THE time of our bles­sed Sauiours passi­on being at hand, he tells and forewarnes his Disciples of it, that thereby he might confirme [Page 2] and strengthen them against the scandall of his Crosse; But yet for all this they dreame of an earthly Kingdome, and that our Sauiour should restore them to their ancient liberties, which in time past their fathers enioyed, in the time of Dauid, and Salomon, and other Kings of Israel; but our Sauiour to put them out of this conceit, tells them plainly else­where, that his Kingdome is not of this world: and therefore they are not to expect any earth­ly pompe and state by him, for Vers. 21 he must goe to Ierusalem and suf­fer many things of the Elders, and chiefe Priests, and Scribes, and bee killed, &c. Peter who loued him dearely, and so was more for­ward to manifest his loue then the rest, takes him aside, thinking he had spake vnaduisedly, that [Page 3] would die when he might liue, and began to rebuke him, say­ing: Be it farre from thee Lord, this shall not bee vnto thee. q. d. Thou art the promised Seed of the Woman, in whom all the Nations of the world shall bee blessed, thou art an innocent man, and therefore oughtest not to die; thy life is very pro­fitable vnto all men, by feeding their bodies, curing their dis­eases, teaching and instructing them in the wayes of godlines, therefore thou oughtst rather restore the kingdome to Israel, and to free vs out of our capti­uity. But alas, Peter, thy counsell is carnall, thou vnderstands on­ly the things that belong to thy owne ease and quietnesse, but not the things which are of God, I was sent to seek and to saue [Page 4] the lost sheepe of the house of Israel, and am that scape goate, which Leu. 16. 10. must beare the iniquities of the people, and that Lambe which must take away the sinnes of the world, & by my death and suffe­ring must offer my selfe as a sa­crifice for the redemption of the world; and so by death ouer­come him which hath the pow­er of death; therefore Peter, get thee behind me with thy deuil­lish counsel, thou art an offence, to me, and an aduersary to my fathers wil, which hath appoin­ted & set me apart to reconcile the world vnto him: therefore if thou wilt be my Disciple in­deed, as thou professest thy self to bee, imitate thou mee in my obedience to my Fathers Will; & learn thou thy duty w ^ch now I teach thee, and which I will [Page 5] haue all my Disciples to learne▪ If any man will come after mee, let him deny himself, & take vp his crosse and follow me; Teaching all those which will giue vp their names vnto him, what must bee their practice, and whereto they must trust; they must renounce their owne wit, pollicie, and af­fection, and bee content to en­dure crosses, losses, and much affliction, which they must beare cheerefully, and follow their Captaine Christ Iesus in well doing, though they haue neuer so many pullers back, and hinderances in the way: yet they must imitate the Phili­stins 1 Sam. 6. Kine, which bare the Arke of GOD, though they were milche, and had their Calues at home, yet without any tur­ning to the right hand or left, [Page 6] they kept on their way to Beth­shemesh: So the Disciples of Christ, which haue giuen vp their names vnto him, and doe beare the Arke of his law vpon their shoulders, though they haue many allurements of the world, the flesh and the Deuill, to draw them backe; which are as dear vnto them as the calues were vnto the Kine; yet for all this they must keepe on their course in the pathe of a holy life and conuersation without turning either to the right hand or left, vntill they come to Bethshemesh, the house of the Sun: for he that puts his hand to the Plough, and afterwards lookes backe, makes himselfe vnfit for the Kingdome of God: There­fore our blessed Sauiour plain­ly tels his Disciples what their [Page 7] profession would cost them, and what they should looke for; that is, to bee hated of all men for his sake, and to endure all manner of crosses, and bee con­tent to beare them patiently, and weare them as a crown vp­on their heads: and to cary death alway before them as a seale vpon their fingers.

Now because the heart of man is full of doubts, and out of selfe-loue is readie to call the truth of God in question; our blessed Sauiour is carefull to fence his doctrine against all doubts, and to preuent all scru­ples which carnal men can make against the truth thereof, as thinking it very harsh to flesh and blood. Therefore in the 25 and 26 verses hee answers a se­cret obiection, which some ob­iectour [Page 8] might reply vpon him, in these or the like words; That so hee should lose at least the worlds goods, and perhaps his life too. To the one Christ an­swers in the verse preceding my Text, that to lose life, was the way to find it, meaning eternall life, q. d. for the worst that Ty­rants can doe, is but to send them to heauen, and the desire to saue life by refusing the crosse, was the way indeed to lose it, to wit, eternall life. And to the other he answeres in the words of my Text, that the gaine of the world is nothing if it be compared with the soules losse, which he layes downe in an hypotheticall proposition question wise; For what is a man profited if he shall gaine the whole world if he lose his soule? Which [Page 9] categorically turned is, he that winnes euen a whole world, but loseth his owne soule for it, gaines not; which is confirmed by the latter part of the verse, that there is nothing worth the soule, nothing equiualent to it, which he propounds question­wise also, because in this forme a proposition hath most life and power to work vpon the heart, and conscience of the hearer. For what thing is there of grea­ter moment then the soule? & what thing more difficult thē to weane it from the loue of the world? Therefore by this vehe­ment speech, our Sauiour layes strong battery to the hearts of worldlings to make them sound a retreate from the eager pur­suite of these terrene things.

Thus I haue made the occa­sion [Page 10] and manner of Christs speech the pathway leading to my text, in which I pray ob­serue these two maine points.

• 1. The worlds vanitie and in­ability.
• 2. The excellency of the soule.

These two points by GODS grace shall be the subiect of my ensuing discourse, and from thē to deduce this note of ob­seruation: That it is a point of Obserua­tion. the greatest folly, to aduenture the losse of the soule for the gaine of the whole world. The ground of this truth is plaine.

Because the world, and the Ground or Reason. best things which are in it, are but meere vanities and foole­ries in respect of our heauenly inheritance. Though they may make a faire show to them [Page 11] which are blinded with their false conceits and glory, and e­steeme which they haue among worldly men: yet if wee looke vpon them in the glasse of Gods Word, we shall find the world in his chiefe beautie and pompe to bee but as a glorious hypo­crite, faire in shew and false in truth, promising much, and per­forming nothing; if therefore it were opened with the sharpe knife of truth, it would be found both vaine and deceitfull; for all that is in the world either it is already past, or else it is pre­sent, or else it is to come: That which is past, is not now, and so we can haue no profit by it; And that which is to come is vncer­tain whether we shal liue to en­ioy it or no; and that w ^ch is pre­sent is fickle & vnstable, and wil [Page 12] stand by vs but a while, no lon­ger at furthest then our liues last, and in that space our com­fort and ioy in it may be distur­bed by sicknesse, crosses, losses, or many other accidents: which made Dauid affirme; that man Psa. 39. 6. in his best estate is altogether va­nitie, and that hee walketh as a shadow, and disquieteth himselfe in vaine; therefore he compares worldly prosperity to a dream, Psa. 73. 20. which delighteth a man while hee sleepeth, but when he awa­keth, vanisheth away, and lea­ueth nothing behind but sor­row and discontent, because their ioyes and hopes are disap­pointed: Intimating vnto vs that the glory and splendor of worldly things are but in shew only, and not solid and substan­tiall, in truth. Therefore Salo­mon [Page 13] which had not onely most 2 Chron. 9. 22. wisdome and iudgement, right­ly to value them, and more ex­perience of them then any man, because he abounded more in 1 King. 3. 13. worldly prosperitie then any man that euer liued: for hee 1 King. 4. 21. reigned ouer all Kingdomes from the Riuer vnto the Land of the Philistines, and vnto the border of Aegypt: they brought presents and serued Salomon all the dayes of his life: Siluer in 2 Chon. 9. 27. his dayes was esteemed but as stones, his houshold prouision for one day was thirty measures of fine floure, and threescore measures of meale, which ac­cording to the least account, is two hundred thirty two quar­ters; ten fat Oxen, and twentie 1 King. 4. 22, 23. Oxen out of the pastures, and one hundred sheepe, besides [Page 14] Harts, and Robucks, and Fal­low Deare, and fatted Fowle. He had fortie thousand stalles of Horses for his Charets, and twelue thousand horsmen, his pleasures were answerable to his wealth, for hee had seuen hun­dred 1 Kin. 11. 3 Wiues Princes, and three hundred Concubines; hee had stately houses, and pleasant gardens, and he liued in health, peace, and prosperitie, hee was loued, feared, and admired of his subiects for his wisedome iustice, for which he was a ter­rour to his enemies: yet for all this, see what verdict hee passes Eccles. 1. 2. vpon al these prosperities; Vani­tie of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities, all is vanitie. Eee. 2. 11. And afterwards he concludes, that they are not onely vanitie, but vexation of spirit.

That we may the better dis­crie the vanities of this world, and their insufficiencie to pro­fit vs, wee will take a view of those things which worldly men doe so admire, which though they be manifold in na­ture, yet wee will bring them like dispersed members, and couch them vnder these heads; Iupiter, Saturne, Venus, or Riches, Honour and Pleasure; these wander ouer the world while the blessed Sonne of righteous­nesse hath no room in the world of darknesse; these are now of so religious account, as the golden Calfe of Israel was once, that men sacrifice to thē, and say in their hearts, These are thy gods. Wee will see if there be any hidden happinesse in them, which may so farre [Page 16] moue vs, as for the delight of them to aduenture the losse of our soules.

Wee will begin with riches, which all men doe so dote vp­on, and for which they will take such paines, and endure such miserie, aduenturing their liues, healths, liberties, and ma­ny times stretch their conscien­ces, thinking him onely a happy man which hath his cofers full with Diues, his barnes stretching Luk. 16. 19 Luk. 12. 18 1 King 4. Dan. 5. and strouting with the world­ling, his stables full with Salo­mon, his tables ful with Belshaz­zar, his grounds full of Cattle with Iob, and his purse full of siluer with Croesus. What is there in riches? Is there any wisedome, holinesse, mercy, peace and truth? what can they doe for vs? can they keepe off [Page 17] Gods iudgments, preserue our bodies from sicknesse, and keep our soules from Hell? if they could, then it were great reason wee should toyle and labour for them, but alas, they are vn­able and insufficient to doe vs good in any of these particu­lars. If riches could purchase saluation, then rich men were the onely happy men; they will spare for no cost: the hypocrite Micah 6. 6, 7. wil part with his burnt offrings, Calues of a yeare old, thousands of Rammes, and tenne thousand riuers of Oyle, he wil part with any thing though neuer so deare to him; hee will giue his first borne for his transgression, and the fruit of his body for the sinne of his soule.

But ô man, it will not be, no Psal. 49. 7. man can giue a price vnto God, [Page 18] so precious is the redemption of the soule. Rich men die, and goe to Hell, so shall all the peo­ple that forget God: neither Gold or Siluer could re­deeme 1 Pet. 1. 18, 19. vs, but it is the blood of Christ that clenses vs from sinne.

2. As riches are vnable to redeeme one soule, so they are vnable to helpe and deliuer vs in our greatest extremities; therfore the Prophet cals them vaine things which cannot profit, 1 Sam. 12. 21. for they are vaine, they cannot free vs from danger, nor deliuer vs when wee are falne into any extremity: nay they bee so far from aiding sinfull men against the hand of God, as that they bee many times weapons in his hands to plague them with the strokes of his iudgements. And [Page 19] they cease when miserie com­meth. And as they cannot helpe vs themselues, so they vtterly depriue vs of our helpe wee should haue in God: because trusting in them for deliue­rance, we either not at all, or in a cold & faint maner, pray vnto him for helpe and deliuerance, doubting whether he wil helpe vs or no, seeing wee haue in our prosperitie put such trust and confidence in our riches, and trusted in them more then in our Creator: and neuer craued helpe from him so long as our Corne, Wine, and Oyle aboun­ded. Psal. 4. Therefore in our great­est need wee may iustly feare, Iud. 10. 14. that God should send vs pack­ing Isa. 47. 17. to craue helpe of our Idols, as hee did his owne people in their miseries.

Thus the Wise man tels vs, That hee that trusteth in riches Pro. 11. 28. shall fall. See the truth of this in Pharaoh that proud King, that would wage war with the King of nations, and thought with his strong Chariots to bid defi­ance to Heauen; but all his ri­ches, strength, and power were vnable to keepe off the Frogs, Flies, Lice, and other plagues Exod. [...]. from him and his subiects, but these weake Creatures did so confound him, that he was for­ced to confesse that hee had sin­ned against heauen, and com­peld to cal for a sacrifice to that God which before hee had de­spised.

By which wee may see that there is no priuiledge in the Kings chaire. If they sin with a high hand against God, then [Page 21] his hand shall fall vpon them to their destruction, for it must be his grace that must season their Thrones, or else they stand in very slippery places, exposed to the iudgements of God, as wee may see in Belshazzer, in the top of his glory, while hee was prophaning the Lords sa­cred Vessels vnto his own lusts; & consecrating them to the ser­uice of his gods, euen as it were to despite the Lord of heauen toh is face; which knew how to be auenged of him, and to make good his owne cause, therefore hee sent the palme of a hand to Dan. 5. write his doome, and the same night was this proud King slaine. The rich mans full barnes could not baile his body one night from Hell; and Diues riches Luke 16. could not purchase him one [Page 22] droppe of water to coole his tongue. Herod that proud King, thought by his vexing the Lords people to aduance himselfe, but all his stately robes, and praise of the people could not Act. 12. keepe off Gods iudgments, but he was eaten vp of Wormes. For Zeph. 1. 14, 18. neither siluer nor gold shall bee able to deliuer in the day of the Lords wrath, but the whole land shall bee deuoured with the fire of his ielousie: and in that day the strong man shall cry bitterlie: Reu. 6. 15. the righteous shall see it and feare, and laugh at them saying, behold the man that tooke not God for his strength, but trusted in the multi­tude Ps. 52. 7, 8. of his riches, and strengthned himselfe in his substance.

3. As riches are vnable to keepe off Gods iudgements, so also they are vnable to giue [Page 23] contentment. They are of no sa­tisfying nature, but Pecunia aqua salsa est, sitim prouocans, non sedans. Psa. 59. 15. are like sharpe liquor which doth not satis­fie the belly, but prouoke the appe­petite to couet after meate, and so to grudge if they be not satisfied. An example hereof we may see in Ahab King ouer the Lords 1 King. 21. 34. owne people: his whole King­dome could not giue him con­tent, but hee was sick till hee had Naboths Vineyard. The large He that continual­ly wants, how can he be rich. Kingdome of Ahashuerosh, the fauour of the King, & the reue­rence of his subiects could not giue Haman content, though he were aduanced aboue the Prin­ces, and honoured with the ri­ches Esther 5. of the Kingdome: yet all this did him no good so long as Mordecay the Iew would not reuerence him.

Question. What may bee the reason [Page 24] hereof may some say? I answer, that the principall cause hereof is this: God in his iudgements blinds their eyes, because worldlings loue his gifts more then himselfe that gaue them: therefore he depriues them of content, which doe not loue them according to his Word. Therefore the Preacher saith, He Eccl. 5. 10. that loues siluer shall not be satisfied therewith. Couetousnesse may bring riches, but not rest; They may empty other, but not fill themselues, like Pharaohs leane Kine, which deuoured the fat, & were neuer the fatter them­selues. Crescit amor num­mi quan­tum ipsa pecunia crescit, Et minus hunc optat qui non habet. Iuven. Sat. 14. The Po [...]t knew this by natures light, As the heape is the greater, so the appetite is shar­per. And another, The more we haue, the more we doe de­sire. And, who possesses least, [Page 25] doth least desire.

2. Loue vnto riches are insa­tiable, not through any neces­sitie which wee haue of them, but through our vnnaturall greedinesse, and delight in them, which carries men for­ward like the plant by inclina­tion, or like the beast by his ap­petite, neuer reflecting his rea­son vpon himselfe, or to consi­der the vse of worldly things, how they may profit himselfe and further his owne saluation. Hence it commeth to passe, that wise men deceiue them­selves, and come farre short of the rich man, Luke 12. Who in the fulnesse of his wealth was able to say, Soule take thy rest, thou hast goods enough, eate, drink, and be merry.

If we would haue this aguish [Page 26] thirst quēched, it must not be by drinking of these intoxicated waters, w ^ch will rather increase our appetite, then allay our thirst: but by purging out of our hearts the choller of worldly concupiscences, and by planting in our hearts the feare of God, which will make vs content with our portions. Else if our hearts bee not seasoned with grace, euery man in his state, & condition of calling, is, and will be full of discontent; The poore man w ^ch hath toiled & labored al the day, when he comes home finding his commons meane, & homely, doth enuy the rich mans full table, and soft rest. The rich man he is not content with his estate, but wishes hee had lesse wealth, and more health. The Bachilor that lea­deth [Page 27] a single life, is weary of his solitarinesse, and thinketh the estate of wedlocke the onely happy condition, but being ma­ried, hee growes weary of his choyce, and vnable to endure the troubles of that estate; if hee want children, he is as impati­ent as euer Rachel was; And if hee haue any, hee is not conten­ted, because they are vnruly or troublesome, and that which would bee anothers paradise, is vnto him a hell and torment. Which made the Poet in his time to complaine of mens in­constancy.

Then what is a man profited if hee gaine the whole world, and [Page 28] lise his soule.

4. As they cannot giue con­tent, so they cannot keepe off pouertie: riches haue wings, & flie away, when wee haue most need of them, and when they should doe vs most good. This was well knowne vn­to the Prophet, and therfore he cals them deceitfull vanitie. Psal. 31. 6. 1 Tim. 6. 17. And the Apostle, vncertaine ri­ches. Yet how many are there which gape after this vncertaine Mammon, which is so full of de­ceit, like the Selucian birds w ^ch Aues Se­leucides nunquam conspiciun­tur nisi cum praesi­di [...] illarum indigetur. flie away when they might best pleasure vs. If any will question this truth, wee may for confir­mation produce seuentie Kings vpon their oath. And Adoni­bezeck that great Conquerour to be their Compurgatour: A Iud. 1. 6, 7. liuely example hereof we may [Page 29] see in King Zedekiah, which was 2. King. 25. forsaken of his riches, honour, and friends, his Children were slaine before his face, his eyes put out, and himselfe bound in Chaines, and afterward mise­rably ended his dayes in prison. Looke vpon Iob, yesterday the richest man in the East, and to day not worth a groat. Quic­quid habes bodiè, cras te fortasse relinquet. They come and goe as the ebbing; & flowing of the Sea, taking wings, and leauing vs naked at their pleasure. Iob hath pro­nounced, that the triumphing of the wicked in worldly things is but short, and the ioy of an hypocrite but for a moment, though his excellency mount vp to the heauens, & his head reach Iob 20. 5, 6, 7. vnto the clouds, yet hee shall perish for euer, and they that haue seene him shall say, where is he? Then [Page 30] why doe you lay out your siluer and not for bread, you labour without being satisfied? Riches may bee taken from vs by casualties of fire, inundation of water, rob­bery of theeues, negligence of seruants, suretiship for friends, or by many other accidents. They are many times a bait to intice others to surprize vs. The statelinesse of Ierusalem Q [...]ae verò ex [...]r [...]nsecu [...] ed alium transf [...]rri possunt. Tull. was such an eye-sore to the King of Babell, that he could not be quiet til he was master of it. They are many times occasions whereby slanderers & oppres­sours take aduantage against vs, to insnare and intrap vs. Na­boths Vineyard first moued Ie­zabel to produce false witnesses against him, and at last to take away his life; Then what is a man profited if he gaine the whole world [Page 31] and lose his owne soule?

But suppose Riches would be faithfull, and stand to vs, e­uen to the last gaspe of our breath, yet they can doe vs no good either for our bodies, or our soules. They cannot pro­fit our bodies, because they can­not preuent diseases, nor cure them if they ouertake vs, nor giue vs any comfort or patience to endure them. It is not the Veluet slipper that can cure the Goute, nor a Crowne of Pearle that helpeth the Migram, appo­plexie, Chollicke, or the like: Stately houses, soft beds, rich furniture, costly tables, all these cannot preuent the least sicknes whatsoeuer. But they are so farre from helping vs, as that they are the cause many times of weakning the strength, and [Page 32] of impairing the health, which commeth to passe; 1, Because riches many times make men wanton, and ouer-tender of their bodies, by vsing them to too much daintines, which in a while custome makes them so necessary, that they cannot want them, without the impairing of their health. Now being de­priued of their riches, they can­not nourish their bodies in such manner as before they haue done.

2. A second cause may bee, because riches fil both head and heart, with cares to preserue them, and feares least wee lose them. Hence the Wise man is bold to say, That the re­uenue Prou. 15. 6. of the wicked is trouble; not troublesome in the con­crete, but trouble it selfe in the [Page 33] abstract. And Iob saith, That hee Iob 15. 20, 24. trauelleth in paine all his dayes, which will not suffer him to sleepe and take his rest. Without which his health cannot long endure, so saith the Preacher, The abun­dance Eccl. 5. 12. of riches will not suffer him to sleepe. And the Sonne of Sirach tels vs, That the waking af­ter Ecclus. 31. 1, 2. riches doth pine away the bodie, and the care thereof driueth away sleepe. Whereupon the Poet was bold to passe his censure:

3. Riches prepare the seedes and simples for all sicknesse through idlenesse, which is the effect they produce. And so for want of stirring and action, euill, corrupt, and noysome hu­mours [Page 34] increase and abound, whereby they haue no stomack or appetite to their meate, though they haue full tables & varietie of dishes; And so for want of apperite they can eate nothing; and if they doe, it is a­gainst their stomaches, which nourishes many filthy humours which causeth diseases, which the poorer sort are free enough from. By which it appeares, that riches doe neither preserue health, nor cure diseases when they are come. But rather it may be said, That the Hals of the Morborum domicilium est diuitum Aula. rich are the harbours where disea­ses dwell. For as wormes soonest breed in soft & tēder wood, & Cankers fret soonest the trees that are fullest of sappe, so sick­nesse most easily breeds in those bodies which are made tender [Page 35] with ease and wantonnesse, therefore being forced to flye to the Physitian vpon euery small occasion, many times they make their liues to become a prey vnto them.

5. As riches cannot keepe off pouertie, so they cannot pacifie a troubled conscience, or secure vs from the malice of Sathan: but when GOD sets either of them a worke, they will not feare the awfull Scepter, nor a heape of Gold, nor a silken garment. As may bee seene in Saul, Iudas and Antiochus; But when God awakes their sleepie consciences, these sweet morsels will bee ready to choake them; And then they shall cast their Ezek. 7. 19 siluer in the streets, their siluer and Gold shall not bee able to deliuer them in the day of the wrath of the [Page 36] Lord, they shall not satisfie their soules, nor fill their bowels, because it is the stumbling blocke of their iniquitie.

6. As they cannot pacifie a troubled Conscience, so these terrene things, cannot make those merry & cheereful, which enioy them. The truth of this wee haue before seene in Ahab, and Haman, who were so vexed because they could not haue what they would, that the one went sick to bed, and the other so filled with discontent, that he was ready to eare out his owne heart, because things did not sort according to his desire.

7. As they cannot in any de­gree profit our bodies, so they are lesse able to profit our soules. They cannot inrich them with spirituall graces▪ They can­not [Page 37] purchase Christ, & procure for vs the rich Robes of his righteousnesse, or purchase vs an obedience answerable to the Law; They cannot furnish vs with faith, hope, & repentance; They cannot reconcile vs to God, for he accepteth not the per­son Iob 34, 19. of Princes, and regards not the rich more then the poore, for they be all the worke of his hands. GOD doth not respect men for their goods, but for their Godlines. For better is the poore that walk­eth Pro. 28. 6. in his vprightnesse, then hee that peruerteth his wayes though he bee rich. They cannot put cou­rage in vs to stand resolutely for Christ, and for his cause a­gainst Sathan and his seruants: but rather they make vs cold in the performance of holy duties, of which we shal haue more oc­casion [Page 38] to speake of in due place.

8. As riches cannot profit vs in our soules, so they cannot profit vs in the course of our life, they cannot keepe off old age, the forerunner of death, neither can they make vs care­full to prepare our hearts for God at our death, and so to sub­mit our will vnto Gods Will; Neither can they appease Gods anger, restraine the Deuils po­wer, but when we are panting and gasping vpon our sick beds, all the world will not bribe Death, but hee will tell vs hee hath a warrant from GOD to attach vs without baile or mainprice. For it is appointed for Heb. 9. all men once to die. Which statute being enacted in heauen all the world is not able to reuerse. [Page 39] What comfort then shall rich worldlings find in their bags of Luk. 12. 15 Gold, seeing their life consists not in their riches. Then what shal it profit them to haue their barnes full, when as their soules shall be taken from them? what good will their money doe them when the Deuils are rea­dy to attache them, then shall they lament, and say, they haue spent their strength in vain. For what hope hath the hypocrite though Iob. 27. 8. Quicquid vita dedit tollit cum vita recedit hee hath heaped vp riches, when God taketh away his soule? How miserable then will the case of rich worldlings bee, when as they shall finde, that they haue heaped vp the wrath of GOD with their riches, and that now as they came naked into the world, so they must returne. Eccl. 5. 14, 15. Then what profiteth it a man that [Page 40] he hath laboured for the winde? How much would a man then giue for a good Conscience, & to haue his peace made vp with God? how would he preferre a dramme of grace before a bag of Gold, and would be content to part with his Coffers and Treasures to haue a share a­mong the inheritance of the Saints? for the rich men shall leaue Ier. 17. 11. their inheritance in the middest of their dayes, and their end shall be as a foole.

But suppose riches could sweeten death and make it lesse painful to vs, yet what good can it doe vs when wee are laid in the Graue, then they cannot preserue our bodies from cor­ruption; no, then there will bee no difference betweene the King and the Begger. For one [Page 41] heape of dust is not better then another in the darke Chambers of death. For as nature maketh no difference between one man and another, in the birth, so neither doth it distinguish them after their death, open the graues, and stately monu­ments, and we shall see Kings, and Princes, and great men tur­ned to dust as wel as poor men.

Finally, the riches of the world cānot stand vs in stead at the day of iudgment, for at that day the Lord the iust iudge, Psal. 62. 12. Rom. 2. 6. will reward euery man accor­ding to his workes; he will not respect rich men according to the honour which they haue with men, but according to the honour which they haue Solae virtu­tes faciunt beatum. Macrob. done to him, and comfort to his poore members; he will not [Page 42] esteeme men for their wealth, but according how they haue v­sed it to his glory, and the good of their brethren; Then they that P [...]o. 21. 21. haue followed after righteousnesse, and mercy, shall finde life, righte­ousnesse & glory. But those which in their life haue beene con­tentious, proud, and enuious, and haue not obeyed the truth: Tribulation and anguish shall bee vpon euerie soule, and the riches Rom. 2. 8. which they haue had, shall wit­nesse against them, because they haue not vsed them to glorifie their Creator. Thus by Gods Iam. 5. 3. mercy we haue traced the rich man through the whole course of his life, and death; wee haue laid him downe in his graue, & haue summoned him vp to iudgement, and haue found out the inabilitie of riches, to pro­fit [Page 43] him in life, death, and day of iudgement, in all which wee haue seene the truth of this point, That a man is not profi­ted if he gaine the whole world and lose his soule.

But▪ alasse riches are so farre from profiting vs, as that they are the cause of much euill to soule and body, For they that will bee rich fall into temptati­ons, 1 Tim. 6. 9. and into many dangerous lusts. The loue of money made Bala­am aduenture to make a long Numb. 24. iourney to go to curse the peo­ple of God. For hope of reward Dalilah was al [...]ured to betray Sampson her beloued husband. Hope of preferment will make Doeg flatter Saul and speake e­uill of Dauid the beloued of the 1 Sam. 22. 10. 2 Sam. 15. 2. Lord. And Absolon will seeke his Fathers life to gaine his [Page 44] Kingdome. If Ioab may but get the chiefe Captainship, hee 2 Sam. 10. will make no scruple to kill A­masa. And Abimelech will em­brue his hands in the blood of Iud. 9. 2. threescore and ten of his bre­thren to make himselfe way to the Crown. The loue of money made Iudas sell his Lord and God for thirty peeces, the price of a slaue; by which meanes he brought the blood of Christ vpon his soule, that it had beene good for him if hee had neuer beene borne. The loue of gaine so tipt the tongue of Demetrius that he became a subtill Orator to plead for Idolatry. The loue of mony made Gehazie run after Naaman with a lie in his mouth, 1 King. 21. & so for a little mony & chāge of raiment to sell Gods honor, and his masters credit. The loue [Page 45] of Naboths Vineyard made Ahab purchase a place of pleasure with the price of the blood of his subiect, which procured the bane of him and his familie. The Babylonish garment, and los. 7. 21. wedge of Gold made Achan ex­pose himselfe and all the hoast to the iudgement of God. The loue of money will make men cruell and vnnaturall: Cruell to Mic. 2. 2. couet fields, and to take them by force. Vnnaturall, that many doe not spare the liues of their owne parents, as may bee seene in Absolon, his will was good, but the Lord disappointed him. The Turks as Histories re­port, doe many times imbrue their hands with the blood of the Parents which begat them. And cruell Nero ript vp his mo­thers belly to gaze vpon the [Page 46] place where hee lay in her wombe. Many times the loue of Filius an [...]e d [...]cm, patri­os inqui [...]t in annos. Ouid. Met. lib. 1. I say 3. 1 [...]. Zep. 3. 3. Amos 8. 6. their fathers goods makes them sick of their liues, & wish thē faire laid in their graues. The loue of mony makes men grinde the face of the poore, and to buy them for siluer, and the needy for a paire of shooes. The loue of money is the cause of whoredome and adultery, making men and women to embrace strange flesh, and so Pro. 2. 17. forget the Couenant of their God. The greedy desire which Shi­mei had to bring backe his ser­uants, 1 Kin. 2. 44. made him aduenture his life. The loue of money & hope of reward made Ziba to 2 Sam. 16. 3. slander and falsly accuse Mephi­losheth his Masters sonne of trea­son. Money made the souldi­ers Mat. 28. 12 to report a lie, when they watched the Lords sepulchre. The [Page 47] loue of money makes a man a theefe to himselfe, defrau­ding his belly and backe of necessaries, to increase his wealth; now hee that is a theefe to himselfe, for whom will hee spare? hee careth and carketh for his riches, as if they were his owne: but hee reapeth no benefit by them, as if they were another mans. And though hee haue riches in abundance, yet he hath such a beggerly mind, that hee is still poore to himselfe. The loue of a wise, yoke of Ox­en, Luke 14. 18, 19. and a Farme, were forcible means to keepe off those which were bid to the marriage feast. Wee may, and ought in duty to loue our wiues well, yet wee must take heed, they doe not hinder our loue to Christ, and that they doe not make vs care­lesse [Page 48] to performe holy duties: wee may buy Farmes, Oxen, Merchandice, and performe all other actions agreeable to our callings, so that we doe not neg­lect our soules health. What is there in the world w ^ch a man will not doe for money, & pre­ferment, and yet when he hath it, it will doe him little or no good. Rather then Esau will want pottage, he will sell away his birthright. And in the Fa­mine of Samaria men and wo­men would part with any thing for food to preserue their liues: their gold and siluer for asses dung, and other vnwholesome things. Then, what is a man profi­ted if he gaine the whole world, and lose his soule. But yet alas, they are so farre from profiting vs, as that they hinder vs in the ser­uice [Page 49] of God, and robbe vs of many graces of his spirit; wee will therefore for our instructi­on herein, search into the par­ticulars.

