10.5 And thus much of that part of your inward euidence which respecteth sinne That which concerneth Gods mercies in Christ is twofold 1 An earnest desire of reconciliation with God 2 And ardent loue to Christ and his righteousnes For the first when as man feeleth himselfe distressed with the burthen of his finnes when hee apprehendeth the heauy displeasure of God in his conscience for them if then conceiuing his great neede of a Sauiour hee doth heartily desire yea hunger and thirst to bee at peace with God in the meritas of Christ no perill being so fearefull vnto him as to bee out of Gods fauour no blessing so chearefull as to bee at vnity with him vnto such a one hath Christ made most comfortable promises which can appertaine to none but the Elect vnto him shall bee giuen of the Well of the water of life freely Revel 21.6 And this water shall bee in him as a Well of water springing vp vnto euerlasting liâ—e Iohn 4.14 For the second hee that can so highly esteeme of Christ and his righteousnes as that hee accouneth with Saint Paul Philip 3. the most pretious things that are to be but doung in comparison He that can proferre Christ and his loue before father and moâ—her wife and children He that hath so strong an affection wrought in his heart as that if his young childe should hang about his necke his mother shew her breasts which gaue him sucke his Father lye in the dore to stay him from Christ hee could cast away his childe contemne his Mother tread vpon his Father renounce all et volare ad vexillum Chrisli as Hierome speaketh flye to the Banner of his Christ like Aene as in the Poet who when Troye was won carried away neither kithe nor kinne sed Deos ciuitatis but the Gods of the citie Certainly such a one is marked out to saluation hee hath the seale of God vpon him and as Iohn saith 1. Ioh. 3.19 he may assure his hart before him Euery man will say of himselfe that hee is thus afected vnto Christ when as indeede most men had rather haue Esaus broth then Iacobs blessing Wherfore least we be deceiued wee must trye our loue vnto Christ by these two tokens First he that doth rightly esteem of Christ doth in like manner esteem of those which are his members Tustis et Amor Celari non possunt as the Cough cannot be couered no more can loue it will breake out to others Hee that receiueth a Prophet in the name of a Prophet shal receiue a Prophets reward He that receiueth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receiue the reward of the righteous Math. 10 It is hee that loueth Christ and shall dwell in his Tabernacle who maketh much of him that feareth God Psal 15. And heereby doe wee know that wee are raised from death to life because wee loue the Brethren that is such as are the members of Christ euen because they are so 1. Ioh. 3.14 Secondly it is a token of our loue to Christ if we loue his comming that we may haue full participation and fellowship with him The carnall man careth little he hath no sense nor sight of his comming but as the Oxe is fatted in the pasture and the Birde singeth sweetlie and feedeth without feare yet sodainly one is carried to the slaughter the other is taken in the snare so are worldlings drowned in security and seldome thinke of much lesse wish for the comming of Christ Others who are strong in sinne and which force the wrath of God against them doe tremble and quake at the remembrance of his comming They wish it might eyther neuer bee or euer be deferred Oh it is most terrible vnto them once to thinke that a day will come when all of them shall be cited before Gods Iudgement seat when as all their workes their words their thoughts shall be reuealed when as a heauy doome of damnation shall be pronounced against them when to lye hidden wil be impossible for them and to appear will bee intollerable to them The consideration of these terrors of the Lord dooth affright them so as if the Diuell were at their dores But the children of God who loue Christ crye Lord Iesu come quickly Now they are as wardes then shall they come to their owne Now are they in the skirmish then shall they bee in the victorie Now are they in the tempestuous Sea then shall they bee in the quiet Hauen Now in the heat of the day then in the rest of the Euening Now are they absent from Christ Then shall they follow him wheresoeuer he goeth And why should they not be ioyfull at his comming to iudge them who came to be iudged for them A louing Spouse desires to bee in the bosome of her husband and such is the longing of the Church after Christ for if being absent from him he doth so enrich vs with grace and tokens of his loue Lorde how will he hugge vs and embrace vs when we are