2 Peter 3:8

THat Atheisticall Dotage of the worlds eternitie being sufficiently refuted, our Apostle proceeds to satisfie and remove a scruple, which might arise in some better perswaded Conscience. If the Maker of this world hath determined an end unto it, Why is it so long deferred? Why are the wicked allowed so large a space of time, to dominere over the Righteous? It is answered, Though this space seeme long to them, that Measure the Length of Time by the sharpenesse of their Affliction, as Minutes seeme Houres, and Daies Moneths, to the Miserable: Yet it is not so with God, to Whom all things are present; Who hath neither beginning nor ending, but is the beginning and end of all things. If wee bee sicke, and the Physitian promise to visite us to morrow with his best reliefe; With what a tedious longing doe wee expect his presence? When wee have a long journey to goe, With what weary Paces doe we measure the way; peecing every step with a Furlong, and extending every Furlong to a Mile? Our imagination makes every Day of our sorrow appeare like Iosuah’s Day, when the Sunne stood still in Gibeon. The Summer of our delight is too short; but O the Winter of our Affliction goes slowly off. Wee cannot consider Time, otherwise than by numbring of Daies and Yeares: to Day, we speake of yesterday, and to morrow: all these are as one moment to God. The first man that ever was, and the last man that ever shall bee, is now as present to God, as our living selves. Hee that stands upon the banke of a River, sees onely the passing streame: but another upon an high Tower, sees the water past and comming, as easily as the present. Time lyes asloape before God, and with one glance of his Eye, Hee beholds all parts of it.

Could we but comprehend what eternity is, this mystery would be plaine unto us. This life is preserved by feeding, digesting, sleeping, excercise: all which require the expence of time. Eternall life thinks of these temporary passages, as of a very dreame. The dead body of a man lies buried in the Earth, moulders to dust, and knoweth nothing: yet when hee riseth at the last Day, hee will thinke he hath scarce slept an houre. Had hee lived all this while upon the Earth, and seene the Generations of men succeeding one another, the innumerable multitudes rising and falling in this space; hee would have judged it a great while. To our eternall Creator, all things are present; One day is as a thousand yeares, and a thousand yeares as one day. For Method, in stead of a curious distribution, I will orderly raise such conclusions and observations, as are willingly colligible from the Text.

1. Beloved. This Evidence of his Love is used as a Preparation to his Lesson. No Doubt, Saint Peter wished the Conversion of those Unbeleevers, who contradicted his holy Doctrine: But these better informed Soules, under his Charge, were farre more deare unto him; to whom hee was tied in an higher Bond than that of Nature, even the Grace of Iesus Christ: these hee calleth his Beloved. You cannot esteeme it a Point forced, or altogether begged at the Doore of my Text, if I touch a little upon that Question, concerning the Degrees of Charity: For as wee are bound to love all men, so (with our Apostle) a greater Measure of Love is due to some men. Charity lookes to the preservation of three things; Piety to God, Purity in our selves, Equity to others. There be different Degrees, but still it is the same Charity. God must bee loved above all, Thy selfe next, and then thy Neighbour: and him As thy selfe. Luk. 10.27. Ioh. 1.14. As sometimes imports a Likenesse, not a Truth: in the Psalme, Righteousnesse is as the wings of a Dove. Sometimes a Truth rather than a Likenesse: Wee saw his Glory, as the Glory of the onely Begotten of the Father. Sometimes both: God manifested his Love to us, as to Children. Etsi non idem modus diligendi, tamen idem affectus diligentis. August. The Objects of Charity have their Degrees: Diligibile quod supra est, Deus: quod intra est, anima propria: quod juxta est, anima proximi: quod infra est, corpora nostra & aliena. A man is to love himselfe Priore Charitate, majore Charitate, both with the former and greater Charity: but it must be understood In bonds ejusdem ordinis, in good things of the same ranke: for otherwise, he must love his Brothers soule before his owne body. And that same, Thy Neighbour as thy selfe, is a sicut of quality, not of equality. Friends have their due places in Charity, and their love is often great, as was Davids and Ionathans. Yet is it not allowable in Love, one Friend to die for another. If in a shipwracke, one having a planke, gives it away to his Friend, and perisheth himselfe, hee is guilty of selfe-homicide. No man must let the Tenant out of the Tenement, till God the Landlord call for it. This is not to love another sicut teipsum, as thy selfe: but Plus quàm teipsum, more than thy selfe: yet to save a soule, Love bids us venture a Body.

If a man curse his father or mother, hee was to suffer death for it; not so for cursing another: therefore we are not bound to love all alike. A man is to love his Wife more than his Childe: he is tied to his Childe with a naturall Bond, to his Wife with a sacramentall Bond. Howsoever the Romists disgrace Wedlocke, yet we appeale from them as not competent Iudges. Men ought to love their Children above their Parents; according to that of Paul; Parents lay up for their Children, not Children for their Parents. Greater Reverence belongs to Parents, greater Love to Wife and Children. As Elkanah said to Annah, 1 Sam. 1.8. Am not I better to thee than ten Sonnes? Wee must love the tree better than the fruit: the Wife is the dearest. A man shall leave his Father and Mother, Gen. 2.24. and cleave to his Wife: and they shall bee one flesh. Therefore is the Wife put in the highest Gradation, by Moses: If any shall tempt thee to Idolatry, bee it Neighbour, Kinsman, Brother, Father, or Vxor ipsa in sinu, thy Wife in thy Bosome; the neerest to thine Heart, thou shalt not consent. The neerer the jarre or breach of Love, the more grievous: Betwixt Neighbour and Neighbour, bad: betwixt Brother and Brother, worse: betwixt Man and Wife, worst of all.

Among all these Degrees of Love, that of the good Pastor to his Flocke hath not the lowest place: Those Children cannot but bee deare unto us, of whom we have been the Instrumentall and Ministeriall Fathers, Gal. 4.19. to beget them to Christ, of the immortall Seed: they are our Beloved. Infants cannot helpe themselves, therefore God hath lent them Aliorum brachia & ora, Matth. 19.13. the Feet of others, and the Armes of others, to bring them to the holy Sacrament; the Tongues of others to covenant for them, wherein they make their Proxey-Vowes: and it were unjust in us to deny them those helpes of Charity. Some deeds of Love are Actus Innocentiae, to do no harme: others, Actus Beneficentiae, Iob 31.29, 32. to doe good. Iob was so farre from rejoycing at the destruction of his hater, that he did open his Doore to the Stranger. Saint Paul saith that Love is the fulfilling of the law. Rom. 13.8. First, because without this, the Love of God may be dissembled, and falsly professed. Next, because by this, our love to God is expressed, and our obedience to the Law manifested. We are not commanded to love every thing in every man, no more than our Apostle did love their infidelity, to whose soules hee wished felicity. I am bound to love anothers Carnem non carnalitatem, corpus non corruptionem. Be Pagans no neighbours to us? yes, Proximus omnis homo. Even Beasts, though they be not Proximi, are yet Proximorum; and within the compasse of our charity. There is Bonum cui, the person to whom wee wish well: and Bonum quo, wherein we wish them good. May we have charity to the damned in Hell? No, there may not bee so much as sorrow for them, but rather joy in the Iustice of God. They are creatures of God naturally, but they are not so morally. No charity comes out of Hell, therefore no charity must descend into Hell. But the Divels doe us some good; for while they assault us with temptations, and afflict us with crosses, they in effect helpe us to crownes? Yea, but this is not ex intentione Daemonum, sed ex providentia Divina: Thus Iuvat vel ab hoste doceri; yet still no thankes to Satan, no charity to that enemy.

To conclude this point; Charity is Novum mandatum, Totum mandati, and Gratia praestantissima; the propriety of Christians. There is Amor among beasts, Dilectio among men, Charitas among Christians: that is their peculiar. All other Vertues may offend in the Excesse: a man may be overjust, overwise, too humble, 1 Ioh. 4.18. too patient; but hee can never be too charitable. No mans Charity is perfect upon Earth, because it may bee encreased: but that which is perfect admits of no Augmentation. He that feareth, is not made perfect in Love. Some have affirmed, that Charity was more perfect in Paul, than in Adam ante Lapsum, before his Fall: It might be so Ratione durationis, non ratione vera perfectionis. As Demosthenes said of Pronuntiation or Elocution, that it was all the Points of Rhetoricke: Rom. 13.10. so Charity is all the parts of of Religion. Faith and Hope doe our selves good, Charity spreads to others. Faith and Hope, like the Shippe, bring the Passenger to Heaven, but then goe no farther: Charity dwels with Him for ever. It hath a glorious Reward: yet the Reward may be Causa [excitans non] finalis. Amor deus est, Love was a god, among the Heathen: Deus amor est, God is Love, saith the Christian.

