GOD is by con­traction good, the prime cause of all his crea­tuers: Onely one, one alone. Incompre­hensible, infinite, inuisible. A substance without com­position, action without [Page 2] motion. A being spiritual, of himselfe eternall: before time, in time, and beyond altime: without beginning, without ending, the Alpha of euery thing, the Omega of althings: the first, & the last: without terme of time. He is that kingly regencie, that lordly Souerainity. He doeth giue to all life, moti­on, actiō; he bestoweth the qualitie and encreaseth the quantitie: yet is he good without qualitie, and great without quantitie. Hee is the beeing & beauty of his creature. Hee made euery [Page 3] thing good, & stil from him flowes goodnesse; bodies blisse, soules safety, goods, preseruation, and grace. He is Supereminent aboue all, Superexcellent beyond all, abundant in loue to all, and absolutely in perfect happinesse without all. He is the highest in maiestie, the greatest in glorie, the largest in magnificencie, the powerfullest in omni­potencie, and the euer one­ly best in vnspeakeable bounty. Without him no­thing auaileable, with him all things possible, without, [Page 4] besides, and against means. He is present euery where, without circumscription of place, neither included heere, nor excluded there▪ hee fils what is emptie, sustaineth what is weake, directs what is not right, gouerns what is instable, and perfects whatsoeuer is i [...] defect. Heauen is hiS throne the firmament hiS pauilion, Paradise his palace, the earth his theate [...] Angels are his attendants the Princes of his armie; al creatures his host. Th [...] azioured skie his comely [Page 5] curtaine, his priuie cham­ber, the place of vnspeake­able pleasure. His face is a flame of fire, his voice thun­der, his wrath, dread, & ter­rible horrour. If he meete his enemies, he rides vpon the wings of the winde, his chariots are without num­ber: he raineth vpon them snares to entrap them, fire [...]o deuoure them, haile­stones to kill them; hee sends a smoake to smother them, a stormy tempest to terrifie them, the stincke of brimstone to annoy them, and hote thunderbolts to [Page 6] shoote them thorow. He is the Landlord to all the in­habitants of the earth; they are his Tenants, the best but his Stewards, the migh­tiest of his making. He pre­serueth by his power, ruleth by his prouidence; he hath in his hand a Scepter of irō, and doth raigne as hee list, ouer him that seemeth to outrage the most. Satan is but his slaue, though hee rule ouer faithlesse Princes and Peeres. The loftiest creature, the highest man in Souereigntie, is but his footstoole, and hardly a [Page 7] shadow of his glistering glory, & glorious eminēcy. Hee foreseeth euery thing before it be, wisely orde­reth al things that are, and preordeineth all certainely what shall be. There is no preuēting of his wil, no gain saying of his good plesure: his power manageth his wil vnresistably; his wil is the rule of righteousnesse vn­chāgeably: he maketh euery thing to bow at his becke: he altereth the order of na­ture, & changeth the course of times. He can span hea­uen with his hand, soūd the [Page 8] depth of the Ocean feas, make the earth tremble at his prescence. Something he can make of nothing, & the least something is hee able to multiply into in. numerable many things. He is admirable in his pre­seruation, and wonderfull in the creation: By subdu­ction of his infinitnesse, hee left an inanity of substance, forme, and force; so pre­pared he vnspeakeably an emptines to frame & place his creatures: by reduction of himself againe innarra­bly he made a kind of ful­nesse, [Page 9] and caused that sen­sibly to be seene, what ne­uer had being of any thing before. All his works liue­ly demonstrate him; his word truely reueales him: yet no mortall eye can see him, nor any wit conceiue him. Hee is mercy, hee is iu­stice, a fire burning, and yet not hastily cōsuming. He is al presence, his nameis, I am, nothing past with him, nor to come which is not in sight. Infinitenesse it selfe is his compasse, for time and place. His iustice is without parti­ality, [Page 10] he iudgeth euer righ­teously, and punisheth on­ly offenders, and that de­seruedly. His pleasure is absolute in himselfe; what he delighteth in, without himselfe, is for that, which is onely from himselfe. To conclude an endlesse mat­ter without conclusion; He is mercisull without mea­sure, pitifull in great com­passion, but without any passion. Hee is repentant without sorrow, he maketh a change in his action, but is neuer alterable in his person. Hee is himselfe ho­linesse, [Page 11] the very fountaine of all goodnesse,: nothing euill from him, nothing euil by him. He before wils all things, which he causeth to be, and maketh also that good which hee willeth to bee. Hee is maiestie, hee is mercy, he is excellency, he is glory, he is power, he is principality, hee is grace and goodnes, life and hap­pinesse. All these, in, and from himselfe, in all perfe­ction, beyond imaginati­on, without limitation, endlesse. To him be praise perpetually. So be it.

GOD, the true God, is but one in vnity, yet three in Trinity: One in substance without diuision, three in person by distinction, the Father, the Sonne, and the holy Ghost. In order, one afore and af­ter an other: but essential­ly, all coequall, coeternall [Page 16] together. Al God, not three Gods, yet euer three persons, neuer the same in propriety & maner of working Heere is admiration, but no demonstration. This Catholik and Christian verity is an innarrable mystery.

