The Man of Honor, Sermon

The Man of Honor · Sermon

p. 1A Sermon preached to the Right Honourable the Houſe of Lords, At the Monethly-Faſt, March 26. 1645.

PSAL. 49. 20.

Man that is in Honour, and underſtandeth not, is like the Beaſts that periſh.

Tam nati pl…bei… b…, tu… …ati pr…ſtant… vi…. Iunius. Etiam …il…i Adam, etia… …il…i Magn…. Muſculu…. T…m … fil… …. Munſter. See the Septuag… Dute… and Fre… Tranſlations, in the ſecond part of the learned S…ld… Title of H… nour p. 8…3, 854.A Sad Text, fit to be conſidered by men of honour in theſe ſad Times: Hear ye this, ye ſons of Adam, and ſons of Iſh; ye ſons of the earth, and ſons of Nobles: the holy Ghoſt beſpeaks your attention, in the firſt and ſecond verſes of this Pſalm.

My Lords, this is Davids Metamorphoſis; it is not the Dream of a Poet, but the Rapture of a Prophet, the Rhetorique of a Pſalm: Moſt men in Honour, are, to their everlaſting Diſhonour, turnedinto Beaſts that periſh.

It i… an hard Saying, aſwell as a dark Saying; and therefore I will open my dark ſaying, …. 4. …rteg… … ſ…pi…ia Parab…l…, multipli… pr…a a….the Pſalmiſt multiplies expreſſions, in the foregoing verſes, for the mollifying of this hard Saying, and the opening of this dark Saying: Give me leave to glance over the Pſalm by a ſmart Paraphraſe.

Wherefore ſhould I fear (ſaith David) when, &c. But though he might not, others may have juſt cauſe to fear what will become of them, when the iniquity o… their heels ſhall p. 2compaſſe them about, verſ. 5. And ſurely none have more cauſe to fear, then the great ones of the world, verſ. 6. They that are ſo rich, that they truſt in their riches, and boaſt of their riches (which the wiſeſt of men are forced to leave to others, v 10.) have a deep, though vain conceit, that their houſes ſhall continue for ever; and therefore call their lands by their own names, v. 11. But alas, not withſtanding this their Atheiſticall Dream, they abide not in their Honour; for they are like the Beaſts that periſh. And yet though this their way is their folly (undeniable folly) their Poſterity are ſuch fools as to imitate their Practices, and approve their Sayings. Selah, verſ. 13.

Oh look not upon this Cenſure as a Jerk of Wit, for it is indeed A ſad Preface to a black Sentence full of horrour: For mark what follows: When a man is made rich, and the glory of his houſe is encreaſed, he is uſually ſo taken up with his wealth and glory, that he forgets the mortality of his frail body, and the eternity of his precious ſoul: He doth not conſider how he may be ranſomed from the ſtrength of ſin, the ſting of death, 1 Cor. 15. 55, 56. Sicut pecudes morticin… qu… proji…, vel pe…es ad … deſtin…. … qu… ſive paſca… ſive … ad … deſtina…a ſ…nt. Vi… Iunium & Muſcul: Pa… mor…. H… … …all go: …o in the original, verſ. 19.1 Cor 15:551 Cor 15:56the hand of the grave, the power of hell; and therefore his body falls like the carcaſe of a Beaſt; the Grave hath victory over him, and Death feeds upon him. Like ſheep they are laid in the grave, death ſhall feed upon them, verſ. 14. And though whilſt he lived he was applauded by others, and he bleſſed hi… own ſoul, verſ. 18. yet his ſoul ſhall go to the Generation of his fathers, he ſhall never ſee light. Tell me, tell me, is not this … black Sentence, full of Horrour? Menglory in their Pedigre…, and are as it were damned ex traduce: They take a pride in imitating the errours and vanity of their forefathers, who lived in darker times; and they ſhall go to the Generation of their fathers, where they ſhall never ſee light; for to ſuch is reſerved the blackneſſ… of darkneſſe for ever. And then, to cloſe Iu…e verſ. 13.up all, the Prophet warbles over the dark ſaying of the Text upon his dol…full Harp: it is the Burden of the Pſalm, and the Burden of many a guilty conſ…ience, which will one day ſwea…, and groan, and ſink under the weight of it: Man that is in Honour, and underſtandeth not, falls like the Beasts that periſh.

p. 3In the words, be pleaſed to obſerve,

1. The Honourable eſtate, or (in your own Language) the precious Peerage of great men: A Noble-man is homo in pretio, as Junius hath it, a man to be prized and honoured.

2▪ The wilfull and diſhonourable Inconſiderateneſſe of men in Honour: Man that is in Honour, and underſtands not.

3. The lamentable Downfall and beaſtlike Ruine of ſuch as fall from their Order, from their God, and from their Honour: They are like the Beaſts that periſh.

Firſt, for your Honourable Eſtate, without any Courtſhip or Complement, I muſt obſerve, That a Noble-man is Homo in pretio, one that is prized and honoured in a Civill account. Be pleaſed, Brethren, to ſuſpend your Cenſure, till I come to ſpeak of the Chriſtian account.

They that are truely-Noble, are th… aaEccleſ. 10. 7. Bleſſed, &c.Eccl 10:7bl…ſſing and bbIſa. 5. 13. Heb. Their glory. Vide Ar. Mont. foreignIsa 5:13glory of a Kingdom: Their honourable men, or their glory, are men of famine, Iſa. 5. 13. And dignities are called glories, in the eighth verſe of the Epiſtle of Jude. When men are not honoured according to the weight, worth, dignity of their Places and Perſons, they are as it were ccforeign, Jude v. 8.blaſphemed and curſed, in the Scripture-phraſe.

But, that I may top the riſing Errours of the time, give me leave to diſtinguiſh of a threefold Honour: Civill, Philoſophicall, (d) See Maſter Caryl his learned Obſervations on Job 3. 1. compared with Gen. 16. 4. 1 Sam. 2. 30.Job 3:1Gen 16:41 Sam 2:30and Chriſtian.

Firſt, for Civill Honour, we muſt conſider that it was purchaſed of old by the worth of renowned Anceſtours, who were the glory of their times: and is it not fit that Poſterity ſhould enjoy the Purchaſe of their Forefathers? Thoſe Titles of Honour which help to ſet forth a ſon of mean parts, and but ordinary abilities, might coſt the Father or Grandfather very dear: he might forſake his meat, break his ſleep, exerciſe his ſtrong parts, and put forth his eminent gifts, for the Service of the Common-wealth of England, and Church of God. It is probable that he did lay out vaſt ſums for the pu… like good, adventured his life for his Countrey: and ſhall a Title of Honour, purchaſed by gold laid out in an honourable p. 4way, nay, purchaſed by ſweat and blood, be taken away from the ſon of this Noble Progenitour? The publike Faith of the Kingdom is virtually engaged for the Ennobliſhment of his Poſterity: by Juſtice and Equity, in all Nations thorowout the world, the childe of ſuch noble Anceſtours ought to enjoy with honour what his Progenitours have purchaſed for him at ſo dear a Rate.

True it is, that God hath made all Nations of men of one blood, Acts 17. 26. and therefore, as we are deſcended from Adam, Omnis ſang… is eſt concolor: …ti… comm… ha… non veſtem.our blood is of the ſelf-ſame complexion; but the ſtrength, wiſedom, valour, wealth, vertue of Anceſtours in ſucceeding Generations,, did purchaſe tranſcendent degrees of Honour for themſelves and their Poſterity. The Titles of Dukes, Marqueſſes, Earles, and Barons, were anciently beſtowed on them to whoſe Vertue, Proweſſe, Wiſedom, the Kingdom was beholding, both for Counſel and Aſſiſtance, in times of War and Peace, The firſt Dukes or aaVide Cambdens Britan. p. 164Duces undertook a great Charge; their Office was full of Care, and Truſt, and Danger. Duke was a Title of Duty, rather then Dignity, as Maſter Cambden obſerves. The Title of Lord bbCambden, vide ſupra, p. 165. Some derive Baron from the Chaldce; ſome from Bar in the Germane Language: others ſay Baron or Baron comes from foreign Cabed in Kal…ig…icat grav… eſſe fro…ingra…, in P… … Honorar…, uia … habe… v…les … leves quos ho…, ſed authoritate coru… pondus ſuſp…. Whether Cheva… or Baron be the true … Title of Dien…ty… the eye of the Law, I leave it to the Lawyers to diſpute. See the Writ, D. Ch…val…er ſal… Cock Com. …n L…leton, Lib. 1 c 1. of Fee…le, Sect 9. Qui ab … ſplendore degenerar…t N…bs … port…t… ….Marcher was accounted more honourable then that of Marqueſſe, becauſe it was more ancient, and did import ſome honourable Service. Barons were men of Valour, Robora Belli, and therfore are engaged to ſhew their Valour by their very Title. Why were the Enſignes of Diſtinction firſt born upon Shields, but becauſe they who purchaſed them at firſt, did uſe their own Bodies as a Shield, to bear off thoſe fatall Blowes which would otherwiſe have lighted upon the Body of the Common-wealth. This may ſuffice to ſhew, that noble-men of old did pay a valuable Conſideration for thoſe Titles of Honour which their Poſterity enjoy.

But put the caſe that the ſon of noble Progenitours prove degenerate, and hath nothing to ennoble him, but an empty Title.

I anſwer, that ſuch a man hath nothing that ſhould tempt a wiſe man to envie him. What, is an empty Title ſo great a Provocation? Do not envie him that, for his Forefathers ſake, who purchaſed it of the Common-wealth: Ye ought p. 5to ſtand to that Bargain by which the Common-wealth is ſo Prov… al… ſpes cohibers cert… eſt, ſi ſucceſſ…r non … to. Tacitus Annal. 3.great againer. The Jews took their Kings and their Prieſts for better for worſe, as they aroſe by lineall deſcent. God doth not onelyonly ſhew mercy to the fourth Generation, but to ſome hundreds of men, for the forefathers ſake. Again, conſider whether this Heir be deſperate; may he not be recovered? If not, yet the Breed may mend: It may be the weakneſſe came by the mothers ſide: And what though true Nobility ſhould hide its head as it were in a Generation or two? it may, like that River which falls under ground, riſe up again. Iſhmael was none of the beſt, onelyonly he was Abrahams ſon; and God bleſſed him ſo far, as to make him fruitfull; he begat twelve Princes, and of them came a famous Nation, Gen. 17. 20. There are certain generous Ignicles and ſparks of Nobility which lay raked up in aſhes, and ſeem to be extinct in an Heir or two; and yet theſe Ignicles do revive and ſparkle again, in ſucceeding Generations. There is an Heroicall Nobilitas Gener… non inter b…na exter… rec…nſ…nd… venit quo… H…. roici quida… igniculs poſter… tranſ… …. Pet. Martyr, l…. C…m. & Plut. d… tard. D. vindict.Impetus in men of high-born ſpirits; and yet this Impetus may be ſilent, and ſcarce worke notably in men of Noble Families, by reaſon of ſome great Obſtructions: yet good Education, and good company, may, by Gods bleſſing, remove thoſe Obſtructions in their Succeſſours, and evidence to the world, that the old Strein is not decayed. A young Heir may ſtart up, that hath as Publike a ſpirit as his Grandfathers foreign. Ariſt. Polit. Lib. 4. cap. 8.great-Grandfather: and then the ancient vertue and wealth, ſo far forth as it hath been an Inſtrument of vertue in his Noble Family, addes much to the dignity of ſuch an Heir.

But you will tell me, that the Heir of a Noble-man of England is a Peer of the Realm, and therefore by his Peerage hath a Right to ſit in Parliament: And ſhall every degenerate Heir, that is but an Inch of a man, and hath not one dram of reaſon or true Nobleneſſe in him, ſit and vote away his own Liberty and our Safety?

To this I anſwer, That therefore the Parliament of England, and every Noble-man in England, ſhould take the greater care for the Education of their children, eſpecially of their Heirs, that they might be well principled and rightly qualified for that Service for which they were born: for p. 6our Nobles are Parliament-men born.

2. The Parliament of England can beſt judge who are fit to ſit in Parliament: and you know how to ſuſpend a perſon from the exerciſe of a Power which he is not fit to manage, without depriving the Noble Houſe or Race of that Native and Hereditary Power which is ſetled upon the lineall Heirs of that renowned Family. I read that in ſome Sed arm… ſumere non ante cuiquam mor…s▪ q… civi…s ſuffecturum pr…baver…t. T… in ipſo Concilio vel principum aliqu… vel Pater—Scuto framea…ue ju…enem oruant hic primus, juvent… honos ant… h…c …us pars viaent…ox Re…p Tacitus de Moribus Germancrum, Vide Cambd. Brit. pag. 169. Gentilis Honos …cc legibus confirmatus nec mo…bus ſpreto natalium jure …vaneſcit. Read the approved Commenter on that place: Conſult Maſter Perkins his Caſes of conſcience.States, young men were reckoned members of a Family, but never parts of the Common-wealth, till they had that honour as to be avouched fit for Service, by ſome approbation from the State. And Maſter Cambden relates, that in the Reign of Edward the firſt, the wiſe men of ancient Families were called to ſit in Parliament; but ſome of their Heirs were paſſed by, becauſe they were unlike their fathers. I leave it to your Honours, to diſpute whether this were an Act of the Kings Prerogative; for I am not wiſe enough to determine in what caſes, or how far ſuch ſevere examples are to be imitated, as long as the Blood of Nobles remains untainted.

We are commanded to render to all their Dues; Cuſtome to whom Cuſtome, Fear to whom Fear, Honour to whom Honour, Rom. 13. 7. He who hath Honour due unto him by the dignitie of his Office, place, employment, Authority, in the Common-wealth, by the Nobleneſſe of his Anceſtors, by the Laws and Cuſtomes of the Realm, he is to be honoured in all theſe reſpects with a Civil Honour, though he hath but little perſonall worth in him, yet we muſt acknowledge his outward eminency; for we cannot in reaſon deny him Civil Honour, untill it be denied him by Civil Authority. This is the common and ordinary Rule; onelyonly it is fit to enquire, how far ſome Civilities may be prejudiciall to Religion, Tamet… vero iniqu…ſſimu… ſit hoc hom num genus ad tantam digni t…tem aſcendere ib…tamen col…o … hon… habe…du…e… tan▪ quam iis, qui non … H… … a… Dei ſaptentia & j…ſtsti…, de hominum peccatis ſupplicium ſumentis ad illud honoris faſtigium evecti ſunt—qu… ſalva p… & offi… in D… fieri poſſit. Cartur, in Prov. 26. 1.Prov 26:1l gall Libertie, and the Kingdoms ſafety, the higheſt of Laws: And if any demand what is to be done in ſuch an extraordinary caſe, as that which fell out between Haman and Mordecai? I anſwer, That theſe things are of higher conſideration, the points have been ſufficiently diſcuſſed by ingenious and pious men; and I muſt not forget the work of the day: p. 7Take it therefore thus in brief. Extraordinary examples muſt not be urged as generall rules, nor can ordinary rules give you ſufficient direction what to do in extraordinary Caſes. Certain it is, That vile perſons are contemned in the eyes, that is, in the judgement of the godly, Pſal. 15. 4. eſpecially, if they be ſo vile as to riſe up againſt the God of Heaven, the King of Kings; for then they are to be hated with a perfect hatred, as David doth farther explain himſelf, Pſal. 132. 21, 22. Do not I hate them, O Lord, that hate thee? And am I not grieved with thoſe that riſe up againſt thee? I hate them with a perfect hatred, I count them mine enemies; and for this reaſon as I conceive, Antiochus (whom his flatterers called the mighty God, and they that write of him, do uſually call Antiochus Epiphanes, that is, Antiochus the famous) is called by the Holy Ghoſt, Antiochus the vile. And in his eſtate ſhall ſtand up a vile perſon, to whom they ſhall not give the honour of the Kingdom, Dan. 11. 21. But enough of that.

God is the God of Order, he hates Confuſion; and therefore Reſp. …ne certo tum in jubendo tum in parendo ord ne nil niſ… onus & praed… futura eſt. Vide Tacit. Liv…m & Politic…s paſſim. Opus naturae eſt opus authoris naturae. Si p…ſſent homines ſibi ſortem facere …aſcendi nemo eſſet humil…, nemo ege… unuſquiſque faelicem domum invade…et—Natura nos regit. Senec. Rhet. Controv. 6.doth approve, and make great uſe of thoſe different Dignities, Degrees, and Orders, which are eſtabliſhed by humane policie: According to the light of nature in ſeverall Nations throughout the world, men are not born of Noble Anceſtors, either by chance, or fortune; nor is an act of will or reaſon left to the choice of the ſons of men. Beſides, different degrees of Civil Honour, are uſually conferred upon men in ſome proportion, at leaſt anſwerable to the different bounds of their Habitation. Now God doth determine the ſeverall bounds of mens Habitation, Act. 17. 26. Divine providence devides all by an unerring lot, and appoints who ſhall be Heir to the Wealth, and Civil Honour of every Noble Man: If the Heir forfeit his Eſtate and Honour, yet let him be Homo in Pretio, a man civilly honoured, till God or his Deputies take the forfeiture: Private men muſt know their place, and keep their bounds; for if male-contents may be connived at, they will quickly make as bold with the Temporall Eſtate, as Civil Honour of the greateſt men.

Finally, the ſons of Nobles may have many Honourable p. 8and Lordly qualities in them, though they have not one dram See Davenants Determinations. foreign. Inter c…aros magis qua n inter bonos recen…endus, Tacit. Hiſt. foreign, Ar…ſt. Po…it. lib. 2. c. 6.of ſaving grace; and Proteſtant Divines do conſtantly maintain againſt Jeſuiticall ſeducers, that undeniable maxime, Dominium Temporale non fundatur in gratiâ: Take one of an ennobled blood endued with the Spirit of Government, but a meer ſtranger to the Spirit of Holineſſe, and this man is Homo in Pretio, a man highly to be prized and honoured; and yet let me deal plainly, as well as civilly with your Honours, he may fall from all his Civil Honour, and will, if he repent not, become like the Beaſts that periſh.

