duty bound me, for the fuller satisfying of minds. Wherein I have walked, as with reverence, so with fear: with reverence in regard of our fathers, which lived in former times; not without fear, considering them that are alive.

38. I am not ignorant, how ready men are to feed and soothe up themselves in evil. Shall I (will the man say, that loveth the present world more than he loveth Christ), shall I incur the highest displeasure of the mightiest upon earth? shall I hazard my goods, endanger my estate, put myself into jeopardy, rather than to yield to that which so many of my fathers embraced, and yet found favour in the sight of God? "Curse ye Meroz (saith the Lord), curse her inhabitants, because they helped not the Lord, they helped him not against the mighty." If I should not only not help the Lord against the mighty, but help to strengthen them that are mighty against the Lord; worthily might I fall under the burden of that curse, worthy I were to bear my own judgment: but, if the doctrine which I teach be a flower gathered in the garden of the Lord, a part of the saving truth of the gospel, from whence notwithstanding poisonous creatures do suck venom; I can but wish it were otherwise, and content myself with the lot that hath befallen me, the rather, because it hath not befallen me alone. St. Paul taught a truth, and a comfortable truth, when he taught, that the greater our misery is, in respect of our iniquities, the readier is the mercy of God for our release, if we seek unto him; the more we have sinned, the more praise, and glory, and honour, unto him that pardoneth our sin. But mark what lewd collections were made hereupon by some: "Why then am I condemned for a sinner?" And the apostle, (as we are blamed, and as some affirm that we say, "Why do we not evil that good may come of it?") he was accused to teach that which ill-disposed people did gather by his teaching, though it were clean not only beside, but against his meaning. The apostle addeth, "Their condemnation (which thus do) is just." I am not hasty to apply sentences of condemnation: I wish from my heart their conversion, whosoever are thus perversely affected. For I must needs say, their case is fearful, their estate dangerous, which harden themselves, presuming on the mercy of God towards others. It is true, that God is merciful, but let us beware of presumptuous sins. God delivered Jonah from the bottom of the sea; will you therefore cast yourselves headlong from the tops of rocks, and say in your hearts, God shall deliver us? He piti

eth the blind that would gladly see; but will he pity him that may see, and hardeneth himself in blindness? No, Christ hath spoken too much unto you, to claim the privilege of your fathers.

39. As for us that have handled this cause concerning the condition of our fathers, whether it be this thing or any other which we bring unto you, the counsel is good which the wise man giveth, "Stand thou fast in thy sure understanding, in the way and knowledge of the Lord, and have but one manner of word, and follow the word of peace and righteousness." As a loose tooth

is a grief to him that eateth, so doth a wavering and unstable word in speech, that tendeth to instruction, offend. "Shall a wise man speak words for the wind," saith Eliphaz; light, inconstant, unstable words? Surely the wisest may speak words of the wind: such is the untoward constitution of our nature, that we do neither so perfectly understand the way and knowledge of the Lord, nor so steadfastly embrace it when it is understood; nor so graciously utter it, when it is embraced; nor so peaceably maintain it, when it is uttered; but that the best of us are overtaken sometimes through blindness, sometimes through hastiness, sometimes through impatience, sometimes through other passions of the mind, whereunto (God doth know) we are too subject. We must therefore be contented both to pardon others, and to crave that others may pardon us for such things. Let no man, that speaketh as a man, think himself, while he liveth, always freed from scrapes and oversights in his speech. The things themselves which I have spoken unto you are sound, howsoever they have seemed otherwise unto some: at whose hands I have, in that respect, received injury, I willingly, forget it: although, indeed, considering the benefit which I have reaped by this necessary speech of truth, I rather incline to that of the apostle, "They have not injured me at all.” I have cause to wish them as many blessings in the kingdom of heaven, as they have forced me to utter words and syllables in this cause; wherein I could not be more sparing of my speech than I have been. "It becometh no man (saith St. Jerome) to be patient in the crime of heresy." Patient, as I take it, we should be always, though the crime of heresy were intended; but silent in a thing of so great consequence I could not, beloved, 1 durst not be; especially the love, which I bear to the truth of Christ Jesus, being hereby somewhat called in question. Whereof I beseech them, in the meekness of Christ, that have been the first original cause,

to consider that a watchman may cry "An enemy!" when indeed a friend cometh. In which cause, as I deem such a watchman more worthy to be loved for his care than misliked for his error; so I have judged it my own part in this, as much as in me lieth, to take away all suspicion of any unfriendly intent or meaning against the truth, from which, God doth know, my heart is free.

