Out of the belly of Hell cryed I Chap. 2.2 Then vers 4. I said I am cast out of thy sight Oh that God rather than lose them would so pursue ours and fetch them home before past recouery O that themselue would fore-apprehend the bitternesse of outward crosses specially of sickenesse when these refuges will proue but a lye vnto them Oh that they would consider how conscience will then board them and present to them the sin-reuenging wrath of God enough to make the heauens to melt and the earth to tremble Ah poore dying man whose life doth hang before him stayes it It s with that intolerable companion a wounded spirit departs it t is into the insufâ—erable and vnquencheable flames of hell But whereto tends this to driue to desperation Nay but to God Whither should the aâ—â—righted child goe but to his Father Whither the tyred but to him that can refresh him the wounded but to the Chirurgeon A people but to theiâ— God To whom shall wee goe say the Disciples by Peters mouth thou hast the words of eternall life To Christ then to Christ and by him vnto the Father who saith I am the way the truth and the life no man commeth to the Father but by me And againe Neither knoweth any man the Father but the Son and he to whomsoeuer the Son will reueale him Where to finde comfort in distresse ye know the way ye know When Noahs Doue found no rest for the sole of her foot she returned into the Arke vnto him againe so let vs returne vnto God againe out of whom no rest can be found no not for the sole of our foot The Law was that if a man found his enemies Oxe or Asse going aâ—tray he should returne it home to the owner sure I am we owe no lesse to our own soules when they go astray from God Let vs therefore send them homewards with Dauids direction Returne to thy rest O my soule Thus haue we opened the fountaine of Pauls consolation next you shall see how he doth assure it I know whom I haue beleeued and I am perswaded that he is able to keepe that which I haue committed vnto him id est intrusted him withall When a foundation is laid in a proportion Geometricall they build and the more weight is laid on the foundation the firmer so where God is the foundation settle thy building vpon him intrust thy selfe and whatsoeuer thou art with him and be sure For They that trust in the Lord shall be as Mount Sion which cannot be remoued but abideth for euer The meanes to secure our felicity is to intrust our selues and our causes with him For he is both Able to keepe all and it may stand him vpon First He is Able for nothing is hard to the Almighty He is able by his absolute power of these stones to raise vp children vnto Abraham To mix all things and to bring them backe to their former Chaos And what else not And by his Actuall power he can cast Satan from heauen like lightning can deliuer him into the chaines of darkenesse can rescue out of his Kingdome whom he will can keepe them being so deliuered vnto Saluation That then which is committed vnto him doth not perish because the euerlasting Arme is vnderneath Him wilt thou keepe in perfect peace saith Isaiah whose minde is stayed on thee because he trusteth in thee Trust ye in the Lord for euer for in the Lord Iehovah is euerlasting strength And secondly in a sort it stands his Maiesty vpon to doe for them that depend vpon him else what shall bee done to his great Name how will the enemy insult the godly hang downe the head or how will any be bold to cast themselues on him in aftertimes In their pressures therefore they may resolue with Dauid Our heart shall reioyce in him because we haue trusted in his holy Name Psal. 33.21 Wouldest thou then O Christian man finde sanctuary in a storme and a City of refuge against the pursuer when other mens hearts doe faint would thine be stable when the spirit of other men can scarce beare their owne infirmity would thine finde helpe against the wound of spirit when not ciuill honesty not good intentions not formall prosession nor the bare name of Christian can steed thee wouldest thou then want wherewith to foile and fell thine enemy when thou art to dye wouldest thou bid defiance to death and hell In a word when the heauens shall be on fire about thine eares wouldest thou be able to looke vpon the Sonne of man Let the Lord be thy relyance and the most High thy confidence gather thy selfe vnder his wings and trust vnder the shadow of feathers bewaile thine vnaptnesse to beleeue on him confesse thine aptnesse to leane on lying vanities and stirre vp thy soule to rely on heauen Doe we call Acts and Deeds of men security and shall we not trust that which God hath sealed and deliuered vnto vs children rely wholly on their parents and shall not we rely wholy on our heauenly Father Neuer man yet trusted in God and was disappointed and shall we now be forsaken If Iehosaphats people will beleeue in the Lord they shall be established if