in his bed which was so deepely in debt what would he haue said If Christ who was born in his time had bin bred in his hart o Gal. 4.19 I meane if hee had seene by the light of Godâ— word that no debts are comparable to sins And therefore if that poâ—â— Knight could hardly sleepe in his bâ—dde then that seruaÌ„t which oâ—eth his mâ—steâ— ten thousand 〈◊〉 p Math. 18.24 as alas which of vs all beloued if we remember our 〈◊〉 well is not guiltie of so many sinnes caâ— hardly take any rest This if the Emperour had knowne hee would rather 〈◊〉 bought Dauids couch that he might 〈◊〉 haue slept for bewailing his sinnes then this banckrupts bed that hee might haue slept notwithstanding all his caâ—es For these these euen our sinnes these are the debts which so trouble and toâ—mâ—â— the soule that a man 〈◊〉 better haue 〈◊〉 common wealthes in his head yeâ— the caâ—es of all the woâ—ld in his head thâ—◠〈◊〉 disquieted distracted with the 〈…〉 Christians if we be in good health Let vs be thankfull to God 〈◊〉 it let vs account it a special blessing with out which all worldly blessings are 〈◊〉 thing let vs vse it as all other good 〈◊〉 of God to his glory the good of 〈◊〉 other If contrariwise it please the Lord 〈◊〉 any time to visite vs with sicknesse 〈…〉 not in this case despaire neither But 〈◊〉 whatsoeuer other causes we may coceine let vs ingeÌ„iouslie acknowledge one cause of our sicknes to be our sinnes For if we would preuent the iudgemeÌ„ts of god by timelie repentaÌ„ce iudge our selues we should not be iudged of the Lord. But because men wil not wheÌ„ they are in health thinke of him that giueth health therefore oftentimes they are sick now and then also fal asleepe q 1. Cor. 11.30 For euen as maâ—â—facters which wil not by gentle means confesse their heinous crimes are by racking or such like tortures enforced to coÌ„fesse so when grieuous sinners can see no time to repent God in his iustice or rather indeede in his great mercie doth as it were racke them vpoÌ„ their couch with sicknesse bodily pains that they may be constrained to confesse their sinnes so may be freede of two sickenesses their bodies sickenes and their soules sicknes both at once O happie happie men are they which when they are yong remember their Creator before they be old r Eccles. 12.1 when they are in health confesse their sins forsake theÌ„ before they be sick s Prou. 28.13 And yet good louing brother if thou happen to be sick be not in any case as I said before be not altogither discouraged by it But in the next place remeÌ„ber that thy sickenes is nothing els but Gods fatherly visitation to do thee good especially to mooue thee to repentance Listen a little Harken I say Doest thou not heare him rapping aloud and knocking hard at the dore of thy hard hart saying to thee whosoeuer thou art Maiden arise Young man arise Lazarus arise and come forth Awake therfore awake thou that sleepest t Eph. 5.14 and stand vp from death Christ shall giue thee life Say with the spirituall spouse In my bed by night sought him whome my soule loueth u Cant 3.1 Saie with this our Prophet Did I not remember thee vpon my bed meditate of thee in the night season x Psal. 63.7 Looke not still to haue pillowes sowed vnder 〈◊〉 elbowes neither bolster vp thy selfe anâ—â— longer in thy sinnes y Ezec. 13.18 Lie not vpon thy beds of â—â—orie neither stretch thy selfe vpoÌ„ thy couch z Amos. 6.4 but euery night 〈◊〉 thy bed water thy couch with thy tearesâ— Behold saies thy heauenly husband a Reuel 3.20 I stand at the dore and knocke if anie 〈◊〉 heare my voice and open the dore 〈◊〉 come in vnto him wil sâ—p with 〈◊〉 be with me And again b Cant. 2.5 OpeÌ„ 〈◊〉 my sister my loue my doue mine vndefiled for my head is full of dewe and my locks with the drops of the night Wherfore seeing Christ knockes so loud at the dore of my heart for repentance knocke thou as loud at the dore of his mercy for pardon seeing he would so fain haue thee turn vnto him heare his voice be thou as willing to cal vpoÌ„ his name that he may heare thy voice seeing he is so forward to sup with thee by receiuing thy prayers be thou as desirous to sup with him by obtaining the benefit of his passioÌ„ euen the remission of thy sinnes And as he saies to thy soule Open vnto mee my sister my loue my doue mine vndefiled so be thou bold by faith to turn the same words vpoÌ„ him again say Open vnto me my brother my loue my doue mine vndefiled for my head iâ—ful of deâ— my locks with the drops of the night And why is my head fâ—ll of dewe and my locks with the dropâ— of the night Because euery night I wash my bed water my couch c. Then deare christian brother then thy sicknes shall not be vnto death but for the glory of god c Iob. 11.4 For God will turn all thy bed in thy sicknes d Psal. 41.3 And so wheras before it was a bedde of sicknes hee will turne it into a bed of health whereas a bed of paine and griefe into a bed of rest coÌ„fort wheras a bed of teares repeÌ„ntance into a bed of ioifull deliueraÌ„ce RemeÌ„ber thy selfe wel At least wise as well as thou canst well enough what happened to Iob who was sick sore all his body ouer had not â— couch neither to lie on but was â—ain to lie on a dunghil Did not al this turne to his great good when as the Lord did blesse his latter end much more then his beginning e Iob. 42.10 What happened to Ezâ—chiâ—â— who had seÌ„tence of death gon out against himâ— Did not he lying sick in his bed turn him toward the wal weep got the seÌ„teÌ„ce of death reuersed 15 yeares more added to his life f Esa. 38.6 What hapned to the maÌ„ sick of a palsey who was let down through the â—yling bed and al in the midst 〈◊〉 Iesus Did not Christ with one 〈…〉 instant heale him so that he tooke vp his bed departed to his own house praising god g Luk. 5.25 what hapned to the man which had bin sicke 38. yeares and was not able to steppe downe into the poole Did not Christ saying but Rise take vp thy bed walk cure him so that presently he was made whole tooke vp his bed walked h Ioh. 58 9 What hapned to Eâ—câ—s who was sick of the palsey as one of these two that that I spake of last had kept his bed S. yeares as the other of them Did
