they may haue learned from that old m Cacu◠apud Liuium lib. 1. Italian Thiefe who was wont to draw all the faire Oxen he could lay hands on though it were obtorto collo auersis vestigijs vnto his owne Den. But to preuent all such practises in this particular I hold it not amisse to acquaint thee somewhat more particularly with his resolutions touching matter of Religion and how hee stood affected to the controuersies of our times It is true that of his owne disposition whether framed so by nature or by grace or both he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of a most peaceable and milde temper apter to reconcile differences then to make them and to interprete the sayings euen of the Aduersaries where they were ambiguous in the better part in regard whereof if there be yet any hope left of sowing vp those innumerable rents which Faction hath wrought in the seamelesse coat of Christ and of drawing the distracted parts of his Church to some tolerable vnitie J thinke he had beene such a man as is hardly found amongst many to bee imployed in that seruice Howbeit as Saint Iames sayes of the wisdome which is from aboue that it is k Iames 3.17 first pure and then peaceable so J may be bold to say that this mans desire of peace came euer in the second place and that his first care was to maintaine the puritie of Religion as it is now taught in the Church of England For proofe whereof though I might thinke it enough to referre thee to these and other of his Sermons wherein he hath as his matter led him confuted and cut the throat of most of the errours currant at this day in the Church of Rome yet because it may be excepted that a mans opinions are in some sort as the Lawyers say of ones Will ambulatorie while he liues and that no man is bound to stand to any Religion but what he dies in I will rather impart to thee a late profession of his made in his last Will and Testament which is the most authentike Record of a mans minde and such as when hee is once dead l Gal 3.15 no man disanulleth or addeth thereunto as the Apostle speakes Jn this last Testament of his amongst other pious recommendations of his soule to God he hath these words I Desire to end my life in that faith which is now established in the Church of England whereof I am a member and haue beene by Gods blessing well nigh thirtie yeares a Preacher and my soules vnfained desire is that it may euer flourish and fructifie in this Kingdome and in all his Maiesties Dominions and from thence be propagated to other Countries which sit in darknesse and in the shadow of death whether Jnfidels or Heretickes Amen Behold here not only a sound but a zealous Professor of the Religion established and I would to God euery man of learning and conscience whether of the one or other side would but make the like declaration of himselfe in his last Will perhaps it would be as good a Legacie as any hee could bequeath to Gods Church For by it would it appeare what euery man thinkes of the summe of Religion truly and indeed when all worldly hopes feares preiudices dependances and engagements being set aside he hath none but God and his owne conscience to satisfie And then I doubt not but as an eminent Prelate of the Church of Rome said of the doctrine of Iustification by faith only that it was a good Supper-doctrine though not so good to breake fast on so it would bee acknowledged of our reformed Religion in generall that although it be not so plausible and pleasant a religion to liue in as some other may be yet it is the only comfortable Religion to die in as being that which settles a man vpon the true rocke and giues a sure footing to his faith when all the superstitious deuises of mans braine doe like sand faile and moulder away But to returne to this Reuerend Prelate of whom we are speaking being fallen vpon the mention of his last Will and Testament it may haply bee expected that I should here relate what Legacies he gaue therein to the Church what summes of money he bequeathed ad pios vsus c. for that is the pompe of Willes in these dayes But for that J haue said enough alreadie He that gaue all whilst he liued euen his very Bookes a great part of which I thinke to the value of foure hundred pounds worth bee disposed to the Librarie of New Colledge in Oxford by a Deed of Gift diuers yeares before his death reseruing the vse of them only for his life time could not haue much left to bestow at his death Only a name hee hath left behind him and that more precious then any ointment a name that filleth the Church for the present with the sweet sauour thereof and I trust that euen Posteritie also shall be refreshed by it For r Wisd 4 1 2. the memoriall of vertue as he saith is immortall because it is approued both with God and Men. When it is present men take example at it and when it is gone they desire it it weareth a Crowne and triumpheth for euer hauing gotten the victorie and striuing for euerlasting rewards As touching the manner of his death though any man might guesse at it that hath beene acquainted thus farre with the passages of his life for seldome doe a mans life and his end varie yet it will not bee amisse to acquaint thee with thus much that hauing some few houres before his departure made a zealous and deuout confession both of his faith and sinnes to the Bishop of Elie there present from whom also he receiued absolution according to the order of our Church and being assisted to the last gaspe with the comfortable and heauenly prayers of that diuine Prelate after he had taken particular leaue of all about him and giuen them respectiuely both his counsell and benediction he speedily yeilded vp his soule to God There passed not many moneths before that Reuerend Bishop whom J last mentioned followed him to his graue with whom as he had liued many yeares in a most entire league of friendship not vnlike that which Saint Chrysostome describes to haue beene betwixt himselfe and Saint Basil Lib. 1. de Sacerdotio so J doubt not but they are now vnited and incorporated together in a farre more firme and vndiuided societie euen that of the first-borne which are written in Heauen Heb. 12.23 and as they were heere geminum sidus a paire of Lights of our Church comparable euen to those Primitiue ones whose lustre and influence remaines with this day so they haue by this time receiued the reward of such as turne many to righteousnesse euen to be Stars in the Firmament for euer and euer Dan. 12.3 Now although an k 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Homer Epitaph be a good mans due after
