the more humble the more grace because they more desire it and are more capable thereof For the more empty the vessel is the more liquor it receiveth in like maner the more empty wee are in our owne conceits the more heavenly grace God z Mat. 11.25 infuseth into us To him therefore let our soules continually gaspe as a thirsty land let us pray to him for humility that wee may have grace and more grace that wee may be continually more humble Lord who hast taught us that because thy Son our Saviour being in the forme of God humbled himselfe and in his humility became obedient and in his obedience suffered death even the most ignominious painfull and accursed death of the crosse thou hast exalted him highly above the grave in his resurrection the earth in his ascension above the starres of heaven in his session establish our faith in his estate both of humiliation and exaltation and grant that his humility may be our instruction his obedience our rule his passion our satisfaction his resurrection our justification his ascension our improvement of sanctification and his session at thy right hand our glorification Amen Deo Patri Filio Sp. S. sit laus c. LOWLINES EXALTED OR Gloria Crocodilus THE LIII SERMON PHIL. 2.9 Wherefore God hath also highly exalted him Right Honourable c. WEe are come to keep holy the solemnest feast the Church ever appointed to recount thankfully the greatest benefit mankinde ever received to celebrate joyfully the happiest day time ever brought forth and if the rising of the sun upon the earth make a naturall day in the Calendar of the world shall not much more the rising of the Sun of righteousnesse out of the grave with his glorious beams describe a festivall day in the Calendar of the Church If the rest of God from the works of creation was a just cause of sanctifying a perpetuall Sabbath to the memory thereof may not the rest of our Lord from the works of redemption more painefull to him more beneficiall to us challenge the like prerogative of a day to be hallowed and consecrated unto it shall we not keep it as a Sabbath on earth which hath procured for us an everlasting Sabbath in heaven The holy Apostles and their Successors who followed the true light of the world so near that they could not misse their way thought it so meet and requisite that upon this ground they changed the seventh day from the creation appointed by God himselfe for a a Ignat. epist ad Magnes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Athanas Homil. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aug. de verb. Apost ser 25. Domini resuscitatio consecravit nobis diem Dominicum Vide Homil. Eccl. Of the time of prayer Hooker Eccles polit l. 5. sect 70. p. 196. The morall Law requiring a sevent part throughout the age of the world to be that way employed though with us the day be charged in regard of a new revolution begun by our Saviour Christ yet the same proportion of time continueth which was before because in a reference to the benefit of creation and now much more of renovation thereunto added by him which was the Prince of the world to come wee are bound to account the sanctification of one day in seven a duty which Gods immutable decree doth exact for ever Sabbath and fixed the Christian Sabbath upon the first day of the weeke to eternize the memory of our Lords resurrection This day is the first borne of the Church feasts the Prototypon and samplar Lords day if I may so speak from whence all the other throughout the yeere were drawne as patternes this is as the Sunne it selfe they are as the Parelii the Philosophers speake of images and representations of that glorious light in bright clouds like so many glasses set about the body thereof With what solemnity then the highest Christian feast is to be celebrated with what religion the christian Sabbath of sabbaths is to be kept with what affection the accomplishment of our redemption the glorification of our bodies the consummation of our happinesse the triumph of our Lord over death and hell and ours in him and for him is to be recounted with what preparation holy reverence the Sacrament of our Lords body and bloud which seales unto us these inestimable benefits is to be received with that solemnity that religion that affection that preparation that elevation of our minds we are to offer this morning sacrifice Wherefore I must intreat you to endeavour to raise your thoughts and affections above their ordinary levell that they fall not short of this high day which as it representeth the raising and exaltation of the worlds Redeemer so it selfe is raised and exalted above all other Christian feasts Were our devotion key cold and quite dead yet mee thinkes that the raising of our Lord from the dead should revive it and put new life and heat into it as it drew the bodies of many Saints out of the graves to accompany our Lord into the holy City After the Sun had bin in the eclipse for three houres when the fountaine of light began againe to be opened and the beames like streames run as before how lightsome on the sudden was the world how beautifull being as it were new gilt with those precious raies how joyfull and cheerfull were the countenances of all men The Sunne of righteousnesse had been in a totall eclipse not for three houres but three whole dayes and nights and then there was nothing but darknesse of sorâ—ow over the face of the whole Church but now hee appeares in greater glory than ever before now he shineth in his full strength What joy must this needs be to all that before sate in darknesse and in the shadow of death In the deadest time of the yeere we celebrated joyfully the birth of our Lord out of the wombe of the Virgin and shall we not this Spring as much rejoyce at his second birth and springing out of the wombe of the earth Then he was borne in humility and swadled in clouts now he is borne in majesty and clothed with robes of glory then he was borne to obey now to rule then to dye now to live for ever then to be nailed on the crosse at the right hand of a theefe now to be settled on a throne at the right hand of his Father As Cookes serve in sweet meats with sowre sawces Musicians in their songs insert discords to give rellish as it were to their concords and b Cic. de orat l. 3. Habeat summa illa laus umbram recessum ut id quod illuminatum est magis extare atque eminere videatur Rhetoricians set off their figures by solaecismes or plaine sentences in like manner the Apostle to extoll our Saviours exaltation the higher depresseth his humiliation the lower he expresseth his passion in the darkest colours to make the glory of his resurrection appear the brighter
ready mind 3. Neither as being Lords over Gods heritage but being ensamples to the flock 4. And when the chiefe Shepheard shall appeare yee shall receive a crowne of glory that fadeth not away The Tree of saving knowledge page 145. A Sermon preached in Lent March 16. before the King at Whitehall 1 Corinth 2.2 I determined not to know any thing among you save Jesus Christ and him crucified Primitiae Sepulchri page 162. A Sermon preached at the Spitall on Munday in Easter week April 22. 1 Corinth 15.20 But now Christ is risen from the dead and become the first fruits of them that slept The true Zealot page 185. A Sermon preached at the Archbishops Visitation in Saint Dunstans in the East John 2.17 The zeale of thine house hath eaten mee up The Salters Text. page 196. A Sermon preached before the company of the Salters at Saint Maries Church in Breadstreet Marke 9.49 For every one shall be salted with fire and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt The spirituall Bethesda page 207. A Sermon preached at a Christening in Lambeth Church the Lord Archbishop of Canterburie and the Lord Duke of Buckingham being Godfathers Octob. 29. 1619. Marke 1.9 And it came to passe in those dayes that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galile and was baptized of John in Jordane The living Temple page 217. A Sermon preached at the Readers feast in the Temple Church 2 Corinth 6.16 For ye are the Temple of the living God The Generall his Commission page 231. A Sermon preached at S. Jones before the right Honourable the Earles of Oxford Exeter and Southampton and divers other Captaines and Commanders ready to take their journies into the Low-countries 1621. Josuah 1.9 Have not I commanded thee be strong and of a good courage be not affraid neither be thou dismayed for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest The Crowne of Humility page 240. A Sermon preached in Wooll-Church April 10. 1624. Matthew 5.3 Blessed are the poore in spirit for theirs is the Kingdome of Heaven Christ his new Commandement page 251. A Sermon preached in Wooll-Church John 13.34 A new commandement I give unto you that ye love one another as I have loved you that ye also love one another The Stewards account page 261. A Sermon preached in the Abbey Church at Westminster Luke 16.2 Give an account of thy Stewardship for thou maist be no longer Steward The Passing Bell. page 280. A Sermon preached in Mercers Chappell at the Funerall of Master Bennet Merchant Deut. 32.29 O that they were wise then they would understand this they would consider their latter end The embleme of the Church Militant page 292. A Sermon preached in Mercers Chappell Apoc. 12.6 And the woman fled into the wildernesse where she hath a place prepared of God that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore dayes The Saints Vest page 307. A Sermon preached on All-Saints day at Lincolnes Inne for Doctor Preston Apoc. 7.14 These are they that came out of great tribulation and have washed their robes and made them white in the bloud of the Lambe Sermons preached at Serjeants Inne in Fleetstreet The Christian Victory page 319. Apoc. 2.17 To him that overcommeth will I give to eate of the hidden Manna and I will give him a white stone and in the stone a new name written which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it The hidden Manna page 329. Apoc. 2.17 I will give to eate of the hidden Manna The white Stone page 341. Apoc. 2.17 And I will give him a white stone The new Name page 354. Apoc. 2.17 And in the same stone a new name written which no man knoweth saving hee that receiveth it Satanae Stratagemata page 369. 2 Corinth 2.11 Lest Sathan should get an advantage of us for wee are not ignorant of his devices Sermons preached at Saint Pauls Crosse or in the Church The beloved Disciple page 385. John 21.20 The Disciple whom Jesus loved which also leaned on his breast at Supper The Yeere of Grace page 397. 2 Corinth 6.2 Behold now is the accepted time behold now is the day of salvation The Spouse her precious Borders page 408. A Rehearsall Sermon preached 1618. at the Crosse Cant. 1.11 We will make thee borders of gold with studs of silver The Angel of Thyatira endited page 454. A Sermon preached at the Crosse 1614. Revel 2.18 19 20. 18. And to the Angel of the Church in Thyatira write these things saith the Sonne of God who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire and his feet like fine brasse 19. I know thy workes and charity and service and faith and thy patience and thy workes and the last to be more than the first 20. Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel which calleth her selfe a Prophetesse to teach and seduce my servants to commit fornication and to eate things sacrificed unto Idols Jezebel set out in her colours page 474. A Sermon preached in Saint Pauls Church 1614. Revel 2.20 Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel which calleth her selfe a Prophetesse to teach and seduce my servants to commit fornication and to eate things sacrificed unto Idols Sermons preached at Oxford Foure rowes of precious Stones page 498. A Rehearsall Sermon preached in Saint Maries 1610. Exod. 28.15 16 17 18 19 20 21. 15. And thou shalt make the breast-plate of judgement with cunning worke 16. Foure square shall it be being doubled 17. And thou shalt set in it settings of stones even foure rowes of stones the order shall be this A Ruby a Topaze and an Emrald in the first rowe 18. And in the second rowe thou shalt set a Carbuncle a Saphir and a Diamond 19. And in the third rowe a Turkeise and an Agate and an Amethyst 20. And in the fourth rowe a Beril and an Onyx and a Jasper and they shall be set in gold in their inclosings or imbosments Hebrew fillings 21. And the stones shall be with the names of the children of Israel twelve according to their names like the engravings of a signet every one with his name shall they be according to the twelve Tribes The devout soules Motto page 537. A Sermon preached at Saint Peters Church in Lent 1613. Psal 73.25 Whom have I in Heaven but thee O Lord and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee The Royall Priest page 551. A Sermon preached in Saint Maries Church 1613. Psal 110.4 The Lord sware and will not repent Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek The Arke under the Curtaines page 570. A Sermon preached at the Act July 12. 1613. 2 Sam. 7.2 The King said unto Nathan the Prophet See now I dwell in an house of Cedar but the Arke of the Lord dwelleth within curtaines Pedum Pastorale page 584. Concio ad Clerum habita Oxoniae octavo Cal.
Aprilis aerae Christianae An. Dom. 1615. Johan 21.15 16 17. 15. Quum ergo prandissent dicit Simoni Petro Jesus Simon fili Jonae diligis me plùs quà m hi dicit ei Certè Domine tu nosti quòd amem te dicit ei Pasce agnos meos 16. Dicit ei rursum secundo Simon fili Jonae diligis me ait illi Certè Domine tu nosti quod amem te dicit ei Pasce oves meas 17. Dicit ei tertio Simon fili Jonae amas me tristitiâ fuit affectus Petrus quod tertio dixisset ipsi amas me dixitque ei Domine tu omnia nosti tu nosti quòd amem te dicit ei Jesus Pasce oves meas Sermons preached at Paris in the house of the right Honourable Sir Thomas Edmonds Lord Embassadour resident in France lying in the Fauxburge of St. Germans in the yeeres of our Lord 1610 1611 1612. The checke of Conscience page 609. Rom. 6.21 What fruit had yee in those things whereof yee are now ashamed for the end of those things is death The Vine of Sodome page 620. Rom. 6.21 What fruit had yee then in those things c. The Grapes of Gomorrah page 629. Rom. 6.21 What fruit had yee in those things c. The hiew of a Sinner page 638. Rom. 6.21 Whereof yee are now ashamed The wages of Sinne. page 645. Rom. 6.21 For the end of those things is death The gall of Aspes page 661. Rom. 6.21 For the end of those things is death Ferula Paterna page 672. Revel 3.19 As many as I love I rebuke and chasten I. The nurture of Children page 681. Apoc. 3.19 As many as I love I rebuke and chasten Chasten The lot of the Godly page 693. Apoc. 3.19 As many as I love I rebuke and chasten As many The oyle of Thyme page 702. Revel 3.19 As many as I love I rebuke and chasten As I love The sweet Spring of the waters of Marah page 710. Apoc. 3.19 As many as I love I rebuke and chasten I love The Patterne of Obedience page 719. Phil. 2.8 Hee humbled himselfe and became obedient unto death even the death of the Crosse The reward of Patience page 725. Philip. 2.9 Wherefore God hath also highly exalted him Lowlinesse exalted page 735. Philip. 2.9 Wherefore God hath also highly exalted him A Summons to Repentance page 747. Ezek. 18.23 Have I any desire at all that the wicked should dye saith the Lord God The best Returne page 757. Ezek. 18.23 Not that he should returne from his wayes and live or If he returne from his evill wayes shall he not live The danger of Relapse page 765. Ezek. 18.24 But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousnesse and committeth iniquity and doth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doth shall hee live all his righteousnesse that hee hath done shall not be mentioned in his trespasse that hee hath trespassed and in his sinne that hee hath sinned in them shall hee dye The deformity of Halting page 776. 1 Kings 18.21 And Elijah came to all the people and said How long halt yee between two opinions if the Lord be God follow him but if Baal then follow him and the people answered not a word Old and new Idolatry paralleled page 784. 1 Kings 18.21 If the Lord be God follow him but if Baal then follow him One God one true Religion page 794. 1 Kings 18.21 If the Lord be God follow him but if Baal then follow him Bloudy Edome page 802. Psal 137.7 8. 7. Remember O Lord the children of Edome in the day of Jerusalem who said Raze it raze it even to the foundation thereof 8. O daughter of Babylon who art to be destroyed happy shall hee be that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us Sermons preached in Lambeth Parish Church The watchfull Sentinell page 814. A Sermon preached the fifth of November Psal 121.4 Behold he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep Abraham his Purchase page 825. A Sermon preached at the consecration of the Church-yard inclosed within the new wall at Lambeth Acts 7.19 And were carried over into Sechem and laid in the sepulchre that Abraham bought for a summe of mony of the sons of Emor of Sechem The Feast of Pentecost page 834. A Sermon preached on Whitsunday Acts 2.1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come they were all together with one accord in one place The Symbole of the Spirit page 842. Acts 2.2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind and it filled all the house where they were sitting The Mysterie of the fiery cloven Tongues page 850. Acts 2.3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire and it sate upon each of them Christ his lasting Monument page 856. A Sermon preached on Maundy Thursday 1 Corinth 11.26 As often as yee eate of this bread and drinke of this cup ye doe shew the Lords death till he come The signe at the Heart page 864. A Sermon preached on the first Sunday in Lent Acts 2.37 And when they heard this they were pricked in their heart and said unto Peter and the rest of the Apostles Men and brethren what shall we doe Christian Brotherhood page 876. A Sermon preached on the second Sunday in Lent Acts 2.37 And they said to Peter and the rest of the Apostles Men and brethren c. The perplexed soules Quaere page 883. A Sermon preached on the third Sunday in Lent Acts 2.37 What shall wee doe The last offer of Peace page 891. A Sermon preached at a publike Fast Luke 19.41 42. 41. And when he was come neere he beheld the City and wept over it 42. Saying If thou hadst knowne even thou at least in this thy day the things which belong unto thy peace but now they are hid from thine eyes A Catalogue of the Authors cited in this Work with their severall Editions A. ABen Ezra Basil 1620. G. Abbot Lond. 1620. R. Abbot Lond. 1606. Aelianus Lugd. 1577. Aeneas Sylviue Col. 1535. Aesopus Venet. 1606. Agapetus Bib. pat T. 6. p. 1. Col. 1622. C. Agrippa Paris 1567. G. Alanus Antw. 1576. Albertus Mag. Basil 1506. Alcazar Lugd. 1618. P. de Alliaco Mogunt 1574. J. Almainus Paris 1512. Fr. Alvarez Lugd. 1608. Ambrosius Mediol Basil 1555. Ambrosius Ansbert Bib. par T. 9. p. 2. Col. 1622. Andradius Col. 1564. Amphilochius Bib. pat T. 4. Col. 1622. Anselmus Col. 1573. Antiphon Orat. Paris 1609. Anthologia Grec Epig. Franc. 1600. Apuleius Venet. 1504. Apollinarius Bib. pat T. 4. Col. 1622 Th. Aquinas Venet. 1594. Arboreus Paris 1540. Aretas Bib. pat T. 6. Col. 1622. B. Aretius Bern. 1604. Th. Argentinensis Gen. 1585. Gr. Ariminensis Venet. 1503. Aristophanes Francof 1597. Aristoteles Lugd. 1590. R. Armacanus Francof 1614. Arnobius Rom. 1562. Arnoldus Bib. pat T. 6. Col. 1622. Articuli Eccles Angl. Lond. 1628. Athanasius Alexandrinus Par. 1581. Avendanus Madrid 1593. Augustinus Hypponensis Par. 1586. P.
