XXX sermons lately preached at the parish church of Saint Mary Magdalen Milkstreet, London to which is annexed, A sermon preached at the funerall of George Whitmore, Knight, sometime Lord Mayor of the City / by Anthony Farindon.

THE NINTH SERMON.

PART V.

EZEKIEL 33.11.

Turne ye, Turne ye from your evill wayes. For why will you die, Oh House of Israel.

WHY will you die? is an Obtestation, or Expostu∣lation; I called it a reason, and good reason I should do so: for the moriemini is a good reason: that we may not die, a good reason to make us turn, but tendered to us by way of expostulation, is another reason, and puts life and efficacy into it, makes it a reason invincible, unanswerable. The Israelite, though now in his evil wayes, dares not say, He will die, and therefore must lay his hand upon his mouth, and Turn.

For God, who is truely 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 free from all passion, being to deal with man subject to passion, seems to put it on; exprimit in 〈2 pages missing〉〈2 pages missing〉

we have here a large field to walk over; but we must bound our discourse within the compass of those observations, which first offer themselves, and without any force, or violence, may natural∣ly be deduced from these words; and we shall first take notice of the course, and method God takes to turn us, he draws a sword against us, he threatens death, and so awakes our fear, that our fear might carry us out of evil our wayes. Secondly, that God is not willing we should die; Thirdly, that he is not any way defective in the admini∣stration of the means of life. Last of all, that if we die, the fault is onely in our selves, and our own will ruines us. Why will ye die O house of Israel?

We begin with the first, the course that God takes to turn us; he asks us why will ye die? in which we shall passe by these steps, or degrees; First, shew you what fear is: Secondly, how usefull it may be in our conversion. Thirdly, shew it not onely useful; but good and lawful, and enjoyned both to those, who are yet to turn, and those who are converted already: The fear of death; the fear of Gods wrath may be a motive to turn me from sin, and it may be a motive to strengthen, and uphold me in the wayes of righ∣teousnesse. God commends it to us, & timor iste timendus non est, and we need not be afraid of this Fear.

Quare moriemini?

Why will ye Die?

And death is the King of terrours; to command our fear, that seeing death in our evil wayes ready to destroy us, * 1.1 we might look about and consider in what wayes we were, and for feare of death turn from sin, which leads unto it; for thus God doth A∣morem timore pellere, subdue one passion with another, drive out love with fear, the love of the world, with the fear of death; present himself unto us in divers manners according to the diffe∣rent operations of our affections; sometimes with his rich promi∣ses, to make us Hope, and sometimes with fearful menaces to strike us with fear, sometimes in glory to encourage us, and sometimes in a tempest, * 1.2 and whirle-winde to affright us 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, various, and manifold in the dispen∣sation of his goodnesse, that if hope drive us not to the promises, yet fear might carry us from death, and death from sin, and so at last beget a Hope; and delight, and ravish us with the glory of that, which before we could not look upon.

Now what feare is, we may guess by Hope, for they are both hewed, as it were, out of the same Rock; and Expectation is the

common matter, out of which they are framed; as Hope is no∣thing else but an Expectation of that, which is good, so Feare, saith the Philosopher hath its beginning 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, * 1.3 from the Imagination of some approaching Evill; where there is Hope, there is Feare, and where there is Feare, there is Hope; For he that doth but feare some evill may befall him, retaines some Hope, that he may escape it; and he that hopes for that which is desirable, stands in some feare, that he may not reach and pos∣sess it; so that you see, Hope and Feare, though they seem to look at distance one upon the other, yet are alwayes in Conjunction; and are levell'd on the same Object, till they lose their Names, and the one end in Confidence, the other in Despaire.

Now of all the Passions of the Mind, Feare may seem to be the most improfitable; for the Wise-man will tell us, it is nothing else but the Betraying of those succours which reason offereth; * 1.4 and the Histo∣rian speaking of the Persians, who in their flight flung away their weapons of Defence, shuts up all with this Epiphonema, adeo pavor ip∣sa auxilia formidat, such is the nature of Feare, that it disarmes us, and makes us not onely runne from Danger, but from those Helps and Succours, which might prevent and keep it off: It matures and ripens mischief, anticipates Evill, and multiplies it; and by a vaine kind of Providence, gives those things a being which are not — spe jam praecipit hostem, saith the Poet, It presents our Enemie before us, when he is not neere, and latcheth the Sword in our Bowels, be∣fore the Blow is given. And indeed, such many times are the effects of Feare: but as Alexander sometimes spake of that fierce and stately Steed Bucephalus, qualem isti equum perdunt, * 1.5 dum per im∣peritiam, & mollitiem uti nesciunt? What a brave Horse is spoil'd for want of manning? so may we of Feare; a most usefull Pas∣sion is lost, because we doe not mannage and order it as we should: for we suffer it to distract and amaze, when it should poyse and byas us; we make it our Enemy, when it might be our Friend, to guard and protect us; and by a Propheticall presage, or mistrust, keep off those Evills which are in the approach ready to assault us; for prudentia quaedam Divinatio est, our Prudencie, * 1.6 which always carries with it Feare, is a kind of Divination. Our Passions are as a winde, and as they may thrust us upon the Rocks, so they may drive, and carry us on to the Heaven where we would be. All is in the right placing of them, passiones aestimantur objectis, our passions are as the objects are they look on; and by them they are measured, and either fall or rise in their esteeme; to feare an Enemy, is cowar∣dize; to Feare labour, is slothfulnesse, to feare the face of man, is something neere to baseness and servility; to be afraid of a com∣mand, because it is difficult, is disobedience; but Pone Deum, saith Saint Austin, place God as the Object; and to Feare him, not one∣ly

when he shines in Mercy, but when he is girded with Majesty, to feare him not onely as a Father, but a Lord; nay, to feare him, when he comes with a Tempest before him, is either a virtue, or else leads unto it.

Now to shew you how Feare works, and how usefull it may be to forward our Turn: we may observe first, that it works upon our memory, revives those Characters of sin, which long Custome had sullied and defaced, and makes that Deformity visible, which the delight we took in sin had vayl'd and hid from our sight: when the Patriarchs had sold their Brother Joseph into Egypt, for Ten yeares space, and above, whilst they dreaded nothing, they never seem'd to have any sence of their fact, but lookt upon it as a lawfull, or warrantable sale, or made as light on't, as if it had been so. Joseph was sold, and they thought themselves well rid of a Dreamer: But when they were now come down into Egypt, * 1.7 and were cast into Prison, and into a feare withall, that they should be there chain'd us as Captives, and slaves, then, and not till then it appeared like an ill Bargaine; then they could give it is right name, and call it a sinne against their Brother: we are doubtlesse guilty of our Brothers Death, say they one to another, vers. 21. Said I not (saith Reuben) that you should not offend against the Lad? at the next verse. Thus whilst our Sun shines cleare, without cloud or Tempest, all Con∣science of sinne is asleep, and we forget what we have done, even as soon as we have done it, and it is to us, as if it never had been, or appeares in such a shape, we can delight in; but when the weather changes, and the Tempest is loud, when the pale Countenance of death is turned towards us; if then our Countenance changes, be∣cause our mind doth so; we have other thoughts, and other eyes, and by the very sight of Death, are led to the sense of sinne; Now, our sinne, which was buried in Oblivion, is raised againe, and ap∣pears in its own shape, with that terror and Deformity, that we begin to hate, and at last, are willing to destroy it. Death hath a Terrible looke, but the sight of Death may make us live, as the Brazen Serpent did Heale those, who were bitten in the Wilderness, onely by being look'd upon.