I have done with our Civil Account, and therefore I paſſe from Civil Honour, to 2 Ph…loſophicall Honour, of which, I ſhall give you, if not a more rationall, yet a more punctuall account. The Philoſophers ſhew a neceſſity of ſupporting that Civil Honour which is ſetled upon Noble Families by the Laws and Cuſtomes of Common-wealths: Ariſtotle laughes at them, as ignorant Politicians, who divided a Common-wealth into Souldiers, Husbandmen, and Artificers, becauſe thoſe Dignities which are neceſſary for the ſupport of a Common-wealth, could not be all conferred upon men of that quality, unleſſe you made all the reſt ſlaves to thoſe Souldiers, whom they themſelves maintain, and then it would be no Common-wealth. I finde a great deal Vide ſis Senecae Rhetoris Controverſ…am 6. Orat. Marii apud Sal. Cicero Novus homo Nobilitatem contemplet. Pompeium ſi Hereditariae extuliſſent imagines nemo Magnum dixiſſet. Sene…a the Philoſopher acknowledges that the ſoul comes foreign, and the Poet could ſay, foreign Act 17. 28 Non poſſum fidei cauſ… imagines neque triumphos aut conſula…us majorum meorum oſtentare: At ſi res poſtulet haſtas, vexillum, Phaleras, alia dona militaria praeterea cicatrices adverſo corpore. Hae ſunt meae imagines haec Nobilitas—Saluſt. vide Ariſtot. l. 2. Rhet. c. 15. foreign, &c. Jul…ani Imperatoris dictum familiare fuit. Turpe eſſe ſapienti cum animum hab…at captare laudes ex corpore, Ammian. Marcell lib. 25. Paulus vel Coſſus vel D…uſus Moribus eſto. Nae …u Eruci accuſator eſſes ridiculus ſi illis temporibus natus eſſes, cum ab aratro arceſſebantur qui conſules fierent. Cicero pro Roſ…io. Sordidus Hetruſcis abductus conſul aratus Lucan. Vnde Remo ſulcoque terens dentalia Quincti. Cum trepida ante boves Dicta…orem induit uxor. Et tua aratra domum lictor tulit. Quid tibi videntur illi ab ara…ro citati qui paupertate ſua beatam fecere Rempub. Quemcunque volueris revolve Nobilem ad humilitatem pervenies.—Inter haec tam effuſa maenia nihil eſt humili caſa Nobilius Se…ca. Juv. Sat. 8. in Cal….Acts 17:28of good Philoſophie in Hiſtorians, Poets, and Oratours, as well as in profeſſed Philoſophers; they all agree, my Lords, that Nobility took its firſt riſe aaEx virtute Nobilitas caepit. Marius apud Saluſt. Nobilitas ſola eſt atque unica virtus vide Juvenal. Sat. 8.from Vertue, and ſome of p. 9them are ſo ſtrict, as to maintain that ſowre principle, Vertue is the onelyonly true Nobility; and therefore they take their novus homo, who can onelyonly ſhew a broken ſpear, a torn Enſign, ſome Military Donatives, and famous Skars to be truely noble: Marius and Pompey were ſuch Noble-men. The ſoul of every man is, in their judgement, as nobly deſcended a… the ſoul of any man; and they do not attribute much to the body, nor will they give any man leave to arrogate the vertue of his Anceſtours to himſelf: They tell him ſadly, that unleſſe he hath vertue of his own, he doth diſhonour his Anceſtours, diſcredit himſelf, and ſhame his Poſterity, all at once: Though he may be foreign, yet he is not foreign: and Philoſophers will not count him truely noble who is welldeſcended, unleſſe he be well-affected.

It is confidently affirmed, that if Noble-men look farre enough back upon their Progenitours, they will finde ſome of them ignoble: and if the ignoble look back upon their Progenitours, they will finde ſome of them noble.

The Philoſophers conceive it more noble, for a man to give Honour to that Houſe from which he received none, then to eclipſe that Honour which he received; for this is to make the Sun go down at noon; to make all the glory of Scilicet quia imagines non habeo, & quia mihi nova nobilitas eſt, quam certe peperiſſe melius eſt quam acceptam corrupiſſe. Marius apud Saluſt. Quidam avitas paternaſ que flagitiis obruerunt imagines, quidam ignobiles nati fecere peſt…ris genus, in illis non ſervaſſe quod acceperant maximum dedecus, in his quodnemod derat feciſſe, laudabile. Seneca. Vide ſis Val. Maxim. Lib. 3. c. 4, 5. Lib. 5. c. 9, 10. & …ib 4. c. 4. In …o…umento quodam apud Lugdunenſes, teſte Andr. Schotto in Senec. Videre eſt Servius Tullius, ſi noſtros ſequimur Captiva natus Ocreſia: & vide Plin. Lib. 18. cap. 3. foreign. Suidas in verbo foreign. foreign Sopocles in Aiace. foreign.his Houſe fall into the Socket, and die in a loathſom Snuff. The Concluſion of all therefore doth amount to this: He that is born well, muſt either live well, or die well; that is, It is far better to die honourably, then live baſely, in ſin and ſlavery, by unworthy Compliances, corrupt Arts, and ignoble Flattery.

So much ſhall ſuffice to be ſaid of Philoſophicall Nobility; p. 10I muſt go higher, and open the rich treaſure of Chriſtian Nobility, which, to your Coronets of Nobility, ſuperaddes a Crown of glory.

3. Chriſtian Nobility is Nobility in the higheſt; for never was the Humane nature ſo highly honoured, as when it was aſſumed, and hypoſtatically united with the Divine nature, in one perſon, the Perſon of the Lord Jeſus, the ſecond Perſon in the holy Trinity: and therefore they are ennobled in the higheſt degree (according to the Chriſtian account) who are united unto Jeſus Chriſt by a lively faith, and made one Spirit with him.

I have done with the Civil account, and ſpeak now of Spirituall Honour and Chriſtian Nobility.

Be pleaſed to conſider, that we are all Gentiles by nature; and the more we have of the Gentile in us, the leſſe we have of the Noble-man. We are not Jews by nature, but poor miſerable ſinners of the Gentiles, Gal. 2. 15. and, as Gentiles, we can never be juſtified: we muſt therefore turn Chriſtians, and believe in Chriſt, that we may be juſtified by the faith of Chriſt; as the Apoſtle goes on, verſ. 16. No man can be truely and juſtly reputed to be in an Honourable eſtate, unleſſe he be in a Juſtified eſtate; for all thoſe Priviledges and Immunities whereby a Chriſtian is ennobled, are peculiar to a juſtified eſtate. Noble-men are diſtinguiſhed from other men, by their long Robes: and he is no Noble-man as yet, in the true Chriſtian account, who hath not the long white Robe of Chriſts Righteouſneſſe girt about him by a lively faith.

If a Noble-man be condemned to a ſhamefull death, for ſome ignoble and capitall Offence, What priviledge or comfort hath he by all his Titles of Honour? none of his Titles can purchaſe his Pardon, or procure his Releaſe.

My Lords, we are all in a damnable eſtate, till we are tranſlated into a juſtified eſtate: and the greateſt Noble-man Servilibus vit…is nobiles polluuntur—malos eſſe ſervos ac deteſtabiles ſatis certum eſt, ſed hoc utique ingenui ac nobiles magis exectandi, ſi in ſtatu honeſtiore prjores ſunt. Salvian de Gubern. Dei. Lib. 3.in the world muſt fall down upon his knees, and cry out, Lord, I am guilty of baſe ſervile ſins, moſt ignoble practices; and p. 11I am juſtly condemned, by thy Law and my Conſcience, to a baſe and ignoble death, to an accurſed and tormenting death, to an helliſh and eternall death: I have forfeited all to thee; I have forf…ited my Temporall eſtate, my Civill honour, my precious life, my more-precious ſoul: Give m… Christ; Lord, whatever thou denieſt me, give me Christ; give me Chriſt, or I periſh, and that eternally. This is ingenious, this is noble.

The greateſt Honour that we can attain to, is, To be of the off-ſpring of God.—

—foreign,

Acts 17. 28.

All men indeed are of the off-ſpring of God by Creation; A…at. foreign.but the ſpeciall peculiar Honour, and therefore the higheſt Honour, is to be his off-ſpring by Regeneration, to be his ſons by Adoption, for then we are truely noble, highly deſcended indeed, more noble then the proudeſt of them, that were termed foreign or foreign; for every regenerate man, is born of God, and bred of God, and therefore it muſt be granted that he is well bred and born.

My Lords, you may be more ennobled by a new-birth, by a ſecond-birth, then you were by your firſt birth; for in your ſecond birth ye are born to an heavenly Kingdom; and ye are born not of blood (mark that) nor of the will of the fleſh, nor of the will of man; but of the will of God, Joh. 1. 13.

Be pleaſed to conſider, that you may be noble after the fleſh, and the fleſh ſhew its frailty: You may fall from all your Honour, and become like the Beaſts that periſh.

The moſt noble Plants amongſt us Gentiles, are but Plants of the wilde Olive; we muſt be engrafted into Jeſus Chriſt the true Olive, by a lively faith, that we may partake of the ſap and the fatneſſe, the nobleneſſe of Chriſt, who was not onelyonly the Off-ſpring, but the Root of David, Revel. 22. 16. We are but the degenerate Plants of a ſtrange Vine; we are Jerem. 2. 21.Jer 2:21not a Noble Vine, wholly a right ſeed, till we are engrafted into the True and Noble Vine, Joh. 15. 1. Faith is a noble Pſal. 47. ult.Ps 47grace; for it teaches a man to deny himſelf, to crucifie his luſts, to ſacrifice his Eſtate, Honour, Life, and All, in the Service of Jeſus Chriſt. Faith doth exceedingly raiſe the p. 12Spirit, and ennoble the Soul of man: A Believer looks upon all the wealth and glory of the world, as droſſe and dung, in compariſon of Jeſus Chriſt. A Believer is ſtrong in Chriſt, rich in faith: becauſe rich in Chriſt, he is wiſe in Chriſt, and noble in Chriſt: he is nothing in himſelf, and all things in Chriſt; for Chriſt is all in all unto him. Believers are the Members of Chriſt; and the Apoſtle ſhews, that the Head and Members make but one Chriſt, 1 Cor. 12. 12. and therefore all Believers muſt needs be Noble, by their intimate relation Caput & Corpus unus certe Chriſtus. Aug.to Chriſt; this glorious Title of Chriſt being impoſed upon them, as united in one Body to their Head, the Lord Jeſus Chriſt. This one Title of Honour doth outſhine and eclipſe all the admired Titles of Honour in the moſt flouriſhing Common-wealths. Once more: Faith i▪ a noblegrace, if it be faith of the right ſtrain, the faith of Gods elect; a faith that is not built upon Quickſands, upon Hearſays and Fancies, upon the Authority of man, much leſſe upon the Authority of the Man of ſin, the Pope, or Church of Rome: nay, the true Church, the Church of Chriſt, is not the foundation of our Noble faith; for an Implicite faith, though grounded upon the Authority of the true Church, is but an Ignoble faith, becauſe it leads men hood winked to a blinde obedience. The Diſciples of Berea were noble Chriſtians, becauſe they were endued with a faith that was truely Noble, a ſearching faith, a buſie faith, an examining faith; they were ready to receive any Scripture-truth; but they loved to be ſure, and therefore compared even the Apoſtles Doctrine with the written word. You may read the ſtory, Acts 17. 11. Theſe were foreign (better born) more Noble then thoſe in Theſſal…nica: But wherein did their Nobleneſſe conſiſt? Why, in that they received the Word with all rea lin…ſſ… of minde, and ſearched the Scriptures d…ly, whether thoſe things were ſo. They were not ſlow to believe what the Apoſtles taught; for they received the Word with all readineſſe of minde: but they made no more haſte then good ſp…ed; they ſearched the Scriptures, and ſearch…d them daily: there's work for Noble-men that know not how to paſſe away their time, Search the Scriptures; that's a Noble employment, On that Noble-men p. 13would make it both their buſineſſe, and their recreation alſo; that they might be fitted with the Noble Science of Chriſt and Heaven **Patience is a Noble grace. Romanus a Noble man that ſuffered Martyrdom, deſired his tormentors not to ſpare him, becauſe he was a Nobleman, for he did not count himſelf Noble by the blood of his Progenitors, but the blood of his martyrdom; not by his birth, but by his death..

I deſire to cloſe up this point in a word, All reall Chriſtians are ſpirituall Kings; the Prince of the Kings of the earth loved us ſo well, as to waſh us in his own pretious blood, that he might make us Kings unto God, Revel. 1. 5, 6. We are kings by birth, born to a Kingdom by a new and miraculous birth: We are kings by purchaſe, the Kingdom coſt Chriſt dear, but it coſt us nothing; and therefore the Kingdom comes to us by deed of gift alſo: We are kings by conqueſt, our Lord and Maſter hath conquered principalities and powers for us, he hath conquered the World, and t… Devil for us, nay, he hath conquered even our own ſelves for us by mortifying our luſts within us; and therefore, we are more then conquerours thorow him that loved us, and overcame our ſpirituall enemies for us. Finally, We are kings by marriage, the ſoul of every beleever is married to the King of Kings, and is attended with a guard of Angels. This is not onelyonly a Noble, but a Royall marriage: If a woman Vide Cooks Comment on Littleton, p. 16. Hence that rule, ſi mulier nobilis nupſerit ignobili definit eſſu nobilis.that was Noble by marriage, marry a ſecond husband that is no Nobleman, ſhe looſes her nobilitie and becomes ignoble? If our ſouls fall into a league with Sin, and Satan, Death, and Hell, our ſouls are made ignoble; we are ſervants of ſin, ſlaves of Satan, the undoubted heirs of Hell and damnation: But if when Chriſt makes love to our ſouls, we do with all humilitie and thankfulneſſe, embrace the offer, and take him for our Lord, and our Love, our King, and our Husband: We have Heaven made over to our ſouls for ever, not as a Joynture, but an Inheritance: We are Kings to God, and Heirs, Coheirs with Chriſt. Such Honour have all the Saints; for they are the men whom the King of Kings doth delight to honour, and they ſhall continue in their honour, becauſe they underſtand their dependance, and will continue▪ in their adherence, to the fountain of honour: They ſhall not be like the Beaſts of the field, but like the Angels of Heaven, ſatisfied with honour, and crowned with glory: And ſo I paſſe to my ſecond obſervation; which is briefly this.

p. 14Doctrine. Men that are in Honour do too often behave themſelves more like Beaſts then Men: They are Beaſts for want of underſtanding, and Beaſts in regard of periſhing, as it is in my Text, Man that is in Honour, and underſtandeth not, is like the Beaſts that periſh.

1. They are Beaſts for want of underſtanding, or for want of conſideration; for they will not underſtand, ſo Arias Montanus renders it: They are ſo wilfully inconſiderate, that they become like bruite Beaſts that have no underſtanding.

Men in Honour are very bruitiſh, if they underſtand nothing concerning the eternall welfare of their pretious ſoul, nothing concerning Religon, and Happineſſe, Heaven and Holineſſe: Surely, ſaith that ingenuous man, Prov. 30. 2, 3. I am more brutiſh then any man, I have not the underſtanding of a man: I neither learned wiſedom, nor have the knowledge of the holy: Though a man hath a deep reach, and be endued with ſtrong and happy parts; though he be an able Statesman, a profound Politician; yet if he hath not the knowledge of the holy, a ſpirituall, practicall, experimentall, ſaving knowledge; the knowledge of a Chriſtian, the knowledge of a Saint; he is but a brutiſh man, he hath no knowledge of that grace and glory of which, the pretious ſoul of a man is capable; and therefore, if he be a man, he is but a brutiſh man, nay he hath not the underſtanding of a man, and therefore may well be compared to the Beaſts that periſh. He that knows nothing after the right manner, nothing as he ought to know it; Is not he a Beaſt? And doth not the Apoſtle point at ſuch Beaſts, 1 Corinth. 8. 2. How little is it that great men underſtand of thoſe great Things of Eternitie? And yet, how many great men of the world who underſtand Religion no more then Beaſts, being ſteeled with ignorance, impudence, and Atheiſm, do take the boldneſſe to cenſure what they underſtand not: Theſe men ſhould learn the wiſedom and modeſty of Socrates, who when he met with an obſcure Book, paſſed his judgement thus, The things in this Book, ſaith be, as far as I underſtand, are generous, and p. 15truely noble; and for the reſt, I have no reaſon to cenſure it, becauſe I do not underſtand it.

Saint Jude gives two Characters of men that are transformed into Beaſts. The firſt is this, They ſpeak evil of thoſe 1. 2.things they know not; the ſecond is this, What they know naturally as bruit Beaſts, in thoſe things they corrupt themſelves.

I have touched upon the former Character, give me leave to point at the latter.

Men in Honour do extremely debaſe, and diſhonour themſelves, by ſenſualitie, by corrupting themſelves in thoſe things which they know naturally; that is, in thoſe things which are diſcerned by their outward and inward ſenſe: They are more corrupt then bruit Beaſts, by indulging to their Appetite, by pleaſing their Senſes, and gratifying their Luſts. What is the reaſon, that men in honour are ſo Phantaſticall, but becauſe they live like Beaſts▪ by phantaſie, rather then like men by reaſon? They that feed high, and make it their buſineſſe to pleaſe their ſenſes, and pamper their luſts, muſt needs be bruitiſh at laſt; for their very reaſon is incarnate, it grows fat and fleſhly, and therefore, they embrace principles of ſenſuality, inſtead of principles of Moralitie, or Divinitie: They have groſſe ſouls, though wanton wits, and all their wit is but like a flaſh of lightning, which doth not direct, but puzzle, and dazzle the eye of reaſon, or elſe their wit is but a vapouring wit, and vapours eclipſe, and overcloud the riſing beauty of the light of nature.

I may well be brief in this Argument, for it will not quit coſt to inſtruct an Epicure: The Philoſopher tels me, That foreignevery ſenſuall man is an impenitent man, and all our Preaching is like that quick thunder they write of, which ſtrikes thorow theſe ſpungy ſouls without any ſenſible impreſſion. I could heartily wiſh, that every man that hath any thing of a Chriſtian in him, would conſider theſe two ſad Texts, None that go to the ſtrange woman return again, neither take they hold of the paths of life, Prov. 2. 19. and Eccleſ. 7. 26, 27, 28. And I finde more bitter then death, the woman whoſe heart is ſnares and nets, and her hands as bands; who ſo pleaſeth God, p. 16ſhall eſcape from her, but the ſinner ſhall be taken by her. Behold, this have I found, ſaith the Preacher, (and the Preacher had good skill) counting one by one, to finde out the account, which yet my ſoul ſeeks, but I finde not; one man among a thouſand have I found, but a woman among all thoſe have I not found. In all Solomons obſervation, he never knew above one man of a thouſand (and many conceive that was himſelf) that ever repented of this beaſtly ſin of ſenſualitie; but for a woman to repent of that baſe ſin, was a thing unknown in all Solomons ſad experience. Phanſie is foreign, as Ariſto…le, a kinde of weak ſenſe; and therefore, men that live like Beaſts by phanſie, are unable to judge of the weight of thoſe ſpirituall Arguments, which we urge out of Scripture, againſt this beaſtly ſin of Senſuality. You know when Arguments are but weakly apprehended, men are but weakly moved. Now the ſenſuall phanſie and carnall reaſon of corrupt men, doth not diſcern the ſtrength, or ſee the beauty of ſuch Trueths, as are divinely ſober, and ſpiritually chaſt; and hence it is, That they who are Beaſts for want of underſtanding, are likewiſe,

2. Beaſts in regard of periſhing. My Lords, it is no wonder at all, if men that affect beaſtly pleaſures, and dote upon periſhing honours, become like the Beaſts that periſh. It is no miracle, if he that lives like a Beaſt, dies like a Beaſt: Take a man that hath lived like the fool in the Goſpel, and tell me what hath this man done for his immortall ſoul, more then a Beaſt doth for its periſhing ſoul. Soul, ſoul, ceaſe from care, eat drink, and take thine eaſe; this is the conſtant ditty of moſt men in honour: They have ſtudied Clothes and Victuals, Titles and Offices, wayes of gain and pleaſure; Am I not yet at higheſt? They have it may be ſtudied the Black Art of Flattery and Treachery; they underſtand the humour of the times, the compliances and dependances of this, and the other Stateſman, the projects of divers Princes abroad, and the main deſign here at home: Is this all? Why then be it known unto you, That the men of this ſtrain, have made no better proviſion for their pretious ſouls, then if they had the ſoul, the vaniſhing ſoul of a Beaſt within them; p. 17and certainly, if we were to judge of the ſubſtance of mens ſouls by their unworthy, and ſenſuall converſation, we might eaſily fall into that hereſie, that dangerous dream of ſome who conceive, that their ſouls are mortall.

Surely, the Wiſeman ſpeaks their opinion to the full, who like ſenſuall diſputants argue from none but ſenſible effects, Eccleſ. 3. 19. 20. For that which befalleth the ſons of men, befalleth Beaſts; even one thing befalleth them, as the one dieth, ſo dieth the other, yea, they have all one breath; ſo that a man hath no preeminence above a Beaſt; For all is vanitie: True it is, the ſoul of a man is different from the Soul of a Beaſt, but wicked men are not acquainted with the worth of their immortall ſouls, Verſ. 21. Who knows the ſpirit of man that goeth upward.

Secondly, This preeminence tends to a greater downfall; If wicked men had not immortall ſouls, they could not be eternally tormented after death, in the angry flames of helliſh Brimſtone?