it bee a song at the first yet it is a SyreÌ„ at the last though it be a silly hedge hogge at the first yet it is a sharpe prickle at the last Wherefore delight not thy selfe in the world for it shal not giue thee the desires of thy hart but Delight thy selfe in the Lord and he shall giue thee the desires of thy heart Here is a precept here is a 〈◊〉 A precept in these wordsâ— Delight thy 〈◊〉 in the Lord. First delight then 〈…〉 ly in the Lord. A promise in these 〈◊〉 And he shall giue thee the desires of thy 〈◊〉 First And hee shall giue thee then the 〈◊〉 lastly of the heart Delight thy self 〈◊〉 Lord and hee shall giue thee the desires of thy heart First Delight Well saies 〈◊〉 i Spiritus est hilaris et exhiâ—ararat participes sui The spirit of God as it is a cheereâ—â—â—â— thing it selfe so it maketh all them â—â—â—â—full which are partakers of it Indeâ—dâ— the wicked continually mourne and 〈◊〉 There was a great 〈◊〉 in Egypt 〈◊〉 in euery house among them theâ—â— waâ— some one or other of their first 〈◊〉 dead But the voice of ioy and gladâ—â—sse is in the tabernacles of the righteoâ—â— k Psal. 118. â—5 They euermore delight in the Lord I reach l Aelianus in varia histo l. 3. cap. 14. of one Leonides a captaine who perceiuing his souldiers left their 〈◊〉 vpon the citie wallâ—â— and did nothing all the day long but â—â—affe and 〈…〉 houses neere adioyning 〈…〉 that the alehouses should 〈…〉 from that place where they shood 〈…〉 vp close by the walles That seeing the souldiers would neuer keep out of them at the least wise that they might watch as well as drinke in them So because pleasure we must needes haue and we cannot be kept from it God hath appointed that wee should take Delight enough and yet serue him neuer a whit the lesse For it is no part of Gods meaning when thou enterest into his sweete seruice that thou shouldest abandon all delight but onely that thou shouldest change the cause of thy delight That whereas before thou diddest delight in the seruice of sinne now thou shouldesâ— delight as much or rather indeede a thousand times moer in the seruice of the Lord. It was not Gods will that Isaak should bee sacrificed but onely the ramme And so God would haue vs sacrifice onely the ramme that is all rammish and rancke delight of the world But as for Isaack he must be preserued still kept aliue Isaack in whome Abraham did see the day of Christ and reioyced Isaack that is all spirituall laughter all ghostly ioy all heauenly delight For as no man might come into the court of Ashuerus which was clothed in sackecloath m Ester 4 2. so no man may come in to the court of our king which is clothed in sackecloth and hath not on the wedding garment of ioy and delight in the Lord. Which is the cause why Christ calleth the assemblies of the faithful Quires of Camdes n Choros castrorum Can. 6.12 A quire singes a Campe fights How then may these two agree together Very well in the godly For the godly when they fight most stoutly against the enemie then they sing most merily vnto the Lord. Whereupon Gregorie saith o Dauid salcantem plus sâ—upco quam pugnautem Moral l. 27. c. 27. I admire king Dauid a great deale more when I see him in the quire then when I see him in the campe when I see him singing as the sweete singer of Israel theÌ„ when I see him fighting as the worthy warriour of Israel For fighting with others he did ouercome all others but singing and delighting himselfe he did ouercome himselfe Euen as his sonne Salomon saies for him speaking to Christ. Turne away thine eyes from me for they doe ouercome me for they wounde my heart they make me sicke for loue p Can. 4.6 When Dauid fought with others he ouercame others hee wounded others he made others sicke but when he daunced before the Arke and delighted himselfe he was ouercome himselfe hee was wounded himselfe hee was sicke himselfe But feare you nothing I warrant you this sicknesse will doe him no harme I will play stil sayes he that others may still play vpon me q Ludam inquit vt illud 21 Bonus ludus quo Michol irascitur deus delectatur Greg. Mag. For it is a good sport when God is delighted though Michol be displeased So that of Dauids sicknesse we may say as Christ saide of Lazarus sicknesse This sicknesse is not vnto death but for the glory of God r Ioh. 41.4 And therefore it is for the glory of God because it is for the loue of God For Dauid is sicke no otherwise for loue of the sonne of God then God is sicke himselfe for loue of the sonne of Dauid This is my beloued soâ—â—e saies he in whome I am delighted s Math. 17.5 This is my beloued sonne there he is in loue In whome I am delighted there he is sicke for loue Which is the cause why he commaundeth vs also to be delighted in his loue t Prou. 5.19 For as a double desire is loues so a double loue is delight And therfore he sayes not simply loue him but be delighted in his loue Delight thy selfe in the Lord and he shall giue thee the desires of thy heart Delight Then Thy selfe I would hate mine owne soule sayes Bernard if I found it any where else then in the Lord and in his loue u AnimaÌ„ meam odio haberem si eam alibi quam in domino in cius amore inuenirem De amore dei c. 3. So that it is not enough for thee to delight but thou must delight thy selfe that is thy soule Saying with the blessed Virgine My soule doth magnifie the Lord and my spirit reioyceth in God my Sauiour Otherwise as Diues did see Lazarus a farre off lying in Abrahams bosome beeing himselfe all the while tormented in hell and hauing not so much as one drop of water to coole his tongue so euen in laughing the soule may be sorrowfull x Prou. 14 13 The wretched soule of a sinner may see the face a farre off laughing and lying as I may say in Abrahams bosome beeing it selfe all the while tormented as it were in hell and hauing not so much as one drop of delight to asswage the sorrowes of it And like as Sampsons lyon had great store of honey in him but tasted no sweetnesse of it euen so if thou reioyce in the face and not in the heart y 2. Cor. 5.12 thou mayest well perhaps haue great store of honey in thee to delight others but thou canst neuer taste the sweetnesse of it to delight thy selfe Therefore sayes the princely Prophet O taste and see how sweete the Lord is It is not enough for thee to see it a farre off and not