For,

Secondly, Having a sense and feeling of our sinne, we begin to advise with our selves, and aske Counsell of our Reason, which be∣fore we had left behind us, and our Thoughts, which were let loose, and sent abroad after every vanity, that came neere us, are collect∣ed, and turn'd inward upon themselves, to revolve and see what an ill flight they made, and what poyson they gathered, where they sought for Manna; how they were worse then lost, in such

deceitfull Objects; 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, * 1.8 for Feare brings us, saith the Philosopher, to consultation. Call the Steward to ac∣count, and he is presently at his Quid faciam? what shall I doe? * 1.9 when a King goes to warre, and warre is a bloody, and fearfull Trade, the text tells us, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, * 1.10 he fitteth down first, and takes Counsell. Feare is the mother of a device, and Consultation dies with feare; when we presume, Counsel is but a reproach, and is taken as an Injurie; and when we despaire, it is too late.

There be three things, saith Saint Basil, which perfect and con∣summate every Consultation, and brings it to the end for which it was held: First, we consult; Secondly, we settle and establish our Consultations; and last of all, we gaine a Constancy and perseve∣rance in those Actions, which our Consultations have engaged, and encouraged us in; and all these three we owe to Feare: Did we not Feare, we should not Consult: did not Feare urge and drive us on, we should not determine; and when this breath departeth, our Counsells fall, and all our Thoughts perish. Present Christ unto us in all his beauty, with his Spicy cheeks, and Curled locks, with hony under his Tongue, as he is described in the Canticles; present him as a Jesus, and we grow too familiar with him. Present him on the Mount at his Sermon; and perhaps, we will give him the hear∣ing. Present him as a Rock, and we see a hole to run into, sooner then a Foundation to lay that on, which is like him, and we run on with ease in our evill wayes, having such a friend, such an indul∣gent Saviour alwaies in our Eye; but present him descending with a shout, and with the Trump of God, and then we begin to remember, that for all these Evill wayes, we shall be brought into Judgement: Our Counsells shift, as the wind blowes; and upon better motion, and riper consideration, we are ready to alter our Decrees: For these three follow close upon each other, pallemus, horrescimus, Cir∣cumspicimus, * 1.11 saith Pliny; first Feare strikes us pale, then puts into a fitt of Trembling, at last, wheeles us about, to fee and consider the danger we are in, this consideration follows us, nor can we shake it off, longioris{que} timoris causa Timor est; this wind increaseth as it goes, drives us to consultation, carries us on to determine, and by a continued force binds and fastens us to our Counsells. And there∣fore Aquinas tells us, that our Turne proceeds from the feare of punishment, tanquam à primo motu, as from that which first sets it a moving; for though true Repentance be the gift of God, yet fear works that Disposition in us, by which we Turne, when God doth Turne us; The Feare of punishment restraines us from sin; in the restraint a hope of Pardon shewes it self, upon this hope we build up & strengthen our Resolution, and at last see the horror of sin, not in the punishment, but in the sin, hate our folly more then the

whip, and our evill wayes more then Death it self, which we call a Filial feare, which hath more of love then feare, and yet doth not shut out this Feare quite (for a good sonne may feare the Anger of a good Father) and thus God is pleas'd to condescend to our weak∣ness, and accept this, as our reasonable service, at our hands, though our chiefest motive to serve him at first, were nothing else but a flash from the Quare moriemini? nothing else but a feare of Death.

For in the last place; * 1.12 this is a principall effect of the feare of pu∣nishment, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, saith Basil, as it brings us to Consultation, so is it a faire Introduction to Piety it self. Feare takes us by the hand, and is a Schoolmaster unto us, and when Feare hath well disciplin'd and Catechised us, then love takes us in hand, and perfects our Conversion, so that we may seem to goe from Feare to Love, as from a School to an Universitie. In the 28. of Genesis, at the Twelfth verse, Jacob sees a Ladder set upon the Earth, and the Top of it reaching up to heaven, and we may observe, that Jacob makes Feare the first step of the ladder, for when he awakes, as in an extasie he cryes out, Quam terribilis iste locus? how dreadfull is this place? verse 17. so that feare is as it were the first rung and step of the Ladder, and God on the top, and Angels Ascending and Descending; Love, and Zeal, and many Graces between. Think what we please, disgrace it if we will, and fasten to it the badge of slavery and servility, it is a blessed thing thus to feare, the first step to happiness, and one step helps us up to another, and so by degrees we are brought ad culme Sionis, to the top of the Ladder, to the Top of perfection, to God Himself, whose Majesty first wounds us with feare, and then gently bindes us up, and makes us to love him; who leads us through this darkness, through this dread and terror, into so great light, makes us Tremble first, that we may at last be as mount Sion, and stand fast, and firme for ever.

We now passe, and rise one step higher, to take a view of this feare of punishment, not onely as usefull, but lawfull, and com∣manded not under the Law alone, but under the Gospel, as a mo∣tive to Turne us from sinne, and as a motive to strengthen and up∣hold us in the wayes of Righteousnesse, not onely as a restraint from sionne; but as a preservative of Holiness, and as a help and furthe∣rance unto us in our progresse in the wayes of perfection.

And here it may seem a thing most unbefitting a Christian, who should be led rather then drawn, * 1.13 and not a Christian alone, but any moral man; and therefore Plato calls it 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 an illi∣beral and base disposition to be banisht the School of morality; and our great master in Philosophie makes punishment one of

the three things that belong to slaves, as the whip doth, saith Solo∣mon, to the fooles back; for to be forced into goodnesse, to be frighted into health, argues a disposition, which little sets by Health or goodnesse it self.

But behold a greater then Plato and Aristotle, our best master, the Prince of Peace, and love himselfe strives to awake, and stirre up this kind of feare in us, tells us of Hell, and everlasting Darkness, of a Flaming Fire, of weeping and gnashing of Teeth; presents his Father, the Father of Mercies, with a Thunder-bolt in his hand, with Po∣wer to kill both body and soul, shews us our sinne in a Deaths Head, and in the fire of Hell, as if the way to avoid sinne, were to feare Death and Hell, ad if we could once be brought to feare to die, we should not die at all. Many glorious things are spoken even of this feare; The Philosopher calls it 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, * 1.14 the bridle of our Nature; Saint Basil, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, the bridle of our lusts; Tertullian, Instrumentum poenitentiae, an Instrument to worke out Repentance; Pachomius placeth it, supra decem millia paedagogo∣rum, makes it the best Schoolmaster of ten Thousand. Harken to the Trumpet of the Gospel, be attentive to the Apostles voice, what found more frequent, then that of Terror, able to shake and divide a soul from its sinne? Had Marcion seen our Saviour with a whip in his hand: Had he heard him cursing the Figg-tree, and by that example punishing our sterility, had he weigh'd the many woes he pronounced against sinners, perhaps he would not have fallen into that impious conceit of two Gods; for though the dis∣pensation have not the same aspect under the Law, as under the Gospel; yet God is the same God still, * 1.15 as terrible to sinners that will not Turne, as when he thundred from Mount Sinai; and if we will not know and understand these Terrors of the Lord, if we make not this use of them, to drive us unto Christ, and to root and build us up in him, the Gospel it self will be to us, as the Law was to the Jews, a killing Letter.