If Charity be a Lampe in common persons, it must bee a bright Starre in the breast of Divines. Such a Iewell was in the heart of Paul, more precious than all the Stones in the Breastplate of Aaron; that he wished to be anathematized for his Brethren. •xod. 33.20. Phil. 3.18. Chrysost. Hom. 2. de laudibus Pauli. Ioh. 21.15. Acerbius tulit illos non salvari, quàm seipsum perire: sure they were his Beloved. Hee wept for the Enemies of Christs Crosse: Nullus sic sua destevit peccata, sicut Paulus aliena. For this Love, Christ pepared our Apostle, by his threefold Question; Lovest thou mee? If thou doest, Feed my Sheepe. Doth not the same God invert that speech now to the People: Love you mee? If you doe, Feed my Shepheards? The Sheepe are well provided for Spirituals, but the Shepheards are discouraged for the want of Temporals. In Love to you, wee weare out our Daies, and weary out our Lives: cannot you, in Love to us, minister of your superfluities? You give your servants meat, that they may doe your worke: and shall your Minister bee out of heart, through defect of maintenance? The Rabbins have a traditionall conceit, that Abel or Seth, or some of those holy Patriarchs, burning their sacrifices on the Ground, did melt the Gold and Silver that was in the superficiall Veines of the Earth: which they perceiving to bee usefull or commerce, did so imploy it: As therefore it was found out in the service of God, to the service of God let it returne? Let your painfull diligence, and pour thankfull beneficence, bee reall arguments, and mutuall testimonies of our Love to each other, that wee may all bee blessed with the Love and favour of IESVS CHRIST.

Be not ignorant of this one thing] Here is an Antithesis, in respect of those Unbeleevers mentioned Vers. 5. They are willingly ignorant of this; but Be not you so. He that hath tasted and digested the sweet juyce of knowledge, would be ignorant of nothing. But it is dangerous to be ignorant of that, whereof the knowledge is necessary. An Impostume bred secretly and insensibly in the body, is as perilous as an outward Ulcer, seene and medicined. The Day goes away neverthelesse speedily, because a blinde man does not see the Sunne. Hee that travels securely without mistrust of Theeves, may yet fall into their clutches. Ignorance of our danger is so farre from saving us, that it exposeth us unprepared to ruine.

Of this one thing] What so especially a thing is that? That one day with the Lord is as a thousand yeares. Why, Is there such an absolute Necessity of this Knowledge? May not a man be ignorant of that, and yet bee saved? No, for it is a familiar expression of the Eternity of God: and he that is ignorant of the Nature of God, is out of the Way to salvation. Indeed his Majesty is so great, that no man can behold it, Esai. 6.2. Rom. 9.3. and live: the very Angels cover their faces, when his Glory passeth by. Naturall we are prone to fashion God to some forme of our owne: and according to our conception of some glorious Creature or admirable Light, or what other Image best pleaseth our fancy; such wee imagine Him: for we are all borne Idolaters. These grosse Conceits must be suppressed; and with Iacob, wee must bury all our strange gods under the Oake of Shechem, before we set up Gods Altar at Bethel. Let us banish all mentall representations, as incorporeall Images, and conceive of Him simply, purely, spiritually; as of an infinite, omnipotent, and eternall Being; without Forme, without Matter, without Composition, without all Limit of Thoughts. Whose Wisedome is his Iustice, whose Iustice is his Power, whose Power is his Mercy: whose Wisedome, Iustice, Power, Mercy, is Himselfe. Adorare possumus, comprehendere non possumus. Hee is Good without Quality, Great without Quantity, Everlasting without Time, Present every where without Place, Containing all things without Extent, and Ordering all things without Trouble. We must thinke of Him, as One not to be thought of: at which height let us stay, and bee content to wonder in silence: otherwise we shall lose our selves in his Infinitenesse. Howsoever, though we cannot conceive of Him as He is, let us never conceive of Him as He is not. It is observable, that when God did reveale his Glory to men, He did first exanimate them. So Daniel was enervated, Iohn fell downe as dead, Dan. 10.8. Rev. 1.17. Matth. 17.6. 1 King. 19.13. the Apostles were cast into an Extasie. In that terrible Demonstration of the divine Power, Elijah wrapped his since in his mantle, and stood in the entring in of the Cave: his obedience drew him forth to the mouth of the Cave, his feare still hides his head. Had there not been much courage in the Prophets Faith, he had not stood out these affrightments, the forerunners of that awfull Presence, though with his face covered. The very Angels doe no lesse, before that all-glorious Majesty, than vaile themselves with their wings. Far be it from us once to thinke of that infinite and omnipotent Deity without an humble Awfulnesse. Paul was so transported with his Rapture, 2 Cor. 12.2. that he could not tell whither his body about him or not. Hee had once said, Quod facio, nolo; I doe what I would not: but now, Quod facio, nescio; I doe what I know not.

Be not ignorant of this one thing] This bindes us all to an holy Diligence, whereby we may fill our hearts with the knowledge of God. Scientia est Deum noscere, Lactan. virtus colere: In Illo Sapientia, in hoc Iustitia. Gen. 2.17. There was in Paradise a Tree of Knowledge of good and evill, of which our first Parents were forbidden to eat. Either Sacramentally; because by it, they might know how good it was to obey, to disobey how evill: Or Experimentally, because the Event so fell out: as they were called The waters of Strife, because there was strife about them. Let us study to know good, the knowledge of evill will come fast enough. Let not the wise man glory in his wisedome, nor the mighty in his strength, nor the rich in his wealth: But let him that glorieth, glory in this, that hee knoweth mee, Ier. 9.24. saith the Lord. Why, the wicked know Him, the Divels know Him; they beleeve and tremble; they have a kinde of beleefe, therefore they have knowledg. But the knowledge that saves us, is more than a bare apprehension of God: It knowes his Power, and therefore feares Him: knowes his Iustice, and therefore serves Him; knowes his Mercy, and therefore trusts Him: knowes his Goodnesse, and therefore loves Him. I doe not meane a comprehensive knowledge of Gods Infinitenesse; for so Hee onely knowes Himselfe: and when with that Philosopher, we have taken a seven nights time to consider of it, we may aske a fortnight more; and at the fortnights end, a moneth; and bee at our wits end, at the worlds end, before wee can make a satisfying answere; otherwise than his was, That the longer he thought of it, the more difficult he found it.

But knowledge to the Christian, is like his soule to his body; a kinde of all in all. As it quickens, it is Anima: as it resolves, it is Voluntas: as it thinkes, it is Animui: as it knowes, it is Intellectus: as it deliberates, it is Mens: as it remembers, it is Memoria: as it judgeth, it is Ratio: as it desires, it is Affectus: as it breathes, it is Spiritus: as it feeles, it is Sensus. So knowledge concurres to every grace: They that know thy Name will trust in thee; so it is Faith. Know the Lord, and tremble before Him; so it is Feare. Psalm. 9.10. Abraham knew God and called himselfe Dust and Ashes; Ephes. 4.21. Matth. 25. Psalm. 2.11. 1 Cor. 22. Ioh. 17.3. so it is Humility. They that know Christ, will become New Creatures: so it is Sanctity. The Faithfull know Christ, and releeve his poore Members; so it is Charity. Be wise, Know the Lord, and Serve Him; so it is all Piety. I have determined to know nothing among you, but Christ crucified; so it is all Christianity. Let us know the onely true God, and Iesus Christ whom He hath sent; and so it is Eternall Life. As Feeling is inseparable to all the Organs of Sense: the Eye sees and feeles, the Eare heares and feeles, the Palate tasts and feeles, the Nostrils smels and feeles: So Knowledge is involved in every Grace: Faith knowes, and beleeves: Charity knowes, and loves: Patience knowes, and suffers: Temperance knowes, and abstaines: Humility knowes, and stoopes: Repentance knowes, and mournes: Obedience knowes, and does: Confidence knowes, and rejoyces: Hope knowes, and expects: Compassion knowes, and pities: Thankfulnesse knowes, and praiseth the blessed Name of God. As there is a power of Water in every thing that growes: It is fatnesse in the Olive, sweetnesse in the Figge, chearefull Wine in the Grape, strength in the Oke, tallnesse in the Cedar, rednesse in the Rose, whitenesse in the Lilie: So Knowledge is in the hand Obedience, in the knee Humility, in the eye Compassion, in the mouth Benediction, in the head Understanding, in the heart Charity, in the whole body and soule Piety. How miserably are they deceived, that thinke they can finde the way to Heaven blindefold; as if Holinesse were the Daughter of Ignorance? Alas, it will bee more possible for them, and more easie, unto them, to weigh the Fire, or to measure the Winde, or call againe the Day which is past, or recover the Verdure of the withered Grasse, than to get Salvation without Knowledge. If there bee such an answer to such as have knowne Christ, and so knowne Him, as to have prophecied in his Name, as a Nescio vos; How will He powre out his Indignation among the Heathen, Matth. 7.23. that know not his Name; and in flaming Fire take Vengeance on those that know not God? But let us know Him, that wee may love Him; 2 Thes. 1.8. and love Him, that Hee may both know and love us in Iesus Christ,

