IF it were lawfull to assimi­late heauenly verities to earthly fictions, I would compare my Text to the three Graces. For the parts of it are naturally three, as is their number Pausan. Baetic. lib. 9. Senec. de Benef. lib. 1. cap. 3. and as they hold together hand in hand, so doe these depend each on other: and as their site and place is so ordered, that [Page 2]for one turning from you, you haue two loo­king towards you; iust so it is here. And last­ly, as they two first looke towards you, before the third turne from you; so here, two parts first behold vs kindly: The Lord is with you, while ye be with him; and if ye seeke him, he will be found of you. And the third turnes from vs in­deed, but not till we turne from it; If ye forsake him, he will forsake you.

A Text highly to be valued, for the Author who speakes it, Azariah a famous Prophet; for the auditors who heard it, King Asa, and all Iuda and Beniamin; for the occasion that pro­cured it, a great deliuerance from an vnspeak­able danger: and principally for the matter contained in it, being such as may comfort the weake, terrifie the wicked, stay the wauering, and stir vp the backeward, to draw neere vnto God by repentance, and amendment of life.

It is deuided to my hand: The parts three, but each admitting seuerall partitions, as wee shall heare; the first in these words, The Lord is with you, while ye be with him. Wherein consi­der 2. things. 1. The comfort. 2. The con­dition. [Page 3]The comfort, Dominus vobiscum: The Lord is with you. The condition, Si fueritis▪ cum eo: while ye are with him. For the first.

This sweet saying Dominus vobiscum, may bee taken as a Prayer, or as a promise. As a Prayer, and then it shewes the Pastor his hear­ty desire for the good of men; for a promise, and then it cheares vp the people to the feruent seruice of God. The first way it is ancient and generall. Ancient, an ordinary salutation in the Iewish Church, Ruth 2.4. Iud. 6.12. [...] Such as among vs, GOD saue you, or GOD speed: not deseruing to bee termed, Short cuts, or shreddings, as the great Cutter of our Church T. C. lib. 1. pag. 138. hath vnmannerly termed them; but hearty and pithie expressions of our vnfained charity one towards another. Generall againe it is: for it was vsed in the Church, in Cyprian Vid. Boy [...] par. 1., and Tertullians time, in the Liturgie of S. Iames and Chrysostome, &c. and continued in the Church to this very day. Consisting of few words in­deed, but including abundant matter; Inso­much as Ioh. Trit. in Dam. Petrus Damianus is reported to haue written a whole booke of it, intituled, Dominus vobiscum.

Take it as a promise, and so we must in this place, if we take it aright, and then it is the Pro­phets Alarum to incourage the hearts of the people against their enemies, and may serue to cheare vp all the faithfull against the malice of the whole world. For, Si Deus nobiscum, quis contranos? Rom. 8. 31. If God bee with vs, who can be against vs? and as Cyprian, Cyp. de o­rat. Dom. Quis ei de seculo metus est, cui Deus in seculo tutor est? What needs hee feare the malice of the world, who hath God his protector in the middest of the world?

To procede aright, consider in this defence the author who, and the manner how hee de­fends. The Author, Dominus, The Lord. A name too great to bee clasped in the marrow palme of our apprehension. Est enim hoc Dei cogno­men, saith Tertullian Tert. A­pol. cap. 34. For this name Sir, is Gods Sir-name. And if Dominus, quasi dans munus, Lord, from Lordly liberalitie; who deserues the name but hee, qui dat esse, & escam, who giues life and liuing to man and beast? If pos­session make a Lord, Heauen and earth, and all Kingdomes are his; If power, hee can with a [Page 5]breath make & vnmake ten thousand worlds; If multitude of seruants, this Lord of Hoastes hath his armies in heauen, earth and hell; If valiant soldiours, he hath millions of millions that haue dyed for him; insomuch as if some are not mistaken Pet. de Natal., there is neuer a day in the yeere but may challenge eight or nine thou­sand Martyrs, who haue died in their Masters quarrell. Finally, the enioying of his owne will, Psal. 135.6. working all things after his owne counsell, Ephes. 1.11. and all this with­out intermission, or intercision, Psal. 10.16 proues him sufficiently, not onely a Lord, but the onely Lord.

And this is the reason that many famous Emperours refused it, as too high a name. Au­gustus Imperij formator, saith Tertullian Tert-A­polo, cap. 34. ne Do­minum quidem dicise volebat. Augustus the foun­der of the Romane Empire (for his father Cae­sar was but Metator, rather then Imperator Oros. lib. 7. cap. 2. the chalker of it out, then the setter of it vp) This great man would not be called Lord. And of the same mind was Alexander Seuerus Lamprid. in Alex., and o­thers. And no Emperour affected it till Domi­tian [Page 6]came, who was so likorish of transcendent highnesse, that hee called himselfe God too. Dominus & Deus noster Domitianus Suet. in Dominion. &c. A true forerunner of his successor the Pope, who in the Extrauagants Extra. Ioh. 22. cap. Cum inter. in glos., (and well it deserues to be put there) is stiled Dominus Deus noster Papa; Our Lord God the Pope.

Yet what these men vnlawfully vsurpe, o­thers lawfully receiue from him, euen by his owne gift. For he that said, Ego dixi, Dij estis, Psal. 82.6. I haue said yee are Gods; deriuing his owne title to the great Ones of the world, hath also said, Ego dixi Domini estis, I haue al­lowed you dominion & Lordship in my stead, And, Dicam planè Imperatorem Dominum, saith Tertullian Tert. A­pol. cap. 34., sed more communi. I will call the Emperour Lord, but in the common phrase, when I am not constrained thereby to preiu­dice the honour of my Lord God. And there­fore there is no such reasō, that our Reformers should except against the reuerend Prelates of the Church, for accepting the name of Lord, bequeathed vnto them by religious deuotion. For in two things they goe before other men; [Page 7]in dignity and grauity: and in two things they must be respected of vs, in honour and reue­rence. For which cause authority diuine and humane hath giuen them two titles, Lord and Father; Lord, to shew their dignity; Father, to expresse their grauity. Art not thou my Lord Elias, saith good Obadiah? 1. King. 18.7. O my Father, my Father, saith Elizeus of the same, 2. King. 2.12.

Neither neede they feare St. Peter his [...], 1. Pet. 5.3. seeing they make a spi­rituall Hierarchy, not a temporall Tyranny: or to vse S. Aug. his phrase Aug. de ciuit. lib. 19. cap. 14.; seeing they Lord it, non dominandi superbia: sed officio consulendi, ra­ther by the rule of good counsel, then the loue of soueraignty; and shew themselues Fathers, non principandi superbia: sed prouidendi miseri­cordia Aug. ibid., not so much in a proud commanding, as in a prouident mildnesse. And as Leo Leo Epist. 84. cap. 1., Cum plus agat cohortatio, quàm commotio, plus charitas, quàm potestas: They doe more by exhortation of the mouth, then coercition of the hand: and compassion, not compulsion, is their chie­fest attendant.

But see how wee are falne from heauen to earth! Returne we to our great Lord againe, and let vs heare him speaking and pleading vn­to vs, Malac. 1.6. Si Dominus ego sum, vbi timor? If I be a Lord, where is my feare? Certainely a Lord beares relation to a seruant, & a seruants badge is feare. He hath bin to vs a Father and a Lord too: if we will not loue him as Sonnes, yet at least let vs feare him as seruants; Especial­ly considering, his seruice procures both dig­nity and commodity. Honour and profit, the two great baytes of humane affections attend vpon it. Honour it brings, Deo seruire, regna­re est: to serue God, is to raigne as a King: and Philo Phil. lib. de regno., [...] To serue God, is better not onely then liberty or freedome, but a Kingdome or Soueraign­ty. And so commodity it brings too: for by seruing this Lord, wee are saued from all ene­mies. Augustine Aug. de eiuit. Dei, lib. 19. cap. 15. well notes, Seruus comes à seruando, a seruant, from being preserued; be­cause, Quiiure belli possent occidi, a victoribus seruabantur. Such as by right of warre might haue beene slaine, by the mercy of their Con­querors [Page 9]were kept aliue. So it was a mutuall pact Serua & seruiā, Preserue thou me, & I will be thy seruant. And is not this our case? or is it our case, & shal it not be our duty? Let vs heare Zachary, & he wiltel vs, That we being deliue­red from our enemies, Luk. 1.74. might serue him in righ­teousnesse and holines all the dayes of our life.