For again, as Humane Laws, so Christs precepts have their force and life from reward and punishment; and to this end, we finde not onely scripta supplicia, those woes, and menaces, which are written in the Gospel, but God hath imprinted a fear of pu∣nishment in the very hearts of men.

Esse aliquos manes, & subterranea regna.* 1.16

That there remained punishments after life for sin, was acknow∣ledged by the very Heathen, and we may easily be perswaded, that had not this natural domestick fear come in between, the World had been far more wicked then it is, we see many are very inclinable to deny that there is either Heaven or Hell, and

would believe it, because they would have it so, many would be Atheists if they could; but a secret whisper haunts and pursues them. This may be so, there is an appointed time to die, and after that judgement may come; There can be no dan∣ger in obedience, there may be in sinne, and this, though it do not make them good, yet it restraines them from being worse; quibus incentivum impunitas, timor taedium, freedom from punish∣ment makes sin pleasant and delightsome, and so makes it more sin∣ful; but the fear of punishment makes it irksome, brings those reluctancies nd gnawings; those rebukes of Conscience, (for with∣out it, there could be none at all) till the whip is held up, there is honey on the Harlots lips, and we would taste them often, but that they bite like a Cockatrice: * 1.17 non timemus peccare, timemus ardere, it is no sin, we so much startle at, but Hell fire is too hot for us. And therefore Saint Peter, when he would work repentance, and Hu∣mility in us, placeth us under Gods hand, Humble your selves under the mighty hand of God, which expresseth his power, his commanding Attribute; his Omniscience findes us out, his Wisdom accuseth us, his Justice condemns us, potentia punit, but 'tis his hand, his power, that punisheth us. * 1.18 Take away his hand, and who feareth his Ju∣stice? or regardeth his wisdome? or tarrieth for the twi-light to shun his alseeing eye? but cum occidat, when we are told, that he can kill, and destroy us, then, if ever, we return, and seek God Early.

Again, as the fear of death may be as Physick to purge and cleanse our souls from the contagion of sin, so it may be an Antidote and preservative against it; it may raise me when I am fallen, and it may supply me with strength, that I fall not again. It is a hand to lift me up and it is an hand to lead me when I am risen inter vada & freta through all the dangers that attend me in my way; as it is an introduction to piety, * 1.19 so is it 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, saith Gr. Nyssen, a watch, a guard upon me to keep me, that no temptation, no scandal, no stone of offence, make me turn back again into my evil waies. For we must not think that when we are Turned from our evill wayes, we have left feare behind us; no, she may goe along with us in the wayes of Righteousnesse, and whisper us in the eare, that God is the Lord most worthy to be feared; she is our Companion, and she leaves us not, nor can we shake her off, till we are brought to our Journeys end. Our love, such as it is, may well consist with Feare, * 1.20 with the Feare of Judgement. Look upon the blessed Saints, David, a man after Gods own heart, yet he had, saith Chrysost. the memory of Gods Judgements written in his very heart; his thoughts were busied with it, his Meditations fixt here, and it forced from him à Domine nè in furore, Correct me not O Lord, in thy an∣geer, nor chastise me in thy wrath. Hezekiah, one of the best of the Kings of Judah, yet walkt in the bitterness of his soul, did mourne like a Dove, * 1.21 and chatter like a Crane. Saint Paul builds up a Tribunal,

and calls all men to behold it; * 1.22 Wee shall all stand before the Judge∣ment seat of Christ; Saint Hierom had the last Trump alwayes soun∣ding in his eares, and declaring to Posterity the strictnesse of his life, his Teares, his fasting, his solitarinesse, confesses of himself, * 1.23 Ille ego, qui ob Gehennae metum tali me carcere damnaveram Scorpiorum tan∣tum socius & ferarum—I that condemned my self to so straight a prison, as to have no better companions then Scorpions and wild Beasts, for fear of Hell and Judgement did all this, and was not ashamed to acknowledge, that not so much the love unto it, nor the Author of it, as the dread of Hell, and punishment confin'd and kept him constant in the practise of it. And what should I say more? for the time would faile me to tell you of other Saints of God, who through feare wrought Righteousness, obtained Promises, out of weakness were made strong: Behold love in its highest elevation, in its very Zenith; behold it, when it was stronger then Death; look upon the Glorious Army of Martyrs, they had tryall of cruell mockings and scouragings, yea moreover, of Bonds, and Imprison∣ment, they were stoned, and slaine with the sword; And greater love then this hath no man, saith our Saviour, then this, that a man lay downe his life for his friend; and yet Saint Ambrose, upon the 118. Psalme will tell us, that this great love was upheld and kept in life. by this gale of wind, by Feare. That the feare of one Death was swallowed up in the feare of another; the feare of a temporall, ion the feare of an Eternal. The bloody Pagans, to weaken their faith, * 1.24 urged the feare of present Death, Consule tibi; Noli animam tuam perdere, favour your self, cast not away your life, Reverence your age, and these they thought suggestions strong enough to shake their Constancy and Resolution; but the consideration of the wrath of God, and eternall separation from him did strengthen and e∣stablish them: what is my breath to Eternity? what is the fire of Persecution, to the fury of Gods wrath? what is the rack to hell? & sic animas posuerunt, and with these Thoughts, they laid down their lives, and were crown'd with Martyrdome.

We cannot now think, that these Martyrs sinned in setting be∣fore their eyes the horror of Death, and feare of Hell; or think their love the lesse, because they had some feare, or that their love was lost in that, which was ordain'd and commanded as a means to preserve it. Their love, we see, was strong and intensive, and held out against that, which laid them in the dust; but lest it should faint, and abate, they borrowed some heat, even from the fire of Hell; and made use of those Curses, which God hath denoun∣ced against all those, who persevere not to the end. The best of men are but men, but flesh and blood subject to infirmities, so that in this our spiritual warrfare, and Navigation, we should ship∣wrack often, did we not lay hold of the Anchor of Feare, as well

as of that of Hope; Each Temptation might shake us, each vanity amaze us, each suggestion drive us upon the Rocks; but Anchora cordis, pondus timoris, saith Gregory, the weight of feare, as an Anchor poyses us, * 1.25 and when the storme is high, settles and fastens us to our resolutions. We walk in the midst of snares, saith the Wise man, and if we swerve never so little, one snare or other takes us; for there be many: a snare in our lusts, a snare in the object, a snare in our Religion, and a snare in our very love, and if feare come not in to cool and allay it, to guide and moderate it, our love may grow too warme, too saucy and familiar, and end in a bold pre∣sumption. And therefore Saint Paul, in that his parable of the Natu∣ral, and wild Olive, advising the new engrafted Gentile not to wax bold against the root, * 1.26 makes feare a remedy, be not high minded, saith he, trust not to your love of him, nor be over-bold with Gods love to you, because he hath grafted you in; but feare; and he gives his reason, for if God spared not the naturall branches, much lesse will he spare you, verse 21. Feare then of being cut off, If Saint Pauls reason be good, is the best meanes to represse in us all proud conceits, and highnesse of minde, which may wither the most fruitfull, and flourishing branch, and make it fit for nothing, but the Fire.