Be not ignorant of this one thing that one Day &c. Our Apostle, here, bends his full Artillery against the Despisers of the Deity: They are not onely ignorant, but wilfully ignorant: and so farre from knowing God aright, that they will not confesse Him at all. Light it selfe is so dim, that they cannot see it: and themselves are so farre from themselves, that they cannot discerne themselves, God is Light, so saith the Truth: and their soules are themselves, so saith their Philosophy. They and their soules are Strangers: as hee complained of his sullen Neighbour; Martial. Epigram. In urbe tota, Nemo tam propè, tam proculque nobis. Or like incestuous Myrrha, who could not enjoy her father as she would, because hee was her father; Nunc quia tam meus est, non est meus, ipsaque [damnum] Est mihi proximitas. Like our paire of eyes, which easily see all forraine Objects, never see one another. O Wonder! That this great Light from Heaven, able to dispell all the powers of Darknesse, should not make the scales of malicious ignorance to fall from their eyes. Now their quickest Sense is too slow to descry, one day their slowest will bee quicke enough to feele that there is a God. Doe they live, without a soule? Can their Temperature consisting Ex quatuor mortuis, the foure elements, subsist of it selfe one moment? Of dead, added to dead, no Life can arise: as of nothing, multiplied by nothing, will never arise something: millions of Cyphers will not so much as raise one Unit. They must needs finde a capacity in themselves, which distinctly, and in a moment, can present them with the Heavens moving, the Starres shining, the Fire mounting, the Aire peercing, the Sea swelling, the Earth resting, Gemmes glistering, Varieties entertaining their thoughts. By their owne Rule, every body is so limited, that it cannot containe a thing bigger than it selfe. They are very little, and the World is exceeding great: How then can this Great be comprehended in that little.: The Body cannot bee thus capacious, therefore it must bee a Soule. While they are living, there is a thing within them, that waxeth as the Body waineth; and is wisest to prescribe, when the Bones and Sinewes are weakest to execute. It may bee ere night, this Tennant departs, and then that earthy Bulke is no more able to grow, speake, or moove, than a dull stone. Cannot this Soule within them, get so much credit of them, as to beleeve they have a Soule? The very naturall could feele with one hand, that he had another.

But say they, wee talke of GOD and a Soule, but they could never see either of both. Plaut. in Asiner. The Poet brings in an old Strumpet jeering her spent Customer, with whom the World was at so low an Ebbe, that hee was driven to aske dayes of payment for his Pleasure; with these words; [Occupatae] mihi sunt manus, credunt quod vident: Women of our Trade have eyes in their hands; if your present bee so fine that they cannot see it, they thinke it so farre off, that they shall never have it. Our gallant infidells have so long sucked the breath of their Courtesans, that they are come to Credunt quod vident too: Nothing will sinke into their heads, that cannot bee seene with their eyes, or felt with their fingers. They cannot see a GOD, the Fountaine of all Natures, in so cleare a Glasse, as the Mirrour of all Creatures. Why should not a worke so wonderfull proove an Author as skilfull? Wee are now in a Temple, and wee never can thinke, that an Infants witte, or a Childes hand did build it. Can wee behold a World so admirable, for the Capacity, Majesty, Firmenesse, Vse, Order and Motion of it: and not finde the Tract of Omnipotence in that firmenesse, of infinitenesse, in that capacity, of Glory in that Majesty, of Goodnesse in that Vse, of Wisedome in that Order, of Life in that Motion of it.

Were one of these politicke depose-Gods an ingenious Alchymist, and should shew us one of his rarest Magistrals or extractions: If wee should judge it the distillation of some Peddlar Aqua-vitae man, would hee not taxe us of an Ignoramus. And yet shall this man observe an Heaven, aboundant in variety of influence, managed by a consort of Motions, thwarting and yet not disturbing one another? Shall hee tread upon an Earth, which yeeldes Bread to strengthen him, Wine to comfort him, Gold to enrich him, Drugges to heale him, wonders to astonish him? Shall hee saile upon a Sea, which is an humour naturally spreading, and see it surging above the solid Earth, without superinundation? And not acknowledge a GOD to bee the Maker and Moderator of this Heaven, the confirmer of this Earth, the controller of this Sea. The Earth, Water, Aire, are huge Elements: who over-awes them to give their Substance, Moisture, and Breath; to the nourishing of little Plants and Hearbes? Is it not GOD? Who over-rules the fierce and sturdy Beasts, to yeeld their backes to serving, and their lives to feeding weake little Man? Is it not GOD? Could the greater bee so subdued to the lesse, without an umpire of impeachable right, unmatchable power, unsearchable Wisedome? The Prince hath a power over the land and life of his Subject; yet should hee command the greater to serve the lesse, how ill would they brooke it? Would Nobles willingly condescend to serve a Groome? Would they fast to feede him, watch to guard him, die to save him? How then must wee admire that Almighty Power, which hath commanded the Heavens to serve us, the Sunne to give us light, the Earth to give us meat, the Creatures to obey us, the Angels to guard us, and his owne Son to dy for us? Who else could compell honor to bow to basenes, learning to be taught by rudenes, power to be manicled by [weakenesse], Millions to bee wonne by Twelve, and the World to bee caught by Fishermen? What Soule can revolve this wonderfull varietie, and bee ignorant of the Deitie?

I wonder whether these men beleeve, That they breathe in Summer, as well as in Winter: In Summer, they cannot see their owne breath: but as cold growes on, it begins to appeare. Gods Providence, and their owne Soules, are things of so subtill a Nature, that they cannot see them during the Summer of their pleasures. But when the Winter of Iudgement comes, this will shew them a GOD in their just sufferings; and in that Soule of theirs, which they would not beleeve they had, they shall feele an unspeakeable torment. Then shall their pained sense supply the want of their Faith; Where lies all this anguish? It cannot bee the Aking of a Head, nor the Gowt in a joynt, nor the Collicke in the Bowels; not a Hand or Legge, not a Backe or Brest, that are thus vexed: But something so much more sensible than a mortall body, as the paines bee greater than a mortall power can inflict. Their teeth have raged with paine; yet was it ease to this. They have laine under the Racke of the Winde or Stone, and found it ease to this. That they have felt was but momentany; but, What time shall put an End to that they doe feele? Surely, it must bee an immortall Soule, that suffers these indeterminable torments. And though they feele some strange thing which Eternitie can inflict; yet it hath somewhat to inflict which before they never felt. O that mans fore-sight were as sharpe as his sense?

Nullum elementum suo loco ponderat: in the bottome of the Sea, all the waves are no burden: out of the Ocean, to carrie a Pitcher of Water is some Trouble. Within the sphere of sinne, Men feele no waight: out of it, the easiest is very heavy. Therefore Ne doleas quae sentis, Aug. quia quae sentis, evasisti. Doe not so much grieve for the sinnes thou feelest; because those thou feelest and sorrowest, thou hast escaped.

In the Old Law, when Violence was offered to a Virgin, if shee cryed out, shee was not to dye by the Law: but if shee cryed not out, shee was to bee punished. When the temptations of Sathan set upon the Soule, and his assaults offer her violence; if shee cryes, and strives, and resists, shee shall not dye. Sinne may hang like a Viper upon Pauls hand, and not poison him: it may bring a potentiall guilt, not an actuall: or a damnabilitie, as the Schoole speakes, but not damnation.

Oh how happy were I, if I could worke in your hearts a true sense of these things? How joyfully should I present such a Soule to GOD? With what sweete Hymnes of consorted Angels would Heaven entertaine us? But if more would come in and our company encrease, how then would that spatious vault ring? How great would the joy of all bee for each ones part, how full would each one make the number of all?

Vse. 1. Let us learne to know GOD, that we may avoide the things that offend him. Every sinnner is ignorant: not that all doe sinne out of ignorance, Zeph. 1.17. but they become ignorant by reason of sinne. They shall walke like blinde men, because they have sinned against the LORD. The first punishment of a sinne is caecitie of Minde; and caecitie of Minde is the cause of future sinne.

Aug. in Psal. 57. If a theefe should lose his eye in the very act of his robbery, would not all men call this a present Iudgement? Oculum cordis amisit, & ei pepercisse putatur Deus? When Ioseph was throwne into the pit, his brethren sate downe to eate, with no more compunction, than Esau having sold his Birth-right, fell to his pottage. What stranger can thinke of poore innocent Ioseph, crying naked in that desolate and dry pit, saving that hee moistened it with his teares, and not bee mooved? Yet his hard-hearted brethren sit them downe carelesly, with the noise of his Lamentation in their eares, to eat bread: not once thinking by their owne hunger, what it was for Ioseph to be affamish’d to death? Covetous oppressors, after they have sold all Conscience of Religion for money, and laid up their poore debters in the pits and holes of prisons; fall with as good a stomacke to their dinners, as if they had never knowne Iesus, nor his distressed members. Put out Samsons eyes, and you may easily binde him to the Mill, as the hooded Hawke is bound to the Perch. Petr. Perchorius. l. 7. ca. 3. Reductorij moralis. Have you not read the Eagles policie to kill the Hart? She gets to the sand, and there rowles and involves her selfe, till shee hath filled and laden her wings with that dusty burden: then springing up to the head of the beast, shee so shakes this gathered sand into his eyes, that it blindes him: thus shee clawes out his eyes with her talons, and by degrees kils him. It is the devils plot, with the dry earthly dust of these worldly things, to blinde the understanding of sinners, and so to take and lead them captive at his pleasure. 2 Tim. 2.26. Fantasie puts up the Game, the Affections hunt it full cry; if Reason once blow the horne, wee are lost. How could it bee else, that men should seeke for content in vanities and vexations, whiles they vilipend those precious merchandize of Heaven, which can onely enrich them: but that the Devill shewes them things that are not, as though they were; as Painters draw Pictures, rather according to their owne Imaginations, than the true Nature of the things they represent? As Merchants shew the best of their wares, and magnifie that; but conceale all the blemishes and defects: or as blinde affection takes even deformitie for beautifull: so to the ignorant, Satan can passe odious vices for absolute vertues. If Christ should aske us, as hee did that blinde man, What wilt thou have me doe for thee? Wee might well answere him, as he there did; Lord, that I may receive my sight. Till wee know the Lord, Luk. 18.41. we cannot be happy.