O then, why doe we not humbly serue this great LORD, but proudly striue against him? what intolerable impudence is it for men to vse him as they doe? Some giue him the lie, by vnbeliefe; others the stab, by swearing & blas­pheming; many giue him the Brauado, by an audacious contradicting his settled truth; and some the flout, by laughing at the miseries of his Church. Is this to make our selues his ser­uants, to accompt him as a Lord?. who dares vse his Master so? Who will say to th [...] King, Thou art wicked? & to Princes, Ye are vngod­ly? Iob 34.18. Oh how much lesse should they say it to him, who accepteth not the person of Princes, nor regardeth the rich more then the poore! S. Peter 1. Pet. 2.18 bids seruants obey their Masters, though they be froward, much [Page 10]more if they be milde. How then should we be pliant to this great Lord, considering he is euer mercifull and kinde, or as it is in my text, Nobiscum; euer with vs to helpe and succour vs? And this is the second thing in this Promise, the manner how he defends vs, viz. by being with vs.

Is with you.

It is true, that God is with all men, and that in all places, and at all times: but he is especial­ly with his Children and seruants, and euer for some good, for some singular comfort. For as in beauen our happinesse is to be with him; so on earth our welfare is, that he is with vs.

And God is with vs in two respects. 1. For our spirituall, 2. for our temporall estates. For our spiritual estates, St. August. Aug. de verb. Apost. serm. 16. obserues, God is with [...] 4. waies; 1▪ he is with vs, vt praede­stineret nos, for our predestination to life. 2 He is with vs, vt vocaret nos, at and in our vocati­on on to grace. 3. He is with vs, vt iustificaret nos, at and for our iustification from sinne 4. He is with vs, vt glorificaret nos, for our glorification in heauen▪ He predestinated vs before we were [Page 11]our selues; he called vs, when we were depar­ted from our selues; he iustified vs when wee were sinfull, & he glorified vs, when we were mortall. More he could not adde, to raise vs to royall happines; lesse he could not doe, to pre­serue vs from reall misery. Vpon this Paul shouts in a triumph; Rom. 8.31. If God be with vs, who can [...]e against vs? or if against vs, how can he ouercome vs? Man (he is an inferiour enemy) cannot bring vs to death, for God hath predestinated vs to life. The world (that is an exteriour enemy) cannot allure vs from God, for God hath called vs to himselfe. The flesh (that is an interiour enemy) cannot driue vs to sinne, for God hath iustified vs by Christ. The Diuell (he is a superior enemy) cannot damne vs in hell, for God hath glorified vs in heauen. Nemo nos laedit, nisi qui Deum vincit, saith Ansel. Ans. in Rom. 8.31. we are in good case, our soules are safe, no man can hurt vs, but he which can ouercome euen God himselfe.

2 Secondly, for our temporall estates, God is with vs there too; and that either to defend vs in time of aduersity, as God was with Ioseph in [Page 12]the prison, Gen. 39.21. or to aduance vs in time of prosperity, as God was with Dauid in Sauls Court; 1. Sam. 16.18. or generally to prosper with hap­py successe all our actions, and to incline vnto vs all mens affections, as God was with Iohn Baptist, Luk. 1.66. Take it how you will, eue­ry one of these waies God was with King Asa, as Azariah heretels him. First, [...]d was with him to prosper his handy worke, for hee built fenced Cities in Iuda, and the land had rest and peace, 2 Chron. 14.6 Secondly, he not onely de­fended him against an inuincible army, such as I thinke was neuer heard of in the world be­fore, an hoast of a thousand thousand men; but aduanced him & inriched him with their spoyles, whilest he sacked, and ransacked their glorious tents, and carried away innumerable spoiles into his owne Country. Thus the Lord was with him, and be prospered accordingly.

Would any man be happy in his labour? Let him goe to worke [...] As Peter laboured all night and caught nothing, because Christ was not with him, Luk. 5.5. so many sweat and toyle, and striue in the sea of this world, and [Page 13]catch nothing, because God is not with them. If God be with thee, euery thing shall goe well with thee; yea, if God be with thee, it matters not what, nor where thou be: wert thou with Samson enuironed with an army of Philistines, if the Lord be with thee, thou shalt destroy thē all. Wert thou with the three children in an hot fierie furnace, if the Lord bee with thee, thou shalt come out vnsinged. Wert thou with Ionas in the Whales belly, if the Lord bee with thee, thou shalt be cast safe on the land againe. Wert thou with Daniel in the Lyons den, if the Lord be with thee, thou shalt not be touched. Wert thou with Paul and Barnabas in chaines in the darke dungeon, if the Lord be with thee, thou shalt be set at liberty. Wert thou with Iohn in the Caldron of scalding oyle, if God be with thee, thou shalt come out vnhurt. What will not Gods presence doe for vs? To what will it not aduance vs? Esther was raysed from a cap­tiue to a Queene, for God was with her, Est. 5.2. Dauid promoted a pedo ad sceptrum, from the sheephooke to the Scepter, for God was with him, Psal. 78.71. Ioseph set vp from a prisoner at [Page 14]the bar, to a Magistrate on the bench, for God was with him, Gen. 41.43. Elizeus changed, ab ar atore, in orator om, from a Plowman, to a Prea­cher, for God was with him, 1. King. 19.20. The Apostles were made, ex piscatoribus, Epi­scopi, of fishermen, fishers of men, for God was with them; Mat. 4.19. Finally, as Philosophy told Seneca Senec. E­pist. 41., Bonus vir fine Deo nemo est. No man can be good without God. So Christiani­ty tels vs, Beatus vir sine Deo nemo est. No man can be prosperous without God.

And therefore let this Dominus nobiscum, be our Panchrestum, a medicine for all maladies; when wee come to preach, let Dominus nobis­cum take vp the text; when you come to heare, let Dominus vobiscum prepare your attention; whē you go forth, let Dominus vobiscū be your vadè meoum, and inseparable associate; when you part with your friends and seruants to sea, say Dominus vobiscum, for a Pilot to waft them. To conclude, as St. Augustine Aug. ad Valer. Epist. 77. said of his Deo gratius, Thankes be to God; so I of my Domi­nus vobiscum, The Lord be with you. Hoc nec dici breuius, nec audiri laetius, nec intelligi grandius, [Page 15]nec agi fructuosius potest. This thing is such, that nothing can bee said more briefly, nothing heard more gladly, nothing vnderstood more largely, nothing done more fruitfully.

O but, say some, how shall I gaine him? how shall I bee made partaker of this rich treasure? My text tells you in the next words, Dominus vobiscum, si fueritis cum eo: The Lord is with you, if you be with him; and that is the second member of this first part.

2 If you be with him.

If we be with him. Why how can that bee? God is in heauen, we on the earth, Eceles. 5.2. How can earth flie vp into heauen to be with God? True, therefore God comes down from heauen to dwel with earth, Psal. 113.6. though his dwelling be in heauen, yet hee humbleth himselfe to behold the things in heauen and in earth. What is meant by beholding, but dwel­ling? by heauen & earth, but a righteous man? saith Augustine August in Psal. 112., who is Heauen propter spi­ritus libertatem, for the libertie of the spirit; and earth, propter corporis seruitutem, for the serui­tude of the body. Now hee with whom God [Page 16]dwels, is certainely with God; and so wee are with him, because he is with vs.

More plainely, two waies a man is said to be with God, in intellectu & affectu, in the vn­derstanding and iudgement; and with the will & affections. In our vnderstanding, when we know him; in our affectinos, when wee loue him. But both these must goe together, to be perfectly with God, Non enim potes saith S. Ber­nard Bernard. aut amare quem non nouerit, aut habere quē non amaueris, Thou canst: not either loue him whom thou doest not know, or inioy him whom thou doest not loue.