beleeue his Prophets they shall prosper If we be not wanting to our selues wee shall not want any thing necessary If thou canst beleeue saith our Sauiour to that man in the Gospell all things are possible to him that beleeueth dependance on God is better than all worldly confidences And better is it than Sauls Armour to be able to affront an enemy as Dauid did Goliah saying I come to thee in the Name of the Lord of Hosts the God of the Armies of Israel For that armeth with Power inuincible able to preserue and with Power vnchangeable able to preserue for euer for this cause our Apostle is bold and saith He is able to keepe that which I haue committed vnto him against that Day Where of the last Day in the last place Now in that he doth so slight his sufferings and the shame of them for his expectation at the day of Iudgement he learneth vs That it doth much concerne a man to prouide that it may go well with him at that Day Let the fire saith Ignatius that holy Martyr vnder Traian in his Epistle to Rome the gallowes deuouring of wild beasts breaking of bones pulling asunder of my members the pressing of my whole body the torment of the Deuill or hell it selfe come vpon me so that I may winne Christ Iesus Winne Christ Iesus What 's that This is that and no other for which our Saint Paul suffered the losse of all things and did count them but dung that he might winne Christ Philip. 3.8 But what may that be Reade the 11. and 12. verses and you shall heare himselfe That I may know him and the power of his resurrection and the
made her the very dore by which we enter into Paradise shut by Eue opened by her the very window whereby God doth looke vpon vs with the eye of mercy the very Ladder of Iacob whereby our deuotion ought to ascend vnto God and his blessing descend vnto vs. Was this yet the worst Truâ—y no. But as it is said in Ezechiel so may we say Behold greater abominations then these For they were not content to make her a Mediator for intercession but also they make her the Mediaâ—resse of Reconcilement and Propitiâ—tion ioyning her in the Commission of Mercy and Merit with our Sauiour Christ yea making her many times more mercifull then he In the prayer of Anselmus held for currant this is read Hee that hath offended let him cast himselfe downe betweene them both Pie Domine parce seruo matris tuae pia Domina parce seruo filij tui c. O Pitifull Lord be fauourable to the seruant of thy Mother O pitifull Lady be fauorable to the seruant of thy Sonne Dic mundi Iâ—dex cui parces dic mundi Reconciliatrix quem reconciliabis Tell vs thou Iudge of the world whom thou wilt spare tell vs thou Reconciliatresse of the world whom thou wilt reconcile if thou Lord wilt condemne and thou Lady wilt reiect a poore man that confesseth your vertues louingly and his owne sinnes mournefully Thâ—s Anselmus most blasphemously And were they ashamed of this euâ—ll in Queene Maries dayes Nay they were not ashamed for aâ—â—â—he light of the Gospell that had shined before vnto them â—or euen in their Primer setforth then by authority they rely vpon the blessed Virgins merits as wee doe vpon our Sauiour and ascribe vnto her the power and honour of sauing and defending and deliuering c. Shall I recite vnto the yonger sort a place or two for they that are old may remember it themselues In the third houre thus they reade The dolorous Passion of Christs sweet Mother bring vs to the blisse of Almighty God the Father And in the sixth houre O blessed Lady O singular Virgin in perfect mâ—ekenesse all other excelling deliuervs from the bondage of sin and make vs meeke and chaste in liuing make vs euer pure life to ensue guide vs euer vpon â—ur iourney that we beholding the face of Iesu may ioy with him in heauen alway Thus in that place and as bad in diuers others I haue not shewed you as that how they make the blessed Virgin many times more mercifâ—â—l then our Sauiour and how when Christ was resolued to destroy the world for their sinnes she being moued with pity became suppliant vnto him and so turned away his wrath c. But because I haue other matters behind vntouched and the comparison being so odious and sacrilegious as it is Therefore I will forbeare by word of mouth to vtter it and referre them that care for such matters for Doctrine to Iacobus de Voragine and the booke called Sermones Discipuli and for examples to Vincentius Antoninus whereout they may haue enough to choake them You haue heard Wel-beloued that it was of Gods mercy and fauour and of his fauour onely that the blessed Virgin was called to that honour and dignity to be the Mother of her Lord and our Lord and therefore as she most frankly and deuoutly confessed so much so wee must beware lest vnder the colour of honouring the Mother with other honour then of praise and imitation which is due vnto her we doe not dishonor and so offend the Maiestie of the Sonne