2. Let us learne to know Christ, that wee may know God: for we cannot know the Father, but by the Sonne. I know my sheepe, and am knowne of mine. Indeed Christ is called The hidden Manna. First, hidden to Nature, Ioh. 14 7. Ioh. 10.14. Rev. 2.•7. for that could not see it, till the Gospell did reveale it. Secondly, hidden to unbeleefe; for that cannot see it, though the Gospell hath revealed it. Thou, O Father, hast hid these things from the prudent: Mat. 11 25. they are hidden to the wisest Naturians. If our Gospell bee hid, it is hid to them that are lost: 2 C••. 4 3. so it is hidden to lost and unbeleeving Christians. It is not so much Scientia capitis, as Conscientia cordis, that knowes Christ. Hee is a Treasure, which many know where to finde, but they will not goe to the price of it: not the being, but the worth and value of him is hidden. He is not onely our Teacher, but our Example: in both easie to bee knowne. The conclusion of his gracious workes was, Exemplum dedi vobis. Beare yee one anothers burdens: why? Ioh. 13.15. Gal. 6.2. Col 3.13. Ioh. 13.34. Mat. 11.29. 1 Pet▪ 2.21. Heb 12.•. So you shall fulfill the Law of Christ: The Law not only of his Precept, but of his Example. Forgive one another: how? As Christ forgave you. Love one another: how? As I have loved you. Be ye humble and meeke: how? Learne of me. Be ye patient: how? As Christ hath left you an Example. Still as wee runne our Race, let us Looke unto Iesus. For this cause hee was lifted up like the Brassen Serpent, that wee might behold him. If a mans occasions compell him to travell in the night, he will follow him that carries the Light: Christ is the Light; let us bee sure to follow Him, and wee shall not stray in darkenesse. As ye have received Christ, so walke in Him: how can they walke in Him, Col. 2.6. that have not received him? He that would bee drawne to the life by a Painter, patiently and intentively sits him: if wee would bee conformed to the Image of Christ, let us fasten our eyes upon him, and never so much as turne our countenances to the world. The lives of the Saints, to the Life of Christ, in regard of example; are as the writings of the Fathers, to the sacred Scripture: Even the starres that are obscured in the Light of the Sunne, are profitable in his absence, to give light to the world. But what are those borrowed and glimmering sparkes, to that glorious Sunne of Righteousnesse, Christ himselfe?

Iesus is the subject of all tongues, but not the object of all hearts: The Schoole disputes of him, the Pulpit preaches of him, Profession talkes of him, profane ones sweare by him, few rightly know him. This Manna is neere enough to their doores; Sed non colligunt, quia non diligunt: non diligunt, quia non intelligunt. God meant him the publike Redeemer; his Life approved him openly, his Death was executed openly, his Resurrection was published openly, the Gospell proclaimes him openly, Preaching manifests him openly; all these wayes hee is open: it is onely unbeleefe that keepes him hidden. The Kings of the Earth looke for Allegiance in their Subjects, though they never saw their faces. And the Kings of Persia and Mexico were wont seldome or never to come abroad, or to bee seene of the people, to beget in them a more awefull dread, and greater opinion of their State and Majestie. But our heavenly King exposeth himselfe to all: Voluit omnibus nosci, qui voluit pro omnibus nasci. It is we that are blinde, the Sunne denies not his Light: God does not hide Christ from us, but wee hide our selves from Christ. The Peasant in the Countrey knowes there is a King in the Court: but hee apprehends not his Magnificence: and not knowing his person, passeth by him as an Neighbour; and it may bee, at their meeting, takes the way of him. In many things, Familiarity breeds contempt: but here, strangenesse and ignorance hath made men so profanely insolent, that they scorne, their owne humour should give place to the Prince of Heaven, the Sonne of God. Would not a man bee ashamed, to have the name of a Physitian, and bee utterly ignorant of Medicine? Or a Mechanicke to bee called a Carpenter, and know not what belongs to a Rule? What other is it for a Christian, not to know the Rules of Christ, the way to Eternall Life? Therefore doe the evill persecute the good, because they are evill: and therefore are they evill, because they are ignorant. Had the Princes of this world knowne it, 1 Cor. 2.8. Exod. 1.8. they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory. But as it fared with Israel in Egypt, after the indulgence of the former Pharaohs, there arose vp a new king which knew not Ioseph: Persecutors, that know neither Ioseph, nor Iesus, will be farre from Mercie. Those things which the ground naturally produceth of it selfe, she brings forth in abundance; but what is sowne, not without much labour: because shee is to those a Mother, to these a stepdame. Iohn 14.17. The World favours and honours her owne: but the Righteous are Strangers to her, 1 Cor. 2.14. whom shee neither knowes nor respects. There can bee no Love without Knowledge: Zeale it selfe will grow wilde without this corrective. Iron may bee hot and softned in the fire; but without the hammer, it puts on no new forme. A tall man upon some high Turret, seemes to us on the ground, scarce a boy in stature: Therefore wee thinke nothing in Heaven to bee worth the having, because wee grow upon Earth, and all there is out of kenning. Ignorant people thinke that the Moone is the biggest starre but the Sunne; whereas the Learned finde it by Demonstration, to be one of the least. But Mercurie, our Evening-starre, though it seeme the greatest next those former two, is in truth, the least of all. The reason why they apppeare so bigge, we easily conceive, because they are so low. Things of this world, for their short lasting, and often changing, are compared to the Moone; whose motion is swift, and her face diverse. For their pliablenes, they are like to Mercury, whose property is to bee either good or bad, as the starre is with whom be is joyned. Yea, there is a third reason of similitude; for these temporall things, like those planets, shew fairer because they are nearer; and bigger, because they are lower than better things. But could we get up to the top of Iacobs ladder, there to see and know our God, wee should both descry the sophisticated greatnesse of things transitory, and the infinitenesse of eternall glory.

3. Lastly, having got the knowledge of God, let us bee sure to remember him. Remember thy Creator, in the daies of thy youth. Where wee have an act enjoyned, Remember: an object presented, thy Creator: Eccl. 12.1. a time prescribed, In the daies of thy youth. Iob confesseth that GOD did write bitter things against him, when hee made him to remember the sinnes of his youth: Iob. 13.26. yet still in the dayes of our youth let us remember GOD. To remember, is sometimes used for consideration; Remember thy Maker: sometimes for prevision, Remember thy end: sometimes for Caution; Remember Lots wife: sometimes for Injunction, Remember to sanctifie the Sabbath: and in respect of thankes-giving: so Pharaohs Butler forgate Ioseph, that is, hee was not thankefull to him. The Romanes had their Ancestors pictures in their houses, thereby to stirre them up to the imitation of their noblenesse. There can bee no picture of an infinite and invisible GOD: but there is no creature, which doth not occasion us to remember him. The understanding is hardly wrought upon, therefore wee have many precepts: the will is hard to tame, the affections are stubburne to bee rectified: but it is easie to remember. No seale can bee set on running water, nor goodnesse bee begotten in a forgetfull hearer. There is a sensitive memory that shall perish, but the intellective memory is the Soule it selfe. Know therefore, that thou mayest remember, remember that thou mayest practise. Without impression, meditation hath no ground: without meditation, impression hath no growth. GOD begunne his Law, with Remember who brought thee out of bondage: Christ instituted his Holy Sacrament, with Doe this in rememberance of mee. Wee had better never have knowne him, than not remember him. The mercifull and gratious Lord hath so done his marvellous workes, that they ought to bee had in rememberance. Therefore, Blesse the Lord O my Soule, and forget not all his benifits. Psal. 111.4. Psal. 103.2. Let our memory bee the Gallery of our Soule, hung all about with the Pictures and Stories of GODS mercies and blessings towards us. Let us remember him at all times in this our Pilgrimage; and Hee will heare us, when we pray with that penitent Theefe; Lord, remember us in Thy Kingdome.