not to bee that they are they are in a much worse state and therefore are set forth in a baser resemblance they are but like chaffe that is driuen by the wind Strange doctrine the whole Text is a verie Paradox A Paradox is a truth which crosseth the common opinion of the truth of this Saying there can be no question seeing it is Gods Word but sure I am that the state of the Vngodly is commonly taken to bee much better if any surely they in this life seeme to be that Blessed Tree I haue seene saith Dauid the vngodly in great prosperitie Psal 89. and flourishing like a greene Bay tree In the second of Esay they are compared to the Cedars of Lebanon and the Okes of Basan and what a goodly Tree was Nebuchadnezzar so he is compared Dan. 4. where wee read that his top reached vp to Heauen his Branches spread to the ends of the Earth he was full loaden with fruit and all the birds of the aire did harbour in his boughes and yet the Holy Ghost saith Non sic impij the Vngodly are no Trees no Blessed Trees How then shall we proue this truth We must helpe our selues out of another Psalme The sonnes of men of low degree are but vanitie Psal 62. and men of high degree are but a lye All is not gold that glisters neither may wee mistake a painted face for Natiue Beautie He that goeth to a Play shall see on the stage Kings and Queenes and other Personages of worth in outward shew whereas indeed the persons that acted them are base and mercenarie fellowes And this world is but a great stage and the wicked are but personated Actors or Players not one appeares as hee is Or to follow the Similie of Trees which God himselfe is pleased to vse Deut. 32. the wicked are compared vnto the Vines of Sodome and Gomorrah that beare grapes in shew but the iuyce of them is nothing but gall and bitternesse yea it is deadly poyson They that write the Historie of that Countrey obserue that the fruit thereof makes great shew but when men come neere it and touch it it resolues altogether into Cinders which hapily the Wise Man meaneth when he saith that there grow Plants bearing fruit which neuer come to ripenesse Wisd 10.7 Euen such is the prosperitie of the wicked faire in shew nothing in substance The reason is plaine For seeing God onely is good and nothing good farther then it partakes of him Vngodlinesse that separates from God must needs depriue of Good and he is but a verie wretch that hath whatsoeuer else is called good if he haue it without God yea he is more wretched by so hauing what he desires then by wanting it It is Saint Austins note and there is good reason for it euen that Aphorisme in Physicke Corpora corrupta quo magis nutris eo magis laedis Hee that giueth a sicke man whatsoeuer he cals for may hapily please his taste but hee will surely encrease his disease Honour pleasure wealth make vngodly men vnhappily happy so that if you looke vpon them with the eyes of faith and not with the eyes of flesh and bloud you will acknowledge this to bee true though strange The vngodly are not what they seeme to be they seeme to be happie but indeed they are vnhappie Two wayes vnhappie For first you must strip them of true Blisse Non sic they are not like the Blessed Tree then must you cloath them with their contempt they are like the chaffe I need but touch at the former You will easily conceiue that Branch of their Miserie by measuring the Priuation by the Habit and you must iudge of the want by the desireablenesse of that which they doe want 1. God takes care of the blessed Tree Of a Tree of the field a wild Tree he maketh it a Tree of the Orchard a planted Tree Non sic impij No such care taken for the vngodly they are as Out-lawes left to themselues to grow on in the corruption of their Natures 2. The blessed Tree is planted by the Riuers of Waters it is set where it cannot want Iohn 4. 2. Cor. 12.9 on euery side it is supplied with abundance of iuice If God as the Husbandman take care of any Christ will be vnto him a Fountaine of liuing Waters his Grace will bee sufficient for him Non sic impij they drinke little of Christs spirit as they are little husbanded by Gods care 3. The blessed Tree as it receiues Good so it yeelds good againe For first it proues well it yeelds kindly Fruit. Non sic impij their Fruit is not theirs but it is the fruit of him that sets them on worke that is of the Diuell For marke The naturall fruit that our Vnderstanding should beare is Truth and that our Will should beare is Good The very Philosophers haue taught vs that Truth is the naturall Obiect of the Vnderstanding and Good of the Will but our Vnderstanding bringeth forth Lyes to deceiue vs and our Will Sinnes to giue mortall wounds vnto vs Iohn 8.44 if we bee Vngodly And what are these but the fruites of the Diuell who is a Lyar and a Murderer from the beginning 4. The blessed Tree brings forth not only kindly but timely Fruit also His good deedes are as seasonable as they are Vertuous Non sic impij The Scripture especially the Prouerbs teacheth vs that the wicked are peruerse they are peruerse in that they doe not onely what they should not but also when they should not they will feast and be frolicke Esay 22. when they should humble themselues before God and when they should be ioyfull and cheerefully serue God then will they bee discontent and fall to their teares as the Iewes when after their returne from Babylon they laide the foundation of the Temple In the Booke of Numbers you shall find Ezra 3. that when God would haue had the Israelites enter into Canaan then they would backe againe into Aegypt and when God would not haue them goe then they would needs hasten into Canaan 5. The blessed Tree beares not onely Fruit but Leaues A good man cloatheth his good deeds with good Circumstances Non sic impij If happily an vngodly man vndertake a good matter he wil marre it in the manner of doing of it if he giue he will doe it churlishly if he reproue hee will doe it vncharitably if he Pray hee will doe it hypocritically finally whatsoeuer hee doth he will doe it vntowardly and so his Good doth no good and so proues no Good at all 6. Finally the blessed Tree is as well approued as it proues well When a good man doth good it pleaseth God and it profits men and they haue Comfort of it themselues Non sic impij God abhorreth them as being vnlike vnto him and to men they are as odious as they are mischieuous Finally they can take litle true content in themselues