1. They make vs sluggish, lazy and vntoward in the per­formance of holy duties, and to erre from the faith, and at last to 1 Tim. 6. 10 forget GOD. This the Lord knew well, therefore hee gaue his people a caueat, to beware lest they should forget him when Deut. 8. 10 they were full. But they vnmind­full of his watch word, When they were fat, kicked, and forsooke Deu. 32. 1 [...] God which made them, and lightly esteemed the rocke of their saluati­on. But according to their pasture Hos. 13. 6. so were they filled, & their hearts were exalted, therefore haue they forgotten me saith the Lord. And are not there many among vs, [Page 50] as vnthankfull for the Lords mercies, which he hath bestow­ed vpon them, which can open their mouthes wide to craue for riches, and to prey vpon the things of the world, but when they should giue GOD thankes for his mercies, sunt multi lapides, their tongues are as dead as stones. Such are Pon­dus iners & intilis tellus. As vn­gratefull as hard rockes, which yeeld no fruit; Cages of vn­cleane birds, which being cram­med with Gods plenty, die in their fatnesse, and yeeld forth no notes of Gods praise. O foo­lish Deut. 32. and vnwise people, doe you so requite the Lord? Hath he ope­ned vnto you the Chabinets of his blessings, and doe yee like desperate wretches abuse them to your lusts, and his dishonor; [Page 51] and like Traitors fight against him with his owne weapons?

2. Riches are forcible means to draw away our hearts from GOD, and to place them vpon these sordid trumperies, that we can spare no time to heare, read, pray: to meditate vpon his mer­cies, to praise him; vpō his iudg­ments, to feare him; For where Mat. 6. 21. our treasure is, there is our heart also: And so by this meanes we nourish a serpent in our bo­somes, which will gnaw our Consciences, grieue the good Spirit of God, hinder our sal­uation, and so make vs to feare any thing more then the losse Arridet mundus vt saeuiat, blanditur vt fallat, illicit vt oc­ci [...]at, extol­lit vt depri­mat. of our soules.

3. Riches deceiue vs in our hope and expectation, perswa­ding vs helpe in time of need, and to doe great matters for vs, [Page 52] yet when we expect most from them, then they will deceiue vs. Did not Achan thinke that the wedge of Gold would haue aduanced him to preferment, when as indeed it was the ruine of him and his family. Then why Isay 55. doe you lay out your siluer, and not for bread, and labor without being satisfied? Weigh vp therefore your Anchors, hoyse vp your sailes, for these things wil proue your ruine, For hee that trusteth in riches shall fall.

4. Riches robbe vs of our faith, which is the life of the Hab. 2. 4. Heb. 10. 37 righteous: yet for all this the worldling wil trust God no lon­ger then his Corne; Wine, and Psal. 4. 7. Oyle abounds. But will place his confidence in the wedge of Gold, and say in effect to this glorious Mammon, Thou art [Page 53] my hope, and confidence, the stay of my life, and staffe of my age. Now that we may not doe these muck-wormes wrong, we will examine their practices, and I doubt not but wee shall easily draw this confession, out of their owne mouthes. Doe wee not see how vigilant they are ouer them, to preserue them, scarce daring to trust themselues with them. How niggardly in vsing them, that they would bee as willing to part with their right eie, as with a penny to any good vse: what doth this argue, but that they thinke there is some inherent happinesse in them.

5. Riches are a great enemy to humility. For haue wee not seene many in a meane estate to be courteous, meeke, & gentle, [Page 54] but being aduanced, they swell with pride against their inferi­ors, and enuy against their su­periors, and disdaine against their equals, & contemne those which are better then them­selues, as churlish Nabal did 1 Sam. 15. Dauid.

6. Riches coole our zeale; In times past wee see many so zealous for GOD while they were in a meane estate, that they could not endure to heare him dishonoured, his Sabbaths prophaned, his name taken in vaine, but they would haue ta­ken his honour into their prote­ction, and would haue pleaded his cause against the mightie in the Land, and so would haue preferred his glory before their owne ease, libertie, peace, and prosperity: but now being full [Page 55] fed with the things of this life, thought they haue begun the worke of God with great zeale; it happens by their turning backe to the world, they disho­nour him, hinder the godly, and discourage them in their good entendments, and so lose all their labour before they bring it to any perfection; be­cause they shake off that zeale, wherewith in former times they were comforted, and their brethren edified; But now like cowards they are ashamed of their former precisenesse, there­fore they betake them to the world againe, like those which repent them of their former bargaine. Such luke-warme La­odiceans neuer knew what it was to aime at the glory of God, if they did, they would not re­tire [Page 56] in such a cowardly manner.

7. Riches robbe vs of our charitie, in making vs censure other men, which out of an ho­nest heart, and in obedience to Gods Commandements, are careful to performe holy duties vnto him in a due manner, and to mourne and shunne the sin­full corruptions of the time, yet because they will not run with vs in the same couetous courses wee walke in, we are ready to speak euill of them, and brand them with names of reproach.

8. Riches depriue vs of our Iudgment, in making vs beleeue they are good and excellent, Psal. 4. 6. permanent and durable, Prou. 27. 24. when as indeed they are neither good, 1 Tim. 6. 10. But the loue of them is the roote of all euill: nor durable, Pro. 23. 5. [Page 57] For they remaine not alwayes; nei­ther are they our owne, but lent vs to be imployed in our Masters seruice, Luke 16. 12.

9. They deceiue vs of the meanes of getting them, which the most thinke to bee their Pro. 1. 13. Iam. 4. 13. Deut. 8. 18 owne endeauours, When as in­deed they are Gods blessing, which giueth vs power to get wealth.

10. They deceiue vs in our practice and resolution, vsing Pro. 1. 13. many times vnlawfull meanes to get them. Againe on the o­ther side, as they hinder vs in in the practice of piety, so also they adde fuell to our corrupti­ons, and make vs ready to fall into any kinde of sinne whatso­euer.

If riches then bee so vnprofi­table, and so full of deceit, and so vnable to doe vs good for [Page 58] [...]r soules and our bodies. Then learne to esteeme them not as they are in outward shew full of glory and estimation, but va­lue them according to the ac­count GOD makes of them, which cals them vncertaine sha­dowes, 1 Tim. 6. 19 Psa. 39. 6. & vaine shewes, & esteems them as nothing, or as good as nothing, For they will flie away Pro. 23. 5. when wee haue most need of them.

2. Iudge them not by pre­sent Psal. 37. 35, 36. Ezek. 7. 19 estate, but by tryall; see what rich men haue found in them, sicknesse, terrour of con­science, calamities, feares, and great perplexitie, when they should doe them most good; and though they haue promi­sed much peace to themselues Pro. 11. 4. in they enioyment of them, yet we see the are disappointed of their hopes, and so are forced to [Page 59] spend their dayes in sorrow and O munde immunde tu multa promutis; et pau [...]a reddis, imo sic fallax es, et defe­ctuosus, vt quos hic tu diuitijs ex­tollas, in fi­ne nudos demittas. discontent. They are very fitly compared by our Sauiour vnto thornes, for as thornes doe prick and pierce those that touch them, so doe riches prick and pierce the heart of those which rest vpon them; and as thornes do stop vp the common pathes, and hinder the growth of corn: so doe riches stop vp the way to the kingdome of heauen; and as thornes hinder the growth of corne, so riches hinder the spiri­tuall growth of grace, that it cannot thriue in such thorny ground: which made our Saui­our say, A rich man can hardly be saued.

Leaue off therefore, ô thou rich man, and doe not thinke that the abundance of these worldly things can make thee [Page 60] happy. They purchase not a crowne to dignifie thee, but thornes to choake thee; for can that make a man happy, which makes him hatefull to his Crea­tor? which doth not better him in the maine things wherin the excellency of a Christian con­sists? Which make him neuer the better to GOD-ward, or himselfe, nor of more account in the godlies estimation? Ther­fore brethren as you loue your soules, take heede how you set your affections vpon these worldly things, you may haue them in your hands as stewards to distribute them to good vses, but not to treasure them vp in your hearts. Psal. 62. 2.

Q. But may some say, Ifri­ches are so vnable to profit vs, Whether Riches are of any vse. and are so dangerous in their [Page 61] vse, then what are they good for? are they of no worth? may not rich men bee saued as well as other? if they may not, then wee were best cast a­way our riches? Vnto which I answere, that such is the malice of Sathan, that hee is readie to bring vs from one extreame vn­to another, and so eatch the simple, either by adoring ri­ches on the right hand, or cast­ing them downe by their abuse on the left, thereby making vn­stable Christians to hate, & de­spise the gifts of God, as vnlaw­full to be vsed; by which meanes hee hath deluded many, inso­much that they haue not onely condemned the vse of riches, & perswaded others to doe the like, but haue chosen and em­braced voluntary pouerty, as [Page 62] we may reade in histories. Cra­tes a wise heathen, and Philoso­pher at Thebes, finding his ri­ches did hinder him in his study at Athens, cast a great part of it into the Sea, saying, I will drown Ego mergā te p [...]ius. quam tu mergas me. Hieron. ad Paulmum. thee, rather then thou shouldest drowne mee; whose practice S. Hierome in one of his Epistles seemes to approue, debasing ri­ches and extolling pouertie, in whose steps the Papists at this day tread, thinking it to bee the onely way to please God, which made many of the Champions of their Church to set their wits Bellar de monach. c. 7. & 39. Rhem. annot. in Mat. 19. ver 9. vpon the naile to support and vphold their vow of voluntary pouerty: equalling their vota­ries to the Seraphins, and if it were possible, to aduance them aboue the throne of the An­gels. But wee are to know, that [Page 63] riches in themselues are the good blessings of God, and may bee vsed and possessed of the godly vnto very good purpo­ses, although they be abused by the wicked vnto their perditi­on, For the fault (saith S. Grego­rie) Greg. mor. l. 9. c. 28. Crimen non est in rebus sed in vsu age [...]is. is not in themselues, but in them that vse them. Which saying doth sort well with that of the Scripture, Vnto the cleane all things are cleane. And S. Am­brose Dis [...]ant non in faculta­tibus cri­men haere­re, sed in ijs qui vti ne­sciunt in Luc. 9. saith, The fault is not in ri­ches, but in the ignorance of them that haue them, not vsing them a­right; Therefore let no man re­iect riches, because some abuse them to sinne. For riches and wealth to a good man are very comfortable, and good bles­sings, by reason he hath great meanes to doe good, but to a bad man they are the cause of [Page 64] much euil, because they minister more matter to his sinfull de­sire. A man may warme him by a fire, yet not burne himselfe in it; so a rich man may moderate­ly vse his riches, and yet not hedge vp his way to happinesse: take away the abuse, and the vse of them is very good. It is not riches that Christ and Paul con­demne, but the inordinate loue of them. They are called in Scripture not onely gifts, but benefits and rewards, which God Deut. 2. 8. promised to bestow vpon them that serue him. Therefore it is said, God gaue Iob his wealth, Iob 1. 21. c. 42. 10. and the Israelites their Corne, Wine, and oyle, and multiplied Hos. 2. 8. their siluer and gold: hence they are called by the wisest of men, the blessings of the Lord, and pro­mised Pro. 10. 22. that they shall bee in his [Page 65] house that feareth the Lord. Ps. 112. 1, 3. And hee hath bestowed this blessing vpon many of his Chil­dren, as vpon Abraham, Isaac, Iacob, Salomon, that they might bee the better enabled to per­forme holy duties. Therefore wee may lawfully pray for them, if wee propose right ends to glorifie God with them, and benefit his Church, (yet wee must submit our wills vnto Gods Will) and that wee may so liue, that wee may not bee chargeable to others, but pro­uide for our selues and Chil­dren, according to our seuerall places and conditions, for if there bee any that prouideth no [...] 1 Tim. 5. 8. for his owne, especially for those of his owne house, such an one is worse then an Infidell, and hath de­nied the faith. As wee must doe [Page 66] good vnto all, so especially to Gal. 6. 10. them that are most neare and dear vnto vs; Ioseph sent meat to Gen. 43. 34 all his Brethren, both according to the flesh, and according to the faith, but Beniamins Messe was fiue times as much as the rest of his brethren, because hee loued him best: so the care that wee should shew to our owne family should bee fiue times greater then for any body else, for whom should a man loue better then his wife and Chil­dren. When the famine was in Samaria, the women cryed 2 Kin. 6. 35. vnto the King with their Chil­dren in their armes, saying, Helpe O King, else wee perish for want of bread. Now eue­ry man in his owne family is a King, whose office is not onely to make lawes, but also to pro­uide [Page 67] necessaries for his subiects, that they may liue in peace and quietnesse. Therfore when want commeth into the family, whi­ther shall the Wife goe, but to her Husband, and the children, but to their father? Now if hus­bands bee carelesse to prouide for their Wiues, Fathers for their Children, what a lamenta­ble cry will it be when they are in want? when the Wife shall crie, Husband giue vs bread, or else we die? and Children cry, and say, Father giue vs bread, or else wee starve? Now in this case what wil the carelesse Hus­band say to his deare Wife? or the improuident Father to his poore Children? he cannot say perhaps as the King said to the woman of Samaria, Seeing the 2 Kin. 6. 27. Lord doth not helpe, how can I? [Page 68] when as the fault is in himselfe, which hath pulled this misery vpon himselfe by his owne in­discretion, and idle carriage in the course of his calling. The good huswife is described by her carefulnesse, not onely to prouide necessaries for her hus­band and Children, but also for the maintenance of her whole family which depended vpon Pro. 31. 15. her; and this care of necessaries must not onely be for time pre­sent, but also for the time to come. For parents are bound to prouide, and to lay vp for their 2 Cor. 12. 14. Childrē. Therfore Salomō descri­bing a godly man, sayes, He shall Pro. 13. 22. giue an inheritance to his childrens children. Therefore as it is the duty of a good man to take care for his own: so also that he may bee able to relieue the poore; [Page 69] for it is a more blessed thing to Act. 20. 35. giue then to receiue: And our blessed Lord teacheth vs to pray for our dayly bread; now what we desire in our prayers wee may labour for in our practice: and as wee must seeke the Kingdome of GOD in the first place, so in the se­cond place wee may lawfully seeke for the things of this world, that we may bee able to Rom. 13. 7. giue vnto Caesar the things which are Caesars, and tribute to whom tribute belongeth, and be able to bring vp our Children in lear­ding, wherby they may become seruiceable to the Church and Common wealth. In these re­spects we may desire riches, if God see them good for vs, that we may honor him with them, and become seruiceable to his [Page 70] Church; and if hee doe blesse vs with riches, we are to esteeme them as pledges of his loue, and to manifest our thankefulnesse by obedience to his Comman­dements, by walking humbly in our liues and conuersations, both towards GOD and men. For riches are good, and the blessings of God. Therfore woe vnto them that make them the instruments of damnation vnto themselues, by not vsing them to his glory, which gaue them, but by abusing them to serue their owne lusts: as the Israelites of old, Which sate down 1 Cor. 10. 7 Ex. 32. 6. to eate and drinke, and rose vp a­gaine to play. But howsoeuer though they are good in them­selues, as they are the blessings of God, yet we must take heed we doe not ouer-value them in [Page 71] our iudgement, and gripe them hard and close in our hands, they are thornes; and thornes, are dangerous if they bee not carefully handled, therefore let vs account them good seruants, but bad masters, no better then drosse and dung in respect of Christ: for vnlesse God blesse & sanctifie them to vs, they wil doe vs little good.

Let vs therefore thrust them out from harbouring in our hearts, and make them seruants to follow and obey vs, and not lords to rule ouer vs. And if we want their company, not to vse any vnlawfull means for the ob­taining of them; but still to e­steeme them base in compari­son of grace, and the meanes of our saluation, and to be content rather to lose thē then the least [Page 72] degree of grace. Money is but as drugs, & as a lenatiue oynt­mēt to mitigate & asswage the swellings & diseases of the bo­dy; they cānot remoue the Car­buncle or disease, they may mi­tigate the paine a while, but the roote remaines still; so though they are good blessings, yet they are not absolutely good, they are but the blessings of Gods left hand, & cōmon: as well the blessings of Esau, as Iacob, no mā can know loue or hatred by them, and are more freely be­stowed vpon the wicked, then vpon the godly. Esau flourished in state and honour, with foure hundred seruingmen at his heeles, when Iacob was faine to creep & crouch to him with termes of honour in his mouth to gaine his fauour. Pharaoh in [Page 73] Maiesty and honour dominered ouer Gods people, while Moses and Aaron the beloued of the Lord, are humble petitioners vnto him, for the peoples liber­tie. The Scribes and Pharisees like great Rabbins sate in Moses Chaire, when Christ and his Disciples, are scorned and con­temned as base persons; & whē Christ had not a place to put his head in, then Herod had his pallace, and places of delight. Esau and Ismael spent their time in pleasures, while Isaac and Ia­cob spend their time in painfull labours. Diues was clothed in purple, and fared deliciously e­uery day, when Lazarus the be­loued of the Lord was pinched with hunger, and pained with soares. Riches are such vnto a man, as a man is vnto himselfe, [Page 74] a good man is not the worse for Diuiti [...] sunt vt illi­us animus est qui ea possides, qui bene vtiscit ea bona sunt illi, qui non rectè vtitur mala. Ter. in Heaut. Diuiti [...] dantur be­nis vt ne putentur mal [...], malis ne put [...]ntur bona, multis ne putentur magna. Aug. in Hag. Ille qui non habet, nē ambiat: qui habet non super­biat. Aug. in Psal. 62. the want of them, nor a wicked man the better for the enioying of them, as rich men are not to be esteemed lesse in the fauour of GOD for their riches, if they vse them well, so godly poore men are not to be despi­sed for their pouertie. GOD therefore, as a wise disposer of them, giues them to the godly, lest they might be thought euil things, hee giues them to the wicked also, lest they might bee thought good things, hee giues them vnto many, lest they should bee thought great bles­sings; therefore he that hath not these worldly blessings, let him not couetously gapeafter them, and he that hath them, let him not be proud of them; For what is a man profited if he gaine the [Page 75] whole world, and lose his soule.

Ʋse 1 Are riches so vnprofitable, and so vnable to doe vs good for our bodies or soules with­out Gods blessing vpon them, then this may serue to check the vaine conceit of manie, which thinke themselues happy, be­cause their Corne, Wine, and Oyle abounds, although they haue many times purchased them at hard rates. Examine then thy conscience how thou hast got thy siluer: whether by Gods blessing vpon thy honest labours, or else by cruelty, fraud, vsury, or the like: if thou hast, then timely make restitu­tion to the owners, repent thee of thy vnrighteous dealing, or else one day or other thou shalt finde that this base pelfe will be as troublesome to thee as euer [Page 76] it was to Achan, Iudas, or the like; For hee that getteth riches, Ier. 17. 11. & not by right, shall leaue them in the midst of his dayes, and at his end shall bee a foole. If thou hast got thy riches squarely and with a good Conscience, take heed they bee not as a logge in thy way to hinder thee of thy happinesse, for we cannot serue God and riches; He will not suf­fer 1 Sam. 3. 2. one Altar to serue for himselfe and Dagon too, though the Phili­stins vsed great labour to bring it to passe; So God will not en­dure to haue the Idoll of Mam­mon, which worldlings adore, to lodge in that heart which he hath reserued for himselfe, and which doth so much dishonour him in his truth, mercy, and prouidence, and doth so much mischiefe vnto his children, for [Page 77] while it delighteth the eyes, & Occulos de­lectat, aures demulcet, sed mentem inquinat. Amb. de Cain & A­bel cap. 5. tickleth the eares, it makes an incision into the soule. Wee may, as I said before, in some measure bee carefull for the things of this life, but wee must take heed we be not ouer-care­ful, which many times is accom­panied with distrust in Gods prouidence; as if times, seasons, and meanes were not in his hands, and as if hee were not a­ble to giue successe to our labours, vnlesse wee torment and vexe our selues, and neglect his seruice to take care of our owne. But of this we shall haue fitter occasion to speake of in another place.

Vse 2 Are riches so vnable to pro­fit, and so deceitfull? then this serues to discouer the cor­ruptiōs of our times, which out [Page 78] of a loue which they beare to Hunc [...]abe beatum, non quem vul­gus voc [...]t, sed cui omne bonum in animo est. Seneca. this base earth, doe so magnifie it, as to account wicked men happy, though they be branded with as many vitious qualities, as euer was Commodus, Nero, Ca­ligula, and Heliogabolus; For mo­ney will make a stigmaticall Thraso, fex populi, the verie scumme of the people, to be e­steemed, though hee haue no­thing to commend him but his Coyn, which perhaps his father or himselfe hath got with bri­bery, vsury, or other vnlawfull practises: by which meanes hee hath leaped to preferment, and so by his golden couer he hides a masse of ill and stinking hu­mors. Which made a leud fel­low once say, If my Father were a hāgman, and my mother a Harlot, and my selfe no bet­ter, [Page 79] yet if I haue money, I am liked well enough, and am ne­uer branded with their mis­deedes; for there is no vice that wealth doth not smother: If a rich man be as proud as Tarquin, as cruell as Nero, as churlish as Nabal, and Timon, and as coue­tous as Diues, yet all these vices are couered with a golden man­tle. So that Auri sacra fames quid non? What cannot Gold bring to passe? It can dimne the sight, put spirit into a Coward, and gaine estimation of the world. If proud Herod doe but make an Oration in his fine Robes, the people will admire him, & thinke he is a god. The rude multitude looke at nothing but the outward picture, which makes them many times erre in their iudgement, and extoll [Page 80] an ignorant asse for his gay coat, and Crownes in his Purse, whereby it comes to passe that great places are possest of men of slender iudgement, which haue not one dramme of wor­thinesse to commend them, but wealth & worldly fame: though such be aduanced by the courte­sie of wise men, & simplicitie of fooles, yet let them not flatter themselues, for they are not more honourable in the sight of God, which iudges not accor­ding to the outward appearāce, nor any whit the more estee­med of the godly. So on the contrary, such is the blinde worlds iudgement, that if a man bee as prudent as Cato, as iust as Manlius, and as mag­nanimous as Scipio, neuer so ho­nest, wise, temperate, and neuer [Page 81] so beautified with vertue, yet Non facilè emergunt, quorum virtutibus obslat res angusta do­mi. Sub sordido pallio latet aliquando sapientia. if he be a poore man, though he haue great wisdome, and many excellent parts, Si res angusta domi, if Coyne bee wanting, hee is despised and reie­cted, and if hee haue neither coine nor friends, he is like to haue co [...]d entertainment, and no more regarded then an vnwelcome guest, for

Money is the sinewes, blood, and soule of a man, for vnlesse the purse bee well linde with crownes, neither Science, Art, nor honesty is auaileable to ad­uance to dignitie: So that a [Page 66] man is neuer thought wise and learned vnlesse he be rich, and though hee speake well, and to the purpose, yet as the Poet saith; Rara tenui facundia pāno, A Satyr 7. Dum pau­per loqui­tur, tunc barbarus esse videtur poore mans speech is seldome pleasant, and wisdome vnder a patched coate seldome Cano­nicall: But let these poore wormes know, though they be despised of the world, yet there is a GOD that iudgeth the earth, and will come quickly and bring his reward with him, to giue vnto euery one as Reu. 12. 12 his workes shall be. Therefore let not this neglect of respect dismay the vertuous and wel­deseruing, though they haue no regard in the world, yet wise­dome shall be iustified of her Children, and their owne work shall praise them, yea their ve­ry [Page 83] enemies shall bee forced to acknowledge their vertues. Though the Iewes did labour by all meanes to bury the glory of our Sauiour, and the vertues of his Disciples vnder disgrace, yet for all this their enemies were forced to acknowledge their innocency, and iustifie them against the faces of their enemies: Therefore wee read that Metellus Macedo­nicus praised Scipio for his ver­tues, and wept for him at his death, though he were his mor­tall foe; for no man, though hee bee neuer so enuious can take that from him which vertue hath merited, If in this life onely 1 Cor, 15. 19. we had our hope, we were of all men most miserable. But let the poore despised comfort themselues, though they sow in teares, yet [Page 84] they shall reape in ioy: For mans felicity is not in riches, they are gotten with paine, kept with care, and lost with griefe; Then what is a man profi­ted if he gaine the whole world?

This base esteeme of the god­ly poore doth shake the feeble Conscience of many weake ones, when they behold diuers good men stored with many good parts, yet in regard of their pouerty are made the scorne of the world: Let such know, mans happines doth not consist in this world, but in the world to come, where they shall shine as the Starres in the firmament, whereas those which haue had their portion in this life shall bee turned into hell.

Vse 3 If the world cannot helpe nor profit vs in life nor death, Then let it be our wisedome to seeke for that which may, and Psal. 32. 1. 1 Tim. 6. 6 that is, For the free pardon of our sinnes in Christ, And to be truely godly, which is the chiefest gaine. The righteousnesse of Phil. 3. 9. Christ, which is the portion of the Saints, A holy conuersation Phil. 2. 15. and a good Conscience in all things, which is a pledge of the true ioy wee shall haue in hea­uen; 2 Cor. 1. 12 For all other ioyes are vaine, which haue not grace for the foundation. Labour then to haue GOD reconciled vnto thee; And to bee at one with him: And if thou feare him thou shalt want nothing that is good. Wouldest thou haue ri­ches? then feare the Lord, and Psal. 112. 3. then wealth shall be in thy house. [Page 86] Wouldest thou haue true gain? Christ shall bee vnto thee in life Phil. 1. 2. and death aduantage. Desirest thou saluation? It is he that shall Mat. 1. 21. saue his people from their sinnes. The comforts of the world may leaue the vngodly, But the con­solations Iohn 16. 21 of the godly are as wels of liuing water, their ioyes shall neuer bee taken from them. And they Ps. 119. 165 that loue the Lord shall haue great prosperitie; For the Lord taketh de­light Psal. 35. 27. in the prosperity of his ser­uants. This should teach vs then to prize grace and the feare of the Lord according to their due worth, They are better then Gold Psa. 19. 10. yea then the fine Gold.

If outward things in their lawfull vse be so base and vna­ble to doe vs good, how filthy and vile are they in their sinfull abuse? And how excellent then [Page 87] is the Lord Iesus? And how ought wee to prize his loue to vs, that when Gold and siluer could doe vs no good, then he bought vs for a price, euen the 1 Cor. 6. 20 greatest price that any one could pay? For what can bee more costly then blood? or what Isay 53. Rom. 5. 10. more deare then life? Yet when we were his enemies he powred out his blood to reconcile vs to God. How ought we then to loue, feare and obey him? For it is not the riches of Craesus, the tri­umphs of Caesar, the conquest of Alexander, nor any worldly pompe can profit vs, and make vs happy. Though some among the Romanes, and some among the Grecians were so aduanced to outward felicitie, that their Painters did picture them with Townes and cities gliding into Plutarch. [Page 88] their nets while they were a­sleepe, as Plutarch reports; Yet what are these without Christ? they cannot bee reduced to any of the beatitudes. The fairest colours are not seene in the darke, and without light haue no pleasant shew; So are the most specious blessings of the world: take away CHRIST the light of the world, and where is their glory and com­fort? They are but drosse and dung Phil. 3. 8. without him, full of obscurity and dishonour. Labour I say to get thee an inheritance among the Saints, & the comfort of Gods Spirit, and to let the Word of GOD dwell plentiously in thee. This is the true riches, this wealth is permanent, and will bee a comfort vnto vs in our troubles, sicknesse, and houre of [Page 89] death, when rich worldlings will be at their wits end. If God blesse vs with riches, let vs pray for wisedome to vse them a­right. Pray first for goodnesse, and then in the second place for goods: Else they will not be­come good vnto vs, vntill grace season them and they be sancti­fied vnto vs; And then vse them for necessitie, as men doe knaues and theeues, which they know will bee ready to cozen, or steale away something from them: So let vs watch ouer our riches, lest they steale away our hearts from godlinesse; dull and dead our affections vnto holy and religious duties; or hinder vs in our spirituall voyage to the Land of Canaan, or split our earthly vessels, vpon the craggie Rocks of presumption, [Page 90] or carnall security. Thus if wee watch ouer our hearts, our ri­ches shall not be our ruine.

Vse 4 Seeing riches are so vnable to profit vs; Then be exhorted in the last place to cast away co­uetousnesse, and let euery man bee content with his owne e­state; And not repine against Gods prouidence: thereby wee shall shew our selues vnthank­full for mercies receiued, be­cause we doe not abound in the things of the world as others doe. But let vs wisely consider with our selues, not so much what others haue, as what is fit for vs to haue, and what wee haue deserued at Gods hands, that he should preferre vs be­fore others. Why should wee desire more, when as wee haue already more then we de­serue? [Page 91] The consideration here­of should teach the Children God, as to bee content with their owne portion, so not to enuy the prosperity of the wic­ked, because God giues them a larger allowance; shall our eye bee euill because his is good? If we haue food and rayment, let vs 1 Tim▪ 6. 8 be therewith content; And if God giue vs store of these earthly things, take we heed wee doe not set our hearts vpon them. Then wee shall bee willing to leaue them when God cals for them▪ and when they take wings and flie away, we shall looke af­ter them with a quiet minde, as Iob 31. 25. 1. 21. Blessed is that po­uerty which v­nites our hearts to God. Iob did, because he did not set his heart vpon his riches when his substance was great: therefore he was not grieued when they were taken away; but in his [Page 92] greatest losses praises the Lord, hauing learned patience, and contentednesse, as well when he wanted, as when hee abounded. If God haue giuen vs the comforts of his Spirit, & the assurance of saluation; then let vs learne to bee dieted by him, which knowes how ready we are to surfeit vpon these vn­wholesome viands, which pro­duce such obnoxious humours; And let vs know that what wee want in earth, shall be supplyed in heauen: The Lord will not suffer vs to want those things, which in his wisdome he knows to be fit for vs. Therefore Dauid saith, Nothing is wanting to them Ps. 34. 9. 10 that feare him, for the Lord forsa­keth not his Saints, they shall bee preserued for euermore. There­fore psa. 37. 28. let vs labour to be content [Page 93] with any estate which God hath chalked out for vs by his proui­dence.

