The celestiall husbandrie: or, The tillage of the soule First, handled in a sermon at Pauls Crosse the 25. of February, 1616. By William Iackson, terme-lecturer at Whittington Colledge in London: and since then much inlarged by the authour, for the profit of the reader: with two tables to the same.

The second part of the reason.

NOw followeth the second part of the consequence or reason: Vntill hee come and raine righteousnesse vpon you; Which part I haue deuided into two parts, 1. the continuance, till hee come, 2. the ende: and raine righteousnesse vnto you.

Gnad iabo vntill he come, this is the continuance of it: for hauing laide our handes to the plough, wee must not looke backe, but continue to perfection. Faith is cal∣led fides in latine, in which word, (as some obserue,) is a compendium of all Christian dutie. The first letter is F. which, (as they say,) is facere to doe, for true faith, is a working faith: not the hearers, but the doers. The se∣cond letter is I. which is integritas, fuinesse; for we must haue a regard to all the Commaundements of God. The third letter is D. delectio, loue: for true faith worketh by loue. The fourth letter is E. which is externe, outward our good deedes must be manifest. The fifth letter is S. which is semper, alwayes: for we must not be weary of well doing. So that the propertie of faith is to doe, the qualitie is loue, the forme is outward, and the continu∣ance is alwayes. The beginning of faith is facere, and the ende semper: doe, and doe to the ende. The race of a godly life profiteth nothing, vnlesse it bee finished with a good ende.

Thus runnes the condition, hee that endureth to the end shall be saued We must not be like the flyes bred by the riuer Hispanis, which are bred in the morning, in full strength at noone, and dead at night. Heauen is not pro∣mised to those that doe well: but that continue in wel-doing.

Let this worke vpon your considerations, and drawe your endeuours this way: to seeke the Lord vntill hee come; for as yet you are not come to perfection, neither will till he come. The Apostle said of himselfe, and we

may apply to our selues: we are not yet perfect, and there∣fore to seeke still for more perfection; for there is no man so cured of his wound, but there remaineth some marke of the former wound. So the soule which receiued the wound of sinne, though it bee cured hath some scarres of sinne still while we are in this world, we are in the schoole of Christ: and must continually learne, till we be per∣fectly skilfull in the wayes of obedience: and when we haue that, then haue we found the Lord; but as yet wee may say with Socratas. Hoc solum scimus quod nibil sci∣mus. This is one thing wee knowe, that we knowe nothing: So saith the Apostle. If any man thinke he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing as he ought: therefore seeke vntill he come.

If you aske me when he comes, I answer, 1. he comes Praedicatione Euangeli: By the preaching of the Gospell: So he came to his owne, thus he came to Iudas, and so to many. But if hee came no other wayes then thus: (and yet he must come thus:) as good neuer come, and better it were not to finde him at all.

2 He comes, and that with more profite to his chil∣dren and vs. Conuersione nostriad Deum, by conuerting vs to God. And thus he came to Mary, Mathew, Zache∣us and others; and happy are they to whom hee thus comes: therefore seeke vntill thou finde God, to speake peace to thy soule.

3 He comes, increment is fidei & penitentiae & aliorum donorum spiritus sancti in conuersis, by increasing of faith and repentance, and other gifts of the spirit in those that are conuerted: and thus hee comes daily to the godly; and therefore seeke vntill he come in this manner.

4 He comes, Consummations, & glorificatione Eecle∣siae, in secundo Christi aduentu, By consummation, and glo∣rification of the Church, in the second comming of Christ: and vntill then we must seeke the Lord.

Notes

• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• We must continue in obedi∣ence to the 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• Non auditores, sed factores.
• Nihil prodest cursus bonae vitae, nisi con∣summetur bo∣no fine.
• Matth. 10.
• Zek. 18. 26.
• Man is not per∣fect in this life.
• Ita anima, qu peccati vulnu accepit, etiam curetur, haket tamen peccat cicauicem.