Thirdly, This their eternall torment is called an eternall death, and therefore theſe wicked men, or as the Apoſtle cals them, theſe Naturall bruit Beaſts do periſh utterly, becauſe they periſh eternally; They ſhall utterly periſh in their own corruption, 2 Pet. 2. 12. This is to periſh worſe then a Beaſt; this is to periſh like the Divel and his Angels.

Fourthly, The bodies of wicked men are in worſe condition, then the bodies of Beaſts, becauſe their bodies ſhall be raiſed at the laſt day, and made immortall, that their bodies may be eternally tormented, as well as their immortall ſouls: This is to periſh poſitively, to be alwayes periſhing, alwayes feeling themſelves to periſh, and yet ever repining Application. Let no man think me a fool: if otherwiſe, yet … a fool receive me (or ſuffer me) that I may, &c. Verſ. 16. For ye ſuffer fools gladly, 2 Cor. 11. 19.2 Cor 11:19and grieving, that they cannot periſh: I have ſtudied plainneſſe, nay laboured to be rather Practicall then Argumentative in the proof of the point; yet give me leave to ſet the point home by a cloſer Application.

May it pleaſe you, my Lords, to give me leave to uſe the Rhetorique of the Apoſtle: The great men of the upper-end of the world, ſuffer Fools gladly; ſuffer me a little, ſince you p. 18your ſelves are wiſe. In thoſe Common-wealths which are governed by a kinde of Ariſtocracy, it hath been the cuſtome to lead the people by the conſcience, rather then by the ears, becauſe it is known by experience, that the people had rather looſe their ears, then looſe their liberty, and wound their conſcience. Now, the onelyonly way for to work upon the conſcience of others, is, for the Nobles themſelves to pretend to conſcience: And hence it is, that men in Honour do ſo often promiſe upon their Honour, that they will do the people Right: But when their Honour hath been worn even thredbare, and all their Noble Proteſtations have loſt their credit, they uſually go a ſtrain higher in this diſſembling age, and take Religious Proteſtations, but moſt Irreligious Oaths; for when Plebs enim juramento hoc contenta, & veluti ſecura, de reliquis non admodum erit ſollicita etiamſi poſtea magnis injuriis afficiatur, vide Clapmar. de Arcanis imperii. lib. 2. cap. 9.they have once engaged their honour, and given their oaths, they hope they may abuſe the Common-wealth without ſuſpicion; for the poor ſilly people dare not ſo much a… ſuspect that they are abuſed, no not when they are most groſſely abuſed, becauſe it is accounted a moſt abſurd, unmannerly, and uncharitable conceit, that the Lords will forfeit their honour; or break their oaths.

My Lords, this Sophiſm paſſes currant at Oxford for a Demonstration, as it did of old at Athens, where the oath was conceived ſub hac ſpecie. Jure populum nullis injuriis affectum iri; and therefore Aristotle ſaith, it is better policy Ariſtot. Polit. lib. 5. cap, 9.to flatter, in plain Engliſh, to cheat the people, then to threaten them; and thereupon adviſes the great ones to diſſemble and ſwear, that they will not wrong the people: Surely, my Lords, by all their proceedings at Oxford, it appears, that all men in Honour, are not men of Honour; for they have ſtudied Ariſtotles Politiques; more then Solomons Proverbs, the pureſt Politiques. But truely, wh… ever he be that ſails by this compaſ…e, it is impoſſible he ſhould ſteer aright, eſpecially in a tempeſt; for though policy ſets the compaſſe, yet pride and vainglory fill the ſails, and folly, I mean Atheiſm, ſits at ſtern. My Lords, I ſay, Atheiſm, a ſin which will ſtain all the pride and glory of that man who is guiltie of it in the ſight of the Searcher of hearts: It was the ſpeech of a good Stateſman, and a good Chriſtian; Men ſaith he, talk of p. 19the ſins of the Court; but truely, for my part I think the Court is guiltie but of one ſin, of Atheiſm, the fruitfull mother of every ſin; and my Text is of ſo large a compaſſe, that it doth certainly comprehend (nay as ſome Expoſitours conceive, directly point at Atheiſm: Man that is in honour, and underſtandeth not, that there is a God above him, whom he is bound to ſerve and honour, he it is that is compared to the beaſts that periſh: For an Atheiſt is of all others, the groſſeſt fool, and the fouleſt Beaſt: Give me leave to throw my firſt dart at this Beaſt in an U…e of

Reproof. What need we, my Lords, look out for a ſtronger Reproof. The Atheiſticall Beaſt. Exſecrantur publice quod occulte agunt ac per hoc dum damnare ſe c… teros putant ipſos ſe magis propriâ animadverſione condemnant. Salvian. lib. 3. de Gubern….Argument to prove, That ſome men in honour do not unſtand that there is a God above them, then this; That they do uſually make little or no conſcience of curſing their own practiſes, and damning their own ſouls by falſe Proteſtations, Oaths, and Covenants. They who do not underſtand God to be omnipotent and omniſcient, juſt and true, they do not underſtand him to be a God. But men that make no ſcruple of violating their Oaths and Covenants, for the compaſſing of their deſignes, do neither judiciouſly, practically, underſtand, or truely beleeve, God to be omnipotent, and omniſcient, juſt and true: Therefore they are Atheiſts and arrant Beaſts, who make no conſcience of Oaths and Covenants. In a Promiſſory Oath or Covenant, be pleaſed to conſider, that you call God to be your Witneſſe, your Suretic, your Judge.

1. Your Witneſſe, to teſtifie the truth of your intentions and purpoſes: You know none can bear witneſſe that the intentions of your heart are ſincere and true, but the Searcher of hearts; and yet how few are there, that look up to God as a witneſſe when they take a ſolemn Oath? And therefore Rupere ſaedus impius lucri furor & ira praeceps.men do too often hold correſpondence with thoſe Covenant-breaking ſins of malice and ambition, even after they have taken the ſolemn Covenant. Oh it is a ſad thing, for which the Land mourns, that God is not diſcerned in an Oath, nor Chriſt in the Sacrament, by ſome that take themſelves to be men of diſcerning ſpirits.

2. You call upon God to be your Suretie for the performance of thoſe things which you ſwear and covenant to p. 20perform: If you never intend any reall performance, year… downright Atheiſts, or elſe you would never put ſuch aſolemn jear upon the God of Heaven.

3. You call God to be your Judge, in caſe you be deceitfull in promiſing, or unfaithfull in performing. I admire how men can profeſſe, that they beleeve God to be true, when they do (what, I even tremble to ſpeak) call God to do the Quanto minori peccato illi per daemonia Pejerant quàm nos per Chriſtum… Nam cùm Deus non ſit per quem juratur, non eſt perjurium cum Pejeratur. Salvian.Devils office, to bear witneſſe to a lie. It were more proper, becauſe more ſuitable to their purpoſes and principles, for ſuch men to ſwear by the Devil, rather then by God; for it is the Devils proper office to bear witneſſe to a lie, he being a lier from the beginning, and the Father of Lies. Certainly, theſe men muſt conceive, that either God doth not love truth, or elſe, that he doth not know it; and what is this, but to deny him to be God.

Moreover, theſe bold Atheiſts cannot beleeve God to be juſt and omnipotent, able, and willing to revenge himſelf, and his people, upon ſuch Honourable enemies as they are; for if they did, they would never go about to deceive God, and the Kingdom, by the pretended religion of an Oath: They would not thus out-brave God, and dare him to his face, to take vengeance on them, if they did beleeve, that there is a God or a Devil, Heaven, or Hell; Certainly, theſe religious blaſphemers Ad hoe res cecidit ut cum per Chriſti nomen juraverint purent, ſe ſcelera religi…ſe facturos, &c. Salvian. … Gub. Dei, lib. 4.will be religiouſly, I mean, aſſuredly damned, if they repent not; for their very pretended Religion will ſink them into the bottomleſle pit of fire and brimſtone, nay, into ſome lower and more tormenting Hell: Hypocrites ſhall have their portion with the Devil and his Angels, Matth. 25. 41. Now great men are very apt to diſſemble, elſe David (who was well acquain ed with King-craft, as they call it) would never have acknowledged that great men are a Lye: Obſerve it, they are more prone to cogg and lie, then meaner men. Surely (…aith he, Pſal. 62. 9.) men of low degree are vanitie, and men of high degr…e are a Lie; and if laid in the ballance, they are alike, or altogether lighter then vanitie. I need ſay no more.

2. Moreover, they who underſtand and beleeve, that there … a God, cannot, dare not, live in a conſtant contempt of p. 21godlineſſe: And yet how many are there, who in a Civil account are men of Honour, yet in a Religious account are ſo diſhonourable, as to contemn Religion, and permit their great and much-obſerved families to live in a conſtant Contempt of pure Religion. I appeal in this Point, my Lords, to your Honours conſciences, whether the Power of godlineſſe, I ſay, the Power of godlineſſe, be not uſually contemned and ſcoffed at in the Families of Noble-men.

3. Conſider, That Heathens will riſe up in judgement againſt Vide Ciceronem de Legibus, de natura deorum. Ut Solum in aquis, ſic Deus in operibus intuemur. foreign. Plato in Phaedone. As if he had ſaid, I am that I am.theſe Right Honourable Atheiſts; for an Atheiſt is a Nabal, the carcaſe of a man, or a man of withered principles; one that hath no more reaſon in him, then there is ſap or juyce in a withered leaf; for ſo the word. Nabal imports. Nabal, or as very a fool as Nabal, is that man, who doth but ſay in his heart, that there is no God, Pſal. 14. 1. though he doth but ſay it in his heart; though Atheiſm be rather his wiſh then his opinion: for I doubt not but the ſtouteſt Atheiſt hath ſome characters of a Deity indelibly ſtamped upon his Adamant heart; and every time he turns his eyes inward, he cannot but read them: Beſides, the flaſhes of hell-fire in his guilty Conſcience, when he is caſt into ſome trembling fit, doth give him light enough to ſee that there is a God, and that Scripture is the Word of God, that Impartiall Word by which he muſt be judged at the Terrible day of God. Now grant me but theſe two Principles; That there is a God, and, That Scripture is the Word of God, and my work is at an end.

I have evidently proved what will be the end of thoſe men who live in Secular Honour, and Atheiſticall Security, becauſe they underſtand not, or believe not that there is a God above them, whom they ought to ſerve and honour.

Maſter Greenham, a Reverend and Practicall Divine, conceived, that Atheiſm was the moſt domineering ſin in England: And certainly it is a ſin of the higheſt ſtrain, and deepeſt tincture: it is the Diſeaſe of Courtiers, of Nobles; and it is a catching Diſeaſe.

The ſecond Beaſt is a compounded Beaſt, a Chim…ra, a kinde of Monſter, becauſe it doth borrow the ill qualities of p. 22more Beaſts then one: for ſuch is the Beaſtlineſſe of a wicked man, eſpecially if he have Honour to countenance his wickedneſſe, that he is more Beaſtly then any one beaſt whatſoever, as Chryſoſtom obſerves. And you may ſee, by ſad experience, how the ſelf-ſame man is disfigured and deformed with the baſeſt qualities of ſeverall Beaſts, as if he were a kinde of univerſall Beaſt, or had the Quinteſſence of Beſtiality within him, like the fourth Beaſt in the ſeventh of Daniel; or that Antichriſtian Beaſt, Revel. 13. 2. a Leopard, with the feet of a Bear, the mouth of a Lion, having power from the Dragon; to note unto us, that the cruelty of all the Perſecutours that ever were in the world, is compounded together and revived in Antichriſt, and the Antichriſtian faction.

One man in honour, may have divers unworthy and beaſtly qualities: he may have▪

Firſt, the cruelty of Wolves, Bears, and Tygers; he may be, as S. Dominicks mother dream'd he ſhould be, A Wolf with a fire-brand in his mouth, to burn up all that he is not able to devour. Cruelty is a part of their Pride, their State, their Recreation; they are even phantaſticall in their bloody Butcheries, witty Tragedies; for mark it, and you ſhall ſee, that they who appear foreign, think it part of their pomp and ſtate, to be uſhered in, like Comets, with a ſtream of fire.

Diodorus Siculus (as I remember) reports, that the Iriſh of old, ſailed in Veſſels made of wreathed boughs, covered with the Hides of Beaſts; a proper covering for ſuch ſavage Beaſts: Certainly, the Iriſh Rebels who rage at this very day, are of the old ſtrain, too like their bloody and inhumane Progenitours; who fed upon the paps of women, feaſted themſelves upon young children, and offered mans fleſh (as the Rebels do now offer Proteſtants fleſh) to the devil himſelf, to whom it is, no doubt, an acceptable Service, to ſacrifice the blood of ſo many thouſand Proteſtants, though he cannot touch their ſouls. Certainly theſe Iriſh Papiſts, theſe pure Romane Catholikes, have (as they ſay the firſt Founders of Rome, Romus and Romulus, did) ſucked Wolves milk, they are of ſuch a Wolviſh diſpoſition.

p. 23All the great Perſecutours of the world, though mighty Monarchs, are called Beaſts in Scripture: though their flatterers would have made them more then men, yet their names declared them to be worſe then Beaſts. As the ſavage Beaſts do firſt hunt after a Prey, then overtake it, catch it, gripe, tear, devour it; ſo did theſe mighty Hunters, and ſavage Beaſts, deal with the Church of God: they did catch whole Kingdoms, as beaſts do their Prey, by Rapine; and when they gained a Land by Rapine, they enſlaved the people by Tyrannie. Diogenes being asked, what Beaſt was moſt noiſome, returned this ſharp anſwer: The moſt noiſome of ſavage Beaſts, is the Tyrant; and of tame Beaſts, the Flatterer.

But I leave theſe cruell Beaſts, to the Grace and Mercy, or elſe to the Wiſedom and juſtice of the God of Heaven: The dear ſervants of God have made their Appeals to God upon many ſuch days as theſe: and ſurely, if God regard, as he hath done the Appeal of a blaſpheming **The Appeal of Amurath the ſixth, againſt the King of Hungary, Novemb. 10. 1444. Foxes. Serpents.Turk, he will much more regard the Appeal of his righteous ſervants.

Secondly. A man in Honour may be transformed into a Fox, not by prudence, but craft; and into a Serpent, not by wiſedom, but ſubtiltie; for ſubtilty is not the wiſdom, but the poyſon of the Serpent: the Braſen Serpent which was the Type of our Saviour, who is wiſdom it ſelf) had neither ſting nor poyſon. Herod is called a Fox for his ſubtiltie, Luk. 13. 32. becauſe he did ſubject Religion to carnall policie; it concerns great men to beware of the aaFraude… profectò in re eſſe & Sempronium Comitiis plus Artis habuiſſe quàm fidei. Liv. lib. 4.Art of Sempronius, and the bbMar▪ 8. 15.Mark 8:15leaven of Herod: For that leaven of carnall policie will ſowre the whole lump. The enemy doth watch for an advantage; and if men in Honour will comply upon reaſons of State, and proſtitute their conſciences, they ſhall not want either a temptation or an opportunity; it may be whileſt the bargain is driving, they may think it good policy to go thorow with the bargain; but when the heat of the temptation is over, they may repent too late, as ſome have done within our memory. It will be your wiſdom, my Lords, to beware of their ſubtilty, to beware of ſuch Foxes as deſtroy the Corn-fields and Vineyards; for theſe Foxes have plots p. 24in their heads, and fire-brands at their tails; the Philiſti… Foxes are more miſchievous then Sampſons Foxes. I have read of a City called foreign, I hope this Citie will never deſerve that Title; the Lord keep it from being a Citie of Foxes, and make it a Citie of Saints, that it may for ever be a Citie of Honour.

Thirdly, Men in honour are too often, to their great diſhonour, Beaſts of Burthen: I ſhall make bold to call them Slaves, and they will (when they ſee it) call themſelves ſomething elſe, illud quod dieere nolo; for they that have ſtudied how to be Foxes, will, when they are over-reached, and enſlaved, confeſſe that they are Beaſts of Burthen. A Neuter is like Iſſachar, a ſtrong Aſſe coaching down between two burdens, Gen. 49. 14. But the Royalist is a ſtrong Aſſe, he takes Bruta potius quàm jumenta utinam Reip. Jumenta ſic & Adjumenta, foreign.up the heavieſt burthen, enough to load his conſcience, break his brains and his baek, it is well if it break his heart: They are undeniably brutiſh, and intolerably baſe, who betray their Countrey, and enſlave their poſterity, that they may for a while advance themſelves; for it will come to their turn to be enſlaved at laſt; only our fetters may be of Iron, and theirs of Gold; but the Gold may enter as deep into their ſouls, as the Iron will into our fleſh; what though, they may be Per magna diſcrimina aſcendun… Aulici ad majora, per iſta ad ſumma …t longius audiatur ruinae ſonitus; non eſt meum ita negare, non eſt prudentis inficiari quae experientiâ probantur. Contz. …ul… ſpec. Ful…ers Holy State.Favourites, yet they muſt be ſlaves, they do not know how long they ſhall be Favourites, but they may eaſily gueſſe how long they ſhall be ſlaves; ſurely, all their life long, without a miracle, onelyonly I confeſſe, their life may be ſhortned; for I remember what Cardinall Pool ſaid, Their heads are neereſt danger who are higheſt in the Kings favour: But the greateſt wonder to me is, That men ſhould be ſo ſtupid, as to miſtake Egypt for Ca…an, ſlavery for liberty, and complain that the Parliament goes about to put out their eyes, when they are blinde already, and to take away their liberty, when they have ſold it, or thrown it away already; yet ſuch a wonder I have read of, and you may read it, Numb. 16. 13. 14. Is it a ſmall thing that thou haſt brought us up out of a Land, that floweth with milk and honey. O groſſe miſtake, they were brought up out of Egypt, and were journeying thorow the Wilderneſſe indeed, but yet towards Canaan, a Land flowing with milk and p. 25hony. Why do ye uſe us thus ſay they, except thou make thy ſelf altogether a Prince ever us? O Beaſts of burthen, will ye go make brick again, that ye may be free and noble? Will ye make your ſelves ſlaves, for fear Moſes ſhould make himſelf a Prince. And in the 14. verſe▪ Wilt thou put out the eyes of theſe men? No ſure, might Moſes have ſaid, I need not put out your eyes, ye are blind already: Give me leave to ſay as Zophar ſaid, Vain man would be wiſe, though he be no wiſer then when he was born; and man is born like a wilde Aſſes Colt, Job 11. 12. He is as ſilly, and yet as wilde and coltiſh, as the Colt of a wilde Aſſe, even then when he takes himſelf to be grave and wiſe. Hearken to the words of Elihu, and conſider them, Job 32. 9. Great men are not alwayes wiſe, neither do the aged underſtand judgement.

I might enlarge my ſelf, by giving ſeverall inſtances in other unworthy, and beaſtlike qualities, which do debaſe and degrade men in honour: But I intend not to run over Ariſtotle, or Elians Hiſtory of Animals; nor will I open Geſners Library, or tell you any ſtrange ſtories out of Dreſſerus, Camerarius, or Goulartius, of men turned into the ſhape of Beaſts; I might as well turn Ovid his: Metamorphoſis into Proſe; nor will I ſtand to diſpute, whether Nebuchadnezzar was turned into a beaſtlike ſhape in reſpect of his body, as well as diſtempered in his minde, by the rage of his paſſions, and fury of his luſts; nor will I trouble you with a comment upon the Beaſts at Epheſus, onelyonly be pleaſed to conſider theſe two particulars.

Firſt, That Nebuchadnezzar had but a twelve-moneths time given him to repent in; Daniel gave him very good counſell, but it was not acceptable to him, he neglected the breaking off of his ſins, by true repentance; and at the twelve moneths end, ſaith the Text, Dan. 4. 28, 29. He was turned to graſſe amongſt the beaſts that periſh.