Thus is Feare necessary, and prescrib'd to all sorts of men, to them that are fallen, that they may rise, and to them that are risen, that they may not fall againe; for them that are weake, that they may be strong; and to those that are strong, that their strength de∣ceive them not. And yet an opinion is taken up in the world; That Feare was onely for mount Sinai; that it vanisht with that smoke, and was never heard of more, when that Trumpet was laid by: we will not have this word spoken to us any more: There is no black∣nesse, nor Darknesse, nor tempest in the Gospel, but all is to be done out of pure love; That we being delivered from our enemies, may serve him without feare. Nor is this conceit of yesterday, but the devill hath made use of it in all Ages, as of an Engine to undermine, and blow up the Truth it self, and so supplant the Gospel, which is the wisedome of God unto salvation; that so he might 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, as Gr. Nyssen speaks, sport with us, in our evill wayes, lead us on in our dance and wantonnesse of sinne, and so carry us along with musick and melody to our Destruction.

Tertullian in his book de Praescriptionibus adversus haeret. mentions a sort of Hereticks, * 1.27 who denyed that God was not to be feared at all, unde illis libera omnia, & soluta, whence they took a liberty to sinne, and let loose the reines to all impiety. Saint Hierom relates the ve∣ry same of the Marcionites, and Gnosticks, and it is probable Tertul∣lian meant them; * 1.28 for say they, Iis, qui fidem habent nihil Timendum.

If we have Faith, we may bid Feare adieu, how many, and how foul soever our sinnes be: God regards what we beleeve, not what we doe; and if our faith be true, the obliquity of our Actions cannot hurt us. After these ex eodem semine, * 1.29 from the same root sprung up the Begardi, and Begardae, and others, who from their opinion, that no sinne could endanger the state of those, who were predesti∣nated, and Justifyed, took their name, and were called praedestina∣tiani, the Praedestinarians. After these; the Libertines breath'd forth their Blasphemy, with the like Impudence, whom Calvin wrote a∣gainst, who made sinne to be nothing else but fancy and opinion; Re∣generation, a deposition and putting off all Conscience, * 1.30 a casting off all feare and scruple, and a returning into Paradise, where it was a sin to Judge between good and Evill: who if they saw a man appalled with the checks of Conscience, would cry out; Oh Adam adhuc a∣liquid cernis? Oh Adam, dost thou yet see, and discerne any thing? The old man is not yet crucified in thee; If they saw any trembling, or speak∣ing sadly of the Iudgements of God, would reprove, and passe this censure upon them; That they had yet a Taste and relish of the Apple; That that morsel would choke them. If they saw any man displeas'd with himself, and cast downe because of his sinnes, they called it, The abiding of sinne in them, and a Captivity under the sense, and motions of the flesh. With them, Sinne, The old man, The flesh, were nothing but in opinion; and not to think of sin, to put off this Opinion, was to put on the New man: and amongst us, There have been some men, so bold, or rather so frantick, as to professe it; and too many so live, as it were true; for there be more Libertines, than those, that goe under that name.

Thus hath the Divel in all ages strove, and made it is Master∣piece to pluck up Feare by the very roots, that no seed of it might remaine; to remove Custodem inocentiae, as Cyprian calls it, * 1.31 this keep∣er and preserver of Innocency, and all other Virtues, and like a subtill Captaine, first sets upon the Watch, that he may with the more ease enter the Soul of man, and so rob and spoile him of all those riches, and endowments, which are the onely price of blisse and Eternity: And in these latter dayes, he hath used the same Art, hath set up Faith, and Love, against Fear; the Gospel against Christ; and the Spirit against himself; That so Faith might die; and love wax cold; That the good tidings might make us forget our Duty, and the Spirit of Adoption, by which we cry Abba Father, blot out the memory of that lesson, which hath declar'd his Power, and Taught us, that he is a Lord.

Indeed, a weak Error it is, and it is an open and casy observati∣tion, That they who please and hugg themselves in it, are very weak, even Children in understanding. Gerson, the devour School∣man

tells us, * 1.32 it is most commonly in Women, quarum aviditas per∣tinacior in assectu, fragilior in cognitione. Whose affections common∣ly outrunne their understanding, who affect more then they know, and are then most enflamed, when they have least light, and it is in men too, and too many, who are as fond of their groundless Fan∣cies, and ill-built Opinions, as the weaknesse of that sex, could possibly make them, are as weak as the weakest of women, and have more need of the bitt and Bridle, then the Beasts that perish; what greater weaknesse can there be then to follow a blind guide, and deliver our selves up to our Fancy, and affe∣ctive Notions, and make them Masters of our Reason, and the only Interpreters of that word, which should be a lamp to our feet, and a light to our pathes? For if we check not our Fancy and Affections, they will run madding after shadows and apparitions, They will shew us nothing but Peace in the Gospel, nothing but Love in Christi∣anity; Nothing but Joy in the Holy Ghost. They will set our Love and Joy on Wheeles, and then we are straight carried up to Hea∣ven in these siery Chariots. One is Elioas, Another John Baptist; Another Christ himself. If the Virgin Mary have an Exultat, they have a Iubilee. If Saint Paul be in the Spirit, They are above it, and right Reason too; and the Spirit is theirs, if he put on that shape, which best likes them. If he be a Spirit of Counsel; we are his Secre∣taries of his Closet; and can tell what he did before all Times, and Number over his Decrees at our Fingers ends: If a Spirit of strength, we bid defiance to Principalities and Powers. If a Spirit of Wisedome, we are filled with him, the wise-men, the sages of the World, though no man could ever say so, but our selves; If a Spi∣rit of Ioy, we are in an Extasy; if of Love, we are on fire: But if he be Spiritus Timoris, a Spirit of Feare, there we leave him, and are at Ods with him; we seem to know him not; and we cannot Feare at all, because we are bold to think that wee have the Spi∣rit.

'Tis true; whilst we stand thus affected, a Spirit we have; but 'tis a Spirit of illusion, which troubles and distorts our Intelle∣ctualls, and makes us look upon the Gospel, ex adverso situ, on the wrong side, on that which may seem to flatter our infirmities, but not on that which may cure them; and as Tully told his friend, That he did not know, Totum Caesarem, all of Caesar; so we know not totum Christum, all of Christ: wee know, and con∣sider him as a Saviour, but not as a LORD, wee know him in the Riches of his Promises; but not in the Terror of his Judgements; know him in that life, he purchas'd for Re∣pentant sinners, but not in that death he threatens to Unbelee∣vers.

For to let passe the Law of works, * 1.33 we dare not come so neere as to touch at that; for we cannot endure that which was commanded; Let us well weigh and consider the Gospel it self, which is the Law of Faith; was not that establish'd and confirmed with promises of E∣ternal life, and upon penalty of Eternall Death? In the Gospel we are told of weeping and gnashing of Teeth, of a condition, worse them to the a Mill-stone hanged about our necks, and to be throwne into the bottom of the Sea, and by no other, then by the Prince of Peace, then by Christ himself, who would never have put this feare in us, if he had knowne, that our Love had had strength enough to bring us to him. And therefore in the Tenth of St. Matthews Gospel, at 28. verse, he teacheth us how we shall feare, Rectâ methodo, he teacheth us to be perfect methodists in Fear, & that we misplace not our Feare upon any Earthly Power, he sets up a Ne Timete, Feare not them that can kill the Body, and when they have done that, have done all, and can do no more; and having taken away one feare, he establisheth another, But feare him who can both cast Body and Soul in∣to Hell fire; and that we might not forget it (for such troublesome guests lodge not long in our memory) he drives it home, with an Etiam Dico, Yea, I say unto you, feare him. Now Him denotes a Per∣son, and no more, and then our feare may be Reverence, and no more; It may be Love, it may be Fancy, it may be nothing; but qui potest is equivalent to quia potest, and is the reason why we must feare him; even because he can punish. And this, I hope may free us from the Imputation of sinne, if our Love be blended with some Feare, and if in our Obedience we have an eye to the hand that may strike us, as well as to that which may fill us with good things; and if Christ, who is the Wisedome of the Father, think it fit to make the Terror of Death an argument to move us, we cannot have Folly laid to our charge, if we be moved with the Argument: Fac, Fac, saith Saint Austin, vel timore poenae, si non Potes adhuc amore justitiae. Doe it man, Doe it, if thou canst not, yet for Love, of Justice, yet for fear of punishment.