lacernas So if the plea of antiquity should simply bee admitted in point of faith our adversaries undoubtedly would bee cast by it For although they father bastard-treatises upon ancient writers and by an unnaturall and prodigious generation beget Fathers at their pleasure yet they are not able to produce any Record expresse and direct testimony canon of Councell or Ecclesiasticall constitution 1 For their burning lights in the Church at noone day before the decree of Pope y Platin. in Sabin Sabinianus in the yeere of our Lord 605. 2 Nor for Rome z Idem in Bonifac 3. to be the head of all Churches before Pope Boniface the third in the yeere 606. 3 Nor for the invocation of Saints in their publike liturgy before * Andr. ab ofic at 7. Boniface the fift in the yeere 618. 4 Nor for their Latine service thrust upon all Churches before Pope a Osterb ael 7. Wolf ad an 666. Vitalian in the yeere b Apoc. 13.17 666. which is the very number of the name of the beast 5 Nor for the cutting of the Hoste c Osterb ib. into three parts and offering one part for the soules in Purgatory before Pope Sergius in the yeere 688. 6 Nor for setting up images in Churches generally and worshipping them before Pope Adrian the first and the second d Vid. Act. Concil 7. Councell of Nice in the yeere 787. 7 Nor for e Bell. de sanct beat l. 1 c. 8. canonization of Saints departed before Leo the third about the yeere 800. 8 Nor for the f Grat. de consecr dist 2. orall manducation of Christs body in the Sacrament before Pope Nicolas the second in the yeere 1053. 9 Nor for the entire number of g Casi consult Bell. l. 2. de es s sacr c 9 24. Lombard omnes inde Theologiseptem sacramentaâ—â— adderunt seven sacraments before Peter Lombard in the yeere 1140. 10 Nor for Indulgences before Eugenius the third in the yeere 1145. 11 Nor for h Act. Concil lâ—â—er transubstantiation of the bread into Christs body before the fourth Councell of Lateran in the yeere 1215. 12 Nor for the elevation of the Hoste that the people might i Andr. ab Osterb aetat 13. adore it before Honorius the third in the yeere 1216. 13 Nor for any k Bell in Chron. p. 109. Jubile before Pope Boniface the eighth in the yeere 1300. 14 Nor for the carrying the Sacrament in procession under a canopy before Pope l Bell. de cult sanct l. 3. c. 15. Urban the fift in the yeere 1262. 15 Nor for the dry and halfe m Concil Constan sess 13. Communion before the Councell at Constance in the yeere 1416. 16 Nor for the suspending the n Act. Concil Florent efficacy of Sacramentall consecration upon the Priests intention before the Councell at Florence in the yeere 1439. 17 Nor for the Popes o Act. Concil Later superiority to generall Councels before the sixth Councell at Lateran under Leo the tenth in the yeere 1517. 18 Nor for the Vulgar Latine p Concil Trid. sess 4. translation to bee held for authenticall and upon no pretended cause whatsoever to bee rejected before the fourth Session of the Councell at Trent in the yeere 1546. 19 Nor for the second booke of the Machabees and the apocryphal additions to Hester and Daniel with the history of Bel and the Dragon which Saint Jerome termeth a fable to bee received for Canonicall Scripture before the said Session in the yeere above named 20 Nor for the twelve new articles which Pope Pius the fourth injoyned all professors to sweare unto before the end of the Conventicle held at Trent in the yeere 1564. Thus by occasion of the occasion of my text the old heresie sprang up in Corinth against the eleventh article of our creede I have cast a bone or two to those of the Synagogue of Rome to gnaw upon who usually creepe into these great assemblies to catch at our doctrine and snarle at Gods Minister and now I wholly addresse my selfe to give the children of the Church their bread made of the first fruits in my text But now The verse immedately going before is to this in hand as a darke foyle to a bright precious stone and thus it setteth it off If in this life only we have hope in Christ then we Apostles the chiefe labourers in the Lords harvest are but as weeds nay no better than the world esteemes us that is very dung and the off-scowring of all things But now through hope in Christs resurrection by vertue thereof we are as fruits yea holy fruits sanctified in the first fruits which is Christ If there be no resurrection from the dead all our hope is dead and withered at the root all our preaching false your faith vaine your justification void the dead in Christ utterly lost But now that Christ is risen from the dead and so risen that hee is become the first fruits of all that sleepe in him our hope is revived our preaching justified your faith confirmed your remission ratified the dead but onely fallen asleepe and our condition most desirable For the greater persecution we suffer for Christs sake the greater reward wee shall receive from him the heavier our crosse is on earth the weightier shall our crowne bee in heaven But the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or but is remarkable for it turneth the streame of the Apostles discourse towards Paradise which before like Jordan was running apace into mare mortuum If no resurrection wee of all men most miserable But because there is a resurrection wee most happy The skie is darkest immediately before the breake of day such was the face of the Church before the rising of the sunne of righteousnesse All the starres save one were overcast or rather darkened In q Alâ—â—art 3. q. ult 〈◊〉 Turrâ—â— l. 1. de ecclesâ—â—â— memory whereof the Church of Rome on Easter Eeve puts out all the lights save one to signifie that faith then remained onely in the blessed virgin in all other as well Apostles as Disciples it was eclipsed for the time The life of their hope dyed with their Master and all the hope of their life was buried in his grave Which when they saw guarded and a great stone rowled to the mouth of it their hearts were as cold as a stone But in the proper season of this now in my text the Angel removed that stone from the sepulchre and this from their heart and sitting upon that made it as Chrysologus speaketh a chaire of celestiall doctrine and out of it preached the first part of my text Christ is risen from the dead upon which the Apostle paraphrasing saith is become the first fruits of them that slept Christ is risen from the dead there is the letter of our Creed and is become the first fruits of them that slept there is as it were the flourishing
they are zealous without discretion some have salt but want fire they are discreet but without zeale The Papists have fire fervent zeale but they want salt direction from Gods word and judgement to discerne betweene reasonable service and will-worship and for want of this salt their devotions are tainted with much superstition The conformable Protestant hath store of salt wholsome directions from Gods word to season his spirituall sacrifices but doth hee not want fire is hee as zealous for Christ as the other is for Anti-christ doth hee contribute as freely to the pure worship of God as the other doth to the garish service of the Masse are his eyes as often fixed on Christ in heaven as the others are on his crucifixe doth hee keepe the Lords day as strictly as the other doth our Ladies and other Saints Although the Papist hath no command for hallowing any day to Saints especially such as wee finde in the Romane Kalendar wee have both the command of God and the injunctions of the Church to devote this day n Homily of the time and place of prayer wholly to the service of God yet how many Clients on this day besiege your doores when you and wee all should bee Clients onely unto God Should God deale so with us in our portion of time on the weeke-dayes as wee deale with him in his should hee restraine the light of the sunne and take away so many houres from every day in the weeke as wee defaulk from his service on this day what darkenesse what out-cryes what horrour what confusion would bee in all the world When o Xen Cyr. paed l. 2. Cyrus was young Sacas was appointed by his Grandfather to bee his moderatour both in his diet recreations and all expence of time but when hee grew riper in yeeres hee became a Sacas to himselfe and tooke not so much liberty as Sacas would have given him Where the law seemeth too laxe there every man ought to bee a Sacas to himselfe and for the health of his soule forbeare something that is permitted to the recreation of his body Againe those who are of the stricter and preciser sort have fire in their invectives against Popery in their reproofe of sinne and their voluntary and extemporary devotions but they want many a graine of salt and therefore offer often times with Nadab and Abihu strange fire upon Gods altar they distinguish not betweene Episcopall Hierarchy and Papall tyranny superstitious rites and comely ceremonies decent ornaments and meretricious painting of Christs spouse They are alwayes Boanerges and seldome or never Barnabasses alwayes Sons of thunder and seldome or never Sons of consolation And when they are Sonnes of thunder and cast forth their lightning it is not like the lightning whereof p Plin. nat hist c. 51. l. 2. Martia gravida icta partu exanimato vixit Pliny writeth which killed Martia's childe in her wombe but hurt not her at all that is destroy sinne in the conscience but no way hurt the person in his reputation but contrariwise they blast the person but kill not the sin Their prayers are all fiery indeed burning with zeale and therein commendable but for want of salt of discretion they make all things fuell for this sacred fire like fire their devotion keeps within no bounds As the ringing so the praying now adayes in request is all upon the changes the round of a set forme is utterly despised and as ringers in the changes so these in their extemporary orisons goe up and downe backward and forward are often at a stand use vaine q Mat. 6.7 repetitions prohibited by our Saviour and by clashing phrases as the Apostle speaketh make r 1 Tim. 1.6 vaine janglings Suffer I beseech you yet one word of exhortation it shall bee but a Monosyllable sal we live in a most t Juven sat 1. Et quando uberior vitiorum copia quando major avaritiae patuit sinus c Nil erit ulterius quod nostris moribus addat Posteritas corrupt age and therefore never more need of salt than now Et vos est is sal you are the salt of the commonwealth as wee of the Church si sal infatuatus fuerit if the salt grow unsavoury through the corruption of heresie bribery simony or vitious living quo salietur wherewith shall it be seasoned I hope it is not so I pray God it bee never so but that wee may bee alwayes like pure and wholsome salt preserving our selves and others from corruption The good will of him who appeared in the fiery bush salt our persons with the fire of the Word Spirit and seasonable Afflictions and season our sacrifices with the salt of faith and discretion that God may have alwayes respect to us and our sacrifice for the merits of Christs infinite sacrifice offered on the Altar of the Crosse To whom c. THE SPIRITUALL BETHESDA A Sermon preached at a Christening in Lambeth Church the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury and the Lord Duke of Buckingham being God-Fathers October 29. Anno Dom. 1619. THE SIXTEENTH SERMON MARKE 1.9 And it came to passe in those dayes that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized of John in Jordan BEing to treate of a subject agreeable to the occasion of our present meeting I have made choice of this Scripture representing unto us the baptisme and if I may so speake the christening of Christ himselfe 1 Because the baptisme of Christ here related by the Evangelist cleansed the holy Font and sanctified the river Jordan and other waters to the spirituall ablution of the soule and fetching out of stains and spots out of the conscience not by the infusion of any supernaturall quality into the water but by annexing a gratious promise to the religious use of the element according to his ordinance For to this end especially as Saint a Aug. Ser. de temp 30. Non ut sibi munditiem acquireret sed ut nobis fluenta purgaret Austine observeth our Saviour would bee baptized To sanctifie the Font in himselfe not to cleanse himselfe in the Font. In which respect wee may rightly tearme Christ his baptisme baptisma baptismatis the christening of baptisme it selfe in as much as our Lord by the descending into the water raised it above it's owne pitch and of a corporall Bath made it a spirituall Laver of an earthly Element an heavenly Sacrament and this I take to bee the riches which that holy Father saith Christ put into the river Jordan in like manner as the Geographers report that the Indians yeerely throw in a great masse of gold and silver into the river Ganges Christs body saith hee b Aug. ser 1. de Epiph. Attactu corpora tinguntur fluenta ditantur vitalemque gratiam non corpus ex flumine sed flumen mutuatur ex corpore was washed and the streame thereby was enriched the body received not vertue from the water but the water from
faire havens in heaven let us perfectly learne our way and all points of the Compasse and carefully steere by the Card of Gods Word and keepe in the streight and middle way of Gods commandements neither declining to the right hand nor to the left 6. Sixtly doth Satan play the crafty Merchant and cheate us with counterfeit stones for jewels with shewes of vertues for true graces let us also imitate the wisedome of Merchants who will bee perfect Lapidaries before they deale in pearles and pretious stones let us study the difference between true and seeming graces and pray continually to God that we may abound more and more in knowledge and in all judgement that wee may bee able to discerne things that differ and try Spirits whether they are of God or no. 7. Lastly doth Satan play the temporizer and time all his suggestions let us also in a pious sense be time-servers let us performe all holy duties in the fittest season let us omit no opportunity of doing good let us take advantage of all occasions to glorifie God and helpe on our eternall salvation If wee heare a bell toll let us meditate on our end and pray for the sicke lying at Gods mercy if wee see an execution let us meditate on our frailty and reflecting upon our owne as grievous sinnes though not comming within the walke of mans justice have compassion on our brother if wee see Lazarus lying in the street let us meditate upon the sores of our conscience and our poverty in spirituall graces and extend our charity to him finally sith wee know at what time Satan most assaulteth us let us be best provided at those times especially at the houre of our death let us follow the advice of Seneca though a Heathen r Sen. ep 2. Quotidiè aliquid adversus mortem auxilii compara cum multa percurreris unum excerpe quod illo die concoquas lay up store for that day every day gather one flower of Paradise at least that even when the fatall houre is come and the stench of death and rottennesse is in our nostrils we may have a posie by us in which wee may smell a savour of life unto life which God grant c. SERMONS PREACHED AT SAINT PAULSCROSSE OR IN THE CHURCH THE BELOVED DISCIPLE THE XXX SERMON JOH 21. 20. The Disciple whom Jesus loved which also leaned on his breast at Supper IF wee must abstaine from all appearance of evill in our civill conversation much more certainly in our religious devotion For God is most jealous of his honour which is all he hath from us for all we hold of him Praef. Apolog. fest eccles and the streight rule of religion will in no wise bend to any obliquity on either side either by attributing any true worship to a false or any false worship to the true God From both which aspersions hee that seeth not the Liturgy established by law in the Church of England to bee most cleare and free either is short-sighted or looketh on her through a foule paire of spectacles and thereby ignorantly imagineth that dust to bee in her sacred Canons and Constitutions which indeed is not in them but sticketh in his glassie eyes let him but rub his spectacles and he shall see all faire and without any the least deformity or filth of superstition as well in the Service appointed for the Lords day as for the Saints feasts For though wee adorne our Calendar with the names of some eminent Saints and make honourable mention of them in our Liturgy as the ancient Church did of her Martyrs a Austin de civ Dei l. 22. c. 10. non tamen invocamus yet wee call not upon them wee lift not up our hands wee bow not our knees wee present not our offerings wee direct not our prayers wee intend not any part of religious worship to them sed uni Deo martyrum nostrum but to their God and ours as Saint Austine answereth for the practice of the Church in his time Which may serve as a buckler to beare off all those poysonous darts of calumny which those of the concision cast at that part of our Church-service wherein upon the yeerly returne of the Feast of the blessed Virgin the Archangell Apostles Evangelists Protomartyr Innocents and All-holy-ones wee remember the Saints of God but in no wise make Gods of Saints sanctificamus Deum non deificamus Sanctos wee blesse God for them wee worship not them for God Although our devotion glanceth by their names yet it pitcheth and is fixed upon the Angel of the covenant and sanctum sanctorum the holy of all holy ones our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ On the blessed Virgins anniversary wee honour him in his Mother on Saint John Baptists wee honour him in his forerunner on Saint Michaels we honour him in his Archangel the Captaine of his celestiall squadron on the Apostles wee honour him in his Ambassadours on the Evangelists wee honour him in his Chroniclers on Saint Stevens wee honour him in his Martyr on S. John the Divine his day wee honour him in his beloved Disciple who also leaned on his breast at Supper 1 The Disciple 2 The Disciple beloved 3 Beloved of Jesus 4 In Jesus bosome All Christians are not Disciples this is the Disciple all the Disciples were not beloved this is the beloved Disciple all that are beloved are not beloved of Jesus this is he whom Jesus loved lastly all whom Jesus loved were not so familiar with him or neare unto him that they leaned on his breast this was his bosome friend and as the text saith at supper leaned on his breast Every word is here a beame and every beame is reflected and every reflection is an intention of the heat of Christs affection to Saint John Divis 1 A Disciple there is the beame 2 Ille the or that Disciple there is the reflection 1 Beloved there is the beame 2 Beloved of Jesus there is the reflection 1 Leaning there is the beame 2 Leaning on his breast there is the reflection It is a great honour to bee a Disciple but a greater to bee the Disciple a great honour to bee beloved a greater to bee beloved of Jesus a great honour to leane on such a personage a greater to leane on his breast Thus I might with an exact division cut the bread of life but I choose rather after the manner of our Saviour to breake it and that into three pieces onely viz. John his 1 Calling in Christ 2 Favour with Christ 3 Nearenesse unto Christ 1 His calling in Christ The Disciple 2 His grace and favour with Christ whom Jesus loved 3 His nearenesse unto Christ who also leaned on his breast The Disciple The Spouse in the Canticles setting out her husband in his proper colours saith b Cant. 5.10 My beloved is white and ruddy that is of admirable and perfect beauty or white in the purity of his conversation and
the writer of them such was the story of Genesis before the Floud whereof Moses could bee no otherwise infallibly enformed than by Gods revealing them unto him 2. Of things to come which is properly termed prophecy and this may be either 1. By instinct when men or women fore-tell things to come not knowing the certainty or being fully perswaded of the things themselves 2. Per raptum or ravishing of Spirit when they fore-tell such things whereof they are infallibly assured either 1. By voice as Moses was 2. By dreame as Daniel 3. By vision as Esay Ezekiel Zechary and other Prophets By instinct I am easily induced to beleeve that many especially before their death may fore-tell many things that come to passe shortly after and I deny not but some also may per raptum as I am perswaded John Hus did before his martyrdome in those words which are stampt in the coyne of those dayes yet to be seen Centum revolutis annis respondebitis Deo mihi after a hundred yeeres you shall bee called to an accompt for these things about which time they were openly challenged for them by Martin Luther and other zealous Reformers Yet are wee not to build our Christian faith upon any prophesies save those only which holy men have set downe in Scripture as they were guided by the holy Ghost Among which this is to bee ranked which Saint John received not from man or Angel but from e Cap. 1. V. 9 10. Jesus Christ not per instinctum but per raptum as himselfe testifieth I John which also am your brother and companion in tribulation and in the kingdome and patience of Jesus Christ was in the Isle of Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ I was in the spirit on the Lords day and heard behind mee a great voice as of a Trumpet Note wee herein that Saint John received this revelation in his exile or banishment to teach us that Gods servants may be banished out of their native soyle and the Court of Princes but not out of the Catholicke Church or the presence of God Secondly Saint John received this prophesie as he was in the spirit to intimate unto us that this booke is of a spirituall interpretation Thirdly he received it on the Lords day to lesson us that God most blesseth our meditations on this day and that they must bee at peace with him and free from worldly cares and businesse who expect revelations from him For the title of the booke of Apocalypse or Revelation it is taken either from the manner whereby it came to Saint John before mentioned or from the matter herein contained which is mysticall hidden and for the most part of things future very obscure before the event and issue manifest them not from Saint Johns manner of expressing them for that for the most part is very intricate For as Plato sometimes spake of an obscure example Exemplum O hospes eget exemplo You had need to illustrate your example by another example so of all the bookes in Scripture the booke of Revelation most needs a revelation and cleare exposition in which as Saint Jerome hath observed Quot verba tot Sacramenta there are neere as many mysteries and figures and aenigmaticall expressions as words for this is the booke spoken of in this booke f Apoc. 5.1 sealed with seven seales answerable to the seven letters enclosed in it directed to the seven Churches of Asia to Ephesus Smyrna Sardis Pergamus Philadelphia Laodicea and Thyatira which names are as it were a small table and short draught of the lineaments of these Churches As Irenaeus his peaceable temper and Lactantius his milkie veine and Eusebius his piety and Chrysostomes golden mouth and contrariwise Jacobs subtilty and Edoms cruelty and Nabals folly and Seneca his end Se necans and Protesilaus his destiny were written in their names g Ovid. ep Protesilae tibi nomen sic fata dedêre victima quod Troiae prima futurus eras so the speciall and most noted vertues and vices in these Churches may bee read by the learned in the Greeke tongue in their names I dare not affirme that the holy Ghost either imposed or made choice of these names to intimate any such thing especially because these names were given to these Cities before they gave their names to Christ Neither doe we reade that these names at the first were put upon these Townes by men endued with a Propheticall spirit but by their Heathen Founders or Governours yet is the correspondency between these names and the condition of these Churches at the time when Saint John as Christ his amanuensis wrote these letters to them very remarkable and they may serve the learned as places in artificiall memory to fixe the character of these Churches in them 1. By the name Ephesus so termed quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying remission or slacking they may bee put in minde of slacking or back-sliding wherewith the Spirit upbraideth this Church h Cap. 2. Ver. 4. Thou hast left thy first love remember whence thou art fallen and repent 2. By the name Smyrna signifying lacrymam myrrhae the dropping or teares of myrrhe they may be put in mind of the i Ver. 10. cup of teares which this Angel was to drinke Yee shall have great tribulation for ten dayes 3. By the name Pergamus quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying beyond or out of the bounds of marriage they may be put in mind of the Nicolaitans abounding in this Church who were great abusers of k Ver. 15. marriage Thou hast them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans which thing I hate 4. By the name Sardis quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying fleshly they may be put in minde of many in this Church that were l Cap. 3. Ver. 4. fleshly given for as we reade This Angel had but a few names which had not defiled their garments 5. By the name Philadelphia signifying brotherly love they may bee put in minde of this vertue whose proper worke it is to cover multitude of sinnes which because it was eminent in many of this Church the Spirit covereth all her infirmities and rebuketh her openly for nothing but contrariwise commendeth her and promiseth because she m Ca. 3. Ver. 10. had kept the word of his patience to keep her from the houre of temptation 6. By the name Laodicea quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying the righteousnesse or customes of the people they may bee put in minde of the condition of the common sort in this Church and else-where who are well conceited of themselves though God knowes for little cause they imagine that they are very forward in the way that leades to eternall life that they are rich and encreased with goods and have need of nothing when indeed in their spirituall estate they are
ardebat cor vestrûm in vobis cùm exponeret vobis Scripturas The second jewel was a Saphir according to the Hebrew derivation from Sepher a booke wherein we may reade both the doctrine and graces of the second Speaker Hic lapis ut perhibent educit corpore vinctos saith Vincentius and was not his doctrine a Jayle-delivery of all deaths prisoners It is a constant tradition among the Rabbins that the tables of stone Bellar. l. 2. de Verb. Dei wherein the ten Commandements were written with the finger of God were of Saphir For although Pliny affirmeth Nat. hist l. 37. that the Saphir is a stone altogether unfit for sculpture yet this can be no just exception against this tradition sith the engraving of the ten Commandements was done by the finger of God above nature Moreover it is cleare out of this Text that the name of one of the Patriarchs was written in the Saphir Such a Saphir was the second Speaker having the Lawes of God imprinted in his heart The third jewell is a Diamond in Hebrew called Jahalom because it breaketh all other stones in Greek Adamas that is unconquerable because it can neither be broken by the hammer nor consumed in the fire nay the fire saith Zenocrates hath not so much power as to stain the colour much lesse impeach the substance of this stone Call to mind among the vertues of a Magistrate conspicuous in this divine Oratour his unconquerable courage unstained integrity and the comparison is already made Pliny reporteth Adamantem sideritem alio Adamante perforari thinke you not that if a man could have a heart as hard as the Adamant this Adamant pointed with sacred eloquence could breake it and make it contrite Lastly Pliny addeth that the Diamond is a soveraign remedy against poyson Et ideò regibus charissimus iisque paucis cognitus in high esteem with Princes if as our gracious Soveraigne hath so all Christian Princes had such Diamonds as this if such Preachers were their eare-rings they should be free from the danger of all poysoned and hereticall doctrine If as the stones placed in the second row agree with the gifts of the Speaker so they sort as well with the doctrines of his Text I am sure you wil all say that this second order of stones is not out of order A most remarkable story of the Carbuncle we have that cast in the fire among live coals it seemeth to have no grace in it but quench the other coals with water it shineth more gloriously in the ashes than ever before so our Saviour in the brunt of his passion while he was heat by the fire-brands of hell Scribes Pharisees Jewes Romans seemed to be dead and lose all his colour beauty nay was indeed dead according to his humane nature his soule being severed from his body but after the consummation of his passion and the extinction of the fiery rage of his persecuters with his bloud in his resurrection he shewed himself a most glorious Carbuncle shining in majesty burning in love After his resurrection in the day of his ascension hee taketh possession of his throne in heaven which Chap. 1. V. 26. in Ezekiel is said to bee like a Saphir stone now sitting at the right hand of God the Father having conquered sin death hell made all his enemies his footstoole he is become the only true orient Diamond in the world whether you take the name from the Greek ἄδαμασ ab ά δαμαω or the Hebrew ×להי from ×לה being invincible himselfe and overcomming all adverse power breaking his obstinate enemies in pieces like a potters vessell with a rod of iron The embossment of gold in which these gems of divine doctrine were set was his Text taken out of A Sermon preached by Doctor John King then Dean of Christ-Church and Vicechancellor of the University of Oxford afterwards Lord Bishop of London upon Easter day in Saint Peters Church in Oxford ESAY 26.19 Thy dead men shall live together with my body shall they rise awake and sing yee that dwell in dust for the dew is as the dew of herbes and the earth shall cast up her dead IT would aske the labour of an houre to settle this one only member I finde such a Babel of tongues at odds about so few words Variae lectiones Whereas we reade terra projiciet or ejiciet the earth shall cast up or bring forth as it doth her herbs and winter prisoners Junius hath Dejecisti in terram Castalio terram demoliris the Seventy Terra cadet S. Jerome Dejicies in terram the Chaldee paraphrase Trades in infernum and for mortuos in Hebrew * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rephaim from a word signifying to cure per antiphrasin the Seventy reade 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the wicked or ungodly S. Jerome Gigantes stout and robustious against God But to set you in a right and inoffensive way I reduce almost an infinity of distractions to two heads For all of them either speak of the resurrection of the dead indefinitely which they doe that say Terra ejiciet to wit postquam in terram dejecisti For the earth cannot cast up that it hath not and Manium terram demoliris or of the destruction of the wicked one only species of the dead which the Seventy call impios others Giants mighty to transgresse both senses as the Northern and Southern rivers running from contrary points meet in the Ocean so these from sundry and discrepant conceits run into one common place of the generall resurrection save that the latter adde a straine to the former of Gods vengeance and wrath prepared for the wicked Sense twofold Thus having set the letters of my Text together accorded the words it remaineth that their scope and intent be freed from question There is not one of the learned Scribes old or new Jew or Christian whose spirit and pen hath not fallen upon one of these two senses viz. that the Prophet either speaketh of the resurrection of the dead at the last day or of the restitution and enlargement of the people from their present straights in which say they calamity is a kind of death captivity as the grave Gods people as the seed in the ground Gods grace and favour as the comfortable dew to revive and restore them to their wonted being Of these two companies some goe after the literall grammaticall sense lending not so much as the cast of their eye toward the allegory as Strigelius Clarius Brentius Others on the other side of the banke standing for the shadowed resurrection are not so peremptory but si quis aliter sentire mavult per me liber hoc faciat and Calvin himself in his commentary layes out as it were a lot as well for the true as the typicall resurrection Falluntur Christiani qui ad extremum judicium restringunt Prophetatotum Christi regnum ab initio ad finem
