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sins) and of our under-woods, (those lesser sins which grow out of them). It is a cutting down, and a stubbing up, which is not done, till we have shaken off all, that we have gotten by those sins it is not the circumcision of an excessive use of that sin, that will serve our turn, but such a circumcision, as amounts to an excision, a cutting off the root, and branch, the sin, and the fruits, the profits of that sin. I must not think to bribe God, by giving him some of the profit of my sin, to let me enjoy the rest: for, was God a venturer with me in my sin? Or did God set me to sea, that is, put me into this world, to see what I could get by usury, by oppression, by extortion, and then give him a part to charitable uses? As this word signifies excedere, to cut off all that is grown out of sin, so from this word namal, comes nemala, which is formica, an ant, which the Hebrews derive from this word, out of this reason, that as an ant doth gnaw all the corn it lays up, upon one side, so that it may never grow again, so this spiritual circumcision must provide, that that sin take no new root but as long as thou makest profit, or takest pleasure in anything sinfully gotten, thy sin grows; so that this circumcision is not perfected but by restitution and satisfaction of all formerly damnified. These then be all the ways that are presented in these significations and use of this word, which the Holy Ghost hath chosen here, purging by consideration and confessing, cleansing by contrition and detesting, preventing of future growth by satisfaction in restoring. A little remains to be said (though it be also implied in that which hath been said) of the ubi, the place where this circumcision is to be applied. The Scripture speaks of uncircumcised hearts, and uncircumcised lips, and uncircumcised ears; and our eyes in looking, and coveting, and our hands in reaching to that which is not ours, are as far uncircumcised as ears, or lips, or hearts: therefore we are to carry this circumcision all over; We must circumcise, says St. Bernard, in carne, peccatum, the flesh, the body, the substance of the sin, in cute, operimentum, in the skin, all covers, and palliations, and disguises, and extenuations of the sin; and, in sanguine incentivum, in the blood all fomentations and provocations to that sin the sin itself, the circumstances of the sin, the relapses to or towards that sin must be circumcised: Judæus ut parvulus,

congruum accepit mandatum, exigua circumcisionis, says the same father, The Jew was but in an infancy, in a minority, and God did not look for so strong a proceeding from the Jew, as from us, but led him by the arms, by the help of ceremonies and figures, and accordingly required but a circumcision in one part of the body but God looks for more, at the hands of Christians, to whom he hath fully manifested and applied himself. As Christ said to the Jews, Except your righteousness exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, it is nothing: so except our righteousness exceed them that exceeded the Scribes, it is nothing: and therefore, Toto corpore baptizamur (says Bernard) quia totius hominis integra circumcisio; To show, that it is the whole man that is to be circumcised; we are baptized, we are washed all over, (for so long, even to Bernard's time, it seems, that manner of baptizing, by immersion of the whole body, and not by aspersion upon the face only, continued in the general practice of the church). So that if it be not an entire circumcision of the whole man, that will fall upon us, which God threatens in the prophet, I will visit all them which are circumcised, with them which are not circumcised18; if we circumcise in part, leave some sins, and cleave to others, we shall be, in the sight of God, altogether uncircumcised; Adam was not the less naked in God's sight, for his fig-leaf; half-repentances are no repentances; either we are in a privation, or in a habit; covered over with righteousness, or naked.

When therefore the Lord and his Spirit calls thee to this spiritual circumcision, remember that Abraham did not say when he was called, Lord, I have followed thy voice, in leaving my country; Lord, I have built thee an altar, what needs more demonstration of my obedience? Say not thou, Lord, I have built an hospital; Lord, I have fed the poor at Christmas; Lord, I have made peace amongst thy people at home; I have endowed an alms'-house; but persevere in doing good still, for, God takes not the tree, where it grows, but where it falls; for the most part, the death of a man is such, as his life was; but certainly the life of a man, that is, his everlasting life, is such as his death is. Again, Abraham did not say of this, That it was a command