One day is with the LORD, as a thousand yeeres, Psal. 90.4. and a thousand yeeres as one day.] Diuerse interpreters have derived this Sentence out of the Psalme: A thousand yeeres in thy sight, are but as yesterday, when it is past. If two Harpes bee placed together, and tuned alike; when you strike a String of the one, you shall heare an Vnisone answere of the other, by reason of the Consent and Harmony betweene them: Such an Accordance hath the New Testament with the Old, being both tuned by the same Spirit; that the Sound and Tone of the one is rendered by the other: and it is true of them, what was fancied of those Twinnes; they neither frowne nor smile, but both together. DAVID and PETER wrote in distant times, and with severall pennes; yea, they were the severall pennes of the same Holy Ghost: yet (without wonder) they Record the same thing. Face doth not more answere to. Face in the Water; than APOSTLE doth answere to PROPHET in the SCRIPTVRE.

Out of this place, and that other in the Psalme, have beene collected dangerous Tenents. First, that the world shall last but sixe thousand yeeres, as it was made in sixe dayes: because a thousand yeeres with the Lord, is but as one day. The inventers of this opinion, I take to be the Hebrewes: who have curiously observed, that Aleph, is sixe times repeated in the first verse of Genesis, for the beginning of the world: out of which they strangely picke the duration of a, which they limit to 6000. yeers. Those Rabbins, Salomon and Isaac are principally taxed for it. Among the Ancients, Hierome, Lactantius, Iustine, Hilary, [Irenaeus]: of the later Authors, Picus, Mirandula, Franciscus, Venetus, Galatinus: to omit Trismegistus, the Thalmuds, the Sybils. But why should men presume to finde out that which God hath hidden from the Angels? Secondly, there is an opinion, that because it is said of Adam, thou shalt die in the same day thou eatest of the forbidden fruite: a day is not there to bee taken strictly, according to our account of dayes; Iustin, Dial. cum Tryph. lib. 5. Ezek. 4.6. but as it is with God, before whom a thousand yeeres are but as a day: and because Adam died within a thousand yeeres after, therefore hee died the same day. God indeed appointed to Ezekiel forty dayes for forty yeeres, each day for a yeere; but that he appointed Adam a thousand yeeres for a day, is a strange and strained collection. So the Papists would have that theefe to passe from the Crosse into Purgatory; notwithstanding, that promise; This day shalt thou bee with me in Paradice, because a thousand yeeres with God are but one day. But it is not said, they are one day, but as one day; and in the sight of God, that is in respect of eternity. But my purpose is not to trouble you with these nice in pertinences. I come to some observations and conclusions.

1 Time is that inferior Parent and devourer of things: time gave them composition, and time will bring them to dissolution. Heaven and Earth shall waxe old with time: The world began with time, and time with it. Quicquid movetur, movetur in tempore, That which changeth, habuit primum, & habebit ultimum. The world changeth from Spring to Summer, and then to Autumne, till at last, winter bury all in death, but that which shall bee restored in the resurrection. Χρόνος τέκτων σοφός; Aug. time is a wise workeman: nay, but rather hee was a wise workeman that made time. We must distinguish of precedencies; what is first in Eternity, what in Time, what in Election, what in Originall. In Eternity God goes before all: in Time, Flos fructum, the flower is before the fruite: in Election, Fructus florem, the fruite is before the flower: in Originall, Sonus cantum, the sound is before the song. If we aske what is first? God, the Ancient ent of d [yeeres.* Under] God and his glory, what appeares beautifullest.? The world: what is g greatest? Place: what is swiftest? the Minde: what is strongest? Necessity: what is wisest? Time, the inventor of Artes. Time was, when ignorance and blinde opinion did deifie *Asculapius, for drawing of a tooth: and Vulcan, for making a locke; for he knew not how to make a clocke: There was no clocke in Rome about three hundred yeeres before Christ, if wee beleeve antiquity. But now Time hath perfected skill, discovered new worlds, found out the artillery of Gunnes, those demolishing engines; invented Printing, a rare meanes to disperse knowledge, and opened unto us the mysteries of nature. It is called the Parent of truth: yet this beginner, is also a waster. Tempus edax rerum: therefore is Saturne painted, eating up his owne children. Time saw the Creation, shall shall see the dissolution, together with all the changes and chances in the proceeding: yet I will tell you what Time never saw. It never saw the righteous forsaken, nor their seed begging their bread. It never saw God forget his promise, nor Christ lose his purchase: it never saw the soule of a beleever perish. Wee may truely say of this great worke of our Redemption: Neque Doemonis ira, nec ignis, Non ferrum poterit, nec edax abolere vetustas.

2 God is the Creator, Disposer and Preserver of Time: who spannes the world in his fist, Esa. 40.12. and measures the waters in the hollow of his hand: Who brings forth Mazzaroth in his season, bindes the sweete influences of Pleiades, Iob. 38.32. Act. 1.7. and looseth the bands of Orion. It is not for us to know the times, which the Father hath put in his owne Power, He made time, the motion of Heaven to measute it; houres, dayes and yeeres to distinguish it: Onely he can give time, that is above all time. Man may shorten thy naturall terme some yeeres, he cannot lengthen it one houre. The Priest may doe a thing which he cannot vndoe: he can tie a matrimoniall knot, which he cannot loosen. The Prince may undoe a thing which he cannot doe: he can dissolve the marriage knot betweene the soule and the body, which being undone, he cannot tie againe. Onely God Omnipotent can doe and undoe, divide and reunite, kill and give life, encrease our time or lessen it. Hee is Pater aeternitatis, and Dominus temporum. So he created it; Let them bee for seasons: Act. 1.7. Esa. 9 6. Gen. 1.14. Gen. 8.22. Eccl. 3.1. So hee renewed it; Day and Night, Summer and Winter shall not cease: So he continues it; There is a time for all things; unto the dissolution of the world. For time had no being before, nor shall have after. Not before; therefore the Scripture sayes, Ante tempora seculorum, and Ante jacta mundi fundamenta. Nor after for the Angell sweares, There shall be no more time. In that City, there shall be no night, but everlasting day, which is Eternity. What needs any Generation, Tit. 1.2. Rev. 10.6. where is no corruption? Or distinction of that by time, which admits of no accident, no permutation? I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, saith the Lord, Rev. 1.8. which is, and which was, and which is to come. Some thinke these three times belong severally to the three Persons: Because the Father is called [ὁ ὤν], I am: Aretas. the Sonne. He that was; In the beginning was the Word: The Holy Ghost, Exod. •.14. Iohn. 1.1 Iohn 16.8. which is to come: The Comforter shall come. But indeed every terme belongs to every Person; and all time, past, present, or future, is onely the Lords. Therefore I must say with the Apostle; doth any man lacke time? as he, Doth any man lacke wisedome, let him aske it of God? If men want silver, let them aske the rich: if counsel, Iam. 1 5. let them aske the learned: if helpe, let them aske the strong: if countenance, let them aske the Noble: But with time, none can supply them but God. Yea, and let us returne all time to his glory: He is our first letter, Alpha, let us beginne with him: he is our last, Omega, let us end with him.

3 Our whole life, bee it never so long compared with God, or presented to measure with eternity, is so short, as if it were nothing. The longest liver reached not to a thousand yeeres, and that is not a day vnto God. Thou art the same, Psal. 102.27. Iob. 10.5. Boetius de Consul. and thy yeeres shall have no end. Are thy daies as the daies of man? Aeternitas Dei est interminabilis: vitae ipsius tota simul, perfectaque possessio. Hee is called The living God: It is an ancient and usuall title to the Almighty; especially when he would disgrace an unworthy rivall. As Saint Paul in his speech to the Lystrians, Act. 14.15. opposes to their vaine Idols, the living God. I neede not make man worse than hee is, nor his condition more miserable than it is: but could I, though I would? As a man cannot flatter God, nor over-praise him: so hee cannot injure man, nor vndervalue him. He is made to possesse moneths of vanity. Menses, ecce brevitas: Iob. 7.3. fatuos, ecce vanitas. Paul calls the whole time of our life, Hodie, to day: Long life is but a summers day: short life, a winters day: troublesome life, a gloomy day. But it should seeme, a day is too long a word for it Esa. 26.20. Ambr. lib. de fide Resurr. therefore Esay calls it momentum, hide thy selfe for a moment: and David, Nihilum, mine age is nothing. The severall labourers that were called into the Vineyard at severall houre, received an equall reward; because a thousand yeeres to God are but as one day. The Prophet Haggai, foretelling the comming of Christ almost five hundred yeers before hand, calls it but Modicum, a litle while. So vaine a thing is man: but, Hag. 2.6. As I live, is the oath of God: neither doe I remember any thing, Hierom. besides his holynesse and his life, that he sweares by. He is, he lives; and nothing is, nothing lives absolutely, but he: all other things by participation from him. In all other things, their life and they are two: but God is his owne life, and the life of God is no other than the Living God. And because he is his owne life, hee is Eternall. Of such validity was the argument of Thomas against the Gentiles: Nothing ceaseth to be, but by a separation of life; and nothing can be seperated from it selfe: for every separation is a division of one thing from another. But the Living God is a simple, absolute, and eternall Being. There is no similitude that can beare any proportion, in the illustrating of this point. A furlong is a great journey to a Snaile, to a Horse or Hound it is nothing. A hundred miles is a greater journey for a man by Land, than a hundred leagues by Sea. A Shippe with a forewinde, will reach farre in a day: what is it to the voyage of the Sunne, that every day surrounds the world? In all these there is an intervenient necessity of place, time and motion; which belong not to the infinite eternity of God.

