Commentary on 2 Peter, Commentary on 2 Peter volume 2 · Chapter 3 · Verse 17

Commentary on 2 Peter · Commentary on 2 Peter volume 2 · Chapter 3 · Verse 17

p. 14692 PET. 3.17.

Ye therefore beloved, ſeeing yee know theſe things before, beware leſt ye alſo being led away with the errour of the wicked, fall from your owne ſtedfaſtneſſe.

IT is the policy of that old Serpent, to get upon us the ſame way that hee did at firſt: which is by drawing ſhadowes over ſubſtances, as hee did the body over the ſoule. The way to mend this, and to cheat the Divell, is to turne man the right ſide outwards, and to ſet the ſoule formoſt againe. Ioſephus thinks that the Serpent, before it was an inſtrument of Eves temptation and fall, did goe upright and ſpeake: and that his preſent muteneſſe and creeping, were a curſe laid upon him for that fact. But if hee formerly went upright, if he formerly ſpoke, it might bee wiſhed that hee did ſo ſtill: Becauſe if hee did goe upright, wee ſhould the ſooner ſee him; if hee ſpoke, the ſooner heare him. In his curſe wee are curſed too; his very creeping undoes us. When hee preſents pleaſing objects to our eyes, the ſnares and bates of ſinne, hee ſaies nothing: he is a dumbe ſerpent, but ſtill a ſerpent. When hee windes errour and falſhood into our ſoules, through the labyrinth of our eares, hee lickes the duſt in a cozening humility: he is a creeping ſerpent, but ſtill a ſerpent. The vanities of the world, honour, pleaſure, wealth, envenome our affections: but the errors of the world, ſchiſme, faction, ſeparation; theſe impoiſon our judgements: There the body is more taken, here the ſoule. The rule to helpe the former is this; that the body and the ſoule ſtill goe together, but the better before. The rule for the other, that the ſoule ever follow God, as the body followes her: that ſhee never ſtand to her owne judgement, but to his that made her. The rule for both; that wee lay hold upon the Goſpell of grace with both hands, of faith and practiſe: for ſo the underſtanding and the will, which is the whole ſoule of man, is made up againe, and ſanctifies the body. Let us keepe the will and teſtament of our once dead, and ever living Teſtator, the ſacred record of the Goſpell, perpetually in our hands, in our hearts; and then Errour may knocke at our doores, but finde no entrance: it ſhall not come in. The wicked may invite us to their houſe, and promiſe us pleaſant cheare, novelties and dainties; new opinions, new poſitions, new ſpeculations, rare forren ſtuffe; but wee will not goe. Thus if wee ſticke cloſe to the evident written truth; when thouſands periſh in their ſtrange devices, which did creepe like ſerpents into their wanton heads, and ſtung their hearts; we ſhall not fall from our owne ſtedfastneſſe: which is our Apoſtles ſpeciall care in this place: Ye therefore beloved, ſeeing yee know, &c.

The maine building of the Text is a caution: the Porch or entrance into it, is by an inſinuation. The Apoſtle inſinuates himſelfe three waies. Firſt Per viam illationis, by an illation upon the premiſſes; Therefore: Secondly, Per viam dilectionis, by his love to their ſoules; Beloved. Thirdly, Per viam conceſsionis, by granting their former acquaintance with theſe dangers; Seeing ye know theſe things before. The caution armes us againſt two miſcarriages; the one of wandring; that p. 1470we be not led away: the other of Falling; that we do not fall away. The former is a ſinfull way, the latter a fatall end. In the way, there is Quiddam activum, the error of the wicked: and Quiddam paſsivum, the Seducement of the weake. In the end, we have a Station, Firmitas, a Stedfaſtnes: and a precipitation, or falling from it, But then there ſeemes to be a kind of Dilemma in the words: for if they were ſtedfaſt, how could they fall? If they did fall, where then was their ſtedfaſtnes? It is cleared by diſtinguiſhing the times: So long as they continued ſtedfaſt, they never fell: but when they once fell, they ceaſed to be ſtedfaſt. oo1. Cor. 10.12.1 Cor 10:12He that ſtandeth now, may yet fall hereafter.

Therefore: this Illative bids us looke backe a little: There is no word ſuperfluous, that ever droped from the pen of the holy Ghoſt: ſomewhat ſure there is in it, and that of no ſmall moment. As David anſwered his brother Eliabs chiding;pp1. Sam. 17.29.1 Sam 17:29 Is there not a cauſe? Certainely there is a cauſe. Whereſoever we find an Igitur, we muſt not ſlippe it: for the whole weight of the ſentence lyeth upon it. It is the ground that feeds the roote, it is the roote that beares up the tree, on which all the fruites grow. It is the Prophets rule; Firſt to looke to theqqEſa. 37.31.Isa 37:31 roote downeward, before to the fruite upward. Every argument is ſhut up with an Ergo; it is the knowne note of a Concluſion. Thus may the Syllogiſme be framed: Whoſoever would eſcape deſtruction, muſt adhere to the trueth: But you all deſire to eſcape deſtruction: Vos igitur, Ye therefore ſticke to the trueth. Erring from the Scriptures, is the Medius terminus, whereupon the whole argument runnes; from which the very life of the Induction breathes. There is perdition threatned to them that abuſe Gods word: this we would faine avoid: Cavete igitur; Beware of committing, ſuch an abuſe, beware of being led away with ſuch an error. The Wherefore of it is deſtruction, and who would not flie from that? Yet we are naturally ſo ſlow, that we muſt be ſpurred on with a Caution.

Beloved.] Of all the medicines and electuaries, miniſtred to us by our ſpiritual phyſicians, Love is the ſweetening. Bitter pilles will downe, when they are made up in Love. We will ſuffer inciſions, the opening of our veines, and the letting out of our blouds, when we know it is done in Love to our healths. And ſhall we not ſuffer the word of Exhortation, when it is the argument of Love to our ſoules? Paul with paſſion, Chriſt with compaſſion, reproved ſinners all in love. If there bee any other intention in the diſpenſers of theſe heavenly myſteries; whether it be Covetouſnes; as Simon Magus would have bought the holy Ghoſt, that he might have ſold him, and ſo got money by him: Or pride; as the ſonnes of Sceva would needs be caſting forth devills, without a commiſſion: Or Flatterie; that ſay to men thatrrIer. 23.17.Jer 23:17 deſpiſe God, Yee ſhall have peace: Like Chaplens of Abiathars humour, that with blanching vices at the Table, ſpoile their grace before dinner: Or vain glory; as the Phariſees made long prayers, and (doubtleſſe) longer Sermons; that the people might commend their memories, and have a rare opinion of their merites: Or emulation, as Tertullus offered to ou… vie Paul with eloquence: Or envie, as thoſe that bitterly ſtomached that Apoſtles credite: Or hypocriſie, as Iudas preached againſt unneceſſary waſt, becauſe he would faine have put it in his owne purſe: Or contention, as ^ſ ſome Preached Chriſt in ſtrife; that contend more for the honour of their owne witte, then of Chriſts Goſpell: If any of theſe ſprings ſet our wheeles a moving, if theſe bee the ends of our Preaching ſuch an end will follow it, as we had better be without it, even ſuch a miſerie at the end, as will know no end of miſerie.

Love, Love is the promptuary of all our labours: this obligation, this adjuration, did not Chriſt lay upon Peter only, but upon every Miniſter;ttIoh. 21.16.John 21:16 If you love me, feed my ſheepe. Love is the Maſter of all difficulties, the digeſter of all injuries, the ſilences of all excuſes, the heart and life of all good actions. Law is not ſo ſtrong as Love: we do many things in Love, which we need not do in law; be pleaſed to note here the difference of affections, that is in the Paſtor & the peole, he people will render no duties p. 1471to their Paſtor, but what they are compelled to by Law: Nay, Vtinam vel ſic, would it were no worſe. It might bee wiſhed, they would doe but that: wee finde the contrary, they doe not. Wee doe not, like dull Oxen, tread out no more corne than the goad of the Law prickes us to: but though you muzzle our mouthes, wee fill your garners. OnelyOnly love constraineth us; and that with ſo pleaſing a violence, that we even love our owne fetters.

But we crie out on the want of love on all ſides. The Miniſter profeſſeth love to his people, but they will not beleeve it. The people pretend no leſſe love to their Miniſter, though hee cannot finde it. How ſhall they be tryed? There is one rule to trie both faith and love: the proofe lyes inuuIam. 2.18.Jas 2:18 good workes. What you doe for us, and what we doe for you; this ſhewes in what meaſure we love one another. I we feed you with our ſpirituals; this is a demonſtration of our love to you: But if you let us languiſh for want of your temporals, I am ſure here is no proofe of your love to us. If wee ſhould all examine our hearts according to this infallible rule; your want of love to us would be judged by your owne conſciences.

Wee like any charity well, but the doing charity: If our love would coſt us nothing, wee would make it welcome. But gracious love is of a nobler nature: it hath Eagles wings, and will flie to doe good: it will runne, where it cannot flie: it will goe, when it cannot runne: yea, love will creepe, where it cannot goe. Sometimes charity flies; as an Eagle to feed her young ones: ſhee flies Eaſt and Weſt, ſwifter than the winde, with an ardent deſire of doing good: ſhe flies up to Heaven, and would ſhew her ſelfe in thoſe glorious Courts: and this is an Angels pace. Sometimes ſhe runnes, faſter than Cuſhi or Ahimaaz to David, or Peter and Iohn to the Sepulcher of the Sonne of David: xxLuke 19.8.Luke 19:8Halfe my goods I give to the poore: His almes ranne from the fountaine of his heart, as ſtreames from an overflowing ſpring: and this is a Saints pace. Sometimes it goes; if with a ſlower agilitie of foot, yet with the ſame alacrity of minde: when the Samaritan ſaw the wounded PaſſengeraaLuke 10.34.Luke 10:34 He went to him. bb1 Theſſ. 2.18.1 Thess 2:18Wee would have come unto you, but Satan hindred us: hee could not come yet he ſent;ccChap. 3.2. We ſent Timotheus our brother: and this is a Friends pace. Sometimes it is driven to creepe: ſuch a Creeple was Saint Peter in his purſe, as the other was in his legges; whom hee thus gratified;ddActs 3.6.Acts 3:6 Silver and Gold have I none, but ſuch as I have I give thee. eeExod. 35.26.Exod 35:26At the building of the Tabernacle, if mens eſtates could not reach to Gold, or Silver, or Scarlet; yet their Goats haire was accepted. Love will ſeeke many wayes. If the rich afford their almes, the poore may give their prayers:ffMarke 12.4….Mark 12:4 ſo the Widow gives her two mites; all: and this is the Widowes pace. Two Conſiderations here, are not to be omitted.

1. It is our love that makes usgg2 Cor. 11.2.2 Cor 11:2 jealous over your ſoules, with a godly jealouſie: like Guardians that have the charge of ſome noble Virgins, wee dare not truſt you with your ſelves. Paul in his conſtrained abſence,hh1 Theſ. 3.5.1 Thess 3:5 ſends to know their faith. wee would not have you, like to Pharaohs leane Kine, feed much, and be never the fatter.iiIoh. 10.13.John 10:13 The Hireling careth not for the ſheepe: they are not his owne, and what mindes he whether they be fat or leane? A mercenary Advocate lookes onelyonly to his fee: let his Clients cauſe ſtand or fall, it is all one to him, ſo long as he hath his money. A Capon that hath moulted away all his feathers, and is cold and naked; in the abſence of the Hen, will runne to her neſt; not for any love to the Chickins, but to warme his owne ſides. Such heteroclyte and imperfect Paſtors have more love to your riches, than to your ſoules.kk2 Cor. 12.14.2 Cor 12:14 I ſeeke not yours, but you, ſaith Paul: that is the voice of love. With no leſſe fervency, with no fewer …eares, doe we pray for you, than for our owne foules. The Dogge forbeares to barke, becauſe he is attentus ad offam: Canes multi, quia canes avidi: therefore arellEſay 56.11.Isa 56:11 they dumbe; becauſe they are greedy Dogges. mm2 Cor. 12.15.2 Cor 12:15I will gladly beſtow, and hee beſtowed for your ſoules. Hee will beſtow: that love is welcome, which brings meate in the p. 1472mouth of it; which talkes of beſtowing. In our meaſure, we thus ſtrive to beſtow our loves too: Impendamus; yet what, alas, have we to beſtow? For Gold and Silver, you have it already; wee have it not. But our ſtudies, our labours, our loves, our lives; theſe we have to beſtow, and wee beſtow what we have. Fecit quod potuit, ſaithnnMar. 14.8.Mark 14:8 Chriſt, of Maries piety:ooLuke 21.4.Luke 21:4 and Dedit quod habuit, of the Widowes charity. If nothing but Gold and Honour were worth the beſtowing, our liberality were ſoone ſtalled. But by the Grace of God there is ſomething elſe. There bee Talents; though the world ſcarce value them at pence a peece; andppCol. 2.3.Col 2:3 Treaſures of wiſedome, and Riches that never fade, comforts everlaſting; and theſe are worth the beſtowing, and worth the accepting too, when wee conſider all. For howſoever in our vaine dayes, wee looke upon theſe proffers with faſtidious eyes; as it is uſuall with men to have no ſenſe of their ſoules, till they muſt leave their bodies: yet when they muſt part from them, or when they are diſquieted within them; that they may either keepe them in peace, or in peace forſake them: then ſome gift of our love, ſome counſell or comfort will be held worth the beſtowing: and it is our love to beſtow it.

Yet our love ſtickes not here; but we even yeeld our ſelves to bee beſtowed. There bee many that care not what they beſtow, ſo they may not bee beſtowed. we would ſpare our goods; but rather let them periſh than not ſpare our ſelves. If it once trench upon life, then Propitius esto tibi: qqMatth. 16.22.Matt 16:22Be it farre from thee: favour thy ſelfe then, or never.rrIob 2.4.Job 2:4 Skinne for skinne, and all a man hath, will he give for his life: we will give all to our skinne, to ſave the bloud under our skinne; ſpend all we have, to ſpare our ſelves. There we part with our goods, not our blouds; with our living, not with our life. We have not venturedſſHeb. 12.4.Heb 12:4 unto bloud: nondum ad ſanguinem: it is not yet come to that. Our goods are but Bona fortunae: our labours are but Bona naturae: our prayers, but Bona gratiae: But when it comes to our lives; that we muſttt1 Ioh. 3.16.1 John 3:16 lay downe them for the brethren; here is love in his zenith and exaltation. This is auuCant. 8.6.Song 8:6 Love ſtrong as death: and Majorem nemo: xxIoh. 15.13.John 15:13Greater love hath no man than this; to lay downe his life for his friends. When a man dares chalenge death to a ſingle combate; and all this, causâ alienâ, non propriâ: We then ſhew proofe that you are our Beloved; when to preſerve your ſpirituall life, wee ſacrifice our owne naturall life.aaEccleſ. 12.12.Eccl 12:12 Much ſtudie is a wearineſſe of the fleſh: Folia vertimus, corpora terimus: it makes our fleſh weary of our worke, yea, it makes our ſoule weary of our fleſh. Wee abridge our naturall courſe, draw on untimely diſeaſes, and haſten upon us death, before wee have halfe runne our Race of Life.

This our love coſts us more than the ſweat of our browes; even the teares of our eyes, the ſorrow of our hearts, the vexation of our mindes, and the very anguiſh of our ſoules: all to teſtifie, that you are our Beloved. bb1 Tim. 5.23.1 Tim 5:23Timothy muſt ply his booke, and give attendance to reading, till hee grow ſicke againe:ccIer. 9.1.Jer 9:1 Ieremies eyes muſt runne like ſpouts: Lots righteous ſoule muſt bee vexed: anddd2 Cor. 11.29.2 Cor 11:29 Pauls heart muſt be grieved. Lay the peoples unkindneſſe upon our ſoules, together with the burden of our calling on our bodies: and wee doe (in effect) antedate the day of our death, prevent our terme, and pay the debt of nature ere it bee due. In this ſenſe we may ſay with Paul, ee1 Cor. 15.31.1 Cor 15:31that we die daily. We make no more reckoning of our labours, than of chaffe: and are more glad of our loſſe, than others would be of their gaine. We doe not hold our very life precious, to win the ſoules of our Beloved. Death is bitter, and loſſe is not ſweet: yet love can ſo change their natures, that in loſſe wee ſhall finde ſweetneſſe, and gladneſſe in death. This is love indeed, the very ſoule of love; and without this, all the reſt is but a carcaſſe. Not the outward action, but the inward affection is all in all. If we caſt up the bill of our expences; the expence of our goods, of our bloods; yet without this love, the ſumme will amount to nothing: Nihil eſt, They are all but cyphers, till the figure of charity bee ſet to themiiCor. 13.3. then they have their p. 1473valuation, and riſe up to tennes, and to hundreds. Lay all theſe together, and deny if you can that you are our Beloved.

2. But now it is time to ſee what will become of all this b…d what fruite our law will bring forth in you. Love againe, at the leſt ſure: wee can looke for no other. Nulla eſt major ad …m…em provocatio, quam praeven…re ani…a…ox. N… attractive like this: He that beginnes to us in love, lookes that we ſhould pledge him. That man hath an obdurate heart; qui amorem etſi nolebat impendere, … tamen repend…re: that will neither lead, nor follow; neither one way; nor other, will be wonne to love. We may commend love, as one did wate…, for two good properties: it neither makes a man in debt, nor i… drinke: ſo love is neither hard …o go…, nor coſtly to keepe. If for all our expenſive love, ſo liberall of our meanes, of our health, of our life, wee cannot finde bare land naked love againe, wee have very ill lucke. Yea ſuch lucke had ſain… Paul. ff2 Cor. 12.15.2 Cor 12:15The more aboundantly I …ov… …, the leſſe I am loved. For all his deare and p…iol… bounty of love, he fought onelyonly to winne the like favour and mutuall love at their hands; without reſpect to any other thing in the world: yet he even miſſed of that. If hee had gotten it, yet what ſingular thing were it:ggMat. 5.46.Matt 5:46 If ye love them that love you, what reward have you? In a word, there is but one Sunne, infinite rayes: all our loves are but the beames of the love of God: All rivers runne into the Sea; and all loves ſhall be ſwallowed in the love of Chriſt.

Seeing yee know theſe things before.] The Orators which declaimed in the preſence of the Romane Emperours, in their Panegytiques, tooke this courſe to make thoſe Emperours ſee what they were bound to doe, by ſaying that they had ſo done already. Sic facienda docent, quae modo facta vocant: For this both encreaſed the love of the Prince to his people, to be told how well he had done: and withall conveyed a counſell into the Prince, to doe ſo ſtill. Such praiſes come of good reſpects and wiſhes; and is a forme of civility, that workes much upon noble natures: Landando praecipere, to wrappe up the pills of good advice, in the golden leafe of commendation: when by telling men what they are, they repreſent unto them what they ſhould bee. As their way was to procure things to bee done, by ſaying they were done: So our Apoſtle here takes another way; and by telling them what they ſhould bee, doth in effect tell them what indeed they are. His caution for the future, is but a narration for the preſent. When hee biddes them take heed of falling, hee doth praiſe their ſtanding. By exhorting them to what they ſhould doe, hee inſinuates what they have done already. As if hee ſpake not to moove a wheele that ſtood ſtill, but to keepe the wheele in due motion perſwading them, not to beginne, but to continue in goodneſſe: and propoſing to them their owne examples, to be as conſtant ſtill, as hitherto they have beene. Praiſe is the reflection of vertue: but it is as the glaſſe or body is that giveth the reflection. Here it comes from a mouth that would not flatter: and falls upon a ſubject which it might make better; by no meanes worſe. It might not make them proud of their ſtanding: it might humble them with feare of falling. ooHeb. 13.8.Heb 13:8Ieſus Chriſt the ſame yeſterday and to day, and for ever. In adhering to the truth, let us be ſo too: yeſterday, and to day, and the ſame for ever here. So then hereafter, when time ſhall bee to more; no more yeſterday, no more to day, yet for ever and ever, wee ſhall enjoy that comfort and glory, which ſhall never be taken from us.

