Eighteen sermons whereof fifteen preached the King, the rest upon publick occasions / by Richard Allestry ...

SERMON VIII. VVHITE-HALL. October 9. 1664. (Book 8)

1 JOHN V. 4.

This is the Victory which overcometh the World, even our Faith.

THese Words, though they explicitly make [ A] onely one single Proposition, yet they im∣ply several.

First, That the State of Christianity is a state of Warfare; He that is born of God must fight we see, for he must overcome; Which is the [ B]

Second; In this War he must not satisfie himself with be∣ing on his Guard, defensive, looking to secure himself, but he must Assault and Conquer, nothing else will serve his turn but Victory.

Thirdly, The Enemy which he must have no Peace with, [ A] but must vanquish, is the World.

Fourthly, Faith is sufficient forces to assist him in his Con∣quest.

Fifthly, Faith where it is rightly made use of is a certain Victory.

But I shall not handle these in Thesi thus, but for the more practical treating of them shall make and answer three En∣quiries.

First, What the way is that the World does wage War in? where its Strength lyes? and how it manages that force [ B] so as to get advantage over men? and how it does improve each such advantage till it gets a perfect Conquest?

Secondly, what the strengths of Faith are? how it char∣ges, breaks the forces of the World, and does enable the Believer to overcome?

Thirdly, how far the Believer must pursue his Conquest? what must be the measures of his Victory? that he may know how to vanquish it so as that the World may not rebell again; not do like Joash smite three times, then leave, but Smite untill he make an end of danger: Having answered [ C] these, I shall endeavour to apply all to our selves.

Now for the better handling of the first of these, I must shew you how the Will of Man may be attaqued and taken.

To which purpose I observe, that whatsoever liberty there is in humane choice, yet every appetite seems in some sense determin'd in its tendencies to fix on that which appears sim∣ply best for it, for that instant which it chooseth in; I do not say that whensoever Reason peremptorily concludes a thing is best that the Will is determined instantly to that; for by a too unhappy evidence we know, that if the lower Soul [ D] does but becken the Will another way, she can suspend and stop her prosecutions, and too oft finds cause to go along with that against the dictates of the Mind: But this I say, that in her last Executive Determinations she alwayes tends to that which hath the fairest and most vigorous appearances of being best for her at that present time. If it seem strange how, since the Understanding can account the certain ex∣pectations of an happy everlastingnesse much better for the present, than a momentany worldly satisfaction; (for we have our Rules and our proportions by which we rate and choose Reversions rather than Possessions, and those of the [ E] other World exceed these beyond all the measures of pro∣portion, and the Understanding does inform impartially of this:) How then if the Will can let those go and take these

it can be said alwayes to choose the better for the present? [ A] if it may be said to do so though it let those go, then by what wash or Chymick Artifices does she blanch or paint these so as to make them look better for the present? Now we may discover how these both may be, if we onely reflect upon the manner of the actings of our own Souls. Where the things that stand in competition for our choice are both of the same kind, and have one common measure of their good or ill; (as for example, are both painful, or both profitable, or delightful) and no consideration of any other motive comes into the Ballance; here the Will must needs choose the [ B] best, refuse the worst. For meerly out of aversation to pain to run into the stronger Pain, avoyd the lesse; or out of Covetousnesse to refuse greater Wealth; or for delights sake onely to preferr that which is lesse delightful; are practical contradictions. Where the objects are of different kinds. one for example, profitable or delightful, but not without sin; and the other Vertuous, and spiteful Reason taking Vertues part, suggests the motives to it, Gods Commands, his Promises, and Threats; here, though the inferiour facul∣ties prostitute all their baits, they cannot equal those pro∣posals to the Will 'tis true; yet by their importunacies still [ C] pressing her, goading her by their stings, they can and do prevail with her to call the Understanding off from her at∣tention to those other motives, and employ the thoughts up∣pon the present object that does importune her so, and which by the agitations it does cause within the sensual part, puts the mind in disorder presently, distracts the thoughts, then seizes them; so that the Understanding being now intent to this, the better motives are let go and sink, and then the onely ones in view are those of sense, which straight the Will rushes into the imbraces of, and the other being vanisht and [ D] no better than appearing, 'tis plain in those she fixes on the best. But if the mind will not be taken off, but Conscience fly in the Man's Face and will not let him rest, nor his Will fix, why then in this unquietnesse of hers she sets the thoughts: on work and will not let them fix till they find out some salvo that can satisfie Carnality and Conscience too, that will let the Man have the sin and not deprive him of Gods favour: And if either application of Gods Decrees and Promises with∣out Condition absolutely to himself, and the assurances of Faith and trust will do it, (as we may know it will in some) or if [ E] not that, then if hopes of mercy, resolutions of repenting af∣terwards and leaving off the sin, (as this does do with most) then it is evident in choosing to obey his inclinations, with

