when a sheepe seemed to them as big as an oxe in the late Queenes dayes publisht in print that * Answer to the libel of Engl iust pag. 176. 185. By the vncertainty of the next heire our Countrey was in the most dreadfull and desperate case in the greatest miserie and most dangerous termes that euer it was since or before the Conquest and in farre worse then any Countrey of Christendome by the certainty of most bloudy ciuill and forrein warres all our wealth and felicitie whatsoeuer depending vpon a few vncertaine dayes of Queene Elizabeths life and such as hoped otherwise he calles common persons and thriftlesse yonkers And this was the generall cry and expectation of them all that what we now see to the contrarie through Gods infinite mercie against their conspiracies may seeme a dreame and our meeting this day to celebrate this mercie may seeme a fancie or delusion of our senses And indeed for men to be thus mistaken in their sleepe it is ordinarie For Esay 29. 8. A hungry man dreames and behold he eateth a thirstie man dreames and lo he is drinking and yet when they wake their soule is empty Chrysost For such is the nature of dreaming 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is full of deceit and will set vs a playing with monsters 2 But that which we are about is neither dreame nor delusion nor are you asleepe but waking and you really enioy vnder your hands all that you thinke on and see a wonder beyond any euer dreamt of and it is day euen cleare day-light one of the lightsomest that euer shined on our nation the Sunne is vp and hath shewed vs the vnspeakeable mercies of our God Psal 118.24 This is the day which the Lord hath made we will reioyce and be glad therein And long may this day endure like the day of Iosuah when the Sunne stood still in Gibeon and the Moone in the valley of Aialon Let the tender mercies of God euermore enlighten it with the day-spring from aboue let eternitie embrace it and claspe it round about that it may be ioyned with the daies of heauen and measured together with eternitie let clouds nor mists nor stormes nor tempest nor the smoke of the bottomlesse pit euer ouershadow it nor the darke night tread vpon it let it shew the paths of righteousnesse and the wayes of God to all people in the light thereof let vs see long peace and the continuance of true religion the amendment of our liues and the downefall of Antichrist Write this day as a Ep. ad Magnes Ignatius saith of another day the Lady and mistris of all other dayes the blessed day which the Lord hath made therein to shew the riches of his mercies to the vnworthiest nation that euer was God grant we may be able to reioyce b Tertul. apol Conscientia non lasciuia not lasciuiously but righteously c Euthym. in Psal 117. vt celebrem Deo ac splendidam solemnitatem agamus that we may make our solemnity such as the goodnesse and greatnesse of God requireth 3 To which purpose the words of my text do fully instruct vs. They are an admonition touching the matter of prayer wherein the Apostle requires that without limitation we pray and giue thankes for all men but namely for Kings and publike Magistrates and such as are eminent in the State that the Gospell may be propagated peace vertue and iustice may be maintained For Prou. 29. When good men are in authoritie the people shall reioyce but when the wicked beare rule the land mournes And Esay 49. Kings shall be thy nourishers and Queenes thy nurses when God will put his Church into the hands of the Magistrate as it were to nurse let thankes be rendred to him for his ordinance and supplication and prayers and intercession be made for their continuance in well doing that the State vnder them may be in peace and be gouerned iustly and religiouslie He complaines immediatly before of some that lately by their apostacie from their religion had hindred the Gospell and in dammaged the Church had there bene a Christian zealous Emperour a Constantine a Theodosius a Iouinian a Iohn Fredericke this either had not fallen out or had not done so much hurt now in this want all that could be done was to excommunicate which being too little for the remouing of so great a mischiefe he exhorts and requires that principallie aboue all things a care be had in the Church that prayer and thanksgiuing be made for all men that no man fall from faith and a good conscience and namely for Kings and Magistrates that such as fall being suppressed by the secular power the peace and quietnesse the pietie and honestie of Church and State may be preserued This is the sense and connexion of the text 4 Wherein our Apostle affirmes three things First the exercise that he would haue vsed Secondly the matter of this exercise Thirdly the end why we should thus exercise The exercise is prayer The matter of this prayer for all men and namely for Kings and Magistrates The end why that we may leade a quiet and calme life in godlinesse and honestie In handling whereof you will soone perceiue me to omit many points that are incident but I must attend vpon the time and will aime onely at the occasion 5 First the exercise commended is prayer and thanksgiuing For 2. Cor. 10.4 the weapons of our warfare are not carnall but mightie where Saint Chrysostome notes vpon that place not our wealth or power or flattering of our selues can saue vs but the power of God This duty is expressed in foure termes supplication prayer intercession thanksgiuing The streame of Doctors and expositors old and new commonly distinguish these as