40. Now to you, beloved, which have heard these things, I will use no other words of admonition, than those that are offered me by St. James, "My brethren, have not the faith of our glorious Lord Jesus in respect of persons." Ye are not now to learn, that as of itself it is not hurtful, so neither should it be to any scandalous and offensive, in doubtful cases, to hear the indifferent judgments of men. Be it that Cephas hath one interpretation, and Apollos hath another; that Paul is of this mind, and Barnabas of that; if this offend you, the fault is yours. Carry peaceable minds, and you may have comfort by this variety.

Now the God of peace give you peaceable minds, and turn it to your everlasting comfort,

A LEARNED SERMON

A

LEARNED SERMON

OF

THE NATURE OF PRIDE.

His mind swelleth, and is not right in him: but the just by faith shall live.

HABAK. ii. 4.

THE nature of man, being much more delighted to be led than drawn, doth many times stubbornly resist authority, when to persuasion it easily yieldeth. Whereupon the wisest law-makers have endeavoured always, that those laws might seem most reasonable, which they would have most inviolably kept. A law simply commanding or forbidding, is but dead in comparison of that which expresseth the reason wherefore it doth the one or the other. And, surely, even in the laws of God, although that he hath given commandment, be in itself a reason sufficient to exact all obedience at the hands of men, yet a forceable inducement it is to obey with greater alacrity and cheerfulness of mind, when we see plainly that nothing is imposed more than we must needs yield unto, except we will be unreasonable. In a word, whatsoever be taught, be it precept for direction of our manners, or article for instruction of our faith, or document any way for information of our minds, it then taketh root and abideth, when we conceive not only what God doth speak, but why. Neither is it a small thing which we derogate, as well from the honour of his truth, as from the comfort, joy, and delight which we ourselves should take by it, when we loosely slide over his speech as though it were as our own is, commonly vulgar and trivial. Whereas, he uttereth nothing but it hath, besides the substance of doctrine delivered, a depth of wisdom, in the very choice and frame of words to deliver it in. The reason whereof being not perceived, but by greater intention of brain than our nice minds for the most parts can well away with, fain would we bring the world, if we might, to think it but a need.

less curiosity, to rip up any thing further than extemporal readiness of wit doth serve to reach unto. Which of course, if here we did list to follow, we might tell you, that in the first branch of this sentence God doth condemn the Babylonian's pride; and in the second, teach what happiness of state shall grow to the righteous by the constancy of their faith, notwithstanding the troubles which now they suffer; and, after certain notes of wholesome instruction hereupon collected, pass over without detaining your minds in any further removed speculation. But, as I take it, there is a difference between the talk that beseemeth nurses among children, and that which men of capacity and judgment do, or should receive instruction by.

The mind of the prophet being erected with that which hath been hitherto spoken, receiveth here for full satisfaction, a short abridgment of that which is afterward more particularly unfolded. Wherefore, as the question before disputed of doth concern two sorts of men, the wicked flourishing as the bay, and the righteous like the withered grass, the one full of pride, the other cast down with utter discouragement, so the answer which God doth make for resolution of doubts hereupon arisen, hath reference unto both sorts; and this present sentence, containing a brief abstract thereof, comprehendeth summarily as well the fearful estate of iniquity over exalted, as the hope laid up for righteousness oppressed. In the former branch of which sentence, let us first examine what this rectitude or straightness importeth, which God denieth to be in the mind of the Babylonian. All things which God did create, he made them at the first true, good, and right. True, in respect of correspondence unto that pattern of their being, which was eternally drawn in the counsel of God's foreknowledge; good, in regard of the use and benefit which each thing yieldeth unto other; right, by an apt conformity of all parts with that end which is outwardly proposed for each thing to tend unto. Other things have ends proposed, but have not the faculty to know, judge, and esteem of them; and therefore as they tend thereunto wittingly, so likewise in the means whereby they acquire their appointed ends, they are by necessity so held, that they cannot divert from them. The ends why the heavens do move, the heavens themselves know not, and their motions they cannot but continue. Only men in all their actions know what it is which they seek for, neither are they by any such necessity, tied naturally unto any certain determinate mean to obtain their end by, but that they may, if they will, forsake it. And therefore, in the whole world, no creature but only man, which hath the last end of his actions proposed as a recom