busines with delight, never thinke the time long; Gen. 29.20. as Iacobs service of seven yeares, for Rachel seemed but a few dayes. O God, Psal. 39.5. our age is nothing unto thee: and if wee be men after Davids heart, as hee was a man after Gods heart, our sixty yeares spent in his service, is but like a Saint Lucies day; nay, but as a pleasant dreame when one awaketh; a very Nunc, the next degree to nothing. A hackney jade, that knowes the shortnes of his journey, will scowre it away. The hope of a reward in the evening, and rest at night, will make a hireling accomplish his day: How base are we, if we goe groning under our Nunc, and cannot carry our burden one stride? Hebr. 10.37. Yet a little while, and hee will not tarry. A very little while indeed: wee cannot imagine a lesse space in time, than a Nunc: as wee cannot find a lesse place in the mathematickes, than a point: Put them together, and it is but Punctum temporis. Two things shew time to be exceeding precious. First, Because they that have lost time, that are swallowed up into the eternitie of hell, had rather be owners of one Nunc, of one moment to repent in, than to be Lords of the whole world. Secondly, Because a very Nunc made use of, a short time employed in the worke of salvation, shall gaine us an everlasting kingdome. In the doing of evill, Breve est quod delectat, aeternum quod cruciat: But in the doing of good, breve est quod laborat, aeternum quod coronat. The husbandman lies to all the yeare, for one short harvest: Eleven moneths labour, for one moneths profite; and yet that hoped for profite may miscarry too: either by ill weather abroad, or by vermine in the barne. God hath set us but one moneths taske, for a whole yeares harvest: Nay, the labour lasts but for a Nunc, the fruite for ever. Mat. 6.20. And it is such fruite as cannot miscarry; joy and glory layd up for us in heaven. Therfore hath he made our life of labour so short, and our life of rest so long; that we might not grudge to worke out our Nunc, for that reward of peace whereof there is no end. Psal. 119.32. I will run the way of thy commandements, saith holy David It were folly to aske him why hee makes such hast, when wee know he would faine be at home.

2. For our Instruction: so must we glorifie Christ Nunc in our militant estate, as we desire to doe in aeternum, in our triumphant estate. The draught and abridgment of heaven is in every sanctified heart upon earth: As it is said of the good Prince, that hee carries the patterne of his governing the people alwayes about him; and so rules himselfe, as hee would have them ruled by him: So the Christian hath ever the patterne of heaven in his conscience, and so lives heere, as the Saints doe there. It is true that the glory of heaven is not visible to mortall eyes: 2. Cor. 2.9. Eye hath not seene: yet a man may have the mappe of a citie which hee never saw. All Homers Iliades have been drawne into a small volume: we have seene the counterfet, the image of a king in a little tablet. When a pitched field is to be painted or printed, with in the compasse of a sheete of paper, but a few souldiers can be presented intire; not many stations or postures whole and complete: but the greater number appeare to us onely by their heads or helmets; and the severall troupes or companies by their colours. Yet by this pourtraiture we may guesse at the battell, and conceive the module or platforme of it in our imaginations. So though heaven be too immense to be measured by an humane line, and none but the Angel with his golden reed can mete out the Reu. 21.15. new Ierusalem: Yet the just man hath the compendium of it in his brest: the holynes and peace of his soule is a briefe of it: and his sounding foorth of Gods praises here, is an Eccho of the musicke above. As the joy or triumph for the kings coronation begins at the Court, and from thence spreads into the countrey: so the hymnes of praise harmoniously sung to Christ in heaven, have a reverberation upon earth. St. Paul tells us, that 1. Tim. 6.19. the foundation of that high building is layd here below: if no holynes heere, no blessednes there. Let us never looke for a house above the starres, if we doe not feele the groundworke of it in our owne hearts. It is a vaine fancie, to expect a house without a foundation. The heire apparant of a kingdome, during his minoritie, may be brought up in a forraine countrey: yet even there, hee may have the figure of his kingdome in his hand, and the copy of it in his heart. Who doth not pretend to the kingdome of heaven? Many a one that wants his patterne. Presumptuous hypocrite, doest thou lay title to a kingdome, whereof thou hast no forme? What royall bloud runs in thy veines? What grace and holynes is in they heart? Where be those noble actions that become a Prince? There is fullnes of joy above: is thy laughing and singing in a taverne the patterne of it? There is honour and glory above: is thy couetous and base drudgerie, to scrape together the mucke of worldly riches which should rather be spred abroad to dung the land; is this any patterne of it. There is musicke and harmonie above: be thy wanton sonnets and drunken catches any patternes of it?

There is peace and rest above: is thine idle securitie and slepy neglect, any patterne of it? There is beautie and claritie above: is they piecing up the defects of nature with arte, the laying of vermilion upon dust, or dressing up of mortall limbes in rich and curious attires; any Image of it? There is light above: be thy workes of darknes any reflection of it? Will a man draw the Sunne with a coale? There is perfect obedience above: is thy rebellion any module of it? There is pure innocencie above: be thy rapes and rapines, thy rage and bloudynesse, any resemblance of it? The language above, is the praises of Christ: be thy oathes, curses, and blasphemies, of a like sound to it? These sinnes be rather the Image of hell, than of heaven. Shall we like those Sun-burnt pagans, that painted the Angels blacke, in favour of their owne complexion? Shall we measure the joyes of heaven by our owne corrupt and sensuall pleasures upon earth? Or thinke that the Saints there stand affected, as we doe here? This were to measure things that be unmeasurable, by things that be measurable, by things that be miserable. This were for heaven to take a patterne from us, not we to take a patterne from heaven, and to imagine the Saints (though in a higher degree) to be of like disposition with us; not we striving to be of like disposition with them. Will the covetous aske, what money there is in heaven? The purchaser, what land there is to be sold in heaven? The voluptuous, what dainties there be in heaven? Or the ambitious, what place hee may get in the court of heaven? These be base and brutish thoughts. The module of heaven is within a mans heart: Rom. 14.17. it is not meate and drinke, but righteousnesse, and peace, and joy in the holy Ghost. There is nothing that I can thinke of upon earth, that beares any resemblance of heaven; but Peace: there is no warre in heaven: and Musicke; there is an everlastingnesse of that in heaven. Holynes, obedience, joy, peace, concentred in the praise and glory of Christ; this is the patterne and picture of heaven. This if we have in our Nunc of grace, it shall make us blessed in the For ever of glory.

3. In respect of Composition: for Now, like the eye of a well drawne picture, lookes upon all times, upon all occasions. There is no action but challengeth a Nunc: no accident but hath the Nunc. Now such a thing is done: now such an event happened. The good tree brings forth fruite Psal. 1.3. Tempore suo, in her season; that is the Nunc of it. Ioh. 2.4. My houre is not yet come: Christ himselfe tarries for his Nunc. Presently after, hee changed the water into wine; then his Nunc came. Tempus à temperando; because it distinguisheth things in order. Eccl. 3.1. To every thing there is a season. It is taken both strictly, and more at large: in the one sense, it is filia unius momenti: in the other, Soror totius vitae. And thus must it be understood here: let us be giving glory to Christ Now; that is, all our life long. So Dies mortalitatis it opposed to Dies aeternitatis, Now, in this life; that For ever, in the life to come. Now therefore, is in effect, Alwayes: we have no time, which cannot be called Nunc. When we are young, that is our Nunc: when we are old; that is also our Nunc: the age betwixt these, is our Nunc too. David tooke in all times and seasons to the praise of his Maker. In the morning; Psal. 59.16. I will sing of thy mercie in the morning: yea hee prevented the morning; waiting for the Lord, more than they that watch for the morning. In the night: Psal. 119.62. at midnight I will rise to give thankes unto thee. All the day; Psal. 71.24. My tongue shall talke of thy righteousnesse all the day long. Seven times a day doe I praise thee; very frequently. Psal. 34.1. I will blesse the Lord at all times, his prayse shall continually be in my mouth. Omni tempore, no houre excluded: Semper laus ejus in ore meo, no occasion excepted. I will sing praise unto thy Name for ever, This is the end of our redemption, to Luk. 1.75. serve him all the dayes of our life: If all our dayes, then our dayes of sadnes too: Psal. 72.15. daily shall he bee praised. It is vsuall, when God crowneth the yeare with his goodnes, and drops fatnesse upon the pastures, for Psal. 65.12. the little hils to rejoyce on every side: therfore is great joy compared to the joy of harvest. But when God restraines these heavenly influences, then the little hilles droope on euery side: no fatnesse, no more rejoycing then. There be too many, that never thinke of God till dinner time; that they are put in mind of it by the Chaplaines saying grace: and it is somewhat if they mind him then. These are farre from Davids per totum diem: Psal. 113.3. From the rising of the Sun to the going downe of the same, the Lords Name is to be praised. But what if they should want a dinner, and know not where to get it? Not so much food, as would keepe life and soule together? How would they praise him then? But for a Nunc dare, where would be the Nunc laudare? Such irreligious soules know not how to blesse the Lord fasting: No devotion with them, but upon a full stomach. Like to those baser instruments, they can yield no musicke till you have filled their paunches and even then, the sound that comes from them, is harsh to all holy eares. Divites laudantes you have store: but shew me a miserum laudantem. For a Dominus dedit, you have a world of Benedicite’s: but one Benedicite for a Iob. 1.21. Dominus abstulit is worth them all.