foure seuerall kindes of prayer albeit they scarce agree in defining thē The most receiued distinction is that supplications are for the pardon of our sins Prayers the vow and promise that we make to God touching the amendment of our life Intercession when we pray for others Thanksgiuing when we praise his Name for the graces he bestowes vpon vs. Others who seeme to come nearer the point expound them thus when we pray God to turne away euill this is supplication when to giue vs the good we need this is prayer when we simply craue any thing whatsoeuer this is intercession when we blesse God for his mercies this is thanksgiuing For my owne part I thinke it more probable and easier to defend that the Apostle intends no such diuision in regard of the matter of Prayer but onely to commend the same thing in diuerse words according to the custome of the Scripture for howsoeuer prayer and thanksgiuing may be distinguished yet the rest either cannot by reason they do all of them essentially include each other or are not in this place by reason the definitions assigned will not so aptly sute with the Text. I will therefore follow * In
For though good Kings neuer so willingly as the Sunne yeeld their light and comfort to the State yet bad persons about and vnder them not louing the Gospell nor iustice but aiming at their owne priuate ends like clouds or malignant starres may come betweene and hinder the influence Besides their example drawes like Adamant and their integritie is so needfull that vnder the best Princes that euer were that part of the State hath alway droopt and withered that bad officers haue meddled with As on the contrarie the vertue of the inferiour Magistrate hath oftentimes qualified the errours and distempers of violent tyrants as we may perceiue in the gouernement of Iehoash of Iuda u 2. Reg. 12.2 of whom it is said that He did that which was right in the sight of the Lord all the dayes wherein Iehoiadah the Priest instructed him This is the reason why the Church must pray for Kings and all in authoritie vnder them 11 Learne here that gouernement and eminency is of God by his owne ordinance for the benefite of mankind and maintenance of ciuill societie else the Apostle would not haue tied vs to pray for them Yea he saith expresly Rom. 13.1 There is no power but of God the powers that be are ordained of God therefore God giueth them his owne names and titles and sets them in a throne like himselfe And x Mat. 4. the Diuell making an offer to Christ that he would giue him All the kingdomes of the world promised more then he had either right or power to performe But here we must distinguish There are foure things in a King and euery one that is in authoritie First his person wherein he partakes in the common nature of all other men and liues and dies like them Secondly his power and royall dignitie This is of God whosoeuer he be that hath it whether a good Prince or a Tyrant a Nero or a Constantine one or other Thirdly his coming to his power This also is of God when it is by lawful meanes without vsurpation else not For he that ordaines the power alloweth not the vsurpation of it Fourthly the vse of this power which being iust and godly and right is also of God but the abuse of it by tyrannie or idolatry or iniustice for example is not so for God allowes no power to ouerrule his owne Law Our Anabaptists therefore and such as are enemies to Monarchie and all conspirators Assasines rebelles and turbulent persons are beasts and enemies to Gods ordinance and to nature For saith Philo He that liues vnder a law is a citizen of the world the reason whereof he giues 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He rules his actions according to the rule of nature For albeit the Magistrate sometimes step into his place and vse it vnlawfully yet still the place is of diuine ordinance and the meanes to reforme what is amisse is still to pray for Kings and all in authoritie And not onely the King himselfe is of God but all the eminency and distinction of authoritie that is vnder him his Nobles his Councellers his Iudges his Magistrates his Officers his Courts are all of God to maintaine his State and royaltie and to manage the affaires of the Common-wealth which one man cannot do and it is but a sauage and popular humour to backbite or despise this eminency in whom soeuer Those rhymes When Adam delued and Eue span c. were liker to be made in Wat Tylers campe then any where else and the practise of Libelling against Magistrates and great persons at this day that neither the liuing can walke nor the dead sleepe cannot be iustified If any thing be amisse there is cause rather of sorrow then laughter and it is fitter to pray then to lay our heads together at a scurrilous Pasquill which tending to nothing but the bringing of authoritie into contempt and disgrace the end may be the ouerthrow of all at the last when nothing is more dangerous in a State then for Statesmen to lose their reputation and the Stage and Poet with ieastes and Satyres to deride sinne which by the Bishops and Pastors of the Church is grauely and seuerely to be reproued It is true indeed that among the Greekes in veteri Comoedia the persons of men were taxed but they were Barbarians whom Christians must not imitate and the Magistrates thereby were disgraced and the rude people armed against them to the ruine of the best men as we haue examples in Socrates and others and therefore the best States put them all downe 12 I come now to the last