ordinary Priests and Chemarims who were a peculiar order differing from the rest by their blacke habit so the Romish Clergie is evidently divided into ordinary Priests and Monks and Jesuites whose coat is of the same colour with Baals Chemarims 6. As the Priests of Baal used vaine repetitions of the name of their God in their prayers crying O Baal heare us Baal heare us c. so doe Papists in their Jesus and Ladies Psalters much more often repeat the name of Jesus and our Lady and which I never read of the Baalites they put a kind of religion in the number For yee shall reade in the Churches as yee passe by many hundred nay thousand yeeres of pardons liberally offered to all that devoutly say over so many Pater nosters or Ave Maries before such an Altar or Picture 7. As the Priests of Baal used many strange gestures at their Altars mentioned ver 26. so doe these at theirs and some more ridiculous than those of the Baalites 8. As the Priests of Baal cut themselves with knives and launcers till the bloud gushed out in great abundance so these at their solemne processions whip themselves till they are all bloudy These things being so is it possible that there should be any that have given their names to Christ and partake with us in the mysteries of salvation and seed at our Lords board should yet bow the knee to the Romish Baal and so fall within the stroake of Elijahs reproofe How long halt yee between two opinions Should wee not much wrong our reformed Church to surmise there should be any of her members subject to the infirmity or rather deformity of the Israelites here taxed by the Prophet Had they no meanes this sixty yeeres to strengthen the sinewes of their faith and cure their halting Are there any that follow Baalim or to speake more properly insist in the steps of Balaam and for the wages of unrighteousnesse will as much as in them lyeth curse those whom God hath blessed Are there any that lispe in the language of Canaan and speake plaine in the language of Ashdod frame and maintaine such opinions and tenets as like the ancient Tragedian Buskin which served indifferently for either foot left as well as right so these as passable in Rome as Geneva If there be any such I need not apply to them this reprehension of my Prophet How long halt yee between two opinions The dumbe beast and used to the yoke hath long agoe reproved the madnesse of such Prophets But I would that this larum of Elijah still rung in the eare of some of our great Statists About this time Doctor Carier who came over Chaplaine with the Lord Wotton preached a scandalous Sermon in Paris at Luxenburg house and not long after reconciled himselfe to the Romish Church and miscarrying first in his religion after in his hope of great preferments by the Cardinall Perons meanes in great discontent ended his wretched dayes who in the height of their policy over-reach their Religion and keep it so in awe that it shall not quatch against any of their projects for the raising their fortunes or put them to any trouble danger or inconvenience For as the Heliotropium turneth alwayes to the Sunne so they their opinions and practice in matter of Religion to the prevalent faction in State As the cunning Artizan in Macrobius about the time of the civill warre between Anthony and Augustus Caesar had two Crowes and with great labour and industry he taught one of them to say Salve Antoni Imperator God save Emperour Anthony and the other Salve Auguste Imperator All haile my Liege Augustus and thereby howsoever the world went he had a bird for the Conquerour so these if the reformed Religion prevaile their birds note is Ave Christe spes unica but if Popery be like to get the upper hand they have a bird then that can sing Ave Maria. Strange it is â—hat in the cleare light of the Gospel wee should see so many Batts flying which a man cannot tell what to make of whether birds or mice They are Zoophytes plant-animals like the wonderfull sheep in Muscovie Epicens amphibia animalia creatures that sometimes live in the water and sometimes on the land monsters bred of unlawfull conjunctions which should not see light If the image of this vice be so horrid and odious in nature what shall wee judge of the vice it selfe in religion I am sure God can better away with any sort of sinners than these for these he threatneth to spew out of his mouth To close up all My Beloved as yee tender the salvation of body and soule take heed of this Laodicean temper in religion if ye ever looke to be saved by your religion yee must save and preserve it entire and unmixed Take heed how ye familiarly converse with the Priests and Chemarims of Baal lest they draw you away from the living God to dumb dead Idols By no meanes bee brought to bow the knee to Baal or give any shew or countenance to idolatrous worship for God is a jealous God and will not give any part of his glory to graven Images Now the Lord who of his infinite mercy hath vouchsafed unto us the liberty of the Gospel and free preaching of his Word give a speciall blessing to that portion which hath been delivered to us at this present plant hee the true Religion in our hearts and daily water it both by hearing and reading his Word and meditating thereupon that it may bring forth plentifull fruit of righteousnesse in us all strengthen he the sinewes of our faith that we never halt between two opinions enflame he our zeale that we be never cold or lukewarme in the truth but in our understanding being rightly enformed and fully resolved of the orthodoxe faith we may in the whole course of our life be conformed to it reformed by it zealous for it and constant in it to death and so receive the crowne of life through Jesus Christ Cui cum Patre Spiritu sancto c. Amen Ambodexters Ambosinisters Or One God one true Religion THE LIX SERMON 1 KIN. 18.21 If the Lord be God follow him but if Baal then follow him Right Honourable c. NOt to suspect your memorie or wrong your patience by any needlesse repetition of what hath beene formerly observed out of the whole text joyntly or the parts severally considered the drift of the Prophet Elijah in this sprightly reproofe is to excite the King Nobles and Commons of Israel to resolution and zeale in the true and only worship of the true and only God and agreeably to this his maine scope and end hee bendeth all his strength and forces against those vices that bid battaile as it were to the former vertues These are two 1. Wavering unsettlednesse opposite to resolution 2. Timorous luke-warmnesse the sworne enemie to zeale To displace and utterly overthrow them and establish the contrarie
lately celebrated with a fit antheme Thou hast ascended up on high thou hast led captivitie captive the later may supply this present thou hast received gifts for men yea for the rebellious also that the Lord God may dwell among them Blessed be the Lord who daily loadeth us with benefits even the God of our salvation for on this day Christ received gifts for his Church the gifts of faith hope and charitie the gift of prayer and supplication the gift of healing and miracles the gift of prophecie the gift of tongues and the interpretation thereof Verily so many and so great are the benefits which the anniversary returne of this day presenteth to us that as if all the tongues upon the earth had not beene sufficient to utter them a supply of new tongues was sent from heaven to declare them in all languages The new Testament was drawne before and signed with Christs bloud on good Friday but c Ephes 4.30 Grieve not the holy spirit of God whereby yee are sealed to the day of redemption sealed first on this day by the holy spirit of God Christ made his last Will upon the crosse and thereby bequeathed unto us many faire legacies but this Will was not d 1 Cor. 12.4 5 8. There are differences of administrations but the same Lord and diversitie of gifts but the same spirit For to one is given by the same spirit the word of wisdome unto another the word of knowledge by the same spirit administred till this day for the e And 2 Cor. 3.8 How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious ministration is of the spirit Yea but had not the Apostles the spirit before this day did not our Lord breathe on them John 20.22 the day he rose at evening being the first day of the weeke saying Receive yee the holy Ghost The learned answer that they had indeed the spirit before but not in such a measure the holy Ghost was given before according to some ghostly power and invisible grace but was never sent before in a visible manner before they received him in breath now in fire before hee was f Calv. in Act Anteà respersi erant nunc plenè imbuti sprinkled but now powred on them before they received 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 before authority to discharge their function but now power to worke wonders before they had the smell now the substance g Aug. hom de Pent. Nunc ipsa substantia sacri defluxit unguenti cujus fragrantia totius orbis latitudo impleretur iterum adfuit hoc die fidelibus non per gratiam visitationis operationis sed per praesentiam majestatis of the celestiall oyntment was shed on them they heard of him before but now they saw and felt him 1. In their minds by infallible direction 2. In their tongues by the multiplicity of languages 3. In their hands by miraculous cures S. Austine truly observeth that before the Apostles on this day were indued with power from above they never strove for the Christian faith unto bloud when Satan winnowed them at Christs passion they all flew away like chaffe And though S. Peters faith failed not because it was supported by our Lords prayer Luke 22.32 yet his courage failed him in such sort that he was foyled by a silly damsell but after the holy Ghost descended upon him and the rest of the Apostles in the sound of a mightie rushing wind and in the likenesse of fierie cloven tongues they were filled with grace and enflamed with zeale and they mightily opposed all the enemies of the truth and made an open and noble profession thereof before the greatest Potentates of the world and sealed it with their bloud all of them save S. John who had that priviledge that hee should stay till Christ came glorifying the Lord of life by their valiant suffering of death for his names sake In regard of which manifold and powerfull effâ—cts of sending the spirit on this day which were no lesse seene in the flames of the Martyrs than in the fiery tongues that lighted on the Apostles the Church of Christ even from the beginning celebrated this festivity in most solemne manner and not so onely but within 300. yeares after Christs death the Fathers in the Councels of h Concil Elib c. 43. Cuncti diem Pentecostes celebrent qui non fecerit quasi novam heresem induxerit pumatur Eliberis mounted a canon thundring out the paine of heresie to all such as religiously kept it not If the Jewes celebrated an high feast in memory of the Law on this day first proclaimed on mount Sinai ought not we much more to solemnize it in memory of the Gospel now promulgated on mount Sion by new tongues sent from heaven If we dediâ—â—â— peculiar festivals to God the Father the Creatour and God the Sonne the Redeemer why should not God the holy Ghost the Sanctifier have a peculiar interest in our devotion S. i Serm. in die Pent. Si celebramus sanctorum solennia quanto magis ejus à quo habuerunt ut sancti essent quotquot fuerunt sancti si veneramur sanctificatos quanto magis sanctificatorem Bernard addeth another twist to this cord If we deservedly honour Saints with festivals how much more ought wee to honour him who maketh them Saints especially having so good a ground for it as is laid downe in this chapter and verse And when the day of Pentecost was come As a prologue to an act or an eeve to an holy day or the Parascheve to the Passeover or the beautifull gate to the Temple so is this preface to the ensuing narration it presenteth to our religious thoughts a three-fold concurrence 1. Of time 2. Of place 3. Of affections Upon one and the selfe same day when all the Apostles were met in one place and were of one minde the spirit of unity and love descendeth upon them Complementum legis Christus Evangelii spiritus As the descending of the Sonne was the complement of the Law so the sending of the spirit is the complement of the Gospel and as God sent his Sonne in the fulnesse of time so he sent the spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the fulnesse of the fiftieth day When the Apostles number was full and their desire and expectations full then the spirit came downe and filled their hearts with joy and their tongues with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Magnifica Dei facta the wonderfull works of God vers 11. That your thoughts rove not at uncertainties may it please you to pitch them upon foure circumstances 1. The time when 2. The persons who They. 3. The affection or disposition were with one accord 4. The place in one place 1. The time was solemne the day of Pentecost 2. The persons eminent the Apostles 3. Their disposition agreeable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 4. The place convenient in an
ceaseth to offer up prayers to God with strong cries till hee be eased of them Are wee such bruised reeds We often in stead of denying ungodlinesse and worldly lusts have with Peter denied our Master but doe wee weep bitterly with him and as hee whensoever hee heard the Cocke crow after the deniall of his Master fell on weeping afresh so doe the wounds of our consciences bleed afresh at the sight of every object and hearing of every sound which puts us in mind of our crimson sinnes We have polluted our beds with David but doe wee cleanse them as he did doe wee make our couches to swimme with teares of repentance Wee have intertained with Mary Magdalen many soule sinnes like so many uncleane spirits but have wee broken a boxe of precious oyntment upon Christs head or kneeled downe and washed his feet with our teares If wee have done so then are we bruised reeds indeed and shall not be broken but if otherwayes wee be not bruised in heart for our sinnes and breake them off by mature repentance wee shall bee either broken for them by sore chastisements in this world or which is worst of all like unfruitfull and rotten trees be reserved to be fuell for Hell fire But because the bruised reed was the measure of my former discourse I will now fall to blow the smoaking flaxe which Christ will not quench To quench the light especially the light of the spirit in our hearts seemeth to bee a worke of darknesse how then may it bee ascribed to the Father of lights or what meaneth the Prophet to deny that Christ will doe that which is so repugnant to his nature that if he would he could not doe it Religiously learned antiquity hath long ago assoyled this doubt teaching us that God quencheth as he hardneth Non infundendo malitiam sed subducendo gratiam not by pouring on any thing like water to quench the flame but by taking away that oyly moisture which nourisheth it Our daily experience sheweth us that a lampe or candle may bee extinguished three manner of wayes at least 1. By a violent puffe of winde 2. By the ill condition of the weeke indisposed to burne 3. By want of waxe or defect of oyle to feed it Even so the light of the Spirit may be quenched in us by three meanes either by a violent temptation of the evill spirit as it were a puffe of wind or by the inbred corruption of our nature repelling grace which fitly resembleth the indisposition of the week to take fire or keep in it the flame or lastly by subtraction of divine grace which is the oyle or sweet waxe that maintaineth this light By the first meanes the Divell by the second man himselfe by the third God quencheth the light of the spirit in them who love darknesse more than light but such are not those who in my Text are compared to smoaking flaxe For though they have small light of knowledge to shine to others yet they have heat of devotion burning in themselves Hil. In haec verba igniculum fidei concipientes quadam dilectione cum carne juxta fumantes quos Christus non extinxit sed incendit in iis ignem perfectae charitatis they are such saith St. Hilary Who conceiving in themselves a small sparke of faith because they are in part still flesh burne not cleerly but as it were smoakily whom Christ will not quench but kindle in them the fire of perfect charity St. * Greg. in Evan. Dom. Quod sacerdotes lineis uterentur vestibus Gregory by smoaking flaxe understandeth the Aaronicall Priesthood now dimly burning and ready to go out he thinketh the flaxe to have some reference to the Priests linnen garments made of it Tertullian paraphraseth the smoaking flaxe Momentaneum gentium fervorem The momentary fervour of the Gentiles in whom the light of nature by sinfull filthinesse being extinct exhaleth most pestiferous fumes of noysome lusts St. a Chrysost in Matth. ca. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysostome and St. Austin through the smoake discerne the Scribes and Pharisees and other enemies of Christ their envie and malice which soultred within them but brake not out into an open flame Whom Christ quenched not that is destroyed not though he could have as easily done it as breake a reed already bruised or tread out a stinking snuffe cast upon the ground But these expositions in the judgement of later Divines seem either constrained and forced or at the lest too much restrained and narrow They therfore extend the meaning of them to all weak Christians either newly converted or relapsed b Pintus In quibus tamen relucet aliquid bonae spei c Junius Scintilla aliqua pietatis veluti moribunda d Aquinas Tepidi ad opus bonum habentes tamen aliquid gratiae e Arboreus Extinctioni vicini f Guilliandus Qui sceleribus gravissimis seu fumo quodam oculos bonorum offendunt veluti foetore corruptae famae mores piorum infestant Breathing out bitter fumes for their sinnes offending the godly with the ill savour of their lives luke-warm to good workes neere extinction in whom yet remaines some light of faith and hope though very obscure some warmth of charity some sparke of grace Comfort then O comfort the fainting spirits and cheare up the drouping conscience say to the bruised reed that is now unfit to make a pipe to sound or a cane to write the praises of God thou shalt not be broken and to the smoaking flaxe which gives but a very dimme light and with the fume offendeth the eyes of the godly and with the stench their noses thou shalt not bee quenched Nothing is so easie as to breake a reed already bruised the least weight doth it nothing so facile as to quench smoaking flaxe the least touch doth it yet so milde was our Saviour that he never brake the one nor quenched the other The flaxe or weeke smoaketh either before it is fully kindled or after it is blowne out If we consider it in the first condition the morall or spirituall meaning of the Text is that Christ cherisheth the weake endeavours and small beginnings of grace in his children For we must know that in our first conversion the measure of grace is but small in us and mixt with much corruption which if Christ should quench there would be found never a cleere burning lampe in his Church but hee most graciously preserveth it and augmenteth it because it is a sparke from heaven kindled by his owne spirit and it much illustrateth his glory to keep it from going out notwithstanding the indisposition of the weeke to burne and continuall blasts of temptation ready to blow it out I said in my haste quoth David I am cast out of thy sight there is smoake in the flaxe Psal 31.22 yet was not the flaxe quenched for he addeth yet thou heardest the voice of my prayer
Jonas in like manner cries I am cast out of thy sight Jonah 2.4 there is smoak in the flaxe yet was not the flaxe quenched for he addeth immediatly yet I will looke againe to thy holy Temple If thou wilt thou canst Matth. 8.2 said one poore man in the Gospel Lord if thou canst said another Marke 9.22 both these were as the smoaking flaxe in my Text. For the former doubted of Gods power the latter of his will yet neither of both were quenched O miserable man that I am saith S. Paul in the person of a Christian travelling in his new birth who shall deliver me from this body of death here is a cloud of smoak Rom. 7.24.25 yet it is blown away in an instant and the flame breaketh out and blazeth into Gods praises Thankes be unto God who hath given us victory through Jesus Christ Man for a little smoake will quench the light but Christ every where cherisheth the least sparke of grace and bloweth it gently by his spirit till it breake forth into a flame To encourage us the more hee accepteth the will for the deed and a good assay for the performance If thou canst but shed a teare for thy sins he hath a bottle to put it in if thou steale a sigh in secret he hath an eare for it if thy faith be but as a graine of mustard seed it shall grow to a great tree Nathanael at the first had but a small ground to beleeve that Christ should bee the Messias but afterwards Christ made good his words unto him hee saw greater things to build his faith upon Because I said unto thee John 1.50 I saw thee under the fig-tree beleevest thou thou shalt see greater things than these Apollos at the first was but catechized in Johns Baptisme Act. 18.27.28 but afterwards Aquila and Priscilla expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly and hee helped them much which had beleeved through grace for hee mightily convicted the Jewes and that publikely shewing by the Scriptures that Jesus was Christ Joseph of Arimathea richer in grace than wealth and a great dispreader of the Gospel and as many ancient Writers report the first planter of Christian Religion in this Island yet till Christs death had small courage to professe him but when the evening was come Mar. 15.42.43 which was the preparation that is the day before the Sabbath hee went in boldly unto Pilate and craved the body of Jesus Saint Augustine at the first was drawne to the Church by the lustre of Saint Ambrose his eloquence as himselfe a Aug. confess l. 5. c. 4. confesseth but afterwards he was much more taken with the strength of his proofe than the ornaments of his speech and God by his Spirit so blowed the sparke of divine knowledge in this smoaking flaxe that the Church of God never saw a cleerer lamp burning in it since it had him If we consider the smoaking flaxe in the second condition to wit after the lampe is blowne out the spirituall meaning is That those in whom there was ever any spark of saving grace shall never be quenched or that after the most fearfull blast of temptation there remaines yet some divine fire in the heart of every true beleever which Christ will never quench Christ will not quench the smoaking flaxe if there bee any sparke of divine fire in it yet if this sparke bee not blowne and the weeke enlightened againe it will dye in like manner if wee doe not according to the Apostles precept 2 Tim. 1.6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 stirre up the grace of God in us and use the utmost of our religious endeavours to kindle againe the lampe of faith in our soules that sparke of divine faith and saving grace which wee conceive that wee have will dye As it is not presumption but faith to bee confident in Gods promises when wee walke in his Ordinances so it is not faith but presumption to assure our selves of the end when wee neglect the meanes of our salvation Wee may no otherwise apprehend or apply unto our selves the gracious promises made to all true beleevers in the Gospel than they are propounded unto us which is not absolutely but upon conditions by us to bee performed through the helpe of divine grace namely to wash our selves Esa 1.16 17. to make us cleane to put away the evill of our doings from before Gods eyes to cease to doe evill to learne to doe well to seeke judgement to relieve the oppressed to judge the fatherlesse Dan. 4.27 Job 41. ◠Apoc. 3.19 Mat. 3.8 and to pleade for the widow to breake off our sinnes by righteousnesse and our iniquity by shewing mercy to the poore to abhorre our selves and repent in dust and ashes to remember from whence wee are fallen and doe our first workes to bee zealous and amend and to bring forth fruits meet for repentance To argue from a strong perswasion of our election and from thence to inferre immediately assurance of salvation is as Tertullian speaketh in another case aedificare in ruinam The safe way to build our selves in our most holy faith and surely fasten the anchor of our hope is to conclude from amendment of life repentance unto life from our hatred of sinne Gods love unto us from hunger and thirst after righteousnesse some measure of grace from godly sorrow and sonne-like feare and imitation of our heavenly Father the adoption of sonnes from continuall growth in grace perseverance to the end from the fruits of charity the life of our faith and from all a modest assurance of our election unto eternall life Not curiously to dispute the Scholasticall question concerning the absolute impossibilitie of the apostacy of any Saint and the amissibility of justifying faith which many learned Doctours of the Reformed Churches hold fitter to bee extermined than determined or at least confined to the Schooles than defined in the Pulpit that wherein all parties agree is sufficient to comfort the fainting spirits and strengthen the feeble knees of any relapsed Christian That God will never bee wanting to raise him if hee bee not wanting to himselfe But if when hee is returned with the Sow to his wallowing in the mire hee taketh delight therein and never striveth to plucke his feet out of it nor rise up out of the dirt if hee never cry for helpe nor so much as put forth the hand of his faith that Christ may take hold of it and by effectuall grace draw him out of the mudde hee will certainly putrifie in his sinnes Hee that heareth the Word of God preached and assenteth thereunto and is most firmly perswaded of Gods love to him for the present if through the rebellion of the flesh against the spirit or the suggestions of Sathan or by the wicked counsels and examples of others hee chargeth himselfe with any foule sinne either of impiety against God or iniquity against men or impurity
are his How should hee not know them whom he fore-knew before the world began and wrote their names in the booke of life Apoc. 13.8 Phil. 4.3 With my fellow labourers whose names are in the book of life Exod 28.21 A glorious type whereof was the engraving the names of the twelve Tribes in twelve precious stones with the point of a Diamond never to be razed out To seduce any of the Elect our Saviours a Mat. 24.24 And they shall shew great signes and wonders in so much that if it were possible they shall deceive the very Elect. If supposeth it to be impossible for this were to plucke Christs sheep out of his hand b Joh. 10.28 29 They shall never perish neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand My Father which gave them 〈◊〉 is greater than all and no man is able to plucke them out of my Fathers hand which none can do All the Elect are those blessed ones on Christs right hand to whom he shall say at the day of Judgement c Mat. 25.34 Come ye blessed of my Father inherite the kingdome prepared for you before the foundation of the world was laid they are the Church of the first borne which are written d Heb. 12.23 in heaven Now although all that yeeld their assent to supernaturall verities revealed in Scripture may not presume that their names are written in the booke of life for Simon Magus beleeved yet was he in e Act. 18.13 23 the gall of bitternesse and bond of iniquity nay the f Jam. 2.19 Divels themselves as St. James teacheth us beleeve who are g Jude 6. reserved in chaines of darknesse unto the judgement of the great day yet they who beleeve in God embrace the promises of the Gospell with the condition of denying of ungodlinesse and worldly lusts and living godly righteously and soberly in this present world and lay fast hold on Christ have no doubt attained that faith which Saint Paul stileth h Tit. 1.1 the faith of Gods Elect and Saint i Act 13.48 15.9 Luke maketh an effect of predestination to eternall life for such a k Rom. 3.28 Joh. 1.12 faith purifieth the heart justifieth before God putteth us into the state of adoption worketh by love and is accompanied with repentance unto life which gifts are never bestowed upon any reprobate if we will beleeve the ancient l Greg. l. 28. in Job c. 6. Extra Ecclesiae mensuras omnes reprobi etiamsi intra fidei limitem esse videantur Aug. cont Pel. l. 1. c 4 de unit eccl c. 23. Hoc donum propâ—ium est eorum qui regnabunt cum Christo Plin. nat hist l. 21. c. 8. Postquam dâ— ficere cuncti flores mâ—defactus aqua reviviscit hybernas coron is facit Fathers The seed of this faith being sown in good ground taketh deepe root downeward in humility and groweth upward in hope and spreadeth abroad by charity and bringeth forth fruits of good workes in great abundance it resembleth the true Amaranthus which after all the flowers are blowne away or drop downe at the fall of the leafe being watered at the root reviveth and serveth to make winter garlands even so a firme and well grounded beliefe after the flowers of open profession of Christ are blown away by the violent blasts of persecution and temptation being moistened with the dew of grace from heaven and the water of penitent teares reviveth againe and flourisheth and furnisheth the Church Christs Spouse as it were with winter garlands unlooked and unhoped for The third pillar The love of God is not more constant than his decrees are certaine nor his decrees more certaine than his promises are faithfull Therefore in the third place I erect for a third pillar to support the doctrine delivered out of this Scripture the promise of perseverance which I need not hew nor square for the building it fitteth of it selfe For it implieth contradiction that they who are endued with the grace of perseverance should utterly fall away from grace Constancy is not constancy if it vary perseverance is not perseverance if it faile And therfore S. m Aug. de bono persev c. 6. Hoc donum suppliciter emereri potest sed cum datum est contumaciter amittti non potest promodo enim potest amitti per quod fit ut non amittatur etiam quod possit amitti Austin acutely determines that this gift may be obtained by humble praier but after what it is given it cannot bee lest by proud contumacy for how should that gift it selfe bee lost which keepeth all other graces from being lost which otherwise might bee lost When I name the gift of perseverance in the state of grace I understand with that holy Father such a gift * Aug. de correp grâ—t c. 12. Non solâ— n ut sine isto dono persevâ—rantes essâ— non possunt verum etiam ut per hoc donuÌ„ non nisi perseverantes sint Gratia qua subventum est infirmitati voluntatis humanae ut indeclinabiliter insuperabiliter ageretur quam vis infirma non deficeret nec adversitate aliqua vinceretur sed quod bonum est invictissimè vellet hoc differere invictissimè nollet not onely without which wee cannot persevere but with which we cannot but persevere Such an heavenly grace whereby the infirmity of mans will is supported in such sort that it is led by the spirit unfailably and unconquerably so that though it be weake yet it never faileth nor is overcome by any temptation but cleaveth most stedfastly to that which is good and cannot by any power bee drawne to forsake it This gift of the faithfull is shadowed out by those similitudes whereto the godly and righteous man in Scripture is compared viz. of a a Psal 1.3 tree planted by the river side whose leafe shall not wither Of the hill of Sion which may not be removed but standeth fast for ever Psal 125.1 Of a b Mat. 7.24 house built upon a rocke Quae Obvia ventorum furiis expostaque ponto Vim cunctam atque minas perfert coelique marisque Ipsa immota manens Upon which though the raine descended and the flouds came and the windes blew and beat on it yet it fell not for it was founded upon a rocke but it is fully plainly and most evidently expressed promised in those words of c Jer. 32.40 Jeremy I will make an everlasting covenant with them that I will not turne away from them to doe them good and I will put my feare in their hearts that they shall not depart from me Which Text of the Prophet is by the d Heb. 5.10 Apostle applied to the faithfull under the Gospel and thus expounded by S. Austin e Aug. l. de bono persev c. 2. Timorem dabo in cor ut non recedant quid est aliud quam talis ac tantus