such salvo the man chooseth that which does appear best for [ A] the present. But if the mind unsatisfied with these, and not daring to trust such rotten planks against the very face of storm, object the uncertainty, at least, of these Principles, and the unsafeness of those after hopes, not fit to be security against God's Threats, and would convince the man that conscience of resisting a temptation, and by that keeping himself free from the clutches of the Devil, and the fears of Hell, together with present assurance of God's favour, are more satisfying at the present than the pleasures of the sin: Yet those pleasant apprehensions of the Conscience of resisting [ B] re-encountering with the seeming impossibility of resisting alway that which presses so, and will sometime or other seize upon him, and finding the temptation to have sharper stings than his Religious fears of things which are not present, and of which he hath had no experience: And besides, he ha∣ving never had any great sense of God's favour and rewards, the Landskip of them is but dim and faint upon the mind like those representations blind men have of Beauty (to whom if you discourse of exact features, perfect harmony of colours, of a graceful presence, chearful aire, and a good [ C] mine, and all those other know not whats, that being seen commit a Rape upon mens faculties, yet his conceptions of them are but very dark, who never hath had any notices of these but such as his Ears give) and though the Understand∣ing chance to be positive and resolute in its determinations concerning them, yet still the apprehensions of them are not cleer; futurity, which is one sort of distance, making ob∣jects, as all things afar of do, look but confused, and their Ideas not distinct, nor bright or brisk, therefore they move the Will but very coldly: Whereas the other pleasure being [ D] known, the apprehensions of it are more vigourous, the draught is strong and lusty on the Fancy, there is force in every line, the very image of it lives, and therefore is more efficacious, and by that prevails, that looking fairest and most tempting at that present, so that from this experience of our selves in every sort of instance thus deduc't, the Will does seem alwayes to fix on that which appears simply best for it, for that instant which it chooseth in; the man still takes what he likes better at that present, and he likes better that which lookes better for that present: And things are made to look better by these arts which I have shewed [ E] you.

This being now the temper and the disposition of the Will, and such the method of her actings, this is the thing the

world makes use of, here's its strength, namely, in making [ A] things look better for the present. Which how it manages so as thereby to get advantages upon us, how it does improve each such advantage till it get a perfect Conquest, I shall give you in few words; by shewing you how the World gets first possession of our Souls, and there raises in us passionate desires that expect present satisfaction, which it hath at hand to serve them with, which by these arts are made look better than any other expectations.

It was observ'd by the Philosopher most truly, that a Child is born onely an Animal, is to be Educated, and brought [ B] up into a Man: His reason is the birth of time and institution, for a while nothing but sense does live in him. Now all that while he is incapable of being affected with any other things, but such as strike the senses, things of this present world; and by that means onely such possesse his mind and inclinations too, the uses and advantages of every thing about him are those he is first sensible of, and those alone: and so the world does make the first impressions on our Souls, it does prevent all other in our inclinations, hath our first love and enjoyes our first embraces, from which it must be with great [ C] reluctancy that we are torn; and whereas these impressions should be weakened and defac't by the infusion of other notions and Principles, and the Soul should be weaned from too great liking of these sensitive satisfactions by the cares of those which should be as assistant souls to us, denying us every thing that was not very requisite or very moderate, that we might learn to want them, and be taught not to desire them. The contrary alas! is practis'd every way, as soon as ere the mind is capable of being trained into the World's snares we betray it into them, we teach it how to understand and be affected with the bait, and those pomps which we but just [ D] before made them renounce, we make them before any things know, and be pleas'd with; and the first blossom of the mind wherein the Soul exerts it self for the most part is Pride: And for the rest the old complaint is true, ante pa∣latum eorum quàm os instituimus, we teach their Palates sooner than their Tongues, and they can cry for what they cannot name; and yet among their first half words they can name Day••ties; and what will he not lust for when he is grown up, that is taught to desire provocatives ere he can [ E] chew them? Thus we teach the gayeties and the delights of the World how to insinuate into and take the heart; we water and keep warm the seeds of Worldly Inclinations that are there, make them sprout and cherish them, nurse up origi∣nal