present with him Si sie es bonus sequentibus te qualis futurus es consequentibus saith Saint Bernard The very desire then we haue wholy to enioy the fellowshippe of our Christ makes vs to lift vp our heades and to loue his comming which is another Argument vnto vs that wee shall be saued because a Crowne of Righteousnesse is laide vp for them that loue his appearing as S. Paul doth tell vs. 2. Tim. 4.8 There remaineth now the last and outward euidence of our calling and Election that is new obedience our endeauour by good works to obey Gods commandements for hereby are we sure we know him if wee keepe his commandements 1 Iohn 2.3 we neede not to wring or wrest a good deed out of a good man as one would wring veriuice out of a Crab. He is a tree that hath euer some figges vpon him But least here againe wee should chance to deceiue our selues The obedience which is the infallible marke of Gods childe must not bee a halfe but a whole obedience of the whole man To the whole law of God In the whole course of our liues First it must bee obedience of the whole man in Body in Soule in Spirit 1. Thes 3.13 Wee must summon all our parts and powers together like a Cryer to peâ—forme a seruice vnto our God Secondly it must bee obedience To the whole law for the condition of the Law is meerely Copulatiue All the parts of it are linked one to another He that 's bound to One is bound to All Hee that makes no Conscience to keepe One when Occasion is offered will breake any Herod gaue Iohn Baptist the hearing in many things but would not leaue his Brothers Wife Iudas followed Christ and preathed the Gospell but would in no case forsake his Couetousnes Saul was content to slay some of the Amalekites but left Agag aliue But this peece meale
her a further search First who this woman was Secondly why her name is concealed Thirdly what was her Sinne Fourthly where was this City question For the first Origen with Theophilact tels vs that there were three Mary Magdalens wherof as they say this was one Chrisostome with whom agreeth Saint Barnard is of opinion that there were but two whereof one was the sister of Lazarns and the other this woman S. Augustine S. Gregory and Beda say plainely there was but one Mary Magdalen making this and the sister of Lazarus and of Martha to be the same vnto whom there were many sinnes remitted and out of whom there were many diuels remooued And albeit some thing might be obiected to the contrary yet for that I finde it to be the common opinion of ancient times I am willing to embrace it the rather for that she was one of them which followed Christ out of Galile where this accident fell out As we finde in the beginning of the next chapter which makes it more probable This woman then was Mary Magdalen question 2 Secondly why would not the Euangelist call her by her name was it because shee was so knowen a sinner in all the city as that shee had thereby as it were lost her proper name Indeed as by good actions names of honour are many times pocured as Aristotle for his knowledge is called the Philosopher Tullie for his eloquence the Oratour so for euill deedes are there oftentimes fastened vpon vs Nicke-names of disgrace As a contentious fellow may in time be called a towne-wrangler a couetous man a citie miser a flattering Preacher a court clawbacke Such perhaps was Maries cafe Shee was so wretched and shamelesse a sinner as in stead of Marie she was called the city-sinner Or was her name suppressed to teach others a lesson that when wee are about to publish the defects of men we should conceale their names so doth Saint Luke in his 16. chapter where describing a rich Glutton he tels of his cruelty he spareth not his particular sinnes yet doth he not publish or proclaime his name Our hatred must be against the sinnes of men and not the men themselues Or is she namelesse to teach all sinners that howsoeuer they heere striue to make their names great to call their lands after their names Psal 49. yet that God will not acknowledge them that before him they shall be namelesse not once remembring them to giue his allowance of them These are likely to be the causes why Mary is heere vnnamed and in place of Marie called a sinner question But what fowle sinne had she committed Some are of opinion that she was vnchaste yet not in body but only in minde and affection and that therfore being vsed to decke her selfe wantonly in light attire she gat the name of a sinner It is commonly found true that outward attire is the token of inward disposition yet for that publike censure passeth vpon none where sinne is secret and that the Euangelist nameth her a sinner in a city a knowen offendour it cannot