The Lord lookes for Glory, not onely in faire weather, but even in stormes and tempests: not onely in high fortunes, but even out of the dust hee ordaineth praises. The worldling cast upon his sicke bed, and hopelesse of remedie, askes what he should praise God for? O ingratefull wretch, how innumerable be the blessings he hath received of him; and yet does he aske for what he should praise him? That he hath life, and the use of reason, is a blessing. How justly might God have bereaved his body of a soule, his soule of understanding, his understanding of all possibilitie of comfort? That he hath space to repent, a tongue and time to call upon God for mercie, is a blessing and farre more than God owes him. There be naturall medicines for his body: that is a blessing: there is spiritual physicke for his soule; a rich blessing. Besides all the former blessings, these he hath in present. As Christ once said to the Iewes, For which of my good workes doe you stone me? So now, for which of my good blessings doe you despise me? If hee should give us no more, yet reason would make us thankfull for what we have received. But to see him give, that does not for the present receive: one that will plead Christs cause without a fee: one that can say with Iob, Though hee kill me, I will trust in him: or with those three Saints, Dan. 30.8. Though the fire consume us, we will serve him: whatsoever good I want, whatsoever evill I suffer, I will ever give Glory to the Lord: heere is the heart and voice of a Saint. Thus every condition, rich or poore: every state, whether of health or sicknes: every place, at home or abroad: every time, prosperous or adverse: every temper, of joy or sorrow: every occasion, of peace or warre: every accesse, of friend or foe: every event, of life or death, is our Nunc to celebrate the glory of Christ. This circumstance further affords us three Instructions.

1. Glorifie him for the present; that is thy Nunc. Delay is not onely Periculum, but Peccatum. Gal. 6.10. As wee have opportunitie, let us doe good to all men, Perhaps that is not a mans will, which is his Testament: he would keepe that by his will, which he is faine to give away by his testament. We read of one man that did Cunctando restituere rem: it was but unus homo, very rare: Thousands for that one, doe Cunctando perdere rem, and that a Rem so precious, that the whole world is not worth it. He that makes hast to be rich, shall not be innocent: but he that makes hast to be innocent shall be rich: in the favour and blessings of God. When I read that Christianitie is compared to a race, how can I but wonder at them that sit still? Hee that hath a long journey to goe, and but a short time allowed him; cannot well stay to take every acquaintance that hee meetes, by the hand. Esa. 28.16. He that beleeveth, will not make hast: not hast to mend the pace of Gods purposes: but he that beleeveth, will make hast to set foorth Gods praised. We are discontented if God deferres the grant of our prayers: and will he be pleased when we put off the publication of his praises? Shall we say, wee will blesse God to morrow, for what he gives us to day, and thinke that time enough? Things are acceptable, when they be seasonable. Is this all thy succours to the poore beggar, Prov. 3.28. came againe to morrow? Alas, his body may die for want of meate, and thy soule may die for want of mercie, before the morrow. Miserum in miseris mora. Esa. 16.5. Christ condemnes the Iudge that was long ere hee did Iustice, though hee did it.

If Gods favours were onely meere futurities, naturall men would cry; we will thanke him for them when we have them: As they tarry for his blessings, so hee should tarry for their praises. But that the mouth of all wickednesse might be stopped, they are enriched with his present benefites, to incite their present thankfulnesse. Vbique decurrit beneficium, vbique recurrat vox laudum: Let the same place that is witnesse of his mercies, be also witnesse of our thankfulnesse. Luk. 1.46. My soule doth magnifie the Lord: it is Magnificat, in the present: not Magnificabit, in the future. Sen. Minus ex crastino pendet, qui hodierno manum injicit. Be sure to doe that good to day, which thou art not sure to doe to morrow. They that received the word, were Act. 2.41. the same day added to the Church: the same day. Luk. 19.6. Zaccheus made hast to receive Christ: the same houre. Luk. 2.29. Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace: the same moment, that was Simeons Nunc. This same day let us joyne our selves with the Church in the praises of Christ: This same houre let us receive him joyfully into our hearts: this same moment, in our very Nunc, let us depart from sinne, and fall to repentance. Let us be suddaine in our turning to Christ, for hee will be suddaine in his comming upon us. 1 Thess. 5.2. The day of the Lord commeth as a theefe in the night. O how should this menate thunder-strike the secure sinner; that the dreadfull Iudge shall surprise him suddenly? Let the swearer tremble; for whiles hee is rapping out a volley of oathes, Gods hand may stop his blasphemous mouth, with those wicked speeches in it: he may die blasphening: God may smite him suddenly. The intoxicated body may spew out a drunken soule, into the bosome of the Prince of darknesse, when he disgorgeth his surfeted stomach: Virg. Aene. 9 as the Poet describes one bleeding to death; Purpuream vomit ille animam, hee sends forth his purple soule: The Lord may smite him suddenly. The vaine-glorious boaster, so ambitious of titles, that like Herod, he hath not the modesty to refuse vox Dei, when it is put upon him; may immediately bee smitten by Act. 12.23. an Angell; and feele both his honour and life worme-eaten: The Lord may smite him suddenly. The sacrilegious with-holders of Gods dues, and defrauders of their Pastors, to the horrour of many in this City, may speede like Act. 5.5. Ananias and his wife: The Lord may smite them suddenly. The covetous Worldling, while both his hands are raking in Mammon, may fall into the hands of fatall destruction: the Lord may take him away suddenly. All impenitent sinners may share in this one phrase of wretchednesse; God may smite them suddenly. Hee will make his Psal. 102.21. Name glorious: If thou refuse to honour him with a graicous life, he will honour himselfe upon thee by a fearefull death. Wee have heard of some dying with curses in their mouthes, in stead of prayers: What was the reason, but that they were more used to cursing, than to praying? Bee carefull therefore of thy Nunc: Glorify God while thou hast time: For as it is usuall with him, Tarditatem supplicit gravitate pensare: so not rare, Tarditatem paenitendi impaenitentiâ punire. Our nature is dull to goodnesse: but wherefore serve the spurres of diligence? Ambr. in Lib. de Ioseph. Naturam nobis formare non possumus, possumus diligentiam. As Paul being sent into the Church to preach Christ, so wee being sent into the world to praise Christ, Act. 22.16. had need of an Ananias to excite us: Why tarriest thou? Let us never Gal. 1.16. Conferre with flesh and blood about the conveniencie, when we are called to celebrate Gods Glory.

