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The means are fet down in these words, First, he would have them ufe Diligence: Secondly, it must be demonstrative and expert Diligence: Thridly, it must be the fame Diligence that is fhewed in the works of Love and Charity, and in the distribution to the poor.

Of these three points the firft is, The Apostle fheweth we may deceive our felves in our hope: He that faid, I shall never be moved, Pfalm the thirtieth and and the fixt verfe, had hope enough and too much; and he that faid, Though all men for fake thee, yet not I, Matthew the twenty fixt chapter, hoped enough and too much : and therefore hope doth well in injoyning the means; for as in the beginning of the chapter, verfe the fixt, is matter of feare, and in the end, verfe the eighteenth, matter of hope; fo here he willeth them to fhew diligence, that this hope may appear, and that it be not a negligent and luggish hope, as he fpeaks, ut ne fitis femper fperantes: For as fear, if it be not mixed with hope,doth degenerate into defperation; fo hope, if it be not tempered with fear, will turn to prefumption. And it was the cafe of thefe two Saints, David and Peter, and we fee what came of it: And therefore of Job, who had fuch an affured hope in God, even in death, it is faid, Nonne timer tuus fpes tua? Job the fourteenth chapter he felt in himself a fear to commit finne; and that fear,say the ancient Fathers, was his hope: And the Apoftle that wills them perfectè fperare, to trust perfectly, the firft epiftle of Peter, the first chapter and the thirteenth verfe, faith after, verfe the feventeenth, Pase your time in fear: He that before called for a perfection of hope,dorh here require fear; for fo our hope may not fall asleep or wax negli gent. And as Bafil faith, Vide spem num fit vera fpes; The true hope is that which hath, that is, coact and moved to diligence: Such a hope is not his that perfwades himself his Mafter deters his comming, and fo falleth to be negligent; that is a confounding hope But the diligent hope is that which confounds not, Romans the fift chapter and the fift verfe; For as faith teacheth that it is impoffible to attain to Heaven; fo withall it tells us, it is arduus, a matter of difficulty: Wherefore Chrift faith, Vigilate, Mark the eighth chapter. If we will come thither, we must not be floathfull, but diligent and watchfull: We must use both attention, Luke the twenty firft chapter, Take heed to your felves, and contention, Luke the thirteenth chapter, Strive to enter; Therefore the Prophet faith, Pfalm the thirty fe venth, Hope in the Lord, and be doing good there is both hope and diligence. The Apoftle faith,We have great and pretious promifes made us, the fecond epiftle of Peter the first chapter and the fourth verfe, That is our hope; but we must be diligent, adding to our hope virtue, to virtue knowledge; and thefe if we be without, we cannot be partakers of the promises; which agreeth with Galatians the fift chapter, That faith worketh by love; And he that hath this hope purgeth himself, the first epistle of John the third chapter and the third verie. Job, that did perfectly hope, was not negligent, as he faith, Etiam fi occidet, fperabo in eum, Fob the thirteenth chapter and the fifteenth verfe; fo he fheweth his carefulneffe, Veritas omnia opera mea, Job the ninth chap

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ter. Paul that faid, He was fure of the love of God, Romans the eighth chapter doth not, ceafe to be diligent, left he should be vexed, firit epistle to the Corinthians the ninth chapter: The fame Paul faith, Philippians the third chapter and the tenth verfe, I forget that which is behinde, and indeavor towards that which is before. This is that which concludes this point, i. fecing faith fheweth it is poffible to attain to Heaven, though it be hard, we muft ufe diligence which may make it a thing poffible: Not that we are fufficient of our felves, as from our felves to think any good, or to ufe any diligence to bring this to paffe, for all our fufficiencie is of God, the fecond epistle to the Corinthians the third chapter: And therefore the Apostle, when he had faid, 1 labored more than they all, corre&eth himself, yet not I, but the grace of God within me, the first epiftle to the Corinthians the fifteenth chapter and the tenth verse: He did not fay before, It was I that perfecuted the Church, but the finne that dwelleth within me, but afcribes that wholly to himfelf. But if we doe any good thing, we muft wholly afcribe that to God, who, by his fpirit, doth give us grace and ability to doe it. And therefore, whofoever feel themselves to receive grace, the fecond epistle to the Corinthians and the fixt chap ter, and be indued with virtue from above, Luke the twenty fourth chap ter, they must take heed they be not wanting to that grace and heare it in vain; but having grace from God, we must labour to make that poffible which faith theweth to be poffible.