IN the vnity, the Father is the first in the Trinity. He is not begotten, but from euerlasting begetteth the Son, of his whole substance. He made all things by the Sonne, through the holie Ghost. What he willed hee made good, and all of no­thing by his word. This gracious father of his mere [Page 20] mercie, hath chosen many, without their merite. He calles his ere they come; & when they come, hee con­firmes their faith. He knows them before they bee, and makes thē friends by grace of deadly foes by nature; of Sathans slaues, his faith­full Seruants; of Seruants, deare Sonnes, children a­dopted, yea kings, priests and Coheires with Christ. He careth for his children, whē he mostcasts thē down: He can allow them their godly will, but he permits them not to be wantō: when [Page 21] they do offend, hee will fa­therly forewarn; if they re­pent, he will not punish. He is full of commiseration, he doth speedily pardon the Penitent, and withall shew­eth great gladnesse to doe them good. He doth send them his spirit, to assure thē of peace, & freely pro­miseth to bestow on them grace, either to preuēt their fal, or to pardō their fault. Though we be neither wor­thy of beeing, nor breath, and deserue nothing, yet he affoords vs his blessing, and giueth needfully anything. [Page 22] Earthly Fathers are such, as they be, for a seasō, but this Heauenly Father is so for euerlasting. He forbeareth with patience, and keepes his in eternal remembrāce. He hateth neuer, where hee loueth euer. Bountifull hee is in his blessings, largious in his liberality, full graci­ously fauourable, & with­out end in goodnesse. Hee is strict, but not extreame in iustice: Hee calleth man to make satisfaction vp­on paine of destruction: yet if man can make no pay­ment, his mercy hath or­dained [Page 23] meanes to dis­charge the debt. Ere sinfull man do die, his sinlesse Son must suffer death. Wrath must not reward vs, his great goodnesse will needs haue vs guiltlesse. Is not his loue enlarged towards vs vnspeakably? doth he not purchase vs peace with the price of bloud? He gi­ueth an obedient Sonne, for a rebellious Sinner: Wrath­full displeasure must sease vpon Gods naturall Sonne and an innocent, that pity may be shewed to adopted childrē, to escape torment. [Page 24] The euer worthily beloued must vndergoe paines of Hel, to make for the vnwor­thie of loue, free passage to Heauen. See (Sinner) see the incrediblenesse of so great grace: Stand (thou Sinner) amazed, at this wō ­dermēt of good. O match­lesse mercy! Did euer a Fa­ther satisfie his wrath vpon his dearest son, to appease his anger towards his dead­ly foe? did euer a louing Fa­ther put his darling to death, to preuent from his enimy the force of his wrath? We see it not, stories [Page 25] record it not, nature suffers it not. Yet this father killeth his best Sonne, to kisse his worst creature; forsaketh the Gracious, for a time, to receiue the Gracelesse to mercy, for euer.

THe Son is the second person in the Trinity, the Fathers naturall Son begotten frō eternity, the Image and substance of his Father without ine­quality. From the father, by the Holy Ghost, hee wor­keth together with the Fa­ther in all things: he is God, he is man, perfect in both natures. He hath a Father, [Page 28] he hath a mother, euē both truely; & also no father, nor mother but respectiuely. He is mā-God, & God-mā; yet not two persons, but onely one Christ: One not by con­uersion, but by assumption; not by cōfusiō of substāce, but by vnity of persō. This is the seed promised; the prophet foretold the prince of peace. This is Melchise­dech, the priest of the high God, the king of Salem, the Iewes Messiah, the Christi­ans Sauiour. This is he that wil summō all to appear, & giue true iudgemēt vpō al, [Page 29] both quik & dead in the last day▪ Satā here he vāquished subdued the flesh & cōque­red the world. He hath mi­tigated Gods wrath, perfor­med our work: iustice is sa­tisfied, the law fulfilled. Hee hath made an attonement, obtained mercy, & freed vs frō punishment. The father of his mercy gaue him for vs, & hee in loue bestowed himself of vs. The father did wil our peace, & hee spared no paines. Hee came into the world poore, to make vs ritch. Hee was to the wicked a derision, that wee with Angels might bee [Page 30] had in admiration. He was blasphemed, to make vs blessed; buffeted and scor­ned, to make vs secure in true comfort. He wrought righteousnesse, that wee might bee free of wicked­nesse: Hee was innocent, to procure vs pard on be­ing penitent. His holi­nesse is our happinesse, his suffering our safety, his grace our good. Hee was heere in trouble for vs, his life paineful and misera­ble, so his end for vs dole­full, and his torments intol­lerable. In all his life, that [Page 31] wee read of, hee did neuer laugh; but often lament: Hee mourned to see mens madnesse, and wept for their wo. Here he sighed sore to make vs sing, hee sobd and sorrowed much to make vs merrie. Hee bare vpon him vnutterable torment pati­ently, that wee might auoid the plagues of God eternal­ly. His prayers were loud cries and strong, to make our praiers to pierce the Heauens. He sweat drops of bloud to purge and sweeten vs vnto our God: hee cried with bitter tor­ment [Page 32] vpon the crosse, to saue his seruants from the dreadfull curse. He did die as a malefactor, to become to euery beleeuer a benesa­ctour. Euil did he none, wee are the offenders; Heauen is his desert, Hell ours de­serued: wee haue merited damnatiō, and he purchast for vs saluation. Wee were bound to the Law, we were vnder the curse, in danger of death, and subiect to wrath: but hee hath sent vs his Gospel, preched peace, promised pardon, and ob­tained grace. If the law [Page 33] would condemne vs, hee hath fulfilled it for vs; his works preuent wrath, his crosse, the curse. Con­science by the law would accuse, the Gospell by grace will quiet it and acquite vs. If iustice de­mand her due, his paines were our full paiment. Hee is the waie for vs to walke in. Hee is the trueth, wee may beleeue him. Hee is the life, happy is he that liues in him. By him and through him all our wants are suplied, and all grace and goodnes obtai­ned. [Page 34] Are we in corruption? His purity purgeth vs. Are we disobedient? Hee was most obedient. Are we sub­iect to wrath? he couers vs. Wander we? he recouers vs. Seeke we safety? He af­foords vs solace. Want we a surety? He is our pledge. None in so great debt, but he can discharge: None so in disgrace, but he can pro­cute him peace. He is as­cended for life, that wee might not descend to the place of death. Wee need not feare the Law, Sathan, sinne: hee hath gotten vs [Page 35] heauen, life and saluation, without daunger of Hell, death or damnation.

