Commentary on 2 Peter, Commentary on 2 Peter volume 1 · Chapter 1 · Verse 4

Commentary on 2 Peter · Commentary on 2 Peter volume 1 · Chapter 1 · Verse 4

p. 59Verſe 4. Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promiſes, that by theſe you might be partakers of the Divine nature, having eſcaped the corruption that is in the world through luſt.

I Should come immediately to theſe words, but that in the former building there was a peece of timber left out now to be inſerted. It was the knowledge of our Caller. Now this point of knowledge (to avoid multiplicity of diſcourſe upo… the ſame argument) may fitly be conſidered in the word of connexion, that knits the verſes together; foreign, whereby. But firſt I will let the words fall into parts by diſtribution. In the whole verſe we may obſerve:

p. 60A

Conveiance, and herein the

Inſtruments, whereby.

Materialls, Promiſes.

Latitude of them for

Quantitie, Great.

Quality, Precious.

Forme, a deed of gift; Hath given.

Inheritance, Partakers of the Divine nature. This is qualitative, and may be exemplified in a ſeven-fold relation; as

Servants of a Maſter.

Subjects of a King.

Sonnes of a Father.

Fellowes of a Societie.

Members of a Head.

Branches of a Tree.

Spouſes of a Husband.

Deliverance wherein conſider the

Diſcoverie of danger, The corruption that is the world through luſt.

Recoverie from that danger, Ye have eſcaped it.

Whereby. Wee begin firſt with the Inſtrument, and ſo are fitly mette with the point which before eſcaped us. For this (whereby) ſtands like a Ianus, looking both to the matter paſt, and to come: the matter paſt was the knowledge of Christ, which was to this place reſerved, that we might have good occaſion to perpend the vertue of it. Whereby. The ſumme of the point is this; The true knowledge of CHRIST is the meanes, whereby are conveyed to us all the promiſes of merciemercy. One was of opinion, that a Philoſopher excells an ordinary man, ſo much as an ordinary man excells a beaſt: but every true Chriſtian excells a philoſopher as much as a philoſopher does a dunce. They ſcarce knew God in his creatures, we know God in his CHRIST. Ignoti nulla cupido; as we ſay, uncouth, unkiſs'd: we muſt looke before we like, diſcerne before we can deſire. Mine eyes have ſeenethy ſalvation, ſayes old Simeon; therefore Nunc dimittis, now leſt thy ſervant depart in peace, My corporall eyes have ſeene thy man-hood, my ſpirituall eyes have ſeene thy God-head; which is thy ſalvation: ſalutare ſuum, as giving it: and ſalutare meum, my ſalvation, as receiving it. Neither is this Salutare Singulare; but whoſoever hath ſeene and knowen this ſalvation, by his eye of faith, will earneſtly deſire it: as Stephen ſaw the Lord Ieſus at the right hand of God, therefore longed to come to him, video, venio.

There is no pleaſure ſo ſweet as knowledge, no knowledge ſo ſweete as that of religion, no knowledge of religion ſo ſweet as that of CHRIST: for thisccIoh. 17.3.John 17:3 is eternall life to know God, and Ieſus Chriſt whom he hath ſent. There is no entring into heaven withoutddMatth. 7.21.Matt 7:21 doing the will of God: there is no doing it without knowing it. If firſt ye know theſe things, happy are ye if ye do them, **Ioh. 13 17.John 13:17Ignorance is not then the mother of devotion, but the grandmother of irreligion. Let us never thinke that God will accept our verdict at the barre, when we give it up with an Ignoramus. Let us therefore uſe the meanes to get knowledge. 1. Read the Scriptures, that's Gods will, there's knowledge, Iohn 5.39. 2. frequent the Temple, that's his houſe, there's knowledge.eePſal. 37.17.Ps 37:17 I thought to know this, but it was too hard for me; Vntill I went into the Sanctuary of God, then I underſtood it. 3. Reſort to the Communion, that's Gods maundie, there's knowledge: thisff1 Cor. 11.28.1 Cor 11:28 ſhewes the Lords death till he come. 4. Conſult his Miniſters, for the Prieſts lips preſerve knowledge: there heare Gods oracle: yet after all this, glory not in thy knowledge.

Quamvis Sceva ſatis per te tibi conſulis, & ſcis,

Diſce docendus adhuc. Horat.

Hee that is proud of his knowledge, is a prodigie; for hee hath the gowt in the p. 61wrong end: others have it in their feete, he hath it in his pate. They that ſaw moſt of God, ſaw but his hinder parts: and in glory, when we ſhall ſee him face to face, it ſhall not be a Comprehenſive, but apprehenſive knowledge. It is not poſſible for men or Angels to know ſo much of God, as he knows of himſelf. Only the bleſſed Trinitie fully knows it ſelfe in the unitie of Deitie. We have now ſcientiam aptam a fit knowledge: then Scientiam adaequatam, a knowledge proportionate to our perfection.

But every man pleads his knowledge; let him then ſhew it in the effects. Scientia conſcientiam dirigit, Conſcientia ſcientiam perficit, knowledge directs conſcience, conſcience perfects knowledge. Abuſed knowledge will enhaunſe judgement and puniſhment: for this, were the ſinnes of the Iewes, caeteris paribus, greater than the ſinnes of the Gentiles: becauſe in Iury God was knowne, and his Name great in Iſrael; it was not ſo with other nations, neither had the Heathen the knowledge of his lawes. The ſinnes of us Chriſtians, other circumſtances being matches, are greater than the ſinnes of the Iewes, becauſe our knowledge is more. They had but an Aſperſion; line to line, here a little and there a little: we have an Effuſion, Acts 2.17. I will powre out of my Spirit upon all fleſh.ggGal. 4.6.Gal 4:6 Now after you have knowne God, how turne you againe to thoſe beggarly elements? will you ſweare, that know you ſhould not ſweare? will you defraud, that know you ſhould deale juſtly?hhEph 4.20.Eph 4:20 Yee have not ſo learned CHRIST. If Barbaria wring her hands for knowing ſo little, beware leaſt Chriſtendome rend her heart, for knowing ſo much to ſo little purpoſe. Knowledge doth elevate or lift up the ſoule: but if it be abuſed, it ſhall give her the greater fall. Becauſe the precipice is from on high, like ſtarres that the red Dragons taile ſwoop'd from heaven; it ſhall fall like an Angell of light into utter darkeneſſe, validiora exempla, quàm verba: deeds prove more than words: never tell me your ſcience, ſhew to me the fruits of your good conſcience. Albeit your words be never ſo lowd, if your workes be lewd: though you were ſonnes of thunder; yet a cracke in the Inſtrument will ſpoile the ſound; as Iupiters adulterie did even among children diſcredit his thunder. Our knowledge without holineſſe is like Vriahs letters that contained his owne death, 2 Sam. 11. To ſuch they are letters of bloud, commendations to Satan. As that ſervant in the Comedie; Egomet tabellas detuli, ut vincirer? Have I brought letters to bind my ſelfe? ſo theſe two, diſcoyned, commend a man to hell; Goe bind him hand and foote, and throw him into utter darkeneſſe. Sinne even in ignorance is a tallent of lead; but ſinne in knowledge is a milſtone to ſinke a man to the loweſt. Bona noſcere, et mala facere; to know good, and doe ill, makes a mans owne mittimus to hell. Among arts the mathematickes are moſt commended, becauſe they ſtand upon infallible demonſtration, you thinke your ſelves good artiſts in Chriſtianitie, and profeſſe good knowledge in religion; let me ſee your mathematickes, ſome demonſtration. Shew me thy faith by thy workes; there's a demonſtration. Let your light ſo ſhine on earth, to the glory of your Father in heaven; there's a demonſtration. Feed the hungry, releeve the poore, there's another demonſtration. Give me this mathematicall part of divinitie, that conſiſts in demonſtration. Non in fictis, ſed in factis: non in lectione ſed in dilectione, Aug. This parcticall part is the object of mans eye: we cannot ſee the knowledge in your braines, but by the workes of your hands. You muſt doe, if you would be ſure you know: and you muſt know if you would be ſure of comfort.

Great and precious promiſes. From the Inſtrument we paſſe to the materialls conveighed; Promiſes. This is the conveighance of the Goſpell, therefore it is called a covenant; Faedus promiſsionis; the covenant of promiſe. The law gave monaces; the Goſpell gives promiſes. It was the condition of the law, Doe this and live: it is the Promiſe of the Goſpell; Beleeve and thou ſhalt bee ſaved. Indeed they had promiſes under the law, but not by the law: for whatſoeuer was promiſed in the old Teſtament, belongs properly to the new. Lex imperat, fides impetrat: the law came by Moſes, and by the Law death: Grace comes by IESVS, and by grace life, Cajetan ſayes truely of the Law, that it does claudere ſibi p. 62ſubditos ſub peccato; praecipiendo, non adjuvando; That it ſhuts up all thoſe are under it, under ſinne; by commanding, but not by helping. But the Goſpell brings mercy; Promittit, immittit; offert, affert; to our houſes, to our hearts. Irenaeus, to ſome of his time that asked, Quid novi attulit Chriſtus; What new thing Chriſt: brought with him into the world; anſwered, Illum cuncta renovaſſe; That he had made all things new,ii2 Cor. 5.17.2 Cor 5:17 Old things are paſſed away: behold, all things are become new. He fulfilled the old Prophecies by his new workes: ceaſed the old Sacrifices by his new Sacrifice: aboliſhed the old Sacraments, thoſe bloudy ones of Circumciſion and Occiſion, by his new Sacraments: gave us a new Commandement, a new Teſtament: puts in the roome of old menaces, new Promiſes. And theſe new things are Virtute majora, utilitate meliora, actu faciliora, numero pauciora; For vertue greater, for profit better, for uſe eaſier, for number fewer. Our faith is more lightſome to beleeve in Christum miſſum; theirs, more obſcure, in Chriſtum promiſſum, Kilius. kkGal. 3.21.Gal 3:21But is the Law againſt the promiſes of God? God forbid. For if there had beene a Law given, &c. whereto then ſerveth the Law? yes, it hath a civill and a religious uſe: Civill, to reſtraine us from, and chaſtiſe us for ſinnes: and for this cauſe it is honoured even of the Politicians of the world, who though they will not themſelves beleeve the Goſpell, yet would have other men obſerve the Law, for their owne peace and tranquilities ſake Religious, for it is our Schoole-maſter to bring us to Chriſt, Galath. 3.24. Now the office of a Schoole-maſter is double, Dirigere, & corrigere: ſo the Law doth direct to good workes, and corrects for evill workes. Aret. It reveales ſinne, that as in a glaſſe wee ſee our miſery, and the penaltie due to tranſgreſſion. It is a corroſive laid to an old ſore, not to heale the ſore, that's not the act of a corroſive; but to eat out the dead fleſh, to make it alive and ſenſible, that ſo our wounds may be healed by the Goſpell. Therefore is not the Law contrary to the Promiſe; Subordinata inter ſe non pugnant; Things that are ſubordinate one to another, have a mutuall offi e of ſerving, not of contrarying one the other. Ideo datur praeceptum, ut praecipientis quaeratur auxilium, Leo. Therefore is the Law given, that we finding our owne diſabilitie to keepe it, might have recourſe to the Law-giver; to the ſufficiencie of Chriſt. For the Law ſo humbles a man with the griefe of ſinne, and terrour of Iudgement, that it ſends him packing to Chriſt,ll1 Iohn 2.2.1 John 2:2 If any man ſinne, and the Law tells us, we have all ſinned; wee have an Advocate with the Father, and this the Goſpell ſhewes us, even Chriſt the Propitiation for our ſinnes. It makes a man ſing with David, Sweet, O Lord, is thy merciemercy. The Law may Exprimere peccatum, but it cannot Supprimere peccatum; expreſſe ſinne, not ſuppreſſe ſinne. For that were to invade the office of the Promiſe: the office of the Law is to kill, the office of the Promiſe to give life. Thus we have in the Goſpell Promiſſum vitae, the Promiſe of life: the Lord give us faith to apprehend vitam Promiſsi, the life of the Promiſe through IESUS CHRIST.

Great and precious. Here is the latitude of theſe materials, in their quantity and quality. They are for quantity Great, exceeding great: for quality, Good, exceeding good, precious. Great, for they promiſe a thing no leſſe than greatneſſe it ſelfe; the love of GOD, an immenſe kingdome, the world inviſible; in compariſon of whoſe greatneſſe this world it ſelfe is a Mole-hill: Precious, for if this temporall life bee held ſo precious, which wee know time muſt determine; how precious is that life which is equall with eternitie? If that life be ſo eſtimable, which is obnoxious to ſin, and waited on with miſery; in ſo much that all riches and jewels are rubbiſh in compariſon of it.mmIob 2 4.Job 2:4 Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath, will he give for his life; a truth from the father of lies: how precious is that life, where a man ſhall ſee nothing but what he loves, and love nothing but what he ſees! The beſt way to exemplifie the Great Price of theſe Promiſes, is to inſtance in ſome particulars. Hereof the Word of Grace is abundant: but a man that would commend a Spring-water, needs not drinke up the whole fountaine, one or two draughts is ſufficient. Take a taſte from Math. 11.28. Come unto me all yee that labour, and are heavie laden, and p. 63I will give you reſt: a great and precious promiſe; if we conſider the Mover, the moved, and the motive. The Mover is Chriſt, Come unto me; not to the Mother, but to the Sonne; Non ad Dominam, ſed ad Dominum, Not to our Lady, but to our Lord. Send not others, but come yourſelves: come to no other but to me. The moved, all that labour and are heavie laden; that labour in your actions, are heavie laden in your paſſions, Ferus. That doe not carry ſinnes like corke and feathers, lightly on your ſhoulders, but groane under the unſupportable weight, and ſend forth prayers mixed with teares for eaſe. Come, not on your feet, but your faith; not on your legs, but your lives. The motive, I will eaſe you, or give you reſt. What; labour and grievous labour; a burden and an heavie burden; and yet I will eaſe you? a great and precious promiſe! The Phyſitian cannot ſay to his patient, I will cure thee: but thus farre, I will ſpare no invention of wit, no intention of will, no contention of power to helpe thee: onelyonly the great Phyſitian of heaven can promiſe abſolutely, I will eaſe thee. nnPſal. 55.22.Ps 55:22Caſt thy burden upon the Lord, and he will ſuſtaine thee. Take another: Rom. 8.28. All things worke together for good, to them that love God. All things, not onelyonly Gods good things, but even our evill things. Afflictions that are moſt bitter, ſhall make us better: the ſharpeſt Rue ſhall bean herbe of grace. Yea, even our ſinnes; for ſuch is the goodneſſe of God, that quod in poenam dedit, in ſalutem vertit; what at firſt he inflicted for a penaltie, he turnes to a mercy. Peccatum triſtitiam peperit, triſtitia peccatum conteret, Aug. Sinne firſt wrought ſorrow, now godly ſorrow ſhall kill ſinne: the daughter ſhall deſtroy the mother: They ſhall worke, not like idle indifferents that doe neither good nor harme; but the firſt movers and makers hand ſets them a working. Together; not ſingly and apart, leſt their divided forces ſhould drop and faint in their operation; but vis unita fortior; they ſhall foreign, co-operate worke together, for the ſurer expedition of their intended buſineſſe. Not in nocuum, to their hurt, as all things concurre to the wicked; for as the ſea receives many freſh rivers, and ſweet ſprings into it ſelfe, yet remaines ſalt and bitter ſtill; ſo the ungodly are not made the better by Gods good bleſſings. Nor in neutrum, neither to their good nor harme; but to the glory of God, and the deare ſalvation of their ſoules. Here is a great and precious promiſe!

Now ſeeing theſe promiſes are ſuch, let us affie them, and apply them: they deſerve our faith and application.

For Affiance, if God ſo promiſe, let us truſt him,ooHeb. 10.23.Heb 10:23 He is faithfull that hath promiſed: Woe to him that ſhall call Gods faithfulneſſe into queſtion. Yet there is a generation of men that object; what nothing but promiſes? Promiſsis dives quilibet eſſe poteſt: Every one can be rich in promiſing, though hee be poore and beggerly in performing. Who can live by promiſes? Theſe muſt, with Thomas, feele, or they will not beleeve: they are led by ſight and ſenſe, not by faith: unleſſe they have an ocular view, they care for no oraculous teſtimony, no miraculous power: here is nothing in hand, but nudum pactum, a bare and naked Promiſe. Thus ſtands the caſe with them; man hath a precious Iewell to ſell, it is his Soule: God and the world come both to buy it. The world firſt ſteps in, and thruſts his bags into his hand, here is preſent poſſeſſion. God comes and out-bids the world, for hee offers Grace, and Peace, and Glory: but withall hee craves day for the greater part of it, and gives nothing in hand but his Promiſe, his word, and ſome ſmall earneſt of the bargain. The worldling cries, a bird in hand is beſt, hugs his money that he hath: God he thinkes not ſo good a cuſtomer, he dares not truſt him, perhaps he feares he will breake. Yet this ſame man will rather accept a reverſion of ſome great Office or Eſtate, though expectant on the tedious tranſition of ſeven yeares, or on the expiration of anothers life, than in preſent a Summe of farre leſſevalue. What folly is this, rather to take the idle vanities of this world in hand, than faithfully to wait upon Gods promiſe for the glory of heaven! O but we can ſatiate our ſelves with the profits and pleaſures of this life, and yet take Gods word for the Kingdome of Heaven too. But I ſay, if a man, if a Miniſter, if a Prophet, if an Angell ſhould tell you ſo, beleeve him p. 64not: for the Iudge of heaven and earth hath ſaid otherwiſe. Ye cannot ſerve God and Mammon. Difficile eſt ſervare utrumque, impoſsibile eſt ſervire utrique. It will be very hard for a man to keepe both, it is impoſſible to ſerve both. The two Poles ſhall ſooner meet, than the love of God, and the love of money. The very poſſeſſion of the world is not halfe ſo ſure as Gods promiſe.

For applying; ſeeing theſe promiſes are ſo precious, ſtore thy heart with them: that which way ſoever the blow comes, Impavidum non improviſum feriat; it may aſſault thee without feare, not without foreſight. Art thou moleſted with troubles? remember the promiſe; ppIoh. 16.33.John 16:33In the world thou ſhalt have tribulation: but bee of good cheare, I have overcome the world. AndqqPſal. 50.15.Ps 50:15 Call upon me in the day of trouble, I will heare thee, and thou ſhalt glorifie me. All daies are troubleſome; Man is of few daies, and full of trouble. Iob 14.1. but ſome are worſe than other. That aged Patriarch-told the King or Aegypt; few and evill have the daies of thy ſervant beene: he had many evill daies, but ſome worſe; when he loſt Rachel his wife, Ioſeph his ſon. The Thames hath alwais in it water enough to drown a man, but ſomtimes it is more tempeſtuous and raging than at others. As all times have their incident trouble, ſo there is one maine day of trouble: Ieruſalem is threatned her Day of viſitation. What ſhall we doe when this day of trouble comes? remember the promiſe; Call upon mee, ſaith God; I will heare and deliver thee. Do thy friends leave thee? maiſt thou complain with David, my neighbours hide themſelves, and my acquaintance ſtood afar off? Conſider the Lords promiſe; Heb. 13.5. I will never leave thee, nor forſake thee. What was ſpoken torrIohn. 1.5.John 1:5 Ioſhua in particular, the Apoſtle intereſts every Chriſtian in generall; the infallible promiſe of Gods inſeparable preſence. Art thou tempted? remember the promiſe; God will not ſuffer thee to be tempted above thy ſtrength. If God remove not Pauls temptation, he will give him an equivalent helpe; my grace is ſufficient for thee. Tentari ſinet, ſuperari non ſinet. Doth the Law threaten thee with death for thy ſins? remember the promiſe; there is no damnation to them that are in Chriſt Ieſus, Rom. 8.1. Anſwer with Luther, Dominalex; Lady law thou comeſt not in ſeaſon, I have nothing to doe with thee: thou art a bitter lady, but I have a ſweet Lord. There is death in thy lookes, but there is ſalvation in the face of Ieſus Chriſt: who is fairer than all the ſons of men. The Law is all red, nothing but bloud, death, and fire in her lookes: Chriſt is white and red, of the pureſt complexion;ſſCant. 5.10.Song 5:10 My beloved is white and ruddy, the chi feſt often thouſand. White in his owne innocency, ruddie with the ſufferings for our ſinnes. Such is thy mercy, oh bleſſed Saviour! let the Law doe her worſt, be thou a true S. Chriſtopher, and beare Chriſt in thy heart. In the Law is the menace of death, in Chriſt is the promiſe of life: we may ſay concerning any ſinner, what Martha ſaid of her Brother;ttIoh. 11.21.John 11:21 Lord if thou hadſt beene here, my brother had not died. Doeſt thou ſuffer affliction? remember the promiſe; if we ſuffer with Chriſt, we ſhall alſo be glorified with him, Rom. 8.17. The Saints are called from bleeding under the hand of perſecution, to the marriage ſupper of the Lambe. Well may wee endure a bitter breakefaſt, even to bloud and death, conſidering that this ſupper of glory ſhall cloſe up our ſtomacks. GOD makes his Church three meales, a breakfaſt, a dinner, and a ſupper. The breakfaſt was in the morning of the world, that's the Law, ſomewhat ſharpe; though they had aſſurance of Chriſt to come. The dinner is in the worlds high-noon, that's the Goſpell: here is good cheare the fat calfe killed, the Meſsiah ſlaine; yet like the Paſſeover, not eaten without ſowre herbes; wee are faine to mingle our drinke with teares. The ſupper at night ſhall bee ſweet, it is eternall glory: fitly called a Supper, becauſe then begins reſt for ever. After breakfaſt a man goes to his labour, ſo after dinner, but after ſupper to bed. The ſervants of GOD under the Law, the ſonnes of GOD under the Goſpell, muſt both labour, and worke out their ſalvation with feare and trembling: but at the Supper of glory workes ceaſe.uuRev. 14.13.Rev 14:13 Bleſſed are the dead that die in the LORD, for they reſt from their labours. Laſtly, doth the inevitable hand of death ſtrike thee, muſt thou die? remember the promiſe; I am the p. 65reſurrection and the life: whoſoever beleeveth in me ſhall not die for ever,xx2 Cor. 9.8.2 Cor 9:8 Iohn. 11.26. Let mee aske thy conſcience, as Chriſt there did; Beleeveſt thou this? If thy heart can anſwer; yea Lord, I beleeve, &c. Send forth thy ſoule with joy, thou haſt a promiſe that Ieſus Chriſt will receive it.xx1 Pet. 4.19.1 Pet 4:19 Commit your ſoule into the hands of a faithfull Creator in well doing. Here be great and precious promiſes; though thy memorie cannot retaine all that the Goſpell propoſeth, yet be ſure to hold faſt ſome: be not without ſome oile in thy lampe when the Bridegroome comes. Rich men that love themſelves well, will have antidotes for ſickneſſe; their Cabinets ſtored with hot and precious waters againſt ſwounings and ſudden qualmes. And lightly the pooreſt Cottager, though he cannot goe to the price of the better extractions, yet will at leaſt have ſome Aqua-vitae in the houſe. Now if thy heart hold not ſuch ſtore of theſe moſt precious promiſes as the richer Saints; yet be ſure to have at all times Saint Pauls Aqua-vitae ready, 1 Tim. 1.15. This is a true ſaying, and worthy of all acceptation; that Ieſus Chriſt came into the world to ſave ſinners. But doe thy beſt to fill the Cabinet of thy heart, thou ſhalt have need enough of all. Remember who hath promiſed:yy2 Cor. 1.20.2 Cor 1:20 All Gods promiſes are yea and Amen in Ieſus Chriſt, may they be Yea and Amen in our beleeving hearts.

