against the wicked saith Debora who then but senselesse creatures would with the Pigmies make warre against Hercules or with the Giants 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to make warre against God I read of the Psilli a people of low stature and lesse wit that being troubled with the Southerne winde went out on a day to make warre against the same but the further they went the more it blew vntill at last it couered them all with the Sands The same end and worse will betide them that will dare venture to stand at variance with God and therefore it were better for them to sue for conditions of peace and to seeke vnto Christ Iesus to be a blessed peace-maker betwixt them mortall sinners and the immortall God 2. They are at warre with men nam vt mali semper persecuti sunt bonos ita boni semper persequuti sunt malos for as the wicked doe alwaies persecute the good so the good doe alwaies striue against the wicked hi per iustam disciplinam isti per iniquam superbiam the iust doe reproue the wicked by iust correction and discipline and the wicked doe persecute the godly by vniust and most cruell proceedings and therefore seeing righteousnesse and peace haue kissed Psal 58. 10. Psal 34. 13. each other qui iustitiam non amauit ille pacem non habebit he shall neuer haue peace which loues not righteousnesse and therefore inter Babilonem Ierusalem pax esse non potest Bern. ser 2. de pug spirituali there can be no peace betwixt the godly and the wicked saith Saint Bernard 3. They haue warres bella horrida bella and the most grieuous warres that may be within themselues For cognatum immo innatum omni sceleri sceleris Lipsius de Constantia l. 2. c. 13. Gen. 4. 7. supplicium sinne beares it punishment alwaies at his owne backe and so S. August saith iussisti Domine ita est vt animus inordinatus sit sibi ipsi poena thou hast ordained ô Lord and so it is that a wicked minde should The fearefull conscience of wicked men euer be a punishment vnto it selfe for if we doe ill sinne lieth at the doroe like a wilde beast to dogge vs wheresoeuer we goe and the conscience of sinne beareth forth such fruits as that nothing can be more greeuous or miserable to a mortall man for she is a witnesse of our debts a iudge of our deedes and a tormenter of all our actions saith S. Bernard Strangulat inclusus dolor atque exaestuat Ouid de trist l. 5. intus And so we reade of almost infinite examples for Oedipus that incestuous king of Thebes was led to Athens by his daughter Antigona and was buried in the temple of Erinnis i. of perturbations and Iocasta his wife and mother strangled her selfe saith Sophocles Theodoricus imagined he saw as he was at supper the visage of Symmacus whom he had vniustly slaine in a fishes head after which he could neuer be comforted but pined away most miserably Crescentius the Popes Vicegerent Lanquet fo 146. in the Councell of Trent saw the deuill in the likenesse of a black dogge comming vnto him saith Sleidan and Polidor Virgil doth write the like of Richard Sleid. l. com 23. in fine Pol. Virg. hist l. 25. the third of this kingdome Tiberius was so vexed with grieuous torments that he desired that the Gods would rather destroy him at once then suffer him to pine away through such a tormented conscience Nero that monster of men when he had vnnaturally murdered his owne naturall Sueton. mother was so grieuously vexed in conscience that he could not be comforted by any meanes but in his minde he did alwaies see his mothers ' Ghost crying for vengeance against him And although the godly saith in his testament Terram terrategat daemon peccata resumat Mundus res habeat spiritus astrapetat Let earth go to the earth from whence it was taken let the deuill take my sins which hee hath inticed me vnto let the world haue my goods wherewith I was inriched and let my soule climbe to heauen where it may be blessed yet I read in the life of Rubertus of a wicked Lat. hist de vitis archiepisc Cantuariens couerous wretch that when the eies of his conscience were opened he bequeathed omnia bona domino regi corpus sepulturae animaÌ„ diabolo his goods to the king whom he had deceiued and his soule to the deuill whom he had serued to what end should I reckon more It is apparant that if the wicket of wicked mens mindes were opened we should see mangled soules and tormented consciences that doe alwaies sleepe like the Nightingall which hath euer a pricke before her breast Hi sunt qui trepidant ad omnia fulgura Jâ—uen Satyr 13. pallent Cum tonat exanimes primo quoque murmure coelum These are they that