writings desired not onely pium Lectorem a courteous Reader of his labours but also liberum Correctorem a free reprouer of his faults but so that they doe it friendly to blame in their iudgement where it is equity but not to blaze my faults vnto the world which is a breach of charity and that they doe as well accept of what is good as except against what is ill herein for I know there be many Momus-like Qui vel non intelligendo reprehendunt Idem contra Faust l. 22. c. 34. vel reprehendendo non intelligunt that doe shew their folly in reprouing others when out of enuy or ignorance they blame that good of others which they haue not or know not themselues And for these there is none other helpe but to be carelesse of their censures and to pray against their wickednesse There be faults escaped in the Printing the most of them be literall as the mistaking of e for ae econtra and such like faults of no great moment especially to him that knowes how hard it is to make things perfect and therefore I hope they shall be either mended with thy pen or pardoned without thy censure for other things I onely desire thy prayers for mee and thou shalt euer finde his paines and prayers for thee which loueth thee and all men in Iesus Christ with all vnfainednesse GR. VVILLIAMS This Treatise cōtaineth 1. The worke done i. e. sin and that is either 1. Originall sinne where is considered 1. What euill it bringeth 2. How it is deriued 2. Actuall sin where is shewed 1. How it is defined 2. How it is increased 1. Inwardly 1. By the suggestion of Satan 2. By the delights of the flesh 3. By the consent of the spirit 2. Outwardly 1. Secretly committed 2 Publiquely aduentured 3. Vsually practised 4. Exceedingly enlarged 3. How it is cōmitted viz. of 1. Ignorance 2. Knowledge 3. Infirmity 4. Malice which is 1. Wilfull 2. Spitefull * And from hence is seene 1. The diuersity of sinners 2. The inequality of sins yet that 1. Euery sinne brings death 2. The sin of any one brings death 3. The least sin of any one brings death 2. The wages to be paid for sin i. e. death which signifieth the curse of God extending it selfe 1. Vpon all creatures 1. Heauenly 2. Earthly 2. Vpon euery man to whom it bringeth a treble death 1. Of the soule whereof it killeth 1. Will. 2. Vnderstanding 3. Memory 2. Of the body where is considered 1. What is meant by death i. e. all miseries 1. In all Ages 2. In all States 3. By all Creatures 2. How farre it extendeth ouer all men 3. How variably it worketh in respect of the 1. Manner 2. Time 3. Place 4. Effects †which are different the cause whereof is 1. The practise of a good life 2. The meditatiō of our death 3. The applic of Christs death 3. Of body and soule in Hell 3. The equity of this wages is seene if we consider 1. That it is iust to punish sinne 2. That God is the iustest Iudg that can bee found to punish sinne 1. Because he loueth righteousnesse 2. Because he iudgeth without respect of persons 3. Because he punisheth euery man according to his desart Where the inequality of Hell punishment is shewed 3. That all the punishment afore-said inflicted for sinne is most iust 1. Not in respect of a sinners will eternally to sinne if he did eternally liue but 2. In a iust proportion of the punishment to the haynousnesse of the sin committed which is seene in respect 1. Of the leuity and easinesse to doe what God commandeth 2. Of the transcendent deformity of sinne which is seene if we consider 1. The Nature of him that is offended 2. The quality of him that doth offend 3. The Nature of the sinne that is committed This Treatise sheweth 1. What God is and how God is knowne what he is two wayes 1. As he is in himselfe so none knoweth God but God himselfe 2. As he hath expressed himselfe to vs and so he may be known 1. By way of negation 2. By way of affirmation 3. By way of superexcellency and so hee is shewed to be 1. An eternall being in himselfe 2. A giuer of being 1. To all creatures 2. To all his promises which should teach vs to labour to be vnited to him to be thankefull and to beleeue all his promises 3. An absolute L. of all things which should teach vs to serue him for 3. especiall reasons 2. What maner of God he is where the nature of God is shewed by three speciall attributes viz. 1. By his Power touching which is handled 1. The number quality of the aduersaries of Gods power which are 1. The Infidels that will not beleeue in him 2. The desperate men that cannot hope in him 3. The vbiquitaries of Germany 4. The pontificialls of Rome 2. How the actiue power of God is to be considered in resp 1. Of his inward operations 2. Of his outward operatiōs and so it must be cōsidered 1. Relatiuely as it respecteth the will and decree of God 2. Absolutely so he can doe all things 1. Which are not contrary to Gods Nature 2. Which imply not contradiction 3. The proofe of Gods omnipotency which is shewed from 1. The Word of God 2. The workes of God 1. In the beginning of the world 2. Throughout the continuance 3. In the end of the world 3. The consent of all Diuines 4. The testimony of many Heathens 5. The confession of the very Diuels 4. The answering to the chiefest obiections 1. Of the Infidels 2. Of the desperate 3. Of the vbiquitaries 4. Of the pontificials 5. The vsefull appl of this do which serueth 1. To confute many heresies 2. To comfort all the Godly 3. To condemne all the wicked 2 By his goodnes and that seauen especial wayes viz. that he is 1. Mercifull which consisteth in 1. Giuing of graces 2. Forgiuing of sinnes 3. Qualifying of punishments 2. Gracious which signifieth 1. Amiable 2. Placable 3. Liberall 3. Slow to anger shewed 1. By Scriptures 2. By examples old and new 4. Abundant in goodnes 1. As he is in himselfe 2. As he is to others 1. Generally to all creatures by 1. Creating all things 1. simp g. 2. rela g. 2. pres thē frō euill 3. enric thē with g. 2. Specially to his elect 1. by dec their elec 2. by their effect cal 3. by the filling of thē with his graces 5. Abundant in truth 1. Essentially truth in himselfe 2. Causally the fountaine of al truth 1. Of things 2. Of the vnderstanding 3. Of expression which is 1. Primar in Scrip. 2 Secondarily from man to man 6. Reseruing mercy for thousands that is 1. Extensiuely 2. Successiuely 7. Forgiuing iniquitie and transgression and sin i. e. all kinds of sin 1. Originall corruption 2. Actuall commission 3. Greatest abhom if we repent * The vsefull applic of Gods
be abundantly true because as Hugo saith In sacra Scriptura non solum bonitas est quod praecipitur faelicitas quod promittitur sed etiam veritas est quod dicitur Whatsoeuer is said in the holy Scripture 2 Cor. 1.20 it is absolutely true without any errour and the promises of God are as sure as if they were already performed for he is yea and Amen i. e. True in himselfe true in his workes and true in all his words And this Truth of the Lord indureth for euer for He will not alter the thing that is gone out of his mouth neither will he suffer his Truth to faile But when we forget both him and our selues Luke 1.72 he will still be mindfull of his promise and remember his holy couenant And therefore seeing that as the Light is so excellent a thing the first-borne of all visible Creatures and the very comfort of euery afflicted heart that dispelleth all darkenesse discouereth all things and the procreatiue cause of all Creatures so is this Truth of God What we ought to doe of that transcendent excellency as that it is the best guide of our liues and the sole meanes to saue our soules It should teach vs First Comparare veritatem To purchase this Truth and to get the same vnto our selues by any meanes First to spare no cost to get that Truth Matth. It is that Treasure â—id in the field to gaine which the wise Merchant sold all that euer he had no labour is too great no cost is too deare to gaine this Truth Multa tulit fecitque puer sudauit alsit Horat. And as another saith Ardua quamuis sit via non metuit virtus inuicta laborem If the Gentiles did toyle and moyle and sweat and spare no paines to get a little measure of humane learning which did almost nothing else but puffe them vp with pride what paines ought we to take to search and seeke for this Diuine Truth which is onely able to saue our soules Secondly Retinere veritateÌ„ to let passe this truth Secondly to hazard all we haue in defence of this Truth when once we haue attained vnto the same by no meanes but to keepe it and to retaine it vnto death for so Salomon saith Buy the truth but sell it not i. e. when you haue gotten it part not from it and this is no small taske Non minor est virtus quam quaerere parta tueri But it is as difficult a thing to retaine it as it is to finde it for seeing the truth is like the light and the light is many times obscured with cloudes and darkenesse so the truth is opposed by errour and ignorance it is enuied and hated by the sonnes of men and as Tertullian saith it hath beene euer seene Juellus in Apol. ex Tertul. Apolloget Veritatem in terris peregrinam agere inter ignotos facile calumniatores inuenire That the truth was entertained on earth but as a Pilgrime and a Stranger that easily findeth enemies in euery place and scarce friends in any place and so the Booke of God and the story of times doth make it plaine how the Professors of this Truth were alwayes persecuted and the Truth it selfe sought to be suppressed by the sonnes of darkenesse Moses and Aaron were withstood by Pharaoh and resisted by Iannes and Iambres and the rest of the Sorcerers of Egypt The Prophets were so vehemently and so generally persecuted by the Iewes that Saint Stephen asketh them Acts 7.52 Which of the Prophets haue not your Fathers persecuted and Christ himselfe which was borne to this end Vt testimonium perhiberet veritati That he might beare witnesse vnto the Truth John 18.37 was resisted vnto death and so all the Martyres and faithfull witnesses of this eternall Truth can beare witnesse what they suffered in the defence of Truth What is needfull for vs if we would retain the Truth And therefore if we would retaine the truth wee haue need of Patience we haue need of Courage and of a constant Resolution neuer to suffer this Heauenly Truth to bee taken from vs vntill our selues be taken out of this wretched life Let vs lay before vs the examples of the Patriarkes and Prophets of Christ himselfe of his holy Apostles and of all his blessed Martyres which thought not their liues too deare to defend this Truth let vs not be degenerate children of such worthy Progenitors as transmitted this Truth vnto vs with the losse of their liues That Truth at last will euer preuaile And though wee haue neede of Patience to suffer much in the defence of Truth yet wee may be confident that Truth will preuaile and get the victory for as no darkenesse can so swallow vp the light but that in its appointed time it will gloriously returne againe so no power of darknesse can so suppresse the Truth but at last it will appeare as the cleare day Because as the nature of errour is such Cokus de iure regis Eoclesiastico that although none be to withstand it yet as the smoake at last it will vanish of it selfe so the nature of Truth is such that although neuer so many doe oppugne it yet at last it will preuaile as Zorobabel saith and as the Comicke saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Time will bring out the Truth into Light at last And therefore seeing the Truth is of that inuincible power that although it may be obscured yea for a time with Christ himselfe be buried yet it cannot be extinguished nor remain perpetually intombed but that the time will come wherein nothing is hid which shall not be reuealed nothing is couered which shall not be manifested We should arme our selues with confidence and sure trust in God which according to his Truth will at last bring all Truth to light and saue all them that put their trust in him But here me thinkes I heare some saying they would willingly spend their liues in defence of Truth if they could tell what were Truth for now there are so many Religions so many Professions and so many diuersities of Opinions in the world that it is farre easier for them to spend their life then to find out what is Truth I answere that as Claudian saith Saepe mihi dubiam traxit sententia mentem curarent superi terras an nullus inesset rector He was much distracted and knew not what to resolue whether there was a Diuine prouidence or not because when he saw the most admirable course of things he said Claud. l. 1. in Ruff. Tunc omnia rebar consilio firmata Dei He thought it was vnpossible that that could proceed but from a superiour cause but on the other side when as the Prophet Dauid saith He saw the wicked in such prosperity and the Righteous hang downe their heads like a Bull-rush yea and hâ—nged many times like the wicked sonnes of euill doers