propensions into temper: And as Understanding grows [ A] up, we impregnate it with Principles and arts of serving them, turn Reason into a sagacity and skill of catering for those Inclinations, making them live Aristotle's observation backwards, educating them into Creatures of meer sense, teaching them to be rationall understanding Bruits. Yet the world thinks sic fiunt homines, this is call'd making them Men betimes: And when they are thus made, when the age of satisfying all their inclinations is come, and when temptations are understood, and multiply by Conversation, and the World hath objects for them all at hand; objects, that what every way they turn their Eyes are still before them and thrust [ B] themselves into the mind and the advantages that do attend them, and by constant importunacy stirr and work desires and serve them too; then we are in that state in which the World hath those advantages I told you of, whereby it does not onely war against the Principles of Reason and Religi∣on in us, but it also leads the Will into Captivity, and en∣slaves her to it self. For it is plain the world hath got pos∣session of the heart, and hath a strong party of heady passi∣ons, which whensoever a temptation does alarm them, pre∣sently are up, raise a mutiny, and with the heat of Fancy [ C] and commotion of affections they disorder the Understand∣ing so, that it cannot rally up considerations against the as∣sault, but either it concludes, or disputes very faintly: If it do make an effort and struggle, it is but with a slender company of thin weak notions of things afar off, which the man hath had no proof of, nor hath any great confidence in; which while it is in recollecting and enforcing, the world hath its powers ready, seizes on the Will by the means of a corrupted fancy that does give it earnest, foretast, even the possession of the well-known pleasures that it does invite [ D] to, and so melts him down into the sin. Now while the pre∣sent Profits, Pleasures, Honours that I have from the World fill me, while they feed and cloath me, and provide me all that my necessity or wantonnesse can wish, and furnish me in hand with whatsoever any of my natural or my forc't Appe∣tites does gape for, and lull me with that constant variety of those delights which it procures, the use of which hath so drunk up my Spirits, and my Soul hath so imbib'd the joyes that I know not how to retrench from them, nor from that which is to furnish them. Must I leave all these for things [ E] that I have had no tast nor rellish of? leave all in present for some future hopes which I have no great confidence of com∣passing if I should try? and which I also see that very few

venture for? Whereas Mankind is swallowed up in the pur∣suit [ A] of these, and to be stor'd with them does not onely serve my needs and Luxuries, but it is the onely state of Reputation and Honour. 'Tis not from a rich stock of ver∣tuous qualifications, nor from great and glorious Actions that Esteem and Dignities do generally grow, but from worldly advantages, these constitute conditions, and these are their onely Characters. And being it is so, they that are in a Sphere above the ordinary ranks of people, must con∣trive those things that are become essential to their condition; and they must have worldly Pomps although with the ex∣pence [ B] of Piety, or Charity, and Justice, yea, of every Christian Duty; of Morality indeed, and Heathen vertue, of Humani∣ty it self: They will extort, be ravenous and cruel, will be false and treacherous, cheat and betray to get, and purchase at the price of the most difingenious, sneaking and unman∣ly sins: To undermine another they will dig to Hell, as if they meant to give fire to their Mine with the flames of that place whence they have the malice and the arts to do it: And as if they did not care to sink him thither who stands in their way to stop their rise; they are content to dye their [ C] purple with their own most guilty blushes, and the blood of any one that is their Rival or Competitor.

Add to this, that when these pretences of condition have got footing in the heart, besides those passionate desires which they stirr for themselves, they work out most unquiet Emulations, Envyes, Discontents at others. In whatsoever any other does exceed me, his Abundance is my want, straight I am in necessity, not from my own needs, but from his pos∣sessions, and I suffer his enjoyments; I labour, fret, and sink under the burden of his Honours, and his greatnesse is in∣flicted on me. Nor can I ever be at rest till I am got from [ D] under the sad pressure of that deep necessity of having what I see another have. And thus it will be, till Ambition have no further object, till there be no greater heights to mount: And now this Lust is in its pride, and the victorious World in its Triumphal Chariot. Not that I dare pretend that I have shewed you all the Chains by which it drags captive Souls after it, or all the Arts of Tyranny that it does execute: I could name many more, but he alone is able to discover all, that a 1.1 in the twinkling of an Eye did once shew all the Kingdoms of the World, and all the beau∣ty [ E] of them, and who promised to bestow them all for but one single act of Worship, and whose gift the Glorys of it are for the most part, and purchased by those very means. My

business is to pull it down from this great height, and shew you how to triumph o're these Conquests; which my Text [ A] sayes is done by Faith, for this is the Victory that over cometh the World even our Faith: Which how it does, is my second next Enquiry.