I know that of Saint Austin is true, Brevis differentia legis & Evan∣gelii Amor & Timor; Love is proper to the Gospel, and Feare to the Law; but 'tis Feare of Temporall punishment, not of Eternall, for that may sound to both, but is loudest in the Gospel: The Law had a whip to fright us, and the Gospel hath a Worm to Gnaw us. I know that the Beauty of Christ in that great Work of Love, the work of our Redemption, should transport us beyond our selves, and make us as the Spouse in the Canticles is said to be, even sick with love; but we must consider, not what is due to Christ, but what we are able to pay him, and what he is willing to Accept; not what so great a Benefit might challenge at our hands, but what our Frailty can lay downe; for we are not in Heaven already, but passing towards it

with Feare, and trembling; And he that brings forth a Christian in these colours of Love, without any mixture of Feare, doth but (as it was said of the Historian) votum accomodare non historiam, present us rather with a wish, then an History, and Character out the Christian, as Xenophon did Cyrus, Non qualis est, sed qualis esse de∣beret, not what he is, but what he should be. I confesse, thus to fear Christ, thus to be urged and chased to Happinesse, is an Argument of Imperfection: but we are Men, not Angels: We are not in hea∣ven already, we are not yet perfect, and therefore have need of this kind of remedy, as much need certainly, as our first Parents had in Paradise, who before they took the forbidden fruit, might have seen Death written and engraved on the Tree, and had they observ'd it as they ought to have done, had not forfeited the Garden for one Apple: had this Feare walked along with them before the coole of the Day, before the rushing wind, they had not heard it, nor hid themselves from God: in a word, had they Feared, they had not fell; for they fell with this Thought, that they should not fall, that they should not die at all: Imperfection, though it be to Feare, yet 'tis such an Imperfection, that leads to perfection; Imperfection though it be to Feare, yet, I am sure, it is a greater Imperfection to sin, and not to feare. It might be wished perhapps, that we were tyed and knit unto our God, quibusdam internis commerciis, as the devout School-man speaks, with those inward ligaments of Love, and Joy, and Admiration; that we had a kind of familiar acquain∣tance and intercourse with him; That as our Almes and Prayers, and fasting came up before him, to shew him what we do on earth; so there were no imper fection in us, but that God might approach so nigh unto us with the fulness of Joy, to tell us, what he is pre∣paring for us; that neither the Feare of Hell, nor the Hope of Heaven and our Salvation, but the Love of God and Goodnesse, were the only cause of our cleaving to him; That we might love God, because he is God, and hate sinne, because it is sinne, and for no other reason; that we might with Saint Paul, wish the increase of Gods Glory, though with that heavy condition of our own Re∣probation: But this is such an Heroick spirit, to which every man cannot rise, though he may at last rise as high as Heaven; this is such a condition, which we can hardly hope for, whilst we are in the flesh: we are in the body, not out of the body; we struggle with doubts, and difficulties; Ignorance and Infirmity are our Com∣panions in our way, and in this our state of Imperfection, contenti simus hoc Catone, * 1.34 we must be content to use such means, and Helpes, as the Law-giver himself will allow of; and not cast off fear, upon a Fancy that our Love is perfect (for this savours more of an Imagi∣nary, Metaphysicall subtility, of a kind of extaticall affectation of Piety, then the plaine and solid knowledge of Christian Religi∣on) but continue our Obedience, and carry on our perseverance

with the Remembrance of our last end, with this consideration; That as under the Law, there was a curse pronounced to them that fulfill it not; so under the Gospel, there is a flaming fire to take vengeance of them that obey it not. 2. Thess. 1.8.

It was a good censure of Tully, which he gave of Cato, in one of his Epistles. Thou canst not, saith he to his friend, love and Honor Cato more then I doe; but yet this I observe in him, optimo animo utens, & summâ fide nocet interdum Reip. he doth endammage the Common-wealth, but with an Honest mind, and great Fidelity; * 1.35 for he gives sentence, as if he lived in 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Platonis, non in faece Ro∣muli, in Plato's Common-wealth, and not in the dreggs, and Rascal∣try of Romulus; And we may passe the same censure on these se∣raphical Perfectionists, who will have all done out of pure Love, nothing out of Feare; They remember not, that they are in fraece Adami, the off-spring of an Arch-Rebell, that their father was an A∣morite, and their mother an Hittite, (and that the want of this Feare threw them from that state of Integrity, in which they were crea∣ted; and by that out of Paradise) and so with great ostentation of love, hinder the Progresse of Piety, and setting up to themselves an Idaea of Perfection, take off our Feare, which should be as the hand to wind up the Plummet, which should continue the motion of our Obedience; the best we can say of them, is, summâ fide, & pio ani∣mo nocent Ecclesiae; If their mind be pious, and answer the great shew they make, then with a Pious mind they wrong and trouble the Church of Christ.

For suppose I were a Paul, and did love Christ as Cato did Vir∣tue, because I could no otherwise: * 1.36 suppose I did feare sinne more then Hell, and had rather be damned, then commit it; suppose that every thought, word, and worke were Amoris foetus, the issues of my Love; yet I must not upon a speciall favour build a general Doctrine, and because love is best, make Feare unlawfull, make it sinne to feare that punishment, the Feare of which might keep me from sinne; for this were in Saint Pauls phrase 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, to put a stumbling-block in our Brothers way; with my love, to overthrow his feare; that so at last both Feare and Love may fall to the ground: for is there any that will fear sinne for punishment, if it be a sinne to Feare? What's the language of the world now? we heare of nothing, but filiall feare; and it were a good hearing, if they would understand themselves (for this doth not exclude the other, but is upheld by it:) we are as sure of happinesse, as we are of Death, but are more perswaded of the Truth of the one, then of the other; more sure to goe to heaven, then to die, and yet Death is the gate, which must let us in; we are already partakers of an Angelicall Estate; we prolong our life in our own Thoughts, to a kind of Eternity, and yet can feare nothing; we challenge a

kind of familiarity with God, and yet are willing to stay yet a while longer from him: we sport with his Thunder, and play with his Hayl-stones and Coales of fire: we entertain him as the Roman Gentleman did the Emperor Augustus, * 1.37 coenâ parcâ & quasi quotidi∣anâ, with course and Ordinary fare, as Saul in the 15. of the first of Sam. with the vile, and refuse, not with the fatlings, and best of the sheep and Oxen; Did we dread his Majesty, or think he were Jupiter vindex, a God of Revenge, with a Thunder-bolt in his hand, we should not be thus bold with him, but feare, that in wrath, and Indignation he should reply, as Augustus did, Non putaram me tibi fuisse tam familiarem; I did not think I had made my self so famili∣ar with my Creature.