HE is the third person, his property is pro­ceeding from the Fa­ther, and from the Son. He works euer from both, to­gether with both. Hee is Christs Vicegerent in his kingdome, The Pope may bee packing as the diuels darling. his onely Vi­car General in his Church. Hee raised vp the Pro­phets, hee instructed the Apostles, and now qualifi­eth [Page 38] all Christs true messen­gers. The bad he maketh good, in the good hee en­creaseth grace. He reforms our waies, informes our iudgement, and confirmes our faith. Hee changeth discord into duties of loue, and turneth all misdeeds, into Almes deedes; prat­ling into deuoute praier, foolish prating into power­full and perswasiue prea­ching: the Preachers tong he makes the pen of a rea­dy writer. Euill lusts, wher hee commeth, hee killeth, the dead works of darkenes [Page 39] he expelleth. He is the spi­rit sanctifying the elect; hee is not partiall, but dealeth measurably to all, without sinister respect. He is to the Saints the blessed Comfor­ter; hee perswades them all, to call God Father. He works repentance, and giueth therupō true peace of conscience. Christs Church is his Temple, and he the saueguard of his sheep. He signifieth our in­narrable sighs, and maks vs expresse our desires in praier vnto God. He helps vs to indite, to frame our wils, [Page 40] to make our meditations, to moderate our affectiōs, & orderly to dispose al our actions. Our eics by him do see into the Scriptures, he is the true commentarie to vnderstand the word. Hee learneth men to handle controuersies, without contētion; & to make a separa­tion, but without Schisme. By him crosses are not without comfort, and the day of prosperitie, not without meditation of a change. He maketh euery thing to the godly profita­ble, and the greatest afflicti­ons, [Page 41] neuer insupportable. It is onely he that worketh in his faith by the word, di­stastful wearisomnes of the world, a hopefull perswa­sion of heauen, without a­ny dreadfull feare of hell. Hee knits piety to right policy, and seuereth true deuotion, from foolish su­perstition. Here in this life hee beginneth grace, sets on to goodnesse, perswads to holinesse, vrgeth to cha­ritablenesse, presseth on to godlie practise, set­tling the soule in reli­gious purenesse, and so [Page 42] leades it forward with a re­solued constancie to end­lesse happinesse, and per­fects all in the life to come.

HEe is that dam­ned Ghost, the first siner, the first Seducer: One knowing much, yet neuer obedient, but by constraint. Hee is but a Slaue, as base, as he is beggerly: as mali­cious, as cursedly mischie­uous. Blasphemously care­les of God, tyrannously [Page 46] cruell to men. A continual Tempter, Gods gaoler, a dreadfull tormentor. Euer is he out with God, and a hater of the good. What God commands, hee con­demnes; hee will allow, what God dislikes. A bright Angell, hee was in heauen; but now the black Fiend in hell. To no man a friēd, to the Church a most malicious foe. He is driuen out of the penitent, he har­bours in the disobedient▪ The leaud are his lodging the prophane his habi­tation. Hee is the vncleane [Page 47] spirit, the place most full of abomination, is his com­mon harbour. All his mo­tions, are to satisfie lust, he would haue vs liue after our liking, to worke wic­kednesse, to rage in rebelli­on against God. He knows himselfe to be damned; all he cares for, is to make o­ther like himselfe. This cursed spirit, is that Lion roaring, strong, fearefull: that old Serpent, subtil, guil­full: that red Dragon, bloo­die, terrible. Hee raigneth where hee gets any rule, and whom hee gaineth, [Page 48] those willingly hee will not let goe. Antichrist is his eldest sonne, the damned crue his cursed children. He is the inuent our of all villanie, the authour of he­resie, the setter vp of idola­trie, the plotter of conspi­racie. He raiseth rebellion, and workes treason. Hee turnes religion into super­stition, loue into lecherie, friends into foes, consent into contention, peace into bloody persecution. Hee comes where the godly bee and good excercises, not for loue to them, but mali­ciously [Page 49] as an instrument to hinder them. He will send Caine to sacrifice with Abel, but afterwards to murther him: He will thrust Iudas among the Apostles, but to betray Christ. He is equal­lie enuious, as malicious: If Christ plant a Church, he will erect a Chapell; if hee haue Apostles, this will raise vp false teachers; If Christ sow wheat, hee will scatter tares. He deceiued Eue, which brought a curse to the earth: Hee prouo­ked Dauid, to fall to num­bring, that the people [Page 50] might be plagued. Hee is that grand Lier, that sham­lesse Slanderer: He is as im­pudent, as irrepentant. He tempted Christ himselfe impotunately, hee vexeth his members, and that dai­ly. He is ful of