reproue great men 233 Who most subiect to dangers 433 Daughters of sinne are two 82 In the day of Christs natiuitie three things obseruable 435 DE. Death the fruit of sinne 2 Seauen deadly sinnes 40 By death is contained all that is vnder the curse of God 47 67 Death three-fold 49 Death of the soule three-fold 53 Death what it is 67 How largely it extendeth it selfe 75 How vnresistable it is ibid. How expressed by the Egyptians 76 How it shortens life diuers wayes 77 How it taketh men of all ages 78 How it smiteth in euery place 79 How comfortable it is to the godly 79 How terrible to the wicked 80 How it equalizeth the bodies of all men 81 Death of Christ the sole cause that maketh our death happy vnto vs. 84 Death eternall what it is 86 Death of Christ a sufficient satisfaction for the greatest sinnes 164 Death how little Christ respected it 446 Saints at their death supported by God 447 Death of the crosse grieuous in foure respects 479 480 Death of Christ maketh the wicked without excuse 504 Certainty of Christs death shewed in that her rose not til the third day 556 Deceit of sinne how great 44 Deceits no deceits vnlesse cunningly carried 461 Deformitie of sinne greater then we can comprehend 107 Deferring of Christs suffering grieued Christ 451 Wicked men how they deceiue themselues 517 God a debter to no man 531 To defend the truth with the hazard of all that we haue 217 Why God deferreth to giue vs what we desire 723 Delight in sinne maketh vs exceeding sinfull 15 Our deliuerances from punishments to be ascribed to Gods goodnesse 203 God deliuereth not alwaies his deerest Saints from afflictions 206 Christ deliuered from what he feared 448 To derogate from Gods power how great a sinne 161 God denieth his grace vnto the children for their Fathers sinnes 251. Why. 252 Why God denieth what we aske 725 To descend from the crosse easier then to rise from the graue 562 Descention of Christ into hell handled 580. 581 c. proued by Scripture and by the stimonie of antiquitie 484. 618 That Christ descended before hee could ascend 609 Why Christ descended not from the crosse 481 We ought to despaire of no mans conuersion 533 Descending of Christ signifieth the assuming of our flesh 301 Description of God by way of negation affirmation and super eminencie 121 Desire to sinne is an act done 96 Desperate men thinke God cannot forgiue them 139 We ought neuer to despaire of mercie 226 To despaire what a haynous sinne 228 Saints desired nothihg but Christ 264 Demosthenes his Parable vnto the Athenians of the wolues request vnto the sheepe 644 Of the young man that hired an Asse to Megara 678 DI. Christ whether hee died for all men and how 505 To die to sinne what it is 50 a punishment for sinne ibid. To die in sinne what it is 51 Difference betwixt spirituall and eternall punishment 250 How the word God differeth from our Word 309 A great difference betwixt appearing in the forme of man and to be made man 329 Difference betwixt assuming flesh and to bee made flesh 345 Difference betwixt the two-fold generations of Christ and of the Saints 364 Difference betwixt Law and Gospell 3â—4 Difference betwixt the sinnes of the godly and the wicked three-folde 35 Difference betwixt feare and sorrow 449 Philosophers most diligent to attaine to all kinde of knowledge 315 How diligent we ought to be to know Christ 393 Dirt nothing so foule as sinne 52 Diseases of the soule what they be 63 Discontent with God what a heauie sinne 239 Disobedience to God what a haynous sinne 293 Disobedience to parents what a fearefull sinne 240 To distinguish of Gods power reconcileth diuers Authors 150 Dispertion of the Apostles grieued Christ 453 In distresse how wee ought to seeke vnto God 488 Disciples whether they stole Christ from the graue or not 562 Discretion how needfull for Preachers 696 Diuels know God and Christ and the mysterie of the Trinitie 314 Confest Gods power 162 DO Doctrine touching the person of Christ how alwaies opposed by Satan 304 Doctrine of diuinitie how deepe and difficult 392 Whatsoeuer God doth is no sinne 166 Doores being shut how Christ came in 387 Doubting of Gods goodnesse what a fearefull sinne 239 That we should neuer doubt of Gods promises 130 DR To draw neere to vs how God is said 165 M. Drusus desired all men might see what he did 604 EA EArth accursed for the sinne of man 48 EF. The effects that Christs sufferings should worke in vs. 505 EG Egyptians how they expressed death 76 EL. Electionis of some men not of all 203 The elect onely are effectually called 203 Elizabeth the wife of Zacharias of what Tribe she was 397 EN Enemies that besot the godly 177 Enuie of Satan against Christ 493 and why he enuied him 434 Enemies of Christ ascribe to him in mockery what he was in deed 432 433 Enemies of Christ what they testified of him 578 Enemies of man especially three 582 EP. Epicurus confest the world had beginning and shall haue ending 137 EQ Equalitie of sinnes confuted 37 Equitie of eternall punishment for a temporarie sinne shewed in two respects 97 Christ equall with the Father 299 ER. Error of the Philosophers touching the etertie of the world 136 Error of the Vbiquitaries touching the power of God 141 Error of the Iesuites about the power of God 141 Error of Pellagius about the abilitie of mans nature 63 64 Error of Nouatus about sins after Baptisme 112 Errors of the vulgar about the absolute power of God 151 Errors expelled by truth 215 Errors boulstered with lies 175 Error of Saint Gregorie and Saint Bernard confuted 94. 95 Error of Lactantius and Pellagius confuted 63 Error of the Philosophers Stoicks Arist Seleucus Hermias Hermog confuted 136 137 c. Error of the Vbiquitaries shewed 141 Confuted 155. Their Obiect anws 165 Error of Bellarmine and the Iesuites shewed 141. Their Obiections answered 172 c. Error of Saint Hierom. 330 ES. Essence of God in heauen cannot bee seene but in the face of Iesus Christ 118 Essence of God not safe to search too farre into it 124 Essence of God distinguished into three persons 272 The word essence deriued our of Scripture and vsed in Scripture 294 Christ of the same essence with his Father 292. Vnpossible to escape out of the hands of the Angels 337 ET Eternity of Christ proued and the obiections against the same answered 278 279 280 c. Eternall punishment how inflicted for a temporary sinne 94 EV. Eua beleeueth the Deuill 3 The euill that oppresseth euery sinner two-fold 321 Euangelist why hee saith the Word was made flesh rather then man 349 Eutichian heresie what it was 367 c. EX Excuses of sinners to iustifie themselues 24 Excuses of sinners to lessen sinne 110 Examples of wilfull and spitefull sinners 33 Excellency of God cannot be conceiued
of sinne Lanch de operibus dei p. 1. l. 4. c. 11. and so liable to the iust punishment that is due for such a sinne And therefore in the iudgement of the very heathen the will of sinning doth most iustly deserue the punishment of the sinne For It is obserued by Diuines that although Satans power be verie great to corrupt all other faculties of the soule of man as to darken the vnderstanding to dazle the fancie to delude the sences and to prouoke the appetite That Satan hath no power to compell the will yet that hee hath no power to remoue or to turne the will he may tempt and perswade but he cannot compell the same for seeing this is the primum mobile the highest wheele in the frame of our soule that moueth and guideth all our actions and according to which they shall be discerned and iudged therefore in the middest of mans greatest assaults God would not suffer Satan to preuaile and to command the will but hee hath left the same in our owne libertie so that Satan cannot destroy vs vnlesse wee bee willing to destroy our selues and therefore Saint Ambrose sayth Ambros de vita beata habetur 15. q. 1. can Non est Non est quod cuiquam nostram ad scribamus arâ—â—mnam nisi nostra voluntati qui nemo tenetur ad culpam nisi voluntate propria deflexerit There is no reason why any man should ascribe the cause of his miseries to any thing in the world saue onely to his owne will for we perish because we will perish perditio tua ex te Our owne will is the cause of all our woe our destruction is from our selues and from no where else for no man is drawne to sinne neither can it be a sinne vnlesse the agent doth some way yeeld some consent of will for if Satan had power to force the will aliquis iustorum non remaneret then not a righteous man should remaine vpon the face of the earth and therefore are all his temptations called perswasions or suggestions and not compulsions because they are all vsed to make vs voluntary agents to make vs yeeld consent of will for that as I sayd before Non est peccatum nisi sit voluntarium No act can be a sinne any way vnlesse it bee voluntarie some way And therefore as Apollodorus the tyrant dreamed that hee was fleaâ—d by the Scythians and boyled in a seething Caldron and that his owne heart should say vnto him I am the cause of this thy fearefull torments so it is most certaine that there is no damned soule in hell but he may iustly say his owne heart and his owne will sent him thither for let Sathan doe what hee will and let him striue what he can yet if man were true to himselfe The gates of Hell should neuer preuaile against him because no created power is able to compell the will of man And yet such is the power of sinne that although reason should shew vs what is good Video meliora proboque deteriora sequor yet it maketh vs to will onely that which is euill to leaue the incommutable and infallible good and to follow after base and vile affections and then God seeing vs nilling the good and willing the euill he giues vs ouer to a reprobate minde Aug. de l. arbit Vt cum vult homo recte agere non potest quia quando potuit noluit ideo per malum velle perdidit bonum pesse That if we would will well wee cannot because when we could will well we would not and therefore as our first Father Adam so all we that are the sonnes of Adam by willing euill haue and doe loose the power of willing good For Rom. 1.21.24 That our sinne hath depriued vs of all will to doe good As because the Gentiles when they knew God glorified him not as God neither were thankfull therefore God gaue them ouer to vile affections to doe those things that were not conuenient So because when we had our will free and none could command it wee willed euill and not good therefore God in Iustice giues vs ouer to such wilfull greedinesse of sinning that now of our selues we haue not the least will to doe good for if any man willeth good it is from infused grace and not from our inbred will Philip. 