But alas, what a lamentable thing it is to see many which professe themselues the Chil­dren of God, to be so worldly minded, that if things goe not according to their minde, they will be ready to cal the truth of Gods prouidence in question, as appeares by their distrustfull 2 Kin. 6. 33. speeches▪ as if they were borne for no other end, then to bee bond-slaues to the world. And so by cumbering their mindes with the cares thereof, which are in their owne nature so hea­uy a loade, that they hinder them in the pursuit of blessed­nesse. What a burden of tor­ments doth the couetous desire bring with it! a disease like to [Page 92] [...] [Page 93] [...] [Page 94] the dropsie, the more it hath the more it would; Alway thir­sty, as the Serpent Dipsas, which will neuer bee satisfied till it burst. If a couetous man might haue his desire, and My­das Aurum cuncta pr [...]e­cor fiant, quae c [...]rpo­re tangam. Palin. in Tau. wish were now to bee obtained; the couetous man would haue the deuill & all; and thus by this meanes he would wrap himself in all misery, by neglecting his soules health.

Brethren, what, were you borne to bee drudges to the world, and so to spend your dayes in seruitude? No, no, you were born to be the Lords free men, and to serue him with ioy and gladnesse, and not to be slaues to your riches. Salomon leuied tribute vpon bondmen and Vassailes, and not vpon the Israelites the Lords owne peo­ple. [Page 95] So let the world leuy her bond-seruice vpon the spirituall Amorites Hittites, I meane vpon earth-wormes, Vsurers, and the like; Let them be her drudges, and not the true Isra­el of God, which haue him for their Shepherd which will take Psal. 23. 5. care they shall want nothing. Therefore let vs cast our care vpon God, and make our re­quest knowne vnto him, which is able to helpe vs, and will not faile vs, nor sorsake vs: If God feed the Rauens, shall we think he will let vs and our children want? And if we doe want any necessary thing, then let vs exa­mine our hearts what may bee the cause; haue we serued God as we ought, and depended vp­on his prouidence? if we haue failed in any part, how shall we [Page 96] thinke that he will take care of vs? Let vs repent for our negli­gence herein, and humble our soules vnder the hand of God, and be content to endure hard­nesse and scarcitie, because we haue sinned against our Maker, and haue valued these trifles aboue the glory of God, and our owne saluation. Learne we then to bee content with our e­states and conditions, and to praise God; and if hee giue vs nothing but bread, or feed vs with scarcitie, yet let vs know he deales more freely with vs, then hee hath done with many (which haue better deserued them then wee) that haue eate the bread of care, and quenched their thirst with the water of affliction; Let vs remember Exiguum natura de­siderat. nature is content with a little. [Page 97] Food & Rayment was as much as Iacob desired, & Agur craued Gen. 28. 20. Pro. 30. 1 Tim. 6. 8. but food cōuenient, w ^ch if God grant vs, we ought to be cōtent, & not to seek after great things here, seeing we must leaue them when we die: And if the body bee not dieted with moderati­on it will proue a stubborne seruant to the soule, making it fit for nothing but thorny cogi­tations, which are the greatest enemies to grace, or good ex­ercises. The wise heathen could teach vs moderations in these Si ad natu­ram viuis, nunquam eris pauper, si ad opini­onem, nun­quam diue [...] Epist. 161. What the wise hea­then thought of riches. things. Seneca that Christian Ethnick, as Erasmus stiles him, hath a witty saying of Epicurus, If thou liuest (saith he) according to nature, thou shalt neuer bee poore; but if according to opinion, thou shalt neuer be rich. They fea­red lest these earthly things [Page 98] would steale away their hearts from their studies in Philoso­phie, therefore they despised these base and mundane trifles. Annacreon hauing a huge masse of money sent him by Policrates, could neuer rest till he was rid of it againe: therefore he sent it backe againe, saying, That he neuer liued in such feare as hee did while he had the money in his house. Diogenes refused all, and craued nothing but the be­nefit of the Sunne which Alex­ander Quintus Curtius in the life of Alexander. kept from him, by stan­ding betweene him and it. And when newes was brought vnto Zeno and certaine other, that their Ships, Goods, and Mer­chandize were lost, they reioy­ced, because it was a cause to make them apply themselues to their studies, which yeelded [Page 99] them farre greater content. Philoxenes hauing purchased a farme, whereby hee might liue the better at ease, quitted it a­gaine, and returned to Athens, saying, These goods shall not lose mee, but I them. Therefore Seneca writing to a friend of his, said, that if he had not lost his riches, it might be, they might haue lost him: Which made A­ristides, Curius, and many other to liue in poore conditions. If heathen men by natures light learned such contentment, what a shame is it for vs which haue the word of God for our light, yet to be so carking and caring for the things of this life? For if Gold and Siluer, were sent vs, wee should hardly find a man that would send it back againe, for, Quis nisi mentis inops oblatum

respuit aurum; Wee count him a foole that despises money when it is offered him. But if wee would consider, that all things we haue, we hold them from God, as borrowed goods; Then we would bee content to let him haue them againe with­out griefe, and giue him thanks for the time we haue had them, lest we should bee conuicted of ingratitude. But alas, the lacke of experience, not knowing how to apply our selues to our present estate causeth vs to wrap our selues in a number of passions and torments. Wee must therefore striue to know the truth of Gods prouidence that we may not bee dismaide if God doe depriue vs of these earthly blessings. It is written of Antiochus, that when the Ro­manes [Page 101] had gotten from him, the greatest part of his King­dome, he did not murmure and repine as many of vs would haue done, but said he was much beholding to them that had ea­sed him of so much care. Philip King of Macedon, vpon a time being fallen vpon the sands, and seeing the marke and print of his body, said, Lord what a lit­tle plat of the world is nature contented with, and yet we co­uet the world? What a shame is it for vs, that the heathen should condemne our greedy desires? What would they haue done & said, if they might haue had as much meanes and opportunities as wee haue, to get knowledge, and to know what the Lord required at our hands? Let vs repent of our [Page 102] former repining, and let vs re­turne vnto the Lord with all our hearts; and be content to be gouerned by him in all things, for there can be no true com­fort in any thing in this world; for else it may hap vnto vs, as it did vnto Dinah, who while she wandred to feed her fancies vp­on the daughters of a strange Countrey, she lost her Virgini­ty among the sons of the coun­try: so while wee seeke to fill our mindes with the profits of the world, we may lose our sin­ceritie, 1 Tim. 1. 19. and make ship-wrack of a good conscience, and so bee forced to goe away as Thamar out of her brother Ammons Chamber, with her garment rent: So those worldlings which sometimes with Demas, followed Paul, but now em­brace [Page 103] the world; are forced ma­ny times to goe away with their garments rent, and torne. And no maruell, for if they will ven­ture through the thornes and bushes of worldly cares to get worldly promotion, it is no maruell if their zeale be abated and quenched, their courage for the performance of holy things cooled, their faith bla­sted, their knowledge withe­red, their humility defaced, and the whole grament of piety rent in pieces. For if with Siserah we looke for any rest in Iaels tent, we shall be sure to bee made fast; so if we look for any sound comfort in the world, we shall be sure to speed as ill as Siserah did; & 'tis a thousād to one but our sinceritie and pietie will be nayled to the earth before wee [Page 104] be aware. And so by longing after the pottage of the world we lose our birth-right as Esau did. Therefore seeing Gods loue or hatred is not knowne by the hauing or want of these outward things, therefore let vs desire the Lord to weane our hearts from the things of the world, and to giue vs quiet mindes and thankfull hearts. But Lord, though we are full of impatience, and doubting of thy Prouidence, Mercy, and Goodnesse, and so ready to for­get what thou hast done for vs all our dayes, yet we pray thee forget not thy selfe, but conti­nue a God still to doe vs good, and if want come, then to keep our faith firme and strong in thy Prouidence; if sicknesse, & aduersity come, keepe our pati­ence [Page 105] entire; if riches and prefer­ment come, keepe our zeale vn­quenced. Remember wee pray thee, whereof wee bee made, from the earth we come, on the earth wee liue, delighting in earthly things, and at last vnto the earth wee shall returne a­gaine.

Therefore, seeing heauenly things cannot come from so vile a matter, and our earthly nature cannot bee changed but by thy heauenly Spirit, we pray thee rouze vp our dead affecti­ons, and make vs to place our hearts onely vpon thee, giue vs grace to vse and imploy our riches to thy honour, and to purchase vnto our selues the meanes of grace with them, that so we passing the time of our pilgrimage in thy feare, we [Page 106] may die in thy fauour, rest in thy peace, and rise againe by thy power, which grant vnto vs for the Lord Iesus sake. And thus much for the first point propounded, riches, and their insufficiency to profit vs for our soules and our bodies in life and in death: The second fol­lowes, which is Honours and Preferments. Tul. in Tus [...]. quest.

Honour, according as the wise heathens define it, is a vni­on of the praises of good men which iudge of vertue without partialitie; What is Honour if it be not sanctified, but thral­dome and bondage; the begin­ning of danger, and the occasi­on of death? and so turnes to the ruine of many: How many are there which haue striued to enter in at the gate of Ho­nour, [Page 107] which haue beene trod vnder foot, as the Mi [...]e in the street? Those which gape after honour may fitly be compared to those which climbe Nut trees, some breake their necks with climbing: and other their teeth with cracking. Did not 2. Sam. 18. 9. Absolon by climbing so high, make his owne haire his halter; and Haman by his ambitious Esth. 7. 9. thoughts raise himselfe fifty cu­bits high vpon a stately gallows which he had prepared for Mor­dechai? Act. 12. and when Herod thought to deifie himselfe, he was quick­ly brought vnder by the base wormes. And do we not see ma­ny break their teeth with crack­ing these Nuts? Did not Achan thinke to aduance himselfe by the accursed things? but he was deceiued, it was his ruine: for [Page 108] he lost both the wedge of gold, and life too. And haue we not heard of many in our times, which by their climbing haue got fearefull falles: And the Amos 8. 12 moone of their hopes hath been eclipsed at the ful, and the sunne of their preferments hath gone downe at noone? Which shews how slippery great mens places are, and how full of dangers on euery side. Though promotion come only frō the Lord, yet ma­ny times through our corrupt nature it doth more hurt then good: vnlesse our hearts be sea­soned with grace and the feare of the Lord. Brethren, mistake me not, I do not condemne ho­nour, which in it selfe is good, lawfull, and laudable, and may moderately be desired of Chri­stians. Therefore lest wee may [Page 109] lose our selues in this labyrinth Honors are of two sorts, we will make a distinction be­tween that honor w ^ch is lawful, & commendable, & that which 1. Lauda­ble. 2. Worldly, & Wicked. is worldly and wicked. Lawfull honour is that which doth not onely consist in the witnesse, which God and our owne con­science giueth to our pious en­deauours, but also in the ac­count which the godly haue for their vertuous and godly carri­age both to GOD and man. This honour may also shine in pri­uate Christians, in their meane estates, and conditions of life; as well as in publike persons, in whose hands is authoritie and rule, and other dignities and preferments.

2. Worldly honour is that which is gained by the applause of the rude ignorant, and wa­uering [Page 110] multitude, ioyned with worldly preferment, procured by cunning deuices, making the shew of vertue to stand for the substance, or at least-wise ambi­tiously to affect those things (which in their own nature are good and may bee desired) to serue their turne, and to hide their hypocrisie with. The for­mer kinde of honour is very lawfull, and may be desired by the godly, but the other is to be contemned and despised. The lawfulnesse of that honour, and the moderate desire thereof may appeare by warrant from sacred Scripture.

1. Because it is the gift of God, which raiseth vp the poor out of the dust, and lifteth vp 1 Sam. 2. 8. the beggers from the dunghill, to set them among Princes, and [Page 111] to make them inherit the seat of glory, as Hannah speaketh in her diuine song. And Dauid he saith, that riches & honor come frō 2 Chron. 29. 11. God. Therefore they must needs bee good, seeing they issue & slow frō him w ^ch is the foun­taine of goodnesse: And as they are good in themselues, so they serue for good vses; For a god­ly man in his place, as hee pro­tects the godly, so is he a terror Rom. 13. 3. to the workers of iniquitie. Let those therefore which are ad­uanced into place of authoritie take heed they staine not their places by the deuils malice, and their owne corruptions; but let them approue their actions and conuersations by the since­rity of their hearts, that they seeke not their owne ends, but how they may honour GOD [Page 112] in their places, and benefit his Church, and to striue to bee great in grace, as they are in place, and to shine as lamps in the middest of the people, by professing and practising the fruits of Religion in their liues and conuersations, for the eyes of all men are fixed vpon them: if they proue wandring starres, and doe not their duty, they shall greatly dishonour God, offend the godly, and lead the wicked into much euill. Iobs Children perished in the house of their elder Brother; so many inferiors perish by the loose ex­ample of their superiours. Let the consideration hereof teach all Superiors, & Magistrates in Psal. 101. their place to walke in vpright­nes, that by their examples they may not embolden their Infe­riors [Page 113] to sinne, or to settle them­selues vpon their lees, but to draw out the sword against the workers of iniquitie; hereby they shall glorifie God, and dis­charge their duties. For the time shall come when they shal be called to account how they haue walked in their places, and how they haue honoured God and aduanced his Gospel? what a comfort will it bee to their soules, if they can say with good Hezekiah, that they haue walked before the Lord with vpright hearts. Let vs also teach Parents so to walke before their chil­dren and seruants, as that they may be patternes of all goodnes for them to imitate, but of their duty we shall▪ haue more fit occasion to speake in ano­ther place.

Vse. Wouldest thou be honoura­ble among men, labor to inrich thy life with holinesse, and a vertuous conuersation; let thy words be words of grace, thy lips doors of knowledge, & thy heart as a storehouse of vnder­standing, and seeke honor from GOD, who maketh low and Ps. 75. 6. 7. high. For the world and world­ly men cannot bestow the ho­nour of vertue vpon vs, and if we would seeke it from GOD with hope of obtaining, let vs returne all glory from our selues vnto him, seeing he hath promised to honour them 1 Sam. 2. 30. which honour him: And if we would haue honour from men, Gloria vm­bra vertu­tis est, etiam inuitos co­mitatur. Sen. Ep. 79 then let vs abound in all good workes, and then honour will attend vs like a shadow, though we be vnwilling of it. If GOD [Page 115] haue ordained vs to bee great men on earth, he knowes how to aduance vs; and the onely way for vs to bee aduanced is, to walke lowly in our owne eyes, and to make no account of the worlds preferment, which will deceiue vs: for what will honor doe vs good if wee make GOD our enemy to gaine it? Let vs therefore submit our selues to be guided by GOD, and content to wait his leisure for our preferment, and if we be descended from noble parents, which were honourable in the world for their vertues, let vs take heed we doe not dishonor them by our prophane and wic­ked life: Were our Parents meane and contemptible in the world, then let vs labour to aduance them by our holy [Page 116] life and vertuous conuersation; for it is more honour to be the founder then the ouerthrower of a noble house; Vertue builds vp, but euill maners ouerturne the best house that euer was: for it is much better to bee vertu­ous our selues, then to boast of the vertues of our Ancestors. but if wee seeke to climbe to honour by flattery or other base wayes, wee deceiue our selues: Many think that if they haue the fauour of their Prince, they are in a great good way to aduance themselues and their posterity: But alasse, if we trust in the fauours of Princes wee sleepe vnder a shadow that will quickly bee gone. Haman by Esther 7. 8 trusting too much to the fa­uout of the King, was deceiued of his expectation.

Some thinke that if they can marry their sonne or daughter into a rich stocke, they thinke this is the way to rise to ho­nour, and to keepe themselues from the thunder-claps of ad­uersitie, though the stocke they match their Children in, be ne­uer so infected, and blasted with vice, and all manner of vn­godlinesse; yet if rich and migh­tie, it is well enough; Surely this Ethicall policy were highly to be commended, if so be our abiding City were here; but seeing all things here are vaine and moment any, short and tran­sitory, what a vaine thing is it to be in loue with the flattering smiles of this life, to gaine earth, and to lose heauen? Ther­fore if wee would be truely ho­nourable, wee must not place [Page 118] our trust in Princes, nor in any thing in the world, but in the Lord alone, which will be faith­full vnto vs in our life, and in our death, according to his pro­mise 1 Sam. 2. 30. and wonted manner of dealing; Those that honour mee shall be honoured, there is his pro­mise: Now his manner is, not to faile one iot of his promise, but hath made it good in all ages, as we may see in Moses, Aaron; Dauid, Salomon, Iosiah, &c. whose names hee honoured in their liues, and magnified them after their death. But those which would not honour him in their liues, as hee branded them in their liues for infamous per­sons, so they shall bee crowned with euerlasting shame and re­proach; and in ages to come their name shall stinke. How [Page 119] infamous is Cain for murthering his Brother Abel, Potiphers wife for her whorish allurements, Pharaoh for his cruelty, Doeg for accusin [...] and killing the Lords Priests, Iezabel for whoredome, and murthering Naboth for his Vineyard, Iudas for betraiyng his Lord and Master? All these with many more doe stinke be­fore God and man, and their reproach shall neuer be blotted out; For as the memoriall of the Pro. 10. 6. Pro. 13. 9. iust shall be blessed, so the name of the wicked shall rot: To shew vn­to vs, that the name of the wic­ked is no better then carrion, which giues such a noysome sent, that the passers by stop their noses; the remembrance of their liues shall be as noysome as the stinking snuffe of a Can­dle; and this is the iust iudge­ment [Page 120] of God vpon them, that as they regarded not to glorifie him, but themselues, therefore hee gaue them vp to such vile affections and such filthy acti­ons, which can breed nothing but a rotten and a filthy name; For they that dishonour mee, saith the Lord, I will dis­honour.

Thus you haue heard how honour in it selfe is good, the meanes how to attaine it, and what doth hinder & defile it: let the consideration hereof stir vp and put courage in those which are aduanced aboue the people, to be resolute & zealous for the Lord their God, to maintaine his cause against the proud of the world, and to chase away the workers of iniquity. But alasse, how may wee lament the [Page 121] sinfulnesse of many which be­ing aduanced to place, abuse their authority, (which GOD and the King hath giuen them) to serue their owne lusts, shew­ing thēselues patternes of pro­phanesse, Lord lay not this sin to their charge. And thus much shall suffice to haue spoken of honours and preferments, and their insufficiency to profit vs. Wee will now proceed to the third point propounded, that is, to consider of pleasures and delights, which the prophane Epicures of our age doe so much d [...]ale vpon; which vaine pleasures, and pleasing vanities, though they are many in nūber, yet may they be comprized vn­der these heads. 1. Pleasures of the flesh, pride in apparell, beautie, vaine glorie, and popu­lar applause.

We will begin with the first, which for methods sake we wil subdiuide into these particu­lars. 1, Pleasures of the body. 2, Belly. 3, Eyes. And 4, Eares. But first of pleasure in generall, and afterwards we will descend into the particulars.

Pleasures are so farre from profiting vs for our soules, or our bodies, as that many times through the corruption of our nature (which want wisdome to vse them aright) they are the cause of much hurt to both. But herein I would not bee mista­ken, as if I seemed to condemne all pleasures, as vnlawfull for Christians to vse; but because the carnall world is ready to plead for Baal, and so through inordinate loue of them is ready to prize them, aboue [Page 123] their worth; wee will therefore diue into them, and for triall bring them to the touch-stone of Gods Word, by w ^ch we will discouer which are good and lawfull, and how farre they may be vsed of Gods Children, and how they may be abused. To which end we are to know plea­sures are of three kindes. 1, Ho­ly Pleasures are of three sorts. and Diuine. 2, Temporall and Earthly. 3, Carnall and Sinfull.

1, Holy and Diuine pleasures are, when wee can reioyce in the Lord, and are glad when wee enioy his gifts and gra­ces of his Spirit here, so as wee haue a sence and feeling of those ioyes, which he hath pre­pared for vs in the life to come; vnto these pleasures we are ex­horted in Scripture to reioyce [Page 124] in the Lord alwayes, and againe 2 Cor. 10. 17. Phil. 4. 4. I say reioyce. These heauenly pleasures wil make vs not onely to reioyce in prosperity, when our Corne, Wine, and Oyle abounds, but also in the middest of our affliction to reioyce con­tinually. 1 Thes. 5. 16. 1 Sam. 30. 6. Thus Dauid comfor­ted himselfe, when the people were ready to stone him, & the Apostles when they were whip­ped Act. 5. 41. 16. and put in prison, for they knew that they were iustified by faith, and had peace with God, therefore they reioyced in Rom. 5. 1. their tribulation. This is that true pleasure which the Children of God ought to delight them­selues in, as being in it selfe most excellent, sweet, and com­fortable. But of this pleasure we will speake in a more fit place.

The second kinde of plea­sures The se­cond sort of plea­sures. are temporall and earth­ly, which pleasures in their owne nature are good, and in respect of the vse of them to vs, of an indifferent nature, good to those which haue grace to vse them well; but very pernitious to them that abuse them. Now by these temporall pleasures we are to vnderstand those which consist in meat, drinke and ap­parell, and all other necessaries for the sustentatiō of our natu­ral life. Now these are good in their owne natures, as they are the gifts of God, which he hath prouided for his Children, in the creation, & bestowed them vpon his seruants, as incourage­ments to moue them to walke cheerefully in the practice of piety. For as that sweet Singer of [Page 126] Israel saith, Hee hath not onely Psal. 104. 1 [...]. made bread to strengthen mans heart, but also wine to make his heart glad, and Oyle to make his face to shine. He hath ordained for his Children, not onely things necessary, but also plea­sant and comfortable for their delight and recreation. There­fore at the Creation God pla­ced Adam in the Garden of E­den, where all manner of varie­ties abounded, not only for ne­cessary vse, but also for delight: And our Sauiour at the marri­age at Cana, by miracle gaue the Bridegroome Wine, when as water might haue serued the turne. These pleasures wel vsed, are warranted and approued in Scripture as a good and comely thing to eate, and drinke, and take comfort in a mans labors, Eccl. 5. 17. [Page 127] for this is his portion. And this was the practice of the Church, Act. 2. 46. to eate their meat with gladnesse and singlenesse of heart.

If these pleasures were vn­lawfull, what would it auaile them that are aduanced into the seat of honour, or to abound with the things of the world, if they might take no delight or pleasure in them? But these temporall pleasures, if they bee wisely vsed, may serue to good ends, as motiues to stirre vs vp to laud and praise the Lord, and to enable vs the better to serue GOD, else if our liues were without pleasure, wee should faint in the long iourney which we are to make to the Land of Canaan. Therefore a wise hea­then D [...]mo [...]ritus apu [...] Sto­baeum. compareth a mans life, which hath no pleasure in it, to [Page 128] a long voyage, in which there is no Innes or places of rest, in which there is much trauaile, and no comfort.

There are a third sort of A third sort of pleasures, are plea­sures of the body. pleasures, which are sinfull and wicked; & of these not only the abuse, but the vse is vnlawfull. If Herod take pleasure in incest with his brothers wife, he must Mark. 6. bee told, it is not lawfull for him. If any take pleasure in fil­thy songs, and ballads, and vse their tongues to ribaldry, and foolish, and filthy speaking; such must bee told, They are bought with a price, & so must glo­rifie Eph. 4. 29. God in their mortall bodies, and must not let corrupt communi­cation Col. 4. 6. proceed out of their mouthes, but their speech must bee powdred with salt that it may minister grace to the hearers. But that we may [Page 129] the better vncase these plea­sures, which are sinfull, wee will take a view of them, and pursue them by the Word of GOD. The first sinne of plea­sure of the body, is that filthy sin of vncleannesse, that crying sinne which pollutes our land, and cryes to heauen for venge­ance, vnlesse it be preuented by speedy repentance. This sin is branded vnder these two heads:

• 1. The sinne of Fornication.
• 2. The sinne of Adultery.

The first being committed betweene single persons, and the other between married folkes, at least one of thē maryed. Both of which are remembred in Gods Booke for great sinnes, and are very noysome in the common wealth, because they doe expose a whole land to the [Page 130] iudgements of GOD; and when men neglect the punishment of Num. 25. 4 this sinne, then God taketh it into his own consideration: For Gen. 6. 1. this sin he brought the flood vp­on the earth and destroyed all mankinde, sauing Noah and his family: For this sinne he ouer­threw Sodom and G [...]morrah, and Gen. 20. 3. the Cities of the plaine, because the crie of this sinne pierced the eares of God: This sinne consumed almost the Tribe of Iud. 18. & 19. Beniamin: This sinne brought ruine vpon the family of Ely: 1 Sam. 2. 22 Kindled a fire in the house of Dauid the man according to 1 Sam. 12. 11. Gods own heart: This filthy sin spewed out the Canaanites, and Leu. 18. 25 was the cause of the destructi­on of the Sichemites, because Gen. 34. their Lords sonne had commit­ted villany in Israel: This vnlaw­full [Page 131] pleasure blindes the vnder­standing, Hos. 4 1 [...]. and drawes away the heart from all goodnesse. This sinne, though some account it as a tricke of youth, yet it is such a crying sinne, as was pu­nished Numb. 25. by the death of many of Gods owne people.

Now this sinne is to bee a­voided: First, because GOD hath expresly forbidden it in the seauenth Commandement, Thou shalt not commit Adulterie; Deu. 23. 17 and, that there shall be no Whores of the daughters of Israel. Which made the Apostle so earnestly to exhort the Corinthians to flee fornication, because God doth 1 Cor. 6. 18. Heb. 12. 16. Eph. 5. 3. so hate it, that hee would not haue it once named amongst the Saints. Therefore if wee will approue our selues to God, end to bee his seruants, wee [Page 132] must rather yeeld obedience to his Cōmandements, then to our sinfull lusts & pleasures; and the rather, because the liuing in this sinne, is a manifest signe of Gods hatred: So saith the Wise man, The mout [...] ▪ of a strange womā Pro. 22. 14. is a deepe pit, he whom the Lord hateth shall fall therein. This sin is also to be auoided, & hated, in regard it is a fruit of the flesh, Gal. 5. 19. which doth with a high hand op­pose the spirit, and crosse the Lord Col. 3. 5. in his reuealed Will, which would haue his Children ab­staine from fornication, and Th [...]s. 4. 3. Dul [...]e vene­num, im­portuna lu­es, pernici­osa p [...]tio, que h [...]ma­num corpus debilitat, & virilis a [...]t­ [...]ir [...]bur en [...]rua. that euery one should possesse his vessell in holinesse. This sin, as our learned Countrey-man Beda cals it, Is a sweet poyson, an vnseasonable consumption, a pernicious potion, which disableth mans body, and weakneth the [Page 133] strength of many couragious men: And therfore must so much the more be striued against, as ma­nifestly opposing the Maiesty of God, and as an enemy to our saluation, and is as a chaine to draw on many other sinnes; for whoredome is the cause of murder and reuenge: for the fire of lust is so furious, that nothing will quench it but blood. The truth hereof will appeare in Herodias, who boiled in malice against Iohn the Bap­tist for speaking against her fil­thinesse, that she preferres her reuenge in cutting off his head Marke 6. before halfe Herods Kingdome. Yea, holy Dauid had his heart stained with this sinne, that to make way to satisfie his lusts, & to preserue his credit, made no scruple to take away the life [Page 130] [...] [Page 131] [...] [Page 132] [...] [Page 133] [...] [Page 134] of his faithfull subiect, rather than his filthy lust should goe vnsatisfied. Nay, some are so farre bewitched by Sathan, that they to satisfie their lusts, ha­zard the liues of those who de­pend vpon them.

A lamentable example I haue read of one drowned in this sin; one day being vehemently in­censed (by losse and mischiefe which had betided him) in cru­ell manner beate his wife, (who came to seeke reliefe of him for her, and her Children) in so much that he and his compani­ons had thought hee had killed her; but at last the poore wo­man recouered her selfe againe, and went home to her house, and when shee came in, her poore children, with teares in their eyes (being almost fami­shed [Page 135] for hunger) cryed, mother giue vs bread or else wee die: Mam, said the other, and with signes spake the rest. Alas poor babes, said the Mother with bitter sighes, where shall I get it? your father hath lost his pa­tience with his wealth, and wee our hope with his folly: Alas, what shall become of mee, or who will succour you my chil­dren? better it is to dye with one stroke, then to languish in famine: and being brought to this despaire, she tooke a knife in her hand, & cut their thoats, and set her selfe downe purpo­sing to dye in her miserie. Her Husband the same euening re­turned drunke home, & being more fit to take rest, thā to ex­amine these tragedies, cast him­selfe on his bed, neither drea­ming [Page 136] of their losses, nor his wiues misery: she vrged on by Sathan, that euer watcheth op­portunities, seeing him asleepe that regarded not her sorrow, with the same knife she had kil­led her children, shee cut his throat, saying boldly, thou shalt dye thou negligent man, seeing thy filthy carriage hath beene the ruine of mee and my Children. Looke vpon this you beastly wretches, which prefer your owne lusts before the care of wise and Children. And thus I haue layd open the filthines of this sin, which excludes out of the 1 Cor. 6. 9 Kingdome of God, and rankes the committers of it among those damned wretches, which shall be Reu. 22. 15. shut out of the new Ierusalem.

