2 Peter 3:18 (part 1 of 5)

THose things that God intended not for multiplication, were made perfect in their first being. Perfect in nature, there needed no completion: Perfect in number, there needed no addition: Perfect in order: there needed no mutation: Perfect in measure, there needed no augmentation: Perfect in degree, there needed no melioration. The starres doe not propagate: one starre does not beget another: therefore God in the Creation made as many starres, as he purposed there should be. The Angels doe not multiply: one Angell cannot beget another: therefore at first they were made in an aboundant number. Nor needs there any accession of goodnesse or happinesse to their being, for they are perfectly good, absolutely happy, according to their condition. But for the things of this world, their blessing was a Crescite: and therefore their number was but small at the beginning, because they were made capable of a propagation. So mankinde began with two, in the Creation: and the world was replenished by eight, in that restitution after the deluge. From those first two, how many millions have beene and shall bee derived? The Earth is full, Heaven shall be full, and it is to bee feared that Hell will be full too; and all of persons sprung from their loines. Gen. 1.28. Bee fruitfull and multiply, and replenish the earth. This had beene an infinite blessing, if Adam had stood in his innocency, and begot such as himselfe was Statu primo: but alas, hee begat such as himselfe was Statu lapso. The bitternesse whereof he tasted in his first borne sonne Cain, who was a fratricide and a reprobate. It is worth our observation: the first man that died, went to Heaven: the first man that was borne went to Hell. Death is a punishment; yet though it seized on Abel, he was saved. Primogeniture was an honour; especially to bee (though not the first man, yet) the first borne of mankinde: Cain had this honour, and yet perished. Adam and Eve begate children in their owne likenesse; but they could not beget them in the likenesse of God. They were created in his image, but in his image they could propagate none. By nature we increase our kinde, but it must be by grace, if any of our kind be blessed.

Thus we still multiply, nor shall there be a cessation of this encrease, till God puts a stoppe into the wheeles of time, and sets a period to all things. But this is not the full extent of that Crescite: There is a vegetative life in the body, whereby it growes in stature: and there is a quickning Spirit in the soule, whereby it growes in goodnesse. The tree beares a seede, by which it may bring forth other trees of the kinde; and yet withall, the same tree may grow in it selfe, both in respect of bulke, talnesse, and fruites. There is a Crescere in the one, and a Multiplicare in the other. If the body may grow in his capacity, why not the soule, in her capacity? The body may grow in quantity, till it become greater and taller: Why may not the soule grow in grace till it become holier; and grow in knowledge, till it become wiser, than it was before? The Starres are at their highest, the Angels are at their happiest: they cannot grow more bright or glorious. But men may grow from sinners to Saints, by repentance; and from Saints (as it were) to Angels, by holinesse. Wee come not immediately from our mothers wombes so perfect men, nor immediately from the sacred Font so perfect Christians, but that we may admit a time of growing. We have the parts, but not the degrees of perfection. Hee that was perfection it selfe, yet would yeeld to the course of nature, and order and regulate his life by the direction of that. Luk 2.52. Iesus increased in wisedome and stature, and in favour with God and Men. Col. 2.9. In him dwelt the fulnesse of the Godhead bodily: He was the wisedome of God, and the onely beloved of God: yet would hee increase in all these, in wisedome, and stature, and favour with God and man. So must we Eph. 1.13. Grow till wee come to a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ.

But grow in grace, and in the knowledge, &c.] Wee read of Numb. 10.2. two Trumpets which Moses was commanded to make of silver. So we have here two Trumpets: one sounding from Heaven to Earth, Cressite in gratia, grow in grace: the other resounding from the Earth to Heaven, Christo sit gloria, to Iesus be glory. The former soundeth foorth a point of Theology; the latter, a point of Doxology. The sound from Heaven, is a point of Theologie or Divinity, summoning us to an encrease of Grace. The sound from Earth, is a point of Doxology, or thankesgiving: returning to God praise and glory. When God gave the Law, it was delivered with the sound of Trumpets: when he requires the Law, it shall bee with the sound of Trumpets: in tuba novissima. In both the Angells are the Ministers: in both, the instruments are Trumpets. So after a metaphoricall sense in the Gospell, both in respect of what comes from Christ, and what is returnd to Cbrist; here is a Trumpet, and a Trumpet: The one for proclamation, the other for acclamation: the proclamation of Grace, the acclamation of Glory: Grace proffered by him, Glory ascribed to him. Psal. 116.13. I will take the cup of salvation, and praise the Name of the Lord. So here is Sumam calicem, in the one: and Laudabo nomen, in the other.

In the sound of the former Trumpet, two things are remarkable. 1. The ground of the lesson; the grace and knowledge of Iesus Christ. 2. The descant upon it, and elongation of the note; Grow in this grace and knowledge. In the sound of the other Trumpet, there are three notes. 1. Quid what; Glory. 2. Cui, to whom: to Christ Iesus. 3. Quamdiu, how long: now and for ever. There is a time when this Trumpet from Heaven shall cease: The Angelicall Trumpet shall put an end to the Evangelicall Trumpet. There can be no time of profering or receiving grace, when time it selfe shall be no more. No growing, then, for the harvest is come. No increasing then; for all they that are not full, shall be sent away empty. But the latter Trumpet shall sound alwaies: glory to God, is the song of the Church militant, unto the end: and the song of the Church triumphant, after the end, without end. All the Saints and Angels shall sound this Trumpet, and sing this ditty for ever: Rev. 5.13. Blessing, honour and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth on the Throne, and unto the Lambe for ever and ever.

The Text begins as the World began, with a Crescite: and ends as the Bible ends, with an Amen. There is Fiat in either of them: that we may grow in grace; there needs Gods Fiat to that: that we may set foorth his glory; there is required our Fiat to this. This Amen is an eccho, the answere to both these Trumpets, and hath relation to both the Corollaries. Christ wisheth grace to us, and we say Amen to this: we wish glory to Christ, and adde againe Amen to that. That his grace may be increased in us; Amen to that: That his glory may be advanced by us; Amen to that too. In regard of Gods favour, and mans thankfulnes; to them both, Amen. Thus the roote of the tree is the Grace of God, and the toppe of the tree is the Glory of God. Grace in the foundation, Glory in the roofe of the building. Blessing in the beginning, and blessing in the end: It begins with Gods blessing of us, it ends with our blessing of God; Rom. 1.25. who is blessed for ever. Amen.

In the sound that comes from heaven, which is an hortatory persuasion, there be two principall things to be observed. Fundamentum, and Incrementum: Grace, and Growth. Radix arboris, and Accretio arboris. No growing without a roote, and no live roote from which there is no growing. Christ is the Roote, Grace the sappe, and knowledge the fruites: for so we shall find it to be, Cognitio practica; which consists meerely in the production of good workes. Christ is the Roote that supporteth us, Grace is the sappe which he communicates to us, and knowledge or obedience is the fruite he expects from us. Grace hath the first roome in the Text, and so it shall have in my discourse. Wherein two circumstances summe up all. 1. What it is. 2. Of what valve it is.

1. What it is. The poets tooke Grace pro venustate: with them, beautie in the face, was a grace: comelynes in their carriage, a grace: handsomenes in wearing their garments, a grace: pleasantnes in their discourse, a grade: braverie in their actions, a grace: but by their leaves, it was but a Poeticall grace. We have those that take Grace in a worse sense; even for that which is most ungracious; Sinne: He that wantonly can court his mistresse, is said to doe it with a grace. He that justifies an untrueth, and beares it out with a smooth impudence, is said to come off with a grace. When a gallant mannageth a fowle quarrell, his abettors will not sticke to say, that he carries it with a grace. Yea of the very desperate blasphemer, his parasites will not be ashamed to report, that he sweares with a grace. But if this be a grace, certainely it is a diabolicall grace; it came from hell. The poets grace owes much to nature and education: the sinners grace is indebted to the devill and corruption: The former may passe, the latter is intolerable. God forbid that we should grow in such grace.

Divine Grace is another thing: as it springs from a higher generation, so it is of a nobler disposition. As there be diverse acceptions of it in the Scripture, so infinite distinctions of it in the Schoole. There is Gratia increata, the free love and favour of God, which is called χάρις: so to Mary, Invenisti gratiam cum Deo: Luk. 1.30. Thou hast found favour with God. And Gratia creata or Infusa; which are the gifts of the first Grace, called χαρίσματα: so every good gift, naturall, morall, or spirituall, is Grace. Some would have χάρις to signifie onely saving Grace: and Charismata, such common graces as may be in the wicked. All grace is Gods gift; nor will he give it to those that will not receive it. Non est dare nisi Dei: non est accipere nisi hominis. The grace of God is without our will, but it is not within us without our will. The Papists speake in the dialect of that harlot to Solomon: Nec mihi, nec illi, sed dividatur: Neither all to God, nor all to man, but let it be divided betwixt grace and free will. This is false and injurious to God: for all goodnes is from grace. It is either Gratia praeveniens, that converteth: or Gratia subsequens, Psal. 59.10. that confirmeth. So St. Augustine: Gratia pravenit, ut velimus: Gratia subsequitur, ne frustra velimus. The cause of Gods grace to us, is meerely in himselfe: the internall motive is his owne free love: the externall impulsive is the merite of Christ, The effects of it are either Eternall, in our election: or temporall, in our vocation, and sanctification. The gifts of grace are either common to all, or peculiar to the elect. There is gratia Privativa, that keepes us from evill: and Positiva, that plants us with good. As for that of Gratia operans, and cooperans; it must be qualified; as that Acta fit activa voluntas, the will being first moved by grace, is not idle: or els it will crosse that infallible position, Phil. 2.13. It is God that worketh in us both the will and the deed. And for that old one, of Gratia gratis data, and Gratia gratum faciens; just exception might be taken against it: for when they speake of one kind of grace that is freely given, what doe they but insinuate that there are other graces which are not freely given? But this is a distinction which hath so many gray haires upon it, that I am loth to discredite it. Some, on the other side, are so young and abortive, that they would not be mentioned.

In a word, Grace is either taken actively, for that love and favour of God whereby we are accepted in Iesus Christ: or passively, for the severall gifts wrought in us by the holy Spirit, and that improvement of our talents, whereby we bring foorth acceptable fruites. The first grace is the cause, the other graces are the effects: the first is without us, the rest within us: the first is the originall grace in God, the other are graces created and infused into us. In the former consists our Iustification, our sanctification in the latter. Our Rooting is in the first, our growth in the other. When our faith waxeth stronger, our charitie hoter, our patience meeker, our obedience more conscionable, our conscience more syncere; this is to grow in grace. And the more we grow in goodnes, which is the latter grace, our Sanctification: the more assured we grow of the former, even the favour of God in Christ, which is our Iustification. Still the more holy, the more happy. It is true that our Iustification admits no latitude: we can be no more than just and righteous: but that grace is without us; no growing in that. But our Sanctification admits of degrees and measure, and is within us; so that we may grow in that. We cannot be more just to day than we were yesterday, in respect of God: we may be more holy, in regard of our selves. And if we be not more beloved than we were; yet we shall feele our selves more beloved and blessed than we were. We are all equall, every beleever of us, in gratia remittente; but not in gratia inhaerente: all equall in the grace that justifies us, not in the grace that sanctifies us: in this latter let us be growing. In the old Testament we doe not read of grace, but as it is taken for Gods favour, or mans favour: never for an inherent habite. Ioh. 1.17. The law given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Iesus Christ.

