this famous Auditorie God did looke vpon you with an angrie countenance whipping you with a rod of correction for your sinnes when of late dayes there died in one yeare aboue thirtie thousand amongst you in that great and generall plague But now he looketh vpon you with a fauourable eye and hath freed you from that fearefull iudgement which freedome God of his infinite mercie long preserue amongst you And I may say of all these mercies to the whole world The grace of God the cause of all graces toward vs. to this land and to this citie that Gratia Dei est causa author â—ffector omnis gratiae the grace of God figured in this gracious colour of the Bowe is the cause authour and effect of all grace fauour and mercy towards vs. For if we demaund the question what is the cause that God did create all things for our good before hee created vs The Answere must bee Gratia Dei the free grace and mercie of God What is the cause that hee hath not spared his owne Sonne but giuen him to the death for our redemption Gratia Dei the free grace and mercy of God What is the cause that hee hath giuen vs a gracious King vnder whom we enioy the peace of the Gospell the meanes of our saluation Gratia Dei the free grace and mercie of God In a word goe throughout all the graces that God hath bestowed vpon vs and demaund the question of euery one why hath God done thus And the answere must bee Quia bonus Thankfulnes that which God requires for hâ—s blessings Because he is good and gracious and because his mercie endureth for euer Quid retribuemus Domino What then shal we render vnto the Lord for his this vnspeakeable mercie and most infinite grace Wherewith shall wee come before the Lord and bow our selues before the most high God Shall wee come before him with thousands of rammes or with tenne thousand riuers of oyle Shall wee giue our first borne for our transgressions the fruite of our bodies for the sinnes of our soules to pay for our ingratitude and to recompence that loue which God in his mercy hath shewed vnto vs No no Beloued this is not that which God requireth at our handes it is Thankefulnesse to loue mercie to doe iustly and to humble our selues to walke with our God Micah 6.6 7.8 we should take the cup of saluation and call vpon the Name of the Lord wee should pay our vowes now in the presence of all his people wee should offer vnto him the sacrifice of thanksgiuing and tell out his workes with gladnesse Diuinely saith S. Bernard Happie is that man S. Bern. Serm. contra ingratitudinem Foelix quid ad singula dona gratiae redit ad ad eum in quo est plentitudo omnium gratiarum who for euery gift of grace returneth vnto God in whom is the fulnesse of all graces whatsoeuer O then let vs giue thankes vnto the Lord because hee is gracious and his mercie endureth for euer Let Israel now confesse that hee is gracious and that his mercie endureth for euer Let the house of Aaron now confesse that his mercie endureth for euer Let the people of England now confesse that his mercie endureth for euer And last of all let all they that feare the Lord continually confesse that his mercie endureth for euer This thankfulnesse God requireth at our hands and this we are bound to render vnto him But doe we thus Surely the vineyard of the Lord of hostes Isaiah 5.1 2 3 c. is the house of England and the men of England are his pleasant plant he hath manifested his loue vnto them hee hath taken care for them he hath fenced them with a wall of peace he hath gathered the stones from them so that nothing might hinder their fruitfulnesse he hath planted them with the choicest vine the vine of his word hee hath built a tower in the middest of them the tower of his graces hee hath made a winepresse therein prepared all things for their good what could he haue done more vnto his vineyard that he hath not done vnto it now he looked that we should bring forth grapes but haue we not brought forth wilde grapes he looked for thankfulnesse may I not say behold ingratitude he looked for iudgement may I not say behold oppression he looked for righteousnesse may I not say behold a crye If I should say it of all I should condemne the innocent but I may say it soone of too many and iustly reprooue the nocent There is a crie that is heard in our land but it is not a crye of those that shout for the mastery nor of those that lament for being ouercome nor of those that sing and make melody these might bee passed ouer but it is a crye of sinne a cry of iniquity that ascendeth vp into the eares of the Lord from the seuerall and secret corners of the land The crying tinnes of our sime Should I bring you a Catalogue of these sinnes it would weary mee to speake them and weary you to heare them or at least to heare of them I will therefore but touch some of the principall I know not where to begin but Pride steps forth and challengeth the first place 1. Pride There is a crye of Pride of horrible Pride men are transformed into women and women into men such is their strange Metamorphosis and preposterous order that one striueth to goe before the other in Pride It seemeth some of them haue searched the Scripture be it but to search out sinnes that they may immitate them for whereas the Lord by the Prophet reprooueth