In the next place we are to speake somewhat of the sinne [Page 137] of Adultery, which is the sinne of those which are married, or betrothed. This sinne is called Adulterium, quasi ad alterius to­rum accessio. This sinne of Adul­tery is either double or single: double, when both parties are maried. Single when one party is maried, and the other single. This sinne is also a filthy abo­minatiō Ez. 22. 11. in the sight of the Lord, because they that commit it, vi­olate the ordinance of GOD, in ioyning themselues to harlots, and so forsake the guide of Pro. 2. 17. their youth. Virginitie, and chastitie are rare things, and so ought to be esteemed by the godly; then hee that spoyleth vs of that ornament, is vnwor­thy of the name of a man, be­cause he doth the worke of a beast. This sinne is an enemy to [Page 138] God, an enemy to vertue: It Luxuria est inimica Deo, inimi­ca virtuti­bus, perdit substanti­am, & ad tempus vo­luptatem diligens, fu­turam non sciunt cogi­tare pau­pertatem. Aug. de Doct. Chryst. consumeth wealth; and louing pleasure for a while, it suffereth vs not to thinke of our future pouerty. And as in the first place they sinne against GOD, so also in the second place they sinne against their Neighbour, by branding him with reproach­full nick-names, and so like de­uillish theeues they sow their filthy Cockle in another mans ground, and so make another man father their bastardly brood; and then like vngra­tious theeues they robbe true Children of their inheritance. Therefore the Lord hath ordai­ned, that he that committeth adul­terie Leu. 20. 10 with another mans wife should die. And by the law they were Deu. 22. 2 [...] to be stoned to death; and be­fore the law they were to be [Page 139] burnt, as appeares by Iudahs Gen. 38. 24. censure vpon his daughter Tha­mar. This sinne is to be auoi­ded, because it opposeth not onely the Law of God, but al­so the Law of Nations. Corneli­us Tacitus reports, that the A­dultresses were stripped naked by their kindred, and then had their haire cut off, and were beaten with Cudgels through the Towne by their Husbands: This was the Law among the Germanes. Now the punish­ment which GOD afflicteth, is not onely pouerty, shame, and slauery, their lusts, and harlots, loathsome diseases, and the like, but he vseth to punish this sinne by the law of requitall, as they defile other mens wiues, so other men defile their wiues. The truth of this was seene in [Page 140] Dauid, who for defiling of V­riahs 1 Sam. 12. 22. wife, had his owne wiues abused by his sonne.

Ʋse. Is whoredome & fornication such a grieuous & hatefull sin in the sight of God, and so hurtful vnto vs? then be exhorted euery one that lookes for saluation, to hate, and detest, and shunne, not onely this sinne, but also all the occasions of it.

Q. How may I doe that, may some say?

A. Labour to see the filthi­nesse of this sinne, how hatefull it is vnto God, and how dange­rous vnto our selues, and that it carieth with it, not only Gods curse, but such as liue in it and dye in it, shall neuer enter into Gods kingdome.

2. We must labour to cleanse our hearts from all filthinesse, [Page 141] and all vncleane motions what­soeuer, and to set our selues al­wayes as in the presence of God, which knowes the very secrets of our hearts; and say with Ioseph, when we are temp­ted vnto this sinne, How can we doe this and sin against God? If a mortall man did know our thoughts, or did see vs in our vncleannes, we should be asha­med to commit this sinne, be­cause they might disgrace vs hereafter; how much more should we be fearefull to com­mit it before that God which must be our iudge; and our con­sciences, which must be produ­ced against vs as witnesses, and Sathan that will bee readie to lay open our sinne to the full, to accuse vs, to our eternall confu­sion before GOD, Angels, and [Page 142] the spirits of iust men.

3. If we would be fenced a­gainst this sinne, wee must flee the company and society of the Harlot, and all those which are wantonly giuen, lest they doe infect vs by their filthy commu­nication, and leud conuersati­on. To this end the Wiseman exhorts vs to keepe farre from the Harlots house, and not to Pro. 5. 8. come neare her doores. And if by chance wee happen into their company, to flee away in haste, and not to presume vpon our owne strength, lest wee bee foyled, and so giue our honour vnto the harlot.

4. Lastly, as we must be di­ligent in our calling, so wee must continually pray vnto God to preserue vs from the whorish woman, that so being [Page 143] vigilant in our calling, wee may shunne idlenesse, which is the pathway that leades vs to this sinne; as also all wanton songs, vnlawfull embracings, or the like. This if we doe carefully, the Lord will preserue vs from this vncleane and filthy sin.

To moue vs hereunto, let vs consider that God in a speciall manner taketh notice of this sinne, and will not leaue it vn­punished, either in this life, or in the life to come. If this were duely thought vpon, men and women would bee afraid to commit it, though neuer so se­cretly, for feare Gods iudge­ments should ouertake them in the very act, as they did Zim­ry and Cosby. What a filthy thing is it for a Child of God, a Member of Christ, and a Tem­ple [Page 144] of the holy Ghost, and re­deemed with no lesse price then the blood of the Sonne of God, for to take the same bo­dy, and to make it the member of an harlot? S. Gregory com­pareth this sinne to a fiery fur­nace, the mouth whereof is gluttony, the flame pride, the sparkles filthy words, the smoak an euill name, the ashes pouer­ty, the end shame and confu­sion.

Whordome, besides the infa­mie of the world, wasteth the goods, withereth the body, decayeth health, shortneth life, and maketh a man stinke in the sight of God. See and behold the fearfull effects of this sinne, the Lord open our eyes to see the fearfulnesse of it, that so we may auoid it. And thus much [Page 145] shall suffice to haue spoken of this sinfull sinne of pleasure; come wee now to speake of the next pleasurable sinne, which is the sinne of the belly, I meane the sinne of gluttonie, which is a disordinate delight in eating, & Gula est vorax eda­citas, natu­rae finibus non conten­ta. drinking, a mortall enemy to temperance by offending both in quantity, time and manner.

This sinne was first brought from Asia vnto Rome, where, in processe of time, it came from a seruile thing to bee the delight of great ones; so that A­picius a base Cooke was not a­shamed (after it came in cre­dit) to step into the Schooles and make an Oration in praise of it, which did so incourage the belly-gods of that age, that Milo Crotoniates would carry his prouision with him, which [Page 146] was no lesse then an oxe, which he bare on his shoulders, and when his stomack serued him, would eate it vp at one meale: and Tagon another belly-god, was so addicted to this sin, that at the Table of Aurelian the Emperour, he eate a Goat, a Hogge, and drunke a tierce of Wine. Though these monsters in nature be dead, yet I feare me there be many liuing w ^ch make their belly their god, and glory Phil. 3. in their shame, as may appeare by their banquets, which are sa [...]c [...] with surfeits, and exceed nature: Our Fathers were con­tent with bread and water, which at first nourished mans life; but now neither the fruit of trees, variety of corne, fishes of the Sea, beasts of the earth, nor fowles of the ayre can sa­tisfie [Page 147] our intemperate nature; but as Innocentius saith, Spices Lib. de va­nitate hu­ma. condit. are bought, Fowles are nouri­shed, Cookes hired to please our appetites; some are stam­ped, others are strained, and a­nother infused to make confe­ctions, turning the substance in­to the accident, and nature into Art: which made the wise hea­then, to deride the vanities of our times, say, One Wood suffi­ceth Sen. ep. 8. Vna silua pluribu [...] E­lephantibus sufficit, ho­mo vero pascitur ter­ra & mari. to nourish diuers Elephants, but man feedeth both on Sea and Earth. And in another place he saith, Whatsoeuer bird flyeth, whatsoeuer fish swimmeth, whatso­euer beast runneth is buried in our body: all which in the truth of things is both against nature & Art. For both art & nature for­bids contraties to be mixt toge­ther, w ^ch notwithstanding are [Page 148] done at our full feasts, w ^ch make men like beasts, and fitter to be ranged among them, then a­mong men. Therefore hee tel­leth vs, That he was greater, and Maius sum, & ad ma­iora natus sum, quam vt fiam mancipium corporis mei. Rom 13. 13. Gal. 5. 21. borne to greater things, then to be­come the bondslaue of his bodie. This fearefull sinne damnes as well as the forenamed. There­fore that we may be freed from this sinne also,

1. Consider that by this sin­full pampering of thy body Vnus gulo­sus expendit in piscibus, vnde vigin­ti pauperes satis habe­rent de pa­ne. Bern. thou depriuest many a hungry soule of many a morsell, which would comfort them very much, and that which thou spendest in variety, would sup­ply their necessitie; so that by this meanes wee defraud our brethren of that which is their due.

2. By moderation in diet, [Page 149] wee shall enioy a healthfull bo­dy, Tenuis mē ­sa sanitatis mater. Pedum ao­lores, & ca­pitis graue­dines, & cruciatus manuum, longe fae­bres, & alia multa plura ex crapula & saturi­tate nasci solent. Chr. Hom. [...]5. which is to bee esteemed a­boue gold, but by ouer-fulnesse is subiect to many diseases, rheumes, obstructions, and paines of the head, eyes, and feet, numnesse of the hands, Fe­uers, and the like, pangs of the belly, and many other diseases, which flow from gluttonie. How often may we heare some complaine of their head for sending done rheume the mo­ther of malladies? But the head might answer, as one sayes wit­tily, Be thou sober in pouring Desine fun­dere, & ego desinam fluere. downe, and I will be sparing in dropping downe. Doe not ouer­loade me with excesse, and I will distill fewer humours. When the stomack is burthe­ned aboue the spheare of its na­turall heat, and gurmandized [Page 150] with too many delicates one vpon the other before the for­mer be concocted; like a fire beginning to burne loden with greene wood, sends forth many smoaky cloudes as it were; so the stomacke being piled with delicates one vpon ano­ther, sēds forth many raw crude fumes, which ascending vp into the braine, and being fixed there, by the coldnesse thereof, distill downe into the body againe abundance of rheume, the source of all diseases, gouts, dropsies, aches, and many other maladies. Therefore if we will be freed from sicknesse, let vs offer a knife to our throats, to keepe vs from intemperancy herein.

3. By a moderate diet wee preserue our liues, wherein we [Page 151] may repent and make vp our peace with God, before the graue shut vs vp in the land of darknesse, in which there shall be no time for vs to repent, and to make vp our reconciliation with our Maker, before hee come to reward euery man ac­cording to his workes: But by this filthy excesse we robbe our selues of this precious Iewell before our time. Therefore if we would liue long, and see ma­ny good dayes, shun this sin of gluttony. Motiues to induce.

1. Consider that this was one of the sinnes of Sodom, for which GOD destroyed them with fire and brimstone from heauen; and punished his owne Amos 6. 6. people, because they drank wine in bowles, and so forgot the af­fliction of the Church, but sate [Page 152] downe to eate, and to drinke, and 1 Cor. 10. 7. rose vp againe to play.

2. Wee are commanded to redeeme the time, and spend it to the glory of God, and the good of our soules; but when the body is filled, then the bones defire to bee at rest; and experience shewes, then wee haue little minde to praise God for his mercies, or to thinke of the safety of our soules.

3. Wee are exhorted so to liue, as that we may garnish our profession, and honour GOD by letting our godly conuersa­tion be seene among them with whom we liue; but this we can­not doe so long as we stuffe our bellies with delicates; so that hereby we depriue God of his due, and our neighbour of our good example. And thus much [Page 153] shall suffice to haue spoken of this sinne, in the next place the sinne of drunkennesse presents it selfe to our view and conside­ration.

Drunkennesse is Sathans bit Drunken­nesse. Nihil aliud est ebrietas, quam vo­luntaria in­sania. Sen. in the mouth of a foole, with which he can turne him to any sinne, as the horse is turned to any stop or pace. Thus hee turnes about the whole body, the heart to lust, the hands to picking and stealing, the wit to quarrell, the strength to mur­der, the feet, which can scarce stand, are swift to shed blood, and the mouth to belch out blasphemy against their Ma­ker.

And thus I haue shewed you what drunkennesse is, and that wee may the better auoid it, we will set downe the feare­fulnesse [Page 154] of the sinne, and that it is condemned in the high Court of heauen, & in the infe­riour court of mens Conscien­ces, as a capitall crying sinne, against which the Lord of hea­uen thunders out his sentence of eternall malediction, against all those that are guiltie of it, be they of neuer so great quali­tie and esteeme in the world, saying, Woe vnto them that rise vp early to follow drunkennesse, Isay. 5. 1. and vnto them that continue vn­till night, till the Wine doe in­flame them. And againe, Woe to Isay. 28. 1. the drunkards of Ephraim. Which terrible woe that it may not take hold vpon the seruants of Christ, hee forewarnes them, and aduises them to take heed Luk. 21. 34 that their hearts bee not oppressed with drukēnes. Thus we see what [Page 155] entertainment this sinne findes at the hands of God, hee tels vs plainly, that, Drunkards shall not 1 Cor. 5. inherite the Kingdome of God. Now let vs also see what coun­tenance it hath had of men in all ages.

The Fathers in their time con­demned [...]brietas est flagitiorum omnium mater, cul­parumque materia. Ad sacras virg. Esi blandus daemon, dul­ce venenum Quid ebri­ [...]tate mise­rabilius? Chrys. Ebri [...]sus cum absor­bet Vinum, absorbetur a Vino. Aug. de paenit. it; Augustine saith, Drunkennesse is the mother of all Villanies, the matter of faults, and the fountaine of vice. And in a­ther place he cals it, An alluring deuill, and a pleasing poyson. And another father by asking a que­stion sets forth the fearfulnesse of this sinne, saying, What is more miserable then the sinne of drun­kennesse, seeing the liuing creature by drunkennesse is become as it were dead? Againe, When the drunkard deuoureth the Wine, hee is deuoured of wine.

This sinne is condemned by the wise Heathen by Natures light. Solon ordained in his law, that if a Prince were found drunke, he should bee punished with death; Then much more a priuate man. The Indians ordai­ned, that if a women would ad­uenture to kill the King in the time of his drunkennesse, shee should for her reward marry his successor. And Seneca cals drunkennesse a voluntary mad­nesse.

Thus wee see what verdict GOD and man passes vpon this sinne of drunkennesse. That we may the better see it in its owne colours, we will shew how and wherin the Maiesty of GOD is offended by this filthy sinne.

1. The drunkard sinneth a­gainst GOD in making of his [Page 157] belly his Idoll, nay his god; so saith the Apostle, Whose god is Phil. 3. 19. his belly; he better loues it, and is more careful to please it, then he is his God.

2. A drunkard is vnfit to serue God; for if the Lord will be worshipped in spirit and in truth, how farre are drunkards from this seruice which hee re­quires? Or how vnfit for any good exercise? Take him from the pot, and hee is as dead as a doore naile; let him goe to Church, and he will sleepe out the Sermon, and so wraps him­selfe vnder that curse of doing the worke of the Lord negli­gently; exhort him to sobriety, and he will say that is the way to engender melancholly: exa­mine him of worldly affaires, and he will talke of that tomor­row, [Page 158] the onely meanes to make him speak of sense, is to tel him that there is good Wine com­ming home from Spaine or France, and then he will be sure to prepare him a doublet a quarter wider in the waist then his former, that he may powre the wine downe the more free­er into his panch, which gapes like hell for Wine and strong drinke, and then when is belly is full of Wine, and his head void of wit, then you shall see him in his right cue, belching out oathes against God, and scof­fing at the Magistrate, and Mi­nister, and questioning of mat­ters of State, too high for his shallow wit to reach vnto; so that by this meanes hee is nei­ther fit to serue God, nor to do any profit vnto the common [Page 159] wealth. For a Drunkard can neither bee a good Magistrate, nor a good subiect: for how can hee rule others, which cannot rule himselfe, and as hee cannot rule others, so he cannot obey.

Plutarch makes mention of certaine men, who in the midst of their cups reuiled their King Pyrrhus in a very reproachfull manner, and being conuicted of their misdemeanor, & brought before the King, they stood mute, hauing nothing to say for themselues; at last, seeing they could not deny the fault, nor defend it, one of them more bold then the rest, stept forth and confessed truth; saying, O King it is true we spake much euill of thee, and should haue spoke much more if our Wine [Page 160] had not failed vs. By which we may see that drunkennesse is accompanied with backbiting and slandering.

3. As the Drunkard sinneth against GOD, and his neigh­bour, so in especiall manner hee sinneth against the poore, in that by his great expence in drinking, hee hath not where­with to relieue them; for his wealth was not giuen him to spend in tipling, but that hee should breake his bread to the hungry, & powre out his drinke to the thirsty.

4. In a speciall manner hee sinneth against his owne fami­ly, against his wife in spending her portion in his drunken ex­cesse, against his Children in de­priuing them of their patrimo­ny, and of other necessaries, and [Page 161] as he sheweth himselfe a theefe abroad in depriuing his family of their due, so he playeth the tyrant at home, for either hee railes, fights, or sweares, when he comes home, or else he dis­gorges his vnsauory stomack in such a shamefull manner, that hee is more fit to lie in a hogs Stye among swine, then among those which feare God; and so by making himselfe a slaue to his sinne, hee vtterly depriues himselfe of all good report a­mong men, and at last pouerty like an armed man arests him; so that as in his youth he would drinke nothing but Wine and strong drinke, in his age he shall be forced to drinke water, or else perish for thirst. For so saith the Wise man; Hee that loueth Pro. 21 17 Wine and Oyle shall not be rich.

And this sinne doth not one­ly bring pouerty, but also infa­tuates and depriues the vnder­standing of reason, and com­mon sense, as may bee seene in Lot, who committed incest with his daughters, and yet was not aware of his down-lying, nor of his vp-rising; so that drunken­nesse Gen. 19. 35 produceth the same ope­ration that deadly poyson doth, it depriueth of reason, and ex­poseth to danger.

Cyrus in his Childhood be­ing asked by his Grandfather why he did not drinke Wine at the feast, answered, Because (saith he) I tooke it to be poy­son: for at the last feast I obser­ued, that those which drunke of it were depriued of their vn­derstanding.

Also, this sinne bringeth [Page 163] sicknesse and diseases vpon the body, the forerunner of death; and as the wise Heathen saith, Drunkennesse requiteth one houres Ebrietas v­nius horae hilarem in­famiam, longi tem­poris taedio pensat. Sen. ep 39. merry madnesse with a long time of sorrow.

Thus wee haue discouered the hainousnesse and fearful­nesse of the sinne, we will now set downe some effects it pro­duceth.

First, it is the cause of thral­dome. Secondly, the confusion of honesty. Thirdly, the com­plement of vice & voluptuous­nesse. Fourthly, the badge of fol­ly; we will make good all these by examples. The first is plaine in this, because the root and ori­ginall of shame and disgrace was in Wine, whereby Noah became the slaue of drunken­nesse, Gen. 6. and so was scorned of [Page 164] his owne sonne.

Secondly, it is the confusion of honesty, because whosoeuer is tainted with this sinne; he is ex­iled from the company of good men, and is subiect to ill report.

Thirdly, what can there bee more filthy then a drunken man, whose mouth stinkes, bo­dy trembles, tongue prates, and discouers all his secrets, many times to his great disgrace.

The ancient Romanes in de­testation of this sinne of drun­kennesse painted it out in this sort. First, they pictured the I­mage of a boy, next they painted a horne in his hand, & vpon his head they set a crown of glasse; they pictured him a Child, to shew that drunkennesse makes a man Childish, and vnfit for any imployment of waight, [Page 165] they gaue him a horne in his hand, to shew that he is alwaies publishing his own secrets, and they crowned him with glasse, to shew that he boasts of his riches, when he is but a poore man. Vpon which I inferre, that drunkennesse is hurtfull to all estates, for if a poore man bee a Drunkard; he shall neuer bee rich: If a rich man bee a Drun­kard, he shall quickly consume his substance; if he bee a young man it will infect his youth, that there will be little hope of him, and if an old man, then hee is past hope.

Therefore you men that are indued with reason, and pro­fesse your selues to be Christi­ans, see the filthinesse of this sin, hate it in others, and much more detest it in your selues. [Page 166] For the Heathen could say by Natures light, There is no­thing Nihil est tam tre [...]rū, nihil tam aspe [...]nan­dum, nihil homine in­dignius, quam ebri­etas. more vile, nothing more to be despised, nothing more vnworthy a man, then drunkennesse.

Thus by Gods mercy wee haue in some measure discoue­red the filthinesse of this sinne; it now remaines that we should prescribe some remedy against this infection. The Antidotes against this poyson may be,

1. The consideration of the filthinesse of this sinne, as hate­full vnto God, which wil banish drunkards out of his King­dome.

2. Labour to purge out of thy heart, the desire of Wine, and strong drinke, in which there is excesse.

3. Shunne the company of drunkards, and Wine-bibbers, Pro. 23. 20. [Page 167] for they will allure thee by their example, therefore if sin­ners Pro. 1. 10. intice thee, doe not consent.

4. Haue fresh in thy minde, that Gods iudgements may o­uertake thee as they haue done many, therefore repent and bee warned by them, and sinne no more.

5. Call vpon GOD in the name of his Sonne, and desire him to cleanse thee from this filthy sinne, and bee diligent in hearing Gods Word, which is the sword of the Spirit to kill this filthy sinne, and ioyne thy selfe in company with those which feare God, which will di­rect thee how to refraine it by their example.

Thus if we be carefull to vse those meanes God hath proui­ded, we may by his blessing get [Page 168] the victory of this filthy sinne, but if any will walke on, and will not be reclamed, then hee that is filthy, let him be filthy Reu. 22. still. And thus much shall suf­fice to haue spoken of drunken­nesse; as also the pleasures of the belly. Come wee now to speake of the pleasures of the body, and first of the eye and eares, of which but a touch, that we may the better passe forward to our entended matter.

The pleasures of the eye are such, as are taken in beholding vaine obiects, as Stage-playes, Enterludes, Cock-fighting, Beare-baiting, Bull-baiting, and any other vaine delight, what­soeuer; we will say something of each, that thereby wee may discouer the vanitie of these sinfull delights.

We will begin with Stage playes.

What profit and content can they bring vs, which for the most part tend to the dishonor of God, and nourishing of vice, with a manifest losse of time, which wee are commanded to redeeme, and spend in the ser­uice of GOD for our soules good? but at Stage-playes all the parts of our bodyes are em­ployed about sinfull obiects, the eye to behold vanity, and filthinesse in wanton shewes, and vncomely gestures, by em­bracing, kissing, or other wan­ton toying, whereby young people are stirred vp to lust, & haue their hearts filled with many vncleane cogitations; with our eares vpon the Stage manie times wee heare the [Page 170] Preacher derided, the Word of God prophaned, and foolish and filthy communication ap­proued; so that if we will learne to deride, scoffe, and flour, to flatter and dissemble, to sing and talke of bawdry, and other filthinesse, whereby God is dis­honoured, and good manners corrupted; wee may see, and learne this, and much more at playes. The consideration here­of made that learned Father to Aug. de Ciuitat. Dei. say in his time, that Playes were inuented by the Deuill, and consecrated to the Hea­then gods, to draw vs from Christianitie to Idolatry, and therefore hee is bold to pro­nounce, that to giue money to Peeuniam [...]istrionibus dari, vitium est im [...]ane, non virtus. players is a hatefull sinne; and another father yeelding a reason why it is vnlawfull, [Page 171] sayes, The shamelesse gestures Histrionum imp [...] den­tif [...]i [...]i gestus, nibil aliud nisi libidinem moue [...]t. Lactant. of Players serue for no other vse, but to moue the flesh to lust and vncleannesse. There­fore in the Councill of Car­thage, and Synode of Laodicea, it was enacted, that no Christi­an man or woman should re­sort to Playes, and Enterludes, where nothing but blasphemy, scurrillity, and other filthinesse is maintained. Therefore those which maintaine them, and countenance them with their presence, doe communicate with them in their sinnes, wher­as they should hate & reproue the vnfruitfull workes of dark­nesse.

The pleasures which men take in these sinfull recreations are many, as may appeare by the time they wast and spend in [Page 172] them, somtime turning nights into dayes, and so making re­creation to bee a vocation; if they had but halfe so much care for their soules health, wee might well say they are good Christians.

Another pleasurable sinne which men delight in, is lasciui­ous dancing, which as it is vsed, or rather abused by the wan­tons of our time, it is the gate leading to whoredome, and an incitement to all vncleannesse, and yet (the more is the pitie) many men and women (other­wise well affected) thinke it an Ornament to their Children to be skilled in this wanton sci­ence, whereby they may be in­ticed and allured to all manner of filthinesse, which mans na­ture of it selfe is ready to em­brace, [Page 173] and needs no allure­ments; Therefore I conclude, that all leud, wanton, and la­sciuious dancing is not onely vnlawfull, but also a great meanes to encrease much wan­tonnesse, and filthinesse: For our feet were not giuen vs; to trip like Rammes, skip like Goates, leape like madde men, but that being bought with a price we should glorifie GOD in our mortall bodies.

Oh but may some say, this is too great precisenesse, doth not Salomon say, There is a time to dance? therefore it is not so vnlawfull as you would make vs beleeue. Vnto which I answer, Salomon doth not meane by this place, that there is any time for a filthy and prophane mixt dancing of men and wo­men [Page 174] together; but that dancing he speakes of, is reioycing of the heart, in praising GOD, as may appeare by the context, There is a time to mourne, and a time to dance; that is, as there is a time to mourne for our sins, so there is a time to dance or reioyce for the vnspeakeable mercies shewed vnto vs in Ie­sus Christ, in the pardoning of our sinnes. But I would not so be vnderstood, as if I discom­mended all dancing; for then I should seeme to crosse the pra­ctice of the Lords people in an­cient 2 Sam. 6. time, for Dauid danced before the Arke praising God; and when the Israelites were Exod. 15. passed ouer the red Sea, they danced and praised God. In­deed, if our dancing were like theirs, we might very lawfully [Page 175] dance also: they danced for ioy, and thanksgiuing to GOD, but many of vs for vaine glory, to please our selues; but that wee may put a period to this point, we doubt not but that men & women may lawfully dance for the recreation, and health of their bodies, and to expresse their reioycing, and cheere the minde, prouided, that each sexe modestly and sparingly dance by themselues without any fil­thy gestures, or vnbeseeming behauiour.

The next delight, where men vse to please themselues, is in Cock-fighting, Beare-bai­ting, Bull-baiting, and the like. Alas, what a misery is this, to sport our selues to torment and vexe the poore Creatures, which are subdued vnder vanity [Page 176] for our sinnes? They were not put vnder our feet, to that end, that we should triumph in their misery, and if we wrong them, God, that taketh it as done to himselfe, will punish it; (for doe not we see that men thinke themselues wronged in their cattell, and are vsed to reuenge their wrongs, as Dauid did the wrongs of his seruants by Ha­nun) Now these Creatures are Gods seruants, and in their kind doe set forth the glory of God, therefore wee are not to take pleasure to see them rend, and teare, and hurt, and maime one another; for this is to imitate the Deuill, who reioices in the misery of mankind. Let the con­sideration hereof moue But­chers, and Drouers to vse more mercy towards the poore Crea­tures, [Page 177] then many of them doe. For if we loue God, wee must needes loue that which hee loues and approues, now hee loues the creatures, for in his sight they were very good, and he doth not hate the workes of his hands.

And thus wee haue made a search into pleasures in gene­rall, and haue examined them in particular; wherein wee haue discouered some filthy sinfull pleasures, not worthy to bee once heard of among those which professe themselues to be the children of the most High. And as we haue laid open the diseases, so we haue prescribed Antidotes, as preseruatiues a­gainst them, not doubting but the Christian Reader, by Gods blessing, may reape some bene­fit; [Page 178] We will now proceed, and shew how these benefits may be vsed, so that God may haue the honour, and these pleasures may be blessed vnto vs. Which that they may be so, wee must know that there are three cōdi­tions on our part to bee obser­ued and kept.

1. That we labour for the grace of iustification, and re­conciliation vnto God by faith in Iesus Christ, for till wee are at peace with him, we can haue no comfort in our pleasures.

2. If we would haue these plea­sures lawfull & sanctified vnto vs, wee must take heed we doe not ouer-value thē in our iudg­ment, nor set our hearts and de­lights vpon them, which are the Lords peculiars, but bee con­tent to esteeme them as drosse [Page 179] and dung in respect of Christ.

3. We must take heed that these pleasures be moderated, and kept within due bounds, we must bee carefull to referre them to a right end, and that is the glory of GOD, and our own saluation, else if wee set our hearts vpon them, God may iustly, and yet mercifully afflict vs with his heauy hand, and lay vpon our bodies sicknesse, vpon our conscience terror, vpon our reputation disgrace, that there­by he may scrue vp our hearts from grouelling vpon the earth. Therefore let vs learne wisedome to watch ouer our pleasures, lest they incroach vp­on those times wherein God is to bee worshipped, and when we are to performe holy and re­ligious duties.

Those then offend which pro­phane the Lords day, by spen­ding it about their owne plea­sures, though pethaps lawfull and warrantable at another time; so also they offend which pamper their bellies vpon this day, whereby they are more fit to sleepe then to performe any holy action. Thus wee haue shewed how pleasures are good in their owne nature, and how they become good vnto vs; it remaines now to shew how they become pul-backs to hin­der vs in our spirituall race, and to steale away our hearts from godlinesse.

The pleasures of this life are the chiefe baits with which Sa­than and the world vse to steale away our hearts from God, and the practice of godlinesse; for [Page 181] whē men become louers of plea­sures, thē they begin to be care­lesse & negligent in the pursuite of vertue, and haue no minde or heart to any godly exercise, but are wholy circumuented & ca­ried away with these sinfull, and vaine delights, which make the mind dull and carelesse of good actions; now the reason why they are so dangerous, are.

1. In regard of their na­ture, quite opposite to grace, they striue to cherish and ad­uance that which true pietie labours to root out.

2. In regard of our prone­nesse to embrace them; for wee are for the most part carnall, and so loue and affect those things which please the out­ward man, and hauing once at­tained them, we doe too much [Page 182] delight in them.

Vse. 1 Are pleasures such dange­rous baits to draw our hearts from grace? 1. Then this may checke all those which resolue to proue their hearts with plea­sures as Salomon did. And ther­fore Eccles. 2. 1. they set their hearts vpon the tenters, & stretch them this way, and that way, for the in­uenting of varietie to please themselues.

2. All those which suffer themselues to bee ouertaken with the pleasures and delights of the world, which appeares by the gluing of their hearts vnto them, & that they are loath to part with them, as euer Lots wife Gen. 19. 26 was to leaue Sodom. Hereby they dead their hearts from the Isay. 5. 12. feare of Gods iudgements, and Amo [...] 6. 6. from all manner of care, and [Page 183] watchfulnesse ouer their wayes, Luk. 21. 23. and so leaue nothing to them­selues Eccle. 2. 11 Pro. 11. 5. but sorrow, and griefe of heart, and late repentance.

Ʋse 2 Be exhorted therfore in the feare of God to abstaine from all sinfull pleasures, which should not bee once named a­mong Christians. And the rather,

1. Because they are great means to make vs forget GOD. Let Noahs example teach vs, who when he gaue himselfe liberty to drinke wine, forgot him­selfe, and so was ouertaken with drunkennesse. Sampson when he gaue himselfe to sleepe and loy­ter in Dalilahs lap, lost the pow­erfull presence of God, and so was made a prey to the enemies of his Church. Dauid when he gaue himselfe to ease, presently [Page 184] he fell into those feareful sinnes of Adultery and murther. Plea­sures and delights made Salo­mon forget his God. Let their fearefull fals teach vs wisedome Neh. 13. 26 and wathfulnesse.