2. Being entred into this holy course, let us follow it. The ecclipticke line of his praise must run quite through the Zodiacke of our life: our whole Nunc must be spent in his holy Service: our Nunc in the full latitude of it. So long as wee have any blessings on Earth, Let the Earth ring with the praises of the Founder. Shall wee thinke any Nunc sufficient? Wee have not done it before, wee never minde it hereafter: onely Nunc, now for a gird wee will bee hotte upon the businesse. Must all our thankefulnesse bee dispatched in a moment? That which is but for a moment, is indeede of no moment. Psal. 106.3. But blessed is hee that doth righteousnesse at all times. Psal. 145.2. Every day will I blesse him, and praise thy Name for ever and ever. The day will have an evening: If his praise should last no longer, the night would bring in silence: nay but For ever and ever: the glorious day of eternity hath no night. Psal. 146.2. While I live will I praise the Lord: I will sing praises unto my God, while I have any being: Not onely while I live, for this life will have and end: but while I have any being; that can never have an end. To continue in giving Glory to Christ, is no lesse requisite than to beginne: though the beginning be more than halfe, yet the end is more than all. The God of all perfection lookes, that our ultimum vitae, should be his optimum gloriae. The Philosopher being asked in his old age, why he did not give over his practise, and take his ease, answered; when a man is to runne a race of forty furlongs, would you have him sit downe at the nine and thirtieth, and so lose the prize? We doe not keepe a good fire all day, and let it goe out in the evening when it is coldest: but then rather lay on more fewell, that wee may goe warme to bed. Hee that slakes the heate of his zeale in his age, will goe cold to bed, and in a worse case to his Grave. Wary travellers ride fare and softly when they come neere their journeyes end: but if wee lagged so in the way of godlinesse, wee shall never come to the expected end of our journey. The eternall God, though hee passed over infinite millions of Generations, before he came to a Creation of the world; yet when he began, did never intermit his worke, but continued it day to day, till he had perfited the whole: and then he rested, deposing it in the hands of a Sabbath. It should not be long before we enter into the Vineyard; (no houre prescribes unto God, yet God prescribes an houre to us, and that the first houre of our day) the sooner the better: but being once entred, wee must intermit no labour, never give over workeing till our Sabbath comes, that Eternall rest in Heaven.

In the institution and bringing on of his Church, God proceeded by degrees: First, he began with the law of nature, a rule engraffed in our mindes: But the characters of that being almost worne out by the custome of sinne, he wrote his Law in Tables; legible to their eyes, and durable to time, uncapable of alteration: But because this law could not save them, hee promised a Messias: and yet perceiving that men would not sufficiently rely upon his promise, hee gave them types, and ceremonies, and sacrifices, prefiguring their expected Messias. This was not yet enough, therefore Gal. 4.4. when the fulnesse of time was come, he sent his Sonne: which was so much the more perfect than all the rest, as the substance is more than the shadow: still the most perfect came at the last. So what degrees of goodnes soever we have past through, God lookes (after his owne example) that our best shall come at last. Ecclus. 2.3. Cleave unto him, that thou mayest bee encreased at thy last end. Decrementum vitae, must have incrementum justitiae. Iohn 2.10. Other men set foorth the good wine at first, but thou hast kept the best wine till the last. Hypocrites, Ex fervidis tepidi, ex tepidis frigidi fiunt: Their wine turneth into vinegar: for at first, it was mingled with water; and no more wine in it, than would give it a colour. But the right Christian vents his best wine at last; the starres of his graces shine brightest in the evening of his life. Samson slew aboundance of Philistines in his life time, Iudg. 16.30. but more at his death. Daily are the faithfull killing up the Philistines, mortifying their sinnes all their life: but on their death-bed they kill them all; farre more dying, than they did living. Let us frame the desires of our hearts, all our speeches and actions, to give Glory to Christ, so long as our Nunc lasts, till our mortall dayes be ended. And when we have no more Nunc left to doe it in here, wee shall bee blessed to doe it in that Aeternum hereafter.

3. That wee may the better performe it, durante Nunc, God hath wrapt up His glory in every Creature: Not as fire in flint, which appeares not without some violence: but as light in the Sunne, which is not onely visible it selfe, but making all other objects visible. So easily may we see his glory in every creature, that we cannot see the Creature but through his glory, as we can see nothing but by the light. Hee hath so folded up his glory in them, that wee must annihilate them before we can destroy his glory: Nay when the Creatures shall bee dissolved, yet his glory will remaine cleare and entire. Heaven and Earth shall passe away, but his glory shall never passe away. As the Artificer wrought his owne name so cunningly in the shield of Minerva, that it could not be picked out, unlesse there were a dissolution of the whole frame. More inviolably is the Name of God wrought in all things, in our bodies, in our soules: and those bodies and soules must be reduced to nothing, before his Name can suffer diminution. Nay, when those bodies are turned to dust, and those soules sent to their owne place, His most honourable Name will still sticke upon them: Either the Name of Saviour in their salvation, or the Name Iudge in their just confusion. It is an observation in Philosophy, that if the motion of the Heavens should cease, there would be no generation of things upon earth. The flowers which wee see here below, are begotten of those flowers of light, the Starres wee see above. The Earth the lower Milstone, that lies still: The Sunne that higher Milstone, that runnes round, and keepes the other in heate: both must concurre to the preparing of bread for us. The Earth is as the wife, the Sunne as the Husband; shee cold, hee of a power to give heate: the wife without the Husband, the Husband without the wife, cannot beget children: by the marriage and uniting of this couple, wee have our fruites. The Sunne, the Father of them is more noble: but the Earth cannot bee left out for procreation. God that made both the Earth, the Sunne and Starres, is of more powerfull operation than they all: our naturall hearts are as the cold and barren Earth: from that Sunne of Righteousnesse comes all the influence of grace: the cause of fructifying is in him; hee gives the whole operation of being, or doing good. If wee doe not returne him all the glory, the wife is worthy to lose her Husband, the Earth to want her Sunne, the Soule to be deprived of her Saviour. As when the king removes, the Court followes: and when the Court is gone, the hangings and stately furniture is taken downe: So if through our unthankefulnesse, God remooves from our heart, where hee once kept his Court, His Grace will not stay behinde; and if they be once departed, downe goe the hangings and ornaments of peace and prosperity: all the noble vertues leave us: it may bee our sinnes, the blacke guard will tarry with us. Our Apostle beginnes this Epistle with a Salutation, wherein hee wisheth Grace and Peace unto us: so Paul continually joynes them together. As Grace and Peace salute together, so Grace and Peace bid farewell together. Grace and Peace will take no pleasure to stay after Glory: and Glory will not stay when sinne is placed in the chaire. At the birth of Ichabod, away goes Glory. If sinne bee once borne, cockered, and dandled, and made the darling; our soule, the woefull mother, may weepe, crie, and complaine; Sam. 4.22. The glory is departed from Israel. Shee shall not onely cry in this sorrow, but die in this sorrow: the childe to which she gave life, shall be her death: her lying in shall prepare for her laying out: from the bed of her delivery, shee is delivered over to the bed of the Grave. Such an unhappy issue is sinne, and above all sinne the robbing Christ of his Honour, that it destroyes the owne mother. At the nativity of unthankefulnesse, the soule is left forlorne of comfort and succour; for grace, and peace, and glory forsake her altogether.

But let the Glory of Christ be our delight: let us more rejoyce in doing Him honour, than in our owne salvation. Let the covetous repaire to their riches, like birds to their nests: and the lustfull to their brothels, like flesh-flies to the larder: the ambitious to their honours, like butterflies to a poppy: the strong to their holds, as Snailes creepe into their shels: the learned to their arts, as Bees to their hives: Atheists to their sensuall refuges, as Dogges to their kennels: and Polititians to their wittes, as Foxes to their holes: the holy soule will know no other Sanctuary but Iesus Christ. I met with an apologue, and it is this. A Stationer hung up in a mart, the pictures or small printed counterfeits of men famous in their kinds: among which, he had also the picture of Christ. Divers men bought according to their severall fancies. The Souldier buyes his Caesar, the Lawyer his Iustinian, the Physician his Galen, the Philosopher his Aristotle, the Poet his Virgil, the Orator his Cicero, and the Divine his Augustine: every man after the addiction of his owne heart. The picture of Christ hung by still, of lesse price than the rest. A poore Chapman, that had no more money than would purchase that, bought it saying; Quando quisque Deum abstulit suum, da mihi, bone vir, meum Christum. I speake not for his Picture painted to the eyes, but for his lively Image to bee placed in our hearts. The affianced Virgine hath the picture of her Beloved, drawne a in little tablet, which she weares in her bosome, next to her heart. There let us have the Image of Christ; not limmed in our chambers, but fixed in the inner chamber of our hearts. She makes much of every token sent her from her Beloved, and rejoyceth in the sight of them; and memorie of him, upon all occasions: every blessing is a token of Christs love to us: in the fruition of any of them, let us remember Him whom our soule loveth, and set forth his Glorie.