Secondly, Conſider how diſhonourable a thing it is, f…r men in Honour, to be transformed into Swine, Goats, Doggs, Vipers; I cannot ſtand to name the ſeverall Beaſts, onelyonly remember that Dutch drunkenneſſe, Spaniſh pride, Iriſh cruelty, p. 26French wantonneſſe, Italian, I had almoſt ſaid Engliſh Atheiſm, will transform men into Beaſts; and I ſhall paſſe from this uſe of Reproof to an

Uſe of Examination, to diſcover every man to himſelf, Examination.that he may know whether he be a man indeed, as well as in ſhape. My Lords, every ſcandalous ſin is ſcandalum magnatum, it will cauſe your Honour, nay, your very manhood to be called in queſtion; but that we may quit our ſelves like men, let us all, noble and ignoble, high and low, rich and poor, put our ſelves upon the Tryall.

1. Senſuall men are Beaſts; Homo Animalis vix homo eſt, i…ò merum Animal eſt. The ſoul of a Beaſt depends wholly upon the temper of the body; and therefore, that is the Beaſts onelyonly care to provide for its body, to preſerve that in a good temper; they then that diſtemper their bodies, to pleaſe their ſenſuall appetite, are more ſenſuall then Beaſts; and they who make it their buſineſſe to preſerve their body in good temper, and neglect their pretious ſouls, are unreaſonable creatures, meer Animals, very Beaſts.

2. A Beaſt cannot reflect upon its own ſelf, or its own acts: He then that knows not how to reflect upon himſelf, his own purpoſes, deſires, deſignes, and inward acts; he that underſtands not how to examine his own heart, what preheminence hath he above a Beaſt? foreign; foreign; Vel ut nonnulli foreign.if he be foreign a Creature that looks upward; if he be a man indeed, let him examine himſelf, 1 Cor. 11. 28. It is a ſhame for Chriſtians, not to be able to put a difference between themſelves and bruite Beaſts, by thoſe two grand duties of Self-examination, and Heavenly-meditation. He that cannot examine himſelf, knows himſelf no more then a Beaſt doth, he doth not ſo much as underſtand his own ignorance; his reaſon is beſotted, his judgement blinded, he is led even hood-winked to the very brink of Hell, and knows it not. Sure, ſuch ignorant perſons as are not able to examine themſelves, ought to be examined by others, leaſt they become guilty of the Body and Blood of the Lord, which they are not able to diſcern; for they are ſcandalouſly ignorant, who can neither diſcern themſelves, …r the Lords Body; If ſuch p. 27Brutes be admitted to climb the ſanctified Mount, to receive the pledges of Chriſtian Communion in the higheſt, we may even admit naturall fools, and meer children; for a childe of four or five yeers old, can repeat ſome brief form of words, though it be ignorant of the ſenſe, and knows not how to examine it ſelf: O… let bounds be ſet to that Mount where Chriſt doth viſibly communicate himſelf to them, who do ſpiritually diſcern him and themſelves.

3. We are beſt diſtinguiſhed from Beaſts by Conſcience, If we can onelyonly plead, that we are diſtinguiſhed from Beaſts by reaſon; and it appear, that ſome teachable Beaſts and Birds, have ſtrictures of reaſon, and that we are more unteachable, becauſe we have corrupted our reaſon, and indulged to our phantaſie, and to our luſt, for want of Conſcience; then certainly the Tryall will go againſt us. Now what conſcience hath that man, who makes little or no conſcience, either of ſin or duty?

4. They are Beaſts who cannot foreſee, nay, are not moved with future evils, when they are foretold, and forewarned: Beaſts are not affected with any evill, but what is preſent; it is in vain you know, either to threaten a Beaſt with (or forewarn him of) future evils. Men in Honour are extremely degraded and debaſed, when they are made ſlaves, Jere. 2. 14. Is Iſrael a ſervant▪ is he a Hom…-born ſlave, then he hath loſt all his glory: But conſider I beſeech you, That a man of a ſlaviſh diſpoſition, is in a far more Honourable condition, then a man of a bruitiſh diſpoſition; for a ſlave may be ſtaved off from ſin, for fear of future evils, but a Beaſt is not affected with things future. Oh how many ſuch Beaſts do we meet with every day: God threatens a man with Hell and damnation, if they go on in any ſinfull courſe; and yet how common is it for men to practiſe theſe ſins in the face of Heaven, if they beſins in requeſt and faſhion, which God doth ſentence and damn to the Pit of Hell. Surely, God will deal with theſe men according to their bruitiſh diſpoſition, he will powre ſome drops of his wrath, ſcalding hot, into their conſcience, or ſting them to the quick with ſome preſent evil, that they may be reſtrained by the ſmart and anguiſh p. 28of preſent evils, ſince they will not be warned by the threatning of future evils. Obſerve what a threatning meſſage is ſent to the houſe of Jeroboam, 1 Kings 14. 14. Moreover, the Lord ſhall raiſe him up a King over Iſrael, who ſhall cut of the houſe of Jeroboam that day; But what? Even now, very now; As if he had ſaid, ye are not moved with the threats of future vengeance; therefore, I will ſpare you no longer, but will cut you of preſently, even now, very now. It is a ſad Text, be pleaſed to think ſadly of it in your cool blood, and morning thoughts.

5. As Beaſts are not ſenſible of future evils, ſo neither are they ſenſible of thoſe traps and ſnares, which are for the preſent, laid to entrap and take them. Men of Honour had need walk circumſpectly, there are traps and ſnares laid for them at their Tables, in every tempting Diſh, nay, in their Bedchambers, in their very Cloſet; every Counſellour, Companion, Friend, Servant, is made uſe of to enſnare them; and how few are there that diſcover the ſnare, before they are caught; how many great men are ſurprized in this evill time, and are as unexpectedly caught, as fiſh in a net, or birds in a ſnare, Eccleſ. 9. 12. Nay, as fiſh do catch at the bait, and birds haſte to the ſnare, not knowing, not ſuſpecting, that it is for their life; ſo do men in Honour, catch at thoſe temptations, whereby they are enſnared; it is the compariſon of the Wiſeman, the maſter of Similitudes, Prov. 7. 22, 23. Tell me, are not theſe men as naturall bruit Beaſts, made to be taken and deſtroyed? As the Apoſtle preſſes it home, 2 Pet. 2. 12.

6. He is a Beaſt who hath the minde of a Beaſt, though he hath the ſhape of a man: It would be a foul diſgrace for a man to be transformed into the ſhape of a Beaſt, though he retained the minde and reaſon of a man, Quanto miſerius eſt in hominis figurâ animo eſſe efferato, ſaith Lactantius, Lib. 5. cap. …. It is far more diſhonourable to have the ſhape of a man, and the minde of a beaſt, then the ſhape of a beeſt, and the minde of a man: Every carnall man mindes the things of the fleſh, Rom. 8. 5. Mindes earthly things, as if he had no other God then his belly, Phil. 3. 19. And therefore he hath the minde of a Beaſt, nay, I do the beaſts wrong, men p. 29that are carnally minded, are enemies to God. Rom. 8. 7. and enemies to the croſſe of Chriſt, Phil. 3. 18. A ſad truth, not to be ſpoken without tears. I tell you even weeping, ſaith the Apoſtle, they are ſo far from being Chriſtians, that they are enemies of the Croſſe of Chriſt. They live as if they had been born, ventri & corruptioni inſervire, to ſerve their paunch and their luſts. I beleeve you'l eaſily grant, that drunkards, and unclean perſons, are very Beaſts, they have not the minde or heart of a man in them; Whoredom and Wine take away the …eart, Hoſ. 4. 11. Oh ye ſons of Nobles, give not your ſtrength to women, nor your heart to that which destroyes Kings; that is, to wine and ſtrong drink, Prov. 30. 3, 4. leaſt ye looſe your reaſon, forget the Law, and pervert the judgement of the afflicted, verſe 5.

7. They who adhere to the Antichriſtian faction, in minde and heart, though they do yet keep company with men, are to be ranked among the Beaſts; for their heart goes after the Beaſt, and they have a minde to follow him, onelyonly they want a more powerfull temptation, and fairer opportunity; upon every conſiderable defeat that is given us, theſe men wonder after the Beaſt, nay, are even ready to worſhip him, and to cry out, Who is like unto the Beaſt? Who is able to make war with him, Revel. 13 3, 4. I doubt not, but all of this temper, will in good time, be diſcovered and driven from among men, by the power of them that are truely Noble; For it is not fit, that Beaſts ſhould be ſuffered amongſt men, let them follow the Heard: It is not for Noble Lords and Counſellours, to ſeek unto them, or comply with them, till they have the heart of a man, and their reaſon be returned unto them. My Lords, we live under the glorious Miniſtery of the Goſpel, and therefore, I dare not put a vail over the beautifull face of Truth▪ The face of truth muſt ſhine, that it may appear lovely, and remain glorious; and therefore I uſe great freedom, plainneſſe, boldneſſe of ſpeech, as it becometh a Miniſter of the Goſpel of Chriſt: The Holy Ghoſt commands me to be thus faithfull by irreſiſtible Arguments, in the third Chapter of the ſecond Epiſtle to the Corinthians, eſpecially in the eleventh, twelfth, and thirteen Verſes, you may p. 30read the whole Chapter at your leaſure. My Text is a kinde of Paradox, an harſh truth, and therefore I have laboured to clear this truth unto you. I learnt to Preach of the Apoſtle, who aſſures me, that they Preach deceitfully, wh… do not manifeſt the truth of God, to the conſciences of men, 2 Cor. 4. 2. I… my Sermon ſeem too preciſe, give me leave to ſay, that your conſcience is as preciſe as my Sermon: I have a friend in your boſome that joyns with me; I ſpeak to your conſcience, your conſcience will clear, both God and me; for all that I have ſpoken, tends to this end, That the ſaying of God in my Text, may be juſtified. My deſigne is the ſame with the wiſeſt of Kings, Eccleſ. 3. 18. That the ſons of men, might clear God and ſee, that they themſelves are Beaſts: You may ſee the tranſlation corrected to that effect, in the Margine of your Bibles. Your conſcience bids me proceed, and ſo I paſſe to that which it is high time for us all to come to, and that is a Uſe of

Humiliation. When an Ambaſſadour of Rhodes asked a Lacedaemonian, Why Lycurgus was ſo ſtrict as to prohibite Stage-playes, which made the people laugh; the Lacedaemonian did not give him the reaſon of the State, That they were afraid their youth would be corrupted, and their Laws derided by Stage-playes, but returned this anſwer: Sir, I preſume, That we Greeks are better when we are weeping with our ſages, then the Romans when they are laughing at their fo…ls. My Lords, It is my humble deſire to be humbled before God, and to weep with the Sages of England, upon this happy day of ſolemn Humiliation. Do ye love God, do ye hate ſin, do ye beleeve my Text; come then let us mingle tears; my Text, will ſupply you with ſtore of weeping matter; and penitent tears, which flow from the hatred of ſin, from the love of God, and faith in him, are NOBLE TEARS. Nobles uſe to be proud of their Birth, they are too often puffed up with the glory of their Progenitours: But ye have not ſo learned Christ, if ye have been taught by Chriſt, as the truth is in Chriſt. My Lords, we were all conceived in ſin, and born in ſin: Nobles are by nature the children of wrath, even as other common men, and can you be proud of your foul p. 31conception, and foul birth; My father Adam, was he not your father. Oh my father Adam, your father Adam, was once a man in honour, becauſe a man in innocency, but his blood was tainted by ſin, nay, your blood and mine were tainted by that firſt ſin in the Garden; it was my ſin and yours, for in him we all ſinned; it was the ſin of his perſon, but it was the ſin of our nature; do ye not feel the poyſon of that ſin, burning and boyling in your nature ſtill? do ye not feel the weight of that ſin upon your conſcience? Oh it was a ſinning ſin, the cauſe of all the ſin and miſchief that ever was, or ever will be? do ye not feel the dregs of that ſin, oppreſſing your nature, and even choaking all thoſe generous and noble Principles, which are written in your Hearts by Nature? And are you ſtill proud of your birth, and blood, when you are thus polluted in your own blood with your birth ſin? Can you ſtill be proud of your originall, when your originall, your blood, your very nature, is ſtained and tainted with originall corruption, and all corruption is ignoble. Oh baſe ignoble birth, we are born ſlaves of ſin, born like the heirs apparant of Hell, with the ſeeds of damnation in us. Can you ſtill be proud of your Progenitours, when they derived a ſin upon your high-born ſoul, which will ſink it as low as Hell, unleſſe ye are born again by the Spirit of Jeſus. Come, turn a ſide, for I muſt weep: Come, if you will we…p I will weep with you; if you will not weep, Ile weep for you: I could even finde in my heart to ſit down and weep out the reſt—. But your attention doth encourage me to go on, and therefore I hope you will be humbled to day, if not, my ſoul ſhall weep in ſecret for your pride. But you cannot be proud, if you conſider and beleeve my Text, my Text is Verſus amaebaeus, and anſwers to the twelfth verſe of this 49 Pſalm, and there it is, Man being in Honour, abideth not; Arias Montanus renders it, non Pernoctabie, ſhall not lodge one night in Honour; ſome conclude from hence, that Adam fell the very firſt day that he was created, he did not ſtay all night in his Honour; and the word indeed, doth properly ſignifie, to tarry all night, as is clear, Gen. 28. 11. And …ertain it is, our firſt father ſtayed not long in his Honour, p. 32but was turned forth of the Garden like a Beaſt; Oh the fall of our firſt father, from his honour, from his innocency, is to be bewailed even with tears of blood. My Lords, ye are men in Honour, but Civil Honour is not long-lived, and therefore, uſually entailed: Are ye ſure that any one of you in your own perſons, ſhall lodge this night in your Civil Honour; ye may be taken into another world ere morning; and if ye have made no better preparation for another world, and a better life, then if your ſouls were to periſh after death, as the ſoul of a Beaſt periſhes; Be pleaſed to underſtand my Text, and your danger: Sigh out my Text, and weep it over; Weep for your groſſe neglect, and carnall ſecurity; and let every ſoul that is guiltie, cry out, Oh what a wretch, what a Beaſt am I, to ſuffer my minde and heart to be taken up with the periſhing delights, and fading honour of this vain world: And now I am ſummoned to appear in another world, to anſwer for all the evil I have done, and all the good I have neglected in this world: My body ſinks under naturall diſtempers, my ſoul ſweats under morall diſtempers: the ſin of my birth, and the ſins of my life torment my wounded conſcience. Oh I faint, I fall, I die, I periſh, like a Beaſt in this world; and the Lord knows what will become of me in the next, it is a wo…ld, that I am no better acquainted with, then the very Beaſts that periſh.

My Lords, This is the ſad condition of many a great man, and I am reſolved to deal faithfully with you; for your honour is dear unto me, and your ſouls are pretious: Conſider, oh conſider it every hour, that you have more reaſon to faſt, then feaſt upon your birth-dayes, that ye may bewail your birth-ſin, and mortifie your beaſtly luſt; For ſome worthy Divines have obſerved. That none (for ought we finde in Scripture) ever celebrated their birth-dayes, but Pharaoh, Jeroboam, and Herod.

2. Conſider, That great men are mortall. Abner who was Captain of the Guard, a kinde of Generall to three Princes, Saul, Is boſheth, and David, fell ſuddenly, unexpectedly: Some die in the ſtrength of their perfection, with their breaſts full of milk, and bones full of marrow, Job 21. 23, 24. Death doth p. 33not flatter Nobles, it will not ſtay their leaſure, it will ſtrike home, even then when they are in their cups, or at their plots, in the middeſt of their wanton embraces, and beaſtly compliances: Remember the two Zimri's, Prince Zimri Num. 25. 8. 1 King. 16. 9, 10.Num 25:81 Kgs 16:91 Kgs 16:10ſtruck dead in the wanton Arms of the Lady Co…bi, and Zimri who ſmote King Elah, whileſt he was drinking himſelf drunk.

3. Conſider, That beaſtly men are unnaturall Beaſts: It is no fault for a beaſt to be a beaſt, for it is naturally a beaſt, and it can be no fault to obey the Law of nature; but for a creature to degrade it ſelf below that Form and Species, in which nature hath placed it, is unnaturall: This is a moſt unnaturall and accurſed ſelf-deniall, for a man to depoſe himſelf below the dignitie of the humane nature: This is, as if a beaſt ſhould looſe its ſence, take root in the earth, and ſprout out into a Plant Animall, a Plant that hath the ſhape, but not the ſenſe of an Animall; or as if a Tree ſhould ceaſe to live, and harden it ſelf into a ſtone: Unnaturall ſins are puniſhed with unheard of plagues, with miraculous judgements: Thoſe Heathens, Rom. 1. 27. who left the naturall uſe of the woman, and did burn with unnaturall luſts, were given over to reprobate mindes, and ſeared conſciences. Nay, to ſpeak higher yet, Theſe unnaturall Beaſts, are as perfect in their beaſtlineſſe, and brutiſhneſſe, as if they were naturall brute Beaſts, 2 Pet. 2. 10, 12. And they who are thus perfect in ſin, will be perfectly, thorowly tormented, for theſe unnaturall perfections.

4. Conſider, That beaſtly men are wilfull beaſts: They are not Beaſts by nature, but Beaſts by choice, and therefore they have as it were faln from reaſon to phantaſie, by a kinde of phantaſticall choice; their rationall will is changed into a ſenſuall appetite: And it is all the reaſon in the world, That they who have renounced their reaſon, and choſen to be beaſts rather then men, ſhould be depoſed from their honour, and made like the Beasts that periſh.