It seems a prejudice to this Assertion of my Text, that the great pretenders to Faith, the men that lay the whole stresse of their Everlasting Being on believing onely, have been branded to be very Worldly; and the Factions of Godlinesse were the mysteries and arts of Thriveing; as if their Faith laid hold indeed upon the Promises of that Life; and if it over came the World, it was for them to seize and be [ B] possessours of. But this is not the Victory my Text seeures, a Conquest for the Faith onely of Ma••o••et to make: And while Christian Votaries do onely mind such Conquests, and are candidates of Turcisme, do they not call it in, and make way for their Sword and their Religion? But the Faith that layes hold on Christ's Promises cannot confist with any such affections. For since Christ's Promises are made onely to those that overcome all such desires, and that do it to the end, and none other can be safe; It is impossible for him [ C] that does not overcome to trust upon those Promises, and to apply them to himself by Faith: For at once to believe I shall be saved, and yet believe those sayings which affirm none such can be saved, these are most inconsistent. It being then as easie to make contradictions be at peace, as Faith and Worldlinesse, they cannot suffer one the other; it follows: He that hath this Faith in sincerity must needs overcome the World. And to shew you in a word how it is done, you need not but to consider, that Faith is as S. Paul saith, the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen, Heb. 11. 1. Which as the Syriach translates, does say, [ D] that Faith is such a certainty of those things that we hope for, as if we actually had them; and it is the revelation of those things are not seen, it hath so strong a confidence in God, that the Believer assures himself of all Gods Pro∣mises and Threats, as much as if they were in fight; and though we see them through a glasse but darkly, yet we see them by it, 1 Cor. 13. 12. it being 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. It repre∣sents the things of which we have no demonstration from sense or humane reasoning, as convincingly to the mind as if [ E] they were before our eyes: And it is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, the substance, the subsistence and the very being of things that are not yet in being, but in hope: So that the Eye of Faith, like that of God, does see those things that are invisible, and futurity

is present to it. Now by this alone it is of force to break [ A] the powers of the World, which as we saw while the things of the other World were lookt upon as at a great distance, afar off, taking advantage of their absence storm'd the mind with present forces, and had supplies at hand for fresh as∣saults, so overcame it. Whereas, had the powers of the World to come been present (now by Faith they are made so we see) the other which are so inferiour that there is no more comparison than of immensity to a point, a moment to Eternity, could not stand before them. 'Tis too notori∣ous that this is the case: For should a man cry fire in the [ B] House, how it had seiz'd the strengths of it, were blotting out the glories of it in thick Smoak, devouring all their shine in flame, we would leave our Devotions, our most eager pleasures to prevent this, and no speed were swift enough to serve our cares and fears. But though a Prophet of the Lord cry a 1.2 Tophet is prepared, the pile thereof is Fire and much Wood, and the Breath of the Lord like a stream of Brimstone kindling it, and do this till his Lungs crack, not one heart is mov'd, nor brings a drop of tear to quench the flame, because these fires are not present as the other, neither [ C] have men any sense of them, were they alike convincing, alike present to the apprehension, 'twere impossible accor∣ding to what we have demonstrated (that the Will in her choyces and her aversations, where the objects are of alike kind and have one common measure of their good and evil, is determin'd to avoyd or take that which appears the great∣est alwayes; 'twere I say impossible) not to fly these which the b 1.3 Devils do believe and tremble at, with greater dread wherever they appear: Now a strong lively Faith must paint them out and shew them in each fin the World ensnares into. Neither would any of those rotten planks, which, [ D] while the Will does fluctuate betwixt her worldly incli∣nations and these fears, and is tost about, offer themselves, as I declared to you, for her to escape upon, though she does dash her self upon God's Threats choosing the present sin; such as the application of Decrees or Promises made absolutely to himself without any condition, confidence in Gods Mercies, hopes of Pardon; none of these would be security to one that were convinc't in earnest. He that did believe and as it were discern that height which his ambition goads him to [ E] aspire to, were upon the brink of the bottomless Pit, whi∣ther when he arriv'd, that very sin that tempts him with the glories of the prospect, would then tumble him down head∣long into that Abysse, he would no more dare to ascend it

by such false and guilty steps upon such hopes of mercy, [ A] trusts on Promises or Decrees, than he would dare to throw himself off from a Pinacle in confidence God was Almighty and Almerciful, able enough, and kind enough to stretch out his right hand and catch him in the fall, or trusting to that Promise, a 1.4 He will give his Angels charge concerning thee, and in their hands they shall bear thee up, least at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone: Or leaning upon any such De∣cree as makes the term of life b 1.5 immovable and fatal; neither to be hastned or retarded; none of these will make him mad enough to break his neck, neither would the same presum∣ptions [ B] encourage him to cast away his Soul, had he but equal apprehensions of the danger. And it is plain, all the temp∣tations of the World, and all these false encouragements can∣not work upon a man, when Death once looks him in the Face; and the great Champions of Prophanenesse are tame then, not that God's Threatnings are more true, or made more evident to sense or reason than they were before, but their Faith is active, and they apprehend more strongly then.

To see my self trampled upon by pride and malice, or worse yet, begging of him whom my blood it may be helpt [ C] to streams of plenty, begging like Lazarus the portion of his Dogs, Dogs that are taught to snarle and bite, and make more sores, not lick them; this is a state more killing than my want, able almost to tempt a man to any courses. But then if with the Eye of Faith I do but look beyond the gulph, and there behold the Rich man in his flames begging for water, and although it be the Region of eternall weeping, yet not able to procure one drop of his own tears to cool his Tongue. O then I see 'tis better to be Lazarus although there were no Abraham's bosome! But if my Faith look [ D] through that bosom also into that of God, and there behold the Son of God leaving all the essential felicities of that Bosom to come live a life of Vertue here on Earth, and to teach us to do so; choosing to do this also in a state of the extreamest poverty, consecrating want and nakednesse, con∣tempt and scorn, making them thus the ensigns of a divine Royalty.