First therefor, we are with him, if we know him; and from him, if we know him not. Not that wee can perfectly know him, and there­fore cannot perfectly be with him. That we cannot perfectly know him, the sharpest wits haue confessed. Trismegistus among other titles called him [...] that is, as Lactantius Lo [...] de ira Dei, lib. 8. cap. 11. ex­pounds it, Tantus, vt ab bomine not possit aut ver­bis enarrari, aut sensibus astimari, So great that he can neither be expressed in words, nor concei­ued in thought. And as August. Aug. lib. de cog. ver. vit. & de verb. Dom. serm. 38. sweetly, The [Page 17]best part of our knowledge is, rather to know what hee is not, then what hee is. For as a cu­rious Statue or forme is composed & brought into perfection by hewing and cutting some­thing still from it, not by adding any thing vn­to it: so this great Lord is knowne of vs, by de­nying him such and such like things as are common to the creatures, and by [...]ing away humane conceits from him, wher [...] [...]e goe a­bout to conceiue what he is.

But though we know him not wholy as he is in himselfe, yet we may & must know him holily as he is in his Word. For as the King is knowne what hee is by his Lawes, so God is perceiued who he is by his Will; neither is any man so farre from God, as he which knowes not his Word and Commandement.

And thus two sorts of men are seuered from God; the ignorant, and the erroneous. The ig­norant; for such are not with God, they are they know not where; God dwels in light, but the ignorant man is in darkenesse, and there­fore he is said to grope, Act. 17.27. In this case were all wee before Christ came, and all Hea­thens [Page 18]thens now vnto whō Christ is not yet come. They are not in this world with God, but they are with the god of this world. And the god of this world is the Diuell in the world to come, who shall punish them for not knowing the true God that made them. Ignorance, whe­ther ther it be a sin, as in such as might know, or a punishment of sinne, as in such as could not know, it is in both, not iusta excusatio, but [...]. ad Sixt. Epist. 105. iusta damnatio; no iust excusall at the barre of Gods iudgement, but a iust refusal from the ioyes of Heauen.

And as bad or vvorse is the erroneous man: For he wilfully goes out of the way, when the hand poynts him to the true path. Hee is not vvith God, for God is truth, and he is run mad­ding with the many-headed monster, Errour. How many by a peruersenesse of iudgement, think they are with Christ, when they be with Antichrist? that suppose they bee with the Church of God, when they are with the Syna­gogue of Satan? that imagine they bee vvith Iesus, when they are with the Iesuits? that hope they are in the gates of heauen, when they bee [Page 19]in the mouth of hell? Sulpitius Seuerus in vit. S. Martin. lib. 1. tels a story, That neer the Citie where S. Martin sate, there was a religious place much frequented, on it an Altar built, at it much deuotion vsed, because as vvas thought, certain Martyrs there had suffered for the name of Christ. S. Martin being troubled that he knew not vvhat Mar­tyrs they were, after hee had abstained for a vvhile from the place, at time conuenient hee repaired thither, and fell a praying to God, that he would declare vvho and vvhat Martyrs these were, vvhose renowne had so famoused that frequent place. At last, there starts out a ghost of a gastly and grisly aspect, and tels him his name and his condition, Latronem se fuisse ob scelera percussum, That he vvas no Saint, but a sinner, not of the company of Martyrs, but murderers; cùm illos gloria, se poena retineret, seeing they were in glory and happinesse, he in paine and torment. Thus this credulous peo­ple thought they vvere with God, or some Saint, vvhen they vvere vvith the Diuell and a Theefe.

May wee not iustly thinke our Romanish [Page 20] Samaritanes in the same danger, vvho worship they know not what? That thinke by their de­uotion they do seruice to heauen, vvhen. it may be, their Saint to whom they be deuoted, is in hell. And then as their Canus Lib. 5. cap. 5. quae. 5. con. 3. tels them, Nihil refert Diabolum colas, an hominem condemnatum, It is all one, to vvorship the diuell & a damned soule. I vvil not lay this to their charge, though some of their owne mistrust it, nor vvill I say they vvorship some theef, though Antichrist be the greatest theefe in the vvorld, robbing God of his honour, Christ of his office, the Church of the Scripture, Christs Saints of their liues: but thus much I say, they are not where they say they are, for they are in error & blindnesse, vvhen they boast they be in light and verity.

And this is so much more in excusable, by how much they shut their eyes against the light, and like the Iewes put from them the vvords of eternall life, Act. 13.46. For the learn­ed; though they cannot but see many of their errours, yet as Pliny Plin. lib. 5. cap. 1. said of some such like, Ig­nor antiae pudore mentiri non piget; being asha­med to be found ignorant, they are not afraid [Page 21]to lie. And for the vnlearned, the Iesuiticall blinde obedience hath made them bold to re­fuse all light of most holy truth; insomuch as they will neither be vvith God that made thē, nor their Countrey that bred them, nor the Church that begat them, nor their friends that are neere them, nor their Soueraigne that pro­tects them.

But for our selues: seeing God is vvith vs by preaching, let vs be with him by practice; no place of the vvorld, where God shines so bright as in England; no place of England, like London; no place of London, like this; this is Bethel, the House of God; here haue you the choysest vvits, the grauest heads, the sharpest iudgements, continually emptying themselues vnto you, that vvhosoeuer comes in among you, may truely fal dovvne in admiration, and say, Now verily God is in you indeed. 1. Corinth. 14.25.

Secondly, men are vvith God in affection, and by no affection so much as by loue; the soule is rather vvhere it loueth, then vvhere it liueth. And so that soule vvhich loueth God, [Page 22]is wholy with him in heauen, whilest the bo­dy is on earth. It is true that Augustine Aug. de ciu. Dei, lib. 14. cap. 7. notes, that Recta voluntas, is bonus amor, an vpright will is a good loue, and loue is the Master of the affections, yea the summe of them, for they are all reduced to that; for loue, when it longs for the thing loued, cupiditas est, is then desire; and when it hath the thing it loues, laetitia est, it is then ioy; On the contrary, when it flies from the thing it affects not, timor est, then it is feare; & when it feeles the thing it desires not, tristitia est, it is sadnesse. Thus all the affections desire, ioy, feare, & griefe, are included in loue. So then, if we loue God, we wil desire to enioy him, saying, Cupio dissolui et esse cum Christo, Phil. 1.23. I desire to bee dissolued, and to bee with Christ. And hauing enioyed him, wee will reioyce to keepe him, saying, Psal. 4.6. Lord, lift vp the light of thy countenance vpon me. This is more ioy to men, then wicked men haue, when their corne and Wine and oyle is increased. And hauing so kept him wee will feare to lose him, crying, Psal. 27.9. Hide not thy face from mee: put not thy seruant a­vvay [Page 23]in displeasure. And feeling him leaue vs, vve will grieue at his absence, with this lamen­tation, Psal. 22.9. My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

Thus then by loue we are with God: chari­tie is a bond, yea the bond of perfection, which linketh vs to God, and God to vs; we are vvith him, if we loue him; from him, if we loue him not; and loue him we cannot, if vvee loue any thing before him, any thing beside him, any thing beyond him. We loue somthing before him, when vve preferre any thing to him; vve loue something beside him, vvhen wee ioyne any thing with him; vve loue somthing be­yond him, vvhen wee ioy more in it, then in him. Therefore Augustine Aug. de doct. Christ. lib. 1. cap. 22. expounds the pre­cept, Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God, with all thy heart, with all thy soule, with all thy strength, of supereminent and ouerflowing loue; Vt si quid aliud diligendum venerit in ani­mum, illuc rapiatur, quo totius dilectionis impetuss currit: That if any other thing offers it selfe to be loued of vs, it should be carried along, and made to runne together with vs to the loue of [Page 24]God. This is spiritually to bee with him in soule in this world, that soule and body may be eternally with him in the World to come.