1.13 for God worketh in vs both the will and the deed sayth the Apostle but our naturall will is dead from good for sinne hath so defiled the same that it willeth and affecteth nothing but vile and vaine things and so it compelleth euery part and facultie of the soule to long and lust after euill for the vis irascibilis the irascible distasting and angry faculty which should be as a dogge to keepe away sinne doth now waxe angry at euery vertue and that which should detest euill in his brother doth rage and swell at the reproofe of his Father and the vis concupiscibilis the concupiscible faculty or desiring appetite which should desire nothing but goodnesse and what were iust and honest doth now affect nothing but lewdnesse and what is most vile and abhominable and it cannot doe any otherwise Max. l 1. de charitate Nomquemadmodum passerculus pede alligatus c. For as a little bird tyed by the leg when he beginneth to flie is presently drawne downe againe by the string So the mind of man tyed by base affections if it seeke to mount vp to heauenly thoughts it is presently plucked downe againe by sinne saith Maximus And so you see that Quam non mille ferae quam non steneleius hostis Nec potuit quicquam vincere vincit Adam This will of man which neither mortall enemies nor yet infernall spirits nor any other created thing could subdue is now defiled polluted and wholly corrupted by sinne That no outward enemy can compell our will And therefore I can freely yeeld vnto our aduersaries that wee haue free-will in regard of any outward compulsion for that Satan himselfe cannot compell it for if he could we could not iustly be condemned for doing that vnwillingly which we are wholly and forcibly compelled to doe Our inward naturall corruption is that which draweth our will to sinne but we haue not the least free-will in regard of our naturall corruption for as a stone tumbling downe the hill needes no man to driue it so the will of it selfe is so inclined to euill that of it selfe it can no more affect goodnesse then a stone of it selfe to runne vpwards and therefore Saint Iohn saith of the regenerate Iohn 2.13 that they are not borne of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God Secondly as no action can be good vnlesse the will be right and the will can neuer be right vnlesse the vnderstanding be right as Seneca saith for though the will be the Mistresse and the Commander of
doth iustice and right vnto the Orphanes and the Widdow and Dauid saith Deus iudex iustus est Psa◠7.12 God is a righteous Iudge and that the Heauens shall declare his righteousnesse i. e. approue and iustifie him in his iudgements And Saint Paul saith that he shall haue the crowne of righteousnesse 2 Tim. 4.8 which the Lord the righteous Iudge shall giue him in that day and the very Heathens say as much for not onely Euripides saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Iustice is not in the eyes of mortall men but Hesiod goeth further saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ipsa autem Iustitia est virgo ex Ioue nata That Iustice is a pure Virgin and an immaculate daughter of the chiefest God that is indeed a true and essentiall propertie of the true and euerliuing God and therefore it must needes follow that of all Iudges God is the iustest Iudge that can be found to punish sinne That God iudgeth euery man according to his desert Valer. l. 1. Thirdly because he rendereth to euery man according to his workes and punisheth great sins with the greater punishment and the longer he stayes to expect our amendment the sorer will be our punishment if we doe not repent Lucius Apuleius do asino aureo I haue read of an Asse that hauing an huge burthen vpon his backe by chance stumbled at a stone and fell her master presently began to chide and to beate her whereat the poore Asse repined and bemoaned her selfe saying in what a miserable state doe I liue and what a cruell master doe I serue for I haue done him many good and faithfull seruices and yet see how for one fault by chance committed I am thus most grieuously handled The fable shewes vs Men reward not men according to iust deserts that men many times doe neither reward nor punish according vnto iust deserts but doe oftentimes suffer good deeds to goe vnrewarded and punish small offences with seuerer punishments then in the rigor of Iustice they haue deserued and it may be often suffer the greater sinners to escape all punishment But it is not so with God for if we doe well and haue our hearts vpright to doe him seruice he will not alwayes be chiding though we should commit many faults but if we doe ill Sinne lyeth at the doore Gen. 4.7 ready to accuse vs and God the righteous Iudge will deale with vs according to our sinnes whether they be great or small Gregor in mor. Nam iniustus quisquis eo attrocius in tormentis obruitur quo altius inpeccatis eleuatur For euery sinfull wretch the more haynous hath beene his sinnes the more grieuous shall be his punishments Hieron super Ezech. saith Saint Gregory So Saint Hierome saith Cui dubium quin inter tres peccatores Gentilem Haereticum Ecclesiasticum multo maioribus paenis dignus sit qui maioris fuerit dignitatis That God punisheth the greater sinners with the greater punishment Who maketh any doubt of this but of three sinners that is the Gentile which is without the Church and the Hereticke which is against the Church the Hypocrite that is within the bosome of the Church he that is the Hypocrite shall be the most seuerely punished which had the chiefest place and was most dignified with that honourable title of a Christian And so Saint Augustine saith Aug. l. 3. de lib. arb Mitissima omnium paenarum erit eorum qui preter peccatum quod originale contraxerunt nullum insuper addiderunt Of all punishments theirs shall be the least which besides their original sinne haue committed none other sinne And the diuine Scripture is as plain in this point as need to be for the Lord speaking of Iezabell saith Quantum in dilicijs fuit tantum date illi tormenti That as much as she hath beene in pleasure i. e. of sinne and iniquitie so much torments shall bee laide vpon her and our Sauiour saith Matth. 11.12.24 It shall be easier for Sodome and Gomorra and more tollerable for Tyre and Sydon in the day of iudgement then for Corazin and Bethsaida and other like sinfull Cities which heard our Sauiour Preach and did see his mighty workes and yet would not repent But against this it may bee obiected Ob. How can it bee that they should be all in the same place tyed in the same lake and burning in the same fire and yet that they should not feele the same punishment To this we answere Sol. that they shall feele the same punishment but not in the same measure the same for length of time but not the same for quantitie of paine Nam sicut vno sole omnes tanguntur c. For as men saith S. Gregory sitting in the heat of the same Sun That the torments of Hell are not equall vnto all Greg. in Moral are not heated warmed in the same manner because the weight of the heat is felt according to the quality and disposition of the body Sic damnatis vna est gehenna quae affligit tamen non omnes vno calore comburit quia quod hic agit dispar valetudo corporum hoc illic exhibet dispar causa meritorum Euen so though there be but one hell which tormenteth all yet doth it not torment all alike for as here the different disposition of their bodies doth cause men differently to perceiue the heate So there the inaequality of their merits will be the cause of disparity in their torments And therefore seeing God loueth righteousnesse iudgeth all without respect of persons and in his iudgements rendreth vnto euery man according to his deeds it is most apparant that God is the iustest Iudge that can be found to punish sinne CHAP. III. That God doth not inflict eternall punishment vpon the foresight of any act of the will that we would eternally sinne How a temporall sinne can deserue an eternall punishment THirdly that this punishment which God inflicteth on man for sinne is most right and iust it is concluded by all Diuines but how this can be that a sinne temporally committed should be eternally punished it seemes a doubt not easie to be decided for some say it is because the sinners will is eternally to liue that hee might eternally sinne So Saint Gregory saith Iniqui ideo cum fine deliquerunt quia cum fine vixerunt nam voluissent vtique sine fine viuere vt potuissent sine fine peccare The wicked doe therefore make an end of sinning because there is an end of their being for they would desire to liue without end that they might sinne without end for this sheweth that they doe alwayes desire to liue in sinne because while they liue they neuer cease to sinne Et nullus detur iniquo terminus vltionis quia quamdiu vixit habere noluit terminum criminis Ad magnam igitur iudicantis iustitiam pertinet vt nunquam
if we beleeue Master Harding came into the Chappell to helpe Saint Basil to say Masse though the doores were shut and therefore the opening of the doores by the power of Christs Deitie doth no way prooue the inpalpabilitie of his Body Ob. 3 Thirdly They doe obiect that he walked vpon the Sea like a Spirit Mar. 6.49 and therefore his Body was inuested with the leuity and agility of the Deity Sol. To this I answere that he walked vpon the Seas not by the alleuiating or making light his body or specially by the leesing of the properties of a true naturall body but by the consolidating and confirming or strengthening of the waters through the power of his Deitie to make them able to beare him vp and so they were strengthened to beare vp the body of Saint Peter vntill Saint Peters faith began to faile Ob. 4 Fourthly They doe obiect that the heauens must containe the Body of Christ vntill the restitution of all things Act 9.3 as Saint Peter saith and yet that Christ in respect of his humanity did appeare vnto Saint Paul Act. 22.6 as he went towards Damascus and therefore either the saying of Saint Peter cannot be true or Saint Paul did not see him or else his humanity by reason of the vnion with the Deity hath obtained those Diuine properties to be omniscient and omnipresent with the Deity Sol. To this some doe answere that Christ might for that time and to that end frame a body of the ayre to speake vnto Saint Paul as he did many times vnto the Fathers of the Old Testament and so the Heauens did containe the true and naturall body and he appeared vnto Saint Paul in a body that he assumed for that purpose Others thinke that Christ might for a short space of time leaue the Heauens and descend into the Ayre to speake with Saint Paul and yet the saying of Saint Peter to be still true thus vnderstood that the heauens vsually and alwayes without some rare and speciall dispensation doe containe him vntill the restitution of all things But it is vnlikely that he would assume any created forme vpon him after he had once really vnited himselfe to our nature and we haue no argument to proue that euer he did it and it is not probable that he would leaue his throne voide in heauen for the least moment of time after hee was once seated in that excellent Maiestie and therefore I thinke with Zanchius that Christ remaining in Heauen might appeare vnto Saint Paul as he did vnto Saint Stephen the heauens were opened and his eyes were indued with a most excellent sharpenesse of sight that he saw Christ standing on the right hand of God Act. 7.55 for Saint Paul doth not say that Christ appeared vnto him on earth That Saul saw no body on earth as he went to Damascus but that suddenly there shined round about him a light from Heauen and that he heard the voyce of the Lord saying vnto him Saul Saul why persecutest thou me and all this might be without any presence of Christs Body for Christ might speake in Heauen and cause that same voice to be head here on earth Matth. 