Are given to us. Here is the fourth circumſtance of the Conveighance; the Forme of it, which is a deed of gift, Are given us. All worldly things are but lent us: our houſes of ſtone wherein our bodies dwell, our houſes of clay wherein our ſoules dwell, are but lent. Honors, treaſures, pleaſures, money, maintenance, but lent. We may ſay of them all, as hee ſaid of his axe-head when it fell into the water:aa2 King. 6.5.2 Kgs 6:5 Alas they are but borrowed. OnelyOnly ſpirituall graces are given: of thoſe things there is onelyonly a true donation, whereof there is a true poſſeſſion. Worldly things are but a Tabernacle, a moveable; heaven is a manſion: whatſoever becomes of the former, if thou canſt keepe the other, ſay Perdidi periturum, ſervavi aeternum; I have loſt that I could not keepe, I have kept that I cannot looſe. Happy Chriſtians, though they have the leaſt ſhare of things lent, they have the greateſt portion of things given. Nos nihil in terris, illi nihil in coelis: we have little on earth, they have leſſe in heaven. GOD ſhall ſay to the wicked, I have lent thee an Office, give account of it, for thou muſt be no longer Steward. But to the faithfull,bbIoh. 14.27.John 14:27 My peace I give to you, not as the world giveth: how gives the world? Dat aliqua, ut ſurripiat omnia: it gives a little, that it may take away all: but the Ioy that I give you, no man ſhall take from you, Ioh. 16.22. Whatſoever is freer than gift; it makes a new proprietary of the ſame things: ſuch gifts are Gods foreign, without repentance. He may repent that he made man, Gen. 6. that he made Saul King: but he never repents that he made a man repentant, or that he hath given him grace in Ieſus Chriſt. But ſaith of him, as Iſaac ſaid of Iacob; I have bleſſed him, and he ſhall be bleſſed, Gen. 27.33. Here the Lords bounty requires of us ſome duty; this threefold.

1. Call upon the Giver, as the beggar frequents the gates of bounty; and that in faith,ccIam. 1.6.Jas 1:6 Aske in faith, without wavering: for Deſinat orare, qui non ſperat exorare: let him ſpare to ſpeake, that diſtruſts to ſpeed. Faith is to GOD as Bethſhebà was to Salomon; ſo in favour, that thedd1 Kin. 2.17.1 Kgs 2:17 King will deny her nothing. And when thou moveſt this bounteous Giver, begge the beſt things, ſuch as are well worth giving. When wee put to ſea, wee pray for a good gale; when we have ſowen, for a good ſpring; when we reape for faire weather: we may have all theſe, and yet bee curſed: let us intreat for grace, this will bleſſe all. God …es us no wrong in taking away our temporall things, for they are but lent us: Retrahit ſua, non abſtrahit noſtra: hee takes backe his owne, he does not take away ours. It is an argument of love in the Father; when he takes away the childs knife, and gives to him a booke. We cry for riches, it is a knife to cut our fingers: GOD gives us a Bible the riches of veritie, not of vanity. Magnum magna decent: great workes become a great nature: let us not bee afraid to aske him a kingdome; for how unworthy ſo ever wee are of things ſo farre beyond us, yet he gives things worthy himſelfe. When Alexander p. 66gave a whole Citie to one of his Favourites, he modeſtly replied; It was too great a fortune for a man of ſo meane condition. But the Monarch anſwered; Non quaero quid oporteat te accipere, ſed quid deceat me tribuere. I examine not what is fit for thee to receive, but what is fit for me to give.

2 Be thankfull to this Giver; not onelyonly for ſpirituall, but even for temporall things. It is not enough to take the whole loaves, but let us even gather up the fragments. Lay up in the Arke of thy memory, not onelyonly the Pot of Manna, the Bread of life; but even Aarons Rod, the very ſcourge of correction, wherewith thou haſt beene bettered. Bleſſed be the Lord, not onelyonly Giving, but alſo Taking away; ſaith Iob. God that ſees, there is no walking upon roſes to heaven, puts his children into the way of diſcipline: and by the fire of correction, eats out the ruſt of corruption, Pſal. 50.15. God ſends trouble, then bids us call upon him; promiſeth our deliverance: and laſtly, the all he requires of us is to Glorifie him. ccIam. 1.5.Jas 1:5God giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not. Never upbraids? How then doth he condemne Iſrael by the Oxe and the Aſſe? Eſay 1.3. How tell David of his favours to him, in deliverance from Saul, 2 Sam. 12 8.2 Sam 12:8and advancement to a Kingdome? I anſwer, God never upbraids, but when our ingratitude enforceth him. The widow of Zarephath to Elias; 1 King. 17.18. Art thou come to call my ſinne to remembrance? But it is our unthankfulneſſe, that calls our ſinnes to remembrance. How is the faithfull Citie become an Harlot? God enquires not the means, but wonders at the matter. Vnthankfulneſſe is ſuch a fault, that men thinke it a vice, Angels a ſacriledge, Divels a monſter, God himſelfe a wonder. Gratitude pleaſeth him: of the Samaritan that gave him thankes, Chriſt tooke notice.ffLuke 17.18.Luke 17:18 Of the ten cleanſed none were found to give glory to God, but the ſtranger. The Leper praiſeth God, Chriſt praiſeth the Leper: Mary Magdalen gave Chriſt an unction of thankfulneſſe, he gave her an unction of a good name; a thing better than ointment; forggEccleſ. 7.1.Eccl 7:1 A good name is better than precious ointment. That whereſoever this Goſpell ſhould be preached, her worke ſhould not be forgotten: Mat. 26.13. the whole world ſhould ring of her. God gives all gratis, I meane in the adverbe, not in the noune; for they are not all thankfull perſons that receive it. Some are not made better by Gods gifts, yea, many are made worſe. Give Saul a Kingdome, and he will tyrannize: give Nabal good cheare, and he will be drunke: give Iudas an Apoſtleſhip, and he will ſell his Maſter for money.

But if God gives all to us, let us give ſomething to him. What ſhall I give him? Quid retributam Domino? non mea ſed me; Not onelyonly my goods, but my ſelfe. Say as that Widow might, I am poore and have nothing to give, but my two mites; my body and ſoule; take them, and take all. When thou commeſt to offer thy ſacrifice of thankes; doe as Abraham was bidden; Occide unicum, chariſsimum peccatum: Slay (not thy deareſt ſonne, but) thy deareſt ſinne. If we give our ſoule to GOD; as Abraham did Iſaac, he will reſtore our ſoule to us with joy, as he did Iſaac to Abraham: and that, as he did there to him, ſo here to us, not without the promiſes of life. There are that thinke every thing too much that God receives: as Leonides a ſteward told Alexander, that he beſtowed too much frankincenſe on his gods. When Mary gave IESUS that ointment, Iudas cries, Ad quid perditio haec? Why is this waſte? he thought it loſt. But hee that hath given himſelfe to God, will not ſticke at the reſt. It is the Apoſtles argument of Gods liberality to us;hhRom. 8.32.Rom 8:32 Hee that ſpared not his onelyonly Sonne, but gave him for us, will not deny other things with him. So if thou have given him thy ſelfe, thou wilt never grudge him thy purſe, or thy praiſe. It is a good deſire of the ſoule, with that Father; Quicquid mihi vult dare Dominus, auferat totum & ſe mihi det; Whatſoever the Lord would give me, let him deny all and give me himſelfe. So God requires of us,iiMich. 6.6.Mic 6:6 not thouſands of Rams, nor ten thouſand rivers of oile; not the ſonne of the body for the ſinne of the ſoule: but man, give me thy ſelfe. This inſtar omnium, ſuper omnia, in ſtead of all, above all. As Seneca writes of Aeſchines a poore ſcholler, to his maſter Socrates: Dono tibi unum quod habeo, meipſum; I offer thee that one thing I onelyonly have, my ſelfe. Others have given p. 67much to thee, but they have kept more to themſelves: but no man gives more, than he that keepes nothing backe. Socrates kindly accepted and anſwered; I will take care, ut te meliorem tibi reddam quàm accecepii: that I may reſtore thee to thy ſelfe better than I received thee. So GOD deales with us, his returne is better than our gift: wee give to him our ſelves ſinfull and wretched, hee reſtores us to our ſelves gracious and bleſſed.

3. Be not proud, arrogate not that to thy ſelfe which is Gods gift. The Apoſtles reſtored a Creeple that was lame from his mothers wombe: but leaſt any of Gods glory ſhould cleave to their earthen fingers, they diſclaime their owne power and holineſſe, and give it to him that owes it, and will not give it to another;kkActs 12.16.Acts 12:16 the name of IESUS CHRIST hath made this man ſtrong. The bleſſed Virgin that was ſo full of grace, in ſe not a ſe; humbly acknowledged the fountaine: evenllLuke 1.47.Luke 1:47 God her Saviour. The Papiſts truſt in out Lady, but our Lady did truſt in our LORD. And albeit ſhe was ſanctified to be the mother of her Maker; though ſo good a woman that, Non primam ſimilem viſa eſt, nec habere ſequentem; though all generations call her bleſſed; yet ſaith the, Reſpexit humilitatem: The Lord regarded the lowlineſſe of his handmaid. They may tell us, that ſhe doth, Iure matris imperare, but indeed ſhee did Fide filiae impetrare: not command by the right of a mother, but obtaine by the faith of a daughter.mmPſal. 10.5.1.Ps 10:5Ps 10:1 O praiſe the Lord! make known his deeds among the people: make knowne his workes, but to his glory: for ſome make knowne his deeds, but to their owne glory. Vaine-glory eaſily creepes in even through the cracke of our acknowledgement of Gods goodneſſe towards us. One ſaies, ſuch a Nobleman dranke to me, ſhooke me by the hand, diſcourſed with me: but hereby he inſinuates to the hearers ſome worthineſſe in himſelfe, for which hee was ſo graced. So ſome in declaring GODS workes and favours to them, have a conceit of merit in themſelves, deſerving ſuch reſpect. To meete with which pride, may ſeeme CHRISTS charge to the Leper. Marke 1.44. See thou tell it to no man. Which enjoyned ſilence was not to ſmother Gods glory, but to keepe him from vaine-glory.

Thus we have conſidered the Conveyance, in the

Intent, Whereby.

Content, Promiſes.

Extent, Great and Precious.

Patent, Are given us.

Now if all this be not a ſufficient aſſurance, then give me leave to ſpeake according to your capacity in the Citie; and to adde-that it is ſigned, ſealed, delivered, and bound with an oath, for your further confirmation. You are well acquainted with theſe words, with ſuch deeds: I wiſh therefore, that as you know them in earthly things to your profit, ſo you may know them in heavenly things to your comfort.

They are ſigned, God hath put his hand to them in the Goſpell. If a Noble man ſhould ſend the gracious letters of preferment, and put his hand to them, thou wouldeſt credit it. If thy father taking a long journey, ſhould firſt pen his owne will, wherein he did make thee his heire, and bequeath to thee all his ſubſtance; and ſet his hand to it; thou wouldeſt joyfully and confidently embrace it. This Patent is the Teſtament and will of Ieſus Chriſt.nnIohn 17.24.John 17:24 Father, I will that they whom thou haſt given me, may be with me where I am. This he hath ſigned with his owne hand: for the Evangeliſts were but the pens, it was the hand of Chriſt himſelfe.

2. But it is not enough to have a writing ſigned, doth the law require ſealing? Theſe promiſes are ſealed to us: there are two broad Seales, the two Sacraments. Baptiſme, whoſoever beleeveth and is baptiſed, ſhall bee ſaved: there is one broad-ſeale. The Lords ſupper; whoſoever eateth the fleſh of Chriſt, and drinketh his bloud, ſhall not periſh; there is another broad-ſeale. For the Sacraments are not only Signa, ſed Signacula; not bare ſignes, but Seales, ſo Paul called CircumciſionooRom. 4.11.Rom 4:11 a ſeale of the righteouſneſſe of faith. There is alſo a privy ſeale, Miracles; wrought in the p. 68firſt riſing of the Sunne, but now in the glorious day of grace and knowledge, ceaſing. Now we aske not for the privy ſeale of miracles; but the broad-ſeales of the Sacraments: herewith we are content, for by theſe inſtruments we receive Chriſt. Verbum audimus, motum ſentimus, modum neſcimus, praeſentiam credimus, Durand. We heare the word, we feele the vertue, we know not the manner, but we beleeve the preſence of IESUS CHRIST. The Romiſts abuſe both theſe Seales: Gods broad-ſeale in corrupting the Sacraments, Gods privy ſeale in their falſe and lying miracles.

3Is not this yet enough, to be ſigned with his holy hand, and ſealed with his Royall armes, except ſtill it be delivered? Theſe are delivered to us:ppRom. 8.15.Rom 8:15 Ye have received the ſpirit of adoption. That you may be ſure of this conveyance, it is put into your hands, into your hearts.

4If yet the Subſcription of GODS hand, and affixion of his ſale, and delivery into your poſſeſſion, be not ſufficient; Addidit & Iuramentum. qqHebr. 6.17.Heb 6:17GOD willing more abundantly to ſhew unto the heires of promiſe the immutability of his counſell, confirmed it by an oath. That by two unchangeable things, in which it was impoſſible for God to lye, we might have a ſtrong conſolation. In which two verſes, that ſtand like two Turrets, there are eight fortifications; which all the powers of hell ſhall never be able to overthrow. He doth not ſay, but ſhew; there's demonſtration; not ſparingly, but Abundantly; Extention: To, not ſervants, but ſonnes and Heires; if ſo, never to be disinherited; there's Adoption: Of Promiſe; not of mans birth or merit, but of Gods promiſe, who never yet brake his word: there's ratification. The Immutability of his counſell; ego Iehova non mutor: friends are unconſtant, riches are unconſtant, the world is unconſtant, but I the Lord change not, Mal. 3.6. there's Determination. He interpoſed himſelfe by an oath; wonderfull merciemercy, that the Creator ſhould ſweare to his creature! there's confirmation. Theſe be two immutable things; therefore without alteration, In which it was impoſsible for God to lie: well may he deny ſinners, but he cannot deny himſelfe: there's impoſſibility of retraction. Now for the Corollary, or uſe of all theſe invincible arguments, it is our ſtrong conſolation: ſo ſtrong a fortreſſe, that if we doe not betray it our ſelves, all the engines of hell ſhall never endanger it. How much are we beholding to God that he will ſweare, but how little beholding is God to us, if we will not beleeve him when he ſweares.

We ſee the ſtabilitie of theſe gracious Promiſes: which (to ſhut up the diſcourſe with application) ſhould not paſſe us without ſome profitable uſe. From the ſtability of GODS promiſes to us, let us learne to be conſtant in the performance of our promiſes to God, and to man.

1 To God: we have all made a promiſe to him in our baptiſme; let not us forget that, leſt God forget us. Did we then promiſe, and doe we now ſtagger? The true Chriſtian is fixed on the poles of conſtancie, not carried on the wheeles of change. Let usooCol. 1.23.Col 1:23 continue in the Faith grounded and ſettled, and be not moved away from the hope of the Goſpell. So grounded, that if an Angell from heaven ſhould preach another Goſpell, let him be accurſed, Gal. 1.8. The inconſtant profeſſor is ſcarce a Chriſtian, but like A grippa almoſt a Chriſtian. His Religion lies in waite for the Parliament; neither ebbes nor flowes, but is juſt ſtanding water, betwixt both. As a noune, he is onelyonly adjective; as a verbe, he knowes no tenſe but the preſent. One part thinkes him theirs, the adverſe theirs, he is with both, with neither; not an houre with himſelfe. Hee might get to heaven, but for his halting; but hee knowes not what he ſhould hold, he knowes not what he doth hold. Hee is ſure to die, but not what religion to die in. He cannot tell whether is beſt to ſay his Pater noſter in latine or in Engliſh and ſo leaves it unſaid. He that hath promiſed, and not performed, is in worſe caſe then he that never promiſed. The fedifragous Chriſtian ſpeeds worſe than the barbarous Infidell.

2 To man; promiſes are due debts. There might happily have beene no ſinne in p. 69not promiſing, there is a ſinne after promiſe in not performing. There is more alliance, than affiance in the world: Frater quaſi ferè alter, keepe thy word with him as with thy ſelfe. But how ſhould he keepe touch with man, that breakes with God, with his owne ſoule! If this point ſeeme obſcure, there are too many in this Cittie whoſe lives may comment upon it. Curant ut debeant, non ut ſolvant. They take care to owe, they thinke they ought not to pay. Theſe are worſe than the Prodigall; he lived on hisſſLuk. 15.12.Luke 15:12 owne portion; theſe like the unjuſt ſteward live on another mans portion. They beare the name and weare the livery, but have not the ſoules of Chriſtians. A debter that can pay and will not, makes himſelfe uncapable of pardon. Such men thinke to ſet all on CHRISTS ſcore; and to ſay Dimitte nobis debita noſtra, forgive us our debts, is ſufficient: though they leave out the other part of the petition, As we forgive others. But God does not forgive ſpirituall debts where men have no care to pay temporall debts. Why but there is more vertue in the ſeed of the woman, than can be venome in the head of the Serpent; and repentance makes all reckonings even. ButttGal. 6.7.Gal 6:7 be not deceived, God is not mocked. If they mocke him, he will mocke them:uuPſal. 2.4.Ps 2:4 he that ſitteth in the heavens ſhall laugh, the Lord ſhal have them in deriſion: neither can there be repentance without reſtitution. A theefe takes away thy purſe, askes thy pardon, ſayes he is ſorry for it, but keepes it ſtill: thou ſaieſt he does but mocke thee. If God could be coozened with trickes, how many politicke worldlings would goe to heaven, whoſe portion is in the in fernall depth.

Well, let us learne toyyEph 4.25.Eph 4:25 put away lying, and to ſpeake every man truth to his neighbour, for we are members one of another. There is vetitum, a thing forbidden, Lie not: Iuſſum, a thing commanded, ſpeake truth: argumentum, a reaſon for both, becauſe we are members one of another. Let us be plaine in promiſing, honeſt in performing. There are ſome that have double tongues, and ſpeake their promiſes in a doubtfull ſenſe. Ambagious, equivocating termes; epicene and baſtard phraſes, as the devill gave his oracles; which muſt be true every way, certaine no way. They beguile mens plaineſſe, but in plaine truth they beguile their owne ſoules. For they that will over-reach others with the ſinne of deceitfulneſſe, ſhall be over-reached themſelves with the deceitfulneſſe of ſinne. They ſing the ſong of Curio, vincat utilitas; let gaine prevaile: they had rather be ſinners than beggars. Thus according to Daniels prophecie, Proſternetur veritas, truth ſhall be caſt downe: covetouſneſſe hath got the advantage of ground, andxxEſa. 59.14.Isa 59:14 Truth is falne in the ſtreete. Thus theſe two wraſtle on earth, and truth falls: but one day when they ſhall wraſtle in heaven, Cupiditatem proſternet veritas, truth ſhall prevaile. Wine is ſtrong, Princes are ſtrong, Women are ſtrong, but truth is ſtronger than all, 1 Eſdr. 4.35.