And to encourage us not to sink under any of the Worlds assaults, he hath proposed Rewards of Vertue, such as God is blessed in; did my Faith give me but a constant view of [ E] all this, sure the paint and varnish of these little things be∣low, the twinkling exhalations of the glories of this World could not dazle my mind and captivate my Soul, I should burst these entanglements to catch at those. 'Tis evident,

and 'tis acknowledg'd, that when our belief shall be all visi∣on, and our expectation possession, when our understand∣ing [ A] shall become all sense in Heaven; and we see and tast and have those glories, then we cannot sin, cannot be tem∣pted from them: And therefore by the measures of the nearness of these objects, of our sight, and of our interest, so are our strengths to stand and overcome temptations. Now Faith is sight, gives presence we have seen, and it gives interest too, a 1.6 He that believes is born of God, saith the Apo∣stle, and therefore hath a right: Now to be born of one is to receive from him a principle of life: He then that hath receiv'd from God a Principle of life such as he can [ B] derive, life like his own, such as is led in Heaven; when he does consider his original and looks upon himself as born of God, and consequently heir of Gods possessions, which his Faith gives him a prospect of, how will he look down on the tempting glories of this World, on all that makes it grate∣full and desirable, as upon abject things, and sleight and undervalue whatsoever worldly men, poor Souls! do fear or hope, or long for, and pursue? The Mathematicks say that the whole Globe of Earth to one that looks upon it from the Firmament is but as a point, and sure it is demon∣strable [ C] it must be so: And then how low and how contem∣ptible must it needs seem to him that looks on it as from the Region of the Blessed, from Gods Mansion? and when his Soul having defecated and freed it self from all earthy, muddy, gross affections, and become expedite and light, expa∣tiates through those unbounded, unfathom'd extensions of Heaven and glory, and looks upon all as his own, that he is very shortly to come take the full enjoyment of, and hath already seisin of it by his Faith, how will he despise those narrow, those ridiculous bounds which the great ones of this [ D] World with Fire and Sword contend for? when he sees this little poynt half cover'd with the Sea, almost as much too hid from us and not to be discovered by our arts or industry; of that which is, much Desart, some parts Frozen, some burnt up, and not inhabited; and then the little remnant of this poynt to be the strife and the vexation of Mankind, while multitudes of Nations tear one anothers bowells, spill the Blood and Souls of Myriads for some little patch or other of it; and those that are not doing so, yet in their sphere too they oppresse, deceive, do any thing to get; and all the [ E] rest are in perpetual hurry of vexatious employments, or of toylsome pleasures, or of ruining vices: Will he not look on this more unconcern'd than we do on the busie labours of

a little World of Ants about a Mole-hill, which Philoso∣phers [ A] compare us to? The spectacle is much more to be pitied indeed; the crowds and Squadrons of those Ants, though they should have as many traverses and walks as men have, they have not Soul enough to have their guilt: Probably had they Humane understandings, they would then divide their Mole-hill into Empires, would be false and treacherous to one another, Cheat, Defraud, Oppresse, and Murder one another for the greater share; and had they Reason, they would be more Bruits, than now they are but Pismires: For Beasts have lesse folly too because [ B] they are not Men. But he whose Faith mounts him to Heaven his Birth-place, where he nestles in the secret Bosom of his Father, he needs not be concern'd in any of the carriages of this World, he is above them all, without the sphere of their attraction or magnetisme, without the dan∣gers of temptations from them: The World is but as his slave, and it hath no command upon him, he treads it all under his feet, and therefore certainly hath overcome it; the Condition and degree of which Victory is the next and last thing we are to enquire into. [ C]

If you ask the Stoick who is this great Conquerour that overcomes the World, he will answer somewhat to this purpose. It is not any of those great successful Robbers that with Armies forrage Nations; it is not he that peoples the whole Sea, filling it with his Navyes; nor he that sets his Confines on the remotest parts of the Inhabited World, that can call all his own that the Sun views, so that it shines not out of his Dominions: But the Man that hath con∣quer'd his own Inclinations to the things below; he that hath rais'd his mind above the Crosses or Contents of this [ D] World, that can march among them both dreadlesse and unconfus'd; the man whose Soul is nothing dazled by the brightnesse of VVealth, it shall not blind his Eyes, but through the varnish or the glory that the shine of it does shed, he can discover and will hate an evil action; he that can severely look on all those blandishments that Prosperi∣ty furnishes and decks out pleasure in, and can sit conti∣nent and abstemious in the midst of its delights, that when it is all Halcyon day with him, nothing but Sunshine, and he swims in the calm streams of flowing Plenty, is not [ E] melted by one or other, does not become loose and dissolute at all; the man also that is not shaken by the tumults of ad∣versity, when like an Earthquake she renverses all, his mind then stands unmov'd, that does not so much suffer, as