choose but that her offences were publike in her outward actions Others suppose shee was a common whore prostituting her body to euery commer but this mee thinketh is too sharpe a censure For such for the most part are poore and miserable and know not readily otherwise to relieue themselues but Mary Magdalen was well descended of good wealth she ministred vnto Christ and his disciples out of her owne abundance And therefore it is not likely that she would betake herselfe to so base a trade Most probable it is that amongst other of her sinnes whoredome was one that she had giuen herselfe to idlenesse and so fallen into filthy lust which is a sinne subiect to great reproach especially in a woman of eminent rancke none more for which cause she was publiquely noted and termed a sinner in all the city question 4 This city out of Question was the city Naim in Galile of which wee reade in the eleuenth verse of this chapter which our Euangelist in this place nameth not being needlesse without cause to repeat one thing twice Heere did Christ raise to life the widowes dead son Heere did he raise to grace this sinfull woman In this prouince of Galile was Mary borne in a towne called Magdaleel of which we read in the nineteenth of Iosua and of which towne shee tooke her name Magdalen Now in this city of Galile she hearing of the fame of Christ and being moued in her minde with the strangenesse of the Miracle wrought vpon the widowes sonne being also touched with the spirit of God and resoluing with her selfe that this was the Messias that was to come we may well conceiue by reason of the Sequel her speedy Conuersion which followed that she thus reasoned within her soule Surely he that hath restored to life a dead young man can likewise giue life vnto mee who am deade in my sinnes Hee that onely by a Touch caused the men that bare the corps to stay can compell these to cease which are carrying me to Hell My beauty my riches my liberty my youthfull yeeres they are now transporting mee into the hands of death I will goe vnto this Christ it may bee hee will vouchsafe to touch me with his hand of mercy and can se these porters to stay When a widdow cryed for the death of her sonne hee was mooued with compassion towards her If I then who am motherlesse goe and bewaile mine owne estate if I water his feet with mine owne teares there is hope of mercy for me He that calleth all sinners to repentance will not despise mee though I bee a sinner Surely this is that Prophet which is sent to visit vs I will runne vnto this fountaine I will returne vnto my God from whom I haue gone astray And forthwith sayth the Text when she knew that Iesus sat at the Table in the Pharisies house shee went vnto him Conuersion And heere doth our Euangelist begin to describe her Conuersion Wherein hee imitateth a skilfull painter who first draweth out the lineaments of his picture with a coale or blacke lead and then layeth on liuely colours So doth S. Luke first he noteth out Marie with a black coale and now hee setteth her out with beautifull and perfect colours This first thing obseruable in her Conuersion is her knowledge with all her speed when she knew then she went Knowledge is the first step to amendment of life knowledge of Christ knowledge of our selues both in this woman For vnto a sound Conuersion these three things must concurre 1. A heauenly light in our vnderstanding 2. A holy heat in our will and affections 3. The strength of Gods arme in our works and actions Now a heauenly light in the vnderstanding must go before The first thing which God made in the framing of the world was light and the first thing also which he worketh in our conuersion is light
other from the meanes wherby it is perswaded vnto vs. They find it in some coÌ„fortable feelings which are oftimes deceiptfull We hold it by way of pledge as an ernest in a bargain which putteth all out of question 2 Cor 1.22 They tell this vs is arrogaÌ„cy we with S. Austin S. Austin de verbis Dâ—…m serm 28. say this is faith they pride We deuotion And albeit this assurance be in some more euident in some more obscure according to the measure of the receit of that which giueth testimony yet are the sonnes of God sealed with au Eternall and inuiolable Character in the beholding whereof they haue an assurance of life Wee know saith S. Iohn 1. Ioh. 3.2.14 that he abideth in vs wee know that we are of the truth We know that when hee shall appeare we shall be like vnto him We know that we are of God Heere is then no morall supposition no variable conceipt of Man which begets anxiâ—ty and perplexity of minde 1. Ioh. 5.19 But Scientia a knowledge which giueth an entrance