who is God blessed for euer This I haue touched the rather because many among vs bee not as yet purged from their former superstition and Idolatries but notwithstanding that they haue beene earnestly laboured and exhorted that they would returne from their vaine and thankelesse wil-worships to serue the true and liuing God the Creator of whom are all things and wee of him the Redeemer in whom are all things and we in him the holy Spirit through whom are all things and we through him yet without commandement without praise without example of any that were Godly for certaine hundreds of yeeres after Christ they will needs inuocate the blessed Virgin in their necessities troubles nay put their trust in her in deifying a creature which Epiphanius doth abhorre and forsaking God that bought them by a spirituall kinde of fornication which the Scripture doth euery where detest Well hauing spoken so much of the first part of Christs wonderfull Conception it is time wee now come to the second namely His wonderfull Birth And beare a Sonne Or rather bringeth forth a Sonne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In which words the Prophet signifieth that it should not goe so hard with the mother as it did with those women which Hezekiah spake of though allegorically The children are come to the birth and there is no strength to bring forth Nor yet that the child should be so vnhappy as Iob wished himselfe to bee in the 3. chapter of his booke Why dyed I not in the birth or why dyed I not whâ—n I came out of the wombe But rather that it should goe no worse with her then it did with the Church and her child Esay 66. Before shee trauelled she brought forth and before her paine came she was deliuered of a Man-child And againe Shall I cause to trauell and not bring forth Shall I cause to bring forth and shall I be barren saith thy God As if he said Forasmuch as it is I and none other that helpeth women in their ordinary trauels and giueth them quicke speed or slow speed as it pleaseth Me You may thinke with your selues whether it be an hard thing with Mee to cause the mother to bring forth without paine euen while you will say What 's this Indeed among the strange and wonderfull things that Bernard said were in the Mother of Christ these were not the least that she was Sine grauamine grauida sine dolore puerpera her burden was not burdenous vnto her her trauell was not painefull Whereto agreeth that saying of Hieronym against Heluidius Nulla ibi obstetrix nulla multerum sedulitas intercessit ipsa mulier obstetrix fuit She had no Mid-wife to helpe her no Side-woman to assist her shee was both Mother and Mid-wife too and well she might be bearing and bringing forth such a Child as was free from originall sinne which you knowe is in part the cause of womens trauell nay which sanctifieth whatsoeuer is sanctified and of whose fulnesse all doe receiue euen grace for grace This is He which is prophesied of by our Prophet Esay chapter 9. Vnto vs a Childe is borne and vnto vs a Sonne is giuen and the Gouernment is vpon his shoulders and He shall call him Wonderfull Counsellour The mighty God The euerlasting Father The Prince of Peace This is he that was prophesied of by Ieremy The dayes come that I will raise
like may be said of many others in the Scriptures The like also of many of our English names They be not by and by crafty that be called Foxes nor mild that be called Doues nor sauage that be called Wild nor foolish that be called Geese nor vnthrifts that be called Carelesse There was a Carelesse that was so carefull of the Kingdome of God that he chose rather to be burnt at a stake then to make shipwracke of his faith And so there was a Goose Ioh Hus by name that made so so cleere and sweet confession of the Truth that neuer Swanne in the world made a sweeter On the contrary side there haue beene Constants that haue beene vnconstant and Hardings that haue beene timorous and Loues that haue beene vnlouing c. All which together doth more then proue that though Conueniunt rebus nomina saepe suis though mens names doe expresse their natures many times yet it is not so alwayes they are giuen being good rather of wish then of Prophesie and being bad rather vpon occasion then for cause and rather mockingly then truly Thus I grant it is with men and their names that they giue they be not certaine demonstrations no nor probâ—ble arguments of the dispositions of any And why Because man hath no power of himselfe neither to foresee what shall betide his child neither for wealth or woe nor to instill vertue into him nor to reclaime him from vice But it is not so with God hee is of another insight in matters and of another ability The darknesse hideth not from him the darknesse is as cleere as the light Psalme 139. He declareth the last things from the beginning Esay 46. He saw Nathaniel vnder the Fig-tree Iohn 