our advantage: and to be drawn unwilling to a service like this is the same as not serving at all.

66

Why then," says one, does he punish those who will not listen to him, and why hath he threatened hell to those who submit not to his commands?" Because, being good exceedingly, he cares even for those who obey him not, and withdraws not from them who start back and flee from him. But when we had rejected the first way of his beneficence, and had refused to come by the path of persuasion and kind treatment, then he brought in upon us the other way, that of correction and punishments; most bitter indeed, but still necessary, when the former is disregarded. Now lawgivers also appoint many and grievous penalties against offenders, and yet we feel no aversion to them for this; we even honor them the more on account of the punishments they have enacted, and because though not needing a single thing that we have, and often not knowing who they should be that should enjoy the help afforded by their written laws, they still took care for the good ordering of our lives, rewarding those who live virtuously, and checking by punishments the intemperate, and those who would mar the repose of others. And if we admire and love these men, ought we not much more to marvel at and love God on account of his so great care? For the difference between their and his forethought regarding us is infinite. Unspeakable of a truth are the riches of the goodness of God, and beyond all thought.

Consider; He came to his own, not for his personal need, but to do good unto his own people. Yet not even so did his own receive him, when he came to his own for their advantage, but repelled him, and not this only, but they even cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him. Yet not for this even did he shut them out from repentance, but granted them, if they had been willing, after such wickedness as this, to wash off all their transgressions by faith in him, and to be made equal to those who had done no such thing, but are his especial friends. at random and for persuasion's sake, all the history of the blessed Paul loudly declares. For when he, who after the Cross persecuted Christ, and had stoned his martyr Stephen by those many hands, repented, and condemned his former sins, and ran to him whom he had persecuted, he immediately enrolled him among his friends, and the chiefest of them, having appointed him a

And that I say not this

herald and teacher of all the world, who had been a blasphemer and persecutor, and injurious. Even as he rejoicing at the lovingkindness of God, has proclaimed aloud, and has not been ashamed, but having recorded in his writings, as on a pillar, the deeds formerly dared by him, has exhibited them to all; thinking it better that his former life should be placarded in sight of all, so that the greatness of the free gift of God might appear, than that he should obscure his ineffable and indescribable loving-kindness by hesitating to parade before all men his own error. Wherefore continually he treats of his persecution, his plottings, his wars against the church, at one time saying, I am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God; at another, Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. And again, Ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it.

For making as it were a kind of return to Christ for his longsuffering towards him, by showing who it was, what a hater and enemy that he saved, he declared with much openness the warfare which at the first with all zeal he warred against Christ; and with this he holds forth good hopes to those who despaired of their condition. For he says, that Christ accepted him, in order that in him first he might show forth all long-suffering, and the abundant riches of his goodness, for a pattern to them that should hereafter believe in him to life everlasting. Because the things which they had dared were too great for any pardon; which the Evangelist declaring, said,

He came to his own, and his own received him not. Whence came he, who filleth all things, and who is everywhere present? What place did he empty of his presence, who holdeth and graspeth all things in his hands? He exchanged not one place for another; how should he? But by his coming down to us, he effected this. For since, though being in the world, he did not seem to be there, because he was not yet known, but afterward manifested himself by deigning to take upon him our flesh, St. John calls this manifestation and descent," a coming." One might wonder at the disciple who is not ashamed of the dishonor of his Teacher, but even records the insolence which was used towards him yet this is no small proof of his truth-loving disposition. And besides he who feels shame should feel it for

those who have offered an insult, not for the person outraged. Indeed he by this very thing shone the brighter, as taking, even after the insult, so much care for those who had offered it; while they appeared ungrateful and accursed in the eyes of all men, for having rejected him who came to bring them so great goods, as hateful to them, and an enemy. And not only in this were they hurt, but also in not obtaining what they obtained who received him. For, to as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God.

Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.—Psalm i. 5, 6.