receive and welcome all that happens, as if he would not [ A] have it happen otherwise: In a word, it is the man that hath rais'd his mind above all casualties, the man that does but remember that he is a Man, that is, considers if he do abound, and the world prostitute it self to his Delights, that this cannot continue long; or if the World conspire to make him miserable, remembers that he is not so, except he think he is so, a man greater than his perils, stronger than his desires: And thus far the Stoick's Wiseman is victo∣rious. Christs Believer goes a little farther: That man hath the World Subject to him; but the Christian does not stay [ B] at that, he must not treat it as a Subject, but a Traytor, one whose Service is Conspiracy, that does attend on us onely to watch and to betray us, to know our weak part, and to storm us there. Therefore as the Lord commanded Israel concerning Amalek, that did by them as the World doth with us in our journey to Canaan, comes upon advan∣tages and smites the feeble, Deut. 25. 17, 18, 19. Therefore said the Lord, remember what Amalek did to thee by the way, how he met thee by the way and smote the hindmost of thee, even all that were feeble behind thee, when thou wast [ C] faint and weary, therefore thou shalt blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under Heaven, &c. So must we also with the VVorld, put all to death, not spare the best and good∣liest as Saul did; yea more, put all to the pomps and cruelties of Death as Gideon us'd the men of Succoth, a 1.7 tear their flesh with thorns and bryars; or as David us'd the Am∣monites, b 1.8 put them under Sawes and Iron Harrows; so the Christian must serve the VVorld: VVhat ever instruments of tyranny that us'd upon his Saviour on the Crosse, those he most exercise on it again, those Thorns, those Nayles, [ D] that Spear he must employ like Gideon's Bryars, and like David's iron Harrows, it must be Crucified, and then he is a glorious Conquerour, Gal. 6. 14. God forbid that I should glory save in the Crosse of our Lord Jesus Christ, whereby the World is Crucified to me and I unto the World. He that does march under the Banner of the Crosse that Conquer∣ing Ensign, as he thereby declares himself upon such terms of enmity with the VVorld that he does look upon him∣self as one despis'd by it, counted as an accursed thing, for so was that that was Crucified, as it is written, c 1.9 Cursed is [ E] every one that hangeth on the Tree: So also he does look upon his Standard as the instrument of Execution to the VVorld, on which it must be Crucified unto him, and so it is: He is so taken off from finding any stirring delights in

the glories of it, that he accounts it a dead thing, that hath [ A] no more attraits than a Carcasse; yea, he does look upon this World as on a detestable and accursed thing, as it was indeed; whose Thorns and Briars do not onely scratch and tear, and do it most when we embrace it most, but also are a Refuge for the cursed Serpent to lurk in, and add his Stings to their sharps, that Devil Serpent that was doom'd into it, and is alwayes in it, and then most when it is most Paradise. Now he that hath thus us'd the World, he that hath nail'd it to the Crosse of Christ hath overcome the World. [ B]

Should we now cast an eye at once upon our selves and that which hath been thus deduc't tracing all back again; then First, it would appear so evident that I were vain, if I should stay to prove that those which have such desires to any of the profits, heights or pomps, or any dear thing else whatever of this World, as that they are impatient if they miscarry in them, and full of strange complacencies if they do answer their desires, these have not overcome the World to any such degree. For had I overcome and Crucified it, sure I should not be so affectionate as to desire, court, and pursue what I had Executed; I should as soon [ C] adore the Paintings of my Enemies Tomb, embrace and make love to his Carcasse: And were I Crucified to it, had I but one Thorn of my Saviour's Crown struck through my head, but one Nail in my Foot of those that nayled him to his Tree; were my Soul fastned to a Crosse, how were it possible I should run gadding after the gay follies of the World, hasty in my desires of it: Nor could I be impatient if the World do not answer my desires and expectations, disquieted and discompos'd, if I be disap∣pointed, when any thing in it is not subservient to my [ D] heights, and I misse of those respects I lookt for; were the World vanquisht, Crucified to me, should I look for ser∣vices from my dead Enemy whom I had slain? or be trou∣bled if the person on the Crosse did not do fitting reveren∣ces to me? or be impatient if I had not respects and the Attendances of Pomp from one upon the Gibbet? or if I were Crucified to it, certainly these heats would not warm the dead; these are none of the troubles of an Executed person when he is rackt upon that instrument of Death, he is not grieved because the Nayles were not of Silver, [ E] the Spears head not bright, or the Crosse was not hung with Arras: And suppose it were, sure I were very weak if I should please my self with that, and let Such poor