18 Jer. ix. 25.

ment in a slight, and frivolous, and uncivil matter; do not thou say, That it is an impertinent thing in this spiritual circumcision, to watch thy eating and drinking, and all such indifferent actions, and to see that all they be done to the glory of God; for, as the apostle says, That the foolishness of God is wiser than the wisdom of man; so we may piously say, That the levity of God is graver than the gravity of all the philosophers and doctors of the world; as we may see in all his ceremonial laws, where the matter seems very light in many places, but yet the signification very important; and therefore apply this circumcision, even in thy least, and most familiar action. So also Abraham was not diverted from obeying God, by the inconvenience of having all his family diseased at once; he did not say, I am content to circumcise my son, but would spare my servants yet, for necessary uses; do not thou say, thou art content to circumcise thine eldest son, to abate somewhat of that sin which thou begannest within thy youth, but wouldst fain spare some serviceable and profitable sins for a time, and circumcise them hereafter. To pursue this example, Abraham did not say, Cras Domine, Lord, I will do all this to-morrow; but, as the commandment was given in that phrase of expedition, Circumcidendo circumcides, In circumcising thou shalt circumcise; which denoted a diligent and a present despatch; so Abraham did despatch it diligently and presently that day. Do not thou say, Cras Domine, To-morrow, some other day, in the day of mine age, or of my death, or of affliction and tribulation; I will circumcise all, for age, and sickness, and tribulations, are circumcisions of themselves; a fever circumcises thee then, or an apoplexy, and not thy devotion; and incapacity of sinning is not sanctification: if any man put off his repentance till death, Fateor non negamus quod petit, says St. Augustine, I dare not deny that man, whatsoever God may be pleased to grant him; Sed non presumimus, quod bene erit; I dare not presume to say, that that man died well, Non presumo, non vos fallo, non presumo, says that father, with some vehemency, I dare not warrant him, let me not deceive you with saying that I dare, for I dare not: and, beloved, that is but a suspicious state in any man, in which another Christian hath just reason to doubt of his salvation, as St. Augustine doth shrewdly doubt of these late repenters, Sicut

ejus damnatio incerta, ita remissio dubia; As I am not sure he is damned, so I am not sure he is saved, no more sure of one than of the other. It is true, we have the example of the crucified thief, but it is but a hard case, when a thief must guide us and be our example; we suspect wills that are made of temporal goods in that state, at the last gasp, and shall we think a man to be compos mentis, of a perfect understanding for the bequeathing of his soul at his last gasp? Non præsumo, non ros fallo, non præsumo, I should deceive you, if I should say it, I dare not say it, says that father. Come therefore to this circumcision betimes, come to it, this day, come this minute: this day thy Saviour was circumcised in the flesh, for thee; this day circumcise thy heart to him, and all thy senses, and all thy affections. It is not an utter destroying of thy senses, and of thy affections, that is enjoined thee; but, as when a man had taken a beautiful woman captive in the wars, he was not bound to kill her, but he must shave her head, and pare her nails, and change her garments", before he might marry her; so captivate, subdue, change thy affections, and that is the destruction which makes up this circumcision change thy choler into zeal, change thy amorousness into devotion, change thy wastefulness into alms to the poor, and then thou hast circumcised thy affections, and mayest retain them, and mayest confidently say with the apostle, We are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh 20. Do this to-day; as God this day gives thee a new year, and hath not surprised thee, nor taken thee away in the sins of last year; as he gives thee a new year, do thou give him a new-year's gift, cor novum, a new and a circumcised heart, and canticum novum, a new song, a delight to magnify his name, and speak of his glory, and declare his wondrous works to the sons of men, and be assured that whether I, or any other of the same ministry, shall speak to you from this place, this day twelve-month, and shall ask your consciences then, Whether those things which you heard now, have brought you to this circumcision, and made you better this year than you were the last, and find you under the same uncircumcision still, be assured that God will not, God cannot be 20 Phil. iii. 3.

19 Deut. xxi. 12.

mocked, but as he will receive us, with an Euge bone serva, Well done my good and faithful servant; so he will say to you, Perditio tua ex te, Your destruction is from yourselves: enough hath been done for you by me, enough hath been said to you by my servants, Quare moriemini, Why will you die O house of Israel? And after a long despising of his graces, he will come to a final separation; you shall come to say, Nolumus hunc regnare, We will not have Christ Jesus to reign over us; and Christ Jesus shall come to say, Nescio ros, I know you not, nor whence you are. Hodie si vocem ejus, if you will hear his voice this day, Hodie eritis, This day you shall be with him in paradise, and dwell in it all the year, and all the years of an everlasting life, and of infinite generations. Amen.

SERMON CXXXI.

PREACHED at st. dUNSTAN'S.

1 THESSALONIANS V. 16.

Rejoice evermore.

We read in the natural story, of some floating islands, that swim and move from place to place; and in them a man may sow in one place, and reap in another: this case is so far ours, as that in another place we have sowed in tears, and by his promise, in whose tears we sowed them, when we handled those two words, Jesus wept, we shall reap in joy: that harvest is not yet; it is reserved to the last resurrection: but the corn is above ground, in the resurrection of our head, the first-fruits of the dead, Christ Jesus, and that being the first visible step of his exaltation, begins our exultation, who in him are to rejoice evermore. The heart knoweth his own bitterness'; he and none but he; others feel it not, retain it not, pity it not; and therefore says the text, A stranger doth not intermeddle with his joy: he shall have a joy which no stranger, not he himself whilst he was a stranger to God, and

1 Prov. xiv. 10.