1. We gather out of theſe words, this doctrinall ſumme, or evident concluſion; that conſtancy in goodneſſe, is not the inſeparable effect of knowledge; for then this caution were in vaine. Beware laſt yee fall. Potastis ſimul & hac ſcire, & à firmitate excidere. Looke to it well, for it is no impoſſible mat…er: neither is it rare to finde knowledge in the head, without goodneſſe in the heart. Scien… inſtat, Charitas aedificat. ppLuk. 10.25.Luke 10:25A certaine Lawyer ſtood up and tempted Chriſt. Hee came not to be caught by him, but to catch him: not to reverence that Divine wiſedome of p. 1474his Teacher, but to magnifie himſelfe for ſome great Scholar. Let him know never ſo much, he is reſolved to be never the better man. All things are valued by their proper good …item commendat fortilitas, Sen. Ep. 77.ſapor vinum, vilocitas Cervam. We minde the ſtrength of the Oxe, which we buy for the plough: the fatneſſe of another, which we buy for foode. Wee would have our Hound of a quicke ſent, investiga… of a ſwife foote, conſeqù… of a bold courage, aggredi & invadere. That is beſt in every thing, for which it was made. Man was made to ſerve God: if he be not good at that, he miſtakes his end. Knowledge is but the Comment…i…, Obedience is the Act: that prepares, this perfects. As when that Hippom…chus A…p…s, …n Plutarch, a man of exceeding tall ſtature, was commended to the place of a Champion, and warranted to winne the day: another anſwers, yes, if the prize were given to him that could reach higheſt, his height would much advantage him: but it is valour, not ſtature, … muſt get the Crowne. So if the Kingdome of Heaven were promiſed to learning, then the greateſt ſcholar would fo…eſt obtaine it. But it is well done good ſervant, not well read great ſcholar, that carries it.qqIohn 13.17.John 13:17 If ye know theſe things, happy are ye if ye doe them: Doe them; never happy till then. Did you never heare of ſome miſerly merchants, that ſell rich wines, and drinke nothing but water themſelves? Nor of hypocrites, that will lie, cheate, ſlander, whore, and doe ſuch cloſe villanies, that are never without a Bible in their pockets.

Speculation, be it never ſo excellent, is not the whole building of a Chriſtian: but it is rather the ground-worke of action. The former is like the lower milſtone, that of it ſelfe lies ſtill: put practiſe, that upper mooving milſtone to it, and they both will grinde well together. Where exerciſe is not, learning will want experience: and where experience failes, errors will creepe in: and where errors creepe in, knowledge will creepe out, or be thruſt out perforce: and where knowledge is outed, the ſoule will quickely bee ſeduced. So for all their knowing of theſe things before, Saint Peters caution is not in vaine, to take heed of falling from their owne ſtedfastneſſe. The Prieſts and Scribes may know where Chriſt is to bee borne, and truely informe Herode of the place; yet never ſtirre a foote towards him. Such men are like artificiall teeth ſet into the mandibles: they may bee of ſome uſe for ſpeaking, they are of none for eating. What availes it a Philoſopher, that he can diſpute learnedly of the nature of fire, when he is ready to periſh with cold? Or the Phyſician to preſcribe a wholſome diet, when himſelfe feeds fowly, and ſurfets with intemperance? When the anſwerer gave for his queſtion a matter of State, and the replier, who was ſomething diſſolute, found fault with it: We may not meddle with this: the anſwerer ſaid, that the priviledges of the Schoole were much wronged, by confining it onelyonly to ſuch queſtions as wherein they were practiſed: and added; wee have heard you diſpute of vertue, which no man will ſay, you much put in practiſe: You are loth to meddle with that. Practiſe is the ſoule of knowledge.

rrCant. 1.11.Song 1:11We will make thee borders of gold, with ſtuddes of ſilver. Murenulas aureas, vermiculatas argento: ſo Hierome reads it. Who ever ſaw the like? For borders of ſilver to bee hatched and overlaid with gold, it is common: the better mettall covers the baſer, ever. But to overlay gold with ſilver, is a rare kinde of poliſhment. Yet that is the faſhion of the Saints: they are ſilver without, but gold within: that holineſſe which appeares, is nothing ſo pretious as that which lies hidden. Hypocrites will guild copper: but they that are good as well as wiſe, though their converſation bee but ſilver, will have a golden heart. There is a double martyrdome: a bloody one, when Chriſt is magnified in the Roſes of his Church, by death: and a bloudleſſe one, when he is magnified in the Lilies of his Church, by life. This is not onelyonly verball, by confeſſion of the mouth: but reall, when our deeds make good our words.ſſMat. 5.16.Matt 5:16 God is glorified, Chriſt is magnified, and Wiſedome justified; all of their children: not onelyonly by the teſtimony of p. 1475their lippes, but of their lives. Our knowledge prepares us to doe it, but our holineſſe does it indeed.

Geographers ſpeake of a footleſſe bird, that is ſtill hovering in the Aire: ſuch footleſſe ſoules have they, that are ſtill hovering in the Aire of contemplation, but never deſcend to action. Take the carcaſſe of a man, and cloth it with a thouſand garments, yet you ſhall never make it warme; becauſe it wants the naturall heate within, which thoſe adventitious helpes might cheriſh. If a ſoule bee dead to goodneſſe, though you feed it with a thouſand precepts, till it become a quicke Library of learning, a Magaſin of knowledge: yet you cannot put the heate of holineſſe into it, becauſe the living principle is wanting; Grace Divine. Let that ſparke be firſt in it, and then all theſe helpes will blow it into a flame. Otherwiſe knowledge is but a faire light, put into a fowle and dirty Lanthorne, and gives but a poore glimmering. By a redundance of meate, and exceſſive repletion of the ſtomach, are cauſed obſtructions: and from them ariſeth an opilation or ſtopping of the liver and that ſtopping breeds the head-ach: and that head-ach often growes to a phrenſie, ſometimes to an epilepſie. The vices of an inordinate life are ſuch obſtructions to mens knowledge, that they come to forget God and all goodneſſe: their knowledge ttPſal. 102.4.Ps 102:4withers away with their hearts: and they forbeare to liſten to their conſcience, as if they forgate to eate their owne bread. No marvell then, if the Apoſtle warnes them of an extidatis, though hee praiſe them for an Haec noſtis: for knowledge will fall from us, when wee fall from goodneſſe. They both love to dwell together: and if we once turne goodneſſe out of our doores, knowledge will not tarry behinde with us.

2. The foreknowledge of aſſaults, is a ſpeciall helpe to the reſiſtance of them. If we know theſe things before they come, we may the better withſtand them when they doe come. When we finde men perverting the Scriptures, this is not Res inandita: we knew they would doe ſo: and if they doe ſo, it is no more than was foreknowne to us. He that is told of his enemies poſtures, and at what ward hee will lie; may both the better avoid him, and the more eaſily vanquiſh him. We make but a ſorry uſe of our knowledge, if our adverſary wanting a ſword, can foile us with the ſcabberd. This makes to the conviction of two defects in hearers. Firſt, of them that will not remember the good they did once know. Secondly, Of them that will not doe the good, they both know and remember.

1. For the former, it is eaſy to forget the leſſons we have beene taught: but then to forget them, when we ſhould uſe them, is unhappily dangerous. David who had long beene exerciſed in the ſchoole of patience, yet in the provocation of Nabal, had his leſſon to ſeeke. He that happily digeſted all the railing and perſecutions of a wicked Maſter, cannot put up this affront of a neighbour: Nothing can aſſwage his choler, but blood. There bee two ſhrewd picke-lockes, that wrench open the cloſſet of our memories: Wine is one, the ſubtile fumes whereof unrivet every joynt of it, and looſe the ciment that holds it faſt. Deepe drinkers have ſhallow memories. Women is another: Dalilah crept ſo farre into Sampſons boſome, that ſhe forced a ſecret from him with her weakeneſſe, which all the Philiſtines could not have wrung out with their ſtrength. The greateſt bleſſings that ever be fell: mankinde have beene ruſted with this canker of oblivion: even the death and paſſion of our deare Saviour, and the redemption by that act purchaſed. For why ſhould we crucifie him againe, and make his wounds bleed afreſh, but that we forget his ſufferings? How durſt we, with ſerpentine tongues, full of the venome of oathes and curſes, blaſpheme his ſweete and precious Name? All our excuſe is, that though we know theſe things in the Hiſtory, yet we forget them in the act of our ſinne and blaſphemy.

A traveller hath balſame about him, to cure any wound: he falls among robbers, receives wounds, faints, and bleeds to death, and quite forgets his balſame all the while. We know many comfortable doctrines, and have layed them up p. 1476in our memories: Yet when temptations aſſault us, we are foiled: what is the reaſon? That ſame Reminiſcentia, the key to unlocke our memories, is wanting: and ſo we fall into groſſe errors and odious crimes.uuLuk. 17.32.Luke 17:32 Remember Lots wife: we all know the ſtorie; and yet when the occaſion comes that we ſhould uſe it, we utterly forget it. It fareth with Sentences, as with coines: In coines, they that in ſmalleſt compaſſe containe greateſt value, are beſt eſteemed: and in Sentences, thoſe that in feweſt words compriſe moſt matter, are moſt ſet by. The ſhorter, the better: the better carried away, and the better kept, and the better called for when we need them. Remember Lots wife, is one of rich contents, yet very compendious: it conſiſts but of three words, and five ſyllables: ſo that we are without all excuſe, if we doe not remember it. Yet alas, when we are departed from Sodome, and have bidden farewell to our ſinfull pleaſures; there is ſtill ſuch an itch, to returne, upon us; or at leaſt a mind to looke backe ſo farre prevailes with us, that we neither remember Chriſt, nor Lots wife, nor our ſelves.aaLuk. 23.42.Luke 23:42 Lord remember mee when thou commeſt into thy kingdome: thinke on me then, and there. So Chriſt to us; Remember me, ô man, in thy thraldome: now, and heere thinke upon me. You know me well enough, but give your mind to remember me.bbIoh. 15.20.John 15:20 Remember the word that I ſaid unto you. If we remember what Chriſt hath ſaid unto us, we ſhall the better remember what he hath done for us. When we are tempted to wantonneſſe, by beautie: or to covetouſnes, by gaine: or to drunkennes, by diſſolute companions: or to Idolatrie, by Papiſts: doe we not know the vileneſſe of theſe ſinnes?cc1. Cor. 6.9.1 Cor 6:9 Know ye not that the unrighteous ſhall not inherite the kingdome of God? Yes, Scientia is not wanting, but Reminiſcentia; that failes. We are all valiant ſouldiers, till we come to fight; excellent philoſophers, till we come to diſpute; and good Chriſtians, till we come to maſter our owne luſts.

2. For the other; many are good at the Noſcere, but naught at the Facere: they know, and remember too; but practiſe and they are ſtrangers. Our dutie is not diſcharged in knowing our Maſters will; few Chriſtians ſhould then ever goe to hell. To ſmall purpoſe doe we keepe the Law in memorie, and breake it in life: in vaine doe we remember Chriſt in our words, and forget him in our deeds. It is not a ſpeculative, but a practicke memorie, that pleaſeth God. What though we had a memorie beyond Cyrus; that could call every ſouldier in his army by name? What though the evidences of time were recorded in our braine? Yet without the obedience of life, the life of obedience, all this knowledge would but animam pragravare, comber the ſoule, as Sauls armour did David. ddIam. 1.22.Jas 1:22Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers onelyonly, deceiving your owne ſelves. He that doth ſo, how ſure ſoever he makes himſelfe, and how wiſely ſoever he thinkes to carry the matter, is fallen into a Deceptio viſus: and if he heare no otherwiſe, into a Deceptio auditus too. His receiving of the word, is nothing but a deceiving of himſelfe. All the matter is in the word OnelyOnly: we cannot ſpeake ſo much good of hearing as we muſt ſpeake evill of hearing OnelyOnly. To heare, is ſomewhat, but not all: a part, not the whole.eeLuk. 10.42.Luke 10:42 One thing is needfull, and Mary hath choſen the good part. Though Chriſt commendeth hearing, and urgeth the neceſſitie of it: yet he calls it but a part: The better part: is but a part: it is not the whole: Vnum, but not Vnicum. ff1. Cor. 12.17.1 Cor 12:17Is all the body an eare… Is all hearing? Yet as ſome are like Malchus, with his right eare cut off; that heare all ſiniſterly: ſo others put all the ſenſes into hearing, and make all the body an eare, whiles they place all religion in hearing. Thus it comes about, that many Praeſcientes in ſpeculation, prove neſcientes when it comes to action. The birds of the aire ſeeme to be wiſer than we: for when they know the ginne, they will avoid it: but we, knowing the devills illuſions yet wilfully runne into them.

We have a knowledge; but there is an untoward Sine that marres it: It is ſine cura, ſine conſcientia, ſine humilitate. There was ſuch a conceit in a fiction, that a p. 1477well informed Citie found yet many defects in her members, and wondred where the fault ſhould reſt. It was told her by a Criticke, that there was one ſmall particle, Sine, Without, that ſpoiled all; adviſing the extermination of it. An edict was made, and certaine orders ſet downe, for the baniſhment of Sine, and for the exprobration of them that retained it. A Magiſtrate without Iuſtice, is Fluvius Sine aqua, a river without water: a rich man without liberalitie, arbor ſine fructu, a tree without fruite: a young man without repentance, Domus ſine recta, a houſe without a roofe: a woman without modeſtie, Cibas ſine ſale, meate without ſalt: a ſcholar without diſcretion, Calamus ſine atramento, a pen without inke: worth without ſilence, theſaurus ſine cuſtodia, a treaſure without a keeper: a deſigne without power to goe through with it, Volatus ſine pennis, a flight without feathers: witte without patronage, terra ſine rore, land without deaw: knowledge without practiſe, Fumus ſine intenſa, ſmoke without incenſe: a Chriſtian without patience, Equus ſine freno, a horſe without a bridle: and intendment without conſtancie, rota ſine pondere, a wheele without a ſpring or balance. If we could be once ridde of this Sine, without, all would be wel… we ſhould th…n no longer have fidem ſine operibus, faith without workes; which is like fire without light or …ate: Nor poenitentione ſine emendatione, repentance without amendment; which is a waſhing without being cleane: Nor profeſsionem ſine honeſtate, profeſſion without honeſtie; which is a face of goodnes without a body: Nor Zelum ſine ſcientia, Zeale without knowledge; which is a fire without a chimney: Nor Scientian ſine obedientia, knowledge without obedience; which is an eye without a foote: Nor religionem ſine conſcientia, religion without conſcience; which is a body without a heart. If theſe Sine's, theſe privations that ſo offend pietie, were gone: the reſt, that ſo offend felicitie, would follow. For then we ſhould attaine to peace without trouble, comfort without ſorrow, light without darknes, health without ſicknes, life without death, glory without envie, and joy without end.

Leſt ye alſo being led away with the errour of the wicked.] Man is naturally ſuch an arch-flatterer of himſelfe, that he hath a better conceit of his owne rules, than of the Divine principles: and thinkes that he can guide himſelfe well enough, without God. More than once were the Iſraelites chidden for going a whoring after their owne inventions. The way taught us by God, diſlikes us: we muſt have one of our owne invention.ggDeut. 8.12.14Deut 8:12Deut 8:14 Ye ſhall not doe whatſoever is right in your owne eyes; but what I command you, ſaith the Lord. But our Father Adams old diſeaſe ſtickes upon us; we muſt ſcire bonum & malum: ſomething we muſt find out to our ſelves, or make to our ſelves: of ſomethings we muſt be the authors and inventors, that ſo we may ſeeme to be as wiſe as God, if not wiſer: and to know what is for our turnes, as well as hee, if not better. This is not onelyonly a diſeaſe of our common life, that we ſtill labour of new inventions: We invent new meates for our dyet, new faſhions for our apparell: and there is not onelyonly Ingenioſa gula, that ſtudies the witty gluttonie of a meale: but ingenioſa manus, forming new garbes for the backe, and tempering new colours for the face: And theſe inventions have not their viciſſitudes, like the ſeaſons of yeare; but their ſucceſſions, and poſterities, and genealogies, like the deſcents of nature, And as faſt as we are weary of one, a new invention is found out; which we muſt embrace, coſt what it will: though the price of it hinders our giving of almes, yea though it bring us to the begging of almes; yet have it we will. Theſe be our inventions: we ſpend all upon them, and we know no end of them. Yet were this vanitie confined to ſecular matters, it were more tolerable: but even in the worſhip of God we have our inventions too.hh2. Tim. 4.3.2 Tim 4:3 We have itching eares; and after our owne luſts heape to our ſelves teachers. We fill the chappells of our eares with new Teachers, that they may fill our heads with new inventions. We are ſtill deviſing trickes, opinions, and faſhions,iiDeut. 32.17.Deut 32:17 which our fathers never knew of. God charged Saul to deſtroy all Amalek: but he would invent a better way, which God perhaps could p. 1478not thinke of: In frugalitie, he will ſpare ſome: in policie, the fat and beſt: and in pietie, forſooth for ſacrifice. Such an error was once in Peter; kkMat. 16.22.Matt 16:22Be it farre from thee, Lord: This ſhall not be unto thee: As if he had found out a better way, as he thought, than Chriſt could deviſe. Theſe new inventions have ſuch a taking qualitie, that the authors once infected with them, become peſtiducts to others, and meanes of a vaſt contagion. There is enough in the firſt view of them to make them hated.

1. They are Errours: and what beautie can we find in Errour, that we ſhould be in love with it? Errour is nothing but a wandring out of the way.llPſal. 107.4.Ps 107:4 They wandred in the wildernes, in a ſolitary way. When a traveller is bound for Ieruſalem, where his Inheritance lies; is it a pleaſure unto him to wander in the wildernes? It is a curſe tommPſal. 107.40.Ps 107:40 wander in the wildernes, where there is no way. Wandring is for rogues and drunkards: The former are ſo taken by the Statute; for vagabonds: they are never out of their way, becauſe they acknowledge no certaine home, whither any way ſhould bring them. For the other;nnIob. 12.25.Job 12:25 They grape in the darke, and ſtagger like a drunken man: though they were in the way, yet it is very hard for them to goe upright. We are all prone to erre: ſome out of ignorance:ooMat. 22.29.Matt 22:29 Ye erre, not knowing the Scriptures. Others out of malice:ppPſal. 95.10.Ps 95:10 It is a people that doe erre in this heart. All out of weaknes:qqEſa. 53.6.Isa 53:6 All we like ſheepe have gone aſtray: we have turned every one to his owne way. As if the Bellweather or leading ſheepe takes a vagary, all the flocke will follow him: So when Adam went out of the way, we all turned aſide, and have wandred ever ſince. Nor could we ever have recovered the way againe, unleſſe the Sonne of God had become the Sonne of man,rrLuk. 19.10.Luke 19:10 and ſo reduced us: For, He came to ſeeke and to ſave that which was loſt. Neither yet, without Him, can wee hold right one moment: wee cannot keepe the way, except Hee keepe us in the way.ſſIn Epist. ad Marcellum. Saint Auguſtine ſeemes to bee very angry with his friends, that they would offer to vindicate him from all errour. I my ſelfe, ſaith hee, am able to judge both you and my ſelfe: for both I have erred, and you erre in ſaying I have not erred, It ſhall never pleaſe mee, to bee eſteemed what I am not. Such men doe not love Auguſtine, but ſome other man under the name of Auguſtine: Si non quod ſum, ſed quod non ſum, diligunt. For ſuch a bragge, he condemnes that great author of the Romane eloquence; who gave out of himſelfe, that he never ſpake that word which he wiſhed recalled: Tearming it a ſpeech that better became a foole than a Philoſopher: And to ſay trueth, he had great cauſe to recall even that word, by which he ſo meant to cleare all the reſt from any need of recalling. S^t. Auguſtine concludes; That of Tully does not pleaſe me; Non neceſſe eſt verbum revocare: But rather, that of Horace does grieve me; Neſcit vox miſſa revert. To erre than is very eaſy: In te ſtas, & non ſtas: Per te vadis, & vel erras vel cadis. An Infant that will offer to goe alone, ſhall fall: and a blind man without his guide, will miſſe the way.

Why therefore ſhould errour tempt us? That which is rottenneſſe in fruits, barrenneſſe in the earth, darkneſſe in the aire, ſickneſſe and deformity in the body is errour in the minde. Was ever any man in love with corruption in his meat, raggedneſſe in his clothes, Leproſie in his skinne, or with famine, or any uncomfortableneſſe that is? Why then ſhould a reaſonable ſoule doat upon errour? A man affected with errour, is an heddy beaſt: one that will be miſerable in deſpight of pitie. The divine Word, humane reaſon, and the direction of nature, he abhorres. Admoniſh him, he jeeres you: ſhew him the way, hee ſcorns you: offer to lead him, hee ſpurnes at you. Hee is the onelyonly man in his owne conceit, that having a ſhoppe without tooles, can build a city without materials, cure this ſicke without medicines, and be a great Stateſ-man without any braines. Hee is his owne Academie, his owne Magazine; and is in all things, Sibi compendium, aliis ludibrium. One onelyonly Companion he admits, him hee truſts, with him cohabites; p. 1479and that is Cuſtome. Hee takes his owne wayes, whether his fancie leades him; and thinkes himſelfe onelyonly in the right: till at laſt hee fals into a deepe bogge, and there is an end of him.