I ghesse to represent the bloud of many thousand Martyrs spilt upon them twenty three whereof were put to most exquisite torments by Dioclesian in Rome but deserve to be distinguished from other dayes by golden letters in ours in memory of two of the most renowned Princes that ever swayed Scepter in these Kingdomes wherein wee live the one received life the other escaped death on this day For a Bed Baron in Martyrolog mens August Beda and Baronius in their Church Rolls of Martyrs record on the fifth of August the nativity of King Oswald who united the b Which were after severed for many ages but â—ow by the speciall providence of Almighty God againe lye lovingly encompassing and embracing each the other Crownes of England and Scotland and after hee had much enlarged the bounds of Christs Kingdome with his owne in the end exchanged his Princely Diadem for a Crowne of Martyrdome and signed the Christian Faith with Royall bloud So happy an uniter of the Royall Diadems and Princely Martyr of our Nation should not be forgotten on this day yet may hee not every way compare with our Rex Pacificus who hath so fastened these Diadems together that we hope they shall never be severed againe Nor is the birth of any Prince by the usuall course of Nature so remarkable as the unheard of and little lesse than miraculous preservation of our Soveraigne his Royall person from the bloudy assacinate of the Earle Gowry and Alexander Ruthen his brother to the everlasting memory whereof our Church hath consecrated the publike and most solemne devotions of this day And therefore wee are now to change the old spell Quintam fuge and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Carefully shunne the fifth day into Quintam cole Religiously observe the fifth day of this Moneth if not for King Oswald yet for King James sake if not for the birth of the one yet for the safety of the other if not for the ordinary Genesis and entry of the one into the gate of life yet for the extraordinary Exodus or exit of the other out of the chambers of death Which wonderfull delivery of our gracious Soveraigne that I may print the deeper in your memories I have borrowed characters from King Davids royall presse as you see But those that seeke my soule c. Ver. 9 10 11. All which Verses together with their severall parts and commaes even to the least Iota or tittle by the direction and assistance of Gods holy Spirit I will make use of in my application if I may intreat * Here he bowed to his Grace your Gracious patience and * Here he turned to the Lords your Honourable attention for a while in their explication And first of the translation then of the relation of these words as well to the eternall destruction of the enemies to Christs Crosse as to the temporall punishments of the traitors to Davids Crowne They shall goe into the lower parts of the earth these shall goe into the nethermost hell They shall fall by the hands of men these shall fall into the hands of the living God They shall be a portion for Foxes these shall he a prey for Divels But the King shall rejoyce in God David in Christ Christ in his Father And all that sweare by him that is Christ to him that is David shall glory For the mouth of all that speake lyes against the one blasphemies against the other shall be stopped The vulgar Latine upon which the Romane Church so doteth that she is in love with the errours thereof as c Cic. de orat Naevus in puero delectat Alceum est deformitas in vultu illi tamen lumen videbatur Alceus was with the wirts in his boyes face rendereth the Hebrew thus Quaesiverunt in vanum animam meam introibunt in imâ terrae They have sought my soule in vaine they shall goe into the lowest parts of the earth Of which words in vanum inserted into the Text I may say as Aristotle doth of the ancient Philosophers discourse d Aristot Phys auscust c. de Vacuo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 de vacuo of a supposed place voide of a body to fill it Their disputes faith he of this void or empty space are empty void and to none effect For neither are they found in any originall copy as is confessed neither serve they as artificiall teeth to helpe the speech which soundeth better without them yet Cardinall Bellarmine to helpe out the vulgar Interpreter with an officious lye beareth us in hand that his book was otherwise pointed than ours are and that where we reade 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he reades 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if Leshoath and Leshava the one signifying to destroy the other in vaine differed no more than in prickes or vowels and not in consonants and radicals or the sense were so full and currant they seeke my soule in vaine as they seeke my soule to destroy it or for the ruine or destruction thereof they shall goe to the lowest parts of the earth that is they that seek to overthrow me and lay mine honour in the dust they shall lye in the dust themselves They shall fall by the sword So wee reade in the last translation and the members of the sentence seeme better to fall and shoot one in the other if we so reade the words They shall fall by the edge of the sword they shall be a portion for Foxes than if we reade according to the Geneva Translation They shall cast him downe with the edge of the sword they shall bee a portion for Foxes Yet because Calvin Moller Musculus Tremelius and Junius concurre with the Geneva Translation Note understanding these words as a speciall prophecy of Sauls death who was Davids capitall and singular enemy and this translation and exposition fitteth better the application which I am to make of this Scripture to the present occasion but especially because the Hebrew Jaggirhu signifieth as the last Translators rightly note in the margent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They shall make him runne out like water by the hand of the sword that is his bloud shall be spilt by the sword I preferre the Geneva Translation before the last and as the Macedonian woman appealed from Philip to Philip so I appeale from the Translators in the Text to themselves in their Marginall note and reade the tenth Verse thus They shall cast him downe or slay him with the edge of the sword Thus having accorded the Translations I now set to such heavenly lessons as the Spirit of God hath pricked for us in the rules of this Scripture The first is pricked in the title of this Psalme A Psalme of David when hee was in the wildernesse of Judah and it is this Doctr. 1. That the wildernesse it selfe may be and is often a Paradise to the servants of God If the Poet could say of himselfe and his friend
Quo cunque loco Roma duobus erit Martial epigr. Wheresoever wee two are wee make that place as Rome to us have wee not great reason to thinke that wheresoever God and the faithfull soule are together and the one enjoyeth the presence of the other there is Paradise nay there is Heaven This sweet flower I gather from this wildernesse to which David was driven by the pursuit of Saul his dreadfull and powerfull enemy It was a vast and wilde place a thirsty land without water verse the first yet here David is refreshed with waters of comfort and rivers of pleasure there was neither Church nor Chappell in it yet here David seeth the glory of God as in the Sanctuary verse the second It was a barren soile yeelding no manner of sustenance for men or cattell yet here David is satisfied as with marrow and fatnesse verse the sixth It was a hot and scorching place yet here David findeth a shade to coole himselfe viz. under the shadow of Gods wings verse the eighth In regard of which commodities of this wildernesse I cannot but breake out into the praises of it as Saint e Hierom. epist ad Heliodor O Desertum Christâ— floribus vernans O Solitudo in qua illi nascuntur lapides de quibus in Apocalypsi civitas magni Regis extruitur O Eremus familiarús Deo gaudens Quà m diu te tectorum umbrae premunt quà m diâ— fum sarum u bium ca cer includit nescio quid hic plus lucis aspicio Jerome doth into the commendations of the Desart of Syria O Wildernesse enameled with the flowers of Paradise O Desart in which those stones grow of which the heavenly Jerusalem is built O solitude enjoying the familiarity of God and his Angels Why doest thou keep under the shade of houses Why doest thou shut thy selfe up in the prison of smoaky Cities come hither to mee thou shalt finde here freer aire and much more light Such pleasure this holy Father took in that solitary and uncouth place And Saint f Hilar. con Auxent Malè vos parietum amor cepit montes mihi sylvae solitudines lacus voragines sunt tutio res in illis enim Propherae aut demersi aut manentes Dei Spiritu prophetabant Hilary seemeth to be in love with the like places by those speeches of his You doe ill to dote upon walls to build your faith upon stately buildings I for my part preferre hills and woods desarts and dens and caves and rockes and lakes for these have been the habitations and lodgings of Gods dearest servants the Prophets The Law was first given in the Wildernesse of Arabia The Gospel was first preached by John the Baptist in the Wildernesse of Judeah The noblest duell that ever was fought was between Christ and the Divell and the pitched field was the Wildernesse The woman that was clothed with the Sunne and had the Moone under her feet lived obscurely in the Wildernesse a thousand two hundred and sixty dayes and many of Gods dearest children all the daies of their life Apoc. 12.6 The number of whom was so great and their labours so profitable and their lives so admirable in the Primitive Church that as the Prophet spake of the barren woman that she had more children than she that had an husband so we may say of the barren soile and wildernesse that it hath brought forth a greater increase to the Church than many inhabited countries and better husbanded land There are divers sorts of plants and fruits that must be set in the Sunne or else they will not prosper but others are scorched with the heate thereof and better thrive in the shade such were Paulus g Vid. Hieron in â—ita Paidi Hilarionis Marianum Victorinum in vita sancti Hieronomi Eremita St. Antony St. Hilarion St. Basil S. Jerome St. Isidore Pelusiotes and others which proved the fairest flowers in the garden of the Church and prime-roses of Christs Spouse yet grew in the Wildernesse with whom the Bishops of the greatest Sees may not compare least of all the Bishops of Rome of whom their owne creature h Platina in vitis Pontif. Hic Pontifex nihil memoriâ dignum reliquit hic pontifex nisi podagram habuisset omnind ignoraretur Platina hath often nothing to say but that he can say nothing This Pope saith he left nothing behind him worth memory Well fare this Popes gout but for it he had gone out of the world without any notice taken of him i Baron tom 10. ad ann 900. Intrudebantur in Petri sedem meretricum Amasii pseudo-Pontifices qui non sunt nisi ad consignanda tempora in Catalogo Romanorum Pontificum scripti Baronius himselfe who received a Cardinals cap to burnish the Popes triple golden Mitre reckons himselfe up a dicker of Popes who served for nothing but as ciphers to fill up the number of Bishops or Chronologicall markes to designe the times But I am affraid lest I shall lose my selfe in this Wildernesse of Ziph and therefore I will make haste out of it and come into the rode of my Text. They that seeke my soule to destroy it shall goe c. Doctr. 2 Davids confidence in God in this Epitasis of all his troubles and Crisis of all his affaires and the height of his hope in the depth of misery ought to settle fast the anchor of our hope in all the surges of tentations Wee see in him what is the carriage of Gods Saints in their greatest extremities They never cast away the buckler of their faith but lift up their hearts and hands to the God of their salvation and hope even above hope in him who is able to save beyond all means Thus resolute Martin Luther when he had stirred up the whole world against him and there was no other appearance but that the doctrine of the Gospel should have been stifled in the cradle flyes to his God layes hold on him by faith and offereth violence unto him by prayer and never leaveth wrestling with him till he received comfort from him and rising up chearfully from his devotion comes out of his closet triumphantly to his fellow-labourers saying Vicimus We have overcome at which time k Sleidan in com sui temporis Vicimus Sleidan observeth that there came out a Proclamation from Charles the fifth that none should bee farther molested for the profession of the Gospel What speake I of a noble Champion of Christ Numa Pompilius a Heathen King of the Romans when newes was brought him of his enemies that they were at hand ready to surprize him put the messenger off with this memorable speech l Plutarch apoph in vit Numae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What tell you me of dangers or enemies doe you not see that I am about sacrificing to God Numa his confidence was paralleled by m Raleigh hist of the World c. 6.
little Christian bloud in as much as Dioclesian plucked but out the bodily eyes of Saints and Martyrs the holes whereof the good Emperour Constantine kissed whereas Julian by shutting up all Christian schooles and bereaving them of the light of knowledge after a sort plucked out the eyes of their soules Which I speake not for that I conceive the Scriptures are not sufficient of themselves for our instruction to enlighten our understanding but because we are not sufficient for the opening of the meaning of them without the helps of arts and sciences the miraculous gifts of the holy Ghost ceasing long before our time The light of divers rapers in the same roome though united yet is not confounded as the opticks demonstrate by the distinct shadowes which they cast neither doth the light of divine knowledge confound that of humane in the soule but both concurre to the full illumination of the understanding And as the organe of the bodily eye cannot discerne any thing without a double light viz. 1. h Brierhood tractat de oculo M.S. Lumine innato an inward light in the christalline humour of the eye 2. Lumine illato an outward light in the aire and on the object so neither can the eye of the soule in this region of darknesse perfectly distinguish the colours of good and evill without a double light the in-bred light of nature and the outward light which is acquired by learning being Lumen not innatum but illatum not naturally resplendent in the soule and brought with it into the world but ab extrinseco brought into the soule by reading hearing discoursing contemplating or divine inspiration Solomon who best knew what belonged to wisedome sets his wise man to i Pro. 1.5 Aâ—â—se man will heare and will understand learning schoole and promiseth for him that he will take his k Pâ— 9.9 Give instruction to a wise man and he will he yet wiser teach a â—â—t man and he will in crease in learning learning and bee a good proficient in it And behold a wiser than Solomon l Mat. 13.52 Christ himselfe compareth every Scribe which is instructed unto the kingdome of heaven to a man that is an housholder who bringeth out of his treasury new things and old He likeneth him not to a pedler that hath nothing but inkle tape and such like trash in his pack which he openeth at every mans doore but to a rich ware-house man who out of his treasury or ware-house bringeth out precious things either new or old as they are called for Such a Scribe was Moses who m Acts 7.22 was learned in all the wisedome of the Aegyptians Such a Scribe was Daniel and the foure children that were bred up with him to whom God n Dan. 1.17 gave knowledge and skill in all learning Such a Scribe was S. Paul who was o Act. 22.3 brought up at the feet of Gamaliel and taught according to the perfect manner of the Law of the Fathers Neither was he conversant onely in the writings of the Rabbines but also expert in the heathen Philosophers Orators and Poets whom he after a sort defloureth of their choicest sentences observations incorporating them into his most learned and eloquent epistles Such a Scribe was Clemens Alexandrinus whose writings in regard of all variety of good literature in them are called stromata rare pieces of Arras or Tapestry Such a Scribe was S. Cyprian who by Rhetoricke Tertullian who by the civill Law Justin Martyr and Origen who by Philosophy S. Basil who by Physicke S. Austin who by Logicke Eusebius who by history Prudentius who by Poetry Gregory Nazianzen Jerome and many other of the ancient Doctors of the Church who by exquisite skill in the Arts and learned Languages exceedingly improved their sacred talent of Scripture-knowledge p Vid. Lyps Manuducti ad Stoicam Philosophiam Philo that accomplished Jew deviseth an elegant allegory upon Abrahams companying with Hagar before he could have issue by Sara Hagar the bond-woman is secular or humane learning with which we must have to doe before wee can promise our selves fruit by Sarah that is much profit by the study of divinity Neither doth this argue any imperfection in the Scriptures but in us the starres are most visible in themselves yet through the imbecillity of our sight without a perspective glasse we cannot exactly take their elevation or true magnitude What though God in the first plantation of the Gospell used the industry of illiterate men and made Fishermen fishers of men that our q 1 Cor. 2.5 faith should not stand in the wisedome of men but in the power of God yet after the miraculous gifts of the Spirit fayled in the Church wee shall read of no Rammes hornes but Silver Trumpets emploied in the throwing down of Sathans forts Since that the promise of dabitur in illa hora it shall bee given you in that houre is turned into the precept of attende lectioni give r 1 Tim. 4.13.15 attendance to reading to exhortation to doctrine meditate upon these things give thy selfe wholly unto them that thy profiting may appeare unto all men Since the dayes of the Apostles and their immediate Successors the learnedst men have proved the worthiest instruments of Gods glory in Church or Commonwealth Be learned therefore Yee Judges Religion commends learning and learning a Judge Å¿ Numb 11.17 The Lord tooke of the Spirit which was upon Moses and put it upon seventy Elders This Spirit it is which animateth a Judge whose briefest and yet fullest definition is Jus animatum enlived right or the living law For the law is a dead and mute Judge and the Judge is a living and speaking law As the Philosopher termeth t Arist Rhet. l. 3. Pictura muta poesis poesis loquens pictura painting silent Poetry and Poetry a speaking picture Now how can a Judge speake the law or the law speake by him if he know not the law It implyeth a kinde of contradiction for an Actor to bee without action or an Orator without words or a Labourer without worke or a Counsellor without advice or a Judge without judgement in the law Can an Artificer worke by his rule who holdeth it not in his hand or a Pilot steere by the compasse who hath not the compasse before his eye or understandeth it not no more can a Judge give sentence according to the law who is ignorant of the law Ignorance in a private man is a prejudice and some blemish to himselfe but u Aug. de civ Dei Ignorantia Judicis est calamitas innocentis ignorance in a Judge is the calamity of the innocent nay may prove the ruine of a State What greater mischiefe in any society than that the estates good name livelihood yea and lives too of men should lye in the breast of a Judge who out of ignorance is faine to aske Quid est justitia what is justice as Pilate
eâ—antutique caeteri Apostoli quod fuit Petrus pari consortio praediti honoris potestatis Cyprian makes an inference from these words for which the Popes have looked awry upon him ever since The inference is this Christ after his resurrection gave all his Apostles equall power saying as my father sent me so I send you receive ye the holy Ghost whose sinnes yee remit they are remitted Here lest any addicted to the Papacy might thrust upon the Martyrs words this meaning that Christ gave all the Apostles equall authority among themselves but not equall to Peter their head he addeth the rest of the Apostles were the same that Peter was admitted into an equall fellowship both of honour and power Marke I beseech you the Martyr speakes here not of a priviledge or singularitie but a society consortio not a superiority but a parity pari and this parity both in honour honoris and of power also potestatis where there is a parity in honour there can be no preheminencie where there is a parity in power there can be no supremacy Where then will our Adversaries fasten Upon those words of Christ u Mat. 16.18 Thou art Peter and upon this rocke will I build my Church St. Austin beats them off this hold expounding the rocke of Christ not of Peter thus Upon me I x August in haec verba Super me aedificabo te non super te aedificabo me will build thee not me upon thee Yet if we should leave it them the building upon Peter or laying him in the foundation of the Church will no more make him the supreme head of the Church than the rest of the Apostles for we read of y Apoc. 21.14 And the wall of the Citie had 12. foundations and in them the names of the 12. Apostles of the Lambe twelve foundations upon which the heavenly Jerusalem is built on which the names of the twelve Apostles were engraven and of more also now therefore saith he ye are no more strangers and forreiners but fellow Citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of God and are built upon the foundation of the Apostles and z Eâ—hes 2. â—0 Of more Prophets From whence Saint a Jer adver Lucifer Super omnes ex aequo Ecclesiae fortitudo solidatur Jerome inferreth that the strength of the Church is solidly founded and equally built upon all the Apostles Will they fasten upon the promise made to Peter Mat. 16.19 whatsoever thou shalt binde on earth shall be bound in heaven these words might carry some shew of a priviledge granted to S. Peter if S. Matthew and the other Apostles were not joyned in Patent with him z Mat. 18.18 whatsoever yee shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven and * Joh. 20.23 whose soever sins ye remit they are remitted unto them The last refuge to which our adversaries flye is that text a Joh. 21.15 Feede my lambs feede my sheep Which charge of our Saviours makes nothing for Peters supremacy Peter himselfe being Interpreter for what Christ gives him he gives all Elders in charge b Pet. 5.2 Feed the flocke of God which is among you If feede my sheepe make Peter an oecumenicall Pastor then feede the flocke of Christ spoken in like manner to all Elders makes them oecumenicall Pastors If the word pasce when it is spoken to Peter signifies rule as a Monarch then pascite feede yee spoken by S. Peter to Elders must likewise bee interpreted rule yee over the Flocke of God and Church of Christ as Monarchs For as c Cic. orat pro Cecinna Nunquam obtinebis ubi tu volueris verba interdicti valere oportere ubi tu nolueris non oportere Tully spake to Ebutius so may I say to Bellarmine you shall never perswade any man of understanding that words must signifie what you will have them and conclude nothing but what you will inferre from them that the word pasce or feede when it serveth your purpose must be taken for to beare rule over the whole Church and when it serveth not then it must signifie nothing but teach as every Pastor doth Had the Apostles so understood the words of our Saviour to Saint Peter Upon this rocke will I build my house and To thee I will give the keyes of the Kingdome of heaven as the Church of Rome at this day doth viz. I will appoint thee Head of all the Apostles and visible Monarch of the Church and infallible Judge of all controversies they would never have contended as they did afterwards d Luk. 20.24 which of them should bee counted greatest they would never have taken upon them to send him e Act. 8.14 Now when the Apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God they sent unto them Peter and John with John It is not the manner of Subjects to send their Soveraignes in Embassages or messages much lesse joyne any other of their Subjects in equall commission with them as the Apostles doe John with Peter Had the Church in the Apostles time understood that our Saviour by that charge Pasce oves meas Feed my sheep made Peter universall Pastor of the whole world and by his prayer for him that his Faith might not faile priviledged him from all possibility of errour they would have rested upon his resolution in the first f Act. 15.11 Synode Saint James would never have presumed to speake after him in the great point which was then in controversie nor have added a distinct Head or Canon of his owne That the Gentiles should abstaine from pollution of Idols and from fornication and from things strangled and from bloud The Apostolicall letter should have beene indorsed not as it was The Apostles and Elders and Brethren but Peter Christs Vicar and Monarch of the Church and the Apostles his Counsellours or after the like manner Had Saint Paul beleeved Saint Peter to be Head of the Church he would never have g Gal. 2.11 withstood him to the face as hee did at Antioch much lesse have stood upon even tearmes with him as he doth saying h 2 Cor. 12.11 In nothing am I behinde the very chiefest Apostles and i Gal. 2.6 they who seemed to be pillars added nothing to mee and ver 7. the Gospell of the uncircumcision was committed to mee as the Gospell of the circumcision was to Peter If any mans eyes are so dazeled with the lustre of the Popes triple Crowne that hee cannot see Pauls equality to Peter in the letter of the text yet hee cannot but see it in the Fathers Commentaries k Ambros in comment 2 Cor. 12. Hoc dicit quia non est minor neque in praedicatione neque in signis faciendis nec dignitate sed tempore Chry. in 2 Cor. 12.11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Apostle speaketh on this wise saith Saint Ambrose that or because he is not