faire words, hee makes many promises, but doth neuer performe what is good. He is a Ma­chiauellian, when hee pre­tendeth most to doe well, then hee intendeth most mischiefe, and to doe ill▪ Hee keepes men in igno­rance, and perswades them of faith; hee puts them in [Page 51] hope of saluation, and yet disswades from the grace of sanctification. Hee would haue the wickedly disposed to presume of mercy, and the godly peni­tent to despaire in apprehension of iustice. Hee in­duceth his to beleeue, that good meaning without the word, is warrant enough in Gods worship, and blind deuotion, to bee a great growth in religiō. He com­mends wickednesse with ti­tles of goodnesse: He puts a faire vizour ouer the vg­lie face of sinne. Excessiue [Page 52] pride must be cleanely de­cency; no pompe. Filthy lust, but a tricke of youth; no carnality. Bad compa­nie, with pot-mates, good fellowship; no vanitie. Couetousnesse in the Ni­gard, thrifty husbandrie; no sordid qualitie. Prodi­gall expences frankhear­tednes; no vnthriftinesse. Intēperatenes in meetings, neighbourly meriments; no gluttonie, nor drunken­nesse: Riot, recreation; idle musing, contemplation. Thus hee blindeth him that cares not to see sinne, [Page 53] that so a man may bee se­cure, in hastning to hell. Hee that is most in trans­gression, is his bestsonne; yet is the greatest sin­ner, his basest Slaue. Who so doth most for him, shall in the end, bee most tormented by him. God commands his children for their owne saluation; but Satan his seruants, to bring them to confusi­on. All his are either car­nall Atheistes, grosse Idolaters, Hypocriti­call Time-seruers; foo­lishly [Page 54] superstitious, dam­nably mischieuous, proud Heretikes, or idle headed Schismatiks. Hee will al­low some of his to bee of the visible Church, yet onely a Came, an Achi­tophel, a Saul, a Iudas, with­out inuisible grace. Hee wil giue them leaue to pro­fesse, but not to practise. He lets them know verity, but not acknowledge it with sincerity; their seruice is only fashion. Hypocrits are his Saints, custome his Canon, Sophistrie his rea­son. His kingdome is dark­nesse; [Page 55] Schismatikes, his zealous seruants; Here­tikes, his chiefe Champi­ons. His company the ac­cursed, the prophane his principall attendants, next to the Fiends, the hellish inhabitants. The reward to his, wrath from God; se­clusion from the good. The place for their abode, is the infernall pit, there to bee tortured in torment, and plagued with erernall paines without end.

GOodnes is grace, a picture of God: the worst in gene­rall approue it, but the Saints specially reioice in it. It is heauens path-way, the righteous mans ayme: no earthly thing can pur­chase it, it is onely God that giues it. In it selfe it is beyond any price, and ma­keth [Page 60] other things preci­ous. It is the difference be­tween creature & creature, between men & mē in their words and works. Good­nesse makes man good, the person, his speech and practise. It banisheth bru­tishnesse, forceth fraud to be flying, allayeth conten­tious heate of spirit, and meekneth the vntameable nature of man. It suffereth no reuengement, it is not rigorous in punishment. Loue springs from it, pa­tience waits of it, and cha­ritie vshers it. It is that [Page 61] which makes a man friend­lie, to procure reliefe for the needy; and without de­lay to helpe the distressed soule. It is defectiue of no dutie, it is pliable to al the works of mercy. Will is neuer wanting by good­nesse, tho ability be away. It inhabiteth euer in true piety, and lodgeth with godly pitie. It banisheth malice and michiefe farre from it, and is a deadly bane to rancour and rage. It forbeareth a fiecre ad­uersary very quietly; wher it may fully reuenge, it for­giueth [Page 62] readily. It will passe by wrong through mercy, yet not shew partial pitie, to ouerthrow iustice; it keeps moderation and measure in all things. It is borne vp of humility, strengthned by patience; the word of life doth nourish it, the Lord of life doth cherish it; the spirit giues it quick­ning, and Gods glory sets it on working. It is from heauen aboue, in earth in­tertained of few: he is full that hath it, and he euer in want that is without it. It moues vs to minde God [Page 63] more then goods, the Lords precepts, more then our profits. It thinkes of death before death, to be fit for death. It prepares the body for the earthly graue, and the soule for the heauenly glory It brings to a man peace within, and praise abroad; heere commendation, and after saluation. This is goodnesse, the forme is true godlinesse, the cause is grace. It maks a man study to be quiet, it keeps pati­ence within vs, content­ment about vs, wickednes [Page 64] farre from vs. Good is hee, that hath this good­nesse, he shall attaine to e­uerlasting happinesse.