are terrified with the very thunders and doe flie away when none pursue them But it may be some will say all sinners Obiect haue not such vnquiet mindes neither haue all the wicked wounded spirits I answer that some indeed are of such brasen faces that they can laugh their sinnes out of countenance and smile with the foole when they goe to the gallowes But I assure my selfe their heart bleedes when their faces counterfeit smiles and are like Diues that saw Lazarus a farre off in Abrahams bosome Dr. Hall in his treat of heauen vpon earth but was himselfe in hell tormented for the soule may be sorrowfull when the countenance is cheerefull And this is most likely for that they can neuer want furies so long as they haue themselues or if they could finde a way to runne away from themselues and to cause their soules to run away from their bodies yet their consciences will not flie away from their soules nor their sinnes from their consciences And therefore let a sinner flie ab agro ad ciuitatem à publico ad domum à domo in cubiculum from the field into the citie from the market into his house from his house into his bed and thence in the bitternesse of his soule like those vnpatient fishes that leape out of the pan into the flame let them flie out of the priuate hell within their breasts into the common hell of damned soules yet ecce hostem invenit à quo confugerat behold there he shall finde the enemie whom he feared a tormenting conscience ioyned to that tormenting flame for their worme dieth not saith our Sauiour Or if it be that this Erinnis conscientiae this tormenting conscience doth not affright them then S. Bernard answereth Bern. in l. de conscientia f. 1784. that there be foure kinde of consciences 1. A good but not a quiet 2. Both good and quiet And both these may That there be foure kindes of consciences bee in the godliest men 3. A quiet but not good 4. Neither
good nor quiet And both these are proper to the wicked And therefore when the euill conscience of a sinfull wretch is seared as with a hot yron so that the custome of sinning hath taken away the sense of sinne this cannot be called a peace but a numnesse and a damnesse of conscience for our conscience at the first will monish vs and say master looke to thy selfe But if we neglect our selues this good Cassandra will crie no more thou maiest bee lulled with Endimion to sleepe in sinnes and then it fareth with the maladies of thy soule as it is with the diseases of the bodies the lesse seene the more dangerous as when they are euen at the doore of death and yet will not be perswaded that they are sicke Ideo Bern. ep 2. Ieron ad Sabinian to 1. f. 231. doles charitas me a quod cùm sis dolendus non doles therefore doe I bewaile thy estate because being most miserable thou dost not bewaile thy selfe saith S. Bernard hoc plango saith S. Ierome quod tu teipsum non plangis this doe I lament that thou doest not lament thy selfe quia nihil est miserius misero non miserante seipsum for that nothing in the world is more lamentable then to see a miserable fellow not respecting his owne misery saith S. Augustine Aug. confess li. 1. ca. 13. These are like the foole Harpast that was as blinde as a Beetle and yet nesciebat se esse coecam all the world could not perswade her that she was blinde saith Seneca And therefore this quiet conscience of wicked men is no true peace but mare mortuum a dead sleepe haec tranquillitas tempestas est and this their calme peace is worse then the worst tempestuous warre quia tum maximè Ieron in ep ad Heliâ—d impugnantur cùm se impugnari nesciunt for then they are most assaulted when they are ignorant of the assault saith S. Iorome And so you see there is no peace to the wicked i. no peace with God no peace with good men no peace with their owne soules and consciences and therefore no happinesse in the world for 1. Peace with God is so excellent a The excellencie of each kinde of peace thing that it passeth all vnderstanding 2. Peace with men is so profitable a thing that it is most earnestly desired of all creatures saith S. Augustine Aug. to 10. f. 712. 6. 2. because as the Poet saith Omnia pace vigent pacis tempore Palingen florent All things doe increase and flourish in the time of peace whereas by warres and dissentions they are wasted spoiled and ruinated 3. Peace with our selues is so sweet and so delectable a thing that it is better Prou. 15. 