3.17 or he might frame a voyce in the Ayre as the Father did at the baptisme of Christ where the voyce was framed and heard but no body seene nor assumed Fiftly They doe obiect that the Body of Christ doth viuifie Ob. 5 vs and raise vs vp and doe such other effects which are onely proper vnto the Godhead and therefore it is inuested with the properties of the Godhead To this Damascen answereth by this similitude Sol. Vrit ignitum ferrum non naturali ratione vstivam possidens actionem How the flesh of Christ is said to doe diuine operations sed ex vnione ignis ad ferrum illud obtinet That as a hot fiery iron will burne any thing not that it hath naturally the facultie or propriety of burning but by reason of the vnion of the fire vnto it So the humanity is said to doe many things not that it hath any property in it selfe to do theÌ„ but being vnited vnto the Deitie Damasc de fide orthodoxa l. 3. c. 17. it is said to doe the same though indeed as it is not the iron that burneth but the fire that is vnited vnto the iron So it is not properly the flesh that doth any of these but the Word vnto which the flesh is hypostatically vnited And therefore it is apparant mauger all that can be said against it that Christ by this communicating of properties hath neither lost the properties of a true naturall body nor that his humanity is really inuested with the properties of the Deity Secondly the benefits of the vnion of the two natures of Christ in respect of vs. Esay 1. Ephes 4.18 Secondly The other effects and benefits of the vnion of these two natures which are in regard of vs are our spirituall vnion with God and thereby the inriching of vs with all those graces that doe prepare vs and bring vs vnto euerlasting happinesse for our sinnes had seperated vs from God and made vs aliens and strangers from the life of God they were and are like a partition wall betwixt God and vs they keepe vs farre from God and make vs indeed to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 men without God in the world but now as God made the personall vnion of soule and body for the constitution and continuation of the whole and common nature of mankind So he vnited the Word with our flesh that our nature might be restored in the person of Christ and that they which before were at variance God and Man might now be reconciled through this vnion of God and man in the person of Iesus Christ for seeing Christ hath personally vnited our nature vnto himselfe he hath thereby naturally vnited vs vnto God Quia natura nobis est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because by nature hee is of the same nature with vs and we are of the same with him though we be not carnally in him but as we are ingraffed Et consortes Christi per fidem Basilius â—p 41. ad Caesariens and pertakers of Christ by faith as Saint Basil saith And so now by reason of this vniting of our nature vnto the Sonne of God and thereby our communion and fellowship with God we receiue as all the members doe receiue life and motion by reason of their vnion with the head all those gracious motions and gifts that are necessary for sustaining of our spiritull life and shall hereafter fully attaine vnto the blessed fruition of God for euer And so you see the particulars of this great mistery of the words incarnation How the word was made flesh CHAP. VI. Of certaine reasons why these deepe doctrinall points were so largely handled NOw if any man doth maruell as no doubt but many doe and blame me too perhaps
from God and the chiefest argument of his Diuine loue towards man for though it was great loue to be clothed with the vaile of our flesh and to take the infirmities of our fraile and feeble nature yet is it farre greater loue to be compassed with the shadow of Death and to vndergoe the penalty of our sinfull nature And therefore seeing the mercifull and gracious Lord hath so done this maruellous worke Psal 111 4. that it ought to be had in remembrance I may well say with the Prophet Lam. 1.12 Haue ye no regard O all ye that passe by the way Stay here and consider and behold If euer there were any sorrow like his sorrow or any suffering like the suffering of Christ your businesse may be great and your occasions vrgent yet none so great none so waighty as this and none so acceptable vnto God as this for if you must remember when he rested how much more should you remember how he suffered Secondly It is most profitable vnto men in three respects Secondly As no worke more acceptable vnto God so none more profitable for vs for the serious meditation of the sufferings of Christ effecteth in vs besides many others these three especiall good 1. It hindereth vs to sinne 2. It kindleth our charity 3. It erecteth our Hope For Orosius sup ep ad Rom. l. 6. First Tanta vis crucis vt si ante occulos ponatur c. So great is the power and efficacy of the sufferings of Christ that if it were alwayes fixed in the mindes of the faithfull How the meditation of Christs Passion driueth away sinne so that they did intentiuely behold the death of Christ no concupiscense no lust no enuy no fury could ouercome them but presently vpon the consideration of Christ his sufferings the whole hoste of the flesh and of sinne would flie away saith Orosius and Saint Bernard saith Bern. ser 62. in Cant. Quid tam efficax ad curanda coÌ„scientiae vulnera necnon ad purgandam mentis aciem quam Christi vulnerum sedula meditatio What can be more powerfull to cure the sinfull wounds of our consciences yea and to purge our mindes from all sinnes then the sedulous meditation of the wounds of Christ for the Passion of Christ sheweth how dearely it cost him to redeeme vs from sinne and therefore it should make vs afraid to sinne for when the Harlot Lais asked of Demosthenes 1000. Dracmas i. e. almost 24. pound of our money or as some report 10000. Dracmas i. e. 200. pound for one nights lodging with her he wisely answered her Non tanti emam paenitere I will not buy repentance at so deare a rate so when Satan suggesteth vs to sinne if we did but consider the great price that Christ did pay for sinne and must be paid before it can be pardoned for we are bought with a price yea with a great price 1 Cor. 6.1 saith the Apostle there is no doubt but it would be a great meanes to preserue vs from sinning for it is most certaine saith Origen Origen in c. 6. ad Rom. that the true consideration of the Passion of Christ in the heart of a Christian is the chiefest munition to guard vs against euery sinne for as Vriah said vnto King Dauid The Arke and Israel 2 Sam. 11.11 and Iuda abide in Tents and my Lord Ioab and the seruants of my Lord are incamped in the open field Sap. 2.8 and shall I then goe downe into mine house to eate and drinke and to lie with my wife as thou liuest and as thy soule liueth I will not doe this thing So euery good Christian man will say My Sauiour Christ did weare a Crowne of thornes and shall I say come let vs crowne our selues with rose buds his hands are extended vpon the Crosse to imbrace me and shall I stretch forth mine hands vnto wickednesse to disgrace him he being ready to die had gall to eate and vineger to drinke and shall I being perfectly whole say with them in the booke of Wisedome Come Wisedome 2.7 let vs fiâ—l our selues with Wine and pleasant oyntments He suffered his breast his side and his heart to be opened and pierced for me and shall I harden my heart and shut the doore of my soule against him he was contented to heare himselfe reuiled and scorned for mee and shall I still scorne him and stop mine eares from hearing him so graciously speaking and so louingly calling me by the mouth of his holy seruants And as Origen saith Pro me Dei filius iugulatus est iterum me peccare delectat The Sonne of God was slaine for my sinnes and shall I euer againe delight in sinne So will euery true remembrancer of Christs sufferings say the desire of mony betrayed my Sauiour and shall I euer after that loue couetosnesse my wanton pleasures my vaine delights my swelling pride my greedy desire and all my wicked sinnes were the onely cause of my Sauiours want Chrys hom 88. in Matth. of his bitter sorrowes and his shamefull cruell death and shall I euer loue those sinnes that brought these sorrowes vnto him no sure I will not doe it saith euery soule that thinkes of this Etiam si lapis esset yea though his heart were made of stone yet the true meditation hereof would mollifie the same like waxe and cause him to depresse his pride and to detest all sinne saith Saint Chrysostome for as the destroying Angell could not hurt any of them whose doore-posts were sprinkled with the bloud of the Paschall Lambe so the subtlety of Satan that destroying enemie can neuer preuaile against them which haue their mindes and hearts alwayes sprinkled with the true meditation of the suffering and shedding of the pretious blood of Iesus Christ Gal. 6.14 And therefore as that blessed Apostle Saint Paul saith God forbid that I should glory in any thing The meditation of Christs Passion cannot choose but make vs to loue Christ saue in the Crosse of Iesus Christ whereby the world is crucified vnto me and I vnto the world that is whereby all worldly vanities and pleasures are become loathsome vnto me and I am become a hater and detester of them as being the cause of Christ his Crosse so I say vnto euery man if euer Satan or the lust of the flesh inticeth thee to sin I pray thee doe but this one thing before thou dost the sin call to mind and consider what thy deare Sauiour suffered for thy sinnes and I doubt not but it will proue a most wholesome antidote and a most excellent preseruatiue against sinne And Secondly As the consideration of Christs Passion is a great meanes to preuent sinne so it is of maine force to stirre vp our loue and to kindle our affection towards Christ as Saint Bernard saith Nihil est quod eum ita nobis amabilem reddit quam calix ille Bern. ser 20. in