vnto the Thrane of Grace with boldnesse How Now our last Question and greatest is how this our assurance may be obtained The generality of the meanes saith my Text is Diligence Giue rather diligence we must not stand all the day idle in the market An put as dormitanti tibi Confecturos Deos Doth any man thinke it shall be thrust into his pocket There belongs more vnto it then hold and haue it The Kingdome of heauen comes not by obseruation Diligence that industrious workemaister must build our assurance â—or iustum est saith Gregorie vt illi consequantur stipendium qui suum commodare reperiuntur obsequium The Labourer is worthy of his hire And as Diligence our carefull endeauour is the meanes in generall so in particular must we carry this Item with vs that in our first setting out we mount not too high Qui nescit viam ad Mare Amnem sibi queras Comitem saith the Poet. The surest way to finde out the Sea is to be guided by a Riuer The beginning of our search must be in our selues and so must we goe vp as by Iacobs ladder to the counsell of our God For in our selues hath God set signes and testimonies of our Calling Election which will not deceiue vs. Heere therefore is our Diligence our trauaile our labour to be bestowed The tokens or testimonies which God hath giuen vs are three two within vs One without vs. Within vs wee haue first a testimonie of Gods Spirit Then another of our owne The Spirit of God saith S. Paul Rom. 8.16 beareth witnesse together ther with our Spirits that we are the sonnes of God Without vs is our new obedience Make your Election sure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by good workes so it is in the vulgar transtations And as this well agreeth with the scope of the Text so doth Master Beza confesse that hee sawe two Greeke mannscripts wherein these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were expressed One witnesse sayth Baldus is no witnesse vni testi ne Catoni quidem credendum est sayth S. Hierome In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall euery truth stand God therefore hath prouided for vs a threefolde that is a perfect euidence For as the number of three is compleate which is contained in a beginning in a middle in an ending So is this euidence funiculus triplex a perfect testimonie Begunne by Gods Spiritte Seconded with our owne and ended with good workes Our first euidence in Gods spirit Et vbi Spiritus testatur ambiguitas non relinquitur saith Chrisostome in his fourteenth Homely vpon the Romans And this testimonie of the Spirit is without exception neither Deceiuing nor deceiued not deceiung for it is the Spirit of truth Not deceiued for it searcheth all things euen the deepe things of God If an Angel should come from heauen vnto vs as he did to Marie and tell vs in the name of God that we were called elected would we stand in doubt Rather would we not esteeme him a Messenger of most ioyfull tidings But so much the more certaine is the testimony of Gods Spirit by how much hee is more acquainted with the minde of God then an Angel is and can lesse deceiue Yet howsoeuer as Paul witnesseth 1. Tim. 4. the Spirit speaketh euidentlie such for all that is our naturall presumption as many dreame they are Rich when in truth they are but poore boast of the Spirit and are well perswaded of their Calling and â—…ection when they are nothing lesse Yea dye in a grâ—…t conceipt of saluation and yet are damned A gâ—…e the sleights of the Diuell are strong illusions He foisteth in many times another testimony than euer God gaue vnto vs especially working vpon the weake heart of man which being full of selfe loue is easily perswaded of any good to it selfe Two things then for our better security must be obserued First how the testimony of the spirit is framed in vs Secondly how it may be discerned by vs. It is not framed by extraordinary infusion or by Enthusiasme that is ordinary reuelation without the word It is no suddaine act in the soule or hasty conclusion without discourse but made by application of the promise of the Gospell in the forme of a practique silogisme The proposition whereof is this whosoeuer beleeueth in Christ is called is chosen to euerlasting life This is the word of promise which is opened and applied to the heart by the Ministers of the Gospell set apart for that purpose Now whilest a hearer of this word giues himselfe to meditate and consider of the same comes the spirit of God and enlightens his eies and opens his heart and giues him a double power One is a will to beleeue and the other to beleeue indeed and that in such a sort as a man with freedom of spirit shall be able to make the assumption and say But