2. And the rather, because our pleasures are but short, ex­tending at the vtmost but to the end of our liues, in which time they are interrupted many times by sickness, crosses, feare, griefe, &c.

3. Because they are purcha­sed many times at had rates; many times with losse of Gods fauour, at least with losse of time, peace of Conscience, and so men become louers of pleasures and not louers of god­linesse. Q. How to know whe­ther wee loue plea­sures.

Ob. How may wee know (may some say) whether wee [Page 185] loue pleasures more then god­linesse?

Answ. Try thy heart by these markes.

1. Doest thou take more de­light in Carding, Dicing, dancing, drinking, swilling, and hearing filthy songs, then in meditating vpon Gods righte­ous iudgements, hearing him speaking to thee in his Word, and speaking vnto him againe by prayer? And are his Sab­baths tedious vnto thee, and couldest thou wish they were ouer and past, that thou mightst wallow in thy pleasures, and delights? then know that thou art a louer of pleasures more then godlinesse.

2. Art thou willing to be at any charge for the maintenance of thy sinfull pleasures, in feast­ing, [Page 186] gaming, or the like, but when the necessitie of Gods Church calls for thy helpe, to feed the hungry, cloath the na­ked, then thou hast no heart, but thinkst all is lost which is spent in the practice of piety? If this be thy practice, and this bee thy delight, then I pro­nounce thou art a louer of plea­sure, and so not a louer of God.

3. Canst thou find time to spend in thy vaine delights, euen to crosse GOD in the course of his prouidence, by turning nights into dayes, and dayes into nights, in Carding, Dicing, drinking, swilling: but canst not spare one houre to watch with CHRIST for thy soules good? If thus thou doest, then know thou art a louer of [Page 187] pleasure, and canst not be a lo­uer of God.

But will you say, what reme­dy or way can you prouide, or prescribe whereby wee may take lesse delights in pleasures then we haue done?

A. 1. Consider how vaine Remedies. they bee, and how vnable to giue content. Let Salomons triall giue vs an example, his Or­chards, Gardens, buildings, and other delights could not giue him any sound & solid content­ment; but hee pronounces this censure of them, and sayes, that they are vanitie, and vexation of spirit. But yet alas, many of vs thinke to finde great matters, euen Paradises of delights, where he with all his wisdome could finde nothing but vanitie and vexation of spirit.

[Page 188]2. They are full of vncertain­tie: for wee haue seene many that haue had their pleasures turned into Gall and Worme­wood.

Vse 3 3. If pleasures are such fear­full enemies to grace, and so vncertaine to stand by vs, then 1. Labour to seeke GOD, the true pleasures, his infinite perfe­ction, and Christ the meanes of our reconciliation. In fee­ling Phil. 3. 3. the power of his death kil­ling the power of sinne, and the efficacie of his resurrection, quickning vs to holinesse, and new obedience.

2. Labor so to vse pleasures, as that they may preserue our naturall health, and make vs more fit to serue GOD with cheerefulnesse, and as helps to hasten vs in our iourney to the [Page 189] Land of CANAAN.

3. Labour to watch ouer our hearts with diligence, lest our pleasures become the De­uils nets to ensnare our soules through our owne corruption; therefore rush not vpon them with vnbridled affection, but before wee giue any enter­tainment vnto them, consider whether they bee lawfull and conuenient, and then how they may bee vsed, so that God may haue the glory, and our soules Ioel 1. 5. Amos 6▪ 7. may haue the comfort, and bee content to leaue them willing­ly, if we finde they hinder vs in the workes of Gods seruice.

Thus if our pleasures be gui­ded by these rules, we shall glo­rifie God, and shall receiue a blessing vpon our soules: we are now to proceed, and take notice [Page 190] of another pleasing delight, and that is pride in apparell, and see whether there bee any thing in it that may commend vs to God, and profit our soules.

Vanitie in apparell is a thing so much esteemed in this pro­phane age, as that many place their happinesse in it, thinking themselues in best case when they are brauest, and most estee­med when they haue gotten costly apparell, insomuch that they thinke no time too much, nor cost too great, which is wa­sted and spent in dressing them­selues; therefore to maintaine them in their brauery, they are ready to sell religion, and con­science, and to defile their con­uersation: which sinne that we may not runne headlong into, let vs in the feare of GOD [Page 191] learne wisely to esteeme of Ap­parell, not according to mens opinion, but according to the Word of GOD, and esteeme of them by their common abuse, as trifling vanities, subiect to corruption, and badges of sinne. But lest we should reiect them as sinfull in regard of their a­buse; let vs therefore in the first place consider, that there is a good and warrantable vse of costly Apparell, prouided al­wayes that they bee fitted and sorted according to the place and calling of those that weare them. For as the Lord hath made diuers estates and degrees of men, so he would haue euery one to apparell himselfe accor­ding to his degree, that thereby there might bee a difference whereby one might bee distin­guished [Page 192] from another. Kings, and Lords, and Nobles, accor­ding to their Royall places; Knights and Gentlemen accor­ding to their gentry; and mea­ner men, according to their qua­litie, and condition of life; it is lawfull for them that are in high places to weare gold, sil­uer, silkes, and Veluets, and o­ther costly apparell: but for o­ther of meaner places, they must content themselues with meaner apparell, that thereby may shew their inferioritie, and humblenesse of minde, in sub­mitting themselues vnto the Will of God, whose pleasure it is that some should rule, and some obey.

As Inferiors offend in going costly in their apparell, and wearing such as is fit for men of [Page 193] high place and calling; so those which are in high places offend in wearing meane and contem­tible apparell, and so weaken the authoritie GOD hath put into their hands. Vnlesse it be in some particular cases, as in the time of fasting and humiliati­on, and when God by sensible iudgements shewes, that hee hath a controuersie with the land Ruth 1. 20. for the sinnes of the people. In such cases costly apparell must bee laid aside, and beautifull Ioel 2. 16. names of honour denied.

But I may spare my labour to say much in this licentious age of this point; because men and women are fallen into such an excesse of brauery, whereby all respect of order and degree is neglected; for whereas Christ restrained gorgious apparell to [Page 195] Kings Pallaces, now it is grown so common, that we may see it in euery house almost; which comes to passe because euerie one is so farre fallen in loue with himselfe, either for his person, qualities, or apparell, which are so excellent in their owne eyes, that a poore mans wife will bee as fine as a gentle­mans, and in all places wee shall see pride ruffle in Rustickes, for euery one will be in the fa­shion how euer they come by it; the seruant can hardly bee knowne from the Master, and the maide from the Mistris, nor scarce any mans estate can bee distinguished by his apparell, but plaine Coridon that hath no more wit then to know the price of Satten, and Silkes, and Taffeties, and other toyes, to [Page 195] make him foole-fine, cannot longer be content to hold the Plough, and to be one of those good Common-wealths-men w ^ch keepe good hopitality; and spend their wealth moderate­ly, doing good in the places where they dwell, but being aduanced in wealth by the death of his miserable father, must instantly bee dubbed a gentleman, and purchase Armes though it be at a deare rate, and be a smoaky gallant in his youth, though hee begge his bread in his age, and thinke hee is no-body vnlesse he bee out of the fashion, and can swagger, and braue it out, sweare him­selfe into smoake, with pure re­fined oathes, and fustian pro­testations, and take Tobacco with a whiffe, and so lash out [Page 196] that riotously, which his father got miserly, but hee is now a gentleman, therefore hee will not take it as he hath done, nor will hee bee clad any longer in good cloath, but will creepe in­to acquaintance with Sattens, Veluets, and Plush, too high and costly for his meane condi­tions. And country maides that haue but thirty or forty shil­lings a yeare, and a few base shifts, must be trick't and trim'd vp like a Maid-Mayrian in a Morris dance; sometime her Ruffes are pinned vp to her eares, and sometime they hang ouer her shoulders like a wind­mill sayle fluttering about her eares.

Therefore seeing this conta­gious Leprosie h [...]th spred it selfe ouer this glorious Com­mon­wealth, [Page 197] wherein Gentle­men in their attire goe like No­bles, and Yeomen like Gentle­men, and Milke-maides like Gentlewomen, as if their eyes were so dazelled with pride that they mistooke one anothers ap­parell for their owne; It were to be wished, that our ancient lawes made against this excesse were put in execution, against our pride, which testifies against our faces, and yet for all this we are not ashamed; but alas, as if we had cast off the feare of the Lord from before our eyes, we deck our carkasses with such costly & vnbeseeming apparell, which is light for the fashion, & wanton and immodest, called by the Wife-man the attire of an Pro. 7. 16. Harlot; & by the Prophet strange Zeph. 1. 8. raiment, which shewes very [Page 198] vain and inconstant mindes; our Fathers kept sheepe, now we Gen. 43. 3. their Children scorne to were the wooll, but must ruffle it out in Silkes, and Veluets, and Taf­feties, euery one adorning him­selfe in brauery, although their manners be quite out of order. The good chines of Porke, and large peeces of Beefe which was wont to bee in great mens houses to releeue the poore, are turned now to buy chaines of Gold, and the almes that were wont to releeue them, is husban­ded now to buy guegawes; the Elephant is admired for carry­ing a Castle on his backe, but now we may see many faire Gentlemen and Gentlewomen to weare whole Lordships, and Mannor-houses on their backs without sweating. Vestium luxus [Page 199] (saith Tully) arguit animum pa­rum sobrium.

Alas, Sobriety where shalt thou be found where al men af­fect pompe? the Plough-man which in times past was content to be clad in russet, must now a dayes haue his doublet of the fashion, with wide cuts, and his silke Garters to meet his Sib on Sunday. What would these persons doe if their wealth and birth did answere the pride of their hearts? surely they would out-strip Nebuchadnezzar the the King of pride; they would be as daintie in their diet, and costly in their apparell as euer Diues was: how may we lament their folly, that to maintaine their pride, turne their lands in­to laces, and their patrimonies into gay Coates, holding it be­like

a point of policy to put their Lands into two or three Trunkes of cloathes, that wear­ing their lands on their backs, they may see their Tenants doe them no waste? but alas, when they would turne backe their clothes into lands againe, they are so thred-bare and out at the W B. on Math. 6. Elbowes, that they will not come neare the former value, so that at lēgth for want of bet­ter consideration they must march vnder Sir Iohn Hadlands colours, among the poore gen­tlemen of pennilesse bench, and so are forced at last to act the Est quodam prodie te­nus si non datur vltra Hor. King and beggars part at one time, the King abroad and the beggar at home.

Here I might enter into a large field of matter, but by this which hath beene said, we may [Page 201] imagine that all is out of frame.

But vaine man, and proud woman, know that by thy pride and excesse in apparell thou of­fendest God, and makest him at variance with the workes of his hands: for the Wise-man telleth vs that euery one that is proud in Pro. 16. 5. heart is abomination to the Lord. Therefore the Lord by the Pro­phet denounceth a woe to the Isay 28. 1. crowne of pride.

It must needs be a miserable thing for the Creature to be abhorred of the Creator. Pride is and hath beene alwayes the forerunner of destruction; the consideration hereof should strike amazement into euery one of our hearts, when we con­sider what thunder-bolts God hath shot out against this sinne, [Page 202] & yet what little amendment is to be found amōg vs? what losse of precious time is there among vs? yea, among the Children of God in decking and adorning those carkasses which at last must be Wormes meate? how many an houre is there spent in tricking and trimming of the body vpon the LORDS day, which might haue beene spent in prayer and meditation? But alas, vnlesse their bodies bee trimmed and decked with cost­ly apparell, and after a curious manner, they will not be seene at Church. These come to humble themselues in pride, as the oppressor commeth, to aske mercy with cruelty braue Land-lords, and Land­ladies which weare about them such cruell rents, as rend hus­band, [Page 203] Wife, and Children all to peeces: such come to keepe holy the Sabbath day with pro­phanenesse, to giue vp their bo­dies as a liuing sacrifice to Rom. 12. 1 GOD, by fashioning themselues vnto the fashions and colours of the world, sometime blew, sometime yellow; sometime all body, sometime no body, as if they liked all fashions sauing that which God hath giuen them.

It is a great matter to see the vanitie of women in these dayes, which are so trimm'd and trick't, that you would say they rather wore great forrests on their backs, then modest & ciuill furniture; and so in stri­uing to bee fine and handsome before men, they become vile in the sight of God, who lookes [Page 204] not vpon the outward appea­rance, 1 Sam. 1. 6 7. but vpon the heart. Thou therefore which spendest the prime of the morning in poun­cing and trimming thy haire, & perhaps in painting thy face, that thereby thou maist seeme more louely and amiable to men; if this be thy aime, that seekest to please men, then art Gal. 1. 10. thou not the seruant of God. If thou hadst a touch & sēse of thy owne vncleannesse, and spiritu­all deformitie in the eyes of GOD, thou wouldest take as much paines to adorne thy in­ward 1 Tim 2. 9. 1 Pet. 3. 3. parts with humilitie and lowlinesse of minde, so much set by of God. Women should array themselues with shame­fastnesse and modesty, and not with broidered haire, and im­modest, and vnseemly attires, [Page 205] for our clothes are the fruit of sinne; and shall the theefe bee proud of his halter? Pull downe therefore your proud lookes you wanton Dames, and cast a­way your filthy and vnbesee­ming apparell, which doth not honour your bodies, but dis­grace them by your fantasticall fashions, and lasciuious habits, by laying open your naked breasts, as alluring baits to fil­thinesse, & so proclaim by your outward garmēts your inward pride and filthinesse, as if you would haue all men take notice of your vanitie and light cari­age. Pride and brauery cause wantonnesse, and wantonnesse maketh an easie way for lust & vncleannesse: Those therefore which so curiously deck and a­dorne their bodies with such [Page 206] costly and wanton attire, set forth their beauty to sale, & so by consequent betray their cha­stity to them which bid most, or pleaseth them best. To this purpose Cyprian saith fitly, Gor­gious Ornamen­torum & vestium in­signia & lenocinia formarum non nisi pro­stitutis, & impudicis faeminis congruunt, & nulla­rum fere praeciosior cultus, quam qua­rum pudor vilis est. Cyp. de Hab. virg. and garish attire, and adul­terate beautie become none but har­lots, who set thēselues forth to sale, neither doe any put on more preci­ous apparell then they who most basely prize their chastitie. By which (as by their immodest au­dacious impudency) as they de­file their owne hearts with pride and wantonnesse, so also they entice others with carnall loue and fleshlie lusts; and so they bring vpon themselues sin and condemnation, though o­thers be not catched in their snares. For as Hierome saith, If any wantonly deck themselues to [Page 207] prouoke others in a wantō maner to Si vir vel mulierse a­dornauerit, vt vultus hominum adse prouo­caret, etsi nullum in­de sequatur damnum, iudicium tamen pati­etur aeter­num; quia venenum attulit, si fuisset qui [...]iberit. gaze vpon them, though no hurt follow vpon it, yet they shall bee liable to eternall iudgement, be­cause they prepared a poyson, if there had beene any one who would haue tasted it.

But Lucifer the Prince of Pride, hath taught the stately Dames of our age a new lesson, vnknowne to the godly women mentioned in Scripture, and that is, that vnlesse they bee gallant, they shall not be estee­med and regarded in places A vaine excuse. where they come.

Vnto which I answere, their apparell may purchase them some credit among ignorant men and women, but wise men Non hac [...]rnant cor­pus, sed mentem de­tegunt. Quint. will not esteeme them the more for their vaine apparell, though they be neuer so plumed with [Page 208] the deceitfull feathers of pride.

Beloued, though I be earnest against this sinne, beare with mee, I touch not those that be good, and are modest in their apparell, shewing the humble­ness of their mind; and I cannot say too much to those which be proud, and haughty, and vaine and foolish in their attire; I ap­peale to God who knoweth these things to be true, and to the world who cannot for shame deny them; and if I haue said nothing but the truth then blame me not, but goe and re­pent you of your former sinnes; and seeing the most of vs are faulty herein, let vs now in truth of heart turne vnto the Lord. And if wee would haue reue­rence and respect among men, [Page 209] let vs labour to bee vertuous, modest, and discreet, and to put on humblenesse of minde; for pride, and costly apparell are collaterall cousins, and so combined together, that one can hardly bee separated from the other without the destru­ction of both; therefore the godly wise in all ages haue la­boured to striue against this streame, and shunned this ex­cesse, and haue had speciall care so to attire themselues, that they might neither offend the Maiesty of God, or well affe­cted Christians in any respect. For the very Heathen by the light of nature haue condem­ned pride in apparell as a great euill.

Democrites being demanded wherin the comlinesse of man & [Page 210] woman consisted, answered; In fewnesse of speech wel tempted together, and in vertue and in­tegritie of life.

Sophocles seeing one in gor­gious apparell, said to him, Thou foole, thy apparell is no ornament to thee, but a manifest shew of thy follie.

The wife of Philo the Philoso­pher being demanded why she did not weare gold, and siluer, and costly garments, said, Shee thought the vertues of her hus­band were sufficient ornaments for her.

What would these wise hea­thens haue said, if they had had the light of Gods Word? Sure­ly they would haue shamed many of vs Christians. To con­clude this point, let vs know that excesse in apparell, is not [Page 211] onely a sinne in it selfe, but also the cause and effect of many o­ther sinnes.

1. As it is the cause of lust and vncleannesse in them that weare gorgious apparell, so it doth animate and incourage o­thers to assault, and lay siege to their Chastitie, with hope of obtaining victory, while the en­signes of pride are so dis­played.

2. It causeth men and wo­men to misspend their time, which they waste with musing how they may be braue, and try­ing what fashion will become them best, by which meanes it comes to passe, that they haue little leasure to adorne their soules with sauing grace, as knowledge, faith, and repen­tance; wherupon it is, that our [Page 212] gallants are so ignorant in spi­rituall matters.

3. This excesse in apparell causeth many men and women to runne in debt, (which is the very bane of a quiet minde) and so become seruile slaues, and are forced to put vp many harsh wordes at the hands of the Pro▪ 22. 7. lender.

4. As they torment and dis­crutiate their mindes, and bring desolation vpon their temporal estates, so also they wrap them­selues vnder the iudgement of Isay 2. 11. God for their brauery.

Ʋse. Be exhorted then you that feare GOD, to weane your hearts from this sinfull vanity, and labour to decke them with the sauing graces of Gods spi­rit, the wedding garment of faith, and labour to be couered [Page 213] with the long white Robe of Christs innocency, so that thy Reu. 3. 18. filthy nakednesse may not ap­peare, that so thou being clo­thed with the righteousnesse of Christ, thou mayest at the Rom. 13. 14. day of refreshing follow the LAMBE wheresoeuer hee Reu. 7. 13. 14. goeth.

Q. Oh but may some say, how shall I weane my heart from this sinfull vanitie?

Answ. Euery mischiefe is best auoided by opposing against him his contrary, so the best way to preuent pride, is to arme our selues with humilitie, and stop this filthy disease in the beginning; and therefore the Poets counsell in this case is very good;

And another very fitly seconds him saying,

Pride sinketh to hell, but hu­militie lifteth to heauen; Pride is the first step to Apostasie, and being opposed to God is the greatest sinne in man, for all other vices are to be taken heed of in sinnes, but this in good doing, lest those things which be laudibly done be lost in the [Page 215] desire of praise; follow Christ who is humble and meeke, Ecce habes humilitatis exemplum, superbiae medica­mentum. in whom thou hast an example of humilitie, and a medicine a­gainst pride; Call to minde thy base metall, from what thou camest, what now thou art, and whither thou must goe at length. What is man? an vn­profitable Telluris in­utile pon­dus. Gen. 3. Iob. 10. 9. lumpe of earth. Man was earth, he is earth, and to earth he shall returne againe. What is man? his matter is base Slime and Clay, his nature weak and feeble, his birth paine and sorrow, his life vaine and miserable, his state slipperie and vncertaine, his sinnes hor­rible and filthy, and his end grieuous and loathsome. Why swellest thou O man, thou fil­thy matter, why art thou infla­med? Thy Prince is humble, [Page 216] and art thou proud? Oh earth. earth, earth, cast downe thy Peacocks feathers, looke downe whither thou must, and bee ashamed; consider how GOD hath seuerely punished pride, in all ages, and hath rewarded humilitie.

Let the consideration hereof make vs all labour for humili­tie: There remaines another kinde of pride, and that is of a mans gifts of nature or grace, but I intend to speake of that when I come to handle the va­nity of men in hunting after vaine glorie, and popular ap­plause, vnto which place I refer the discreet Reader. And to put a period to this point of pride in apparell, let all those which are so curious in decking their bodies with quaint attire, take [Page 217] heed they doe not forget to deck their soules, with the pearles of sobriety, and humili­ty, and therefore follow not the foolish fashion of the world, and if any new fangled fashion come vp be thou the first to pul it downe, so shalt thou shew thy selfe a patterne for modest matrons to imitate. And thus we haue done with pride in ap­parell.

Doe we take delight in beau­tie, what is beautie if it bee se­parated from grace, but plea­sing vanitie? Beautie according Pro. 31. 30. to Saint Augustines definition, Is a proportionall agreement of all Pulchritu­do corporis est congru­entia parti­um, cum quadam coloris suae­uitate, Aug. [...]d Nebr. the parts of the body, ioyned with a certaine sweetnesse of colour and countenance. Which in its owne nature is good, as being the gift of GOD, which hee hath be­stowed [Page 218] vpon many of his chil­dren, as vpon Sarah, Rebecca, Ra­chel, Naomi, Abigail, Esther, the daughters of Iob; but wee shall Iob 42. 15. haue little neede to perswade any to the loue of this, seeing all men by instinct of nature doe reuerence and respect it; The Poet long agoe could say, Forma cor­poris Dei munus. Ouid. that Beauty is the gift of God, yet through the corruption of na­ture, this blessing is much abu­sed, and made a snare to intan­gle many, and therefore wee are to account it among those common blessings which hee bestowes vpon the wicked as wel as vpon his owne children, as vpon Saul, Adoniah, Absol [...]n, 1 Sam. 9. 2 1 Kin. 1. 6. Pulcritudo corporis bonum Dei donum est: sed propte­ria id largi­tur etiam malis, ne m [...]gnum bonum vi­deatur bo­nis. Aug de Ciuit. Dei lib. 15. cap. 22. Pro. 31. 30. 2 Sam. 14. 25. Beautie indeed is the gift of God, but hee hath bestowed it on the euill also, lest it might seeme to the god­ly [Page 219] to be of any value; yea, hee hath bestowed it on the dumbe creatures, as the Peacocke, Swan, yea the Lillies exceed Salomon in al his royalty; there­fore we are not to doate vpon it, for the Wise man saith, It is vaine and deceitfull; and expe­rience shewes, that sicknesse, care, griefe, or the scrach of a pin wil deface it, and the Sunne quickly alter it: If it were an absolute blessing, the Sunne that glorious creature would not so soone deface it. There­fore Chrysostom saith to the ver­tuous in his time, I doe not (saith Nolo pul­critudi­nem c [...]rpo­ [...]oris, hone­statem mentis re­quiro. in Psal. 50. Hom. 1. he) so much require the beautie of the bodie, as the honesty of the minde. But seeing it is so estee­med, and ouer-valued, let it bee the wisedome of the godly to turne the edge of their loue [Page 220] from this deceitfull vanitie, (which is better many times to those which see it, then those which haue it) to that perfect, and vndeceiuable beautie of Pulchrius est pulch [...]ū fieri, quam nasci: illud enim casus hoc studij est. Petrar. the minde, adorned with the sāctifying grace of Gods Spirit, as lowlinesse of minde, brother­ly kindnesse, and the bowels of compassion to the poore, these are perpetuall and durable; sick­nesse, and disgrace cannot ble­mish vertue.

But alas, this carnall beauty is so farre from profiting vs, or helping vs in the way of god­linesse, as that many times through the corruption of na­ture it proues the bane of the Rara est ade [...] con­cordia for­m [...] atque pudiciti [...]. Iuuenal Satyr. 10. soule, for many times wee see beauty and chastity oppose each other, which comes to passe not through beauty in it selfe, [Page 221] for many beautifull women haue beene, and are chaste and godly Matrons, but the reason is, because their beauty doth expose their chastity to the lust of wicked men, which are allu­red by these pleasing obiects, Cum peri­culo magno custoditur quod multis placet. now that is hardly preserued which is of so many belo­ued.

Lustfull bloods at the shew of fayre women giue wanton sights, or wicked wishes; Beau­ty Depredari desiderat, qui thesa [...] ­rum publice portat. is like vnto a rich treasure, which being caried vncouered by the high wayes side, tempts and entices many to set vpon it: thus Dinahs beauty offered vio­lence to her chastity, Thamars beautie inticed her brother Amnon, and Bathshebahs beauty allured godly Dauid, and Io­sephs beauty enticed his wanton [Page 222] Mistris. Thus wee finde that Multos for­ma fecit a­dulteros, castu [...] ver [...] nullum. Petrarch. de Remed. beautie hath made many adul­terers, but neuer any chast.

Let the consideration hereof make all beautifull women to walke humbly before God, and so demeane themselues; that they may not allure or intice any.

Saint Ambrose records a sto­ry of a beautifull young man, who perceiuing his fair face to bee an inchantment to diuers wanton women, slashed and be­mangled his face, lest any more wantons should dore on him; this young man had more re­gard to the inward beautie of his minde, then the outward beautie of his body: This man had also care of his outward conuersation, that he might so carry himselfe as became a [Page 223] Childe of GOD.

But alas, what great oddes is there betweene this young man, and the youth of our age, which hang their haire, heads, eares, and bosome full of nets to ensnare the wantons of these sinfull times, and haue their breasts left naked, that thereby their wantonnesse may the bet­ter be discouered.

Another euill effect of beau­ty is, that as it makes them for­getfull of GOD, and all good duties, so it puffes them vp in pride and conceit of them­selues, that they scorne and de­spise others, and so neglect their duty which they owe to their Superiours. Vastie knew that Est. 1. 11, 12 the King was rauished with her beautie, therefore she grew in­solent and proud, and would [Page 224] not come when hee sent for her.

Let the consideration hereof teach all vertuous women to adorne their mindes with ver­tue, and good conuersation in all things, that they may bee able to giue vp their account with ioy vnto that God which hath bought them with a price, and so hath commanded them to glorifie him in their mortall bodies.

Wee are now come to the last branch proposed, and that is vaine glory, and po­pular applause, which for the most part is ingendred out of the feces and dregs of worldly wisedome: What profit is there in the praise of men? or what good can they doe vs if they magnifie and extoll vs for car­nall [Page 225] respects, if all this while we bee vile in the eyes of God? What will the praise of men doe vs good, when God and our owne conscience condemne vs? It is not the waxen wings of mens praises wil carry vs to hea­uen; therfore let vs labor to ho­nor God, and to keep faith & a good cōscience in al our waies; we are to know, that wisdom & humane learning is a great gift & blessing of God, w ^ch although it be good in its owne nature, yet many times through the corruption of our nature it is a dangerous enemy to grace, be­cause for the most part it is ioy­ned with pride and vaine glory, which robs God of his glory, therefore the Lord forbiddeth the wise man to glory in his wise­dome. Ier. 9. 23. And denounceth a woe [Page 226] against all those which are wise Isay 5. 21. in their owne eyes; which woe and sinne that we may not fall into, let vs know that God hath not giuen vs worldly wisdom, & hu­mane learning, to the end wee should make sale of them, and set them a sunne shining for vaine people to gaze at; but he hath giuen them vs, to the end that we should vse them to his glory, and the good of his Church: but such is the pride of our nature, that if one man excell another in learning, wit, and elocution, presently they swell with pride, and so forget God and themselues, by not ho­nouring him with his gifts, and by despising his children, which peraduenture haue better hearts to God-ward then them­selues; we all glory now a daies [Page 227] of our knowledge and wisdom, and thinke that our selues are the onely men, now what may be the reason of this? Surely this, because in times past the Church had many learners, and but a few teachers; now the case is altered, wee haue many tea­chers, and but a few learners. In ancient time it was thought there was but seuen wise men among the Greekes, and now we thinke there be not so many fooles among vs.

Another reason may bee, for want of right choyce of good natures, in those which are to be trained vp in learning, for the greater sort many times are either fantasticall, wayward, or wilfull, whose wits being strained against kinde, become disordered, contentious, and [Page 228] seditious: for it is a hard thing to make that straight by art, which was made crooked by nature. When learning and elo­quence is grafted in a wrangling stocke, which is stubborne and contentious, it many times proues very dangerous; for a contentious person hauing wit and learning, and a plausible tongue, is able to set whole kingdomes by the eares.

Seeing then that learning may be abused, let Preachers pray for wisedome and humili­tie, that they may not please men, nor please them selues with their learning, but that they may honour God, and la­bour to bee profitable instru­mēts to his Church. But because all men in generall hunt after praise, & he is no-body now a­dayes [Page 229] that cannot soare aloft, therefore Schollers are forced to stretch their wits, and set them vpon the Tenters, to please the intoxicated multi­tude; and to beate their braines, and hazard their health, and many times indanger their soules, to satisfie the curious eares of many fantasticall hea­rers, which will be pleased with nothing else but nouelties: such take great delight to come to Sermons, but not as Schollers to learne, but rather as Iudges to controule, being now grown so curious in their owne con­ceits, that it is easier for a Cook to please a hundred mens pal­lates, then for a Preacher to or­der one Sermon to please a do­zen hearers. Some must needs know what God did before hee [Page 230] made the world; another, who was Melchizedechs father; ano­ther, whether he shall meet his old friends and companions in heauen which might tell him of his merry conceits; such a one would needs know what he shal do in heauē before he hath learned the way how to come thither; another, he is content to come to Church to heare his Minister, but alas, he growes weary quickly, and out of heart, his Minister speakes no Latine, nor Greeke, and so he thinkes it is lost time to heare such a homely Sermon. But alas, poor ignorant soule! if thou wert cōdemned to die, thou wouldst be glad to heare thy pardō read vnto thee in plain English w ^th ­out any other curious matter, but thy Princes hād to ratifie it: [Page 231] but now God must sēd thee thy pardon, and set it forth in such eloquent words as may best please thee, else thou wilt haue none of it, as if GOD were bound to saue thee a cōdemned slaue, & to feed thy eares with fine speeches. But if these curi­ous & dainty hearers were exa­mined in the points of saluatiō, as of faith & repentance, & the meaning of any of the Com­mandements, or of the Articles of our Faith, I feare many of them which carry their heads full high, would bee found to be as grosely ignorant as euer Nicodemus was, and would bee as ready to make as simple an answere as the Disciples of E­phesus Act. 19. 2. did, when the Apostle asked them if they had recei­ued the Holy Ghost, they told [Page 232] him plainely, that they had not so much as heard whether there bee a Holy Ghost or no [...].