Lastly, Quoúsque, how long must this reddition of glory last? For ever. So farre is eternity beyond the capacity of man in his militant estate, that wee want language to expresse it, and a name how to call it. Various are the interpretations of this εἰς ἡμέραν αἰῶνος. Iunius renders it, Ad tempus sempiternum: there is indeed a Sempiternum above, but no Tempus: time is swallowed up in everlastingnesse. Some say, In secula: and to make it more complete, others adde to it, and make it up In secula seculorum. Indeed they had no reason to pinch it of measure, when as it is For ever. Divers phrases doe abbreviate it, none can make it too long. Seculum some derive à sequendo; as if it signified onely Series temporum. Others more probably, à secando, because it cuts off: as Secula, (which comes from the same roote) signifies a Sythe or Sickle, to cut downe the grasse and graine of the earth. It is generally taken for an age: but of what dimension, there is difference of opinions. But whether we take it for thirty, or for an hundred, or for a thousand yeares; still it is but a time, and what is time to eternity? Hierome and Montanus read, In diem aeternitatis; which is both strictiùs ad literam vel sonum, and pleniús ad sensum. Eternity is without time, and day excludes nigh: there is no night in heaven, but altogether day: no time is there, but altogether eternity. Nor is it onely, In diem aeternam; but In diem aenernitatis, for the fuller exposition of it. I know that, For ever, is divers waies taken in the Scripture.

1. For the life of man: 1 Sam. 1.22. Samuel a Priest to the Lord for ever: yet this Ministery was but during his life: death determined his Priesthood.

2. For the yeare of Iubile: The servant whose eare was bored, Exod. 21.6. Shall serve his master for ever: yet at the yeare of Levit. 25.10. Iubile hee was to returne to his owne family, and to be free.

3. To the first comming of Christ. Gen. 17.13. My Covenant shall bee in your flesh, a Covenant for ever. Exod. 12.14. You shall keepe the Feast of the Passeover by an Ordnance for ever. The garments of Aaron are said to bee a Exod. 28.43. Statute to him for ever. Circumcision, the Passeover, Aarons Priesthood, the Sacrifices and Ceremonies, were all said to be a Law and an Ordinance for ever: yet wee know that Christ did put an end to them all. For Gal. 5.2. Circumcision, and the 1 Cor. 5.7. Passeover, the Heb. 10.9. Sacrifices, and Col 2.14. Ordinances; they are all taken away by Christ. They could not last for ever; for they were at first moritura, and now they are mortifera.

4. To the second comming of Christ; that is the end of the world. Luke 1.33. Thou art a Priest for ever: And Psal. 110.4. Hee shall raigne over the house of Iacob for ever. Yet of that Priesthood, and of that kingdome, there shall be an end; when 1 Cor. 15.24. Christ hath delivered up the Kingdome to God the Father. His sacerdotall Office shall cease, when there be none left to intercede for; all his members being in heaven. Ionas in the deepe complained, that the earth with her barres Ion. 2.6. shall cover him for ever: yet that could but have reached to the Resurrection: then earth and sea must give up their dead. For ever, in all these places, is taken pro longo temporis intervallo: but this for ever, here, is a duration without end. Observe;

1. The difference betweene the King of heaven, and the Kingdome of heaven: Either of them hath an eternity, but the Kings eternity exceeds. Gods Aeternum is the duration of an uncreated being: our aeternum is but the duration of a created being. God was King, when there was no heaven, for He made heaven: and of necessity the Maker must be before the worke. Heaven, and the Angels and Saints who dwell in that Court, had a beginning, though they shall have no end: but God hath neither end nor beginning. The heavens containe us, they cannot containe Him: nay, He containes the heavens. Time was but a little breath of his mouth, and all the wheeles of time, but the motion of his finger. Eternity is his Nature: He is perfect eternity it selfe: and the continuance of the world is but a shadow or abridgement of it; farre shorter than Himselfe. He laies his hands upon both ends of everlastingnesse, comprehending it within his infinite eternity, and eternall infinitenesse.

2. The difference betwixt this Now, and for ever. Nunc hath both a beginning, and an end: for ever, hath a beginning, no end. Nunc is spunne out by degrees: for ever, is perfect at once. Of nothing wee become children, of children men, of men aged, and in age (if not before) wee must die: one Nunc brings us into this world, another Nunc carries us out. In the Orbe of this for ever, there is no encrease and decrease, no infancy and age, no growth and death: all are perfect at once, all shall continue perfect for ever. As for death, hee may here ramble abroad, and deale about his bloudy and fatall blowes; and heaven is quite out of his reach. In that upper world, death hath nothing to doe; his power, his credite is lost there: above they laugh at his fury. Our Nunc here hath many alterations: it is subject to changes and chances. Stay but a Nunc, and the greatest man of the East is become a Beggar: but another Nunc, and the healthiest man droupes: this minute he was well, and he is ill this minute. He feeles a sudden change and alteration to worse, and cannot tell the cause, nor call it by any name. This variable, and therefore miserable condition of man, was not imprinted by God: for as Himselfe is immortall, so He did put a beame, a coale of immortality into us. This by our obedience wee might have blowne into a flame, but by our sinne we blew it out. We beggar’d our selves, by hearkning after false riches: wee infatuated our selves, by listening after false knowledge. So that now wee doe not onely die, but die upon the racke, die by the torment of sickenesse: And because we feare sickenesse and death, we are even sicke before sickenesse comes, and die before death comes. For the very jealousie; and pre-apprehension of sickenesse and death, is an antedating of sickenesse and death. We make our selves sicke, before wee are so; and are ready to die, ere death comes at us. Wee are not sure we are ill; but by feeling of our pulse, one hand askes the other how wee doe: and our eye askes our owne urine, how it is with us. We die, and cannot enjoy death, because wee die in the torment of sickenesse: wee are tormented with sickenesse, and cannot stay till the torment comes: but make our selves sicke with presages, and even die of suspition. These mutations and miseries are involved in our Nunc: none such belongs to for ever. In heaven there is no sinne, therefore no sicknesse: no sickenesse, therefore no death: but for those three incidents of our Nunc, three beatitudes in for ever: For Sinne, Grace: for Sickenesse, Glory: and for Death, Life and Immortality.

3. The difference betweene the Saints militant, and those triumphant: betweene us in our Nunc, and them in their for ever. We have the battell to fight: they have fought it, and are Conquerors. Wee are troubled with temptations, they tread the Tempter under their feet. We have the bitter cuppe of affliction to drinke, they are past it, and filled with comfort. We have our degrees to take in the rough Schoole of the Crosse: they are perfect and complete Doctors. Wee have but the Grace, they have the Glory of Saints. Wee have an apprentiship to serve, under our good Master Christ: They are free men of the new Ierusalem. Wee are heires of the same Kingdome, but yet in our minority: they are possessed of the Inheritance. Wee live below in the vaile of miseries: They above, in the Mount of blessednesse. Wee have the earnest of Heaven, they are stated in the whole bargaine. Wee are upon the way, they at their journeyes end. Our race is to runne, they have got the Prize. Wee are Pilgrimmes in this world, they are at home in their owne Countrie. Heb. 11.10. Wee seeke For a Citty which hath a foundation, they have found it. Wee are in blacke, our mourning garments: they Rev. 7.14. In white, the habite of rejoycing. And which is worst, wee are haunted with sinnes; those pernicious Heathens cannot bee quite expelled out of our Canaan. Too often doe they draw us into the offense of our Maker: for which our hearts smite us with remorse, and wee goe heavily all the day long: They above, are ridde of all these sollicitations; and thinke this the happiest of all their deliverances, that they are safely delivered from their sinnes. Wee sinne against the Lord for trifles, they would not offend Him for a thousand Heavensr This is the sorest inconvenience of our Nunc: not so much that it is a vale of miseries, as a vault of sinnes. The good soule had rather suffer the evill that displeaseth her sense, than doe the evill that displeaseth her Maker. Here wee have continuall worke for repentance: O how much of our time is spent in undoing that by sorrow, which we have done up amisse by sinne? In our house sinne continually makes dust, and repentance must bee the Beesome to sweepe it. In Heaven there is nothing but purity and perfection. Here wee give Christ some Glory, but it is with the intermission of sleepe, and interruption of sinne: and too often wee dishonour Him, which costs us many bitter teares. In that Orbe of Eternity, His prayses are perpetually sung, and there is no stay of his Glory.

