And as we must bee faithfull in glorifying him in our thoughts and words , so likewise in our deeds ; the light whereof must so shine before men , that they seeing our good works may glorifie God our Father which is in Heaven .

And note what a strict course the Lord hath taken for the gathering up of this tribute of his glory out of every thing . He will call us to a reckoning for our secretest cogitations : Inquisition shall bee made into our very thoughts . If you speake but a word that doth not some way or other tend to his glory , t is an idle word , and we must account for idle words in the day of iudgement ; if then wee doe a deed that aimes not at this end , shall we thinke not to bee questioned for it ? Wee must all appeare before the iudgement seate of the Lord , to giue an account of those things that we haue done in the body . Therefore our body and our soule , our thoughts , words and deeds , must all bee ordered , and husbanded so faithfully and iustly , that God may haue his due , his Honour , and his Glory by it . And if wee haue beene faithfull in a little , hee will make us Rulers over much , Math. 25.23 . And by way of commendation tell us , It is well done good and faithfull servants , and then bid us enter into our Masters ioy , where wee shall haue a Crowne of life , if wee haue discharged our duety as much as in us lyes , and beene obedient and faithfull unto Death . And that is my second part , the continuance , extent or measure of our thankfulnes , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which hath a twofold meaning , and may yeeld us matter of instruction both wayes . For first , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is unto death , and then it signifies such a service , and such faithfulnesse , as will not shrinke at any affliction , or prosecution whatsoever , but goes on couragiously , and resolutely if need be to the laying downe of our life , and continues faithfull even unto death . Secondly , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies untill death , and then it betookens such a service , and such an obedience as continues all our life long , never failes of the discharge of ' its duty as long as we haue a day to liue , but continues , and goes on from day to day , from yeare to yeare , as long as we haue any being , even untill death .

First then our duty must be strong , substantiall , well wrought , and close woven , and such as will not shrinke , neither with the water of affliction , nor with the fire of persecution , nor be shaken with the winde of temptation , but indure all extremities , even death it selfe . We must be faithfull unto death : And then it must hang upon the same threed that our life doth , and both must runne on together , and as long as the one lasteth so long must the other , and our service must be faithfull untill death .

First then of the couragiousnesse of our service that it must not shrinke at any thing , no not at death it selfe . Omne majus continet in se minus , that every lesser thing is conteyned in the greater , is a ground , and principle in nature , which every man knowes . If then our service must be faithfull unto death which is extremum malorum , the greatest of evills , then it must bee faithfull unto persecution , imprisonment , losse of goods , disgraces and reproches , which are but lesser evills , even petty , and slight afflictions as the Apostle calleth them . My sonne sayth Solomon when thou entrest into the house of the Lord , prepare thy Soule for temptations : and our Saviour in the 10. of Matthew sayes , if any man will follow me , and be my Disciple , let him take up his Crosse , and follow me , let him deny himselfe , not make dainty of any thing he hath , no not of his life . He that will save his life shall lose it , and hee that desires to have a Crowne of life , must bee faithfull unto death .