the abhominable pride of the daughters of Sion Isaiah 3. their haughtinesse their stretched out neckes Esay 3.16 their wanton eyes their walking and mincing as they goe making a tinckling with their feete their tinckling ornaments their caules the round tyres like the Moone and the like the sonnes and daughters of our Sion haue learned to goe beyond them and to outstrip them in pride painting their faces and painting their cloaths in such a deformed manner defacing their naturall formes that at the day of iudgement God will not know them to be his But against these the Lord threatneth a fearefull punishment Isaiah 3.24 It shall come to passe that in stead of sweet smell there shall be stinke in stead of a girdle a rent in stead of well set hayre baldnesse and burning in stead of beauty And I would to God this City were free from this sinne that it might be free from this punishment After this a second iniquitie rideth post and now whoredome walketh hand in hand with pride and sometimes iustles for the wall there is a crye of whoredome 2. Whordome yea it is growne to such a height that now many of our gallants account it but recreation 3. Drunkennesse Isaiah â—8 1 3. Mothers 3. Daughters 4 Oppression
for complete armour put on righteousnesse for a brest plate and true iudgement instead of a helmet shall bee sharpen his seuere wrath for a sword and send out his right aiming thunderbolts against his aduersaries A good conscience comfortable O then how happie shall that man bee that hath a peaceable and quiet conscience it shall bee better vnto him then thousands of golde and siluer yea then all the riches that are in the world because bee shall meet his Iudge with ioy and his King with comfort For idem erit Iudex qui Patronus qui Mediator qui Pontifex S. Ambros lib. 1. de Iacob cap 6. saith S. Ambrose the same shall be our Iudge who is our Redeemer our Patron our Mediatour our chiefe Priest who hath offered a sweete smelling incense of reconciliation to God his Father for our redemption and therfore we need not to feare An accusing conscience terrible But how woefull shall be the state of accusing consciences of the wicked and damned reprobates O vnhappie wretches which of you can bee able to meet this deuouring fire these euerlasting burnings which of you can dare to encounter this inuincible warriour O miserable miscreants prepare yourselues for you must combate with this commanding Emperor Nazianzen in Apologetico Did you neuer dreame of this bitter conflict in your life time Woe therefore vnto you now for ye can neither auoid nor bee able to endure the violence of his wrath yee are ouercome already and bound and deliuered to eternall captiuitie For as Nazianzen speaketh Solus Deus nec faga vitari nec bello sustinerâ— potest onely God this mightie Iudge can neither bee escaped by flight nor indured in warre Extrema illa die nullum erit effugium aut perfugium in that last day there shall bee no euasion or running away True it is the wicked hypocrites damned Atheists Reue. 6.15 16 and secure formalists shal call and crie to the mountaines to fall on them and to the hilles to hide them from him that sitteth vpon the throne and from the wrath of the Lambe but it will not profit them they shall trie all wayes to escape Greg. Decret part 2. causa 11. quast 3. but there is none will helpe them For although it bee too often seene in the world as S. Gregory obserueth that humane iudgement is peruerted either timore for feare of greatnesse by which corrupt iudges are moued to smoother the truth absolue the rich and condemne the poore or amore for loue and friendship by which the bands of equitie are broken in pieces or odio for hatred and malice when enuy possesseth the soule to destruction Chrysost in hom inuidia pestiferum malum hominem in diaboli conditionem ac indaemonem immitissimum conuertit Boskier definibus neque amore neque odio neque timore neque cupiditae te capiendus qua caeteri solent S. August de fide ad monach In Christi iudicio sine acceptione personarum sine ambitu potestatum aqualiter iudicabuntur domini serui reges milites diuites pauperes humiles sublimes S. Bern. cap. 11. ac Rob monarch A good conscience shall be better then a full purse 1. Kings 13.33 Iudges 17.10 Malac. 3.8 or last of all and worst of all Cupiditate for couetousnesse when bribes peruert the eies of the wise and mooue them to subuert the way of wisedome to hearken to the voice of tempting Angels rather then to the voice of equitie and right to the voice of a corrupted seruant or bribing oppressor then to the pitifull cry of a poore distressed plaintiue But this Iudge is incorrupt in his affections he can neither bee mooued by loue nor by hatred by feare nor by bribes to peruert iudgement by which the corrupt iudges of the world are too often mooued And S. August excellently de fide ad monachum In the iudgement of Christ without acception of persons or receiuing of bribes there shall be equally iudged the king and the subiect the master and the seruant the rich and the poore the humble and the proud euery one shall be iudged according to the straight rule of iustice and ballance of equitie And S. Bernard sweetly illic plus valebunt pura corda quam astuta verba conscientia