4. There is yet a Communion betwixt this Now, and For ever: the Saints that are gone before us, Heb. 11.40. are not perfect without us. There is an association of both, them above, and us below; a communion of Saints. For the militant and triumphant Church make but one Parish: Though this world bee scarce the Bellfrey in respect of that upper Quire. When Christ was upon the Earth, hee was not out of his Diocesse; nor out of his Temple, when hee was in our flesh. They sing not the prayses of Christ alone; wee answere them. As when the Angells began; Luk. 2.20. Glory to God on high; the sheepheards followed, glorifying and praysing God for all the things that they had heard and seene. The militant Church, in this joynes with the Church triumphant: Therefore with Angels, and Archangels, and with all the company of Heaven, wee laud and magnifie thy glorious Name: Evermore praysing thee, and saying, Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Hostes: Heaven and and Earth are full of thy glory: Glory bee to thee, O Lord most High. The goodly fellowship of the Prophets praise thee: The glorious company of the Apostles praise thee: The noble armie of Martyrs praise thee: And not onely so, but The Holy Church throughout all the World doth acknowledge thee. Wee have our part, and this himne must not bee sung without us. The Epithalamium of that happy marriage of Christ to our nature, was begunne by Angels: yet there were men on Earth that did second them: The song was not let fall, but as it came from Heaven to the Earth, so was it sent up againe from the Earth to Heaven. The exaltation of our Nature in the Sonne of God, was entertained with Angelicall anthemes. His Session at the right hand of his Father, is lauded by the whole quire of Heaven: yea and it is rebounded, resounded by the Saints below. They from the battlements of Glory, we from the Earth, the pavement of this Temple answers them: Psal. 113.2. Blessed bee the Name of the Lord, from this time forth and for evermore. This song shall never cease: Nunc and Aeternum, shall both incessantly give him Glory. Rev. 48. They cease not day and night, saying, Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty: No interruption of that musicke; but still Glory be to the Father, to the Son, and to the holy Ghost. How for a Nunc only? Once, and no more? At this houre, and so have done? No, but As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be world without end: Gloria in altissimis, is the song of my soule in the house of my pilgrimage: I sing it Per modum voti, yea per modum devoti; my heart is devoted to his praise, and my tongue shall speake of his righteousnesse. We have no Angels to sing this Gloria in excelsis, and it is musicke for an Angell: But they are well pleased to take us into the Consort, to make up the fuller Harmoney. Yet let us take heede that wee doe not marre the musicke: If our brests bee hoarse; and stuffed with the crudities of unrepented sinnes, our voyces will yeelde but a harsh sound: and Gods prayses would bee sung with a cleare brest. As wee desire to sing with the Saints in Heaven, let us live like those Saints upon Earth. When wee have cleansed our hearts from all unrighteousnesse, and made them Temples of the Holy Ghost; then doe wee rise above our selves, and approach somewhat neere to those blessed Spirits. Then are wee in state with Saints and Angells, to magnifie the glorious Name of Christ. There is joy among those Angells in Heaven, to heare their songs kept alive upon Earth. When the Sonne of God came downe from Heaven to Earth, and when hee went up from Earth to Heaven, still Hee was entertained with songs of prayse. Let us prayse Him both for the one, and the other, here; till wee come to sing it in that glorious Quire above: No more of wish then, but of fruition, and so of gratulation For ever.

5. This is one sympathie of the Church, triumphant and militant: wee all agree in this one harmony, of giving Glory to Christ. To Him bee Glory in our Nunc: and To Him bee Glory in their For ever. Howsoever there may bee distance in place; they on high, wee below: and difference in Grace; theirs perfect, ours inchoate: and difference in Glory; they have it in Re, wee but in Spe; and difference in the effects of Faith: Wee beleeve what wee shall have, they have what they beleeved: yet in this there is concord and consent; and without much difference, Christ hath his Glory both here, and there. Though there bee a locall and ceremoniall difference betweene us, in place and honor: Wee Souldiers in His warrefare, they at peace in His Pallace, like Princes in his Court: Yet still there is a Communion of Saints, and wee are all members of the same Head. Though wee bee like the feete of the Body, nearest to the Earth, yet wee are parts of the same Body; and all of us have but one Head, Iesus Christ. So inseparably are they in Heaven, united to us on Earth; that the Church upon Earth is called the very Kingdome of Heaven. Rev. 12.7. There was warre in Heaven. Is not that the place of peace? Was not the Dragon long since cast out of Heaven? Can hee get in thither, to worke their disturbance? What, any warre in Heaven? No certainely, there is all welfare, no warrefare. But this Heaven is the Church militant; and it is honoured with the name of Heaven for seven resemblances. First, Dan. 12.3. It shines bright as Heaven. Fulget Ecclesia Doctoribus, August. ut coelum syderibus. Secondly, In Heaven, one Starre differs from another Starre in Glory: so here bee different measures and degrees of Grace. Thirdly, Heaven is incessant in motion, so the Church continually mooves toward God. Fourthly, Heaven gives influence to all lower things. So all good to the World is conveighed through the Church. Fifthly, Heaven hath none but pure inhabitants; and all the Churches Children are Heavenly: Their Treasure is in Heaven, Matth. 6.26. Their desires in Heaven. Coloss. 3.2. Their conversation in Heaven. Philip. 3.20. The Lord of Heaven dwells in them. Ephes. 3.17. And wheresoever Hee is, His very presence makes a Heaven. Sixthly, Heaven covers all sublunary things: So the Church hath the Moone under her feete, shee treads upon the World. Revelation. 12.1. Shee is (as it were) shod with the Moone, and crowned with the Starres. Seventhly, as Satan is cast out of Heaven, so also throwne out of the Church: His place was no more found in Heaven. Revelation. 12 8. But you will say hee rangeth in the World, how then hath hee no place? Hee hath none ad nocendum: If hee cannot hurt, hee hath no place? Hee may still have power to tempt, not to hurt: Even the Divell himselfe shall worke to our good. Iohn 14.30. The Prince of this World hath nothing in me: Nec quicquam in me nec quicquam meis. Thus the Name of Heaven is communicated to us upon Earth: so certaine are wee in our Nunc, to be co-stated in their For ever.