Alas, that a man ſhould buy errour ſo deare, when he may have trueth ſo good cheape! Wee onelyonly thinke thoſe things coſtly, for which wee pay money: ſo we complaine of deare commodities, deare purchaſes, and deare bargaines: but we never thinke that deare, for which we pay our ſelves. That errour and vanity, which ſtands us in no leſſe price then our owne ſoules, wee eſteeme penyworth good enough: wee never grudge, never ſticke, or hunch at this: For which if we were to pay our dwelling houſe, or all the coine in our purſe, we would take time to thinke upon it; and conſider well ere wee bought it. Which makes it plaine, that Nihil cuique ſe vilius: the vileſt, baſeſt, and cheapeſt thing wee have, we hold our ſelves. O that we could learne, both by the eſtimation of our monies, how highly to prize our ſoules: and by the deare valuation of our ſoules, how to hate errours and vanities! But as in Luthers time it was a Paradox: Iuſtitia cauſa injustitiae: a conceited righteouſneſſe was the chiefe cauſe of all unrighteouſneſſe. Firſt, becauſe it makes men proud; and pride is an ougly ſinne. Secondly, becauſe it does not perceive it ſelfe to ſtand in ſo much need of Chriſt; without whom there is nothing but ſinne. So we may ſay, Prudentia cauſa ſtultitia; an opinionated wiſedome is (in a maner) the ſole cauſe of all folly: For it ſo tranſports a man with the imagination of his owne knowledge, that hee runs into errour with confidence. And whiles hee forbeares to take God along with him, hee is moſt certaine to leave the trueth behinde him. Thus errour at firſt creepes in at the backe doore, till trueth be diſpoſſeſſed of her old dwelling: and then hee revels, domineres, and keepes open houſe. This deformity, that it is errour, is enough to make it loathed.

2. Nefariorum: it is the Errour of the wicked: this aggravates it, and makes it yet more deteſtable. For there may be an errour of infirmity, without any notorious wickedneſſe of life: and there may bee wickedneſſe in life, without any palpable errour in Iudgement: They are both bad, aſunder: put them together, and they are ſo much the worſe. There were Heretikes, called the Nicolaitans; wherewith God charged the Church of Pergamos: Rev. 2.15.Rev 2:15Thou hast them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolitans, which I hate: Sprung from Nicolas, one of the ſeven: and their poſterity, the Gnostiques, from Carpocrates: as Euſebius teſtifies. Theſe held, ſaith Epiphanius, that onelyonly faith was neceſſary: and ſo a man did beleeve and embrace their poſitions, live how hee liſt, hee could not chuſe but be ſaved. There be ſome of their minde ſtill: that thinke, ſo they forget not their Creed, they cannot miſcarry. Which is as much, as if a man carrying his ſword in his hand, might not be drunke at the Taverne, or ſtumble into a ditch. The Encratites, ſprung from Latianus, fell into the other extreme. Non est curandum quid quiſque credat: id tantum curandum est quid quiſqui faciat. So the Creed might be well enough cancelled, becauſe a good courſe of life is onelyonly regarded with God: and in every ſect, he that lives well, ſhall be ſaved. Which is as if a traveller ſhould throw away his weapon, and yet never be in danger of theeves: or reject the light, and yet feare no darknes.

Nefariarum: Hierome reads it, Inſipientium: which Lorinus labors modeſtly to reconcile: by telling us, that in the Scriptures, the foole is evertaken for the wicked man. But he ſhould alſo have ſhewed us …converſo; that the wicked man as alwayes taken for the foole. But falſe Teachers, though they be wicked enough, yet are cunning fooles. The devill is that wicked one; yet we do not vſe to call him foole. He is the great Patron of Seducers; and indeed he makes fooles of them: but withall, he makes them wiſe enough, to make fooles of us. It is not his foolie, but his wickednes and cunning that does us the miſchiefe. And if his Inſtruments were not more Abitophels, than Nabals, more cheats than ſo…s, our danger were p. 1480the leſſe. But as the briſtle could not draw in the groſſe and pitchy threed, unles way were firſt made for it by the naule; ſo theſe Doctrina daemoniorum, ſo called as they are the Inſpirers and authors; and Doctrinae hominum, ſo termed as they are the Inſtruments; being ſo blacke, pitchy, and ſooty as hell it ſelfe; would find no entrance into our beleefes, if they were not brought in by that cunning way of ſophiſtication and plauſiblenes.aaIren. lib. 1. adverſ. Haereſes. Certaine Impoſtors, having the Statue of the king curiouſly carved, and compoſed of gold and precious gemmes; for their profite, melt it, and caſt the ſame gold and Iewells into the Image of a dogge: and then give out, hanc imaginem ſuam canis, eſſe Imaginem Regis. that this is the very Image of the king: becauſe heere is the ſame gold, the very ſame precious ſtones. So Heretiques take the Scriptures, which is the word of the great king: they coine new gloſſes and expoſitions upon it; giving ſuch ſtrange and uncouth ſenſes, that they force it to ſpeake what it never meant: yet ſtill perſuade their hearers, that is it the very gold they looke for; the right Scripture, word for word, weight for weight. But as we ſay of the former Image ſo changed, that it is neither the kings, nor a dogges, but rather their owne that deviſed it: So we may ſay of the Scripture thus abuſed, that it is neither Gods word, not it owne ſelfe; but theirs that have corrupted it. Sed male dum recitas, incipit eſſetuus; ſayes the Poet to a baſe repeater of his verſes.

bbPſal. 50.16.Ps 50:16What haſt thou to doe to declare my Statutes, or that thou ſhouldeſt take my covenant in thy mouth? Seeing thou not onelyonly hateſt it in they heart, but alſo perverteſt it with they lippes? It were good and fitte that ſuch men, before they be ſuffered to meddle with the Scripture, ſhould put in ſureties, that the ſenſes they give of it ſhall be orthodoxe, and conſenting with the Church. For the truſting of every man upon his ſingle bond, to interpret any place of Scripture, is the occaſion of much error: So grow they bold to utter their owne fancies, and looke to be beleeved upon their bare word: which is Dominari fidei, to be Lords over the faith of their hearers. If Satan came to us in broad termes, charging us to renounce Chriſt, we ſhould utterly defie him: the trueth (he knowes) we will embrace. Therefore he creepes in like a Serpent, andccMat. 13.25.Matt 13:25 Superſeminat errores, ſowes tares: that theſe growing together with the ſeeds of trueth, may in time choake them.ddChryſ. Orat. 2. de Providen. The things that were ordained for a meanes, whereby the Gentiles might come to know God, by Satans illuſion became occaſions of their more offending him.eeRom. 1.20.Rom 1:20 By the viſible things of the Creation, they might have underſtood the inviſible things of the Godhead: ſo they might. But they fell to worſhip the Sunne, Moone, and creatures, omitting to know their maker: ſo they did. Where ſhould we know Chriſt, but out of the Scripture? ffIoh. 5.39.John 5:39Search the Scriptures: they teſtifie of mee. ggBaſil. in libr. de vera virginitate.Yet as it often happens, that in the very high way, we cannot ſee for the duſt: ſo upon the face of this ſacred ſpring, the devill collects ſuch cloudes of errours; that many men doe loſe Chriſt, in the very place they are appointed to find him. Or as in darke nights, pyrates vſe to kindle fires, and make great lights upon the rockes and maritime coaſts: whither when the ſeamen ſteere in hope of harbour, they meete with wracke and ruine:hhOrigen. in Ep. ad Rom. cap. 14.Rom 14 So heretickes flouriſh with Scriptures, or at leaſt with ſome flaſhes of it, like falſe lights: to which when diſtreſſed ſoules repaire for ſuccour, theſe peſtilent ſeducers feed them with nothing but pernicious errour. Fowlers by ſetting up a dead tree, beſmeared with Lime, and dead birds upon it, as if they were all living; allure the live-birds to them, as to their friends and acquaintance, and ſo bring them to deſtruction. The application is eaſie; the experiment too common: Dead errours are the ſnares of living ſoules.

This is the cunning of theſe wicked impoſtors: ſomething they will have good; to draw downe the evill: the greater part ſhall bee evill, to poyſon the good.iiGreg. Mor. lib. 5. cap. 11. Miſcent recta per verſis: ut ostendendo bona auditores ad ſe pertrabant: & exhibendo mala, latenti peste corrumpant. If Rome had not ſome truth, ſhe would never p. 1481be beleeved: if ſhe were not full of errors, her followers could not be deceived. As the Apoſtle here from God, ſo wee from the Apoſtle, by the commandement of God, warne you of theſe things; that yee fall not into the error of the wicked. It may be that you ſlight our ſpeaking: but they of whom we warne you, wold give much to have us hold our peace. If the truth had not ſome champions, errour would ſoone over-run the field. Philip of Macedon beſieging Athens, ſent Legates to the city, conditioning with them; that if they would deliver into his hands tenne of their Orators, ſuch as he ſhould chuſe, whom hee pretended to be the diſturbers of their common wealth, hee would raiſe his ſiege, and bee at peace with them. But Demosthenes ſmelt out his plot; and with the conſent of the Athenians, returned him this apologicall anſwere. The Wolves came to treat of a league with the ſheepheards; and told them thus: All the feud and diſcord betwixt you and us, ariſeth from a certaine generation of dogges which you maintaine amongſt you: Deliver us up thoſe dogges, and we will be good friends with you, neither will we any waies wrong you. The dogges were delivered up, the peace was concluded, the ſhepheards ſecure: but Oh the wofull maſſacre that was preſently made amongſt the poore lambes: they were all devoured, the ſhepheards undone; and all by parting with their dogges. If the Popiſh faction could once get the Miniſters of the Goſpell to hold their peace, or procure them to bee muzzled by authority, or to bee delivered over to their Wolviſh cruelty; woe were to your ſoules. Errour would then play Rex, Darkeneſſe triumph, Hell make play-day, Truth would languiſh, and all goodneſſe fall flat to the Earth. As little as you now regard us, you would then miſſe us, and wiſh for us, and ſay, Bleſſed is he that commeth to us in the Name of the Lord.

3. That ye be not led away.] This touches our coppy-hold: for there may bee errour in men, and yet this not to extend to wickedneſſe: there may bee a wicked errour in others, and yet that not extend to us; farther than to bee an occaſion of our teares and prayers for their recovery. But if we be led away with it, now the danger is come home to us: it nearely concernes our ſelves. There is an errour in judgement, and an errour in practiſe: That in judgement perſiſted in, and violently defended, growes into hereſie: That in practiſe continued and reſolved upon, growes into wickedneſſe: Either of them is a wicked errour. A man may ſtumble and not fall: or fall, and riſe againe: It prooves to a mans good ſometimes, that he hath erred into evill. But it is better to erre tenne times in via pedum, than once in via morum.

The maine ſcope of the point armeth us againſt vacillation and inconſtancy. There be ſome that willkk2 Tim. 4.4.2 Tim 4:4 Turne away their eares from the truth, unto fables: very toyes will lead away fooles. So greedy is our nature of change, that it will liſten to any whiſper of innovation: To the Papiſt, when hee promiſeth change: and what change doth he promiſe? You ſhall have the old religion againe. wherein (for your comfort) you ſhall never underſtand a word, what either God ſpeakes to you, or you muſt ſpeake to God: and for variety, you ſhall have halfe a Communion for a whole one: is not this a faire exchange? To the Sectary they will liſten, when hee promiſeth change: and what is his change? O you ſhall have a fine new Church-governement for your old one: a Presbytery is better for you than an Hierarchie; Elders than Biſhops. There bee braines that are the forges of ſuch alterations: and there be eares that drinke in, and fingers that itch for ſuch fatall projects. In the Inventors, pride and malice breeds them: becauſe they cannot riſe themſelves, they would ruine all: and make it their practiſe to bring men to the bough though they have never a tree in their garden for the purpoſe, as Timon had. One calls them fit-tymber out of which Politicians are to be hewen: knee-timber, which is good to make ſhippes of, that are ordained to be toſſed on the ſeas; but not for houſes that ſhould ſtand firme on the Land: Theſe bee the Leaders. In the embracers, it is at firſt weakeneſſe, p. 1482then wilfulneſſe, that yeelds to this leading away. Without patience and perſeverance, wee could never hold out our journey. For as our nature is tender, and would not endure the croſſe but for patience: ſo it is flitting, and would ſoone be weary of any good courſe, but for perſeverance. The Romanes were highly commended by S. Paul: llRom. 1.8.Rom 1:8That their faith was ſpoken of throughout the whole world: And yet when Paul was convented at Rome, mm2 Tim. 4.16.2 Tim 4:16They all forſooke him: all ſhrunke away.nnMat. 26.33.Matt 26:33 Though men be as confident as was Peter; Et ſi omnes non ego: yet they may faile as Peter did. The motives of perverſion or leading away, be commonly two: Aliquod novum, or Aliquod mirum.

1. The former is the way of Schiſmatickes, who are therefore called Noveliſts. The lower parts of Germany are grievouſly peſtered with them: as I have heard of above thirty ſeverall ſects of religion in one Towne: So that, come, will you be of our Church? is as familiar among them as good morrow. It is reported, I know not how truly, that diverſe among us, tranſported by the novell doctrines of their halfe Lunaticke teachers, are taking up for a new plantation beyond the ſeas: but it were happy for the old plantation, if ſhe were well ridde of them. Such men are led away with quid novi? A new faſhion does not more take your proud lady, nor a new play your gallant, nor a new Taverne your drinker, nor a new tricke your cheater, nor a new drugge your empiricke, than a new opinion does your ſchiſmaticke. Which having once handſomely formed, and outwardly beautified, hee dares now advance in the Pulpit; and there is ſuch crowding to it, as if it were the onelyonly Iewell in requeſt.ooMat. 11.7.Matt 11:7 What went ye out into the wilderneſſe to ſee? A reed ſhaken with the winde? Yea, O ye reeds ſhaken with the winde, what went ye out into the wilderneſſe to ſee? A vanity lighter than your ſelves? Yet as the golden Calfe tooke the Iſraelites, becauſe it was made of their eare-rings: ſo a factious conceit tranſporteth theſe hearers, becauſe it is made fitte for their eares.

2. If it be Res mira, it is more catching; for then Res nova is included in it. It could not be ſtrange, if it were not new. Not new in it ſelfe, but new to us: for familiarity takes away ſtrangeneſſe, as time takes away the newneſſe of any thing. By this tricke the Romiſts lead away their Proſelytes: they tell you of wonders: here is nothing in your Church, but what is common and obvious: come to us, and we will ſhew you glorious objects: Temples adorned like Theaters, Prieſts like Actors, Images richer in their ornaments than Queenes: vtenſils, and properties, and appendances; no Millaners ſhop can compare with us: We have a great Maſter that commands kings, that can pardon ſinnes, that can give faire indulgences: To all which the amazed heater anſweres, It is very ſtrange. Wonder in naturall things, is but the daughter of ignorance: and if ignorance bee in love with theſe vaine ſhewes of wonder, who can wonder at it? As in the Poet, Myrrha, was in love with her owne father: ſo give ignorance leave to bee affected with her owne daughter. Mira cannut: they doe almoſt nothing but worke miracles: Naturall effects, with them, are miracles: caſuall accidents, miracles: magicall illuſions, miracles. They can make a miraculous drawing of a tooth, a miraculous cutting of a corne. So Iustus Baronius affirmes, that when hee was converted to them, he was miraculouſly cured of the Colique, by ſtooping to kiſſe the Popes foote. Pope Iohn 22. did pile up miracles ſo faſt, that he ſaid in the Canonization of Aquinas, Tot miracula confecit, quot determinavit quaestiones. Which of their Saints is not reported to have done many miracles? It is a great favour of them that they have not put S. Iohn the Baptiſt quite out of the Catalogue of Saints; becauſe the Scripture teſtifies of him, that he wrought no miracles. Indeed to me this appeares the greateſt miracle, that they can finde men to beleeve their miracles.

But Beloved, ſhall they lead us away thus? Shall they catch us with ſuch a poore tricke, as the oſtentation of miracles? Their relying upon miracles, implies an p. 1483induction of new doctrines: That which is old, and received, needs no ratification by miracles. So that we have juſt cauſe to ſuſpect their doctrine of Novelty, becauſe they ſo labour to uphold it by miracles. And ſhall that which is new, the invention of man; lead us from that which is old, the inſtitution of God? Wonders we have at home; we need not goe to Rome for them. Our Faires, and Marts, and popular ſtreets abound with wonders. If there may be found any Heteroclytes; any ſtigmaticall monſtroſities; or but ſo much as uncommon formes, and uncouth productions of nature; they are expoſed to view for mony. Men that are growne up toward the ſtature of Gyants, or ſtunted to Dwarfes, Hermaphrodites, or the like; are held very ſtrange things. Yet the plaine Chriſtian Tell-troth did know a ſtranger thing than all theſe. Being demanded what it was, he anſwered, A Sinner. That a man ſhould provoke God, ſo gracious and mighty: that he ſhould beleeve Satan the father of lies and cruelty: forget his owne death, ſo imminent and inevitable: obey the command of his fleſh, a drudge ſo ignoble: admire the world ſo fickle and dangerous: deſpiſe Heaven, ſo bleſſed and glorious; and all for vanity, ſuch a wretched emptineſſe: this hee good man, thought the ſtrangeſt thing in the world: And ſo indeed it is, in one ſenſe; in regard of reaſon: though not ſo in the other ſenſe, in reſpect of cuſtome.

This indeed might ſeeme ſtrange, if wee that are bred children of the truth, ſhould be led away with the erour of the wicked. This would bee a griefe to our Father: The holy Spirit leads us into all truth: and ſhall a lying ſpirit lead us away into falſehood?ppRom. 8.14.Rom 8:14 If we be led by the Holy Ghoſt, we are the Sonnes of God: If we be otherwiſe miſ-led, what are wee but baſtards?qqEph. 4.30.Eph 4:30 Grieve not that Holy Spirit of God, by whom ye are ſealed to the day of redemption: By no meanes let us grieve our Father. This would bee a griefe to our mother: the Church mournes when ſhee loſeth her children. She loſeth them, or rather they loſe her and their owne bleſſing, when they are led away by the wicked: Let us not grieve our Mother. This would be a griefe to our brethren: to ſee one that ſprung from the ſame wombe, and was nouriſhed with the milke of the ſame breſts, to turne recreant, and revolt to the common enemy: Our brother is loſt, is a wofull complaint: Let us not grieve our brethren. But the worſt griefe will bee to our owne ſoules: for in being led away from our Father Mother, Brothers, we have loſt our ſelves. Wee have choſen our profeſt foes for faſt friends, and made our true friends to become our foes. And if this leading way were by force and compulſion, againſt our wills, it were more tolerable? as Iſrael was led away captive by their enemies: But wilfully to follow ſeducers, againſt our owne conſcience, is moſt damnable. Take here two remedies for the avoiding of this miſchiefe.

1. Let us truely waigh the folly of inconſtancy.rrHeb. 13.9.Heb 13:9 Bee not carried about with ſtrange doctrines: for it is a good thing that the heart he establiſhed with grace. To bee looſe then, in the maine joynts of religion, muſt bee very bad. The tottering wall is ſoone blowne downe: but being downe, who ſhall ſet it up againe? The righteous ſoule is like a body of a ſquare figure: turne it on which part you will, lay it how you liſt, it will ſtill be conſtant, and like it ſelfe. An unſtable Chriſtian is the worlds worſt mooveable: a little reſembling the ſilkeworme, but not of ſuch profit: one day you ſhall finde him a flie, another time a maggot; ſeldome twice in the ſame ſhape. Take gold and throw it into the water; yet it loſeth neither the value nor colour: caſt it into the fire; and it comes forth purer: but dirt is hardned with the fire; and diſſolved with water. The ſonnes of levity are ſuch, as that they are joyned withall would have them to bee: hard or ſoft, cold or hote, tall or low, great or ſmall; of any temper. Their ſoules are like common ſtrumpets, that take in all ſuggeſtions. For ſhame let us once bee ſteddy, before we are laid in the ſteddy earth, wherein there is no motion. We ſay the Fowler cannot eaſily kill the flying Bird: but whether wee ſtand or goe, p. 1484lie or ſitte; in what poſture or place ſoever wee are; death can both hitte, and wound, and kill us. And in the grave, the moſt pragmaticall buſie-body ſhall be quiet. There is no ſhifting of ground, no changing of ſides there. They that troubled all their neighbours, ſhall bee there as tame and calme as their fellow-cloddes. The body ſhall be confined to one place, the ſoule to another, without removing: till they be removed to the Barre, and brought before the Tribunall of Chriſt.