O then, the misery of vncharitable sinners! who are so hard-hearted that they care not for God, neither is God in all their thoughts, Psal. 13. That say vnto God, Depart from vs, for we regard not the knowledge of thy Lawes, Iob 22.17. Amōg which is the ambitious man that dotes vpon Courtlike preferment; the proud man, that pursues glorious titles & vain applause; the luxurious man, that sets the flesh before the Spirit; the inconstant man, that changes his religion with the time; But prin­cipally the couetous man, who is onely with his money, & makes that his God, and whose heauie bags, and cram'd chest presseth downe his soule, euen as low as hell it selfe. I reade in the life of Saint Anthony of Padua Alfonso Villegas in vita., a late Saint of the Popes coyning, That he preaching at a rich mans funerall on this text, Where your treasure is, there will your heart bee, added in the end, This text is fulfilled in this couetous man, who making his money his treasure, had [Page 25]his heart stolne away from Almighty God. Certaine persons presently going to his Chest to open it, found there his heart, as fresh as if it had been newly taken out of a mans brest. I presse no man in this company to beleeue this, but I presume, many men in this company wil moralize this, hauing hearts not mounting to God by the loue of heauen; but glued to the earth by loue of money, who when they haue done all, can get but Simon Magus his portion; they and their money must perish together. Take heede then, Be with God in your desires and affection, and hee will be with you in his benediction and blessing. Thus hauing fini­shed the handling of this first part: Come we to the second, yet not forgetting to pray Domi­nus nobiscum in this also; It must not leaue vs euen to the end.

And if ye seeke him, he will be found of you, &c.

And this comes by way of answere to a se­cret question, which some might make. You say, God is with vs, if we be with him; & with him we be, if we know him and loue him: But how shal we come to know him, that we may [Page 26]come to loue him, and so be with him? The answere is, By seeking him: If ye seeke him, he will be found of you.

In this please you to consider 2. things. First, The worke. 2. The wages. The worke, To seek God. The wages, The finding of him. The first intending to the last, and the last inuiting to the first. For our promise of finding him, in­uiteth vs to the worke of seeking him.

For the first, to seeke God: It is true, that in this world wee are all at a losse: for hauing all sinned, wee are depriued of the glorie of God, Rom. 3.23. It came to passe with Adam, as with a griping Vsurer, who extorting more then is due, loseth principall and interest both: for A­dam, by struing to know more then was al­lowed him, lost that knowledge which before was granted him; and so became ignorant of God, and ignorant of himselfe. For as a man that is in the darke, cannat see any thing, no not himselfe: So Adams heires being borne in sinne, which is the thickest darknes, are igno­rant, and see not either God their Creator, or themselues his creatures.

Hence it is, that there is continuall seeking vp and downe in the world; so that if a questiō were made, what all the men in the world doe; it might be answered in a word, Quaerunt, they are busie in seeking: somewhat we want, som­what we would haue, though when wee haue it, we are not contented with it, vntill we finde that which is able to satisfie vs, that is, God himselfe. A te Domine sumus, et irrequietum est cor nostrum, donec reuertamur ad te, saith S. Augustine August. confes. lib., From thee (O Lord) we be, and our hearts are neuer at quiet, till wee bee with thee againe.

Now for the finding this blessed God, which will make an end of all our seeking, sundry things are necessary to know, which if they be not vnderstood, may occasion vs to lose all our labour. For, three waies, saith Bernard, Beruard in Cant. ser. 75. men may be frustrated in seeking, Cùm non in tempo­re quaerunt, aut nen sicut oportet, vel non vbi opor­tet. Either if men seeke not in due time, or se­condly, in a right manner, or thirdly, in a fit place.

For the first, We must seeke him in due time, [Page 28] Isa. 55.6. Seeke the Lord while he may be found, call vpon him while he is nigh. Signifiying, that Erit proculdubio cùm inueniri non poterit, Bernard, vt supra. There will bee a time, when hee cannot bee found, & that is, when this life is ended. Now is the acceptable time, now is the day of salua­tion, 2. Cor. 6.1. Thou maist put it off, if thou wilt, Et expectato salutem in medio Gehennae, quae facta est in medio terrae, Bern. ibid. and waite for saluation in the midst of hell, which was wrought for thee in the midst of the earth. When this life hath an end, then our seeking hath an end; and if we finde not here, wee shall be sure to misse hereafter. It is neither Hell, nor Purgatory, nor the Graue that can put vs in any hope of finding God. Here if wee misse, we misse for euer.

O poore seduced Romanists, why should you thinke to finde God in Purgatorie, when yet the wisest men of the Church could neuer find that there is any Purgatory? When Chrisostome Chrys. con. 2. de Lazar. tels you, So long as wee are here, wee haue ex­cellent hope, but being once gone; non est postea situm in nobis poenitere, neque commissa dilüere; [Page 29]It is not in our power afterwards to gaine re­pentance, or to wash away sinne. No Pur­gatorie can then purge vs: Cypryan. ad Deme [...]r. When Cyprian tels you, Hîc vita aut amittitur aut tenetur, Here life and happinesse is either got or lost. When Epiphanius Epipha. cont. haeres. lib. 2. To. 1. hares. 59. tels you; After this life is ended, Impletum est tempus, certamen perfectum euacua tum est stadium, et coronae datae sunt; The time is fulfilled, the combate ended, the race is runne, and the crownes giuen. When Au­gustine Aug. ad Mac. Epist. 54. tels you, Of amendment of manners, there is no place but in this life; For this life being ended, Quis (que) id habebit, quod in hâc sibi conquisiuit, Euery man shall haue that, which hee hath gained in this life. Seeke not, expect not, hope not for God when thou art dead, if thou caredst not to finde him when thou wert aliue.

And as we must seeke him onely in this life, so must we seeke him early in this life, Isa. 21.12. The morning comes, and also the night; if you will seeke, seeke. If euer you meane to be doing, begin betimes. Imitate the holy women, Mar. 16.1. who sought Christ earely, betimes in the [Page 30]morning. Bee stirring in the prime of thy youth; giue God the may den head of thy life: there is no reason Satan should haue the flowr of our daies, & God the bran; that were to of­fer the halt & blind, and lame on his altar, if we begin not to seeke him, till we haue giuen ouer seeking all things else; yea, it is iust, that he in his age should neuer finde him, who in his youth would neuer seeke him. Thus then, learne first to seeke him in due time.

Secondly, remember also to seeke him in the right place. And where is that, saith Greg. Greg. Moral. lib. 18. cap. 15. but In sinu matris Ecclesiae, in the bosome of our mo­ther the Church. Mary Magdalen sought him in his graue, but S. August. August. de temp. ser. 133. reproues her, Quid quaeris in tumulo, quā adorare debes in coelo? why seekest thou him in the graue below, whom thou shouldest adore in the heauens aboue? Ioseph and Mary sought him in the crowde, and among their kindred; but S. Bernard de­maunds, Quomodo, ô bone Iesu, inter cognatos meos te inueniam, qui inter tuos minimè es inuentus? How, O sweet Iesus, shall I finde thee among my secular acquaintance, when thou wert not [Page 31]found among thine owne naturall kinsmen? The Papists seeke him in their Images & Cru­cifixes; But the Scripture teacheth them, Christ which is the Author of verity, cānot be found in an Image, which is a teacher of lyes, Haba. 2.18. And who can thinke, the worke of man can conteine therein the Maker of man; or that that which is not quickned with life in it selfe, can hold Life it selfe that quickneth all things? If any man say, Lo here is Christ, or lo hee is there, beleeue him not. Math, 24.23.

Come therefore to the Scriptures preached in the Church, there shall you finde him, and the Church too. For in a sweet and harmoni­ous manner, wee finde the Scriptures in the Church, and the Church in the Scriptures: we finde the Scriptures in the Church; for to her are committed the Oracles of God, Rom. 3.2. And for this, she is the ground & pillar of truth, 1. Tim. 3.15. And in the Scriptures wee finde the Church, & with the Church, Christ: Else would not Augustine August. ad. Bonif. Epist. 50. haue said; In sanctis Li­bris, vbi manifestatur dominus Iesus, ibi et eius Ecclesia declaratur, In the holy Bookes, where [Page 32]our Lord Christ is manifest, there is also decla­red his holy Church.

Come then to the Church, if you desire to finde Christ. When Ioseph & Mary had lost him, after three dayes labour, at last they found him in the Temple, Luke 2.46. There is his Seate, and there he is still, in medio Dictorum, in the middest of his Ministers, to aide them in preaching, yea, and in medio Discipulorum, in the middest of his Disciples, to heare them in praying. It is well noted by Rabanus, Amat medium Mediator Dei et hominum. The Medi­atour of God and man, loues the middle part alwaies. When he was borne, he was in medio iumentorum, in the midst of the beasts; when he was twelue yeeres old, hee was in medio Do­ctorum, in the middest of the Doctors; vvhen he taught, he stood in medio Discipulorum, in the midst of his Disciples; when he dyed, he was in medio Latronum, in the midst of the Theeues: Now hee is in heauen, hee is in medio Ange­lorum, in the midst of his Angels; and yet also in medio Christianorum, in the midst of vs Chri­stians, according to that, Math. 18.20. Where­soeuer [Page 33]two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the middest of them. To this house then let vs come: For where should we sind one, but in his owne house?