What a vaine thing is it then to hunt after those things which will doe vs no good? How much better were it to be busi­ed in matters of greater impor­tance, and not to please our selues in such knotty questions which haue ensnared better iudgements then our owne? Parum pla­cent cae li­terae, qua ad virtu­tem non profuerant. Salust. de Bel. Iurg.

The very Heathen doe con­demne our vanity herein, who tell vs, that, That learning doth vs little good which doth not helpe vs forward in vertuous courses.

For what wil it auaile men to be accounted subtill and a­cute Logicians to finde out ar­guments, and to be as able to discourse, and as skilfull in dis­putation, as the men of Gibeah [Page 233] were in slinging, that they could sling at a haires bredth, when as they are not able to find out that good and perfect Will of God, nor able to con­fute the subtill sophistry of Sa­than? what will it profit men to be plausible Rhetoriciās to per­swade others vnto what they Melius est é duobus im­pe [...]fectis, rust [...]c tatem sanctam habere, quam elo­quentiam peccatricem Hieron. list, by masking a false cause with a faire glosse, if they haue not sanctified eloquence to per­swade and assure themselues of their owne saluation?

What will it profit men to be good Grammarians, and to haue the knowledge of all tongues, and to be able to ne­gotiate with strangers of all Kingdomes without an in­terpreter, yet for all this not to be able to speak the language of Canaan? which is gloria in excelsis.

What wil it profit men to be skilfull in the secrets of num­bers, if they want skill to num­ber Knowledg without vertue, and learning without good li­uing are like trees without fruit. their dayes that they may apply their hearts vnto wise­dome.

What would it profit men, if they could with Salomon diue into the secrets of nature, and yeeld a reason of all things, if they be ignorant of the corrup­tion of their nature, and of the meanes how to bee freed from it?

Therfore that godly & learned Ex curiosi­tate non so­lum friuo­lae, sed eti­am no [...]iae quaestiones scaturiunt, ex quibus nulla vtili­tas elici potest. Caluin. instit. lib. 3. cap. 25. Neoterick hath well obserued, that frō this bitter root of cur­sed curiositie innumerable que­stions do bud & blossom in the mindes of men, which are not onely friuolous, but very hurt­full to them that aske them.

Let hearers then be content [Page 235] with those things which may Pluris est vna gultu­la sapien­t [...]ae diuinae, quam va­stiss. pela­gus sapien­tiae huius mundi. Stella de contemptu mundi. Dum nu­g [...]s tene­mus & opi­nionum ri­u [...]los con­sectemur, ipsum veri­tatis fou­tem amitti­mus. Hier. epist. profit them for their soules healths, and not puffe them vp; for a little heauenly knowledge is better then all the froathie knowledge of the world, for while we hunt after trifles, ma­ny times the truth slips from vs before wee are aware: yet many good DIVINES are herein faultie, which by their too often quoting Poets and schoolmen cause the people to make little difference be­tweene the pure Word of God, and the authority of man, whose breath is in his nostrils. Hence it comes to passe that many times they omit that which should be the summe of a Preacher, to teach the people to feare God and honour the King: This popular applause [Page 236] and vaine glory, many times makes men of weake iudgment to out-goe themselues, and so by thinking to make a shew of learning, they bewray their own ignorance, and so proue as tedi­ous to their hearers, as a mud­dy way is to a weary Trauailer; and being neerly touched they appeare nothing else but empty bags, Nomine grammatici, re bar­bari. Therefore men must take heed that they meddle not with matters aboue their vnderstan­ding, and looke that they vse not their mouthes to spruce Inkhorne termes, and swelling words, bumbasted with the flockes of sundry languages; as Cleantes and Chrysippus did in their painted Rhetorick, which that wise heathen hath so sharp­ly Cicer. de fi [...]. lib. 4. rebuked; hereby they shew [Page 237] themselues good Nurses for Nugarum matrem, virtutum Nouercam. Bern. vanity, but Step-dames for vertue.

But let no man mistake me, as if hereby I seemed to mislike learning; no, I am so farre from condemning it, as that I honor it wheresoeuer I finde it; for learning in it selfe is good, and an excellent blessing of God, a­dorning the minde with natu­rall gifts, mollifying the rough­nesse of nature, and sitting it to receiue the seedes of know­ledge, therefore to neglect it when it may bee had, is to tempt God with an high hand; It is not then the vse of learning Crimen non est in rebus, sed in vsu agentis. Greg. mo [...]. lib 9. e. 28. that I speake against, but the a­buse, when men labour to set vp themselues, and so seeke to rob God of his glory.

Vse. Seeing then learning is such [Page 238] an excellent thing, let vs pray vnto God to sanctifie it to vs, and then to make a sanctified vse of it, by imploying it so that God may be honoured, and the Church edified; for that is true Sa [...]ientia illa clara est, non quae verbis vo­lat, sed quae virtutib [...]s constat. Greg. in mor. Psal. 11. 10 Ps. 19. 7. Iam. 3. 13. Vera Sapi­ētia est the­saurus, quae solum in a­g [...]o scriptu­rarum nas­citur. Hieron. in c wisedome which doth not flie in the winde of words, but con­sists in the operation of vertue. Now this true wisedome is to bee craued onely at the hands of God, which onely giueth wisedome to the simple, and this true wisdome is a treasure w ^ch groweth onely in the field of the Scripture, where the man of God may bee instructed in whatsoeuer belongeth to poli­cy, Ciuilitie, and Christianitie, for this life, or for the life to come: If wee would know our Maker, Redeemer, and Sancti­fier, we may see them described [Page 239] in the Scripture, in which is contained a salue for euery sore: Then those are much to blame which leaue this pure Many striue ra­ther to speake tunably to the care, then pow­erfully to the heart, de­lighting more [...]o [...] p [...], [...] to p [...] thei [...] hea­ [...]er [...], and [...] charge their dutie before God. Pro. 19. 23. fountaine of running water, and digge vnto themselues Ci­sternes that will hold no water; such mens maine end is to bee admired for their learning, by which they hope to gaine po­pular applause. Now this am­bition many times waiteth vp­on Gods deare Children, which makes them many times sacri­fice to their owne nets, and to seek thēselues, & not the Lord Iesus, therfore the Lord doth of­tē depriue them of their hopes, and frustrate their expectation, and so brings downe the pride of man, that thereby hee may make way for his owne glory.

As then the office of a Prea­cher [Page 240] is a Calling of great reue­rence, Reu. 2. 8. God himselfe dignifying them with the title of Angels, whose tongues hee hath conse­crated to comfort the deie­cted, instruct the ignorant, and direct the simple; Therefore all those which are called to this high calling should not bee greene plants, but well seaso­ned timber, grounded in know­ledge and experience, that they may be able to maintaine their Masters cause, and by sound ar­guments defend the truth pow­erfully, and perswade to the loue of vertue pithily, and not to abuse that learning & know­ledge God hath giuen them to iangling and contention, as many of the Separation haue done, who hauing a great de­sire to bee taken for singular [Page 241] wise men, and zealous profes­sors, and being puft vp with a vaine opinion conceiued of themselues, and of their owne knowledge, haue laboured for to sow contention in the Church, and to displant good order established, whereby it comes to passe that not onely weak Christiās are amazed, but also the hearts of many are alie­nated from obedience to lawful authoritie; These men being further wrapt in deuotion then they can wade through with discretion, yet vnder the co­lour of zeale for reformation in the Church, they haue disgra­ced the gouernment, as if Gods Spirit inforced them to passe the bounds of Christian mo­desty.

Touching those that carpe [Page 242] at the present estate of Church­discipline, it lies not in the li­mits of my Text to say much, yet thus much I wil say, though many things may seeme to be misliked, as not so precisely good to them that look a far off with a sleight imagination, yet may very well be tolerated in policie to keepe peace and quietnesse, for it is no sure course to goe about to change lawes, and to breake downe discipline, which is already e­stablished (to please the itching fancies of those humorous Se­ctaries, w ^ch delight in nothing but innouatiō) lest therwith all comelines & good order be o­uerthrown. Dauids resolutiō is Ps. 39. 1, 2. worne out of date, he said, hee would looke to his wayes, that he did not sin with his tongue; [Page 243] but now a dayes men are falne from Dauids practise to be bu­sie bodies to prie and to looke into matters of State, and to censure and carpe at the go­uernment of the Church, which was so graciously established by that vertuous Princesse of blessed memory, Queene ELI­ZABETH, now as glorious a Saint in heauan as euer shined in this our hemisphere, and since ratified and confirmed by two learned Kings, vpon the ex­aminarion of the learned Cler­gy, confirmed by the Peeres and Nobilitie, and subscribed vnto by the Commons, by the pow­erfull authoritie of that honou­rable Court of Parliament, and now many yeares experience bath taught vs to bee peacefull and religious, yet for all this [Page 244] they can see Moates in the Church, but care not for search­ing their owne hearts, and re­forming their crooked man­ners; and so being puft vp with singularitie they thinke they are able to instruct the wise­dome of the State without booke, when as they cannot learne obedience, their owne duty, in all the bookes in the world.

Brethren, what meane you to pry into those things which are aboue your reach, and can­not be fathomed by your shal­low conceits? God be thanked the graue Senators which sit at the sterne, doe foresee dan­gers, and godly, discreetly, and prouidently preuent them, and so doe preserue and protect vs in peace and quietnesse, and so [Page 245] we may long enioy our happi­nesse, if our vnthankfulnesse to God, and vndutifulnesse to our Gouernours doe not hinder it. Therefore seeing by them wee enioy great quietnesse, and that very worthy deedes are done Act. 24. 23. vnto this nation by their pro­uidence, wee ought to acknow­ledge it with all thankfulnesse; wherefore in stead of prying in­to matters aboue our reach, let vs remember that the time will shortly come that we shall be called to giue account of our owne stewardships; then wee shall finde that it is better to bee of small learning with hu­militie, then to bee profoundly learned with a proud minde.

There is a second branch which springs from this bitter root of vaine glory, and popu­lar [Page 246] applause; and they are those pragmaticall censurers, and curious obseruers of other mens liues, and actions, that can marke and obserue the slips and infirmities of their brethren, to disgrace them, but lacke an eye to see their owne filthy conuer­sation; but let vs remember a­gaine that wee must giue ac­count of our owne Steward­ship; and not of others. What, can wee spare so much of our short time to prie into others, and can finde so little to ran­sack our owne hearts? Surely to bee curious in scanning o­ther mens liues, and carelesse of our owne is certainly an ar­gument of an euill minde, and a great signe of an vnsanctified heart; if thou wilt needes bee prying into other mens con­uersations, [Page 247] looke into the state of the poore and needy; be­hold their faces pale and wan, their cloathes ragged and torne; Be thou as Iob was, An eye to the blinde, feet to the lame, and a comfort to the needie; this is the way to gaine honour and praise of men, when the loynes of the poore shall blesse thee; and the Lord will reward thee Possessa o­nerant. amata in­quinant, a­missa cruci­ant. Worldly things when wee haue them they load vs, when we loue them they defile vs, when wee lose them they vexe vs. at the day of his appearing.

Thus wee haue diued into the pleasing delights of the world, and haue found out their insufficiency to profit vs in life and death; come wee now to consider of the world in it self.

As all worldly things are vaine and insufficient in their vse, and vnable in themselues to doe vs good for our soules and our bodies, so the world it selfe [Page 248] is momentany and mutable: momentany in regard of it selfe, as at the first it was a con­fused Chaos, so some shall liue to see it passe away as a scroule or squib in the Aire; so also it is mutable in regard of vs who are changeable and subiect to alteration. If the world could alwayes continue, yet could not wee, for one generation must passe Eccles. 1. 4. Quod bre­uiter d [...] ­r [...]t, quis prudens quaerere curat. away, and another come in their place. Then what wise man would set vp his rest vpon such an vncertaine place, so vnable to doe vs good? what is the world? a vale of misery: a sinke of sinne: a Court of Sathan: a purgatory of paine: a mother to the wicked: and a Step-dame to the godly; where the proud are aduanced without desert, and the vertuous oppressed [Page 249] without cause? What is the world? a second hell: full of ambitious desires, wicked wiles, and deuillish intents, a cruell Serpent, that biteth vs with her teeth, scratcheth vs with her nailes, and swelleth vs with her poyson: much like Laban who made poore Iacob serue seuen yeares for faire Ra­chel, and in the end deceiued him with foule Leah. Euen so dealeth the world with vs, pro­mising health, wealth, long life, and in the end deceiueth vs with sicknesse, pouertie, and death. What is the World? her musicke is griefe, sorrow, shame and paine: her wealth, misery, nothing is to be looked for in it but troubles following one another as Iobs messengers; Some are pinched with pouer­ty, [Page 250] and ouerwhelmed with mi­sery; some vexed with strife and contention: some tortured w ^th sicknesse, boyles, and vlcers; some amazed with crosses, los­ses, and the like, some one way, some another way, in so much that if an old man should consi­der the dangers of his life from his birth to his graue he might wonder how he could bee able to endure so painfull a iour­ney.

What is the world? no place to continue in, all mankinde are either strangers, or straglers; 1 Pet. 2. 11 Heb. 11. 13 the godly they are Strangers and Pilgrimes, so the godly haue confessed; and the wicked they are Straglers, howsoeuer they take their portion in this life, yet at last they must away Psa 17. 14. Act. 1. 25. with Iudas to their owne home.

Then what a vaine thing is it to build vp Tabernacles of rest here, of whose fauour and loue there can be no certaintie? for the world it selfe is subiect to change: looke vpon the earth, it waxeth weake and feeble for age, and therefore not so fruit­full as in times past; looke vp to the heauens, they are not free from mutabilitie; the Sunne and the Moone haue their ec­clipses, the times vary & chāge one with another, Summer with winter, day with night: looke vpon the world, some­time it flourisheth and abounds with delights, and seemes to be as the garden of God, as Sodom and her neighbour Cities, and presently turned into ashes: Look vpon the Assyrian & Baby­lonian Monarchy, for a time Ma­ster [Page 252] of the world, but at last was fain to yeeld to the Monarchy of the Medes & Persians, & they at last were forced to stoop to the Grecians; and they to submit to the Romanes. So that wee see that the glory of the Nations was quickly laide in the dust. And haue not wee liued to see many in our dayes which haue shined as the Starres, which in a moment haue vanished away like a Comet? haue not our eies beheld, and our eares heard the setting of as glorious stars as e­uer shined in the World since the death of Iosiah? I meane the setting of that glorious Princess of euerliuing memory, Queene Elizabeth, the Phoenix of her age, whose name shall smell as precious as euer Maries oynt­ment in the nostrils of all true [Page 253] hearted English: as also the go­ing Dum tumu lum cernis, our non mortalia sper [...]is. downe of the Sunne of that prudēt, learned, & godly prince King Iames of blessed memory, who was in vertue excellent, in glory renowned, in gouernment politick, remouing debate by diligent foresight, filling our hearts with the fruit of peace; yet for all this, though they Quid valet hic mun­dus, quid gloria quid­ue trium­phus. Sic transit gloria mundi. were great in Gods fauour, yet they died. When God doth call, Nature must obey. Alex­ander that conquered the world, could finde no weapon to conquer death. Man in ho­nour must not continue.

Brethren, what meane you then to set vp your rest in such an vncertaine place? What, hath Christ redeemed you from the world, and will you bee part­ners with the deuill in posses­sing [Page 254] it? it wil shortly passe away & perish before your eies, and yet will you make it your God? What madnesse is it to repose hope, & felicity in that w ^ch is no­thing els but troubles to our bo­dies, disquietnes to our minds, inticements of vice to our chil­dren, seedes of enuy to our neighbours, the bait of sinne, the snare of the soule and the gate of death? The world is like vnto Salomons harlot that layes open her breasts to intice Tra­uellers and Strangers, the two Dugs whereof are profit and pleasure, with the first shee deales like Hypomanes and Atta­lanta, who being to runne a race for a kingdome, Hypomanes ca­sting a ball of gold on this side, and that side, so besotted Atta­lanta, that for to gaine the gold [Page 255] she lost the victory, so doth the world mis-lead the gold desi­ring Merchant.

With the second the world deales like Cyrces, who alluring Grillus to taste of her drugs, made him so drunke with the pleasure thereof, as that he nei­ther remembred the dignitie of his person, nor sight of his Country; so deales the world with the pleasurable worldling. But of this point we haue spokē enough: yet for all this so linckt in league are wee with the world, that we can bee content to hazzard our saluation for the vncertaine inioying of it. If we look vpon the rich Giants of the world, which ioyne house to house, and land to land, to maintaine their proud backes, golden heads, and dainty [Page 256] throats, they haue power to get riches, policie to keepe them, and time to possesse them, but they want hearts to vse them: they build great and gorgious houses, as if they should liue for euer, and surfeit themselues with dainty diet, as if they should die to morrow, hauing lesse charitie to the poore then the Deuill, he desired to haue stones turned into bread, but they turne Beefe and bread, which was wont (by the charity of the godly) to feed the poore, these they turne into stones to raise vp their Babel, and into Silkes and Veluets to maintain them in their brauery, and so by this means they haue almost brought the Common-wealth into ruine, for there was neuer good house kept by Gentlemen [Page 257] since the Tailer measured their lands by the yard, for now while they striue to aduance themselues on high, they feare­fully plunge their soules in mi­sery. But woe to such fat Buls of Bashan, without speedy re­pentance they shall bee turned into hell, and al the people that forget God; then,

Thus much of the former point propounded, the vanity and insufficiencie of the world, and all worldly things: the se­cond followes, the excellency of the soule, the loue whereof [Page 258] should make vs basely to e­steeme of all worldly things, and to count them no better then dung in respect of Christ, for Riches as we haue heard are transitory, and will beguile vs, Honours are slippery and will deceiue vs, and the world is Moath-eaten and weares a­way, and we our selues are brit­tle, and so shall perish; then what is a man profited if he gaine the world, and lose his owne soule? In which words wee may ob­serue againe these particu­lars.

1. A comparison of the price with the thing prized; the price is amplified by the subiect mat­ter thereof, which is the soule. 2. By the propinquitie and proprietie, it is his owne soule, more worth then all the [Page 259] world, which must continue when all these transitory things must passe away, and that which shal eternally rue the bargaine; for what is the earth to heauen, and what can the world profit when the soule is plunged in Hell, where it can neither mitigate paine, nor purchase redemption?

2. The irrecouerablenesse of the losse; what shall a man giue for the exchange of his soule? There is nothing in the world sufficient; so precious is the re­demption of the soule. The Psal. 49. 8. words are expressed by a me­taphor borrowed from captiue prisoners, supprised or taken in warre, which were wont to bee redeemed by money, or else by exchange of one prisoner for another; but if that cruell Pyrat [Page 260] Sathan haue taken vs prisoners, we are past hope of recouery, there is no redemption; then what is a man profited if he gaine the world, and lose his owne soule.

Doct. The note of obseruation which offers it selfe to our con­sideration is this; That men ought not principally to respect this life onely, but that their chiefest care and labour should bee to get their soules saued in the day of the Lord.

To this we are exhorted by our Sauiour, to labour for the Iohn 6. 37. Luk. 13. 24 meate that endureth for euer, and to striue to enter in at the Mat. 7. 13. strait Gate. Now, striuing wee know is an action of labour, teaching vs that it requires great paines and diligence; for many shall seeke to enter in, and [Page 261] shall not bee able. And the A­postle exhorts vs to giue all di­ligence to make our calling and Election sure, and hee tels vs of the benefit that will follow, If ye doe these things, you shall neuer fall. This hath been the practise of Gods Children, to presse to­ward Phil. 3. 14. the marke for the high Cal­ling of God in Christ: and this is a marke of triall for the Saints, if they be risen with Christ to seek Col. 3. 1. Phil. 3. 20. the things which are aboue, and to haue their conuersation in heauen. And therefore hee would haue as many as bee perfect to bee thus vers. 15. minded. This is also a point of wisedome, which our Sa­uiour would haue vs learne, to make vs friends of the Mam­mon Luke 16. 9. of vnrighteousnesse; and promised a reward to him that Reu. 3. 21. ouercommeth, he shall sit with him [Page 262] on his Throne, and a Crowne of life to those that continue Reu. 2. 10. faithfull to the death.

Reason. 1 Ground of this truth is; Effiie [...]s [...] qua.

1. In regard of the excellen­cy of the soule, which is seene in the worke of Creation, for therein all the causes did con­curre for the perfecting of it.

1. The efficient and supreme cause is God himselfe, which he hath reserued to himselfe as his Eccle. 12. 7 owne Royalty.

2. The Materiall cause was 2. Materia e [...] qua. not the rude Chaos and base slime of the earth, as was the body made of, neither was it made of the pure Gold of O­phir, but as if there were no­thing precious enough in hea­uen and in earth, it is said the Lord breathed it out of his mouth.

[Page 263]3. The formall cause, it was 3. Forma per quam. Gen. 1. 27. Eph. 4. 24. made after the Image of God, resembling him in Holinesse, Wisdome, and Righteousnesse.

4. The finall cause, that it 4. Finis propter quem. 1 Cor. 6. 19. might be the temple of God, and an habitation for his Spi­rit.

2. The excellency of the soule is seene in the worke of Redemption, for the soules sake Christ laid aside his Robes of glory, was made man, and en­dured Phil. 2. 7. so much misery & shame in his life, and so much torment and sorrow at his death, and all 1 Pet. 1. 18 to redeeme the soule with no lesse price then the Blood of Act. 20. 28 the Sonne of God.

3. The excellency of the soule appeares by Sathans ma­lice, who goes about like a ro­ring 1 Pet. 5. 6. Re [...]. 12. 7. Lyon seeking to deuour it, [Page 264] he hath not such a spight to our wealth, our learning, cunning, or credit (though he loue none of those things which are good and comfortable to vs) as hee hath to our soules, and the gra­ces of Gods Spirit in vs. Was it Iobs wealth he so much enui­ed, or did he sift him because he was a rich man? No, nothing grieued him so much, as to see Iob continue in his vprightnesse, therefore hee laboured by all meanes to crosse him in his e­state, and torment him in his body, that he might moue him to despaire, or else to blas­pheme, that thereby hee might destroy his soule; so also hee shewes himselfe an aduersary to all Gods Children, crossing Zach. 3. 1. them in their suites which they make to God, or else defiles [Page 265] their prayers, by ming ling hy­pocrisie and vaine glory with their best sacrifices.

4. The excellency of the soule is also seene by the ministery of the Angels, which are euer about the godly men to deliuer them from danger, and are a­bout their beds in sicknesse, and at the day of death like swift Postes to carry their soules into Abrahams bosome.

Reason 2 2. Ground of this truth is, because as the soule is the most excellent part of man, so the losse of it is the greatest losse in the world, and therefore our Sauiour addes, What shall a man giue for the exchange of his soule? intimating vnto vs, that the world, and worldly things are not able to make recompence and satisfaction for the losse of the soule.

Vse. 1 Is the soule so excellent, then be exhorted to vse all meanes that it may be saued, part with liberty, life, & al rather then thy soule. We see worldly men wil endure any trouble, and take any paines for to gaine prefer­ment, they will hazzard their liues, abide hunger and cold, take long and tedious iour­nies, and diue into the bowels of the earth to satisfie their longing desire for the things of this earth, which can stand by them no longer then their liues, yet saies the Poet,

If riches may be had in India, Turkie, or any other places, though neuer so dangerous, yet [Page 267] the greedy worldling will ven­ture his life rather then he will goe without them.

The husbandman, what pains and care will hee take, rising early, and going to bed late for the things of this life, faring hard, and going thin, sparing from back and belly to aduance himselfe in the world? what tor­tures, and troubles, and paines will a sicke man endure for to gaine health? he will be conten­ted to haue a legge or an arme cut and lanced to preserve and gain health: he wil endure fret­ting tents, and corroding plai­sters, and depriue himselfe of pleasure, nay many times he wil be content the endure the cut­ting off of his legge, arme, or other of his members for the preseruing of the health of his [Page 268] body; If Naaman can recouer 2 Kin. 5. 17 helpe for his Leprosie hee will spare for no cost.

Oh how carefull are men for their bodies and states, but how carelesse for their soules! they will be sure to looke to their e­states, and make them sure by good aduice from their learned Counsell, but for their soules they take little or no care. Oh how ought we to break out in­to teares for the carelesnesse of our owne saluation? what a Childhood and youth haue we spent in ignorance and vanitie? and how carelesse haue wee beene to serue God, and saue our soules? Nay, what enemies haue wee beene to our owne saluation? what filthy and vn­cleane thoughts haue wee har­boured in our hearts? what fil­thy [Page 269] words haue we vttered w ^th our tongues? how often haue we sworne, lyed, & blasphemed God, and taken his name in vaine? how often haue our hearts disdained and enuied not only our Superiours whom wee should haue honoured, but also scorned and despised our Inferiours & equals, whom we should haue loued and re­spected as our selues? how haue we spent our daies in ignorance of God, and of our owne fear­full estate, spending our daies in idlenesse, pride, and all manner of prophanenesse, pre­sumption of Gods mercy, and turning his grace into wanton­nesse, grieuing his Spirit, and wounding our owne conscien­ces? how should the considera­tion hereof cause vs to powre [Page 270] forth our soules in godly sor­row before the Lord, because we haue offended our Maker, sinned against our Redeemer, grieued the Holy Spirit, wron­ged our Neighbours, and so haue deserued damnation, and to be cast out from the pre­sence of the Lord for euer; and as we haue cause to weepe and mourne for our sinnes, and for that wee haue neglected the care of our owne saluation; so also we are to mourne and la­ment to see others so carelesse of their saluation; some sell their soules, some carelesly lose them.

1. Some sell them as Ahab, and as some wrangling and cor­rupt Lawyers, which haue Lin­guam venalem, a tongue to bee sould, which for a paltrie fee [Page 271] will many times stretch his conscience by maintaining a false cause, or marring a good, to the vndoing of his Neigh­bour. (Mistake me not, I speake not of all Lawyers, for some are conscionable and iust in their proceedings) The coue­tous man hath Animam venalem, a soule to sell for the base thick clay of this world, which can­not bee redeemed with all the world: So the voluptuous man he sels his soule for pleasure, as Esau did his Birth-right, estee­ming more the pleasures of sinne, which last but for a sea­son, then the saluation of his soule. The proud man hee sells his soule for aduancement, as Alexander the sixt for the Popedome. GOD he commands vs in the first Commandement [Page 273] to haue no other Gods but him alone, yet the proud man will make Honour his god, the co­uetous man the wedge of gold his god, the voluptuous man his belly his god; The first of Ph [...]l. 3. 19. Iohannis de Combis compen. theol. lib. 5. cap. 10. these as one well saith, hath his Idoll in the Ayre, the second on the earth, the third in the wa­ter.

2. Some lose their soules, as the carnall Gospellers, who thinke if they be not guilty of the crying sinnes of Sodome, nor Gen. 18. 20 Isa. 1. 18. of the crimson sinnes of Israel, nor of the bitter sinnes of Simon Magus, they thinke they are in good case, though their liues abound with ignorance, and prophanenesse, and their soules with manie infirmities, & their liues with many defor­mities, which they take no no­tice [Page 273] of. Alas poore soules, what good will it doe you at the great day of account, when man cannot iustly charge with crime, when God and your owne conscience knowes you want the wedding garment of faith, it is not sufficient to bee cleansed from the one, vnlesse ye bee furnished with the o­ther, else being weighed in the Dan. 5. 27. ballance of Gods Iustice y [...]e shall be found too light.

Others lose their soules by trifling away their time, like idle people in the market, while other are buying they stand ga­ping after the sinfull vanities of the world, and thinke if they doe as their Neighbours do, & come to Church although it be for fashions sake, they are in ve­ry good case, though all this [Page 274] while their mindes roue and wander after their worldly bu­sinesse, and so for want of watchfulnesse, they betray their soules into Sathans hands, and wrap themselues vnder that curse of doing the worke of the Lord negligently.

Others so liue that vnlesse all be saued, it is impossible but they shall be damned, because they loue, like, and continue in their miserable estate of na­ture, being so chained in their sinnes and iniquities, that they cannot stir one foot to heauen­ward, yet for all this they doe not consider their miserable state and condition, that they are slaues to sinne, for whosoeuer Iohn▪ 8. 34. Eph. 2. 3. committeth sinne is the seruant of sinne, and his seruants ye are to Rom. 6. 16 whom ye obey. Nay, by nature we [Page 275] are the children of wrath, and heires of hell, and bound ouer to the curse of the law, Gal. 3. 10 Deut. 27. 2, 6. and so lyable to all crosses and calamities, & at our death to be haled by Sathan into Hell; This fearefull and miserable condi­tion is farre worse then the bondage of Turkes and Barba­riās, for theirs though it be cru­ell, yet it extends but to the bo­dy, and cannot hurt the soule; the most that Tyrants can doe, is, but to take away our liues, and depriue vs of our liberty: but this bondage is spirituall, and depriues vs of Gods Image in our soules; In the other there may be possibility of escaping that miserable bondage, either by feare, force, or fauour, or at least-wise our paines may bee mittigated; if not, death will [Page 276] set vs free; but in this bōdage, as we are vnable to set our selues free, so wee are vnwilling to be freed, and are the greatest ene­mies to our owne saluation; for, Sathā hauing got possessiō of vs deales w ^th vs as the Babyloniās did with Zedekiah, first put out his eies, and then bound him in chaynes; so doth Sathan, hee puts out the eyes of our vn­derstanding, and then bindes vs with the chaynes of igno­rance, hypocrisie, hardnesse of heart; so that to our vnability wee our selues adde vnwilling­nesse to come out; and so by ha­ting to be reformed, we plunge our selues vnrecouerably vnder the wrath of GOD, pleasing our selues in our ignorance, blindnesse, and hardnesse of heart; and so hauing lost the [Page 277] harmony of a good Conscience, we vse varietie of obiects to take away tediousnesse, and get some Iubal or other to play vpon the Organ, to make vs merry with our sinnes. In this corporall bondage wee haue a feeling of our misery, and so sigh and groane vnder the bur­then of it; but this bondage is spirituall, pleasing and de­lightfull to our nature, so that we are so farre from being wea­ry of it, that if any one seek to set vs free out of this slauery, we hate him, scorne him, and de­ride him; and so put backe the meanes of saluation from vs.