haue vsed those You must not be of seruile minds and doe your duetie for reward his Disciples hearing this desired him to expound himselfe more fully Whereupon he addeth that men must not exspect the reward of wel-doing in this world but stay for it vntill the world to come To these words Tzadock a chiefe Disciple of his tooke exception and said He neuer heard of any such thing as the world to come And thereupon hee with another fellow Disciple of his called Baithos turned Apostataes and repaired to the Schismaticall Tempell built vpon mount Gerizzim and became principall Rabbins of the Samaritans And amongst them did Tzadock first broach his Heresie and taught them that there was no Resurrection of the dead because no immortalitie of the Soule and Spirit and so consequently no Iudgement for to come Therfore in this life was euerie man to make his fortune as well as hee could without any scruple of Conscience and satisfie his lust whatsoeuer it were If a man desire a fuller relation of their impietie let him but read the second Chapter of the Booke of Wisedome where you haue a Sadducee painted out to the full you haue his liuely picture But that which I specially marke vnto you is that the Samaritans and the Iewes were at deadly feude Ish. 4. ver 9. they had no commerce one with an other And here we find the Heresie of the Samaritans to haue corrupted the Iewâ—s and that euen in Ierusalem there were many Sadduces I say too little the Sadduces were chiefe Gouernours in Ierusalem reade it Acts 5. where you shall find that the chiefe Priests to represse the Apostles preaching the Resurrection from the dead were assisted with those of the Sect of the Sadduces Flauius Iosephus goeth farther and obserueth that the Sect of the Sadduces was most fauoured by those that were rich And indeed it is most likely because they that haue a worldly state whereon to rest are commonly so addicted thereunto that they could well bee contented there were no other life So earthly so sensuall are their thoughts their hearts that they hardly beleeue and doe desire but coldly the things of a better life Yea they thinke all men senslesse and starke mad that make little accompt of things below that they may more fully enioy those things which are aboue It is a lamentable thing to see a Church degenerate so farre as not onely to endure but to giue countenance vnto a Sect that did raze the verie foundation of Pietie But it was not their fault onely though Christendome hath none knowne by the Name of Sadduces yet Sadduces it hath too many too many that not onely liue as if there were no Resurrection but also where they may be bold are not ashamed to maintaine so impious a conceite and perswade men out of Conscience to liue lewdly who before did it onely out of Impotencie of affections Magistrates are too patient to negligent in finding them out in rewarding them as they deserue I goe on in my Text you haue seene what these Sadduces were now see how Christ putteth them to silence The word is markable it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he bridled their mouthes which is a phrase borrowed from fierce and stomackfull Horses which are impatient of the ryder yet are they held in by a strong bit and so subiected to the will of the Rider perforce not out of their owne tractablenesse Men are resembled in the Scripture to such horses Be not like horse and mule which haue no vnderstanding Pet. 32. but must be held in with bit and bridle least they runne vpon vs wherein you may perceiue that the bridle doth not alter the disposition of the horse but onely stay him from doing what otherwise hee would Euen so did our Sauiour Christ silence the Sadduces though they were ill affected to him and men as you heard of great authoritie among the Iewes yet did Christ so clearely dissolue their sophismes and resolue their doubt with that Authoritie that they became tongue-tide had not a word to returne vpon him Which is strange whether you consider and compare the meane out-side wherein Christ appeared with the great countenance of the Sadduces or the out facing of Heresie with the modestie of truth But though Christ stopped their Mouthes yet did hee not alter their Hearts for though they could not defend Sadducisme yet did they continue Sadduces as appeares Acts Chap. 5. and Chap. 23. The reason wherof is because they moued their question not out of a desire to know the truth but with a purpose to scoffe at Christ When men seeke with such minds vnto God God is pleased to bring the scorne vpon them but hee leaueth them in their grosse ignorance Adde hereunto that when men haue resolued to make the satisfying of some corrupt lust the vpshot of their endeauours they accept or refuse all things in reference thereunto and stop their Eares and Hearts so that they heare with a deafe Eare and with a dull Heart entertaine whatsoeuer maketh against them Hence is it that the Ministers paines taken with those who make their â—elly their God or commit Idolatrie with their Gold or incline to any erronious conceite or sinful affection is coÌ„monly so fruitlesse Christs was who will wonder that ours is The Vse we must make hereof is this Neuer to moue question in religion but out of the loue of truth bringing with vs a desire to yeeld when it is reuealed vnto vs. Secondly we must take heed how we set our Affections vpon any thing for if that become once our last end a Black-more will assoone change his skin and a Leopard his spots as we will be remoued from it And let this suffice for the Occasion giuen No sooner was it giuen by Christs foyling the Sadduces but it was taken by the Pharisees for vpon the hearing of it Conuenerunt in vnâ—m they fell to consultation But here must I briefely shew you what these Pharisees were Iâ—b cap. 1. 2. We find in the Booke of Maccabees that when Antiochus Epiphanes had taken Ierusalem and as the Prophet Daniel foretold had put downe the seruice of God and interdicted the obseruance of the Law many Religious Iewes chose rather to feare God then the King And when manie Apostate Iewes made couenant with the Gentiles and vncircumcised themselues the Religious held on the Circumcision and obserued the Law strictly they are there called by the Name Aâ—ideans from the Hebrew Chasidim 1. Mac. 2. v. 42. which signifieth men of pious or Religious hearts in time they changed their name into Chacamim that is wise men and became the oracles of the people and were consulted in doubts of Religion Religion by this time was come out of their hearts into their heads They changed their names a third time and were called Pharisees they went still from better to worse For a Pharisee is he that is separated from other men you