à fine that there is another fountaine neere Grenoble a Citie in France which although it haue not hot waters as a Bath yet oftentimes together with bubbles of water it casteth vp flames of fire The fountaine of teares that is in our eies must be like these two fountaines As the Psalmist witnesseth When my sorrow was stirred sayes he my heart was hot within mee and while I was musing the fire kindled l Psal. 30.3 When my sorrow was stirred There is the first fountaine My heart was hot within mee There is the Torch lighted And while I was musing There is the other fountaine The fire kindled There is the flame burning Whereupon one sayes fitly Our eies must neither be drowned nor dry m Nec fluant oculi nec â—icci sint Seneca If they want fire they will be drowned If they want water they will be dry Wherefore both weepe not and but weepe both fire and water must goe together that our eyes bee neither drowned nor drye And this is the right moderation wee must keepe in weeping as appeareth in this third part WEEPE NOT BVT WEEPE both together Weepe not for mee but weepe for your selues THe fourth part followeth For Mee Weepe not too much for my death For the death of Christ is the death of Death the death of the Diuell the life of Himselfe the life of Man The reason of all this is his innocencie and righteousnesse which makes first that as the life of Christ is the life of Life so the death of Christ is the death of Death Put the case how you please this is a most certaine truth that the gate of life had neuer bin opened vnto vs if Christ who is the death of Death had not by his death ouercome death a Mors mortis morti mortem nisi morte dedisset coelestis vitae iâ—nus â—lausa foret Therefore both before his death he threatneth and challengeth death saying b Osee 13.14 O death I will bee thy death and also after his death hee derideth and scorneth death saying c 1 Cor. 15.15 O death thou art but a drone where is now thy sting d Sic Iohannes Pistorius Erasmi Roterodami affinis igni cremandus dixit O mors vbi est tua victoria Aske death any of you I pray and say Death how hast thou lost thy sting how hast thou lost thy strength What is the matter that virgins and very children doe now contemne thee wheras Kings and euen tyrants did before feare thee Death I warrant will answer you that the only cause of this is the death of Christ. Euen as a Bee stinging a dead body takes no hurt but stinging a liue body many times looseth both sting and life together in like manner death so long as it stung mortall men only which were dead in sin was neuer a whit the worse but when it stung Christ once who is life it selfe by and by it lost both sting and strength Therefore as the brasen serpent was so farre from hurting the Israelites that contrariwise it healed them after the same sort death is now so far from hurting any true Israelite that on the other side if affliction as a fiery serpent sting vs or if any thing else hurt vs presently it is helped and redressed by death Those which will needes play the hob-goblins or the night-walking spirits as we call them all the while they speak vnder a hollow vault or leape forth with an vgly vizard vpon their faces they are so terrible that he which thinks himselfe no small man may perhaps bee affrighted with them But if some lusty fellow chance to steppe into one of these and cudgell him wel-fauouredly and pull the vizard from his face then euery boy laughes him to scorne So is it in this matter Death was a terrible bulbeggar and made euery man afraide of him a great while but Christ dying buckled with this bulbeggar and coniured him as I may say out of his hollow vault when as the dead comming out of the graues were seene in Ierusalem and puld the vizard from his face when as he himselfe rising left the linnen clothes which were the vizard of death behinde him Therefore as that Asse called Cumanus Asinâ—s ietting vp and downe in a Lyons skinne did for a time terrifie his master but afterwards being descried did benefit him very much Semblably death stands now like a silly Asse hauing his Lyons skin pulled ouer his eares and is so farre from terrifying any that it benefits all true Christians because by it they rest from their labour and if they be oppressed with troubles or cares when they come to death they are discharged death as an Asse doth beare these burthens for them O blessed blessed bee our Lord which hath so disarmed death that it cannot do vs any hurt no more then a Bee can which hath no sting nay rather it doth vs much good as the brasen serpent did the Israelites which hath so dismasked death that it cannot make vs afraid no more than a scar-bug can which hath no vizard nay rather as an Asse beareth his masters burthens so death easeth and refresheth vs. This hath Christ done by his death Hee that felleth a tree vpon which the Sun shineth may well cut the tree but cannot hurt the Sunne He that poureth water vpon Iron which is red hot may well quench the heate but hee cannot hurt the Iron And so Christ the Sun of righteousnesse did driue away the shadow of death and as glowing Iron was too hot and too hard a morsell for death to disgest All the while Adam did eate any other fruit which God gaue him leaue to eate he was nourished by it but when he had tasted of the forbidden tree he perished Right so death had free leaue to deuoure any other man Christ onely excepted but when it went about to destroy Christ then it was destroyed it selfe Those barbarous people called Cannibals which feed only vpon raw flesh especially of men if they happen to eate a peece of roasted meat commonly they surfeâ— of it and die Euen so the right Canniball the onely deuourer of all mankinde Death I meane tasting of Christs flesh and finding it not to be raw such as it was vsed to eate but wholsome and heauenly meate indeede presently tooke a surfet of it and within three dayes died For euen as when Iudas had receiued a sop at Christs hand anon after his bowels gushed out In like sort death being so saucie as to snatch a sop as it were of Christs flesh and a little bit of his body was by and by like Iudas choaked and strangled with it and faine to yeeld it vp againe when Christ on Easter day reuiued Death I wisse had not beene brought vp so daintily before nor vsed to such manner of meate but alwayes had rauined either with Mithridates daughters vpon the poyson of sin or else with Noahs Crow vpon the