2. If we would not be led away, let us ſticke cloſe to our God. We are ſheepe apt to wander: wee ſhall not, if we keepe to our ſheepeheard. Wee are reeds, moveable with every winde: yet binde the reed to a pillar, and it ſtands firme. It is ill ſticking to any thing but God: all other proppes will faile us. Riches cannot keepe us, but that we may be led away from them: not keepe themſelves, but that they may bee led away from us. Nay, doe they not rather helpe to lead away our confidence from God? The Forreſters knowing that the Elephant uſeth to ſleepe leaning againſt ſome tree, are wont to cut the likelieſt tree with a ſaw ſo deepe, that the unſuſpecting beaſt thinking to reſt upon it, falls downe with it, and ſo is ſurpriſed by them. They that put their truſt in man, ſhall ſoone finde him hewen downe by death; and then there lies their hope in the duſt with him. God appeares to the Iewes in types, ſignes and figures: but at laſt hee departed from that people, becauſe they too much truſted in them. In the fulneſſe of time he appeared to his Church in himſelfe in his Son; and from that Church Hee will never depart, becauſe wee cannot too much truſt in him. I will hold my ſelfe faſt by the hand of my God: as to that purpoſe the royall Prophet. Let us wed our ſelves to him, wedge our ſelves to him: ſo ſhall we not be led away. Antaeus, when Hercules threw him to the ground, ſtill roſe up the ſtronger; becauſe he got new ſtrength by touching of his mother: So if wee hold our ſelves faſt to the Lord, and depend upon him by our faith and prayers; all the forces of Satan ſhall not lift us from the truth, becauſe wee ſhall perpetually get new ſtrength and vigour by touching our Father.

If we flinch never ſo little from God, preſently errour catcheth us: as chickins that will ſtray from the wings of the henne, are in danger of the kite. Hee that would deſcribe a circle in paper, if hee hath brought that circle within one inch of finiſhing, and but remove his Compaſſe a little, hee cannot make it up a perfect circle, except hee beginne againe, and finde out the ſame or a new center. Though we have ſo made God our Center, as to fixe our hearts upon him; yet the leaſt remove of our Compaſſe, a little wandring from him, may endanger us to errour. Nothing can fill a mans heart but God: ſo that if God be in the mind, though nothing elſe be there, it is full: If God be not there, although it bee full of other things, it is ſtill empty. For the world like that transformed king, does but feede upon thiſtles; things that will pricke, but never ſatisfie. So nothing can keepe a man from wandring, but the manutenency of God: if he let goe his hand from us, wee will preſently goe from his hand: and going from his hand, which is truth, wee are preſently ſurprized by the hand of errour. The Divell does but watch this opportunity: if we ſtirre forth of doores without God, he inſtantly ſets his bandogges upon us; Schiſme and Hereſie. So the Noveliſts, leaving him, by leaving that order and diſcipline whereby hee governes his Church; hee hath ſuffered to bee led into factions and errours, till they crumble away into private conventicles; and at laſt become nothing, either in exiſtence or appearance. That Church which will needs bee the forme to all Churches, becauſe ſhe hath left his written will, he hath left to her ſelfe and her owne traditions: and now ſhee is ſwollen into tumours and ulcers, and bliſters. When men once neglect Gods leading, their next ſteppe beginnes at this leading away. How often hath the fantaſticall deſire of ſeeing Maſſe, beene plagued with falling into idolatry? As fooliſh young men have beene ſo taken with an enterterlude, p. 1485that they muſt needs, (forſooth) become Players. But as Vliſſes bound himſelfe to the Maſte, that the Syrens might not tempt him: ſo let us unite our ſelves to the Lord, our Faith to his Word, our Obedience to his Will, and our Confidence to his Power and Promiſe: and then as no ſtrengthſſIoh. 2.28.John 2:28 can plucke us out of the hand, ſo no perſwaſion can lead us away from the ſide of IESVS CHRIST.

4. Cavete nè exidatis, beware leaſt ye fall from your owne ſtedfaſtneſſe.] There be two things much conducible to the keeping of us upright: Elevation when wee are downe, circumſpection when we are up. For the former;ttIer. 8.4.Jer 8:4 Shall they fall and not riſe? For the other;uu1 Cor. 10.12.1 Cor 10:12 Let him that thinketh he ſtandeth; take heed leaſt he fall. It is good to goe on; provided that wee be in a good way; or elſe it is better to returne.xxGen. 21.18.Gen 21:18 If Agas bee going from Abrahams houſe toward Egypt, the Angell cals her to returne, and not to perſevere:aaGen. 19.17.Gen 19:17 but if Lots wife bee going from Sodome toward Zoar, the Angell willeth her to perſevere, and not to returne. St. Peters Cavete, here; is but an expoſition of his MaſtersbbLuk. 17.32.Luke 17:32 Memores eſtate, elſewhere: Both fortifie us againſt recidivation.ccEccleſ. 12.11.Eccl 12:11 As there bee Goads, to pricke us on to goodneſſe: ſo there bee Nailes, to faſten us into goodneſſe. As our mothers had not onelyonly wombes to bring us forth, but alſo breſts to bring us up: ſo the Church, as ſhee daily ſtrives to convert and make new Proſelytes, ſo thinkes it an honour to ſhew old and conſtant Profeſſors. The Poet did put no leſſe vertue into Tueri, than into Quaerere. Nor will the Lawyer paſſe a conveyance with a meere Habendum; but hee will adde a Tenendum too. The Phyſician ends not the cure of his Patient, with the cure of his diſeaſe: but after all, mindes the preventing of a relapſe. Our firſt ſtudy is Vt accedatis, to winne your entrance: next, Nè excidatis, to hearten your continuance. Wee are glad of a Well begunne good Convert: but moſt joyfull to heare that Enge at the laſt; Well done good ſervant; that's the Crowne of all.

Our bleſſed Saviour did not alwaies content himſelfe with Venite adme, ddMatth. 11.28.Matt 11:28Come unto mee: but ſometimes changed his note into Manete in me, eeIoh. 15.4.John 15:4Abide in mee. To one that would enter into the Church, and be baptized, Saint Philip had his condition,ffAct. 8.37.Acts 8:37 Si credideris, If thou beleevest: To the other, that were entred, and thereby might be ſecure, Saint Paul had his caution; Si permanſeris, ggRom. 11.22.Rom 11:22If thou continueſt: otherwiſe even thou ſhalt be cut off. The firſt care is to lay the foundation ſure, Nè corruat; leaſt it fall, like the houſe built on the ſands:hhMatth. 7.25.Matt 7:25 the next, to perfect the roofe, Nè perpluat; that it raine not through, and rotte the principals. It is not enough to call them backward, which are loth to come on; but to ſpurre them forward, that are ready to lagge behinde. There is an Ingredimini, proclaimed to them that are without: and there is a Progredimini, inculcated to them that are within. Of all the Stories in the old Teſtament, Chriſt ſets a Memento upon the head of Lots wives turning backe: as if he earneſtly deſired thoſe that have forgotten, to remember it; and thoſe that doe remember, never to forget it. With ſalt from her Pillar, let us ſprinkle our ſelves; that wee never goe backe, or fall from our owne ſtedfastneſſe. Gen. 19.Gen 19There were two memorable monuments of Gods Iudgment in that Story; The Lake of Sodome; and Lots wives Pillar: the one the plague of reſolute ſinne, the other of faint vertue. The Sodomites are an example of Impenitency; Lots wife of Inſtability: they of obſtinate perverſeneſſe: ſhe of relapſing righteouſneſſe: they of never being good, ſhe of turning from good to evill. To them that wilfully continue in the ſtate of ſinne, there is a monument of Reclamation; the Lake of Sodome: For them that languiſh in the ſtate of grace, there is another monument of caution; Lots wives Pilla…. But our Cavete here, points directly to the latter; that wee fall not from our owne ſtedfastneſſe. This the Apoſtle diſſwades us from by his counſell; as his Maſter ſhewed the danger of it by an example. Let us borrow a little more light of the Lords example, that wee may the better embrace the ſervants counſell. Two p. 1486particulars let us examine; why ſhee was turned into a Pillar? Why into a Pillar of ſalt?

1Firſt, why into a Pillar? Firſt, ſhall we ſay, for the ſimilitude it beares unto an humane body? That were ſomething: both were erected to ſtand upright. Secondly, or that it was a uſuall monument of the dead? Abſalom in his life, built himſelfe ſuch a pillar againſt the time of his death: and great Monarchs had their Piles and Pyramides. But that was not the intent of this Pillar: it was never meant for Lots wives honour. Thirdly, or becauſe when they intended in elder times to diſgrace men to the world, they ingraved their faults on Pillars? Fourthly, or becauſe when ſhee ſhould move, ſhe ſtood ſtill; therefore ſhee was turned to a Pillar; alwayes to ſtand ſtill, and never to remove. This is indeed ſomewhat neere the matter: but not all. Fifthly, a Pillar is a durable thing, and God meant her a ſpectacle to poſterity. They that lived in thoſe times, (and it laſted long, even to Ioſephus his daies) might be inſtructed by their eyes: wee have a Memento for our eares: yea, this Pillar is ſet up for our ſakes. And this is one good which the Lord drawes out of evill; that He ſuffers not evill examples to vaniſh as ſhadowes, but to remaine as Pillars, to warne them that come after. When we come at this Pillar, we are put in minde to change our courſe, and take another way: ſo ſhall we not be led into errour, nor fall from our owne ſtedfastneſſe. This way tooke ſhe that periſhed: that way went hee that was ſaved: Let us remember Lots wife, but follow Lot: remember her, but follow him; by no meanes looking backe.

2Next, why of ſalt? Saint Augustine gives the reaſon of it; Condire nos, for our ſeaſoning: Vt ſal ſtatuae ſit nobis condimentum vitae. For our benefit, God erected this monument: Hee does not onelyonly embalme the memory of the juſt, for our imitation: but powders and makes brine of the evill, for our admonition. So that if wee take the Pillar, and engrave Chriſts Memento upon it; there is both a Statue, and a Statute. God could have ſunke her into the earth, or blowne her up into aire, that no viſible relict of her ſhould remaine: But hee makes her a Pillar; not onelyonly for gazing; but of ſalt, for our ſeaſoning. If wee finde any itch of relapſing to the world, any corrupt humour of returning to our former luſts, let us draw it out with the ſalt of this Pillar. This is an happy arte of extracting ſalt out of others, as Triacle out of Vipers: and to make them profitable to us, that were unprofitable to themſelves. Though Lots wife were evill, yet her ſalt is good. If wee have ſeene others miſ-carry before us, by being led away with errours; and can remember Saint Peters Cavete; we ſhall draw honey out of hemlocke, the ſtrength of ſtanding from their weakneſſe in falling. Why are not Traitors buried, ſo ſoone as they are executed? Why are their heads and limbes advanced upon poles, but in terrorem omnium? God could root out the remembrance of the wicked, together with their lives from the earth: hee does not; but rather ſets up their Quarters in ſtories; Vt poena Impii ſit eruditio Iusti; that their puniſhment may be our advertiſement. He does not powre out their bloud, and caſt it away, but ſaves it for a Bathe; Vt lavet Iustus pedes in ſanguine peccatoris; iiPſal. 58.10.Ps 58:10that the Righteous may waſh his feet in the bloud of the Wicked. Cavete then, and wee are ſafe: this is a handfull of ſalt to keepe us, and to make us keepe. Put them both together; Et hac columna nos fulciat, & hic ſal nos condiat: Let this Pillar prop our weakneſſe, and this ſalt ſeaſon our ſacrifice, that we may be kept in our owne ſtedfastneſſe. For ſome uſefull application.

1. Let us ſhunne the ſociety of idolatrous Seducers, and hate the very aire wherein they breathe. So deepely doth God deteſt Idolatry,kk1 King. 13.9.1 Kgs 13:9 that Hee forbids the Prophet to eate the bread, or drinke the water of a people infected with it. That inhibition might be perſonall, but the grounds of it are common. No peſtilence ſhould bee more avoided than the converſation of the miſ-religious, or openly ſcandalous. Wee ſhall hardly winne them to goodneſſe: their familiarity p. 1487will eaſily infeoffe us of their wickedneſſe. Wee may doe good turnes to the ſuperſtitious, but it is dangerous to receive any from them. Kindeneſſe is more ſafely done to a Papiſt, than taken from him. That which is done to him, obligeth him: that which is taken from him, obligeth us. His obligation to us may be an occaſion of his good: our obligation to him may occaſion our hurt: the ſureſt way is to keepe a-loofe from all peſtilent Seducers.

2. The greater ſhew of ſanctity that errour puts on, the more ſuſpitious let us bee of the intended miſchiefe.ll1 King. 13.18.1 Kgs 13:18 Ieroboam threatens, the Prophet ſtands undaunted: Ieroboam fawnes and promiſes, the Prophet is not moved. But then comes a gray-headed. Seer, and pleads a counter-meſſage from God; the Prophet yeelds and tranſgreſſeth. It may be he thinkes; An aged man, a Prophet, an old Prophet, will not (ſure) belie God to a Prophet: No man will forge a lie but for an advantage: what can hee get by this but the entertainment of an unprofitable gueſt? Though God would not ſuffer mee to feaſt with Ieroboam, yet Hee may allow mee to eate with a Prophet. Why are not Gods Revelations as free to others, as to mee? A counter-mand from an Angell of God releaſeth mee from my ſtrict charge. My fidelity is approved in refuſing the bread of Bethel: God may in pity of my faintneſſe, afford me ſuſtenance otherwhere. Thus if we once come to diſpute with Gods expreſſe commands, how eaſily doe wee fall from our owne ſtedfastneſſe? Who would have look't for a Liar under hoary haires, and an holy mantle? Who ever ſaw more externall ſtrictneſſe, than in thoſe Emiſſaries of Rome that come to turne us from our God? Who would not truſt that gravity, that auſterity which they ſeeme to carry over themſelves? It is the concluſion of ſimple ſoules, Theſe men muſt needs be Saints. There is no Tentation ſo dangerous, as that which comes ſhrowded under a vaile of holineſſe, and pretends authority from God himſelfe. Nothing is ſo apt to deceive us, as the faireſt ſemblances, as the ſweeteſt words. Satan as a Fiend may afright us, but hee would appeare an Angell of light when hee educeth us. Our ſafeſt way to bee kept from errour, is not to beleeve the ſpeech for the perſon, but the perſon for the ſpeech.

3. Let us conſider, that theſe Seducers helpe to overthrow us, and caſt us downe; but what helpe is there in them to raiſe us up? There they leave us; in a forlorne condition, as the Prieſts left Iudas after his treaſon.mmMat. 27.4.Matt 27:4 What is that to us? See thou to that. nn1 King. 13.23.1 Kgs 13:23Or as the old Prophet of Bethel left the Prophet of Iudah: Hee could take the paines to fetch the man of God into ſinne, but hee will not beare him company one foot at his departure. Hee had been the occaſion of his fault, but he was loth to be enwrapped in his judgement. All the kindeneſſe hee will doe for him, is to interre him in his owne ſepulcher, and to weepe over him. It is a cruell courteſie to kill a man, and then helpe him to his grave; to betray him with our lips, and then to bedeaw him with our teares: The Prophet had needed no ſuch friend if hee had not met with ſuch enemie. So the Romiſts teach their followers to direct their prayers to Saints: but for themſelves, when they come to die, then Chriſt, and none but Chriſt. When they have brought their Proſelytes whither they would, then let them ſhift for themſelves. The miſchievous guides of wickedneſſe leave a man, when they have led him to his bane: as familiar Devils forſake their Witches, when they have brought them once into fetters.

Bewere leaſt you fall from your owne ſtedfastneſſe.] After all theſe premiſed particulars, for the better methode in handling the ſummary Doctrine, I will ſette downe certaine Theſes, concluſions, or grounds; which either are radically in the Text, or naturally without force may be derived from it. Firſt, men may fall from their owne ſtedfastneſſe, or elſe this Cavete had been in vaine: for no man is charged to beware of that which cannot happen. Secondly, there is a proneneſſe in the nature of man to fall: the ſpirit is willing, but the fleſh is weake: therefore there p. 1488is great need of this Caution, Ne excidatis. Thirdly, If any fall away, it is their owne fault; they are not compelled, nor throwne downe by God, but they fall of themſelves: it is by their owne weaknes, or their owne wilfulnes: Another thing implyed in the Cavete: for if the Almighty power ſhould doe it, all the Cavete's in the world could not withſtand it. Fourthly, If God ſuffer ſome to fall, that have ſtood, yet this is no impeachment to his Iuſtice: becauſe he leaves none without meanes of ſtanding, or hope of riſing. In the Text, they have knowledge granted; therfore they may ſtand: there be Seducers forewarned of; therfore they may fall: and the fall is not pronounced deſperate; thefore they may riſe againe. Fifthly, Men may fall farre; from their owne ſtedfaſtnes, that is, from that meaſure of ſtabilitie which for the preſent they have, yet not totally, ſo as to have no firmeneſſe at all; to loſe even the very foundation and principles of trueth, or to ſuffer an utter eradication of grace: Or if ſo much, ſo farre, ſo deſperately they fall; yet this lapſe may not be finall: the grace of God is not debarred them, nor the gate of merciemercy ſhut againſt them, nor is the ſentence of irrevocable damnation paſſed upon them. Sixtly, It is dangerous to fall at any time; but then worſt, when Chiſtians have ſtood ſometime in the trueth; as theſe to whom our Apoſtle writes: To them a Cavete ne excidatis, is eſpecially needfull: for the nearer heaven, the greater fall to the earth. Seventhly, Laſtly the ſummary vſe, the principall ſcope, the maine antidote to prevent all this, is a conſtant Perſeverance unto the end.

Concluſion.1. Men may fall from their owne ſtedfaſtnes. Though it be true; Abundans cautela non nocet: yet there is no need of warning, where is no poſſibilitie of danger. Now this falling can be incident to none but Chriſtians: for they that never were up, cannot be ſaid to fall: Qui iacet in terram, non habet unde cadat. Nay not onelyonly to Chriſtians at large, in the latitude of all that are baptized: for in that number, we ſhall find abundance of heretickes, no fewer hypocrites, and innumerable ungodly perſons: ſome not informed in their Iudgments, the reſt not reformed in their lives: theſe cannot be ſaid to fall, for they never ſtood. But we muſt reſtraine it to converts, ſuch as are called into Chriſt, have embraced the Goſpell, graced their faith with good workes, and conformed their demeanor to pietie. Yet that theſe may fall from their owne ſtedfaſtnes, there is poſſibilitie: that they doe fall ſo, it is great pitie. Oh that this point were not to be proved by too deare experience. How many have fallen, even with all the helpes of ſtanding about them? Iudas was continually in the preſence of Chriſt: he heard his Sermons, he ſaw his miracles, he taſted his bountie, did eate at his table, even that Sacramentall bread: yet he fell. Who would thinke that the devill durſt enter into Chriſts owne Colledge? Or that any of his Colledge ſhould entertaine the devill? So in Noahs octonary familie, one was a ſonne of Belial: he ſaw the Iudgment of the floud upon all the world: by a miraculous merciemercy himſelfe eſcaped: he was at his fathers Sacrifice: yet he fell. In the little familie of Lot, one fell off: ſhe was by being Lots wife, incorporated into the houſe, and made partaker of the bleſſings of faithfull Abraham: ſhe was brought out of the Idolatrous world, kept ſafe in Egipt, preſerved from the ſinne of Sodome, from the fire of Sodome, delivered from the captivitie of the five kings, from the periſhing of the five cities: how gracious were all theſe mercies? what abundant meanes, and ſtrong helpes had ſhe to ſtand? Yet ſhe fell. She was brought out of Sodome, warned of the enſuing danger; had Angels to goe before her, her husband to goe with her daughters, to attend and follow her: ſhe was gotten to the entrance of Zoar: Yet that place ſhe made choiſe of to periſh in, which God had picked out to ſave her. Thus ſhe ſinned, in reſpect of her ſelfe, deſperately: in reſpect of the Angels, contemptuouſly: in reſpect of her husband and daughters, ſcandalouſly: in reſpect of God and his mercies, unthankfully: and fell away in the wickednes of a willfull p. 1489defection. There were but twelve in Chriſts familie, and one of them fell away: but eight in Noahs familie, and one of them fell away: but foure in Lots familie, and one of them fell away. Ham was preſerved in the Arke yet he fell. Lots wife was reprieved by the Angels, yet ſhe fell: who would not feare, if one may periſh in the companie of Angels? Yea, Iudas was under the Tuition of Chriſt himſelfe; yet he fell. There is then a poſſibilitie of falling.

For uſe and application, here, it is but having recourſe to our Apoſtles Caution: we may fall, therfore let us looke to our ſtanding. We may be led away: the devill will venture to trie: therfore let us not budge, not give him one foote of ground: but if he beckens one way, be we ſure to take the contrary: There have bene ſome that ſtood in as little feare of falling, as now they are in hope of riſing: Pride and wantonnes was the cauſe of their fall: faith and humilitie muſt keepe us upright. When we remember what we have bene, we have juſt cauſe Erubeſcere, to be a ſhamed: ſo when we conſider what we may be we have no leſſe cauſe contremiſcere, to be afrayd. We know our beginnings,Bern. we doe not foreknow our endings. We may be certaine that thus we are: but that thus we ſhall be, is above our aſſurance. We ſee how much of our way we have paſt: we ſee not how much is left, or whether we ſhall be able to hold out to the end. As we have cauſe to pray;ooPſal. 71.18.Ps 71:18 O God, when we are old, and gray-headed, forſake us not: ſo to gird up our loines, and redouble our ſtrength, that we may perſevere.pp1. Theſſ. 5.231 Thess 5:23 For it is nothing to begin, unles we continue: nor to continue, unles we doe it unto the end.