15. then a continuall feast as Salomon speaketh it is that manna absconditum that exceeding great ioy wherewith the Lord doth so inebriate the hearts of his Saints that all the sorrowes of the world is but as the drop of a bucket in comparison of this Ocean of ioy murus aheneus esto Nil conscire mali nulla pallescere culpa For a guiltlesse conscience is like a brasen wall and therefore say the world what it will they will not much respect it if they be flattered they will not be in any pride exalted or if they be slandered they will not be with too much griefe deiected for their conscience is their comfort vt malam conscientiam August laudantis praeconium non sanat ita nec bonam vulnerat conuitium and as no flatterie can heale a bad conscience so no slanders no miseries no villanies can wound the good and vpright conscience but that still mens immota manet the minde of man doth feede it selfe with the sweet delight of his vntainted conscience quia nihil est quod ita voluptate afficere solet sicut pura conscientia for that there is nothing in the world that can so well please and so much delight a godly man as a pure conscience saith S. Chrysostome Chrysost hom 1 2. in 2. Cor. And yet herein some deceiue themselues and grow carelesse of what the world saith of them and respectlesse of their good name and of all good report vpon pretence of a good conscience for so long as I know my selfe cleere from such and such imputations saith one I care not what the world saith of me To this I answer that a good name That wee should seeke to ioine a good name to our good conscience Prou. 22. 1. Eccles 7. 1. and report among neighbours is the chiefest thing next to a good conscience that we should respect It is better then fine gold it is dearer then pretious ointment and it is more to be desired then all the wealth in the world for what is a man when he is ill thought of and ill spoken of and hath lost the reputation of his credit he is become as vnsauorie to our eares as the vilest obiect is to our eyes and therefore I would desire to liue no longer then I should liue in credit and good report among my neighbours But you will say how can I stop the Obiect mouthes and stay the maleuolencie of the violent and virulent tongues of wicked men quorum proprium est maledicere whose propertie is to thinke ill of all and to speake well of none I answer in a word that the tongues of the wicked are no slanders and indeed I would thinke the worse of my selfe if I were commended by them and the better if I were dispraised for our Sauiour saith Blessed are ye when men i. the wicked shall reuile you and persecute Matth. 5. 11. you and say all manner of euill against you falsly But when good honest men do thinke All is not well when good men speake ill of vs. ill and speake euill of either man or woman I doubt not but they haue some waies and in some respects deserued the same and are not so good as they should be if they be not so bad as men Mr. Greenham in his serm of a good name would make them to be as a graue Diuine doth wisely speake for as the euill men cannot speake well of the godly vpon any cause so the good men will not speake ill of any man without iust cause But then againe you will say how can any good man speake ill of me when is no man can proue any ill by me and therefore how can I lose a good name so long as I keepe a good conscience I answer that a man may haue a That a maÌ„ may haue a good coÌ„science yet lose his good name cleere conscience before God and yet iustly deserue a losse of his good name and reputation in the world for these two Viz 1. Bonafama a good name Viz 2. Bona conscientia a good conscience are two seuerall things and may bee seuerally obtained For 1. A good conscience ariseth hence when
to admiration yet none of them requireth imitation but only this one attribute of sanctity and all the rest that doe proceede from this or be like vnto this For as Christ saith not disce à me mundos fabric are atque mortuos suscitare learne of me to create worlds or to raise the dead men out of their graues saith S. Augustine but learne of me to bee meeke and lowly in heart Math. 11. so God saith not bee infinite bee eternall bee omnipotent but bee yee holy bee ye pure be ye cleane because I am holy I am pure and I am cleane Wherefore beloued brethren let vs set before our eyes 1. God that is sanctity and purity it selfe 2. The Saints of God that liued heretofore in all purity 3. The benefits of sanctity and holines 1. How acceptable it is to God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The manifold benefits of sanctity The very Heauens doe not so delight our God as the holinesse and sanctity of the sonnes of God deliciae Dei cum filiis Sanctis for