sil, desiring him to write to the governor of the place for favour: I am greatly taxed, and I know, saith she, that your letter may do me a great deal of pleasure: he writes; and says he in his letter: This woman tells me, that my letter hath weight with you: if so, then I pray help her. The governor returns this answer, I would with all my heart have helped this woman for your sake, but I cannot, she is under such and such taxes, I cannot relieve her. Well, says Basil, in his reply, Si adsit voluntas, &c. If you had a will, and wanted power, it is tolerable: but if you had a power, and wanted will, God will bring you into a poor condition. Afterward, through the disfavour of the emperor, this governor was thrown into prison, and then he sent to Basil to intercede for him, which he did, and after six days he was delivered and then he comes to Basil, and shews twice as much favour to the woman then, as she desired before. So apt are men in place to say, we cannot help, when they will not.* Take heed of that. And take heed of delaying justice; for sometimes the very delay of justice, is injustice. Know we not, that thrones are established by righteousness? and so kingdoms. "The mountains (saith the Psalmist) shall bring peace unto the people, and the little hills by righteous

ness."

Oh, therefore, as you desire that this our kingdom may be established in peace, seek righteousness: and let it come to us by you that are the mountains and nobles of this land: yea, even by you also that are the lesser hills of this kingdom, "seek ye the Lord and his righteousness:" righteousness, righteousness we cry for, that the oppressed may be relieved, the wicked punished, and the poor saints in all parts of these kingdoms refreshed. And if righteousness be out of sight, and as it were lost, yet seek it. Seek righteousness, in opposition to all injustice.

bere; si sic est, id fac ostendas; tradidit mulieri chartulam quam illa obtulit præfecto, at ille sic rescripsit, hac causa libens essem misertus mulierculæ, sed non potui eo quod subjaceat tributis ; cui rursus Basilius ita replicavit, si quidem voluntas prompta fuit, sed de fuit facultas, tolerabile quidem est ; si autem potuisti et noluisti, Christus te in ordinem inopum rediget; quod quidem re ipsa evenit; nam non multo post imperatoris ira in illum concitata, in vincula conjectus est; hinc vero preces offert Basilio ut sua intercessione imperatoris clementiam ipse conciliet, idque sic fastum; post sex namque dies jussus est a vinculis absolvi, &c. Sur. 1. Tom. in vita Basil.

* Non est dicendus velle quicum potuit non fecit.

Again, seek righteousness in seeking the truth. The truth and gospel is called "the word of righteousness," Heb. v. ; Isa. xxvi. The righteous nation are expounded in the same verse, to be such as do keep the truth. When truth falls in the city or streets, God's anger breaks forth; when truth is raised up again, then God is pacified. Is the Lord angry with us now, and would you know what to do in this day of God's anger? Seek the truth, seek righteousness in this respect.

Only in seeking this part of righteousness, take these rules along with you:

In seeking the truth, do not despise any truth because it is called old, nor neglect any truth because it is called new. It is a sign that men mean to sleep, when they draw the curtains about them, and will have no more light to come in. The reapers of the former reformation, could not so bind up all ears of corn into their sheaves, but there will be some ears left for the poor that come after to glean up.

Again, in seeking the truth, be as plain, sincere, openhearted as ever you can. Veritas stat in aperto campo. Truth stands in the open fields, in this sense. Truth knows no bushes, no houses, no relations. Christ who is truth, said, Woman, not mother, as knowing no relations in matters of religion. It was indeed the speech of one heathen, Facite me Romanum episcopum et ero protinus christianus. Make me bishop of Rome, and I will be presently a christian. And now, many men will know no more truth, than what can grow upon their own land. Some would have the truth come down to them and to their interests; some will bring up their interest to truth. Ever let my soul cleave unto those that can lay down all their engagements, relations and comforts, at the feet of truth.

In seeking truth, rest not upon any means though it be never so great, nor despise any means though it be never so small. Sanctornm minima Deo placent maxime. God loves the saints' minnums, and delights to reveal his truths to those that are most unlikely. The great truth of the incarnation, first revealed to shepherds. The great truth of the resurrection, first revealed to Mary, a woman. And when Christ came, and gave the world a taste of his kingdom, riding upon an ass' colt: the multitude, who were then counted cursed

with the disciples, cry out, Hosanna, and own him; when at the same time, the scribes and pharisees in council make an order and decree to apprehend him, John xi. 53; with John xii. 12; and Matt. xxi. 8, 9. God loves to take those things and persons that stand behind, and to bring them before. The temple is refused, and the synagogue is kept. In the Jews' time, when any were proselyted, they were washed and circumcised; the great ordinance of circumcision was laid aside, and washing advanced unto a sacrament of baptism. At the passover, they had their ordinary supper and the paschal lamb: the use of the paschal lamb laid aside, and bread and wine, which was used in the ordinary supper, exalted to the sacrament of the Lord's supper. Thus God exalts low things, and lays by greater. I speak not this that men should neglect the ministry; preachers' lips shall and do preserve knowledge; but rest not on means, though they be never so learned; despise not means, though they be never so unlearned. Who more despised for want of learning than the Waldenses,* and yet the first blessed instruments of reformation.

