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they to whom God hath committed supreme government, and they who receive beams of this power by subordination, and delegation from them, they see Satan amongst the sons of God, hypocrites and impiously-disposed men come into these places of holy convocation, and they suffer them, nay they employ them, nay they prefer them, and yet they know their hearts are far from them; but as long as they stand amongst the sons of God, that is, appear and conform themselves in the outward acts of religion, they are not disavowed, they are not ejected: by us here, they are not. But howsoever we date our excommunications against them but from an overt act, and apparent disobedience, yet in the records of heaven, they shall meet an excommunication, and a conviction of recusancy, that shall bear date from that day, when they came first to church, with that purpose to delude the congregation, to elude the laws in that behalf provided, to advance their treacherous designs by such disguises, or upon what other collateral and indirect occasion soever men come to this place: for though they be in the right way, when they are here, at church, yet because they are not upright in heart, therefore that right way brings not them to the right end.

And that is it which David looks upon in God, and desires that God should look upon in him; According to thine own heart, saith David to God, hast thou done all these great things unto us1: for sometimes God doth give temporal blessings to men, upon whom he hath not set his heart; and then in the 27th verse he says, Therefore hath thy servant found in his heart, to pray this prayer unto thee: if he had only found it in the Liturgy, and in the manner of the service of that church, to which he came with an ill will, and against his heart, he would not have prayed that prayer, nay, he would not have come to that church. For, though David place a great joy in that, That he can come to praise God in the congregation, and in the great congregation 1; and though David seem even to determine God's presence in the church, (for he multiplies that expostulation, that adprecation many times, When shall I come, in conspectum tuum, into thy presence? And, restore me, O Lord, conspectui tuo, to thy presence,

14 2 Sam. vii. 21.

15 Psalm xxxv. 11.

16 Psalm XL. 10.

he was not right, not in the right way, if he came not to church) yet there is a case in which David glories in, though (as he saith there) In corde meo abscondi eloquium tuum, Thy word have I hidden, locked up, in my heart". Though in another, in many other places, he rejoice in that, I have not hid thy righteousness in my heart, I have not concealed thy truth from the great congregation 18; yet here he glories in his Abscondi, I have hid it. Which (as both St. Hilary, and St. Ambrose refer it to a discreet and seasonable suppressing of the mysteries of religion, and not to cast pearls before swine) may also infer this instruction; that a man were better serve God at home, (though not in so right a way, if he think it right) than to come hither against his heart and conscience. Not but that there is better means of receiving good here, than at home in private prayer, though made the right way; but his end in coming is not to make this means his way to that good; and therefore his very being here, (though he be thereby in the right way) because it comes not from an upright heart, as it is a greater danger to us, who are deluded by their hypocritical conformity, so is it a greater sin to them, who come so against their conscience. David prays thus, Incola sum, ne abscondas, I am a stranger, hide not thy commandments from me1, (let me not be a stranger at church, at thy service.) And so it behoves us to pray too, that those doors, and those books may always be open unto us; but yet I will say with David too, Abscondam eloquium, where I am a stranger, and in a place of strange, and superstitious worship, I will hide my religion so far, as not to communicate with others, in a service against my heart; it is not safe for us to trust ourselves at a superstitious service, though curiosity, or company, or dependency upon others draw us thither; neither is it safe to trust all that come hither, if their hearts be not here. For the retribution of our text, that is, thanks and praise, belong only to them, who are right, and right of heart, and to them it is made due, and infallible, by this promise from God, and made universal, Omnes, all the upright in heart shall glory.

How often God admits it into his own name, this addition of

17 Psalm exix. 11.

18 Psalm XL. 10.

19 Psalm cxix. 19.

universality, Omne, all, as though he would be known by that especially. He is omnipotent, there he can do all; he is omniscient, there he can know all; he is omnipresent, there he can direct all. Neither doth God extend himself to all, that he may gather from all, but that he may gather all, and all might meet in him, and enjoy him. So God is all centre, as that he looks to all, and so all circumference, as that he embraces all. The sun works upon things that he sees not, (as mines in the womb of the earth) and so works the less perfectly. God sees all, and works upon all, and desires perfection

in all. There is no one word so often in the Bible, as this, Omne, all. Neither hath God spread the word more liberally upon all the lines of this book, then he hath his gracious purposes upon all the souls of men. And therefore, to withdraw God's general goodness out of his general propositions, that he would have all repent, that he came to save all, is to contract and abridge God himself, in his most extensive attribute, or denotation, that is, his mercy and as there is a curse laid upon them, that take away any part, any proposition out of this book, so may there be a curse on an ill affection, and countenance, and suspicion from God, that presses any of his general propositions to a narrower, and less gracious sense than God meant in it. It were as easily believed, that God looks towards no man, as that there should be any man (in whom he sees, that is, considers no sin) that he looks not towards. I could as easily doubt of the universal providence of God, as of the universal mercy of God, if man continued not in rebellion, and in opposition. If I can say, by way of confession, and accusing myself, Lord, my ways have not been right, nor my heart right, there is yet mercy for me. But to them who have studied and accustomed themselves to this uprightness of heart, there is mercy in that exaltation, mercy in the nature of a reward, of a retribution; and this retribution expressed here, in this word glory, constitutes our second part, all the upright in heart shall glory.