point of my text which is the thing prayed for or the end why we pray for Kings That we may leade a quiet and peaccable life in all godlinesse and honestie In which words he names the thing with the conditions thereof The thing is peace the conditions are peace with godlinesse peace with honestie in their latitude All godlinesse all honestie For peace without these things is no good or durable peace but will deceiue the State that trusteth to it Is it peace a 2. Reg. 9.22 saith Iehoram but Iehu answered What peace so long as the whoredomes of Iezabel and her witch-crafts remaine We must therefore pray for peace with godlinesse and honestie This peace hath two degrees in the text the first is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Publike quietnesse when the State is secured neither wars nor garboiles nor faction nor conspiracies troubling it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Varinus Quietnesse is the securitie of the State from feare The next is peace tranquillity of euery mans priuate state when no storme beating the publike he liues at rest in his priuate and hath Vsum fructum communis pacis The vse and profite of the publike peace An image wherof we haue in the dayes of Solomon b 1. Reg. 4.25 They dwelt confidently euery man vnder his vine and vnder his fig-tree from Dan to Beershebah The want whereof gaue occasion to a seruant of the Emperour Adrians when he died to write vpon his graue stones Here he lies that died an old man and yet liued but seuen yeares because after he was out of his infancie all the rest of his life was beaten with labour and vnquietnesse The godlinesse mentioned is the true faith and right seruice and worship of God by true religion when the same is nourished in the State as in the dayes of those Kings that put downe the groues and altars built to Baal Honesty supposes euery vertue that maintaines ciuill societie and gouerns the outward life of the subiect the contrarie whereof is riot disorder vnseemlinesse in manners These are the things to be aimed at in gouernement and for the obtaining whereof we must pray and giue thankes for Kings and all in authoritie 13 Note first that the best and principallest things that can betide any people is the maintenance of true religion and godlinesse and the preseruation of peace and outward honestie in
euen to hell their painting their nakednesse their inconstancy in all fashions their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the instruments of dissolutenesse their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Nazianzen speaketh The sophistrie of their lockes turning their head into a stage for men to looke at But this is nothing Feare they not him that hath made heauen and earth and hath throwne into sudden miserie and knockt downe before their eyes as gallant as themselues in the top of their pride Feare they not sickenesse disgrace a loathsome age O why art thou proud ô dust and vanitie vile earth stinch lapped vp in silke magnified dongue guilded rottennesse golden damnation Do you not consider I will yet once more vrge the point if paraduenture any pietie any remorse any grace any memorie of Gods loue be left among vs do you not consider what hauocke ye make of Gods good gifts that should be spent to better purposes relieuing the poore keeping house paying of debts bringing vp your children Do you neuer call to minde the pretiousnesse of the time spent about these things when scarce one houre in twentie foure and twenties is bestowed in humble prayer and true repentance vpō your knees in your closet vnto God see you not what a banner you display of a vaine minde that minds nothing but these trifles how you confound all order and states by going beyond your calling what occasions of sinne and vncleannesse you offer to your selues and others how you deface Gods workmanship your bodies as if he made them vnperfect and you would mend them Non cogitat vanitatem vniuersi qui vniuersas vanitates cogit in cutem suam Such as hang vpon their skinne the vanitie of all things little remember the vanitie of euery thing And so I come to the second principall part of my text 18 Wherein the Apostle charges them touching the vse of their riches To do good to be rich in good workes readie to distribute willing to communicate He admouisheth them of three points First the substance to do good Secondly the quantitie to be rich in doing good Thirdly the qualitie to be ready and willing to do this Touching the first point it is to be obserued that our Apostle doth not particularly expresse and name any thing as almes or lending or contributing this or that way which yet they are bound vnto in expresse termes elsewhere but onely in generall he bids them not withhold their riches but communicate distribute them to all good purposes and be good and godly as well as rich yea abound in godlinesse as much as they do in wealth and prosperitie The substance is do good distribute communicate euery way the first word imports all good whatsoeuer belongs to a Christian life pietie holinesse iustice integritie religion all godlinesse The other two distribute and communicate that good which properly is expected from rich men that none else can do The proper good of fire is to warme the good of water is to wash cleanse the good of meate to feede the good of Physicke to cure and the proper and speciall good of rich men is to helpe and relieue by communicating and distributing where there is want either among the poore or in the Church