stramine, modo arista in horrea colligantur. My master needeth not straw; gather but the ears, and it shall suffice.'

Once more: I know I speak not to the parliament that should remedy it, but yet that you may be helpful in your places to advance this work of Christ, let me tell you what is the thing in England that cries for reformation next our sins, even the fewness of overseers in great congregations, which maketh the greatest part of pastoral work to lie undone, and none to watch over the people in private, because they are scarce sufficient for the public work. It is pity that Musculus, that may be head of a society of students if he will continue a papist, must weave and dig for his living if he will be a protestant. It is pity that even Luther's wife and children must wander destitute of maintenance when he is dead, when Esop, the stage-player, can leave his son one hundred and fifty thousand pounds; and Roscius have thirty pounds a-day for the same trade; and Aristotle be allowed eight hundred talents to further his search into the secrets of nature. But am I pleading that ministers may have more maintenance? No, be it just or unjust, it is none of my errand. But O that the church had more ministers, which, though at the present they cannot have for want of men, yet hereafter they might have if it were not for want of maintenance. Alas! then, what pity is it that every reformation should diminish the churches' patrimony. If the men have of fended, or if the office of bishops or deans be unwarrantable, yet what have the revenues done? Is it not pity that one troop of an hundred men shall have seven commanding officers allowed them, besides others, and ten thousand, or forty thousand, shall have but one or two overseers allowed them for their souls, when the ministerial work is more laborious, and of greater concernment than the work of those commanders? I tell you again, the great thing that cries for reformation in England, next to sin, is the paucity of ministers in great congregations. I tell you this, that you may know which way to improve your several interests for the advancement of the kingdom of Christ in England.

To you, lawyers and jurors, my advice is this, "Kiss the Son." Remember the judgment is Christ's, every cause of truth and innocency doth he own, and will call it his cause. Wo, therefore, to him that shall oppose it! Remember every time you take a fee to plead against a cause that you know to be

just, you take a fee against a cause of Christ. Will you be of counsel against him that is your Counsellor and King? Dare you plead against him that you expect should plead for you? or desire judgment, as the Jews, against your Lord and Judge? Hath he not told you that he will say, "Inasmuch as ye did it to one of these little ones, ye did it unto me?" Remember, therefore, when a fee is offered you against the innocent, that it is a fee against Christ; and Judas's gain will be loss in the end, and will be too hot to hold long; you will be glad to bring it back, and glad if you could be well short of it, and cry, 'I have sinned in betraying the cause of the innocent.' Say not it is our calling that we must live upon. If any man of you dare upon such grounds plead a cause against his conscience, if his conscience do not plead it again more sharply against him, say I am a false prophet. If any, therefore, shall say of you, as the Cardinals of Luther, Cur homini os non obstruitis auro, et argento,' let the same answer serve turn, Hem pecuniam, non curat, &c. If any honourable or worshipful friend must be pleasured, inquire first whether he be a better friend than Christ. Tell him the cause is Christ's, and you cannot befriend him, except he procure you a dispensation from him. When Pompey saw his soldiers ready to fly, he lay down in the passage, and told them they should tread upon him then; which stopped their flight. So suppose every time you are drawn in to oppose a just cause, that you saw Christ saying, 'Thou must trample upon me, if thou do this.' As Luther to Melancthon, Ne causa fidei sit sine fide,' so say I to you all, "Ne causa justitiæ sit sine justitia.' When you begin to be cold in a good cause, suppose you saw Christ showing you his scars, as the soldier did to Cæsar when he desired him to plead his cause, See here, I have done more than plead for you.' We have had those that have had a tongue for a fee or a friend, but none for Christ; but God hath now, therefore, shut their mouths, and we may say of them, as Granius by his bad lawyer, when he heard him grown hoarse, If they had not lost their voices, we had lost our cause.' To conclude, remember, all of you, that there is an appeal from these earthly judgments; these causes must all be heard again, your witnesses re-examined, your oaths, pleadings, and sentences reviewed, and then, as Lampridius saith of Alexander Severus, that he would vomit choler if he saw a corrupt judge, so will Christ

vomit wrath, and vomit you out in wrath from his presence, if corrupt. Therefore," kiss the son, lest he be angry, and you perish," &c. I am sensible how I have encroached on your great affairs. Melancthon was wont to tell of a priest that begun his sermon thus, Scio quod vos non libenter auditis, et ego non libenter concionor, non diu igitur vos teneam.' But I may say contrary. I am persuaded that you hear with a good will, and I am certain that I preach willingly, and therefore I was bold to hold you the longer.

A

SERMON OF JUDGMENT

PREACHED AT PAUL'S,

BEFORE

THE HON. LORD MAYOR AND ALDERMEN

OF THE CITY OF LONDON,

Dec. 17th, 1654.

AND NOW ENLARGED.

"Every one of you shall give account of himself to God."-ROM. xiv. 12. "The hour is coming in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth. They that have done good to the resurrection of life, and they that have done evil to the resurrection of damnation."-JOHN V. 28, 29.