of sinnes is peculiarly attributed to the Spirit and by a metonymie termed the Holy Ghost Barradius bringeth us an answer out of the schooles that z Barrad in harmon Evang. remission of sinnes is a worke of Gods goodnesse and mercy now workes of goodnesse are peculiarly attributed to the holy Spirit who proceedeth as they determine from the will of the Father and the Sonne whose object is goodnesse as workes of wisedome are attributed to the Sonne because hee is the word proceeding by way of generation from the understanding of his Father This reason may goe for currant in their way neither have I any purpose at this time to crosse it but to haste to the period of this discourse in which that I may better discover the path of truth in stead of many little lights which others have brought I will set up one great taper made of the sweetest of their waxe The Holy Ghost is sometimes taken for the person of the Comforter which sealeth Gods chosen to salvation sometimes for the gifts effects or operations of the Holy Ghost as it were the prints of his scale left in the soule these are principally three 1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Grace 2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spirituall power or authority 3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vertue or ghostly ability to worke wonders and speake with divers languages 1 Is common to all them that are sanctified 2 Is peculiar to Christs Ministers 3 Restrayned to the Apostles themselves and some few others of their immediate successors z Joh. 3.5 Exceâ—t a man be borne of the water and of the spirit 1 Regenerating grace is termed the holyGhost 2 Spirituall order or ministeriall power is called the Spirit or holy Ghost in this place and Luk. 4.18 Esay 61.1 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me to preach the Gospell c. 3 Miraculous vertue is called the holy Ghost Act. 2.4 And they were filled with the holy Ghost and spake with divers tongues 1 The Spirit of grace and regeneration the Apostles received at their first calling 2 The Spirit of ecclesiasticall government they received at this time c. 3 The Spirit of powerfull and extraordinary operation they received in the day of Pentecost 1 In their mindes by infallible inspiration 2 In their tongues by multiplicity of languages 3 In their hands by miraculous cures Receive then the Holy Ghost is 1 A ghostly function to ordaine Pastors and sanctifie congregations to God 2 Spirituall gifts to execute and discharge that function 3 Spirituall power or jurisdiction to countenance and support both your function and gifts Thus have I opened the treasury of this Scripture out of which I now offer to your religious thoughts and affections these ensuing observations And first in generall I commend to the fervour of your zeale and devotion the excessive heat of Christs love which absumed and spent him all for us flesh and spirit His flesh he offereth us in the Sacrament of his Supper his spirit hee conferreth in the sacred rite of consecration His body hee gave by those words Take eate this is my body his spirit hee gave by these Receive ye the holy Ghost a gift unestimable a treasure unvaluable for it was this spirit which quickned us when wee were dead in trespasses and sinnes it is this spirit which fetcheth us againe when wee swoune in despaire it is this spirit that refresheth and cooleth us in the extreme heat of all persecutions afflictions sorrowes and diseases to it we owe 1 Light in our mindes 2 Warmth in our desires 3 Temper in our affections 4 Grace in our wils 5 Peace in our consciences 6 Joy in our hearts and unspeakeable comfort in life and death This is the winde which bloweth a Cant. 4.16 Blow upon my garden that the spices thereof may flow out let my beloved come into his garden and eat his pleasant fruits upon the Spouse her garden that the spices thereof might flow out This is the breath which formeth the words in the cloven tongues this is the breath which bloweth and openeth all the flowers of Paradise This is the blast which diffuseth the savour of life through the whole Church This is the gale which carryeth us through all the troublesome waves of this world and bringeth us safe to the haven where we would be And as the Spouse of Christ which is his mysticall body is infinitely indebted to her head for this gift of the spirit whereby holy congregations are furnished with Pastors and they with gifts and the ministery of the Gospell continually propagated so wee above all nations in the world at this day are most bound to extoll and magnifie his goodnesse towards us herein among whom in a manner alone this holy seed of the Church remaineth unmixed and uncorrupt not onely as propagated but propagating also not children onely but Fathers Apostolicall doctrine other reformed Churches maintaine but doe they retaine also Apostolicall discipline laying of hands they have on Ministers and Pastors but consecration of Archbishops and Bishops they have not And because they want consecrated Bishops to ordaine Pastors their very ordination is not according to ancient order Because they want spirituall Fathers in Christ to beget children in their ministery their Ministers by the adversary are accounted no better than filii populi whereas will they nill they even in regard of our Hierarchy the most frontlesse Papists must confesse the children begot by our reverend Fathers in the ministery of the Gospell to be as legitimate as their owne For albeit they put the hereticke upon us as the Arrians did upon the Catholike Fathers calling them Athanasians c. yet this no way disableth either the consecration of our Bishops nor the ordination of our Priests not onely because we have proved the dogge lyeth at their doores and that they are a kinde of mungrils of divers sorts of heretickes but because it is the doctrine of their Church b See Croy in his third conformity Whitaker in fine resp ad demonstrat Sanderi Rivet procem de haeref q. 1. Cath. orthod that the character of order is indeleble and therefore Archbishop Cranmer and other of our Bishops ordained by them if they had afterwards as Papists most falsly suppose fallen into heresie could not lose their faculty of consecration and ordination The consecration of Catholicke Bishops by Arrians and baptisme of faithfull Christians children by Donatists though heretickes is made good as well by the decrees of ancient as later Councels determining that Sacraments administred even by heretickes so they observe the rite and forme of words prescribed in holy scripture bee of force and validity Praysed therefore for ever bee the good will of him that dwelt in the bush that the Rod of Aaron still flourisheth among us and planteth and propagateth it selfe like that Indian fig-tree so much admired by all Travellers from the utmost branch whereof issueth a gummy juyce which hangeth
Prophet Elias did savory meat from the impure bill of a Raven 2 We absolutely deny that Heretiques either first made this signe or introduced it into baptisme For though it be most confidently affirmed by Cartwright Parker and other Authors of schisme amongst us that the signe of the Crosse was first devised or cryed up by the Heretiques above named yet Irenaeus whom they alledge for it saith no such thing he speaketh not a word in the places quoted by them of the signe of the Crosse but of the name of the Crosse nor of Christs Crosse but of Valentinus his God Aeons Crosse All that he hath in his declaration against those Heretiques touching this point is that Valentinus the Heretique called one of his fantasticall Aeons by two names 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is bound or definition and Crosse Now if we may not use the signe of the Crosse because that Heretique called his feigned God Crosse by the like reason we may not make definitions in Logicke nor keepe bounds in our fields because he called his Aeon Horon that is bound or definition Had the Valentinians used the signe of the Crosse as they did the name yet that is no sufficient proofe that they devised this signe or brought it first into the Church It is certaine that this signe was by many Aeons that is ages ancienter than Valentinus his Aeons or his heresie We find some print of it in t Dial. cum Tryph. Jud. Justine Martyr his Dialogue against Tryphon Nazianzen and other Fathers note an expression of it in Josuah's fight with Amaleck Sozomen sheweth solid characters thereof in the Temple of Serapis in the ruines whereof amongst other Hieroglyphickes the Crosse was taken up at the sight whereof many of the Egyptians were astonished and partly induced thereby to embrace the Christian faith The first is therefore a limping objection and the second halteth downe-right It was this Papists have horribly abused the signe of the Crosse ergo we may not use it To argue in such sort from the abuse to the taking away of all use of a thing is an abuse of arguing and a meere non sequitur as u Rhet. l. 1. c. 1. Aristotle teacheth for there is nothing in the world that may not be abused save vertue What creature of God hath not beene abused by Gentiles to Idolatrie What ordinance of God is not at this day abused by Papists to superstition be it the Church or Communion Table the Pulpit nay the Scriptures and Sacraments themselves The Papists abuse lights in the Church must wee therefore sit at Evensong in the darke They abuse Frankincense offering it to their Images may not wee therefore use it in a dampish roome They abuse Godfathers and Godmothers to make a new affinity hindering marriage in such parties will they therefore christen their children without witnessâ—s Excreate sodes Papists abuse spittle mingling it with chrisme and putting it in the mouth of the childe when they baptize it will they therefore never spit It is not the Valentinians first use or the Papists abuse or any thing in the Crosse it selfe savouring of superstition but a crosse humour in themselves which stirreth them up to cavill at and alwayes quarrell with the warrantable and decent rites and commendable constitutions of their Mother the Church of England to whose censure I leave them and come to our selves Use 5 Suffer I beseech you a little affliction of the eare it is a time of penance You have heard of Jesus Christ and him crucified many wayes Contra prof vit in the garden before his death on the crosse at his death and since his death also by the persecutors of the Church and scandalous livers in the Church and foure professed enemies of his crosse 1 Jewes 2 Gentiles 3 Separatists 4 Papists And shall wee fill up the number and adde more affliction and vexation to him by our unkindnesse and ingratitude and neglect of his word and prophane abuse of his sacraments shall wee that are Gospellers by our reproachfull lives put Christ to open shame and crucifie the Lord of life again shall wee whom hee hath bought so deerely loved so entirely provided for so plentifully and preserved so miraculously returne him evill for good nay so much evill for so much good hee hath fed us with the finest wheat flower and the purest juice of the grape shall wee in requitall offer him gall and vinegar by our gluttony and drunkennesse feasting and revelling even this holy time set apart for the commemoration of Christs passion and our most serious meditation thereupon shall wee spit upon Christ by our blasphemous oathes and scoffes at his word and ministers shall wee put a worse indignity and disgrace upon his members than the Jewes or Romanes did by making them the members of an harlot shall wee strip Christ starke naked by our sacriledge sell him by simony racke him by oppression teare him in pieces by sects in the Church and factions in the state u Hom. Id. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hoc Ithacus velit magno mercentur Achivi It is that our enemies would spare for no gold to buy it at any rate that whilest the shepheards are at strife they might send in their wolves to make havocke of the flocke * Eras adâ—g Pastores odia exercent lupus intrat ovile If any here present at the hearing of these things shall bee pricked in heart x Act. 2.37 as the Jewes were at * Saint Peters Sermon upon this subject and shall demand of mee as they did of him and the rest of the Apostles quid faciemus what shall wee doe I answer in his words y ver 38. repent and be baptised every one of you not in the first which is already past but in the second baptisme which is of teares z Psal 4.4 stand in awe and sin no more commune with your owne heart in your chamber and bee still crucifie the world and the pompes the flesh and the lusts thereof breake off your sinnes by righteousnesse and your iniquities by almes to the poore humble your soules by watching and praying fasting and mourning Prostrate your selves before Jesus Christ and him crucified and after you have bathed your eyes in brinish teares and anointed them with the eye-salve of the spirit looke up with unspeakable comfort on your Saviour hanging on the crosse stretching out his armes to embrace you bowing downe his head as it were to kisse you behold in his pierced hands and feet and side holes to hide you from the wrath of God behold nayles to fasten the hand-writing against you being cancelled to his crosse behold vinegar to search and cleanse all your wounds behold water and blood and hyssope to purge your consciences and lastly a spunge to wipe out all your debts out of his Fathers tables Which the Father of mercy and God of all consolation
eleven Apostles or to more than five hundred brethren that saw him all at one time nay what to more than five millions of Confessors and Martyrs signing the truth of it with their blood and shewing the power of it as well by the wonders which they wrought in his name as the invincible patience wherewith they endured all sorts of torments and death it selfe for his name I might produce the testimony of Josephus the learned Jew and tell you of Paschasinus his holy Well that fils of his owne accord every Easter day and the annuall rising of certaine bodies of Martyrs in the sands of Egypt and likewise of a Phoenix in the dayes of Tyberius much about the time of our Lords resurrection rising out of her owne ashes m Lactant. in Poem Ipsa sibi proles suus pater suus haeres Nutrix ipsa sui semper alumna sibi Ipsa quidem sed non eadem quia ipsa nec ipsa Eternam vitam mortis adepta bono But because the authours of these relations and observations are not beyond exception I will rather conclude this point with an argument of Saint n De civit Dei l. 22. c. 5. Haec duo incredibilia scil resurrectionem nostri corporis rem â—am incredibilem mundum esse crediturum idem dominus antequam vel unum horuÌ„ fieret ambo futura esse praedixit unum duorum incredibilium jam factum videmus ut quod erat incredibile credeâ—et mundus curid quod reliquum est desperatur Austines to which our owne undoubted experience gives much strength The same Spirit of God saith hee which foretold the resurrection of Christ foretold also that the doctrine thereof should bee publickly professed and believed in the world and the one was altogether as unlikely as the other But the latter wee see in all ages since Christs death and at this day accomplished in the celebration of this feast why then should any man doubt of the former The Apostles saw the head living but not the mysticall body the Catholike Church of all places and ages We have read in the histories of all ages since Christ and at this day see the Catholike Church spread over the whole face of the earth which is Christs body how can wee then but believe the head to bee living which conveigheth life to all the members I have set before you the glasse of the resurrection in the figures of predictions of the Old Testament and the face it selfe in the history of the New may it please you now to cast a glance of your eye upon the Image or picture thereof in our rising from the death of sinne to the life of grace All Christs actions and passions as they are meritorious for us so they are some way exemplary unto us and as none can bee assured of the benefit of Christs birth unlesse hee bee borne againe by water and the Spirit nor of his death unlesse hee bee dead to sinne nor of his buriall unlesse hee have buried his old Adam so neither of his resurrection unlesse hee bee risen from dead workes and continually walketh in newnesse of life See you how the materiall colours in a glasse window when the sun-beames passe through it produce the like colours but lesse materiall and therefore called by the Philosophers intentionales spiritales on the next wall no otherwise doth the corporall resurrection of Christ produce in all true believers a representation thereof in their spirituall which Saint John calleth o Apoc. 20.5 the first resurrection Saint Paul p Heb. 6.1 repentance from dead workes Sinnes especially heinous and grievous proceeding from an evill habit are called dead workes and such sinners dead men because they are deprived of the life of God have no sense of true Religion they see not Gods workes they heare not his Word they savour not the things of God they feele no pricke of conscience they breath not out holy prayers to God nor move towards heaven in their desires but lye rotting in their owne filthinesse and corruption The causes which moved the Jewes so much to abhorre dead corpses ought to be more prevalent with us carefully to shunne and avoid those that are spiritually dead in sinnes and transgressions they were foure 1 Pollution 2 Horrour 3 Stench 4 Haunting with evill spirits 1 Pollution That which touched a dead corpse was by the law uncleane neither can any come nigh these men much lesse embrace them in their bosome without morall pollution and taking infection in their soules from them 2 Horrour Nothing so ghastly as the sight of a dead corpse the representation whereof oft-times in the Theater appalleth not onely the spectatours but also the actours and yet this sight is not so dreadfull to the carnall man as the sight of those that are spiritually dead I speake of foule notorious and scandalous offenders to them that feare God Saint John would not stay in the same bath with Cerinthus and certainely 't is a most fearefull thing to bee under the same roofe with blasphemous heretickes and profane persons who have no feare of God before their eyes 3 Stench The smell of a carkasse is not so offensive to the nostrils as the stench of gluttony drunkennesse and uncleannesse in which wicked men wallow is loathsome to God and all good men 4 Haunting with evil spirits We read in scriptures that the men that were possest of the divel came q Mat. 8.28 out of the tombs and graves and we find by dayly experience the like of these rather carkasses than men that the devill hankereth about them and entereth into their heart as he did into Judas filling them with all wickednesse and uncleannesse After they have exhausted their bodies with incontinency their estate with riotous living and have lost first their conscience and after their credit they fall into the deepest melancholy upon which Sathan works and puts them into desperate courses r Psal 73.19 O how suddenly doe they consume perish and come to a fearefull end Me thinkes I heare some say wee heard of places haunted by evill spirits in time of popery are there now any such not such as then were solitary houses ruined pallaces or Churches in which fearefull noyses are said to have beene heard and walking spirits to have beene met For at the thunder of the Gospell Sathan fell like lightning from heaven and hath left those his old holds but places of a contrary condition such where is the greatest concourse of people I meane profane Theaters disorderly Tavernes Ale-houses places of gaming and lewdnesse yea prisons also which were intended for the restraint of wickednesse and punishment of vice are made refuges of Malefactors and schooles of all impiety and wickednesse Quis custodes custodiet ipsos As in the hot sands of Africa where wilde beasts of divers sorts meet to drinke strange monsters are begotten which gave occasion to that proverbe Å¿ Eras
not tell them that if this their zeale like a lampe or candle arise not up in the socket and make the greatest blaze at the last it is no true zeale b Nat. hist l. 37. c. 10. Chrysolampis pallidi coloris est interdiu nocte ignei l. 2. c. 103. Fons solis circa meridiem maximè frigidus est ad noctis medium fervore infestatur Pliny writeth that the Chrysolamp is of a pale colour in the day but of a fiery in the night and in like manner hee reporteth of the fountaine of the sunne springing in the countrey of the Troglodites that at mid-day it is extreme cold but extreme hot at midnight and Solinus the like of a Well by Debris I wish I did not see in these fountains or the colour of the Chrysolampis the picture of our nations zeal In the dark of ignorance or mid-night of Popery was not our zeale for Gods truth exceeding hot and fiery but now in the sunne-shine of the Gospell is it not of a coole temper like fons solis the fountaine of the sun and of a pale colour like the Chrysolamp in the day c Solin c. 32. Apud Debrim oppidum Garamantum fons est qui die friget nocte fervet friget calore calet frigore There was a time when like the Galatians the people of this City and Kingdome would have plucked out their very eyes for the Ministers of the Gospell and have chosen rather to have lost the lights of their body than of their soule but now many care not how little they see us upon these or the like watch-towers May not God complaine of our zeale as hee did of the righteousnesse of Ephraim that it is like the d Hos 6.4 morning dew when the sunne groweth hot not a droppe to bee seene on the grasse It was the reproach of our neighbour nation Primus impetus plus quam virorum secundus minor quam foeminarum That in their first assault they were more than men in the second lesse than women I pray God we justifie them not in our fight against sin and Satan and conflicts with temptation in which we are not so valiant at the first as we are cowardly at the last May we not daily observe many who at their first entry into the ministry are so zealous so frequent so diligent in their preaching that a man durst engage himselfe deepely for them that they would prove true e Vide vit Juell praefix oper Juels dye standing in the Pulpet and yet shortly after great preferments comming upon them they verifie that Proverbe leves curae loquuntur ingentes stupent Have we not Guardians of our Churches that in their first yeere present more abuses than a zealous Nehemiah can reforme in seven yet afterwards when they are made of the Cabin-Councell and become leaders in our Vestries and have learned that Demosthenes received a greater reward for silence than Aeschines for speaking they erect a Court of Faculties in their owne breast and dispence with themselves for perjury videntes vident non discernunt audientes audiunt non intelligunt in seeing they see scores nay hundreds receiving the Communion standing or sitting at their best ease they see especially in the suburbs not onely on other holy-holy-dayes but also on the Lords-day Ale-houses and Tavernes full and Churches empty in the City seeing they see but will not discerne many a reverend Paul and hopefull Timothy forsaken of the better part of their auditory who runne a gadding after some new schismaticall Lecturer whose name is up who resembleth our late and new found Wels that worke wonders for a Summer and multitudes of people flocke to them but afterwards all their vertue is gone As in seeing they see these things and discerne them not so in hearing they heare and understand not they heare old heresie new varnished refined popery yea sometimes direct and grosse and yet they either doe not or will not understand it they heare Popish Priests and Jesuites at their next doore mumbling Masses and yet understand it not they heare in the Pulpet our reverend Prelates most worthy double honour our zealous Nehemiahs our Christian Courts our sacred Canons our decent Ceremonies jeared at or sighed against in a pang of Amsterdamian zeale and yet they understand it not What should I speake of the people in generall who when a Chrysostome first openeth his golden mouth amongst them throng and croud at the Church doores and not onely fill all the seates but climbe into the windowes and hang upon iron barres and contribute so freely to his maintenance that they need to bee restrayned by law as the Israelites were in Moses time but after a yeere or two they follow f Eras adag Mandrabulus his steps who finding great treasure as he conceived by direction of Juno of Samos offered to her the first yeere a Statue of gold the next yeere of silver the third yeere of brasse So at the first they offer gold in abundance afterwards they turne their gold into silver and then their silver into brasse tokens and last of all these into ayre As a temporary faith justifieth us not before God so neither temporary charity before men true zeale is not a flash or a blaze but a lasting fire that burneth alwayes it is good saith Saint g Gal. 4.18 Paul to bee zealous in a good matter alwayes By the marks I have now set upon the hypocrite you may descry him and sever him from a zealous Christian by those which follow in the definition of zeale Enflaming all the desires and affections in the true worship of the true God the holy fire of the sanctuary is distinguished from all such strange fire as our Nadabs and Abihu's superstitious idolatrous seditious or presumptuous zealots offer 1 The lay Papist is a kinde of zealot for his zeale eates up his time and his estate too yet hee is not zealous because his zeale is not employed and exercised in the true worship of God according to his word but according to mans will and invention viz. in praying to Saints in worshipping images in suffrages for the dead in seeing Masses and adoring the hoste and telling out a fet number of Pater-nosters and Ave-Maries upon hallowed beads in making superstitious vowes and going in pilgrimage and abstaining from certaine meates and wearing haire-cloth and whipping themselves and creeping on all foure to a crucifix and the like of all which wee demand as God doth of the Jewes by the Prophet Esay h Isa 1.12 Who hath required these things at your hands Who required these things 2 The idolatrous heathen is a kinde of zealot for hee is not content to offer beasts onely to God with the Jew but men also to their gods For in some places they sacrifice their children as among the Moabites in others their fathers as among the Triballi elsewhere their princes or priests as among
seven heads and ten hornes like to the woman whereby the Roman Empire or Church is meant called Babylon the Mother of fornications and abominations on the earth ver 5. because the Dragon employed the seven heads and ten hornes Apoc. 17 3.5 that is the policie and strength of the Roman State especially to suppresse the true Religion and overthrow the Church Other Kingdomes and States have beene stained with the bloud of Christians but Rome is that Whore of Babylon which hath died her garments scarlet red with the bloud of Saints and Martyrs of Jesus Christ others have licked or tasted thereof but she in regard of her barbarous crueltie in this kind is said to be l Apoc. 17.6 drunke with their bloud The vision thus cleared the meaning of my text and the speciall points of observation in each word therein may easily be discerned The first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the woman figureth unto us the Church her 1 Originall 2 Fruitfulnesse 3 Tendernesse 4 Weakenesse 5 Frailtie 1 First her Originall As the first Adam being cast into a slumber the woman was formed of a rib taken out of his side so when the second Adam fell into a dead sleepe on the Crosse his side was opened and thence issued this woman here in my text Christs dearest Spouse 2 Her fruitfulnesse The honour of women is their childbearing For therefore was Heva called the mother of the living because all save Adam came from her such is the Church a most indulgent and fruitfull mother Heva mater viventium the mother of all that live by faith And as St. m Cypr de unit Eccles Deum non habet patrem qui ecclesiam non habet matrem Cyprian concluded against all the Schismatikes in his time we may resolve against all the Separatists in our daies they cannot have God to their Father who acknowledge not the Church for their Mother 3 Her tendernesse Mulier saith Varro quasi mollior women take their name in latine from tendernesse or softnesse because they are usually of a softer temper than men and much more subject to passions especially of feare griefe love and longing their feare is almost perpetuall their griefe immoderate their love ardent and their longing most vehement such is the temper of the militant Church in feare alwayes weeping continually for her children never out of trouble in one place or other sicke for love of her husband Christ Jesus and ever longing for his second comming 4 Her weakenesse or impotencie Women are the weaker n 1 Pet. 3.7 Giving honour to the wife as to the weaker vessell vessels they have no strength in comparison of men they are able to make small or no resistance and in this also the militant Church resembleth a woman for howsoever she be alwayes strong in the Lord and in the power of his might and albeit for a short time when she had Kings and Princes for her Champions as in the daies of David Solomon Hezekiah Josiah and other Kings of Judah and in the reigne of Constantine Theodosius Martianus Justinian and other Emperours of Rome by the temporall sword she put her enemies to the worst and had a great hand over them yet in other ages as well before Christs incarnation as after she hath bin destitute of the arm of flesh and hath had no other than womens weapons to defend her self viz. prayers and teares These alone St. Ambrose tooke up for his defence against the Arrian Emperour o Amb. ep 33. R gamus Auguste non pugnamus We bow downe before thee we rise not up against thee our dread Lord. For my owne part I can sorrow I can sigh I can weepe by other meanes I neither may nor can resist 5 Her frailtie Women are not only weaker in body than men and lesse able to resist violence but also weaker in mind and lesse able to hold out in temptations and therefore the Divell first set upon the woman as conceiving it a matter of more facilitie to supplant her than the man I would the militant Church were not in this also too like the weaker sexe Faire she is I grant but p Cant. 6.10 faire as the Moone in which there are darke and blacke spots Origen in Cant. homâ— an illa verba Nigâ—a sâ—â— Nigra est sponsa pulchra tamen inter mulicres ita ut habeat aliquid Aethiopici candoris Or as St. Origen noteth pulchra inter mulieres not perfectly faire but faire among women her brightest colours are somewhat stained her graces clouded her beauty Sun-burnt Let the Pelagians and Papists stand never so much upon the perfection of inherent righteousnesse they shall never be able to wash cleane the q Esay 64 6. We are all as an uncleane thing and all our righteousnesse is as filthy ragges menstruous cloutes and filthy ragges the Prophet Esay speaketh of St. Austin who was more inward to the servants of God in his time and better acquainted with their thoughts than any Heretikes could be telleth us that if all the Saints from the beginning of the world were together upon earth and should joyne in one prayer it would be this or the like Lord enter not into judgement with thy servant for in thy sight shall no man living be justified Nothing is so easie as to slip whilest wee walke upon a r Apoc 15 2. And I saw as it wâ—re aâ—ea of glasse mingled with fire sea of glasse For this reason it is that our Saviour teacheth us to pray Å¿ Mat. 6.13 lead us not into temptation because there is not any temptation so weake that putteth not our frailtie to the worse and albeit it overcome not our faith yet it maketh our sinewes so shrinke as Jacobs did after hee wrestled with the Angell that by it we are lamed in holy duties All those usuall similitudes whereby the Scripture setteth the Church militant before our eyes shew her frailtie and imbecilitie She is a vine a lilly a dove a flocke of sheepe in the midst of ravening wolves What tree so subject to take hurt as a vine which is so weake that it needeth continuall binding and supporting so tender that if it be prickt deepe it bleedeth to death No flower so soft and without all defence or shelter as a lilly no fowle so harmlesse as the dove that hath no gallat all no cattell so oft in danger as sheep and lambes in the midst of wolves Yet neither the weake vine nor the soft lilly nor the fearefull dove nor the harmelesse sheepe so lively expresseth the infirmitie and danger of the wayfaring or rather warfaring Church as the travelling woman in this vision What more pitifull object or lamentable spectacle can present it selfe to our eyes than a woman great with child scared with a fierie serpent ready to devoure her child and driven to fly away with her heavie burden with which she is scarce able to wag This and worse if