yet behold his Spirit his Soule is sorrowfull vnto death no doubt but his Apostles saw it yet like a barrell full and wanting vent hee must needes burst forth and confesse it Spem vultu simulat premit altum corde dolorem he doth not here Aeneas-like dissemble his griefe with a fained countenance his sorrow is greater then can be contained for it is vnto death that is not onely extensiuely such as must continue for the space of seauenteene or eighteene houres euen vntill death it selfe shall finish it but also intensiuely such and so great as that which is vsed to be at the very point of death and such as were able to bring death vnto me were I not reserued to a greater and a heauier punishment And therefore he kneeled downe and fell grouelling vpon his face and said Father if it be possible let this Cup passe from me Matth. 26.39 and there praying he fell into a dreadfull agonie his thoughts were troubled his spirits affrighted his heart trembled his pores opened Et totus sudore defluit and he sweat great drops of bloud that streamed downe to the ground and so panting hee prayed and sweating still he prayed and the more hee was afflicted the more he prayed and fainted as it were in the bathe of his owne bloud weeping not onely with his eyes but euen with all his members Bern Ser. 3. as Saint Bernard saith And therefore the end of his Passion must needes be mournefull when the beginning of it is so fearefull and the cause of this agony must needs be supernaturall when it proceeds so contrary to the course of nature for it was in a cold season in the open ayre and they were faine to make a fire within doores without any exercise without any man neere him to offer him violence and therefore naturally he should be inclined to a cold chilly operation rather then to a bloudy sweating agony yea not onely to sweat some cold thinne faint sweat which is called sudor diaphoreticus but in such abundance of great drops saith the Euangelist that they were able to die his garments with crimson red according as the Prophet Esay saith though properly in another sense yet in some respect may be applyed to this Wherefore art thou red in thine apparell Esay 63.2 and thy garments like him that treadeth in the Wine-fat And as the Christian Poet Houedemius saith Sudor fluit vndique riuis sanguineae manant tanquam de vulnere guttae Cum cor sentit amoris gladium Cruor carnis rubricat pallium When through loue his hearts-vaine bled It dyed his garments crimson red And that these drops did not onely distillare drop out but decurrere runne and streame downe so fast to the ground from all the pores of his body as if they had issued out of most deadly wounds Wynton in Ser. sup Thren It is well obserued by our learned Bishop of Winchester out of Saint Hierome and the Chaldee paraphrast that the greatnesse of his sorrow melted him so as if he had stood by some burning furnace which was able to cast him into that sweat and to turne that sweat into drops of bloud and it appeares the rather because the Prophet Ieremie saith in the same place that a fire was sent into his bones and that might well melt all his marrow and cause the bloud to distill from his flesh and to trickle downe to the ground O happy garden watered with such teares thou must needes surpasse the garden of Eden that was watered with foure goodly riuers for this bloud of Christ doth speake better things Heb. 12.24 and bring forth better fruits then the bloud of Abell for that cryed out of the earth for vengeance against his brother but this cryeth for mercy vnto all the earth euen to his enemies Father forgiue them Luk. 23.34 for they know not what they doe and whereas our fruitfull Land the Land of our hearts was made barren for the sinne and iniquity of our fore-Father to bring forth thornes and thistles sinnes and wickednesse yet now being watered with these heauenly showers of his bloud he maketh it very plenteous to abound in all grace and godlinesse But alas Quest what was the cause that should make him so supernaturally to sweat so strangely to kneele so deuoutly and to pray so earnestly that if it were possible that houre might passe from him Thomas Aquinas answereth Resp that the cause of all passions is to be considered either 1. Ex parte obiecti In regard of the obiect Or 2. Ex parte subiecti In respect of the subiect That as in the conception of gold in the bowels of the earth there is Aestus solaris ignis subterranius A concurrency of the heate of the Sunne from aboue with a sulphurious fire from below So in the Passion of our Sauiour Christ we must know that in respect of the obiect he saw the Diuine wrath from aboue ready to be powred forth for the sinnes of men and in respect of the subiect hee saw the Church which was his body so iustly punished by this wrath of God and all that punishment to alight on him which had vndertaken to satisfie Gods Iustice and to free his members from euerlasting torments And therefore no doubt but the cleere sight The cause of Christ his agony in the Garden and the deepe consideration of that Cup which he was so sheerely to drinke vp was the cause that made him both so vehemently to pray against it and â—lso in the vehemency of the feare of it to be in such perplexed agony as thereby to sweat the drops of bloud CHAP. II. Of that fearefull Cup what it was which our Sauiour was to drinke of and that he so much feared and prayed against it What was the Cup which our Sauiour was to drinke BVt what was this Cup which hee was to drinke of we cannot easily determine For Some thinke this prayer this feare this agony proceeded onely from the weakenesse of his humanity that was now though not dis-vnited yet vnassisted of the Deity and that they were chiefly effected through the feare of that death which so neerely approached and therefore though they were vttered as proceeding from Passion or at least humane affection yet were they presently seasoned and as it were corrected with more deliberate consideration when he said Not my will but thine be fulfilled But To these men I answere that although Christ tooke our infirmities vpon him as well the spirituall Passions of the soule as the corporall infirmities of the body i. e. all such as are onely miserable but not damnable penall but not culpable or those that are painfull without sinne but not those which are sinfull without paine as both Damascen Saint Augustine and Aquinas haue most excellently obserued yet we say that these affections in Christ doe much differ from ours in three respects That the Humane affections
they could whereof two whipped him with rods of thornes and when they had wearied themselues another two whipped him with ropes Costerus med 24. or whip-cords tyed and knotted like a Carters whip and when they were tyred the other twaine scourged off his very skinne with wyres How grieuously Christ was scourged or little chaines of iron and the number of his stripes as some report it amount to 5400. or as others say to 5370. or at the least according to the number of the Band of Souldiers to 660. a scourging able to kill any man and would haue killed him How he was Crowned with thornes but that he was preserued by the Godhead to indure and to suffer a more shamefull death and when hee was thus scourged the Souldiers platted a Crowne of thornes and put it vpon his head a goodly Crowne for the King of Kings for I read of many sorts of Crownes as of the Triumphall Laurall Nauall Murall and such like but neuer till this did I reade of a Crowne of thornes for this shamefull and this dolefull Diademe was made like a Crowne to delude him Osorius de Passione domini and it was made of thornes to torment him for it bored his head with two and seauenty wounds as Osorius saith and then they put vpon him a purple robe and scoffingly sâ—iâ— Haile King of the Iewes Squallentem barbam concretos anguine crines vulnâ—raque illa gerens quae circum plurima muros accepit patrios Virgil. l. 2. Aeneid and spitefully smote him with their hands And after they had thus lashed him almost vnto death and most cruelly diuided those Azure channels of his guiltlesse bloud they bring him out it may be by the haire of the head expose him to the publike view of the scornefull company and Pilate saith vnto them Ecce homo Behold the man Behold I say not your King to prouoke you the more against him nor yet the Sonne of God which you say hee maketh himselfe to be for if he were so he might haue easily rescued himselfe out of his enemies hands But behold a poore silly miserable distressed man and see how hee lieth disfigured with wounds weltring and panting in a crimson Riuer of his owne bloud and let this sufficient yea more then sufficient punishment suffice to satisfie your rage against him Quia homo qui in homine calamitoso est misericors meminit sui Because a man pittying an afflicted distressed man doth thereby shew hee is mindfull of himselfe who may fall into the same case that another man is fallen into That we should euer contemplate how Christ stood before the people in his Robes and Crowne of thornes And therefore let vs behold in contemplation the countenance of this man Behold the fairest among men being both white and ruddie the chiefest among tenne thousand his head being as the most fine gold his eyes as the eyes of Doues by the Riuers of waters his cheekes as a bedde of spices and his lippes like Lillies dropping sweete smelling Myrhe And see how lauish and prodigall are these prophane and sacrilegious Cannibals of his most diuine and sacred bloud and how hee stands here before these wicked Iudges to be iudged for vs wicked men his strength fainting his heart panting and his hands bound that he could by no meanes wipe off those flouds of teares and bloud that trickled downe his cheekes and flowed from all the pores and passages of his precious Body And let this consideration moue vs to compassionate him to condemne them that did it and especially to detest that that is our sinne which was the onely cause of all this his dolefull sorrowes Parcere prostratis scit nobilis ira leonis at lupus turpes instant morientibus vrsi quaecunque minor nobilitate fera est Ouid. They vrge a three-fold argument to moue Pilate to crucifie Christ 1. Their Law Leuit. 24. But to returne vnto the Iewes that most enuious and malicious people the more Pilate did to appease them the more they were inraged against him for seeing how Pilate sought to loose him they had taught that vnstable multitude of vngratefull people for all the good workes that hee did vnto them healing their sicke restoring their dead and feeding their soules with the foode of life to cry out with one consent Away with him away with him crucifie him crucifie him And the chiefest of them doe with a three-fold argument vrge Pilate to condemne our Sauiour Christ First That they had a Law and by their Law hee must die because he maketh himselfe the Sonne of God so the ignorant and the arrogant Pharises and the Doctors of their Law doe accuse the Author and the Publisher of the Law not knowing that ancient rule Eius est absoluere cuius est condere legem He may lawfully abolish which hath the power to establish any Law Secondly They threaten him that if he let him loose 2. The friendship of Caesar he is no friend to Caesar a most forcible though not infallible reason for who would not then as the case stood haue almost condemned any man rather then to be accused by so many audacious impudent men of high Treason against Caesar Thirdly They doe engage themselues for him saying 3. Their ingaging for him Let his bloud be vpon vs and vpon our Children Doe thou the deede let him be condemned and if thou fearest any thing we are willing to vndergoe the danger let the vengeance of his bloud light on vs and on our Children for euer Then Pilate hauing attentiuely heard did most diligently consider all these things And First Musing whether he was the Sonne of God or not He beganne to feare both for what he had already done in scourging and deluding him and what hee was presently to doe Discite iustitiam moniti non temnere diuos To passe sentence vpon the Sonne of God for he assured himselfe the Gods would reuenge all wrongs especially done against themselues Mezentius felt it for a lesser fault then this Flectere si nequeo superos Acharonta mouebo for he was thrust to Hell for saying The damned spirits should helpe him if that the Gods would not assist him And therefore he desires Christ to tell him Quo sanguine cretus From whence he was But to this our Sauiour giues him none answere for to what end should he answere because hee had already made knowne vnto them that he was the Sonne of God and that his Father and he were all one And this was the chiefest motiue that moued them to conuent him and perswaded them so earnestly to seeke for to condemne him Neither would he answere saith Athanasius Athanas de passione cruce Ne si respondisset timiditate formidine mortis id fecisse videretur Least if hee had done so hee might be thought to haue done it for feare of death and to preserue his
