They must enquire of the Apostles or their successours, Quid faciemus? What shall wee doe? if not to undoe what wee have done, yet to make some part of amends, so much as wee can, and which through Gods goodnesse shall so be taken of us, that our sinnes shall not be imputed to us. And they said,
What shall wee doe? Saint Chrysostome well observeth, that they aske not, How shall we bee saved? but, What shall wee doe? It is presumptuous folly to enquire of, or hope for the end if wee neglect the meanes. If a man might goe to heaven with a sigh, many a Balaam would be found there, for hee fetched a deepe sigh, saying, Let mee die the death of the righteous. If crying, The Temple of the Lord, or saying, Lord, Lord, al∣most at every word, would without any more adoe make a man free of the heavenly Jerusalem, all the Pharisees among the Jewes, and hypo∣crites among Christians should bee denisons there. But Christ himselfe assureth us to the contrary, not every one that saith Lord, Lord, shall en∣ter into the Kingdome of Heaven, but hee that doth the will of my Father which is in Heaven. Doing and life, working and salvation, running and obtaining, winning and wearing, overcomming and reigning, in holy Scripture follow one the other. Wherefore the young man puts the que∣stion to our Saviour, What thing shall I doe that I may attaine evelasting life? and the people likewise, and the Publicans, and the Souldiers to S. John, and the keepers of the prison to Saint Paul, and the Jewes in my text to Saint Peter, and the rest of the Apostles, What shall wee doe? not, What shall wee say? or, What shall wee beleeve? but, What shall wee doe? This is the tenour of the Law, Doe this and thou shalt live. Whosoever doth these things shall never fall. And the Gospel also carryeth the same tune full: If ye know these things happie are yee of yee doe them. Hee that heareth and doeth buildeth upon a rocke. Not the hearers, but the doers of the Law shall bee justified. Why are the Cherubims described with the hands of a man under their wings, but to teach us that none shall see God, who under the wings of faith and hope (whereby they fl••e to heaven) have not the hand of charity to doe good workes? As Darius used the Macedonian souldiers, whom hee tooke prisoners; so the divell doth those over whom hee hath any power: hee cutts off their hands that they may be able to do no service. The heathen Philo∣sopher observed, that of three of the best things in the world, through the wickednesse of men, three of the worst things proceeded and grew:
- 1 Of vertue, envie.
- 2 Of truth, hatred.
- 3 Of familiarity, contempt.
Wee Christians may adde a fourth,
viz. of the doctrine of free justifi∣cation carnall liberty. The catholike doctrine of justification by faith a∣lone is the true Nectar of the soule, so called
〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, because it keepeth from death: yet this sweetest Wine in the Spouses
Flagons proves no better than Vinegar, or rather poyson in their stomackes, who turne grace into wantonnesse, and liberty into licence.
—fit Nectar acetum,
Et vaticam perfida vappa cadi.