61. And now what remains, but that we try an experiment. That we may know in what a comfortable state Christ hath set us, let us consider, and look about us, to see if we can find any enemies that are likely to do us any harm: for which purpose, we shall not meet with a more accurate spy and intelligencer than St. Paul, who, in the remainder of this chapter, after my text, hath mustered them together in one roll. But, first, there is one, if he were our adversary, he would be instead of a thousand enemies unto us, and that is God. But him we are sure of in the verse before my text; for it is he that justifies, therefore surely he will not condemn: therefore what say you to "tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or the sword?" Why, these are not worthy the naming, for over all these we are more than conquerors. More than conquerors? What is that? Why they are not only overcome and disarmed, but they are brought over to our faction; they war on our side.

62. Well, in the next file, there follow adversaries of better fashion; there is life, and death, and angels, and principalities, and powers. Who are those? In truth I know not; but be they who they will, they can do us no harm: no, "nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth;" (these are adversaries we should scarce have dreamed of:) and, to make all sure in a word, there is no other creature shall ever" be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Jesus Christ our Lord."

63. Yet for all St. Paul's exactness, there remains one enemy behind, and that is a sore one, of prime note; and truly I wonder how the apo

stle could miss him. And that is sin. I would to God St. Paul had taken notice of him: for this one enemy is able to do us more harm than all the rest put together: nay, but for sin, all the rest almost were our very good friends. Had we best supply St. Paul's incogitancy, and even adventure to put him in the catalogue too? Well, let them that have a mind to it, do it; truly, I dare not. And, but that I know Martin Luther was a bold-spirited man, I should wonder how he durst so confidently have adventured upon it: in his book, entitled, Captivitatis Babylonica, (cap. de Baptismo, near the beginning) he hath these words: Vides quam dives sit homo Christianus sive baptizatus, qui etiam volens non potest perdere suam salutem quantiscunque peccatis, nisi nolit credere. I will not translate them to you; and I would they never had been Englished; for by that means, it may be, some of our loudest preachers would have wanted one point of comfortable false doctrine, wherewith they are wont to pleasure their friends and benefactors. Only, let us do thus much for St. Paul's credit, to believe it was not merely inconsideration in him to leave out sin in this catalogue; that there was some ground of reason for it: for though it may come to pass, by the mercy and goodness of God, that even sin itself shall not pluck us out of his hand, yet it would be something a strange, preposterous doctrine, for a preacher of the new covenant to proclaim, that we shall undoubtedly obtain the promises of the covenant, though we never so much break the conditions.

64. I do confess myself very guilty, and am sorry that I have thus long exercised and wearied your patience; and yet, for all that, have not per

formed that task, which I fully resolved upon, when I adventured upon this subject: and that was, to spend this time in raising our devotions to the contemplation of the glorious mercies of God, expressed to us in Christ's resurrection and exaltation. But because other thoughts have carried me away (even against my will) almost all this while, I shall further take leave to wrong and injure your patience, with proposing one consideration more which ought by no means to be omitted.

65. And that is, to take notice of the person, to whom we have been beholden for these unspeakable mercies; and that is Christ, Christ alone, none else mentioned or thought upon. If Bellarmine had been to advise St. Paul, if he had been privy to the writing of this Epistle, it is likely he would not have taken it ill, to have had Christ's name in the matter of our salvation; but he would not have endured the apostle's utter silence of all helps and aids besides: yea, though himself acknowledgeth it to be the safest course, to put our whole confidence only in the mercy of God; yet, quia magis honorificum est habere aliquid er merito, because it concerns our credit, to put in a little for merit and desert on our side: e; he would not have us so to disparage ourselves, as to make salvation a mere alms, proceeding merely out of courtesy.

66. Nay, but, oh thou man, what art thou that answerest against God? What art thou that justifiest thyself before him? Nay, what art thou that condemnest God, making him a liar all the Scripture over? The whole project whereof is this, to let us know, how unable, how sick, how dead, we are of ourselves, and therefore ought most

necessarily to have recourse to him for our salvation. As for us, beloved Christians, if we must needs rejoice, let us rejoice, let us rejoice in our infirmities; let our glory be our shame, and let us lift up our eyes and behold, "Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah; this, that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength?" And Christ will say, it is "I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save." But, wherefore, Lord, art thou❝red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the wine-fat?" He will answer, "I have trodden the wine-press alone, and of the people there was none with me;" for which reason I am now crowned with glory, and honour, and immortality: I alone am mighty to save, and besides me there is none other.

67. And "good luck have thou with thine honour, O Lord; ride on, because of thy word of truth, of meekness, and of righteousness; and thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things:" terrible things for the king's enemies, for them who would not have thee to rule over them. And good luck have we "with thine honour, O Lord; ride on, because of thy word of truth, of meekness, and of righteousness; and thy right hand shall teach thee" gracious and comfortable things for us thy servants, and sheep of thy pasture, who dare not exalt a weak arm of flesh against thee. Thy right hand shall mightily defend us in the midst of all our enemies. Thy right hand shall find us out, and gather us up, though lost and consumed in the grave; though + Psal. xlv.

* Isa, lxiii. 1, 2.

scattered before the four winds of heaven: and, thy right hand shall exalt us to glory and immortality for ever with thee in thy heavenly kingdom, where all the days of our life, yea, all the days of thy glorious endless life, we shall, with angels and archangels, say, Glory, and honour, and power, and immortality, be unto him which sitteth on the throne, and to the Lamb, and to the Holy Spirit, for ever and for ever. Amen, Amen.