some pastours and eminent professours to sow his field in future times and propagate Religion to posterity These may and ought to flie in time of persecution provided first that they flie not when their conscience perswadeth them that their flight will be a great scandall to Religion and a discouragement to the weaker and they feele in themselves a great and earnest desire to glorifie God by striving for his truth unto bloud For being thus called by God and enabled and encouraged they must preferre Gods glory before their life and a crowne of martyrdome before any earthly condition 2. That they leave not the Church destitute For Christ giveth it for one of the characters of an hireling to y John 10.13 flie when hee seeth the Wolfe comming and looke to his owne safety taking little care what becommeth of his flocke 3. They must not use any indirect meanes to flye they may not betray Gods truth or their brethren to save their owne life he that saveth his life upon such termes shall lose it and he that loseth his life in Gods cause shall finde it You will say peradventure how may this be I answer as that which is lost in Alpheus after a certaine time is undoubtedly found againe in Arethusa so that which is lost on earth shall be found in Heaven Hee that loseth his life for Christs sake in this vale of teares shall finde it at the last day in the z Psal 16.11 river of pleasures springing at the right hand of God for evermore When the Starres set here they rise in the other hemisphere so when Confessours and Martyrs set here they rise in heaven and shall never set againe Therefore as Christ spake of Virginity wee may say of Martyrdome what he spake of the garland of white roses we may of the garland of red Qui potest capere capiat Hee that is able to receive it let him receive it he that is not able let him trace the footsteps of the woman here that fled Into the wildernesse Not by change of place saith a In Apoc. c. 12. Fugit non mutatione loci sed amissione status ornatus Pareus but change of state and condition I see no reason of such a restraint the Church may and sometimes doth flye two manner of wayes 1. Openly when being persecuted in one country shee posteth into another 2. Secretly when shee abideth where shee was but keepeth her selfe close and shunneth the eye of the world and worshippeth God in secret mourning for the abominations and publike prophanations of true Religion Thus then wee may expound the words the woman fled into the wildernesse that is she withdrew her selfe from publike view kept her exercises of Religion in private held her meetings in cryptis hidden places as vaults under ground b Heb. 11 38. They wandred in deserts mountaines and dens and caves of the earth dens and caves in the earth or if persecution raged above measure and without end removed from country to country and from city to wildernesse for safety By wildernesse some learned Expositors understand remote countries inhabited by Paynims and Gentiles where yet the fire of persecution is not kindled For say they though such places be never so well peopled yet they may be termed deserts because never manured by Gods husbandry never sown with the seed of the Word never set with plants of Paradise never watered with the dew of heavenly grace And if the Church had not removed into such wildernesses she had never visited us in England severed after a sort from the whole world Toto divisos Orbe Britannos But such hath beene Gods goodnesse to these Ilands that the woman in my text was carried with her c Ver. 14. And to the woman was given two wings of a great Eagle Eagles wings into these parts before the Roman Eagles were brought in here our Countrey submitted it selfe to the Crosse of Christ before it stooped to the Roman scepter Howbeit I take not this to be the meaning of this Scripture For the propagation of the Church and the extending her bounds to the remotest regions of the world maketh her catholike and by it she becommeth glorious whereas the Spirit speaketh here of her as in some eclipse The wildernesse therefore here meant must needes be some obscure place or region to which she fled to hide her selfe If you demand particularly when this prophecy was fulfilled I answer partly in those Hebrewes of whom St. Paul writeth that they lay in wildernesses and dennes and caves of the earth partly in those Disciples that were in Jerusalem in the time of the siege and a little before who mindfull of our Saviours commandement fled into the mountaines and were miraculously preserved in Pella as Eusebius writeth partly in those Christians who in the dayes of Maximinus and Dioclesian fled so farre that they never returned backe againe into any City but were the fathers of them that live in woods and desarts as Hermites or inclosed within foure walls as Recluses and Anchorites partly in those Orthodoxe beleevers who in the reigne of the Arrian Emperours tooke desarts and caves under ground for sanctuary of whom St. Hilarie writeth saying d L. adver Auxent Ecclesia potius delituit in cavernis quam in primariis Urbibus eminebat The Church rather lurked in holes and vaults under ground in those dayes than shewed her selfe openly in the chiefe Cities partly in those professours of the Gospell who ever since the man of sinne was revealed have beene by him put to great streights and driven to lie hid for many yeeres in solitary and obscure places in all which persecutions of the Church God prepared for her not only a place to lodge in but a table also that they should Feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore dayes Some referring this prophesie to the Jewes abode in Pella find the time to be precisely three yeeres and an halfe others by dayes understanding yeeres reckon from the declining age of Constantine till the great reformation in our age neere upon a thousand two hundred and threescore yeeres in all which time the true Church hath played least in sight and beene in a maner buried in oblivion But neither is this calculation exact neither as I conceive doth St. John speake of one flight onely nor of any particular place nor definite number of yeeres but after the manner of Prophets putteth a definite number for an indefinite and foresheweth that the true Church must for a long time lie hid and withdraw her selfe out of the worlds eye as it is afterwards exprest a time times and halfe a time a time under the heathen Emperours times under severall Heretikes and last of all halfe a time in that last and greatest tribulation immediately before the utter overthrow of Antichrist For that e Mat. 24.22 persecution shall be shortened as our Saviour intimateth for the Elects sake lest all flesh should
of the Martyrs sepulchres when she had no Churches but caves under ground no wealth but grace no exercises but sufferings no crowne but of martyrdome yet then she thrived best then she spread farthest then she kept her purity in doctrine and conversation then she convinced the Jewes then she converted the Gentiles then shee subdued Kingdomes whence I inferre three corollaries 1 That the Roman Church cannot be the true Church of Christ For the true Church of Christ as she is described in the holy Scriptures hath for long time lien hid beene often obscured and eclipsed by bloudy persecutions but the Roman or Papall Church hath never beene so her advocates plead for her that she hath beene alwayes not onely visible but conspicuous not onely knowne but notorious And among the many plausible arguments of perswasion and deceiveable shewes of reason wherewith they amuse and abuse the world none prevaileth so much with the common sort and unskilfull multitude as the outward pomp and glory of the Papall See For sith most men are led by sense and judge according to outward appearance the Church of Rome which maketh so goodly a shew and hath born so great sway in the world for many ages easily induceth them to beleeve that she is that City whereof the Prophet speaks x Psal 87.3 Glorious things are spoken of thee thou City of God What more glorious and glittering to the eie than the Popes triple crowne and the Cardinals hats and their Archbishops Palls and their Bishops miters and crozures their shining images their beautifull pictures their rich hangings their gilt rood lofts their crosses and reliques covered in gold and beset with all sorts of pretious stones These with their brightnesse and resplendency dazle the eyes of the multitude and verily if the Queenes daughters glory were all without and the kingdome of Christ of this world and his Church triumphant upon earth all the knowne Churches in the Christian world must give place to the See of Rome which hath borne up her head when theirs have beene under water hath sate as Queene when they have kneeled as captives hath braved it in purple when they have mourned in sackcloth and ashes But beloved y Rom. 10 17. faith commeth not by sight but by hearing and we are not to search the Church in the map of the world but in the Scriptures of God where we find her a pilgrim in Genesis a bondwoman in Exodus a prisoner in Judges a captive in the book of Kings a widow in the Prophets and here in my text a woman labouring with child flying from a red Dragon into the wildernesse I grant that Christ promiseth her a kingdome but not of this world and peace but it is the peace of God and joy but it is in the Holy Ghost and great glory but it is within z Psal 45.13 The Kings daughter is all glorious within c. 2 That none ought to despise the Churches beyond the seas under the Crosse but according to the command of the blessed Apostle a Heb. 13.3 Remember them that are in bonds as bound with them and them that suffer adversitie as heing our selves also in the body Their turne of sorrow is now ours may be hereafter God hath begun to them in a cup of trembling it is to be feared it will not passe us but we and all the reformed Churches shall drink of it Our Church in Queene Maries dayes resembled this woman in my text theirs now doth both never a whit the lesse but rather the more the true Churches of Christ because they weare his red livery and beare his Crosse 3 That we ought not to looke for great things in this world but having food and raiment as the woman had here in my text to be therewith contented and as she withdrew her self from the eye of the world so ought we to retire our selves into our closets there to have private conference with God to examine our spirituall estate to make up the breaches in our conscience to poure out our soules in teares of compunction for our sins of compassion for the calamities of our brethren of an ardent desire and longing affection for the second comming of our Lord when he shall put an end as to all sinne and temptation so to all sorrow and feare Amen Even so come Lord Jesu To whom c. THE SAINTS VEST A Sermon preached on All-Saints day at Lincolnes-Inne for Doctor Preston THE XXIV SERMON APOC. 7.14 These are they that came out of great tribulation and have washed their robes and made them white in the bloud of the Lambe Right Honourable Right Worshipfull c. THe question which the Elder moved to Saint John in the precedent verse to my Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what are these mee thinks I heare some put to mee at this present saying What are these holy ones whose feast yee keep what meane these devotions what doe these festivities intend what speake these solemnities what Saints are they Virgins Confessours or Martyrs whose memory by the anniversary returne of this day you eternize 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whence came they or rather how came they to bee thus honoured and canonized in our Kalendar My direct answer hereunto is my Text These are they c. and the exemplification thereof shall be my Sermon The palmes they beare are ensignes of their victory the robes they weare are emblemes of their glory the bloud wherein they dyed their robes representeth the object of their faith the white and bright colour of them their joy and the length of them the continuance thereof Yea but these holy ones you may object at least the chiefe of them had their dayes apart the blessed Virgin hers apart and the Innocents apart the Apostles apart and the Evangelists apart how come they now to be repeated why committeth the Church a tautologie in her menologie what needeth this sacred 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or congeries of feasts blending of devotions thrusting all Saints into one day and that a short one in the rubricke It is that men may see by that which we doe what we beleeve in that Article of our Creed the communion of Saints Wee joyne them all in one collect wee remember them all upon one day because they are all united into one body admitted into one society naturalized into one Kingdome made free Denisons of one City and partakers of one a Col. 1.12 inheritance of the Saints in light In a word we keep one feast for them all upon earth because they all keep one everlasting feast in heaven the marriage b Apoc. 19.9 supper of the Lambe The Romanes beside severall Temples dedicated to severall deities had their Pantheon or all-gods temple See wee not in the skie here single starres glistering by themselves there constellations or a concourse of many heavenly lampes joyning their lights do we not heare with exceeding delight in the singing of our Church
Anthemes first single voices answering one the other and after the whole Quire joyning in one as it were tracing the same musicall steps hath not nature drawne with her pensill a perfect grasse green in the Emrald a skie colour in the Saphir the glowing of fire in the Carbuncle the sanguine complexion in the Ruby and the twinckling of the starres in the Diamond and all these together in the Opall which hath in it the lustre and beautifull colours of all these precious stones c Plin. nat hist l. 37 c 6. In Opale est Carbunculi tenuior ignis Amethysti fulgens purpura Smaragdi virens mare c. incredibili misturâ lucentes Such is this feast of all holy ones it is the Churches 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Kalendars pandect as it were a constellation not of many but of all the starres in the skie in it as in the Opall shine the beautifull colours and resplendency of all those precious stones which are laid in the d Apoc. 21.19 foundation and shine in the gates and walls of the heavenly Jerusalem Upon it we celebrate the chastity of all Virgins the simplicity of all Innocents the zeale and courage of all Confessours the patience of all Martyrs the holinesse of all Saints Upon this day the Church militant religiously complementeth with the Church triumphant and all Saints on earth keep the feast and expresse the joy and acknowledge the happinesse and celebrate the memory and imbrace the love and set forth the vertues of all Saints in heaven Which are principally three shadowed by the allegory in my Text 1. Patience in tribulation They came out 2. Purity in conversation And washed their garments 3. Faith in Christs death and passion Made them white in c. The better to distinguish them you may if you please terme them three markes 1. A blacke or blewish marke made with the stroake or flaile Tribulation 2. A white made by washing their garments and whiting them 3. A red by dying them in the bloud of the Lambe 1. First of the blacke or blew marke They came out of great tribulation The beloved Apostle and divine Evangelist Saint John who lay in the bosome of our Saviour and pryed into the very secrets of his heart in the time of his exile in Pathmos had a glimpse of his and our country that is above and was there present in spirit at a solemne investiture or installation of many millions of Gods Saints into their state of glory and order of dignity about the Lambe in his celestiall court The rite and ceremony of it was thus The twelve e Ver. 5 6 7 8. Tribes of Israel were called in order and of every Tribe twelve thousand were sealed in the forehead by an Angel keeper of the broad Seale of the living God Ver. 2. After this signature Loe a great multitude which no man can number of all nations and kindreds and people and tongues stood before the Throne and before the Lambe and they had long white robes put upon them and palmes given them in their hands in token of victory and they marched on in triumph singing with a loud voice Salvation from or to our God that sitteth upon the Throne and to the Lambe at which words all the Angels that stood round about the Throne and the Elders and the foure living creatures full of eyes fell before the Throne on their faces and worshipped God saying Amen Praise and glory and wisedome and thankes and honour and power and might be unto our God for ever and ever Amen This glorious representation of the triumphant Church so overcame and tooke away the senses of the ravished Apostle that though he desired nothing more than to learne who they were that he had seen thus honourably installed yet he had not the power to aske the question of any that assisted in the action till one of the Elders rose from his seate to entertaine him and demanded that of him which hee knew the Apostle knew not but most of all desired to know and would have enquired after if his heart had served him viz. who they were and whence they came that were admitted into the order of the white robe in Heaven The answer of which question when the Apostle had modestly put from himselfe to the Elder saying Lord thou knowest the Elder courteously resolveth it and informeth him particularly concerning them saying These are they that are come out of great tribulation c. Thou mightest perhaps have thought that these who are so richly arrayed and highly advanced in Heaven had been some great Monarchs Emperours or Potentates upon earth that had conquered the better part of the world before them paving the way with the bodies and cementing it with the bloud of the slâ—ine and in token thereof bare these palmes of victories in their hands Nothing lesse they are poore miserable forlorne people that are newly come some out of houses of bondage some out of the gallies some out of prisons some out of dungeons some out of mynes some out of dens and caves of the earth all out of great tribulation They who weare now long white robes mourned formerly in blacke they who now beare palmes in their hands carried their crosses in this world they who shout and sing here sighed and mourned under the heavie burdens of manifold afflictions all the dayes of their pilgrimage on earth they whom thou seest the Lambe leading to the f Ver. 17. living fountaines of waters dranke before deep of the waters of Marah and full cups of teares in the extreme heate of bloudy persecutions and in consideration of the great tribulation which they have patiently endured for the love of their Redeemer he bestoweth upon them these glorious robes whited in his own bloud and hee taketh them neere to himselfe that they may stand before him for evermore g Mat. 5 11 12. Blessed thrice blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousnesse sake for great is their reward in heaven The heavier their crosse is the weightier their crowne shall bee their present sorrowes shall free them from all future sorrowes their troubles here shall save them from all trouble hereafter their temporall paines through his merits for whom they suffer shall acquit them from eternall torments and the death of their body through faith in his bloud shall redeeme them from death of body and soule and exempt them from all danger miserie and feare Which priviledges the spirit sealeth unto them in the verses following They h Rev. 7.15.16.17 are before the Throne of God and serve him day and night in his Temple and he that sitteth on the Throne shall dwell among them They shall hunger no more neither thirst any more neither shall the Sun light on them nor any heat For the Lamb which is in the midst of the Throne shall feed them and shall lead them into living fountaines of waters and God shall wipe away all
words of the Psalmist k Psal 49.20 being in honour have no understanding but may bee compared to the beast that perisheth Their purple robes are no sooner on but they reflect upon their owne worth and wisedome and trample those who were before their equals under foot 4. The fourth stratagem policie or device is To tempt us by method beginning with questionable actions thence proceeding to sinnes of infirmity from them to wilfull transgressions after to heinous crimes and last of all to obstinacy and finall impenitency No wooll or cloath is dyed purple or scarlet at the first but after divers tinctures at the last taketh that deepest dye so doth the soule scarlet and crimson sinnes after many lesser faults of an inferiour dye or staine i Juven Sat. 2 Nemo repentè fuit turpissimus No man at one leap gets up to the top of all impiety therefore Satan takes him by the hand and leads him by these severall steps 1 An evill motion plot or designe 2 The entertainment of it with some kind of approbation 3 A determination to pursue it 4 A vitious action 5 An evill habit or custome 6 The defence or justification of his wicked course 7 Glorying in it and in a reprobate sense Hee that hastily turnes the pegge to winde up a treble to his pitch will sooner breake the string than tune it but if hee straine it up by little and little hee bringeth it without danger to the height Had Satan at the first dash tempted Saint Peter to forsweare his Master and curse himselfe doubtlesse the Apostle would have abandoned the suggestion and defied the tempter who yet wrought upon him by degrees and at length obtained his end First hee cooleth his zeale perswading him not to runne upon danger but if he were resolved to see what would become of his Master to follow him afar off when hee comes slowly to the high Priests pallace hee sets a damosell upon him to question him and upon a light apprehension of danger he gaines from him an unadvised deniall after upon greater feare a double and treble abnegation in conclusion an oath to make good his former denials If this grand Impostor of the world and cunning supplanter of soules meet with a man of a strict conscience who endevoureth to walke uprightly before God first he tryeth to bring him to venture upon questionable actions such things as may beare a dispute whether they are sinnes or no as statute usury to take eight in the hundred legall simony to buy the next advowson of a living the Incumbent lying desperately sicke customary sacriledge to pay a certaine rate for the tithe though far lesse in value than the due If hee get thus much ground of him hee easily presseth him forward to commit some undoubted sinnes but small in the kinde as to let his eyes range about vaine objects to entertaine a wanton thought for a while to keepe from Church in foule weather to salve a fault with a hansome excuse to mis-spend an houre or two with a friend in a Taverne after Satan hath gained thus much of him hee will easily draw him from making little account of small sinnes to make small account of great For as the wimble bores a hole for the auger so lesse sinnes make way for greater idlenesse for wantonnesse lust for adultery wrath for murder lying for perjury errours for heresies good fellowship for drunkennesse and all wickednesse Milo by carrying a calfe at the first and after a bullocke was able in fine to beare an oxe And it is storied of Mithridates King of Pontus that by taking weak poysons at the first by degrees stronger in the end he brought his body to that temper that no poyson could worke upon him Effecit poto Mithridates saepe veneno Toxica ne possint saeva nocere sibi Thus custome in small sinnes at the first and in greater after makes us in the end insensible of all This rule of Satans method extendeth farther than private corruption in mens mindes For thus sensim sine sensu tyranny heresie and superstition overran the greater part of the Church The Bishop of Rome in the beginning contended but for a bare primacy of order which considering the great power of that City being the seat of the Empire was without much difficulty yeelded unto him after hee pretends to a little more viz. receiving the last appeales from the sentence of the other Patriarchs this Sozimus stickled for alledging for it a Canon of the Councell of Nice which the African Bishops proved to be forged By Boniface the third his time he durst to put in for the title of Universall Bishop which hee obtained though m Plat. in Bonif 3. An. 666. with much adoe through the Emperour Phocas his meanes who murdered his Master Mauritius By vertue of this title his successour Vitalianus tooke upon him to give spirituall lawes to the whole Church and after him Pope Hildebrand to give temporall lawes to Kings and Princes to depose them at pleasure and to dispose of their crownes As tyranny so superstition and Idolatry stole pedetentim into the Church First to confirme Christians in the faith of the resurrection and to encourage them to constancy in their holy profession in the Church Liturgy there was some commemoration made of the dead after this commemoration succeeded anniversary panegyrickes in their commendation soone after publike giving thankes to God for them by name and last of all direct invocation of them In like manner grosse Idolatry crept into the Church First images and pictures of Saints were used in private for memory history or ornament onely after upon the like colour of pretence in St. n Epist ex Regist 9 Adorate Imaginâ—s omnibus modis devita Gregories dayes they were brought into the Church with an expresse prohibition of worshipping them In the next age the worship of them was enjoyned by Pope Adrian in the second Synod at Nice yet not for themselves but respectively onely in regard of that which they represent but now in our age since the Councell of Trent it is the tenent of the Roman Church that Images are to be worshipped for themselves o Bell. de imag sanct l. 2. c. 21. Ut in se considerantur non tantum ut vicem gerunt exemplaris and farther the Heathen goe not in their Idolatry nor the wiser of them so farre 5 The fift stratagem policy or device of Satan is to bring us from one extreme to another when our heart smiteth us for any grievous sinne out of detestation thereof unlesse we walke circumspectly we are easily carried to the opposite vice With this engine Satan maketh great batteries upon many weake Christians not onely because it is a hard thing to hit the middle but because we are apt to thinke that the extremest opposition to that vice which lieth heaviest upon our conscience is the worke of grace in us not considering that vices are not only
similitudes of true things similitudines auri with studs or points of silver id est scintillis quibusdam spiritualis intelligentiae that is points spangles or sparkles of precious and spirituall meaning For example Aarons mitre and his breast-plate of judgement engraven with Urim and Thummim and his golden bells were similitudines auri similitudes of gold or golden similitudes and the studs or points of silver that is sparkles or rayes of spirituall truth in them were Christ his three offices His Priestly represented by the breast-plate His Princely by the mitre His Propheticall by the bells Againe in the breast-plate of Aaron there were set in rowes twelve precious stones here were similitudes of gold or golden similitudes and the studs of silver that is sparkles or rayes of spirituall meaning were the l Apoc. 21.14 twelve Apostles laid as precious stones in the foundation of the heavenly Jerusalem that is the Church Take yet a third example in the Arke there were the two m Heb. 9.4 Tables and the golden of Manna and the rod that had budded these were similitudines auri golden similitudes and the puncta argenti that is the cleere and evident points of spirituall truth in them are the three notes of the true Church 1 The Word or the Old and New Testament signified by the two Tables 2 The Sacraments prefigured in the golden pot of Manna 3 Ecclesiasticall discipline shadowed by Aarons Rod. Thus I might take off the cover of all the legall types and shew what lieth under them what liquor the golden vessell containeth what mysteries the precious robes involve what sacraments their figures what ablutions their washings what table their Altars what gifts their oblations what host their sacrifices pointed unto The Apostle in the Epistle to the Hebrewes observeth such an admirable correspondency betweene these things that in this respect the whole Scripture may be likened to one long similitude the protasis whereof or first part is in the Old Testament the antapodosis or second part in the New For in the Old as the Apostle testifieth there were n Heb. 9.23.24 similitudes of true things but in the New we finde the truth of those similitudes Which if our new Sectaries of the precisian or rather o Mr. Whittall Bradburn and their followers circumcision cut had seriously thought upon they would not like Aesops dog let fall the substance by catching at the shadow they would not be so absurd as to goe about to bring the aged Spouse of Christ to her festraw againe and reduce all of us her children to her p Gal. 4.2.3 nonage under the law they would not be so mad as to keepe new moones and Jewish Sabbaths after the Sunne of righteousnesse is risen so long agoe and hath made us an everlasting Sabbath in heaven These silly Schismatickes doe but feed upon the scraps of the old Ebionites of whom q Hay hist sac l. 3. Ebionitae pauperes interpretantur verè sensu pauperes ceremonias adhuc legis custodientes Haymo out of Eusebius writeth thus The Ebionites according to the Hebrew Etymologie of their name are interpreted poore and silly and so indeed they are in understanding who as yet keepe the ceremonies of the old Law Nay rather they licke the Galathians vomit and therefore I thinke fit to minister unto them the purge prescribed by the r Gal. 3.1 2 3. Apostle O foolish Galathians who hath bewitched you that you should not obey the truth before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath beene evidently set forth crucified among you This onely would I learne of you received yee the Spirit by the workes of the Law or by the hearing of faith Are yee so foolish having begun in the Spirit are ye now made perfect by the flesh Behold I ſ Gal. 5 2. Paul testifie unto you that if you be circumcised Christ shall profit you nothing we may adde If you keepe the Jewish Sabbath or abstain from swines flesh out of conscience and in obedience to the ceremoniall Law Christs flesh shall profit you nothing if you abstaine from bloud in any such respect Christs bloud shall profit you nothing For I testifie againe saith St. Paul to every man that is circumcised that he is become a debter to the whole Law And will they not yet learne that Mosaicall rites and ceremonies were at severall times 1. Mortales or moriturae 2. Mortuae 3. Mortiferae They were mortales at their first constitution mortuae that is dead at Christs death and now mortiferae deadly to all that observe them Will they put off the long white robes washed in the bloud of the Lambe and shrowd themselves with the old rags or as St. Paul termeth them beggarly rudiments of the Law If they are so minded I leave them and fill up this Border with the words of Saint t Ser. 7. Antiqua observatio novo tollitur sacramento hostia in hostiam transiit sanguinem sanguis excludit legalis festivitas dum mutatur impletur Leo The ancient rite is taken away by a new Sacrament one host passeth into another bloud excludeth bloud and the Legall festivity is fulfilled in that it is changed The second exposition of this Scripture which understandeth the golden borders and silver studs of the glorious and pompous splendour of the Christian Church seemeth to come neerer unto the letter faciemus wee will make thee the verbe in the future tense evidently implyeth a promise or prophesie and the sense of the whole may be illustrated by this or the like Paraphrase O glorious Spouse of Christ and blessed Mother of us all who art compassed with a straight chaine about thy necke that suffereth thee not to breathe freely being confined to the narrow limits of Judea in the fulnesse of time the fulnesse of the Gentiles shall come in and in stead of a straight chaine of gold or small string of pearle we will make thee large borders we will environ thee with Christian auditories and congregations as it were borders of gold and these borders of gold shall be set out and supported with studs of silver that is enriched with temporall endowments and upheld by regall authority u Esay 49.23 King shall bee thy nursing fathers and Queenes shall be thy nursing mothers Nay such shall be thy honour and power that thou shalt binde Kings with x Psal 149.8 chaines and Nobles with linkes of iron who for their ransome shall offer unto thee store of gold to make thee borders and silver for studs Which prophesie seemed to have been fulfilled about the dayes of Constantine or a little after when such was the sumptuous statelinesse of Christian Churches and so rich the furniture thereof that it dazled the eyes of the Heathen Foelix the Emperours Treasurer blessing himselfe when hee beheld the Church vessels and vestments saying En qualibus vasis ministratur Mariae filio See what plate the sonne of Mary is served