for himselfe Wherefore as in a ballance if there be any ods in the sâ—ales wee take out of that which is the heauier and put it into that which is the lighter till there be no difference betwixt them So here wee must wey these matters well that wee our selues may be iust weight neither too heauy for our owne misery not too light for Christs mercy Thus did Dauid when hee said to God Hide mee vnder the shadow of thy wings What are Gods wings His Mercy and his Iustice. What are the shadow of his wings Our loue and our feare Our loue is the shadow of his mercy which is his right wing Our feare is the shadow of his Iustice which is his left wing Now seeing hee that is hid vnder the right wing onely may presume because hee hath no feare and hee that is hid vnder the left wing onely may despaire because he hath no loue therefore sayth Dauid Hide me O Lord vnder the shadow not of one wing but of both thy wings That I may neuer despaire while I alwaies loue thy mercy and reioyce for Christ that I may neuer presume while I alwayes feare thy iustice and weepe for my selfe A Quaile the very same Bird which was the Israelites meate in the wildernesse as he flies ouer the sea feeling himselfe begin to be weary lights by the way into the sea Then lying at one side he layes downe one wing vpon the water and holds vp the other wing towards heauen Lest hee should presume to take too long a flight at the first hee weâ—s one wing Lest hee should despaire of taking a new flight afterwards hee keepes the other wing drie Thus must a Christian man doe When hee layes downe the wing of feare vpon the water to weepe for himselfe then hee must hold vp the wing of loue toward heauen to reioyce for Christ. That his two wings may be answerable to Gods two wings That as God hath two wings the one of Mercie the other of Iustice so hee may haue two wings the one of ioy for Christ the other of sorrow for himselfe Sem Iâ—pheth Noahs godly and dutifull children when they saw their father otherwise then hee should be went backeward and couered him They went backeward that they might not see him themselues they couered him that others might not see him Christ hanging naked vpon the Crosse was the shame of men and the outcast of the people Therefore wee that are the children of God must goe backeward by abhorring them that crucified Christ and yet wee must couer him and hide him euen in our very hearts by remembring and honouring his death and resurrection Lest wee should presume wee must goe backeward for feare and yet lest we should despaire wee must couer him for loue That as God hideth vs vnder the shadow of his wings which are loue and feare loue the shadow of his mercy and feare the shadow of his iustice so we may hide God vnder the shadow of our wings which are ioy and sorrow ioy the shadow of our loue and sorrow the shadow of our feare ioy for Christ and sorrow for our selues To this strange kinde of going backeward the Psalmist alludeth when hee saith to God Thou hast made my feete like Hindes feete A Hinde goeth not still forward in one way but as an auncient father speaketh hee iumpes crosse out of one way into another Saltum habet transuersum Right so a Christians feete must be like Hindes feet He must iumpe crosse from himselfe to Christ and then backe againe from Christ to himselfe Would you see such a Hinde Then mark how Iob footes it That he might not despaire he iumpes crosse from himselfe to Christ and saith a Chap. 33.9 I am cleane without sinne I am Innocent and there is none iniquitie in mee Heere is the mercy of Christ. But that hee might not presume hee iumpes backe againe from Christ to himselfe and saith b Chap. 6.2 O that my griefe were well weighed and that my miseries were laid together in the balance Here is the misery of man Thus must we weigh the mercie of Christ and the misery of man together in the balance and besure as I said before wee make the scales euen and when we weigh the reasons why wee should not weepe for Christ then we must weigh the reasons also why we should weepe for our selues So wee shall find for great cause of ioy in Christ great cause of sorrow in our selues for greater cause of ioy in Christ greater cause of sorrow in our selues for greatest cause of ioy in Christ greatest cause of sorrow in our selues for that which is more then all to make vs ioyfull in Christ that which is more then all to make vs sorrowfull in our selues The righteousnesse of Christ is the death of Death Great cause of ioy in Christ. If Debora reioyced when Barack put Sisera to flight haue not wee as great cause to reioyce seeing Christ hath put death to flight The sinne of man is the life of death Great cause of sorrow in our selues If Anna wept for her barrennesse haue not wee as great cause to weepe seeing wee can conceiue nothing but sorrow and bring forth iniquity vnto death The righteousnesse of Christ is the death of the Diuell Great cause of ioy in Christ. If Iudith reioyced when shee did cut off the head of Holofernes haue not wee great cause to reioyce seeing Christ hath cut off the head of the Diuell The sinne of man is the life of the diuell Greater cause of sorrow in our selues If Thamar wept being defloured by her brother haue not wee greater cause to weepe seeing we commit spirituall incest and adultery daily with the diuell The righteousnesse of Christ is the life of himselfe Greatest cause of ioy in Christ. If Sara laughed when shee heard shee should haue a quicke childe in her dead wombe is not this the greatest cause of laughter which can be vnto vs that Christ liued in death and was most free among the dead and could not see corruption in the graue The sinne of man is the death of himselfe Greatest cause of sorrow in our selues If Agar wept being turned out of Abrahams house is not this the greatest cause of weeping which can be vnto vs that our life is no life because we neuer cease from sinning while wee are heere pilgrimes and strangers exiled and banished out of our fathers house in heauen The righteousnesse of Christ is the life of man This is more then all to make vs ioyfull in Christ. If Queene Ester did reioyce as King Iames doth at this day whom God for his mercies sake euer saue and preserue and let all the people say Amen because he deliuered his people from thraldome and destruction can any thing in the world then make vs more ioyfull then this that we being cursed in our selues are blessed in Christ being embased in our selues are exalted in Christ being