5. Conſider, That great men have great advantages and opportunities, to ſerve God and his Church: They are even lifted up to Heaven by priviledges. Oh what a miſery were it, for p. 34ſuch men to be caſt down to Hell, for the abuſe of their priviledges: Conſider, how hard it is for a rich man to be ſaved; how few noble men are effectually ſavingly called: Conſider, That the beſt eſtate of a wicked noble-man, is worſe then the worſt eſtate of a poor godly man; becauſe, the poor godly man in his worſt eſtate, is travelling towards Heaven: But the beſt eſtate of a wicked noble-man, leads him to his worſt eſtate, it ripens his ſin, and haſtens his damnation. Sure I am, great men cannot plead any exemption at the day of judgement; if Chriſt give them leave to be tried by their Peers; thoſe nobles which ſit crowned in glorious Robes, will condemn all impenitent and unbeleeving Peers. My Lords, I had rather turn your hearts, then overturn your brains; I had rather drive you out of your ſins, then out of your wits: Yet theſe terrible conſiderations are enough to terrifie any man out of his little wits who doth ponder them enough to be convinced, if God do not give him the grace to be converted? My Lords, you are not told often enough of Hell and damnation; and therefore, I do ſo often thunder out damnation, that I might keep you from being damned: Tell me, ye ſons of Nobles, Whether your delicate ſences can endure the touch of fire, or ſmell of brimſtone; can your ſouls dwell with everlaſting burnings; can you wade thorow a River of brimſtone, kindled with the wrath of God? Oh the diverſitie and eternitie of Helliſh torments, is unutterable, unconceiveable. In Hell death ever lives, the damned cannot die, but do eternally ſuffer a kinde of living death; and the conſideration of the eternitie of their torment is to them, the greateſt torment, and therefore they are ready to complain, that there is a thouſand Hels, and ten thouſand Devils in this word, eternitie. In Hell there are no degrees of honour, but there are degrees of torment; there's a black Prince of flames, and Nobles of darkneſſe; there's weeping and houling, and gnaſhing of teeth, out of deſperate indignation: The tongue is parched in the mouth, the marrow fried in the bones, the darkneſſe of the fire affright, them the heat of the fire torments them; and yet they are more tormented with the curſe and wrath of God, then the fire of Hell; Hell were no Hell, if it p. 35were not for the wrath of God: But oh the loſſe of Honour, the loſſe of Heaven, the loſſe of Glory, the loſſe of the Favour of an infinite God, to a ſoul capable of Grace and Glory, that's an unſpeakable loſſe, becauſe an infinite loſſe, an infinite diſhonour, to be thus diſhonoured to all eternitie. Who can ſound the depth of this bottomleſſe Pit? Sure the worſt hell is in the conſcience, and the ſchorching of the fire is more tolerable, then the gnawing of the worm; And yet I have not done: Hell is not onelyonly the Center of torment, but the Sink of ſin; and this conſideration is moſt terrible to a religious ſoul: To ſay I would not be in Hell, becauſe I would not be tormented, that is, the voice of ſelf-love; but to ſay, I would not be in Hell, becauſe I would not hear my God blaſphemed, nor blaſpheme him my ſelf, that is, the voice of Noble love: Let that conſideration ſweeten all the reſt, and work upon your Noble ſpirits, to hate ſin more then Hell and damnation. Come then, and take an holy revenge upon your ſelves to day, be grieved in your hearts, and pierced in your reins, for all your ignoble practiſes againſt the God of Heaven, repent with a kinde of indignation, as David did, and cry out: Oh what a fool was I, what a beaſt was I to diſhonour him, who is the fountain of Honour; Look upon your patern, Pſal. 73 21, 22. Thus my hears was grieved, and I was pricked in my reins. So fooliſh was I, and ignorant, I was a beaſt before thee. My greateſt task by far, is yet behinde, and therefore I paſſe on to an Uſe of

Direction. My Lords, Honour is a tender fickle thing, it is hard to get it, and harder to keep it. It may break a mans brains to get it, his back to bear it, and his heart to looſe it: We live in an age full of uncertainties, and ſick of jealouſies; I ſhall therefore adventure (and I may well call it an adventure) in this jealous age, to give you faithfull counſell in ſome tickliſh points. If your Honour be any whit empaired, Ile ſhew you how to recover it; if you enjoy your Honour, Ile ſhew you how to preſerve, nay, increaſe it; but if by an over-ruling providence, you muſt part with your worldly honour (and there is no reſiſting of providence) Ile ſhew you how you may gain a better honour, an immortall glorious Honour in the higheſt Heavens. Truely, My Lords, I am of no faction p. 36at all, and therefore I may ſpeak more freely and impartially in theſe weighty points.

Firſt. If your Honour be empaired, Ile do my beſt to ſhew you how to recover your Honour. I know I touch upon a jarring ſtring; but conſider, that wiſe men, and valiant men, men that have done great ſervice to their Countrey, may quickly empair their honour in a jealous age. Scipio Africanus had done very great ſervice for his Countrey, and yet he was called into **Eamus nunc protinus Jovi opt. M. gratulatum, &c.—aegre paſſus quod cui ſalus Imperii ac Reip. accepta ferri deberet, &c. A. Gell. Noct. Att. lib. 4. cap. 18.queſtion, more then once. Moreover, in times of civil war **Nihil tam capax malignitatis ſermonumque quam bellum Quintil., there are ſo many perplexed caſes propounded on the ſudden, that even the warieſt man may over-ſhoot himſelf; he may be ſometimes circumvented, and ſometimes ſurprized, and by either means diſhonoured: And in times of civil war, moſt men are too cenſorious; ſome out of a ſober providence and cautelous circumſpection, not looking upon miſcarriages, as matters of courſe and caſualtie, but as a train laid to ſome farther Deſigne, which may take fire another time; for men of forecaſting heads, cannot but make ſome ſad conjectures, if not ſolicitous preſages of future evils, by a probable inference from the by-paſt miſcarriages. But others that are men of working phantaſies, and timorous ſpirits, are uſually ſuſpitious for want of courage or judgement; and then they cannot but preoccupate evils, never plotted any where, but in their own brain, becauſe they are commonly led into ſome finiſter interpretation of all miſcarriages, by ſome prejudicate opinion, or ungrounded fanſies: The wiſeſt courſe therefore for men in honour, is to keep cloſe to their Rule, and in doubtfull caſes, to admit none but prudent, faithfull, and well-approved Counſellours; that if their prudence or fidel it i… come to be diſputed, they may have men of Honour to juſtifie them againſt the moſt ſubtile diſputant or bitter enemy: But in caſe any have failed in this laſt point, and being weighed in the ballance, have been found too light; if they be true Gold, they need not be aſhamed to deſire what in equitie cannot be denied, The ordinary grains of favourable allowance for humane frailtie; for ſuch Apologies paſſe currant in all well-governed States thorow out the World.

Secondly. Let them be ſure to keep themſelves pure from p. 37juſtifying their Delinquent friends or acquaintance; that ſo they may never be partakers of other mens ſins: It is good counſell, grounded upon that of the Apoſtle, 1 Tim. 5. 22. Neither be partaker of other mens ſins, keep thy ſelf pure. The beſt men alive have faults enough of their own, why ſhould any man that thinks himſelf innocent, make himſelf guiltie by undertaking to anſwer for the ſins of other men. Beaſts in a tempeſt, do uſually run under great Trees for ſhelter; it will be the wiſdom of men in honour, to drive away thoſe Beaſts who deſire to ſhelter themſelves by their protection; becauſe ſuch foul Beaſts cannot but diſhonour all that protect them. Oh what a ſad thing would it be, if our Nobles ſhould be like Cupping-Glaſſes, which draw none but the malignant humours of the body to them. It was objected againſt Socrates, that he was too familiar with factious Alcibiades, and it was laid to the charge of Themiſtocles, that he held correſpondence and intelligence with Pauſanias a Traitour: Secrets of State muſt not be communicated to neuters or doubtfull men. When Alexander imparted a Letter of high concernment to Hepheſtion, …e clapped his ring to his mouth, as if he meant to ſeal up his lips: If it be ſo dangerous Apollonius Tyaneus à Diis poſcebat ut honos cognoſceret malos vitaret. Alex. ab Alex. lib 4. cap 17. Pectora felle virent lingua eſt ſuffuſa veneno. Vide Caelin. Rhod. Ant. lect. lib. 6. c. 35. Anima ſicca anima prudens. Vide Ariſtot. Probl. Sect. 30. & Plut. de Orac. defect.to truſt a friend, take heed of truſting or excuſing an enemy; if you have been ſo far overſeen, as to truſt him, be not ſo far engaged, as to excuſe them whom ye truſted, after they have deceived ſo great a truſt: Some men indeed are like the Land of Egypt, which though it bring forth multa ſalubria; yet it brings forth, multa venena: If you have like the Bee, ſucked what is wholeſome from them, take heed you do not ſuck ſo much poiſon from them, as to excuſe ſuch practiſes of theirs, as are full of poiſon: Our Common-wealth is not of their temper, who were nouriſhed by poyſon.

Thirdly. They muſt look to their Paſſions, when they come to plead their own cauſe, and vindicate themſelves. The Melancholly man is the wiſeſt man, as the temper of his body is drieſt; ſo his ſoul is ſaid to be a drie ſoul, becauſe his minde is leſſe ſteeped in carnall humours, or fluid paſſions. My Lords, It is for your Honour to ſuppreſſe all mutinous perturbations of ſpirit, whilſt you are pleading for your Honour, p. 38and making demands for Reparation: You know Paſſions in Beaſts follow the tumultuous motions of phantaſie; but Paſſions in men, ſhould be in ſome ſort reaſonable affections, becauſe by the Ordinance of Heaven, they are ſubjected to the government of the will and underſtanding; and by their dependance upon reaſon, and an over-ruling influence from reaſon, they are, though not intrinſecally in themſelves, yet by way of participation, reaſonable affections, and vigorous inſtruments, for the improvement of vertue: Oh then take heed of all unkindly heats, all diſorderly motions, and phantaſticall impulſions, becauſe they are unreaſonable perturbations; which will be ſo far yeilding you any aſſiſtance in your Vindication, that they will plunge you the deeper, and diſhonour you the more; For unruly paſſions, do but kindle a fire, which will warm and cheer your adverſaries, and torment your ſelves: Let reaſon, nay, conſcience, dart its bright ſhining beams upon your burning paſſions, and they will be aſhamed, diſcouraged, and quenched, Even d… the fire is aſhamed to burn, when the Sun looks upon it.

Fourthly. Humble your ſelves under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time. I ſpeak this, eſpecially to you my Lords; it is faithfull counſell given by the holy Spirit, 1 Pet. 5. 6. Saint Peter was well ſeen in Chriſtian Politiques, you may write Probatum eſt under this remedy: Look upon the place, Do you not ſee a kinde of Majeſtie in this Direction: Down great ſpirits, down; let not your hearts riſe and ſwell againſt Jehovah, the God of glory: Oh, but I am wronged, and I cannot bear it! Hath the God of Heaven done you any wrong; come down upon your knees then, and accept of your puniſhment, kiſſe the rod, or you are like to have the other laſh, and God ſees where you lay bare, Job 34. 31, 32. Surely, it is meet to be ſaid unto God, I have borne chaſtiſement, I will not offend any more: That which I ſee not, teach thou me, if I have done iniquity, I will do no more: This, this is meet to be ſaid to God; though you think yourſelves innocent, yet God ſees more then you ſee, intreat him to open your eyes, and ſhew you your iniquitie, and then you will ſee and know, that God hath not done without cauſe all that he hath done, as p. 39you have it, Ezek. 14. 23. Strive not with him who will certainly be too ſtrong for you, for that's not the way to recover what you have loſt, but the ready way to looſe more; for God will be ſure to get himſelf Honour upon you, you will be worſted at laſt, and ſo more diſhonoured.

Fifthly. Lay down all your Honour at the feet of Jeſus Chriſt. If you do not prize your honour more then your ſouls, why do you not truſt him with your honour, whom you muſt truſt with your ſouls? And if you do trust him, caſt your care upon him: It is an Apoſtolicall direction annexed to that humbling Counſell which I gave you but now, Humble your ſelves under the mightie hand of God, caſting all your care upon him, for God careth for thoſe that are humble, when they caſt their care upon him, 1 Pet. 5. 6, 7. becauſe, then Faith and Humilitie joyn forces, and work with united ſtrength: The omnipotent God is even overcome by ſuch wreſtlers; for God knows not how to reſiſt an humble beleever. Come then, and caſt your care upon God, be not too haſty: He that beleeveth maketh not haſte, Iſai. 28. 16. Waite Gods leiſure, and God will in due time exalt you to ſuch a degree of honour, as will make moſt for his glory, and yours. God will do it in due time, ſaith the Apoſtle; but remember that God is the Judge, and therfore that is the due time which he appoints. Your time is in Gods hand, Pſal. 31. 15. If the time of your pref…rment were in your enemies hand, it would be deferred too long; if it were in your own hand, it would be over-much haſtned, and come too ſoon: Such green fruit would breed worms: It is well your time is in Gods hand, leave all to him, beleeve and pray, w…ite and pray; pray to him that diſpoſes of Honour and Power, Victory and Glory, make your acknowledgements in the words of David, 1 Chro. 29. 11, 12. Thine, O Lord, is the greatneſſe, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majeſtie; for all that is in Heaven and Earth, is thine: Thine is the Kingdom, O Lord, and thou art exalted a… head above all; both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reigneſt over all; and in thy hand is power and might, and in thy hand it is to make great: We humble our ſouls before thee, we caſt our care upon thee; Exalt u… in due time, that we may p. 40exalt thee, give us grace to ſerve thee, with all our power, wealth, and ſtrength, and honour thee with all our honour, that thy power, majeſtie, and glory, may be made known unto men. This, this is the way to recover all your honour.

Sixthly. It will make exceedingly for your Honour to do moſt ſervice, when you have leaſt encouragement, becauſe then it will appear, that you do ſervice upon Noble principles, and do not intend to ſerve your ſelves.

But it will be objected, That the greateſt triall to a man of noble endowments, is to be laid aſide; for that doth not Object.onelyonly reflect upon his Honour, but deny him opportunitie of doing farther ſervice. This is indeed the ſaddeſt objection; but I hope to return a ſatisfying anſwer.

Firſt, then conſider, That every man is not laid aſide who Sol. Vide Ariſtot. Polit. lib. 2. c. …. Vix per ſingulos annos offenſiones vitari quamvis repulſam propinqua ſpes ſoletur quantum odii fore ab his qui ultra quinquennium prejiciantur. Tac…us. Quae ubi tumultu majore etiam quàm res erat nuntiantur, Romam Senatus extemplò (quod in repus trepidis ultemum conſilium erat) Dictatorem dici juſſit, L…ius. Conſul aberat nec Dictatorem populus creare poterat quod nunquam ante …am diem factum erat Prodictatorem populus creavit Q. Fabium Maximum, & Magiſtrum Equitum, M. Mi…ium Rufum. Hiſque negotium ab Senatu datum u… Mu…os …ureſque urbis firmarent, Liv. lib. 22. Nec ultra ſex menſes ante Syllam Dictaturae munus quempiam exercuiſſe praeter Furium Cami…, cui jam exact… ſemeſtri cum conſternata Republica laborarent aucipiti metu—Senatus in annum Dictaturam invito prorogavit, Alex. ab Alex. Gen. lib. 1. cap. 6. Quo tempore illud evenit ut duo ſimul Dictatores quod nunquam antea factum, crearentur Marcus ſcilicet Junius, qui caſtris Dictator tunc praeerat, & M. Fabius Buteo qui ordinem Senatorum eo quòd multi bello ceciderant ſufficeret legeretque—Dictator illorum contumaciam cohibebat, qui functis honoribus Magiſtratu abire vel Senatus dicto parere nollent. Idem. Sylla fretus exercitu ac legionibus in urbem admiſſis Dictatorem ſi in annos quinque lege Valeria creari juſſit, quam tamen legem M. Tullius negat ſuiſſe legem.—Et Coſmus Medices poſt Alexandri caedem Senatum Florenti…m coegit ut ſe perpetuum Ducem crearet. Vide Clapmar. de Arcanis Imp. lib. 2. Dictatores in bellum ituri legibus ad tempus ſolvebantur. Libertatis magna cuſtodia eſt ſi magna Imperia diuturna eſſe non …inas, & tempori… modus imponatur quibus Juris non poteſt, Livius lib. 4. They did but flatter Julius Caeſar, when they ſaid, he deſerved to be Conſul in Decennium, Dictator in perpetuum, though Octavius Caeſar, and other Emperours were commonly ſo called. Triennium & ſex menſes ultra quam licet Aemilia lege Cenſuram geram, hoc quidem jam Regno ſimile eſt, Livius lib. 9.is not conſtantly employed in Military affairs: In other Common-wealths, it doth not reflect upon any mans Honour, if the date of his employment expire within an yeer or two: Such was the wiſdom of the Roman State, that they ſeldom gave any long leaſes of Honour unto men, that were deeply entruſted in eminent places of authoritie and command. When the State was even ſurprized by ſome unexpected danger, the Senate or Conſuls did create a Dictator, or in the abſence of the Conſuls, in after times, the people named ſome Pro-dictator, and a Magister Equitum; who by the Senates approbation, were to take care of the Common-wealth: But the ſame perſon continued not Dictator above ſix moneths, unleſſe his leaſe were renued, and that was rare: But it was more rare, that there ſhould be two Dictators at once. Sylla would …ain have been Dictator for five yeers, and pleaded that Lex Valeria would juſtifie his deſire; but the Oratour denied that there was any ſuch Law. It is ſafer in places of ſuch great trust and command, to limit the time, becanſc you cannot ſo well limit their power.

p. 41Secondly. All that have performed conſiderable ſervice heretofore, have cauſe to bleſſe God, who did them the Honour in times paſt, to make uſe of them in any Noble, and renowned atchievements: All that are Emeriti, have made the Qui artem aliquam deſinebant ejus Inſtrumenta Diis ſuſpendebant, Sacrabantque: Turneb. Adverſar. lib. 6. cap. 9.State, nay, the enemies of the State ſenſible of their worth; and therefore they do not lay down their Arms, but hang them up as Enſignes of Victory.

Thirdly. God hath an abſolute Power and Soveraign Command over the greateſt men in the World, and they owe Abſolute ſubjection to the will, pleaſure, providence of the God of Heaven: Come, acknowledge your ſubjection. God is not bound to uſe the ſame Inſtruments ſtill: Inſtruments are no helps to him, for he helps his Inſtruments, and works all i… them and for them. God loves to ſhew his Prerogative, and make great ones know, that he is not beholding to them to do his work; he will let them ſee, that he can do his work without them. My Lords, I dare not flatter you, there are enough can do that, who are onelyonly men in black, and no Divines: I ſpeak to you in the name of the mightie God, who breaks in peices mightie men without number, and ſets others in their ſtead, Job 34. 24. God having varietie of Inſtruments, doth delight to uſe them by turns; If any are unfaithfull, they have been uſed too long; but all that have faithfully performed their part of the ſervice, will not, or need not, repine, p. 42if men of meaner abilities, take their turn, the meaner they are, the more ſhould God be glorified, and you humbled.

Fourthly. When God hath tried men in the duties of active obedience, he doth uſually call them to honour him farther, by paſſive obedience; and it is no eaſie matter to come off with honour in the paſſive part: Great ſpirits will finde it task enough for to be patient; they will have work enough to keep themſelves humble in ſuch a caſe; and therefore they need not complain for want of work. My Lords, It is a Work indeed, to mortifie ſelf-love; it is no eaſie matter, for great men to take themſelves off from ſelf-confidence, ſelf-conceitedneſſe, and ſelf-ends, that their hearts may be wrought unto a ſelf-deniall; which is the foundation of Chriſtianitie, and at this time, the onelyonly means in ſight of our ſafetie: Can you imitate David in one of the moſt royall ſervices that ever we read of; it was a ſelf-denying ſervice, a royall and magnanimous, but ſweet ſubmiſſion to the Will of God: If I finde favour in the eyes of God, he will bring me back again, and employ me farther; that was his meaning: But if he ſay, I have no delight in thee; behold, here am I, let him do unto me as ſeems good in his ſight, 2 Sam. 15. 25, 26. My Lords, Suffer me to deal freely and honeſtly with you: It may be, God ſees that your hearts are like to be lifted up by too high an opinion, of what God hath done by you in former times, and therefore God would have you breath, and reſt a while, that you may be ſufficiently humbled, and ſo fitted for ſome higher and nobler peece of active obedience; and then you'l ſhew more bright and glorious, after this ſeeming ſad eclipſe: At low water you have him to tread the banks, whileſt the ſhip is in the barbour, you may dreſſe it, and trim it, and make it able to endure ſtorms and tempeſts. They that are employed, will ſhew themſelves men, they adventure far; and you have a full employment, your votes have an influence into all affairs of high concernment: Be not diſpleaſed, but reſt aſſured, That your active ſpirits, and inlarged hearts, will by the bleſſing of Heaven, have fairer opportunities, and better ſatisfaction in future employments; and then you will acknowledge, That though God did in your apprehenſion, chaſtiſe you with Scorpions, p. 43nay, Serpents alſo, yet he hath turned theſe Serpents into Rods, and wrought wonders with them. I hope I have quitted my firſt ſcore, I proceed to anſwer.

The ſecond Quere, How your Honour may be preſerved, increaſed.