I beleeue in Christ I trust not to my selfe all my ioy and comfort is in him And hence ariseth the blessed conclusion which is the testimony of the spirit Therfore am I the child of God called and elected vnto euerlasting life This is the frame of it Now as the operation of an Angell of God may be discerned from the Spirit of God by the working for as S. Bernard speaketh Angelus suggerit spiritus ingerit So the way to discerne the Spirit of God from naturall presumption or sathanicall illusion is by effects Ex fructibus cognoscetis saith our Sauiour ye shall know it by the fruits The fruits to discouer it are especially two Couched together by S. Paul in one peece of a verse Rom. 8. It makes vs crie Ahba that is Father The first fruit is to crie to pray earnestly out of a touched heart with asence and feeling of sinne We are not able to pray of our selues saith the Apostle It is the spirit
that helpeth our infirmities that maketh intercession for vs with sighes and grones which cannot be vttered Rom. 8.16 Hence it is called by Zacharie the spirit of praier Zacha. 12.10 And as a foole is knowne by much laughter so is the child of God by frequent praier Eccles 19.28 A wicked man may be partaker of the preaching of the word may come to the Sacraments may acknowledge the truth of the Gospell may professe it with Iudas may defend it with Iulian may haue some feeling of his sinnes some terrour of conscience for them may desire Gods children to pray for him as Pharaoh did Moses as Simon Magus did Simon Peter but pray himselfe he cannot vnlesse we will account the mumbling ouer of mattins for fashion sake to be a praying which a parrot may be taught to doe Wherefore to crie vnto God out of an humbled heart for sinne with a confidence to be heard is a principall note of the Spirit of adoption The second fruit is a childlike affection to his God Abba a most louing father which permits not a man vpon euery occasion to fall into sinne straightwaies without mislike or stay but it moues him to make a conscience of euerie euill way to stand in feare of the Maiesty of God wheresoeuer he is In feare I say not least he perish but least he displease not ingendred by the terror of hell and is a feare lest God should punish him but which commeth from the promises of heauen and is a feare least his father should forsake him A filiall feare cum dilectione cum delectatione saith S. Austin ioyned with a loue and delight And he that thus crieth that is thus affected to God as to his father This crying this affection is neither the conceipt of the flesh nor the deceipt of the diuell but the testimony of Gods spirit within him that giues assurance of saluation The second euidence is the testimony of our own hearts purified and sanctified in the bloud of Christ And as that of Gods spirit must goe before so this of our owne must follow after for what boldnesse saith S. Paul 1. Cor. 1.4 can we haue with God if our hearts condemne vs Now the heart testifieth by speciall graces imprinted in the soule or spirit of a man Which haue a double reference 1. To our sinnes 2. To the mercies of God in Christ To our sinnes either 1. Past 2. Present 3. To come The grace which concerneth sinnes past is a godly sorrow for them occasioned indeed by sinne but springing properly from the apprehension of the fauour of our God vnto vs. 2. Cor. 7.10 This begetteth a carefulnesse in vs to amend our liues teacheth vs by confession and supplication to cleere our offenees Compelleth vs to be angry with our selues for our sinnes committed to feare least we fal into the same againe to desire strength and assistance against them to be zealous of good duties and to subdue our bodies by reuenging our sinnes vpon our selues For your godly sorrow saith S. Paul see what care it hath wrought in you yea what clearing yea what indignation yea what feare yea what vehement desire yea what zeale yea what reuenge These are the fruits of a sauing sorrow And he who feeleth them for his sinnes past hath a testimony of his owne spirit of his calling and election And as a man must be a mourner for his sinnes which are past so must he play the souldier in respect of sinnes present The next grace then in the heart which regardeth present corruption is to combat with it Gal. 5.7 Plato was of the mind that in euery man there were two soules but Paul tells vs that in euery man there are two men so ioined together that the one cannot be without the other so seuered asunder that the death of the one is the life of the other These two one man is as ancient as the world it selfe the one deriuing his originall from the earth the other from heauen But as Pharaohs two dreames