4 We may read heare the great difference betweene the Divine blessednesse, and our happinesse in this world. All our pleasures or benefits have their times, and are denominated according to the seasons wherein they befall us. Of so poore elements is our happinesse made, that time must concurre to the being of it: and that we can scarce call any thing, is the something; the maine thing the essentiall part of our false happynesse. All things are done in time, and what is time, but the measure of motion? It may seeme to have three stations; past, present, and future: yet the first and the last of these are not; one is not now, and the other is not yet. And that which wee call present, is not now the same that it was, when we beganne to call it so: Before we can pronounce the word [Present] or the monasyllable [Now] the present and the now is past. Well then, if this imaginary halfe-nothing, Time, be of the essence of our felicity, how can it be durable! Time is not so; nay, how can it be at all? Time is not so; not so, considered in any parts of it. How poore a felicity is that, which consists in a watchfulnesse to lay hold upon occasion; which yet is but a little peece of that which is nothing, Time? And yet the best things are beholden to this Nothing, for all their something. For what content doe we finde in things out of season? Let the Prince give a title of honour to a man on his death-bed, can it mitigate one pang he feeles! What is the name of a Lord to him, that shall not live to heare himselfe called so? that shall never come into the peoples eyes, to receive honour from them who give it? Pleasures and possessions, presented to us out of time in our decrepit age, lose both their names and natures: They are not pleasures to us, who have lost our sense to taste them: they are not possessions to us, who are departing from the possession of them: we will soone be weary of them, when wee are once weary of our selves. Youth is the time that denominates them; the season that makes them pleasures or possessions: And when they are presented to us in an unapprehensive age, they come as a Cordiall when the bell rings out, as a Pardon when the head is off. Thus are we bound and bounded with time: but God is eternity, and into that time never entred. For eternity is not an everlasting fluxe of time; but time is a short Parenthesis, in a long period: and Eternity had beene the same as it is, though time had never beene at all. There is Eternity, that hath neither beginning not end; which is God himselfe: and there is perpetuity, that which we call everlasting Life, the state of our Soules in glory: this hath a time to begin in, but it shall out-live Time, and bee when Time shall be no more. Now what a minute is the life of the durablest creature, compared to this Everlastingnesse? What a minute is mans life, in respect of the Sunnes, or a Trees? The world is not a minute to eternity, Mans life, but a minute to the worlds: Occasion is but a minute to our life, and yet wee scarce apprehend a minute of this occasion: wee doe not lay hold on this opportunity, wherein wee may receive good, and become blessed.

4 I am loth to passe this point, without some usefull application. God is eternall, and may doe all things at his owne leasure: whether it pleaseth him to doe the worke of a thousand yeeres in a day, or extend the worke of a day to a thousand yeeres. But we are limited to time for all our actions: and as wee are sure our life shall not reach to a thousand yeeres, so wee are not sure that it shall last out a whole day. He that observeth the winde, shall not sow: but he that observeth not the time to sow, shall never reape. It is a preposterous course, while the ground is ready, the weather seasonable, the Oxen in heart, the Instruments at hand, to sleepe: and then to beginne sowing, when others are ready to reape. He that playes all Summer may dance all winter, but he shall have sory musicke to it. The old world had a time, while Noah preached: Sodome had a time, while Lot admonished: Pharaoh had a time, while Moses wrought wonders: Ierusalem had a time, during Christs doctrine and miracles: the rich churle had a time, while Lazarus begged crummes: but both they lost time, and time hath lost them; for they are cast into that darkenesse, into which time cannot enter: It is a long night, when it will never bee day. Abraham, Samuel, David, Gen. 22.3. 1 Sam. 15.12. Psal. 57.8. Iohn 3.2. Luk. 74.1. when they went about their holy businesses, rose early. Christ, with his Auditors, came to Church early. Mary came to the Sepulcher early; In the first day of the weeke, and first houre of the day. Too many deferre it till the last weeke of their life, the last day of the weeke, the last houre of the day, the last minute of the houre. But let us not build upon Mercedem adepti undecimae horae operarij, that they had their pence, which came into the Vineyard at the eleeventh houre: For it was not operis, sed misericordiae; his mercy that gave them, Hilar. not their merite that earned them. There can bee no more earnest way of getting in, than knocking; nor more innocent soules than Virgines: And then thinke there can be but small hope, of that mercy at the last houre, which hath beene so strange as to give no eare, to so great a suite, as knocking, and of so yong and innocent, as Virgines. But it may bee you sticke at that singular example of the penitent malefactor, who found favour at the last, a good death, the conclusion of a bad life, and went up from the Crosse to the Crowne. Doe not venture on the hope of that happinesse with the losse of present repentance. Athanasius saies of that theefe, that he was alwaies a theefe: Living, he was a theefe, and stole from men: dying, he was a theefe and stole from God. He stole from men the goods of this Earth, by an injurious surreption: He stole from Christ eternall good; even the kingdome of Heaven, by his humble confession. All men have not the lucke to steale themselves into Heaven, in spight of Hell: many have the fate, to coozen themselves into Hell, in spight of Heaven.

5 Let us bee covetous of no worldly thing but time: and of this not for the duration of our pleasures, but to worke up the salvation of our soules. For hee that desires time to gratifie the sense of his lusts; is not unlike that Epicure, who wished a Cranes necke to prolong the sweetnesse of his meates. There is no usury lawfull but this: not that men should sell time to improve moneys, but husband time to improve grace: If otherwise, a long time shall bring but a long reckoning: For Quantum temporis nobis impensum est, Bern. exigetur à nobis qualiter expensum est. When God gives us time to do the businesse we came for; it leaves us either without imperfection, or without excuse. Sicut non capillus de capite, sic nec momentum peribit de tempore. Neither a haire shall perish from our heads, nor a moment from our times. Redeeme the time saith Saint Paul: Eph. 5.16. Many things are farre fetchd, and deare bought, fit for rich purses, and curious palats: But there is a poore contemptible hearbe in the Garden, more precious than they all; Time: this wee passe by in neglect, yet this is especially worth our gathering. The price of it appeares in the diminution: nothing besides, is of that nature, for it is diminished by addition. Every houre added to our time of life, is so much time taken from life. If a day be added to our beginning, we are by a day nearer our ending. Each steppe sets us forward to our graves; and we are nearer now, than when wee entred the Church-doores. Yea when it is past, it is past recovery. If a man lose his health, it may be recovered againe by physicke and dyet. If hee lose his goods, they may be found againe; as wee have heard of Iewells lost in the sease, and yet brought home againe in the bowels of fishes. Though he lose his life, it shall be restored him in the resurrection. Yea, some haue lost the feeling of the favour of God, and found it againe by repentance. Onely time once lost, is never to be found. We may say of opportunity, as he wrote of virginity. Iewels once lost are found againe, this never: It’s lost but once, and once lost, lost for ever. Time goes away by minutes, therefore is not perceived: the shorter steppes it taketh, the more insensibly it passeth. Therefore as it steals upon us, let us welcome it with good industry: and as it steales from us, let us send it away with a good testimony: Thus though it quickly leaves us, it shall not leave us worse than it found us.

6 The narrow capacity of mortall men, wonders how it is possible for God to dispatch so much businesse in so short a space. The last Audite is called The day of judgement: a day consists but of twelve houres: what are twelve houres to trie the severall causes of twelve millions, Ioh. 6.9. as the Disciples said: Here are five loaves, but what are they among five thousand. Two Iudges have much adoe to heare two hundred causes at a Session: this last universall Assises shall have the appearance of all the world; and can they all be judged in one day? Yes, why not in one day, as well as in a thousand yeeres, seeing a thousand yeeres with God is but as one day? Iob 10.6. Are thy daies, as the daies of man, that according to his measure thou shouldest search after sinne? Man must take his times for doing justice, as some read that of the Psalme, Psal. 75.2. not disagreeing from the Originall: When I shall take a set time, I will judge uprightly. It was a temptation able to shake any man, but a David, when he sees Saul in his cave, and heares such an argument urged by his followers: 1 Sam. 24.4. This is the day of which the Lord hath said, I will deliver thine enemy into thine hand. The time, the place, the colour of Iustice, and a pretence of the promise of God, seeme to carry such command; that David must be wanting to Heaven and himselfe, if he let slip this occasion. Malice is ever provident, and layes hold upon opportunity: that more subtle enemy of Hell will lose no time, but hath great wrath, Rev. 12.12. because he knowes he hath but a short time. The Priests came up by steppes into the Temple: The Angels came downe to Iacob by steppes upon the Ladder: But we finde no staire by which God himselfe came to Adam in Paradise, or to Sodome in his anger: for hee and hee onely, is able to doe all at once. Thus easie is it for him, in a day to judge the causes of many thousand yeeres, to whom a thousand yeeres is no more than a day.