By your leave my Lords, if you deſire to preſerve your Honour, you muſt preſerve the Fundamentals of Honour, and then let times alter as they will, you'l be ſure to preſerve all the Realitie of your Honour: He who hath learnt to preſerve a juſt Order, and true Decorum in all things, which concern God, the Common-wealth, and himſelf, he will by Gods bleſſing preſerve, nay, increaſe his Honour every day more and more. That Honour which is maintained by vulgar breath, is, But like Lightning, it appears, and vaniſhes in an inſtant; But he who deſerves, doth in the judgement of good and wiſemen, preſerve his Honour, though the people ceaſe to do him Honour. The ſtrongeſt Foundation of Honour (which layes a man loweſt, and yet raiſes him higheſt) is Reall Pietie: The Philoſophers Pietie.were acquainted with ſome kinde of Pietie to order us in thoſe things which belong to God: They could treat of a certain Reverence and Divine Reſpect, due from rationall Creatures, to the Creatour, Preſerver and Governour of all things: They perceived, by the light of Nature, that Deprecations, Petitions and Thanks, were to be duly preſented by us Mortals, to the God of Heaven: They were convinced, that God was offended with ſin; and concluded, That he was to be appeaſed by Sacrifice, for it could not enter into their reaſonable mindes, to conceive, That all our prayers, or any of our performances, could give ſatisfaction to the Juſtice of God; and yet they were invincibly ignorant, that our Emmanuel, our Jeſus, and none but our Jeſus alone, could give him all-ſufficient ſatisfaction: And this Piety they laid as the ground and foundation of all other vertues. They did (poor Pagans▪) remember that there was an omnipreſent God, which did overlook them, and a Conſcience, a Genius, or as ſome were pleaſed to ſpeak, a foreign within to reprove and check them; and by theſe ſublimenotions, they did reſtrain men from running into exorbitant and diſhonourable p. 44courſes; For if you have (ſay they) God and conſcience within foreign. Hermes. Eſt profecto Deus qui quae nos gerimus, audi…que & videt. Plau…us. Capt. Fruſtra ſunt qui Religionis ſpecie in ambitionem del… bunt…, Tacit. foreign. Vide Epi…te…um. Conſcientiam … D…is Immortalibus accepimus quae Divelli a nobis non poteſt. Cicero pro Cluentio. Tutiſſimum eſt in omni vita tranſverſum ungnem a rectâ conſcientiâ non diſcedere. Cic. ad Atticum. Suus cuique animus ex conſcientiâ ſpem praebet. Saluſt. foreign. Arl. Eth. ad Nicom. l. 4. cap. 3. Prudence. Temperance.you, theſe have no need of a Candle to ſee what miſchief you do in the dark. Next to Piety, the Philoſophers conceived that Prudence and Morall vertues were the ſure Fundamentals of ſubſtantiall Honour.

1. Prudence was in their conceit, as a ſilken ſtring, which runs thorow all the Morall vertues, as ſo many Pearls, knitting them all together, and making a Bracelet, a Chain of Honour, fit to adorn the Necks, the Souls of Nobles; for Prudence is that vertue which doth order even Reaſon it ſelf, which being carnall, is apt to be irregular: The other vertues which they called Morall, were to regulate our will and affections, indeed our whole life and converſation. Theſe, theſe are the Fundamentals of Reall Honour: He then that deſires to preſerve his Honour, muſt be a prudent and knowing man, becauſe Honour is as unſeemly for a fool, as Snow is unſeaſonable in Summer, or Rain in Harveſt, Prov. 26. 1. Honour conferred on ſuch, is not onelyonly an Inconvenience, but an ill Omen, a ſad preſage; for you know this by experience, That unſeaſonable Weather in Harveſt, will certainly cauſe a Famine, and a Famine will bring a Plague. Honour cannot be ſecured without knowledge and prudence; for the higheſt Tower is eaſily undermined if its foundation be hollow. Humane ſocietie doth conſiſt in communicating prudent notions to one another, for the preſervation of the whole ſocietie; and therefore a man cannot be an uſefull member of a body Politique, becauſe he cannot be a ſociable man; muchleſſe ſociable in an high degree, in a way of Honour, without knowledge and prudence.

2. He muſt be Temperate, elſe he cannot long be wiſe, for Intemperance will exhauſt his ſpirits, weaken his parts, and drown his wiſdom. Temperance is by the Greeks called foreign; it is clear and evident, That he who cannot moderate himſelf in thoſe pleaſures, which are common to us with beaſts, will fall from all his honour, and become like the beaſts that periſh.

p. 453. He muſt be valiant, elſe he is no man, foreign Valour. Euripides nihil ſunt uſquam.foreign, and therefore, cowards are ſaid to be foreign, An army of cowards is but as a Table of Cyphers, caſt up the totall ſum, and it will not amount to a ſingle unite. Give me a man of a compact ſolid heart, that is full of ſpirits, elſe hee'l not ſtand upon his guard, nor keep his watch, no nor the faith neither; hee'l not quit himſelf like a man, but turn Apoſtate in perilous times, foreign, ſaith the Apoſtle, play the men, 1 Cor. 16. 13. Watch ye, ſtand faſt in the Faith, quit your ſelves like men: If the beams of an houſe, then certainly the pillars of a State had need be ſtrong Heart of Oak? We uſe to ſay, That Horſe is not fit to lead the way who is given to ſtarting. He is a man of Honour, in whom there is an happy Ʋnion between wiſdom and boldneſſe: Boldneſſe will carry them on to charge thorow in deſpight of danger; with convenient courage, and wiſdom, will bring them off with ſufficient Honour: The boldneſſe of Hannibal, was not void of In Hannibale plurimum audaciae ad capeſſenda pericula plurimum conſilii inter ipſa pericula erat, Liv. lib. 21.Counſell; and the boldneſſe of a Chriſtian, muſt not be void of Religion; For a valiant man fears nothing but what is diſhonourable: And nothing is indeed diſhonourable, but that which is in ſome reſpect diſhoneſt. The Ancients therefore ſaid, That Fortitude was foreign, the fear of a diſhonourable check; and as he ſaid well, They who are most fearfull to offend againſt the Law, are moſt bold to fight againſt an enemy. Certainly, that man that is not afraid of death and judgement, ſin and Hell, is not valiant, but mad. He, ſaith Ariſtotle, who doth not fear what he ought to fear, is not valiant, but impudent: Fools make a mock at ſin, Prov. 14. 9. And Atheiſts make a mock at Hell, as if ſin and Hell, were Bug-bears to affright children, that are neither wiſe nor bold: But there is a ſecret witneſſe in the heart of man, which doth dictate ſevere and terrible truths to obſtinate Royſters, and curious Sceptiques, without and above any Humane Tradition, Civill Impoſition, or Scientificall Demonſtration.

4. He muſt be liberall, and in ſome caſes magnificent: Remember Liberality. Magnificence.the words of the Lord Jeſus, how he ſaid. It is more bleſſed, and therefore more honourable, to give then to receive, Acts 20. 35.

p. 465. He muſt be magnanimous, and then he will be juſt, not Magnanimity and Juſtice. foreign, Ar. Eth. l. 4. ….onelyonly in reſpect of particular, but univerſall Juſtice, Magnamity is foreign the ornament of all other vertues. The Magnanimous man ſeems ſlow, but if you mark him, you'l finde him ſure. He never ingages his Honour upon a ſervice which may be performed by meaner men: He doth not trouble himſelf about many things, but reſerves himſelf for great things, things like himſelf: When a Kingdom layes at ſtake, the magnanimous man will be even prodigall of his blood and honour: He loves a ſet battle, but hates a skirmiſh; for he hath learnt to decline all unneceſſary dangers, becauſe he knows he can ſell his life dearer, and do the Common-wealth ſome better ſervice another time. A man of this heroicall ſpirit, thinks nothing great but vertue; and if he can eſpie that, in an inferiour, he will lend him his hand to life him higher; and if he finde his vertues to tranſcend his own, he will ſet him even above himſelf, and count it an honour foreign, c. 3.to be his ſervant; For the magnanimous man doth examine his own worth and other mens defects, according to right reaſon, and therefore doth ever paſſe a righteous judgement: foreign, cap. …. foreign, Ar. Eth. ub… ſupra. Oportet te nihil facere per injuriam, ſed nec omnino facere videri. Na n privatis quidem hominil us ſ…tis eſt nihil delinquere; Principibus ne quidem ſuſpectis eſſe licet. Livia ad Auguſlum.In a word, he counts it the greateſt diſhonour, to affect honour, and therefore he contemns honour, when he may prejudice the truth by ſtanding upon terms of honour, becauſe he knows, that Trueth and vertue are more honourable, then honour it ſelf. Hence it is, that he forgives injuries, and goes on with undaunted Reſolution in the wayes of vertue, and honour, that he may promote the common good: No abuſes, no jealouſies, can divert him from publike ſervice; and he hates the thought of being guiltie of any private Deſigne; nay, labours to be free from ſuſpition, as well as guilt.

My Lords, If Philoſophy carry a man thus high, O let Religion, Chriſtian Religion, advance you higher: What though men be peeviſh, and ſnappiſh in theſe angry times, Will you be ſullen, and give up all? Can you forget the publike, your own oath, and Gods righteous cauſe: What if you ſhould think your ſelves, as it were affronted, muſt the cauſe of God for that weak reaſon, be deſerted? Is that the way to p. 47preſerve your honour? No, no my Lords, the way for you U… fortaſſe vere ſic ſatis utiliter ad praeſens certamen conſopiendum uti olim nonnemo.to preſerve your honour, is to unite your ſtrength, and joyn with them whom you finde cordially active for the publike good; and ſecondly, To be not onelyonly cordiall, but active your ſelves.

Firſt, Unite your ſtrength: Look upon Diviſion as an Abomination Tanta tum gratiâ tum arte praepara verant, quae non modò plebem, ſed ipſum etiam Dictatorem fruſtrareatur, Livius.tending to deſolation. It is ſo well known, that I need not whiſper it for a ſecret; the Maſter-plot of the enemy at this preſent, is to work a Diviſion between the two Houſes of Parliament: Take heed my Lords, Diviſion, nay, I had almoſt ſaid Jealouſie, is a kinde of Civil-Gun-Powder … Beleeve it, you are in as much danger, as if they were at work in the Vault again; For this, if you look not to it, may prove the blacker Treaſon, and a more effectuall Powder-Plot, to blow up Lords and Commons, both together. I am too yong to Quod ſcis neſcis ſi ſapis, Dromo.give counſell to a Parliament, but I have ſtudied thoſe that are old enough; and if you pleaſe to conſult the Phyſitians of State, thoſe ſage Writers, who have felt the pulſe of moſt Common-wealths, throughout the world: They will tell you, That if the breach be never ſo ſmall, yet the Criſis is ſad, for they conclude, with joynt conſent, Diſcordia inter Conſuaſores eſt maxime pernicioſa: And Tacitus, a better Statesman, Ta…it. in Agric. Optimum Aulieam peſſimum publicum. Hoc uno bono diſſentire claros viros gaudet—. ne in ſeipſum conſpi…ent ad unum omnes. Julius Claſ…. Suetonio diſcors bon…m publicum privatis ſimultatibus impedicbat. Taci…. Annal.as I conceive, then an Hiſtorian, will aſſure you, Nihil principi adverſus ſubditos utilius quàm ſi in commune non conſulant. I know full well, that I am touching upon a very tickliſh point, but my ſincere deſire of your Honours welfare, emboldens me to tell your Lordſhips one ſtory before we part.

Ariſtides and Themisto…les, being ſent to the ſame Citie, as Fellow-Ambaſſadours, fell out by the way: Ariſtides was ſtout enough and croſſe enough; but when he came neer the Gates of the Citie, he condeſcended ſo far, as to be-ſpeak Themiſtocles much after this manner: Sir, you and I are not at leaſure to ſquable now, it will be time enough for us to renew our quarrell when our work is at an end: The ſtory applies it ſelf. Let there be a firm Union between both Houſes of Parliament, that the Rights and Priviledges of p. 48both may be preferred againſt all crafty and **Callidas & Malitioſas Juris interpretationes, Cicero. effic. lib. 1.malicious Interpretations of wel-meant Laws. It will much conduce to the preſervation of your Honour, to unite with the Neighbour Citie, and with the wel-affected in every Countie: Do you not know how the Britons of old were overcome? Dum ſinguli pugnant univerſi vincuntur; it was for want of an Aſſociation, Jus concinnatis mendaci…s adumbratum. Ammianus Marcell. Civili juſtoque imperio ad voluntatem converſo cruentam idem, lib. 15. L. Tarquinius Regum primus traditum a principibus morem de omnibus Senatum conſulendi ſolvit; domeſticis conſiliis Rempub. adminiſtravit. Livius lib. 1. Non datâ Senatus copiâ intra…ubiculum auditur, Tacitus. Nam quae alii Scelera hic remedia vocat, ſupplicia & contumelias veſtras Diſciplinam appellat, Idem. Tacitus Agric. In omni Repub. diverſum ſemper eſt plebis & Optimatum ingenium diverſaque ſtudia: Et quae leges ad conſervandam libertatem condunt…r, eae originem habent ex eorum diſcordia. Vide Diſcurſ. de Rep. lib. 1. cap. 4. foreign, Ariſtot. Polit. lib. 4. cap. 8. Pulſis Tarquiniis maxima videbatur eſſe Senatus & populi concordia ipſique Nobiles abſque ullo faſtu Mites & Populares eſſe putabantur ſed poſtquam interiiſtent Tarquinii, &c.—Hinc ratio invents eſt creandi Tribunos plebis, ut faeliciae eſſet Reſp. ex omnibus tribus (Monarch. &c.) Politiae fermis rite compoſita, uti Politici paſſim. See His Majeſties Anſwer to the 19. Propoſitions. Sacra Conſulum, Senatus populique Romani Majeſtas. Jam prope erat ut ne Conſulum quidem Majeſtas iras hominum coerceret, Liv. lib. 2. Proditum a Patribus ſummi Imperii Jus, conſulatus autem Tribunitium auxilium nec non plebis Romanae provocatio arces tuenda libertatis fuere. Vide Anold. Clap. de Jure Imperii, lib. 1. cap. 9. & 10. Melius inſtitui poſſe Remp. ſentio ad exemplum Romanorum quam vel Venetorum, vel Spartanorum: Quod vix p…ſſit medius quidam modus inter extrema inveniri, aut conſervari, Diſput. de Repub. lib. 1. pag. 41.ſaith Tacitus, between the Cities, or as we uſe to ſpeak, between the Counties. Where rich and poor, noble and ignoble, are united in one body, with ſuch proportionable priviledges and encouragements, that the poor, as well as the rich, and the ignoble, as well as the noble, may with all alacrity and cheerfulneſſe, labour to advance the common good of the whole Societie there, and there onelyonly is a Common-wealth; but few Common-weals have been reduced to that happy temper without a quarrell.

Secondly, Be encouraged to be Active in your own perſons for the common good: Every Lord-Lieutenant may have a whole County waiting on him in all thoſe parts, which are yet within your power; you may learn much by the practiſes of your aaHabet aliquid ex iniquo omne magnum exemplum quod contra ſingulos utilitate publica rependitur uti Caſſius apud Tacitum Annal. 14.enemies, they are wiſe in their generations; p. 49they are abroad, and at work in their ſeverall Counties; and they will be ſure to bbforeign, Ariſt. Polit. lib. 2. c. 8. & lib. 3. cap. 5. Romanis tutius viſum eſt defendi in ermes Latinos quàm pati r…tractare arma. Livi…s, l. 2. Armis publicè mulctati, Tacitus, Hiſtor.arm none, but ſuch as they can truſt: But I know, it is commonly ſaid, That in theſe dayes of mercy, there are many enemies received into favour, and taken into your protection; but if there be ſome kinde of enemies that muſt be pardoned and protected, yet there is no reaſon that they ſhould be armed. My Lords, The Sun is mounted very high already, it is the time of the yeer for Princes to take the Field, and for Lords to look abroad: Remember that man is foreign a cc…r. ſtot. Poslit.Sociable creature; ſhew your ſelves men: Men indeed, ſtand for the good of the whole Society, the ddReſp. incolumis & provatas res facile ſalvas praeſtat: Publica perdendo tua nequicquam ſerves, Liv. l. 26. Salutis cau…â Rei familiaris commoda negligenda eſſe, dixit Vercingetori… apud Caeſa…em, lib. 7. de bello Gall…co. Bonum publicum eſt bonum Populicum. foreign, Ariſtophanes. foreign, Ariſtot. Polit. lib. 4. cap. 8. Res privatae ſemper offecêre officientque publicis negotiis, Livius. Monent iidem ne occultis conſiliis, Reſp. laedatur. Cicero de Aruſp. reſp. foreign. Polybius, lib. 6.Publique good, or elſe you cannot ſtand for the good of your own Noble poſterity; for the good of every particular, is bound up in the common good. Beleeve it, there is no reaſonable means for the preſervation of your Honour, but by ſhewing your valour againſt your enemies, and uniting with all that are true Friends to the common cauſe of Jeſus Chriſt: By activitie againſt your enemies, and union with your friends, you may be ſo happy, that your enemies will envy you, and your friends rejoyce with you. But remember, that by an unhappy difference at Rome, between the Nobles and Commons; the Nobles, as well as the Commons loſt their liberty: Oh thrice happy England, if by a ſweet and conſtant correſpondence, between both Houſes of Parliament, Lords and Commons, may avoid contention, and preſerve Libertie, Honour, Religion, all: And let me once more remember you, That you had need be quick and nimble, in theſe Active times, Cunctatione non opus eſt, ubi pernicioſior ſit quies quàm temeritas; All the danger in Civil Wars is, in not being active enough. Tyrants, ſaith the Politician, do miſcarry, becauſe they are not Tyrants enough; let us make an Antidote of this poyſon, and conclude, That honeſt zealots may miſcarry, becauſe they are not zealous enough: p. 50He was no fool that ſaid, Inter ancipitia deterrimum eſſe Mediaſequi. The ſtrength of our Kingdom would be ſeen in the Field, if every true hearted man would take the boldneſſe, to declare himſelf: Every magnanimous perſon hates n…tralitie, and is (as Ariſtotle hath it) foreign open-breaſted in his love, and hatred: If he be your friend, you ſhall know it, and if he be your enemy, he will make you feel it: Brave ſouldiers love to follow profeſſed Patriots, Qui aperte in cauſam deſcendunt tanquam Culpae vel gloriae ſocii. Come, come, my Lords, Honeſty is the choiceſt policie. Come then, and ſhew your Wiſdom, your Juſtice; ſhew your Zeal, your Valour, your Magnanimitie, your Pietie, for God and your Countrey: This, this is the way, to encreaſe your Honour with more eaſe, and preſerve it with leſſe envy.

But, ſtay, ſtay, ſaith ſome much Honoured Silk-worm; If I ſhould looſe my life in the quarrell, what becomes of my honour then? Alaſſe, when I am gone, all the world is gone with me: Why then look after another world, and a better life; look after it in the firſt place, though I handle it in the laſt, and ſo I paſſe to my

Third Quere. How may one gain an immortall glorious Honour Application to all Eſtates and Degrees of men.in the higheſt Heaven?

This Quere concerns all eſtates and degrees of men; The poor, and the Noble may be Peers in Heaven. I have in part anſwered this Quere already; for I have ſhewn you cleerly, That we muſt be juſtified, regenerated, converted, or elſe the greateſt is not truely noble in our Spirituall and Chriſtian account.

My Lords, If you deſire this new honour, you muſt lead new lives, and you'l never do that, till you have new natures, new-bearts by a new creation. Ye muſt be new creatures in Jeſus Chriſt; For God in Chriſt is the Fountain of all Chriſtian Nobility and glorious Honour: And if any man be in Chriſt, he is a new creature, 2 Cor. 5. 17. Now Chriſt puts forth his creating power in his Ordinances, and therefore you muſt all, high and low, attend upon the quickning Ordinances of God, that ye may be made new creatures in Chriſt, by the effectuall working of the Holy Ghoſt. Oh that this p. 51day, might be that happy working-day, the day of Chriſts power, transforming all our deformed ſouls into the beauty of holineſſe, that we might become, the willing ſubjects of Jeſus Chriſt, as it is written, Pſal. 110. 3. Thy people ſhall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holineſſe. Oh that whilſt I am directing, what ought to be done, our Lord Jeſus would put to his Fiat, and ſay, Let it be done, it ſhall be done this very hour.