Well done seruant faithfull and true enter into thy Masters Ioy. Πάντοτ◠δοξά Θηῶ. TEN SERMONS Deliuered on the nineteenth Chapter of Exodus contayning the Preface of GOD and the preparation of the people to the promulgation of the LAW BY The Right Reuerend Father in God ARTHVRE LAKE late Bishop of that See LONDON Printed by W. S. for Nathaniel Butter 1629. TEN SERMONS DELIVERED ON THE NINETEENTH CHAPTER OF EXODVS contayning the Preface of GOD and the preparation of the People to the promulgation of the LAW The first Sermon EXODVS 19. VERS 1 2. In the third moneth when the children of Israel were gone out of Egypt the same day came they into the Wildernesse of Sinai For they were departed from Rephidim and were come to the Desert of Sinai and had pitched in the Wildernesse and there Israel camped before the Mount YOu may remember that opening vnto you those words of our Sauiour Christ in the Gospell of Saint Matthew Chap 22. Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thy heart with all thy minde with all thy soule and with all thy strength and thy Neighbour as thy selfe I told you they were the generall contents of the Decalogue whereof I then promised you a speciall and distinct explication I haue not forgotten that promise although I haue beene interrupted by interuenient texts occasioned by the times wherefore my purpose is this day to begin my performance of that promise And I could not doe it on a fitter day for this is Ascension day and it was an Ascension day that is mentioned in my text Moses being a type of that whereof Christ was the truth began vpon the day here mentioned to ascend into the Mount thence to bring the Law as our Sauiour Christ vpon this day which wee solemnize ascended into Heauen thence to send the Holy Ghost which as the Apostle telleth vs giueth life to the Law Adde hereunto that as Christ ascended into his glorie so Moses in his Ascension had a kind of Transfiguration for comming neere vnto God his face so shined that he was faine to put a vaile vpon it because the children of Israel could not endure to behold it There is then a good correspondencie betweene this Feast and my text Neither doe I only thinke so but our Church also which commandeth the tenth of Deuteronomie to be read this morning wherein is a report of this Ascension of Moses So that the time which I haue chosen is fit and I meane God willing not to bee scant in my performance I will pay you the principall with interest for I meane to vnfold not only the twentieth Chapter but also the nineteenth of this Booke though that more fully yet this competently And there is good reason why for the nineteenth containeth a remarkable preparation to the twentieth neither will the twentieth bee so well vnderstood or regarded so well if the nineteenth doe not make vs more docill and attentiue then vulgarly men vse to bee Wherefore what God thought fit at the giuing of the Law will not amisse be remembred at the expounding thereof it will bee behoofefull for you that I quicken your capacitie and raise your attention with these powerfull obseruations wherewith the Holy Ghost doth preface the promulgation of the Law You must then take notice of the forerunning Circumstances and Solemnitie which are recorded in this Chapter The Circumstances whereof only I shall speake now are two First the Time Secondly the Place of both which we haue here the two termes A quo and In quo Whence they take there beginning and where they haue their ending Of the Time the reckoning beginneth after the children of Israels going forth out of Egypt and it endeth on the third moneth the verie same day that is the verie same day that the third Moneth began As for the place the text teaceheth vs first whence they came immedately from Rephidim Secondly where they tooke vp their rest in the wildernesse of Sinai thereon the cloud pitched and they encamped before it These be the particulars which I meane to obserue in these Circumstances That you may the better vnderstand them I will resume them againe God grant that as I open them more largely so you may heare them more profitably The first Terme then of the Time sheweth vs whence the reckoning doth begin it beginneth at the children of Israels comming out of Egypt which words doe not only note a motion from a Place but also an Alteration of their State for they did not only come out of the Land but also out of Bondage wherewith they were oppressed in that Land And such a going out giueth the name vnto this Booke this Booke is called Exodus and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is nothing but a going out a going out of bondage into libertie There is a great mysterie in the word which concerneth Christ and his Church wee learne it in the Transfiguration of Christ therein Moses and Elias appeared vnto him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luke 9.31 and spake of the Exodus or departure which he should performe at Hierusalem The Apostle maketh it plaine Heb. 2. By death which is an exodus Verse 14 15. for wee vsually say that a man is departed when wee meane hee is dead he ouercame him that had the power of death that is the Deuill that hee might set them free or giue them an Exodus which all their life time werein feare of bondage And who are they but the Church Let this be the first note A second is That God did not giue his Law to Israel when they were in Egypt but when they were come thence when they were a Societie by themselues then he gaue them a Policie whereby they might be Distinguished and Ordered Distinguished first from themselues for though before they were a Church yet was it but Domesticall each Family at least each Tribe was left vnto it selfe but now they were to become a Nationall Church to bee knit into one Bodie which could not bee but by one forme of gouernment And this forme being of Gods Ordinance must needs distinguish them Secondly from others also whose Policie was but of humane institution Moses telleth them that the very heathen should acknowledge the difference especially if as God did them the honour to distinguish them by the Law so they should answere the Distinction in the good order of their Liues whereat the Law did principally aime There is a mysterie in this point also which Saint Paul doth obserue out of the Prophets Esay and Ieremie Come out from amongst them 2. Cor. 6. v. 17 18. and separate your selues saith the Lord and touch no vncleane thing and I will receiue you I will bee your Father and yee shall bee my sonnes and daughters saith the Lord Almightie So long as we are mingled with the heathen and learne their workes God will not vouchsafe vs his Oracles nor incorporate vs for his people the branch