But now where is this truth? I will tell you an apologue: foure friends parting enquired where they ſhould find one another againe: the water, the fire, the wind, and truth. Fire ſaid, you ſhall be ſure to finde me in a flint ſtone: Water ſaid, you ſhall be ſure to find me in the roote of a bulruſh: Wind ſaid, you ſhall bee ſure to find me amongſt the leaves: but poore Truth could not appoint no certaine place of meeting: for Terras Aſtraea reliquit, no place for truth, what ſay you to Weſtminſter Hall? indeed there is roome enough, but ſmall roome for truth. What ſay you to the exchange? there be faire walkes, but they may exchange away truth. Where is ſhe then, in your ſhops? that were ſtrange to find truth in ſhops. Is ſhe then in the Courts? we behold there alwayes Sedem veritatis, the ſeate of truth; but not alwayes veritatem ſedentis, truth in him that ſupplies that place. Perhaps ſhee lurkes in the Colledges of the Ieſuites: Oh no, when the truth offered to come thither, equivocation repeld her. She could never abide their maine Principles; Iura, perjura, ſecretum prodere noli: ſweare and forſweare, rather than tell truth. Wha… is ſhe in Scrinio pectoris Papalis, in the Popes breaſt, that we ſhould runne to Rome for her? no Antichriſt cannot be a friend to truth. Is ſhe not ferried over to Amſterdam? no, truth will never follow thoſe that runne away from the Church. You p. 70would wonder to find her in a Courtier, in a Politician; whoſe element and poſition is, Qui neſcit diſsimulare, neſcit vivere: he that knowes not how to diſſemble, knowes not how to live. Or in a country mans budget, ſhut up with ſnaphance: no, you ſhall have as much deceit under ruſſet, as under velvet, though a little more bungerly. No thankes to them, they would coozen as frequently, if they could doe it as cleanely, you would ſmile to find her in Pueris & Fatuis; in children and fooles: yet they ſay, children and foolestell truth. But if it be child-hood or follie to tell truth, I am ſure we have but a few children, a few fooles. Or in a drunkard; yet they ſay, In vino veritas, drinke utters the truth. But take the Ale-bench without a malicious lie, or at leaſt an officious lie; a very lie, or a merry lie, and make a Pew of it. Where then ſhall we find Truth? I hope in the Church, in the Pulpits: Oh God forbid elſe! yet often truth keepes only in the pulpit, and does not goe downe ſtaires with the man; but ſtaies there till his comming up againe. I hope in this ſcrutinie of truth you will not ſay, that I have favoured our ſelves: no, beloved, GOD give us hearts, to know that wee are all untrue, deceitfull upon the weights; and mindes, to ſeeke truth as precious treaſure. Omnis homo mendax, God is true, every man a lyar. There is no certaine place to find truth, but in the word of God; there let us ſeeke her, there we ſhall find her. Now the God of Truth give us the truth of God, in the knowledge of Ieſus Chriſt.

That by theſe you might be partakers of the Divine nature. Wee are come to the ſecond generall part of the Verſe; which we called the Inheritance, conſiſting in the participation of the Divine nature. And we may well call it ſo; for none can deceive us of it before we have it, nor deprive us of it, after we have it. It cannot be prevented;aaLuke. 12.32.Luke 12:32 Feare not little flocke, it is my Fathers will to give you a kingdome. Ab initio decretum, diu ſecretum, plenitudine temporis perceptum: determined from the beginning, concealed a while, poſſeſſed in due time: whatſoever our Lawyers diſtinguiſh between a free-hold in law, and a free-hold in deed; this is both. It is a free-hold in law, whereto even they have right, that have not yet poſſeſſion. It is a free-hold in deed: on earth we have a purchaſe of the Inheritance, in heaven an Inheritance of the purchaſe.

That partakers, &c. Before I ſhew you the vine, let me cut up two brambles: one wherof the Maniches, the other the Familiſts, planted (by force) on this ground: there went but a paire of ſheeres between them: that of the Maniches was a dreame, Nos ex traduce Dei ortos, that we came by traduction from the nature of God himſelfe: and when this temporary life had runne the courſe; we ſhould returne to the ſame ancient eſtate, and become a divine nature. They preſuppoſed a commixion of Gods nature with ours; as if they were mell'd together like wine and water. This is a blaſphemous hereſie, to thinke there is Transfuſio divinae eſſentiae in hominem, infinitae in circumſcriptam: a transfuſion of the divine being into man, as if Infiniteneſſe could be in a circumſcriptible eſſence. A creature cannot be made of the eſſence of God, for it hath no parts, it is not diviſible. The other is of ſome fanaticall ſpirits, who thinke we doe ſo paſſe into Gods nature, that our nature is quite ſwallowed up of his. So they take that place, 1 Cor. 15.28. that at the laſt God ſhall bee all in all. But certainely this delirement never came into the holy Apoſtles minds; that our naturall being ſhould be loſt in the eſſence of God: they meant not that we ſhould loſe our nature, but the corruption of our nature; and that by a ſanctified renovation wee ſhould bee made partakers of the Divine immortality and bleſſedneſſe. Thus we are made one with God, ſecundum modulum noſtrum, according to the capableneſſe of our nature. The Familists ſay, we are deified: ſo as GOD became man, man becomes God: Their owne words are, men are deified, and God hominified. Theſe are new words, ſuch as the ancient Fathers never taught nor thought. But thoſe men thought it no treaſon to coin new words: and indeed it was neceſſary that they who would coine a new religion, ſhould alſo coine new termes, new paradoxes. There were ſome held, that mans ſoule was part of Gods owne eſſence, p. 71Virgil, Divinae particula aurae. Indeed it is a breath of God, a worke of God, not a part of God.

Things may divers wayes participate others nature. Omnes ſpecies ſub eodem genere participant eſſentiam generis: as Angell, devill, man, and beaſt partake the nature of a living creature. Omnia individua ſub eadem ſpecie participant eſſentiam ſpecici: as Peter and Paul of a reaſonable nature: Wolfe and Lambe of a Brute: Cedars and Briers of a vegetative. But to come neerer home, and to detaine you no longer in the ſuburbes or entrance.

Gods nature may be participated two wayes; Secundum qualitatem, ſecundum Aequalitatem. For equality, this Trium perſonarum ſolum, as Aquin. It is onelyonly proper to the three perſons of the bleſſed Trinity, and not communicable to any other. Our Saviour CHRIST partakes both the Divine nature, and the Humane. The Divine per eſſentiae Identitatem, by the Identitie of his eſſence. The Humane, aſſumendo hominem in Deum; by taking mans nature into God. Non deſinit eſſe quod erat, ſed incipit eſſe quod non erat. He did not ceaſe to be what he was, but he began to be what he was not. And this aſſumption of mans nature to the divine, did not make it God: it did rarely beautifie it, not properly deifie it. For as hee was man hee had not the eſſence of the deitie in him, but he was in it. Yet did he ſo glorifie it, that all the Angels of GOD worſhip it.bbHebr. 1.6.Heb 1:6 When hee bringeth in the firſt begotten into the world, he ſaith; let all the Angels of God worſhip him. Our neighbours of Rome tell us, that CHRIST was often worſhipped as man: they urge theſe places, Matth. 2 11. Matth. 8.2. Matth. 9.18. Matth. 20.20. But here we doubt two things: firſt whether this was religious worſhip or civill. Next, if it were religious, whether their eye of faith ſaw not him God, ſo well as their eye of fleſh ſaw him man. Indeed the fleſh of CHRIST is to be adored for the union of the deitie, becauſe they bee inſeparable: but the Arrians worſhipped CHRIST as a creature onelyonly, not as GOD and man. Confitemur adorabilem in corpore, non ſecundum corpus. We adore him in his fleſh, not according to his fleſh: as the honour redounds to the King himſelfe, that is done to the Crowne on his head. But I durſt here conclude againſt the Papiſts; that if it be unlawfull to worſhip Chriſt as he is onelyonly man, then much more unlawfull to worſhip his Image.

Thus we ſee how CHRIST who is God, partakes of our nature: now conſider how we by Chriſt who is man, partake of the divine nature. Here the wicked begin to clap their wings, and boldly to inferre, that they partake Gods nature, becauſe GOD partakes their nature. But if this were enough to ſave men, becauſe Chriſt tooke our fleſh, call Cain and Iudas out of hell, yea let hell it ſelfe be as imaginary as is Purgatory. A father hath tenne ſonnes, nine of them are ſicke: doe they all certainely recover becauſe the tenth is ſound? yet they come all from the loines of one father. All the houſe of Cis are not kings, becauſe Saul is one. It is not enough that Chriſt comes neere thee in the fleſh, unleſſe thou come neere him in the ſpirit. Though there bee ſappe in the vine, congruent and potentiall to bring forth fruit in the branches: yet doth not this vine communicate his ſappe to Oakes and bryers, albeit theſe partake of the generall nature of wood. Yea after that the very branches of the vine are broken off and dead, the vine miniſters to them no more ſappe, though they retaine the vines ſpecies and nature. So that it is not our participation of Chriſts humane nature, that makes us happy; but of his divine: that partaking is by fleſh, but this is by faith. It is probable that ſome were loſt, who were even kinne to Chriſt in the fleſh: yet it muſt needes be granted, that to partake of the ſame bloud, is a degree neerer, than to partake of the ſame nature. Matthew and Luke ſet downe Chriſts Genealogie; the one, his line royall, the other, his line naturall. But Chriſt himſelfe ſets downe another Genealogie, a new one a ſpirituall one:ccLuk. 8.21.Luke 8:21 my mother and my brethren are they which heare the word of God, and doe it. He affirmes theſe to be as neare to him in the faith, as his own mother in the fleſh. And ſhe was more bleſſed Percipiendo fidem, quàm concipiendo carnem; in p. 72being the daughter, than in being the mother of Chriſt. The Iewes thought it a great priviledge to be Abrahams ſonnes: yet one that called himſelfe ſonne of Abraham, fries in hell. The damned churle could ſay;ddLuk. 16.24.Luke 16:24 Father Abraham have mercy on me: the fleſh was not made after the Image of God, but the ſpirit: therefore God is not called Pater corporum, the father of bodies; but Pater ſpirituum, eeHebr. 12.9.Heb 12:9the father of the ſpirits of all fleſh, Iohn 3.6. That which is borne of the fleſh is fleſh: but that which is borne of the ſpirit is ſpirit. Eſau was not bleſſed becauſe hee was of Iſacks fleſh, but Iacob was bleſſed becauſe he was of Iſacks ſpirit Paul is ſaid to travaile of the Galatians,ffGal 4.19.Gal 4:19 Till Chriſt was formed in them. Thus men may partake of one nature in Chriſt and yet be curſed: but if of his divine nature, they are bleſſed.

This participation then muſt be onelyonly qualitative: by nature we underſtand not ſubſtance, but quality: by grace in this world, and by glory in the world to come. This communication of the Divine nature to us, is by reparation of the divine image in us. This is cleared by the analogie of other reſpondent places, Hebr. 12.10. That we might be partakers of his holineſſe: ſo that to partake of the divine nature, is to be holy as God is holy, Eph. 4.24. Put on the new man which after God is created in righteouſneſſe and the holineſſe of truth. To be created after God, is to partake of Gods nature; and this conſiſts in juſtice and holineſſe, Rom. 8.29. God did predeſtinate us to to be conformed to the Image of his Son: the conformitie to Gods image, is the participating Gods nature. This was not wholly unſeene to Plato, who ſaid it was mans chiefeſt good, Deo fieri penitùs conformem, to be made like to God. The ſweetneſſe of this benefit, and the multiplicity of comforts ariſing from it, I deferre a little further: and here proceed to exemplifie the relations, which may in ſome meaſure ſhadow out to us this partaking of the Divine nature. For it is in no-wiſe to be underſtood really, but by renovation. I propounded in the diſtribution ſeven reſpects, to exemplifie the benefit of this participation.

1 As ſervants of a Maſter; not meerely as creatures, ſo all men partake;ggActs 17.28.Acts 17:28 Wee are alſo his off-ſpring. With outward things he maintaines all; the whole world almoſt theſe ſix thouſand yeares at his owne proper coſt and charges. He feedes …he Ravens, and the young Lions ſeeke their meate at him. How few of the birds of the aire lie dead at thy feete for want of proviſion! But alas as the Cananite: old CHRIST; theſe like the Dogges eate onelyonly the crummes; the faithfull have the fat morſells;hhLuk. 15.17.Luke 15:17 All our Fathers ſervants have bread enough. They are but ſervants, yet they have bread enough. Thus wee partake with God in being his ſervants, wherein indeed conſiſts true libertie.ii1 Cor. 7.22.1 Cor 7:22 For he that is called in the Lord, being a ſervant, is the Lords freeman.kkEſa. 41.8.Isa 41:8 Thou Iſrael art my Servant the ſeed of Abraham my fr…end, Verſ. 9. Thou art my friend I have choſen thee. And this is a ſure participation where can bee no rejection. But how doe GODS ſervants partake of theſe divine things? In five reſpects; in Liverie, Libertie, Dignitie, Cogniſance, Recompence. For their Liverie, it is the profeſſion of the Goſpell; that ſame New man, Col. 3.10. reſtored to the Creators Image. For their liberty, Gal. 5.1. Stand faſt in the libertie wherewith Chriſt hath made us free. For their dignitie, Ioh. 12.26. If any man ſerve me, him will my Father honour. It is more credite to be a Porter of Gods gate, than to command in the preſence chamber of a King, Pſal. 84.10. I had rather be a doore keeper in the houſe of my GOD, &c. For their cogniſance, it is both viſible and inviſible, viſible in their Charitie, Iohn 13.35. By this ſhall all men know that yee are my Diſciples. Inviſible, as being ſealed in their foreheads with the marke of the living God, Revel. 7.3. For their recompence: the world ſaies,llMal. 3.14.Mal 3:14 It is in vaine to ſerve God: but they ſhall be mine ſaith the Lord, in that day when I make up my Iewells: of ſo high a value as his ſpeciall treaſure, Ver. 17. God does not, as great men commonly doe with their ſervants; give them countenance, and let them ſhift for themſelves. Hee gives not onelyonly protection, but proviſion: not only countenance, but maintenance. Well done good and faithfull ſervant, enter into the joy of thy Lord.

p. 73This is the ſweet: but not common to all. For all ſhall not have Servorum omina the rewards of ſervants; that have Servorum nomina, the name of ſervants. God hath many ſervants, but little ſervice in the world. We doe ſo truſt and thruſt his work one upon another, that ſtill it is not done: they ſay, many hands make light worke but is uſually ſeene, that many hands make ſligh t worke. Gods holy name is blaſphemed, the hearer ſaies, let the Magiſtrate looke to it: the Magiſtrate ſaies, let the Miniſter reprove it: the Miniſter ſaies, let the hearer reforme it: the company ſaies, let the offender himſelfe anſwer it: the offender ſaies, Curet nemo, let no man mind it. The ſea breakes in, all the borders contend whoſe right it is to mend the damme: but whileſt they all ſtrive much, and doe nothing, the ſea breakes further in upon them, and drownes the whole countrey. A Gentle-man having but one ſervant, thought him over-burdened with worke, and therefore tooke another to helpe him: now he had two, and one of them ſo truſted to the others obſervance that they were often both miſſing, and the worke was not done. Then he choſe another, he had three; and was then worſe ſerved than before. Therefore he told his friend; when I had one ſervant, I had a ſervant: when I had two, I had but halfe a one: now I have three, I have never a one. GOD hath ſo many titular ſervants, that when his buſineſſe comes to bee done, not one of them can be found.

2 As ſubjects of a Prince, and thus we partake with the King of heaven in many benefits. We have Defenſionem legis, the tuition of his Law; through a bleſſed Advocate.mm1 Ioh. 2.1.1 John 2:1 If any man ſin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Ieſus Chriſt the righteous. We are faine to ſue in forma pauperis, therfore the great Iudge of heaven hath appointed us a Counſellor to plead our cauſe; Ieſus Chriſt, we have Tutelam Imperii, the ſafe-guard of the Empire; not onelyonly the protection of the King, from which the wicked as out-lawes are ſecluded: but alſo the keeping of Angels, to whomnnPſal. 91 11.Ps 91:11 He hath given a charge over us, to keepe us in all his wayes. So neerly we participate of his Divine things, that wee have his owne guard royall to attend us. I know, that Chriſt is king over all the world. The Lord raigneth, let the people tremble. This kingdome is materiall and formall. The materiall are his ſubjects, and theſe are both elect and reprobate: for all are under his kingdome, ſed diverſo affectu, diverſo effectu; with a different deſire with a different event. The will of the King fit de malis, fit à bonis; is done by the obedient, upon the rebellious. The forme of his government is Herile in illos, Paternum in iſtos; to the wicked, the rule of a Lord over his ſlaves; to the faithfull, the rule of a father over his ſonnes. Accordingly he hath a double Scepter; there is Virga Conſolationis, the Rod of conſolation, Pſal. 23.4. Thy rod doth comfort me. And Virga confuſionis, the rod of confuſion, Pſal. 2.9. Thou ſhalt breake them with a rod of iron. Chriſts kingdome is eternall;ooLuke 1.33.Luke 1:33 he ſhall raigne over the houſe of Iacob for ever, and of his kingdome there ſhall be no end. And this not onelyonly Formaliter, in reſpect of the king: but alſo Materialiter, in reſpect of the ſubjects: for theypp1 King. 10.8.1 Kgs 10:8 ſhall ſtand continually before him, as the Queene of the South bleſſed Salomon. In the Perſian army were ten thouſand ſouldiers called Athanatoi, immortall: not indeed becauſe they died not, but becauſe that number was ſupplied, and continually made up. As a Divine handling a point of uſurie concerning a hundred ſheepe lent to a neighbour, with a certaine rate or rent to bee paid yearely for them, and the ſtocke ſtill at the yeares end to be made good; wittily called theſe Immortall ſheep, for they never died to the owner, though to the borrower they all miſcaried. But Chriſt ſaies not as Laban did to Iacob; qqGen. 31.39.Gen 31:39if any ſheepe die, thou ſhalt make them up de tuo, of thine owne: thou ſhalt beare the loſſe of it, of thy hand I will require it. But rather like David, ſaves his ſheepe from the Beare and Lion, the world and the devill. As himſelfe when he died, ſuffered not a bone of his owne to be broken, and another put in place: ſo his ſubjects ſhall have no change:rrIoh. 17.12.John 17:12 thoſe thou haſt given mee, I have kept, and none of them is loſt. Here ſhall bee no Interregnum, not Multi Principes; nor is it enough to ſay, Vivat Rex; but oh king, live for ever Thine is the kingdome, power and glory for ever and ever. A King he is, yet hee were p. 74but a poore king, if he had no ſubjects: but they ſhall reigne with him a thouſand yeares, Revel. 20.6. that is, for ever. For if every day in heaven be as a thouſand yeares, what is a thouſand yeares of ſuch dayes but Eternitie?

He is our King, to make us bleſſed by his kingdome. Auguſtus, that day hee had done no good to his ſubjects, in releeving their wants, ſaid to his friends at night; Hodie non regnavi; I have not beene a King to day. It was proverb'd of Aurelianus, that he was a good Phyſician, but he gave too bitter medicines. Iulian uſed to ſtampe a Bull on his coine, whereupon the Antiochians inferred, that he purpoſed to goare the world to death. The breſts of ſome Kings have beene ſtuffed with a thunder-cloud, their vapours alwayes venting to the worlds terrour. But wee may ſay of our ſupreme King Chriſt, as (in due meaſure) of his Servant our royall Soveraigne: if at leaſt we may compare the peace of a Prince with the Prince of peace: as he is the faireſt bloſſome that ever budded out of the white and red Roſary: ſo he hath brought together red and white; Chriſt hath reconciled Iuſtice and mercy; anger red as bloud, and compaſſion white as ſnow. He hath turned; our ſcarlet ſins into white wooll: and this by making himſelfe ruddy in paſſion that was ever ſo white in innocencie.ſſCant. 5.10.Song 5:10 My Beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefeſt often thouſand. Thus we partake the bleſſings of his Divine Nature in being his ſubjects: let the heathen ſerve their tyrants, the Turkes their Mahomet, the Romiſts their Pope, worldlings their luſts: Thou O Ieſus Chriſt be our King for ever.