2. There is a proneneſſe in the nature of man to fall. Not that when we ſtand, we are held up by force: for God offers no violence to the will of man, but ſweetly diſpoſeth it to deſire the owne good. Yet the Second Adam hath not ſo farre caſt out the firſt, but that the new ingraffed ſiens doth relliſh of the old ſtocke; and ſtill there is a a tang of originall corruption left in us: as a veſſell, after much rinſing and clenſing, will ſmell of the firſt ſeaſoning.qqRom. 7.14.Rom 7:14 I am carnall, ſold under ſinne. Sold? This is not ſuch a ſale, as wherein there is a ſeller a buyer, a thing ſold, and the price: So in Adams ſelling, Satan was the buyer, Innocencie and heaven ſold, and the price was an apple. So Ahab ſold himſelfe to Satan for a ſlave,rr1. King. 21.25.1 Kgs 21:25 to worke wickednes, by his wives inſtigation, and ſetting him on to the bargaine. Paul was not ſold thus:ſſAug. lib, 7. in Iudic. cap. 17.Judg 17 but there be two kinds of ſlaves: one that ſelleth himſelfe into captivitie, and willingly obeyeth a tyrant: another that is ſold into ſervitude againſt his will, as Ioſeph was ſold by his brethren: and ſo was S^t. Paul ſold. Selling is ſometimes taken for a ſimple tradition, without any price. Ye have have ſold your ſelves for nought, ttEſa. 52.3,Isa 52:3and ye ſhall be redeemed without money. But this ſelling and buying muſt be underſtood in a different ſenſe. In the Sale, the price is Nought; but it is nought in reſpect of God, for he had no honour by it: no gaine redounded to him: And yet while they ſold themſelves, they ſold not their owne, but Gods: and in reaſon, the owner of the thing ſold ſhould have the price. So in the purchaſe or Redemption, the price is nothing: that is, nothing to them: it coſt them nothing: they payed not one penny for their owne deliverance. But in reſpect of God, the price was not nothing: uuPſal. 49.8.Ps 49:8for the redemption of their ſoule is precious: It coſt him much; even as much as it could coſt him; the precious bloud of his deare Sonne.

Sinners out of Chriſt are ſold two wayes. Firſt, they are ſold in the common market of man, when Adam ſold himſelfe and all his poſteritie. Next they have made a new bargaine with Satan, and ſold themſelves over to him againe for the pleaſures of the fleſh. Thus did Ahab, and Iudas, and Demas wilfully ſell themſelves, though long agoe they repented the match. But Paul does not ſpeake there of himſelfe, as in the perſon of a naturall man: for every man conſidered in nature, is ſold under ſinne: And there be ſome that have abandoned p. 1490and proſtituted themſelves to ſinne: ſo that as Iude calls them Arbores his mortuas, xxIud. verſ. 12.Trees twice dead: ſo we may call theſe animas bis venditas, ſoules twice ſold. The buyer hath fine and recoverie upon them. But S^t. Paul ſpeakes in the perſon of a regenerate, ſpiritual, ſupernatural and ſanctified man: meaning that no man upon earth, in what meaſure ſo veler holy, can ſo emancipate himſelfe from that captivitie wherein Adam hath inthraulled him, but that he is ſtill enwrapped in ſinne,Bez. and ſold vnderunder ſinne. There be two kinds of ſervitude: Some are ſlaves becauſe they are ſo borne, being the children of ſlaves and bond-parents: Others have ſold themſelves, and wilfully become bondmen. Like to the firſt are the regenerate, for they are borne ſervile, beingaaPſal. 51.5.Ps 51:5 conceived in ſinne. The unregenerate are like to the other, for they have ſold themſelves into bondage. Yet may the very regenerate be ſaid to be ſold two wayes. Firſt, In regard of originall corruption; for which they may thanke their firſt parents; if at leaſt it be worth their thankes. Secondly, Becauſe the embers, the ſpawne, the leaven of that originall ſinne remaines in them, and makes them ſubject to many infirmities: ſo that they cannot doe what they would, but they too often doe what they would not.

The concluſion then is plaine, that there is ſtill a proclivitie left in our nature to be led away into errour. The ſeed of all ſinne is within us, therefore even of apoſtacie. A good ſcholar, that will ply his booke in his Maſters preſence, yet may flie out when his backe is turned. The bird that hath long contented herſelfe with her cage, feeding and ſinging there; yet if ſhe ſpyes the doore open, will whippe out, and flie abroad. Our nature isbbPſal. 78.57.Ps 78:57 Like a deceitfull bow: which when it is bent to the full, except it be followed hard, till it be ſure and faſt; ſtarts backe againe, and is as farre off as ever. It is called the fleſh: and ſuch fleſh is it as will Sine ſale putreſcere: if it be not corned, it will of it ſelfe bring forth corruption.

For vſe of this concluſion: we find here juſt cauſe to deplore our miſerable eſtate by nature, and to conſider how deeply our firſt parents have ingaged us: ſo that (not to let goe the former metaphor) we are all even ſold under ſinne. We exclaime againſt any man that hath ſold a citie, or a countrey, or an army, to the enemie: but Adam ſold the world. He ſold his children, and childrens children; Abraham, Iſaac, and Iacob: he ſold all the Patriarchs, and all the Prophets, and all the Princes of the earth: he ſold all the Apoſtles, Peter and Paul, and both their Regiments, the glorious hemiſpheres of the world, Iewes and Gentiles: he ſold all, even the deareſt friends that God had among the ſonnes of men: even the Diſciple whom the Lord loved, and the mother of the Lord herſelfe, whom all generations call bleſſed. He ſold his wife, yea he ſold himſelfe: and if Chriſt had not provided for himſelfe by a miraculous generation, Adam had ſold him too. If Chriſt had bene conceived in originall ſinne, he muſt have dyed for himſelfe: nay he could not have dyed for himſelfe, but muſt have needed another Saviour. Such an unthrift had we to our Father: and we take after him, for in this reſpect we are all prodigall children.

But now what was the price of us? He ſold all; what had he for it? When the Patrimonie is at ſale, the children looke for portions. Alas, he had nothing for us, and nothing could he leave us; but Sinne, Shame, and Sorrow: that is; the portion of all the ſonnes of men. We complaine now that land will not ſell, that the price of it is fallen: that twenty yeares purchaſe is come downe to ſixteene. Yet ſure, as cheape as it is now, it was cheaper at firſt; both land, and Landlord. What was Paradiſe ſold for? What was the whole earth fold for? what was mankind fold for? what had Eve for her part? It could be but a little fruite: ſo little, that the Scripture will not tell us what kind of fruit it was: yet ſhe had ſomething. What had Adam for his part? Yea, for the whole? Nothing beſides a morſell of fruite; except it were any content to him in pleaſing p. 1491his wives humour: as Ierome thinkes, he ſo dearely loved his wife, that he did eate, leſt otherwiſe ſhe ſhould have bene diſcontented. Yet if he had that ſatisfaction he had ſomething. But now after both theſe, what had we for our part? He ſold our Inheritance as well as his owne: it is fitte, we ſhould have ſomewhat for our right. Now what fell to our ſhare? What had we for earth, and heaven too? For Innocencie and happynes too? Alas, nothing could accrue to us by this ſale, but ſin and woe. Adam ſinned, and we ſuffer. Before we had any poſſeſſion of felicitie, or could claime any intereſt in it, we had (in him) forfeited it. We had a puniſhment, before we had a being: God was diſpleaſed with me, before I was I. I was built up not fifty yeares agoe, in my mothers wombe: and I was caſt downe almoſt ſixe thouſand yeares agoe, in Adams loynes. We all heere are borne in the laſt age of the world; yet dyed in the firſt. This is that portion left us by our parents; originall ſinne, and a corrupt inclination of our nature to tranſgreſſe, to be led away into error: and the moſt holy ſoules upon earth cannot be quite ridde of it.ccRom. 7.24.Rom 7:24 O wretched men that we are, who ſhall deliver us from the body of this death? We are prone to fall.

3. If any fall away from their owne ſtedfaſtneſſe, it is their owne fault. A Deo eſt quòd ſtatur, à nobis quòd ruitur. If God did caſt us downe, our Cavete would doe no good, there were no remedy, wee muſt fall. But ſeeing there are but three that can doe it; the Divell, his engines, or our ſelves; the Cavete is requiſitely put upon us: and if we doe hit it right, it will ſave us. But if we will fall for want of circumſpection, it is in vaine for us to blame any but our ſelues. Saul would have put his tranſgreſſion upon the people, but it would not doe: God would not take that for an excuſe. Adam would have diſcharged his ſinne upon his wife: but God findes Adam guilty, and ſo judgeth him.ddIer. 4.18.Jer 4:18 Thy way and thy doings have procured theſe things unto thee: They be our own, and we muſt anſwer to them, and anſwer for them. We may have leaders into temptation: but it is our fault if we follow them. Nay, to come cloſer home, doe not we tempt our ſelves? Satan is not the ſole cauſe of evill. The fowler ſets his glaſſe, ſpreads his net, whiſtles like the bird: yet cannot all this make the fowle come into his nette whether ſhee will or no. If we had not pliable eares, and flexible affections, the Syrens might ſing in vaine. But there is ſomething within us, that befriends temptation: ſome combuſtible matter, which that fire ſoone takes, and will ſoone take that fire. If we were pure Chryſtall glaſſes, that would endure no poyſon, it were ſome ſecurity: but naturally Satan is not more ready to offer, than wee to receive his infection. So that the Apoſtles Cavete is of uſe at every turne: As God hath ſet Timete upon the very porch of our houſe,Bern. and made it The beginning of all our wiſedome. Vis in timore ſecurus eſſe? Securitatem time. The onelyonly way to be ſecure in feare, is to feare ſecurity. So ſaint Paul helpes them out with their Si permanſeritis, by this adviſe;eeRom. 11.20.Rom 11:20 Be not high minded, but feare.

So then there is ſomewhat intra nos, quod contra nos: we may challenge others for miſleading us; butffIam. 1.14.Jas 1:14 Every man is tempted, when hee is drawne away of his owne luſt: which is not any one appetite, but the fountaine of all corrupt affections. And this remaines in the moſt regenerate:ggRom. 7.23.Rom 7:23 There is a law in our members, warring againſt the law of our minde. How holy ſo ever we are: yethhPareus. Secundum repugnantia principia, repugnantia habemus ſtudia. Our owne feete carry us to ſinne, and wee love the journey. Our owne affections ſeduce us, and wee runne into errours by our owne wills. We are not onelyonly ſold in Adam; there begun the miſchiefe▪ but we have confirmed the ſale; by further ſelling over our ſelves unto vanity. By him wee are ſold to originall ſinne: to actuall and habituall ſinnes, by our ſelves. Wee, we have beene our owne undoers.iiEſa. 50.1.Isa 50:1 You have ſold your ſelves; and your owne immortall happineſſe. Immortality was ſold in that firſt contract betweene man and ſinne. We talke of twenty yeeres purchaſe: but what number of yeeres was the price of immortality: It is our eternity: God hath another p. 1492manner of Eternity in him, even an whole eternall day: an eternall forenoone, and an eternall afternoone too: for as he never ſhall have end, ſo hee never had beginning. We have an eternall afternoone, in our immortality: for we ſhall no more ſee an end, than God hath ſeene a beginning. Millions of yeeres, multiplied by millions, make not up a minute to this Eternity. And yet this we ſold; wee, to witneſſe that the fault is in our ſelves. And what did wee ſell it for? When that tormented worldling in Hell valued one drop of water at ſo high a rate; what would he have given for a river? How poore a clod of the Earth is a Mannor? How poore an inch, a Shire? How poore a ſpanne, a Kingdome? How poore a pace, the whole Earth? And yet wee have ſold our bodies, and ſoules, and conſciences, and Heaven, and Eternity, for a few graines of this duſt.

Whom then can we blame for our falling? we have ſold our ſelves, and all our ability of goodneſſe. Doe you aske for what? Our firſt father ſold us cheape: but we ſell our ſelves cheaper. Our ſelves, all our ſelves: our bodies to luſt and intemperance, our ſoules to pride and malice, our conſciences to hypocriſie and unfaithfulneſſe, and all this for nothing. For ſinne is but a privation, and privations are nothing,kkRom. 6.21.Rom 6:21 What fruite had ye then in thoſe things, whereof yee are now aſhamed? for the end of thoſe things is death. That wee got by it, is but barrenneſſe, ſhame, and death. Barrenneſſe is a privation of fruite; ſhame a privation of innocency, and death a privation of life: For theſe privations wee ſell our ſelves, and theſe privations are nothing, poſitively nothing. But hath not the covetous man gold and riches for his ſoule? would hee ſell his conſcience for nothing, though he eſteeme it nothing worth? Hee may have gold, and want comfort: riches, without the uſe of them: as the miſer's curſe is, Penuria in Penaria; hunger in plenty: and what is hunger more than nothing, unleſſe it bee worſe than nothing? The adulterer ſatisfies his filthy luſt: he hath his pleaſure; therefore he ſells himſelfe for ſomething. To night indeed ſinne may looke like a purchaſe, like a treaſure: but aske him to morrow how hee likes his bargaine: then his awaked conſcience will confeſſe, that hee hath ſold himſelfe for nothing: for weakeneſſe in his limbes, for darkeneſſe in his underſtanding, for emptineſſe in his purſe, for abſence of grace in his ſoule. Now weakeneſſe, darkeneſſe, emptineſſe and abſence, are privations, and privations are nothing. All the name of ſubſtance that ſinne takes, is that it is a heavy and intolerable burden.llPſal. 38.4.Ps 38:4 My iniquities are a burden too heavy for mee. All the treaſure that is in it, ismmRom. 2.5.Rom 2:5 that Treaſure of wrath, againſt the day of wrath. All the poſitive reality, that it is a vexation to the conſcience. Now vexation doth but deprive us of peace, a burden of eaſe, and wrath of comfort: And this is a fearefull privation, of the grace of God here, and of the face of God hereafter: a privation ſo much worſe than nothing, as that they upon whom it falls, would faine be nothing, and cannot.

The concluſion is cleare then, that this falling away is our owne fault; and ſo much our fault, that we ſell our ſelves to that purpoſe. Rather than want ſinnes, we are apt to tempt our ſelves. He that frequently feeles not ſome ſecret invaſions upon his honeſty, as when he is poore, to ſteale; when he is rich, to be idle; when he is full, to wantonnize; when he is in authority, to bee proud; is nearer an Angel than a Man. Nay, how often doe wee ſave Satan the labour, and become our owne tempters? Concupiſcence is in ſome a flaſh, in others a flame o… in the former it is ſoone gone, in the other it burnes long: but what man is quite without this fire? This ſame fleſh and blood is a giddy guide: as when the Serpents taile would needs lead the body, there followed mad courſes, and deſperate precipices. Paſſions, like Acta…us dogges, when they are once blooded, will devoure their owne Maſter. Our affections will bee doing, ſet them on what worke you will. Like horſes, whether you put them to your perfumed coaches, or to the noiſome ſoile-carts, they will draw. Hence it comes, that l…ſt p. 1493in the deſire and thought, (contemplative uncleanneſſe) is often more puniſhed than luſt in the act: becauſe to the latter we are tempted partly by others, to the former, we wholly tempt our ſelves: And he that wilfully but wounds a man, is more puniſhable than he that kils him againſt his will. The Drunkard hunts after the wine: temptation neeeds not ſtand like a Taverne-buſh in his way, for he invites himſelfe. ThennIob 24.15.Job 24:15 Adulterer waits for the …y-light: the Harlot needs not to attract him with her wanton lookes or language: Ipſe ſe allicit. The Movere to f…i… within us: Satans Promovere is but a working upon us. In a maner, we are Devils to our owne hearts: wee puſh our ſelves downe, and are the maine occaſion of our owne falling. What a mockery is it to pray, Lead us not into temptation; when as we in the meane while ſeeke temptation? Age quod postulas. Then ſhall we finde, that though Tentat diabolus, ſustentat Dominus: for Satans tentation we ſhall have, Gods ſuſtentation: yea Lord, Deliver us from evill, for thine is the kingdome, the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

4. If God ſuffer ſome to fall that have ſtood, yet this is no impeachment to his Iuſtice: becauſe he leaves none without meanes of ſtanding, or hope of riſing. In the Text it is granted, that there is knowledge in generall, and fore-knowledge of theſe things in particular, in them: therefore they may ſtand: there bee Seducers forewarned of, and a leading away by them is not denyed to bee unpoſſible: and a Cavete is given them for that purpoſe: therefore they may fall: yet being downe; their fall is not pronounced deſperate; therefore they may riſe againe. This Concluſion hath two branches: the former vindicates God from Injuſtice, if wee doe fall: the other ſaves us from deſpaire though wee are fallen.

1. That Peccatum ſhould be cauſa peccati: for ſinne is no Eunuch: it can and will beget children, and that in the owne likeneſſe: Or that Peccatum ſhould be Poena peccati, as the brood of the Viper kill their Damme, or as Senacharib was ſlaine by the iſſue of his owne loines: who can complaine of either? Whether God doth deliver us over to puniſhments for ſinnes; that when the meaſure of our ſinne is full, He ſhall empty the meaſure of his Iudgements upon us: Or to ſinnes for puniſhments; making future iniquities the ſcourges of former; there is no Injuſtice in it. If hee ſhall leave any particular ſoule that hath left him: or withdraw his Spirit from a whole Church, that hath withdrawne her ſelfe from his Trueth: this is not done out of any tyrannicall wilfulneſſe, but out of a puniſhing Iuſtice: not for for his pleaſure, but our deſerts. Hee is not bound to ſticke unto them that forſake Him. If He opens his boſome when wee come to Him, and holds us there ſo long as wee will tarry with Him; it is his Mercy: But when wee will flie from his armes, if Hee lets us goe, is it not his Iuſtice? They miſ-judge the liberty of our infinite Creator, that imagine Him any wayes bound to his Creature. Wee are obliged to Him, not He to us: wee not to offend Him, not He to defend us.

If they will goe unto captivity, let them goe: yea, if they will needs goe, He will ſend them, and give them up into the hands of their enemies, and deliver them over to puniſhment for ſinne, or to ſinne for puniſhment. If Hee takes the ſinne which He findes within us, and makes it his executioner upon us; ſo that future ſinnes become the plague of former; ſtill Hee is juſt. It is no eaſie ſmart wee feele, when God laſheth us with puniſhment for our errours: but to puniſh one errour with another; Peccatum grande, Peccato grandiore; O this is a ſore revenge. David had his choiſe of three Roddes; Warre, Famine, Peſtilence: either of them could ſccourge him throughly, and fetch bloud of his ſoule: but if all three had bin inflicted on him together, they had not bin ſo heavie, as when God gave him over into his owne hands, and ſuffered the ſin in his owne boſome to become his maſter. Luſt now hath the regiment of David, and that ſends him to Adultery, Adultery prompts him to Murder, Murder muſt be ſecreted by Hypocriſie, and p. 1494that produceth Impenitency and a ſenſleſneſſe in ſinne. After hee had fallen one ſtory, into Uncleanneſſe, he ſtaies not there, but fals another ſtory, into Homicide: and from that to another, Diſſimulation: till at laſt hee fals to the very bottome, Security and benummedneſſe of ſoule; and lower hee could not fall. Being there, hee had cauſe to lift up his voice, withooPſal. 130.1.Ps 130:1 De profundis clamavi. Now all theſe were his owne ſinnes: God had no hand in the doing of them. The Adulterie was his; hee polluted the marriage bed: the Murder was his; hee flew Vriah with the ſword:pp2 Sam. 12.9.2 Sam 12:9 Though Vriah fell by the ſword of the children of Ammon, yet ſaies Nathan, Thou haſt ſlaine him. The Blaſphemy was his: it came out of the mouth of the uncircumciſed, even of the Lords enemies; yet becauſe he gave the occaſion, it was his Blaſphemy. The obdurateneſſe and perſiſting a whole yeare without remorſe, was his ſinne: all his:qqPſal. 51.3.Ps 51:3 I acknowledge my tranſgreſsions. God had no hand in the doing of them, but God will have a hand in the diſpoſing of them. With an idle wantonneſſe hee beganne: God tooke his Adulterie, and made it his Bayliffe to attach David for his idleneſſe: and then He tooke his Murder, and made it his Bayliffe to attach David for his Adulterie: and then Hee tooke the Gentiles Blaſphemy, and made it his Bayliffe to attach David for his Murder: and then Hee tooke his long deadneſſe of heart and made it his Bayliffe to attach David for that Blaſphemy: So here was a generation of ſins, a race of iniquities; one begetting another, and the laſt worſe than the former.