or in the Common wealth The which goodnesse our Apostle most wisely opposes against the manifold euil that they may do For a great man with his riches may do much hurt he may oppresse the State wherein he liues twenty waies by ingrossing by inhansing by monopolies by vsury he may oppresse his enemie peruert iustice giue bad example hinder religion support heresie beare out himselfe in any wickednesse for A gift in the bosome prospers which way soeuer it goes This is it that hath filled this Citie and all the world with oppression and bloudshed and whordome and Atheisme and Papistrie and blasphemie that a great man may do what he list because his riches affoord him the meanes and are a bush at his backe This is it that makes the name of riches so odious in the Scripture and rich folke so suspected in the world And this is it that causes many a man to seeke after greatnes and authoritie and place and promotion that he might be able to execute the lusts of his heart as many loue to be mending the fire not because they care for mending it but because they would warme their fingers From all this the Apostle reuokes vs to the doing of good This is the substance 19 The quantitie is rich in good the qualitie readie and willing In which words he teacheth how to conditionate our distribution there must be Plenty and chearefulnesse First they must be rich and plentifull as God hath bene to them He giues richly all things and expects that we should distribute richly againe This is done when first we cast our eyes vpon all sorts of good that is to be done the poore in extremitie must be holpen orphans and aged must be prouided for our poore friends that are behind hand prisoners and distressed housholders yong tradesmen that want stocks must be thought on We must be ready to helpe forward any publike good Churches highwaies bridges feede the hungry to cloathe the naked to prouide for the miserable Many a poore child is cast naked by death and pouertie of friends vpon the world it weeps in want and yet knowes not it owne miserie many a young man and woman in their want are ready to fall into desperate courses many an honest housholder doth all he is able and yet ouercharged cannot rescue himselfe from secret want pinching debts heauie sighs O happie hand that helpes here and happie abundance that supplies all this want a poore child by this meanes becomes an honest man and somtimes a great ornament to his countrey and the distressed are enabled either to ouercome or comfortably to beare their affliction Make the picture of this Mercie in a table and hang it in your houses let it be a virgine faire and louely her garments greene and orient a crowne of gold vpon her head the teares of compassion bolting at her eyes pitie and ruth sitting in her face Let her paths be milke where she sets her foote let plentie lie in her lap and multitudes of people draw their breath from her Let her giue sight to the blind and feete to the lame and strength and comfort to the miserable Let the earth giue her all his riches and the heauens their influence Let her make the Sunne to shine the day to rise the clouds to raine the earth to be fruitfull At her right hand place the Angels of heauen protecting at her left hand all Gods mercies attending Vnder her feete the diuell and couetousnesse Let pride follow her in bands let oppression and enuie and selfe-loue and vnlawfull gaines flie from her presence and write vpon her breast in golden letters O bona Charitas alumna coeli corona soli haeres vitae medicina mortis ô bona Charitas
21 Let me yet put you in minde of some things that possible might be mended The common prisons of this Citie they say are the dens of much mischiefe some that haue long lien in them set vp a schoole of wickednesse and teach the rest impudencie So that which is Gods ordinance for reformation becomes a meanes to bring them to further naughtinesse It were a worke inferiour to no other if they were continually and ordinarily visited by godly Preachers appointed therunto that should preach vnto them catechise them and see their order and make relation therof to the Magistrate Besides such prisons as haue Iesuites and Romish Seminaries in them are daily visited by Recusants who bring their friends with them for conference And so by that meanes they are seduced and others confirmed in papistrie Popish bookes are scattered abroad and more hurt is done in the prison notwithstanding the care of the Magistrate then abroad They which are in authoritie can tell how to order them better then I but it were much good to Religion if that generation were a little more restrained The King of Meth sometime in Ireland vpon an occasion not much vnlike this asked one how certaine noisome birds that came flying into the realme and bred there might be destroyed who answered him Nidos eorum vbique destruendos The way to be rid of them was to destroy their nests If you will shew any zeale in rooting out papistry and desire to rid the Citie of it the nests and cages where the Iesuits and Masse priests and shut vp and breede must be looked vnto both priuate houses and the common prisons where these vncleane birds are better entertained then honester men and truer subiects 22 And whereas subsidies and loanes of money and other taxations when neede is are part of those duties wherby the goods and wealth of the subiect is communicated to the State let me say something of that too It is a thing that wee should readily yeeld to A good King is no burden