his onely delight is sanctity and in holy men hee loueth them as the Apple of his eye 2. How commendable it is among all men the very wicked commend it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost in c. 4. ad Ephes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For sanctity is such a thing that the very contemners thereof admire it and sinne is such a thing that the very sinners themselues condemne it saith S. Chrysostome 3. How comfortable it is to the Saints themselues it makes them neither desirous to liue nor yet afraid to dye Missatriumphalem non tangunt fulmina laurum Their sanctity doth so settle them in the assurance of Gods loue that all the thunders of this world can neuer shake them sed mens immota manet for this rooteth them heere in the loue of God vniteth them heereafter with the nature of God that they shall bee blessed for euermore I say let vs alwayes set these considerations before our eyes and I hope wee shall bee moued thereby to study and to endeuour to become true Saints in earth that wee may bee Saints with God in heauen And so much of the Saints and their description which is the first part of this text Now followeth the second part touching the blessings requested wherewith the Saints are delighted PART 2. Grace be to you and peace c. THese are the things requested these are the things wherewith the Saints are delighted And yet that is true which the Poet speaketh Inueniat quod quisque lubet non omnibus vnum est Quod placet hic spinas colligit ille rosas All men bee not of the same minde All men are not delighted with the same things Esay 3. for some affect one thing some another Some delight in brauery a vanity only fit for women of whom the Prophet setteth downe their desire and delight at large and of whom the Poet saith Foemina culta nimis Foemina casta minus The more proud the lesse honest for where great pride is there can bee but little honesty Others delight in pleasure and voluptuousnes but nocet empta dolore voluptas Horat. lib. 1. Ep. 12. they shall pay deare enough for the same when the bread in their bellies shall bee turned into the gall of aspes as the Prophet speaketh And most desire the wealth and honours of this world they spend all their time and all their strength in the pursuit of this vanity and yet most of them neuer attaine vnto it and they that haue it haue it peppered and poudered with cares griefes and sorrowes for cuncta mortalium incerta all mortall things are vncertaine things saith Tacitus omnia terrena cacumina temporali Tacitus annal l. 1. mutabilitate nutantia all terrene heights doe reele with temporall mutabilities saith S. Augustine and Aâ—g de ciuiâ— Dei l. 1. c. 1. this may be seene in those great Commanders Xerxes Baiazet Craesus Belisarius to whom Rome owed her selfe thrice at least yet at last came to date obolum Belisario and therefore how can it bee but that they should be full All worldly things are full of cares and dangers of feare of losing those things which they got with such cares and if they do leese them their sorrow is doubled for non est tanti gaudii excelsa tenere quanti moeroris est de excelsis corruere nec tanta gloria sequi potest victoriam quanta ignominia sequi potest ruinam it cannot bee so much ioy to bee exalted as it is griefe to be deiected nor so much glory to triumph as it is a shame to bee vanquished saith S. Ambrose and therefore Iam non ad culmina rerum Claud. l. 1. in Ruffin Iniustos crcuisse queror tolluntur in altum Vt lapsu maiore ruant It grieues mee nor saith Claudian that wicked men are hoysted vp to the height of all prosperity that their fall may bee the more grieuous into the depth of misery And so you see that ipse mundi qualiscunque status plus anxietatis quam iucunditatis habet that prosperity and sublimity and all worldly things haue more anxiety and griefe then ioy or comfort annexed to them and if there bee any ioy yet praeterit iucunditas non Bern. Fp. 113. redditura manet anxietas non relictura the little ioy will soone vanish and neuer returne but the griefe and sorrow will still increase and neuer vanish And therefore seeing that bona huius vitae sunt vanescendo transeuntia the Aug. l. 20. c. 3. de ciuit Dei goods of this world are but vanities flying away 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 things indifferent as the Peripateticks or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 goods not in their owne nature but in our iudgement as Plato calleth them the Apostle wisheth those goods quae sunt sine fine mansura which shall remaine for euer