Grow in grace;] that is in the improvement of the holy seed with in us, and brining forth the workes of grace: then shall the first grace, which is the favour of God, enlarge his beames of mercie upon us. Thus our Apostle began his Epistle; Grace and peace be multiplyed unto you: that was his apprecation: So he concludes here in the end; Grow in grace; this is his exhortation. Peter onely joyned peace with grace, in his salutation: Paul vsed also to put in mercie: 1. Tim. 1.2. Grace, mercie, and peace from God our Father, and Iesus Christ our Lord. We might looke upon them; Qualia, Quota, Quomodo; What they are, how many, and how ranked. Tria sunt omnia: all good things are referred to these three heads: a Trinitie of blessings, as it were from the Trinitie of Persons. Mercie from God the Father, Grace from God the Sonne, and Peace from God the holy Ghost. Yet as Grace never comes alone; mercie and peace come with it: so it never comes hindmost; it hath alwayes the first place. But you will say, Mercie is the cause of grace; why then is it placed after the effect? St. Paul went a notiore ad ignotum: for we had never knowne mercie but by Grace: as he that would goe to sea, must take a river by the hand. Mercie in the remission of sinnes, Grace in the sanctification of life, Peace in the eternall blessednes of heaven. But still Grace hath the prioritie of place: and indeed, under God, it is all in all: we have no good, we doe no good, but we must thanke Grace for it. Therefore in our common ejaculations, upon all occasions, when we heare others wish for diverse temporall things; we summe up all in this one vote; God send us his grace, we aske no more. And surely we need not: for all blessings waite upon Grace, as maides of honour upon the Queene: Grace, or nothing: Grace, and every thing. This makes us equall to the Angels; and without this we are miserable and forlorne wretches, worse than beasts: Praestat non nasci quàm sine gratia mori: which is my transition to the next point.

2. Of what value it is. But alas, who can value it? What Gold can buy this Pearle? What Indies can purchase it, where it is not; or redeeme it, when it is lost? What would not the reprobate Angels give, what would they not suffer, for one dramme of grace? Though in their malice they hate it, yet for their case they would faine have it. We cannot better tell how to value it, than by way of comparison. Put it into the ballance with temporall things, and that will helpe us a little to know the worth of it.

1. Grace comes from the best Fountaine; the Mercy of God in Christ. You will say, all temporall things come from the same Fountaine of goodnesse: Iam. 1.17. Every good gift is from above. But though the Spring be the same, Solomon distinguisheth them in the streame or current: Prov. 3.16. Length of dayes is in her right hand, and in her left hand riches and honour. Temporall things are Dona sinistra, the gifts of Gods left hand: Grace is Donum dextrae; the gift of his right hand: this He gives to his chosen, as Gen. 48.17. Ioseph laid his right hand upon the head of Ephraim. Temporall things doe not make the Possessor happy; Grace does: yea, they make his account greater; Grace makes it lesse.

2. Grace serves for the good of the noblest part of man, his soule: other things doe but nourish or delight his mortall body. This moving coffin of the soule is but earth, and will crumble to earth: from that wombe it proceeded, and to the same tombe it shall bee gathered: dust to dust. But sancta anima cælum est, the gracious soule is a Heaven; Habens pro Sole intellectum, pro firmamento Fidem, pro influentia charitatem, pro motu spem, pro Movente Spiritum sanctum, pro astris excercitus virtutum: having for a Sunne understanding, for a firmament faith, for influence charity, for motion hope; the holy Ghost for our Mover, and an army of vertues in stead of starres. Such is the honour of Grace.

3. Nothing but Grace can satisfie the soule. The proud Selfe-lover will have all his apparell sit in print; and though he be in paine, yet will he not complaine that his shooe wrings him. The Worldling hath all things commodious about him; yet there is a little fury within that wrings him; a froward conscience that troubles him. Could hee swallow the earth that swallowes all; it might choke him, not satisfie him. But give him Grace, and then hee goes away springing like Ioseph, and singing like David; Psal. 16.6. The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places, and I have a goodly heritage.

4. Temporall things have no Charter of continuance: Vel viventem deserunt, vel à moriente deseruntur: they are sometimes gone from a man before hee dyes, but they will never tarry with him longer than hee lives. Yea, worse; for Viventem si non abcundo relinquunt, manendo vexant. They will either worke his discontent in leaving him, or his vexation in staying with him. Like a bad wife, that either will bee gadding abroad, or scolding at home. Did you never see a Porter troubled with his burden, though all that hee carried were his owne? Eccles. 5.12. The abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleepe. Quò major sonus, minor somnus: the more noise, the lesse sleepe. While they doe tarry, nihil qutetis, no tranquillity: of their tarrying nihil certitudinis, there is no certainty. 2 Tim. 4.16. At my first answer no man stood with mee, but all forsooke mee. As Saint Paul at his first answere, so wee speed at our last answere; no temporall things will stand with us, but all forsake us. If we looke on this hand for riches, they are gone: if on the other hand for pleasures, they are gone: if behinde us, for friends; or before us, for honours; or under us for our lands and possessions; all gone. 2 Tim. 4.11. Onely Luke is with me: onely Grace is left us; nothing but Grace tarries with us. Grace stands out for eternity, and nothing else.

For Bona naturae, some beasts exceed us: for Bona fortunae, many wicked men goe beyond us: but we have Bona Gratiae; this makes us blessed, when the former are not, and the latter had better not bee. What Solomon was among the Prophets, and Iohn among the Apostles, such is Grace among the vertues; even the especially Beloved of God. Solomon had his dreame, and Iohn had his vision: wisedome rested in the bosome of Solomon, and Iohn leaned on the bosome of Wisedome: Grace is now comforted with the Presence of God, and Grace shall bee hereafter blessed with the Vision of God. Christ now dwels with her: even in the bosome of Grace: and shee shall dwell with him, even in the bosome of glory. This is the beauty of the soule, the strength of the spirit, the peace of the minde, and comfort of the conscience. It makes the body a cabinet of immortall Treasure, cleareth the eyes, fortifieth the hands, directs the feet, composeth the gesture: And when this body must fall to the grave, Grace covers it with comfortable dust, unto the hope of a better resurrection, and leaves it in a quiet sleepe. At our dissolution, Grace is both our physicke and our Physician: a cordiall that never failes: it doth qualifie the sorrowes, mittigate the bitternesse and pangs of death: it stampes the Devill under foot: it throwes all our sinnes into the bottome of the sea; or buries them under Christs Crosse, without possibility of ever rising againe to witnesse against us. It takes the soule out of her wearisome tabernacle, and delivers it as a precious charge into the hands of an Angell, and still keepes it inseparable company. The Angels beare it up unto Christ, and Christ presents it spotlesse to God the Father, where it remaines blessed for ever and ever.

Grow in Grace] There be divers meanes of acceleration, in plants and vegetables; wherein art is used to helpe nature: And for the procerity and stature of mans body, much is attributed to nourishment, something to the aire, and not a little to education. But what is there that can make us grow in Grace? Surely nothing but Grace: the plantation, and the accretion is by the same hand. Qui dat esse, dabit & crescere. When God had made all living creatures, Hee breathed on them a Crescite: the former act gave them a being, the latter a blessing. One fiat was enough for both: to make the world when it was not, and to make it more numerous than it was; not in generibus singulorum, but in singulis generum: not in new kindes, but in new individuals. Yet the former is called a Creation, the other a Benediction. There was a Benè in both: in the making, for there all things were very good: in the blessing, for there they were so much the better by increasing their kinde. Howsoeuver God foresaw the decay that would follow upon sinne, and the death that would follow upon the decay: yet Hee gave this blessing of multiplication, before that either sinne, decay or death were entred into the world. So that as then out of the same mouth came both the fiant, and the crescant: so here from the same hand proceeds both the Grace, and the Growth. Both the Esse, and the Melius esse, know no other but one and the same Authour.

The Growth of any plant is improved principally by three helpes: the secundity of the ground wherein it growes: the kindely heat of the Sunne, chearing it up with his influence: and the contribution of the cloudes towards it, with their deawes and showres descending upon it. The ground wherein wee are planted, is the Church,; and she, like a kinde and indulgent mother, accommodates us withall her helpes: Her Doctrine to direct us, that we may doe well: her Discipline to correct us, when wee doe ammise: her Sacraments, which are Cordials to our heart, like springs, veines, and chanels of Grace to the root: her praiers to Heaven, for a blessing upon that she gives, and for a blessing which she cannot give. August. In commune erat, in commune operatur. The raine that continually fals upon us, to make us shoot up in goodnesse, is a frequent distillation of the Word preached. If those holy deawes doe not soake into our hearts, wee shall bee Dwarfes in Grace. For this purpose Christ sends Ephes. 4.11. Apostles, and Pastors, and Teachers: those be the cloudes, and from those cloudes come raine and showers: the effect should bee, that wee may grow up to the stature of Christ: there is our growth by it. The Sunne that ripens us, and is the principall cause of this accretion, is Christ Himselfe; that Sol Iustitiae; all our Growth is meerely beholding to his beames and saving Influence. He blesseth the ground that beares us: He filleth, and emptieth the cloudes upon us. Thus there is Gratia acta, wrought in us: and Gratia [aucta], increased in us. As Grace is not given Nolenti, to him that would none of it: so nor is it increased Negligenti, to him that does not labour to improve it. Wee are not onely living, but reasonable and holy plants: and must both labour for our owne sustenance, and mature and further our owne accrescence. The Grace that is in us, is perfect: for the least Grace is Grace, as a sparke of fire is fire, Ioh. 9.39. If men see but a little, so little that they thinke themselves blinde; yet they doe see: but they may be brought to see better. Wee know, there is a double perfection; of parts and degrees: The Grace that is infused to us at the first, is perfect in regard of the parts: as a childe is so farre a perfect man, because it hath all the parts of a man: but it is not perfect in regard of degrees; for wee may grow up in Grace, as a childe does instature. In our conversion, when wee first receive this saving Grace, we are but Infants in Christ: yet Infants may bee tall men in time. Desire wee to know whether wee bee growne in grace, or not? As by the growing of one plant, wee may give a guesse at all the rest: so here let us make a triall.

1. For faith and charity. Is our faith stronger? As our salvation is now nearer than when we first beleeved so is our faith in that salvation stronger than when wee first were converted? Is our charity growne from an Issope on the wall, to a Cedar in Libanus? From the love of a few, and those our friends, and those very sparingly, and this with limitation and provision, that our love cost us little: is it growne to the syncere love, of many, of all, even to our dammage, even to our death?

2. Consider we our Humility; how doe we thrive in that? At the first we thought some worse than our selves: doe wee not now thinke all better? Indeed of all Graces in us, Humility growes crosse to the rest. Other vertues aspire upwards, humilitie lookes downewards. Wee say of the rest, the higher they grow, the better: but Humility is the best at the lowest. Faith, Hope, and Devotion have an holy ambition: they disdaine to looke lower than Heaven: nothing can content them but an immortall Crowne. But Humility pleaseth herselfe in a low dejection: you shall finde her (with Iob) in the dust, in that schoole of mortality, disputing and conferring with wormes and rottennesse. Yet even there she growes; and that in the favour of God and his Angels. The deeper she roots, the higher she sprouts: The lower her Humiliavit se, on earth: the higher her Exaltavit Deus, in Heaven.

3. Our Repentance hath such another kinde of growing too. She growes from a spring to a brooke, from a brooke to a river, from a river to a great sea. This is a Grace that does not onely grow herselfe; but waters all other Graces, and makes them grow faster in us. It is our owne contribution of moisture, besides that of the cloudes, that they young plants, which we have almost eradicated and withered by our sinnes, may be caused to grow againe by our teares. As the morning deaw is a pawne of the evening fatnesse: so our penitent teares put a fruitfulnesse into all our Graces. When for that sinne, which cost us at first but a sigh, wee now fetch many deepe grones: and for that which cost us but grones and prayers, wee now spend flouds of teares; and if it were possible, wee would weepe teares of bloud. This is to grow in that Grace, which moistens all our plants, all our vertues: and destroyes all the weeds, all the sinnes in our garden; happy Repentance.