Brethren, what cruelty is this to neglect the meanes of our soules health, which was bred and brought vp with vs, and which hath spent and wasted [Page 278] her selfe in our seruice, to mini­ster strength and reliefe to our bodies, and shall not we take care to preserue it, and to vse all meanes that it may bee saued, God hath shut it vp in our breasts, that it may be alwayes in readinesse to supply our wants, and shall wee not take care to preserue it from destru­ction; our soules are shut vp in a darke dungeon which is nei­ther lightsome nor pleasāt, but darke, and dirtie, and full of all manner of vncleannesse, and po­luted with our originall and actuall sinnes, which made the the Apostle cry out, O wretched man, who shall deliuer me from this Rom. 7. 24 body of death.

If our soules had tongues to speake for themselues, they would crie out against vs for [Page 279] our great cruelty, in that wee starue them for want of food, and robbe them of heauenly comforts, and scarce allow them a good meale in a whole yeare.

Brethren, what food is to the bodie, such is the Word of God to the soule; now if by chance wee come where any good matter is to bee handled, so cruell are many to their soules, that they choake and dead them by drunkennesse, surfeiting, or other vncleanesse, or filthy vanity, so that their soules take little or no comfort by the Word, Sacrament, or Christian communication. As for the Sabbath day, which should be spent holy and religi­ously vnto God, we spend it ma­ny of vs most prophanely, & vn­godly; [Page 280] as if wee had no part in the Creation of the world, nor redemption of it by Iesus Christ. For where is the man that bridles his desires, to sācti­fie that day as he ought? if God should now looke downe from heauen to behold the sonnes of men vpon earth, should he not finde many a Master, and Fa­ther, many a Mother, and many a Mistris either snorting or la­zing vpon their beds, prating, walking, trimming & smooth­ing themselues vpō that day, & on that time which they should haue spent for their soules health? And yet alas, so care­lesse are they of their soules that they thinke that time is lost which is spent for their good. Should hee not also finde ma­ny a Child, many a Seruant, [Page 281] nay perhaps many a father, ma­ny a master, drinking, swilling, gaming, and peraduenture whoring vpon this day; or at leastwise swearing, fighting, or quarelling, or bargaining, or chopping or changing? But how few among many of vs should he finde praying, reading, and meditating vpon the Word of God, and his righteous iudge­ments? Men are very carefull for their bodies, but very care­lesse of their soules. But O foo­lish people, will you watch and take care to keepe your Chic­kens from the Kite; your Lambs from the Wolfe; your Pigions and Conies from the Vermine; and will you take no care for your soules? The soule being once lost, it is impossible to re­couer it againe; other losses [Page 282] may be recouered, but this can­not. If Iob lose his health, wealth, and Children, yet they may bee recouered, either by Gods blessing vpon our la­bours or else by the charitie of friends; but if thy soule bee once lost, there is no recouery; thousand of Rams, and ten thou­sand riuers of Oyle will then do vs no good.

Saint Chysostom hath well ob­serued, Omnia De­us d [...]dit duplicia, animam vero v­nam. Chry. ad pop. Antioch. Hom. 22. Nullo re­medio sar­ciri, nullo precio re­dimi potest. Chrys. Hom. 56. that God in the frame of the body hath giuen man two eyes, two eares, two hands, two feete, &c. that if one faile the other may supply the want; but hee hath giuen him but one soule, so that if that bee lost, there is no supply to bee had, no meanes can repaire it, no price can redeeme it, all the world cannot recompence it; [Page 283] for what would it auaile vs to haue the wisedome and riches of Salomon, the strength of Samp­son, and the beautie of Absolon, and to enioy the blessings of the world as long a life as Me­thushelah liued, if at our death Gen. 5. 27. Daretur ca­ro Ʋermi­nibus, ani­ma daemo­nibus. Isodor. de Summo bono. our flesh shall be made a booty for the Wormes, and our soules a prey for the Deuill? Oh con­sider this all you that forget God, and are carelesse of your owne saluation! GOD hath made man a most glorious crea­ture, and therefore all creatures admire & serue him, the wōder of the world; now as nothing is so glorious in earth as man, so there is nothing so glorious in man as his soule, which man himselfe should admire, and by all meanes seeke the welfare of it; for this is our glory, our [Page 284] life, saue this, and saue all; But oh the carelesnesse of many, nay the most of vs all, for that which should be our chiefest care, wee are lesse carefull! our soules are more worth then all the world, yet men now so liue, as if their soules were of no worth. How iustly may we take vp that sad complaint of the Prophet, The Ier. 12. 11. whole land is made desolate because no man layeth it to heart: all man­ner of sinnes doe now so a­bound, pride, hypocrisie, selfe-loue, and crueltie; prophane­nesse and Atheisme haue got­ten the vpper hand, and men doe so liue, that they thinke they haue no soule to saue; eue­ry man spends his dayes in plea­sure, and following his owne delights, as if God had sent vs hither for no other end, but to [Page 285] sport, and play, and follow the lusts of our owne hearts.

Brethren, hath God created vs in his owne Image that wee should so vilely and dispiteful­ly deface it? hath Christ re­deemed vs with such a price to saue our soules, and shall wee so negligently and wilfully cast them away? the wise-man saith, God hath created all things for Pro. 16. 4. himself: Now if man swerue frō the end for w ^ch he was created, & serue the Deuil, the world, & his filthy lusts; and being made for heauen, should walke in the path that leads to hell; this is to degenerate from his nature, and become worse then the very beasts: for they stand firme in their places enioyned them by God in their Creation; The Bee and the Pismi [...]e are [Page 286] carefull to doe Gods worke ha­uing no Tutor nor remembran­cer; But Man the most excel­lent of all Creatures, wal­lowes in all manner of riot and disorder: the Trees beare fruit, Flowers send forth sweet o­dors, herbes their secret ver­tues, and the waters post apace to the maine Ocean; but Man is senselesse and carlesse to o­bey his Maker; the senselesse being forced contrary to his in­clination to mount vpward, neuer rests but sinks and de­scends againe vntill it come to its proper center, which is the determined place appointed of God; And shall Man that glorious Creature, created af­ter the Image of God, runne from his end, and delight to do euerie thing sauing that which [Page 287] God hath prescribed him to doe? The Frogs, Flies, Lice, and Grashoppers, being ap­pointed of God to take downe the pride of that stout King, were zealous and diligent to o­bey their Creator; And shall Man which hath his heart filled with vnderstanding and iudge­ment being so many wayes cal­led vpon, and put in minde of his dutie; yet shall hee swerue and goe awry? shall God re­ioyce and delight himselfe in all the Creatures that he hath made, and repent that hee hath made Man, which is so carelesse of such a precious Iewell as hee hath committed to him? There is nothing in the world should bee so deare vnto man as his soule, and yet how wretched are the most of vs, wee passe [Page 288] away our soules for trifles; We spit at Iudas who sold his Ma­ster, his Lord and God for thir­ty peeces of siluer, but wee sell away heauen for earth; the place of glory and blisse, to purchase hell the place of tor­ment. Oh consider this, and be ashamed all yee that forget God. If the soule did die & pe­rish with the body, then there were not so much care to bee taken of it; but seeing the soule is immortall, and must for euer liue with GOD or the Deuill; how much care should we take to get it saued? for with the losse of our soules, wee lose GOD the life of our soules, in whose presence is fulnesse of Psal. 16. ioyes, and at whose right hand are pleasures for euermore. With the losse of our soules we lose [Page 289] Christ with all his merits, the presence and protection of all the Angels, and in stead of en­ioying the societie of the godly Spirits, wee are plunged into Hell that loathsome prison, that shall neuer bee vnlocked; but shall for euer indure the fierce­nesse of Gods wrath in that e­uerlasting burning, where shall be weeping, and wayling, and gnashing of teeth; and in stead of hearing of that blessed sen­tence of approbation, Come ye blessed of my Father, &c. the damned wretches shall heare that terrible sentence of con­demnation, Depart from mee ye cursed into euerlasting torments, prepared for the Deuill and his An­gels. Euery one of these words shall be pronounced with such power and authoritie, that they [Page 290] shall strike those damned wret­ches euen to the bottome of Hell. Goe from me, who haue all helpe and comfort, all power and might, which all the dayes of your liues haue had care to protect and saue you from dan­gers, w ^ch haue nourished your bodies withall manner of de­lights; but seeing you haue had no care to glorifie mee, I will now take no further care to help you, but will glorifie my selfe in your destruction; therefore depart from mee yee cursed into e­uerlasting fire, where you shall endure torments remedilesse, and endlesse; where you shall crie and rore, but I will not heare you; where you shall bee alwayes burning and frying, and yet neuer consumed. You shall seeke death, and yet neuer [Page 291] find it; you shall be tormented Ibi d [...]lor permanet, vt affligat, & natura perdurat, vt sentiat, quia v­trum (que) non deficit, ne [...] poena defi­ciet. Aug. de Ci [...]. Dei. l. 19. with griping hunger, but shall neuer bee satisfied; with intole­rable thirst which shall neuer bee quenched; your Musicke shall bee howling, and weeping of damned wretches like your selues; but all in vaine, you are now accursed, because you did abuse the titles of Honour which God gaue you in your life, therefore now you shall haue the title of curse, you shall be cursed of God, whose curse is euerlasting damnation; you shall bee cursed of the blessed Angels, whose curse shall bee the horrors of your conscience; you shal be cursed of the deuils, whose curse shall bee the exe­cution of your punishment, you shall bee cursed of the damned wretches, whose curses shall be [Page 292] the aggrauation of your tor­ments, and you shal be plunged into euerlasting fire, and bee Mat. 22. 13 bound hand and foote, from whence you shall neuer be able to stirre nor moue, but shall for euer and euer so long as God is, remaine frying and broyling in euerlasting torments, which shall burne so violently, that the damned shall prize a drop of water aboue all the world; but they shall not obtaine it; For there the Tormentors are De­uils, and will neuer pittie the damneds misery, and as they will neuer be weary with tor­menting, so the torments shall neuer bee ended, nor the tor­mented consumed; and therfore it is a misery of all miseries to be alwayes dying and neuer dead. The soule also shall bee [Page 293] tormented with the remem­brance of pleasures past, and mercy refused; and now with paines and torments present, but vnauoidable; and of ioyes lost, but now vnrecouerable: and thus the Worme of your Conscience shall lie gnawing and fretting you, by bringing to your remembrance the cause Omnes ge­bennae supe­rat crucia­tus carere bonis, qui­bus in pote­state habue­runt per­frui. Chrys. of your misery, and how easily you might haue escaped these torments, but that you had no grace to vse the meanes; the consideration hereof shal make you curse God your Creator, and curse his iustice, because he punishes you so cruelly; you shall curse his bountie and li­beralitie, because he so seuerely prizes it now at so high a rate, and you shall curse the vertue of Christs blood which was a­ble [Page 294] to cleanse thousands from their sinnes, but now hath no vertue to purge you from your filthinesse, and you shall curse the Saints in heaven, be­cause you shall see them in glo­rie when as your selues are in torment; and though you yell and cry with the damned rich man for mercy, for mercy, but alasse, the time of mercy then will be past, & Christ the Iudge will not now be entreated; from whose sentence you cannot ap­peale, the soule being once lost there is no place left for mercy.

A good Father doth bring in a Sinner and his Iudge expostu­lating each with other;

True (saith the Iudge) but yet now there is no place for com­passion.

No, for in thy life time thou saidst, depart from me.

No, thou art vnder the curse, therefore goe from me ye cursed.

No, as you haue burned with the fire of lusts, so now you shal burne with the fire of Hell.

Yes, as you would haue sin­ned for euer, so shall this fire last for euer; therefore goe yee cursed into euerlasting fire.

No, but as you were of your father the Deuill, so goe yee in­to that flame prepared for him and his Angels, from whence yee shall neuer depart till you haue paid the vttermost far­thing, which you will neuer bee able to doe.

Hell is a great deepe with­out Infernus ab inferendo dictus est. bottome, out of which there is no redemption. In earthly prisons, and dungeons, there may be some possibility of escape, as we read of many that were condemned to die by the tyranny of Gog, and Magog, the Turke, and Pope, and yet haue escaped; but out of hell neuer any escaped. The party which Mat. 13. 22 intruded himselfe into the [Page 297] wedding feast, and had not on his wedding garment, was bound hand and foote, and cast into vtter darkenesse. If a man were bound hand and foot with a thousand Cords crosse one another, this way, and that way, as the wit of man might conceiue, so to hamper and fetter a man as that he were neuer able to stirre or moue, much lesse able to loose and set free himselfe; were not such a man in a miserable case? but if this mā so bound should be cast into a Well or Pit a thousand mile deep, what hope could such a man haue of euer comming out? So they that are once in Hell shall neuer come out thence; for, Betweene you and vs Luk. 16. 29 (saith Father Abraham) is a great gulfe set, so that it is impossi­ble [Page 298] to come out thence. Now this Gulfe is the eternall Decree of God, and it is past the skill of men, Angels, and deuils to giue Dan. 12. 2 ease to a tormented soule, or purchase their libertie, for their Worme neuer dyeth, and their Mat. 9. 24. 2 Thes. 1. 9. perdition is euerlasting, and Saint Iude saith, that they shall suffer eternall fire, and as the Reu. 20. 10. Mercie of the Lord endures for euer, so doth the Iustice of the Lord endure from euer­lasting to euerlasting, world without end.

Ob. Oh but may some say, Is not God vniust to punish mor­tall man, which hath liued not aboue 20. 30. 40. 60, or 80. yeares, and hath endured a great deale of misery in this world; is hee not then vniust to punish him eternally in the [Page 299] world to come?

A. Vnto which I answere, Oh man, who art thou that re­plyest Rom. 9. 20. against God? It is iust with the most holy, righteous, & glorious God to punish man for euer, for these reasons:

1. If we consider the infinite Holinesse and Puritie of GOD that is offended, & the intolera­ble indignitie that hath beene offered to his sacred Maiestie, he may iustly punish man with eternall torments.

2. If man should liue e­uer, he would sinne euer, and despite, and offer violence to the sacred Maiesty of the Lord, and lade him with his sinnes, as a Cart is pressed with Sheaues.

3. It is iust with God to pu­nish sinners so long as they con­tinue

sinfull, but the damned in hell remaine sinfull; therefore it is iust with God to punish them with eternall torments; for sinne is like Oyle, and the Iustice of God like fire; and we see by experience that so long as the Oyle lasts, the fire will burne; so, as long as the dam­ned remain sinfull; so long they shall bee tormented, now in hell as we shewed before, the damned doe continually blas­pheme, and sinne against God; therefore their torments shall bee endlesse, for euer and e­uer.

Now let the greedy world­ling Extrema gaudia se­quuntur perpetuae lament [...]. tell mee what a match hee makes, to gaine the world, and lose his soule, which is more worth then ten thousand worlds; and which cannot bee [Page 301] ransomed againe at any rate. If gold and siluer and the ri­ches of the world could re­deeme the soule, then sure the Deuill would haue made sure worke for himselfe, but alas, it cannot be obtained; he cannot purchase his redemption, but at last shall bee cast into that fiery lake, and shall bee tormented day and night, for euer and euer.

Brethren, if the torments of Hell be so fearefull and so pain­full as we haue heard, and so impossible to come out of them; the Deuill being the Gaoler, and being armed with the purpose and decree of God, that it is impossible to escape; Those he possessed in our Sa­uiours time, how hard a mat­ter was it to make him let goe [Page 302] his hold, so loath he was to lose those he held captiue by per­mission? how much more care­full will he bee now to hold the damned vnder the fierce­nesse of Gods wrath for euer? How then may we wonder at the folly and madnesse of many of vs that so wilfully cast away our soules? What adoe haue wee to win and perswade men from their wickednesse, which is the high way to lose their soules? Some cast away their soules to satisfie their drunken­nesse; some by blasphemous oathes; some by griping and greedy couetousnesse; some one way, some another; in so much that God may thunder from heauen against the deafe sinners of our times, and say as once hee did to Israel, Why will [Page 303] ye die? why will ye cast away your soules? And yet for all this we will not amend: Christ may lay loade vpon our Con­sciences, as once hee did vpon Iudas, and tell vs, that if we lose our soules, it had beene bet­ter for vs we had neuer beene borne; but for all this neither his Word nor his Iudgements can stay vs from walking in those sinfull courses which lead to hell; We loue the way to hell better then the way to hea­uen, and wee preferre the plea­sures of sin before the ioyes of heauen. We are carefull for the world, lest we should want, but for the soule we make no que­stion; for the body wee take care, and vpon euery light oc­casion doe distrust, and fall to shifts, fearing wee shall want: [Page 304] but for our soules we perswade our selues that all is well with them, albeit they want all the meanes of saluation, and wee our selues liue in our corrupti­on vnreformed: many wayes there are to make supply for the body in earthly things, but one way for heauenly; our la­bour here may procure vs maintenance, and what we want may be supplyed by the Cha­ritie of our friends; but no man can redeeme his soule: Wee may win the world as Alexan­der did, and yet for all this lose our soules. Oh consider this all yee that forget GOD, and are carelesse of your saluati­on: we will bee at great cost for the assurance of our lands, and for gaine wee will trauell farre, and to bee sure of promo­tion [Page 305] we will endure much toyle and drudgery, and shall we take no paines to be assured of hea­uen, the gaine of glory, and the saluation of our soules? Natu­rally we are moued to seeke af­ter those things, by which wee may escape losse, and gaine some good, but oh the careles­nes of the most of vs for the sal­uation of our soules! Men study to become learned, they labour for friends, striue for riches, and seeke for promotion, be­cause the benefit of thē is much for mans welfare, & the want of them is held to be very hurtfull, without them men are iudged but miserable, yet riches & ho­nour are nothing so auaileable for vs here, learning and friends cannot make them happy that haue them, vnlesse they be assu­red [Page 306] of the saluation of their soules; but alas, we are like Ba­laam, wee can wish that our soules may die the death of the righteous, but are vnwilling to liue their life; we would with Diues fare delicately euery day, and yet with Lazarus looke for heauen at our ending: Thus we passe our dayes in the sinfull vanities of the world, and are carelesse of our owne saluation, and so spending our dayes in pleasure suddenly we sink down into hell.

Oh but may some say, God forbid wee should bee so care­lesse for our soules as to lose them for the world, wee hope we haue more care then so.

Vnto whom I answere, if you be so carefull as you say you are, what meanes that rising vp [Page 307] early, and going to bed late? what toyling, & carking & ca­ring for the world, like the blea­ting & lowing of the Amalekites sheep and Oxen? what meanes that excessiue care for the belly and backe? these cry so loud that men may see that the care of the most is for the world, and the least care is for the soule the most precious Iewel we haue. But thou that sayest thou art so careful for thy soule, let me aske thee a question or two, and let thy Conscience answer before God that knows the secrets of thy heart; Doe you feele as great thirst after righteousnes, as euer at any time you haue felt after drinke to refresh your drie body, or as great a desire after Gods King­dome, as the Couetous man [Page 308] hath after money? is your prin­cipall care night and day how you may please God? canst thou sorrow and mourne more for sinne, and for the losse of Gods fauour; then for the losse of any worldly estate? Canst thou put vp wrongs and iniu­ries done thee patiently and quietly, and see Gods hand in them, as Dauid did the cursing of Shimei? If these things thou doest out of a good Consci­ence, then I say thou art care­full for thy soule. But on the contrary art thou a willing ser­uant of sinne, more willing to doe what thy lust leads thee vn­to, then what God commands? Doest thou bestow vpon the world that loue, feare, ioy, de­light, strength, and time which God challengeth, and the godly [Page 309] in all ages haue beene carefull to performe and giue vnto him, then where is thy care for thy soule? doth thy life and couer­sation agree better with the wil of the Deuill, then with the Will of God, & dost thou take more care & paines to fulfil the Will of the flesh, and Sathan, then in doing what God requi­reth? If thus thou doest, for shame neuer say thou takest care for thy soule, for the deuils take as much care as thou doest; If the righteous can hardly bee saued, where shall the prophane sinners appeare? if they which haue set their faces towards heauen all the dayes of their life, shall scarce be saued, what shall become of those that haue set their faces against heauen all their life? If wee haue care of [Page 310] our soules as wee ought, where is our zeale to God-ward? where is our reuerend feare of his Maiesty? where is our ser­uice and obedience wee yeeld vnto our Lord and God? where is our very reason that makes vs differ from beasts, which by the instinct of Nature follow those things which are profita­ble to them, and shunne those things which are hurtfull; yet we hauing direction from the Word of God, haue no desire of euerlasting happinesse, nor feare of endlesse destruction.

Ob. Oh but may some say, I mean to take care for my soule, but as yet I haue no leisure, I haue many businesses in hand, and within short space I meane to put off my trade, and by that time I shall haue got money, [Page 311] and then I meane to betake my selfe to a religious course of life.

A. But doth not God in the first place command thee to seeke his Kingdome, which is the greatest & principall work? and wilt thou seeke that last which hee hath commanded to seeke first? Thou sayest thou wilt serue God when thou art rich, but how doest thou know that thou shalt haue a heart then to serue God? haue not wee seene many rich men haue made their riches their god, and so haue withdrawne their hearts from God? Againe, no Calling must bee a calling from God, euery man can finde time to spare out of his Calling to eate, drinke, sleepe, and many times to prate, game, and the [Page 312] like, and canst thou finde time to fill thy belly, and no time to prouide for thy soule?

Oh but may some say, I will repent when I am sicke, then will I humble my selfe, and seek for my soules health, for sicknes will put me in minde of death.

Vnto which I answere, sup­pose thou bee neuer sicke, wilt thou neuer take care for thy soule? haue wee not heard of many that haue died suddenly, and so haue had no time to pre­pare for their soules health? Was not Zimry and Cosby taken in the very act of sinne, and so by the hand of Iustice sent to Hell without any time to re­pent in? If old Ely had had his repentance to seeke, and the prouision for his soule to get when he fell downe and his neck [Page 313] was broken, in what a fearfull case had he beene? Doe we not see many in their sicknesse to haue died senselesse like Nabal, and it is iust with GOD, that Soepe mori­e [...]s obliui. scitur sui, qui dum vi [...]eret ob­litus est Dei. they which haue forgotten him in their life, should forget themselues in their death? Did not the Israeli [...]es die suddenly with the Quailes in their mouthes? and Ananias and Sa­phira his wife before they were summoned by sicknesse, or thought of their soules? and how many are there which are taken away by senselesse disea­ses, as the Apoplexie, dead Pal­sie, or other diseases, which make men vnfit to take care for their soules health? Sick­nesse is a time to liue by faith, and not a time to get faith. What a madnesse and miserie [Page 314] were it for the Souldier to haue his Sword and Helmet to seek when the enemy sounds ala­rum to the battle? so what a foolish thing is it to haue the prouision for our soules to seek when death is ready to get in at the window? But admit that sicknesse put them in minde of death, & that they were sure to die to morrow, yet many would not be the better for it. The A­postle 1 Cor. 15. 32. tels vs of the Epicures of his time, that spake of dying to morrow; and yet had no grace to prouide for their soules, for thus they say, Let vs eate and drinke, for to morrow we shall die; which shewes that grace is not wrought by sicknesse, or feare of death, but by the power of Gods Spirit.

Ob. Oh but then we will send [Page 315] for the Minister, and hee shall pray for vs.

Answ. Wilt thou send for them to pray for thee in thy sicknesse, whom thou hast scor­ned, despised, and dis-regarded in thy life, and health, as much as euer Pharaoh did Moses and Aaron? If they could doe no good vnto thy soule while thou wert in thy health, what canst thou thinke they can doe vnto thee now a sick, passionate, and diseased man: doest thou think they can worke faith and re­pentance in thy heart? No, they cannot gather Grapes of Thornes, nor Figs of Thistles; if thy heart be ouergrowne with the weeds of sinne and pro­phanenesse, they can doe thee little good, vnlesse thou shew great signes of repentance, and [Page 316] hatred of all thy former sinfull life. Let no mā thinke I would de­priue the distressed of those meanes God hath appointed to con­firme their faith, that is not my meaning.

Ob. Oh but then wee will re­ceiue the Sacrament, and then no doubt but it shall goe well with vs.

Answ. The Sacrament is not a meanes to beget faith, but to confirme faith, where it is al­ready begotten; take heed therefore thou doe not receiue it with vncleane hands, and an vnrepentant heart, lest it seale vp to thee thy damnation, and be vnto thee as the Sop was vn­to Iudas.

Brethren, mistake mee not I pray you, I doe not condemne nor disallow for any that is sicke to send for the godly lear­ned Minister, for to receiue help and comfort from him in the time of distresse; no, no, that is [Page 317] not my meaning, the Apostle exhorts those that are sicke to call for the Elders of the Church, and to let them pray Iam. 5. 15, 16. ouer them; & he shews the be­nefit that will follow, The prayer of faith shall saue the sicke, and if he haue committed sinnes they shall be forgiuen. And if hee repent truely of his sinnes, the Sacra­ment shall seale vp, and assure him of Christ and his righteous­nesse, to be imputed vnto him for his saluation▪ But the thing that I aime at is this, when as I see prophane men contemne and despise the godly faithfull Ministers in their life & health; I feare me they deceiue them­selues, to thinke that the Mini­ster can doe them any good by his owne power and presence: no, no, he can but declare their [Page 318] remission of their sinnes vpon their repentance: if then they doe truely repent them of their sinnes, and resolue from the bottome of their hearts to lead new liues, let them not doubt but they shall receiue much comfort by Gods blessing from them; for to this end hath the Lord giuen them the tongue of the learned, that they might know how to minister a word of comfort in due season to a wearied Conscience.

Therefore Brethren, if you would haue comfort by them in your sicknesse, and at your death, make much of them, and reuerence them in your liues, and let them be deare and pre­cious vnto you, and honour them for their workes sake.

But here may some obiect, [Page 319] and say, What a stir is here for the saluatiō of the soule? here is more adoe then needs, we may prouide for that at our leasure, & there is no time vnfit to repēt and turne to the Lord; hee is a God of mercy, hee will haue mercy vpon our soules whenso­euer we repent and turne to him: did he not shew mercie to the Theefe at the last gaspe? therefore I doubt not but if I repent in my old age I shall bee saued well enough.

To which I answere, that though no time be vnfit or too late for repentance while wee are here in this life, yet manie times we heare of many which are taken out of the world be­fore they thought of repētance, and late repentance proues sel­dome good, but many times [Page 320] faigned and dissembled like Cain's, Esau's, and Iudas.

If the case bee so (deare bre­thren) then it is a point of wisedome to looke into it, whether it were best policy for vs to take the opportunity of time while it is offered, or else post it off to another time; wee see that the men of the world are wiser in their generation, Fro [...]te ca­pila [...] p [...]st est occasio calua. let vs learne a point of wisdome of them.

Aske the Merchant when it is best time to prouide for his Commodities, and he will tell you, while the Mart lasts. Aske the Husbandman when it is time to sow his ground, and he will tell you, while the season lasteth. The dumbe Crea­tures, as the Storke, and the Turtle, and the Crane, know [Page 321] their appointed times, but man will not know when it is time to turne vnto GOD, that hee may haue mercy vpon his soule, and if they doe know the time, yet they put it off, & neglect it, though they be often called, Today if you will heare his voyce barden not your hearts; yet the most of vs like drouzy men sleepe still in sinne, and answere the Lord as Saint Austine saith of himselfe, saying, Lord I had not wherewith to answere thee, when thou saidst vnto me, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall giue thee life. And thou demonstrating those things to bee true in euerie point which thou spakest vnto mee, I being conuinced of the truth, had not any answere at all, but onely the words and speeches of a loyte­ring [Page 322] sluggard, and of a drouzy slee­per. Nil ni­si tan­tum verba lenta & somnolenta modo, ecce modo, fine paululum, sed modo & modo non habebat modum, & fine paulu­lum in lon­gum ibat. Aug. Conf. l. 8. c. 5. By and by, and behold anon, & by and by, behold anon, had neither measure nor moderation: and let me alone held on a long time. So doe sinfull men with GOD, they by procrastinating the time, hazzard their saluation. Now if by the Word of God we can conuince the carelesse world in this point for the neg­lect of the saluation of their soules, and dissolue this obiecti­on, we hope wee shall not vn­profitably spend our time; let vs therefore in the feare of God set vpon the worke.

Wee all know that the chief­est care of a Christian should be to glorifie God, and saue his soule, and to this end wee all know, that amendment of our liues is a worke necessarily re­quired, [Page 323] without which no man can be assured of his saluation; so that here nothing commeth into the question, but the time when, we ought to take care for the saluation of our soules; thou saist the time is to bee de­ferred hereafter, and giuest a reason for it, because God is a God of mercie: But we say it is to be done presently, therefore let vs see which opinion is most conformable to the truth. Wee grant that God is a God of mercie to the penitent, so he is a God of Iustice to the obsti­nate; and Mercy abused makes way for his Iustice; and though God (saith S ^t. Gregory) hath pro­mised pardon to the penitent, yet he hath not promised to morrow to a sinner, Times and seasons (saith our Sauiour) are in [Page 324] Gods hands, then what a folly is it for vs to thinke that wee can dispose of the time to come for our owne saluation? Christ hath the Keyes of life and death Reu. 1. committed to him, to open, and shut at his pleasure; then how can wee presume hee will open to vs the gate of re­pentance at our pleasures? It is true that God calleth at all houres, yet we must not look he wil call vs whē we list; therfore let vs learn the wisdome which God wold haue to vs learn, that is, to seeke the Lord while he may Is. 55. 6, 7. be found, & to call vpon him while he is neare; and to follow that good counsel of the Wise-man, to make no tarrying to turne to Eccles. 5. the Lord.