bona quam marsupia plena at that day of iudgement pure hearts shall be better then craftie words and a good conscience better then a full purse But in this age of the world it is not so for a full purse will doe more then either a pure heart a good conscience or a good cause it will make the corrupt Lawyer to deceiue his client the corrupt patron to sell the liuings of the Church with which he is only put in trust and to place in them Ieroboams Priests of the basest of the people or Michas hirelings that will be content with a few shekels of siluer and a sute of apparell to place ignorance simonie and impietie where he should place learning honestie and religion to be briefe it will make the corrupt magistrate to winke at offences with partialitie where hee should punish with seueritie it causeth the sacrilegious Church robber to robbe Christ Iesus in robbing his ministers the oppressing Landlord to sucke the bloud of his tenants the bribing vsurer to eate the flesh of his creditours the sophisticating Tradesman to vse the ballance of deceit and false measure of iniquitie And last of all it maketh vnconscionable iuror to sell his soule to the diuell to forsweare himselfe for a bribe and ouerturne witnesses iudges iustice and all But let all these know that the time shall come when this iust iudge will finde them out Reuel 22.12 who will render to euery man according to his worke and giue them their portion with hypocrites binde them in bonds of darkenes Mat. 24.51 and chaines of miserie for euermore And this he will do when he shall come to pronounce that iust iudgement both to the righteous and the wicked that twofold iudgement iudicium approbationis iudicium reprobationis the iudgement of approbation and the iudgement of reprobation The first in which the righteous are approoued and rewarded with ioy the second in which the wicked are reprooued and rewarded with punishment the first in which that blessed sentence shall be pronounced to the godly venite benedicti come ye blessed of my Father receiue the kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the world O most blessed and ioyfull word Venite come ye Come from the troublesome sea of this world wherin ye haue beene tossed into the quiet Hauen of peace A blessed change for Gods children Come from your sorrowfull warre vnto ioyfull triumph Come from exile vnto your country from your earthly cabbins vnto caelestiall and stately palaces from your poore cotages vnto a kingdome To conclude come ye from labour vnto rest from misery vnto ioy from earth vnto heauen where ye
ω in mundo sicut rector author Angelis sicut sapor decor in ecclesiae sicut pater familias in domo in animo sicut sponsus in thaelamo in iustis sicut adiutor protector in râ—probis sicut pauor et terror as the Alpha and Omega the beginning and the ending he is in the world as the rector and author he is in the angels as the sweete sauour and splendour hee is in the Church as the Father of the Family in the house he is in the soule as the bridegroome in the bride-chamber hee is in the godly as their helper and protector and in the wicked as their feare and terrour But by his mercifull prouidence hee is gratious vnto all hee layeth the beames of his chambers in the waters and maketh the clouds his charriots and walketh vpon the wings of the winde hee watereth the hills from his chambers and the earth is filled with the fruite of his workes he causeth the grasse to grow for the cattell and greene hearbs for the seruice of men hee hath appointed the Moone for certaine seasons and the Sunne knoweth his going downe O Lord our God how manifold are thy workes in wisdome hast thou made them all the earth is full of thy riches thus doth God daily manifest his fauours to the whole world in keeping it from destruction and giuing all good things for the preseruation of the same But the cause of this loue is the free grace and mercy of God gratia dei dat homini vitam motum saith a learned writer the grace of God doth giue to man both life and motion Barrardius Tom. 2. lib. 6. cap. 13. and what is this world without the water of grace truely nothing but a dead sea or sodomicall lake in which nothing can liue Christ the Arke of grace Iohn 1.14 Coloss 2.3 Of this grace Christ Iesus is the Arke wherein it is kept for vs who was figured by the Arke of the testament who is full of grace and truth and in whom are hidden all the treasures of the wisedome and knowledge of God This grace is aqua Christi the water of Christ with which is his loue he doth sprinkle the soules of his seruants it is aqua Aâ—â—elorum the water of Angels with the taste of which they are refreshed as with the riuers of the waters of life it is aqua Hominum the water of men by which they are cherished as with the liuing fountaine of Gods fauours it is â—qua omnium the water of all things by which they are preserued in the loue and fauour of their gratious Creator to be short this water of grace floweth from God floweth vnto God and ascendeth towards heauen yea it bringeth men vnto God and into heauen Thus haue I shewed you the grace of God in generall let me speake somewhat of it in particular hee hath beene gratious vnto the whole world in preseruing it A description of