and seeing the goods of this world are full of sorrow and griefe hee wisheth those goods that might fill vs with ioy and comfort hee leaues wealth and plenty to the worldlings and wisheth grace and peace vnto the Saints Grace is the beginning of spirituall Grace and peace are the chiefest and only good things life because by grace wee haue our sinnes remitted saith the glosse and are thereby freely iustified saith the Apostle and peace is the quieting of the minde in faith which the glosse termeth a reconciliation with God and it is the very end of all happinesse that is desired as the Prophet sheweth sedebit populus mens in plenitudine pacis for then shall bee perfect peace when the will doth rest it selfe satisfied in the fulnesse of all good is fully freed from all euill and so the Apostle in wishing grace and peace wisheth the α and ο the beginning and ending of all spirituall good And because the two chiefest fiends of man are sinne and a bad conscience Lutherus in Gal.
times by reason of their sinnes they may totally fall from grace or lose all grace vntill the same bee renued in them againe 3. Others say that those which haue once receiued grace can neuer lose the same finally nor yet totally But touching this point de amissione vel retentione gratia of the losing or retainign of grace I thinke all must confesse that whosoeuer findeth grace that is the loue and free fauour of God can neuer lose it because this is in God residing and not in man and therefore is this grace immutable and vnchangeable and so the Scripture sheweth whom hee loâ—â—d hee loued vnto the end for the gifts and graces of God are Rom. 11. 29. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without repentance The question therfore as I take it is of the infused graces faith hope charity and such like whether a man may haue these graces and afterwards lose them either finally or totally To this I answer that as there bee two sorts of Saints 1. Outwardly by profession onely before the world 2. Inwardly and truely before God So there bee two sorts of graces 1. Common to all Professors 2. Speciall to the elect onely Or to speake more properly I say God giueth his grace two manner of wayes that God giueth the graces of his Spirit two manner of waies 1. Generally and more remissely to all Professors or to all that haue them to make them see the greatnesse of his loue and to make them able thereby if they would themselues wel vse the same to seeke for more grace to continue and bee saued or if they neglected the same to make them without excuse 2. Specially and more effectually to the Elect to make them not onely to see his loue but also by this more speciall and effectuall working of his grace to make them continue therein and retaine the same indeede vnto euerlasting life De. 1. Many doe affirme that the outward Professors haue no true graces at all neither faith hope nor charity but onely a shew and an apparance of grace so S. Gregory seems to affirme Greg. moral l. 34. c. 13. when speaking of such men hee saith quasi habitam sanctitatem aute oculos hominum videntur amittere sed eam ante oculos Dei nunquam habuerunt they seeme to lose that sanctity which they seemed to haue in the sight of men but in very deed they neuer had any in the sight of God and S. Paul seemes to meane the same thing when hee saith qui videtur stare videat ne cadat hee that seemes to stand let him take heed lest hee fall as if hee meant that he did not stand indeed But I answer to the saying of S. Whether the wicked and hypocrites haue any true graces or not Gregory that this and the like speeches may bee vnderstood of the faigned shew of Hypocrites that do seeke thereby to deceiue the world but not of those that thinke themselues to haue faith and repentance indeed and doe many seruices vnto God for a time vntill they fall away through the infirmities of their owne flesh and that the sequent saying of the Apostle videat ne cadat let him take heed lest hee fall doth in my iudgement proue that hee did stand or else how could hee fall And therefore considering what the Scripture saith Ezech. 18. that the righteous may leaue his righteousnes that the charity of many shall waxe cold Mat. 24. 12. 13. that their talent shall be taken from them Mat. 25. 29. that they receiue the word with ioy Luk. 8. 13. that they make shipwrack of faith and a good 1 Tim. 1. 19 Heb. 3. 6. conscience that they taste of the heauenly gift and are partakers of the holy Ghost and haue knowne the way of righteousnes 2. Pet. 2. 