And therefore Cant. 1.7. when the Church demanded of Christ, Vbi pascis, vbi cubas in me­ridie? Where dost thou feed, vvhere dost thou lye at noone-day? she receiued this answere, If thou knowest not, follow the footsteps of the flockes to the tents of the Shepheards. That is, saith Hugo Card. in Cant. 1.7. Hugo Cardinalis, Attende opera et affectus Eclesiasticorum conuentuum; Looke vpon the actions & affections or the Church assemblies; Or as Lyra ad loc. Cant. 17. Lyra, Abi post vestigia fidelium ad sedes Doctorum: Follow the footsteps of the faithfull, to the seates of the Doctors: As if he had said, Goe to the Preachers which teach, & the faith­full that heare, there thou shalt quickly & easi­ly finde me.

Thirdly, as we must seeke him in due time, and place fitting, so also in a right manner. And this is all in all: For though one keepe his Quando, and his Vbi, and obserue not his Sicut oportet, if he keepe time and place, and not the [Page 34]right maner, he is neuer the better. Now this Sicut, comprehends sundry other aduerbs, that must be obscrued in seeking God.

First, Caste, purely and chastly. Seeke God for himselfe, not for sinister causes, and by-re­spects. Iesum propter Iesum, seeke IESVS for saluation by IESVS: Aug. de verb. Dom. serm. 49. Quisquis à Deo praeter Deum aliquid quaerit, non castè Deum quaerit: Whosoeuer seekes any thing of God, but God himselfe, seekes him not chastly, nor purely. If a woman loue her husband because he is rich, her loue is not chast: for how would she doc if he were made poore? If she cleaue to him for his riches, Non maritum amat, sed aurum mariti, August. vt suprà Shee loues not him, but his gold. So hee which seekes God for promotion, for profit, for any thing saue onely for himselfe, seekes him not right. This, saith Bernard, Bern. in Psal. Qui habitat. ser. is singular grace, singular perfection, Non modò nil sperare nisi ab eo, sed nil quaerere nisi eum: Not onely to expect nothing but from him, but also to seeke nothing but euen him.

Secondly, Veraciter, truly, not fictitiously and hypocritically. It is his promise, Deut. 4.29. [Page 35]Thou shalt finde the Lord, if thou seeke him with thy whole heart, and with all thy soule: otherwise, wee haue no assurance to find him. When we seeke but in shew, we shal finde but in shew.

Thirdly, Feruenter, zealously & earnestly: not superficially and perfunctoriously, as if we were indifferent whether we found him or not: but as Salomons Schollers seekes for wise­dome, Prou. 2.4. Seeking him as for siluer, & searching for him, as for hid treasure. Or as Samson sought drinke, Iudg. 15.18. If thou giue me no water, I die for thirst. So Augustine cryed August. confes., Quicquid dare mihi vult Dominus meus, auferat totum, et se mihi det; What-euer my Lord will be pleased to giue mee, let him take all a­gaine, and giue me himselfe.

Fourthly, Perseueranter, with perseuerance and continuance, Psal. 105. Seeke the Lord and his strength, seeke his face euermore. For when wee haue found him for one thing, yet may we misse him for another thing. There­fore S. Augustine August. in Psal. 104. saith, Our seeking for God, signifieth our louing of God. Now loue must [Page 36]continue and increase, et amore crescente, inquisi­tio crescatinuenti: And as our loue increaseth, so our seeking of him (though we haue found him) must increase too. And surely if our hearts be surely set on him, we shall haue little minde on any thing else. Plutarch Plut. Moral. T [...]. 2. pag. 116. tels how Nicias a Painter, was so pleased with his owne worke, that he forgat many times his meats, & would aske his seruants whether he had dined that day. So if our hearts be well fixt on God beauty, we shal minde nothing so much as en­quirie after him. And as Zacheus hauing found Christ, presently gaue away halfe his wealth at one dash, Luk. 19.8. as if now hee had meant neuer to regard the world; so when wee haue found God, we shall little regard any thing else, saue only to keepe and retaine him in our soules.

Fiftly, vnicè, we must seeke and inquire for him, and him alone; Non aliud tanquam illum, non aliud praeter illum, non aliud post illum, saith Bernard Bern. ser. 2 de alt. & bass. cord., not any thing as him, not any thing beside him, not any thing after him. As Iacob said when he heard of his son Ioseph, I haue e­nough, &c. So when wee haue found Christ [Page 37]our spirituall Ioseph, we should both think and say, I haue enough, I desire no more: For Aua­re, saith Augustin Aug. de verb. Apost. serm. 16. Quid tibi sufficit, si non sufficit Deus? Couetous wrecth! what will serue thy turne, if God be not enough for thee? There­fore a [...] the East gate in Ezekiels temple, was e­uer shut, and must neuer bee opened, because God went once thorow it, Ezek. 24.2. So the heart of a Christian should bee shut to all other obiects whatsoeuer, and be left open onely to Almighty God. And as they write of the Cli­torian Well Vitr. lib. 8 cap. 3. Ouid. Metam.:

Whosoeuer dranke of that fountaine, could neuer abide to drinke wine after it: so we ha­uing tasted of the blessed waters of life flow­ing from God himselfe, we should neuer desire nor thirst after the wines of fleshly delights, but cheerefully reioyce & say as the Church, In­troduxit mè Rex in cellaria suâ Cant. 1.4. The King hath brought me into his Wine-cellar; we will be glad and reioyce in thee, wee will remember thy loue more then wine.

Thus hee that seekes God, shall bee sure to finde. But one thing wee must not forget to remember, that we can neuer seeke him, vnlesse he first of al finde vs; for of our selues we haue no power, nor will to looke after him, vntil he hath moued vs, and rowzed vs vp to it. As all seeking is vaine, vnlesse we seeke him? so all see­king of him is in vaine, vnlesse he finde vs. Ber­nard Bern. de dilig. Deo. doubted not to say, Nemo, Domine, te quae­rere valet, nisi qui prius inuenerit: No man, O Lord, can seeke thee, but hee who hath first found thee. Wouldst thou be found of vs? Thē first doe thou finde vs. Potes quaeri et inueniri, non tamen prae ueniri: Thou maist be sought and found of vs, but not till thou hast sought and found out vs thy selfe Dauid Psal. 88.13. said, Hee would preuent God with his prayer; but God must first preuent Dauid with his Spirit: he is first to euery man, no man first to him.

And surely hence it is, that there bee so few that truely seeke God; many that seeke the world and themselues: some that seeke they know not what. Either men heare not the voice of God speaking vnto thē, but suffocate [Page 39]and choake vp the good motions of the Spirit, or else giue eare to the voice of the world, hear­kening rather to the Marchants of Ianus, say­ing, Quaerenda pecunia primùm est: Seeke money before vertue, rather then to the Ministers of IESVS, speaking, Quaerite primùm Regnum Dei, Math. 6.33. Seeke yee first the Kingdome of God. Neuer Citie, neuer Church had more ex­hortation to seeke God then this; and yet, O how few doe practise it aright! Pliny Plin. lib. 14. in Pro­oem. saith, There are some trees which are called Arbores indociles, quae in alienas non cōmeant terras: indo­cible trees, that will bee taught to growe no where, but where they were first bred. Doe not thinke me blind, if I tell you I see many wal­king in the Garden of this Citie like trees, that are indocible to any thing saue to the course they haue bin bred in, trading for money, and seeking for gaine. For the purchase of heauen, by expence of earthly pelfe; this Marchan­dize we cannot teach them, though we labour it neuer so much. This they thinke is an vnpro­fitable studie, they desire not to be conuersant in it. The common search is, Quis ostendet no [Page 40]bis bona? Psal. 4.6. Whither shall we goe for a good bargaine? where shall wee finde a good purchase?