to his State if it be considered that whatsoeuer the stomacke receiues from the mouth is for the benefit of the whole body The Magigistrate is eyes to the blinde feete to the lame father to the poore watchman to the common wealth Iob. 29.15 whiles priuate men sit in rest without care or feare of the enemie which he cannot be without these things It is reported that the principall cause of the losse of the Greeke Empire by the late conquest which the Turke made of the famous Constantinople was the churlishnesse of the subiect toward their Emperour the siege was foresene and motions were made for contribution toward the repaire of the walles and certaine militarie charges but the subiect drew backe and pleaded want vntill it was too late and the Citie lost what time the Turke entring and finding so much wealth in priuate mens houses amazed lift vp his hands to heauen and asked what they meant that had so much wealth to suffer themselues to be thus destroyed onely for want of vsing it When I remember the benefits that God gaue vs when he brought his Maiesty in his rare constancie in maintaining Religion and exposing himselfe and his children to the furie of the diuell and his Agents for our sakes and when I thinke vpon the libertie that the Gospell and Iustice obtaine vnder him and when I reade now and then in my bookes of the vast and wofull confusion that many a people liues in in comparison of vs I wish that in lieu hereof his gracious Highnes as long as he liues might receiue all contentement from vs againe For all wise men know that the welfare of kingdomes flowes from the goodnes of the King And therefore his Maiestie is worthy of all he hath and more and we may with comfort contribute to his charges that we do and if it were more And so I come to the last part 23 Wherein he admonishes touching the end why rich men must do all this and the state whereto they shall rise thereby That they may lay vp in store for themselues a good foundation against the time to come that they may lay hold vpon eternall life The meaning is that this is the way to bring themselues to eternall happinesse for God is righteous and will reward vnto euerie man that he well doth Gen. 4. If thou do well shalt thou not be rewarded He would haue no man thinke that God will recompence euill for weldoing or forget mercie and compassion Deus reddit bona pro bonis quia bonus est mala pro malis quia iustus est bona pro malis quia bonus iustus est tantùm non reddit mala pro bonis quia iniustus non est sayes Augustine God renders good things for good for he is good euil things for euill for he is iust good things for euill because he is good and iust onely he rewards not euill for good because he is not vniust And the way to recouer this reward is to be rich in the worke of the Lord 1. Cor. 15. For by this meanes an entrance into the euerlasting kingdome shal be richly ministred vnto vs. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In steed of these riches we shall be rewarded according to Gods riches Aeterna aeternus tribuit mortalia cōfert mortalis diuina Deus peritura caducus sayes Prudentius 24 This promise auouches three things First that there is a time to come an eternall life For many rich are so besotted with the present time of this life that they thinke there is no other or if there be yet they desire it not but abandon themselues ouer to the present Thus the rich man Luk. 12. I will say to my soule Thou hast much goods layed vp for many yeares liue at ease take thy pleasure and Psal 17. Dauid mentioneth some whose Portion is in this life that is which looke no further but our Apostle propounds vnto them the time to come wherof it stands euery man in hand to haue regard for as the tree falls so it lyes sayes Solomon Eccle. 11. Secondly he affirmes the foundation of eternitie to be laid here that all such as will enioy the life to come lay hold vpon it in this life There is no question of this point For Abraham tells the rich man being in hell torments Remember that thou in thy life time receiuedst thy pleasures and likewise Lazarus paine therefore he is glorified and thou tormented And the Apostle requiring them to lay a good foundation implyes that the state of the next life followes the state of this as the vpper building followes the foundation If we liue well that is a good foundation if wickedly and disobediently that is a bad foundation For Iob 4. They that plow iniquitie and sow wickednesse shall reape the same This life is the field wherein he must sow that will reape the vineyard wherein he must labour that will receiue wages the race wherein
he must runne that will be crowned the mart time wherein he must occupie his talent that will be a gainer the warfare wherein he must fight valiantly that will be rewarded Iohn 9. The night approches wherin no man can work Thirdly he affirmes that as there is a time a life to come the foundation wherof is to be layed in this life so humilitie of minde and mercie and goodnesse and readinesse in distributing is the way to apprehend it and come vnto it and all rich men thereby haue readie and infallible way vnto saluation So saith S. Iohn 1. Epist 3.14 By this we know we are translated from death to life if we loue our brethren And therefore our Sauiour Luk. 16. bids Make you friends with your riches that they your friends by exhibiting your almes may receiue and make way for you to enter into euerlasting habitations But of all other the 25 of Matthew shewes this most plainely where