This retribution is expressed in the original, in the word halal; and halal, to those translators that made up our Book of Common Prayer, presented the signification of gladness, for so it is there, They shall be glad; so it did to the translators that came after, for there it is, They shall rejoice; and to our last translators it

seemed to signify glory, They shall glory, say they. But the first translation of all into our language (which was long before any of these three) calls it praise, and puts it in the passive, All men of rightful heart shall be praised. He followed St. Hierom, who reads it so, and interprets it so, in the passive, laudabuntur, They shall be praised. And so truly jithhalelu, in the original, bears it, nay requires it; which is not of a praise that they shall give to God, but of a praise, that they shall receive for having served God with an upright heart; not that they shall praise God in doing so, but that godly men shall praise them for having done So. All this will grow naturally out of the root; for the root of this word is lucere, splendere, to shine out in the eyes of men, and to create in them a holy and a reverential admiration; as it was John Baptist's praise, that he was ▲ burning, and a shining lamp. Properly it is, by a good and a holy exemplary life, to occasion others to set a right value upon holiness, and to give a due respect for holy men. For so, where we read, Their maidens were not given in marriage2, we find this word of our text, Their maidens were not praised, that is, there was not a due respect held of them, nor a just value set upon them.

So that this retribution intended for the upright in heart, as in the growth and extension of the word, it reaches to joy, and glory, and eminency, and respect, so in the root it signifies praise; and it is given them by God as a reward. That they shall be praised; now, praise (says the philosopher) is Sermo elucidans magnitudinem virtutis; It is the good word of good men, a good testimony given by good men of good actions. And this difference we use to assign between praise, and honour, Laus est in ordine ad finem, honor eorum qui jam in fine; praise is an encouragement to them that are in the way, and so far, a reward, a reward of good beginnings; honour is reserved to the end, to crown their constancy, and perseverence. And therefore, where men are rewarded with great honours at the beginning, in hope they will deserve it, they are paid beforehand. Thanks, and grace, and good countenance, and praise, are interlocutory encouragements, honours are final rewards. But, since praise is a part of God's retribution, a part of his promise in our text, They shall be

20 Psalm LXXviii. 63.

praised, we are thereby not only allowed, but bound to seek this praise from good men, and to give this praise to good men; for in this coin God hath promised that the upright in heart shall be paid, They shall be praised.

To seek praise from good men, by good means, is but the same thing which is recommended to us by Solomon, A good name is rather to be chosen, than great riches, and loving favour, than silver and gold". For, Habent et mores colores suos, habent et odores"; our good works have a colour, and they have a savour; we see their candour, their sincerity in our own consciences, there is their colour; (for in our own consciences our works appear in their true colours; no man can be an hypocrite to himself, nor seriously, deliberately deceive himself) and, when others give allowance of our works, and are edified by them, there is their savour, their odour, their perfume, their fragrancy. And therefore St. Hierom and St. Augustine differ little in their manner of expressing this, Non paratum habeas illud è trivio 23, Serve not thyself with that trivial, and vulgar saying, As long as my conscience testifies well to me, I care not what men say of me; and so says that other father, They that rest in the testimony of their own consciences, and contemn the opinion of other men, Imprudenter agunt, et crudeliter2, they deal weakly, and improvidently for themselves, in that they assist not their consciences with more witnesses, and they deal cruelly towards others, in that they provide not for their edification, by the knowledge and manifestation of their good works. For, (as he adds well there) Qui a criminibus citam custodit, bene facit, He that is innocent in his own heart, does well for himself, but Qui famam custodit, et in alios misericors est, He that is known to live well, he that hath the praise of good men, to be a good man, is merciful, in an exemplary life, to others, and promotes their salvation. For when that father gives a measure how much praise a man may receive, and a rule how he may receive it, when he hath first said, Nec totum, nec nihil accipiatur, Receive not all, but yet refuse not all praise, he adds this, That that which is to be received, is not to be received for our own sakes, sed propter illos, quibus consulere

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