good of them whom Jesus Christ hath most dearly bought.

22. His zeal and fervency.

If there be not zeal and fervency in him which proposeth for the rest those suits and supplications which they by their joyful acclamations must ratify; if he praise not God with all his might; if he pour not out his soul in prayer; if he take not their causes to heart, and speak not as Moses, Daniel, and Ezra did for their people; how should there be but in them frozen coldness, when his affections seem benumbed from whom theirs should take fire?

23. His devotedness.

Soldiers may not be nice and tender, that they be able to endure hardness, that no man betaking himself unto wars continueth entangled with such kind of businesses, as tend only unto the ease and quiet felicity of this life; but if the service of him who hath taken them under his banner require the hazard, yea, the loss of their lives, to please him they must be content and willing, with any difficulty, any peril, be it never so much against the natural desire which they have to live in safety. And at this point the clergy of God must always stand; thus it behoveth them to be affected as oft as their Lord and Captain leadeth them into the field, whatsoever conflicts, perils, or evils they are to endure.

24. His virtue and godliness.

Virtue and godliness of life are required at the hands of the minister of God, not only in that he is to teach and instruct the people, who for the most part are rather led away by the ill example, than directed aright by the wholesome instruction of them, whose life swerveth from the rule of their

own doctrine; but also much more in regard of this other part of his function; whether we respect the weakness of the people, apt to loath and abhor the sanctuary when they which perform the service thereof are such as the sons of Heli were; or else consider the inclination of God himself, who requireth the lifting up of pure hands in prayers, and hath given the world plainly to understand that the wicked, although they cry, shall not be heard.

25. His piety.

The life of a pious clergyman is visible rhetoric, and so convincing, that the most godless men (though they would not deny themselves the enjoy. ment of their present lusts) do yet secretly wish themselves like those of the strictest lives.

26. His government.

The hearts of the people being willing to be under the sceptre of Christ, the minister of God, into whose hands the Lord himself hath put that sceptre, is without all excuse, if thereby he guide them not.

27. His fear of error.

The teacher's error is the people's trial, harder and heavier by so much to bear, as he is in worth and regard greater that mis-persuadeth them.

As the matter is weighty, dear, and precious, which we have in hand, it behoveth us with so much the greater chariness' to wade through it, taking special heed both what we build, and whereon we build, that if our building be pearl, our foundation be not stubble; if the doctrine we teach be full of comfort and consolation, the ground whereupon we gather it be sure: otherwise we shall not save, but deceive both ourselves and others.

1" Chariness;" i. e. caution.

28. Evil consequences of inspiring delusive hope or false peace.

Peace granted contrary to the rigour of the Gospel, contrary to the law of our Lord and God, doth but under colour of merciful relaxation deceive sinners, and by soft handling destroy them, a grace dangerous for the giver, and to him which receiveth it nothing at all valuable. The patient expectation that bringeth health is, by this means, not regarded; recovery of soundness not sought for by the only medicine available, which is satisfaction; penitency thrown out of men's hearts; the remembrance of that heaviest and last judgment clean banished; the wounds of dying men, which should be healed, are covered; the stroke of death, which hath gone as deep as any bowels are to receive it, is overcast with a slight shew of a cloudy look.

Such facility giveth not, but rather taketh away peace, and is itself another fresh persecution or trial, whereby that fraudulent enemy maketh a secret havoc of such as before he had overthrown; and now, to the end that he may clean swallow them, he casteth sorrow into a deep sleep, putteth grief to silence, wipeth away the memory of faults newly done, smothereth the sighs that should rise from a contrite spirit, drieth up eyes which ought to send forth rivers of tears, and permitteth not God to be pacified with full repentance, whom heinous and enormous crimes have displeased.

29. Honour due to the clergy.

Let the people be asked, who are the chiefest in any kind of calling? who most to be listened unto? who of greatest account and reputation? and see if the very discourse of their minds lead them not unto those sensible marks, according to the difference whereof they give their suitable judgment,

esteeming them the worthiest persons who carry the principal note and public mark of worthiness. If therefore they see in other estates a number of tokens sensible, whereby testimony is given what account there is publicly made of them, but no such thing in the clergy; what will they hereby, or what can they else conclude, but that where they behold this, surely in that commonwealth, religion, and they that are conversant about it, are not esteemed greatly beneficial? Whereupon in time the open contempt of God and godliness must needs ensue. In vain doth that kingdom or commonwealth pretend zeal to the honour of God, which doth not provide that his clergy also may have honour.

30. Gifts for the support of God's Church and Ministers.

To honour Him [God] with our worldly goods, not only by spending them in lawful manner, and by using them without offence, but also by alienating from ourselves some reasonable part or portion thereof, and by offering up the same to Him as a sign that we gladly confess his sole and sovereign dominion over all, is a duty which all men are bound unto, and a part of that very worship of God, which, as the law of God and nature itself requireth, so we are the rather to think all men no less strictly bound thereunto, than to any other natural duty.

It is not sufficient to carry religion in our hearts, as fire is carried in flint stones, but we are outwardly, visibly, apparently to serve and honour the living God; yea, to employ that way, as not only our souls, but our bodies, so not only our bodies, but our goods; yea, the choice, the flower, the chiefest of all thy revenue, saith Solomon. If thou hast any thing in all thy possessions of more value and price than another, to what use shouldest thou convert it, rather than to this?

Are not our riches as well his, as the days of our life are his? Wherefore, unless with part we acknowledge his supreme dominion by whose benevolence we have the whole, how give we honour to whom honour belongeth, or how hath God the things that are God's? I would know what nation in the world did ever honour God, and not think it a point of their duty to do him honour with their very goods. So that this we may boldly set down as a principle clear in nature, an axiom that ought not to be called in question, a truth manifest and infallible, that men are eternally bound to honour God with their substance, in token of thankful acknowledgment that all they have is from Him.

The hearts of men do so cleave to these earthly things, so much admire them for the sway they have in the world, impute them so generally either to nature or to chance and fortune, so little think upon the grace and providence from which they come, that, unless by a kind of continual tribute we did acknowledge God's dominion, it may be doubted that in short time men would learn to forget whose tenants they are, and imagine that the world is their own absolute, free, and independent inheritance.

31. The kind or quality of such gifts.

Concerning the kind or quality of gifts which God receiveth in that sort, we are to consider them, partly as first they proceed from us, and partly as afterwards they are to serve for divine uses. In that they are testimonies of our affection towards God, there is no doubt but such they should be as beseemeth most his glory to whom we offer them. In this respect the fatness of Abel's sacrifice is commended; the flower of all men's increase assigned to God by Solomon; the gifts and donations