A sermon preached before the Right Honourable House of Lords, in the Abbey Church…A sermon preached before the Right Honorable House of Lords, in the Abbey Church…

I am come unto my garden, my sister, my spouse, I have gathered my myrrh, with my spice, I have eaten my honey-comb with my honey, I have drunken my wine with my milk, eat O friends, yea drink abundantly, O beloved; this is a joyful feast between Christ and his Church. But this world lasteth not alway; she falleth asleep and holdeth Christ at the door, and there is mighty storm that tosseth the ship, and a sad discourting of her; for it is far otherwayes, Vers. 6. I sought him, but I could not find him, I called him, but he gave me no answer. Grace, as it is in God, is God gracious, and is most stable and unchangeable, but it is various, as it is received in us, who are made of changes, and a difference there must be between a communion of grace and a communion of glory, and 2. between this life and that life; as for the former, glory is grace in everlasting action, and therefore there is no desertions in heaven, no hiding of Gods face, no cloud, no night, no change, nothing but a sun in its full strength; always day without night, a full Sunshine without a cloud or a shadow. Grace in us is a habit, and not always in action, and our stability here (as touching the other) is Heb. 13. Vers. 14. that we have no continuing City here, but we seek one to come, this is a tottering life.

I am come unto my garden, my sister, my spouse, I have gathered my myrrhe, with my spice, I have eaten my honey-combe with my honey, I have drunken my wine with my milke, eate O friends, yea drinke abundantly, O beloved; this is a joyfull feast betweene Christ and his Church. But this world lasteth not alway; shee falleth asleepe and holdeth Christ at the doore, and there is mightie storme that tosseth the ship, and a sad discourting of her; for it is farre otherwayes, Vers. 6. I sought him, but I could not finde him, I called him, but hee gave mee no answer. Grace, as it is in God, is God gracious, and is most stable and unchangeable, but it is various, as it is received in us, who are made of changes, and a difference there must bee betweene a communion of grace and a communion of glory, and 2. betweene this life and that life; as for the former, glory is grace in everlasting action, and therefore there is no desertions in heaven, no hiding of Gods face, no cloud, no night, no change, nothing but a sunne in its full strength; alwayes day without night, a full Sunshine without a cloud or a shadow. Grace in us is a habit, and not alwayes in action, and our stabilitie here (as touching the other) is