preserued by that Kings daughter and bred as if hee had beene her sonne There was a mysterie in it God typed out in his person the condition of his people whose deliuerer he was then designed to be Hee was vnexpectedly to set them free when in their owne eyes their case was most desperate Neither was his person only typicall his qualities also were heroicall Acts 7.22 first his Intellectuall skilfull in all the learning of the Egyptians to say nothing of his fortie yeares contemplation in Midian of which Philo Iudaeus there are foure morall vertues which they call Cardinall he had them all in a high degree Prudence God gaue him the spirit of Policie Numb 11. as it appeares by the storie of the seuentie Elders to whom God gaue part of his Spirit when they were made his assistants in the gouernment Iustice the apologie which he maketh vpon the rebellion of Korah Dathan and Abiram witnesseth that I haue not taken one Asse from them Numb 10. neither haue I hurt one of them the Holy Ghost giueth him this testimonie Heb 3.2 that hee was faithfull in all Gods house Temperance how little was hee transported with the loue of profit Heb. 11. or pleasure that thought the rebuke of Christ greater riches then the treasures of Egypt and chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God then to enioy the pleasure of sinne for a season Fortitude no man can doubt of that who considereth that being a single man in shew a meane man hee should aduenture to goe to so mightie a King in so vnpleasing an errand not fearing the Kings wrath when hee had exasperated him nor desisting from vrging what hee had in charge though hee were threatned by him certainly God that sent him on that message indued him with an extraordinarie courage Besides these Morall he was renowmed for his Theologicall vertues his Faith and his Hope Saint Paul hath chronicled Heb. 11. and ranged him with the most famous Worthies And in Charitie hee did exceed them all hee is not only commended for the meekest man that liued Numb 12 3. but so indulgent were his bowels towards his vngracious charge that hee desired rather to be blotted out of Gods Booke of Life Exod 32 v. 3â— then they should be punisht as they deserued Finally no Nationall Gouernour of the Israelites besides Moses did euer communicate as a type in the threefold honour of Christ Moses was a Prophet Deut. 34. and there neuer liued such a Prophet as Moses was for his Bookes containe the foundation of all prophesie therefore doe the Fathers call him Oceanum Theologiae the great Sea of Diuinitie He was a Priest yea Sacerdos Sacerdotum Nazian hee did not only act the function but also consecrated Aaron and his sonnes therevnto Finally hee was a King a mightie King not only ruling the twelue Tribes but also conquering their enemies the Amalekites the Midianites the Ammonites the Bashanites but aboue all the Egyptians and also he sacred his successor Iosuah giuing him part of his glorie I haue insisted the longer in this delineation of Moses perfections to the end that you might perceiue that though God Almightie can compasse his will by the weakest of meanes yet he vseth to endow men proportionably to that wherein he meaneth to employ them he doth performe waightie workes by worthy men such a one was Abraham the Father of faithfull men Dauid the Father of faithfull Kings and our Moses called to be the Law giuer of Israel This Person so eminent a person went betweene the parties to the Couenant The Parties are two each called by two names The first is called the Lord God Lord that is the name of his nature Iehouah hee is of none and all things are of him God that is the name of the persons subsisting in the nature or in whom the nature doth subsist Elohim signifieth all three so that we haue here Trinitie in Vnitie and Vnitie in Trinitie euen the true God and such a one is he that is the first partie to the Couenant Neither is it enough to conceiue of God in grosse wee must so as it were resolue him We must behold God the Father that becommeth our Father God the Sonne that maketh vs sonnes and God the Holy Ghost that vouchsafeth vs to be his Temple all three persons act their part in the Couenant Notwithstanding all three concurre yet must wee take speciall notice of the second Person Verbum Dei as the Chalde Paraphrase calleth him here Esay 63 v 9. Mal 31. Acts 7. and throughout this Chapter The Angell of Gods presence the Angell of the Couenant that is Christ he was the Angell that conuersed with Israel in the Wildernesse And indeed it was hee that in this Couenant became the Bridegroome of the Church for the day of the Couenant was a wedding day as anon I shall shew you more at large The true knowledge of this first partie maketh much to the Dignitie the Commoditie the Constancie of the Couenant Dignitie for with whom can wee contract more honourably then with our Lord God The higher he is aboue vs the more honour in the contract is done vnto vs. And this Partie maketh the Contract as Profitable as it is honorable 〈◊〉 2. Ezâ—k 16. not only because he can doe vs good that is the Lord God but also because he will doe it because his contract maketh vp a marriage knot Finally a Couenant made with such a partie is a Couenant of salt Iames 1.17 an vncorruptible Couenant there is no variablenesse nor shadow of change with him and therefore in regard of him we need not feare any diuorce The second Partie is also set forth by two names the house of Iacob the children of Israel which yeild vs a Ciuill and a Mysticall Obseruation The Ciuill is in the first name therefore are they called the house of Iacob because they were his ofspring Reade Genesis the tenth and you shall finde that all Nations in the beginning of the World did this honour to their first Ancestours they were called by their name after this patterne were the Edomites Moabites Ammonites Ismaelites distinguished by the stocke from whence euery one sprang Conquests and Colonies haue long since altered this fashion neither can wee now tell the true originall of any Nation vnder the Sunne except that of the vagrant Iewes who by Gods special prouidence remaine yet vnconfounded with other Nations The mysticall obseruation is in the second name the same people are also called children of Israel Israel was a second name giuen to Iacob signifying that hee had preuailed with God and his Enemies should not preuaile against him Now because that blessing was to be not only Personall but Nationall his posteritie communicated in his second name and Iacob confirmed it vnto them in the benediction which he gaue to the twelue Patriarches In these two names then we are