the grace of God toward England and hath beene gratious vnto this land in preseruing vs. O England thou hast tasted in abundance of the riuers of Gods gratious fauours thou hast beene made rich with his loue tokens thou hast beene deckt with the ornaments of his graces he hath put a chaine about thy necke bracelets on thy hands and frontlets on thy browes he hath clothed thee with broydered worke and shed thee with Badgers skinnes he hath girded thee about with fine linnen and couered thee with â—ilke he hath made thee glorious with siluer and gold thou dost eate fine flower hony and oyle thou art exceeding beautifull and art prospered into a kingdome thy renowne is gone forth amongst the nations for thy beauty for thou art made perfect through the comlinesse which thy God hath put vpon thee his mercies are great vnto thee for hee deliuered thee from thy enemies on euery side both at home and abroad both ciuill and forraigne from the terrible Armado of the Spaniard in eighty eight from that horrible powder plot of the Papists with many other villanous treasons in latter daies of which thou mayest say with the land of Israel if the Lord himselfe had not beene on our side Psal 134.2 3 4. may England now say when men rose vp against vs they had swallowed vs vp quicke when they were so wrathfully displeased at vs the waters had drowned vs and the streame had gone ouer our soules but blessed be the Lord who hath not giuen vs ouer as a prey vnto their teeth the Lord hath deliuered thee from the sword from the famine and from the pestilence peace is within thy walles and plenteousnesse within thy palaces he hath filled thee with the flower of wheate and embraced thee with mercy and louing kindnesse O beloued vnspeakeable are the blessings The blessings of God towards England are vnspeakable and infinite are the graces which he hath manifested vnto vs hee hath giuen vs a gratious King a wise learned and vnderstanding Salomon whom God of his mercy long preserue amongst vs he hath giuen vs a royall Queene and a hopefull progenie for the continuance of his fauours whom God of his mercy long preserue amongst vs hee hath giuen vs a worthy carefull and vigilant Counsell with a wise Nobility a reuerend Clergie learned and religious Arch-bishops and Bishops conscionable graue and worthy Iudges all which God of his mercy long preserue amongst vs to be short he hath giuen vs famous vniuersities for the supply of our wants either in Church or common-wealth and for the encrease of learning and religion which God to the encrease of his glory long preserue amongst vs. And last of all which paralels all the rest for had we not that we had nothing he hath giuen vs the rich treasures of his glorious Gospell for the saluation of our soules which God of his vnspeakeable mercy long continue amongst vs and let euery true hearted Christian say Amen Thus hath God manifested his mercy to our whole land But once againe let mee turne vnto you yee religious and worthy Citizens and tell you what God hath done for your soules Infinite are the graces that God in his mercy hath bestowed vpon you I cannot number them he hath giuen you religious zealous and worthy Senatours discreet and wise Magistrates vnder our Royall Moses to carry the sword and to goe in and out before you with comfort and this grace be continueth vnto you still The Preachers appointed from all pâ—â—ts of the kingdome their incouragemeÌ„t prepâ—red by woâ—thy Benefactoâ—s Anno 1603. there died within with out Loâ—don of all diseases 38244. of the plague 30578 hee hath giuen you riches and treasures in great abundance he hath giuen you that most precious iewell of his blessed word after an excellent manner what countrey what nation what citie in the world doth inioy a more ioyfull supply of learned zealous and worthy Preachers continued vnto them after a more worthy order then
honour of God who in this will be like the Rainebow though not in any thing they should like those who as the Bow appeareth onely in the day and not in the night so likewise immitating the Bowe Dissembling Christians they will make profession of Christ in the day time of prosperity but when the night of aduersitie approcheth they forsake their profession leaue Christ to himselfe rather then they will endure the least miserie for his sake or like those who as the Bow hath both endes downewards Os homini sublime dedit But couerous wordlings like bruite beasts looke euer downewards so they bend all their affections downwards casting their eyes vpon the ground searching greedily for the mucke and pelfe and vaine honours of the world but seldome or neuer lifting vp their hearts or eyes towards heauen to seeke for the riches and treasures thereof But we must not so immitate the Bow but as according to the opinion of the ancient the Rainebow letting downe her hornes vpon the earth Virgil. 