7. Hee, to whom one day and a thousand yeares are of equall length, can make our dayes longer or shorter, though they seeme not so to us; or make them seeme longer or shorter to us, though they be the same. Ioshua might be thought to command the greatest Planets of Heaven, Iosh. 10.12. to stay their courses; Sunne stand thou still in Gibeon, and thou Moone in the valley of Aialon. For Him that gave them both Being and Motion, to bid them stand still, is no difficulty, though the rarenesse deserves Admiration: But for a man, that lives by the influence of the Starres, while he is below on Earth, to command those glorious Lights in Heaven; it is more than a Wonder. It was not Ioshua, but his Faith that did it: not by way of Precept, but of Prayer. God never got Himselfe so much Honour among the Heathen by one daies Worke; when five Kings and their huge Armies fell together, It appeared to the Israelites a longer Day than ever they saw before: but to the bleeding Amorites, a longer Day than it was. Faine would they have beene shadowed under the Curtaine of Night, and still they looked when the Evening should cease all pursuite: but the Sunne had his Lesson; hee must not goe downe, till they were all downe before him: and the Evening must be red with the Sea of rebellious blood. The Sunne and Moone were the ordinary gods of the Pagan World: and who did not looke that their standing still but one houre, should be the ruine of Nature? But now they shal see, there is an higher God than these; to Whom they obey as Servants, and must doe what He will have them. Hee that can extend the day at his Pleasure, 2 King. 20.9. doth no lesse for Hezekiah, than Hee did for Iosuah. Shall the shadow goe forward ten Degrees, or backe ten Degrees? As if Heaven it selfe lay open to his choice; and were ready either to mend his pace, or retire for his confirmation. He that commanded the day a certaine course of going on, doth now countermand it, to a retrait. All daies are alike to God; one day shall be longer than another, to satisfie the Faith of his servants. Hezekiah fastens rather upon that signe which is more hard, more disagreeing from the course of nature; not without good reason. Every proofe must bee clearer than the thing to bee proved; neither may there want a meet proportion betweene both. The going forward of the shadow was a motion no other than naturall: the recovery of his health was against the ordinary current of nature: therefore the more difficult the signe, the surer the evidence. Now, either the Sunne goes backe in Heaven, that his shadow may goe backe on Earth: or no lesse miraculously, the shadow goes backe on Earth, whiles the Sunne goes forward in Heaven. Indeed the Prophet speakes of the Shadow, not of the Sunne: either because the motion of the Sunne is best discerned by the shadow, or the motion of the shadow is led by the course of the Sunne. So the demonstration of this miracle was locall in the Dyall of Ahaz. It might be, not universall, in the sensible length of the day. The retrait of the Sunne had made a publike and noted change in the frame of nature: this particular alteration of the shadow in places limited, might satisfie no lesse, without a confusive mutation in the face of the world. Whithersoever; to draw the Sunne backe together with the shadow, or to draw the shadow backe without the Sunne; was a proofe of that divine Omnipotency, With which a thousand yeares is but as one day, But it is probable, that this miracle was not so confined; for presently upon it, the Chaldees, who were curious searchers into the secrets of nature, especially into the motions of the celestiall bodies, were brought by this Astronomicall wonder to Ierusalem: that they might see the man for whose sake, the Sunne forsooke his place, or the shadow forsooke the Sunne. All this doth testifie O Lord, that the day is thine, and the night is thine, Psalm. 74.16. thou hast prepared the Light and the Sunne. Nature is forward to runne her enjoyned course; regular and pregnant to bring her worke to perfection and light: and will not endure either the hastening, or retarding of man. She will not admit of preventions, nor anticipations, nor obligations upon her; for they are a kinde of precontracts, and she will be left to her liberty: she will not be spurred, or forced to mend her pace, when she is disposed to bring forth vigorous and durable effects. We cannot make the Iuly-flower spring up in Ianuary; nor keepe backe the Cowslip to August, nor the Vertumnall flowers to Autumn. We cannot bid the Fruits come in May, nor the leaves to sticke on in December. A woman that is weake, cannot put off her ninth moneth to a tenth, for her delivery, and say shee will tarry till shee bee stronger: Neither can a Queene hasten it to a seventh, that she may be ready for some other pleasure. The day will bee but a day, and the night will bee but a night to us: and our Equinoctiall comes but twice a yeare. But with God it is perpetuall Equinoctiall; before Whom one day is as a thousand yeares, and a thousand yeares as one day.

8. The Hope of man is nicely and dangerously placed: It hath a snare on the right hand, Presumption; and a pit on the left hand, Desperation. The presuming Conceit flatters a man, that hee need not make such haste: one day any one day is enough to repent in: God is no Respecter of Time; Nyssen. Tract. 1. in Psalm. ca. 7. but At what time soever a sinner repenteth, he shall be forgiven. I cannot but bee thus farre indulgent to a sinners Conversion; that though his former life hath been blemished with infinite spots, yet if hee now returne, and beginne to wash them away in his penitent teares: all that fowlenesse contracted in so many yeeres, shall be forgotten, Ezek. 18.22. as yesterday when it is past: and the Divine eye will behold him, onely as he is in the present state of grace. But let mee not conceale from him withall; that as repentance makes the sinnes of a thousand yeeres like one day; so apostacy from righteousnesse, makes the sinnes of one day appeare like a thousand yeeres. The wicked heart so extenuates his malice, as if it were nothing: and esteemes his sinne, as Paul speakes of an idoll, that it is nothing in the world. Philosophy sayes it is nothing. First, Propter defectum, because it is a privation. Secondly, Propter effectum, because it is an aversion. Thirdly, Propter despectum, because it makes a man contemptible: Ens & Bonum are Termini convertibiles. But they shall finde it something, when the sinne of one day shall be punished with the torment of a thousand yeeres, yea, of everlastingnesse. There will soone be an end of the reprobates sinning, there shall bee no end of his suffering. The least moment of time, compared with tenne millions of yeers, (because both tearmes are finite, and the one a part of the other) beareth, though a very small, yet some proportion. But one day to a thousand yeeres on earth, is more than a thousand yeeres to the perpetuity of Hell. So long as God shall live, so long must the damned dye: and when he shall cease to be happy, then they also shall cease to be miserable.

9 For some use of this meditation: Seeing all times have an equall regard with God, who spans it in his hand at once: but time is a fugitive with us; and having past the morning, we are not sure to see the end of the day: Let us not protract our conversion, lest wee losing our time to repent, repent for ever that we once lost our time. Eccl. 12.1. Psal. 119.9. Remember thy Creator in the daies of thy youth: And wherewithall shall a young man cleanse his waies? A young man? why not rather an old man; whose haires, if they have any left, like a white field, put him in minde that the Harvest is neere? 2 Sam. 19.35. Barre him of drunkennesse, that like Barzillai cannot taste. What should he do with musicke that cannot heare? withdraw delight full objects from him, Eccl. 12.3. whose Lookers out of the windowes be darkened. Let not him riot and revell out the night, that riseth at the voice of a bird. Loade not him with the robes of pride, Ver. 4. to whom The Grashoppers is a burthen. Forbid him the society of beauties, Ver. 5. whose desire doth faile. Let him forsake the vanities of life, that must forsake life it selfe; and get one foote into Heaven, that hath the other foote already in the grave. Desinat malum esse, quijam desinit hominem esse. Was not the Prophet mistaken? Is it not the old man, to whom this charge is given? But to take the young man from that pleasure, to which the heate of his blood invites him; to decourt young Absolom, the gallantest courtier of his time: to plucke the young man from his voluptuousnesse, that cleaves to it as the greene Apple to the tree: so fetch lusty Sampson, from the lappe of his Dalilah: to strip the young man of his brave garments, pleasant companions, merry cups, proud revenges; and set him to seeke humility in the dust, or taxe him to the severe rule of mortification: it seemes as unreasonable to flesh and blood, as for a man to have meate and a stomacke, and be forbidden to eate: to have fire in his blood, and bee forbidden to burne: hee is ready to challenge us, as the Divell did Christ; Mat. 8.29. that wee torment him before his time. Vel tolle juventutem, vel concede voluptatem. But none can bee too young to amend, that is old enough to die. Tantillus puer, Aug. tantus peccator: wee are apt to sinne, before we are able to sinne. Youth is a petulant time, that courts vanity with a passionate fondnesse. Flie youthfull lusts: Ambr. flie them for they will haunt thee. Vicina est lapsibus adolescentia, Remember not the sinnes of my youth: Psal. 25.7. Let us remember them, that God may forget them. And what age is fitter for the Service of God? Why are wee called Gods Primitiae, first fruites; if wee doe not offer him Primitias, the first fruites of our selves? They had their Primitias Spicarum, eares of Corne: Panum, of loaves; and Frugum, of fruites in Harvest: The first were offered at Easter, the next at Whitsuntide, the third in September: Youth, middle age, old age, all must be dedicated to God. But the fruits offered in September, in old age; if none were presented before; are not acceptable to the Lord. Will he accept of our dry bones, when Satan hath sucked out the marrow? A toole that is broken in the worke of the world, is not fit for Gods building. Our middle age is given to ambition, our old age to covetousnesse: therefore in our youth, let us remember our Maker. The Market is open till the last bell rings; but contrary to the custome of the world; our penny-worths will not then be cheapest. Nehemiah complained, that they laid the heaviest burden on the oldest men: how unjust are we to our selves, when we lode our most feeble old age with the greatest waight of all our holy businesse? who presents a torne booke to a king? The booke of religious conversation; begun onely in thy old age, hath the leaves come out: God cannot reade the beginning.