Beware therefore: for if you bee once led away, who knowes where you ſhall ſtoppe? Errour begets errour: and if we once languiſh or bate of our owne ſtedfastneſſe, ſtill wee fall lower: and the leſſe hold we have of God, the more hold Satan hath of us.rr2 Sam. 24.14.2 Sam 24:14 Let us fall into the hands of God, ſaies that ſtraitned King, for his mercies are great: and not into the hand of man. Betweene God and man there may be ſome kinde of compariſon: But would any ſinner ſay, Let mee fall into the hands of the Divell, and not of man? Rather into more ſinnes, than ſome puniſhments? It was a moſt fearefull imprecation upon Gods enemies:ſſPſal. 69.27.Ps 69:27 Adde iniquitie unto their iniquity: that was wofull: But, Let them not come into thy righteouſneſſe, into which they can never come, unleſſe they firſt come into repentance; this is the fatall doome. Among all the phials of wrath, there is none more tetricall and deadly; when men ſhall be ſuffered to adde ſinne unto ſinne, that Finis unius mali ſit gradus alterius; and never offer to repent of their paſt ſinnes, till they are paſt repentance. This is that reprobate ſenſe, to miſtake miſeries for mercies, ſinnes for comforts. So many thinke to aſſwage the anguiſh of one ſinne, by doing another: which is a remedie farre worſe than the diſeaſe.

Prodigality is a gallant ſinne: but the Prodigall cannot but ſee that his patrimony waſtes: how then ſhall hee maintaine his riot? Why, it is but coupling another ſinne with it; oppreſſion of his Tenants, extortion of ſines, and taking of forfeitures; and all ſhall bee well. All well? So the Divell thinkes it, but ſo hee ſhall not finde it. If the horror of whoredome and prodigious uncleanneſſe have cauſed in others a dejection of ſpirit; how ſhould they remedy this? How? Strait, there is a factour of hell preſent, that cries; Come, you are melancholy, let us to the Taverne: hee can cure all your ſadneſſe with a charme of wine. How could the common Strumpet ever ſleepe, without this incantation of ſtrong drinke? Her affrighted conſcience would bee a worſe fury within her, than the ſevereſt Marſhall could bee about her; but that the inceſſant noiſe of ſinne will not let it be heard. The covetous mucke-worme could never digeſt his legall pillage; but that the hope of the next advantage adjournes the anguiſh of the former. Theſe ſinners take all ſuch carnall ſatisfactions for medicines: but God ſends them for plagues: O madneſſe,ttWiſd. 14.22.Wis 14:22 to call great plagues peace! To ſmother ſinne from the eye of the world, or to ſhadow it from the eye of our owne conſcience, by interpoſing more ſinnes, is a phyſicke preſcribed by the p. 1495devill. Repentance is appointed by God, the onelyonly phyſicke for ſinne; a remorſe for the evill we have done: not the adding of more evill to it. As the drunkard is ſicke in the morning, till he hath qualified the old heate with a new. To cure ſinne with ſinne, is but to heale an ulcer by deading the fleſh: which indeed doth not make us whole, but inſenſible of paine. Repentance be our phyſicke: this if we take, we may be cured: this if we continue, we ſhall be ſaved.

2. As this cleares God, ſo the other branch of the concluſion comforts us. If we have fallen, let us not conclude upon our ſelves that we ſhall never riſe againe: for God doth not ſay ſo: Not in this Text, not in this Epiſtle, not in the whole Bible. Farre be it from us, to impoſe upon our ſelves a neceſſitie of periſhing. There may be a falling off on our part: and there may be a withdrawing of grace on Gods part: yet he hath ſtill reſerved to himſelfe the power of reſtitution, in both parts. There be many termes of union betweene God and us, none of ſeparation, that diſioynes us from God, that I ever read of: Of eternall ſeparation none, I am ſure, in the Scriptures.uuEſa. 59.2.Isa 59:2 Your iniquities have ſeparated betweene you and your God: this is the neareſt to it. And yet that was particularly ſpoken to the revolting Iewes, not indefinitely to all ſinners: And it was a commination, that if they perſiſted in ſinne, ſo it would be; rather than a concluſion that ſo it was: Or it was a Caution, that it might not be ſo; rather than a commination, that it ſhould be ſo: Or: it was a complaint, that they had done enough on their part to make it ſo; rather than a decree on Gods part, that it ſhould be ſo indeed. Or take it in the moſt ſtrict and literall ſenſe, yet it was not a determination without a condition. Though they were now divided, they might be united: though their ſinnes had put them aſ-under, yet their repentance might bring them together againe.

He is called ourxxPſal. 103.13.Ps 103:13 Father, and full of pitie: what will not a father doe, and ſuffer, to reclaime his ſonne, before he leave him to his owne deſperate wayes? It muſt be a prodigious offenſe, that can ſeparate a ſonne from the love of his father. He is compared to a mother:aaEſa. 49.15.Isa 49:15 Can a mother forget her child? was Gods queſtion to Zion. He ſtayes not her anſwere, nor aſſures himſelfe of any good anſwere from her; but addes to it: Yea, a mother may forget her child, yet I will not forget thee. Can God doe it? Did God ever doe it? Did he ever caſt off without poſſibilitie of re-accepting? When? Where? Whom? We neither can ſhew the time, nor the place, nor the perſons; to whom God gave ſuch a peremptory repulſe, ſaying, you ſhall never repent, but you ſhall periſh. That of the Prophet is moſt comfortable:bbHoſ. 2.19.Hos 2:19 I will betroth thee unto me for ever. The husband and wife are una caro, one fleſh: Chriſt and our ſoule, by this marriage, unas ſpiritus, cc1. Cor. 6.17.1 Cor 6:17one ſpirit. The words of the Contract are, Sponſabo te mihi in aeternum. There can be no divorce imagined, where there is no marriage: and if there be a marriage with God, there can be no divorce, neither: for Sponſat in aeternum, Therefore as often as our hearts, upon the dolefull conſideration of our ſinnes, be afraid of a divorce from our God; let us cheare them up with the comfort of a marriage with our God. So Ambroſe ſweetly and ſaftely: Audiſti repudium? Crede conjugium. Did God ever take in a favourite, and afterwards utterly reject him? The Crow went out of the Arke, and came no more: the Dove went, and came againe, and came with an olive branch. God may abſent himſelfe, on purpoſe that he might be ſought: but he comes againe, and that with an olive branch of peace. The Iewes did indeed put away their wives; not onelyonly for the wives fault, but for the husbands frowardnes: But we have too good experience of our Gods love and patience, ever to charge him with that: we muſt deny him firſt, for he cannot deny himſelfe.

To follow this comfortable metaphore of our marriage to God, and to take away all miſtruſt of a ſeparation: Let us conſider for what cauſes the Iewes might put away their wives, and by that precedent examine whether God (our p. 1496Husband) hath ſo threatned to put away us. And becauſe in the place where divorce is permitted,Deut. 24.Deut 24 thoſe eſſentiall circumſtances are not ſet downe, which were required in thoſe bills of divorce, and without which they were void: give me leave to borrow ſo much exemplification from a great light in our Church, as he hath collected for the clearing of this point.

1. This bill of divorce might not be written in private; not in the Husbands bed-chamber; but by a Scribe, a publicke Notary, or ſome ſuch authorized officer. Where, ô diſconſolate ſoule, canſt thou find ſuch a bill ſent thee from the hand of God? There is no looking for it in his Bed-chamber, in his unrevealed decrees, for they are kept private in heaven: but in his publicke Record… his Scriptures. Now theſe are bookes of Covenant, of Contract▪ not of Separation or divorce. In what place hath God ſaid to thy ſad ſoule, get thee gone, I will none of thee? If any clauſe in that ſacred Inſtrument ſeemes to trouble thee, doe not follow the miſ-interpretation of thine owne braine, but conſult the Diſpenſers of thoſe holy Myſteries: from them thou ſhalt find comfort.

2. The wife, how guilty ſoever in her owne conſcience, might not take herſelfe to be put away, except the husband had expreſſely given her a bill of divorce. Hath thy Husband, thy God done ſo to thee? Hath he any where ſet downe the peremptory ſentence of thy condemnation?ddEzek. 33.11.Ezek 33:11 As I live, ſaith the Lord, I would not the death of a ſinner, nor the falling away of any ſoule. If of none, why of thine?ee1. Tim. 2.4.1 Tim 2:4 He would have all men to be ſaved: If all, does he except thee?

3. Thoſe bills of divorce were to be teſtified by witneſſe, and theſe beyond exception. If thou imagine a bill of reprobation againſt thee, what witneſſes be there to it? Heere thou mayſt bring in againſt thy ſelfe, the melancholy of a diſtempered braine, the uncomfortable ſadnes of a ſullen heart, the dejection of a jealous ſpirit, the diſtruſt of merciemercy, and diffidence in the promiſes of the Goſpell: But are theſe witneſſes to be heard againſt God? Yea, againſt thy ſelfe? They have not ſanam mentem; their teſtimonie is nothing worth. O but my conſcience is a thouſand witneſſes. It is, that thou haſt committed a thouſand ſinnes: it is, that thou haſt received a thouſand bleſſings. But that there is an eternall decree of reprobation againſt thee, thy conſcience (miſ-informed) can be no witneſſe: for thou waſt not called to the making of thoſe decrees. God calls heaven and earth to witneſſe, that he hath offered thee thy choiſe of life or death: but that he hath thruſt death upon thee, in heaven or earth there is no witneſſe.

4. Thoſe bills of divorce were to be authentically ſealed: but canſt thou ſhew any ſuch bill of everlaſting ſeparation from God, with his ſeale to it? Hee hath given us two faire and broad ſeales of his mercy, in both the Sacraments: Seales in white, and Seales in red waxe: Of white, in the participation of the candor and innocency of his Sonne, in our Baptiſme: Of red, in the participation of his Body and Blood, in the holy Supper. But for any ſeale of reprobation, or of irrevocable divorce from God, thou canſt ſhew none: there is none. If thou pretend ſuch a one, becauſe thou haſt fallen into ſinne; know that it is but a counterfeit deed, an inſtrument of Satans forging: there is neither Gods hand nor ſeale to it. O but I am plagued more than other men? What of that? Is this a ſeale of Gods anger? It was not to be a ſeale of Gods favour.ffHeb. 12.6.Heb 12:6 Whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth. For ſpirituall defects; there may bee a ſcruple in thy Conſcience, a perplexity in thy reſolution, a darkeneſſe in thy underſtanding; yet who dares call all this, a ſeale of Gods utter dereliction? For temporall ſufferings, not a ſuddaine death, not a ſhamefull death, not a ſtupid death, not a raging death; muſt bee to thy ſelfe by the way, or to thoſe that ſee thine end, an evidence or ſeale of reprobation, or of finall falling from God. That God, who hath unſearchable wayes to his unſearchable ends, both bleſſe us from all theſe p. 1497in our ſelves; and from making any of theſe, when they fall upon others, ſeales and tokens of his everlaſting wrath.

5. The names of the parties muſt bee ſet downe, and of both the parties parents, and that to the third generation. Is there any ſuch thing in our fained bill? We may conceive three deſcents on our husbands ſide, in the bleſſed Trinity: Firſt God the Father, then God the Sonne begotten of the Father; and then God the holy Ghoſt proceeding from the Sonne and the Father. The holy Spirit we know to be the God of our conſolation: the Sonne, to be the God of our Redemption: the Father to bee the God of our Creation: but can wee finde a God of Separation, a God of rejection among all theſe? Wee may conceive three deſcents on our owne ſide: firſt as we are the children of duſt, of nothing: next, as we are the children of Adam, reducible to nothing: laſt, as wee are the Children of God in Chriſt, in whom we are all things. God hath married us in all theſe eſtates. Firſt in the houſe of duſt, where he made us good: then in the houſe of ruine, where he found us loſt: and laſt in the houſe of peace and grace, where he redeemeth us in Chriſt. He did not put us from him in our creation, nor utterly reject us in our prevarication: and now in the houſe of our reſtitution, in the Church, in the Body of his Sonne, will he divorce us there? Who can ſuſpect it?

6. Laſtly, if the Bill were interlin'd, or blotted, or dropt upon, it was voide. Pretend any place of Scripture that may ſeeme to condemne thee; and know that that place is interlin'd; interlin'd by the Spirit of God, with conditions, limitations, proviſions and exceptions, If thou repent, if thou returne: that interlining cancells the Bill. Looke well, and thou ſhalt finde it blotted and dropt upon: the venome of the Setpent is dropt upon it: the worme-wood of thy deſperation is dropt upon it: the gall of thy melancholly is dropt upon it: and this voids the bill. And if thy moody and clouded eyes cannot diſcerne theſe drops; doe thou droppe upon it thy ſelfe. Droppe upon it the teares of true contrition and repentance: that ſhall voide the bill. Droppe upon it the blood of thy Saviour; that ſhall deſtroy the bill. Through that blood looke upon the bill, and thou ſhalt ſee that it was nayled to the Croſſe, when hee was nailed; and torne, when his body was torne: and that hath quite cancelled the bill. Now Vbi libellus? ggEſa. 50.1.Isa 50:1Where is the bill of your divorcement? There is none ſuch: never imagine it, for God hath not made it. There is a Booke of his Covenant with us in Ieſus Chriſt: to that let us adhere faithfully, and we ſhall never fall away from his mercy.

5. Men called into the truth, may yet fall farre from their owne ſtedfastneſſe: that is, from that meaſure of ſtability which for the preſent they have: Yet not totally, ſo as to have no firmeneſſe at all, to loſe even the very foundation and principles of truth, or to ſuffer an utter eradication of grace: Or if they fall ſo fearefully, yet this lapſe may not be finall: the grace of God is not debarred them, nor the gate of mercy ſhut againſt them, nor is the ſentence of irrevocable damnation paſſed upon them. Falling muſt needes include a mutation of ſtate and place: hee is not fallen, that is not removed from off the place, or downe from the ſtation which hee had, and wherein hee ſtood. A man may ſlippe, or ſtumble, or ſtoupe low: but if he fall, his footing was loſt, his hold-faſt gone. He is not Vbi erat nor Vti erat: neither Statu, nor Gradu, the ſame that he was before. There is a conſummation, when holineſſe is crowned with reward in the end: and there is a continuation, which holds out to the end: and there may bee an interruption; either by the ſeducing of others, or falling away of our ſelves, in the Text: which yet is not quite ſecluded from mercy, nor deprived of hope: For after one, moe, many falls, there may bee as many recoveries by grace. Multi dantur ad gratiam receſſus: Hee that falleth to day, may riſe againe to morrow, hold out to the end, receive the reward of righteouſneſſe, and be crowned with p. 1498immortall glory. In this great queſtion, which at this preſent ſo exerciſeth the ſtudies of the Chriſtian world; whether a man may fall from grace; or if he doe fall, whether totally and not finally, or finally and totally, or neither; it were a dangerous boldneſſe for me to determine. Non eſt nostrae parvitatis dicere: humble Doves, muſt not preſume to ſee ſo farre as Eagles. That which I purpoſe to deliver concerning this argument, ſhall bee ſhort, profitable, and comfortable: and all this by way of application and uſe, in three words: Cavete, Sperate, Confidite; of Caution, Hope, Confidence.

1. Cavete, Beware: that is our Apoſtles rule here; ſo he teacheth mee: it is my rule; ſo I deſire to teach you: and let it be your rule, ſo to guide your owne hearts. There be foure degrees that incline and diſpoſe us to falling; as it were foure ſtaires ere wee come to the bottome: Haeſitatio, Remiſsio, Retroſpectio, and Alienatio cordis: this Cavete is to be ſet on the forehead of them all. Firſt, Haeſitatio, a wavering: when we beginne to doubt, and to queſtion that truth, which we have ſo long embraced: This is the firſt ſteppe of falling from our owne ſtedfastneſſe. Unbeleefe is the bane of conſtancy and perſeverance: of conſtancy in the purpoſe of our minde, of perſeverance, in the tenour of our life. When we once come to dally with Gods Word, and to regard it by halves, wee are in the way to deſpiſe it, or not to regard it at all. Let him that ſtandeth, take heede leſt hee fall: If the Divell can but once get us to ſtand ſtill, he conceives hope of our falling. His ſalvation, is like the theefes; ſtand and deliver: no ſooner ſtand at a ſtay in goodneſſe, but preſently deliver your innocence. Secondly, Remiſsio, a fainting; when we grow weary of the walke of righteouſneſſe. Fainting is the next ſteppe to forſaking: they that keepe not their old pace, have a minde to tire. Cavete, beware of both theſe; Ne ſiſtas, that thou ſtand not to demurre: Ne deficias, that thou languiſh not in the way. Thirdly, Retroſpectio, a looking backe: ſo Lots wife loſt herſelfe. Her charge was, Looke not backe, leſt thou die: ſhe would looke backe, to die for it.hhGal. 6.9.Gal 6:9 Be not weary of well doing: It is ill to buy the eaſe of our body, with the hazzard of our ſoule: but worſe to looke backe; for that is as much as to ſay, we have left our heart behinde. The firſt thing that a recreant ſouldier forſakes, is his courage: and the laſt thing that forſakes him, is his heels. He that hath but his eye ſet a running from the ſpirituall warres, meanes that his ſoule and body ſhall follow after. Fourthly, Alienatio cordis, an eſtranging of the heart; that is the lower ſtaire: when we come to be glutted with godlineſſe, to loath Manna, and to be weary of our obedienne. So Lots wife was weary of ſhifting ſo often; and removing from Vr to Haran, from Haran to Canaan, from Canaan to Egypt, from thence to Canaan againe, then to Sodome, and now to Zoar: ſhee takes the conceite of more troubles enſuing ſtill: and therefore even reſolves to prefer Sodome and her pleaſures, before Zoar and the deſolate mountains.

Cavete, beware of theſe dangerous precipices. Firſt, let us thinke that it is the Divells ſuggeſtion; you neede not make ſo much haſte: you ſhall come thither time enough: Heaven will not runne away. Secondly, that wee forfeit all the fruite of our former well continued courſe, by a relapſe: wee have done all in vaine. Nay, wee have not onelyonly loſt our owne labour; but have cauſed Chriſt to looſe his labour too; ſo that all his ſorrowes and ſufferings are in vaine, to us. Thirdly, let us thinke on the folly,iiGal. 3.3.Gal 3:3 Of beginning in the Spirit, and ending in the fleſh: of laying a precious foundation of our houſe, and then finiſhing it with a covering of thatch.kkEzek. 18.24.Ezek 18:24 If the righteous man turne, all his righteouſneſſe ſhall be forgotten. Would it not grieve us, by the errour of one houre, to make void the perſeverance of many yeeres? Fourthly, Let us thinke on the diſgrace, the ſcandall, the infamie of this recidivation: the diſgrace to our ſelves, whiles we live: the ſcandall to others, when we are dead: and the infamy of our names to be inrolled in the Catalogue of The revolters from the faith. Fifthly, Let us thinke on the difficulty to be reclaimed: when the reſidence of one llMat. 12.45.Matt 12:45wicked p. 1499ſpirit is filled up with ſeven worſe. Sixthly, Let us thinke on Gods exemplary judgements upon the relapſed: howmmGen. 19.26.Gen 19:26 Lots wife in the act of her looking backe was turned into a pillar of ſalt. Wee deſire to repent ere we die, ſhe was taken away in the very article of her ſinne. Wee deſire to die with reſpite, and from ſuddaine death we pray God to deliver us: hers was ſuddaine: ſhe looked backward, and never looked forward more: it was her laſt looke.nnNum. 16.29.Num 16:29 Wee would die the common death of mankinde, and be viſited after the viſitation of other men. Hers was a ſtrange kinde of death. Being dead, our wiſh is to be buried: ſhe remained above ground, the ſpectacle of Gods wrath to poſterity. A reed ſhe was, a pillar ſhee is: ſhee was melting water, ſhe is congealed to ſalt. Seventhly, Conſider, that not to continue, ſhall ſpeed as ill as not to beginne. Non ingredientes, and Non progredientes; not to enter the way, and not to keepe the way, finde but little difference at laſt. Not to come out of the ſta…e of ſinne, is to periſh: and to relapſe when wee are come out, is to periſh too. One and the ſame end is to the ſinner without repentance, and to the righteous without perſeverance. Eightly, Yea laſtly, revolting beleevers ſhall juſtifie unbeleeving ſinners: their froſſen iniquity ſhall condemne our melting piety. If they bee obdurate in vice, ſhall not we be conſtant in vertue? Cavete therefore: you may fall, beware you doe not: you may fall very farre, God keepe you from it.