I know the Schools distinguish between a servile, and Initial, and a Filial feare; there is a Feare, by which we feare not the fault, but the punishment, and a feare which feareth the punishment, and fault withall; and a Feare, which feares no punishment at all; I know Aquinas puts a difference between servile feare, and the ser∣vility of feare, as if he would take the soul from Socrates, and yet leave him a man: * 1.38 These are niceties more subtill then solid, in qui∣bus ludit animus, magis quam proficit, which may occasion discourse, but not instruct our understanding: 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, As neer as we can, let us take things as they are in themselves, and not as they are beat out, and fashion'd by the work, and business of our witts; and then it will be plaine; that though we be sonnes, yet we may feare, feare that Evill which the Father presents before us, to fright us from it; that we may make the feare of Death an Argu∣ment to Turne us, and a strong motive to confirme us in the course of our Obedience; that it is no servility to perform some part of Christs service upon those termes, which he himself allows, and hath prescribed to us. Leet us call it by what name we please (for indeed we have miscalled it, and brought it in as slavish and servile, and so branded the command of Christ himself) yet we shall find it a blessed Instrument to safeguard and improve our Piety; we shall find, that the best way to escape the Judgements of God, is, to draw them neere, even to our Eyes; For Hell is a part of our Creed, as well as Heaven; his threatnings are as loud as his promises; and could we once feare Hell as we should, we should not feare it. For I ask, may we serve God, sub intuitu mercedis, with respect unto the reward? it is agreed upon on all sides, that we may (for Mo∣ses had respect unto the recompence of the reward, and Christ himself did look upon the Joy that was set before him: * 1.39) why then not sub intuitu vindictae, upopn the fear of punishment? will God accept that service which is begun, and wrought out by the virtue and in∣fluence of the reward? and will he cast off that servant, which had an eye upon his hand, and observed him as a Lord? why then hath

God propounded both these, both reward and punishment, and bid us work on in his Vineyard, with an eye on them both, if we may not as well feare him, when he threatens, as run to meet him, when he comes towards us, and his reward with him? let us then have recourse to his Mercy-seat, but let us tremble also, and fall downe before his Tribunal, and behold his Glory and Majesty in both.

But it may be said, and some have thought it their duty to say it, that this belongs to the wicked, to the Goates to feare, but when Christ speaks to his Disciples, to his Flock, the language is, Nolite timere, feare not little flock, * 1.40 for it is your Fathers will to give you a Kingdome; 'Tis true, it is your Fathers will to give it you, and you have no reason to feare, or mistrust him; but this doth not exclude the feare of the wrath of God, nor the use of those meanes, which the Father himself hath put into our hands; not that Feare, which may be one help and Advance towards that violence, which must take it: For our Saviour doth not argue thus; It is your Fathers will to give you a Kingdome; Therefore persevere not for any fear of punishment; but the Feare, which Christ forbids, is the Feare of distrustfulness, when we feare as Peter did upon the Waters, when he was ready to sinke, and had therefore a check, and Rebuke from our Saviour, why fearest thou, oh thou of little Faith? so that fear not little Flock, is nothing else but a disswasion from infidelity. A Souldier, that puts no Confidence in himself, yet may in his Cap∣taine, if he be a Hannibal, or a Caesar, (for an Army of Harts may conquer (said Iphicrates) if a Lion be the leader) so though we may something doubt, and mistrust, because we may see much wanting to the perefection of our Actions, yet we must raise our diffidence with this perswasion, that the promise is most certaine, and that the power of Heaven and Hell cannot infringe or null it. We may mistrust our selves; for of our selves we are Nothing; but not the Promises of CHRIST, for they are yea, and A∣men.

But they are ready to reply, that the Apostle St. Paul is yet more plaine, Rom. 8.15. where he tells us, That we have not received the spirit of Bondage, to feare again, but the Spirit of Adoption, by which we cry Abba Father. And it is most true, that we have not received that Spirit; for we are not under the Law, but under Grace, we are not Jews, but Christians; nor doe we feare againe, as the Jews feared, whose eye was upon the basket, and the sword, who were curb'd, and restrain'd by the fear of present punishment; and whose greatest motives to Obedience, were drawn from Temporall respects, and Interests; who did feare the Plague, Captivity, the Philistim, the Cat∣terpillar, ad Palmerworme, and so did many times forbeare, that

which their lusts, * 1.41 and irregular Appetites were ready to joyn with; we have not received such a spirit, for the Gospel directs our look not to those things which are seene, but to those things which are not seen, and shews us yet a more excellent way; But we have received the Spirit of Adoption, we are received into that Family where little care is taken for the meat, that perisheth, where the world is made an Enemy, where we must leave the morrow to care for it self, and work out our Salvation with feare and trembling, where we must not feare what man, but what God can doe unto us, observe his hand, as that hand which can raise us up as high as Heaven, and throw us down to the lowest Pit; love him as a Father, and feare to offend him; love, and kisse the Sonne, lest he be angry; serve him without feare of any evill that can befall us here in our way; of any Enemy that can hurt us, and yet feare him as our Lord and King; for in this his grant of liberty, he did not let us loose against himself, nor put off his Majesty, that we should be so bold with him, as not to serve, but to disobey him without feare; nor doth this cut off our Filiation, our relation to him: for a good sonne may feare the wrath of God, and yet cry Abba, Father.

But then againe, we are told in Saint Iohn, In caritate non est ti∣mor; that there is no feare in love, * 1.42 but perfect love casteth out all feare, and when he saith All feare, he excepteth none; no, not the feare of punishment. * 1.43 I know Tertullian Interpreting this Text, makes this feare to be nothing else, but that lazy Feare, which is begot by a vain and unnecessary contemplation of Difficulties; the feare of a man, that will not set forward in his journey, for feare of some Lion, some perillous Beast, some horrible hardship in the way; and this is true, but not ad textum, nor doth it reach Saint Iohns meaning; which may be gathered out of the third Chapter and 16. verse, where he makes it the duty of Christians, to lay down their lives for the Brethren, as Christ laid down his life for them; and this we shall be ready to doe, if our love be perfect, cast off all feare, and lay downe our lives for them; For true love will suffer all things, and is stronger, then Death; but love doth not cast out the feare of Gods wrath, for this doth no whit impaire our love to him, but is rather the means to improve it, when we doe our duty, we have no rea∣son to feare his Anger, but yet we must alwayes feare him, that we may goe on and persevere unto the end; he will not punish us for our Obedience, and so we need not feare him, but if we break it off, he will punish us, and this thought may strengthen, and e∣stablish us in it: Let us therefore Feare, lest a promise being left us of en∣tring into his rest, any of us should come short of it, Heb. 4.1. But we may draw an answer out of the words themselves, as they lie in the Text; for 'tis true indeed, Charity casteth out all feare, but not si∣mul & semel, not at once, but by degrees: As that waxeth, our feare

waines, as that gathers strength, our feare is infeebled; & perfecta foras mittit, when our Love is perfect, it casteth it out quite. If our Sanctification were as total, as it is universal; were our obedience like that of the Angels, and could never fail, we should not then need the sight of Heaven to allure us, or Gods Thunder to affright us, but it being onely in part, though in every part, the best of Chri∣stians in this state of imperfection, may look up upon the Moriemi∣ni, make use of a Deaths-head, and make Gods Promises, and Threat∣nings as subordinate meanes to concurre with the principall; as the Butteresses to help to support the building, that it do not swerve, whilst the foundation of love and Faith keep it, that it do not sink. For a strange thing it may seem; that when with great zeal we cry down that perfection of degrees, and admit of none but that of parts, we should be so refin'd, and sublimate, as not to admit of the least tincture and admission of Feare.