My Lords, I am affectionately deſirous of you, as the Apoſtles 1 Theſ. 2. 8.1 Thess 2:8ſpeaks, and willing to impart unto you, not onelyonly the Goſpel of God, but that very Character, which the Goſpel by the Spirit hath ſtamped upon my own beloved ſoul, becauſe your pretious ſouls are dear unto me.

My Lords, Remember your ſelves, You are not now in your Robes, ſitting in State, to paſſe ſentence upon that Word, whereby you muſt be judged; But you, and I, and all here preſent, are holding up our hands at the bar. Come, open your boſomes, the Spirit is now about to ſet the Word home upon your conſcience; the Spirit of God tels you plainly, That notwithſtanding your great birth, you were born in ſin; and we have too many of us (nay, too many of you) lived, as if you, and we, had been born to no other purpoſe, then to ſin.

My Lords, What do you mean, (Brethren, what do you mean,) not onelyonly to live in ſin, but to die in ſin, O it is a dangerous thing to live in ſin, but it is a deſperate thing to die in ſin; for he that dies in his ſins, periſhes in his ſins, and is damned eternally. It is no matter of what ſtrain or complexion, your ſins are, or how they relliſh when the pallate is diſtempered, be they ſweet or ſowre, ſins of pleaſure or malice, nay, ignorance, ſins of gain, ſhall I ſay, ſins of Honour? Yes, this ignoble age hath plotted how to diſhonour God in an honourable way. In a word, Be your ſins old, or new, ſins received by Tradition from your forefathers, and therefore, received with honour; as if they were ſome noble vices, which ought to be ſtanders to your noble Families; yet conſider, and ſadly conſider it, He that reſolves to live in any ſin, but till to morrow morning, may for ought he knows, die, and periſh in his ſin; the Divell may come and fetch away p. 52his ſoul this night, and he may be in Hell ere morning. The God of Heaven, ſet that conſideration home to your hearts; you muſt fall down upon your faces, and acknowledge, That God is in this Meditation of a trueth: The Lord Jeſus did preſſe this point home in his powerfull preaching, you may read it thrice in one Chapter, John 8. 21, 24. It is one of the moſt fearfull threats in Scripture; for it doth indeed contain all threatnings in it.

My Lords, Will nothing touch your hearts; yes, I beleeve your hearts have been touched to day, and touched to the quick. Now then, my Lords, what ſay you now? Why ſure you are come to this reſolution, ye would not die in your ſins, that were to die baſely, to die diſhonourably: Why then, my Lords, If you would not die in your ſins, ye muſt not live in them; Oh but how ſhall we be ſaved from all our ſins, our ignoble ſins? Why though Joſhuah be called Jeſus, Heb. 4. 8. and the people were wont to bow every time that Text was read, yet) there is but one Jeſus, the Lord Jeſus, who can ſave us from our ſins, Matth. 1. 21. Oh now your hearts relent, and give a little: Now, now conſider, how you have abuſed and undervalued; how you have crucified and tormented this Jeſus, who alone can ſave you from your ſins: How you have made a ſport and paſtime of thoſe ſins which let out the heart blood of Jeſus Chriſt. What, are your hearts like Nabals, dead within you? Or are you caſt into a trembling fit; are you fainting, and even ſwowning under the weight of Gods wrath, and your ſin: why now, now you are in this agony and bloody ſweat, the Lord Jeſus offers himſelf to be your Saviour upon fair and honourable terms, do you deliberate, whether you ſhould be ſaved? Why then take him Jaylour, clap ſome bolts upon his conſcience, and let the iron enter into his ſoul; let him taſte a cup of brimſtone, and ſee how he likes it before hand; let the Law thunder curſes upon him, and the ſpirit of bondage flaſh ſome lightning into his ſoul. Oh baſe unworthy wretch doeſt thou capitulate with thy Judge, and ſcorn thy Saviour; is thy minde prepoſeſſed with prejudice againſt Chriſt, and are thy affections preingaged to the fleſh, the p. 53world, the divell; doſt love thy ſin better then thy Saviour? Why then thou art mad upon thy pleaſure, thou art drunk with honour, and bewitched with gain; enjoy thy ſin, and hug thy damnation, the Lord Jeſus will not beſtow himſelf on ſuch a ſot: Yet once more Ile ask the queſtion, for ought thou knoweſt, it may be the laſt time of asking; Wilt thou have Jeſus Chriſt for thy antiquitie, for thy nobilitie, for thy husband, thy King, thy Prophet, thy Prieſt, thy Saviour, thy All? Jeſus Chriſt will binde Kings in chains, and Nobles in ſetters of Iron; he will powre contempt upon Princes, if they contemn him. What ſay you then, my Lords, (and what ſay you Brethren) will you ſubmit your necks to the yoak, and your ſhoulders to the burthen of Jeſus Chriſt? Will you deny your ſelves, take up your croſſe daily, and follow him? Will you beleeve him, truſt him, love him, obey him. Give me leave to inſiſt a little upon thoſe two ſpeciall duties of Faith and Love; and I pitch upon them the rather, becauſe Faith and Love are Radicall Graces, and you can never prove The new creature.your ſelves to be new creatures in Chriſt, but by Faith and Love: Be pleaſed to compare two Scriptures together, for the cleering of this truth, the Scriptures are not far aſunder; one is in the ſixth Chapter of the Epiſtle to the Galathians, the fifteenth Galath. 6. 15.verſe, In Chriſt Jeſus, neither circumciſion availeth any thing, nor uncircumciſion, but a new creature: Would you know what this new creature is? Read the fifth Chapter of Galath. 5. 6. Jude. Build up your ſelves on your moſt holy Faith, verſ. 20. Keep your ſelves in the Love of God, verſe 21.the ſame Epiſtle, and the ſixth verſe. In Chriſt Jeſus, neither circumciſion availeth any thing, nor uncircumciſion, but Faith working by Love. Mark I beſeech you, it is worth your obſervation, Nothing avails but a new creature, in one place, Nothing avails but Faith, working by love, in the other: No man then is a new creature, but he whoſe Faith worketh by Love: There is the ſum of the Goſpel, the ſubſtance, marrow, power, ſpirit, quinteſſence of Chriſtianitie.

Firſt. Then examine, whether you have any knowledge I.of Chriſt, or Faith in him; any heart and well grounded aſſent to the Goſpel of Chriſt: with the heart, man being convinced, beleeves. Have you any pretious Faith? If you have no true Faith, you cannot underſtand the Myſtery of Godlineſſe, after p. 54a ſpirituall and ſaving manner: Now, man that is in honour, Mir… ſimplicit…s eſt …cire qu… …das …onym. …s tenebrarum eſt quae definitur per ignorantia….and underſtandeth not, ſaith my Text, you know what follow…. Faith is the eye of the ſoul; Reaſon is blinde without Faith. Except a man be born from above, (except his reaſon be raiſed, elevated by Faith, inlightned by the Spirit) he cannot ſee the Kingdom of God; as our Saviour told that Ruler of the Jews, when he catechiſed him, John 3. 3. Every true beleever hath ſo much underſtanding, as to aſſent to the truth, and ſo much ingenuity, as to conſent to the goodneſſe of all the promiſes.

Secondly. The pretious Faith of Gods elect, is an holy II.Faith; nay, Saint Jude exhorts Chriſtians to build up themſelves on their moſt holy Faith, Jude verſ. 20. True Faith ayms at the higheſt degree of holineſſe, it is ever labouring to build up the ſoul one ſtory higher in holineſſe, that we may be every day nearer Heaven. He that thinks he is holy enough already, hath neither true Faith, nor Holineſſe of Truth. They are unbel…eving men that are afraid, they ſhall be come too ſtrict in dutie, and too preciſe in abhorting and declining ſin; they ſay they have holineſſe enough to carry them to Heaven, though there are many (that were as holy as themſelves) gone to H…ll already. Remember, that though Jeſus Chriſt be King of all the world, in a providentiall way, yet he is King of Saints onelyonly, in a ſpirituall and ſaving way. Chriſt will ſave none but Saints; ſuch honour, immortall honour, have all his Saints, and none but Saints; none but his Saints, whoſe conſciences, Chriſt hath purged from the guilt, and allowance of ſin, and whoſe hearts he hath purified from the Love, Heb. 9. 14. Acts 15. 9.Heb 9:14Acts 15:9(and their whole man, from the power, and dominion) of ſin, by a lively Faith, that they may ſerve the living God.

Thirdly. True Faith is a reſting and relying grace, Faith III.doth ſupport the feeble ſoul, the ſinking ſoul, by leaning upon Gods arm, and Chriſts boſome; becauſe thou didſt relie on 2 Chron. 16. 8. 2 Chro. 14. 11.2 Chr 16:82 Chr 14:11the Lord, ſaith the Se… to Aſa: Help us, O Lord, ſaith Aſa, to God, for we reſt upon thee. Doth thy ſoul reſt upon Chriſt, not onelyonly for pardon of ſin, but power againſt ſin?. Doſt thou relie upon the free grace of God, the all-ſufficient ſatisfaction, compleat righteouſneſſe, and perfect merits of Chriſt, p. 55for juſtification? Then it is well, but a beleever muſt likewiſe live in a conſtant dependance upon God, for perſeverance in grace, and then he is right.

Fourthly. Faith is a radicall grace; and therefore as the IV.root of a tree ſucks nouriſhing moiſture from the earth, fo a …leever, ſucks and draws nouriſhing vertue, freſh vertue, and new ſupplies every day, from Jeſus Chriſt: Faith doth not onelyonly depend upon Chriſt, and adhere to him, but ſuck from him; it hangs upon the Ordinances of Chriſt, the Breaſts of Chriſt, as the Infant hangs upon the Mothers breaſt.

Fifthly. Faith is a mortifying and quickning grace, Becauſe V.it draws vertue from Chriſt, to mortifie our luſts, and quicken us to a lively performance of all duties, in their due place and ſeaſon: Upon dayes of Humiliation, the beleever draws much power from the death of Chriſt, to mortifie his luſt, and ſets upon all tasks of mortification in the ſtrength of Chriſt.

Sixthly. Faith is a victorious grace, it overcomes the world, VI.and the Divel, and it doth both, by purifying our hearts, and mortifying our luſts: For if our hearts be purified, and our luſts mortified, the world, and divell, are not able to prevail againſt us; We ſhall come of with honour in the main battle, at the latter end of the day, though we may be foiled now and then in a skirmiſh, and give ground a little, when we are too hotly charged, and over-borne by violence. The divel cannot throw a fiery dart at us, but faith will quench it: If our luſts do not fire us, the dart cannot wound us: Take the ſhield of Faith, ſaith the Apoſtle, That ye may be able to quench all the fiery darts of the divel: Above all other pieces of Chriſtian armour, take the ſhield of Faith, Epheſ. 6. 16. The leaſt degree of true Faith, doth in ſome meaſure overcome the world, becauſe it doth perſwade the heart (even before the man hath any cleer bright evidence of his own election) that there are better things laid up for the elect, in Chriſt, then any the world can beſtow upon them; better honour, better riches, better glory. Chriſt is a pretious Chriſt, to all true beleevers, to you, who beleeve he is an Honour, 1 Pet. 2. 7. The originall p. 56will bear it, for foreign is the word. Would ye then my Lords, (and you dear Chriſtians) gain an immortall glorious Honour; you ſee the ready way, beleeve, beleeve, and Jeſus Chriſt will be an Honour to you: But remember that your Faith muſt be the Faith of Chriſtians, not the faith of Divels; it muſt be ſuch a pretious faith, as purifies the heart, purges the conſcience, aſſents, and conſents to Chriſt; ſuch a faith as overcomes the world, and quenches the fiery darts of the divell, by reſting upon Chriſt, and drawing vertue from him.

But I muſt not forget in the next place, that your faith …ides cum Dilectione, & fides Chriſtiani, fides ſine Dilectione eſt …ides Diaboli.muſt work by love, and therefore as you muſt have a victorious faith, ſo you muſt have a tranſcendent, an heroicall Love, to the Lords Jeſus; you muſt love him better then your friends, better then your eſtates, better then your honour; for you muſt lay down all your Coronets, all your Honour, at the feet of Chriſt; nay, you muſt love Chriſt better, then your lives. Chriſt turned to the great multitudes, and ſaid to them, If any man come to me, and hates not his own life (in compariſon of me, for my ſake, and the Goſpels) he cannot be my Diſciple, Luke 14. 25, 26. And again, Verſe 33. Whoſoever he be of you, that forſaketh not all he hath, he cannot be my Diſciple. Our Saviour doth not mean ſuch a Diſciple as Peter, and the reſt, but by Diſciple, he means Scholar, Subject, Member, Servant, Friend, Heir; for he ſpeaks to the multitude, and therefore the meaning is, That one of the pooreſt and meaneſt men, in the throng, could not have any intereſt in Chriſt, or benefit by him, unleſſe he love the Lord Jeſus better then his eſtate, and life better then all the world; and can men in Honour think to go to Heaven, upon cheaper and eaſier terms, then one of the multitude? No ſure, where God gives more, he requires more. Come then, my Brethren, Let this day of ſorrow, be a day of Love, or elſe it will not be a day of godly ſorrow; for godly ſorrow ariſes from the love of God, from Faith working by love, from Faith in Chriſt, and love to him: The bittereſt tears, flow from the ſweeteſt Love. Come you that have any tender hearts, or rowling bowels, let me this day ſpeak to your hearts and bowels, and caſt you into p. 57the melting pangs of a divine, and Chriſtian love: Conſider your want of Christ, and the worth of Chriſt: Oh conſider, the benefits of Chriſts death, the ſweetneſſe of Chriſts promiſes, the pleaſantneſſe of his commands, the pretiouſneſſe of his graces, and above all, the infiniteneſſe of his love: And you cannot but love him; your hearts muſt needs be raviſhed into an extaſie, if you conſider that ſoul-raviſhing Text, Revel. 1. 5, 6. And you cannot but cry out with the ardency of affection, with the ſtrength, the zeal of love: Oh to him, to him, that loved us, and waſhed us from our ſins in his own blood, and hath made us Kings and Prieſts unto God, and his Father; to him be glory, and dominion, love and ſubjection, for ever and ever, Amen.

Come you, that never ſtudied the Art of ſpirituall love; Conſider, that Jeſus Chriſt ſaw your diſtreſſed ſouls weltring in blood, and filthineſſe, and his bowels were turned, his compaſſions Ezek. 16. 6, 8 &c.Ezek 16:6Ezek 16:8were kindled within him; and he ſaid unto you, even then when you were polluted in your own blood, live; yea, when you were polluted in your own blood and filthineſſe, he ſaid Live, and Live eternally: Was not that a time of love with him? Why, now turn your eyes inward, and look upon your own ſouls, ſprinkled with the blood, the heart-blood of Jeſus Chriſt, that they may be purged, and you may be ſaved; and tell me, is it not a time of love now with your beloved ſouls? Do you not feel your hearts begin to burn within you? Are you not tranſported beyond your ſelves, are you not even mounting up to Heaven, and flying into the Arms and Boſome of your beloved Lord? Come, give up your hearts to Chriſt, for I muſt prevail; I am ſure you are convinced, that Jeſus Chriſt is the beſt husband in the world, for your pretious ſouls; for he is the onelyonly All-ſufficient Saviour, there is no choice, you muſt have him or none. Come, be not thus dull of underſtanding, or affection, be not careleſſe and peeviſh in a buſineſſe, which concerns the happy welfare of your eternall ſouls: Away with all prejudicate opinions, and vain conceits; Come, let us be ſetled men, and ſpend ſome ſad thoughts, about the ſaving excellencies of Jeſus Christ: Be not ſo impudently preſumptuous, as to imagine, That you love Chriſt well enough already; if you have not as yet ſufficiently duplicate page p. 56duplicate page p. 57p. 68known, or judiciouſly conſidered, what reaſon and equitie there i…, that you ſhould love Chriſt better then all the World. Come, let me cloſe with you a little, and ſpeak home to every one of your ſouls in particular: Friend be not ſuch a ſott, as to doate upon trifles, Ile ſhew thee wonders, The wonder of our redemption, the moſt admirable, and most aſtoniſhing Plot of the bleſſed Trinitie, ſitting in counſell about the Salvation of thy beloved ſoul: A myſtery which the Angels ſtoop down to pry into, an Orient Pearl, that will out-ſhine all the ſparkling Jewels of the whole Creation, if they ſhould be digged out of Natures Cabinet, and hung up with ſuch advantage, that they might all unite their beams upon ſome day of triumph. Hear what a worthy Divine of ours ſaith, Our ſlighting the offers of Grace, and not laying to heart what God Maſter Pink …is Tryall of Love.hath done for us, is a ſin next to wilfull apoſtaſie, and malicious blaſphemy; For he who doth not ſee ſuch glorious miracles of love, and ineſtimable treaſures of grace in Chriſt, as to take of his minde and heart, from the glittering vanities of the world, that he may fix his thoughts, and ſetle his affections, upon God in Chriſt, as an all-ſufficient Portion and Inheritance; That man doth offer an affront to the majeſtie of Heaven, he befools the Wiſdom, and ſcorns the love of the bleſſed Trinity; for he ſlights the moſt excellent wonder, that ever the Wiſdom of God contrived, or his power compaſſed, or his goodneſſe beſtowed upon the ſons of men: And what reaſon hath ſuch a ſoft to expect favour from God, mercy from Chriſt, or comfort from the Holy Ghoſt. Do ye beleeve the Scriptures? Why then tell me, Whether the favour of God will not comfort the heart, better then corn and wine, Pſal. 4▪ 6, 7. Then ſheep and oxen, ſtrong ſons, and poliſhed daughters, full barns, and full b…gs. Read and conſider the four laſt verſes of the 144. Pſalm. Is not the loving kindneſſe of God, better then life, Pſal. 63. 3. Can a man gain any thing, though he gain the whole world, if he looſe his own ſoul? Or is there any thing to be given in exchange for the ſoul? Canſt thou ſet thy heart upon that which thou beleeveſt to be droſſe and dung, Phil. 3. 8. And art thou not aſhamed to prefer the …aſeſt traſh and dung, before Jeſus Chriſt? It is impoſſible, that our affections ſhould for any long time together, p. 69ſtand in aequilibrio, even-ballanced, between Chriſt and the World. Becauſe every little trifle would turn the ſcales, there being ſo many caſes, in which a man muſt either renounce Chriſt, or the World; and if there were but one thing in all the world, which a man loves, better then Chriſt; if that come to ſtand in competition with Chriſt, he will as baſely deny, and betray Chriſt, for that one thing (be it profit, honour, pleaſure, be it what it will) as if he preferred many other things before him. Beloved, I propound theſe conſiderations to you, That you may ponder them well in your cool blood, and morning thoughts, and ſo come on to firm purpoſes, and ſtedfaſt reſolutions, to ſettle your affection upon Jeſus Chriſt; for beleeve it, ſuch thoughts as theſe, muſt go before purpoſes, and conſultation before reſolution, or elſe all your good purpoſes without counſell, will be vain, they will be fruſtrated and diſappointed, as the Wiſe-man for…-warns you, Prov. 15. 22. Go home then, and read, nay, peruſe the loveletters of Chriſt, in his glorious Goſpel, and review all the love-tokens which he hath ſent to thy dear ſoul, and then fall in love with him; nay, before thou goeſt home, let me gain a promiſe from thee, That thou wilt have no other Saviour, or Husband, for thy ſoul, but Jeſus Chriſt; that thou wilt receive him for thy Lord, with the thankfull affections of Love and Reverence; that thou wilt take an unmixed delight, and compleat content in him, as thy Treaſure, thy Happineſſe, thy All. Suffer me now then, even now, whileſt thy judgement is convinced, and thy heart warmed, to caſt thee into a lovetrance, into the Seraphicall flames of conjugall affections. Come, art thou ready, is thy ſpirit raiſed, thy heart enlarged, thy minde fixed, thy ſoul in tune to ſay after me. O my bleſſed Lord, I have been too proud, and perviſh heretofore; but thy free-grace, and undeſerved love, hath beaten me out of all my pride, and naturall enmitie; I fall down at thy foot-ſtool, and lay my ſelf flat before thee: At firſt I wondered to hear▪ Preachers talk ſo much of Chriſt, and I was bold to ask thy▪ friends, What their beloved was more then another beloved: But now I wonder, that I could endure to be ſo long without thee; my fervent deſires of thee, were at firſt grounded on a p. 60thorough ſence of the extreme miſery of all my happineſſe without thee. But now I have renounced all my ſelf-love, and abhor all ſelf-ends, as baſe and mercenary, being fully convinced, that thou haſt bought me out of my ſelfe, and all that I called mine; and therefore, out of a well-adviſed, diſlike, and diſeſteem of all worldly profit, honour, pleaſure, or any other admired vanitie: I make a full and abſolute Reſignation of my ſelf, and make over all that is dear and pretious to me, in the world, to thee, my Lord and Saviour; For truely Lord, I am thine, onelyonly thine, ever thine; all that I am, is at thy command, and all I have is at thy diſpoſing, be pleaſed to command, both it, and me. With all humilitie and thankfulneſſe, I accept thy pretious offers of grace and mercy, and do confeſſe them to be offers worthy of all acceptation; becauſe I know, that whatſoever I adventure, or looſe, for thy ſake, I ſhall receive with infinite advantage in thy bleſſed Self: I dare truſt my dear Lord with the beſt thing, that ever he gave me; my pretious ſoul. Oh my bleeding heart, and broken ſpirit, doth languiſh in a thirſty love, panting, and gasping after thee, my beloved Saviour. Oh let me taſte how gracious thou art, by ſome reall experiments in mine own heart; ſmile upon me from Heaven; anſwer me with ſome aſſuring whiſpers of the Spirit of Adoption; Kiſſe me with the kiſſes of thy mouth, for thy love is ſweeter then the taſte of wine, or the love of women. Oh let me bathe my ſoul in the delicious intimacies of a ſpirituall communion with thee, my God, and Saviour, that I may for ever adhere unto thee, with a ſincere conſtancy, and reſt in thee with a love of complacencie; for I feel, I finde my ſoul caſt into a longing ſweat for thee, and nothing can ſatisfie the importunate longing of my perplexed ſoul, but thine onelyonly Self; for thou art, my Lord, my love, my life, and thou art altogether lovely.