Sixthly, This For ever, is the perfection of the Glory of Heaven. It were a Glory scarce worth glorying in, if it did not last For ever. This consummates the joy, that it cannot be lost: It would droupe and languish at the very height, if the head of it were not borne up with this For ever. This is the Crowne of the Crowne of Life; that the kings there shall weare their Crownes For ever. The very hope of this, is the best inheritance of the greatest Prince upon Gods Earth: After a kingdome which hee must leave, to enjoy a Kingdome which shall never leave him: To change a crowne of gold, for a Crowne of Glorie: To change the glory of a Crowne which must vanish, for the Crowne of Glorie which can never bee taken from him. Alexander gave away all, and left himselfe nothing but hope: but it was not this hope: Hee wept when hee heard of another World: Hee had wasted some time in winning this: and now to heare of another, when hee had not gotten all this; it melted his great heart into teares. Hee thought one World indeede too little for him: Vnus Pellaeo Iuveni non sufficit Orbis: This hee made account to have wholly his; yet still hee wanted a part. But now there was another World, wherein hee had no part at all: this made him weepe; but hee wept as one That had no hope. 1 Thes. 4.13. No earthly greatnesse can secure us from treachery and violence: Esth. 2.21. Two of the Kings Chamberlaines conspire against Ahasuerus. Hee that ruled over millions of Men, through a hundreth twenty and seven Provinces, cannot assure himselfe from the hand of a villaine. Hee that had the power of other Mens lives, is in danger of his owne. O blessed they that are possessed of a Crowne incorruptible, unfadeable; of a Kingdome in Heaven. No force, no Treason can reach thither: there can bee no perill of either violence, or forfeiture. What a-doe there is in the World for Annuities, for Leases of life, of three lives, for Free-holds and Perpetuities? So undeterminable is the love of this World which determines every minute. Wee are very earnest and industrious about the continuance of our Nunc: O that wee were halfe so carefull about the assurance of our For ever. Luk. 12.19. Soule, thou hast much goods laid up for many yeeres, eate, drinke, and bee merry: Hee was but a foole. But when we have Peace, Happinesse, and Glory, (which are the true goods indeede) laid up for us, not for many yeeres, nor for many ages, but For ever, wee may then bee merry indeede. The best joyes of our soules here, though they bee the beames of Gods favour, are often clouded. In our fairest day, it often raines before night; and our jollity concludes in teares. If wee escape outward crosses, yet wee cannot avoide sinnes, and they doe (and nothing but they should) set us a weeping. There is neither Cloudes nor Raine in that Eternall day above: They have nothing to weepe for, therefore no place for teares. The Lord sometimes smiles upon us, and then wee say in our prosperity: We shall never bee mooved, thou hast made our hill so strong. Psalm. 30.6. But abscondisti faciem; and then wee hang downe the head, like Bul-rushes in a shower. In Heaven the Face of God is never hidden; The Saints and Angells behold it continually. Matth. 18.10. This In aeternum crowne all their crownes, rejoyceth their joyes, and even glorifies their glories, by confirming them in blessednesse: the assurance that they shall be crowned For ever, blessed For ever, joyous and glorious For ever and ever.

For application of all; wee must doe what wee can, to make the glory of Christ last For ever: Not onely In aeterno suo, for that shall be done without us: but In aeterno nostro, which is to be done by us, So let us honour him while wee live, that our very memorie may occasion his honour when wee are dead. Psal. 102.18. This shall be written for the generation to come, and the people yet unborne shall praise the Lord. O happy men that doe such good workes, for which the future ages shall praise him. Nature is pregnant in this office: The outgoings of the morning and evening praise thee: to teach us, neither to lie downe, nor rise up, without remembring of our Maker. Psal. 19.2. Day unto day, and night unto night, doth publish it: their Language is heard every where: How much more should we be diligent in the celebration of his praises? Psal. 145.4. One generation shall praise thy workes to another. The faith of Abraham, in not sparing his onely sonne, glorifies God even to this day. The patience of Iob, proclaimes to all the world his honour. The gracious lives of the Saints departed, doe still magnifie him: in every place we heare of them, and are moved to glorifie God for them: As if his Name had bene lesse famous, if these men had not bene, or not bene so holy. Not that they could adde renowne to God, but God renouned himselfe by them. For if his Iustice gets honour by a Pharaoh, much more doth his mercie by a Moses. We cannot looke upon an Hospitall or almes-house, but we are occasioned to glorifie God, for giving men the grace to doe such good workes. Rev. 14.13. Their workes follow them; yea, and (in another sense) tarry behind them too: The reward goes with them, that their soules may be saved: but the worke it selfe stayes behind, that God may be glorified. For this cause we remember in our thankes to God, the Wickams, and the Suttons, and the benefactors of formes ages: blessing him that raised them up, and reflecting all to his honour. Doe good therfore, ye rich men, with your goods: and thinke it not enough to glorifie God with your professions whiles you live; but that God through your occasions may be glorified when you are dead. These are better monuments than your alabaster or marble sepulchers; better than all the elegies of poets, and Inscriptions upon your tombes: your lasting good deeds, which be the visible trophees of your goodnes: That is your Aeternum in this world and by this you shall give glory to Christ for ever. This is that praise of God, which shewes that hee was Psal. 109.1. the God of your praise. Build refectories for his members, and Temples to his service: you shall die, but Non norant haec monumenta mori. If Israel builds houses to his praise, hee will dwell in them, and so is said to inhabite the praises of Israel. In our severall stations. Let us endevour all wayes to glorifie him, and in heaven hee will glorifie us for ever.

Amen. This is the conclusion of all. Concerning which, some things are observeable in the word it selfe, and some in the sense of the word.

1. It is a word Omnium Linguarum, of all Languages. Originally it is Hebrew; the Greeks tooke it up, the Latines followed them, all other nations entertaine it, and it shall never bee layd downe. There be many Hebrew words, which wee retaine in their proper dialect, without translation of them: as Halleluiah, Immanuel, Hosanna, Maranatha, Racha, Manna, Mammona, Abba, Cherubim, Seraphim: but the most frequent and familiar of them all is Amen. It is kept in the originall, and not translated; first to preserve the honour of the Hebrew tongue. As that was the first language of the world, and thought to bee still the language of heaven; so it shall have honour in the midst betweene both these: for all nations shall Esa. 19.18. speake the language of Canaan: In time the consent of all nations shall come in, to testifie the trueth of the Gospell. And howsoever it be now a stumbling blocke to the Iewes, and an offense to the Gentiles; yet the day will come, when both Iewes and Gentiles shall receive it, and to the word of Christ, they shall say Amen. Next, it is a pledge to the Gentiles, that there shall be a re-ingraffing of the Iewes: Christians call God; Rom. 8.15. Abba, Father, in the tongue of the Iewes; implying that the Iewes shall become Christians. As we received our first faith from them, so they shall receive their last faith from us. It is not then unlawfull to use Greeke or Latine words in our Sermons, when as we are allowed to use Hebrew words in our prayers. But as we refuse no meate that conduceth to the nourishment of our bodies, so all wordes are good that tend to the edification of our soules.

2. It is a word omnium Idiomatum; signifying a Noune, a verbe, an adverbe. First, It is taken for a Noune; reall and substantiall trueth: Rev. 3.14. These things saith Amen, the faithfull witnesse. 2 Cor. 1.10. All the promises of God are Yea and Amen. So every Evangelist shuts up his Gospell; Amen. So Paul, Peter, and Iohn conclude their Epistles Amen. So the holy Ghost seales us the Scripture: the last word of the Bible is Amen. To shew that whatsoever therein is contained, is perfect and absolute trueth. Secondly, It is taken for an Adverbe: so frequently, it is used by Christ; Amen, Amen, dico vobis; verely, verely I say unto you. It is sometimes used in the old Testament: Num. 5.22. The woman shall say, Amen, Amen. In diverse places of the Psalmes: by which some would distinguish them into five bookes, in imitation of Moses his Pentateuch; every booke containing thirty Psalmes, Refert Hirom. Haymo. and the number distinguished by Amens. It is thus taken, an asseveration, some call it Iuramentum. But that Christ, when hee said Amen, Amen, did so often sweare or take an oath were hard to affirme. Thirdly, It is taken for a verbe: wherein we wish something to bee. Deut. 27.15. Neh. 5.13. Psal. 89.52. Thus it is a note of confirmation, tam asserendo, quàm optando. Calvin. It is every way a Seale to the trueth of that which is delivered: 2. Cor. 1.20. The promises of God are Amen in Christ; In ipso sunt Ipsum. And to the trueth of our receiving and beleeving it; so wee shut up our Creed with Amen.