Now in the next place, as Feare may consist with love, so it may with Faith, and with Hope it self, which seems to stand in oppositi∣tion with it. For first, Faith apprehends all the Attributes of God, and eyes his threatnings, as well as his Promises, and God hath esta∣blisht and fenc'd in his Precepts with them both; if he had not pro∣posed them both as objects for our Faith, why doth he yet complain? why doth he yet threaten? And if we will observe it, we shall find some Impressions of Feare, not onely in the Decalogue, but in our Creed. Iudicare vivos & mortuos, to judge both the quick and the dead, are words which sound with terror, and yet an Article of our Be∣lief; And we must not think it concerns us to beleeve it, and no more: Agenda, and credenda are not at such a distance, but that we may learne our Practiques in our Creed. His Omnipotence both com∣forts, and affrights me; his Mercy keeps me from despaire, and his Justice from presumption; but then his coming to judge both the quick and the dead, is my sollicitude, my anxiety, my feare. Nor must we Imagine, that, because the Faith, which gives assent to these Truths, may be meerly Historical, this Article concerns the justify∣ed Person no more, then a bare Relation, or a history: for the Feare of Judgement is so farre from destroying Faith in the justifyed per∣son, that it may prove a soveraigne meanes to preserve it, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, * 1.44 as Basil speaks, to order and compose our Faith, which is ready enough to take an unkind heat, if feare did not coole, and Temper it. In Prosperity, David is at his non movebor, * 1.45 I shall ne∣ver be moved; Before the storme came, Peter was so bold, as to dare and challenge all the Temptations, that could assault him, Etsi omnes, non ego, although all men deny thee, yet not I, and was puzled, * 1.46 and fell back at two or three words from a silly Maid: To keep us from such distempers, it will be good to set Gods judgements al∣wayes before our eyes.

And as Faith, so Hope, which is as the blood of the soule, to keep it in life and cheerfulness, may be over-heated; our Expectation may prove unsavoury, if it be not season'd with some graines of this salt; and Hope, like strong wine, may intoxicate and stupify our sense, if, as with water, we doe not mixe and temper it with this Fear: * 1.47 And therefore the Prophet David makes a rare compo∣sure of them both, Timentes Confidite, ye that Fear the Lord, trust in the Lord; as if, where there were no fear, there were no confidence, and without feare, there were a strange Ataxie and disorder in the soul, and our hope would breath out it self, and be no more Hope, but presumption. Navigamus, saith Saint Hierom, spei velo; we hoyse up the sayles of Hope: now if the sayles be too full, there may be as much danger in the sayle, as in a Rock, and not onely a Temptation, but our hope may wrack us: Then our Hope Sayles on in an even Course, when feare, as a contrary wind, shortens and stayes her; then inter sinus & scopulos, * 1.48 she passeth by every Rock, and by e∣very reach, tuta, si cauta: secura, si sollicita, safe if wary, and secure, if sollicitous.

To recollect all, and conclude; Thus may Feare temper our Love that it be not too bold; our faith, that it be not too forward, and our hope, that it be not too confident; make our Love Reverent, our Faith discreet, and our hope cautelous, that so we may goe on in a strait and even course, with all the Riches and substance of our Faith from Virtue to Virtue, from one degree of perfection to ano∣ther. I made Feare but a Buttresse, * 1.49 Tertullian calls it Fundamen∣tum, the Foundation of these three Theological Virtues, Faith, Hope and Charity; and when is the Foundation most necessary? not when the Timber is squaring, and the walls rising, but when it is Arched and vaulted, and compact by its several contignations, and made in∣to an house: Then, not the Raine, and the wind, and the floods, but if the Foundation be not sure, mole suâ ruit, its own weight will shake and disjoynt, and throw it downe: Then, when we are shap't, and framed, and built up to be Temples of the holy Ghost, then, Si non in timore Domini tenueris te instanter, if thou keep not thy self di∣ligently in the Fear of the Lord, in the Fear of his displeasure, his wrath, and in the fear of the last account, this house, this Temple will soon be overthrown. For as the Temple in the first of Ezra the Scribe, * 1.50 was said to be built in great joy, and great mourning, that they could not discerne the shout of joy, for the noise of weeping: So our spiritual building is rais'd, * 1.51 and supported with great hope, and great feare, and it may be sometimes we shall not discerne which is grea∣test, our feare, or our hope: but when we are strong, then are we weak; when we are rich, then are we poore; when we hope, then we feare; and our weakness upholds our strength, our poverty pre∣serves

our wealth, and our Feare tempers our hope, that our strength overthrow us not; that our riches beggar us not; that our hope overwhelme us not; quantò magis crescimus, tanto magis time∣mus, the more we increase in Virtue, the more we Feare. Thus ma∣nente Timore, stat aedificium, whilst this Butteresse, this Foundation of Feare lasts, the house stands: Thus we work out our Salvation with Feare and Trembling.

To conclude then, I speak not this to dead in any soule any of those Comforts, which faith, or Love, or Hope have begotten in them, or to choke and stifle any fruit or effect of the Spirit of love: No; I pray with S. Paul, that your love may abound 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, * 1.52 yet more and more, but as it follows there, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, in Knowledge and in all Judgement; that you may discerne things that differ one from another, a Phansy from a Reality; a flash of Love, from the pure flame of love; a notion of Faith, from a true Faith; and hope from presumption. For how many sin? how few think of punishment? how many offend God, and yet call themselves his 〈◊〉〈◊〉? how many are willfull in their disobedience, and yet per∣•…•… •…•…ory in their hope? how many runne on in their evill wayes, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 leave seare behinde them, which never overtakes them, but is furthest off, when they are neerest to their journeys end, and within a step of the Tribunal? For that which made them sinfull, makes them senseless, and they easily subborn false comforts; the •…•…knes of the flesh, which they never resisted, and the Mercy of God, which they ever abused, to chace away all fear; and so they depart (we say) in peace, but are lost for ever. * 1.53 For as the Histo∣rian observes of men in place, and Authority, Cum se fortunae per∣mittunt etiam naturam dediscunt, when they rely wholly upon their greatness and Authority, they lose their very Nature, and turne Savage, and quite forget that they are men; in like manner it be∣falls these spiritualized men, who build up to themselves a pillar of assurance, and leane and rest themselves upon it, they lose their nature, and reason, and forget to feare, or be disconsolate, and be∣come like those whom the Philosopher calls 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, because their boast was, they did not feare a Thunder-bolt.

