a tempest? The Lord of heaven and earth, it is he that sendeth forth lightnings, and raiseth up tempests: fire and hail, snow and vapours, stormy wind, execute his word, Psal. cxlviii. God will send forth his lightning, and consume them. Behold, saith Jeremiah, chap. xxv. the tempest of the Lord goeth forth in his wrath, and a violent whirlwind shall fall down upon the head of the wicked.

Oh! what a shepherd is he, that now in this light of the day thus mocks and deceives the lambs and sheep of Christ! Is this to worship Christ in spirit and truth? is this the hope we have in Christ? is this the profession of the gospel? is this the will of God, to commit our lives to so vile a cake?

Howbeit, there is no cause why any man should marvel hereat. For ignorance, which is the mother of error, by their own confession is become the mother of devotion; and these are the fruits and children of blindness and ignorance. I will speak nothing of that man from whence this gear cometh.* Would that he were the man he would seem to be! But if the light itself be darkness, how great then is the darkness! Yet they say of him, his voice must be received as the voice of Peter, and the word of God himself must take authority and credit of him. Thus hath he come between, like a cloud, and eclipsed the sun of God's glorious gospel.

If we behold either their schools, or their churches, their choir, their pulpit, their prayers, their sacraments, their clergy, their people, their doctrine, or their life, we may truly say, as the prophet said, Jer. xvi. Surely our fathers have inherited lies and vanity, wherein was no profit. We may truly say, The law hath perished from the priest, and counsel from the wise, and the word from the prophet; the blind did lead the blind; they have turned silver into dross, and fed the people with chaff, instead of wholesome and good meats. Blessed be the name of God, who hath given us eyes to perceive their dealings, and hath revealed unto us his word to guide our feet into the way of peace.

I know these things are defended boldly and obstinately; no marvel; for the apostle saith, Rom. x. They have not all obeyed the gospel. There have been, that have called the light darkness, and the darkness light. If our gospel be hid, saith he, 2 Cor. iv. it is hid in them that perish, in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds.

* These articles, or trash, come.

I will not here make answer to any particular, albeit oecasion be offered, and haply it be looked for. Contentions and quarrels have no end. All doctrine shall be brought to trial, the day of the Lord shall reveal errors, and give witness for the truth. God will turn all to his glory. Whatsoever stir is raised up against the truth, it is but a smoke, it will fade and come to nothing.

There are this day many, to all appearance godly men of good life, of righteous dealing, of great zeal and conscience, but yet have not eyes to see these things. I protest in their behalf, as did Paul, they have a great zeal of God's glory; would God it were according to knowledge! We may say with the prophet, Psal. xxxvi. O Lord, thy judgments are like a great deep.

Who hath known the mind of the Lord, or who is of his counsel? God knoweth his time. He hath the key of David; he openeth, and no man shutteth; he is the Father of lights. We are in his hands, both we and all our counsels. God grant we may put off all fleshly affections, and put on Jesus Christ, and that all the earth may see his glory.

Now, on the other side, let us consider how mercifully God hath dealt with us. He hath restored unto us the light of his gospel, and hath taught us the secrets of his heavenly will. We hear him talk with us familiarly in the Scriptures, as a father talketh with his child. Thereby he kindleth our faith, and strengtheneth our hope; thereby our hearts receive joy and comfort.

We have the holy ministration of the sacraments: we know the covenant of baptism; we know the covenant and mystery of the Lord's supper; we fall down together, and confess our life before God; we pray together, and understand what we pray. This was the order of the primitive church; this was the order of the apostles of Christ. If we compare this with the former, we shall soon see the difference between light and darkness.

The kingdom of God now suffereth violence; the sound of the gospel hath gone over all the world, and the whole world is awaked therewith, and draweth to it. The sun is risen, the day is open; God hath made his kingdom wonderful among us. It is now time, now is it time, that we should arise from sleep, for now is our salvation near. Now it is in our mouth, we can speak of it. God grant it may be nearer us, even in our hearts.

The night is past, God grant it be past for ever, that we

us.

be never again thrown into the darkness of death; that the word of life, the truth of Christ, be never again taken from And it shall never be taken away, if we be thankful. Unkindness can never escape unplagued. Let us wake, let us wake, our sleep is deadly; let us pray God to awake us, he is able to raise the dead.

Our Saviour saith, John v. The hour shall come when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear it shall live. Lazarus was dead, yet he heard the voice of Christ, and rose up again, and came abroad.

Let us put on Jesus Christ; let it appear upon us that we wear him; let us not be ashamed of his gospel; it is the power of God to salvation. If we be ashamed of him and of his word, he will also be ashamed of us when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.