3 As ſonnes of a Father, thus we partake many things of the Divine Nature. 1. Children have from their fathers on earth Generation, we from our Father in heaven Regeneration;ttGalath. 4.5. We receive the adoption of ſonnes. We are not naturall ſonnes; ſo is Chriſt onelyonly: but naturalized, as I may ſay, made his owne by adoption and grace.uu2 Cor. 6.18.2 Cor 6:18 I will be a Father unto you, and ye ſhall be my ſonnes and daughters. 2. We have nutrition, and that both naturall and ſupernaturall. Eſay 1. I have nouriſhed and brought up children. He gives bread to nouriſh, not ſtones to choake: Beneficia, non veneficia; Fiſhes not Serpents, Matth. 7. Thirdly, we have Education: earthly parents bring up their children to their owne cuſtomes: Rachel, though ſhe would goe with her husband Iacob; yet would not leave her Fathers gods behind herxxIohn 4 20.John 4:20 Our fathers worſhiped in this mountaine; therefore ſo may we. That which comes by tradition, is held inheritance. Videtur licitum, quicquid eſt conſuetum: That which is patroniſed by uſualneſſe, ſlips into the opinion of lawfulneſſe. Thus many children are made Papiſts by the mothers ſide: and ſhe is ſo her ſelfe, for no other reaſon but becauſe her Grandame was ſo. Thus materna ſectantes, paterna perdunt: whiles they follow the counſell of their mother on earth, they loſe the bleſſing of their Father in heaven. But God brings up all his children after his owne law: they are in a ſtrange land, yet live after the lawes of their owne Countrey, their converſation is in heaven.

God deales with us, as Bernard obſerves, Iſaac did with his ſonne Iacob, Gen. 27. Firſt, verſ. 21. Tangit manu approbationis; Come neere that I may feele thee my ſon. Then verſ. 26. Oſculatur inſtinctu inſpirationis; Come neere that I may kiſſe thee my ſonne. Cant. 1. Let him kiſſe mee with the kiſſes of his lips; that is, with his Spirit; for the Holy Ghoſt is Oſculum Patris, the kiſſe of God the Father. Then verſ. 27. Benedicit, he bleſſeth him; gives him a progreſſe of grace, and that irrevocable; hee ſhall be bleſſed. Laſtly, he gives conſolation, and full confidence, that we boldly cry,yyGalath. 4.6. Abba, Father. This duplication, Father, Father, is patheticall and myſticall. Patheticall; and ſo it inſinuates our Certaintie; we are ſure that God is our Father: And our Fervency, that we be importunate, not taking a denial at out Fathers hands. So Martyr. Myſticall, as Aug. Paul in uſing an Hebrew word and a Greeke, ſignifies that there is no differenceaaRom. 10.12.Rom 10:12 betweene Iew and Grecian; for the ſame Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.Hebr. 4.16.Heb 4:16 Every Chriſtian in the world may go boldly unto the Throne of Grace. It is for a Saul to ſay, Pray for me: but he that is Gods ſon, dares goe himſelfe without ſending others: let no terrours keep us from our Father. Ibo ad patrem, bbLuke 15.18.Luke 15:18I will ariſe and goe to my Father. To ſuch a commer Chriſt will communicate p. 75good things; Daughter, be of good comfort, Matth. 9.22. Daughter, a word of great familiaritie: Be of good comfort, a word of great ſecurity.ccIoh. 20.17.John 20:17 I aſcend unto my Father, and your Father. To his Father? what's this to us? Yea, alſo to your Father. Aug. He doth not ſay, I aſcend ad Patrem noſtrum, to our Father; but to My Father, and Your Father: Aliter meum, aliter veſtrum: meum naturâ, veſtrum gratiâ. He is in one reſpect my Father, in another yours; mine by nature, yours by grace.

Infinite good things we partake, if we be ſonnes; but all lies in the aſſurance of this filialitie. When God gives a man ſanctitie, he ſeemes to ſay;ddPſal. 2.7.Ps 2:7 Thou art my Sonne, this day I have begotten thee: when man apoſtates; Thou art not my ſon, this day have I loſt thee. What ſay you to the covetous worldling? Is he the ſonne of God, that is not charitable to the ſonnes of God? King Richard the holy warriour, having taken a Biſhop in the field in Coat-armour, was requeſted by the Pope to releaſe him; Dimitte mihi filium: Send me my ſon. The King ſends not the Biſhop, but his Coat-armour to the Pope, with this queſtion; An haec eſſet filii ſui tunica; Is this thy ſons Coat? alluding to that of Iacobs ſonnes, when they had ſold their brother Ioſeph, and dipped his garment in Goats-bloud;ccGen. 37.32.Gen 37:32 This we have found, know now whether it be thy ſons coat. The Pope being aſhamed, returned his anſwer; Nec hanc eſſe filii ſui tunicam; That this was not the Coat of any ſon of his. Gods ſonnes are knowne by their coat, that is, Charity. Satan layes hold on the covetous oppreſſour, and makes him his captive: if God ſhould now ſay, Dimitte mihi filium; deliver me my ſon: he would ſtraight ſhew God the oppreſſours coat; his Injuſtice and Extortion, Haeccine filii tui tunica; is this thy ſons Coat? No, Gods children weare no ſuch kind of garments, let him either ſtrip off ſuch robes, or periſh with them. Let others be ambitious of great and glorious parentages; only, Lord, make us thy ſons and daughters in Ieſus Chriſt.

4 As Fellowes, in due meaſure, with God himſelfe, 1 Ioh. 1.3. Truely our fellowſhip is with the Father, and with his Son Ieſus Christ. We may have a ſocietie with man, this is requiſite, for we are all of one mould: but to God, what all fellowes? Yes, we have a fellowſhip with God; ſuch is his mercy, not our merits. The proud Gallant ſcornes the poore Mechanicke; what, are you my fellow? Yet, Mors ſceptra ligonibus aequat, Death takes away difference betweene King and begger, tumbles both the knight and the pawn into one bag. Wel, let the world deſpiſe us, it is enough the Lord doth not diſdaine our fellowſhip.ff2 Cor. 13.14.2 Cor 13:14 The grace of the Lord Ieſus Chriſt, and the love of God, and the Fellowſhip of the holy Ghoſt, be with you all. Diverſe ſorts of fellowſhips.

Conſortes, ſuch as partake a mutuall lot, as fellow-merchants in their adventures. We have thus a fellowſhip with God. If we rejoyce, he joyes in us, with us, makes us indeed rejoyce in him. For Chriſt rejoyceth in the Chriſtian, whenſoever the Chriſtian rejoyceth in Chriſt. That repenting ſonne was not more glad that he had found his father, than the father was glad hee had found his ſonne, Luke 15. If wee ſuffer, hee ſuffers with us. Saul, thou perſecuteſt me, ſaith Chriſt. Patitur in nobis, qui paſſus eſt pro nobis: Hee that did once ſuffer for us, doth ſtill ſuffer in us. The Vſurer oppreſſing thee, takes away the goods of Chriſt; and ſhall be called to a ſtrict account. There is Conſortium, the word by moſt tranſlations here uſed.

Contubernales, Chamber-fellowes, ſuch as lodge together,ggCant. 7.11.Song 7:11 Come my beloved, let us lodge in the Villages. Where the chamber is a ſanctified heart, the bed a pure faith, the pillow is the peace of conſcience, the curtains like Salomons, Azure, Purple, and Scarlet. AZure or skie-colour, noting our heavenly converſation; Purple, our zeale to Gods glory: Scarlet, our charity; ſo Love is praiſed to have a threed of Scarlet in her lips. Thus now God is thy chamber-fellow, and inhabites thy holy conſcience: and hereafter thou ſhalt dwell together with him in everlaſting reſt.

Conviatores, fellowes in a journey, and thus we have CHRISTS company.hhLuk. 24.15.Luke 24:15 Whileſt they walked and talked, Ieſus himſelfe drew neere, and went with them. They that will walke to Chriſt, ſhall have Chriſt walke with them. He is the Truth, the p. 76Way, and the Life: they that faithfully ſeeke viam vitae, the way of life, ſhall find vitam viae, the life of the way. The Papiſts have great Pilgrimages to Shrines, Chriſt doth not travell with them: he hath no fellowſhip with them, that gives his honour to blockes and ſtones. Let my ſoule on the holy feet of faith and obedience, travell toward Ieruſalem; then Chriſt will ſay, Vade mecum, thou ſhalt have my company. The good Chriſtian cannot in any Countrey travell alone, he is ſure of the fellowſhip of his Saviour.

Collocutores, ſuch as conferre together; ſo we partake with GOD in a ſweet and familiar diſcourſe,iiEſay 1.18.Isa 1:18 Come now and let us reaſon together, ſaith the Lord. Tell mee your griefes, ſaith CHRIST. Are you pained at the heart with true compunction for your ſinnes? I will heale the broken-hearted. Are you ſmitten with vexations? I will binde up your wounds. Thus it is our part,Agnoſcere, to acknowledge: his merciemercy, Ignoſcere, to forgive. Wee ſpeake to him by our prayers, he ſpeakes to us by his comforts. We powre our grievances into his boſome, hee powres his graces into our boſome. Many cannot heare Chriſt ſpeaking comfort to them; no marvell, for they ſpeake not for comfort to him. Strangeneſſe doth loſe acquaintance. We never came humble petitioners for grace to the Mercy-ſeat, but we ſped: if the Lord hath at ſome one time beene extraordinarily bountifull to us, ſhall we diſ-wont our ſelves from his preſence, be proud of our owne ſtocke, as if we needed him not? This is the way to loſe him, and all comfort with him. God loves to have us talke with him: if we forget to pray for good, why ſhould not hee forget to doe us good?

Convivae, ſuch as feaſt together; thus we partake with God,kkRevel. 3.20.Rev 3:20 If any man open unto me, I will come in and ſuppe with him, and he ſhall ſuppe with me. Here is a mutuall ſupper; the Confeſſion of ſinnes, that's our cheare: the Remiſſion of ſinnes, that's Chriſts cheare. We give him meat and drinke, he gives us meat and drinke. Our diſhes are all Sallets, Lilies, and fruits. My beloved is gone downe into his Garden, to the beds of ſpices, to feed in the Gardens, and to gather Lilies, Cant. 6.2. the fruits of our righteouſneſſe. Our drinke is penitent teares, though they be ſharpe to us, they are ſweet to him. The teares of penitent ſinners is the wine of Angels, ſayes a Father: yea, wine for the Lord himſelfe: not a teare falls, but he catcheth it in his owne bottell: if we feaſt Chriſt, give him this drinke. Let thy heart be a vine-grape, ſorrow the wine-preſſe, cruſh out this liquor, the Lord loves it. His meat to us is his owne Fleſh, his drinke, his Bloud: the bread of heaven, and the wine of bleſſedneſſe. Who ſo eateth my fleſh, and drinketh my bloud, hath eternall life, Ioh. 6.54. The Temple is his banketting-houſe, or wine-celler; He brought me to the banketting-houſe, Cant. 2.4. There he broacheth to us the ſweet wines of his Goſpell and Sacraments. Here is another fellowſhip, and ſo are wee fellow-commoners with Ieſus Chriſt. Indeed all the good cheare is his: alas, what have we of our owne to make ſuch a gueſt welcome! He may ſafely diſcommend our proviſion: let us not ſay, as ſome doe to their gueſts; welcome, but here is no good cheare for you, when ſecretly in their hearts they thinke there can be no better. Chriſt loves not ſo proud a minde when the tongue ſayes, Nihil eſt, it it nothing: and the heart thinkes, Nimium eſt, it is too much. But plainely acknowledge thy povertie: if thou have any grace to feaſt him with, thanke him for bringing it, and ſay in this truely, that he is come to his owne coſt. Yet thus he is pleaſed to feed on his owne proviſion, and to call it thine. He feeds on ours, Cant. 5.1. I have eaten honey, and drunke milke: we feed on his; Eat O friends, drinke abundantly O beloved: drinke liberally of it, for it is a Cup of ſaving health to all nations.

Convoti, ſworne brothers: men, not brothers by nature of bloud, are made ſo by vow of love. Here is another fellowſhip, Chriſt hath vowed himſelfe thy brother.llHebr. 2.11.Heb 2:11 Both he that ſanctifieth, and they who are ſanctified, are all of one: for which cauſe he is not aſhamed to call them Brethren. Thou haſt vowed thy ſelfe to Chriſt in Baptiſme, keepe thy vow, make good thy fellowſhip, ne ſis foedifragas, leſt thou p. 77be a vow-breaker. Thy ſinne is no leſſe than perjury, if thou become his enemie, to whom thou art a ſworne brother.

Thus we partake of the Divine Nature (with all reverence be it ſpoken) as Fellowes. But not to deny the King his Supremacie; Socii ſumus in gaudio, not in ſolio: in loco regni, non in modo regnandi; We are fellowes with Chriſt in his joy, reſerving the Throne to himſelfe. Yet hee is pleaſed to promiſe us a confeſſion with him in his Throne: To him that overcommeth, I will grant to ſit with me in my Throne, Revel. 3.21. We have a partnerſhip with him in the place of his Kingdome, not in equality of raigning. The King ſets a ſubject at his owne table: yet muſt this ſubject ſtill acknowledge his Soveraigne. Though we be co-heires, let Chriſt be the elder brother. Though we be made ſicut Angeli, like to the Angels; yet not ſicut Dominus Angelorum, not like to the Lord of Angels.

The wicked know not, care nor for this fellowſhip: they doe not like ſo divine company: they cannot be merry if God be by. Alas! none know the ſweetneſſe of this partnerſhip, but the partners.mmRevel. 2.17.Rev 2:17 It is a new name, which no man knoweth but he that hath it. But he that hath it is truely merry, and keepes Hilary terme all his life. In thy preſence is the fulneſſe of joy, and at thy right-hand are pleaſures for evermore, Pſalm. 16.11. GODS company doth not onelyonly make us glad, but makes us good. Seneca ſaid, that one ſpeciall meanes to ſtay us from vice, was to thinke ſome grave men were in our company. Semper eos tecum, quos verearis, habe. But we have not only men and Angels, but even GOD looking on us, and aſſociatingus. Peter ſwore like a Ruffian, and forſwore like a Renegate, till CHRIST looked on him, and then he wept. There be divers fellowſhips in the world.

There is a generation of men, that laviſh their eſtates; as wee ſay, fling the houſe out at the windowes; that call themſelves Good-fellowes. But they cannot bee Boni ſodales, that are mali homines; Good-fellowes and evill men are incompetible. They are like Simeon and Levi, ſworne brothers, but fratres in malum, brethren in evill. Perhaps they have more ſocietie than honeſt men, but not ſo good ſocietie. Bryers and thornes twine more together than good plants. God is not in this fellowſhip; you ſhall meet him at the Church, not at the Ale-houſe. But Satan puts in for a part: ſometimes one drunkard playes the devill with another; in ſtabbing, or over-loading with drinke: but if there be not alwayes a perſonate devill, there is alwayes a perſonall devill; Satan himſelfe ſtands by. In this fellowſhip, Riot is the hoſt, Drunkenneſſe the gueſt, Swearing keepes the reckoning▪ Luſt holds the doore, and Beggery payes the ſhot.

There is another fellowſhip, a myſticall one, a miſchievous one; the Societie of Ieſuites: yet they write themſelves, Ex Societate Ieſu; Of the fellowſhip of Ieſus. What, no meaner? Would not Peter, nor Paul, nor Francis ſerve? No, none worthy of theſe mens company but Ieſus. I perſwade my ſelfe, he will give them little thankes for their familiarity. But doe they not rather derive their names à contrario? Ieſuites, not becauſe fellowes, but enemies to IESUS. As the Romans tooke names from their Conqueſts: Scipio Affricanus, becauſe he conquered Affrica. Call him not Iſrael, but Iezreel: call them not Ieſuites, but Iebuſites But Peter is the deputie of Ieſus, and they are factours of Peter: indeed they uphold the chaire of their imaginary Peter, and blow up other ſtates with Salt-peter. But ſure Ieſus was never a fellow-digger in their vaults, nor an Enginier in their fire-workes.

Well, thus CHRIST to the faithfull vouchſafes his fellowſhip: hee is thennCant. 2 1.Song 2:1 Roſe of Sharon, and the Lily of the valleyes: not a Garden-flower encloſed, but hee growes in the field; his company is eaſily had, if our faith invites him. If thou wilt be concors, of one heart; thou ſhalt be conſors, of one fellowſhip with him. Let thy will and obedience agree with his Commandements; and then his ſweet preſence ſhall accompany thy conſcience for ever. Complaine not though other men blanch thee, ſo long as thou haſt the fellowſhip of Ieſus Chriſt.

5 As members of a Head, and thus we neerely partake of the Divine Nature. p. 78oo1 Cor. 12 27.1 Cor 12:27Now yee are the body of Chriſt, and members in particular. Chriſt is the head, the Church is the body, the faithfull are the members. What doth the head impart to the body? 1. Senſe: he gives us eyes, we ſee not the myſteries of ſalvation without him; Lord enlighten mine eyes. Eares; we may heare Evangelium vitae, the Goſpell of life; but not vitam Evangelii, the life of the Goſpell without him. Lord, open mine eares. Taſte; for we may have the Cup of bleſſing held to our mouth, and yet cannot taſte the ſweets of grace without him: Lord, make mee to relliſh thy heavenly gift. Feeling; mans braine is ſaid to have no feeling in it ſelfe, yet to give feeling to all parts. But Chriſt hath a feeling of our infirmities, and gives us a feeling of our owne. Mortui non eſt ſentire; We are naturally dead, and cannot feele our miſery: it is Chriſt our head, that gives the life of ſenſe, and the ſenſe of life. 2. Intellectum; the head is the ſeat of underſtanding; wee can have no comfortable knowledge of God but by Chriſt;ppIohn 14.8.John 14:8 Lord ſhew us the Father, and it ſufficeth us: Doe thou ſhew us, we can ſee nothing but by thy light. This is the true light, that lighteth every man that commeth into the world, Ioh. 1.9. Hence it is, that no member can be ignorant, becauſe he is joyned to the Head. Though they cannot ſcire univerſa, know ſo much as the Head: yet they ſhall ſcire neceſſaria, know ſo much as ſhall make them bleſſed. 3. Motum; Chriſt our Head gives us motion.qqIohn 12.32.John 12:32 When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all men to me. If the Head be gone before, the members muſt needs follow after. We have Movere, from God by nature, Act. 17.28. but movere in bonum, to move to that which is good, from God to Chriſt. 4. Laſtly, Vitam, life it ſelfe;rrEpheſ. 5.30.Eph 5:30 for we are members of his body, of his fleſh, and of his bones. There is a quarrell betweene Philoſophers and Phyſitians, about the principall ſeat of life; whether it be in the heart or in the head. But in Divinitie the caſe is cleere, for all our life is from our Head. I live, yet not I, but Chriſt liveth in me: and the life which I live in the fleſh, I live by the faith of the Sonne of God, Gal. 2.20. Vbi amat, ibi animat; Our breath is in our bodies, the life of our ſoules is in heaven. Ye are dead, and your life is hid with Chriſt in God, Col. 3.3. Corpore ambulantes in terris, corde habitantes in coelis, Anſelm. Our bodies move on earth, our hearts dwell in heaven.

Let us be ſure we are members of Chriſt, then ſure that we are partakers of the Divine Nature. Who is ſure of that? Not the Adulterer; forſſ1 Cor. 6.15.1 Cor 6:15 he takes the members of Chriſt, and makes them the members of an Harlot; hee hath loſt the ligaments of purity. Not the Oppreſſour; he hath loſt the ligaments of charity: for he that is not a good member of the Common-wealth, is not a true member of Chriſt. And if the Vſurer can prove himſelfe a good member of his Countrey, I will yeeld he may be a member of the Church. Not the Drunkard; he hath loſt the ligaments of ſobriety: our heavenly Head hath no ſtaggering members. It will be very hard for a man to reele into heaven. Not the Contentious; for he hath loſt the ligaments of concord, and brokenttEpheſ 4.3.Eph 4:3 the Vnity of the Spirit, which is in the bond of peace. That Religion that is derived from Chriſt, preſerves unity with Chriſtians. He that will not keepe the peace of God, ſhall not be kept by the God of peace. Not the furious Striker; who if he receives verbae, words; returnes verbera, wounds: he is no member of Chriſt, for one member doth not ſtrike another. Not the Repiner; for the eye ſayes not to the hand, I have no need of thee, 1 Cor. 12.21. The foot will not invade the office of the eare, nor the armes of the lips. The Magiſtrate will not adminiſter the Sacraments, nor the Miniſter bench it. Not the Swearer; for he is no member that ſtrikes the head. If we be members, the paſſion of others will worke compaſſion in us.