were but one famine so these two Men were but one Adam The Lord framed Man of the dust of the earth there was one man And he made Man in his owne image with the breath of life there is the other Man and called his name Adam there is both in one Euer since our fall hath there been a combat or deadly warfare betwixt this double Man The inward Man fighting with the outward the Spirit with the Flesh The two Twinnes Esau and Iacob wrastle together And though Esau be first borne prius carnale the Carnall the former yet in Gods Children Iacob gets the blessing the spirituall is the better Our estate is not now like the Cope of the world aboue the Moone free from storms we haue heere the perfection not of Resters but of Runners not of our Country but of the way wherin there are flawes and tempests If wee bee a while at a calme the Flesh is ready to molest vs. And we cannot so sing peace to our soules but the Diuell also will cast his Crotchets in yet if wee take vnto vs the Armour of God and fight manfully If we raise vp our selues vnder the burthen of sinne and do such things as are acceptable vnto God though wee cannot doe them as wee would if wee finde a striuing in our selues the Mind fighting with the minde the will with the will the affections with the affections albeit we cannot vtterlie ouercome though Iacob and Esau bee vp in armes yet if we cause the Elder to serue the Yonger though Canaanites and Iebusites dwell among the Israelires yet if wee make them our bond slaues and hewers of wood thogh Sarah be shrewish yet if Abraham that is the Spirit doth beget of Sara that is the Flesh a Sonne Isaacke that is Ioy and Laughter here is good cause of Comfort Another Euidence in our heartes from the resisting of Sinnes present that wee shall bee saued The third grace which respecteth sinne to come is a care to preuent it And as the first makes vs Mourners the second Souldiers so this thirde calles vpon vs to bee Watchmen not to lie a sleepe till a dead blow bee giuen but to suspect the first strokes of sinne not to tarry to bee stung but to feare the least buzzing This marke of Gods child we find in S. Iohn 1. Ioh. 8.18 He that is borne of God sinneth not but keepeth himselfe that the wicked one touch him not that is hee is circumspect hee is carefull to auoide sinne And his care is not onely in the ordering of outward actions but euen of the very thoughts of his heart O Lord saith Dauid keepe mee from the way of wickednes Where upon Saint Ambrese obserueth that hee would bee kept not from wickednes onely but from the way too For where the Gospell is of force it bringeth cuery thought into captiuity to the obedience of Christ as Saint Paul doth witnesse 2. Cor.
obedience is nothing worth He that faileth in One is guilty of All. For howsoeuer the rigour of the law is abated vnto vs in Christ who accepteth of him that doth what hee can doe as if he were one that did what he should doe yet may not the Israelites hault between two opinions Mongrells in Religion were deuoured by Lyons But I shall nor be confounded saith Dauid Psal 119.6 when I haue respect to All thy commandements Vpright Obedience then doth enlarge it selfe to euery precept Thirdly it must bee Obedience in the whole course of our liues One Swallow makes not a summer wee may not iudge of a man by an action or two but by the whole tenor of his life Such as the course of a manslife is such is the Man though through corruption of nature he faile in this or that particular yet doth not Gods child dwell in sinne but renues his repentance for his seuerall slippes Indeed Terrigina fratres the earth-borne broode they are like to the Grashoppers which sometimes leape a little vpwards but presently fall to the ground againe So these haue some light and short motions to goodnesse but they quicklie returne to their olde affections againe They loue vanity more then truth drosse more then golde the earth more then heauen the world more then him that made and redeemed the world Fowles that feed grossely neuer flie high and they that fill their hearts with things below cannot bee but earthly minded but the true sonnes of God through in Infirmity without perfection yet in sincerity without dissimulation haue their conuersation as Citizens of new Ierusalem which is aboue The workes of darkenesse are wearisome vnto them because they are the children of Light The fruites of the flesh are loathsome vnto them because they are renued by the Spirrt of God They are In the world but not Of the world They vse the world as though they vsed it not They esteeme their houses as Innes to rest in not as mansions to dwell in for euer All their worldly honours