4. Patience hath her growth, in our better hability to beare crosses. It may be at first, that we scarce durst wade through a foord of troubles: now wee can swimme in a sea of sorrowes. Then a slight wrong molested us, now wee can beare a lode of injuries. Then we were provoked with words, now wee can endure wounds, without minding revenge. Then wee were angry with our persecutors, now we pray for them. Then we would have retaliated, and could not: now we can, and will not. Then we thought all suffering a punishment, now we judge it a preferment. As Queene Anne Bullen, the mother of the blessed Queene Elisabeth, when she was to be beheaded in the Tower, thus remembred her thankes to the King. From a private gentlewoman he made me a Marquisse, from a Marquisse a Queene; and now he hath left no higher degree of earthly honour for me, he hath made me a Martyr. This is indeed to Iam. 1.4. let patience have her perfect worke, and to come up to her full growth; when for Christs sake, and his Gospells, persecution shall be held an honour, and miserie a dignitie; Ipsamque erudem coronam. Here is the patience of the Saints.

5. Contentation must have her growth too: It was the fault of the Israelites, never to be content: when they had water, they murmure for bread: when they had bread, they complaine for flesh: As if they had boorded with God, and he were to provide them dyet, and they (good men) honestly payd for what they tooke. But Iacob their Father, of whom they were called Israel, was of another mind: Gen 28.20. If God will give me bread to eate, and rayment to put on: he askes no more. So Paul; 1. Tim 6.•. having food and rayment, let us be therewith content. Are we more moderate in our desires now, than we were at first? Worldlings, quaseniores, eo cupidiores: but if in our age we are lesse desirous of the world, it is an argument that we are more satisfied with the Lord. One speciall meanes of the melioration of a tree, is a baring of the roote, and throwing away the earth from about it. If these earthly things, riches, honours, pleasures be taken from us, and the world hath left us naked and destitute of his vaine succours, we adhere faster to God. We doe not covet them, we are content either with or without them: satisfying our hearts with this, that Christ is all in all unto us.

6. Summarily, we may know our owne growth in grace, by our bringing forth the fruites of grace. All trees are not frugiferous, Christians are. That which brings forth no fruite, how shall we know it is a tree, and no logge? There is little difference betweene a dead stocke, and a barren tree: one brings forth as much fruite as the other. I know that boughes, buddes, and blossomes, are indications of a trees growth but there is no proofe of a Christians growth without fruites Mat. 3.9. Bring foorth fruites meete for repentance, saith St. Iohn: he stayes at nothing till he comes to fruites. For that was the tree planted, for that watred, for that manured, and succoured from earth and heaven: not to make materials, nor to give shadowes; not for the greene boughes, or gay blossomes; but for the fruites. The tree is for the fruite, and but for the fruite there had bene no tree. Fruite is the thing for which it was first set, and still is suffered to grow: and when there is no longer any hope of that, Luk. 13.7. Cut it downe, why cumbers it the ground? Then comes the Mat. 3.10. axe to the roote: downe it goes, into the fire it must: if it will not serve for fruite, it must for fewell.

There is no evident knowledge of our growth, either by our leaves or blossomes. Our leaves that so ruffle with the winds, are but our hearing of Sermons: and of this we are very prodigall,: and for this we looke to be esteemed good Christians: as if all godlynes consisted in the hearing of a Sermon. Is all turned to hearing? where be the other senses? 1. Cor. 12.17. Is the whole body an eare? What is become of the other members? The Papists stand much upon their Auricular Confession: but doe not too many among us stand too much upon Auricular Profession? There is an auricular confession, the religion of Papists: and an auricular profession, the maine religion of our pure hypocrites. All the Iewells of their goodnes hang at their eares: and but for their eare-marke, no man would take them to be Christians. The thorny ground is Heb. 6.8. neare a curse: but the fruitlesse fig-tree had Mat. 21.19. a curse. Hearing the word of grace, is no sufficient proofe of our growing in the workes of grace. You heare us, and you praise us; and then thinke you have done enough: August. You heare our Sermons, we heare of your commendations: Teleramus illas, & tremimus inter illas: we suffer it, but with trembling hearts. All this is but leaves, and we aske for fruites: and not fructus oris, but fructus operis. Faire words doe no more prove your growing, than the large leaves of Ionah’s gourd was an argument of the lasting: Quickly they both fade: one day greene, the next dry. It is no good signe in a tree, when all the sappe goes up into the leaves, and is spent that way: nor in a Christian, when all his grace shootes up into words: a verball goodnesse; no reality at all.

Leaves come of the kernell, as well as fruites: so doth chaffe of the seede, as well as good graine: yet doe we not plant for leaves, nor doe we sow for chaffe: we make small account of either. Ier. 23.28. Quid paleae ad triticum? What is the chaffe to the wheate? Quid foliis ad fructum? What are the leaves to the fruite? Rather give us fruite on a shrubbe, than a tree that can reach the Cloudes, with nothing but leaves. There may be some fruite, without much growth: but growth is nothing worth without fruite. Saul was higher by the head, than all the rest of Israel: many in Israel were better than Saul at the heart. The procerity and cedarly tallnesse of trees, with a glorious flourish of leaves, is goodly to the eye: but the kindely fruites of the lower plant is more acceptable to the taste. The eminence of some notoriously zealous professours, may make them much admired: but the good fruites of mercy in men silent and lesse notable, makes them more beloved. The former may grow in applause, but the latter grow in grace: and this growth O Lord, give me!

We have heard the two fundamentall grounds: first, what grace is, with the value of it: next what it is to grow in grace, with the happinesse belonging to it. For application to our selves; two maine uses [I must lay] to your charge: Quaerere, and Crescere. First, a labor to obtaine grace. Secondly , an endeavour to grow in grace. The acquisition, and the accretion of it. Omnis* germinatio praesupponit plantationem:* that cannot grow, which is not. It must have a being, before it have an increase. God gives the seede, first: then Paul must plant, and Apollos must water, before there comes an encrease. First give it essentiam, a being, then looke for Incrementum, a growing. 1 Cor. 15.10. The grace of God in me was not in vaine: saith Paul. See first that you have grace; and then that the grace you have bee not in vaine. In vaine it cannot be, if it be in the Lord. His grace shall not bee in vaine, in you: ver. 58. nor shall your labour be in vaine, in him. For the obtaining of grace, diverse duties are requireable.

1. Concursus ad orbem gratia. Seeing it is so precious, that life without it is but death, or worse: Let us creepe into the Sunshine, and live within the sphere and compasse of Grace. Rom. 6.14. Yee are not under the Law, but under grace. There is no small benefit, to live within the precincts of grace. I doe not say, that all who are Sub gratia, are therefore necessarily In gratia. Plants and stones lie under the same beames of the Sunne, and are wet with the same moisture of the Cloudes: The Plants spring and grow, yet there is no alteration of the stones. But to live within the verge of the Court, gives some hope that the king may one day cast a favourable eye upon us. We cannot come into the roome where they make perfumes, but we must carry away some of the sweetnesse on our clothes. Nor can we walke in a garden of Roses and Violets, without participation of their pleasant odours. Which if either our superstitious Recusants, that refuse the Church in state and pride: or our wanton Recusants, that refuse it for delicacy and pleasure: or our worldly Recusants, that refuse it for the love of their Mammon; rightly understood: they and the Temple would bee better acquainted. Iohn 20.24. Thomas was not with the Apostles, when Iesus first appeared to them: and to his absence some have imputed his incredulity. It is ill to take, but worse to make occasions of our absence. God hath appointed a day in a weeke, the Church an houre in the day, and the State a place for both. To neglect that day, that houre, and that place, is no lesse than to disobey the commandement of the State, of the Church, and of our God himselfe. If Peter be out of the shippe, hee may sinke: If Shimei bee out of Ierusalem, hee may die for it. Out of the Temple, when wee should be there, we may perish; if God not as mercifull to us, as Christ was to Peter; and more mercifull, than Solomon was to Shimei; what businesse soever we pretend.

What bee the common occasions that detaine us? Playing or sleeping, or drinking, or evening of accounts, or visiting of friends. Thinke on it: when you play, and are at your sport, what if God should come to you in earnest? What if death should make a gamester among you? He throwes at all: and would hee not swoope all the stakes, to your terrour and most unrepairable losse? Had it not beene better for you, that he had found you praying, than playing? When you sleepe, why may not that sterne Serjeant take you napping? Why may not a palsey, or an apoplexie, or a lethargie, put you into your last sleepe? You would not rise to serve God at the Church; why should God arise to preserve you at home? Drinking, that is the common hinderance: O how many hundreds about this city, doth the Taverne and Tap-house robbe the Church of? With such an Host, gaine is godlinesse; and with such guests; the health of their soules is drowned in healths to their mistresses. One houre spent in praying, is tedious to them: tenne houres in drinking seeme nothing, so merrily the time passeth with such tos-pots. Thinke seriously, with the cuppe in thy hand: why may not that draught be thy last! Some Merchants and Tradesmen make bold with that holy time to set even their accounts: but how if God at that very time should call them to an account? It is to bee feared, that no chearefull account could bee then rendred. Others have their friends to visite: but how if God should then visite them, and smite them with some mortall sicknesse? It would be small comfort to their soules, that the Church was then forsaken of their bodies. These judgements may fall upon men, in their wanton or wilfull absence from the congregation: they have no supersede as against them. Let us therefore keepe the orbe of Grace, and the God of all Grace will keepe us.

2. Apparatus ad vocem gratiae. Faith comes by hearing, and by hearing comes all other grace too. The holy Ghost is the Fountaine, Preaching the pipe, our Eare the channell, and our Heart the cisterne for this water of life. 2. Cor. 6.1. Receive not the grace of God in vaine. In vaine it is to us, when either it is tendred, and not accepted; or accepted and not improved. 2. Tim. 1.6. Stirre up the gift of God which is in thee. The sparkes will not bee kindled in our soules without hearing, and they will die in their owne ashes without stirring. Hearing is the light that kindles them, Prayer the tongues to stirre them up, and meditation the bellowes to make them burne. The Word of the Gospell is compared to a feast; and the hearers are the guests: but there is some difference in the carriage of the businesse. First, to a feast we are bidden, and wee come: one invitation is enough: To the Word we are invited often; but in stead of our selves; we send our Luk. 14.18. excuses: wee have no need of it, no stomach to it. Secondly, in a feast we are glad to have the best morsells carved to us, and let the courser dishes passe by: But in hearing of the Word, when the best counsell is offered us, we are so mannerly as to commend it to our neighbours: That reprehension toucheth such a one, not me. Thirdly, at a feast we desire to be Primi the first: but in Gods house we are well content to be Postremi, the last. Fourthly, a Sermon is still thought too long; when will he make an end? At a feast, we looke for a second or third course, and seldome call to take away. Fifthly, we make reasonable election of nourishment for our bodies: but we are bad chusers of the diet for our soules. That pleaseth us which is sweet to the sense, not that which is wholsome to the conscience. By nature we have no more skill in our owne diet, than in our owne Physicke. We shrinke in our profession, and sinke in our dignity, in respect of very meane creatures; that are their owne physicians, their owne caters and carvers. They write that the Harte being pursued, and wounded, knowes an herbe, which being eaten, throwes of the arrow: a strange kind of vomite! The dog is subject to sicknes, but he knowes the grasse that recovers him. It may be true, that the drugges are as neare to us as to other creatures: it may be that obvious and common simples, easy to be had, would cure us. But we have not that innate instinct, to apply those naturall medicines to our present dangers, which these inferior creatures have: we are not our owne apothecaries, not our owne physicians, as they are. Thus ignorant are we for our bodies, and naturally worse chusers for our soules. If we knew the valve of the word of Grace, nothing could keepe us from the hearing of it. As Diogenes being repelled of Antisthenes lifting up his staffe to drive him away, replyed: Doe, beate me: yet thou shalt never drive me from thee, so long as I can learne any good by thee. As meate does not enter the body, but by the mouth: so grace does not passe into the soule, but through the eare.