Soueraigne Good in regard of Gods loue of vs which haue in vs no louelinesse at all Nay marke it biddeth vs tender our selues vnto him and what are we but as earthen vessels and what doth hee with vs hee maketh vs vessels of gold the peculiar treasure of the King of Heauen He biddeth vs obey but that hee may make vs Commanders wee must heare his voice keepe his Couenant these are markes of obedience but thereupon we shall be Kings and Priests those are markes of authoritie Finally hee biddeth vs apply our selues vnto him which doth beseeme a creature and hee will make vs like vnto himselfe like vnto our Creatour we shall be holy as he is holy Behold here then the bountie of God and folly of man the bountie of God who giueth though according to our capacitie yet not according to our deserts hee giueth as beseemeth himselfe according to the widensse of his owne Greatnesse and Goodnesse doth hee fill his creatures with his blessings especially Man and aboue all men these whom hee receiueth into the Church A man would haue thought that it had beene mercie enough in God in such a strange fashion to deliuer Israel out of Egypt to take such sharpe vengeance vpon their enemies to promise the Israelites that they should not bee subiect to the plagues of Egypt and that hee would bring them into a good land a land flowing with milke and honie a man would thinke I say that these blessings did more then deserue their best obedience and fidelitie and they could in reason desire no more but so to deale with them was not enough in the eye of Gods bountie he measureth vnto them with a more liberall hand and how often doth he giue vnto euery one of vs more not only then we deserue but also then we can desire especially concerning our spirituall state wherein hee is most bountifull to the meanest of his children As God exceeds in bountie so doe men in folly for their eares are open to none seldomer then vnto God to whom they are due neither are they false to any so much as vnto him Let the World or the Deuill or our owne flesh sollicit vs how attentiue how credulous are we how willingly doe we suffer our selues to bee deceiued to bee robbed by them but when God speaketh to vs whose word is truth who counselleth nothing but for our eternall good how heauie eared are we shall I say nay how rebellious Christ may complaine I haue laboured in vaine I haue spent my strength in vaine Esay 49. all the day long haue I stretched out my hands to an vnbeleiuing and a gainesaying nation Yet this is not the vttermost of our follies for in our falshood to God we are not only contented to be robbed by others but rather then wee will not haue our will to doe our selues mischiefe we will hire them that shall rob vs. God in Ezekiel obserueth it in the resemblance of the Israelues to a strange kind of Harlot for whereas vsually they are hired to be naught she did vse to hire her louers and prodigally to bestow vpon them the blessings which shee had receiued from God that with them shee might commit spirituall fornication against God so much more doth our sottishnesse esteeme our chiefest enemies then the author of our soueraigne good This folly first tooke place in Eue wherewith she infected Adam and from them both doe we all deriue it and there is none of vs which doth not vsually betray it witnesse the many good Sermons which we heare and whereby we profit little but runne madding after euery vanitie that woes vs and euery new corruption how suddenly doth it ouerspread most of vs I will dwell no longer vpon these primitiues obseruations I come to those which I deriued from them There are three vertues which are called Theologicall Faith Hope and Charitie of these three consisteth as it were the life of a Christian man now though they are all three giuen to a Christian at one time yet in nature one of them goeth before another This text will teach vs how we must order them Faith must haue the first place for wee must first heare Gods voice Hebâ—â— i. and to heare Gods voice is the worke of faith And indeed the Apostle telleth vs that Hee that commeth vnto God must beleeue and without faith it is impossible to please God Saint Austin therefore maketh Faith the foundation of our spirituall building we must begin our Pietie there There is in euery one of vs by nature a knowledge of God and so a kind of Pietie but this will not make a man Gods peculiar treasure but the limiting of our pietie to his voice and performing his Couenant for naturally men vanish in their discourse and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth not please God The next Vertue must be Charitie for as heate springeth from light euen so doth Charitie from Faith Faith worketh by Charitie and as a man beleeues so will he loue Now Charitie is meant by keeping Gods Couenant that is the worke of Charitie But withall obserue that Faith and Charitie both goe before Hope for wee must heare Gods voice and keepe his Couenant before wee can looke to be his peculiar treasure which is the matter of our Hope if we doe not we shall be peruerse seruants hope vntowardly for Sine fide spes non habet firmamentum a man that doth not beleeue cannot hope how should a man hope for good from him whom he doth not belieue and Sine charitate spes non habet inuitamentum hee should not hope that doth not loue and loue is a strong incouragement vnto hope A very Heathen could say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—lutarch they that are well bred hope not but vpon sound reason Saint Paul He◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cap. 8. Cap. 5 Eccles 1. a better Author saith that Faith is the ground of things hoped for hee then that hopeth without faith hath an vngrounded hope The same Heathen Author saith that the hopes of a vertuous soule are genuine but if they be in a vitious soule they are but bastards Iob compares them vnto a Spidersweb the Booke of Wisdome varieth the resemblance of them with great cloquence Yee that feare the Lord trust in him Quaenam spes hypocritae what hope hath the hypocrite Seeing then that vice can bee no ground of hope it is not without cause that Saint Paul in his two Apologies which he maketh for himselfe the one to the High Priest Acts 24. the other to Agrippa Acts 26. layeth for the foundation of his hope his care to keepe a good conscience and indeed by how much the more a man loueth God the bolder may he be to trust in him When Faith and Charitie haue done their worke and yeilded their furtherance vnto Hope then commeth Hope in seasonably with her worke and maketh amends vnto them both by quickning both Faith and Charitie First it quickneth