1. vers 20. and many such like speeches of their relapse I doe not see but as their knowledge and vnderstanding of the truth and assent vnto the same are reall and not in appearance onely so the other graces that they haue are true graces and not seeming graces onely and indeede quicquid est dum est vere est in suo genere And therefore I must confesse that many hypocrites and worldlings and outward Professors may haue faith hope and charity and such other infused graces of Gods Spirit in that generall manner and to those ends that God bestoweth them vpon outward Professors and that they doe vtterly lose the same as wofull experience daily proueth in all reuolters but that hypocrites or worldlings may haue sauing faith or iustifying grace or any other fruits of grace in that speciall and more effectuall manner as they are giuen vnto the elect I vtterly denie for if they had beene giuen them in that manner as they are vnto the elect then could they not leese them no more then the elect doe De 2. I say that the elect only haue That the elected Saints cannot leese wholly the sauing grace once receiued the true sauing graces in the speciall and more effectuall manner giuen vnto them and that they cannot leese them after they haue once receiued them and this may be proued 1. By apparant Scriptures 2. By the consent of learned Fathers 3. By reasons drawne from Scriptures 1. The holy Scripture is most plentifull of proofe to confirme this point I will only vse these few and will be readie to bâ—ing more 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if we must needes striue with number My first proofe shall be that of Esay c. 59 v. 21. I will make this my Couenant with them saith the Lord my Spirit that is vpon thee my words which I haue put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy seed nor out of the mouth of the seed of thy seed saith the Lord from henceforth euen for euer What can be plainer for this is a promise made vnto the Church of Christ and what is true of the whole must be true in euery member and therefore in what true member soeuer the Spirit of God is once put it shall neuer depart from thence euen for euer 2. The Prophet Ieremy saith I will Ier. 32. 40. put my feare in their hearts that they shall not depart from me i. my feare shall be such and so great in them that they will sticke and perseuere in my fauour euen for euer saith Saint Augustine Aug. de bono perseuer ca. 2. 3. The Prophet Amos saith I will plant them vpon their owne land and they shall no more be pulled vp againe out of their owne land which I haue giuen them saith the Lord thy God where we may obserue 1. Who planteth them I saith the Lord which planteth and watereth and giueth the increase 2. Who shall be planted the elect only them but not all 3. Where in their owne land and what is that in the mysticall body of Christ in the
our hearts condemne vs not of sinne as the Apostle sheweth 1 Iohn 2. A good name and report ariseth hence when we giue none occasion vnto men to suspect ill of vs. And therefore as he that committeth sinne and therefore can haue no good conscience towards God may notwithstanding through the concealing and close cariage of the same retaine a good report with men and continue in the good opinion of the world so he that committeth not sinne and therefore hath a good conscience towards God may notwithstanding by his indiscretion and want of circumspection giue many causes of iust suspitions of guiltinesse and so lose his reputation and good esteeme in the world And therefore that we may haue a good conscience towards God we must abstaine from all euill and that wee may Hee that would haue a good name must auoid all appearaÌ„ce of euill 1 Thes 5. 22. haue a good report in the world wee must abstaine from all appearance of euill and giue no cause to any man to suspect ill of vs for as the prouerbe is He that will auoid an ill name Must auoid all that cause the same And He that will no euill doe Pro. 15. 15. Must doe nothing that belongs thereto And so when our hearts and consciences tell vs that wee neither did the euill nor gaue any cause in the world for any man to suspect vs of euill then shall we be happie indeed our hearts will be at peace and our consciences better then a continuall feast And thus you see the kindes of peace and you see the goodnesse of each kinde of peace that nothing can be more excellent then this blessed peace nor any thing in the world more miserable then to want the same And therefore nec vidisse satis est iuuat vsque morari I am loth to part yet from this point of The meanes to procure each kinde of peace peace and I hope we shall not lose our labour if we stay a little longer to consider how we may obtaine each kinde of peace that makes the obtainer happie and therefore I say 1. That we may finde peace with God 1. How to finde peace with God we must doe three especiall things 1. To beleeue in Christ 2. To auoid sinne 3. To doe good 1. We must beleeue in Christ for he is the Prince of peace and the only Esay 9. 