life Why Christ would not answere Pilate whence he was Or as others thinke he would not answere least by his eloquence he should haue escaped death insomuch that Pilate who vniustly condemned him iustly admired this that he which was wont to open his mouth in Parables and to teach others the way vnto eternall life would not at this time open his mouth to speake one word for himselfe to saue his life Secondly Pilate being much affraide to be thought an enemie vnto Caesar Marke 15.15 and being most willing to please the people as the Euangelist noteth he determined to deliuer him to be crucified And these were the motiues that caused Pilate to condemne our Sauiour Christ and these cause many a man to sinne when we feare man more then God What moued Pilate to deliuer Christ to be crucified and are desirous rather to please the people then to discharge our consciences from which two fearefull things good Lord deliuer euery faithfull soule Thirdly Because Pilate knew that for enuie the Iewes deliuered him to be crucified and his owne conscience by many arguments testified vnto him how vniustly hee condemned that iust man Math 27.24 The poor shift of Pilate to excuse himselfe therefore that it might happen vnto the Iewes according as they had concluded themselues His bloud be vpon vs and vpon our Children He taketh water and washeth his hands saying I am innocent from the bloud of this iust person See ye to it And then he gaue sentence that it should be as they required that IESVS CHRIST should be presently CRVCIFIED The sentence of Christs condemnation Ah sencelesse sinnefull man a man voide of wisedome to commit such an horrible sinne against thy God and to condemne life to death Alas what auaileth it thee to wash thy hands in water and to defile thy heart with bloud for how shalt thou answere this not onely to condemne an innocent Sed ijsdem labijs illum condemnare quibus pronuntiaueras innocentem But also with the same lippes to condemne him as guilty which euen now had pronounced him guiltlesse Surely God may say to thee as to all those Iudges that follow thy steppes to make a long speech to iustifie themselues Luke 19.22 and in few words to condemne the innocent Out of thine owne mouth will I condemne thee O thou euill seruant and I will iustly condemne thee to eternall death because thou hast vniustly condemned an innocent man to death O consider this ye that forget God and ye that be called Gods on Earth cleanse your hearts from all euill and let not your hands deale with wickednesse so shall you be innocent from the great offence And so you see what the Iudge of all the World suffered before these petty Iudges of this World CHAP. VI. What Christ suffered in Golgotha the place where he was crucified PIlate hauing passed sentence vpon Christ to be crucified the Souldiers take him and laying his Crosse a heauy Crosse vpon his shoulders as Isaac carried the wood wherewith himselfe should be sacrificed Gen. 22.6 2 Sam. 11.14 or as Vrias carried the Letters of his owne death they compelled him to carrie it so long as he was able to stand vnder it then meeting Simon of Cyrene comming from his perambulation in the fields they make him carrie that Crosse of Christ vnto the place of execution and placing the same in Golgotha which was the place where Adam was buried Ambros l. 5. Ep. 1â— as Saint Ambrose thinketh they nayled and fastened Christ vnto it vpon that very day of the weeke that Adam was created Two things considered vpon the Crosse and as is thought he was hanged vpon this Tree vpon the very same houre of the day as Adam did eate of the forbidden Tree And here wee must consider two especiall things 1. The grieuous things that he suffered Tantum distentus sum vt corpore nudo in modum tympanica pellis distento facile possint omnia ossa mea dinumerari Bern. de pass c. 7. 2. The gracious words that he vttered For the first they stretched his body as Saint Bernard saith and then they nayled him to the Crosse which was a grieuous torment vnto any but especially vnto him because his body of all other men was the most tender as being onely shaped of a Virgins substance without any commixture of the male nature and yet the most sensible parts of this tender body must be bored and mangled by his cruell enemies for his feete that afore were washed with Maries teares must now be teared with iron nayles and those blessed hands Bosquier de passione Domini p. 847. in fol. that had wrought so many wonderous workes must now be fastened Vnto this wooden Crosse and there he must hang vntill he die Horrendum dictu A most odious and a most grieuous death and that in foure respects First Because it was an accursed death so esteemed by man 1. An accursed death and so denounced by God himselfe where he saith Cursed is euery one that hangeth vpon a Tree Deut. 21. Gal. 3.13 Tripartit hist l. 1. c. 9. 2. A shamefull death And therefore Constantine the Great and good made a Law that no Christian should be crucified vpon a Crosse Secondly Because it was an ignominious and a shamefull death inflictâ—d chiefly vpon those slaues and seruants that either falsly accused or treacherously conspired their Masters death and it was neuer imposed vpon free men vnlesse it were for some haynous and notorious crimes as robberie murther sedition rebellion or such like 3. A painefull death Thirdly Because it was a most painefull death for that they were fastened to the Crosse not with any little nayles but with bigge purposely made nayles that might hold them sure and fast enough vnto the Crosse so bigge were the nayles that pierced Christ his hands and feete that being found they were found sufficient to make a bridle and a Helmet Socrates Hist l. 1. c. 17. as Socrates saith and then the whole waight of their bodies hanging by these parts made their paine intollerable and killed them at length without any deadly wound And therefore Cicero that most eloquent man which wanted no words to expresse any thing else when hee came to consider of this accursed death was brought to that passe Cicero Orat. 7. in ver to that non-plus as to say Quid dicam in crucem tollere What shall I say of that cruell and most painefull shamefull death of the Crosse 4. A slow and a lingring death Fourthly Because it was a slow and a lingering death for that as the Poet truly saith Morsque minus penae quam mora mortis habet To be long in paine is worse then death a soone dispatched riddance out of paine being a great fauour vnto a languishing life and although in other deaths they should be quickly dispatched and soone rid out of all their paine
otherwise durst not for feare to approach him and so Christ shewed his power in weakenesse for though it be a great infirmity to die yet so to die is an argument of infinite Maiestie Nazian Bern. Ser. 4. Hebdom paenosae and Saint Hierome doth well obserue that the Centurion hearing his prayer with a loud voice to shew that he was farre inough and free inough from the touch of death and seeing him Statim spiritum sponte demisisse tradidisse saith Saint Iohn emisisse saith Saint Matthew and presently to haue yeelded Et quod emittitur voluntarium est quod amittitur necessarium and most willingly to haue sent forth his Spirit out of his body as Noah sent his Doue out of the Arke Commotus signi magnitudine being troubled with the greatnesse of that wonder hee said forthwith truly this man was the Sonne of God So wonderfully strange was this his yeelding vnto death Hierom. q. 8. ad Hedib Aug tract 119. in Iohn and so Saint Augustine largely expresseth the same to shew vnto vs that the laying downe of his life was no imposed punishment against his will nor any forcible inuasion of death vpon him but a voluntary sacrifycing of himselfe for sinne and a tendering of his death to satisfie Gods wrath for our sake The third is not an absolute not a primatiue not an imposed necessity but a voluntarily assumed necessity of conueniency in respect of the end as armour and weapons are necessary for him that goeth forth to fight or a necessity by consequent presupposing the decree and ordinance of Almighty God and thus it was necessary that Christ should suffer because it was the best and most conuenient way that God in his wisedome saw fittest In what sense it was necessary for Christ to suffer Esay 53. to performe that great worke of mans saluation and because God had promised that the Messiah should suffer should be slain and therefore Christ saith vnto Peter that if he were rescued out of the hands of his enemies How then shall the Scriptures be fulfilled which said that thus it must be for God had decreed Dan. 9.26 Matth. 