Iohn 15.John 156 As branches of a Vine, and ſo wee partake of the Divine Nature. I am the true vine, ſaith Chriſt: a true Vine indeed: For, 1. He was ſet on a bleſſed ground, the wombe of the Virgin, whom all generations ſhall call bleſſed, Luke 1.42. In this Fruit all nations are bleſſed. 2. He was cut and pruned, wounded for our tranſgreſſions; till there ran out the life with bloud, that was to us the bloud of life. 3. He was dunged, ſoiled with the filthy excrements of the Iewes: his mouth prayes for p. 79them, their mouthes ſpit on him. 4. He was digged, his ſide opened with a ſpeare, his hands and feete with nailes; Foderunt manus; Pſal. 22.17. They digged my hands and my feete. 5. As the vine is faſtened to ſome wood or wall: ſo was Chriſt fixed to his Croſſe, till death and hell had done their worſt. Yet there is ſtill life in him, and he ſpreads this life to his branches, farre and wide.uuPſal. 80.11.Ps 80:11 Sending out his boughs unto the ſea; and his branches unto the river. We are all naturally drie ſtickes, fit for nothing but the fire: but being engraffed into him, there is the living ſappe of grace derived to us. As the branch cannot beare fruite of it ſelfe, except it abide in the vine; no more can yee, except yee abide in me, Ioh. 15.4. This ſaith Saint Auguſt. Corda inſtruit humilium, or a obſtruit ſuperborum: comforts the poore Publican, confounds the proud Phariſe. Qui viret in foliis, venit a radicibus humor.

Thus alſo we are partakers: there is a threefold divine union. 1. Eſſentiall, ſo God the Father is one with the Sonne and the Holy Ghoſt. 2. Perſonall, ſo Gods ſonne is united to humane nature. 3. Myſticall, ſo the faithfull are united to Chriſt.xx1 Cor. 6.17.1 Cor 6:17 He that is joyned to the Lord is one ſpirit. This is infinite comfort: wee cannot want Grace and felicity, unleſſe Ieſus Chriſt ſhould want it. Whatſoever the Divine nature hath communicable to man, wee participate by being branches of this vine. Perhaps hee doth cut us till we weepe and bleed;yyIoh. 15.2.John 15:2 he purgeth us, but to doe good purpoſe, that we might bring forth more grapes: for we are moſt fruitful under the Croſſe. Such is the pietie of our heavenly father to us; that even his anger proceeds from merciemercy: he ſcourgeth the fleſh, that the ſpirit maybe ſaved in the day of Ieſus Chriſt, 1 Cor. 5.5. yea Lord, cut us even till we weepe and bleed, ſo we may partake thy joy and glory in heaven.

7 As ſpouſes of one husband, Chriſt: this is a neere partaking.aaEpheſ. 5.31.Eph 5:31 A man ſhall be joyned to his wife, and they two ſhall be one fleſh. The husband and the wife are one fleſh, the beleever and Chriſt are one ſpirit. This is an ineffable myſterie, my heart feeles it, no tongue can expreſſe it. Here all language is loſt, and admiration ſeales up every lip: we may drowſily heare it, and coldly be affected with it; but let me ſay, principalities and, powers, nature and reaſon, men and Angels ſtand amazed at it. But what doe we thus partake of the Divine nature, by this marriage to Chriſt. 1 We have Oſcula, his kiſſes; and this is arrha fidei & amoris, the earneſt of love and faithfulneſſe foreign a kiſſe, of foreign to love: whom God kiſſeth, he loveth: as the Father wel-comed his returning ſonne, he fell on his necke and kiſſed him, Luke 15.20. No token of affection more lively, more lovely than a kiſſe. 2. Amplexum, his embracings. His left hand is under my head, and his right hand doth embrace mee, Cant. 15.20. God is ſaid to have a right hand and a left, Pro. 3.16. with Riches and Honours, which are the gifts of his left hand, he lifts up my dejected head: with eternall life, which is the gift of his right hand, he embraceth my ſides for ever.bbPſal. 32.10.Ps 32:10 Who ſo puts his truſt in the Lord, merciemercy embraceth him on every ſide. 3. Concubitum, we ſleepe with him;**Cant. 1.16.Song 1:16 our Bed is greene. Make ready his bed, if thou wouldeſt have his company, ſweepe the chamber of thy heart from all the duſts of evill thoughts, and annoyance of luſts: give him fine linnen, Innocencie of ſpirit: a pillow of Charity, a covering of obedience to keep him warme; and let the down bed of thy faith be prepared; then he will lodge with thee. 4. He gives his ſpouſe a Iointure or portion. As in the ſolemniſing of a marriage on earth, the husband ſaies to his wife; with all my worldly goods, I thee endow: ſo Chriſt endowes us with his riches of glory.ccCant. 2.16.Song 2:16 My beloved is mine and I am his. Bleſſed exchange! he is ours, wee are his: yea all ours are made his, all his is made ours. We brought him a portion of wickedneſſe, of wretchedneſſe; the fee-ſimple of ſin, death and hell: he bore all thoſe torments, and ſo tooke them that hee tooke them away. Hee brings us another manner of Iointure or endowment; juſtification, ſanctification, freedome, grace and peace on earth, glory and joy in heaven. Here's a bleſſed wedding: in our marriages we have theſe requirable things; the Bride-groome, the Bride, the Father to give the bride, the Prieſt to tie the knot, the witneſſes, and the wedding ring. Here the bride-groome p. 80is Chriſt, the bride the Church, the giver God the Father, (who gives this poore beggar woman, mans ſoule to be married to this rich man, this Prince? God himſelfe.) The Prieſt that makes the knot is the Holy Ghoſt, he is the ſealer of this union: the witneſſes are Angels, the wedding ring is our faith. Doſt thou plead, thy ſoule is married to CHRIST? ſhew mee thy wedding ring, looke well to thy faith.

The beſt way to reconcile two diſagreeing families or enemie kingdomes, is to make a marriage betweene them: for the uniting of blouds ends all quarrels. We were all adverſaries to GOD, and hee was ready to fight againſt us with eternall death, how ſhould peace bee made but by a marriage! So Hamor perſwaded the Shechemites: ddGen. 34.21.Gen 34:21let us take their daughters to us for wives, and give them our daughters; ſo ſhall we have peace. Loe, the king of heaven gives his onelyonly ſonne to mortall mans daughter, that is his ſoule; and though ſhe were a miſerable beggar, jointures her in his own kingdom. Be not then married to the world, its a miſhapen ſtigmaticke: not to luſt, its a blacke and Leprous witch: not to the devill, he is a foule and ugly monſter: runne not a whoring after riches, pleaſures, and wantoneſſes, remember thy chaſt love to thy one and owne husband.ee2 Cor. 11.2.2 Cor 11:2 I have eſpouſed you to one husband, that I might preſent you a pure virgin to CHRIST. Abhorre bigamie, leſt he divorce thee: have one husband; the bed brookes no rivalls. Raiſe thy affections above a common pitch, and let thy ſoule beare her ſelfe as the ſpouſe of the great King. It is a wonderfull joy that a man hath with the wife of his youth: uxori non redditur aequivolens: but it is a greater joy in being ſpouſes to Chriſt; the faithfull ſoule knowes onelyonly the ſweetneſſe of his embraces. But the greateſt of all is to be married to him in heaven;ffRevel. 19.9.Rev 19:9 Bleſſed are they that are called to the marriage ſupper of the Lambe. OnelyOnly that marriage is the merry age, where ſhall bee joy, great joy, eternall joy. Our muſicke ſhall be the Quire of heaven, and our banket everlaſting glory.

I have beene over prolixe in this point of partaking the Divine nature: but it is tedious onelyonly to thoſe that have no right in this participation. Let mee excuſe my ſelfe; my tongue followed my heart, and I could not but ſpeake what was try comfort to feele. It hath given ſweet content to my owne ſpirit, God grant it may give no leſſe conſolation to others. This participation is not a transfuſion of the divine eſſence or nature into us; but a communication of the manifold bleſſings wrought out by Chriſt. Of nothing, we have being, of being worſe than nothing, we are reſtored to Gods Image; formed with reaſon above the creature, and reformed with Grace above reaſon: now immortall in our ſoules, hereafter to be immortall in our bodies. What honour, what glory is this, that a man of duſt, a worme creeping out of the mud; audeat erectos ad ſydera tollere vultus; ſhould looke up unto heaven, and call the omnipotent God his Father! How gratious is this promiſe, how glorious this participation! Let not the blind judgements of the world trouble us: we beleeve and know, know and feele, feele and joy that we are partakers of the divine nature. We might here inferre withggContr. Arrian orat 2. Athanaſius, that Chriſt is the ſame ſubſtance and nature with the Father; becauſe they that are partakers of the Sonne, are alſo partakers of the divine nature. He ſaies further,hhEpiſt. ad S. rap. that the beginning of this partaking, is by the conſignation of the holy ſpirit in our baptiſme.iiDe ſi le ad Grat lib. 1. cap. 9. Ambroſe refells the Arrians, from this ſcripture, who condemne the voice of ſubſtance and nature in divine things: as if Chriſt could be the ſonne of God, and not the ſubſtance of God. But if the name of ſubſtance or nature trouble them, let this text ſatisfie then.kkDe ſpir. ſanc. lib. 1. cap 2. He addes, who can deny the Holy Ghoſt to be equall with the Father or the Sonne, when as it is his worke whereby we get a participation of the divine nature.llCyril. Ie. oſ. Catech. 4. Myſtag. Cyril ſaies, that the faithfull communicant in receiving the Sacrament, is made partaker of the divine nature.mmSer. 1. de nat. Dom. Leo from hence takes occaſion to exhort us to pietie and holy life: remember whoſe thou art, the member of Chriſt, and temple of the bleſſed Spirit: Noli tantum habitatorem pravis actibus de te effugare; p. 81doe not drive away ſo ſweet an inhabitant by thy ſins, and againe ſubject thy ſelfe to the devills ſervitude. To the ſame purpoſe ſpeakes Cyrillus Alex. lib. 4. in Levit. And Origen in Levit. Homil. 4. All of them ſtriving to ſhew us, that we by faith partake of Chriſts fleſh, by his fleſh of his ſoule, by both of his ſpirit, by all of his Deitie.

Thus you have ſeene the conveiance, and the Inheritance. In the one was verbum Promiſsionis, a word of promiſe: in the other verbum promotionis, a word of preferment. Now all theſe priviledges we partake as we are true Chriſtians. Plato ſaid, he was beholding to nature for three things: firſt, that ſhe had made him Hominem non Brutum; a man, not a beaſt: next, that ſhe had made him virum, non faeminam; a man, not a woman: for mulier quaſi mollior, or mollis aer: but vires in viris, vera ſedes virûm, ſexus ſolet eſſe virorum. Laſtly, that ſhe had made him Graecum, non Barbarum; a Greeke not a Barbarian. Well, in all theſe preferments he acknowledged himſelfe but beholding to nature: and for all theſe we ſo well as he, are beholding to the God of nature. But there is a fourth thing, for which as he to Greece, ſo we muſt bee thankfull to Grace: that wee are not onelyonly men and not beaſts, Greekes, that is knowing, and not ignorants; or Philoſophers, and not fooles: but yet infinitely more, that we are Chriſtians, and not Infidells. By this onelyonly we partake of the Divine nature; onelyonly glory in this.nnIer. 9 13.Jer 9:13 Let not the wiſe man glory in his wiſedome, nor the mightie man in his ſtrength, nor the wealthy man in his riches: but let him that glorieth, glory in this, that hee underſtandeth and knoweth me, ſaith the Lord. Nothing is more worthy thy pride, than that which will make thee moſt humble if thou haſt it; that thou art a Chriſtian. When an Ambaſſador told Henry the fourth, that magnificent King of France, concerning the King of Spaines ample dominions: firſt ſaith he, he is King of Spaine: is he ſo, ſaith Henry? and I am King of France. But ſaith the other, he is King of Portugall; and I am King of France; ſaith Henry. He is King of Naples; and I am King of France. He is King of Sicilie, and I am King of France. He is King of Nova Hiſpanla; and I am King of France. He is King of the Weſt-Indies; and ſtill, I am King France; Hee thought the kingdomes of France equivalent to all theſe. To what purpoſe is all this? yes, if thou apply it rightly. Another hath great learning and wit; well I am a Chriſtian. Such a one hath great honours; I am a Chriſtian. Another hath abundance of riches; I am a Chriſtian. That man hath large dominions; well I have more in heaven, I am a Chriſtian. He is of the bloud royall, partakes the nature of kings; yet I partake of the nature divine, am of the bloud royall of IESUS CHRIST, I am a Chriſtian. Let them glory in their great and honourable relations, it ſhall content our ſoules that we partake of thy Divine nature, Oh IESUS CHRIST!

Having eſcaped the corruption that is in the world through luſt. This is the third maine point, our deliverance. It hath the laſt place in the words, not ſo in effect with us: we muſt firſt eſcape this corruption, before we can come to that divine participation. As you have ſeene what you are, Partakers of the nature of God: ſo now ſee what you were, ſoild with the corruption of luſts,oo1 Cor. 6.11.1 Cor 6:11 Such were yee, but you are waſhed, &c. In this deliverance we conſidered two generall parts; a diſcoverie, and a recoverie: a diſcoverie of great danger, a recoverie from that danger. The danger diſcovered was the corruption of luſt: the deliverance is ſpecified, an Eſcaping. In the danger or wretched eſtate wherein they naturally ſtood, conſider. 1. The Infection, corruption of luſt. 2. The Diſperſion, through the world. For the Infection, conceive in it two things. 1. Tumorem, the Corruption. 2. Humorem, the luſt. The one that is bred, the other whereby it is fed. In all we ſhall find, that the greatneſſe of the danger commends the greatneſſe of our deliverance.

Corruption; this is the Tumour; morbus epidemicus, an univerſall diſeaſe. All fleſh hath corrupted their waies. This monſter is not coagulated all at once: but Gradatim ſpargere vires; Prorſus & ex multis unum coaleſcere morbum. Stone after ſtone, p. 82Babel is builded: ſticke after ſticke, the burning pile is made up: from the confluence of many diſeaſes, ariſeth death.

Firſt, it gets into the thoughts; that theppGen. 6.5.Gen 6:5 Imaginations of the heart are evill. This we thinke little danger; but when it hath got the Citadell, it commands all the ſconces, and forts, and guards. The Heart is a Caſtle, the outward ſenſes are the gates, when it hath got into the caſtle. The watchmen were to blame, that let the enemy in. Turpius ejicitur, quàm non admittitur hoſpes. Theſe be Partus mentis, Primogeniti Aegypti: if thou canſt not hinder the conception of ſinne, but it muſt be borne: yet like the midwives of Aegypt, diſpatch it betimes, leſt it diſpatch thee.qqIam. 1.15.Jas 1:15 For luſt when it hath conceived, bringeth forth ſinne: and ſinne when it is finiſhed, bringeth forth death. Spare not the little Babylonians, leſt they one day grow great enough to vanquiſh Iſrael. Kill the young wolves, and ſecure thy flocke: deſtroy the brood of the viper; let it never come to this, I would I had prevented it. Sin is eaſily committed in act, if admitted in thought. Labour firſt to purge thy heart from this corruption: let not thy vaine thoughts lodge within thee, Ieremie 4.14. Iob, though he were well perſwaded of his children, in reſpect of their outward demeanour, yet he doubted their hearts, Iob 1.5. It may be my ſonnes have ſinned, and curſed God in their hearts. rrProv. 4.23.Prov 4:23Keepe thy heart with all diligence: the hands and feete muſt be well guarded and regarded, but eſpecially looke to thy heart. Let thy thoughts examine thy thoughts: thy conſcience muſt not only extend to deeds and words, but even to ſecret thoughts. They that are accuſtomed to evill thoughts, can ſeldome bring forth good words, never good deeds. As the corne is, ſo will the flowre be: if the meale be bad, the fault is not in the milſtones that grownd it, but in the miller that put in ſuch baſe corne. All thy ſenſes and members are but the milſtones, the heart is the miller: if thy words and workes be ill meale, thanke the miller thy heart for ſuch corrupt thoughts. As the wood is, ſo will the fire be: if it be wet and ſtinking wood, look for an unſavoury and unwholeſome fire: if the wood be ſweet and drie, it will perfume the roome with a ſweet and pleaſant aire. Such fewell as you lay on your thoughts, ſuch fire ſhall you have in your actions. There is a knowledge projected, which onelyonly lookes upon outward things: and even beaſts doe in ſome meaſure participate this with men. There is a knowledge reflected, that inwardly beholds a mans ſelfe. Many men know many things, but they know not themſelves. Mans knowledge ſhould not be a gadding harlot, whoſe feete cannot keepe within doores: but a good houſewife to ſtay at home. When Dinah would bee rambling abroad, to ſee faſhions, and to obſerve the Ladies of the land; ſhe was defloured by Shechem: Gen. 34.Gen 34if our affections be noctivagant, night-walkers, they will eaſily come home quicke with child.

Next, this corruption gets into the ſenſes. It paſſeth through the eye, Ier. 9.21. Death is come up into our windowes, and is entred into our palaces, to cut off the children from without, and the young men in the ſtreets. Mors per feneſtras; it hath terrible effects: it invades the Palaces, the ſecret chambers of the heart: abſcindit pueros, it cuts off the little maſculine vertues of the ſoule: yea even the young men the graces that begin to get ſtrength in us. Al this death coms in at the window, that is the eye. Cur aliquid vidi, cur noxia lumina feci? Mine eye hath betraied my ſoule. Epiphanius gives an apt morall reaſon, why in the old law when a dead corps paſſed by any houſe, they were commanded to ſhut their doores and windowes. When opus mortuum, a work of death, abhorred ſin, is propoſed; ſhut both the doores, your mouthes; and the windowes, your eyes. It is ſaid that Iudiths pantofles raviſhed Holofernes eyes, Iud. 16.9. Her ſandales tooke him: what good men tread under their feere, that wicked men are ſeduced by. Therefore ſaies Salomon, ſſProv. 22.31.Prov 22:31Looke not on the colour of the wine, when it moveth it ſelfe aright: be not tempted with the colour or dancing of it in the cup. Nimium ne crede colori. That ſenſe is acceſſary to the ſinne; that opens the doore, and lets the theefe come in. Iniquity is the theefe, the eye is the gate: therefore ſaies Iob; Pepigi foedus cum oculis. I have made a covenant with mine p. 83eyes. Adulterie is ſuch an ugly monſter, that it could never enter the citie of the heart, unleſſe it did firſt corrupt the watch. Adverte oculos; ttPſal. 119.37.Ps 119:37Lord turne away mine eyes from beholding vanitie. The eare is another paſſage; through that doore Satan often ſends in his errand. Vae mihi quia audivi; woe is me becauſe I have heard, that which made me either angry or guiltie. Keepe him our, and be ſafe: ſtop thine eares to his charmes, ſo ſhall he not touch thy heart. But he cries to the porter, let me but come in, I will deſire no more: doe but give him the hearing, it is ſufficient to take thy ſoule.

It ſtaies not wholly in the ſenſes, but gets alſo into the tongue; and this muſt needes babble the corruption. Democritus called ſpeech the Image of life: and another uſed to ſay; Loquere ut te videam; ſpeake, that I may know what thou an. Totum ſpiritum ſuum profert ſtultus; uuProv. 29.11.Prov 29:11the foole uttereth all his mind. As wiſe men carry their mouthes in their hearts: ſo fooles carry their hearts in th ir mouthes. Fooles firſt ſpeake, and then deliberate, they bluſter out their follies. A wicked man beares his words in his mouth, as a dogge doth an arrow in his ribbes; never reſts till it be drawne out. He is pregnant of ſlander or blaſphemie; and either he muſt bee delivered, or hee will burſt. Ex ore tuo, ſaith God; O evill ſervant, out of thy owne mouth I will judge thee; God doth judge, and man may gheſſe. Diogenes ſaid, you will chuſe men to ſervice before you heare them ſpeake; yet will not buy an earthen pot before you trye it by the ſound. A bell may have a cracke, and you cannot ſee it; but take the clapper, and ſtrike it, you ſhall ſoone perceive it is flawed. The damoſell told Peter, ſure thou art of Galile, for thy ſpeech bewrayeth thee. Many lappe the water. Curvatis genibus; none but a right Gileadite can without liſping pronounce Shibboleth.

Laſtly, you ſhall finde it in the hands too, and there it exceeds it ſelfe: in the heart it is but corruption, in the hands it is eruption. Ex ungue leonem; you may know a covetous Wolfe by his pawes. A troubled fountaine ſends forth unpure ſtreames: an evill heart hath a moſt evill hand. If the hand grope for a bribe, as Felix did of Paul; there is a moſt unjuſt heart. If the hand ſcramble for wealth,Acts 29. there is a covetous heart. If the hand be ſtill ſtriking and ſtabbing, there is a bloudy heart. The actions of the hands are ſo many characters, whereby we may ſpell the meaning of the heart. Manus loquuntur, the hands ſpeake a man. What a man does, I am ſure he thinkes, not evermore what he ſaies. Sauls tongue could ſay, Praſtiti mandatum, 1 Sam. 15. Bleſſed be thou of the Lord, I have performed the commandement of the Lord. But Samuel heard the language of his hands; What meanes then the bleating of the Sheepe, and lowing of the Oxen in mine erres? Verſe 14. Corruptio, quae reponitur cordibus, exponitur manibus. The corruption that is ſecreted in the heart, is declared by the hand. The deafe man would thinke the aire quiet, but he that heares it thunder, knowes it is troubled. Many looke faire and skie-coloured in their profeſſion; but Fulminant operibus, they thunder in their workes.xxMic. 2.1.Mic 2:1 They imagine miſcheefe, and practiſe it, becauſe it is in the power of their hand. They have breath as ſweete as Sirens, but their deeds leave a ſtinke behind them.