3. Affectus ad fontem gratia. The Spirit of God is the fountaine of grace, let us please him, as we desire to be made gracious by him. Eph. 4.30. Grieve not the holy Spirit of God, by whom you are sealed unto the day of redemption. He is the high God; let us not grieve him for his dignities sake: he seales us up in grace; let us not grieve him for his benefites sake. Because of his Greatnes, and because of his Goodnes: Greatnes in himselfe, Goodnes to us: for either of these, or for both of these, we should be so respective to him, as not to grieve him. The Apostle might have said; Yield him all cause of joy and contentment: it had bene but reason, so. But not to give him any cause of grievance; what could he say lesse. Grieve him not for his owne sake; if not for his owne, yet for his Seales sake, for his Graces sake. Si rem grandem mandâsset, say the Servants of Naaman to their Master: 2. King. 5.13. If the Prophet had bid thee doe some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it. So si rem grandem dixisset, If the Apostle had imposed some great piece of service upon us, yet we should not have thought much of it. But he onely chargeth us not to grieve him; which is no positive or actuall service, of paines or perill: onely a prohibition of dis-service; as little as can be required. Hath he made his owne sacred bed in the chamber of thy heart? O then trouble him not. Let not the noise of vaine wordes disquiet him, nor the stench of carnall lusts offend him, nor the sluttish heapes of worldly desires make him weary of his abode: Melliter in tenero praesta requiescere lecto. If thou find that glorious king in thy poore cottage, bow thy selfe with Abraham to the ground, and say; Gen. 18.3. My Lord, if I have found favour in thy sight, passe not away, I pray thee, from thy servant. There be two sorts of persons whom we would not willingly offend: the Great, and the Good. Not the Great in regard of their power: they may doe us a displeasure: which is the motive of feare. Not the Good, in regard of their bountie: we may be the better for them; which is the motive of hope. If he be great, though he give us nothing; yet there is no wisedome to displease him. If he be good, and ready to doe us good, though his power be not mighty; yet in honestie we should not anger him. But if he be great and good, able and willing to pleasure us; then farre be it from us to grieve him: which is the motive of love; and of such love as we alwayes carry about us; love to our selves. For all these respects, let us grieve the Spirit of grace no wayes: for his Greatnes, ne noceat: for his goodnes, vt benefaciat: and for our owne sakes, Quos signavit. If we desire Grace in our Cisterne, let us dearely love the fountaine.

4. Respectus ad honorem Gratiae. It honours us, we have good cause to honour it. As Theodosius the Emperor preferred the title of Membrum Ecclesiae, to that of Caput Imperij: professing that he had rather be a Saint and no king, than a King and no Saint. 1. Sam. 2.30. Them that honour mee, I will honour: and shall not we honorare honorantem? Tit. 2.10. St. Paul chargeth us to adorne the doctrine of our Saviour in all things: a good life adornes grace; scandalous sinnes cast disgrace upon it. We beginne to storme at this challenge; what, dishonour grace? In our brave and lofty stile, we scorne the imputation: what, Wee to discredit the Gospell? Wee that professe it, and love it, and live in it, and are ready to die for it; We to dishonour it. I would it were not true: yet the Apostle begges but an easie request of them that were, and (possible) thought themselves very famous Christians; Eph. 4.30. Grieve not the holy Spirit: Not for an Honorare, nor a Laetificare nor a Glorificare; you will not advance, nor credite, nor defend the Gospell of grace; yet at least doe but thus much for it, as not to disgrace it. 1. Tim. 6.1. Let not the Name of God, and his doctrine be blasphemed. Gods Name? say we in our ruffe and heate: what doe we but glorifie it, and make it famous and renowned every where. Ye say well; but heare you? In the meane time I would Rom. 2.24. his Name might not be evill spoken of by your meanes. Dishonour Grace? Why it is our life, our soule: the very life of our life, and the salvation of our soule: we will never doe it. But is there not such a thing, as Iud. vers. 4. turning the grace of God into wantonnes? What doe you call this? Is it not a dishonouring of Grace?

When we shall abuse either the promises of Grace, which are the covenants: or the Pledges of Grace, which are the Sacraments; by deriving an encouragement to evill from that mercifull indulgence: is not this a turning of grace into wantonnesse? And is not that a discredite done to the honour of grace? If from the Sermon which forbiddeth such a sinne, we shall immediately runne into the sinne forbidden by the Sermon; doe wee not disparage the house of grace, the time of grace, the word of grace, the very God of grace? Is it not a discredite to them all? When the Pagan beheld Christians receiving the blessed Sacrament, and observed with what reverence and devotion they demeaned themselves in that holy businesse; he was inquisitive what that action meant. It was answered him by one of them; That God having first emptied their hearts of all their sins, as pride, envie, covetousnesse, contention, luxury, and the rest; did now enter into them himselfe, with a purpose to dwell there. He was silent for the present: but followed and watched them whom he saw to be communicants in that action, for two dayes together: And perceiving some of them to fall into quarrels, uncleannesse, rapacity and drunkennesse so soone, hee declared his censure of them with this exclamation: I confesse that your religion may bee good, your devotion good, your profession good; but (sure) your hospitality is starke naught, Apud quos ne Deus quidem biduo commorari permittitur. Are you so unhospitable; that you will not let your God dwell with you for two dayes together? This is the shame of Christians, this, the disparagement of grace; when it is forced, against the nature of it to encourage lewdnes: I may take this bribe, put up this Interest, admit this uncleannes, drinke this quantitie: why? O! God is gracious: nay, therfore doe it not, because thy God is gracious. Rom. 6.1. Shall we continue in sinne, that grace may abound? God forbid. Will any sober man wound himselfe, to try the skill and love of his Chirurgion? God forbid it; and the thankfulnes for his mercies, the remorse of our owne hearts, the tendernes of our owne consciences, and the love of our owne soules, for ever forbid it. Heb. 12.29. Our God is a consuming fire. Even our God, the God of grace, is a consuming fire. If wee will dare to presume; he will not spare to consume. Psal. 19.13. keepe backe thy servant from presumptuous sinnes; let not them have dominion over me. Iam. 3.2. In many things we sinne all: but let not the presumption of pardon induce us. Though Gods grace be an inexhaustible treasure; yet we may spend so much of our owne stocke, till we become meere bankerouts. Let grace be the desire of our hearts, grace the prayer of our lippes, grace the direction of our lives, grace the protection of our bodies, and grace the salvation of our soules.

Thus we have found out the way to get it; now we must seeke out the meanes to improve it; Grow in grace. This is done first by prescribing the Furtherances, and next by removing the hindrances: both which I might make distinct passages: But I will knit them together, and sette downe certaine Rules which may direct us how to grow.

1. I beginne at Prayer; and where better? Qui fecit vivere, docuit & orare, Hannah prayed to have a childe, Monica prayed to save a childe. Let us pray that wee may have Grace, and pray that wee may save Grace, and that Grace may save us. Prayer is requisite, that we may be new borne in Grace: and that being so borne, wee may grow in Grace, Prayer must not bee left out. Psal. 14.3, 4. They are all gone aside: Why? They call not upon the Lord. Prayer is a Key, to open the Gate of Heaven, and let Grace out: and Prayer is a Locke, to fasten our hearts, and keepe Grace in. Prayer is a Messenger to fetch that holy seed out of the Garner above: and Prayer is the former and latter raine, to make it grow beneath. Prayer wooes it to come, and Prayer winnes it to tarry. Prayer is the Invitation of that noble Guest to our house, and Prayer provides for the entertainement of it. Prayer procures it a being in us, and Prayer supplies it with a blessing. Fundatur precibus, precibus firmatur: therefore 2 Thes. 5.17. Pray continuaelly, if thou wouldst grow continually. Yea, there is a growth in Prayer, as there is in the Grace wee pray for. Our Prayers may grow in zeale, in confidence, in penitence, in humility. Some Censers may bee fuller of Incense than others: and the higher our Invocations rise up in fervency, the more doe Graces come downe in plenty. Therfore as they put some water into the pumpe, that thereby they may fetch up more: so let us pray, that we may pray better. When the mill is set a going, an easie winde keepes it so, and a stronger encreaseth the motion: If the Spirit blow upon us, this sets us a praying: but a more powerfull gale of Grace and Inspiration, addes vigour to our Devotion. In vaine doe we expect that almes of Grace, for which we doe not so much as begge.

2. A jealous suspition of our owne strength. We say, He that teacheth him selfe, hath a foole to his master: so he that relyeth upon himselfe, hath a reed for his upholder: either he will fall quickely, or is already downe. Confidence in God doth onely support us: wee cannot put too much trust in Him, nor too little in our selves. It was Peters over-venturousnesse, that tripp’d up his owne heeles: Matth. 26.33. verse 74. Though all men should be offended because of thee, yet will I never bee offended. Bravely promised: but Peter sware, I know not the man: cowardly answered. I know not the man? He knew well enough what his Master was, but he knew not what himselfe was. August. de verb. Domini 13. Multos impedit à firmitate, praesumptio firmitatis. Many had stood, if they had not made themselves sure of standing. Therefore is Peters fall recorded; Gregor. moral. l. 23. cap. 15. Vt ruina majorum, sit cautela minorum. Every errour of theirs, is a catechisme to us: their lapses are our cautions. Those Iudgements 2 Cor. 10.11. happened to them for ensamples: Ex cinere Iudaorum, lixivium Christianorum: the ashes of the Iewes will serve to make a Lie for Christians; to wash and scowre us from impiety. That which is upon Record to their disgrace, can neither give courage nor comfort to us in the imitation of it. Scriptae sunt etiam ruinae priorum, ad cautelam posteriorum. If thou stand upon thine owne bottome, Remember Lots wife: Ardeus. remember her that fell before thee. If thou beest confident of thine owne standing, remember Peter: he fell that was most confident. There are two sorts of Memento’s set upon all stories: If the example bee good, Memento & fac, Luk. 10.37. Goe and doe thou likewise: If bad, Memento & fuge, Doe not thou likewise. Thinke upon Lots progresse, and comming safe to Zoar; Memento & fac: Thinke upon his wives retardation and retrospection; Memento & fuge. Wee are like to sicke men; who when they have had a good day or two, thinke themselves presently well againe: so they make bold to put off their kerchiefes, to put on thinner garments, and to venture into the fresh aire: whereupon follow unrecoverable relapses. Let us onely be confident in Iesus Christ.