Some reade that, In the dayes of thy youth; In diebus electionum, in the dayes of thy choise: And shall we chuse no time to serve God in, but our old age? Sure, so long as we are able to chuse that, we are able to chuse a better than that. Hee that walkes in the night, is ready to suspect every bush for a theefe; nothing appeares in the true shape: to him that repents not till he comes to his death-bed, shaddowes seeme substances, a sigh passeth for true Repentance, a Lord have mercie on me for assured forgivenesse; and a little dormitory Opium, for a saving cordiall to the Soule. Say thy remorse be hearty, thy compunction bitter; yet is not this sorrow of thy Soule beholding onely to the paine of thy body? Hadst thou rather a sickenesse should bring thee to God, than a Sermon? Is this the Physicians office, or the Preachers? If onely Iudgement can bring us to remember God, it is but a stormy day. Saint Iohn wisheth to Gaius, That hee may prosper in his health, so as his soule prospers: For if the Soule bee leane, 3 Ioh. ver. •. the marrow of the body is but water: if the Soule wither, the verdure and good estate of the body is but an illusion, and the goodliest man a fearefull ghost. So let us wish to the yonger age, that their soules may prosper as their bodies doe, and that they may grow in Grace faster than in yeeres; otherwise, a wrinkled and deformed soule may dwell at the signe of a faire face. It is usuall with luxurious sinners, to lay the imputation of all their errours upon their bodies; as if their constitution were the sole cause of all their prevarication. But hee that chargeth his body with the whole discredite of the vices of his Soule, is as very a foole, as he that carries his saddle, to shame his horse. The paine of the body hath often beene a meanes of good to the Soule: I never knew the anguish of the soule conduce to the health of the body. Then wee wisely redeeme the time, when in the greatest reluctation of the body, we devoutly turne our hearts and soules to the service of our Maker.

Give me leave to explaine this point by an Apologue, familiar to the weakest capacitie. Foure travellers were returning to their owne citie; a day was their limitation: they must be there before night, or else being shut out, they shall become a prey to the Robbers. The first is assaulted by some Ruffians, who so provoked him with uncivill language, that hee drawes and fights; and in that quarrell received such hurts that for want of a Chirurgion, he is left behinde: no citie could he reach. The second meetes with some boone Companions, who after the Preface of their drunken Complements, shew him a Bush that promiseth wine: this went so liberally and merrily downe, that the Sunne was almost set before hee thought of rising: then hee would faine have reeled away, but neither he nor time could stand to it. The next heares of a Mine of Treasure by the way, but buried somewhat deepe in the ground: he gets instruments, delves for it, and findes it: the more he digs, the more he gets; and still the more he gets, the more he digs. On a suddaine it growes toward night; now he trusseth up his gold about him, and would be gone: but the burden was so heavy, that he could not travell with it, and hee would not goe without it. So the barred Gates frustrated all hope of his Entrance. The last went seriously on; and though many flattering friends still interrupted his speed, and perswaded him that he neede not make such haste, hee had time enough, it was but a little way home, and a great while to night; and so farre importuned him, that hee exchanged some words and Courtesies with them, tooke here and there a taste of their kinde offers: Yet still thinking on the time, away hee speeds; and make what haste he could, (though toward Evening hee mended his pace) yet it was almost night before he arrived thither; and by staying a little longer, he had beene shut forth for ever.

The Morall is easie and usefull: The Citie is the Heavenly Ierusalem, the foure Travellers are foure conditions of men, the contentious, the voluptuous, the covetous, and the Religious: the Night before which they must attaine thither, is the End of their Life: the Gates are the Opportunitie of Grace and Mercie: the enemies that surprize them if they bee shut out, are Satan and his Angels. The first resolves to bee at Heaven by Night, but Trouble meetes him in the forme of a wicked Law-broker, and puts such trickes into his head, whereby he may vexe his Neighbours; that hee presently drawes his Sword, which is some Writ or Processe, and furiously laies about him. Till, having tired out all his Adversaries, he wearies the Iudge, the Advocate, the Attourney, and (which is most strange his indefatigable Sollicitor, and makes his peripateticall profession tedious to him. The Lawyer hath his Terme and Vacation; but this man hath no terme of his terme, no vacation; till death serve a Sub-poena upon him from the Starre-chamber of Heaven: Now perhaps hee would make his peace, and be quiet; but now, alas, he must enter into everlasting disquiet, and fall into the hands of worse furies than ever before hee either found, made, or emploied. Or perhaps the Whimzies of a factious Sectary have crept into his head; and then he will quarrell with his Brethren, abuse the Word of his Father, and scratch the face of his owne Mother; neither sparing God nor his Church, though he forfeit all their Blessings.

The next is the profane Wanton, and he would also be saved: but Temptation meetes him in the shape of Pleasure; a delicate Lady, which so bewitcheth him with her painted Beautie, that he thinkes her all sweetnesse, and multiplies kisses on her coozening cheeke. Not unlike Issachar, he sees the land pleasant, and he even laies him downe, Gen. 49.15. couching like an Asse betweene the two burdens, of riot and lust, excesse and uncleannesse. Alea, vina, venus, is the tripartite division of his Life. Time remembers him by his Looking-glasse, and diseases pinch him by the Arme, to breake off his Methode of sensualitie and vicissitudinary sinnes: but hee will not beleeve them; pleading against them, yea rather against himselfe, that his bones are full of marrow, his Roses are not withered, old age and hee are strangers, hee hath nothing to doe with Time. But Time will have something to doe with him, and sends him that unwelcome Messenger, Sicknesse, to warne him of the neere approch of impartiall Death. Now hee calls for his Physitian, Repentance; hee would leave all vanitie, and begin his journey. But alas, his Time is short, and the way is long: there is no hope of his seasonable arrivall.

The third is the covetous Churle; and I promise you, saith he, Ierusalem is a goodly place, I will thither sure. But Temptation meetes him in the forme of a wedge of gold: he likes it well, it dazleth his eyes, and fires his heart with a desire to get it. He is advised to betake him to his tooles, and refuse no labour for it, without which he cannot hope to obtaine it. What are those Engines? The Mattocke of oppression, to strike into the bowels of the Innocent: The Spade of laboriousnesse, wherewith hee must toile and tire his owne flesh: The Hooke of plausible Attraction, to draw in cheatable Customers: The Rake of penurious basenesse, whose teeth are alwaies scraping together: The Shovell of dissembling closenesse, whereby we may accumulate and multiply his heapes and hoords: The Mine of policie, to take all advantages: The Petarre of Vsurie, to blow up whole estates. With these instruments hee must worke, starving the poore, his servants, himselfe: for he is good to none, worse to himselfe; he lives miserably, to dye damnably. Old age, like darke night, comes upon him; and now he would Hab. 2.6. Lode himselfe with his thicke clay, and if it were possible, carry it all with him. But, Oh the weight of his unjust gaines sinkes him downe to the lowest pit. Perhaps with some unwillingnesse, hee would buy a little time, but he cannot tell who should sell it. If hee could, yet while he goes to buy that fresh oile for his old lampe; Mat. 25.10. The Bridegroome is gone in, and the doore is shut. But he will give some superfluous Legacies to the poore; they can open the doore for him, Luk. 16.9. And receive him into everlasting habitations. No, they could have done somewhat all day, they can doe nothing for him at night. Then hee forgot the poore, now the poore must forget him: They can bee no friends, where GOD is an enemie. This, you see, is not altogether a Fable, and it is to be feared, that three parts of the world goe this way; even by the losse of time to perdition.

For the last; he that feares God; and loves the Lord Iesus, travels on toward Eternall Life; yet not without some interruptions. Sinne is sometimes wrapp’d up in the temptation of wealth, and hee may stay to looke upon it: sometimes in a beauteous face, as Mical was given David to ensnare him, and hee may cast a transient eye upon it: often, in the disguise of Friendship, and that prevailes so farre with him, as to discourse with it. Hee meetes with divers assaults: but though like Ionathan, hee tastes of the worlds honey, hee will not feed on it: And whensoever he wanders, the Spirit of Grace recollects him; and drawes him, as the Angels did Lot out of Sodome: otherwise, hee were in danger of being benighted, and doe what he can, hee hath time little enough. Therefore, hee concludeth, If I loiter, I shall be locked out: Vnloose me from the bonds of sinne, happy Repentance, defend me Faith, hold mee up Patience, strengthen mee Zeale; I come; Lord Iesus, open the Gate, I come, I come.