Secondly, They must de, make it apparent there is a fecret diligence; but that which the Apostle requireth is an oftenfive dili. gence; For as James faith. Oftende mihi fidem ex operibus, James the fecond chapter and eighth vere: So the Apostles meaning is, I care not for the concealed diligence, et me fee itappear by your outward converfation. For if the Heathen being indued with the light of Nature only, did shew the work of the Law written in their hearts, by do. ing moral virtues, Romans the fecond chapter,much more ought Chriftians, that are indued with grace from above, to fhew forth this diligence, that it may be visible to the world. The Apostle shews there are two hopes,Spes interna dulcedinis, & extrema operationis; the one is concealed and inward, the other is apparent and to be seen. The inward hope bringeth this to paffe, That the love of God is shed abroad inour hearts, Rom.5.5.and therefore is to be likened : This hope doth likewife effect this, That we have the fpirit of God bearing witnesse to our fpirits that we are the Chrildren of God, Rom.8. It is as it were abfconditum Manna, Apoc., the second chapter, which doth inwardly feed our fouls. But how foever this be good, yet not without danger; for as the Apostle fheweth, there are that have been lightned with knowledge, and have tafted of the Heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the holy Ghost, and have tafted of the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, and yet fall away Hebrews the fixt chapter and the fourth verle: Therefore he calls not for this diligence, but will have them make it evident; which he expreffeth in these words, that it be the fame diligence; which is the third point:

Wherein

Wherein he teacheth in what this demonftrative diligence ftan deth; that is, as the former verfe fheweth in the work and labour of love, and in miniftring to the Saints; that is, the doing of works of charity, makes the oftenfive diligence: Whereby he teachetḥ, that this oftenfive or demonftrative diligence, is the touch tone of our hope, as the Apoftle faith, The works of love are the touchstone of faith, for true faith worketh by love, Galatians the fift chapter. This diligence cannot deceive us, of which our Saviour Chrift falth, Fohn the fift chapter, They that have done good, fhall come forth into everla fting life, and the comfortable fentence pronounced by the Fudge at the last day, upon all those that have fhewed forth this diligence, in doing the works of mercy fhall be: Come ye bleffed poffeffe the kingdome prepared for you, Matthew the twenty fift chapter. It fufficeth not to lay to a brother or lifter that is naked and deftitute of daily food, Depart in peace, warm, your felves, fill your bellies; bur the inward compaffion must fhew it felf outwardly, by giving them thofe things which are needfull to the body, Fames the fecond chapter and the fifteenth verse . Therefore the Apostle Peter willeth them that are perfwaded of the.. great and pretious promifes that are made them, not to stay there, but make their election fure to them by this oftenfive diligence, that to their faith they add virtue,to virtue knowledge, which if they doe, they shall never fail, the fecond epiftle of Peter the first chapter. And the Apostle St. John faith, Hereby we know that we are tranflated from death unto life, because we love the brethren, and that not in word and tongue only, but in deed and truth, the first epistle of John the third chapter and the fourteenth verfe. God to affure us of his mercifull promises in Chrift, is faid, not only to have fealed us, but also to have given the earnest of the (pirit into our bearts, the second epistle to the Corinthians the firft chapter and the twenty fecond verse. The concealed diligence is as the earnest which a man puts in his purfe; but the oftenfive diligence is like to a feal, which may be fhewed to all men: for, as Chrift witneffeth, our lights must fo shine before all men, that the wicked and ungodly, by feeing our good works, may take occafion to glorifie God and be converted, Matthew the fift chapter. If we ufe diligence, and fhew forth our diligence in doing those works of love, we fhall attain to hope, and that not faint or feeble, but of full mea fure, even the full affurance of hope; which fhall not be for a time, or an hour, and fo fail, but it shall continue even to the end.

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Apoc. 12. 7,8. Et fa&tum eft prælium in Cœlo: Michael & Angeli ejus præ liati funt cum Dracone, & Draco pugnabat & Angeli ejus : Sed hi non prævaluerunt, neque locus eorum ampliùs inventus eft in Cœlo.

Septemb. 29.
1599.

S the Chriftian Religion is not a Religion of Angels; for we doe not adore them with divine ho nour, Colossians the fecond chapter and the eigh teenth verfe; and though we offer to worship them, yet they will not admit of it, Apocalyps the twenty fecond chapter and the ninth verfe; fo on the other fide, it is not a Religion of Saduces, that hola there is no Angels nor fpirit, Acts the twenty third chapter and the eighth verfe; but it doth acknowledge that fuch bleffed fpirits there be, and that God hath erected a ladder that reacheth up to Heaven, by which the Angels of God goe up and down to convey Gods blef fings to men, Genefis the twenty eighth chapter: And therefore by all means ir oppofethi felfagainst the opinion of those that seek to remove this ladder, as ifthere were no duty to be performed by them towards us : For, in thankfulneffe to God for this benefit, that the Angels have a care of us, the Church have thought it good, weighing both the one extremity of fuperftition, which Mofes compateth to drunkenneffe, and the other cxtremity of prophaneneffe, which he likeneth to thith, Deuteronomie the twenty ninth chapter and the nineteenth verfe, to keep this Feast.