26.54 Esay 53.14 ordained and reueiled in his Scriptures that Christ should die CHAP. II. The instrumentall and efficient causes of the sufferings of Christ BVt because the necessity of euery thing dependeth vpon the causes that doe necessitate the same as euery man must die Of the causes which did necessitate the sufferings of Christ because hee sinned against his God and euery compound body must be corrupted because they are all composed of elementarie substance and indued with repugnant qualities therefore we must vnderstand the causes which did necessitate Christ to suffer if we would truely know how and why it behoued Christ to suffer Now for the causes of Christ his suffering I finde them to bee manifold and especially 1. Instrumentall 2. Efficient 3. Finall First The Instrumentall causes of Christ death I find likewise to be foure-fold 1. The enuy of Satan 2. The malice of the Iewes 3. The couetousnesse of Iudas 4. The desire of the people First First the enuy of Satan Satan whom he had often vanquished and dispossessed of mens soules and bodies was most obstinate in malice against him and thinking now to haue fit opportunity hauing as it were leaue to doe what he would or could doe vnto him hee entreth into the heart of Iudas saith the Euangelist and so Iohn 13.27 no doubt he did into the hearts of many of the rest and together with them he complotted all this most exquisite torments of purpose to be reuenged on him Iob 1. and to see if by this meanes hee could bring him as hee saith of Iob to curse God and die that so hee might haue him as a prey which otherwise he feared would destroy him And this our Sauiour intimateth saying I was daily with you in the Temple Luke 22.53 and ye stretched forth no hands against mee but now this is your houre and the power of darknesse i. e. now is Satan let loose Foure speciall things inraged Satan against Christ now he hath leaue to rage and now I am set as a Butte for him to shoote all his shafts at mee And we find foure speciall reasons that might moue Satan the more infinitely to rage against him As First the goodnesse of the man First the goodnesse of the man for the better any man is the more cruelly is Satan euer bent against him The things that hee possesseth are in peace but the more godly we be the more wee shall be persecuted of him and therefore Christ being without sinne he would doe his best to heape vpon him all sorrowes Secondly the rebukes he had receiued from Christ Secondly The manifold checks and rebukes that he had formerly suffered at the hands of Christ for so the Euangelists tell vs that Christ had often rebuked the vncleane spirits and commanded them to hold their peace and therefore he enuyed him and hated him and would now be reuenged on him such is the nature of the wicked when they are reproued Thirdly the victories of Christ Thirdly The many victories that Christ had formerly ouer Satan as in the Wildernesse in a single combate and when hee dispossessed him out of those miserable creatures whom he tormented Fourthly the losse of his seruants Fourthly The losse of those his slaues which Christ had already freed from his subiection and of all those hee feared Christ would free if hee should not now subdue him Haec secum Nec dum causae irarum saeuique dolores exciderant animo And therefore considering all these things and knowing that sometimes Victis redit in praecordia virtus The conquered haue happened to become conquerors he resolueth with himselfe like a desperate man either to kill or to be killed and in that resolution Vna salus victis nullam sperare salutem hee commeth forth hauing great rage against our Sauiour Christ and therefore as the prouerbe is He must needs goe whom the Diuell driues So he must needs suffer which like Iob hath Sathan for his tormentor especially being as hee was so inraged against our Sauiour Christ and hauing now leaue to impose vpon him the most exquisite torments that he could deuise Secondly The Iewes did maligne him 2. The malice of the Iewes against Christ and euen hated him vnto the death And as the Psalmist saith Astiterunt reges terrae The Kings of the Earth stood vp and the Princes tooke counsell together against the Lord and against his Christ Psal 2. So we finde that the Scribes and Pharisees and the Herodians hunted after him as for a Partridge vpon the Mountaines they watched all his wayes and sought to intrap him in all his words and to take him that they might condemne him Thirdly Iudas for very griefe 3. The couetousnesse of Iudas Marke 14.5
that he had lost the price of that Oyntment wherewith the Woman annointed Christ and which he had valued at three hundred pence went out as I shewed you before and sold Christ for thirty pence and then betrayed him into the hands of sinners Fourthly Christ being treacherously betrayed 4. The desire of the people violently apprehended and most falsly accused by the Sonnes of Belial the High Priests for very malice that they bore against Christ and for feare that the Romans if they let him escape would come and take away that rule and authoritie that was left them thought him worthy to die and deliuered him vnto Pilate and did teach the ignorant ingratefull and vnconstant multitude most earnestly to desire the death of Christ saying Crucifie him crucifie him and therefore Pilate for feare of the Priests and to please the people when he had scourged Christ condemned him and deliuered him to be crucified And yet all these were but instrumentall causes of these manifold sufferings of Christ there were other more efficient and farre greater causes then all these For Secondly The efficient cause of Christ his death The efficient cause of Christ his death Esay 53.10 was God himselfe for so the Prophet Esay saith It pleased the Lord to bruise him and to put him to griefe to bruise his body with tortures through the malice of the Iewes towards him and to strike his soule with griefe through the mercy of God towards vs. And so the Prophet Ieremie speaking of these sufferings in the person of Christ himselfe saith That they were sorrowes and sufferings Quae fecit mihi Deus Lament 1.12 That God himselfe laide all this punishment vpon Christ Whereby God hath afflicted me God who is termed A deuouring fire and an ouer-flowing torrent of wrath doth now make our Sauiour Christ as the onely Butte to shoote at him all the shafts of his furie he openeth him and powreth into him all the vials of his indignation and as Iob complaineth That the terrors of the Lord did set themselues in array against him So Christ when he saith Mar. 14.34 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 My soule is incompassed with sorrowes on euery side sheweth how God had set himselfe against him yea though God afflicteth sometimes in mercy euen as a Father when hee correcteth his dearest Childe yet is he here said to haue done this In the fiercenesse of his wrath And therefore how could Christ choose but suffer for when God will smite who is able either by strength or wit to escape out of his hands Why God afflicted Christ But here it may be well demanded what moued Gods wrath to be thus kindled against Christ for God hateth nothing but sinne and in Christ there was no sinne neither was any guile found in his mouth And therefore seeing God neuer doth as Annas did to cause Christ to be smitten without a cause why should God be so much displeased as thus grieuously to punish his onely Sonne in whom hee was alwayes well pleased and with whom he was neuer in any wayes offended Dan. 9.27 God afflicted Christ for vs and not for himselfe To this wee must answere with the Prophet Daniel that the Messias must be slaine but not for himselfe for hee tooke vpon him the person of vs all and if a man that oweth nothing becomes a surety for a debtor if the principall becomes bankerout the surety shall be compelled to make a plenary satisfaction and he must pay that which he neuer tooke And therefore Christ vndertaking the payment of our debts and to discharge vs from Gods wrath to come Esay 53.4 5 6. He tooke vpon him our infirmities hee was wounded for our iniquities and broken for our transgressions Luc. 22.64 And so if the tormentors should say as once they did Prophesie vnto vs who it is that smote thee We may quickely become Prophets and most truly answere for him that our sinnes smote him our iniquities whipt him our pride crowned him with a crowne of thornes our drunkennesse gaue him that vinegar to drinke and in a word our sinne our grieuous sinne what sinne soeuer it be did thus haynously murther Christ and fast nayled him vnto the Crosse Quia solum peccatum homicida est Our sinnes crucified Iesus Christ For alas it was not Pilate nor Caiphas nor any one of that complicie of confederate Agents that were the efficient cause of his death for they were but the instruments and executioners onely of that punishment which our sinnes the sinnes of each man had laide vpon him and the Executioner cannot be said properly to be the cause of that mans death which by the Law is adiudged to die but to say the truth our sinnes haue killed the Sonne of God And therefore as Nathan said vnto Dauid 2 Sam. 12.7 Thou art the man that did the deede So I may say to euery sinner Thou art the man for whose sinnes God in the fiercenesse of his wrath did thus punish and afflict his onely Sonne O that this would make euery one of vs to crie out with Ionas Propter me haec tempestas I am the cause of all this troubles Ionas 1.12 of all this stormy windes and tempest Take me and cast me into the Sea And as Dauid â—hen he saw the miserable death of the people for his sinne was vexed at the heart and cried vnto the Lord saying Behold I haue sinned and I haue done wickedly 2 Sam. 24.17 but these sheepe what haue they done So I wish that euery one of vs would see it and say it It is I Lord that haue sinned but for this innocent Lambe this harmelesse Doue alas what hath he done And I hope this would make vs to hate and detest our sinnes when we consider that they were the onely murtherers of the Sonne of God You see then that as in the Law it was ordained that a man should bring his Beast to the doore of the Tabernacle and should put his hand vpon the head of it when hee offered the same for a burnt offering vnto God to shew vnto vs that the man himselfe had indeede deserued to die Leuit. 1.4 and that the Beast was onely slaine for his offences So here our Sauiour Christ was put to death not for any cause of his owne but as Saint Peter saith 1 Pet. 3.18 The iust suffered for the vniust he was wounded for our sinnes and crucified for our transgressions But then againe it may be demanded Quest What moued Christ to vndertake our debts Resp why should he vndertake our debt and make satisfaction for our sinnes when as wee had no wayes deserued any kindnesse at his hands and could by no meanes requite so great a benefit I answere That it was requisite and necessary that he should suffer for our sinnes to fulfill the truth of God because hee had promised that the seede of the Woman should breake the