Now ſwell all theſe corruptions into one impoſtumated head; and here is not onelyonly the corruption of the world, but a world of corruption. As the Prophet calls Ieruſalem and Samaria, not only ſinners but ſinnes: Micah 1.Mic 1Or as Lucan ſpeakes of a wonuded body; Totum eſt pro vulnere corpus; the whole body was as one wound. A land over-flowne with ſea is ſaid to be all ſea. So a heart over runne with ſinne, is all ſinne. That is land ſtill, and this is a heart ſtill: but by reaſon of this deluge we ſay, that is all ſea, this is all ſinne. And this corruption is ſo pleaſing to the wicked, that they thinke it health it ſelfe. Men take ſuch delight in this beſtialitie, that as Pliny reports, Grillus being transformed to a hogge, would not endure to be turned to a man againe. When God offers the drunkard to make him ſober, no he thankes him, he is better as he is. Doth he undertake to let out the uſurers corruption by charitie? no, he had rather bean uſurer ſtill.

p. 84Diverſe uſes are to be made of this propoſition; which are generally two-fold; concerning others, concerning our ſelves. Concerning others, that we flie the perſons in whom this corruption rages; as being willing to avoid the plague, we doe balke the houſe wherein the infection dwells, miſerable follie! we hate the plague which may kill our bodies, wee love the plague which may ſpill our ſoules. The condition of ſinne is better than the condition of ſickeneſſe.Nazian. For if a man lie ſicke in the ſtreets, others are daintie and ſhunne him, walking a loofe. But let a rich man be an adulterer, a ſwearer, an uſurer; we cloſe with him: yet only of theſe we have a charge, De non tangendo, not to accompany them. Which of theſe corruptions, in your owne ſoules, doe you thinke the worſt? To ſee this corruption, the Lord give us eyes, to let out this corruption, pricke our hearts, and from this corruption, ſave our ſoules.

Concerning our ſelves; Leviùs ignorare morbum, quàm remedium: better not know our diſeaſe, than no meanes to cure it. For this purpoſe, ſomething muſt be done upon us, ſomething by us. The thing to be done to us, which may properly get out this naturall corruption, is Salting. For ſalt doth not onelyonly preſerve from corruption, but alſo eate out corruption. It hath diverſe effects, fit to ſhadow out the worke of the ſpirit on us for this purpoſe. Firſt it preſerves from corruption and rottenneſſe: the Egyptians uſed to wrap their dead bodies in ſalt. All are corrupted, ſubject to rottenneſſe, and need ſalting: the Miniſters of the Goſpell are theyyMatth. 5.13.Matt 5:13 ſalt of the earth. It is not enough to have Sales, quirkes of wit, but Salem, ſoundneſſe of doctrine. They that preach not only Novè, after a new method; but Nova, new things; ſwell your braines, but leave your hearts emptie, they doe not ſalt you. That is good ſalt, which keepes your ſoules from ſtinking before God. Secondly it is ſearching, and goes to the quicke: there muſt be acrimonie in ſalt, elſe it is not good. Doe we cut, and fret, and trouble you: remember we are ſalt; Quo acriùs, eo meliùs. Indeed a man may over powder, and there is diſcretion in ſalting. There are ſome that have had too much ſalt, till they are ready to throw the Church out at the windowes: the name of a Biſhop frights them, a ſurpliſſe makes them runne: they feare a croſſe worſe than the devill does. Theſe are over-powdred, but with ill ſalt; they are corrupted muſt be new ſalted. There is no medicine profitable, but it is ſharpe: our acrimonie is good, though there by we endanger the loſſe of your loves. This ſhould not make you fret at us, but at your owne ſinnes.zz2 Cor. 7.9.2 Cor 7:9 I rejoyce, not that yee were made ſory but that you ſorrowed to repentance. Si haec audientes doleatis, if you heare theſe things ſorowing, give me thankes for it, ſaith Chryſoſtome. Shew your ſelves gratos non gravatos. The Preachers reproofe is like ſalt, it may bite: but better ſharpe corroſives, than feſtering wounds. I am moſt loved, where I am moſt ſalted, Bernard. At laſt you will ſay with David: aa1 Sam. 25 321 Sam 25:32Bleſſed be the Lord God of Iſrael, that God of all grace; that hath ſent thee to meete me this day; with thy admonition. Bleſſed be thy advice, the doctrine thou haſt preached: and Bleſſed be thou which haſt kept me this day from ſhedding bloud: even a benediction upon thy perſon, that haſt beene the Inſtrument of preventing my ſinne, by thy ſalting. There is nothing more againſt the graine of our affections at firſt: but when by this meanes wee ſhall find our ſelves preſerved to heaven, where no corruption ſhall enter, for this ſalting we ſhall thank the Lord. Laſtly, falt gives a taſt or relliſh to another thing. Nunquid inſulſum ſine ſale edi poteſt? Iob 6.6. Can that which is unſavoury be eaten without ſalt? Corruption ſhall not inherite incorruption, 1 Cor. 15.10. Without this ſalt there is no taſte in us. Vnſavoury meate is called fooliſh meate. Ʋt ſapiant fatuae fabrorum prandia betae, Martial. Lib. 13. Ep. 13. One manner of Gods entring into covenant, was called Foedera ſalis, Numb. 18.19. the covenant of ſalt, for the perpetuitie of it. So were the ſacrificers ſeaſoned in the old Law, Levit. 2.13. ſo muſt every ſoule be relliſhed in thr Goſpell; Marke 9.49. Every one ſhall be ſalted with fire. In that was Foedera ſalis, in this Sal foederis: there was the covenant of ſalt, here is the ſalt of the covenant. Love them beſt, that ſalt you moſt: had you rather p. 85ſtinke than be ſalted, and ſo preſented a ſervice to God. The Sermon may delight us, but not better us, that hath no ſalt in it. Nulla eſt in tanto corpore mica ſalis. Catull If thou yet find no good by thy Paſtor, yet love him Spe futuri, in hope of the good hee may doe thee.

Thus to get out this corruption we ſee what is to be done on us: now what is to be done by us? Two things; a viſion of it, and a Proviſion againſt it.

Firſt, we muſt endevour to ſee it: Phyſicians ſay, if the diſeaſe be once knowne, the cure is halfe done. If we could ſee corruption in the true forme, we would loath it. But as the conjured devill appeares not to the necromancer in hideous and frightfull ſhapes, but in ſome familiar repreſentation: ſo vice ſhewes it ſelfe in formes moſt delectable to fleſh and bloud. If halfe ſo much were knowne to man, as God knowes, wee would hang downe our heads for ſhame. Mans heart is beyond all Geomerrie;bbIer. 17.9.Jer 17:9 Deceitfull above all things, and deſperately wicked; who can know it? No man can meaſure it, but he only that ſpannes the heavens; Lthe Lord ſearch the heart. It is a little peece of fleſh, it will ſcarce give a kite her breakfaſt, yet fills the whole world with corruption. Therefore learne to ſee this corruption: ſinne in it ſelfe is not to be ſeene; therefore behold it in concretis: the Tyrant like a Lion, the Fraudulent like a Foxe, the luſtfull a Goate, the drunkard a Hog, the oppreſſor a Wolfe, the traitor a devill.

If we would ſee any thing, it is requiſite that the object be rightly placed; not behind us, not beſides us. Not behind us, there we cannot ſee it. Wee hang other mens faults at the pummell of the ſaddle, put our owne in the cloakebagge behind us. Like Barbars that trimme all men but themſelves. Not beſides us; if thou wouldeſt plainly behold an object on this ſide of the roome, thou muſt goe on the other ſide. Wouldeſt thou ſee the corruption of pride? thou canſt never doe it ſo long as thou art proud, thou ſtandeſt on the ſame ſide. Goe on the contrary ſide, that is to Humility, then thou ſhalt: chold Pride in her gawdy and ridiculous colours. Wouldeſt thou ſee the corrup…ion of adulterie? thou canſt not ſo long as thou art an adulterer; the harlot is on the ſame ſide with thee: goe over the way to chaſtitie, and there ſee the harlot in her proper and foule deformitie. Deſireſt thou to contemplate the ſordid corruption of drunkenneſſe: thou canſt never doe it ſo long as thou art drunken; thou and thy cups are both of one ſide: goe and ſtand in oppoſito, to ſobrietie; then thou ſhalt ſee a bleare eye, a reeling foote, a ſtammering tongue; thou wilt abhorre it. Wouldeſt thou grow into diſlike of uſurie? never ſo long as thou art an uſurer; goe on the other ſide, to Charitie; then ſee a covetous heart, an oppreſſing hand, an unquiet conſcience. It is impoſſible to diſcerne the tetricall and horrid countenance of ſinne, ſo long as thou ſideſt with it: ſet thy ſelfe againſt it by repentance, and thy diſlike will be greater, than ever was thy love.

Next when thou haſt diſcovered it, ſtrive to expell it: this is not done by nature: for nature, according to the temperature of bodies, encreaſeth this corruption. The Italians have a proverbe: If little men were patient, if great men were valiant, and red men were loyall; all the world would be equall. The ſame cauſes in nature that concurre to ſuch a conſtitution, concurre to ſuch a corruption. Therefore they ſay; from a white Spaniard, a blacke German, and a red Italian, Libera nos domine, good Lord deliver us. And we in England confeſſe much truſt or danger in men, according to their complexions. To a red man read thy read: with a browne man breake thy bread: from a pale man ſtill remove: from a blacke man keepe thy love. But this is onelyonly according to nature: for grace can alter nature, and purge out this originall corruption. When an Aſtrologer told a Cardinall, to what miſfortunes he was borne: he anſwered, but I am new borne: and the good of my ſecond birth hath croſſed the bad of my firſt. Humours cannot be durable, becauſe their prime matter is capable of ſo many formes and changes: but Graces having their roote in the Deitie, muſt needs be eternall, as is their author. Strive then to caſt out nature by grace, corruption by CHRIST. Doe not keepe it in, but caſt p. 86it out: a wicked man may reſtraine evill, as doe the godly: but here is the difference; that man keepes in corruption, this kils corruption; onelyonly to refraine evill is to be evill ſtill.Eſther 3.6.Esth 3:6 Haman was angry for want of Mordecay's reverence, yet he ſmothered the fire of his wrath, which nothing but the laſt drop of every Iewes bloud could extinguiſh. The good man doth not onelyonly checke it, but choake it. If he cannot Ejicere, yet ſo he will Dejicere peccatum, modo non noceat, modo non placeat. If he cannot nullifie it, he will mortifie it; that this corruption ſhall never hurt him, ſhall never pleaſe him. And when he hath gotten this upper hand of it, he never loſeth it: for if it be forborne, it will returne. Corruption is like a candle new put out, it is ſoone lighted againe: if Satan but blow upon it, the owne heat enflames it. Let us therefore alwayes be tilling the paradiſe of our ſoules with good workes, that God may delight to walke there. 8. Will Chriſt himſelfe become Ianitor cordis, he will be as ready to be the doore-keeper of our houſe, to keepe out our enemies; as David was willing to be the doore-keeper of Gods houſe, to let in his friends. It is onelyonly the Lord, who with the ſweet breath and perfume of his holy Spirit, doth cleanſe the aire of our hearts from this corruption. We ſee our dutie, to caſt it out: now let me adde two circumſtances; when, and whence.

Firſt, when we muſt caſt it forth, and that; 1. Whileſt corruption is young. Kill the enemie whiles he is young; ut virtus ejus elidatur in ſemine; that he may leave no poſterity to hurt thee, Hieron. Sinne long cuſtomed, is hardly conquered; Acta confirmant voluntatem, tam in malo quàm in bono; Frequent actions conſtitute an habite, whether in good or ill. Hee that hath done well once, ſhall more eaſily doe it the next time. He that hath done evill once, ſhall more hardly reſiſt it at the next aſſault. There are mala innata, and mala inſeminata; evils that naturally grow in us, and evils that we ſow in our ſelves. Whatſoever growes of it owne accord, let us ſtrive to kill; but ſow none. Contere caput ſerpentis, ſuppreſſe the beginnings of evill. Sin is like a Nettle, the older it is, the hardlyer killed. Well hath our Church ordered that preparative every Morning-prayer; To day if yee will heare his voyce, harden not your hearts. 2. Whileſt weare young: for Corruption growes the older the ſtronger, and man the older the weaker. Iuvenis, admittis ſocium; Senex, habebis dominum; Whom thou being young entertaineſt for thy play-fellow, when thou art old thou ſhalt finde thy Maſter. Our Saviour began the worke of our ſalvation whileſt hee was very young. The very firſt day, that great Prince was Courted in a Stable: he ſhed ſome bloud in his Circumciſion when he was but eight dayes old. And is it too early for us being young, to worke up our owne ſalvation? Shall Satan have the Roſe-buds, and God onelyonly the ſtalke? Satan the veines full of bloud, bones full of marrow, God a carcaſe? We vowed in our Baptiſme, all the dayes of our life to his ſervice; for ſhame let us not, Ananias-like, keepe backe part of the price. ccMal. 1.8.Mal 1:8If ye offer the blinde for ſacrifice, is it not evill? if the lame and ſicke, is it not evill? The governour of your bodies will none of it, will the Governour of your ſoules accept it? Serve God in old-age? a ſweet peece of ſervice! If God come in youth, and finde no fruit, beware the fig-trees curſe; Never fruit grow on thee hereafter. The ſealing of a bond without a time ſet, makes the debt preſently due. God doth not bid the drunkard abſtaine when he can drinke no more: nor the Vſurer leave oppreſſing when his bagges be full. To leave ſinne, when ſinne leaves us, will never paſſe for true repentance.

Next, whence we muſt caſt it forth; out of the heart. For as in generation, ſo in regeneration, Cor primum vivit, Life begins at the heart. Now to caſt it quite out from thence, that no dregges remaine, this is not poſſible on earth; but the ſtrength and principalitie of it. As when many birds are caught in a net, if a Pelican or ſome great fowle can breake the net, and get out; all the little birds follow. So caſt out the grand-corruption, that is moſt predominant; as Luſt in the Adulterer, Covetouſneſſe in the Worldling, Pride in the haughtie; then all the inferiour will follow. As if the maſter be dead, all the ſervants will attend the funerall. If it cannot p. 87wholly bee now buried, it ſhall bee one day: GOD ſuffers ſinne in his choſen till the laſt, that then they may have a full triumph. When the five Kings were hid in a cave at Makkedah, Ioſhua 10.Josh 10Ioſhua charged the ſouldiers to purſue their enemies and conſume them: for the Kings he brought them out at evening, and then made his men of warre ſet their feet on the neckes of them. So at evening you ſhall ſet your triumphant feet on the neckes of theſe tyrants, having firſt captivated them, and ſlaine your enemies with the ſword of mortification. Yea,ddRom. 16.20Rom 16:20 GOD ſhall ſhortly tread Satan himſelfe under your ſeete, and give you a full victorie in CHRIST.

Luſt; we perceive the tumour that is bred, now look upon the humour whereby it is fed: Luſt, Concupiſcence in it ſelfe, as it is a facultie of the ſoule, and gift of God, is not ſinne; but may be the hand of vertue, or the inſtrument whereby ſhee workes. Keepe her at home, and ſet her on worke, to light the candle, and ſweepe the houſe; let her be under the correction of grace, and ſhe may prove a chaſte Virgin, fit to meet the Bride-groome at his comming. Luſt is in it ſelfe, as they write of the Planet Mercury in the Horoſcope of mans nativitie; if it be joyned with a good Planet, it makes it better; if with a bad one, it makes it worſe. There is a Luſting of the Spirit;eeGal. 5.17.Gal 5:17 for the Spirit luſteth againſt the fleſh. But it is moſt commonly taken in the worſe ſenſe, and ſo two wayes; Strictly, and largely, or in the full ſcope.

Strictly, it is taken for the ſinne of uncleanneſſe; which albeit God hath in ſo many places threatned to confound; yet that filthineſſe hath the Bawdes; Whores are not without their patrons. Such are firſt Libertines, and they will have Scripture for it. Hoſea was commanded by GOD to take a wife of Whoredomes, Hoſ. 1.2. Som anſwer, this was Fictum non factum, a figure, not a fact; not an hiſtorie, but a myſtery. That God would caſt off his old wife, the Church of the Iewes for their Whoredomes, and chooſe a new one, even a wife of Fornications, the Church of the Gentiles:ffEpheſ. 5.27.Eph 5:27 that hee might ſanctifie it, and preſent it to himſelfe a glorious Church. So the not beleeving wife is ſanctified by the husband, 1 Cor. 7.14. But grant it an hiſtory, yet was not the Prophet to be blamed, that Ex impudica meretrice caſtam fecerit uxorem; of an impious ſtrumpet he made a chaſt wife; but rather they that of chaſte wives make impudent ſtrumpets; which is the condition of thoſe times. Howſoever, to the Prophet this act was commanded, to all us, the like is forbidden.

The other defenders of incontinencie are the Papiſts; and that not onelyonly with arguments, but with authoritie. Their common plea is, that in hot countreyes they are neceſſary evils: but by their leave Iſrael was a hotter climate than Italy; yetggDeut. 23.17.Deut 23:17 There ſhall be no whore of the daughters of Iſrael. But they cite Auguſtine, Aufer meretrices & turbarveris omnia libidinibus: take away whores, and ware your wives; that were the way to make ſtewes of your owne houſes. This might Auguſtine ſay, but Saint Auguſtine never ſaid it. Such a gallant he might be in his unruly youth: but after that ſame Tolle and lege, when hee lighted upon that Text, Rom. 13.13. no more chambering and wantonneſſe now, but he put on the LORD IESUS, and diſclaimed the luſts of the fleſh. He confeſſes; Indeed I did once begge of God the gift of continencie; but to tell truth, I deſired that he ſhould not heare me;Conſeſ. l. 8. c 7. malebam expleri, quàm extingui: I had rather it might then be ſatisfied, than mortified. But we juſtly abandon that remedie, that is worſe than the diſeaſe. As an Emperour ſaid of the meanes preſcribed him to cure his Leproſie, which was the bloud of Infants; Mallem ſemper aegrotare, quàm tali remedio convaleſcere; I had rather be ſicke ſtill, than be recovered by ſuch a medicine. Thus they that put away honeſt wives, and goe to harlots; deale as wiſely, as he that cuts off his owne legs, to goe upon crutches. Cauſa patrocinio non bona pejor erit.

This Luſt is a ſinne hardly ſubdued: old Lot, whom all the fire that conſumed Sodome could not touch, yet uritur igne ſuo; he was enflamed with his owne heat. Ambroſe ſaith of Sampſon; Strangulavit Leonem, non ſuffocavit libidinem: Hee p. 88could choake a Lion, not his luſt. Another of Hercules; Lenam non potuit, potuit ſuperare Leaenam; Quem ſera non valuit vincere, vicit Hera; Hee found the Lioneſſe weaker than the Bawd, and no beaſt ſo ſavage as his Whore. Luſt is an helliſh fire, whoſe fewell is fulneſſe of bread and idleneſſe, evill words the ſparkes, infamie the ſmoake, pollution the aſhes, the end hell. For this ſinne GOD rained fire and brimſtone upon Sodome; Gehennam miſit è coelo, Hee ſent downe Hell out of Heaven, Salvian. The delight is ſhort, a minute determines it; the torment is everlaſting, no worlds of ages ſhall end it. Plutarch writes of Lyſimachus, who being beſieged, himſelfe and all his people readie to periſh by thirſt, gave up the keyes of his Citie to the enemie for one cuppe of cold water; when he had taſted this cold comfort, he cryed out, O that far ſo ſhort a pleaſure, of a King, I ſhould be made a ſlave! So Brevis eſt voluptas fornicationis, perpetua eſt poena fornicatoris, Hieron. The pleaſure of adultery is ſhort, the puniſhment of the adulterer is everlaſting. Conſider this luſt in the bodie, as a pot boyling on the fire: it may be two wayes cooled.

Firſt, by taking away the fewell: uncleanneſſe is the daughter of ſurfet. Saturitati, tanquam matri, omnes aſcribuntur libidines; That Harlot breeds baſtards, and layes them at the Rioters doore; the ſoule ſtands charged to anſwer what the bodie does. When the mouth is made a tunnell, the throat a wine-pipe, and the belly a barrell, wantonneſſe bien venù, Rom. 13.13. After gluttony and drunkenneſſe, followes chambering and wantonneſſe. Gregory obſerves, that Coquorum princeps, the chiefe of the Cookes, which was Nebucaradan, firſt overthrew the walls of Ieruſalem, and firſt put fire to the Temple. By the chiefe of the Cookes, he underſtands Gluttony; by the wals, our ſenſes; by the Temple, our heart: Riot gives the firſt overthrow to all theſe.