3. It is a word Omnium locorum; placed in the beginning, in the midst, in the end. In the beginning to expresse the Trueth of that which followes: In the end to witnesse the Trueth of what went before: In the midst, it is Ipsa veritas. Christ commonly used it in the beginning of his speech: so hee begunne his Sermon to Ioh. 3.3. Nicodemus. And Paul so beginnes his Epistle to the Gal. 1.5. Galathians. So the Spirit begunne his letter to the Rev. 3.14. 1 King. 1.36. Laodiceans. In the midst it hath a place also. Romans 9.5. Like a Selah in the midst of a Psalme. And in the Lords prayer, though it be but once mentioned or uttered, and that in the end; yet it is implyed in the midst, and belongs to every petition: as well to Fiat voluntas tua, as to Dimitte debita nostra: to Adveniat regnum tuum, as to Da panem nostrum. To them all generally wee say, and to every one particularly we intend Amen. In the end, it is never to be omitted: whether we pray alone, or with the congregation, we must conclude with Amen. Every where then it chalengeth a roome: Especially St. Iohn, repeating the words of our Saviour, ever doubles it; Amen, Amen. Some would strangely allude it to the age of Iohn: that as in the Greeke elements of the word Amen, the numericall letters amount to ninety nine: so they say, St. Iohn lived ninety nine yeares. As those that collect, because the Rev. 13.18. Beasts name, and 1 King. 10.14. Solomons yearely talents of gold, were both of a number, each of them sixe hundreth sixetie and sixe: that therfore Antichrist at that time must be as rich, as ever was Solomon: they doe but invent fantasticall dreames, and groundlesse curiosities. Amen is a word of honour, the voice of faith, and faith presupposeth understanding; not to bee used upon every triviall circumstance, with unadvised lippes: for through a custome or habite of speaking it, they blunder out Amen at a ventures, and not seldome seale a curse to themselves. It cannot bee used with too much reverence.

Lorin. ex Caminio. It was a complaint of the Iewish Teachers; wee may too justly transferre it upon our selves: that the Amen of Gods Clients in the Church is very defective: there is a fault in it, that would bee amended. One Amen they called Pupillum: when a man sayes Amen to hee knowes not what: hee understands not the prayer. Another they called Subreptitium; when one sayes Amen before the time comes: he is loth to tarry till the prayers be done. The last they called Sectile: when a man cuts off his devotion, and divides it into two parts. Hee sleepes out the first part, and his minde is wandring in the last part; onely hee awakes in the middest, inopportunely sayes Amen to that. But a perfunctory and carelesse Amen, to thy private, or the publike prayers, will procure thee none of the required blessings: it will bring but sorry comfort to thy conscience. Praefat. in 2. Lib. Ep. ad Gal. Saint Hierome saith, That in the Primitive Church, the peoples Amen, at the end of publike prayer, was like thunder; above the shout of an army in a triumph: that it would almost astonish a man to heare, Populum reboantem Amen. With so submisse a voice doe wee answere the Minister in our suffrages, as if we were afraid that men should heare us: wee doe but whisper, whereas they did thunder: Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh: our praising God with so low a voice, argues a poverty of devotion in our hearts. If we knew what a seale our hearty Amen were to all our petitions, wee would sooner rend the cloudes, than whisper to our pewes so necessary a Fiat.

Nor must this onely conclude our supplications, but even our gratulations: as well our thankes for what wee have received, as our sutes for what wee would receive. God will not accept of an Hosanna, without an Hallelujah: Amen must seale up both. Be this then the conclusion of our prayers, wherewith God concludes his Scriptures. The first word is In principio: the last word Amen. A stately beginning, and a powerfull ending. What is more stately than Antiquity? Id verum, quod primum. The Doctrine of Moses and the Prophets concerning the true Worship of God, was first: Idolatry and Baalisme came in afterwards. The Doctrine of Christ and his Apostles, touching Iustification by faith, was first: the Popish Doctrine of Merites and Satisfactions came in afterwards. What more powerfull than the Trueth? At last it will prevaile: all will bee Amen, Trueth in the end. So the Scriptures have both Vetera and Vera; which are not joyned together in any other writings. In humane learning, many things are uncertainely true, and more certainely untrue: onely the Word of God is sealed with Amen. Amen is the end of it; and let us all say Amen unto it.

To set some method in my discourse; Amen is but one word; and it was hard to divide a word. It is an unwarrantable boldnesse to teare any word in peeces; much more to rend this word Amen, which is the seale to all the rest. Who but a mad man would teare the seale of his Evidence? Yet though a word may not bee divided, it may bee distinguished, and that without injury. One word may have divers significations: and though it have but Vnicum sonum, may beare Multiplicem sensum. It is like Manna, which rellished to all, according to the delight of every severall palate. Many vertues lay claime to this Amen. Desire challengeth Amen, and sayes, It is mine. Faith laies title to Amen, and saies, It is onely mine. Thankefulnesse would engrosse Amen, as properly belonging to her. We will let them all have it, rather than teare it in peeces, that so none might have it. The roote of it is in the heart, and it hath foure severall Branches in the mouth. First, as it comes from a Desire of the heart, it is Vox Petentis, the word of a Petitioner. Secondly, as it comes from a Perswasion of the heart, it is Vox Credentis, the word of a Beleever. Thirdly, as it comes from the Ioy of the heart, it is Vox Gratulantis, the word of a Thankesgiver. Fourthly, as it comes from the Resolution of the heart, it is Vox Perseverantis, the word of a Continuer. First, a Desire that so may it be. Secondly, a Beleefe, that so it shall be. Thirdly, a Rejoycing, that it is so. Fourthly, a Resolution, that so it shall continue. Of these in order.

1. Amen signifies an earnest Desire of the heart, to obtaine some good. Geminata precatio: when wee have expressed with our mouthes, what wee desire in our mindes, wee adde Amen: So let it be unto me, O Lord. Rev. 22.20. I come quickely. Amen. And least that Amen should not seeme earnest enough, it is seconded by an exegeticall instance; Even so, come Lord Iesus. The foregoing prayer is a petition, and Amen is a short repetition of it: a briefe and abridgement of all that hath been asked. All the requests of an humble Client, are thus summed up in a word; Amen. It is a Seale put to the end of a conveyance: Prayer is the conveyance of our hearty desires to Heaven: this is not authenticall without a seale. As God hath regard to all the termes of the conveyance, and ponders all our requests; so in the bottome of the Instrument Hee lookes for our seale. If Amen bee not set to it, it is but a cold conveyance, and will hardly bring us a good assurance. Duplicatum verbum, ardens desiderium. So Esay 37.17. Dan. 9.19. Matth. 7.7. The evils bee so hurtfull, whereof wee begge a removall: the Graces so excellent, whereof wee pray for a fruition; that wee have good cause to bee urgent with God, and to put Him in minde of that wee have asked, by the conclusion with which our prayers are sealed, Amen. Wee say Amen, O LORD to our supplications, doe thou say Amen to the concessions of them. This is to seale our seale; to set the seale of his mercifull grant, to the seale of our humble suit. Amen on earth, is sealed and ratified by the Amen in Heaven.

2. Amen signifies a perswasion of the heart: not onely a desire to have it so, but a beleefe that it shall bee so. And though option and expectation bee different acts of the Soule; yet they may bee at one instant in the Heart, and therefore expressed in one word by the mouth: The Amen of Prayer, which is a Fiat: and the Amen of Faith, which is a Fiet; doe not destroy, but rather assist one another. Faith rowseth up Prayer, Prayer cheeres up Faith. Credidi & ideò locutus sum; Psalme 116.10. Faith opens the lippes of Prayer. I have prayed, that thy Faith might not faile; Luke 22.32. so Prayer keepes Faith in heart. Beleeve then, that you may pray heartily: Pray, that you may beleeve firmely. Amen answeres to both; as one beame of the Sunne yeeldeth both light and heate: light to our Faith, heate and fervency to our Prayer. Whatsoever yee shall aske the Father in my Name, Hee will give it you: Iohn 16.23. This is the foundation of our Amen. It must rise from a beleeving heart, and that must needs bee an understanding heart. No man will put his seale to a writing, till hee understands the contents. Our Prayer, without the Amen of Faith, is an Evidence without a Seale. The Amen of our lippes, without the intention of what is prayed for in our hearts, is a Seale without an Evidence. The Suffrage of the whole congregation, crying Amen to the publike Prayers, hath ever beene, and is the laudable custome of all Churches. But if the common Prayer be not in a common tongue, how shall the people say 1 Cor. 14.16. Amen? When the Priest sayes Prayers in Latine, it is at his courtesie, whether hee will blesse or brand the Assembly; and so ignorant Persons may say Amen to their owne curse. Say his Charity is better, yet the unlearned Papist is never the wiser. It was a ridiculous observation of the Carnotensian Canons, that forbore to shut up Prayers with Amen in their Churches, because they understood Saint Paul to make it belong onely to Idiots: whereas their Assembly consisted of none but noble and learned Persons. But Hugo saith well of them, that they have now just cause, Illud resumere per contrarium; and all to say Amen, because there are none but Idiots and unlearned amongst them. Coeca devotio, rara benedictio. The Romish Priests may conjure, as well as pray, for ought that the Vulgar know. And their Amen to the Orisons, is but like a song of one tune, and the burden of another: or like the ringing of the Saints-bell, after much jangling in the steeple. For though God understands Latine, yet their Latine does not understand God. So wee have too many, that huddle up their prayers in a morning, and then thinke they have served God very well, and are blest for all day. Their mindes are busie about one thing, and their tongues talke of another thing: they neither say what they consider, nor consider what they say. So that heere is neither hand nor seale, but a meere blanke: or a paper scribbled over with nonsense: No man can tell what to make of it. If praying were not an Action of the heart, more than of the lippes, you have many Birds that might be taught to say their prayers.

