IV.

SERM. Christ will remember us for it; which shall not be the wages of an hireling, or lease-wise for time, and term of years, but alŵves aióvwv, eternity itself, never to expire, end, or determine, but to last and endure for ever and ever.

Ezek. 9. 4.

But this reward, saith Ezekiel, is for those, whose foreheads are marked with Tau, which, as Omega in Greek, is the last letter in the Hebrew alphabet, and the mark of consummatum est among them; they only shall escape the wrath to come. And this crown is laid up for them, not of whom it may be Gal. 5. 7. said, currebatis bene, "ye did run well;" but for those that can 2 Tim. 4. 7. say with St. Paul, cursum consummavi, "I have finished my course well.”

And, thanks be to God, we have not hitherto wanted this salt, but remembered Lot's wife well. So that this exhortation, because we have prevented and done that which it calleth for, changeth his nature and becometh a commendation, as all others do. A commendation I say; yet not so much of the people, whose only felicity is to serve and be subject to one that is constant-for otherwise we know how wavering a thing the multitude is as of the Prince, whose constant standing giveth strength to many a weak knee otherwise. And blessed be God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, that we stand in the presence of such a Prince, who hath ever accounted of perseverance, not only as of Regina virtutum, 'the Queen of virtues,' but as of virtus Reginarum, the virtue of a Queen.' Who, like Zerubbabel, first by princely magnanimity laid the corner-stone in a troublesome time; and since, by heroical constancy, through many both alluring proffers and threatening dangers, hath brought forth the Head-stone also with the Prophet's acclama[Zech.4.7.] tion, "Grace, grace, unto it"-Grace, for so happy a beginning, and Grace for so thrice happy an ending. No terrors, no enticement, no care of her safety hath removed her from her steadfastness; but with a fixed eye, with straight steps, with a resolute mind, hath entered herself, and brought us into Zoar. It is a little one, but therein our souls shall live; and we are in safety, all the cities of the plain being in combustion round about us. Of whom it shall be remembered, to her high praise, not only that of the Heathen, Illaque virgo viri; 2 Chron. but that of David, that all her days she served God "with a

covenant of salt," and with her Israel, from the first day until now. And of this be we persuaded, that "He which began [Phil. I. 7.} this good work in her, will perform it unto the day of Jesus Christ," to her everlasting praise, comfort, and joy, and in her to the comfort, joy, and happiness of us all.

nard.

Yet it is not needless, but right requisite, that we which are the Lord's remembrancers put you in mind, that as perseverance is the queen of virtues, quia ea sola coronatur; so is it also, quia Satanas ei soli insidiatur, for that all Satan's malice, [S. Berand all his practices are against it.' The more careful need we to Epist. 32. ad fin.] be, to carry in our eye this example. Which God grant we may, and that our hearts may seriously regard, and our memories carefully keep it, Ut hæc columna fulciat nos, et hic sal condiat nos, that this pillar may prop our weakness, and this salt season our sacrifice,' that it may be remembered, and accepted, and rewarded in the day of the Lord! Which, &c.

A SERMON

PREACHED IN

THE COURT AT RICHMOND,

ON TUESDAY, BEING THE FIFTH OF MARCH, A. D. MDXCVI.

SERM.

V.

LUKE xvi. 25.

Son, remember that thou, in thy life time, receivedst thy pleasure (or, good things;) and likewise Lazarus pains: Now therefore is he comforted, and thou art tormented.

Fili, recordare quia recepisti bona in vita tua, et Lazarus similiter mala: nunc autem hic consolatur, tu vero cruciaris.

[Son, remember that thou in thy life-time receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. Engl. Trans.]

THIS Scripture hath the name given it in the very first words; Recordare fili, "Son, remember:"-it is a remembrance.

There be many sermons of remembrance here on earth; this is one from Heaven, from the mouth of Abraham. Not now on earth but in Heaven, and from thence beholding, 1 Cor.1312 "not in a glass or dark speech," but intuitive, that which he Joh. 19.35. telleth us; and "He that saw it bare witness, and His witness is true."