First Gods Worke Deus fecit God made the time a Day Secondly Mans Acknowledgement Haec est dies the Church doth Kalender it for a high day As we must learne thus discreetly to distinguish times so we must also learne to solemnize them Religiously In performance whereof the text will teach vs What we must doe and How That which wee must doe is reduced to two Heads wee must take full comfort in such a Day we must reioyce and be glad in it Reioyce with our bodies Bee glad in our soules both bodie and soule must expresse a comfortable sense Neither must wee only take comfort in it but pray also for the happie continuance of it for the continuance Saue Lord we may be depriued of it for the happie continuance of it Prosper Lord it may be in vaine bestowed on vs. These be the things that must bee done But How that is When and by whom When Now at the verie same time that Wee haue ioyed in the Day must Wee also bee praying for the continuance thereof And whom doth the Psalmist meane by We Looke vnto the beginning of the Psalme and you shall find the parties thus specified Israel the House of Aaron all that feare the Lord the Common-weale the Church the Cleargie the Laitie all whom the Day concernes must take notice thereof and expresse this dutie thereon You see the summe of this Scripture which I will now God willing enlarge farther and apply vnto our present occasion But before I enter vpon the particulars I may not forget to let you vnderstand that this Psalme hath a double sense an Historicall and a Mysticall the Historicall concernes King Dauid and the Kingdome of Israel the Mysticall toucheth Christ and his Church The Mysticall hath warrant from the Gospell wherein Christ doth apply some branches of this Psalme vnto himselfe the the Historicall is cleare in the Bookes of Samuel which intreat of the aduancement of King Dauid If we follow the Mysticall then the Day here remembred is Easter day or the Day of Christs Resurrection and that was a Day indeed the Sunne of Righteousnesse then shone forth in great strength and brought life and immortalitie to life But if we follow the Historicall sense then was the Day here remembred the Day of K. Dauids succession vnto Saul a verie Festiuall Day to Israel though not so high a Feast as is our Easter day The Fathers Commentaries runne most vpon the first sense our occasion is better fitted with the latter wherefore without preiudice to the former we will insist thereon leauing the Mysticall we will insist only vpon the Historicall sense of these words The first point therein is the discreet distinguishing of Times All times are not alike there are nights and there are dayes the time here specified is a Day Saint Basils Rule must guide vs in vnderstanding this word he tels vs that when the Holy Ghost speaketh of a Day in this and many other places wee must not plod vpon the course of the Sunne but looke vnto the occurrents of the time the occurents are of two sorts prosperous or aduerse the former is vsually called Day and the later Night We haue not then to doe with a Naturall but a Metaphoricall Day But Metaphors haue their reasonable grounds and because they are Implicitae Similitudines close couched resemblances we must vnwrap them that wee may see the resonablenesse that is in the vse of them If we doe this in our present Metaphor the reason will be apparent why a prosperous state is tearmed a Day For a Day is caused by the Sunne rising who by his beames sendeth to the earth Light and Heate Light by which all things are discerned and may bee distinguished and Heate by which they are quickened and cherished Euen so in a prosperous State there is something that answereth to the Sunne and that is a good King and well may the King bee tearmed a Sunne in the Common-Weâ—le as the Sunne is tearmed a King in the midst of the Planets A good King then like the Sunne ouer-spreads the Common-Weale with Light and Heate Light all things doe appeare in their right hue flatterâ—e or tyrannie doth not blanch or beare out falshood as truth and good as euill euery one beareth his proper name and is reputed no better then he is which is no small Blessing of a State if we take notice of that which is occurrent in euerie Historie That the best men haue beene branded as the vilest and the vilest haue beene commended for Worthies so farre hath darknesse ouercast the iudgement of the World seeke no farther then the storie of Christ and his Apostles the Scribes and the Pharisees As a good King doth remedie this perueâ—snesse of iudgement by a truer light so doth hee by a vegetable heate put heart into those that deserue well and further their well fare it is no small blessing you may gather it out of the 72. Psalme where the cheareful face as it were of the State doth speake the comfortable influence of a good King you may amplifie this point by that difference which in the 104. Psalme you finde betweene a day and a night The night is a time wherein the sauage beasts doe range abroad men retire and appeare not but in the day men goe freely abroad to their labour and the sauage beasts retire euen so in the time of an ill gouerned Common-Weale all sorts of beastly men as filthy as Swine as greedie as Wolues as cruell as Tigres as deceitfull as the Crocodile these and such like riot and controule and without shame satisfie their lust and then it is dangerous to be iust to be mercifull But the countenance of a good King chaseth such vermine away and none vnlike vnto him find Grace with him or appeare before him the 101. Psalme hath no other argument but this very point and Solomon hath exprest it in seuerall Prouerbs This blessing of Light and Heat of distinguishing and cherishing the good from and aboue the bad springs from a good King if hee bee only a Head of the Common-Weale many Heathen Kingdomes enioyed such Dayes vnder their Augustus Traians Adrians and the like But if the King be also a member of the Church a King of Israel as King Dauid was then doth he yeild vnto his State another Day vnto the Ciuill hee addes a Spirituall Day for as Constantine said well A good King is Episcopus ad extra Ecclesiam as the Pastors are ad intra though he may not administer sacred things yet must hee command them to be administred to bee administred sincerely that no Errours or Heresies dimme the heauenly Light and to be entertained reuerently that the people may feele the sweet inflaence of Grace Epistola ad Bonifacium hee maketh Lawes for the promulgation of the sauing truth of God as Saint Austine teacheth and by wholsome Discipline brings the people to be aswell religious as loyall no lesse dutifull children of God