2. Sperate: when we conſider ſin in the horrid fowlnes of it, we have great cauſe of dejection: And to him that will not fall down on his knees in repentance, for falling from his owne ſtedfastneſſe, I dare promiſe no comfort: no hope of comfort: no more than I can promiſe fruits to that piece of ground, upon which no moiſture falls. We have erred, and ſo are guilty of weakeneſſe: we have erred after knowledge, and ſo are guilty of wickedneſſe: we have erred after the receit of many mercies, and ſo are guilty of unthankefulneſſe: wee have erred againſt many ſtoppes and gratious withſtandings of our ſinne, and ſo are guilty of wilfulneſſe. If all this cannot humble us, and breake our hearts with remorſe, no Sperate: Looke not for that at my hands. I dare not, I cannot open the doore, when God hath ſhut it: no more than I can or dare ſhut the doore, when God hath opened it.ooRev. 3.7.Rev 3:7 He that hath the key of David, openeth and no man ſhutteth, ſhutteth and no man openeth. He hath opened the doore of mercy to repentance, and who dare ſhut it with a Diſcedite? Againſt impenitency hee hath barred it, and who can open it with a Sperate? But when on the other ſide, we conſider the infinite mercy of our gracious God; how farre our evill comes ſhort of his goodneſſe; how readily he anſweres to the voice of repentance, how willing he is to lift up thoſe that be downe, and that call upon him for helpe; how able he is to re-advance the dejected: then wee proclaime to all them that would ſtand, and yet doe fall; to them that are fallen, and would riſe; that are led away, and would returne; Sperate, be of good cheere.pp1 Cor 10.13.1 Cor 10:13 God is faithfull, and will not ſuffer you to bee tempted above that you are able. qqIer. 31.3.Jer 31:3I have loved you with an everlasting love. rrIohn 13.1.John 13:1Whom he lov's, to the end he lov's. ſſPſal 37.24.Ps 37:24Though he fall, he ſhall not utterly hee caſt downe: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand. ttHeb. 13.5.Heb 13:5I will never leave thee, nor forſake thee. Every ſentence breaths into our fainting hearts a Sperate; ſure comfort.

Though you may thinke in your ſorrow, that you have quite left God: yet God in his purpoſe, hath not quite left you. But it is you ſay, a common complaint:uuPſal. 29.38.Ps 29:38 The Lord hath forſaken us. Thou haſt caſt off and abhorred. David expoſtulates; Why haſt thou forſaken me? Yet the Sonne of David came to this; My God, my God, why haſt thou forſaken mee: Yet conſider: did God forſake either of them? He might be angry with David his ſervant, for his grievous ſinnes: more angry with Chriſt his Sonne, for the ſinnes of all the world: And in their preſent ſenſe, that anger might worke in them an apprehenſion of his forſaking them: But he did not forſake them, nor will he forſake thee: thou mayeſt thinke ſo, but God will not doe ſo. Who ſhould occaſion ſuch a forſaking? It muſt be p. 1500either God, or thy ſelfe: Cedo tertium: no deviſing of a third. Satan is an enemy, and God will not heare him: thou knoweſt him a lier, doe not then beleeve him. God will not doe it, hee never forſakes firſt. If it be done, it muſt bee thy fault: and if thou acknowledge that it is done for thy fault, it is not done: for that acknowledgement implies a free confeſſion: that confeſſion proceeds from a true repentance: repentance procures a pardon: and what is pardoned, is as if it never was committed.

3. Confidite: Let us truſt in the Lords ſtrength, by which alone we may bee kept from falling; and in the Lords mercy, by which alone we may be raiſed up when wee are fallen. So feeble are we without the ſupportation of grace, that there oftentimes appeares very little difference betweene the righteous and unrighteous. Both are ſubject to, and the former more exerciſed with temptations. When a bad motion is ſuggeſted, the wicked receive it, and delight in it: and by your favour, ſo did David as well as Saul: and ſo doe wee all too often. The wicked give conſent of will to it: ſo doe the other, if grace but a little hide it ſelfe. They practiſe it: ſo ſometimes doe the righteous, if the Spirit reſtraine them not. The ungracious lie in ſinne: and ſo doe the other, till God raiſe them. Where then is the difference? Surely, ſomewhat in the perſons: the ungodly are carried into ſinne without reſiſtance: the other are over-borne with violence, but not without reſiſtance,aaRom. 7.19.Rom 7:19 Malum quod nolo, facio. But the maine difference is in the mercy of God: if we eſcape temptation, it is his mercy: if wee ſtand in temptation, it is his mercy: if our wills conſent not, it is his mercy; if we conſent and the act be hindred, it is his mercy: if we fall and riſe againe by repentance, all is his mercy. All our truſt ſtands in his mercy, Not that thereby we ſhould be encouraged to fall; for that were preſumption: but being fallen, that thereby we ſhould hope to riſe againe; and ſo be kept from deſperation. We are nothing in our ſelves; wee have no way but to truſt in IESVS CHRIST.

6. It is dangerous to fall at any time; but then worſt, when wee have ſtood ſome time in the trueth. To have ſtedfaſtneſſe, and not to hold it; after long ſtanding, then to fall, is deadly. The neerer to heaven, the ſorer bruiſe in falling downe to the earth. For thebbIob. 6.15.Job 6:15 winter brookes, if they dry: for theccAmos 8.1.Amos 8:1 ſummer fruits, if they rotte: forddAmos 6.4.Amos 6:4 the morning cloudes, if they ſcatter: for theeeMat. 13.20.Matt 13:20 ſhallow-rooted corne, if that wither: for flitting and unſtable profeſſours, if they languiſh: the griefe is the leſſe, becauſe there was little better hope of them.

But for men that have embraced the Trueth, a long time defended it, ſuffered many iniuries for the defence of it; digeſted the bitterneſſe of many ſorrowes, when that ſhewed them their ſinnes; and ſucked the ſweeteneſſe of many comforts, when that aſſured them of forgiveneſſe: that theſe men, after all this, ſhould fall from their owne ſtedfaſtneſſe: Proh dolor! How can it bee thought on without teares? Pharaoh could ſeeme religious when the fitte tooke him: every great plague did put him into a fever, and then hee was godly on the ſuddaine. O pray for mee now. But when the fitte was over, Pharaoh was Pharaoh againe; as profane as ever. Nine times hee beganne to relent, and nine times againe hee hardened his heart. But hee was never good, egge nor bird: his beginning was naught, his proceeding worſe, and who could looke for any better at his latter end? Saul kept himſelfe well for two yeeres, Iudas for three yeeres, and (as it is ſtoried) Nero for five yeeres: yet all fell into damnable wickedneſſe: ſcarce three worſe in the world.

But moſt lamentable is the memory of Lots wife: How long did ſhee ſtand ſtedfaſt? By computation of time, from Abrahams going out of Vr, to the deſtruction of Sodome, it was thirty yeeres; ſo long did ſhee abide in the family of the faithfull, full thirty yeeres. Shee eſcaped the ſuperſtitions of Egypt, p. 1501ſhe was not defiled with the ſinnes of Sodome: neither the famine of Canaan, nor the fulneſſe of the cities of the plaine, made her fall away: She endured much with Abraham and Lot, in their exile, in their travell, in all their afflictions. Yet ſhe that eſcaped all theſe perils on the ſea of this world, ſhipwrackes in the very Haven; at the entry of Zoar: where ſhe ſhould have ſaved her life, ſhe wilfully loſt it. How ſhould we tremble at theſe precedents? what a ſenſible impreſſion ſhould we take of our owne weakeneſſe? Let the wicked bee like goates; the elder they grow, the worſe and more fulſome meate they are: and in their old age, not edible, not indurable. But that men ſhould appeare ſheepe all their dayes, and in their latter end turne to goates, from pillars in the Church, for their ſtedfastneſſe; to reeds in the wilderneſſe, for their …evity; is ſad newes to Heaven and Earth, to Angels and Men: and onelyonly welcome tidings to the fiends in Hell. Beware therefore, let us not verefie Nebuchadnezzars dreame, to bee golden proſelites, braſſen profeſſors, iron polititians, and then to end our old age in clay. Let not our ſoules turne to clay, before our bodies bee turned into clay. But rather in this, let us be like Fame, which vires acquirit eundo; Or let our goodneſſe be a river; which is ſmall at the ſpring or beginning, but enlargeth it ſelfe, gathers in freſh watets, fills the channell, and at laſt empties it ſelfe into the Ocean of merciemercy.

7. Laſtly, the ſummary uſe, the principall ſcope, the maine antidote to prevent all this, is Perſeverance to the end. When God had created the Light, it is added,ffGen. 1.4.Gen 1:4 He ſaw that it was good. When hee had created and diſpoſed the Heaven, the Earth, the Waters,ggver. 10. He ſaw that it was good. When hee had diſtinguiſhed the lights of Heaven,hhver. 18. He ſaw that it was good. When he had bleſſed the earth to bring forth Plants, Graſſe, Herbes, and made the Beaſts and Cattell to feed upon it:iiver. 12.25. He ſaw that it was good. When hee had repleniſhed the Aire with Fowles, the Water with Fiſhes;kkver. 21. He ſaw that it was good. He gave them all his approbation, and commended them every one in the beginning; Vidit quòd bonum: each in particular, all in generall, very good. But when hee came to man, and had made him for whom hee made all the reſt, hee pauſed upon the matter, and never graced him with the leaſt commendation in the beginning. What might bee the reaſon? Saint Ambroſe gives it,llLib. 7. de Inſtitut. Virg. Prius probandus, quàm laudandus: hee was firſt to bee tryed, and reſpectively to be commended. In Chriſtianis non laudantur initia, ſed finis. mmPſal. 119.…2:Ps 119:2I will keepe thy ſtatutes alwayes, even unto the end. We belong to Chriſt, if nnHeb. 3 6.Heb 3:6we hold faſt the confidence, and rejoycing of hope firme unto the end. We are partakers of Chriſt,ooHeb. 3.14.Heb 3:14 if wee hold the beginning of our confidence ſtedfaſt unto the end. ppRev. 2.10.Rev 2:10Bee thou faithfull unto the death, and I will give thee a crowne of life. qqRev. 2.26.Rev 2:26To him that keepeth my words unto the end, will I give the morning ſtarre. This is the way to bee ſafe while wee live, and to be ſaved when we die. Wee have many conſiderations and motives to ſpurre us on to perſeverance.

1. Without this, all our ſervice is a maimed ſacrifice. If a ſacrifice be offered to God, he likes it not, unleſſe it come entire;rrGreg. mor. 1. cap. 40. cum cauda, with it's latter end. No defective oblation pleaſeth: theſſMal. 1.8.Mal 1:8 lame and ſicke will be refuſed by the very Governour. It muſt havettPſal. 69.31.Ps 69:31 horne and hoofe: and not want ſo much as a tayle: for the taile-piece (by name) is diſpoſed of in theuuLev. 3.9.Lev 3:9 ſacred Rituals. To ſhew that no holy courſe is accepted, if it be not cloſed up with a good end. The holy oile which was powred on Aarons head, ranne downe to the skirts of his veſtiment: In extremis deficere, if God doe not find the unction of his grace in the concluſion of our life; if that be dryed up in the skirts; we might as well have neither had garment nor oile at all. Perſeverance is the ſiſter of patience, the daughter of conſtancie, the mother of peace, the miſtreſſe of concord:xxBern. epiſt. Nutrix ad virtutem, mediatrix ad praemium. Muria virtutum, ſaith Gregory: the pickle and preſerver of vertues, without which they will putrifie. The Salt of the Covenant, without which the fleſh of our ſacrifice will take wind and corrupt.

p. 15022. Vnſtedfastnes is an argument of unſoundnes: they that are not conſtant, never were ſyncere.aaProv. 17.17.Prov 17:17 A friend loveth at all times; for ever: and he was never a true friend, that ceaſeth to be ſo. He that truely loves Chriſt, never leaves him.bbLuk. 22.28.Luke 22:28 Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations: I, that's the tryall: they love him indeed, that love him in his diſtreſſe. It was a juſt complaint of that rebellious generation, thatccPſal. 78.8.37.Ps 78:8Ps 78:37 their ſpirit was not ſtedfaſt with God; their heart was not right with him. Though it be an argument a Poſteriore, yet it holds: if we ſee men give over their loyaltie to God at laſt, their hearts were never upright with him at the firſt. God takes up no roome in the corporation of man, for his bedchamber, but the heart: He lies at the ſigne of the Heart. Therfore the voice of conſtancie is, Paratum cor, my heart is ready: If thou wilt make me a king, paratum cor: if I muſt continue a ſhepheard, ſtill paratum cor. So Paul was ready for honour, ready for diſgrace; for povertie or riches, for joy or ſorrowes, for life or death; for all ready. Such a Chriſtian is well ſhod: he will hold out to the latter end.

3. It is a rule in the civill law: That is as good as nothing, which holdeth not. Nihil dicitur factum, quamdiu aliquid ſupereſt ad agendum. A Will unfiniſhed, is no Will: a deed, unles it be ſigned, ſealed, and delivered, is no deed. In the paying of money upon bond, the want of a ſhilling forfeits a hundred pounds.ddGreg. mor. lib. 22. c. 6. Niſi totum ſoluitur, nihil ſolvitur: nec abſolutus eſt debitor qui multa reddit, ſed qui omnia. They that wrought in the vineyard, muſt labour to the evening, before they have the reward: will any maſter thinke his ſervants dayes worke done, when he goes to bed at noone? Is that houſe finiſhed, which wants a roofe? Concedunt prima poſtremis: the former part of our life yieldeth unto the latter, and the latter carries it quite away from the former. The ſinner that repents, hath his wickednes blotted out:eeEzek. 18.22.24.Ezek 18:22Ezek 18:24 in his preſent righteouſnes he ſhall live: The righteous that relapſeth ſhall not have his righteouſnes mentioned: in his preſent ſinne he ſhall die. Secundum quod ſumus, non quod fuimus, we ſhall be judged. Mary Magdalen was a ſinner at firſt, at laſt a Saint: ſo a Saint ſhe ſhall be found in Iudgment, not a ſinner. Herode heard Iohn; good was his beginning: he did many things well; better was his proceeding: but when he concluded with the murder of Iohn, this marred all. His beginning is forgotten, his proceeding not thought on, but his concluſion was his confuſion; that ſent him to hell. Iudas ſhall not be judged as a Preacher, but as a traitor: not according to his Apoſtleſhip, wherein he lived: but according to his treacherie, wherein he dyed.ffReu. 2.4.Rev 2:4 Our firſt love will doe us no good, if we forſake it:ggGal. 3.3.Gal 3:3 nor our beginning in the Spirit, if we end in the fleſh. As Gregorie the great was ſaid to be the firſt of the bad Biſhops of Rome, and the laſt of the good ones: The firſt of the bad, becauſe he brought in Innovations: and the laſt of the good, becauſe there never came any ſo good after him. So our ſtanding at a pawſe in religion, and weighing (with Demas) the trueth of the Goſpell in one balance, for which we are ſo troubled; with the peace of the world in the other balance, by which we may be ſo enriched, may be called the firſt of our bad actions, and the laſt of our good ones. The firſt of our bad; for he that ſhall but dare to bring Chriſt in competition with the world once, hath ingratefully ſinned: The laſt of our good: for to trie the ſpirits, and by examination of the truth to confirme our owne faith, may be a good worke: but Chriſt ſo ſcornes to be put into the ſcales with the world, that he juſtly gives that man over to the world, which durſt offer to ranke it with Chriſt.

4. The end of every thing is all in all.hhHieron. Terminus ad quem dat appellationem: The end for which a thing is ordained, denominates it. Ante obitum nemo beatus: die well, then bleſſed.iiReu. 14.13.Rev 14:13 Bleſſed are the dead that die in the Lord: they that die bleſſed, are ſure to live bleſſed for ever. Blaſphemers and ſecure tranſgreſſors were ſo hedged in with proſperitie, that David ſtood at a maze, wondring p. 1503what the Lord meant to doe with them: at laſt he was let into the Sanctuary, and ſuffered to behold, andkkPſal 73.17.Ps 73:17 then he underſtood their end; which was indeed ſuddaine deſtruction. ButllPſal. 37.37.Ps 37:37 marke the righteous, and the end of that man is peace. The children of this world ſeeing the righteous ſo encompaſſed with troubles; their eyes ſtill wette, their whole life excerciſed with ſufferings, give them for loſt men, quite out of Gods bookes: but marke their end:mmWiſd. 5.5.Wis 5:5 Now they are numbred among the children of God, and their lot is among the Saints: Loe now the wicked are of another mind. We ſay, All is well that ends well: ſo the maine end of our whole life, ſhould be to make a good end of our life. We may alſo ſay; That is ill which ends ill: he that dies a bad man, was never indeed a good one. In ſhew there might be little difference: but the end diſtinguiſheth all, as St. Bernard ſpeakes of Paul and Iudas. nnAd Soror. cap. 20.Iudas benè coepit, ſed malè finivit: quamvis Paulus benè finivit, malè coepit. The bulruſh, in the fable, derided the vine, that it muſt endure ſuch digging, and weeding, ſuch pampination or pruining, and binding, and be vexed with ſuch a deale of trouble, onelyonly to yield man a little good liquour: whereas the other without any moleſtation might injoy it owne happynes. Summer comes, the Sun ſcorches, yet ſtil the vine flouriſhes ſhaded with leaves, and loden with fruites: but the moiſture of the bulruſh being ſpent, it hangs downe the head, and droopes, and withers; and being trodden upon with beaſts, confeeth that the end is all: in vaine is it in the beginning to flouriſh, and in the end to periſh.

5. Chriſt perſevered for us: and ſhall not wee perſevere for Him? In Him? To Him? He was a Friend indeed; forooIoh. 13.1.John 13:1 He loved to the last. To the end, ſhall I ſay? Nay more; of his love there is no end. There was no beginning of his love, nor can there be an ending. He is not onelyonlyppHeb. 12.2.Heb 12:2 the Founder, but the Finiſher of our ſalvation. To ſignifie this, He appeared to Saint Iohn, qqRev. 1.13.Rev 1:13vestitus podêre, in a long garment downe to his lower end. He never reſted, till He could triumph in his Conſummutum eſt: till all was done, that was to be done, for the accompliſhment of our Redemption. Much He endured, and that much long, even to the laſt gaſpe. How ſtrangely was that heavenly Vine pruined upon earth? His honour was pruined cultro Ignominiae: his peace, cultro Inimicitiae: his eſtate, cultro Paupertatis: his friends, cultro Perſecutionis: and yet He held out, till his life was pruined cultro Mortis. Nor was this a common death: but Triſtius ipſa Morte genus mortis. rrMatth. 26.38.Matt 26:38My ſoule is exceeding ſorrowfull, even unto death. Not his ſcourges, nor his Thornes, nor his nailes, made Chriſt open his mouth; but the ſorrow of his ſoule. Why then did He not give over? All that He was to endure that night and the day following, was preſented to his minde, when He ſaid, My ſoule is heavie even unto death. Why then did Hee not draw backe? Why did He not follow Peters counſell; Hoc tibi non fiat, ſſMatth. 16.22.Matt 16:22this ſhall not be unto thee? No, the love of our ſoules triumphed over the love of his owne life: on He will goe, and perſevere He will, till his laſt droppe of bloud be ſpent on the Croſſe for us. Yea, what King ever went ſo willingly to be crowned, as Hee to bee crucified? Who ſo gladly from execution, as He to it? What man was ever ſo deſirous to ſave his life, as Chriſt was to loſe it? Witneſſe that ſpeech;ttLuk. 12.50.Luke 12:50 I have a Baptiſme to bee baptiſed with, and how am I pained till it be accompliſhed? His minde was in paine, till his body and ſoule came to it. And to him that diſſwaded Him from it, Hee uſed no other termes than to the Divell himſelfe;uuMatth. 16.23.Matt 16:23 Avoid Satan. So willingly went Hee to it, ſo unwillingly would He be kept from it. Hee went on foot when Hee was to preach and doe good: but Hee rode for haſte, when Hee was to ſuffer evill. His willingneſſe was ſo great, that his bloud would not ſtay the Executioners leaſure, but did burſt out into a Sweat, a ſtrange Sweat, in his bitter Agonie in the Garden.

All this He foreſaw before He ſuffered: and whiles He did foreſee, He ſuffered. This made his ſoule ſo heavie: it might ariſe from three Cauſes: Ex objectorum p. 1504gravitate; never ſorrow like his ſorrow, for never ſufferings like his ſufferings. Ex patientis ſuſceptibilitate: He was able (through that hypoſtaticall union) to ſuffer all that Gods Iuſtice cold inflict; all the puniſhments due to all the ſins of all men. Ex doloris ſimplicitate; no reliefe, no eaſe, no comfort: He found never a Reuben to ſay,aaGen. 37.26.Gen 37:26 Let us not kill him, for hee is our brother. There was no ſuch cleare apprehenſion of ſinne as in Him: He ſaw it in all the fowleneſſe. No ſuch perfect deteſtation of ſinne as in Him: He hated it with all extremeneſſe: yet He muſt ſuffer for it:bbEſay 53.6.Isa 53:6 The Lord laid on Him the iniquities of us all. Hee foreknew all this: why did Hee not prevent it? Why did it not diſhearten Him? Hee was ſafe enough; who could touch Him? Hee was at ſupper among his friends; why did He goe into the Garden among his enemies, where the Traitor waited for Him? His Apprehenders fell backeward with a word of his mouth: why then did Hee not leave them? When Hee had ſmarted with the ſcourges, why would He endure the Thornes? Loſing ſo much bloud with the Thornes, why would He yeeld to the nailes? O Lord, how little ſorrow makes us draw backe, and ſlinke away from Thee? Yet no torments could procure Thee to forſake us? Thus did Chriſt perſevere unto the death, that He might ſave us: and ſhall not we perſevere all our life in our ſervice to Him? Hee isccRev. 1.8.Rev 1:8 Alpha and Omega: not onelyonly Alpha, for his happy beginning: but Omega, for his thrice happy ending. He never left us, till He had made it ſure that God would never leave us. Now the higheſt act of Religion, is for the Chriſtian to conforme himſelfe unto Chriſt. Hee never fell from us: wee are baſely unthankefull, if ever wee fall from Him.