Feare not them that can kill the body, saith our Saviour; whom doe they feare else? who hath beleeved our report? or to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? That arme which breaketh the Cedars of Li∣banus in peeces: That Arme, which onely doth wondrous works, is ever lifted up, and we sport, and walk delicately under it, when we tremble, and Couch under that, which is as ready to wither, as to strike. Behold Dust and Ashes invested with Power: Behold man, who is of as neere kin to the worme and Corruption, as our selves, and see how he aws us, and bounds us, and keeps us in on every

side; If he say, Do this, we doe it, Subscribe to that as a Truth, which we know to be false, make our yea, nay, and our nay, yea; renounce our understandings, and enslave our wills, change our Religion, as we do our clothes, and fit them to the Times and Fashion; pull down resolutions, cancell Oathes; be votaries to day, and breake to morrow; surrender up our soules and bodies; Deliver up our Con∣science, in the midst of all its Cryings and Gain-sayings, and lay it down at the foot of a fading, transitory Power, which breathes it self forth as the wind, whilst it seeks to destroy, which threatens, strikes, and then is no more. When this Lion roares, every man is afraid, is transelemented, unnaturalized, unman'd, is made wax to receive any impression from a mighty, but mortall hand; and shall not the God of heaven and earth, who can dash all this Power to nothing, deserve our feare? shall we be so familiar with him, as to contemne him? so love him, as to hate him? shall a shadow, a vapor, awe us; and shall we stand out against Omnipotency and Eternity it self? shall sense, brutish sense prevaile with us more, then our Reason or Faith? and shall we crosse the method of God, make it our Wisedome to feare man, and count it a sin to feare God? who is only to be feared? this were to be wiser, then Wisedom it self, which is the greatest folly in the World.

I have brought you therefore to this 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, to this School of feare, set up the Moriemini, shewd you a Deaths-Head to disci∣pline and Catechise you, that you may not die, but live, and Turne from your evill wayes, and Turne unto him, who hath the keyes of hell and of Death, who as he is a Saviour, so is he also a Judge, and hath made Feare one Ingredient in his Physick, not onely to purge us, but to keep us in a healthfull Temper, and Constitution.

And to this, * 1.54 if not the danger of our soules, yet the noise of those who love us not, may awake us. Stapleton, a Learned man, but a malitious Fugitive, layes it as a charge against the Preachers of the Reformed Churches, that they are copious and large in setting forth the Mercies of God, but they passe over Graviora Evangelit, the harsher; but most necessary passages of the Gospel, suspenso pe∣de, lightly, and as it were on their Tiptoes, and goe softly, as if they were afraid to awake their hearers: That we are mere solifi∣dians, and rely upon a reed, a hollow and an empty faith. Bellarmine is loud, that we doe per contemplationem volare, hover as it were on the wings of Contemplation, and hope to goe to heaven in a Dreame. Pamelius in his notes upon Tertullian, is bold upon it, That the Primitive Church did Anathematize us in the Marcionists, and Gnostiques, and if they were Hereticks, then we are so. And what shall we now say? Recrimination is rather an objection, then an Answer, and it will be against all rules of Logick, to conclude our

selves Good, because they are worse; or that we have no Errors, be∣cause they have so many, and that none can Erre but he, that sayes he cannot, and for which we call him Antichrist; This bandying of Censures and Curses hath been held up too long with some loss and injury to Religion, on both sides; Our best way certainly to confute them, is by our practice; so to live, that all men say, The Feare of God is in us of a Truth, to weave Love and Feare into one Peece, to serve the Lord in feare, and rejoyce in Trembling, * 1.55 ut sit timor exultans, & exultatio tremens; that there may be Trembling in our Joy, and Joy in our Feare: not to Divorce Jesus from the LORD, nor the Lord from Jesus; not to Feare the Lord the lesse for Jesus, nor love Jesus the less for the Lord, but to joyne them both together, and place Christ in the midst; and then there will be a pax vobis, peace unto us; his Oyntment shall drop upon our Love, that it be not too bold, and distill upon our Feare, that it faint not, and end in despaire; that our Love may not consume our Feare, nor our Fear chill our love: but we shall so Love him, that we do not Despaire, so Fear him, that we do not presume, That we may Feare him as a Lord, and love him as Jesus; and then when he shall come in Glory to Judge both the quick and the dead, we shall find him a Lord, but not to affright us; and a Jesus to save us; our Love shall be made perfect; All doubting taken from our Faith; nay, Faith it self shall be done away, and the feare of Death shall be swallowed up in Victory, and we who have made such use of Death in its re∣presentation, shall never dye, but live for evermore.

And this we have learnt from the Moriemini: Why will you Die?

Notes

• * 1.1

  Job. 18.16.
• * 1.2

  Clem. Alexand. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• * 1.3

  Arist. Rhet. 2. c. 6.
• * 1.4

  Wisd 17.11. Curt.
• * 1.5

  Curt. l. 1.
• * 1.6

  Vit. Pompon Attici.
• * 1.7

  Genes. 42.
• * 1.8

  Aristot. Rhet. 2. c. 6.
• * 1.9

  Luke 16.3.
• * 1.10

  Luke 14.31.
• * 1.11

  Plin. Epist.
• * 1.12

  Bas. in Psal. 32.
• * 1.13

  Plat. l. de Rep.
• * 1.14

  Basan Ps. 31. Tert. de poenit. c. 6.
• * 1.15

  2 Cor. 5.11.
• * 1.16

  Juvenal.
• * 1.17

  1 Pet. 5.6.
• * 1.18

  Psal. 78.34.
• * 1.19

  Tract. 1. in Psalm c. 8.
• * 1.20

  Chrysost. l. 1. de compunct. c. 4. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• * 1.21

  Isa. 38.14.
• * 1.22

  Rom. 14.10.
• * 1.23

  Hier. 1. Tom. ep. 141.
• * 1.24

  Pont. Diac. vit. Cypr.
• * 1.25

  Greg. l 6. Mer. c. 27. Ecclus. 9.13.
• * 1.26

  Rom. 11.20.
• * 1.27

  c. 43.
• * 1.28

  In 4. Hos.
• * 1.29

  J. Gers. T. 1.
• * 1.30

  Calvin. contra Errores Ana∣baptist arum.
• * 1.31

  Epist. ad Do∣masum.
• * 1.32

  Mulieres om∣nes propter infirmitaetem consilii m••jo∣res nostri in Tutorum po∣testate esse vo∣luerunt. Cice∣ro pro Mutae∣na.
• * 1.33

  Heb. 12.20.
• * 1.34

  Dictum Augu∣sti cum horta∣retur ferenda esse praesentia qualiacun{que} sunt. Suet. Octav. August. c. 87.
• * 1.35

  l. 2. ad Attic. ep. 1.
• * 1.36

  Nunquam recte fecit ut faces videretur, sed quià aliter fa∣cere non pote∣rat. Vell. ra∣tere. l. 2. Hist.
• * 1.37

  Macrobius in Saturnal.
• * 1.38

  Senec ep.
• * 1.39

  Heb. 11.26. Heb. 12.2.
• * 1.40

  Luke. 12.32.
• * 1.41

  2 Cor. 4.18.
• * 1.42

  1 John 4.18.
• * 1.43

  l. de fugâ in persecutione.
• * 1.44

  Bas. in Ps. 32.
• * 1.45

  Ps. 30.6.
• * 1.46

  Matth. 26.
• * 1.47

  Psal. 115.11.
• * 1.48

  Psal. 115.11. Tert. de Idol. c. ult.
• * 1.49

  Tert. de cult. Foem. c. 2.
• * 1.50

  Ecclus. 27.3.
• * 1.51

  Inter Apocr. cap. 5. ver. 64, 65.
• * 1.52

  Phil. 1.9.
• * 1.53

  Curtius de Alexand.
• * 1.54

  Promptuor. Moral.
• * 1.55

  Hilar. in Fs. 2.