our blessed Sauiour shall say at the day of iudgement to the godly Come ye blessed c. And this is the reason why almes and mercie and all good workes are so commended in the Scripture and in the Fathers and haue those high titles giuen vnto them because they are the things which God hath appointed vs to walk in for the working out of our saluation 25 For the better vnderstanding of which point and that you may see the venime which the Church of Rome hath put into the doctrine of Almes and all Good works you must note that for the bringing man to heauen and happinesse two things must be done First Gods iustice must be satisfied and the price be paied which man through his sinne owes to God For God hauing giuen the Law for man to keepe entirelie in thought word and deede and man hauing broken this law by his sinne the iustice of God is such that he cannot now be saued till the price be paied for this sinne and a iust and full satisfaction be made to God for the breach of this law the which no man can do by almes or prayers or any good workes but by faith in Christ whose death and obedience alone iustifieth from the law But then secondly when Christ our Sauiour hath reconciled vs to his Father and eleuated vs into a new state that our sinnes are pardoned and obtained for vs the gift of eternall life yet still we must performe the conditions and walke the way prescribed in the Gospell As if the King freely without desert of mine at the mediation of another giue me a place about him and neuer so much right vnto it yet I am bound if I will enioy it to come vnto him and do the things that the place requireth and if he giue me a tree growing in his forrest this his gift tyes me to be at cost to cut it downe and bring it home if I will haue it and when I haue done I cannot brag that by my comming and seruice I merited the place or by my cost in carrying the tree made my selfe worthy of the tree as the Iesuites speake of their workes but onely my deed is the way that leades to the fruition of that which is freely giuen me And there cannot be produced a place in all the Scripture nor a sentence in all the Fathers which extend our works any further or make them exceede the latitude of a meere condition or way whereby we walke to that which not themselues but the bloud of Christ hath deserued The Prophet Dauid was a holy man and mercifull to the poore yet when he comes to the point of meriting Psalme 143. he desires God Not to enter into iudgement with him for no flesh is righteous in his sight And that which might giue an end to this controuersie for euer Apoc. 4.10 we reade the foure and twenty Elders had crownes vpon their heads but yet when they came into the presence of God to worship him They cast them downe before his Throne and cried Thou alone art worthy Againe within the same latitude of our workes the Apostle saith that thereby We lay hold vpon eternall life because as they are the way so they giue confidence and assurance to the conscience and lay through hope the ground of saluation in our minde For as he that keepes the way is sure to come to the end so he that perseueres in the way of a good life is sure to come to eternall life and hath confidence not because he thinkes his workes are worthy or deserue it but because he knowes they are the way 1. Ioh. 3. If our heart condemne vs not we haue confidence toward God Saint Ierome writes of Hilario a holy man that when he died and felt a motion of feare he checkt himselfe Egredere anima mea egredere quid times Septuaginta prope annis servisti Christo iam times March on my soule and set forward willingly why fearest thou these seuentie yeares thou hast serued God and wilt thou be now afraid For as in a clocke the finger makes not the clocke to go but the clocke it and yet it shewes how the clocke goes within So our works And as after a long sicknesse when a man feeles his stomacke come his strength and sleepe to amend and his sits to abate he beginneth to conceiue certaine hope of life euen so our workes are the signes of our election and the forerunners of saluation whereby we lay hold on it by hope and faith and walke toward it This is the Apostles meaning 26 Let vs come to some application of it and so end When the foundation of eternall happinesse is to be laid in this world by liuing godly and such as will enioy heauen must lay hold vpon it in this life they much forget themselues that by liuing in sinne and wickednesse lay the foundation of their owne destruction For Iob saith of euery wicked man 20.11 that His bones shall be filled with his sinne and it shall couch downe with him in the dust and 1. Ioh. 3.8 Let no man deceiue you with vaine words he that doth wickedly is a wicked man and of the diuell Euery man thinkes to haue eternall life and yet few lay any foundation for it If euer it were a time to cry out of sinne this is it wherein the Preachers may say with the Angel in Zach. 1. We haue gone through the world and behold all the world sitteth still and is at rest And it cannot be said of vs as it was of the Amorites that Their wickednesse is not yet complete Gen. 15. For we see sinne to be of that eleuation that there is scarce left any roome for the mercie of God to helpe vs. There are foure things that shew sinne to be complete and nothing wanting but the terrible iudgements of God to be daily looked for First when the sinnes are great like the sinnes of the Gentiles Atheisme whoredome Sodomie bloudshed oppression These are crying sinnes and there