faire to behold and the fruits of their lips sweet to taste 4 In the midst of Paradise was the tree of life in our Church Christ crucified on whom whosoever feedeth by faith shall live for ever So that what Jacob spake of the place where he was may be sayd of our Church This is no other than the house of God For albeit there be many plants in this Garden which the Lord hath not planted many wild branches that need pruning many dead not enlived by Christ many poysonous weeds many flowers faire in shew but of a stinking savour and no marvell for in the Arke there was a Cham in Abrahams house an Ishmael in Jacobs family a Reuben in Davids Court an Absalom in the number of Christs Disciples a Judas nay in heaven a Lucifer Yet sith our Church striveth to pluck up these weeds and unsavourie or unfruitfull plants and desires to be freed of them it may truely be called the Garden of God For as St. i Ad Felician Austine saith The Goats must feed with the sheepe till the chiefe shepheard come Ille nobis imperavit congregationem sibi reservavit separationem ille dabit separare qui nescit errare 2 Touching our Rulers and Governours resemblance to the man Adam whom God appointed Ruler over all the creatures was furnished with gifts agreeable God made greater lights to rule the day and night so should they be great in wisdome and great in goodness that are to enlighten others I am not to flatter you nor to reprove you happy is that Church whose Rulers are so qualified 3 Touching the comparison of Adams placing in Paradise with our calling 1 I note that God was not wooed with friendship nor won with mony nor swayed with affection to place Adam in Paradise but of his own voluntary motion he placed him there Let us tread in the steps of our heavenly Father When k Omph. in vit Clem. Clement the fift Bishop of Rome was importuned by his kindred and offred mony to conferre a benefice upon an unworthy man he answered Nolo obtemperare sanguini sed Deo let us take on us the like resolution For what an uncomely thing is it to set a leaden head upon a golden body to make fooles rulers of wise men 2 I note that Adam did not ambitiously affect this place nor by indirect means sought to winde himselfe into it but God tooke him by the hand and placed him there but now I feare St. Jeromes speech is true of divers Presbyteratus humilitate despectâ festinamus episcopatum auro redimere 3 I note Adam was not created in Paradise but by his maker placed in it Let mee apply this to you the right worshipfull Governours of this Citie You were not born but brought by God to this rule and governement though as clouds you soare aloft yet were you but vapours drawne from the earth it is God that hath lifted up your heads as he raised David from the sheepefold and Joseph from the dungeon Wherefore in acknowledgment of your owne unworthinesse and Gods goodnesse to you say you with l Gen. 32.10 Jacob With my staffe passed I over this Jordan Say you with David m 1 Sam. 18.11 Quis ego sum aut quae est cognatio mea Ascribe the glory of your wealth and honour to God kisse the blessed hand that hath lifted you up and consider with me in the next place why God placed you here 4 Touching Adams dressing and keeping Paradise and your charge St. Ambrose well observeth that though Paradise needed no dressing yet God would have Adam to dresse it that his example might be a law to his posteritie to dresse and keepe the place of their charges It is not enough for you to be good men ye must be good rulers He that hath an office must attend upon his office it is opus oneris as well as opus honoris Yee must not be like antickes in great buildings which seeme to beare much but indeed sustaine nothing neither must ye lay the whole burden upon other mens shoulders sith the key of governement is layd on yours Now in dressing the Garden three duties are especially to be required 1 To cast and modell the Garden into a comely forme Of which I need to speake nothing Your forme of governement may be a president to other Cities of this kingdome strangers have written in praise of it 2 To root up and cast out stinking weeds Among which I would commend two to your speciall care 1 Papisme 2 Puritanisme I deny not but that it belongeth to the speciall care of our Bishops to plucke up these weeds yet as Judas sayd to Simon Helpe thou me in my lot and I will helpe thee in thine so ought both Spirituall and Temporall Governours joyne hands in rooting out these weeds 1 Of Papisme In the dayes of Jehosaphat that good King it is recorded that the high places were not taken away because the people did not set their heart to seeke the God of their Fathers The Papists seeke to their God of Rome the n Distinc 96. Pope as the Canonists stile him not to the God of heaven nor the God of their Fathers Did their Forefathers in the Primitive Church equall traditions with Scripture consecrate oratories to Saints pray in an unknown tongue mutilate the Sacrament adore the wafer and call it their maker did they sell indulgences to free men from Purgatorie Saint Peter taught us to bee subject to o 1 Pet. 2.13 every humane ordinance St. Paul commandeth every p Rom. 13 1. soule to be subject to the higher powers The Primitive Christians in q Tert. ad Sâ—p Tertullians time though they were cruelly persecuted by the heathen Emperours and had power and strength enough to revenge themselves yet they never lifted up their hands against any of those bloudy Tyrants Heare their profession in Tertullian Nos nec Nigriani nec Cassiani sumus we are no Nigrians no Cassians no Rebels no Traitors we fill all your Cities Islands Townes yea your Palace and Senate What were we not able to doe if it were not more agreeable to our Religion to be killed than upon any pretence to kill On the contrarie the Papists teach that it is not onely lawfull but a meritorious act to lay hands upon the Lords annointed if hee favour not their Idolatries and Superstitions witnesse Cardinall Como his instructions to Parry and Sixtus his oration in defence of the Jacobine that murdered Henrie the third Had the Apostles preached this faith to the world should they have converted the world Was this the practice of the Primitive Church Is this Religion to make murder spirituall resolution to eate their God upon a bargaine of bloud Cannot God propagate his truth but by these wicked and damnable meanes Origen writeth that some unskilfull Emperickes dealt with their Patients not to consult with learned Physicians lest by them their ignorance should be
of a Dove The borders were joyned together and in their Sermons there was good coherence for whereas there are two parts of Divinity 1. The first de Dei beneficiis erga homines 2. The second de officiis hominis erga Deum The former were handled in the two former Sermons and the later in the two later The benefits of God are either 1. Spirituall as Redemption of which the first discoursed 2. Or Temporall as the wealth of the world of which the second The duties of man to God are either 1. Proper to certaine men in regard of their speciall place or calling as Magistrates or Ministers of which the third 2. Common to all Christians as to offer sacrifices of righteousnesse to God of which the fourth The first as a Herald proclaimed hostility Awake O sword c. The second as a Steward of a Court gave the charge Charge the rich c. The third as a Judge pronounced a dreadfull sentence In the day thou eatest thou shalt dye the death The fourth as a Prophet gave holy counsell and heavenly advice Offer c. That we may be free from and out of the danger of the blow of the first and the charge of the second and sentence of the third wee must follow the advice of the fourth All foure may bee likened to foure builders The first fitted and laid the corner stone The second built a house whose foundation was laid in humility Charge the rich that they be not high minded The walls raised up in hope to lay hold on eternall life The roofe was covered with charity that they bee rich in good workes The third beautified it with a garden of pleasure and hee fenced it with the Discipline of the Church as it were with a strong wall The fourth built an Altar to offer sacrifice The first made according to the last Translation borders of gold his speciall grace was in the order and composition The second according to Junius his version Lineas aureas golden lines his grace was in frequent sentences and golden lines The third according to the Seventies interpretation made Similitudines aureas golden similitudes comparing our Church to Paradise The fourth as Brightman rendreth the words made turtures aureas golden turtles gilding over if I may so speak our spirituall offrings with a ricâ— discourse of his owne Pliny * Lib. 37. nat hist c. 2 In Opale est Carbunculi tenuiâ—r ignis Ameâ—hysti fulgens purpura Smaragdi virens mâ—re c. writeth of the Opall stone that it represented the colours of divers precious stones by name the Ruby or Carbuncle the Amethyst the Emrald and the Margarite or Pearle In like manner I have represented unto you in this Rehearsall the beautifull colours of divers precious stones in the first the colour of the Ruby for he discoursed of the bloudy passion of Christ In the second the purple colour of the Amethyst for hee treated of riches and purple robes and the equipage of honour In the third the green colour of the Emrald for hee described the green and flourishing garden of Eden In the fourth the cleare or white colour of the Chrystall or Pearle for hee illustrated unto us the sacrifices of righteousnesse which are called white in opposition to the red and bloudy sacrifices of the Law The Opall representeth the colours of the above-named precious stones incredibili mysturâ lucentes shining by an incredible misture a glimpse whereof you may have in this briefe concatenation of them all God hath given us his Sonne the man that is his fellow to be sacrificed for us as the first taught and with him hath given us all things richly to enjoy as the second shâ—wed not only all things for necessity and profit but even for lawfull delight and contentment placing us as it were in Paradise as the third declared Let us therefore offer unto him the sacrifice of righteousnesse as the fourth exhorted Yee whom God hath enriched with store of learning open your treasures and say to the Spouse of Christ out of these we will make thee borders of gold with studs of silver Yee of Gods people whom hee hath blessed with worldly wealth open your treasures and say to the Spouse of Christ out of these wee will make thee borders of gold with studs of silver and then bee yee assured God will open the treasures of his bounty and the three persons in Trinity will say We will make you borders of gold with studs of silver and not onely borders for your breasts and chaines for your neckes but also eare-rings for your eares and bracelets for your hands and frontlets for your faces and a crown for your heads wee will enrich you with invaluable jewels of grace here and an incorruptible crowne of glory hereafter So be it heavenly Father for the merits of thy Sonne by the powerfull operation of the Holy Spirit To whom c. THE ANGEL OF THYATIRA ENDITED A Sermon preached at the Crosse Anno 1614. THE XXXIII SERMON REVEL 2.18 19 20. And to the Angel of the Church in Thyatira write These things saith the Son of God who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire and his feet like fine brasse 19. I know thy workes and charity and service and faith and thy patience and thy workes and the last to be more than the first 20. Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel which calleth her selfe a Prophetesse to teach and seduce my servants to commit fornication and to eate things sacrificed unto Idols Right Honourable c. Apoc. 1.12 IF the seven golden Candlestickes which Saint John saw were illustrious types and glorious emblemes of all succeeding Christian Churches as many learned Commentatours upon this mysterious prophesie conceive and the seven Letters written to the seven Churches of Asia immediatly represented by them as well appertaine to us in the autumne for whom as to those prime-roses that appeared in the spring of Christian piety and religion to whom they were directed wee may without scruple seize on this indorsed to the Angel of the Church of Thyatira breake open the seales and peruse the contents thereof which seem better to sort with the present state of our Church than of any that at this day beares the name of Christian Wherefore I make bold to unfold it and altering a word only in the superscription thus I reade and expound it in your eares and pray God to seale it up in your hearts To the Angel that is Guardian Centinell or chiefe Watchman of the Church of England thus writeth the Sonne of God by eternall generation who hath eyes like a flame of fire to enlighten the darkest corners of the heart and discover the most hidden thoughts and his feet like fine brasse most pure that can tread upon none but holy ground I know thy workes to be many and thy love to be entire and thy service to be
what face doe I see this is none of my workmanship I never drew this feature Saint r Jerom. ep ad Furiam Quid facit in facie Christianae purpurissa cerussa fomenta libidinum impudicae mentis inditia quomodo flere potest pro peccatis suis quae lachrymis cutem nudat sulcos ducit in facie quâ fiduciâ erigat ad Deum vultus quos conditor non agnoscat Jerome takes the like up in his time as sharply What makes paint and complexion on the face of a Christian it is no other than the fire of youth the fuell of lust the evidence of an unchaste minde How can shee weep for her sinnes for feare of washing away her paint and making furrowes in her face How dare shee looke her Maker in the face who hath defaced his image in her selfe But because I see it will be to no purpose to draw this their sinne of painting in its proper colours before them for they cannot blush I therefore leave them and come to her in my Text Which calleth her selfe a Prophetesse As Novatus the Schismaticke ordained himselfe a Bishop so Jezebel the Nicolait annointed or rather painted her selfe a Prophetesse that by this meanes shee might teach more freely and perswade more powerfully The true Prophets of God received their name and calling from God and wonderfully confirmed the sincerity of their doctrine by the truth of their miracles and the truth of their miracles by the holinesse of their doctrine So many tongues as they spake with with so many testimonies so many miracles as they wrought with so many hands they signed and sealed their calling but deceivers and impostors grace themselves with high and strange titles and glorious names to bleare the eyes of the simple So Psaphon called himselfe and taught the birds to call him magnus deus ſ Run Comment in Aristot Rhet. MS. Psaphon great god Psaphon Theudas said he was some great one Simon Magus stiled himselfe the great power of God and gave it out among his scholars That hee delivered the Law to Moses in Mount Sinai in the person of God the Father and in the reigne of Tiberius appeared in the likenesse of the sonne of man and on the day of Pentecost came downe upon the Apostles in the similitude of cloven tongues Montanus arrogated to himself the title of Paracletus the comforter and to his three minions Priscilla Maximilla and Quintilla the name of Prophetesses * Manes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Manes bare himselfe as if hee were an Apostle immediately sent from Christ and his followers would be thought to be termed Manichei not from their mad master but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but because they poured manna out of their mouthes The great Seducer of the Jewes who in Theodosius time drew thousands after him into the sea and there drowned them perswaded his followers that he was Moses and the abomination of the Turkes Mahomet calleth himselfe Gods great Prophet t Plin. nat hist lib. 1. Inscriptionis apud Graecos mira foelicitas favus Cornucopia ut vel lactis gallinacei sperare possis haustu◠Musae Pandectae inscriptiones propter quas vadimonium deseri possit at cum intraveris dii deaeque quam nihil in medio invenies Pliny derideth the vanity of the Greekes in this kinde who usually set golden titles on leaden Treatises And Heretickes alwayes like Mountebankes set out their drugs with magnificent words Nestorius though he were a condemned Hereticke yet covered himselfe with the vaile of a true Professour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ebion though he held with the Samaritans yet would be held a Christian The Turkes at this day though it appeares out of all stories that they descended from Hagar yet assume to themselves the name of Saracens The Donatist Schismatickes impropriate to their conventicles the name of the true Church And no marvell that the Salmonian off-spring of Ignatius Loyola christen themselves Jesuits sith the Prince of darknesse not only usurpeth the name but also taketh upon him the forme of an u 2 Cor. 11.14 Angel of light It is a silly shift of a bankrupt disputant in the schooles to argue a vocibus ad res from the bare name of things to their nature and yet Bristow in his motives and Cardinall Bellarmine in his booke of the notes of the Church and other of the Pope his stoutest Champions fight against us with this festraw We are say they sirnamed Catholikes therefore we are so By this kind of argument Pope Alexander the sixt his incestuous daughter might prove her selfe to be a chaste matron because she was called Lucrece Lucrecia nomine sed re Thais Alexandri filia sponsa nurus And Philemon his theevish servant might prove himselfe to be honest because his name was Onesimus and the three Ptolomies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 profitabl◠whereof the first killed his Father and the second his Mother and the third his Brother might prove themselves to be full of naturall affection because the one was sirnamed 1 A lover of his Father Philopater the other 2 A lover of his Mother Philometor the third 3 A lover of his Brother Philodelphus Were mens names alwayes correspondent to their nature x Eras apoph in Philip. Philip of Macedon had lost a witty jest which he brake upon two brothers Hecaterus and Amphoterus thus inverting their names 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He whose name is either of the two deserveth to be called both because hee is worth both and he whose name is both shall be called neither because he is of no worth at all But to throw away foyles and come to the sharpe Will they thus argue in good earnest Protestants are called Sectaries or Schismatickes and Papists Catholikes therefore they are so Will they condemne the Primitive Christians for Atheists because the heathen usually so termed them in regard they had no faith in their gods Will they brand St. Paul for an Heretick or the Truth himself for a Seducer because ignorance and malice fastened these calumnies and blasphemies upon them Protestants are termed Heretickes by Papists and are not Papists also by Protestants what gaine then the Papists hereby Papists are termed Catholikes I would know by whom If by any Protestant they know well it is but by a Sarcasme or Ironie as Alexander was called a god by the Lacedaemonians Quoniam Alexander vult esse deus sit deus Yea but they are so stiled by all that adhere to the Church of Rome and were not the Arrians called Catholikes by Arrians the Nestorians Orthodoxe by Nestorians the Novatians the best Christians by Novatians the Donatists sole members of the Church by Donatists the most impure Sect of Anabaptists the Family of love by those of their owne cut If this argument may passe for currant Papists terme themselves Catholikes therefore they are so what exception can be taken against these and the like The
heaven for them not to contest but to obtest not to attempt any thing against them but cedendo vincere to conquer them by yeelding But the Generall of the Romane military forces hath quite altered the ancient discipline by turning prayers into threats supplications into excommunications cries into alarums teares into bullets and words into swords and which is to be bewailed with bloudy teares the Garland of red Roses as Saint Cyprian sweetly termeth the Crowne of Martyrdome is put upon their heads not who dye for the faith but who kill not who shed their owne bloud but who draw the bloud not of Infidels but of Christians not of private persons but publike not of subjects but of Soveraignes The detestable oration of Pius made in the Conclave upon the news of the murder of the French King and the damnable Legend of Jaques Clement should not have moved me to have laid so fowle an aspersion upon any Romish Priests or Jesuites if I had not seen with my eyes at Paris the names of Old corne Garnet executed for the Powder Treason inserted into their Catalogue of Martyrs and heard also of certaine English Priests sharply censured for offering to pray for their soules because thereby they made scruple of their crowne of Martyrdome which according to their doctrine dischargeth all that are called unto it from Purgatory flames and giveth them present entrance into heaven O blessed Jesu are these of thy company didst thou make such a profession before Pontius Pilate didst thou teach thy Disciples to save mens soules by murdering their bodies to plant Religion and found thy Church by blowing up Parliaments are these of thy spirit that call not downe fire from heaven but rather call it up from hell to consume a whole Kingdome with a blaze and offer it up as a Holocaust to the Molock at Rome No d Bosquier in Evang. Domin fish will be caught in a bloudy net if they see but a drop spilt upon it they will swimme another way Therefore let all the fishers of men that cast the net of the Gospel into the sea of the world to take up soules looke henceforward that they bloud not their net with cruell persecutions and slaughter of Gods servants In the building of the materiall Temple there was heard no noise of any iron toole to shew that in stirres and broyles there is no building of Gods house As King-fishers breed in a calme sea so the Church exceedingly multiplyeth in the dayes of peace which long may we enjoy under our Solomon who deserveth as well the title of Preserver of the Peace as Defender of the Faith of the Church For what doth he not to take up quarrels and compose differences in all reformed Churches wherein God hath so blessed his zealous endeavours that as he hath hindred the growth of much cockle sowne by Vorstius and Bertius in the Low-countries so hee hath cleane cut off two heads of controversies lately arising one in the place of the other in France the former concerning the imputation of Christs active obedience the latter concerning his immunity from the Law As for his love to his Nathans and infinite desire of repairing the Temple I cannot speake more than you all conceive What then is the cause that so good a worke goeth on so slowly How commeth it to passe that in so many places of this Land the Spouse of Christ lieth sick of a consumption crying pitifully Stay me with flagons and comfort me with apples for I faint I swoune I dye Whose fault is it that many hundreds of soules for whom Christ shed his precious bloud are like to famish perish for the want of the bread of life and there is none to breake it unto them It seemeth strange to mee that in France and other countries where the poore flocke of Christ Jesus is miserably fleeced and fleaed by the Romish Clergy yet they finde meanes to maintaine a Preacher in every congregation and that in divers places of this Kingdome where neither the wild Bore of the forrest digges at the roote of ouâ— Vine nor the wild Beast of the field browseth upon the branches thereof there should not be sufficient allowance no not for an insufficient Curate Elie's zeale was none of the hottest yet he made no reckoning of his private losse in comparison of the publike when he heard the messenger relate the flâ—ght of Israel and the death of his two sonnes Hophni and Phineas he was mentis compos and fate quietly in his chaire but as soone as mention was made of the taking of the Arke hee presently fell downe backward and gave up the Ghost Deare Christians many living Temples of the Holy Ghost have bin lately surprised by Papists yet no man taketh it to heart The Jewes as Josephus reporteth in the siege of Jerusalem though they were constrained themselves to eate Mice Rats and worse Vermine yet alwaies brought faire and fat beasts to the Temple for sacrifices And Livie testifieth that when the Tribunes complained of want of gold in the treasury to offer to Apollo the Mations of Rome plucked off their chaines bracelets and rings and freely offered them to the Priests to supply that defect in the service of their gods I pray God these Painims and Infidels be not brought in at the day of Judgement to condemne many of our great professours who care not how the Temple falls to decay so their houses stand have no regard how God is served so they bee well attended take no thought though the Arke be under the curtaines so they be under a rich canopy or at least a sure roofe who are so farre from offering to God things before abused to pride and luxury that they abuse to pride and luxury things by their religious ancestors offered unto God who with Zeba and Zalmunna having taken the houses of God into their possession lay out the price of bloud the price of soules upon riotous feasting gorgeous apparrell vaine shewes Hawkes Hounds and worse What sinne may be compared to this that turneth those things to maintaine sinne that should convert many unto righteousnesse How is it possible that they should escape Gods vengeance who nourish pride with sacriledge maintaine luxury with murder not of bodies but of soules whom they and their heires starve by keeping back the Ministers maintenance who should feed them with the bread of life What boldnesse is it nay what presumption what contempt of divine majesty what abominable profanenesse and impiety to breake open the doores of the Tabernacle and rifle the Arke of the Covenant and rob God himselfe No marvell therefore if hee have shewed extraordinary judgements upon such felons as he did upon Achan who payed deare for his Babylonish raiment for it cost him all his goods and his e Judg. 7.25 And all Israel stoned him with stones burned him with fire after they had stoned him with stones life too and the life of his sonnes
as Calvin rightly observeth though God lay often upon them many heavie stroakes yet because they weigh not the cause nor are pricked in heart for their sinnes by their carelesnesse gather hardnesse and because they murmure and kicke against God and make an uproare against his proceedings their rage transporteth them into madnesse and their madnesse breeds in them an insensible stupidity but the faithfull being admonished by God his correction presently descend into the consideration of their owne sinnes and being stricken with griefe and horrour flye to him by humble prayer for pardon and unlesse God in mercy should asswage these sorrowes wherewith their soules are heavie unto death they would buckle under so great a burden and languish in despaire The manner of the h Plin. nat hist l. 28. Psylli si arbitrantur supposititium esse aliquem in stirpe admovent ei ut pungant colubra si non sit de gente mori cum pupugerint si de gente sit vivere Psilli which are a kinde of people of that temper and constitution that no venome will hurt them is that if they suspect any childe to be none of their owne they set an adder upon it to sting it and if it cry and the flesh swell they cast it away for spurious but if it never quatch nor be the worse after it they account it their owne and make very much of it In like manner Almighty God tyres his children by enduring crosses and afflictions he suffereth the old Serpent to sting them and bring troubles and sorrowes upon them and if they patiently endure them and make good use of them hee offereth himselfe unto them as to children and will make them heires of his kingdome but if they roare and cry and storme and fret and can no wayes abide the paine hee accounteth them for i Heb. 12.8 bastards and no children God commanded the Altar and Table and Candlestickes and vessels and instruments in the Sanctuary to bee made of pure and beaten gold and accordingly all they that hope or desire to bee made vessels of honour and golden instruments of Gods glory must make account to bee tryed in Gods furnace and beat with his hammer Wee may not looke to finde God in the pleasant gardens of Egypt whom Moses found in the thorny bush The Spouse in the Canticles met not with him whom her soule loved in the day of prosperity but in the night of adversity None ought to bee extraordinarily affected in ordinary accidents nor impropriate to himselfe the common afflictions of all Gods children The Poet said truely Solamen miseris socios habuisse doloris Therefore Socrates professed that hee was the more willing to drinke off his fatall potion prepared by the State because after his death hee should meet with Palamedes whose lot it was to bee unjustly condemned as hee was If there bee any vertue in this drugge any comfort in the society of sufferers if griefe bee diminished by dividing it among many wee have as many partners in our afflictions as God hath children in the world wee beare not alone Christs whole crosse as Simon Cyreneus once did all the Saints of God beare a part with us May wee not in this respect take great comfort in affliction that by them we are made free of Christs school and partakers of the nurture discipline of all Gods children and in it every day more and more conformed to the image of our Saviour which the more it was defaced the more fair and beautifull it maketh us the more pitifull it was to behold the more powerfull to move compassion and purchase to us freedome from all misery and woe The stretching of his joints added to our stature and the blacknesse and wannesse of his stripes proved the beauty of our soules the wider his wounds were torne the more anguish ran out of our sores the more blood hee shed out of his heart the more hee powred into our veines and the abundance of his teares was the overflowing of our waters of comfort Therefore the Spouse of Christ contemplating the image of her husband by so much the more amiable by how much the more disfigured for her sake blusheth not to proclaime her selfe blacke k Cant. 1.5 Bernard in Cant. Non erubescit nigredinem quam scit prcaeessisse in sponso nihil gloriosius putat quam Christi portare opprobrium I am blacke O ye daughters of Jerusalem Because it was the colour of her husband shee taketh a glory in bearing his shame a holy pride in resembling the colours of his stripes Nigredo est sed sponsi similitudo est seeme it a deformity yet it is a conformity to her husband Christ Jesus Yea but Cardinall l Bell. l. 4. de not eccles c. 18. Bellarmine laboureth to wrest out of our hands the strong weapons wee finde in my text against impatiency and repining at afflictions for hee maketh temporall felicity an inseparable note of true beleevers and consequently temporall infelicity and outward calamities the markes of heretickes and reprobates living and dying without the Church as being aliens from the Commonwealth of Israel If this were so all the balme of Gilead would not cure the wounds and sores of Christs afflicted members if to losses disgraces banishment imprisonment and all outward evils which they often endure you adde the note of a reprobate and a fearefull expectation of everlasting paines to succeed these which put their patience daily to the test how can they but condemne their eyes to everlasting teares who have no hope of a better life hereafter and are here made a spectacle to the world and Angels and men who are killed all the day long and therefore dye daily But bee of good comfort all yee who sigh and groane under the burden of your afflictions or weight of your crosses he who excludeth you out of the true Church by reason of your manifold afflictions in this life excludeth with you the holy Prophets and men of God before Christs comming and since m Heb. 11.36 37 38. Who were tryed with mockings and scourgings yea moreover with bonds and imprisonment were stoned were hewen asunder were slain with the sword wandered up and downe in sheepes skins and goats skinnes destitute afflicted and tormented of whom the world was not worthy Hee excludeth the glorious company of the Apostles and noble army of Martyrs and Christ himselfe from the true Church All the Jesuiticall sleights which this cunning Sophister useth cannot avoid the evident absurdity lighting upon his erroneous assertion unlesse hee can impeach the sacred records where wee finde the Church butchered in Abel floating in the Arke going on pilgrimage in the dayes of the Patriarchs taken captive in Egypt after wandering in the wildernesse flying to save her life and hiding her selfe in the time of idolatrous Kings and after Christs comming into the flesh cruelly persecuted first by Heathen after by Arrian and hereticall Emperours and