Secondly, the pot is cooled by powring cold water into it: onelyonly abundance of ſorrowfull teares can put out this unruly fire. The Amalekites had ſpoiled Ziklag, 1 Sam. 30.1 Sam 30and taken their wives and their children priſoners: which when David and his people found, they wept till they could weepe no more. David asked counſell of the LORD, and upon his direction followed them, and ſmote them from the twilight till the evening of the next morrow. So there eſcaped none, ſave foure hundred young men that fled upon Camels. Conceive Luſts to bee theſe Amalekites, they ſpoile our Ziklag, ſacke our Citie, captivate our wives and children, our Senſes and affections: now let us caſt cold water into this pot, weepe till wee can weepe no more; lament we day and night. Then let us purſue theſe brutiſh Amalekites, ſo ſhall wee overcome our untamed luſts, and ſmite them from the twilight of our youth, to the evening of our old-age. Some young men may eſcape, ſome vaine words and uncleane thoughts may remaine in us: but for the old Amalekites, groſſe and foule faults, wee ſhall conquer them. So recover wee our wives and daughters, our affections ſo deare to us: and they that were the priſoners and drudges to Luſt, ſhall now doe good ſervice to GOD.hhIer. 23.10.Jer 23:10 The Land is full of adulterers, and becauſe of oathes it mourneth. Shall the Land mourne for the Inhabitants, and not the Inhabitants mourne for their ſinnes? Wee have preventions, lawfull marriages. The Garamantes of Lybia have all their women common; wicked Infidels! No marriage, no chaſtitie; we have marriage, but not chaſtity. Intolerabilius peccatum, ubi tale remedium. The more unſufferable their impiety, that have ſuch a remedy. Though we cannot quench this fire, we will weep upon it; we will mourne for theſe luſts. Let the offenders uſe this remedy, and by Gods aſſiſtance they ſhall get the victory.iiPſal. 74.13.Ps 74:13 Thou breakeſt the heads of the Dragons in the waters. The heads of the Dragon are broken in the waters, great luſts are drowned in a floud of teares.Exod. 32.Exod 32 Moſes in zealous indignation did drown Iſraels ſin: he drowns the Idoll, leſt the Idoll ſhould drowne the people: as the Philoſopher did with his wealth; mergam te, ne mergar à te; ſo beat your luſtfull affections to duſt, drown them in your teares, and let your ſoules drinke thoſe teares, as the Prophet ſayes, My teares p. 89have been my drink day and night. Theſe ſhall ſo blot Satans accuſation and bill of complaint againſt us; that the Court of heaven will not reade it. There was an hand-writing againſt us, but it was ingraven in braſſe; no Aqua-fortis of our teares could eat out that: onelyonly Chriſts bloud did expunge it, Col. 2.14. The Devill ſtill puts up new declarations and quarrels againſt us, but they are written (as it were) in paper; if we weepe on them, we ſhall eaſily blot them out. Antipater wrote to Alexander a long Epiſtle, containing accuſations of his mother Olympias; to whom Alexander ſhortly replied; Alas, doth not Antipater know, that Vna matris lacryma multas delebit literas? That one teare of a mother will waſh out many letters of an accuſer? So one teare of the childe of God, ſhall obliterate all the indictments of the Devill. Thus penitently, Peccata dolere, eſt peccata delere: for God eſteemes ſinne in deed repented, as if it had never beene indeed committed. Weepe therefore here, that thou mayeſt not weepe hereafter. One remorſefull teare ſhed on earth, is better than whole buckets in hell. Weepe here, and weepe never; weepe there, and weepe for ever.kkPſal. 126.5.Ps 126:5 They that ſow in teares, ſhall reape in joy.

All this while we have conſidered Luſts in the narroweſt bounds; as a particular effect of that grand beldame Concupiſcence. But Luſt is of a greater latitude, and is not onelyonly to be taken for the deſire of fleſhly company, but for the whole generall corruption of our nature, prone to all ſinne.ll1 Iohn 2.16.1 John 2:16 There is in the world the Lust of the fleſh, the Luſt of the eyes, and the pride of life: therefore it is called Concupiſcentia mundi; the luſt of the world. Saint Iohn divides the world into three parts, and gives luſt two of them there: all in the next verſe; The world paſſeth away, and the luſts thereof. Whatſoever is in the unregenerate will of man, that is Luſt. mmGal. 5.19.Gal 5:19The workes of the Fleſh are manifeſt; that is, of Luſt, it is all one. When they are conjoyned, as Luſts of the Fleſh; then fleſh is as the mother, and luſts the daughters: when they are found in ſeverall places, know they are but diverſe names of one and the ſame thing. Paul in reckoning them up, mentions many, and concludes more; with And ſuch like. He ſayes firſt they are ſo manifeſt that he need not, and laſt ſo manifold that he cannot reckon them all up. Now if Saint Paul numbring the ſinnes of his times, was faine to breake off his catalogue with an & caetera; how ſhall wee in theſe dayes deliver up a true inventory of them? Alas, we have now thoſe ſinnes, to which they then wanted names. Theirs were Serpents, ours are dragons: the firſt were evill, but the laſt are worſt of all. The conſummation of times and ſinnes are met together upon us. The world, like that Image, had a head of gold, there was ſome puritie: his ſhoulders of ſilver, there the metall declines: his armes of braſſe, baſer ſtill: his legges of iron, yet more ruſtie; but now come to his feet, they are all of clay; nothing but earth, earth. And as commonly in a diſeaſed bodie, all the humours fall downe into the legges or feet, and make an iſſue there. So the corruption of all ages hath ſlided downe into the preſent, as into the feet, and there Luſt hath made an iſſue, to the annoyance of all the world.

This Luſt is a friendly Iudas within us, a familiar devill: She is indeed the mother of all wickedneſſe; yeeld the father-hood to the Devill, Luſt will challenge the mother-hood to her ſelfe,nnIames 1.15.Jas 1:15 When Luſt hath conceived, it bringeth forth Sinne: and Sin when it is finiſhed, bringeth forth Death. Saint Iames ſeemes to ſpeake of a wombe; Luſt conceives: of a Birth, it bringeth forth: of a Growth, it is finiſhed: of a Death, it laſtly kills, brings forth death. The Pſalmiſt deſcribes the bringing her to bed, Pſalm. 7.14. Firſt, ſhe conceives miſchiefe, and growes quicke with childe. Then, ſhe Travels with iniquitie; there's her labour. Laſtly, ſhee brings it forth, there's her delivery. The Prophet gives her a quicker diſpatch;ooEſay 59.4.Isa 59:4 Shee conceiveth miſchiefe and bringeth forth iniquitie. Shee doth but conceive, and preſently bringeth forth. Let mee take leave to follow this ſignificant allegorie. We have found out the mother of ſinne, Luſt; but can ſhe be with childe without an husband, or one inſtead of an husband! ſinne muſt have a father, ſo well as a mother: though it bee an illegitimate baſtard, it muſt have a father. You all know the p. 90Father of ſinne, that's the devill. We have now a father and a mother: the father begets, and the mother conceives: ſhee is bigge with child: but how ſhall ſhe doe for a midwife? ſhe cannot be delivered of her burden without a midwife. There is one ready at her call, that's conſent. We have now a father, a mother, a midwife: ſuppoſe the child is begotten, conceived and borne; how ſhall we doe now for a nurſe? it will otherwiſe die for want of keeping. Luſt is ſome great Lady, and ſcornes to nurſe her owne children. There is a nurſe provided too, and that is, Cuſtome. Here are all things too fit and ready for the production of this monſter. The devill is the father, Luſt the mother, conſent the midwife, and cuſtome the nurſe: if conſent bring it forth, cuſtome will bring it up. When ſinne was firſt brought forth into the world in that firſt humane perſon that ever ſinned, Eve, this was the proceeding. Concupiſcence the mother kept company with the devill the father, and hee ſuggeſted to her his ſeed, that was temptation. Preſenting a faire fruit to her eye, and diſſwading from confidence in the truth of Gods charge: upon this ſeed ſhee begins to conceive, Gen. 3.6. She ſaw it pleaſant to the ſight, and deſirable to make one wiſe. After this conception in the thoughts, ſhe knew not how to be delivered but by conſent: ſhe did take and eate. Now the child is borne, leſt it ſhould periſh for want of keeping, Luſt puts it forth to nurſe. Dame Cuſtome takes it to keeping, and promiſeth to bring it up. And ſhe hath beene ſo good as her word; ſo nurſe it, and nouriſht it, that it is now paſt a tender ſtripling: Paul calls it an old man, Eph. 4.22. Put off the old man; above 5000 yeeres old, and yet it is not only alive, but lively and luſty to this day.

Firſt, for the father of ſinne, whom all confeſſe to be the devill,ppIoh. 8.44.John 8:44 When hee ſpeaketh a lie, he ſpeaketh of his owne: for he is a lyar, and the father of it. CHRIST calls him the father of lies, not of lyars, for all men are lyars. Now as Omne mendacium eſt peccatum, every lie is a ſinne; ſo ſome have obſerved that Omne peccatum eſt mendacium, every ſin is a lie: becauſe it is done againſt the truth. If ſo, then he that is the father of all lies, is the father of all ſins. And by a lie he engendred all ſinnes. GOD had ſaid, In the day thou eateſt thereof thou ſhaltqqGen. 2.17.Gen 2:17 ſurely dye: Eve firſt, receiving Satans ſeed, reporting this, corrupts it; and ſaies onelyonly, yee ſhall not touch it,rrGen. 3.3.Gen 3:3 Leſt yee dye. Satan ſaies peremptorily, yee ſhall not die. So Gods plaine affirmation, ye ſhall die; was firſt turned to a dubitation, leſt yee die: at laſt, to an impudent negation, ye ſhall not die. Deus affirmat, mulier dubitat, diabolus negat, Bern. God affirmes it, the woman doubts it, the devill denies it. Thus he is the father of ſinne. In the devill there be ſome good things: Substantia, immortalitas, fides, aliquando veritas. Subſtance, for he is good as a creature, not as a devill God made him an Angell, he made himſelfe a devill. Deus non odit peccatum causâ diaboli, ſed diabolum causâ peccati. God does not hate ſin for the devils ſake, but he hates the devill for ſinnes ſake. Immortality; for he is a ſpirit and cannot die. Faith,ſſIam. 2.19.Jas 2:19 the Devills beleeve and tremble. Truth; for they confeſſed Ieſus to be the ſonne of the living God. But theſe two laſt are enforced, not voluntary. His whole purpoſe is to beget ſinne, and by ſinne to beget death. God made not death, Wiſedome 1. how then came it into the world? It entred by ſin: how entred ſin? by the malice of the devill. This Satan workes in a double ſpight.

In a ſpight to man; becauſe he is Gods Image: he cannot hurt God, therefore have at his Image. Beſides; man is to be advanced to that heaven, from which he is hurled downe for ever. If therefore hee poſſibly can, he will plucke him to hell where himſelfe muſt be for ever. Thus Satan gave life to ſinne, that gave death to all the world. In a ſpight to Chriſt; for Chriſt and Satan were never friends. The Lion of Iudah, and the Lion of this world, were never at peace. The devill doth what he can to bruiſe CHRISTS heele, in hurting his members; and CHRIST hath throughly burſt his head. In CHRISTS birth Satan ſet hard to kill him by Herod, in the wilderneſſe he tempted him, he never reſted till he had brought him to the Croſſe: he had him then where he would. But as the devill came to deſtroy p. 91CHRIST, ſo CHRIST came to deſtroy the divell, ^t For this purpoſe was the Sonne of God manifeſted, that he might deſtroy the workes of the devill. But as Chriſt reſiſted him when his living body was on the pinacle of the temple: ſo he overcame him when his dead temple hung on the pinacle of the Croſſe. Scaliger writes, that the Cameleon when he ſpies a Serpent ſhading under a tree, gets up and lets downe a little threed, not unlike a ſpiders, breathd out of his mouth: at the end whereof their hangs a little drop as cleare as chriſtall, which falling on the ſerpents head kills him. So Chriſt mounted on the tree of his Croſſe, ſends downe from his ſide a threed of bloud, that fell on the old ſerpents head, and for ever ſlew him. Now if thou wouldeſt prevent this generation, infatuate the father of ſinne, diſable the devill. Allow him no bed of fornication in any member of thy body, or corner of thy ſoule. Would he beget adulterie in thee? afford him not the bed of an uncleane thought. Would he beget revenge? afford him not the bed of anger. Would he beget uſurie? allow him not the bed of covetouſneſſe. Tolle concubitum, debarre this copulation, prevent this conception and thou ſhalt never have that baſtard laid at thy doores.

We have had much adoe with the father of ſinne, we ſhall yet be more troubled with the mother. I could not bee blamed for accuſing him, that accuſeth all the world: neither muſt I be partiall to the Beldam, luſt. An old decrepite woman, growing on a pace to ſixe thouſand yeeres, and yet ſhee is not paſt children. This luſtfull mother is ready to conceive, as that devilliſh father is forward to beget.Ovid. Pugnabit primò fortaſsis, & (Improbe) dicet: Pugnando vinci ſe tamen illa volet: ſhe wraſtles with a deſire to be overcome. I will conſider how this is done in ſome particulars;

An offence is done you, the devill comes, and joyning with concupiſcence, ſuggeſts the adulterous ſeed of anger: luſt, the mother conceives malice, ſhe travells with the pleaſure of revenge, ſhe growes bigge with conſpiracie, and at the laſt, ſhee brings forth murder.

There is beauty in a woman, Gods admirable workemanſhip, rich colours upon a peece of clay. By ſome wanton looke, laſcivious ſpeech, or light behaviour, the devill ſuggeſts the ſeeds of unchaſtitie. Luſt conceives deſire, ſhee travells with expectance of opportunitie, growes bigge with immodeſtie, at laſt, brings forth adulterie.

In another, the devill ſuggeſts the ſeed of Pride; Luſt conceives it by thinking on honour, ſhe travells in the imagination of high places: how great things ſhee might doe, how bravely quit her enemies, if preferred to ſome dignitie: he growes bigge with an office, and at laſt brings forth ſcorne and tyrannie: now ſtill ſhe runs upon Pompey's motto. Semper ego cupio praecellere, & eſſe ſupremus.

Satan ſuggeſts the ſeed of diſcontent: Luſt conceives a child, like Ice, it begets the mother againe. Wine begets luſt, and luſt begets a deſire of wine. Bacchus and Venus are neere neighbours; only voluptuouſneſſe hath a houſe betweene them.

This is the mother, and thus prone to the forbidden bed: what ſhall we doe? becauſe we know the diſhoneſtie of the father, let us be ſure to keepe in the mother; reſtraine Luſt, and ſo ſue a divorce betwixt the devill and concupiſcence. The only way is to put enmitie betweene the ſeed of the ſerpent, and the ſeed of the woman: that though the devill be never ſo buſy in ſuggeſting, yet concupiſcence may be kept from conceiving. There are two good herbes to make this woman barren, Agnus Caſtus and Lettuce; Prayer and faſting. If this kind of devill have adulterated with Luſt, he goes not out but by prayer and faſting. It is faſting ſpittle that muſt kill this ſerpent. If this take not effect, preſent to thy mind a ſpirituall crucifixe, memoriam crucifixi, the remembrance of him that died on the Croſſe for thee. Thinke thou doeſt ſee Ieſus comming toward thee; his head crowned with thornes, his hands, his feet, his ſide, his heart bloudy; his eyes full of teares. Behold him: p. 90duplicate page p. 91duplicate page p. 92adulterie ſits not in thoſe eyes: thoſe feet were not made to pleaſe Herod with a meaſure: thoſe armes were wonted to no wanton embraces; but to embrace the croſſe with patience, our ſoules with comfort. For thee, Luſt, for thee have I died; thou onelyonly didſt murder mee: doe not make theſe wounds bleed a-freſh: open not my ſide againe, to let forth new ſtreames of bloud: pull mee not from my throne in heaven to the grave againe. Wouldeſt thou keepe luſt from the adulterous companie ot Satan? ſet in the view of thy conſcience, IESVS CHRIST crucified.

The next is the midwife, Conſent: well might the child be conceived by ſuggeſtion, but without conſent it could never be borne. The devill ſuggeſts into Abſaloms heart pride, his luſt conceives a crowne, Conſent of will is his midwife, and delivers him of treaſon. The devill ſuggeſts into Demas, gaine; his luſt conceives heapes of mony, eaſe, the pleaſure of the world: Conſent of will is his midwife, and delivers him of apoſtacie. Satan comes to a young beginner, one newly ſet up for himſelfe, and ſuggeſts the ſweetneſſe of being rich: luſt conceives all wayes of gaine and propounds being one day an Alderman: Conſent of will playes the midwife, and brings forth fraud and lying. If thou wouldeſt prevent the birth of ſinne, deny luſt her midwife, Conſent. uuProv. 1.10.Prov 1:10My ſonne, if ſinners entiſe thee, Conſent thou not. Could artiſans and women maſter great difficulties & tu non poteris? ſaith Auguſtine to himſelfe. It is no eaſy atchievement: It was as great a miracle that Ioſeph in the armes of his miſtreſſe ſhould not burne with luſt; as it was for thoſe three Saints to walke in the fiery fornace without ſcorching, Luther. If luſt will yeeld, and ſinne muſt be bred, yet be ſure to locke up the midwife; that it may be an abortive brood, ſtiffied in the wombe, ſtill-borne. He was a great Prince, that on the difficultie of his Queens deliverie; when the midwife put him to the choice, whether the mother or the ſonne ſhould be ſaved, ſeeing one of them muſt on neceſſitie be loſt: the king anſwered, ſave the fruite, though the tree fall; preſerve the ſonne, albeit you loſe the mother. But in this caſe doe the contrary; ſave the mother and let the child periſh: kill ſinne, and preſerve nature alive. Thou art tempted, conſent not; allow no midwife, and the child ſhall never bee borne. Wee have all luſt about us; a veryxxRom. 7.24.Rom 7:24 body of death: the father is ready, the mother is willing; keepe away the midwife; that though ſinne be done upon us, we may have this comfort, we conſented not.

The laſt is the Nurſe, Cuſtome: this feeds, ſuſtaines, and brings up the baſtard. Though it be borne, it could not batten, thrive, and grow to ſtature, but by ſucking on the breſts of Cuſtome. The curſe that the Cretians uſed againſt th ir enemies, was not fire on their houſes, nor a ſword at their hearts: but that which in time would bring on greater woes; ut mala conſuetudine delectentur; that they might be delighted with an ill cuſtome. aaPſal. 7.5.Ps 7:5If I have done this, if there be iniquity in my hands, &c. Then let the enemy perſecute my ſoule, and take it: yea let, him tread downe my life upon the earth, and lay mine honour in the dust. Hugo Cardin. on thoſe words of the Pſalme comments thus. Let him perſecute my ſoule, by ſuggeſtion: take it by conſent; tread downe my life by action; and lay mine honour in the duſt by cuſtome. This is not onelyonly a grave to bury the ſoule in, but a ſtone rolled to the mouth of it, to keepe it downe. Sinne but now borne, Iniquitas eſt; matura, natura fit: when it is ripe, it becomes a nature. Deſinit eſſe remedio locus, ubi quae fuerunt vitia, mores ſunt. The diſeaſe is incurable, when vices are made manners. Incipit eſſe licitum, quod ſolet eſſe publicum. Cuſtome is not onelyonly another nurture, but another nature. Lawyers ſay, Quod eſt conſuetum, praeſumitur eſſe iuſtum. That which is done by many, is at length thought lawfull in any. Take an Apologue: foure things meeting, boaſted their comparative ſtrength; the Oke, a Stone, Wine, and Cuſtome. The oke ſtood ſtoutly to it, but a blaſt of wind came and made it bow; the axe felled it quite downe. Great is the ſtrength of ſtones, yet continuall drops weare them; Gutta cavat lapidem: a hammer breakes them p. 93to peeces. Wine overthrowes Giants and ſtrong men, Senators and wiſe men; & quid non pocula poſſunt? yet ſleepe overcomes wine. But Cuſtome invicta manet, remaines unconquered. Many would not endure IESUS CHRIST, becauſe he came to breake their cuſtomes. The Maſters of the Pythoneſſe, Acts 16.21. objected this againſt Paul and Silas; that they did teach cuſtomes not lawfull for them to receive. For this cauſe was the up-roare in Epheſus; the coppy-hold of Diana was touched: and the towne clarke had no meanes to appeaſe the tumult, and deliver the Apoſtles; but by ſaying,bbAct. 19.37.Acts 19:37 Theſe men are no blaſphemers of your goddeſſe; they come not to breake your cuſtomes. Tell a Papiſt, that his two meales faſt makes the third a glutton, he defies you for a breaker of his cuſtomes. Tell a country man that it is unlawfull to keepe his towne-wake on the Sunday; he hates you as a Puritan, that comes to breake his Cuſtome. It is Cuſtome that hath undone our Church: when the Paſtor comes to demand his tithes; he is anſwered, as the man of Romney-marſh did his Miniſter from Scripture; Cuſtome to whom Cuſtome. But the Miniſter well replied; The Churches of God have no ſuch cuſtome. This is the nurſe Cuſtome: and ſo you have all foure; the father, the mother, the midwife, the nurſe. And here is the generation of that monſter, ſin: borne from the wombe of that concupiſcence, which my Text calls Luſt.