1. Greg. Plaut Curcul Propertius lib. 3. cleg 4. Vitrunius lib. 9. cap. 4. Looke downward vpon Gods blessings and send vpward thy thankfulnes then will God send down his graces vpon thee doth draw vp the water from the fountaines to the cloudes which being turned into showers doe returne and water the fruites of the earth for which cause this phrase was vsed of them arcus bibit aquas the Bow doth drinke vp the waters which opinion Vitrunius defendeth calling the Bow a notable instrument by which God doth draw vp the waters from the earth into the ayre by this meanes to make the ground more fruitfull so likewise beeing inlightened with the heauenly brightnesse of Gods gracious Spirit and casting downe both our eyes to behold the infinite blessings of God vpon the earth we should be mooued by diuine contemplation to send vp the sweete smelling vapours of thankefull hearts towards the cloudes of heauen that being conuerted into the diuine showers of Gods mercifull fauours we may be made fruitfull with all spirituall graces whatsoeuer To conclude the Rainebow doth appeare in the cloude How long the Rainbow shall continue But there is a question demanded concerning the continuance of it how long shal it remaine be seene in the clouds It is reported that some holy men were of opinion Author Histor Scholast in lib. Genes cap. 38. that for fortie yeares before the day of iudgement and generall burning of the world there should be neither Raine nor Rainebowe to be seene But what these holy men were I cannot reade for I can finde none of the ancient Fathers vpon my Text to be of this iudgement yet it seemeth the ground and foundation of this opinion was that they supposed that generall burning of the world could not be effected without an vnspeakable precedent drinesse of the aire and an vnmeasurable abundance of drie exhalations and so much of this drie matter as they dreamed necessarie for the burning of the world could not be gathered but in a long continuance of time not possibly in lesse then in forty yeares and therefore for that time there should be neither Raine nor Rainebowe But in this reason that which is taken for certaine is not only vncertaine but most plainly false for that burning of the world shall not be effected by natural causes but by the supernaturall worke and diuine power of almightie God as the first iudgement was when the whole world except Noah and his family was destroyed with the floud And therefore there it no reason why there should not be both Raine Petitio principii and Rainebowe till the day of iudgment for both these shall passe away with the cloudes and not before And thus from the cloudes the scituation I passe to the vse of the Bow It shall be for a signe I haue set my Bow in the cloud 4. Part. it shall be for a signe Authore Socrat. apud Platonem and it shall be for a signe of the Couenant betweene mee and the earth This Iris or Rainebow is deriued 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the greeke verbe which signifieth to speake because it is a speaking signe or visible word for it is signum pluuiae tum praeteritae tum instantis a signe both of raine that is past and of raine that is at hand and therefore it was feigned of the heathen poets to be nuncius Iunonis the messenger of Iuno and of others it was called Daemonis hoc est sapientis arcus the Bow of God or of a wise Creator because it is a signe of the diuine wisedome certaine it is that it is nuncius dei the messenger of God by which he doth testifie that he will no more bring a generall floud to destroy the world Two significations of the Bow This Rainebow hath two principall significations In the first one Phisicall or naturall the second metaphisicall or supernaturall In the first it is signum pluniae a signe of raine in the second it is signum serenitatis a signe of faire weather and this is aboue nature for all naturall Philosophy is ignorant of it onely the Church doth vnderstand it by faith out of the reueiled will of God that as often as the Bow doth appeare in the cloud we remember the couenant and promise of God that the world should neuer againe be destroyed with water But how can this be may some man obiect Whether the Rainbow was before the flood how is it possible that the Rainebow should be a signe that there should not follow a generall floud to destroy the world seeing the Rainebow was before the floud and then was no true signe of this as the euent did plainly testifie To this some haue answered that the Rainebowe was not before the floud so Saint Chrysostome Alcuinus and the interlinearie Glosse But without question this Rainebowe was before the floud although after the floud it was appointed for a signe S. Chrysost Hom. 28. Gen. First because God did cease from all the workes of creation the seauenth day Gen. 2.2 so that hee did not after create any new species or kindes of creatures and therefore it must needes follow that the Rainebow was created before the floud Pererius in Gen. Quarsum enim Deus hunc eâ—â—inem toto eo tempere impediuâ—ser quorsum â—a diuturno miraculo naturaleÌ„ Iriâ—is ac pluuiae generationeÌ„ prohibuisset Certe nulla ratio reddipotest cur Deus omissa naturali via refrigerandi terras pec imbâ—es tanto miraculo exundaÌ„tium terrestrium aquarum tandiu vti voluit Secondly God created the causes of the Bowe before the floud for there was not wanting the cloudes nor the Sunne nor a place where the cloudes might be set against the Sun vpon which the Sun shining the Rainebowe doth appeare And therefore since the causes of the Bowe were before the floud it must needs follow that the