The way to Heaven is not paved with the pleasures of this world , nor strow'd with the flowers of humane delights , but through many tribulations wee must enter into the kingdome of Heaven , sayth Saint Paul in the 14. Acts 22. And our Saviour which is our head , he hath led the way and trod the path before us , and first wore the crowne of Thornes , before he put on his Crowne of glory , hee first served his Father faithfully unto death , and then was rewarded with a Crowne of life . No sooner doe we enter our selves into the service of God , and put on us the livery of him that is the Father of lights , but presently the whole kingdome of darkenesse is up in armes against us , the Prince whereof leads the battaile , and he warrs against us with all the temptations that his malice can suggest . And not content with his owne strength , hee stirs up the world against us , ●●●ur Saviour tels his Disciples , because you are not of the world , therefore the world will hate you ; and this hatred it will shew by defaming our Credit , spoyling us of our goods , persecuting of our bodies , yea & sometimes by taking away our liues too . Nay further , this subtill adversarie of ours like a politicke Statist , will not onely warre against us with open hostilitie , but he will stirr up enemies within our owne gates , and kindle a fire in our owne house , and raise up this traiterous and rebellious flesh of ours , which we nourish in our owne bosomes like a false brother to seduce , and entrap us ; this flesh perplexeth us with feares , enveigles us with hopes , allures us with baites , distracts us with cares , and torments us with paines , and vseth a thousand sleights , and fetches to make us betray our Christian profession , and revolt from that God to whom in our baptisme we swore our alleageance to be his constant souldiers , to fight under his banner , and to doe him faithfull service in spight of the world , the flesh , and the Devill , or all extremities that can betide us , whether they are the miseries of nature , the frownes of fortune , yea or the losse of life , even unto death it selfe . This is the vow , this is the profession , and this is the promise that wee haue made in baptisme : And wee haue it sealed and confirmed with the signe of the Crosse , the sacred signiture , and character whereof stands imprinted in our foreheads to testifie to the world , that we haue made such a vow to heaven , and to encourage us to confront any enemy being armed with an In hoc signo vinces , and to convince us of cowardise if wee shrinke or draw backe . Our life is a Warfare , and what should a coward doe in the warres that cannot endure the aking of a finger , is hee fit to bee the souldier of that Captaine that entred not into life , but by the gates of death ? Our Countrie is in heaven , and the world is but our pilgrimage , and therefore they are much deceived , saith Saint Augustine , Qui quaerunt vitam in regione mortis , that seeke for life and pleasure in this region of miserie , and death . A heathen man could say , Non est delicata res vincere . Seneca . heere is no Paradise , noe heaven on earth , but in the safety of a good conscience . Our time of raigning and triumphing is reserved for us in heaven , this is a time of duety and service , and such service as must bee couragious , and not shrinke at any thing , but continue constant , and faithfull unto death . And here let us descend every man into his owne heart , and try , & examine our selues how we stand affected to the performance of this duety , whether we could bee content to bee Gods faithfull servants , and sticke close to him though it were to the losse of goods , or our reputation , or our friends , or our life it selfe , and be faithfull unto death ; And I doubt not , but that wee haue presumption enough to flatter our selues so farre , as to beleeue , and professe , and perhaps to bragge , and vaunt that wee are ready to follow our Captaine Christ Iesus whither soever hee goes , though it were to the shedding of our bloods , the spending of our liues even unto death . I make no question but that wee beleeue this of our selues , and wee would make the world beleeue so too . But what saies Saint Iames ? shew me thy faith by thy workes , let the world see our profession by our actions , and let our vaunts bee made good by a reall , and actuall performance . Wheras if a man may be bold to iudge of the tree by the fruite , and to guesse at the faithfulnesse of the heart by the action of the outward man , and by those things which are daily presented to our eyes , I thinke wee should haue much to doe to perswade any advised , and considerate man , that our faithfulnesse is such as would endure all extremities . And that wee would faithfully follow our Captaine if ●●ed were unto death . Why the very censure of lewd , and reprobate persons is enough to flout us out of our Christian profession , and we would faine doe God that faithfull service which our owne conscience tels us we owe him , but that wee are afraid we shall fall into disgrace with the world , and that men will account us over precise , and too religious . This is but a slight paine , and far enough from the heart ( a man would thinke ) and yet even this as slight as it is , kils the faithfulnesse of many stout Christians by their owne report , and makes them revolt from their captaine and turne renegadoes , I will not say turne Turke , but which is worse , cary a Turkes heart under a Christians livery . Neither hath this beene the cowardlinesse of the cursed multitude onely , but even of professed leaders and eminent commanders , even the Scribes and Pharisees , we may see it in the twelfth of Iohn . There their consciences were so plainely convinced by the power of Christs doctrine , and miracles that their hearts could not chuse but tell them that he was the Messias ; yet saies the Text , they could not beleeue in him , nor make profession of him for their reputation sake ; because they loved the praise of men more then the praise of God , verse 42.43 . Nay , a farre lesse matter then this scarres us from our faithfulnesse . Let our Saviour come for faithfulnes , and call us to his service , not into the field to venter our liues , but into the Church where is no danger of life or limme ( except we are afraid perhaps of breaking our knees , but we will take order against that well enough , and therefore wee will bee sure not to bow them ) Let him I say but call for our faithfulnesse and service at Church , and wee haue our sports to follow , our proiects to contriue , our visits to make , our Mistresses to court , and they their dresses and faces to order , and compose for all the day after ; any thing shall serue turne to divert us from his service , and to deny him that faithfulnesse which wee are bound to performe unto him , what ever came of it , though it were to the loosing of our liues , for the duety that is here inioyned is faithfulnesse unto death ; Bee thou faithfull unto death . I haue done with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , unto death . I come now unto 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 untill death . And then it puts us in mind of the constancie of our dutie , that it must last and continue as long as our life doth ; the Spirit of God hath ioyned them both together , let none of us be so hardy as to venter and sunder them , but let them run on both together in Gods name , and as farre as our life goes , so farre let our faithfulnesse even untill death comes . In the affaires of this life it is a shame for a man to beginne an enterprise and not to goe thorow with it , every man points at him with his finger , derides , and geeres him ; this man began to build , and was not able to finish it .

In the workes of our Christian profession , the shame is greater , the danger infinite , and therefore Saint Paul befooles his Galathians when they fell from their faithfulnesse which once they professed , hee tells them they were bewitched , or else such a thing could never have befallen them . Gal. 3.1 . O ye foolish Galathians who hath bewitched you , are yee so foolish as having begunne in the Spirit to end in the flesh ? If a Man beginne a peece of worke , and leave it off in the middle , hee hath taken a good deale of paines to no other purpose , but to leave a Monument of his folly , and vanity to the world . Hee that hath received the common graces of God , and many good gifts of his Spirit , which have enabled him to doe much good and faithfull service , and then takes the grace of God and turnes it into wantonnesse , and smothers and quencheth the Spirit , comes neere unto dangerous symptomes of a more dangerous state . When a man is in a faire way to heaven , and hath some time walkt on religiouslly and faithfully , till hee hath come within some sence of his reward , & within some view of his Crowne by common enlightnings : then to turne out of the way ; and Apostate into the broade way , what is it else but to tread in a path that without repentance will leade to destruction . And therefore it is said in the 6. Chap. of the Epistle to the Hebrewes , that it is impossible that they which were once enlightned and have tasted of the heavenly gift , and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost if they fall away , should bee renewed againe by repentance , seeing they crucifie to themselues the Sonne of God afresh , and put him to an open shame . Heere I could give you many examples of revolters and backsliders , and shew you to what a height of impiety they have growne when once they have forsaken God and that goodnesse they have begun to professe , which for brevitie sake I will omit and conclude this poynt with the exhortation of the Apostle in the 3. to the Hebr. ver. 12.13 . Take heed brethren least at any time there be in any of you an evill heart , and unfaithfull to depart away from the living God , but exhort one an other daily whilest it is yet called to day least any of you be hardned through the deceitfulnesse of sinne , for we are made partakers of Christ , if wee hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end , and my Text sayes , If wee continue faithfull untill death , the God of life and death will give us a Crowne of life . And that s my second generall part .