And now Lord, I have found thee whom my ſoul loves, I will let go any thing in the world, to take better hold of thee: Now I have embraced thee, I will not let thee go untill thou bleſſe me; nay, I will not let thee go then, but hold thee faſt for ever, that thou maiſt for ever bleſſe me; If thou killeſt me, I will truſt in thee, nay, I will love thee; for thy love is better p. 61then life, therefore my lips ſhall praiſe thee; If I live, I will live, ſerving thee; if I die, I will die, praiſing thee: Whether I live or die, let me be ever thine, and then I know thou wilt be an advantage to me, both in life and death.

To this effect, the ſoul that is in love with Chriſt, doth uſually expreſſe it ſelf; for ſuch ſouls are commonly caſt into an agony, into pangs of love; and therefore, the Scripture hath deſcrib'd the out-goings of ſuch a ſoul by ſeverall ſimilitudes, By the gasping of the parched ground, the panting of a Pſal 63. 1. Pſal. 42. 1, 2. Pſal. 119. 131, 174. Cantic. 5. 8.Ps 63:1Ps 42:1Ps 42:2Ps 119:131Ps 119:174Song 5:8chaſed Hart, the longings of a teening woman, by the fainting and ſwowning of one that is in good earneſt, ſick of Love. What ſay you then, beloved Chriſtians, are you willing to live to him who died for you? Will you indeed, live to him, and if he calls you to it, die for him: Beleeve it, He dies the nobleſt death, who dies a Martyr. And if you talk of Honour, you cannot be preferred to an higher degree of Honour, then to be eſteemed the Friends of Chriſt here, and made Coheirs with Chriſt in glory. Beloved, Such as our affections are, ſuch are we: It our affections be right ſet, on things above, we are Saints; if they be ſet on the things below, we are Beaſts or Devils. Come then, ye men of Honour, come ſet your affections upon the nobleſt and moſt honourable object, the higheſt, chiefeſt good, God in Chriſt: If you do not ſet your affections upon Chriſt, you will have no place with Chriſt in glory, and in Hell, men looſe the ſweeteſt and comfortableſt part of their affections, or at leaſt, the uſe and exerciſe of them; there is nothing amiable, or lovely in Hell, therefore there is, no uſe of love; there is no joy, or delight, no good to be hoped for there, onelyonly the tormenting affections of grief, ſhame, deſpair, and the rest of that black crue, remain to vex and torture the ſoul, though they cannot devour, or conſume it: Let us then ſo place our affections here, as that we may enjoy the comfort of them, in another world; let our love and confidence be placed on Chriſt; let us delight and rejoyce in him, and his ſervice, that our ſouls may be for ever, ſatisfied with his goodneſſe, and even raviſhed with his love. Remember, that Faith and Love, are both Active, it is Faith working by Love; you have heard of the obedience of Faith, Rom. 16. 26. And p. 62if ye Love me, keep my Commandments, Joh. 14. 15. Conſider, that Jeſus Chriſt is the Authour of eternall Salvation, to all them, and none but them, that obey him, Heb. 5. 9. Beloved in the Lord Jeſus, If you will learn to perform all your duties in faith, and out of love, truſting onelyonly upon free grace, and aiming onelyonly at Gods glory. My ſoul, for yours you will be of the Chriſtian circumciſion, you will worſhip God in the ſpirit, Phil. 3. 3.Phil 3:3rejoyce in Chriſt Jeſus, and put no confidence in the fleſh: You will be juſtified by free-grace, acted, and lead, by effectuall Grace, into all neceſſary Trueths, and Holineſſe of Trueth: Faith and love, will finde out their way to Heaven: Faith and love will eſtabliſh your hearts and mindes. Theſe graces will make you not onelyonly patient and conſtant, but zealous alſo; For zeal can never boil high enough, unleſſe it be raiſed by Faith, and enflamed by Love. Zeal is the ſtrength of affection, and heighth of grace; it is the heighth of knowledge, the heighth of prudence, and therefore, not to be ordered by diſcretion; as they talk, who miſtake policie for wi…dom, and ſubject matters of Religion, to reaſons of State; nay, zeal is the heighth of Faith alſo: When we read, that ſomething was imputed to Phinehas for righteouſneſſe, Some ſay it was Juſtice, others ſay Zeal, but I ſay, Faith; for I know nothing elſe imputed for righteouſneſſe, in any Scripture notion: And Faith is ſaid to be imputed for righteouſneſſe, becauſe the object of Faith, the Lord Chriſt, is Jehovah our righteouſneſſe. Come then, let your Faith, and Love, and Zeal, kindle, burn, riſe, flame, higher and higher. Beleeve it, you'l be but uſeleſſe men without zeal, for your parts and gifts, will be uſeleſſe: As a knife without an edge, a ſhip without ſails, ſails without winde, a bird without wings, wheels without oyl, an horſe without mettall; ſuch is a man, any man, a man in Honour without Zeal.

But a word or two more, my Lords, and I have done: You muſt ſhew your ſelves noble Chriſtians in your places, relations, correspondencies, and improve all your Interests for the Honour of Jeſus Chriſt; and if you Honour God, he will Honour you, and your houſe, 1 Sam. 2. 30. Honour God not onelyonly with outward, but inward worſhip; honour him with p. 63your ſoul and body, and ſubſtance: Perform Honourable actions, do not diſdain to anoint the feet of our Saviour; the lower you do ſtoop to ſerve Chriſt, the higher you will be preferred for your humble ſervice: You may ſmell the perfume of that womans ointment (that anointed the feet of Chriſt) even to this very day, whereſoever the Goſpel is Preached. Salvator noſter faeminae monnumentum curr… triumphali vel Statuâ Imperatoris, illuſtrius erexit. Study Honorabilia legis, The great and honourable things of the Law and Gospel. Conſider, that vile affections, baſe luſts, will diſhonour your bodies, and damn your ſouls, Rom. 1. 24, 26. O poſſeſſe your veſſels in ſanctification and honour, 1 Theſ. 4. 4. It will not be for your honour to be guiltie of thoſe ſins which ye ought to puniſh. Jehu was a murtherer in the ſight of God, for ſlaying of Idolatours, becauſe he was an Idolatour himſelf. Mordecai was next to the King, great among the Jews, and accepted of the people, by doing what was right in the ſight of the people, Hester 10. 3. You ſhall be near to Jeſus Chriſt, and accepted of God, if ye do what is right in the ſight of God, Glory, and Honour, and Peace, ſhall reſt upon you; for to them, who by Patient continuance in wel-doing, ſeek for glory and honour, and immortalitie, God will give immortall honour, eternall life, Rom. 2. 7, 10. You know, that they are good men, who are good in their places; and they are men of Honour, who keep a good conſcience, in places of honour.

My Lords, I do not deſire to deal with you in a full Body, as you make an Houſe of Peers; but I conſider you, as you Tiberius ergo cujus tempore nomen Chriſtianum in ſaeculum introivit annunciatum—detulit ad Senatum cum Praerogativâ ſuff…agii ſui Sena…s quia non in ſe probaverat, reſpuit. Tertul. Apol…ge…. c. 5.will be conſidered, and dealt with, at the day of judgement; then Chriſt will take you out, every Lord ſingle by himſelf, one by one, and ſay: Sir, you had the honour to ſit in the Houſe of Peers, why did you hold correſpondence with my utter enemies, the Antichriſtian faction, and commonly give your Vote againſt me, when the welfare of three Kingdoms, the building up of my Church, and the making of a new heaven upon earth, did much depend upon your Vote. When it was put to the Vote in the Senate at Rome, Whether Chriſt ſhould be worſhipped as God in the Romane Territories? It was carried againſt him, by a major part of Votes. But, p. 64my Lords, I hope, nay, I know better things of your Houſe, then of the Romane Senate; for the Houſe of Peers hath paſſed a Vote lately, much conducing to the Honour of Jeſus Chriſt, and the Reformation of particular Congregations: Be pleaſed to proceed, and perfect the Work; let the ignorant be better inſtructed, and the ſcandalous better diſciplined; the Liberties, and Priviledges of Gods people, reſtored, Heretikes, Blaſphemers, Seducers, ſeverely puniſhed. Oh that you could form, and new mould, our Armies into Churches alſo: Is it not poſſible, that there ſhould be a ſpirituall Militia, a powerfull Miniſtery, and ſome Eccleſiaſticall, as well as Military Diſcipline, ſet up, and countenanced amongſt them? I muſt acknowledge, That when I had the honour to ſerve the Sate, and attend the Army, I received all encouragement from His Excellency, the Noble Generall, in the work of my Miniſtery: But I beleeve, the want of Miniſters was one defective cauſe, or at leaſt, occaſion of many diſorders, in that Army; and how highly God was provoked by thoſe diſorders, we have all cauſe to acknowledge, yet give me leave to ſay, That your ſins had an influence into that ſad defeat, as well as ours, and notwithſtanding all the faults of that Army: Surely, my Lords, That Army which had borne the heat, and burthen, nay, carried away the glory of the day, in ſo many ſet-battles, and ſolemn victories, ſhould not have been ſo much neglected, but timely relieved. You ſee, my Lords, I know not how to flatter you, but I beſeech you, I beſeech you, That ſince the Kingdom hath paid ſo dear for our learning, we may learn ſo much wiſdom, by what we have ſuffered, as to make better proviſion for the Army, in both thoſe particulars, another time: Let faithfull, judicious, able, Miniſters, and a good Reſerve, conſtantly attend the main Body of your chief Army, that it may be an Army with Banners, a Royall, terrible, ſucceſſefull, Army.

My ſtrength is ſpent, but I muſt revive my ſpirits, and intreat you to take care of your Noble Families. What a diſhonourable thing would it be, if it ſhould be ſaid of any Noble mans Family, as it was of Abimelechs Court: Surely, the fear of God is not in this place; nay, the contempt of God and p. 65godlineſſe, reigns, and domineers, in this place. Machiavel himſelf could not but cenſure, ſuch groſſe corruption, and abhominable contempt amongſt thoſe that call themſelves Chriſtians. Summopere vituperandi ſunt Religionis contemptores & corruptores, Disp. de Repub. l. c. 10. Take heed of ſuch Chaplains which poyſon Noble Families with Socinianiſm, leaven them with Atheiſm, or corrupt them with Prophaneneſſe: Beware of them that have no more Religion, then is to be found in that unworthy Book, called Religio Foedumcrimen …ervit…is eſt adulatio.Medici, A Book too much applauded by Noble-men. Be ſure your Chaplain claim no kinred of that tame Beaſt, we ſpake of, The flatterer, Peſſimum genus, laudantes: The Panther by his ſweet inticing breath, doth firſt invite men, and then devour them. And when you have an honeſt Chaplain, command him to deal honeſtly with your pretious ſouls.

My Lords, You will allow your Gardiner to weed your Gardens; you will not tell him, that it is a breach of priviledge for him, to pluck up a weed in your Honours Garden; you will not ſay, Such a weed ſtinks, but it grew here in my Fathers time: Oh ſpare that weed for antiquities ſake. Oh give your Chaplains as free leave to weed your Souls, and Families, as your Gardiner hath to weed your Gardens. Reform your ſervants likewiſe; let David a man of honour, be your pattern: Read the 101. Pſalm when you come home, and put it in execution. If the Liver, Stomack, Spleen, be corrupt, and ſend up impure vapours to the head, the brain had need be of a ſtrong conſtitution to diſpell, or expell ſuch noiſome vapours. But above all, take care of your ſweet children, the riſing Hope of your Noble Family; Fix, fix your carefull eye upon the ſon of your firſt love, your Heir: Make him a man, before you leave him Heir of all: Make him another Cobham, another Harrington: Obſerve what company he doth affect, for his companions are his Peers: Pares cum paribus congregantur. Noble men do too often go to Hell with their Peers. Some Heirs of excellent mettall, have been rung lamentably out of tune, by wicked companions. Augustius was not acquainted with his two Daughters, till as Su…tonius ſaith, He obſerved them at a publike ſhew, and then he knew p. 66them by their company; for the Senatours diſcourſed with Livia, and the Revellers with Julia. Be ſure to have your Heir well-catechized, let him learn how to live like a Saint, and how to die like a Martyr: Quatuor Noviſſima ſemper perpendenda ſunt: But Noblemen think too little of Death and Judgement, Heaven and Hell. Let your Heir know, that the fleſh of Chriſtians muſt not be pampered, becauſe they are often called on to be in a readineſſe, to have their fleſh tortured: Tell him, that Proteſtants were wont to overcome the torments of fire, and he muſt learn to do that, and more, to overcome the temptations of the Court: Tell him, that the glory of the Chriſtians of old, was to derive their Pedigree from ſome Noble Martyr: Bid him prepare for this Chriſtian Ennobliſhment; aſſure him, that if his Honour be not a ſpur to vertue, all his Honour will be but vanitie in his youth, and vexation in his latter age. Do your beſt to make him a Scholar, as well as a Christian. Lewis the eleventh, deſired his ſon might be no Scholar, becauſe he was afraid, that the pride of his learning would make him ſcorn his Councell of State, and adhere to his own private opinion, Ne eſſet in conſ…li… capiendis refractior & tenacior ſui ſenſus: Lewis had his deſire in part, his ſon was …o Scholar, I ſay, his ſon was no Scholar, and yet deſpiſed his Councell, and hearkned to baſe fellows, who turned him which way they pleaſed, to the prejudice of the State, and their own private gain. Let your ſons have learning enough, to ballance contrary arguments; ſettle their mindes with ſome principles of Rationall learning, but be ſure, that they neglect not Practicall Philoſophy; ſuch as we borrow from fragments of Pythagoras, Socrates, and ſome pieces of Plato. Socrates was the Athenian Doctour, Qui Philoſophiam primus à c…lo avocavit, in urbibus collocavit, & in D…mos introduxit: We are beholding to the School of Socrates, for Plato, Xenophon and Aristotle, and Aristotle (who heard Socrates three yeers, and Plato twenty) might if he would, have given us ſome more practicall notions, then he thought fit to communicate unto us. But when your Heir hath ſucked what he can from Pythagoras, Socrates, Plato, Xenophon, Ariſtotle, Plutarch, Quintilian, Seneca, Epictetus, p. 67and the reſt: Let him know, that he may learn more Wiſdom, and Moralitie, from Solomons Proverbs, and the Book of Eccleſiaſtes, then from all the Philoſophers, that ever wrote; yet that you may know what Philoſophers thought of their own ſons, when they proved degenerate: Give me leave to communicate the notion of a Philoſopher unto you, though it be cloathed with a very homely compariſon; yet becauſe I have dealt ſo plainly with you, I will conceal nothing from you. Suppoſe you ſaw Aristippus plucking a Louſe out of foreign, Diog. La…r…i…, vit. Ari…ip. p. 142. Vi…e Xenophon▪ Cyropaed. Ene. Sylv. tract. de liber. educat. Nec non Epiſtol. 339. Briſſon de Regno Pe…, de Inſti…. lib. Reg. Plat. de Repub. lib. 2.his h…ad, and be ſpeaking his debauched ſon much after this manner. Son, I am as much cryed out on for neglecting you, as if I had forgotten, that you are part of my ſelf; but I do here ſolemnly acknowledge, that you came out of my body, ſo did this …mine alſo; and I value you no more. Let your ſons be acquainted with ſuch ſevere truths: Command them to lay aſide their Amorous Pamphlets, and corrupting Play-Books; but more eſpecially convince the ſon of your hopes, and the ſon of your deſires, That thoſe black Books which kindle the fire of luſt, kindle the black fire of Hell within him. Eneas Sylvi…s was aſhamed of his youthfull Pamphlets, after he was made Pope, and had the noble Title of Pius added to the gravitie of his yeers. S…ni (ſaith he) magis quam Juveni …dit…, En…am …ii cite, Pium ſuſcipite. Command your ſon to read the Bible daily, nay, even night and day; for all Arts and Sciences are contained in the Book of God: This one Book is a Library. Here you may confer with the Patriarks, Prophets, Apoſtles, and ancient Saints. Ladies look here, and part with all your Looking-Glaſſes, as they did, Exod. 38. 8▪ for this Looking-Glaſſe, this Laver: Here's a Looking-Glaſſe to ſhew you your ſpots; and here's a Laver to waſh them off, Jam. 1. 23, 25. Titus 3. 5, 6. See here's a Garden full of Flowers; here's a Casket full of Jewels; here's an Heaven full of Stars; here's a Book full of GOD.

FINIS.

ERrata. Pag. 7. l…ne 24. read, nor is it an act of will, p. 7. l. 25. read, or reaſon, or left, p. 8. margin, for ara…us, r. aratris; p 13. marg. r. deſ… eſſe nobilis, p. 13. l. 2 r filled with, p. 23. l. 4. for names, r. manners, marg. r. ad…ibuiſſe, p. 24. l. 14. r. ſtronger Aſſe, p. 38. l. 12. r. ſo far from, p. 41. m. r. Dictatoremſe, p. 47. m. r. fru…raren…ur, p 48. l. 1. r. preſerved, in m. faelicior, p. 49. marg. r. foreign, p. 53. …. 35. r. any hearty, p. 56. marg. r. eſt for &.

End of the text · Francis Cheynell, The Man of Honor (1645)