THis is sinne, the cretures defor­mitie, the tur­ning of the will from God, and the minde from good. It is the seed of Satan, the fruit of ten­tation, and mans destru­ction. The Diuel is the Fa­ther, concupiscence the Mother. The Serpent sub­tilly [Page 68] suggested it, our first parents foolishly did en­tertaine it. Satan yet is e­uer in begetting it, worldly obiects prouoke it, the sen­ses let it in vnto the soule. Consent is conception, the heart is the wombe of conceiuing. It quickneth by fleshly reasons, it trauelleth in desire to bee doing. It bringeth foorth by oppor­tunity, the Midwife; expel­ling first Gods feare, lay­ing aside his precepts, con­temning his presence. Holy piety hath heere no place, conscience is not [Page 69] called to this businesse, re­membrance of Gods mer­cies is quite out of minde, thoughts of his wrath hid­den in the earth: Gods word must be no warrant, goodnesse is forgotten. These bring not sinne to birth, these hinder sin for comming forth. Doubting of Gods word makes pre­paratiō, lust laies it in bed, infidelity brings it to per­fection. It is wrapt in vani­tie, it is laid in the cradle of security. The Diuel closeth the eies with ignorance, and filleth the eares with [Page 70] Sophistrie: the head is co­uered with presumption of mercy, ouer the heart is laid hardnesse, the iudge­ment is ouerspread with blindnesse. It is nursed by the world, suckled vpon the breasts of pleasure and profit. It growes great by custome, and spreads by community. Bad exam­ples doe countenance it, plausible tearms confirme it. It is cloathed with the hope of pardon, tied with the girdle of common fa­uors, imagined to bee of Gods special grace Sham­lesnesse [Page 71] attends it, perswa­sion of time enough to re­pent, giues it rest, and con­ceit of finding fauour in the end, rocks it asleepe. Sinnes sleepe is conscience deadnesse, the iudgements blindnesse, the wils per­uersenesse, affections dis­orderlinesse, and a resol­ued carelesnesse. Tho sinne haue such a sleepe, yet sometime vpon a fearefull terror, it will suddenly awake: and waking, the pleasant ditty of Satans song gets it soone asleepe againe. It hath foure parts: [Page 72] the Tenor, carke and care thou for the world: the Meane, thou maiest repent when thou wilt: the Treble, reioice thy selfe in thy youth: the Base, thinke death is not yet at hand. Heereby it snorts in a car­nal safety, spreads in bredth, waxeth big, and hie by hardnesse of heart. It is very foule at the first, worse by continuance, but loathsome at the last. It bastard-like, brings shame to the begetters, disgrace to the abettours, confusion to the followers. Where it [Page 73] getteth strēgth, there hard­lie it is cast out: where it is not timely mastred, there it wil haue the vpper hand. It is lordly, and couets to rule: it is raging, and ty­rannous, if it raigne. Hee that subdues it, easily kils it; and hee that striues not to stifle sinne, workes his owne woe, and neglects his owne safetie. Sin where it is not killed, will kill; if it die, we liue; i [...] it liue, we die most certainely. It was at the first, personall; it is now original, and naturall: From Gods mercie in the e­lect [Page 74] onely veniall; in it selfe and in all other, deadlie and mortall. Good is pro­pounded in the suggesti­on, pleasure is conceiued in the consent, and so wic­kednesse is approued, by the heart deceiued, till the time come of torment. Se­duced soules bewitched with the works of the flesh, know not the euill of sinne: but behold and see, how it defaceth Gods image, makes man a monster; of Gods child, the diuels creature. It dislodgeth goodnesse, it keepes out [Page 75] godlines; inwardlie it de­lights the hart with filthi­nesse, and outwardlie sets the hand to act vnrighte­ousnes. God and man by it are at ods, who werebefore at one: the Earth in creati­on blessed, by transgressiō is accursed. It takes from vs what good we haue, & brings the euils vppon vs, which naturallie we hate. It cast the Angels out of Heauen, Adam out of Pa­radise; by it Reuben lost his birthright, Iudas his A­postleship, by it commeth death to men terribile, and [Page 76] their persons to God exe­crable. It maketh the Law condemne vs, and consci­ence to accuse vs. By it godlie exercises grow loathsome, godly compa­nie becomes irkesome. No blessing should bee wan­ting, if sinne put not in a barre: euer contentment, without discomfort: euer internall peace, without externall disgrace. It is wickednesse, that workes our wretchednesse. Shame is sinnes raiment, disho­nour the cognizance, re­proach the praise, an ill [Page 77] name the recompence. In itselfe it is vanity, the gaine but misery. It is a strife with the truth, an he­resie against veritie, Idola­trie against sincerity. It is a conflict with God, and a re­sisting of goodnesse: no­thing worse then heerein to haue the victory. Mans opposing of the word, is a taking part with Satan, against the Lord: and mans ioy in sinning, is to be glad of the diuels trium­phing. All men haue sinne, but hee that committeth sinne, is a slaue to sinne. [Page 78] It rules in some, in other it is ruled: Hee that makes the least of it, shall, as with wisards, haue least to doe with it. It is as an impudent guest; tho it come seldome, yet is euer troublesom; smal kindnesse doth work great boldnesse; much curtesie, intollerable saucinesse. It is euer to the godly vexati­on of spirit; if but once in act, yet greatly grieuous; if it be liked, and often wel­come, and neuer forbid­den, there grace and good­nesse will grow into a con­sumption, and the partie [Page 79] runne headlong into per­dition. It is of diuers co­lours, and keepes not one shape; it is of diuers na­tures, and not of one sort In one it is pride & lordly, in an other humility in shew, but indeed hypocri­sie. In the cholerike it is ire­full, in some other nature lustfull. It is somtime adul­terie, and maks a man fil­thy; it is sometime drūken­nesse, and makes a man beastly. It hath the com­mandements, ten witnesses to name it; it hath also the same law to declare a­gainst [Page 80] it. One precept tearmes it Idolatrie, an other saith it is adultery: this maketh it superstition, that trecherie and rebelli­on; as the Law looks vpon sinne, so the commande­ments doe name it, and thereupon withall dis­claime it. It turnes a man into it selfe, and makes a man to shew it, against him­selfe. One sinne is linked in with another, and euery one forceth out the pro­per fruit, of it owne nature. By couetousnesse man growes niggardly, an op­pressour, [Page 81] vnmercifull: by pride, arrogant, hauty and hatefull: by gorman­dizing, gluttonous; by faithlesnesse, treacherous: by ignorance, superstiti­ous; by carnall seruice, I­dolatrous: by contempt of other, and abuse of wit, a­gainst the word, hereticall; and by immoderat passion, and strong affection, Schis­maticall. It is in euery one more or lesse; the childe hath it, but knowes it not: the yong man is caried with it, but cares not; the grown man forced with it, [Page 82] but resists not: and old age with it Crammocklike crooked, but feeles it not. Yet is nothing more in vse to be knowne; more hin­dering mans good, to be auoided; more subtill, to be looked vnto; more in­ward, to be felt; more pe­rilous, to bee preuented; more forcibly assaulting vs, to be strongly of all re­sisted. By it Satan gets of the heart possession; by it is hindered the spirits illu­mination. Our vnderstan­ding by sinne is darkned, our thoughts from God [Page 83] estranged; the heart in goodnesse is fainted, the faculty of the will weake­ned, and the quietnesse of conscience interrupted. Faith fals to doubting, hope lets goe her hold, and loue turnes her liking into loathing. Yea, if re­pentance, vpon euery sin, cut not the cord of vanitie, and grace grow vp in the roome with sincerity, this death in sinne, will bring death for sinne, which will turne saluation offered, but carelesly reiected, into confusion deserued, but [Page 84] now not greatly feared.