3. An holy feare of falling must still possesse us. Ier. 32.40. I will put my feare in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me. In the former part of that Verse, there is an everlasting promise of God not to depart from us: yet still feare is placed in us of purpose, that we may not depart from Him. It generally granted, that no man truely ingraffed into Christ, can either totally or finally fall away from Grace: And that Peter did not so fall, because Luke 22.32. Christ prayed for him, that his faith would not faile. To say, it might deficere re, non tempore, is absurd: for can a thing perish, and yet remaine in time? What time can bee given to that which is not? Nor is it enough to say, that faith lost may bee restored againe: For then Christ prayed not at all for that faith which Peter had, but for that faith which he should have. Yet there can be no fall without great danger. Sin is a fall: we have taken up the terme our selves, in calling Adams sinne, Adams Fall. A fall indeed; for it fowles us as a fall, it bruiseth us as a fall, it bringeth downe as a fall: downe from the state of Paradise, downe to the dust of death, downe to the barre of Iudgement, downe to the pitte of hell. Yet all fals doe not harme us alike: there is in sinne, the fall, the relapse, the wallow, and the not rising againe: this latter, the not repenting, damneth.

There may bee Lapsus, a grievous sinne: and Relapsus, those Recidiva peccati, worse: and a lying still, Volutabrum peccati, the wallow; worse than that: But if it once comes to impenitency, that Ier. 8.4. they fall, and not rise; this not onely makes it most culpable, but leaves it most inexcusable. To prevent this, let us Prov. 28.14. feare alwayes. Feare is but a cowardly passion, yet it is set to watch the chiefe Citadell; the very heart: As in a Towne of Garrison, the most white liver’d Souldier may serve to ring the Alarme-bell: yea, he is fittest for the purpose: for the feare of his owne danger will make him vigilant to give warning to the rest. God doth give us feare for a ballast, to carry us steddily in all weathers: but yet Hee doth ballast us with such sand as hath Gold in it; with that feare which is his feare. Esay 33.6. For The feare of the Lord is his Treasure. The Father saies, Psal. 111.10. The feare of the Lord is the beginning of wisedome: Prov. 1.7. the Sonne repeats it: he that collects both, cals it Ecclus. 1.20, 27. The roote of wisedome: and that it might embrace all, Wisedome it selfe. Therefore Ecclus 18.27. A wise man will feare in every thing: hee is never without it, never without the excercise of it; not onely in heavie and calamitous times, but even in good and chearfull daies too. Heb. 11.7. Noah being moved with feare, prepared the Arke; to the saving of his house: though he had assurance of his deliverance, yet he provides the meanes of it with an holy feare. Though wee can pretend to no other degree of wisedome, yet let us be abundantly rich in this; that wee are possest with a feare of sinning. Let us feare all stoppes, all impediments, all obstacles that may crosse or retard our growing in Grace: so shall our feare be turned into joy, and that joy bee crowned with glory.

4. Next to the Timete, let us place a Cavete: as wee feare a dwarfing or growing downeward, so let us beware of a stunting or not growing at all. That feare was a necessary caution, and this caution is no lesse necessary a feare. If we feare God, wee will beware of displeasing Him; shunne the least act, the least word, the least thought of disloyalty towards Him. August de bon Pers. cap. 7. Qui operatur ut accedamus, idem operatur nè discedamus. It is good and safe therefore to feare Him. The Divell could never have prevailed upon Eve, to withdraw her from God, but by working this feare out of her: Be not afaid; Gen. 3.4. Yee shall not surely die. To one kinde of feare, faith is opposed: Matth. 8.26. Why are yee fearefull, O yee of little faith? With another kinde of feare, faith is accompanied: Rom. 11.20. Thou standest by faith; Bee not high minded, but feare. In the former, the more feare, the lesse faith: in the latter, the stronger faith, the more jealous feare. Tertull. ad Mart. Fides facit formidinem, formido facit sollicitudinem, sollicitudo parit perseverantiam. This feare if it bee fresh in us, will make us sticke close to God, without stirring (as wee say) an inch from Him. Let us not more frequently brush our clothes, than our feare; that it may alwayes bee kept fresh in our soules.

Then take heed of standing still: flatter not thy selfe, that because thou hast runne thus long, thou maiest now make a stoppe; nor because thou hast gotten thus far, thou maiest now sit downe and blow. One of these two must be chosen; Bern. de divers. 36. Aut semper proficere, aut prorfus deficere. No growing, some decaying: while we are not making onwards, wee are going backe a-maine. In rowing up a river, that runnes with a strong current, if we rest our oares, we fall downe the stream. Betweene mending and pairing there is no medium: while wee neglect to gaine, we doe but spend on the stocke. So one sinne opens the doore to another: and while sinnes come in at the foredore, graces will out at the posterne. 2 Cor. 6.14. What communion hath light with darkenesse? They will not keepe company together. The Arke would not stay with the Philistines, nor will the grace of God tarry with sinners. Vertues droppe from such a tree, like leaves and fruites in a great wind. The idle servant might have had as many talents as the rest, if hee had beene a good husband: but he buried that he had, stood at a stay, did neither good nor harme with it: therefore his Lord would trust him with no more, lest he should hide them too. Reubens non-proficiency is remembred in Iacobs Will, when hee bequeaths Legacies. Gen. 49.4. Thou shalt not be excellent. So we trie our caske; first with water: and if they hold that, then we trust them with wine. Habenti dabitur: there is a seede in our heart, which if it lives, and is fostered, we sprowte, grow, and prosper: but if it die, farewell all spirituall life. For if one vertue be offended, she lureth away all her fellowes, as many of Ishbosheths friends shrunke away with Abner.

5. We must be wary not onely to shunne sinne in the action, but in the very occasion. Isidor. Soliloq lib. 2. Saepe occasio peccati, voluntatem facit peccandi. How many that meant not to sinne, are wonne by the very opportunity? Psal. 142.3. In the way wherein I walked, have they privily laid a snare for me. Man in his innocency was not free from this. Paradise was made for man, yet there behold the serpent. Who can wonder if our corruption finde him in our clossets, at our boords, in our beds, in our garments, in our lawfull recreations, when our holy parents found him in Paradise? And thither he no sooner came, than he fell to worke: he can no more be idle, than he can be harmelesse. And marke his cunning: there were many trees in the garden, he meddles with none of them: onely you finde him at the forbidden. This he suggested to Eve, that she might looke upon the fruite though she did not taste it: Bern. de Humil. grad. 4. Bern. Non est interdictum, ne videam, sed ne comedam. By looking, she came to liking of it: by liking, to longing for it: and so tasted it in her heart, ere it came to her hand. Thus hausit virus peritura, & perituros paritura? She lost us all.

He that would have the trees in his garden grow, must do what he can to keepe them from all noxious things. If occasion be not sinne, yet it is a friend to sinne: Et iudicium est commissae, & causa committendae. There bee sparkes in a flint, which being let alone are quiet, and appeare not: but beate it with a steele, then you shall see them come out, and be able to kindle a great fire. The sparkes of sinne are raked up in the embers of our affections: let them not bee stirred with occasion, they are quiet: but when opportunity blowes them, there is the danger. It was a fearefull curse upon trees and plants; Ioel 1.4. What the Palmer-worme hath left, the Locust hath eaten, &c. It is appliable to our purpose. Conceive by the Palmer-worme, the suggestions of sinne: which are infinite, as that is called Multipeda, of many feete: this eates off a part of our tree. The Palmer-worme gives way to the Locust; which is a pendulous liking of the motion: suggestion delivers us over to approbation. The Locust resignes to the Canker, to idlenesse; which devoures another part of our tree: approbation of evill delivers us over to sloth. The canker yeelds place to the Caterpiller, to lewd company; which consumes the residue of our tree: sloth delivers us over to wicked society. But as they that live in a pure aire, shut their gates against those that come from infected cities. Or as the Bees in winter keepe their hives, and will not expose themselves to the bleake aire, sharpe windes, cold raines, and bitter frosts: so if wee desire to grow in grace, we must shunne all these dangerous infections. How worthy, is he to miscarry, that will put to sea in a storme? If a man have a profest enemye hee does not onely watch to avoide him, but all his faction and adherents: wee must suspect all the occasions of sinne, if wee desire that our growth in grace may not bee hindered.

6. Go on in humility and learne to Mic. 6.8. Walke humbly with thy God. If we take any pride in our growing, we are neare a fall. Paul could not deny but that hee had done much, and gone farre: 2 Cor. 11.5. I was not a whit behinde the very chiefest Apostles: yea more; 1 Cor. 15.10. I laboured more aboundantly than they all: Rom. 15.19. From Ierusalem, round about to Illyricum, I have fully preached the Gospell: from Syria to Sclavenia: yet Phil. 3.13. I forgot the things that are behinde: As if all that is past were nothing, hee lookes to that is to come. They that runne well in a race, doe not eftsoones looke backe, to marke how farre they have runne, and how many they have out-runne: But they still keepe their eyes forwards, upon the ground before them, and upon those that have got ground of them. Though our tree did spread the branches, and flourish with leaves, and stand loden with fruites: yet pride is an unluckie winde, able to blast all. Two markes are usually given of our growing; Obedience and Humility. Obedience; Rom. 6.16. Know you not that you are his servants, to whom you obey? Know you not this? The workes of obedience are an infallible testimony: if thy conscience can testifie these fruites, then know that both the witnesse, and the thing witnessed, are graces. Humility: Iohn 9.39. For judgement am I come into this world, that they that see not, might see; and they which see, might be made blinde. How shall wee understand this? Scripture can best interpret Scripture. 1 Pet. 5.5. God resists the proud: they that see, shall be made blinde: He gives grace to the humble; they that see not, shall see.

Men looke up to the hills, but they love to dwell in the valleyes: God may behold a farre off the proud height of the lofty, but hee plants his grace in the low vale of an Psal. 138.6. humble heart. The Luk. 13.11. woman bowed downe with a spirit of infirmity, may be an embleme of humility: the humble shall be lifted up. Pride in the soule, is like the splene in the body: when that swelleth, all the other parts languish. It is poyson at the roote of the tree, which corrupts the sappe: and if the sappe bee corrupted, what will become of the tree? It is so dangerous a poison, that of another poyson there was confected a counter-poyson, to preserve Saint Paul from it. God would rather suffer him to fall into some infirmity, than to be proud of his singular priviledges. 2 Cor. 12.7. Least I should be exalted above measure, through aboundance of Revelations: there was the poison of pride insinuating it selfe: I had a thorne in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me: there was the counter-poison or antidote which did at once make him both sicke and whole. We are never more in danger of pride, than when wee have made the greatest progresse in the practise of godlinesse. It groweth fastest upon us, when other evills decay: and out of their decay sucketh matter wherewith to feed and foster it selfe. Principium atatis nostrae occupat, finem obsidet: It is alwayes busie, but then most eager, when we are most holy. If thou beest ringed about with friends and comforts, beware of high-mindednesse then. The Tares may out-grow the Wheate, according to that proverbe; an ill weede growes apace: but let the humble wheate be ripe and ready by harvest, and that shall be had into the barne, whiles the rest are cast into the fire.

7. Thinke no sinne so contemptible, that thou shouldst make light of the admitting of it. In small matters the decay of grace first discovereth it selfe: as the decay of a tree first appeareth in the washie boughes or twigges, and by little and little goes on further into the bigger armes, and at length pierceth into the maine body. Luke 16.10. He that is not faithfull in a little, will be unfaithfull in much. He that corrupts his conscience for a litle, will at last mak bold with it in a greater matter. That which is a mote in comparison of another sinne, is a great beame considered in it selfe. There is no sin that is not in it selfe mortall: the 1 Cor. 15.56. sting of death is in every one: and who dares play with the sting of a living Serpent? But the worst mischiefe of small sins is, that they make way for greater. To omit that, Quaeque minus laedunt singula multa nocent: To fall by one Goliah, or by the whole army of the Philistines: to be killed with many small shot, or with great Ordnance, what is the difference? But as huntsmen make use of their little beagles: first they ply the Deere with them, till hee be heated and blowne; and then they set on their great Bucke-hounds, that will pull him downe, and plucke out his throte: so the Divell employeth our little sins. Little sin is that little boy put in at the window, that opens the door for the great theefe. A long threed of iniquity may be let in with a small needle. Wee have seene by experience, what hurt a little worme will doe at the roote of a tree.