But when The heart hath indited a good matter, and the tongue hath set it downe like the penne of a ready writer; Psalme 45.1. Then is the seale opportunely put to them both; Amen. Some preproperous devotions are delivered, as Sermons are taken, in Brachigraphie: They love to bee short with GOD, as if it were enough that hee knew their meaning. Others are long and tedious, like the prayers of the Pharisees, full of superfluous repetitions, and idle misplacings. Like Anagrammes; for as there is a transposition of letters, so here is a misposition of requests: The beginning is where the end should be, and the end where the beginning: so that in the wrong Vbi, there is skrewed in Amen.

3. Amen signifies the joy of the heart, and so it is a gratulation for some good received. Thus most properly, and according to the genuine nature of it, it is taken here. To GOD bee glory for ever; Amen. Wee doe not onely desire that so it may bee, and beleeve that so it shall bee, but also rejoyce that so it is. Saint Chrysostome tells us, that the People in the Primitive times, so soone as ever they heard these words uttered, To whom bee Glory for ever, they presently thundered out Amen. It is Vox gratulantium; as when the Magistrate hath pronounced, GOD save the King; The whole multitude showteth foorth Amen. Whensoever wee heare any man blessing the Name of God, it is a key to open our lippes, and a motive to affixe our Seale to His Prayses with Amen. The best way to pledge the Kings health, is by our hearty prayers for him: And it is not the least way of honouring Christ, when others have begunne his Holy Prayses, to pledge them in our consents, to answere them in our eccho’s, of Amen. O that men would praise the LORD for His goodnesse, and for His wonderfull workes to the Children of Men. Psalm. 107.8. and Psalm. 116.13. Though wee cannot make a long Oration of His worthy Prayses, nor a narration of His great and glorious acts; yet when wee heare the Preacher declare what Hee hath done for us, and ascribe all honour to His Name, Wee cannot but know how to say Amen. It is a word neither hard to learne, nor troublesome to remember, nor difficult to pronounce; Amen. All Plants receive influence from the Sunne: onely the thankefull Heliotropium turnes it selfe to the Sunne, and would faine follow it. If the beames of Christs Graces have throughly warmed our hearts, wee still looke towardes Him, wee rejoyce in His Blessings, and close up all our prayses of Him with Amen. All the Tribe of Manasseh went not over Iordan, some stayed behinde: Manasseh is said to signifie forgetfulnesse: though wee forget many of GOD’S mercies and benefits, yet let some tarry behinde in our memories, and not passe away without our thankefulnesse. Wee have dull hearts, if wee can taste the sweetnesse, and digest the fatnesse of his blessings, without returning Him continuall thankes, sealed with Amen.

4. It signifies the resolution of the heart; that as the glory of GOD shall continue for ever in it selfe, so wee with all our best endeavours will maintaine it. And that as His favours towards us are not mutable, so wee will bee no changelings in setting foorth His Prayses. Amen is Trueth, and Trueth is firme: implying that neither Christs Honour, nor our thankefulnesse are fadable things: but of a durable subsistence, and such as will last for ever. In witnesse of which perpetuity, wee set to our Seale of Amen. There is no question of His Glory; all the doubt lies in the perseverance of our Grace. The Apostles Were continually in the Temple, praising and blessing GOD. Luke 24.53. If wee bee not alwayes in the Temple of GOD, made by the hand of Man; yet wee are never out of this Temple of Man, made by the Hand of GOD. So long therefore as our Soules are the Priests, and our Bodies the Temples; and these mortall Temples containe those immortall Priests; Let there bee offered to Christ the continuall sacrifice of thankefulnesse. Let us draw out Amen to the full length, and evermore sing his Prayses. When the old Man had entertained the gods, and they so liked of his Hospitality, that they bade him aske what hee would, and it should bee granted him: Hee onely begged that his little Tenement might bee turned into a Temple, and himselfe bee accepted as the Priest, to offer sacrifice to them. Much like to Davids unum petii, & hoc requiram; even to dwell in the house of GOD for ever. Psalme 27.4. They say, happy are the Stones whereof Temples are made: GOD made the whole World a stately Temple, wherein Hee will bee worshipped: And to doe that, is the perfection of the world. The inferiour Orbes have their severall motions; some are turned this way, and others that way: but the Empyreall, the highest Heaven is never mooved: the rest of that cannot bee disturbed: Immobility and immortalitie belongs to that. So the lower Spheares of our Soule, our sensitive affections and passions may bee whirled up and downe: But let our heart continue firme, and sticke fast to the honour of Christ: There let our Amen bee laid up for ever. The Amen of Mercy, the Sonne of GOD, when Hee undertooke the worke of our Redemption, never gave it over till hee came to his Consummatum est. The tentations of Satan, the persecutions of the Iewes, the afflictions of his body, the passions of his soule; could not call him downe from the Crosse, till he could triumph in his Consummatum est: then Hee gave up the Ghost, with Father, into thy hands I commend my Spirit. So when wee have continued in His Service to the last, speaking and doing, beleeving and living to His Glory; then may wee with comfortable assurance breath forth our spirits into his bosome; Lord into thy hands I commend my soule. This is our Amen, and Himselfe say Amen unto it.

To conclude; Hugo Cardinalis hath a pretty observation: That Amen, under the Law, was answered to the curses, but not to the blessings: But Amen, under the Gospell, is answered to the blessings, not to the curses. For the Law, it is plaine that there was an Amen enjoyned to bee said to the curses; and that not in generall, one Amen for all. But in particular, every curse must have the severall Amen: Which wee shall finde by perusing these places. Numbers, 5.22. The woman shall double her Amen. Deuteronomie, 27. from Verse 15. to 26. All the People shall say Amen. But in the next Chapter, where the blessings follow; there is no Amen affixed, nor commanded to bee affixed to them. Deuteronomie. 28. from Uerse 2. to 12. No Amen spoken of there. contrarily in the Gospell, to all the blessings there is an Amen, but none to the curses. If any Man love not the Lord IESVS CHRIST, let him bee Anathema Maranatha: 1 Corinthians, 16.22. A fearefull curse, but no Amen to that. But Grace bee with all them that love the Lord IESVS CHRIST in sincerity: Ephesians, 6.24. There is an Amen to that. Thus doth Christs Amen seale up mercy to us: Thus let our Amen seale up Glory to him for ever.

To shutte up all with this Amen. Now the GOD of Peace that brought againe from the dead our Lord IESVS that great Sheapheard of the sheepe, through the blood of the everlasting Covenant: Make you perfect in every good worke, to doe that which is well pleasing in his sight, Amen. To GOD the Father, that made mee after His owne blessed Image: To GOD the Sonne, that redeemed me by His owne precious Blood, and called mee to bee a Minister of his Holy Gospell: To GOD the Holy Ghost, who hath inspired and enabled mee to beginne and finish this Exposition: To those three glorious Persons, One onely infinite and Eternall GOD, bee all Praise, all Honour, all Glory, now and for ever. Amen.

FINIS.