HEauen is the ha­uen of rest: desi­red of all, hoped for of many; but onely enioyed of the best. It is the highest place, the seat and throne of God, the habitation of Angels, the harbour for the iust. It is the court of the great King, the mighty Creator. [Page 88] It is the Lords Tabernacle, the faithfull mans recepta­cle: the Region resplen­dent, the comfortable con­tinent, the Citie of safetie, security: the sacred sanctu­arie of peace, prosperitie. All in it are without misery, neuer after subiect to cala­mitie. It is a Paradise for pleasure, a Citie for beau­ty, and a Kingdome for state. Heere is life tempo­rall, there life eternall: here the beginnings of grace, there the perfection of goodnesse. There is God in his fulnesse of glory, yet [Page 89] to none dreadfull, there he raignes in iustice, and yet with none wrathfull. The company are all trium­phant, as heere they haue beene members Militant. All is in tune, concord, ne­uer discord; sweet melody, neuer any bitter malady. Such fulnesse there is of all things, such loue mutually in all, such respect from all to each others state and place, as no excesse is seen, nor any defect is felt; who that haue least can desire no more, and those that haue most, discerne no [Page 90] want in other. All is beau­tifulnesse there without blemish, immeasurable be­yond all motion, excellent beyond all imagination. The wals thereof are of stones most precious, the streets paued with pure gold, all the worke is fra­med curiously, set out with all sorts of pearle very sumptuously, and adorned with al skil mostgloriously. It is decked with all de­lights, replenished with all pleasure, garnished with algraces, beutified with the best companie, flourishing [Page 91] with the flowre of all nati­ons. There is the roiall Priesthood, the peculiar people, the children of light, the new creatures, the elect by Gods preor­dination, the separated So­ciety by Gods effectuall vocation, and the holy Saints by the spirits sancti­fication. There are metioi­fully together the Head and his body, Christ and his Church, the Prince of peace, with his Patriarks and Prophets, Priests and Professors, Apostles and Apostolicall men, Saints, [Page 92] true seruants to God, Mi­nisters of the Gospell, and Martyrs for the truth. They are all there noble, none ignominious, all Kings raigning, all victoriously triumphing: None con­temptible, all honourable. All inuested in glory, crow­ned in Maiestie, cloathed in sincerity. Their faces shine with comely beau­tie, their hearts are filled with pietie, their tongues extoll the Lord with spirituall alacritie, and in their hands they hold Palms in token of vi­ctorie. [Page 93] This heauenly hap­pinesse cannot bee imagi­ned; the blessings are so many, they cannot bee numbred; so innumerable, as they cannot be compre­hended, so incomparable, as cannot be equaled; of such value as cannot bee prized; so great, as not to bee measured; and of such eternitie, as they ne­uer can be ended. They be ioifull in an euer-reioicing ioy, they cry aloud Hosan­nah, and sing cheerefully Halleluiah. They stand before the face of God in [Page 94] inestimable fauour, in the view of Angels with brightnesse ouershining the Sunne. Mercy embra­ceth them, without doubt of miserie: in comfort without discontentment, in peace endlesse, in glory matchlesse. There is mirth without sadnesse, health without sicknesse, sober­nesse of countenance with­out sorrow, tranquillity without vndermining tre­cherie, liuelihood without labour, goods and riches without greeuance in get­ting, without care in kee­ping: [Page 95] and a full felicity of all things without adding, without diminishing. Ther is flowrishing youth ne­uer decaying, strength ne­uer abating, comelie coun­tenance neuer withering: liuelinesse is without fa­ding, couragiousnesse of heart and spirit without danting. There is euer loue without lothing or dislike, victorie without feare of after vanquishment, glad­nesse without diminution of goodnesse. Mortalitie hath put on immortalitie, corruption glorification. [Page 96] No sin is there to be seene, the Law is fulfilled, the curse is remoued, death subdued, the promises of the Gospell fully accom­plished. Faith hath her per­fect work in charitie, hope her desired happinesse, loue a large scope in euer­lasting vnitie. There is no Foe to fight, no Cousener to collogue, no Parasite to dissemble, no Superiour among them to command, no Inferiour to yeeld obe­dience: no maligning enuie, no proud Soue­raignetie. All are now [Page 97] equall members, no diui­ded orders; no sorrainers, but brethren; no strangers, but all of the houshold of faith: Children of one ho­lie Father, coheirs with Christ, their elder brother. There are no teares, the cause is taken away: No torment, Christ freed them by his punishment; no dreade, Christ set them at libertie from death; no crying, there is no paine; no pangs or sorrowfull passion, they possesse peace in Paradise. No disease can infect the body, it is [Page 98] not subiect to sicknesse, it is freed from infirmities, and cannot be distressed by ca­lamities. There is no sigh­ing nor sobbing through sorrow of heart, such acci­dents cannot happen; no lamētable complaints for iniuries offred, no wrongs can there be wrought. No ill successe nor wofull wants, no griefe of mind nor anguish of spirit, no cruell oppression, nor o­minous action find there a subiect to harbour in, nei­ther practiser nor patron. Care combers no mans [Page 99] mind, nothing weakneth the vnderstanding, nothing blunts the apprehension. Iudgement cannot bee in­fected with error, zeale with corrupt affection, pa­tience with anger. Will is there without wilful fro­wardnesse, the heart with­out deceit and hardnesse. Thoughts are not trou­bled, they be not corrup­ted: affections not distem­pered, they bee not disor­dered. The holy spirit rules all, the holy Lamb leades all, God by his power pre­serues them, by his grace [Page 100] doth euer assist them. All mercies are receiued thankefully, al commands are obeied rightly: in hart without hypocrisie, wil­linglie without grudging, readilie without lingring, faithfully without altering, ioifully without murmu­ring, and constantly with­out ceasing. Their drinke is the sweet water of life, Angels foode their deli­cate nourishment, Christs righteousnesse their holie raiment, and their perfect fulnes ioifull contentment. In a word, there is happi­nesse [Page 101] with goodnesse, feli­citie with vnitie, safetie with solace, peace with perfection, pleasure with profit, agreement with grace, lowlinesse without contempt, exaltation with­out pride, security with­out carnality, stability without wauering, abun­dance without euer-wan­ting. All persons general­lie haue the participation of ioy, and euery one in particular the fruition of glory. Nothing there is here to the eie discernable, nothing there but innarra­ble, [Page 102] all things to humane reason incredible. A man may imagine much, a tong may speake much, the eare may heare much, yet hea­uenly happinesse is beyond all relation, all imaginati­on. The name of heauen to all is louely, many doe wish it hartily. All Religi­ons aime at it: the Iew ex­pects it, the Turke wisheth it, the wickedest desire it, the Papist would merit it, the Schismaticke seekes for it; the sound Protestant, the deuout Christian by faith begges it, and hee [Page 103] through Iesus Christ shall enioy it; to whom be praise and glorie for euermore. Amen.