8. Thinke on the comfort that comes by this growing in grace Iohn 15.2: Every branch that beareth fruite, he purgeth, that it may bring forth more fruits. So are we dressed, that all comes not at once: But as the blade followes the seed, and the eare the blade, and the corne the eare; so grace first shewes it selfe in good desires, then proceeds to good speeches, and without faile growes up to good workes. Faith calls to love, and love to obedience, and obedience to constancy; and one grace fore-runs another. Rom. 8.30. Whom God predestinates, them he calleth: and whom he calls, he justifieth: and whom he justifies, hee glorifieth: there is no defect on his part. Rom. 8.30. Let us grow up into him in all things, which is the Head, even Christ. Let there bee none in ours. As the rich grow easily richer, so the good grow quickly better. Act. 8.36. See here is water, saies that noble Eunuch, What doth hinder me to be baptized? Nothing, if thou beleevest, answers Philip. If we desire to grow in grace, what hinders us to bee loved? what hinders us to be blessed? what hinders us to be saved? Christ calls them to receive his Word and Grace, that hunger for it: now that very hunger is Grace: for Incipit infundi, ut incipiat posci. When the seed is in the ground, the holy Spirit waters it, that it may spring up to a blade, he waters it in the blade, till it put forth an ear: he waters it in the ear, till it be ripe for the harvest. His charge to us, is to give them that need; his own practise, is to giue them that have. Temporall things are given egentibus, spirituall habentibus. Not that for the good preparation of nature, God ads the gift of grace. That habenti should be meant of nature, and dabitur of grace, is false logicke, and fit for the school of Rome, which would have something in nature, to merit something of grace. But how stands this with the Iustice of God, to enrich the wealthy, and suffer the poore to starve? Yes, for Hee gives but his owne, and so hath free election of the object of his bounty: Mat. 20.15. Is it not lawfull for him to doe what Hee will with his owne? But how stands it with, the Trueth of God? Luk. 1.53. Hee hath filled the hungry with good things, and the rich hee hath sent empty away. Yes, for that very hunger is grace; and if they had not first tasted the sweetnesse of it, they would not have had such an appetite to it. Besides the rich thinke that they have a sufficiency of grace: the hungry confesse their owne emptinesse, therefore it is fit that they should be filled.

Indeede we are all either full or empty, rising or falling, getting or spending winning or losing, growing or fading, till wee come to Heaven or Hell. Paul turnes an Apostle, Iudas an apostate: the Gentiles become beleevers, the Iewes Infidels: Zacheus turnes from the world, and Demas turnes to the world. One grace opens the doore for another: for God is not weary of blessing, where hee hath once begunne: yea, one gift is a kinde of obligation upon him, to give more. Therefore are his mercies called infinite, because they are above number: and everlasting, because they have no end. First hee moves Solomon to pray for wisedome, & then bestowes it on him. If Cornelius be a praying, Peter is sent to instruct him. If the son be cōming homwards, you see the father running to embrace him. First, you have the Eunuch with a good minde reading; then by Philips helpe understanding, then by the grace of the Spirit beleeving, and lastly taken into the Covenant by Baptisme. Ioh. 1.50. Beleevest thou for this? saith our Saviour to Nathaneel: thou shalt see greater things. So repentest thou for this example? thou shalt see more. Lovest thou Christ for this benefit? thou shalt receive more. If thou be meeke, like Moses, God willl make thee wise, like Solomon: if wise, he will make thee righteous, as Abraham: if righteous, then patient, as Iob: if so, then penitent as Peter, and thankefull as David. Every instruction shall make thee carefull, every benefit gratefull; and thou wilt never be well, but when thou art doing good. Thus as a traveller passeth from towne to towne, till he come to his home: so a Christian from grace to grace, till he comes to Heaven.

9. Lastly, let us be ever meditating on that royall reward, which is promised to Perseverance. Heb. 11.26. Gal. 6.9. So Moses had respect to the recompence of the reward. Rev. 1.10. Be faithfull unto death, and I will give thee the crowne of life. I will give, who am able to doe it: I will give, who am faithfull to performe it: I will give, it is his free bounty, wee cannot earne it. Wee owe unto him all the good wee doe; hee oweth us not so much as thankes for it. Luke 17.9. Doth the Master thanke that servant, because he did what hee was commanded? Yet his free goodnesse will not suffer us to goe unrewarded. What will he give? A Crowne: who would not strive hard for a Crowne? The kings of this world have Crownes, which cannot keepe their heads from aking, nor their hearts from vexation: They may die, they do die, for all their Crowns, and returne to their dust. But this is a Crowne of life; that giveth life, and keepeth life, to them that weare it. But this very life will decay, and spend it selfe into the grave: yes, but that is an eternall and everlasting life; a Crowne of Immortality. Who would not seeke by all meanes to grow in grace, that he might winne a Crowne of Glory?

And in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ.] There is nothing more pleasant to mans nature, nor more winning upon it than knowledge. For the hope of this gaine, a super-addition of knowledge, Eve sold her husband, Adam sold himselfe, and all his posterity, even all the world. Let mee have leave by the way of induction, to set downe two preparatives to the subsequent matter. The argument is knowledge; concerning which I desire to observe. First, the pleasure which rationall men take in it. Secondly, The strange properties of it.

For the former; Knowledge is so faire a virgin, that every cleare eye is in love with her: it is a pearle, despised of none but swine. They that care not for one dramme of goodnes, would yet have a full weight of knowledge. Though they never mind to doe good, yet there is no good which they would not know. Among all the trees of the garden, none so pleaseth them as the tree of knowledge. Conceive, by way of Apologue, that a meere naturall man is by Gods permission, let into his owne Treasurie or Storehouse, where all his graces lie reserved: he is allowed to take his choice, of some, or of all, or of what likes him best. He poiseth these precious Iewels in his hand, and judgeth of them onely by the weight: that which is most portable, and easyest to carry away, he resolues to make choise of. He first makes assay of Charitie: and perceives that this Grace would much abridge him of his old libertie; binding him to love his enemies, to pray for his Injurers, to doe good for evill, and to supply the wants of the needfull out of his owne store: therfore he lets it alone, as being too heavie for him. Then he tries Temperance; and considers that this grace would restraine his appetite, cut the throte of his sensuall pleasure; that it would keepe him from feasts, and revells, and the fruition of merry company: this is also too heavie for him. He layes hand upon Humilitie, to see if this were any lighter: but observes that this Grace doth delight to dwell in the dust: she is not for the honour of courts, nor for the favour of Princes, nor for secular glory: but teacheth him to make his bed on Gods cold earth, to dwell in obscuritie, and never to thinke himselfe lowly enough: He likes not this; it is too melancholy, too heavie for him. He comes now to Patience; but that, of all, least pleaseth him: for then he must suffer wrongs with silence, revenge his adversaries with prayers, digest losses with thankfullnes, and be content with all impositions: By no meanes can he endure this: it is by farre too heavie for him.

He removes to Obedience, and makes experiment of that: but this confines his extravagant inclinations too severely: There is a law ordained, and he must be tyed to the observation of it: Oh, the ten Commandements are ten strict rules: his disposition is quite contrary to those Canons. As it was Satyrically spoken of old; that the law, Thou shall not kill, troubles the Physitian: and that other, Thou shall not steale, angers the Lawyer: so we may truly say, that the law not to offend, offends the corrupt nature of us all. It is so much the more harsh to us, as it goes against the graine of our affections. Besides, it is a glasse, which presents to us our owne deformities; which though we will not forgoe, we cannot endure to see. He thinkes this vertue no better than manicles to his hands, and shackles to his feete, farre too heavie for him. Then Simplicitie presents herselfe to him; a virgin faire without arte, rich without a dowrie: not more modest than amiable. He cannot but like her complexion, but her condition is the rubbe he stickes at. He considers that he is to live in this cunning world, where words and deeds are cut out of severall pieces; where not to dissemble, is to invite a coozsenage. Therfore in this he deales plainely, by telling that plaine dealing is not for his turne. She would keepe from him much gaine, and expose him to much losse; she is too heavie for him. Lastly, having ballanced and refused all the rest, he lights upon Repentance: She sittes at the very doore of his egresse; and seeing him to under-valve her elder sisters, she sollicites him to make choice of her. This Grace if he could affect, it would also make him in love with all the rest. He would wooe them all, if he were once wonne with repentance. But alas, he does not like her countenance: she is alwayes weeping, and what should he doe with so sad a consort, with so melancholy a mistresse? He loves faire weather, and would not have every day raine. A merry heart is health and life: why should his jollitie be slubberd with teares? She would ever and anon be calling him to mourning and lamentation; and of all lessons, he hath no mind to madrigalls. Songs, not sighes, are for him. If the Lord sayes, Turne; he turnes. Unto sinne: so he makes a Metathesis, whiles he keeps the word, and turnes the meaning: But God will make a fearfull Metathesis upon him; turning both the words and the meaning; Vertentur & confundentur; he shall be confounded and turned backe: All these are too heavie for him.

After he was departed from the royall Presence of those heavenly Graces, peculiar to the elect, and the pledges of salvation; he passeth through the common hall, where sate abundance of vertues, but of a lower degree, and lesse honour than the former: gifts, which God communicates to men of all sortes, even to reprobates. He also weighes these in his hand, and many of them seemed too heavie for him. Amongst these he happens upon knowledge; and finding her so portable, and easy to be borne away, without trouble; he makes his election of her, and settles his heart upon her: This is his love. Indeed we vse to speake so proverbially; that knowledge is no burden. Could a man know never so much, it would be no trouble to him. To plot, devise, project, study, and invent; may be wearisome to the Phantasie: Excogitation is a trouble. To call to mind stories of old, actions and accidents forepassed, with all their circumstances; may be wearisome to the Memorie: Recollection is a trouble. To arbitrate, resolve, and decide doubts and difficulties, quéstions and controversies, problemes and disputable Tenents; may be wearisome to the Iudgment: Determination is a trouble. But to know, is no trouble: could we comprehend a world of learning, all the learning in the world, we should find no trouble in that. There may be trouble in the meanes of getting knowledge, none in the possession of it. If it could be infused into us; either the same way that Adam’s was, by creation; or that Solomon’s was by Inspiration; we should never thinke it a trouble: no man grones under this weight, no man complaines of this burden. To apply it.