A Father hath wel obserued; that if gold should bee offered [Page 325] vnto vs, none would bee so foo­lish or negligent as to say, I wil not accept of it till to morrow, or I▪ will come to you next yeare for it; but they will take it presently, and admit of no excuse. But the redemption Redemptio animae pro­ [...]ittitur, nemo festi­nat. Amb. of the soule is promised and profered, and where is the man, or where is the woman that ac­cepteth of it? How truely may that speech of the Father bee applied to our times? Men are greedy, and carefull for earthly things, no man will take time, but will take them when they are offered: but for spirituall things mē may think they haue too much; or lest peraduenture they feare they may fall from young Saints to become old Ca [...]endi opportuni­tas non est omittenda. deuils; But suppose our life might be long, and that wee [Page 326] shall haue time to repent in our old age, and make vp our recon­ciliation with our God, which no man can promise vnto him­selfe; what, will it bee more ea­sie to doe it then, than now, whilst we haue our health, our limbes, our sight, and hearing? no, no, brethren deceiue not your selues, old age is no fit time to begin to repent in, and to prouide for our soules; for then we shal finde that sinne is increased with the yeares of our age, which will make vs more vnfit to seeke for our soules good; old age is wilfull and peeuish, and will hardly be reclamed; and the custome of sinne will take away the sense of sinne; and if now it be a hard matter to conquer one or two sinnes, what will it bee to fight [Page 327] against a hundred? and if it bee so hard a matter to breake and subdue the corruption of one or two yeares sinnes, how hard will it be to ouercome the sins of Childhood, youth, & middle age? & it is a hard thing to leaue that custome which a man hath Cum magn [...] dolore re­linquitur, quod cum magno a­more possi­detur. Bern. de coena Dō. beene inured vnto all his daies, he will be as loath to part with his sins, as his sinnes are to part with him; who will then be per­swaded to beleeue, vnlesse hee be a madd man, that the offence encreasing, the pardon may ea­sily bee obtained? The Wise­man Eccles. 10. telleth vs, that an old in­ueterate disease troubleth the Physitian, and shall we thinke that old sinnes will not be trou­blesome to get pardoned in old age? for then sinnes al­though they are great and hor­rible, [Page 328] when as they are come in­to Peccata quamu [...] magna & horrenda, cum in co [...] ­suetudinem tenerint, aut parna, aut nulla, esse creduntur. Aug. E [...]ch. cap. 17. a custome, are thought to be no sinnes, or at least very little ones: wee see that old men which haue trifled away their dayes in the practice of sinne, in their old age begin to bee wilful and peruerse, and so hate to be reformed; and experience shewes how hard a thing it is to reclame an old Swearer, an old Vsurer, or an old Lecher: how hard a thing it is to re­clame one that is dyed in graine in his sinnes, and the lust of their vices are so rooted and fix­ed in the bones and marrow Iob 20. of their soules, and so are ready to lie downe with them in the graue.

But yet suppose for all this, thou maist repent in old age, yet what a deale of time hast [Page 329] thou lost, while thou hast liued in thy sinnes? what a deale of comfort mightst thou haue had if thou hadst spent thy time in the practice of Pietie? and what a patterne of vertue mightst thou haue beene to young men, and to haue caused them by thy example to feare the Lord in the dayes of their youth?

Againe, how vnequall and in­discreet a thing is it to reserue old age for repentance? were it not vnsit, or very foolish, if a man had many great and weigh­ty burthens to be carried a long and tedious iourney, and had many strong and lusty Horses to carry them, yet should lay all the burdens vpon one, and the weakest, and poorest horse, which is scarce able to goe, [Page 330] how foolish a thing were this? such is their folly that doe cast the burden of their repentance vpon their old age, sparing their youth and middle age, and letting them goe empty which were farre more fit then old age, which is scarce able to beare it selfe.

Againe, how vniust a thing it is to serue the world, the flesh, and the deuill with our Summer and best dayes, and to offer our old, lame and decre­pit age vnto God? The Lord charged his people that they Deut. 25. should not haue two manner of waights, a great and a small to measure by, and how dare any man haue two vnequall mea­sures in his liue, one so great for the Deuill, the flesh, and the world, as if they were our [Page 331] friends, and the other so short for God, as if he were our ene­my? thus we see how vnequall a thing it is, and how hard a thing it is to deferre the taking care for our soules vntill sicknes or old age, and how difficult then it is to seeke the Lord, and to make vp our peace with him; Let vs therefore re­member the counsell of the Wiseman, to remember our Creator in the dayes of our youth; and the rather,

1. Because our liues are vn­certaine, Motiues to to induce vs. therefore they are compared to a Pilgrime, to a Weauers shuttle, to the flower of the Grasse, to smoake, to a Va­pour, to a Bubble, to a dreame that is ended before it bee well begun. All which shew the shortnesse of our dayes; and what need [Page 332] had wee then to spend them in the seruice of God? yet for all this, many (we see) are ready to goe out of the world before they knew wherfore they came into it. Therefore hee that is well now may be sicke and dead before he is aware: Herod was well and in health when he be­gan his flourishing Oration, but Act. 21. 23. before the end thereof, and his departure from the people, the Angell of the Lord smote him, and he was eaten vp of wormes; by whose fearefull example wee may learne, that if wee deferre our repentance but one day, yea but one houre, death may preuent vs, before wee repent, for no man can tell what dan­gers a day or an honre may bring forth.

2. Because as we haue shewed [Page 333] before, that the longer a man doth defer his repentance, the harder it will be for him to re­pent, to leaue and forsake his sin; the naile that is driuen fast in w ^th a hāmer with many strokes is not easily got out: So sin the longer wee nourish it in our bosoms, the harder at last it wil be to master, and the weaker we shall be to ouercome it.

If a man haue receiued a deadly wound in his body, hee will not deferre the cure of it to a yeare, or a quarter, or a moneth, nay a weeke, but will take the opportunitie of time. Are men so carefull to preserue their bodily life? but oh how carelesse are many for their soules, which will post off their repentance to their sicknesse, or old age? But let no man so [Page 334] dangerously aduenture to tempt God as to put all to the successe of the last battle, ha­uing no better weapons then these wherewith so many haue beene foyled.

3. If we defer our repentance to the last, we may in the meane time be depriued of the meanes by which God vsually worketh faith and repentance; that is, the preaching of the Word, which may be tanslated either nationally, or parochially from vs, and if we neglect the meanes it is presumption for vs to think that God will worke faith and repentance without the means, which being neglected, our comforts are abated, our faith weakned, and the Deuill aduan­taged against vs. If therefore we would be assured that our care [Page 335] is good, and that wee shall not be depriued of our hope, let vs take the opportunity of time while it is offered vnto vs, for if it bee offered vs now, who knowes whether it shall bee of­fered vs againe or no? and the more pauses and delayes wee make, the more vnfit we are to lay hold vpon the meanes here­after: for when Sathan hath so preuailed with men, that he can bring them into a custome of sinne by negligence, careles­nesse, or any thing else, what followes but hardnesse of heart, and what followes hardnesse of heart but impenitency? & so we treasure vp Gods wrath against Rom. 2. 4, 5 the day of wrath; this should carefully be laid to heart of all, but especially of those which haue so many lets and hin­drances, [Page 336] that they can finde no time to take care for their soules. If old age make men vnfit to attend a King, as Barzillai tels Dauid, saying, that [...] Sam. 19. 35. he was vnfit to doe him seruice; how vnfit are all those that de­ferre the seruing of GOD to their old age, in which many haue as little taste and relish in godlinesse, as euer he had in his meate?

4. We are not sure we shall liue till old age, how fearfull a thing thē is it for vs to defer our conuersion? The Israelites pe­rished Num. 11. 33. while the meate was in their mouthes; and Iobs Chil­dren Iob 1. 18. were slaine while they were banquetting in their bro­thers house; and many we see and heare of are taken away before they are aware: happy [Page 337] then are wee, if wee can learne wisdome by other mens harms; if we could now descend into hell to behold the damned in their torments, frying, and bur­ning in fire and brimstone; If wee should aske them the cause of their misery, one would tell vs he made account to re­pent him of his sinnes, & make his peace with God when hee was fick: but alas, he dyed sud­denly, and now must liue mise­rably in torments. Another, he meant to repent him when hee was old, but he dyed while hee was young; All of them would tell vs in effect, that if they were to liue againe, they would prepare for their soules presently. Well, they are gone and past recouery, let vs now while we haue time, and means, [Page 338] & opportunitie, repent, & turne vnto the Lord that hee may shew mercie vnto our soules.

5. Late repentance is not so acceptable to God, as the wil­ling seruice of youth. Late re­pentance is feldome true repen­tance. A good deuout Father disputing this point, saith, He Ambr. that repenteth, and reconcileth himselfe at the last cast, and pas­seth hence, I confesse vnto you, that we deny not vnto him what hee de­sireth, Non dico saluabitur, non dico damnabi­tur, tu ve­r [...] age poe­nitentiam dum sanuses. but I dare not say hee went well hence, I doe not presume, I doe not promise, I doe not say, he shall be damned, neither doe I say, he shall be saued; but if thou wilt bee assured and freed from doubt, repent while thou art in health; so runne that thou mayest obtaine, and then thou shalt be sure to bee safe, because thou repentedst at that time when [Page 339] thou mightst haue sinned; but if thou wilt repent when thou canst sinne no longer, thy sinnes haue dismissed thee, and not thou them, Si aetate prohibitus a peccato desistis, de­bilitati gra­tias agen­dum. Basil. Qui prius a peccatis relinquitur quam ipsa relinquat, ea non libe­re. sed quasi ex necessi­tate con­demnat. Aug. de ve­ra & falsa poeniten­tia. c [...]. 17. and if a man leaue sinne when age and weaknesse hinder him from fol­lowing it, wee must thanke his weaknesse, and not him, and it is no thanks to mortifie our sinnes, when they are mortified by sicknesse.

True repentance must be vo­luntary, & performed willing­ly: therefore let no man tarry so long in sinne as he can; for God requireth the liberty of the wil, & he that will not take the time that God giues, it is iust with God that he should seeke for time, which shall be denied; Let vs preuent it, lest we bee preuented by it, wee know in Praef [...]at praeuenire. quam prae­ [...]eniri. regard of our time, wee haue but a short time to liue, and [Page 340] that short time full of misery, many of vs haue spunne a long thred, and so haue set our feet within the gates of death, and many of vs haue trod in the path of old age, in which the Almond flourishes, & many of our haires are turned white to the haruest of death. Old age is honourable if it be found in the wayes of righteousnesse; but if old men be found in the wayes of sinne, ignorance, and pro­phanenesse, oh how dishono­rable are those gray hayres! what, an old man a swearer! an old man a Drunkard! an old man a Gamester! an old man a Lyar! an old man a Whore­master! an old man an igno­rant man! oh what a shame is this!

Brethren, the Israelites were [Page 341] commanded to gather twice so Ex. 16. 22. much Manna the day before their Sabbath as they did any day in the weeke before; and should not the gray hoare head that lookes euery day for his last day of mortalitie, and his Sabbath of rest, should not hee I say labour to get twice so much knowledge, pray twice so much, read twice so much, and ponder in his heart the workes of the Lord, of mercy, and of Iustice, and grow in the graces of Gods Spirit, that they Tit. 2.. 7. may shew themselues patternes of all goodnesse for young men to imitate? the dayes of mans life are threescore yeares and ten, sayes Moses the Man of Psal. 19. God; but oh the carelesnesse of many! which haue passed this age, and though death stand at [Page 342] the doore, yet they will not be­leeue it. It is said of Ephraim, that gray hayres were vpon him, yet he knew it not; he had Hos. 7. 9. markes of death vpon his face, and hayre, yet would still bee young; and what was said of Ephraim may iustly bee said of many old men in our dayes, whose windowes grow dimme, whose sight faile, and they bend downward to their long home, and yet they consider not their latter end, therefore they fall Lam. 1. 9. miserably, and many die fear­fully. Oh consider this all yee that forget God! oh how soure and stinking are the dregs of sinne and prophanenesse of old men in the sight of God! as old men are to repent betime, so are young men, they are to remem­ber their Creator in the dayes Eccles. 1. 2. [Page 343] of their youth; for it is needfull to begin betimes, because they haue much worke to doe, and they haue no lease of their liues, time and tide stayeth not: therefore all of vs while it is called to day, hearkē and obey, for betweene old men, & yong men there is little difference; old men goe to death, and death comes to young men; therefore as all men must die, all must labour to get their soules saued.

For it is a iust thing with Iustum est vt a Deo contemna­tur mori­ens, qui De­um omni­potentem contemp sit viuens. God that he should contemne that man in his death, which contemned God Almighty in his life; therefore let vs not de­ferre this needfull worke, but presently set vpon it while wee haue time, and while it is called to day, for it may bee to mor­row [Page 344] may be too late; & Gods mercy being abused, he is a con­suming fire: and therefore it will be a most fearfull thing to fall into his hands.

Ob. Oh but God is a God of mercie, and he shewed mercy vnto the Theefe at the last houre, and therefore I doubt not but he will also shew mer­cy vnto me.

A. It is true indeed, God is a God of mercy, full of com­passion, and his tender mercies Ps. 145. 8, 9 Eph. 2. 4. are ouer all his workes, yea, hee is rich in mercy, and therefore thou thinkst his mercy will bee as great to thee, as it was to the Theefe vpon the Crosse; This was a rare example of Christs mercy, and cannot be applied to any particular man, because the promises of mercy doe ioyne [Page 345] the meanes and end together. Therefore we cannot deny, but that as God is mercifull, so also he is iust, and Iustice and Mercy cannot dispence one with ano­ther. God deales with man, as Physitians deale with their Pa­tients; wee see many learned Physitians sometimes giue ouer their Patients, not for that they want skill, but because they see them incurable: so thou that posts off, and defers thy repen­tance, and care for the salua­tion of thy soule till the last gaspe, if thou bee damned, it is not because the Lord wants mercy, but because thou art dead in thy sinnes, and past re­couery, and so the mercy of the Lord can doe thee no good: thou remainest in thy impeni­tency, hardnesse of heart, and [Page 346] vnbeliefe. The Apostle tels the beleeuing Romanes that God is able to graft the Iewes into the true Oliue plant againe, if they doe not continue in their vn­beliefe; Intimating vnto vs that God is not able to shew mercy vnto vnbeleeuing and vnrepen­tant Rom. 11. 23 wretches, so long as they continue in vnbelife. See there­fore what thou art like to gaine by this rare exāple of the Lords mercie, shewed vnto the theefe vpon the Crosse. But because this is the strong hold wherein many desperate wretches hide themselues, wee will therefore by the light of Gods Word diue into this example, and weigh euery circumstance in it, and what we discouer, we will plainely set downe, and shew what rockes and shelues lye in [Page 347] this harbour, and how dange­rous it is to cast Anchor here▪ & hauing found out the danger, wee will hang out a bloody Flagge, which may threaten death and destruction to all that seeke to harbour vpon this sandy foundation. Tell me not therfore of the Theefe vpon the Crosse, for of two theeues one was damned, though hee saw the repentance of his fellow, & heard Christs gratious pro­mise, yet for all this he repen­ted not; Why doe we not bring him for a patterne, and apply it to our selues, and say, Might not this be our case, which haue put off our repentence vnto the last? Here is a Theefe against a Theefe, the one is saued and the other damned: that this theefe was saued was a miracle, & mi­racles [Page 348] were no miracles if they were common; Wee haue of this rare mercy of GOD one example, that no man should despaire; and but one example that no man should presume.

1. This is a rare example without any promise of God, if that thou canst shew a promise that thou shalt repent at the last houre of thy life; but if thou canst not, then thou promisest that to thy selfe, which God ne­uer promised to giue thee.

2. Againe, this was a worke of wonder, and euery way mira­culous, for Christ was hereby pleased to honour the ignomi­ny of his Crosse, and to mani­fest his power in his greatest hu­miliation, his cruell enemies raged, and blasphemed; his stripes and wounds shewed [Page 349] him to be but a mortall and de­spised man, and his Disciples despairing after so many mira­cles, whether he were the pro­mised Messiah or no; therfore our blessed Sauiour to manifest his power, and to shew that hee was the Lord of life and death, was pleased to shew mercy to this poore wretch, that hee might acknowledge that which his Disciples beleeued not, or at least-wise doubted of: ther­fore this miracle is placed a­mong the wonderful workes of God, raising the dead, & darke­ning the Sunne.

3. This was but one particu­lar instance, & therefore it is no sure arguing from a particular example vnto a generall cause, and from an extraordinary example to draw an ordi­nary; [Page 350] one Swallow wee vse to say, doth not make Sum­mer; all the Scriptures doe not afford such another example, and therefore to presume vpon this shadowy hope, is all one as if some madd man should hope that his horse would speake English, because Balaams Asse once expostulated the case with his Master; or because once the Israelites went through the Red Sea, and were not drowned; Once Daniel was cast into the Lyons Den, and was preserued; And the three Children were cast into the firy furnace, and were not hurt, but we are so worldly wise as that wee will not trie conclusi­ons herein; why then should we rest on the other? for if once the Prince pardoneth a con­demned [Page 351] Malefactor, when the halter was about his necke, and he ready to be turned off; is it safe then for euery Malefactor to trust to that? Our Lord Ie­sus being now to goe into his Kingdome, pardoned a great offender, as Princes vse to doe at their Coronation; were it safe, and a worldly wise part for a man to commit a robbery, and to expect a Coronation be­tweene the fact and his execu­tion.

4. This was a work of Christs Diuine power, which could command and worke grace, which none now can giue.

5. The case of this theef & many desperate wretches now a daies is not one and the same; hee had neuer grace offered him, nor ne­uer heard of Christ till now, [Page 352] for if he had, he would not haue beene the last among the Apo­stles, which is before them in heauen; but it is probable hee was a Romane, and neuer had any knowledg of Christ before, but thou hast heard of Christ, and despised, and reiected the meanes which he hath appoin­ted for thy saluation; then what hope canst thou haue to bee sa­ued? or what comfort canst thou take in this example? Lay all these circumstances together, and see if hee bee a fit patterne for thee to imi­tate, and if thou wilt needes make him a patterne, then when Christ comes again to be crucified vpon the Crosse, and thou bee a theefe, and neuer heard of Christ in thy life, then maist thou expect in such [Page 353] a miraculous manner to bee sa­ued. But if wee will make a right vse of the mercy of God, let vs rather be led by it to re­pentance, then any way to bee Rom. 2, 4. Quae maior iniqui­tas, quam vt inde a te Creator contemna­tur, vnde plus amari merebatur. Bern. setled in security; for what grea­ter iniquitie can there be, then that thy Creator should be contemned of thee, for which he deserued more to bee loued.

But to conclude this point, it is a double shame and sinne for old mē to put off their con­uersion, and to bee of an vn­cleane life, or ignorant in mat­ters concerning their saluati­on; for the nearer wee draw to Canaan, the further wee should be from Aegypt, otherwise it may come to passe in Gods iust iudgement, that he shall sweare we shall neuer enter into his rest. Oh how miserable will [Page 354] it bee for that man when hee comes to the very point of time, when Gods Children shal enter into the spiritual rest, then he to be cast down into vt­ter darknesse, where shall bee weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth, for the longer that God in mercie, expecteth thy a mendment, so much the more grieuously will hee punish thee if thou neglect it? Oh consider this all yee that forget GOD, Quanto diutius De­us expectat vt emende­tis tanto crauius iu­dicabit si neglexeritus Aug. de vanit. saec. for by this deferring of our repentance, and putting off the time of our saluation wee sinne three wayes;

• 1. Against God.
• 2. Against the Saints.
• 3. Against our owne soules.

We will indeauour to make all this good.

[Page 355]1. Hereby we sinne against God, because wee dally with him, and abuse his patience, put­ting that day far off which may come in a moment, if the Lord doe but withdraw our breath from vs.

2. By deferring of the care for the saluation of our soules we sinne against the Saints, be­cause we depriue them of that company, comfort, and profit which they might haue of vs, and wee of them, for herein standeth the Communion of the Saints, in hauing a fellow­feeling of one anothers mise­ries, comforting them in their griefes, strengthning them in their infirmities, helping them in their wants, by endeuouring to beare one anothers bur­then, and by encouraging them [Page 356] in the faith and power of grace w ^ch they haue receiued.

3. And lastly wee sinne a­gainst our owne soules in put­ting them vpon such an vncer­taine & doubtfull aduenture, in not prouiding mercy before they are plunged into those desperate streights, and then it is iust with God to let our con­sciences flie in our faces as a iust reuenge for our former careles­nesse in neglecting the meanes of our saluation.

Ob. Oh but may some say, that seruant in the Gospell which was hired at the eleuenth Mat. 20. houre receiued the same re­ward that those receiued which came in at the third, sixt, and ninth houre?

Answ. Thou that thinkest thou maist repent at the last [Page 357] houre, how doest thou know that thou shalt come to the ele­uenth houre? maist thou not be cut off in thy youth, & so perish before thou art aware? then why should thou lose thy time, and what answere canst thou make to GOD for the neglect thereof? It is la­mentable to consider, that though nothing be more preci­ous Nihil prae­tiosius tem­pore, sed he [...] nihil bodiè vili­us astima­tur. Transeu [...]t dies salutis, & nemo recogitat, nemo sibi non reditu­ra momen­ta perijsse causatur. Bern. decl. then time, yet nothing is more basely accounted of? The dayes of saluation passe away, and no man regardeth it; no man considereth that his time which will neuer returne a­gaine doth perish from him.

2. From parabolicall diuinity we cannot ground sound argu­ments, because many times we may misse of the sense and in­tent of them, & so cannot infer [Page 358] such conclusions from them, as that we may build our faith vp­on them.

3. In Parables we must ob­serue the scope and maine end wherefore they were propoun­ded, else wee may draw much blood from them in stead of wholesome food.

The scope and maine end of this Parable is to shew, that e­ternall life is the free gift of Rom. 6. 23 God without any merit or de­sert of man; and tha [...] some men are called sooner, some later, yet they that are called at the last houre may be saued as well as those which are called at the first; for an old man which hath wanted the meanes all the daies of his life, may when the means is offered him, comfortably lay hold of euerlasting saluation; [Page 359] else God would neuer haue en­ioyned Nunquam pecca [...]ti in­dicta esset pro peccatis deprecatio, si deprecan­ti, non esset remissio concenden­da. Aug. de fide. man to craue the remis­sion of his sinnes, if hee had no purpose to grant it.

2. This Parable doth fully answere this obiection, in shew­ing that those which were hired at the eleuenth houre, came as soone as they were called; if they had beene called at the third, sixt, or ninth houre, no doubt but they would haue come: therefore this example will not iustifie them that are called at all houres, ear­ly and late, and yet will not come.

3. This Parable shewes, that the housholder went out early in the morning to hire labou­rers, therefore God expects that we should come in at the first houre, and begin our repen­tance [Page 360] betimes, and if wee doe not come when God cals, it is questionable whether we shall receiue repentance to come at last. And though God haue Qui promi­sit poeniten­ti veniam, non promi­sit peccanti poeni [...]enti­am. Aug. de poenit. promised pardon to him that repenteth: yet hath hee neuer promised repentance to him that continueth in his sinnes; neither is it in any mans power to repent when he will.

Thus brethren by Gods mer­cy we haue beaten the presump­tuous sinners out of their strong holds; what remaines now, but that euery one of vs enter into examination of his heart, and bewaile the losse of his time mispent, and now labour to make vp his peace with God, that the Lord may haue mercy vpon his soule; else what is a man profited if hee gaine the [Page 361] whole world and lose his soule. Seeing the soule is so excel­lent; wee must haue principall care to auoid those euils that may endanger it, and to vse those meanes whereby it may be saued.

The things then which are dangerous to the soule may be couched vnder these two heads; as there are two wayes of de­stroying the body, so are there likewise two wayes of destroy­ing the soule:

The first is positiue, by offe­ring violence to it.

The second priuatiue, by withholding the meanes of pre­seruation of it.

Sin is that which offers vio­lence to the soule; sin is like lea­uen that will leauen the whole lump; & like poisō that wil cor­rupt [Page 362] the whole bodie, by obscu­ring the Will, and Vnderstan­ding, and by disturbing the fa­culties of the soule, and body. The deuill as a strong armed man, keepes rule in that soule which is held vnder the slaue­ry of sinne. Sinne though it be delightsome in the commit­ting, yet it breedeth a worme in the conscience, which perpe­tually vexeth it with endlesse Voluptas transijt, peccatum remansit. Bern. Citò praeter­it quod de­lectat, per­manet sine fine quod cruciat. Aug. Omne pec­catum est mors animae woe, and remaineth when the pleasure is gone. All the itch­ing delight of sinne is soone at an end; but it leaueth bitter foot-steps in the soule; euery sinne doth wound and kill the soule. We vse to say, we wil not buy gold too deare; why then are we so foolish as to buy the pleasures of sinne at so high a rate, as the losse of our soule? [Page 363] When the Fish hath swallow­ed the Hooke, had she not been better without the bait? so whē our soules are lost, how much better had it beene for vs neuer to haue tasted of the pleasures of sinne? If then we would haue our soules saued, we must bee carefull to expell and cast out sinne by vnfeigned repentance. We see men will subdue their appetites, and defraud them­selues of many things nature de­sires for bodily health; and shall we doe nothing for the saluati­on of our soules?

Now then seeing wee haue found a way to remoue our sinne, and to obtaine of our Physitian a purgation to cure Cur cessas aggredi, quod scias mederi tibi? Tertul. de poenit. our soares, which is repentance, then why doe we delay to get that which will bee our cure, [Page 364] and why doe not we seeke the Lord while he may be found? for else it may happen, That hee Qui tem­pus senec­tutis ex­pectat ad poeniten­dum speret misericordi­am, mu [...]ni­et iudici­um. Greg. Seminemus dum tem­pus est, vt met [...]mus, nauige [...]us dum mare nauigari potest, anti­quam sit [...]iems, quando magnus ille, & tremen. dus dies ad­uenerit non licebit nauigare. Chrys. which putteth off his repentance vntill the time of age, or day of death, in stead of mercy may finde iudgement. Therefore let vs sow our seed while it is seed time, and set forward to saile while the Sea will serue; for it may bee it will bee too late to begin our iourney when the Sunne sets, and to hoise vp our sayle when the tempest ariseth; to sow our seed when we should reape our corne; & to repent when we lie a dying, and to doe good when we are dead.

One thing I lament saith a holy Father, and I feare ano­ther; the first is my sinnes, the second is Gods iudgements seat, bewaile therefore thy sins, and lament thy iniquitie, so [Page 365] shalt thou shunne those tor­menting Ʋbi nec tortores de­ficiunt, nec torti misere morientur. Aug. torments, where the tormentors are neuer wearie, nor the tormented shall euer dye; Therefore while it is cal­led to day harden not thy heart, but breake off thy sinne by true repentance. Hast thou there­fore bin a drunkard? now learn sobrietie: Hast thou beene in­temperate? now embrace cha­stity: Hast thou beene malici­ous? now shew charitie: Hast thou beene proud? now bee humble; labour now to get the life of grace into thy soule; which must be done by the a­mendment of thy life, and by forsaking of thy sinnes; for re­generation beginneth at repen­tance, and repentance at the leauing and forsaking of sinne. Trie and examine thy selfe then [Page 366] whether thou hast forsaken sin or no; if thou hast not bridled thy tongue from bitter, and blasphemous speeches; if thou hast not taught thy hands to worke without deceit, and brought thy heart to pray with­out hypocrisie, and doe to thy neighbour as thou wouldest haue thy neighbor doe to thee; thou hast not yet forsaken thy sinne, but remainest still in the gall of bitternesse, and so hast neglected thy soules health.

2. The second way of losing the soule is by withholding from it the meanes of preserua­tion. Thus those hazzard their saluation that despise, and con­temne the powerfull preaching of the Word of God, and so by putting from them the Word of GOD, they iudge [Page 367] themselues vnworthy of eternal Act. 13. 46. life. Thus also many hazzard their saluation by neglecting of prayer, and are carelesse in the duties of mortification.

Seeing then the soule is so excellent, and may be lost, then let it be euery ones care to get it saued in the day of the Lord. To this end labour to keepe faith and a good Conscience in Rom. 13. 14. all thy wayes, for faith doth ap­ply, and put on Christ; now if Christ be put on by faith, then he is a most glorious garment to couer all our filthy naked­nesse out of Gods sight, and an armour of proofe to defend, and protect vs from all dan­gers of our soules, and of our bodies.

A good Conscience is a sweet comfort in al troubles; If [Page 368] then we can reioyce in the te­stimony of a good Conscience, wee are in a happy condition. Be conuersant in the Scrip­tures, let the Word of GOD dwell plentiously in thee; this will be as great a comfort vnto thee in al thy afflictiōs, as euer it was vnto Dauid in his troubles.

Be feruent in prayer; begin the day with calling vpon Gods name, and praising him for all the mercies thou hast receiued; and at night let prayer bee a Key to locke thee vp vnder the protection of the Almightie.

Ioyne thy selfe in societie with those that feare God; they can teach thee by their ex­perience, and direct thee in the wayes of Godlinesse; and labour to exhort one another to continue constantly in the [Page 369] feare of the Lord. Thus if wee doe, we shall redeeme the time for our soules health. But alas, how many times haue we come together, and yet haue had no care nor thought to doe one another good, for our soules health; but haue spent our time in prophane and Idle talke; letting our tongues loose to discourse of all manner of vanitie?

But oh the miseries of our times, in which there are many which are so farre from helping their brethren in their saluati­on, as that they hinder them, and by their leud examples turne them from the way of godlinesse! Our time is short, as we haue heard; and as wee behaue our selues here vpon earth, either in walking in the [Page 370] wayes of godlinesse, or spend­ing the time in seruing our owne turnes; so shall wee fare euerlastingly in the world to come.

Therfore seeing life or death is gained in this world, let vs giue all diligence to make our Calling and Election sure. And seeing our time is but short, let vs learn a point of policy of the Deuill, he knowes his time is but short, therefore hee doth all the mischiefe he can: so let vs on the contrary, knowing our time is short, labour to doe all the good wee can for our soules. But if we will still turne the grace of God into wanton­nesse by despising the riches of his mercie, in waiting for our repentance and humiliation, we shall at length be turned out of [Page 371] these houses of clay, (wherein we haue liued in much peace) as the most vnworthiest wret­ches that euer liued, and shall giue a strict account vnto God for all the time and meanes that hee hath vouchsafed vs for our soules good; and if wee haue spent our dayes well, then wee shall receiue the reward of the Iust; but if ill, then woe vnto our soules that we haue sinned; for, What is a man profited [...]f hee gaine the whole world and lose his soule?

And thus hauing finished this small Treatise, I beseech you in the bowels of our Lord Iesus to suffer the words of exhorta­tion, and the Lord from heauen giue vs all grace to make vse of it for the saluation of our soules. But I feare I haue wea­ried [Page 372] your patience with this Non minor virtus scire desinere, quam scire dicere. my tedious discourse, and therefore because it is not lesse commendable for an Orator to end his speech in good time, then to begin with good liking, I will therefore at this time imitate the Roman Oratour; Non omnia effundam, Cicero Philip. Orat. 2. vt si saepius dicendum vt erit, semper nouus veniam. I will be loath to spend all my store at this once, but I will keepe somewhat fresh, if I shall haue any occasion to come a­gaine. In the meane time for our farewell, let vs com­mend each other to the pro­tection of Almightie GOD, and to the Word of his grace, which is able to build vs vp in godlinesse, and giue vs an inheritance among them that [Page 373] bee sanctified by faith in Christ Iesus our Lord, to whom with the Father, and the Holy Spirit be ascribed, as is due, all honour & glory from this time forth for euermore.