HEll is the place for the impeni­tent, euerie such person is the hellish inhabitant. It is the prison for those that be se­parate from Gods pre­sence, the dreadful dungeō of vtter darkenes, the feare­full Topheth, and deep pit bottomlesse. It is the lake [Page 108] burning with brimstone, the hollow caue and Cha­os of confusion. It is ter­rour with lamentation, it is dread with desolation, and horrour with vtter destru­ction. There is death, there is euer dying, and yet ne­ner without being. It is a gulph deuouring, a swal­lowing whirle pole, a fla­ming furnace: Gods iu­stice makes it, his power vpholds it, and it is blown with the bellowes of his wrath. There is scorching fire vnquenchable, and freezing cold intollerable. [Page 109] Stinking smoak is for the smell, loathsome filth for the stomacke: the eare shall heare a hideous noise, the eie shall see gastlie sights, and horrible visions: what not there to breed amazed­ment? what not there to cause fearefull astonish­ment? It is the valley of Gods vtmost vengeance, the fulnesse of his wrath, & perfection of his plagus. The Lords gaole, the ex­ilement of soules, the sinck of sinners, the foule har­bour for infernall Hags. Oh what woe is there with [Page 110] wailing from hearts com­fortlesse; what riuers of teares, because of tortu­ring torments, and yet remedilesse? Forlorne creatures, cursed caitifs; full of trauell, painefull wearines: ful of frightings, fearefull terrours endlesse. They bee in themselues helpelesse, of Gods mercy hopelesse. Oh the clamo­rous outcrying, the yelps and yelling, the sighs and sobbing, the mad rage that there is and roaring! No heart so hard, as can suffer a mortall eie to behold it, [Page 111] no eare to heare it, nor mind to muse of it. The diuell there hath his full damnation, the fiends are outragious and filled with furie, the rest fret and sume, and are as in a wood fren­sie. Their desire is reuenge, their deuotion, cursing; their blessing, blaspheming. The wicked there be so fa­goted vp with the bands of Gods iustice; as bundles of sticks so cast into the fire, by the power of his might, so held in vndura­ble torment by his perpe­tuall displeasure, as they [Page 112] blaspheme Gods benigni­tie, for feeling his iustice in seueritie. They bee in a huge Sea of miserie, in an Ocean of calamitie. Fire, flames, and flashing about them, the worme of con­science gnawing within thē; rage, madnesse, irefull in­dignation among thē: vgly visages of blacke diuel saf­frighting them, monstrous apparitions, an vncomfor­table companie about thē: Sulphure and hot burning cinders vnder them: the reuenging hand of God o­uer them, and pouring forth [Page 113] the viols of his wrath, full of variety of plagues with­out ceasing vpon them. E­gyptian plagues are there encreased, the tempests of lightening and thunder multiplied. They may re­moue from place to place, so exchange in plagues, but neuer either be eased of pangs, or freed from paine. They are chained vp perpetually, to endure reall punishment vpon body and soule eternally. They haue heauie hearts loadned with passion, they be wofully distressed with [Page 114] all Calamities, without any commiseration. There is care, but no comfort; vex­ation, without consolati­on; lamentation but none shew compassion. They weepe, they crie, they waile, & mourne, they houle, and pitiously bemone their e­uer-during miserie. Ah, a­las, saith one, in cold free­zing, and yet extremely burning: Woe to mee, saith an other, in hote wa­ter-scalding, and yet so cold, as his teeth may bee hard chattering, his body may behold so to quak, and [Page 115] in euery ioint to quiuer, as if bone from bone would fall a sunder. Hence such roaring, such yelling, such bitternesse in banning, such scritching and outcries, at the sudden renewing of torments, at the continual remouing into exchange of tortures, and yet remai­ning alwaies in contrarie plagues, as the eare neuer heard, the eie neuer saw nor minde of man able to apprehend: Wofull dole­full, horribly fearefull, in­sufferably painefull. This stinking Sidde and dung­pit [Page 116] crawles full of the ve­nemous generation, bloo­die Cainits, with sorcerous Balaamites, persecuting Saules, with craftie Achito­phels, the Serpents seed, the reprobated race, and the accursed workers of ini­quity. There the rageous may rend and teare one an other, and none part them; the enuious gnash for an­ger, and gnaw one an o­ther to the bone, and none regard them. Hee that heere sinned for his plea­sures, will there sinne more because of his plagues. [Page 117] Euery sinne shall there bee punished, accordingly as they were here committed. There is penurie for glut­tonie; extreame drinesse and thirsting, for exessiue drinking; burning, for le­cherous lusting; outragi­ous madnesse, for blasphe­ming; want, for ill gotten wealth; a fearefull agonie, for bloody crueltie; for oppression vtter desolati­on. Then is seene with sor­row enough their time spent in vanitie, their child­hood in foolishinesse, their youth in lustfulnesse, their [Page 118] manhood in wickednesse, and their old age in coue­tousnesse, their first yeeres