Which may somewhat move attention; or if that will not, let me add farther, That it is such a remembrance, that it toucheth our estate in everlasting life; that is, the well or evil hearing of this recordare is as much as our eternal life is worth. For we find both in it. That our comfort or torment eternal-comfort in Abraham's bosom, torment in the fire of hell-depend upon it; and therefore as much as we regard them, we are to regard it.

This remembrance is directed to a son of Abraham's, not so much for him, as for the rest. For it is to be feared, that both the sons of Abraham and the daughters of Sarah forget this point overmuch; and many of them, with this party here to whom it is spoken, never remember it till it be too late.

To Abraham's sons then, all and every one. But specially such of his sons as presently are in the state that this son here sometime was, of whom it is said, "He had received good things in his life." By virtue whereof, I find, this recordare will reach home to us; for that, we are within the compass of this recepisti. For truly the sum of our receipt hath been great, no nation's so great; and our recordare little, I will not say how little, but sure too little for that we have received.

Now albeit it be all our case, for we all have received, yet not all our case alike, but of some more than other. For, some have received in far more plentiful manner than other some, and they therefore more deeply interested in it. And look, who among us have received most, them it most concerneth; and they of all other most need to look to it.

If you ask, Why they more than others? For that, besides the duty, to whom a great recepisti is given, of them a great recordare will be required. The danger also helps them forward. For so it oft happeneth unhappily; that whereas recepisti is made, and so may well be, a motive for us to remember; so cross is our nature, none is so great an enemy to recordare as it. Our great receiving is oft occasion of our little remembering. And as a full diet in the vessels of our body, so a plenteous receipt breeds stoppings in the mind and memory, and the vital parts of our soul.

We have hereof a lively example before our eyes; and such an one, as if it move us not, I know not what will. A receipt for memories that suffer obstructions.

Our Saviour Christ unlocketh hell-gates to let us see it. In discovering what sighs and what sufferings are in the other world, He sheweth us one lying in them, to whom Abraham objecteth, that this frank receiving had marred his memory. And as he sheweth us his fault, so withal what came to him for it, in that strange and fearful consequent; "Now therefore thou art tormented."

SERM.
V.

This example is told by our Saviour, in the fourteenth verse, to other rich men, and troubled with the same lethargy. Who when He put them in mind, It would not be amiss Lu. 16. 9. while they were here, "to make them friends of that they had received," that when this failed them, as fail them it must, that "might receive them into everlasting tabernacles;" forgat themselves so far, as they derided His counsel, not [Th in words, but per mycterismum. Which maketh Him fall from ριζον parables to a plain story, for so it is holden by the best interpreters, both old and later; and from everlasting tabernacles to everlasting torments; that howsoever they regarded not His recordare on the earth, they had best give better ear to Abraham's from Heaven.

αὐτόν. G. V.]

[Vid. S. Chrysost.

de Lazar.

con. 3.]

Lu. 16. 27, 28.

The division.

It is His intent in reporting of it, that our remembering of it should keep us from it. Non vult mortem, et minatur mortem ne mittat in mortem, saith Chrysostom: He would not have us in that place, yet He telleth us of that place, to the end we never come in that place.'

Yea it is Abraham's desire too we should not be overtaken, but think of it in time; and prevent it before it prevent us. And therefore he lifteth up his voice, and crieth out of Heaven, Recordare fili.

And not only Abraham, but he that was in the place itself, and best knew the terror because he felt it-felt that in it as he heartily wisheth and instantly sueth that they whom he loveth or any way wisheth well to, may some way take warning, Ne et ipsi veniant, "That they also come not into that place of torments."

This use Christ on earth, Abraham from Heaven, and he out of hell, wish we may have of it. And we, I trust, will wish ourselves no worse than they; and therefore look to our recordare, carry it in mind, and (in recordare there is cor too) take it to heart, and by both in time take order, Ne et ipsi

veniamus.

The verse itself, if we mark it well, is in figure and proportion an exact cross. For as a cross it consisteth of two bars or beams so situate, as the one doth quarter the other. "Thou receivedst good things, and Lazarus received evil.” These two lie clean contrary, but meet both at the middle word, "Now therefore ;" and there, by a new antithesis, cross each