In the Old Testament it is so and it is so in the New The place Eccles 10. is a knowne place Curse not the King no not in thy thought and curse not the rich no not in thy bed-chamber where Rich and King both signifie persons in authoritie for so is the place generally applyed In the New Testament St Mathew calleth Ioseph of Arimathea a rich-man St Marke an honourable-man as if rich and honorable were Synonyma's But the ant thesis that St Iames maketh betweene 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 puts it out of all question for what is the opposite to a man of low degres but a man of high Enough of the word The point intimated by the word is that no member of the Church ariseth to so high a degree of worldly state but CHRIST calleth vpon them to take vp his Crosse and follow him Kings themselues in Baptisme are signed with the signe of the Crosse in token that they shall not be ashamed of CHRIST crucified but shall continue his faithfull Souldiers vnto their lines end they eat the body and drinke the blood of CHRIST in token that they must communicate in his sufferings yea Kings moreouer since the dayes of Constantine the Great haue borne the Crosse on the top of their Crownes to note what else but that they will take their parts thereof That which the Prophet Isay speakes of CHRIST Imperium habet super humeros Cap. 9. is a phrase borrowed from earthly Kings who are called in the Hebrew tongue Nâ—se as if you would say Portatores the erymologie of the word is set downe by GOD himselfe Numb 11. where he designes those that shall helpe Moses to beare his burthen and Iethro obserues it in the 18 of Exodus The prouerbiall speech which Elizaeus vsed of Elias My Father my Father Currus auriga Israel reacheth not onely Prophets but Princes too both sustaine a double part in the societie of men they direct and they beare and one part of their burden is the Crosse euen plaustra conuitiorum whole loads of reproaches and contumelies what the King of Aram said to the Captaines fight not against small nor great but onely against the King of Israel seemes to be the charge which the Bishop of Rome giues to euerie pettie Souldier in his host They were wont in their writing to vndertake a Luther or a Caluin a Beza or a Iewel or some man of their ranke but now there is not the basest Pamphleter that hath not some venomous dart to shoote at the Lords Anointed whom in better times of the CHVRCH the greatest Patriarches did not mention without that lowly respect which GOD hath made due vnto sacred Maiestie But what is to be done in the mid'st of these vnbridled tongues and pens Kings themselues must resolue that they are vncti non tantum ad Regnum sed etiam ad luctam men of their place must be men of such worth as here is described by St Iames in such cases it belongs vnto them and to them principally to endure the Crosse out of the loue of GOD. The first part of their worth is to endure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which word implyes two things not to sinke in their courage for they must 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nor shrinke from their burden for they must 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That they must not sinke is the first 1 Cor. 4. Tribulationem patimur saith St Paul sed non angustiamur whereupon a Father Quomodo angustiari potest qui dilatatur virtutibus Vertue is like gold in the fire which looseth nothing of its weight but gaines in luster yea as gold when it is melted in the fire diffundit se in longum latum Beda in Ps 65 it spreads farther and extends longer so saith Bede doth the vertue of a child of GOD when he is exercised by the Crosse more are the better for it and himselfe is the better setled to continue in it his vnderstanding is more cleared for the acknowledgment of the truth and his heart more strengthened for to sticke to it and this is properly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to continue the same and not to be altered vnto worse by reason of the Crosse but though we be nipt as corne with the frost of winter to stocke better and to beare a goodlyer eare of corne As we may not sinke vnder the Crosse so we may not shrinke from it there be many that be like St Peter who said vnto CHRIST Master though all men forsake thee yet will not I forsake thee I will lay downe my life for thee yet when they are put to it they will as he did deny and forswear their Master The experiments that the Primitiue Church had in this kind were no lesse innumerable then lamentable the names of Libellatici and Traditores are infamous to this day wherof the one signed their renouncing of CHRIST with their owne hand and the other with their owne hands gaue vp GODS Word to be burnt in the fire Epist ad Tert. Those words of Nazianzene 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 concerne verie many in all age But we haue better examples to follow in the Booke of Daniel of the Maccabees in the 11 to the Hebr. wherein most memorable is that of Moses who esteemed the reproach of Christ greater riches then the treasures of Aegypt and had rather suffer affliction with his brethren then to liue as the sonne of Pharaohs daughter But here are two cautions to be obserued the first is as we must not shrinke from the Crosse so must we not offer our selues to it before we be called Stand vpon thy guard saith St Chrysostome and be ready to resist the assaulting enemie but do not rashly make thy selfe enemies Hoc enim non est militis sed seditiosi it is enough for the Souldier of CHRIST to march forth when the alarum is sounded by the trumpe of the Gospel Lib. 10. Conf. c. and St Austin Tolerare tentationes iubes nos Domine non amare nemo quod tolerat amat etsi tolerare amat quamuis enim gaudeat se tolerare tamen mavult non esse quod toleret and we pray lead vs not into temptation Those Frierly speaches then one of him that being released of his temptation expressed his griefe in these words Bibliothech Patr. Domine nen sum ego dignus modica tribulatione the other of him that being sollicited to Adulterie by his owne lust refused the prayers of him that offered to intreat GOD on his behalfe out of a conceipt that his striuing with that lust would turne to his greater glorie sauour too much of Cloyster superstition it may be impuritie also The second caution is that as we must not vndergoe the Crosse before we are called so being vnder it we must not rest vpon our own strength we must put on that same compleat Armour mentioned â—phes 6. if we stand vpon this