will I speake that I may take breath m Iob. 3â— 19 As Elibu then kept silence some while euen from good wordes though it were paine and griefe to him but at the last the fire kindling and his heart beeing hotte within him spake with his tongue n Psal. 39.3 so the spirit of God in all the elect of God is like wine put into a bottle which will haue a vent to spurge out or els it will burst the bottle or like fire rakte vp in embers which will haue a passage to burne out or els it wil consume the whole house o 1. Ioh. 2.9 And therefore Saint Iohn likewise saith Whosoeuer is borne of God doth not sinne for his seede remaineth in him neither can he sinne because hee is borne of God Marke yee this well The Apostle thinketh it not enough to say Hee doth not sinne but addeth moreouer He cannot sinne What is that To witte presumptuously without feare hee doth not sinne and desperately without remorse he can not sinne He can not sin I say presumptuously as Pharaoh did desperately as Caine did malitiously as Iudas did blasphemously as Iudas did He cannot hee cannot sinne thus Why so Because the seede of God remaineth still in him And what is the seede of God It is the spirit of God of which S. Paul saide euen now The spirit lusteth against the flesh and these are contrary one to the other so that ye cannot do the same thing that yee would Yee doe not sinne nay yee cannot sinne as the flesh would haue you ye cannot doe the same things that ye would but yee doe nay ye can not choose but doe manie times as the seede of God remaining in you and as the spirit of God lusting in you would haue you So that this is a legall kinde of preaching to say Take heede you sinne not yee may happen so to loose your faith to loose all the iustifying grace which God hath giuen vs to be for euer excluded out of the Kingdome of heauen This is to be sayde to vassals to drudges to slaues not to sonnes To sons this may bee better sayde p Heb. 12.5 vobis vt filijs Take heed yee sinne not God hath adopted you giuen you the earnest of his spirite q 2 Cor. 5.5 Therefore grieue not this sweete spirite whereby yee are sealed vp to the day of redemption r Eph. 4.30 If yee be louing children indeed though there were no hel to feare no heauen to hope for no torments to dread no rewards to expect yet wee will obey your good father be the sorrow-fullest Creatures in the world if you haue but once displeased him onely for the meere loue yee beate towards him and for the vnspeakeable loue hee hath shewed towardes you s Diligenti deuÌ„ sufficit ei placere quem diligit quam nulla maior expeteuda est remâ—â—etatio quom ipsa dilectio Leo Magnus Serm. 7 de Ieiunio For if he gaue his onely begotten sonne to die for you wheÌ„ ye were his enemies t Rom. 5.10 now you are sons and such deare sonnes in his dearest Sonne u Eph. 1.6 what duty will you denie him what loyaltie will you grudge him what heartie thankefulnesse and good will is there which you will not afford him what faithful honour and seruice is there which you will not yeeld him In one word ye holie ones of God I speake now to you all beloued he which stands much vpon this obiection hath no faith no repentance no iustifying grace at all in him For the faithfull will neuer make that liberty which Christ hath purchased for them with his precious bloud a cloake to couer their wickednesse x 1. Pet. 2.19 but rather a spurre to incite them to godlinesse y Luk. 1.74 Liberamur vt seruiamâ—s ei Neyther will they at any time reason thus z Rom. 6.15 VVe will sinne because wee are not vnder the Law but vnder grace nor yet thus a Rom. 6.2 We will continue in sinne that grace may abound but alwaies thus b Rom. 6.11 By that wee are deade to sinne wee gather that wee are aliue to God or else thus c Tit. 2.11 The grace of God hath appeared teaching vs to deny vngodlines and worldlie lusts Thus you see then howe the regenerate man euerie new acte of sinne must be bewailed by a new acte of Repentance For God wil not forgiue me except I repeut no more then I am bound to tell my brother I forgiue him except hee tell me He repents Naaman must wash himselfe seauen times before he can bee cleane the Angell of Ephesus must rise from his fall and doe the first workes or else his Candlesticke shall bee remoued the Church of Corinth though it bee neuer so Holie yet by sinne violating Gods loue must oftentimes bee reconciled anew euen king Dauid in this place though he were a man according to Gods own heart yet before Nathan would absolue him he was faine to crie Peccâ—â—â— and before God would forgiue him he was faine to confesse his wickednes and to water his couch with his teares The second note is That a great act of sinne must be bewailed with a greate acte of Repentance I meane not that anie paine or griefe of ours can make satisfaction for the least of our sinnes or that one contrition can be any cause of remission but onelie that where sinne hath abounded there sorrowe sholâ—d abound also that Grace may superabound at the last d 5. Rom. 10. The Schoolmen shewe heere that great griefe may bee considered two waies According to a mans appretiation and according to his intension e Vide Bellar. de Pâ—â—itentia libro 2 â— 11 As the Patriarke Iacob in his intension did lament his sonne Ioseph whom he thought to be dead more pittifully then he did any sin that we read of f Gen. 37.34 but in the appretiation or estimation which hee had of the â—aynousnesse of sinne certainly he would rather haue lost tenne sonnes then once haue sinned against God Therfore howsoeuer in intention sorrow for sinne bee none of the greatest yet in appretiation they would euer haue it excessiue But we neede not borrow such vncoth wordes of the Schoolemen to expresse our meaning if we can tel how to vse those words which we haue of our owne For if wee looke narrowly into this place wee shall see that the Prophet Dauid is both waies in the highest degree sorrowfull First by how much the more dearely he esteemed Gods loue and friendshippe then the health of his body by so much the more is hee grieued that that is violated then that this is endangered And yet againe how intensiuelie and bitterlie he bewaileth not so much the sicknesse of his bodie as the cause thereof the sinne of his soule appeareth in that he trisâ—eth not but washeth his bed and waterâ—â—â— his couch with his