And indeed if we confider, that thofe glorious fpirits who have the continual fruition of Gods presence, Matthew the eighteenth chapter and the tenth verse, in whose presence is the fulmeffe of all joy, Pfalm the fixteenth, can be content to abandon that place of this felicity, to come down and perform duties to the sonnes ofmen, namely, to take charge of us and keep as from danger, Pfalm the ninetie firft and the ele venth verfe, to be as miniftring spirits, for their fakes that fhall be heirs of falvation, Hebrews the first chapter: This cannot but be reckoned a fpécial favour.

Secondly, Efpecially if we goe a degree further, and cons fider that they leave their affiftance in Gods prefence, where is all glorie and happineffe, to Minifter to us that dwell in houfes of clay, Job the fourth chapter, and that for our nobility, must derive our felves into corruption and worms, Jol the feventeenth chapter and the fourteenth verse, that fuch holy fpirits fhould come down upon fuch finfull fpirits, fuch glorious fpirits fhould Minister to fuch vile bodies, this gives us further caufe to remember this benefit.

Thirdly, The manner of this Miniftry may be a fpecial motive to ftir us up to thankfulneffe: This miniftry and fervice done to us is as farre as any can reach, that is, ufque ad confilium fideli & auxilium.

For

For counsel and wisdome, we fee Facak confeffeth, an Angel of God gave him direction what to doe, Genefis the thirty first chapter and the eleventh verfe: So an Angel came forth to teach Danieb, to give him knowledge and understanding, Daniel the ninth chapter and the twenty lecond verie. And this very book contains nothing else but that which Chrift revealed to bis fervant John by an Angel, Apocalyps the firit chapter and the first verie: that is for matter of counfel. And for matter af help there is between Angels and Men bellum fociale, a holy league indeed; whereby they binde themselves, that for our defence they may wage warre, not only with men, but with wicked Angels. That they do continually defend us the Prophet teacheth, Pfalm the thirty furth, The Angels of the Lord pitch their tents round about them that fear him; whereot we have a plain example, in the fecond of the K.ngs the fixt chapter and the leventeenth verfe. Forthe offenfive Part of help, which they perform to men, it is plain, that as they de fend us from danger, fo they fhew themselves enemies not only to men that feek our hurt, but to evil Angels. That the Angels are enemies to men, that are an enemie to the Elect and Church of God, we fee it plainly affirmed; Pfalm the thirty fift and the fixt verfe, The Angel of the Lord perfecuteth them; whereof an example in the Egyptians that were enemies to Gods people, among whom God feat an Angel tod ftroy the first born in query boufe, Exodus the twelfth chapter; and Ifaiah theirty leventh chapter, where an Angel is fent in ric behalf of Ezekiah to destroy the host of Senacherib, who was an ene mic to Gods people. And in this place we fee offenfive warre in the -behalf of Angels, against the wicked Angels, whereunto David had relation in those words, Pfalm the ninty first and the thirteenth verse, I bou shalt walk upon the Lyon and Adder, the young Lyon and the Dragou thoufhalt tread under foot. Wherefore that fpirits of fuch excelkacie, hul defend us gainft both wicked men and Angels, this is a beneficto be remembred with all thankfullaeffe to God and likewife we are to congratulate them that are made by God of fuch power; as Melchizedeck did gratulate Abraham after he had conquered the five Kings, Genefis the fourteenth chapter, and bleffed God that delivered his enemies into his hands; and as the fervants of Hadadezer did congratulate David, when he faw that the Army fled before /frael, the fe cond book of Samuel he eighth chapter and the ninth verte.

So that thefe congratulations of thefe bleffed fpirits, above all our thank fulaeffe to God that hath appointed us fuch helps, is the ground and caule of this folemni y.

The words divide themfelves into two parts, First, the batrail Secondly, the Victory or Conqueft.

Concerning the former, we are firft to confider the parties Com batent, and then the fight. In the Conqueft we are alfo to obferve two degrees: For it is faid not only That he had not the Mastery ; for then he had been of an even hand, and might have begun ag sing but that the Dragon and his Angels were fo farre from prevailing and getting the Victory of Michael and his Angels, that they

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