pleasures profites preferments they vse as staues in their hands the better to bring them to their iourneyes end Thus doe the Sonnes of God walke in a whole obedience of the whole man in their whole life which giueth an euidence vnto them of their Calling and election Now my beloued Hic specimen specitur hic certamen cernitur here is now the main point the totall summe the whole duety of a Christiau Wilt thou bee sure thou shalt bee saued beware of an idle speculation of faith Giue all diligence to haue the testimony of Gods Spirit rightly formed in thee Giue all diligence to haue it truely discerned by thee Pray vnto thy God earnestly obey him louingly mourne for sinnes past heartily striue with sinnes present stoutely prenent sinnes to come carefully Giue all diligence to seek after reconcilement with thy God with a thirst vnto it value Christ and his righteousnesse at the highest price expresse thy mind herein by loue to his Members by desire of his comming holde not heauen with thy two singers but with thy whole hand and study to yeeld obedience to all the lawes of God at all times in body in soule in spirit beginne quickly increase dayly continue in thy obedience constantly without hipocrisie Giue rather diligence that is before all things in the prime of thy youth in the beginning of thy dayes Giue rather diligence that is Aboue all things aboue a Dukedome aPrincedomâ— a Kingdome to make thy calling and election sure I haue read a story of an Abbot who beholding what cost a woman had bestowed in attiring of her selfe fell a weeping Oh said hee what a misery is this that a woman should bestow more labour vpon the dressing of her body then wee haue done in the adorning of our soules That she should put more ornaments vpon her head then wee haue beene carefull to put into our hearts And truely beloued this is a common calamity wee wish for heauen but contend for the earth Maries part is better but Marthaes the greater Let vs therefore giue the rather diligence to make our Calling and Election sure What if the world sets on good wine at the first it will afterwards bring that which is worse What if it entertaine with mirth it concludes with mourning It is like a Candle shining brightly but ending in a stinking smoake What doth the Flesâ— afforde but sinne What the Diuel but torments what the worlde but trouble Make therefore thy calling and election sure and then hast thou righteousnesse and ioy and peace in the holie Ghost Righteousnesse against sinne Ioy against Torture Peace against trouble Oh seeke not death in the error of your soules saith Wisdome and destroy not your selues in the works of your owne hands Make haste to make saluation sure A foole will desire to doe that in the end when hee commeth to had I wist which hee that is wise will doe in the beginning Doe people commend thee for a good and a iust man I but what if thine owne heart condemneth thee Are all men friendly to thee I but what if God bee thine enemy Surely if thine assistance were an hoast of armed Souldiers if thy friends were the Princes and Monarkes of the earth if thy possessions were as large as from East to west if thy me ate were as Manna from heauen and thy apparrell as costly as the Ephod of Aaron if euery day were as glorious vnto thee as the day was to Christ when he arose from his graue 1. Ioh. 8.18 yet who dares meete with the anger of the Lord of hoasts who can put to silence the voice of Desperation who can make a Couenant with hell to spare thee or an agreement with the Diuell to lay no claim vnto thee Wherefore giue all diligence to make thy calling and Election sure It is a greater toyle I confesse but profite will make men labour hard Will carry our desires very farre The dangers of the Sea are made delightsome by the expectation of gaine The tediousnesse of Phisicke is mitigated by the hope of health Nullus laboâ—r durâ—us videri debet saieth Hierome quo gloria aternitatis acquiritur Let vs not giue ouer wee shall bee rewarded according to our labours It is a diligence I confesse that is subiect to much disgrace to many a scoffe and floute amongst wicked men Sed durate vosmet rebus seruate secundis but bee not dismayed the labour is for life Saluation lyeth at the stake Hath Mutius patiently endured burning Socrates poyson Cato death Haue heathen men been constant for so small are compence as a popular applause and prayse in the world How much rather ought Christians for the Kingdom of God Wherfore my Brethren if heauen be our Country if Christ bee our treasure if Glory bee our hope let vs giue all diligence to make our Calling and Election sure which grace God grant vnto vs for his mercies sake