and danger But I am ill aduised to meddle with these things I make no doubt but order will be taken though I hold my peace that hereafter the towne for all such casualties be better prouided Therefoâ—e here I ende God for his mercie sake grant that neither by too much presuming confidence we may neglect the lawfull meanes nor yet by too much distrusting diffidence wee may vse vnlawfull meanes but that depending vpon thy prouidence O Lord we may diligently follow the workes of our calling and so continually receiue a blessing from thee thorough Iesus Christ to whome with the Father and the holy Ghost be all praise and glorie now and euermore Amen FINIS A SERMON PREACHED at Hampton Court before the Kings Maiestie the 23. day of Septem 1604. 2. COR. 4.17 The momentarie lightnes of our affliction worketh vs a surpassing exceeding eternall waight of glory 2. Pet. 3. SAint Peter foretelleth that some should peruerâ— S. Pauls Epistles to their owne dâ—â—naâ—ion Such are they of the Church of Rome Among other places of S. Pauls Epistles they doe notably peruert this For out of that the Apostle saith Affliction worketh glory they endeauour to conclude that the patience of the Saints and other their vertues merit euerlasting life But first the word To worke is very generall and signifieth not onely causes properly so named but also any antecedent though it be but an adiunct or an accident Againe the Apostles words elsewhere are these Rom. 8.18 I suppose that the afflictions of this life are not worthy of the glorie which shall be reuealed Wherefore they might haue done well to choose some indifferent construction which would haue reconciled both these places together rather then to embrace such an exposition of the one as doth iustle nay quite thrust out the other S. Bernard doth thus saying Via regni non causa regnandi that good workes are not any cause meriting a kingdome but onely a way directing to a kingdome For seeing they are no cause neither haue any correspondence or proportion in them in respect of the glorie to come therefore the Apostle saith The afflictions of this life are not worthy the glory that will be reuealed And yet againe because the possessing of our soules in patience is a way directly tending to the saluation both of our soules bodies therefore hee saith The momentarie lightnesse of our afflicton worketh vs a surpassing exceeding eternall weight of glory To which our Sauiour subscribeth in these words The gate is straight and the way narrowe which leadeth vnto life This straightnesse therefore and narrownesse of affliction is not a cause which deserueth but a gate or a way which leadeth vnto lâ—â—e So in an other place we haue that by many tribulations wee must enter into the kingdome of heauen Not by many tribulations no nor by any tribulations we must merit heauen but by many tribulations as by a gate or way wee must enter into the kingdome of heauen And in this sense S. Paul sayes The momentarie lightnesse of our affliction worketh vs a surpassing exceeding eternall waight of glory But now though this sentence doe not confirme any Popish error yet it doth excellently comfort any distressed and afflicted For it exhorteth vs to be patient in all afflictions and that for foure reasons The two first drawn from the nature of our affliction the two last from the nature of that glorie which shal be the reward of our affliction The first is because our affliction is momentarie the second because our affliction is light the third because our glorie shall be eternall yea surpassing eternal the fourth because our glorie shall bee weightie exceeding waightie And therefore hee saith The momentarie lightnesse of our affliction worketh vs a surpassing exceeding eternall waight of glorie I need not here make any Apologie for my selfe not yet render any reason why I discourse of pouertie before the rich of affliction before those that are euery way flourishing Mv L. Almner Bishop Waâ—â—on vpon these words The poore manâ— dayes are alwayes euill Prou. 1â— 15 This point was cleared so reuerently and so learnedly of late in this high presence that I am sure it must needes bee yet well remembred Certainely though ye haue not beene afflicted heretofore neither are at this time yet beeing men yet may be hereafter Wherefore it is not amisse that we all learne the doctrine of patience in tribulation Partly that we may be more thankefull to God if hitherto we haue not beene afflicted and plagued like other men Partly that if any time of affliction happen hereafter as any greife any losse any sicknes or such like we may be prepared aforehand and as it were armed with patience to endure it For the momentarie lightnesse of our affliction worketh vs a surpassing exceeding eternall wâ—ight of glory First our affliction is momentary 〈◊〉 sai's Eucherius Nihil est magnum re quod breue tempore Nothing is of great â—mportance which is of small coÌ„tinuance Now our whole life is very short What is our life Iam 4.14 saith S. Iames It is a vapour which for a time appeareth but anon after vanisheth away Therefore saith the Prophet Psal. 56. â— O Lord thou knowest my life as it is in the Septuagint but as it is in the Hebrewe Thou knowest my flitting And therefore seeing our whole life is but a vapour or a flitting certenly our afflictions which are all comprised within the compasse of this life must needes be much more momentary All affliction as the Apostle writeth Heb. 12.11 for the preseÌ„t seemeth not to be ioyous but greiuous but afterward it bringeth forth the quiet fruits of righteousnesse to them that are exercised thereby He saith not that affliction is but that it seemeth to be So that affliction seemeth to be one thing and is indeede an other It seemeth to be greiuous it is indeed ioyous it seemeth to be troublesome it is indeede comfortable it seemeth to be long and tedious it is indeede momentary and short Euen as God himselfe determineth this matter for a moment Esa 54 8. saith he in mine anger for a little season haue I hid my face from you but in euerlasting mercy will I turne vnto you againe That we should not doubt of this doctrine he redoubles the promise for a moment for little season Psal. 30.6 Therefore the Princely Prophet say's plainly Heauines may endure for a night but ioy commeth in the morning As the two Angels then that came to Lot log'd with him for a night Gen. 19.2 and when they had dispatch't their errand went away in the morning so afflictions which are the Angels or the messengers of God God sendeth afflictions to doe an errand vnto vs to tell vs we forget God we forget our selues wee are too proud too selfe conceited and such like and when they haue said as they were bod then presently they are gone