contents thrust out all the just sadness of my Sentence and [ A] demerit: And yet it is as strange to find delights in ha∣ving any of the Worlds advantages, and pride my self in the possession if I be Crucified to it. But much lesse is it Crucified to them that will do actions of injustice for the sake of any of the pomps or profits of the VVorld; there are that grind, and screw, and rack all that they have to deal with; others that deceive and rob in Vizours, plunder in the disguises of fair words and of false arts; Some that dresse their Pomps in none of their own trappings, such as they never mean to have a right to, be∣cause [ B] they never mean to satisfie for them if they can avoid it; they furnish the grandeur of their own condition with the goods of others which they never care to make their own by any recompence, at least not in such wayes and seasons as the needs of those that own'd them, and the rules of Justice do require; they cramme and sauce their Dishes with the vital Blood indeed of those who starve for want of, and who own all that which does provide them their exces∣ses. Now would a man do this to entertain, and feed, and dresse the Carcasse of his vanquisht, his dead Enemy? would [ C] he be so vain, so guilty to provide to deck the Crosse on which he Crucified his Foe? least of all would he retrench from the proportions of Charity or Piety, deny the calls of Mercy and compassion or Religion for his profits sake, or to furnish out the trains of Pomp, take the Lords portion to serve the dead World with? If it were overcome and Crucified, they would not feed it with hallowed things (and the Poor's portion is such,) nor rob the Altar to give it ex∣cesses, take Consecrated things to make a cursed Carcasse gay and proud, strip Christ's Body, starve their Saviour (so [ D] a 1.10 He does interpret to deny a portion to the naked and hun∣gry) to make pomps and Ryots for an Executed World. In any of these cases he is far from being overcome: And if so, the

Second Proposition will apply it self to such, and must conclude they have no Faith; for if they had that were a victory; and however goodly they pretend, they are but Infidels: But it may be they will boldly own the Conse∣quence, for now adayes it is not gentile to believe any thing of Christ's Religion. And sure 'tis for the Reputation of the [ E] gallantry and courage of our love unto this World, that when the covetousnesse of the Gadarenes would not suffer Christ in their Coasts, and for their Swines sake drove him out, when that of Judas would not let him be upon the Earth,

but for thirty Silver pieces did betray him up to Death; [ A] that of this Age proceeds, and will not let him be in Heaven neither, but it scoffs him thence, and his Faith from the Earth: And because they like this VVorld so well, they will not suffer there should be any other. It is not my part to Combat these; I undertook onely to shew a way to over∣come the World, if they will not use it let them enjoy their Bondage. And yet without all doubt these candidates of Infidelity and Atheisme have faith enough to do the work in good degree; for certainly ther's none of them but does believe but he shall dye, and it is easie for his Faith to look [ B] through that thin vapour which our life is stiled by, to the end of that small span, and there see a Bed, though gay now and soft as the sleep and sins it entertains, then with the Cur∣tains close, the gayety all clowded in a darknesse, such as does begin the desolatenesse of the Grave; if you draw the Curtain to his Faith it sees a languishing sad Corps which no∣thing in the world can help or ease, foreshrowded in his own dead hue, himself preluding to his winding-sheet, in which within a little while he shall be cast from the society and sight of men, and shall have nothing else of all his VVealth and [ C] Pomp: To see all this is no great monstrous difficulty for his Faith. Now though while he is in his prosperity and health, and the world serves every of his desires, and if I should tell him all his superfluities, all that is beyond a meer convenience are but empty things, meer shadows of delight, that onely mock his fancy; should I tell him that the silver furnitures of his Tables, and those more wealthy shining ones those in his Cabinet, and the Silken ones of his Rooms, and the more exquisite pieces of rich Art which people must have skill to understand the pomp of, must have been the [ D] Disciples of the Pensil to discern how they do serve Pride; tell him these are phantasmes, onely dreams of pomp, ad∣vantages no where but in imagination, I shall not perswade him, but he will despise me. But then if he will ask his Faith how all these will look to him in the state which is now before his thoughts, what his opinion of them will be then? he knows he may as well go to his pictures now, and enter∣tain his Mirth and Luxuries with them, and hearken to their painted sounds, and dine upon the images of Feasts, as hope in that sad hour from all his VVealth to find content or ease, though his hand sweat under the weight of winter jewells [ E] they will not heal one a king joynt: His plate the greatest Ryot of his Table will not make one morsell tast savory; yea more, he knows that then all the worldly uses of these

superfluities such as satisfying curiosity, and emulation, and [ A] the estimation of the World, to be the talk of people, and the like; these will appear most evidently to be insipid things, meer conceits of delights; things of which there can be no reall enjoyment or advantage any time. And if it then ap∣pear evidently that in themselves they are so, then they are so alwayes; and a constant Contemplation of that time will make them alwayes seem so. So that a Faith that cannot see into another World, that will but look through this, must needs take off our hearts from the entanglements of those advantages, when it appears how small a thing can [ B] dash them all so as that we cannot enjoy them while we have them, and that the enjoyment of them while we do is but imaginary.