In the fifth verse the prophet shows that the state of happiness is founded upon a good conscience; and therefore it is no marvel if the ungodly suddenly fall from their imagined happiness. But there is involved in it a sort of concession; as if the prophet should tacitly confess that the ungodly indeed think well of themselves, and have their triumphs, as long as things are confounded in the world, as robbers revel in woods and caves while they are out of the judge's sight. But he says that things shall not be so jumbled evermore, and that when they shall be brought into due order, the ungodly shall be dispossessed of these their delights, so that they may perceive that they were but drunken when they thought themselves happy. We see now how the prophet avouches the ungodly to be miserable, because happiness is an inward good of the conscience. He denies not that before they are driven to the trial, all things go well with them, but he denies that they are happy unless they are sustained by solid and steadfast integrity. For by the trial of the good their integrity is found at length to be genuine. Moreover, although the Lord daily execute the judgment by which he putteth a difference between the righteous and the reprobate, yet because it is done in part only, it is meet we should raise our eyes higher, if we purpose to behold the congregation of the righteous whereof mention is made in this place. Even in this life the prosperity of the ungodly begins to fade away, as often as God putteth forth

130

tokens of his judgment. For then being awakened, they are forced, whether they will or no, to acknowledge that they are banished from the company of the godly. But because this is not accomplished always, nor in all men, we must patiently wait for the day of the last revelation, in which Christ shall separate the sheep from the goats. Yet it is to be held, that generally the ungodly are appointed to misery, because their consciences are goaded with guilt, and because as often as they are called to give an account of their life, being as it were awakened from sleep, they perceive it was but a dream that they thought themselves happy, without looking into themselves. Nevertheless, forasmuch as things here seem to be tossed to and fro at a venture, and it is not easy in so confused a medley to discern what the prophet means, therefore he calls us back to another principle, namely, that God is the judge of the world. Whence it follows, that it cannot be possible but it must go well with the upright and just, and that utter destruction must light upon the ungodly. Therefore, although to outward appearance the pureness of the worshippers of God profits them nothing at all, yet as it is the peculiar office of God to defend them and to watch over their safety, they must of necessity be happy under his protection. And thence again we may gather, that because he is a sure avenger of wickedness, he will at length destroy all the ungodly, though he wink at them for a time. Wherefore, lest their imaginary felicity may deceive us, let us always, when in distress, place before our eyes the providence of God, to whom it belongeth to adjust the state of the world according to a perfect rule.

Whom no man hath seen, nor can see.-1 Tim. vi. 16.

THE invisibility of God is comprehended in the fact that he is a Spirit that he is simple and not material as bodies are. And the invisibility of God should be so contemplated by us, that it may have its due effects upon us.

1. It should warn us, that we picture not God to our eyesight, or in our fancies, in any bodily shape. Saith the prophet, "To whom will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto him? "No man hath seen God at any time; the

only begotten Son which is in the bosom of his Father, he hath declared him ;" and therefore we must conceive of him but as he is declared. "Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father."

If you ask me, how then you should conceive of God, if not in any bodily shape? I answer, Get all the attributes and relations of God to make their proper impress upon thy soul; and then you will have the true conceiving of God.

2. This must teach us to think most highly of the things that are invisible, and more meanly of these visible things. Let it be the property of a beast, and not of a man, to know nothing but what he seeth or hath seen: let it be the mark of the brutish infidels, and not of Christians, to doubt of the invisible things because they are invisible; or to think that things visible are more excellent or sure. As the senses are more ignoble than the intellect, so the objects of sense must proportionably be below the objects of the understanding, as such. The grossest and most palpable objects are the basest. It is the subtle part that is called the spirits; which being drawn out of plants or other vegetables, is most powerful, and excellent, and valued, when the earthly dregs are cast away as little worth. It is that subtle part in our blood that is called the spirits, that hath more of the virtue of life, and doth more of the works, than the feculent, gross, and earthly part. The air and wind have as true a being as the earth, and a more excellent nature, though it be more gross, and they invisible. The body is not so excellent as the invisible soul. Invisible things are as real as visible, and as suitable to our more noble, invisible part, as visible things to our fleshly, baser part.

3. The invisibility of God should teach us to live a life of faith, and to get above a sensual life; and it must teach us to value the faith of the saints, as knowing its excellency and necessity. Invisible objects have the most perfect, excellent reality; and therefore faith hath the pre-eminence above sense. Natural reason can live upon things not seen, if they have been seen, or can be known by natural evidence: subjects obey a prince that they see not, and fear a punishment that they see not; and the nature of man is afraid of the devils, though we see them not. But faith liveth upon such invisible things as mortal eye did never see, nor natural ordinary evidence demon