Ios. 2.18 For if the spies that were sent to view Iericho knewe Rahabs house from all the rest by a red thread which hung out of the windowe how much more easily then might Thomas knowe Christ especially seeing Rahabs house was a figure of Christs bodie the windowe a signe of the wound in his side the red thread a figure of the streame of blood issuing out of that wound When Vlysses had beene long from home no man almost at his returne knewe him yet Euriclea his nurse espying by chance the marke of a wound in his foote which he got by hunting the wild boare Hom. Ody 9. by and by made him known to his friends In like manner Thomas beholding the wounds not of Christs feete onely but also of his whole body beleeueth verily though the wilde boare out of the wood stroke fore at him that he might fall yet that he hath nowe recouered himselfe and is risen and returned home againe Euen as the wisemen knewe Christ was borne by the starre which appeared in the East Matth. 2.9 and knewe also where he lay when he was borne by the standing of that star directly ouer against him so Thomas not by one starre but by many starres which notwithstanding are more beautifull and bright then all the starres of heauen knoweth and confesseth that the true sunne of righteousnesse is now risen and shineth ouer all the earth Thus these blessed wounds witnesse and approoue the resurrection of Christ. For now Iacob knowes Ioseph by his chariots Anna knows Tobias by his spaniel Rhode knowes Peter by his voice Protogenes knowes Apelles by his line 〈◊〉 Arthurs body is knowne by his 〈◊〉 King Alexanders stagges are known by their collars Iannes knowes Arsenius by his hands the spies knowes Rahabs house by the red thred Euryclea knows Vlysses by the mark in his foote the wisemen know Christ is borne by the starre that stands ouer him Thomas knowes Christ is risen againe by the starres that appeare in him As if our Sauiour should haue said thus to his Disciple Thomas I woâ— well what thou saidst Except I see in his hands the print of the nayles and put my finger into the print of the nayles and put my hand into his side I will not beleeue Well if this be all thou shalt haue thy desire I that suffred the Iewes to peirce my hands and my side will not denie thee to see and touch them Come therfore I giue thee good leaue Doe as thou saidst Put thy finger here and see my hands and put forth thy hand and put it into my side and bee not faithlesse but faithfull So much for the first cause which is to approoue his resurrection The second cause why Christ hath his wounds yet to be seene in his body is to appease his Father Almighty God was once ready to haue destroyed the Israelites Psal. 1â—0 23 had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the gâ—ppe Moses as he was a mediator betweene God and the people was a singular type of the Messias to come And standing 〈◊〉 gap he did as it were point to Christ. For when our Sauiours side was wounded then indeed there was a great gap and a great breach made by which all wee that beleeue in him may escape Therefore Moses his standing before the Lord in the gap did signifie as S. Bernard noteth â—e â— 59. in Cant. that Christ making intercession before his Father for vs should alwaies stand in the gap shew how he himselfe was broken vpon the crosse and as I may say troden downe for our redemption That poore creeple also which begged at the beautiful gate of the temple Act. 3. â— teacheth vs what he continually doth who when he was rich became poore for our sakes The Temple is his body which after it had beene destroied was built vp againe in three daies The beautifull gate of this Temple is the pretious wound in his side of which the Psalmist saies This is the gate of the righteous the iust shall enter in by it Therefore as that poore creeple lying at the beautifull gate of the temple was healed by S. Peter so Christ lying at the beautifull gate of his 〈◊〉 body shewing his most greiuous 〈◊〉 yet most glorious sufferings and torments appeaseth his fathers wrath and obtaineth whatsoeuer he intreateth of him King Ezekias hauing receiued rayling letters from Senacherib went vp to the temple Esa 37 1â— and spread the letters before the Lord and praied saying Open thine eyes O Lord and see and heare all the words of Senacherib who hath sent to blaspheme the liuing God No Ezekias was euer more taunted and reuiled more scorned and reproached then he who was counted the shame of men and the out-cast of the people Wherefore now he spreadeth forth and laieth open not onely the blasphemous words which were vttered against him but also the dolorous wounds and gashes which wâ—re giuen him that so he may put out the hand-writing that was against vs and appease his father and throughly reconcile him to vs. And looke how king Salomon 1. Reg 8.22 when hee praied for the people stood before the altar and stretched out his hands toward heauen in semblable wise Christ who is farre greater then Salomon standeth euermore beside the altar of his crosse and stretcheth out his beskarred and wounded hands towards the throne of his heauenly father that hee may mooue him to haue pitie and compassion of his people Pelâ—pidâ—s a noble Grecian skirmished with the Lacedemonians against the Arcadians vntill such time as beeing hurt in seaueâ— places he fell downe at last for dead Then presently Epaminondas stepping forth bestrid him and fought to defend his bodie he alone against many till beeing sore cut on his arme with a sword and thrust into the breast with a pike he was euen readie to giue ouer But at that very instant Agesipolis king of the Lacedemonians came with the other point of the battell in a happy howre Plutarch in Pelopida initio and saued both their liues when they were past all hope If we would apply this story to our purpose now in hand we must make man like Pelopidas Christ like Epaminondas God like Agesipolis Since the ouerthrow of Adam who went downe from Ierusalem to Ierico how euery man hath beene wounded not onely with Pelopidas in seauen places of his body but euen in all the parts and powers of his soule each one knoweth best by experience in himselfe But Christ hath sheilded vs with his grace and fought for vs not till he was with Epaminondas cut on his arme with a sword and thrust into the breast with a pike but that which is in a manner all one till his hands were goared with nayles and his side thrust thorough with a speare Wherefore God the father with Agesipolis seeing him in the work of his mediation fight still for vs clothed euen now in heauen