And it were infinite to reckon vp other see­kers, who greedily pursue euery man his pro­per delight. Onely God among them left out, and either not sought for at all, or else in the last place, when wee are able to seeke nothing else. And yet if we should spend all our life in seeking out seuerall delights, peraduenture all would proue but infructuosus labor, Aug. ad Lar. Epist. 82. vnprofita­ble paine: or if we should find them, all would be but fallax suauitas, deceitfull sweetnesse, like S. Iohns booke, Reu. 10.9. sweet as honey in the mouth, & bitter as gall in the belly. Onely God is worth the finding; onely, God will not frustrate our seeking; so is his promise: So our Text tels vs, If ye seeke him, he will be found of you. And this is the second point, The wages. We haue heard what is the worke, to seeke God; now are we come to the wages, The finding of him.

He will be found of you.

There is nothing so acceptable to a man, as not to bee frustrate in his hope & expectation. [Page 41] Multos expertus sum, qui fallere volunt, saith Au­gustine Aug. conf. lib. 10. cap. 23. qui autem falli neminem: I haue had tri­all of many that would deceiue, but neuer of any that would be deceiued. Nothing so wel­come to a seeker, as to finde; but to finde God, is to a Christian more pleasing, then when the Mariner findes the shore, the Marchantrich wares, the labourer his hire, the Traueller his iourneyes end. For God is the Centre to which all hearts mooue, and when they are come to him, they rest as being fully satisfied.

Now there is 2. degrees of finding God; One in this life, the other in the life to come: In this world he is found per fidem, by faith; in the o­ther world, per speciem, by sight: In this world we finde him by faith: for, credere, inuenisse est, Bern. Bern. in Cant. ser. 76. To beleeue, is to haue found him; but this giues vs not full content, therefore we seek him still; I am quippe illum inuenit fides, sed adbuc illum quaerit spes, saith Aug. Aug. in Psal. 104. Faith hath found him here, but hope lookes to finde him better hereafter: And loue doth both these, Charitas et inuenit eum per sidem, et eum quaer it habere per speciem: Charity hath both found him here by [Page 42]faith, and yet further seekes for him by sight. And though he dwels in an inaccessible light, whither no man can enter, 1. Tim. 6.16. yet faith pryeth and presseth in vnto him, in his most se­cret closet of glory: yea, Quid non inuenit fides? saith Bernard. Bern. in Cant. ser. 76. What will not faith finde out? Attingit inaccessa, deprehendit ignota, &c. It rea­cheth to things inaccessible, it findes out things vnvtterable, comprehends things vnmeasura­ble, apprehends things vnapproachable; yea, it incloseth within the large bosome of it, euen Eternity it selfe.

The benefits which faith gaines by finding God in this life, are two. 1. Remission of sins. 2. Imputation of righteousnesse. First, remission of sinnes, for it translates a man from Moses to the Messias; from the Law condemning, to the Gospell absoluing. Zacharias was stricken dumbe, when Christ was to be borne, Luk. 1.20. in token that the Law was to besilent whē the Gospell should be preached. And as the womans accusers brought her to Christ, and afterwards dropt away and left none but them two alone, Iohn 8.9. Remansit magna miseria & [Page 43]magnamisericordia, saith August. Aug. in Psal. There remai­ned no body, but misery and mercy together: So when the Law hath schooled vs with the rod of terror, it atlast brings vs to Christ, the Prince of Peace, & there we finde our iniqui­ties forgiuen, and our consciences at quiet.

So also it gaines vs imputation of righteous­nes: For Christ which dwels in our hearts by faith, Eph. 3.17. communicates his gifts and graces where he dwels. So that what is his, is ours, that is, righteousnes; as once what vvas ours, was made his, that is, sinne. And surely, saith Bernard, Bern. Epist. 190. This righteousnesse, is Tutior do­nata, quàm innata: More safe when it is giuen vs, then sauing when it is wrought by vs: be­cause, this may haue glory, but not before God. No, Ea Deum perfecta, & omnimoda gloriatio est in Deo, saith S. Basil, Basil. se [...], de humilit. That is perfect & sound glorying in the sight of God, when a man feeles himselfe destitute of true righteousnesse, and expects alone by faith to receiue righteous­nesse from God. Thus we finde him by faith in this world.

Secondly, hope findes him by sight in the [Page 44]world to come: and this is truely to find him, because then we shall enioy him; he shall bee with vs, and in vs, yea, all in all, 1. Cor. 15.28. What is all in all? saith S. Aug. Aug. de verb. Apost. serm. 16. Quic quid hic quaerebas, quic quid hic promagno habebas, ipse ti­bi erit: Whatsoeuer here thou hast sought af­ter, whatsoeuer heere thou hast admired and pursued, that shall God bee there vnto thee. What? was it meate & drinke thou hungredst after? Why, Erit tibi cibus & potus: God shall bee meate and drinke vnto thee: was it glory and preferment thou gapedst after? God shall be that vnto thee too. It may bee thou wert couetous, and couldst not be satisfied with mo­ney? Auare▪ quid tibi sufficit, si Deus ipse non sufficit? O couetous wretch! what will bee i­nough for thee, if hauing found God, thou yet findest thy selfe empty? Heere wee are at the Center; here, at the Well-head; heere wee may drink, & fill all the empty corners of our heart, which could neuer bee satisfied in this world before.

If this will not incourage vs to seeke him, what will? Thus much is certaine: If we seeke [Page 45]him not to finde him, wee forsake him & lose him. And that is the thing which he threatens vs, in the next words:

If ye forsake him, he will forsake you.

Hitherto we haue beene allured with sweet promises, now he comes to seuere menacing: And it is worth the noting; here are two alluring promises, for one terrifying threat. Two for one, and those in the first place; which shewes how milde, how gracious our God is; and how vnwilling to vse iustice, if mercy would preuaile.

In this third member, consider culpa & poena: the finne, and the penalty; The sin, to forsake God; The penalty, to be forsaken of God.

If ye forsake him.

For the first, Forsaking of God: One would thinke, that man, the Prince of vnderstanding and reason, should neuer be so subiect to blind­nesse and error, as to forsake God, which is the very soule of blisse, and blisse of the soule. I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life, saith Christ, Ioh. 14.16. Whither wouldst thou goe, saith Aug? Aug. hom. 34. inter. 50. Christ is the Truth, where wouldst thou tarry? [Page 46]He is the Life, by what path woldst thou trace? He is the Way. Doth any man thinke to gaine life by running from it? Hugo Card. in Mat. 24. saith Hugo Card. Yet such is the madnes of man since the Fall, that hee hath no minde to draw neere to God; but as Adam hid himselfe in the thickest of Para­dise from the knowledge of God: so his heires desire to conceale themselues in the mists and foggynes of carnall delights, from the God of knowledge. As sore eyes desire not to behold the Sunne: so a guilty conscience hath no mind to draw neere to God, but rather Cain-like to depart from the presence of the Lord, Gen. 4.16 into the Land of Nod, the land of banishment, to liue in perpetuall exile from all grace and goodnesse.

And this would all men doe, were there not appointed of God, Ministers to call vpon vs, the Word whereby to call, and a Church whereinto to call vs; that we may find God for grace here, and glory hereafter. Although in­deed, no sinne be comparable to this, that the creature should fall away & depart from the Creator. Isa. 1.4. Heare the Prophets, They haue forsa­ken [Page 47]the Lord, they haue prouoked the Holy one of Israel to anger, they haue gone backe­ward. And Ier. 2.19. It is an euill thing and a bitter, that thou hast forsakē the Lord thy God, and that his feare is not in thee. And S. Peter, 2. Pet. 2.21. It had beene better not to haue knowne the Word of Truth, then hauing ta­sted of it, to fall away into error. And there­fore Aquinas s saith, Aquin. 2. secun. quaest. 12. a. 1. Though Apostasie be not infidelitie properly, yet is it circumstantia aggra­nans eam, a circumstance aggrauating it, and making it worse. And it must needs bee so. For God is Summum Bonum, the neerer a man comes to God, the neerer hee is to goodnesse▪ and the further a man departs from him, the further he is from goodnesse. Now as Ambr. Ambr. in Psal. 118. ser. 15. Non interuallo locorum Deus relinquitur, sed pra­uitate morum: God is not forsaken by distance of place, but by lewdnes of manners. And he forsakes God most, that is farthest from good­nesse.