How the want of loue is the cause of many mischiefes in the world I onely pray it may neuer be so with any Christian soule that we make not the truth of God with all reuerence be it spoken as a Packe-horse to support our vile desires I am sure if there were more loue and charity among Christians lesse faults lesse errours would appeare to bee in the Church of God then now there seemes to be 1 Cor. 13. for charity suffereth all things beleeueth all things and is euer willing to make faults and errours lesser then they be whereas the want of loue will make the worst of euery thing euery errour to be an Heresie and euery infirmity to be hainous impiety nay want of loue will make sinnes where God made none We ought to loue all men and to hate all vices in whomsoeuer they be and make vertues to be vices whereas perfect charity will neuer hate the man though he be full of iniquity and therefore my conclusion of this point is that as Christ hath loued vs and gaue himselfe for vs so let vs loue Christ and loue one another for Christ his sake and he that doth these things shall neuer fall Part. 4 PART IIII. CHAP. Of the manner of Christs suffering how he suffered all that I haue shewed so as the Prophets fore-told and as the Apostles had seene the same with their eyes The incomprehensible manner of Christ his sufferings FOurthly Hauing heard of the person suffering Christ of the chiefest things that he suffered which are recorded by the Euangelists and of the necessity of that suffering in respect of those causes which did necessitate the same wee are now to cōsider the maner how he suffered expressed in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so to suffer that is so humbly so louingly so meekely so patiently and so euery way in respect of himselfe as that neither the tongues of men nor Angels are neuer able by any like to expresse it by any words to declare it That all predictions touching the Messias were all accomplished in Iesus Christ or by any apprehensions or thoughts of man to conceiue it And so in regard of men as the Prophets had foretold and the Apostles had already seene for so it pleased Almighty God before the comming of the Messias to fore-tell almost euery thing that should happen throughout all the whole life of the Messias euen from the first moment of his conception vnto the very last act of his Ascention that so all men might beleeue in him in whom they saw all those predictions fulfilled none other for the Prophet Esay had said that a Virgin should conceiue and beare a sonne Esay 7.14 Mich. 5.2 Hos 11.1 Esay 9.1 Micheas said that hee should be borne in Bethlehem-Iuda Hoseas foretold of his flight into Egypt and to be briefe the place of his dwelling in the borders of Nepthali the manner of his liuing Healing all manner of infirmities Cap. 53.4 and preaching the glad tydings of saluation and almost euery one of the least particulars that should happen vnto him at his death Zach. 2.9 as how he should be sold and betrayed by his owne Disciple Psal 41 2. how all his followers should flie from him how craftily and maliciously he should be apprehended Esay 53.10 how falsly he should be accused how basely he should be handled buffeted whipped and spitted vpon how vniustly hee should bee condemned and how cruelly he should be fastned vnto the Crosse to die an accursed death and as most accursed betwixt the wicked and how he should be generally mocked his garments taken from him and haue Gall to eate and Vinegar to drinke and what not all was fore-shewed that should happen vnto the Messias and therefore it behoued Christ so to suffer because it was prophesied that he should so suffer And as the Prophets did fore-shew how the Messias should suffer so the Euangelists and Apostles testifie how Christ did suffer all and euery one of those things that were written of him for they were eye-witnesses of the same 1 Iohn 1.1 and soth ey testifie vnto vs that which was from the beginning which we haue heard and seene and our hands haue handled of the Word of life that testifie wee vnto you i. e. that all the things that were written of him which was promised from the beginning wee haue seene them fully accomplished fulfilled in him which liued and conuersed amongst vs and which we preach vnto you Iesus Christ S. Mathew recollects 32. seuerall Prophesies that he saw fulfilled in our Sauiour Christ Saint Iohn addes many other and so doe the rest diuers more So that whosoeuer would with the men of Berea search the Scriptures from the first Booke of Moses vnto the last Prophet Malachy and marke out all the things that were spoken of the Messias that was for to come we shall if we doe but looke finde them all recorded in the writings of the Apostles and Euangelists to be most fully fulfilled in the person of Iesus Christ A sufficient condemnation to all Iewes that still looke for another Christ for why should not they beleeue their owne Prophets they said the Messiah should suffer these things Christ suffered them so as they were prophesied who then can be the Messias but he in whom all these prophecies were fulfilled but Saint Paul tels vs why they will not beleeue in him Why the Iewes beleeue not in Christ Rom. 11. because partly blindnesse is come vpon them vntill the fulnesse of the Gentiles be come in And now Lord if it be thy will open their eyes that they may see this truth and circumcise all infidelity from their hearts that they may beleeue thy Sonne Iesus Christ to be the Sauiour of the world And as this condemneth all vnbeleeuing Iewes so it confirmeth all true Christians in the faith of Christ and I wish to God that as the seeing of all these things fulfilled in Christ makes vs all to beleeue in Christ so the suffering of all these things for vs would make vs all to praise this our Lord Iesus Christ for his goodnesse to feare him in all our wayes to loue him with all our hearts and to serue him truly and faithfully all the dayes of our life O blessed God grant this vnto vs for Iesus Christ his sake To whom with thee O Father and the Holy Spirit three distinct persons of that one indiuided essence be ascribed all praise and glory both now and for euermore Amen A Prayer O Most blessed God that hast giuen thy dearest and thine onely Sonne not onely to be made man subiect to all infirmities but also to suffer all miseries throughout his whole life and in the end to be put vnto a most shamefull painefull and accursed death by wicked men for sinnefull men that hee suffering what wee deserued wee might be deliuered from thy wrath we most humbly beseech
warfare are spirituall and not carnall Matth. 10.34 saith the Apostle I will pray yet against their wickednesse saith the Psalmist and when they curse I will blesse them as the Apostle teacheth me Rom. 12.20 and so I shall kindle the coales of fire vpon their head and if this will not ouercome them I will suffer vnto death and in my patience I will possesse my soule as my Sauiour aduiseth me for I see not how faith can bee wrought with the sword Luke 21.19 or heresies consumed with faggots Indeed when the Samaritanes would not receiue Christ into their village his Disciples would faine command fire to come downe from Heauen and to consume them but our Sauiour told them They knew not of what spirit they were of Luke 9.55 for they might haue knowne that he could suddenly turne all the world into hell and consume all his enemies in a moment but hee vseth his patience and long-sufferance to lead sinners to repentance and he suffereth heresies and wicked men to be amongst vs that they which be approued may be made manifest 1 Cor. 11.29 and therefore I say that all true Christians that desire grace will most faithfully pray for peace and not onely with God but also with all men because the onely signe of louing God is to be in loue and charity with all men Bonum necessarium extra terminos necessitatis non est bonum And yet I say not this with the Anabaptists to condemne lawfull warres for though health is euer to be prayed for as in it selfe simply good yet Phisicke oftentimes is good and necessary to recouer and to preserue our health and so to preuent many ill diseases that otherwise would soone inuade our bodies and so may warres be iust and lawfull yea many times most needfull when the causes thereof doe appeare iust and vrâ—ent but I say this to commend a blessed peace to disswade all men from loathing Manna from growing weary of their owne happinesse and to shew how happy are those nations si sua norint agricolae which haue a King of peace Qui facit eos in gentem vnam which laboureth for peace amongst all nations And vnder these two things grace and peace are comprehended all kindes of blessings both spirituall and temporall for though some men doe make a question whether wee ought to pray Caietan in Mat. 6.33 or seeke for temporall things because our Sauiour saith that if we seeke for Gods Kingdome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all these things shall be cast vnto you yet Saint Augustine saith Mat. 6.33 that cum dicit primum when he saith seeke first the Kingdome of God he meaneth that these things in the second place are to be sought and prayed for illud tanquam bonum nostrum Aug. l. 2. de ser Domini haec tanquam necessaria nostra the Kingdome of God as our onely good and these things as needfull and necessarie for vs and our Sauiour sheweth as much when he teacheth vs to pray Haud vllas portabis opes Acherontis ad vndas nudus ad infernas stulte veheris aquas Martial l. 4. giue vs this day our daily bread but we must take heede that wee be not too remisse in seeking after spirituall gits and too eager in the pursuite after these temporall goods for we came naked into the world and we shall returne naked out of the same againe and therefore if we haue foode and rayment we should be therewith contented It is obserued by Roffensis Roffen l. 1. c. 12. that in the Manna of the Israelites there were twelue seuerall wonders First the children of Israel were fed with it fortie yeeres Twelue seuerall wonders in the Manna Secondly to the godly it tasted according to euery mans desire Thirdly to the vngodly it was loathsome Fourthly a gomer of it sufficed all stomackes Fiftly whether men gathered more or lesse they had full measure i. e. a gomer full Sixtly they had two gomars full the day before the Sabbath and on other daies they had but one gomer full Seuenthly It fell euery day excepting the Sabbath day Eightly It melted in the sunne and was hardened in the fire Ninthly It was kept many yeeres in the Arke vnputrified Tenthly being preserued but till the morrow it putrified except on the Sabbath day Eleuenthly he that gathered least had his gomer full Twelfthly hee that gathered most had but his gomer full Out of all which obseruations though I might note many excellent things worth your meditation yet for this purpose I desire you to consider but these two points First he that gathered least had inough and he that gathered most had but inough Deut. 17.16.17 Secondly he that gathered no more then was sufficient pleased God and hee that was couetous in gathering more then would suffice him for that day the Manna putrified before the next morning and God was highly displeased with him To teach vs God careth to prouide sufficient for euerie man First that God which created all men will giue vnto euerie man so much as he seeth sufficient for him during his pilgrimage in the wildernesse of this world and the greatest men the richest men shall haue doe what they can but sufficient but foode and rayment during their life for they shall carrie nothing with them Secondly that if we be contented with what he seeth sufficient for vs wee shall doe that which is acceptable in his sight but if we grudge through discontent and labour by vnlawfull meanes to gather any forbidden fruit and to inrich our selues with the treasures of this world we shall finde that our riches will be soone cankered Iames 5.1 and our garments will be moth-eaten and the wrath of God will be kindled against vs to consume vs from off the earth That we shold take heede of couetousnesse And therefore though it be not onely lawfull but also necessarie that we should pray for temporall things yet let vs take heed and beware of couetousnesse and desire of God but as our Sauiour taught vs to giue vs this day our daily bread i. e. meerely so much as he seeth conuenient for vs food and rayment in that manner as he seeth good and not as we would desire during the whole terme of our frayle and miserable life And in very deed howsoeuer our nature is euer ambitious of great matters yet the meane estate is the safest state for euerie man not onely because Saepius ventis agitatur ingens Horat. carm l. 2. od 10. Pinus celsae grauiore casu Decidunt turres feriunque summos fulmina montes To stormie tempests subiects are the Pine and Cedar tall The turrets high as mountaines by are subiect to a fall But especially because as the Apostle saith they that will be rich 1 Tim. 6.9 doe fall into temptation and a snare and into many hurtfull and