Auguſt.6. God Himſelfe is eternall, who expects our ſervice. Now what hath levity and inconſtancy to doe with eternity? When doth God give overfeeding, and protecting, and bleſſing of us; that wee ſhould give over ſerving of Him? In youth? No, Thou haſt upholden me ever ſince I was borne. In old age? No, I am feeble and gray-headed; but thou art my comforter. In my joy?ddPſal. 23.5.Ps 23:5 No, For thou makeſt my cup to overflow. In my ſorrow? No,eePſal. 94.19.Ps 94:19 For in the multitude of the ſorrowes in my heart, thy comforts refreſh my ſoule. At any other time? No,ffHeb. 13.5.Heb 13:5 For thou wilt never leave mee, nor forſake mee. Is there any time then for us us to forget Him in? In our jollity? No,ggPſalm. 137.6.Ps 137:6 I will remember thee in my mirth. In our ſorrowes? No,hhEſay 26.16.Isa 26:16 In trouble we will viſite thee, and pray when thy chaſtening is upon us. In youth? No, then wee muſtiiEccleſ. 12.1.Eccl 12:1 remember our Creator. In our old age? No, let Aſa's example forewarne us of that. The Lord takes charge of us ſo long as we have any being: therefore ſo long as wee have any being, let us looke to the charge of the Lord. If God bleſſeth thee, O Chriſtian, in aeterno ſuo: Hee lookes that thou ſhouldeſt ſerve Him in aeterno tuo. His love laſts longer than our ſervice: yet let our ſervice laſt as long as our life: this is all wee can doe, and our gratious Maker askes no more.

7. The reward of our ſervice is eternall; why ſhould not our ſervice be ſo? Why ſhould not God require a long laſting obedience, for an everlaſting recompence? Why not, holineſſe unto the end, for a bleſſing in the end, which ſhall be without end?Bern. Gaudium in fine, ſed gaudium ſine fine. Indeed it is baſe, meerely to ſerve for the reward. That is cauſa impulſiva, not cauſa conſtituens or efficiens: for the good man would be good, were there no Heaven. The Heathens called vertue, Bonum Theatrale: as if a man would not bee vertuous, if hee had no ſpectators, to take notice of him. But it is falſe: for vertue will be as cleare in ſolitudine, as in Theatro; though not ſo conſpicuous: onelyonly it may grow more ſtrong by the obſervation and applauſe of others, as an heat that is doubled by the reflection. Of two Horſes, the one will goe well without the ſpurre, the other will goe better with the ſpurre: Shall wee ſay of this latter, Tuſh the life of this Horſe lyes but in the ſpurre? No, for the ſpurre is no matter of impediment, but an ordinary inſtrument. So the reward, which is glory, and honour p. 1505and eternall life, are but the ſpurres to righteouſneſſe and good workes; which would often lagge and languiſh without them: and theſe are ever ready to attend upon goodneſſe. So though wee would runne well without a reward, yet the conſideration of this reward may make us amend our pace. The Lord and Giver of life did not refuſe the propoſed reward.kkHeb. 12.2.Heb 12:2 Who for the joy that was ſet before him, endured the Croſſe. Though hee were the fountaine of joy, and had it infinitely in himſelfe; yet the better to beare out his ſorrowess in the way, he propounded to himſelfe the joy in the end. I know that verus amor non ſumit vires de ſpe; it loveth without hope of benefit: yet to quicken our love, which is ſo apt to faint, let us remember the reward.llEzek. 9.4.Ezek 9:4 The foreheads of the righteous are marked with Tau: which (as Omega in the Greeke) is the the laſt letter in the Hebrew Alphabet; and the ſigne of Conſummatum eſt, among them. Now theſe Titles are inſeparable to the reward. It is not onelyonly a life, but ammMat. 26.46.Matt 26:46 Life everlasting: not onelyonly an Inheritance, but annn1. Pet. 1.4.1 Pet 1:4 Inheritance incorruptible: Not onelyonly a Kingdome, butooHeb. 12.28.Heb 12:28 a Kingdome that cannot bee ſhaken: Not onelyonly a Crowne, but a Crowne of Immortality. Theſe bee the attributes that belong to the reward; and muſt not the like belong to the ſervice?ppBern. de Conſid. l. 5. Aeternitatis Imago Perſeverantia. All that wee can doe, is to ſerve God whiles wee live: and all that wee can wiſh, is to raigne with God when wee die. O then let us fixe our eyes on the prize, and gather up our feete to the race, and ſtill tendere in anteriora: qqPhil. 3.14.Phil 3:14forgetting the things behinde, and preſsing toward the marke, for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Ieſus.

8. As Perſeverance is the Queene of all vertues, Quia ea ſola coronatur. ſo it is alſo, Quia Satanas ei ſoli inſidiatur: the devill is ever fighting againſt the latter end. As the king of Syria charged his captaines,rr1. King. 22.31.1 Kgs 22:31 to fight neither with ſmall nor great, ſave onelyonly with the king of Iſrael: So the Prince of darknes commands his commanders, the leaders of his troupes, and thoſe that ſtand at the head of his companies, his maſter-temptations; not to fight againſt any vertue, ſmall or great, but onelyonly againſt Perſeverance in goodnes: Quam ſolam novit coronari, upon whoſe head he knowes the Crowne muſt full. He beſtirres himſelfe; not onelyonly becauſeſſReu. 12.12.Rev 12:12 he knowes his owne time to be ſhort, but becauſe he perceives our time to be ſhort. Therefore he redoubles his forces, as if he ſtill meant to make the laſt conflict the ſoreſt: reſolving to ſet all at that ſtake, and either now to winne, or to ſit downe with loſſe and deſpaire. The moſt fiery dart in his quiver, he reſerveth to our death bed: if we can quench that, the enemie is hopeleſſe. Good cauſe have we then to make much of Perſeverance, which the devill would ſo faine get from us. Eternall life is not given to all, for then we would all preſume: nor to none, for then we would all deſpaire: but vincenti dabitur, it is given to him that overcommeth. Fight therefore to the laſt minute: the eye of thy Saviour is upon thee; if thou faint, to cheare thee; if thou fight, to ſecond thee; if thou conquer, to crowne thee. So that no combate, no conqueſt: no conqueſt, no triumph. Continuance is the crowne of all other graces, and heaven ſhall be the crowne of continuance.

9. The wicked are conſtant in their ſinnes: why are not we ſo in holynes? They labour hard for that which ſhall confound them, and ſhall we thinke any paines too much for that which ſhall ſave us? They will not be perſuaded to breake off their ſinnes by repentance: and ſhall we be tempted to breake off our repentance by ſinne? If they will know no period of their rebellion, till they ſinke downe into hell: for ſhame let us know no date of our obedience, till we come up into heaven. Wickednes, like the ſea, hath bounds: God by his bleſſed providence, hath limited the raging waves of them both: but goodnes knowes no limitation. They cannot be ſo evill as they would, we have libertie to be ſo good as we can. The children of grace, and the children of diſobedience, have their ſeverall races: they ſet out together: heaven is the gaole of the former, p. 1506hell of the other: indeed the wicked may ſooner and more eaſily get to their Iourneys end; for facilis deſcenſes: it is but tumbling downe the hill: yet though we cannot be in heaven ſo ſoone as they are in hell, we may be as ſure of the joyes of the one, as they are of the paines of the other, if we hold on our journey. Though our ſalvation be with more difficultie wrought up, than their perdition; yet grace, time, and diligence may worke it up in due ſeaſon. You find none of them hankering in the wayes of ſinne: the drunkard will hold out till he have loſt his eyes: the incontinent, till he hath waſted his loynes: the contentious, till he hath beggard his purſe. Quis pudor, quòd infaelix populus Dei non tantam habent perſeverantiam in bono, quantam mali in malo? If ever they turne from ſinne, it is Gods eſpeciall grace that gives them repentance: but when we fall from our ſtedfaſtnes, it is through the defect of our owne perſeverance. The Lord make the former good, and the other better unto the end!

10. Laſtly, it is Perſeverance alone that carrieth away the crowne.ttBern. de Paſſ. Dom. cap. 14. Finis, non pugna, coronat. Patience and perſeverance are fellow-labourers in Gods harveſt: they worke together, they ſweate together: they ſuffer together:uuBern. libello qui vocatur. 8. punt. and if either of them be compelled to beare the heavyer lode, it is Patience: yet though Patience endure the burden, Perſeverance goes away with the bleſſing.xxIob. 42.12.Job 42:12 The Lord bleſſed the latter end of Iob: yet he was bleſſed very well in the beginning: For he hadaaIob. 1.3.Job 1:3 ſeven thouſand ſheepe, three thouſand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred ſhee aſſes: and for the heires of all this ſubſtance, ſeven ſonnes and three daughters. But his extraordinary bleſſing came at the laſt, when all his temptations were paſt: in the latter end of his booke, and the latter end of his pacience: God bleſſed the latter end of Iob. The maine matter is notbbAug. Civit. Dei. lib. 17. cap. 5. In quo medio, ſed in quibus extremis. Men are either curſed or bleſſed, not as they ſuffer in the middle, but as they ſpeed in the end. Iob might have ſome bleſſings in the beginning, ſure he had many troubles in the midſt, but his end made amends for all: God bleſſed the latter end of Iob. Chriſtianitie is compared to a race: now in a race, all that run, winne not: onelyonlycc1 Cor. 9.24.1 Cor 9:24 one receiveth the price. He gets the garland, that firſt gets the gaole. But in this ſpirituall race it is otherwiſe: Not he that commeth firſt,Chryſ. but every one that holds out to the laſt, is crowned. Non qui primus venerit, ſed qui cunque pervenerit. I deny not, but we muſt alſo make haſt and not onelyonly ſtrive to out-run them that run with us, but even to out-run our ſelves. Let this dayes pace mend yeſterdayes, and to morrowes exceed them both. Old age, in ſecular races, is the more unweildy diſpoſition: but in this, the more vigorous, as being neare the end of the courſe, and almoſt having the prize in hand.

The Schoolemen make of this Perſeverance, not any one particular vertue,ddBonavent. in Sent. 3. Aquin. 1. 26 Iu. 5.8. ar. 3 but Conditionem annexam cuilibet virtuti, a condition implyed in every vertue. I iseeAug. de bon. Perſ. lib. 2. Dei donum, quo coetera ſervantur dona: Gods rare and eſpeciall gift; the maintainer and preſerver of all his other gifts. Without this, faith would languiſh into diffidence, hope give over her expectation, patience ſinke under her burden, and charitie be weary of welldoing. Perſeverance to vertue, is like the lungs to the heart; which keepes it in breath, and encourageth it to the end of the race.ffMat. 24.13.Matt 24:13 He that endureth unto the end, ſhall be ſaved: and he that doth not, ſhall loſe all that he hath done. Comming but a foot ſhort, may make a man miſſe the prize, and loſe the wager he ran for. As in travell to a citie, he loſeth all his paines in the way, that gets not to his journeys end. True it is, thatggIam. 1.7.Jas 1:7 every good and perfect gift is from above, and commeth downe from the Father of lights. The vertues that adorne a Chriſtian ſoule, doe every one of them claime kinred of allmighty God: Et Deus eſt in vtroque parente: they deſcend from him in the one, and the other line.Bern. Auguſt. Yet Perſeverance is vnica filia, his onelyonly daughter and heire, which carries away all the Patrimonie. Cùm enim omnes virtutes currant in ſtadio, ſola Perſeverantia accipit bravium. Patience, repentance, temperance, all run well: onelyonly p. 1507Perſeverance to the end gets the Cuppe; the cuppe of Gods bleſſing: as God bleſſed the latter end of Iob. Our bleſſed Saviour once provided a Table on earth, for the people,hhMat. 15.32.Matt 15:32 who had continued with him three dayes: not becauſe they heard him, and a little followed him; but Quia perſeverarunt, becauſe they continued with him. And he hath promiſed a Table in heaven;iiLuk. 22.30.Luke 22:30 Ye ſhall eate and drinke at my table in my kingdome: but to whom? Not to thoſe that onelyonly heard him with ſome attention, and followed him with ſome admiration: but to them onelyonly Qui permanſerunt, that continued with him.kkLuk. 22.28.Luke 22:28 Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations. To teach us, that both theſe Tables, the bleſſings of earth, and the bleſſings of heaven too, are provided onelyonly for them, which perſever in their righteouſnes unto the end.

All thoſe graces which the holy Ghoſt hath wrought in us, muſt be cheriſhed and continued to the latter end; for of thoſe the Lord onelyonly bleſſeth the latter end. Patience is an excellent grace, but without Perſeverance it would often be to ſeeke: as when an unwonted blow comes, the Fencer is put from his ward. Repentance is a happy and neceſſary grace, yet without Perſeverance it would be daſhed out of countenance, and be jeered for a ſullen melancholy: Lacrymâ nihil citius areſcit: nothing dryes up faſter than a teare:Tull. it ſeldome continues moiſt a whole day. Obedience it ſelfe would loſe the reward by comming ſhort, but for Perſeverance: for no vertue can expect thoſe eternall bleſſings, but that which holds out to the latter end. Nothing but Eternitie can looke to be rewarded with eternitie. Per noſtrum aeternum conſequimur Dei aeternum. If we looke for a happyneſſe that ſhall continue as long as Gods being, we muſt continue in a holyneſſe which ſhall laſt as long as our being; I meane our mortall being on earth. So that no grace can lay claime to that bleſſednes, which is in the eternitie of God; but Perſeverance to the end, which is the eternitie of man. We would be happy upon earth, but eſpecially we deſire to be bleſſed in heaven: we cannot riſe from the one to the other, but Per ſcanſum: Iacobs ladder is our way. Let us begin at the foote, which is grace heere below: and ſo get up to the toppe, which is glory there above. But ſtill remembring the ſtate and condition of that Ladder: llBern. Ep. 253.there were Angels deſcending, and Angels aſcending: but none ſitting, none ſtanding ſtill. If we deſire to have our faith bleſſed with viſion, our hope changed into fruition, our repentance comforted with pardon, our charitie crowned with glory, and all our ſervice rewarded with eternall life; let us keepe theſe graces in breath and motion, ever in the aſcendent, climbing higher and higher, till they come to the toppe of Immortalitie. And as when rivers toward their end, approch neare unto the ſea, then the tyde comes and meetes them: So when the courſe of our pietie draweth neare to the end of our life, God comes and meetes us; comforts us with a taſt of heaven before our death, and gives us, after death, the everlaſting poſſeſſion of it through Ieſus Chriſt.

We ſee (by this time) the manifold dangers, and manifeſt ruines, which follow upon the falling away from our owne ſtedfaſtnes: ButmmGreg. in Evan. 36. Quid iſta proderit praenoſſe, ſi non contingat evadere? Take therfore ſome ſhort rules, to keepe you conſtant in the way.

1. Begin with reſolution: forecaſt the worſt, and prepare for it.nnSen. Ep. 24. Et aequiſsimum ſpera, & ad iniquiſsimum te para. Sonne profeſſors are but like thoſe that goe to ſea upon pleaſure: they purpoſe to ſaile no further, than they ſee the way cleare before them: if the ſea begin to worke, or they to be ſicke, backe againe with all haſt to the ſhore. But the right Chriſtian is bound for heaven, as the merchant is for his Port: ſtormes and tempeſts cannot affright them: on they goe, through faire or fowle, till they arrive at the deſire of their owne hearts. Reſolve to continue, or never begin.

2. Fortifie thy heart with ſynceritie: be that within, which thou wouldſt p. 1508appeare without.ooAmbr. offic. lib. 2. cap. 20. Nihil fictum, diuturnum. A falſe gloſſe diſgraceth the ſtuffe.ppCypr. ad Donat. Caduca ſunt, quaecunque fucata ſunt. Counterfeit pearles will not hold their luſtre.qqPſal. 78.37.Ps 78:37 If our heart bee not right, wee cannot bee ſtedfaſt: therrMat. 13.21.Matt 13:21 ſeed among ſtones will not proſper: hollow-hearted, and ſhallow-rooted, ſoone gone. Whereas the firme plantſſAug. in Pſal. 43.Ps 43 Sole ardente nutritur & vireſcit, non areſcit. As Iehu to Iehonadab, tt2 King. 10.15.2 Kgs 10:15Is thine heart right? Then come up into my charriot: Come up; no deſcending, but all aſcending and riſing then. Someuu2 Tim. 3.5.2 Tim 3:5 have a forme of godlineſſe, but deny the power thereof: all becauſe they are not ſound at the heart, A man is what he is, when hee is tried: the times of peace ſhew no difference: every man then thinkes himſelfe good, but knowes not whether he be ſo or not. Perſecution is the touchſtone: then many of the forward ſlinke away; and they that made the leaſt ſhow of religion, ſticke cloſeſt to it. The outward profeſſion of ſome is a blaze; the inward holineſſe of others a ſparke: perſecution is the bellowes, which blowes the ſparke into a flame, the blaze into nothing; to the wonder of all men.

3. Keepe a good conſcience in all things, and thyxx1 Tim. 1.19.1 Tim 1:19 faith from ſhipwracke. Conſcience is the Barke, and Faith the commodity imbarqued: if the Barke miſcarry, what ſhall become of the commoditie? Sinnes againſt conſcience make fowle breaches in this ſhippe: Repentance indeede is the Calker, to ſtoppe the leakes: but it is better to prevent the making of a breach, than put it to the remedy of ſtopping. We deale with our conſcience, as with our apparell: when we have got on a new ſuite, freſh and faire, we are very chary of abuſing it: we take heede where we ſit, what we touch, or againſt what we leane: but when it once growes a little old, ſoiled and ſullied, we have no ſuch regard of it: wee little paſſe what wee doe with it, nor minde where wee caſt it, So the uxorious huſband at the firſt Idolizeth his wife: no noiſe muſt diſturbe her, the cold winde muſt not blow upon her, the Sunne muſt bee ſhaded from her beauty, her feete muſt ſcarce touch the Earth; nothing muſt offend her: ſhee commands all: her will is a law. The ſinner that is ſuddainely turned zealous profeſſour, is no leſſe tender over his conſcience: not a word muſt paſſe his lippes, nor a thought bee admitted into his heart, without her ſtrict examination and approbation. But full ſoone doth that dotard grow ſicke of his wife, and this zelot grow weary of his conſcience: their loves will languiſh, and if they doe not fall into the other extreme, of abuſing their wives; yet they could both bee content to become widdowers. The new ſuite is bruſh'd, and carefully look'd to: the wife at firſt is tenderly regarded: and the conſcience for a while is kept moſt pure. But ere long, the ſuite will grow old, the wife ſtale, and the conſcience troubleſome; and there is no more reſpect had of them: ſo little duration there is in extreemes.

4. Encourage thy heart to perſeverance, by conſidering how ſhort a time is ſet downe for thy laboriouſneſſe. So we to GodaaPſal. 89.47.Ps 89:47 Remember how ſhort my time is: So God returnes it to us; yea O man, remember this thy ſelfe, and be not weary of thy paines.bbSen. Ep. 49 Punctum eſt quod vivimus: and what can be long in that, which is ſo ſhort of it ſelfe?ccRev. 2.10.Rev 2:10 Be faithfull unto death; no longer is required: it is a note of ſtint, as well as of extent, there. Not that our fidelity to Chriſt ſhall then ceaſe, but then it ſhall be out of the danger of ceaſing. Doe but hold out to that day, and then thou art ſure for ever. It is but for a ſpurt, for a brunt, that we ſerve and ſuffer: and who would not for a ſhort brunt or ſpurt endure any hardneſſe, to live at hearts eaſe for ever after? We would ſerve a hard and unkinde maſter upon ſuch termes:ddMat. 20.28.Matt 20:28 much more a Lord ſo kinde and liberall, that came to ſerve for us, ere he required this ſervice of us. It is not long, but light, which is exacted of us, in reſpect of that which is expected by us, and promiſed to us.ee2 Cor. 4.17.2 Cor 4:17 Our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a farre more exceeding and eternall weight of glory.