And yet for all this, though by the Word & Sacraments, men are drawne to God, many regard not to come at all, or else beeing once [Page 48]come, depart from him againe; cleauing to an­other obiect, as the Prodigall to the Hog­heard, Luk. 15.15. embracing vitreum, non ve­rum Margaritum; a glistring vanity, in stead of celestiall verity.

Abulens [...]ad loc. The wayes wherby men more particularly fall from God, are Foure.

First, as Tostatus well notes, de relinquendo le­gem Dei, by forsaking Gods Law, that is, his ser­uice and worship established in the Church. By Religion we are Deoreligati, bound & tyed vnto God. Whereupon it is, that such as for­sake Religion, saith Lactan. Lact. Inst. lib. 4. cap. 4. are compared fi­lijs abdicatis, aut seruis fugitiuis, either to forlorn sonnes, or fugitiue seruants, wherof one seekes not to his father, nor the other to his Master.

I trust there is no necessity that I should ex­hort you to constancy in Religion; you can­not but see, how infinitely God hath blessed this Land since the Gospell flourished: your bodies haue felt it in case and pleasure; your soules tasted of it in grace and vertue; your estates growne fat by it, in plenty and abun­dance; your hearts been ioyed with it, in peace [Page 49]and prosperity. Should wee now feare a defe­ction? What though some few straggling frogs haue been catched in the net of a Popish Fisher? What is this to the See of our Church? What maruell, though some few seeme to fall to the Popish religion, that were neuer of any before? Certainely, I presume of this place, this City, this Kingdome, that you would desire rather to perish out of the world, then that true Religion should perish out of the Church.

And for our comfort, wee haue his Maiesty for our patterne; who as his iudgement and learning informes him against falshood: so his affections & desires confirme him to the truth: That should Rome, and all Romanists come to him, and make it a request, to mingle their old dregs with our pure Water of life; as once they came to Valentinian, Amb. orat. de obit. Va­len. to intreat for Templorumiura, sacerdotiorum prophana priuile­gia: The old ceremonies of Idolatrous Tem­ples, prophane priuiledges of their superstitious Priesthood: He would vndoubtedly answere them, as that famous Valentinian did; Quod pius frater eripuit, quomodò à me putatis esse redden­dum, [Page 50]quum in eo Religio laedatur & frater? That which my Brother King Edward the Sixt, (let meadde my Sister too, Queene Elizabeth of famous memory) did take away, how would you haue me to restore again, considering, that therein I should wrong Religion, & them too? Certainely, wee should be very disloyall to his Maiesty, if wee should with a needlesse feare perplexe our selues with that, wherein wee ought to beleeue him most firme and con­stant.

What then, shall we be secure? No; but the more that Satan striues to supplant vs, the fir­mer footing let vs take. If Priests and Iesuites swarme in houses, let vs so much more de­uoutely flocke together in Churches. If they seduce the wauering, let vs cōfirme the weake. As they plod for Antichrist, let vs take paines for Christ. Plut. Plut. lib. de vtilit. ab host. cap. tels vs, that it is a wisemans part to get commodity, euen from an enemie. Let vs striue to gaine thus much from them, to double our diligence in the preaching and practising of Religion: and then wee neede not feare forsaking of God, by falling from [Page 51]Religion. Et reuera cùm quae (que) nouitas e­bullit, sta­tim cernitur frumentorū grauitas, et leuitas pa­learum. Vincent. contra Haeriss. It may be now is a time wherein God would discerne between frumentorum grauitas, & leuitas palearum, as Cyprian and Vincentius speake: the weight and flowrinesse of good corne, which he reserues for his Garner; and the lightnesse and vnprofitablenesse of chaffe, which he determines for hell fire. Hee that is faithfull vnto the death, shall bee sure to inioy the Crowne of Life. Reu. 2.10.

The second way whereby men forsake God, is, by forsaking his Ministry, in withdrawing their maintenance and Liuelode from them. The Ministry is Seminarium Ecclesiae: The Churches seed-plot: destroy that, and farewell Religion. And destroyed it will be, if not che­rished and maintayned by sufficient meanes. O the damned sinne of Sacriledge! how it strikes as the roote of Religion, & aimes at the Maiestie of God himselfe! Lact. Inst. lib. 2. cap. 4. And therefore La­ctantius notes, That God punished it among the Heathens, because (though hee cared not for any iniurie done to an Idoll, yet) he would make men afraid of withdrawing any thing from him, whom they in their blind iudge­ment [Page 52]tooke for the true God. And this was vsuall. Lucan.

Who euer saw the gods spoyled & robbed, without condigne punishment? And the main­tenance of the Ministry is Gods maintenance; because it serues for the vpholding his imme­diate seruice and worship.

It is true, Hugo Card. in Isa. 49.23. I grant, that Hugo Cardinalis notes, that the reuenews of the Clergy is the Chur­ches food, and when the Church was young like a childe, it ouer-ate it selfe, and surfeited. But as surfeiting & diseases of oppletion must be cured with purging: so hath this course been taken, and our Church ouer-purged this way, that she is now on the other side in dan­ger of a Consumption through too much eua­cuation. I know not how that same auri sacra fames; Virgil. or auri sacri fames hath growne into eue­ry mans stomacke, that hee thinkes all is well gotten, which is pilfered from the Church.

I know where I am, and to whom I speake. I suppose it is farre from the minde of this City [Page 53]to forsake God or Religion, by withdrawing the Ministeriall maintenance. I know, you giue much, and freely, to painefull and labori­ous men. You loue (I confesse) our preaching, and will countenance it with your presence & purses; but giue mee leaue, I beseech you, to tell, that there be in this City, who like not of vs, because (though wee preach, yet) wee can worke no Miracles. How is that? Because (in plaine English) wee cannot liue now as our Predecessors did an hundred yeeres agoe, of twenty or thirty pounds a yeere; which to doe, in my iudgement, were no lesse then a Miracle. And these men can thinke it fit to raise the fee of euery the meanest officer, and to tye the Minister to his old stint, as if his calling were not worth the vpholding.

Others there he, who are so far from giuing any thing that is their owne, that they with­hold what is the Ministers owne. Lastly, some, who had rather giue it to any, then their owne Pastor. I would there were more discretion on euery side: I would not haue it spoken of this City, as it was spoken of Sylla, Plut. in Sylla. Multa eri­piebat, [Page 54]donabat plura: He iniuriously wrested many things from the right owners, and gaue away prodigally much vnto others; insomuch as it was a great question, Naturá ne contemp­tor hominum, an adulator fuerit? Whether natu­rally he were more a scorner or flatterer of mē. It would much impeach the wisedome of this City, to bee in this various humour, to offer iniury to one, and shew courtesie to another. I speake not in mine owne behalfe; I thanke God; it is a part of my happinesse, that my lot hath falne in such a place, as hitherto hath afforded mee loue and courtesie, not neglect and vnkindnesse; and I wish it had beene so with others also.

But one thing I beseech you giue mee leaue to informe you in: I am bound to wish well to the Church in generall, but specially in this City, where I am like to liue (for ought I know) and to spend my dayes; I would not conceale any thing which might doe good. Miser est Imperator apud quem vera reticentur: as he said, That Prince, that State is in an euill case, from whom the truth is concealed. Iul. Capit. Gard. 3. You haue here [Page 55]in this City, many that feede vpon your boun­ty, who haue Liuings, yea, charge of soules of their owne abroade in the Countrey. Do you thinke you doe well, to giue entertainment to these men? When you take the next course to pull downe Religion, and to make their peo­ple forsake God, as they haue forsaken their people? Will you maintaine a man in the neg­lect of his owne charge? Can it be honesty for any mans wife, to loue another womans husband? Shall that bee accounted lawfull among vs, which Scriptures, Councels, Fa­thers, Canons, Papists, Brownists, and all the world condemnes?

O bee aduised in your charity! Spoyle not so excellent a worke in the manner of doing. There are ynow will attend you, as sufficient as these. Thinke hereon, I beseech you, and the Lord giue you vnderstanding in all things.