Knowledge we all strive to get, but who labours for vertue? Knowledge is light, and if we rightly weigh it, vertue is not heavie. Mat. 11.30. My yoke is easy, and my burden light, saith our blessed Saviour. You never heard Abraham complaine of his faith, nor David of his obedience, nor Iob of his patience; no more than Solovon did of his wisdome. The end is allwayes more noble than the meanes: the end of knowledge is to doe well: the meanes to doe well, is to know how. If we onely seeke to know, and there stoppe: we shall come so farre as to see heaven, but never enjoy it: as Dives saw Abrahams bosome, but could not come at it. Knowledge is laudable, while he is in celibate: but never happy till he be married. Vertue is ordained a wife for knowledge: where these two joyne, there will proceed from them a noble progenie, a generation of good workes. He that spends his time onely in the accumulation of knowledge, and contemplation of vertue, without the fruition and exercise of it; is like a curious limner, that having betrothed himselfe to a faire and chast maiden, busieth himselfe onely in drawing her picture, and is exquisitely punctuall in every dimension and lineament: no colours are held good enough, no posture expressive enough, no arte sufficient to set foorth her beautie: whith this picture and dead counterfeit he is so taken, that he forgets the living principall, and the fruition of her to whom he is contracted: So the other can paint you vertue to the life, but he hath no mind to marry her, nor to beget a posteritie of good workes by her. Thus knowledge loseth his consort: together with her beautie, which is fairen than the skies; with her societie, which is as pleasant as the Angels; with her dowrie, which is no lesse rich and ample than the kingdome of heaven. Thou pretendest that thou hast knowledge, and hast possessed it a long time: thou hast knowne Christ, as Timothie knew the Scriptures, from a child: But still thy knowledge is a Bachelar: it is high time to marry him: God hath appointed a wife for him, Grace: marry thy knowledge to Grace: no creature shall forbid, or hinder those happy nuptialls: there is no precontract with sinne, but may be disanulled, and made void by repentance. Grace is willing: let the same forwardnes and alacritie be in thy knowledge. At this wedding, heaven and earth, Saints and Angels will rejoyce. Frst then let us know, without which there can be no trueth of goodnes: and then let us doe good, without which there can be no hope of blessednes. Ioh. 13.17. These things if ye know, happy are ye if you doe them. This couple are married on earth, but both they and their issue shall be crowned in Heaven.

For the latter; knowledge hath two properties, not common or obvious; but both remarkable.

1. It is not desireable to them that never tasted it. As rich and precious as it is, yet of this wealth millions are not couetous. What doe the ruder sort care for knowledge? If the waterman can discerne the wind and tyde, keepe his boat right, take in and land his fare; what cares he for more knowledge? If the Carreman can drive on his luggage, and rule his horse; if one beast can guide another, though it be without all feare of doing mischiefe; what cares he for more knowledge? Ecclus. 38.25.26. If the husbandman be capable of his tillage, and can distinguish the seasons; or if the artificer be cunning in his trade and manufactures: or if they vsurer be perfect in the arte of his bonds; and can see to tell his moneys; what care all these for more knowledge? They are of Festus his mind, that Act. 26.24. much learning will make a man madde. As for the mysterie of Godlynes, and knowledge of salvation, they are so modest and mannerly that thy leave that dish for their betters: not knowing, that in refusing knowledge, they refuse heaven and all blessednes. But alas, how should they like the foode, which they never tasted? Psal 34.8. Taste and see that the Lord is good: Taste first, then ye (that despise knowledge) will be of another mind. One morsell of this divine food, would put such an alteration into your appetites, that you will stil cry for more: Iohn 6.34. Lord, evermore give us this bread. Then shuld you see them run by troupes into the schoole of knowledge, that heretofore passed by those gates with scorne. Iohn 13.6. Lord, dost thou wash my feete? What was the reason of this question? wee read of no scruple made by the rest: and, to the vexation of Rome, in this great honor Peter was not the first. Why then does he only except against it? His Lord shewes both him and us the reason: What I do, ver. 7. ver. 8. ver. 9. thou knowest not now: Nondum sciebat. For want of this knowledge, he gives his master a peremptory deniall, Thou shalt never wash my feete: Never? tarry but a little, and you shall heare him recant, and change his note, upon Christs Si non te lavero; Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head. Carnall men wil not allow one corner of their soule for divine knowledge: yet me thinkes when they heare Christ say, If you will not know me, I will not know you; Depart from me, nescio vos; they should be of Peters mind, and not proffer their feet to the washing, one corner onely; but even their whole soule to the entertainment of saving knowledge. As the rurall man dwelling in an obscure vally, would never be perswaded to ascend the adjoining hill, what company so ever offered to lead the way: at last being overcome, he went up; and then was so taken with the goodly prospect, that he could not bee kept downe. So if worldly men would be perswaded once to climbe up the hill of knowledge, and there to contemplate the glory of Heaven, and the blessednesse of immortality; they would so scorne this base region of sinne and darkenesse, that (with Paul) they would long for a dissolution. Let this prevaile with you to accept of a taste of knowledge, and then blame us, if you doe not like it.

2. Another strange property it hath; that they who have it, exceedingly feele the want of it: wheras they are insensible of any such defect that want it. For these latter; a man without knowledge is scarce a man: he lacks his eies, the chāber of his understanding is empty. And as vacuū is not in natura, so gratia is not in vacuo: no grace with emptines. He is a very beast; howsoever he scorns the comparison, yet the wisedome of heaven puts it upon him: Psal. 94.8. Vnderstand ye brutish among the people. Therefore he desires not knowledge, no more than a beast calls for a book. He is asleep: and do men while they are asleep, cal for a light, or complain of the suns absence? nay, he is dead; and dead men feele not the want of meat or clothes. Aske thousands that passe by, what they lacke: and scarce one of 1000. will tel you that he lacks knowledge. Vbi non habetur, nec desideratur. For the other, they never have enough, There is an unnatural appetite in the body, the effect of disease; that the more men drink, the drier they are. There is an unnaturall affection in the mind, a meer spirituall distēper, that the richer men are the more covetous. In the soule there is an infinite desire of knowledge; but it is natural: we would be wiser than our equals, wiser than our teachers, wiser than all others, and yet (after all this) wiser than our selves: no Philosopher did see so far into the secrets of nature, no Astronomer was so well acquainted with the motion & influence of the stars, no Poet ever sung such transporting raptures, no Physitian had such skil in the composure of medicins, no Linguist was so well seene in the languages, no Canonist in the lawes, no Polititian in states, no Divine in the scriptures, as we would be in them al. What speak I of these? Solomon had not a clearer knowledge by inspiration, nor Adam by his creation, than we would wish to have, whether by acquisition or infusion. Nay, what do I speak of men, our Progenitors? we would be as wise as the Angels: 2 Sam. 14.17. as the widow of Tekoah collogued with David; my Lord the King is an Angel of God to discern good and evill. Nay, wee wil scarce sticke there, so long as the tempter hath an eritis sicut dii for us: the wisedom of men, of saints, of angels wold not content us: we must be as gods: wherin? Gen. 3.5. In knowing good and evill. There can be no higher, no greater measure of knowledge: otherwise our insatiate soules would aspire to it.

O the mellifluous sweetnesse of knowledge! How doth it inchaunt the sonnes of men? He that left all the Graces behinde him, yet would take knowledge along with him. It is so indeed; many men neglect Grace, that would faine have knowledge. But to see the unluckinesse of it! They refuse what they might have with ease; and chuse what after much difficulty they cannot obtaine. They would bee wise, and cannot: they might bee holy, and will not. Richard. de Contemplat. cap. 1. A man may love knowledge very much, and yet want it: but if so heartily he love goodnesse, hee shall be sure of it. Indeed hee that is grossely ignorant, does not affect knowledge: nor does hee that is notoriously impious, affect goodnesse. But here is the difference: many a one desires knowledge, that proves none of the wisest: but a man is made good by the very desire of goodnesse. Quantò amplius Iustitiam dilexeris, tanto justior eris. Yet as wee cannot see the light but by the light; so if it were not for knowledge, we would not be so desirous of knowledge. It was Solomons option; 1 King. 3.9. Give thy servant an understanding heart: his request in a dreame, but his wish in most serious deliberation. The night followes the temper of the day: and as our hearts are waking, so they use to be disposed in our sleepe. If the thoughts of Solomon had not been intent upon wisedome by day, hee had not made it his suite in the night: Now without any competition, hee fastens on that Grace which hee longed for: Give me an understanding heart. If Solomon had not been wise before, hee had not knowne the worth of wisedome, nor preferred it in his desires. It is the love and admiration of knowledge, forestalling our hearts, that makes us so thirsty of this Spring; which thousands passe by, and never drinke of. The dunghill Cockes of this world know not the price of this Pearle, the worth of this Iewell: They that have it, know that all other excellencies are but trash and rubbish to it. That famous Queene of the South comes a great journey to that more famous King of the East; the Queene of Sheba, to the King of Israel. What was her errand? To learne Wisedome. She had what shee came for: and in a short time, so well had this studious Lady profited by the Lectures of that exquisite Master; that shee envies none; shee magnifies none, but them that live within the aire of Solomons wisedome: 1 King. 10. Happy are they that stand continually before thee. O then how great a blessing is it to live within the Orbe of the Gospell; and to heare a wiser, a nobler, Luk. 11.31. a greater than Solomon? She was a woman, most of you here be of a stronger sexe: she came from farre, you have Christ at home: shee left her kingdome, you are in your owne country: she onely heard of wisedome by report, you have continuall experience of it: she brought rich gifts, you will scarce give thankes: she desired to purchase it, you will hardly accept of it: shee came to a meere man, you to Him that is God and Man: So farre as Christ is greater than Solomon, shall her holy care judge our neglect with just condemnation. For Application.

It cannot be denyed, but we live under the Sun-shine of knowledge: the saving beames, and comfortable influence of that heavenly blessing replenisheth our Orbe: It is perpetuall day with us, and there is no night, unles it be in our owne breasts. If our tree of knowledge does not grow for all this, what will become of us? Yes, wee flatter our selves with a Crescimus; but then God replies, Vbi fructus? Where be our workes? The Egyptians in their palpable darknesse could doe nothing but sit still: it were a shame for the Israelites, in the light of Goshen, to doe so. They could see to follow their businesse, the other could see no businesse to follow. Wee have worke to doe, and day-light to doe it in: Ioh. 9.4. Let us beware least night come upon us before it bee done. Common knowledge will not serve for the dispatch of this worke: they must have a cleare light, and a cleare sight too, that can see to worke up their salvation. Masons or Carpenters can see to worke by a candle: the contexture of their labours is easily discernible. But to cut a Signet, or make a Watch, or doe such curious manufactures, there needs a cleare light: they cannot worke but by day. For the dispatch of our secular affaires, an easy portion of Knowledge will serve the turne: a rationall man, especially helped with experience, will goe roundly through with them. But our Salvation is spunne up of a finer threed; and will aske a greater measure of Illumination to perfect it. There may come a time of darknes, or we may be removed to a place of darknes, or (for our neglect of the light) we may be oppressed with the power of darknes. Now the Sunne shines, the Gospell flourishes; the word of Grace is preached, the Seales of grace are administred, all the treasures of heaven, and comforts of mercie are offered to us: Now let Salvation be our worke on earth, and then Salvation shall be our reward in heaven.

In the knowledge of our Lord.] The second sound of this heavenly Trumpet summons us to an encrease in knowledge: for there must be no dead or barren trees in Gods garden: all fruitfull, all growing. But heere 3. questions may be moved.