1. All things are naked and bare vnto him with whom wee haue to doe Hebr. 4. Thus neither place nor time nor couering excludeth Gods prouidence no more doth any thing exclude his power or hinder the executing of his purposes When Metellus a Tribune sought to crosse Cesar in a determination that he had Cesar looking sternely vpon him bade him be quiet if he loued his life and added these words that he could more easily put him to death then speake the word Now if this be the power of a fraile mortall Prince that he can most easily make good his word euen as easily doe as speake Then how can we without sacriledge without horrible sacriledge robbe God of this honour being true in his saying and true in his calling And so calling the Mediator Immanuel why should we doubt but that it is as good as if he had said The Sonne that the Virgin shall conceiue shall bee very Immanuel Verily though man giueth names but at aduenture as the blind man casteth his staffe yet Gods naming doth collate and bestow the gift or ability that is promised by the name as appeareth by the example of Abraham the father of the Faithfull who together with the name receiued the assurance of being the father of many Nations according to the signification of the said name As may appeare also and that especially by the name of our Sauiour in the Gospell who doth as truly saue the people from their sinnes as he hath the name of a Sauiour giuen vnto him Well hitherunto you haue learned two things The one why it is said She the mother shall giue the name namely because the blessed Babe was to haue none other parent vpon the earth and therefore by reason shee the fittest and onely fit to appoint the name The other point is this that it is nothing derogatory to the truth of Christs Deity that it is said in my Text Hee shall be called Immanuel and not said He shall be Immanuel since with God to call so or to cause to be so is all one and so is it to be such indeed or to be called such Let vs now come to the third and last place to the name it selfe Immanuel What it signifieth you haue heard me tell you more then once and you may read your selues Mat. 1. Therefore I stand not vpon that but this I will stand to and doe assure you that of all the names that are giuen to our Sauiour in the holy Scripture none doth so fully and plainely expresse both his natuâ—e and Office as doth this He is called I grant Shiloh the Branch and a Child and the Sonne of man but those shew onley his humanity So is he Iehovah the Word the Father of Eternity c. but these shew onely his Deity so is hee Iesus â—hrist and the Councellour and the Lambe of God and our Passeouer and Amen c. But these shew onely his Office or the end of his comming into the world But now Immanuel it doth shew and expresse neither Christs Deity onely nor his humanity onely nor yet his Office onely but together with his Deity his humanity and together with his humanity his Deity and together with both natures the identity of his person and together with the vnity of his Person and the diuersity of his Natures the whole summe and complement of his Offices In somuch that as Saint Paul saith The whole Lawe is comprehended in this one saying Loue thy neighbour as thy selfe So we may say The whole Gospell is comprehended in this one word Immanuel And to the end that you may be satisfied that I offer no violence to the Word nor seeke to draw from it that which is not in it doe but consider with me the very Etymon or deriuation of it Doth it not signifie as you haue heard euen Grammatically God with vs Now in that this is deliuered but by one name what doth this but imply that he is but one person for if more persons had beene here meant more names would haue beene here giuen And in that he is called God what doth this proue lesse then his Deity And in that he is said to be with vs that is in our nature what doth it proue else but the truth of his humanity And lastly in that the whole name is giuen as a pledge of Gods fauour and reconcilement towards vs what other thing but the end of all his Offices of Kingdome of Priesthood of Prophesie is expressed and comprehended Now therefore Beloued consider with your selues whether this Word be worth your consideration and whether if we stand longer vpon it we shall either mis-spend the time or abuse your patience It is profitable certes nay necessary to saluation that you be rightly perswaded concerning the Nature and Office of our Sauiour Christ. For God hath giuen vs euerlasting life and this life is in his Sonne as Saint Iohn saith And this is eternall Life to know Thee the onely God and whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ as Christ himselfe saith And to know Christ and the vertue of his Resurrection and the fellowship of his afflictions c. The same Saint Paul preferreth before all aduantages whatsoeuer Phil. 3. And Hieronym