And really when we consider how unquiet and disturb'd a thing man is, except he raise himself above the power of all these, how till the mind escape out of the whirle and circuit of the Worlds allurements, it cannot but be in perpetual agitations; at every ebb or flow of things without, there is a tyde within of swelling or sinking affecti∣ons; every change abroad does make a change of thoughts [ C] and of designs, crosse Accidents have crosse Passions, and I am as much an Universe of various thwarting contradicti∣ous affections, as the world is of motions.

How the Beasts are free, serene and quiet Creatures in comparison, for they not understanding many objects, conse∣quently have few inclinations, and their satisfactions very obvious; whereas the Comprehensive mind of Man that looks into a world of things, and out of them creats a world of temptations, finds out varieties of Pleasures or of Profits, and then starts as many eager affections in himself to pursue them; his copious understanding does but pro∣cure [ D] him various lusts, and his reason does but make him sa∣gacious in searching out occasions of disquiet. Nor is it possi∣ble it should be otherwise, for while my inclinations are chain'd to those external movements, and my slavish mind attends upon those inclinations, I must needs suffer as many servitudes as the world hath changes of temptation: And then putting these two Considerations together, how unsatisfying and how uneasie too it is to be engaged in the Advantages of this World, which are meerly Dreams of [ E] good things that disturb our rest and make our sleep unquiet, with the working of Imagination, yet do but delude the Appetite, and we find we have had nothing when we awake; sure if I thought there were no other World, yet

would I not be greedy after the great things of this, when [ A] 'tis more easie far to want them; here would I indulge my self the sensuality of a Contented mind, the luxury of an ataraxie, of an indifference as to all these things, of being quiet and untroubled by not having them, free from the hurry and disorder of them. The Moralists did so account it certainly, when they call'd this living according to our Nature, as if all the other were a Violence upon us; and upon the same ground they accounted it not hard to over∣come the Alurements of this World, it was onely not to invade and use a force upon themselves and vanquish their own natures: And sure we that are Christians, and are so no [ B] farther than as we have this Faith here in the Text, we must not count it hard; we who have the Revelations and Example of the blessed Jesus, all that he hath done to make it easie, now saith he. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Courage, for I have overcome the World: They are but broken forces we are to resist, we have the Strengths of Heaven on our side, and therefore sure we may adventure to encoun∣ter them; and if we do begin to faint, we have an Almighty Captain of Salvation, and if we have but Faith to lay hold on him, and be not false to our own selves, but keep our [ C] hold, if we be foyled, Christ must be vanquisht too, and we may fear impossibilities as well. When those poor Hea∣then marcht on naked, had none of our weapons to assault the World, or to defend themselves, had neither Sheild of Faith, nor Helmet of Salvation, no Sword of the Spirit the Word of God, and yet master'd it in great degrees, shall we that are harnessed turn our selves back in the day of Bat∣tel? and confute this Scripture; and make good that they do overcome the World most easily who never heard that Jesus was the Son of God? 'Tis not onely base for us to faint most [ D] who have most advantage, but it is a contradiction for them to be overcome that have the Victory: Now this is the Victory that overcometh the World even our Faith; the Victo∣ry that overcomes both Worlds indeed; it tramples upon this, and lays hold upon that to come, out-doing what S Paul sings of it in his 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Heb. 11. His Heroes through Faith subdu'd earthly Kingdoms, but by Faith we overthrow the Kingdom of the Prince and God of this World, and the Kingdom too of the Almighty suffers violence from it, and our Faith takes that by force, forces even a right to it: By [ E] it they stopt the mouth of Lyons in the Wildernesse; by it we stop that roaring Lyon's mouth that compasses the Earth seeking whom he may devour; by it they quencht the violence of Fire,

we the Everlasting burnings; by that Women received their [ A] dead raised to life again; by it we shall rise to Immortality of Life and blessednesse, receive all that we do believe, more than we can comprehend, receive the end of our Faith the salvation of our Souls: Which God of his Mercy state us all in for the sake of Jesus Christ the Authour and the Finisher of our Faith, and the Captain of our Salvation:

To whom with the Father, &c.

Notes

• a 1.1

  Matt. 4. 8. 9.
• a 1.2

  Isai. 30. 33.
• b 1.3

  Jam. 2. 19.
• a 1.4

  Psal. 91.
• b 1.5

  Job 7.
• a 1.6

  1 Joh. 5. 1.
• a 1.7

  Judg. 8. 16.
• b 1.8

  2 Sam. 12. 31.
• c 1.9

  Gal. 3. 13.
• a 1.10

  Matt. 25. 45.