Lords death til he 〈◊〉 Till he come Declaring hereby that when he is come his death shall bee shewed an other way Namely by his wounds which alwaies he sheweth to his 〈◊〉 Euen as we sing in that heauenly Hymne or Psalme The humble suit of a sinner Whose bloâ—dy wouâ—dâ— are yet to see though not with mortall eye yet doe thy Saints behold them all and so I trust shall I. O how vnspeakeably doe â—he Saints 〈◊〉 how gloriously also shall we triumph when we shall see Christ in his kingdome and behold those blessed wounds of his whereby he hath purchased so many and so great good things for vs This is the new wine which we shall drinke This is the Eucharist of the Angels the food of the Elect the spirit 〈…〉 of the Saints For wheresoeuer the dead bodie is thither shall the eagles refer And we that with eagles wings flie vp by faith into heauen shall euer resort to this dead bodie and we shal vnsatiably desire to feede our eyes and our soules with the sight of Christ who was once dead and euen now hath in his bodie those skarres which continue the memorie of his death that in all eternitie it may neuer be forgotten Thus these heauenly wounds of Christ delight and comfort his friends As the cities of refuge which saue the sinner as the holes of the rock which defend the doue as the shadow of the iuniper tree which reuiueth the wearied as the doore of the Arke which preserueth the world as the lure of the â—oule which calleth home the Shulamite as the pot of Manna which nourisheth the Israelite as the well of Iacob which refresheth the thirstie as the poole of Bethesda which healeth the sicke as the armes of the shepheard which gather his lambs as the wings of the eagle which beare vp her birds So doe the hands and side of Christ comfort his friends As if our Sauiour should say thus to euery one of his friends Can a mother forget her child and not haue compassion on the son of her wombe though they should forget yet would not I forget thee Behold I haue grauen thee vpon the palmes of my hands Here I haue still in my hands that price of thy redemption which I paid for thee so that no man can take thee out of my hands Yea I haue written and sealed thy saluation in my side A speare is the penne my blood is the inke my body is the pâ—per Here thou maist see the bowels of my compassion thorough the wounds of my passion Assure thy selfe therfore assure thy selfe of my loue of my good will of my fauour for euer Make no doubt of it If thou doubt any thing Put thy finger here and see my hands and put forth thy hand and put it into my side and be not faithlesse but faithful So much for the fourth cause which is to comfort his friends You see then blessed Christians you see how these causes of Christs wounds differ one from an other The first cause to approoue his resurrection was but neither is nor shall bee The second cause to appease his Father was and is but shall not be The third cause to confound his enemies neither was nor is but shall be The fourth cause to comfort his friends both was and is and shall be So that Christs wounds did serue to approoue his resurrection onely between his resurrection and his ascension doe serue to appease his Father onely between his ascension and his second comming shall serue to confound his enemies onely at the day of iudgement did doe and shall serue to comfort his friends for euer Wherfore though wee be neuer so great sinners yet let vs neuer despaire of the grace and mercie of Christ. His hands are still stretched out to embrace vs his side is alwaies open to receiue vs. Therefore let vs creepe low and come humbly to him that wee may with the woman in the Gospel touch but the hemme of his garment nay that we may with S. Iohn leane vpon his blessed bosome yea that we may with S. Thomas in this place put our fingers into his hands and our hands into his side And euen as Constantine the great vsed to kisse that eye of Paphnutius which was boared out in Maximinus time and the Iayler in the Acts washed S. Pauls stripes and vvoundâ— so let vs kisse the Sonne least he bee angry and honour his holy vvounds vvich are the precious 〈◊〉 vvherevvith he hath healed vs and restored vs to euerlasting life To the vvhich vve beseech thee O good Lord to bring vs not for our ovvne deferrs or merits but for the tender bovvels of Christ Iesus loue and mercie tovvard vs to vvhom vvith the Father and the holy Ghost bee all honour and praise both novv and for euermore Amen FINIS MATTH 5. V. 19. He that both doeth and teacheth the same shall be called great in the kingdome of heauen BEloued in our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ It is a verie monstrous thing that any man should haue more tongues then handâ— For God hath giuen vs two hands and but one tongue that we might doe much and say but little Yet many say so much and do so little as though they had two tongues and but one hand nay three tongues and neuer a hand Insomuch as that may be aptly applied to them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Pandulphus said to some in his time You say much but you doe little you say well but you doe ill againe you doe little but you say much you doe ill but you say well Such as these which do either worse then they teach or else lesse then they teach teaching others to doe well and to do much but doing no whit themselues may be resembled to diuerse things To a wherstone which being blunt it selfe makes a knife sharpe To a painter which being deformed himselfe makes a picture faire To a signe which beeing weather-beaten and hanging without it selfe directs passengers into the Inne To a bell which beeing deafe and hearing not it selfe calls the people into the Church to heare To a nightingale which beeing restles and sitting vpon a thorne her selfe brings others by her singing into a sweete sleâ—pe To a goldsmith which beeing beggerly and hauing not one peice of plate to vse himselfe hath store for others which he shewes and sells in his shoppe Lastly to a ridiculous actor in the citie of Smyrna which pronouncing ô coelum O heauen pointed with his finger toward the ground which when Polemo the cheifest man in the place sawe he could abide to stay no longer but went from the company in a chase saying This â—oole hath made a solecisme with his haâ—â—â— hee hath spoken false Latine wâ—â—â— his hand Such are all they which teach one thing and do another which teach well and doe ill They are like a blunt wheâ—stone a deformed painter a weather-beaten signe a deafe bell a restles nightingale a beggerly