runne on in ignorance, the middle age consumed in negligence, and the terme of life ended without re­pentance. They out of measure are vexed to con­sider what they were, and might haue beene, what they are, and must be, what they would be, and cannot attaine to. They thinke of time past, but without thought of recouery, they taste of the time present in vnspeakeable miserie, and [Page 119] doe looke to the time to come, without hope of de­liuerie. One curseth his birth, and bewailes his ig­norance; an other curseth his education, and parents negligence; a third, dire­fully bannes himselfe for his irrepentance. Their owne senses doe enlarge much their sorrowes; they behold Heauen, and them­selues in Hell; the godly in gladnesse, themselues in griefe; Christs faithfull people in order, and ho­nour, themselues in confu­sion and fearefull horrour; [Page 120] the Saints of God in glori­ous prosperitie, themselues in shamefull infamie, and miserable aduersitie. They heare in heauen blessing, melodious singing; in hell cursing and lamentable mourning; before the eies are flashing flames, and a thicke smoake ascending; for the nose is prepared a noisome smell euerlasting­lie stincking. In steed of sweetnesse, there is gallie bitternesse; for delicate fare, farnishment; for li­bertie, inthralement; fire brands, for beds; for soft [Page 121] lodging, pich and brim­stone with iuniper coales burning; in steed of musick and pleasant harmonie, a hellish noise of discordan­cy. They feele torments vnspeakable, paines intol­lerable, and the same al­waies durable. By impati­ence their plagues are in­creased, by their obstinacy continued, and by Gods power and iustice maintai­ned. Thus are their hearts in continuall heauinesse, their pale countenance in dolefull sadnesse. To heauen they looke vp, be­wailing [Page 122] their mishap, in hel they looke downe with shame of face. If they would repent now they cannot: if they could, it is then to late; they were retchlesse in the daies of amendment, and their case is remedilesse, in the time of punishment. There is not any grant of the least com­fort to the greatest tor­ment, nor to the extreemest pange any kind of ease­ment. They may crie, and cry againe, Lord, Lord; they may intreat for mer­cy, but neuer be heard: no [Page 123] grace, no peace, all paine, all plagues; none blessed, euery one accursed. Hee that is afflicted, shall bee more tormented; he that is condemned, shall euer be damned. Heauen haue they lost, and not to bee purchased, Hell haue they duelie deserued, and the place must needes bee en­dured. None among them­selues can helpe one ano­ther, and among the cele­stiall companie they shall not finde one comforter. If children should call to parents, they will not pity [Page 124] them they haue lost that naturall affection, they can haue no such compassion. Though parents should make petition & pray their children, they will not bee cared for. Tho they cry and call, saying ôh our bowels, and our blood. Oh once bone of our bone, and flesh of our flesh, speake for your poore tormented pa­rents: Is there no naturall loue now left? What no compassion? Shall wee perish? can you see vs thus plagued, and shew no pitie? Haue mercy, [Page 125] deare children, on vs so in miserie, sweet Babs, once louing and beloued, speak, oh speake one word for vs; are wee not plunged in vnspeakable paine? looke vpon your now forlorne Father, who once fedde you with food: ah, alas, haue some remorse of your mournefull mo­ther: Oh for Gods sake seeke this time our good: let some sparkles of your loue appeare. Can you be in pleasure, and suffer vs to lie in perpetuall paine? Wee spared no labour [Page 126] for your education, and can your eies behold vs languishing in this place of destruction? If you did call, wee came speedily to succour: when we heard you cry, wee were in care for you; your miserie was to vs calamitie; your ad­uersitie, the abatement of our prosperitie; and can you heare our pitious gro­ning, and see the Diuels grinning as dogs vpon vs, your eares heare our bit­ter crying and they againe barbarously tormenting vs and be silent? Oh, woe is [Page 127] vnto vs, fire, consume vs; vengeance, doe you vtter­lie make an end of vs. All this will not worke, words are but spent in vaine; na­tures force hath lost the ef­fect; there is no knowledge of kindred, or kinsfolke; the godly regard Gods glorie, and therein onely reioice. To conclude, they now know, and to late be­leeue, that the good doe dwell with God, haue Christs company and An­gels glorie; but themselues to be hated of God, negle­cted of the good: to bee [Page 128] with black diuels damned, with sauage furies accom­panied, with barking hel­hounds horribly affrigh­ted, and with barbarous tormentors cruelly hand­led; so as they alwaies in this liuelesse liuing, weepe, mourne, and lament for such hellish paines: and in this deathlesse dying crie, yelp, howle, yell, for such euer during plagues: from which (O Lord) deliuer thine, and shew them mer­cie (O God) that they de­cay not in goodnes, that so they neuer feele these pu­nishments [Page 129] for their wic­kednesse. Amen.