Let us cast away the works of darkness, and all doctrines of superstition and ignorance; let us behold the troubles and miseries of other countries. Heaven and earth, our brethren, the care of our salvation, the Son of God himself, put us in mind, that it is now time. While we have time, let us do good, let us seek God while he may be found. The Lord waiteth when he may show his mercies.

Let us turn unto him with an upright heart; so shall he turn to us; so shall we walk as the children of light; so shall we shine as the sun in the kingdom of our Father; so shall God be our God, and he will abide with us for ever.

And thou, O most merciful Father, we beseech thee, for thy mercy's sake, continue thy grace and favour towards us; let the sun of thy gospel never go down out of our hearts; let thy truth abide and be established among us for ever. Help our unbelief, increase our faith, give us hearts to consider the time of our visitation. Apparel us thoroughly with Christ, that he may live in us, and so thy name may be glorified in us, in the sight of all the world. Amen.

SERMON ON ROMANS vi. 19.

Like as ye have given over your members to the service of uncleanness from one wickedness to another, even so now also give over your members to the service of righteousness, that ye may be holy, &c.

FOR the better understanding of these words, written by the apostle St. Paul, we must consider, that there are two princes of contrary dispositions and natures, who have the rule and governance of this world; that is, God, and the devil; and that never was there man, since the first foundation of the world, but was in subjection and under obedience either to the one or the other.

And as God is the Father of light, the God of all good men, so is the devil, the father and prince of this world, the lord of darkness, the king of this age, as saith St. Paul, Eph. vi. and ruler of the wicked. And as all good men fight under the banner of God their Lord, so all ungodly fight under the standard of the devil their prince; and even as the just man hath his reward of God, so hath the wicked man his stipend of the devil.

And thus infidels, Turks, Jews, and all heathen people are under the power and dominion of the devil, under the standard of Satan, and therefore are they not able to think any good, to conceive one good thought, because they fight under his banner, because they have given over all their members to be ordered of the devil, without any feeling of good, without any fear of God. And thus, as I said, do the Turks, thus do the infidels, thus do all heathen people at this day; and so did the Jews in the time of Paul, Eph. iv. they walked in the shadow of death.

But after that it pleased God the Father, by the coming of his dear Son Jesus Christ, to reveal himself unto them, to open and declare his gospel among them, then began the people to renounce the devil, to forsake his law and service, and to betake themselves wholly to the governance of God. And therefore St. Paul, the further to encourage them thereunto, willeth them in this epistle of his, That like as beforetime they gave over their members to the service of uncleanness, from one wickedness to another, so should they now give over the same their members to the service of righteousness.

For to this end was Christ born into this world; to this end lived he here among us; to this end preached he, and taught the people God's holy word, that we, by his example, and the doctrine of his gospel, should live an upright and holy life. And therefore Zacharias, that holy prophet, being filled with the Holy Ghost, prophesied and said, before Christ's birth, that Christ should for this cause appear in this world, That we, being by him delivered from the fear of our enemies, might serve him in pureness and holiness all the days of our life, Luke i.

And St. Paul likewise saith, Eph. v. Ye were in darkness, but now ye are light; walk therefore as becometh the children of light. Therefore are we delivered from the power of darkness, saith St. Paul, that we should walk in the light, and have no fellowship with the unfruitful-works of darkness. And so, 1 Thess. iv. God hath not called us to uncleanness, but to holiness and sanctity of life. Thus hath he called us, that we, not only in body but in soul, should be pure and unspotted.

And therefore St. Paul unto the Romans, Know you not saith he, (chap. vi.) that all we which are baptized into Jesus Christ, are baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death, that like as Christ was raised up from the dead, even so also should we walk in a new life. And for this cause this same Paul likewise saith, Rom. xii. Show yourselves as quick and lively members. And, Give over your bodies for a sacrifice, holy and acceptable before God. And, 1 Cor. iii. Know you not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

These and many such other lessons has St. Paul given us, to call us unto pureness and holiness of life. Let us therefore, good brethren, live holily. Consider that God hath not called you to uncleanness, but to purity of life; consider, if ye be baptized with Christ into death, you must also walk with him in a new life; let your bodies be a sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God; show yourselves lively members of Christ, and the temple of the Holy Ghost. St. Paul saith, 1 Thess. iv. God hath called us, God hath appointed us to live in soberness, to live in pureness, to live in holiness; and this not in one part of our bodies, not in one part of our souls, but in our whole bodies, in our whole souls. For Christ our Saviour suffered not his body to be crucified in one part; but even from the sole of the foot to the crown of his head, Matt. xxvii. was he beaten, rent, and