Now God hath given us meanes to conquer all theſe. The father is Satan,ccPet. 5 9. Whom reſiſt ſtedfaſt in the faith. Faith in the Lambe ſhall put this roaring Lion to flight. They overcame him by the bloud of the Lambe, Revel. 12.11. For the mother, overcome her by mortification,ddCol. 3.5.Col 3:5 Mortifie your members which are on the earth: not onelyonly lay her a ſleepe, but lay her dead. The midwife is Conſent; diſable her, by reſolution not to obey her in the luſt of the fleſh, eeRom. 6 12.Rom 6:12Let not ſinne raigne in your mortall body. He ſaies not, let not ſinne tyrannize: but let it not raigne. Be not ſin's voluntaries: if you bee onelyonly preſſed againſt your wills; it is not you that offend, but ſinne that dwelleth in you. The devill will ſuggeſt, and concupiſcence will admit, but take away the midwife, conſent not. There will be Senſus, let there not be Conſenſus. When the faire Lucrece was raviſhed by Tarquin, Auguſtine obſerves; Duo fuerunt, & unus adulterium admiſit: there were two perſons, and but one adulterer: a conjunction of bodies, but a diſtraction of minds. A regenerate mans caſe is like that of Lucrece; ſinne is rather done on him, than of him. But laſtly, let us all confeſſe, that the father hath begot, and the mother conceived, and the midwife brought forth ſinne in us: we have gone too farre in this birth: yet in the feare of the Lord let us not put it to nurſe; not accuſtome our ſelves to it: but breake off ſinne by repentance; otherwiſe, Luſt when it is finiſhed, brings forth death.

That is in the world: we have ſeene the infection, let us now looke upon the Diſperſion; Through the world. The world is taken two wayes; for the frame and conſtitution of the world: and for the men and Inhabitants of the world. Now this corruption extends it ſelfe to both: the content hath corrupted the continent: mens ſins have infected the world, as the plague in perſons infect the very walls of the houſe. The latter acception is here ſtrictly meant: yet let us ſee this corruption in both.

Firſt, for the men of the world; for this is rather corruptio morum quam elementorum: a depravation of manners, rather than of elements.ffIoh. 12.31.John 12:31 The Prince of this world ſhall be caſt out. Not the Prince of the great world, for that is God; but of the little world, evill man: the wicked are his vaſſalls, becauſe they are ſinnes veſſells. The devill is called theggEph. 2.2.Eph 2:2 Prince of the power of the aire, the ſpirit that worketh in the children of diſobedience. hhIoh. 1.19.John 1:19Chriſt was in the world, and the world knew him not. What world knew not CHRIST? The heavens knew him, for the ſunne was eclipſed at his death, and that in Plenilunio: the earth knew him, for it ſhooke and quaked with feare: the ſtones knew him, for they rent and cleave in ſunder The world that knew him nor, was man; not ſubſtantia, but Incola mundi. Vnumquidque p. 94illud eſt quod amat: every thing is that which it loves: ſo the wicked are the world, becauſe they affect the world. But if the world be ever taken in the worſe ſenſe, how then is it ſaid; Sic dilexit mundum; So God loved the world? when Donatus oppoſed that, 1 Iohn 5.19. Poſitus eſt in maligno; the whole world lieth in wickedneſſe: Auguſtine anſwers him with, 1 Iohn 2.2. Chriſt is the propitiation, not for our ſins only, but for the ſins of the whole world. And**2 Cor. 5.19.2 Cor 5:19 God was in Chriſt reconciling the world to himſelfe. Here Qui benè diſtinguit, benè docet: a diſtinction ſhall make all cleare. Where world is taken in an evill ſenſe, it is meant of evill men, where in good ſenſe, of good men. Where in a generall ſenſe of all men. The godly are called the world, but medulla mundi, the marrow of the world: when this marrow decaies, the world will periſh.iiPſal. 12.1.Ps 12:1 Helpe Lord, for the godly man ceaſeth: and the faithfull faile among the children of men. If the godly be diminiſhed, now helpe Lord. Chryſoſtome ſaies, many things are ſpoken De agro, that ſhall not be fulfilled but in horreo. Diſtingue tempora, & concurrent ſcripta. But the wicked are properly called the world: for though they be reaſonable men, and have ſoules from heaven; yet they are corrupted by and corrupting the earth There is a river in Spaine full of fiſhes; but thoſe fiſhes are corrupt and unwholeſome, by reaſon the river runnes three or foure leagues under the ground: ſo the wicked though they had ſome ſparkes of naturall goodneſſe, yet by running through the earth, they become lothſome,kkPhil. 3.18.Phil 3:18 Many walke, that are enemies to the Croſſe of Chriſt: if many in Pauls time, more now. For Satan who was then bound, is now looſed againe out of priſon: andllRevel. 12.12.Rev 12:12 hath great wrath, becauſe he knowes he hath but a ſhort time. So tetricall and horrible is this, that a man would thinke the whole world were turned devill. Therefore pray we with David; mmPſal. 17.14.Ps 17:14From men of the world, good Lord deliver us.

Secondly, the world in the very frame and ſubſtance of it is thus corrupted; all in vanitie. A man that would taſt the ſaltneſſe of marine waters, needs not drinke up all the ſea: it is enough for me to give you a taſt of this world. In the creation of every daies worke, God ſaw that it was good: but in the ſixth day, having done all; Erant valde bona: viewing all in the harmonie, They were very good. The things of the world were made good for man, but he made them evill to himſelfe: ſo that now the whole creature groaneth under this corruption, Ro. 8. So it labours, as if it deſired releaſe, and reſt: ſo it is corrupted that it muſt periſh. Communis mundo ſupereſt rogus. nn2 Pet 3.10.2 Pet 3:10The heavens ſhall paſſe away with a great noiſe, &c. Non minùs certum, quia dilatum: the differring doth not diſcredit the certaintie. If the world it ſelfe be ſo periſhable, what think you of all the pompe and vanities of it? Corrupta ſunt, & corrumpentia: they are corrupt themſelves, and corrupting others.oo1 Ioh. 2.15.1 John 2:15 Love not the world: what is this world? The Apoſtle expounds it to be luſt of the fleſh, luſt of the eyes, and pride of life. Beatus qui explicatur, miſer qui implicatur. Bleſſed is the man that is delivered out of them, wretched is he that is wrapped in them.

There's only one way left, not to admit

The worlds corruption; to be none of it.

Now ſhall I wrappe up both theſe worlds into one bundle, and teach you how to loath it? This you will doe by conſidering the villanie, miſerie, Inconſtancie, Inſufficiencie of it.

The villanie; The world ſhall hate you, ſaith Chriſt. Then Chriſt hath not told us truly, or the world will uſe us hardly. As Tertullian obſerves on Nerva's epiſtle to Plinie: hee would not have Chriſtians ſought for, quaſi Innocentes, as if hee confeſſed them innocent: yet being found he would have them puniſhed, quaſi reos, as if he profeſſed them guilty. Good men commonly find as much favour of the world, as vitellius ſhewed Iulius the. Senator: when the Emperor Commodus commanded hee ſhould bee ſlaine with the ſword; vitellius in favour did beat him to death with cudgells. Plead what they can for their owne innocence, the Wolfe will anſwer the Lambe; Indeed thy cauſe is better than mine, but my teeth are better p. 95than thine, I will devoure thee. There are not wanting, that like Fimbria of Rome, who meeting a Citizen that he hated, in the ſtreet, gave him a deadly thruſt into the body with his ſword: and the next day entred an action againſt him, that he had received but part of his blade into his body, and not all, as he meant it. Sic nocet innocuo nocuus: what can the Lambe expect elſe of the butcher? Indeed ſometimes the world uſeth a man, as Ierome notes, the Praetor handled a ſouldier, to make him renounce CHRIST. Firſt he impriſons him in his owne houſe, allowes him a chamber well furniſhed, ſoft lodging, daintie cheare, wine, muſicke, all delights. When this courſe would not take, (yet Lord, how many are thus tempted to leave their Saviour!) then he caſts him into a darke dungeon, loades him with irons, ſtarves him with the hungry allowance of huskes and puddle-water. When nothing would doe, he burnes him. If the devill cannot winne men to hell as hee ſeemes an Angell of light, hee will ſtrive to accompliſh it as hee is a ſpirit of terror; if not transformed to another ſhape, then deformed in his owne ſhape.

The Miſerie: ſo ſoone as CHRIST was baptiſed, and the Spirit deſcended on him, preſently Satan had a-bout with him. No ſooner doe we give our names to CHRIST, and receive the holy ſpirit, but inſtantly the devill rages and roares againſt our poore ſoules with might and malice. If we begin to pleaſe God, we diſpleaſe the world: if God be our friend, that will be our enemie,pp2 Cor. 7.5.2 Cor 7:5 when wee were come into Macedonia, our fleſh had no reſt, but we were troubled on every ſide: without were fightings, within were feares. When we once put our endeavours to godlineſſe, expect no quiet. Nunquam bella bonis, nunquam diſsidia ceſſant: Et quocum certet, mens pia ſemper habet, Proſp. Say we then with David; Oh God my heart is ready. Paratum ad ſublimia, paratum ad humilia: paratum ad proſpera, paratum ad adverſa, paratum ad univerſa. Ready for good things, ready for evill things, ready for high things, ready for low things, ready for all things, Bernard. 1 Sam. 6. The king of Bethſhemeſh might low after their calves at home, yet they kept one path, and turned neither to the right hand nor to left. So although wee mourne for parting from our temporary delights; yet let us keepe the way of truth, that will bring us to the end of our faiths, the ſalvation of our ſoules. Scrape not then on the dunghill of this earth for pearles, where nothing will thrive but toad-ſtooles.qqIoh. 16.33.John 16:33 In me you have peace, in the world you ſhall have tribulation: leave me to affect our owne miſerie.

The Inconſtancie: at moſt we can get but the figure or faſhion of this world, and Figura tranſit, the faſhion of it periſheth, Ier. 17.11. The Partrich may ſitte on egges, and hatch them: but then (becauſe they are none of her owne) the true mother calls them, and they flieaway. The worldling is this brood-gooſe, hatcheth chickens, gathers riches: but when God calls them, they runne away from him, and leave him a foole. rrLuke 12.20.Luke 12:20Thou foole, this night ſhall they fetch away thy ſoule from thee, then whoſe ſhall theſe things be? Swallowes will not build in houſes ready to fall: yet we more unwiſe, build our neſts in this periſhing world. Sea-paſſengers have written, that about the Teneriffe there be certaine Ilands, called the flitting Ilands: they are often ſeene, but when men come neere them, they flitte away. The world it ſelfe is ſuch, a flitting Iland: to day thou thinkeſt it Tuum, thine; tomorrow it ſhall not find thee Suum, his: thou art quickly gone from that, or that from thee. Solvet amicititas mors ingratiſsima veſtras. O bleſſed place, where peace hath no change!

The Inſufficiencie; it can never content us. They that have moſt, crave moſt: the richeſt uſurers are the pooreſt beggars.ſſEccl. 5.10.Eccl 5:10 He that loveth ſilver ſhall not be ſatisfied with ſilver. As the poore man cryes, Quid faciam, quia non habeo, what ſhall I doe becauſe I have nothing? ſo the covetous cryes as faſt, Quid faciam, quia habeo, what ſhall I do becauſe I have ſo much?ttLuke 12.17.Luke 12:17 What ſhall I doe becauſe I have no roome to beſtow my fruits? But whats this? have we any hope to caſt out worldlyneſſe? No: indeed p. 96your judgements here can make no reſiſtance, but your affections cannot bee brought to it. Moſt men deſire Eſaus bleſſing, the fatneſſe of the earth: they care, not for Iacobs, yet hee went away with the Covenant. Cains outlawed ſtocke were yet excellent in worldly things; Iabal in cattell, Iubal in muſicke, Tubal in braſſe and iron; they were the fathers of thoſe profeſſions. What worldly thing is there, but ſome reprobates have had it? For beauty, Abſalom was very faire; and the daughters of men by beauty enſnared the ſons of God, Gen. 6.2. For ſtrength, Goliah was very potent; for ſwiftneſſe, Hazael was a ſwift runner; for wealth, Nabal was very rich; for honour, Saul was a King: In man one dramme of grace, from God one drop of mercy, had beene better than all theſe.uuRevel. 12.1.Rev 12:1 There appeared a woman clothed with the Sunne, and the moone under her feet, and upon her head a crowne of twelve Starres. The Sunne is Chriſt, the twelve Starres the twelve Apoſtles, the Moone is the world, and that is under the Churches feet. We that have the earneſt of the Spirit, and the firſt-fruits of ſalvation, while we are awake, know and acknowledge this to be the beſt of all. Yet if a little reſt of quiet, or eaſe of health, or luggage of wealth be miſſing, we mutter as if God had done nothing for us, and are often readie to leave, the muſicke of Sion, and to runne backe to the world. Strabo hath a tale of a Muſician, that had got together many delighted hearers, whom with ſweet charmes he held by the eares; they praiſed his muſicke, he was well pleaſed with their company. On a ſudden the market-bell rung, away they ranne all, and ſtayed not ſo much as to give him thankes: onelyonly one ſomewhat deafe ſtayed behinde. The Muſician heartily thanked him that he would tarry with him, when all the reſt went away at the ringing of the market-bell: why, but hath the market-bell rung indeed, ſayes he? Yes, quoth the Muſician; away trudges he too. You can apply it. Preach wee never ſo well againſt worldlineſſe, when the charmes and chimes of the world ring, it is hard to keepe your mindes from running. O how difficult is it to conquer this world? yet faith can doe it,xx1 Iohn 5.4.1 John 5:4 This is the victory that overcommeth the world, even our faith. Every true Chriſtian is greater than William the Conquerour, greater than Alexander the Great, greater than Pompey the Great, greater than the great Turke. For they conquered in many yeares but a few parts of the world; but the Beleever in one houre with one act onelyonly, ſubdues the whole world, with all things in the world. Terra fremat, regna alta crepent, ruat ortus & orcus; Si modo firma fides, nulla ruina nocet; Art thou a Chriſtian? haſt thou vanquiſhed the world, that vanquiſheth all the wicked? Bleſſe God for this conqueſt: the King of Spaines over-running the Indies was nothing to it. Merchants would give much …o know a ſhort cut to thoſe remote places of trafficke, without paſſing ſtraites, or fetching bouts: the ſhorteſt cut to the riches of the whole world is by their contempt. Here is a ſhort deſcription of the worlds vanity, by reaſon of this corruption: but what can he expect that ſpeakes againſt the world? When Chriſt himſelfe came to diſſwade men from the world, hee had ill lucke in that point. Hee might preach;yyLuke 16.9.Luke 16:9 Make to your ſelves friends of the Mammon of unrighteouſneſſe: and verſ. 13. You cannot ſerve GOD and Mammon. But when the Phariſies that were covetous, heard all theſe things, they derided him, verſ. 14. he had but a flout for his labour. But let thoſe that have hope of heaven, ceaſe to love this world: and know that if Chriſt make us to deny this world, hee will give us a better; wee ſhall be no loſers by him, he vouchſafes us the kingdome of heaven.zz… Cor. 15.19. For if in this life onelyonly we had hope in Chriſt, wee of all men were moſt miſerable. Take this corrupted world that like it; let that glorious world be ours.

Having eſcaped the corruption. We have conſidered the Infection, and the Diſperſion, and therein the Diſcovery: now one word of the Recovery, wee have Eſcaped it. I call this a Deliverance; for we have Eſcaped; not by our owne power, but by his grace that hath delivered us.aaPſal. 12 4.7.Ps 12:4Ps 12:7 Our ſoule is Eſcaped as a bird out of the ſnare of the fowlers; the ſnare is broken and we are Eſcaped. The ſnare of the fowlers were the lime-twigs of this world: our ſoule was caught in them by the feathers, p. 97our affections: now indeed we are Eſcaped, but the Lord delivered us. Wee that were once taken captives of Satan at his will, are now freed. There is a foure-fold manner of freeing captives: 1. By manumiſſion, a voluntary making free of a bond-ſervant: ſo we are eſcaped from the ſervice of Satan into the glorious libertie of the ſonnes of God.bbIohn 8.36.John 8:36 If the Sonne ſhall make you free, you ſhall be free indeed. 2. By Commutation, we were priſoners by ſinne to Death. God therefore made a change with Death: Take thou my Sonne priſoner, give mee my ſervants free. Death and Hell were forced to exchange: So they killed Chriſt, and we eſcaped. 3. By price; when a ranſome is paid: now Chriſtcc1 Tim. 2.6.1 Tim 2:6 gave himſelfe a ranſome for all: no ſilver or gold could ſerve; but thedd1 Pet. 1.19.1 Pet 1:19 Precious bloud of that immaculate Lambe. We are bought with bloud, and this is the bloud of God. So Tertullian, Sanguis Chriſti non redemiſſet eccleſiam, niſi fuiſſet ſanguis Dei; No bloud could have ſaved us, but the bloud of him that was God. Here was mercy, great mercy: Chriſt to have mercy upon us, had no mercy upon himſelfe: the price is payed, and wee are eſcaped. 4. By violence; thou haſt plucked my feet out of the ſnare, when they were too hard for mee: with a ſtrong hand and out-ſtretched arme, God hath delivered us out of this Aegypt. As David delivered his ſheepe from the Lion, ſo the LORD hath delivered us, 2 Tim. 4.17. Ejecit daemonia; CHRIST did caſt out devils: like Alexander, he ſtood not to untie the knot, but hee cut it. By all theſe wayes wee are eſcaped, may our thankfull hearts give praiſe to our Deliverer Ieſus Chriſt.

But did GOD all this for us, and ſhall we doe nothing for him, for our ſelves? Alas, wee ſhall then ſoone againe be entangled with the Corruption of this world. Here wee learne the due and true uſe of Faith and Repentance; Faith to lay hold on the bloud of CHRIST, to cleanſe our ſoules from this Corruption of luſt and Repentance by true remorſefull teares to purge our ſelves continually. Nulla dies ſine maculis, nulla dies ſine lacrymis; No day is without ſinnes, let no day paſſe without ſorrowes. Theſe ſhowers ſhall kill the weeds of luſts, and ſpring up the herbes of graces. When he over-waters earth, there follows temporall plentie: when earth waters heaven, there followes ſpirituall plentie. Let mee now give you the picture of Repentance; which I deſire not to be ſet up in your houſes, but to be laid up in your hearts.

Shee is a Virgin faire and lovely, but ſorrow ſeemes to doe violence to her beautie; yet indeed increaſeth it. You ſhall ever ſee her ſitting in the duſt, her knees bowing, her hands wringing, her eyes weeping, her lips praying, her heart beating, her lungs panting. Shee comes not before GOD with a full belly, and meat betweene her teeth, but her ſoule iseePſal. 35.13.Ps 35:13 humbled with fasting. Shee is not gorgeouſly attired, Sack-cloth is her garment. Not that ſhee thinkes theſe outward formes will content GOD, but onelyonly are moeroris Inſignia, the remonſtrances of pure ſorrow within. And indeed at that time no worldly joy will downe; onelyonly pardon and mercy in IESUS CHRIST. Shee hangs the Word of GOD as a Iewell at her eare, and tyes the yoke of CHRIST as a chaine about her necke. Her breſt is ſore with the ſtrokes of her owne penitent hands, which are alwayes lifted up toward heaven, or beating her owne boſome. Sorrow turnes her lumina into flumina, frontem in fontem; her eyes into fountaines of teares. The ground is her bed; ſhee eats the bread of affliction, and drinkes the water of anguiſh. Her knees are hardned with continuall praying, her voice hoarce with calling to heaven: and when ſhee cannot ſpeake, ſhee delivers her minde in groanes. There is not a teare falls from her, but an Angell holds a bottell to catch it. The windowes of all her Senſes bee ſhut againſt vanitie: ſhee bids Charitie ſtand the Porter at her gates, and ſhee gives the poore bread, even while her ſelfe is faſting. Shee would waſh CHRISTS feete with more teares than Mary Magdalen▪ and if her eſtate could reach it, give him a coſtlier unction. Shee thinkes every mans ſinnes leſſe than her owne; every mans good deedes more. Her p. 98compunctions are unſpeakable, knowne onelyonly to God and her ſelfe, and to no creature elſe. She wiſheth not onelyonly men, but beaſts, trees, and ſtones to mourne with her. She thinkes that no Sunne ſhould ſhine, becauſe ſhe takes no pleaſure in it: that the Lilies ſhould be clothed in blacke, becauſe ſhee is ſo apparelled: that ths Infant ſhould draw no breſt, nor the beaſt take food, like the Ninivites; becauſe ſhee hath no appetite. She hath vowed to give GOD no reſt, till he have compaſſion upon her, and ſeale to her feeling the forgiveneſſe of all her ſinnes. Now MercieMercy comes downe like a white and glorious Angell, and lights on her boſome. The meſſage which Mercy brings from the King of Heaven is this; I have heard thy prayers and ſeene thy teares. The HOLY GHOST comes with an hand-kerchiefe of comfort to drie her eyes. Laſtly, ſhee is lifted up to heaven, where Angels and Cherubims ſing her tunes of eternall joy: and GOD bids Immortality ſet her in a Throne of glory.