1. Why Grace is set before Knowledge, when as in order, Knowledge is before grace: Illumination properly precedes sanctification: we must be wise, ere we can be holy: Among all the Vertues, Wisdome hath the first place. Why then first Grow in grace, and then in knowledge? We answere. 1. That they are infused together: In the act of our conuersion, all graces (in their measure) are wrought in us. There is not a Prius and Posterius in their donation: as Princes give preferments, raising up their favourites by degrees. We have not patience put into us to day, and temperance to morrow, and repentance next weeke, and charitie at another time: but they are given all at once: Our eyes are opened, our hearts softened, our affections rectified, all our faculties changed and sanctified at once. Indeed this renovation is not perfect at the first; that is left to our growing: but it hath at first a perfect being. The seeds of all graces are then sowne in our hearts: not one left out. As Iosephs advancement was entire, and his honours came all together: For Pharaoh did set him Gen. 41.41. Super horrea totius Aegipti, made him warden of his granaries: Super domum Regis, made him Lord Controller of his house: Super milites, made him Lord Martiall and Lieutenant over his armies in the time of warre: Super totum populum, Lord President over all his subjects. So our graces come at once, quod essentiam; by degrees, quoad incrementum. Holy knowledge therefore could have no prioritie of Grace. 2. Grace is the generall favour of God, Knowledge but a particular grace: Grace the maine river, Knowledge but a creeke: Grace the tree, Knowledge but the fruite: Grace the Mistresse, Knowledge but the waiting woman, the attendant: Grace the mother, the honour of knowledge is to be the daughter: Grace hath many children, knowledge can be but one of them. Now it is fitte, that the tree should be set before the fruite; the Lady before her servant, the mother before the daughter, Grace before Knowledge. Thirdly, Grace can save us without Knowledge, but what will become of Knowledge without Grace? Little Infants, the children of the faithfull, die washed in the holy Laver, the bloud of Christ, and are eternally saved: yet what Knowledge had they? They know not what others doe unto them, what God hath done for them: they know not that they are baptized, they know not that they are borne: yet they are saved by Grace, without Knowledge. But who was ever saved by Knowledge, without Grace. It is orderly then, that Grace should be preferred before Knowledge; which gives life unto it, and without which it would perish. For Knowledge without Grace, will but sinke men lower into hell: but Grace, without the helpe of Knowledge, will advance us to heaven, and crowne us with glory.

2. The object of this Knowledge is Iesus Christ: why is the Second Person onely mentioned? Why not the other two, the Father and the holy Spirit? Is it enough to know Christ without the rest? No; but we had never knowne the rest to our comfort, without Christ. If you object that, Ioh. 17.3. This is eternall life, to know God, and Iesus Christ: first the Father, and then the Sonne, by no meanes leaving out the holy Ghost: for 1. Cor. 3.16. Know you not that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? Knowledge is wrought in us by the Spirit, and shall not we know the Spirit that workes it? Yes, God forbid otherwise: But in knowing Christ, we know them both. First the Father: Ioh. 14.7, 9. If you know me, you know the Father also. He that hath seene mee, hath seene the Father also. The Sonne is Hebr. 1.3. the expresse Image of his Fathers Person: therefore they that know the one, cannot but know the other. And for the holy Spirit; 1. Cor. 12.3. 1. Ioh. 4.2. No man can say that Iesus is the Lord, but by the holy Ghost. It is then the gracious worke of the holy Spirit, to teach us to know Christ. Thus in knowing Christ to be our Saviour, we know the first Person to be our Father, and the third Person to be our Comforter. Christ is all in all: we cannot know the Sunne, but withall we must know his light that illuminates us, and his heate that cherisheth us. It was Pauls determination, 1. Cor. 2.2. not to know any thing, but what concerned Iesus Christ. That is enough; we need no more Knowledge to the completion of our happynes. Therfore it might well be decreed by the learned of the Christian world, that none should take their degrees in the Schoole of learning, unles they could first read and understand the Title of Christ crucified.

3. Why are these two coupled together; Grace and knowledge? Grace had wont to have other companions: Ioh. 1.17. Rom. 5.17. 1. Pet. 5.5. Eph. 2.8. Psal. 84.11. Grace and trueth came by Iesus: Grace and Trueth; there was a fitte match. Rom. 5. Grace and righteousnes by one Iesus another convenient paire. 1. Pet. 5. God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble: Grace and Humilitie; these two well consorted. Eph. 2. By grace ye are saved through faith: Grace and Faith; there also it is nobly accompanyed. Psal. 84. The Lord will give Grace and Glory; O there is a blessed couple. Rom. 5.2. We have accesse by faith, into grace, rejoycing in hope of glory: There, is Grace in honour and State: she sittes on her Throne, waited upon by Faith on her right hand, by Hope on her left: neither is she without her crowne, The hope of Glory. Indeed it is not yet placed on her head, for the day of her coronation is not come: but Faith sees it, and Hope expects it, and Grace shall have it. This is a societie fit for Grace: Trueth, Righteousnes, Humilitie, Faith, Hope, Glory: there she is among her noble Ladies, attended by virgins of Honour. Psal. 45.9. Kings daughters were among thy honourable women: upon thy right hand did stand the Queene in Gold of Ophir. All the other vertues are of the bloud royall, yet but servants to Grace: She is the Queene that stands upon the right hand of God himselfe, in a vesture of gold, wrought about with diverse colours. Vers. 14. She hath change of suites: sometimes she weares rayment of needle worke. but still the virgins that be her fellowes, or followers, are with her. But who gave Knowledge this priviledge? How came she by this honour? That faith, charitie, patience, obedience, and those Princely vertues should be left out, while she is put in? Those are all neere the Person of the Queene, continually in the Presence: Knowledge, if it be a courtier, is of a lower ranke, and more remote.

It may be answered, that 1. Grace, in one word, comprehends all the other: and where the Genus is named, what needs any mention of the Species. Faith is grace, and Charitie is grace: repentance, patience, humilitie, and all the rest are graces: their particular honours are involved in the generall. So that when we are called upon to grow in grace, we are not stinted to this or that grace, to one or more graces: but we are charged with all: grow in grace, in every grace: So the honour done to the mother, redounds to the whole familie. Knowledge is not preferred to any grace, but every saving grace is preferred to Knowledge. 2. Grace and Knowledge are joyned together, because the one helpes to maintaine the other. Knowledge is like a starre, the darkest part of the orbe, till it be enlightened by the sunne; a meere darke lantorne, till grace put a light into it. It may see much into nature before, and be cunning in this world: but it is grace that gives it eyes to see into Heaven: Thus grace maintaines knowledge. Againe, the more we know Christ, the better we love him: the farther we looke into the joyes above, the more we are ravished with them: the more comfort we find in the fruites of grace, the more growth we wish to the tree of grace, in our owne hearts: Thus knowledge maintaines grace. We know the way to Heaven, because Grace hath informed our Knowledge: we goe the faster to Heaven, because Knowledge hath inflamed our Grace. Fill the lampe with oile, and put no fire to it, and it will not keepe us from darknes. Lucerna non ex oleo accenditur, sed per oleum nutritur. Let the head be never so full of Knowledge, till the fire of grace comes to it, it gives us no light: put to that holy sparke, and then we see clearly. On the other side, Grace is not kindled by Knowledge, but by Knowledge it is cherished. Grace directs Knowledge how to contemplate, and Knowledge stirres up grace to practise. Grace will not suffer Knowledge to want Illumination: nor will Knowledge suffer Grace to want operation. Thus doe they mutually helpe one another, and both helpe us to salvation in Iesus Christ.

These questions being cleared, let us come to the Distribution. Grow in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ. Heere is the Tree, the Life, and the Growth: The tree is Knowledge, the life of the tree is Iesus Christ, and the growth of it is not limited, Grow in this knowledge. The thing commended to us is no common chaffer, but Knowledge: no common knowledge, but the knowledge of Christ: no common or sparing measure of knowing Christ, but a growth in his Knowledge. To begin with the Tree it selfe; some fruite let me gather from that: one thing would be noted both for instruction, and caution; what the kinds of Knowledge be, and how it may be distinguished. Not let this be censured for a Topicall discourse, as if I meant to common-place upon Knowledge in generall, or at large: For you shall perceive that I reduce all to this head, and onely aime at this end, to shew how unworthy all knowledge is to be compared with the knowledge of Christ. Together with the unprofitablenes of humane science, without Divine; How vaine it is, how fruitlesse it shall be, how sinfull it will be, and how pernicious it may be, to the soule of man.

The kindes of Knowledge may three waies bee distinguished. First, secundum originem, in their spring and beginning. Secondly, secundum ordinem, in their order and proceeding. Thirdly, secundum efficaciam, in their vertue and operation.

1. In origine; every Knowledge is from God, that Iam. 1.17. onely Giver of all good and perfect gifts: but every Knowledge is not alike: one may bee more noble than another. All good in their kinde, not all equally good in the same measure. Every perfect is good, but every good is not perfect: let us not thinke that all our gifts are of one size. Some of that Noble mans goods are called Luk. 19.13. Pounds, and some Mat. 25.15: Talents: now a Talent is more than a Pound. Caesars Penny more than the Widdowes two Mites: yet good mony all, in their severall values. 1. Tim. 1.8. The Law is good, yet it Heb. 7.19. could bring nothing to perfection. Nature, in it own selfe, is good, yet not perfect. Neither nature, nor the Law are taken away, for they are both good: but Grace is added to both, to perfect both. Wealth is called this 1. Ioh. 3.17. Worlds good: and those temporall things we give to our children, as bread, meat, nourishment, are called by Christ Mat. 7.11. good Gifts: yet wee cannot deny, but the gifts of Heaven are better. So one Knowledge may bee more excellent than another; yet both good, and both from the same Authour. There is a Knowledge common to all, and another peculiar to some. Knowledge in Trades, whereby men become skilfull artificers, knowledge in arts, whereby they become famous Scholars; are both good: but not comparable to the knowledge of Grace and holinesse, whereby they become good Christians. For common Knowledge;

1. Such is that wee call wit and cunning. Luk. 16.8. The children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light. Wiser in their generation, not wiser for regeneration. 1 Cor. 1.20. The wisedome of this world is Folly; yea, Rom. 8.6. Death, and enmity to God. Owles see better in the night than men; yet men have a better sight than Owles. Cattes may have clearer eyes; but it is to kill Mise, not to read letters. The wisdome of Worldlings is but cunning: they study men more than bookes; which makes them good in their owne alley: but turne them to new grounds, and they have lost their aime. They are farre short of wisedome; not onely in point of honesty, but in point of abilitie: For cunning is but a sinister knowledge: it may be Iam. 3.15. earthly, sensuall; devillish, not descending from above. There is a wisedome that descendeth not from above: how then is all knowledge from God? The facultie of knowing is from God: the defect or depravation of it is from man. Shall God be blamed for giving us eyes, because we turne them after vanitie? Or bares, because we open them to scurrilitie? Or feete, because we make them swift to shed bloud? No more is he to be blamed for giving us understanding, though we employ it to mischiefe. Grace and knowledge are coupled together in my Text, they are not so in every man.

2. Such is that we call Policie: Achitophel had witte enough to give shrewd counsell to a traitor, he had not grace enough to save himselfe from the gal-house. How great a Polititian was that Counseller of David? How oraculous in his good, how devillish in his bad advices? Two proiects he had to secure the treason: there was a damnable deale of cunning in them both. First, For feare that Absolon should relent, and David remit, and so that breach be pieced; he counsells him to second his unnaturall conspiracie, with as unnaturall incest: not onely to violate his Fathers Throne, but his Fathers bedde: and not to doe this villanie in secret, the argument of feare or modestie; but so that all Israel might be witnesses of the sonnes sinne, and the fathers shame. If they two be reconciled, thinkes Achitophel, what shall become of us? But this act is so desperate and unpardonable, that he must needs goe on in rebellion. Secondly, That this treason may end in victorie, he hath another plot ready. Protraction may be an advantage to David: therefore 2. Sam. 17.2. I will pursue him to night, and come upon him while he is weary. How pernicious was this advice? For besides the wearynes and unreadynes of Davids armie, the spirits of that holy King were daunted: so that the field had bene wonne, ere any blow was stricken. Celeritie had gotten the conquest: there had scarce bene any resistance of a suddaine assault. Here was witte enough: Achitophel wanted not the knowledge to discerne of times, and seasons. He that observes every wind, shall never sow: but he that observes no wind at all, shall never reape. If you aske from whence this knowledge comes, from Heaven, or from hell? I answere, from both, in a diverse manner. The facultie is from Heaven, the pravitie from hell. That he had a deepe wisedome, he was beholding to God: that he diverted it to sinfull purposes, he might thanke the devill.