The third way whereby men forsake God, is, By vnthankfulnesse. For that vice denies God, and withdrawes mans heart from the Lord: Peremptoriares est ingratitudo, hostis gra­tiae, inimica salutis, saith Bern. Bern. ser. 3. de sept. pan. d Ingratitude is [Page 56]a killing sinne, an enemy to grace, a foe to sal­uation. Yea it is a parching & a nipping wind, drying vp the fountaine of mercy & compas­sion. It vtterly separates God and man asunder: for by it wee runne from him, as the Prodi­gall from his father, and he departs from vs, as the life from the dying limbes.

It were a shame that wee should be charged with this sinne, who of all people should bee farthest from it. And yet we must confesse, we haue ill requited the Lord for his mercies. It is not long, since it pleased him to open the windowes of Heauen, and to send vs abun­dance of Corne: which, when it should haue moued thankefulnes; it procured murmuring and complayning on all sides. Since, wee see, how the Lord hath withdrawne his hand, cha­stened vs with penurie; as appeares (among many other sensible arguments) by the infinite number of Poore, swarming in the streets; for whom, had not some good order beene taken by the Lord Maior and the graue Senators of the Citie; men should not haue quietly passed one by another.

So wee haue long enioyed a happy Peace, which is indeede, the greatest mercy that Hea­uen can communicate to earth: And yet may we not heare some weary of ease, and wishing for Warre? Warre, the firebrand of the world, the enemy of content, and bane of hearts-ease. Whereby,

Ruines & destructions come vpon all states of men. Let me tell you a story; It is of Hen­ry, that famous, but vnfortunate Emperour Hee, Othe. Friside gest. Fred. lib. 1. cap. in his young yeeres comming into Sax­ony, obseruing the strength and largenesse of that Countrey; vauntingly and vainely said, He wondred, that in so large a Continent as was his Empire, none could be found to rebell, against whom he might exercise his prowesse and valour. It was not long, before hee had obiects inow to try his strength vpon: for the Pope excommunicating him, his Subiects fell away from him, & his son rose vp in armes a­gainst him, and misery and beggery vvas his end. Take heed, be not weary of Peace; Mala [Page 58]vota sunt, saith August. optare habere quem oderis, vt esse possit quē vincas: Aug. de Ciu. Dei, lib. 4. cap. 15. It is bad wishing ano­ther to bee thine aduersary, in hope thereby to make thy selfe a conquerer.

The fourth way, wherby men forsake God, is, by prophanenesse, when they fall to imbrace the world, and sucke the fulsome sweet plea­sures of it; a Greg. in Euang. hom. 15. As if it were possible, Et hîc gaude­re cum seculo, et illic regnare cum Christo: Here, to reuell it with the world, and hereafter to reigne with Christ. Such was Demas, who for­sooke Pauls company, and Christs seruice, to embrace this present world, 2. Tim. 4.10. These men are compared to Lots wife, who beeing fetched out by the Angels from Sodom, loo­ked backe, and was turned into a Piller of Salt, Gen. 19.26. Saint Augustine saith, Aug. de Ciu. lib. 16. cap. 30. She was tur­ned into a Piller of Salt, to season all others by her example, that they looke not backe to the Sodom of this world, when they haue beene called from thence by the Ministers, Gods An­gels. But S. Peter compareth prophane men to worse things, viz. to Dogs and Swine: For they verifie the Prouerbe, The Dog is returned [Page 59]to his vomite, and the Sow that was washed, to her wallowing in the mire, 2. Peter 2.22. Men in Baptisme are washed & made cleane, and in associating themselues to the congrega­tion, nequitiam de qua malè saciati fuerant, confi­tendo proijciunt, faith S. Gregory: Greg. Past. cur. par. 3. adm. 31. they vnloade their stomackes of sin by hearty confession; but falling afterwards to prophanenesse, they resume their old filth and garbage, and defile themselues in the dirt of iniquity. A very beast­ly course, and much to bee detested. Where­fore, let vs take heede of this, it doubles our damnation; and much better it had beene for vs not to haue knowne the truth, then hauing knowne it, to runne into error. No comfort, but all misery gained this way; for by forsa­king God, he forsakes vs. And that is the pu­nishment.

He will forsake you.

No misery vnder heauen, nor vnder earth neither, should we goe as low as hell, to this, that God shold forsake vs. If wealth, prefermēt, honour, life, or whatsoeuer else should forsake vs, it were no great matter, God is more then al [Page 60]these; and so long as he is with vs, we cannot be but well. When the Heathens iudged the Christiās vnhappy foe suffring pouerty, spoile, banishment, &c. S. Augustine answeres, Hoc sa­nè miserrimum esset, Aug. de ciu. Dei, lib. 1. cap. 14. si aliquò duci potuerunt, vbi Deum suum non inuenirent: Now surely their case were miserable, if they could bee carried any whither where they might not finde their God. But so long as God is with them, they cannot be vnhappy.

O but when God is gone from a man, his case is most wretched; for then euery thing becomes his enemy, yea, his Master and con­querour. A haire in ones milke, may bee our bane, as it was with that Senator; a flie in the ayre may choake vs, as it was with Pope Adri­an. Naucler vr­spergens. And what is lesse then these, if there be a­ny thing, may doe more then these, if it were possible, when God hath forsaken vs, and with­drawne his sauing health from vs. What shall I say? men and Angels cannot expresse the horrour and misery which they are open to, whom God hath forsaken.

Sec here Gods iustice, how hee punisheth in [Page 61]analogo! There is beauty and comelinesse in all his workes; his very iustice shines glori­ously, in the exercise of it. He forsakes such as forsake him: So he proportions his punishment to the sinne. See it in others: Pharaoh slew the Male childrē of the Israelites; therfore his first­borne must dye, Exod. 12.29. He drowned them in the greene riuer: God destroyes him in the red Sea. The Sodomites burne with vn­naturall lust; Ergo, they must be burned with supernaturall fire, Gen. 19.24. Adonibezek cuts off the thumbes and toes of 70. Kings; Ergo, Iudah must cut off his for it in the end, Iudg. 1.6. Dauid kills Vriah with the edge of the sword; Ergo, the sword must neuer depart from his house, 2. Sam. 12.10. Iezabel shed Naboths bloud by dogged men; Ergo, her bloud in the same place, must be licked vp of dogs, 2. King. 9.36. Diues would not giue Lazarus a crumme of bred; Ergo, Lazarus must not giue him a drop of water, Luke 16.25. Iulian, & Foelix his companion, speake disdainfully of Christ, and misuse his sacred Ornaments; One said of the Church vessels, En, qualibus vasis ministra­tur [Page 62]Mariae Filio: See what vessels Maries Son is serued in. He that vented this, presently vents all his bloud at his mouth, & dyes. The other pisseth against the Communion Table: hee therefore could neuer pisse more, but voide his excrements at his mouth. Theod. hist. Eccl. lib. 3. cap. 12.13. One in Cyprians time denied Christ, he is therefore presently stricken dumbe: Cipr. de laps. Poena inde caepit, vnde caepit et crimē, saith Cpyrian There began his torment, where began his sinne. And vnworthy was that mouth e­uer after to open, which had euer vsed it selfe to deny Christ. Infinite examples are extant for this point: Let vs feare God and honour him, and then wee neede feare nothing else: e­uery thing shall prosper with vs.

Againe note heere, that if God forsake vs, it is, Aug. ser. 22. de temp. because wee first forsake him. This Augu­stine firmely resolues on, and would haue eue­ry man beleeue, Quia Deus nunquam deserit ho­minem, nisi priùs ab homine deseratur: God neuer forsakes man, till man hath first forsaken him. See his longanimitie! Shall wed beginne with him? Shall we prouoke him to anger? Are we stronger then hee? As yet he hath not forsaken [Page 63]vs. Nay, he hath declared himselfe to be more with vs, then with any nation beside. When warre and discord, famine and sword, plague and mortality hath beene round about vs, yet we haue beene in safety, farre from the reach and contagion of any.

What remaineth, but that we remember e­uery man to come neerer vnto him: Ecce, qui elongant, se à te peribunt. Psal. 73.27. Behold, they which goe far away from thee, shall perish.

Let vs draw neere him in grace, so shall wee draw neere him in glory. Still let vs recount the Text, He is with vs, if we be with him. He grant that wee may bee with him in knowledge, in loue; and then hee will be with vs in his prote­ction on earth, and in felicity in Heauen. Vnto which hee vouchsafe to bring vs in his appointed time, for Iesus Christ his sake; To whom with the Father, &c.