In seeking truth, "look not to gather grapes on thorns, or figs on thistles;" to find the scions of truth upon a crabstock of error or carnal principles.

They write of the partridge, that if one hen lay the egg, and another hatch the bird, it will return to the true mother when it is well grown. And this, saith Drusius Caminus Jerome, is the meaning of that in Jer. xvii. 11, "As the partridge sitteth on eggs, and hatcheth them not; so he that getteth riches and not by right, shall leave them in the midst of his days, and at his end shall be a fool." But this we know certainly, that though an hen sit on a raven's egg, yet when the young raven is hatched, and its wings well grown, it will fly away and leave the hen in the lurch. So will all carnal principles deal by spiritual truths. Oh, therefore, let not any gospel truth be planted on a legal principle; not a spiritual truth on a carnal or mere philosophical principle; not a truth of Christ on an antichristian principle.†

* Vide Hist. Waldens.

+ Ex philosophorum principiis omnis hæresis animatur ; omnes hæreses ex philosophorum regulis constant, cum dogmata hæreticorum frigent et volare non possunt, sedem sibi et requiem inter Aristotelis spineta reperiunt.

Again, In seeking the truth, do not so hold the greater as to neglect the lesser; do not so seek the lesser as to forget the greater. Indeed, no truth of the gospel purchased by Christ's blood is small or little, though comparatively with others it may be called so.

And here I cannot but say I have seen a sore evil under the sun, men losing their religion in seeking for religion; losing the power of religion in seeking for the due form: others losing the right form and circumstantials in resting upon fundamentals. We have enough to bring us to heaven, what need we more? say some.* Would you therefore so seek the truth as you may find it? do not forget your old acquaintance, those great and precious truths which nursed you in the cradle of your godliness; the great truths of Christ, the power of godliness, and humiliation for sin committed. And take heed that you do not look awry, or cast a proud look on small truths, yea, though strangers, for some have entertained angels by receiving these strangers. Every truth is a stranger at the first. What truth was ever received but was first opposed? Christ and his gospel is first a little stone, then a great stone, then breaking the mountains, then filling the world. Hold, therefore, your old fundamental truths, yet so as you may raise your buildings. Seek your buildings, yet so as you may keep foundations. Thus seek the truth, this part of righteousness.

And, again, If you would know what to do in the day of God's anger, so as to be hidden; seek meekness: righteousness and meekness.

And so I come unto the fifth and last doctrine.

Fifthly, That if any man can do any good in the day of God's anger, either for himself or others, it is the "meek of the earth;" therefore the text calls on them especially for to seek the Lord.

The meek of all other men have the promise of the earth. "The meek shall inherit the earth." This promise, or spring, rises in the Old Testament, the head of it is there, and runs down into the New: "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth," Matt. v. It seems this entail was not cut off by the coming of Jesus Christ.

* Minime bonus est qui melior esse non vult; et ubi incipit nolle fieri melior, ibi definis esse bonus.

The meek of all other men do most honour Christ, the way of Christ, and the gospel. The heathens had this notion amongst them, as Lactantius reports,* that the way to honour their gods was to be like to them; and therefore some would be wicked, counting it a dishonour to their god to be unlike to him. I am sure we have a meek and sweet dispositioned Saviour: "Learn of me (saith he) for I am meek and lowly." A physician and surgeon, who as he hath a quick eye, so a mild heart and a tender hand. The more meek a man is, the more he is like to him, and honours him. What says the world? Aye, there is a man of a humble, quiet and sweet disposition; if all professors were such, then I would become

one too.

A meek person leaves his cause to God, and his revenge to him; is led by the hand of God, mansuetus quasi manui assuetus: and when men do, and are so, God comes in quickly for their relief. Aaron and Miriam rose up against Moses, Moses is silent, carries it meekly, and the text says, Num. xii. "Then God arose, and was very angry." And the reason is given, because Moses was the meekest man. A meek man is subject to God in all conditions, gives up his matters to him, and so God takes himself engaged for his succour.

Again, The meek person above all others is most fit for the service of God. If I would convey a reproof, or a reprehension into the heart of a man, a meek and sweet disposition is the most fit for to do it with. If I would convey a comfort or consolation into a man's heart, a meek disposition is most fit for that. Christ gave the gospel, and he was meek; Moses gave the law, and he the meekest man upon earth in his time. So that whether law or gospel, it is best handed into the heart by meekness. I may with a soft breath blow a feather further than with strength of arm I can throw it. God loves those that are like himself. The Holy Ghost is compared to a dove, Christ is called a lamb, the Father, love itself in the abstract; no wonder, then, that a meek person, being so like to God, hath so great an interest and credit in heaven.

And if these things be so, how little is this poor nation and kingdom beholding to those that are of a froward, harsh and perverse spirit; they disturb their own souls, they disturb

* Quoniam mores et vitia regis imitari genus obsequii est; abjecerunt pietatem ne exprobrare regi (Jovi) scelus viderentur.-Lactantius.