6. Peace-maker betweene the mortall sinner and the immortall God but Christ dwelleth Eph. 3. 17. Aug. de Agon Christ ca. 12. in our hearts by faith saith the Apostle Et fides est prima quae subiugat animam Deo And our faith in Christ is the first thing that subiecteth our soule to God saith S. Augustine and so by faith in Christ we liue by faith in him Rom. 1. 17. we are reconciled to God we are iustified Rom. 3. 25. 28. sanctified saued And therefore without faith it is vnpossible to please God it is vnpossible to Act 15. 9. be at peace with God for as he that beleeueth Ephes 2. 8. on him is not condemned so he that beleeueth not on him is condemned already because hee hath not beleeued in the Iohn 3. 18. name of the only begotten Sonne of God and because in not beleeuing on him he maketh God alier and beleeueth not the record that God gaue of his Sonne 1 Ioh. 5. 10. 11. 12. which is that God hath giuen vs eternall life and that this life is in his Sonne and that whosoeuer hath the Sonne hath life and whosoeuer hath not the Sonne hath not life And therefore this should teach vs Faith is obtained increased by 3. especiall meanes all carefull diligence to get to preserue and to increase this precious gift of faith and that by three speciall means 1. By the hearing of the word 2. By the recouring of the Sacraments 3. By the feruencie of our prayers For 1. Faith commeth by hearing Rom. 10. 17. and hearing by the word of God saith the Apostle Et accenditur fidei lampaâ—igne diuini verbi And the lampe of faith is kindled by the fire of the heauenly word saith S. Chrysostome And so the Chrys in Matth. 25. Eph. 1. 13. Ephesians are said to haue beleeued in Christ after they had heard the word of Christ And therefore wee should bee euer willing and alwayes readie to heare the preaching of the word of God for the more we heare the more we shall increase our faith and the lesse we heare the lesse faith we shall be sure to haue 2. The Sacraments are Sigilla Dei the great seales of God that ratifie vnto vs the word of God that by two immutable Heb. 6. 18. things viz. Gods writing and Gods seale we might haue a strong consolation And they bee verba visibilia Euangelij the visible words of the Gospell that doe set before our eyes the sacrifice of Christ and shew in a visible manner how Christ was crucified for vs and shed his bloud for the remission of our sinnes And therefore wee should not neglect the frequent vse of these blessed meanes that God hath giuen vs to increase our faith 3. The prayer of a faithfull man auaileth James 5. 16. much to procure any thing at the hands of God if it be feruent saith the Apostle And therefore as Christ prayed Luke 22. 32. for S. Peter that his faith should not faile so should wee pray to God that hee would preserue and increase our faith and because the preaching of the word is but the demonstration of the Spirit and 1 Cor. 2. 4 5. faith is in the power of God therefore we should the rather pray that when Act. 16. 14. Christ is preached the Lord would sanctifie our hearts and open them as he did the heart of Lidia that we might beleeue in Christ 2. We must auoid sinne for sinne is the continuall make-bate betweene the righteous God and the vnrighteous man sinne writeth bitter things against Iob 13. 26. vs sinne layeth vs open before the face of God and sinne moueth his iealousie to burne like fire against vs for Psal 4. hee hateth all those that worke wickednesse And therefore if we would be at peace with God wee must be at warre with sinne as I said before and we must not only repent vs of the old sinnes that we haue committed but we must also resist all those new sinnes whereunto we shall be enticed for sinne is like Antaeus the gyant as oft as it is throwne downe viresque animumque resumit It will presently set a fresh vpon vs and the more eagerly seeke our ouerthrow and therefore we must manfully resist all the inticements of sinne or else our sinnes like those wilde horses Qui circum illiacos raptarunt hectora Virgilius muros will teare vs in peeces while there is none to helpe vs. 3. We must doe good for righteousnesse and peace haue kissed