in a dangerous warre with Croesus worketh upon this advantage rebels against Cyrus and maketh himselfe an absolute Prince But within a few dayes Cyrus having got the conquest of Croesus turnes his forces against this rebell taketh him his wife and children prisoners yet upon his submission above his hope and expectation both giveth him his life and his crown and putteth him in a better state than ever hee was Whereupon that proud captivated and humble restored Prince acknowledging his treachery and folly said O how doth the wisdome of heaven over-shadow the providence of mortall men how little are we aware of what may betide us how glassy are our scepters how brittle our estate The other day when I made full account to have made my selfe a free absolute Monarch I lost both liberty and crowne and this day when I gave my selfe for gone and looked every houre to have had my head strucke off I have gained both pardon liberty and my crowne better settled than ever before Such examples are so frequent not onely in the sacred Annals of the Church but also in profane stories that a Philosopher being asked what God did in the world answered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l Hesiod l. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. he abaseth noble things and ennobleth base hee turneth Scepters into Mattockes and Mattocks into Scepters hee maketh hovels of palaces and palaces of hovels pulleth downe high things and raiseth up low agreeably to the words of the Prophet Esay m Esa 40.4 Every valley shall bee exalted and every hill brought low Whence notwithstanding we are not to inferre That God is more the God of the vales than of the hills or that hee better esteemeth the low cottage of the beggar than the high turrets of Princes hee taketh no pleasure in the fall of any much lesse of his deare children It is not their broken estate but their contrite heart not their poverty in goods but in spirit not their lownesse of condition but their lowlinesse of minde which hee approveth and rewardeth giving honour to that vertue which ascribeth all honour to him The Apostle saith not because Christ was humbled and put to so cruell and shamefull a death therefore God highly exalted him but because hee humbled himselfe Which reason of the Apostle may bee confirmed or at least illustrated by other paralle'd texts of Scripture n Pro. 29 23. The pride of a man shall bring him low but the humble spirit shall enjoy glory o Pro. 18.12 Before destruction the heart of man is haughty but before glory goeth lowlinesse p Job 22.29 When others are cast downe thou shalt say I am lifted up and God shall save the humble and q Luk. 1.52 Hee hath put downe the mighty from their seat and hath exalted the lowly and meeke Yea to honour and exalt them hee humbleth himselfe and r Esa 57 15. commeth downe to dwell with them for thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity whose name is holy I dwell in the high and holy place with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite ones When a Prince rideth in progresse how much are they graced at whose house hee lieth but for a night how far greater honour is done to the humble soul with whom God lodgeth not for a night or abideth for a few dayes but continually dwelleth what can there bee wanting where God is in whom are all things how will he furnish his house how will he set forth his rooms how gloriously will hee beautifie and decke his closet and cabinet I know not how God can raise the dwelling of the humble soule higher who by his dwelling in it hath made it equall to the highest heaven I dwell saith hee in the high and holy place with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit There is no more difference betweene the seat of the blessed above the heavens and the caves of the poorest servants of God under the earth than between two royall palaces the one higher the other lower built but both equally honoured with the Court lying at them In the weighing of gold the light ſ Horat. car l. 1 Attollunt vacuum plus nimiò verticem pieces rise up but the weighty beare downe the scale and surely they are but light who are lifted up in a selfe-conceit but they who have true worth and weight in them are depressed in themselves and beare downe towards the earth Looke wee to the wisest of all the Philosophers hee was the modestest for his profession was Hoc scio quod nihil scio This I know that I know nothing Looke wee to the learnedest of all the Greeke Fathers Origen hee was the most ingenuous for his confession was Ignorantiam meam non ignoro I am not ignorant of mine owne ignorance Looke wee to the most judicious and industrious of all the Latine Saint t Aug. epist ad Hieron Austine he was the humblest for even in his heat of contention with Jerome hee acknowledgeth him his better Hieronymus Presbyter Augustino Episcopo major est though the dignity of a Bishop exceed that of a Priest yet Priest Jerome is a better or a greater man than Bishop Austine Looke wee to the best of Kings David hee was the freest from pride u Psal 131.1 2 Lord saith hee I am not high-minded I have no proud lookes I doe not exercise my selfe in great matters or in things too high for mee surely I have behaved and quieted my selfe as a child that is weaned of his mother my soul is even as a weaned child Look wee to the noblest of all the * Theodosius Romane Emperours his Motto was Malo membrum esse Ecclesiae quà m caput Imperii I account it a greater honour to bee a member of the Church than the head of the Empire Looke wee to him that was not inferiour to the chiefe Apostles surnamed Paulus as some of the Ancient ghesse quasi paululus because hee was least in his owne eyes not worthy to bee called an Apostle as himselfe freely * 1 Cor. 15.9 Eph. 3.8 confesseth Look we to the mirrour of all perfection Christ Jesus in whom are all the treasures of wisedome and grace he setteth out humility as his chiefest jewell x Mat. 11.29 Learn of mee saith he that I am meeke and humble in heart The raine falleth from the hils and settleth in the vales and Gods blessings in like manner if they fall upon the high-minded and proud yet they stay not with them but passe and slide from them downe to the meeke and humble where hee commandeth them to rest The reason is evident why the humblest men are best for grace alone maketh good and a greater measure thereof better now y Jam. 4.6 God resisteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble and to
to it in divers places we reade of Baalim Baal-Peor and Baal-Zebub just saith Ribera the Jesuit as the Blessed Virgin though she be but one yet she is called by divers names taken from the places where her Images are erected as namely she is called sometimes Lady of Loretto sometimes of Monte serato sometimes of Hayles But before I come to parallel the Papists and the Baalites give us leave right b The Lord Wotton extraordinary Embassador and the Lieger Sir Thomas Edmonds Honourable who are Embassadors for Christ to endeavour to imitate that vertue which is most eminent in men of your place I meane courage and liberty to deliver what wee have in commission from our Lord and Master Yee will say what need this preface what doth this Text concerne any here though it be set upon the tenter hookes never so long it cannot reach to any Christian congregation It were ignorance and impudency to affirme that any who have given their names to Christ halt between God and Baal or offer incense to the Sunne I hope I may excuse all here present from the sin of the Baalites I would I could also all others who professe themselves Christians but that I cannot doe so long as the whoredomes of the Romish Jezebel are as evident as the Sunne-beames which the Baalites worshipped I find not in Scripture Idolaters branded chiefly because they were Baalites but Baalites because they were Idolaters If then any who beare the name of Christians may bee justly charged with idolatry they fall under the sharp edge of this reproofe in my Text as also do all those who are not yet resolved which Religion to stick unto the Romish or the Reformed Now before we lay Idolatry to the charge of the Romish Church it will be requisite to distinguish of a double kind of Idolatry or Superstition 1. When religious worship is given to a false god which is forbidden in the first precept of the Decalogue 2. When a false or irreligious worship is given to the true God which is forbidden in the second Commandement With Idolatry in the first sense we charge them not for they receiving with us the Apostles Creed worship one God in Trinity with us but from Idolatry in the second acception they can never cleere themselves but by changing their tenets and reforming their practice For every will-worship or worship devised by man against or besides Gods commandement is a false worship and what is Popery almost else but an addition of humane traditions to Gods commandements his pure worship What is their offering of Christ in the Masse for a propitiatory sacrifice for the living and the dead their elevation of the host their carrying it in solemne Procession their dedicating a feast to it called Corpus Christi day What are their benedictions of oyle salt and spittle christening of Bells and Gallies What are their invocation of Saints Dirges and Requiems for the dead going in pilgrimages to the Images and Reliques of Saints and Martyrs but religious or rather irreligious rites brought in by the Church without any command or warrant from Gods Word Secondly other learned Divines distinguish Idolatry into 1. Crassam a grosse or palpable kind of Idolatry when the creature it selfe is worshipped in or for it selfe 2. Subtilem a subtle and more cunning kind of Idolatry when the creature is denied to bee worshipped but God in by and through it For as the same wooll may be spunne with a courser or with a finer thread so the same sinne specie may bee committed after a grosser or more subtle manner As for example hee may be said to commit grosse murder who cuts a mans throat or chops off his head or runneth him through the heart and not he who poysoneth his broth or his gloves or his spurres or his saddle and yet the latter is as guilty of murder before God as the former In like manner hee who defileth corporally the body of his neighbours wife may be said to commit grosse adultery yet hee is not free from that foule crime who lusteth after a woman in his heart though he commit not the foule act so wee may say that hee who robbeth a man upon the high-way or cutteth his purse in a throng committeth grosse theft yet certainly he that cheateth or couzeneth a man of his mony is as well a breaker of the eighth commandement as the former The same we are to conceive concerning Idolatry forbidden in the second commandement For whether it be crassa or subtilis a worship of the creature it selfe or a pretended worship of God in or by the creature it is odious and abominable in the sight of God For the people that worshipped the golden Calfe made by Aaron and the ten Tribes which worshipped the Calves set up by Jeroboam worshipped the true God in and by those Images For Aaron when hee saw the golden Calfe built an Altar before it made a Proclamation To morrow is a feast Jehovae to the Lord. And Jeroboam as Josephus testifieth appointed not that the Calves that hee set up in Dan and Bethel should be adored as gods sed ut in Vitulis Deus coleretur but that God should bee worshipped in and by those Calves Nay the Baalites who were esteemed grosser Idolaters than the other had this plea for themselves that under the name of Baal-Samen the Lord of Heaven they worshipped the true God as may be more than probably gathered out of the words of God by the Prophet c Hos 2.16 Hosea And it shall bee in that day saith the Lord that thou shalt call mee Ishi my husband and shalt call mee no more Baal for I will take away the names of Baalim out of her mouth and they shall bee no more remembred by their name Yet the Scripture stileth these Idolaters d 1. Cor. 10.7 Neither bee yee idolaters as were some of them as it is written The people sate downe to eate and drinke and rose up to play And God proceedeth against them as if they were grosse Idolaters for Moses tooke the e Exod. 32.20.27 Calfe which they had made and burnt it in the fire and grownd it to powder and strawed iâ— upon the water and made the children of Israel drinke of it And he said to the sons of Levi Thus saith the Lord God of Israel Put every man his sword by his side and goe in and out from gate to gate throughout the camp and slay every man his brother and every man his companion and every man his neighbour Neither did the ten Tribes after or the Baalites escape better for the Kings of Israel were plagued for their Idolatry and all the people led into captivity And for the Baalites they were slaine with a sword and the Temple of Baal made a Jakes Here I would not bee mistaken as if I put no difference between an Heathen and a Papist an Hereticke and an Infidell For although the
world this City Propertius will tell you to be Rome Septem urbs clara jugis toti quae praesidet orbi 3. The ornaments of Antichrist are scarlet and purple gold jewells and precious stones which the Pope weares especially on high dayes 4. The time of Antichrist his rising is fore-told to be after the division of the Romane Empire after which it appeares by all stories that the Pope grew to his greatnesse 5. The vices of Antichrist are these especially 1. Pride he shall exalt himselfe above all that is called God that is Princes and doth not the Pope so who admitteth them to kisse his feet arrogateth to himselfe a power over them to depose them and dispose of their kingdomes 2. Idolatry or spirituall fornication the great Whore is said to commit fornication with the Princes of the earth and doth not the Pope intice all Kings and Princes to idolatry which is spirituall fornication 3. Cruelty the Whore is said to bee drunke with the bloud of Saints I need not apply this note both their owne and our stories relate of many thousands by the Popes meanes put to death for the profession of the Gospel under the names of Lionists Waldenses Albigenses Wickliffists Hussites Lutherans Calvinists and Hugonots 4. Imposture Antichrist shall come after the power of Sathan in all power of signes and lying wonders and who pretend miracles and abuse the world with Legends of lyes but the Popes adherents 5. Covetousnesse through covetousnesse hee shall with feigned words make merchandize of you Now the wares wherewith the Whore of Babylon deceiveth the world what are they but her pardons indulgences hallowed beads medalls Agnus Dei's and the like 6. The Beast is said to have e Apoc. 18.11 hornes like a Lambe and to speake like a Dragon and to exercise all the power of the first beast This agreeth to the Papacy and Pope who resembleth Christ whose Vicar he calleth himselfe and arrogateth to himselfe Christs double power both Kingly and Priestly He exerciseth also the power of the first beast to wit the Romane Empire described by seven heads and ten hornes because as the first beast the Romane Empire by power and temporall authority so the Pope by policy and spirituall jurisdiction ruleth over a great part of the world 7. It is written of the Whore of Babylon that the Kings of the earth should give their power to her for a time but that in the end they should f Apoc. 17.13 16. hate her and make her desolate which we see daily more and more fulfilled in the Papacy I will be as briefe in the application as I have been long in the explication of this Scripture Babylon is figuratively Rome and Rome is mystically Babylon The Edomites the instigators of the Babylonians and partners with them in the spoyle of the Israelites may well represent unto us Romish Priests and Jesuited Papists rightly to be termed Edomites from Edome signifying red or bloudy For a bloudy generation they are as appeareth by their treasonable practices against Queen ELIZABETH of happy memory and our gracious Soveraigne now reigning These verily seeme the naturall sonnes of Esau who hated Jacob because God loved him and sought to destroy him and his posterity because their father blessed them even so they hate our Jacob and seeke to root out his posterity because God hath blessed him with so many crownes and crowned him with so many blessings They had thought in their mindes as we reade Genes 27. The daies of g Gen. 27.41 mourning will come shortly and then wee will kill Jacob. But blessed be the God of Jacob who delivered his annointed from the power of the sword The more I looke upon the Edomites or Esauites the more likenesse I find between them and our unnaturall countri-men Jesuited Papists The Edomites pretended that they were of the elder house of Isaac and these pretend that they are of the elder Church which is the house of God The Edomites though they were brethren to the Jewes yet they behaved themselves towards them like mortall enemies even so our English Papists though they are our kinsmen and countri-men yet since Pope Pius his excommunication of Queen ELIZABETH they have proved the most dangerous enemies both of our Church and State even in this resembling the Edomites that as they not only vexed and persecuted the people of God themselves but also instigated the Babylonians against them so these not content to plot treasons sow sedition stirre up rebellion in our kingdome have dealt with forraine Kings States to invade our Kingdome and root out both Church and Common-wealth What pity is it that our Rebecca should have her bowells rent within her by two such children striving in her wombe It followeth In the day of Jerusalem Jerusalem had a day after which she slept in dust the daughter of Babylon appointed a day for England a fatall and dismall day a blacke and gloomy day or rather a Gomorrhean night in which a hellish designe against our Church and Common-wealth was attempted and if God himselfe had not miraculously defeated it it had been acted a designe to destroy both at once with fire and brimstone not falling downe from heaven but rather rising up from hell I meane a deep vault digged by the myners of Antichrist and fraught with juysses billets barres of iron and 36. barrells of gun-powder like so many great peeces of Ordnance full charged and ready to bee shot off all at once to blow up the house of Parliament with the royall stocke and the three estates of the Kingdome Remember O Lord the children of Edome in that day or rather for that day in which shall I say they said Raze it raze it to the very foundation they more than said it or cried it they would have thundered it out they assayed it they did what they could to raze it For they planted their murdering artillery at the very foundation of it Cursed be their wrath for it was fierce and their rage for it was furious nay barbarous nay prodigious to cut off root and branch at once to beat downe City and Temple with one blow to snatch away on the sudden the King and Prince Queen and Nobles Bishops and Judges Barons and Burgesses Papists and Protestants Friends and Enemies and carry them up in a fiery cloud and scatter their dismembred members or rather ashes over the whole City O daughter of Babylon worthy to bee destroyed because thou delightest in destruction happy shall he be that taketh thy young children and monstrous brats viz. treasons plots conspiracies and unnaturall designes against Prince and State and dasheth them against the stones To draw towards an end and to draw you to a reall thanks-giving to God for the deliverance of the three estates of the Kingdome like the three children from the fiery furnace heat by the daughter of Babylon God hath done great things for us this day whereat wee rejoyce let
us doe something to him and for him he hath remembred us not in words but in deeds let us remember him as well in deeds as words let us honour him with our substance let us blesse him with our hands let us praise him with our goods Peradventure you will say Our h Psal 16.2 goods are nothing to him our goodnesse extendeth not unto him he is far above us and out of the reach of our charity see how the Prophet himselfe removeth this rub in the next verse But to the Saints that are on the earth and to them that excell in vertue And our Saviour assureth us that i Mat. 25.40 Verely verely I say unto you inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren ye have done it unto mee Whatsoever we doe unto them Christ taketh it as done unto himselfe In feeding the hungry ye feed Christ in clothing the naked ye cloth him in visiting the imprisoned ye visit him Though ye cannot now with Mary Magdalen reach up to his head to breake a boxe of Spicknard and powre it on him yet ye can annoint him in his sicke and sore comfort him in his afflicted provide for him in his famished relieve him in his oppressed yea and redeem him also in his captive members This to doe is charity and mercy at all times but now it is piety and devotion also It is not sufficient for you to lift up your hands in prayer and thanksgiving ye must stretch them out in pious and k Heb. 13.16 charitable contributions for with such sacrifices God is well pleased And if ever such sacrifices are due to him now especially upon the yeerly returne of the feast wee celebrate for the preservation of our King and Kingdome Church and Common-wealth Nobles and Commons Goods and Lands nay Religion and Lawes from the vault of destruction Remember O Lord the children of Edome in that day what they said Novelties shall passe with a crack and Heretickes shall receive a blow and what they assayed even to raze Jerusalem and Sion to the ground and forget not O Lord the Whore of Babylon which hath dyed her garments scarlet red in the bloud of thy Saints and Martyrs make all her lovers to forsake her and abhorre her poysoned doctrine though offered in a cup of gold Strip her of her gay attire pluck down her proud looks humble her before thy Spouse and if she will not stoop nor repent her of her spirituall fornication savage cruelty against the professours of the truth reward her as shee hath served us But as for those that have forsaken Babel joyne with us in the defence confirmation of the Gospel prosper them in all the reformed Churches and grant that as they all agree in the love of the same truth so they may seek that truth in love and that their love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and all judgement that they may discerne those things that differ and approve of those things that are excellent that they may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ being filled with the fruits of righteousnesse which are by Jesus Christ unto the glory and praise of God Cui c. SERMONS PREACHED IN LAMBETH PARISH CHURCH THE WATCHFULL SENTINELL A Sermon preached the fifth of November THE LXI SERMON PSAL. 121.4 Behold he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleepe THe more the enemies of the Gospel endevour to blot out this feast out of our Calender and raze it out of the memory of all men by giving it out where they see the coast cleare and none to encounter their falshood that the ground of this dayes devotion was a fiction of ours not a designe of theirs a stratagem of state to scandalize them not a plot of treason to ruine our King and State by so much the more all that love the truth in sinceritie ought to keep it with more fervencie of devotion celebrity of publique meeting and solemnity of all corresponding rites and ceremonies that the voyce of our thanksgiving and the sound of Gods praise for so great a deliverance may ring to the ends of the earth and the children yet unborne may heare it Other feasts we celebrate by faith this by experience and sense other deliverances we beleeve this we feele the ground of other festivities are Gods benefits upon his people indeed but of other countreyes and other times but of this is the preservation of our owne Countrey in our owne time And therefore what S. Bernard spake of the feast of Dedication we may say of this a In fest dedic Tantò nobis debet esse devotior quanto est familiarior Nam caeteras quidem solemnitates cum aliis ecclesiis habemus communes haec nobis est propria ut necesse sit à nobis vel à nemine celebrari We ought the more religiously to keepe this feast by how much the more neare it concernes us for other solemnities wee have common with other Churches this is so proper to us that if wee celebrate it not none will This wee ought in speciall to owne because it presenteth to all thankfull hearts a speciall act of Gods watchfull care over our Church our Nation yea and this place For this monster of all treasons which no age can parallel was conceived within our precincts and so it should have brought forth ruine and destruction in our eyes if God had not crushed it in the shell we should have seen on the sudden the citie over against us all in a light fire all the skie in a cloud of brimstone and the river died with bloud wee should have heard nothing after the cracke of thunder but out-cries and voyces in Ramah weeping and mourning and exceeding great lamentation our Rachel mourning for her children and shee would not have beene comforted because they should not have beene The lowder the cry of our sorrow would then have beene the lowder ought now to be the shouts of our joy To which purpose I have made choyce of this verse for my text taken out of a Psalme of degrees that I might thereby raise my meditations and your affections to the height of this feast The words may serve as a motto and the worke of this day for an image to make a perfect embleme of Gods watchfull care over his people and the peoples safetie under the wings of his providence But before I enter upon the parts of this Psalme it will be requisite that I cleare the title a Song of degrees If the meaning be as some translate the words Shur hamagnaloth Canticum excellentissimum an excellent song 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as we read Adam hamagnaloth a man of eminent degree are not all the other Psalmes likewise excellent songs Why then hath this onely with some few that follow it the garland set upon it Some will have these fifteene Psalmes beginning from the 120. to
f De coron mil. Ap d Deum tam miles est Paganus fidelis quam Paganus est miles infidelis a faithfull Pagan is as well a Souldier in Gods account as an unfaithfull Souldier is a Pagan so we may truly say that an unbeleeving Israelite is a Gentile and a beleeving Gentile is a true Israelite Howbeit the former division is not adequate a more complete may be this Israel is taken in holy Scripture 1. For the root to wit Jacob himselfe to whom first the name of Israel was given upon a speciall occasion 2. For the stocke or trunke the whole posteritie of Jacob. 3. For the branch to wit the ten Tribes divided from the other two in Rehoboams time 4. For the whole tree as it were that is the whole number of the elect who because they prevaile with God are tearmed Israelites and of Israel in this last and largest sense the words of S. Paul are to bee understood g Rom. 11.26 All Israel shall be saved Here Israel is taken primarily for the Church and Common-wealth of the Jewes but secondarily and consequently for all Kingdomes and States professing the true worship of God and commending themselves to his protection As God is the Saviour of all but especially the elect so he is the keeper of all his creatures but of man above all and of Israel above all men Hee keepeth all 1. Creatures in their state 2. Men in their wayes and callings 3. Israel in his favour 1. All creatures by his power 2. All men by his providence 3. Israel by his grace 1. All creatures from disorder and utter confusion 2. All men from manifold calamities and miseries 3. Israel from the power of sinne and death Hee keepeth Israel 1. As his chiefe treasure most watchfully 2. As his dearest spouse most tenderly 3. As the apple of his eye most charily and warily Hee keepeth every faithfull soule 1. As his chiefe treasure that the Divell steale it not 2. As his chaste spouse that the flesh abuse it not 3. As the apple of his eye that the world hurt it not In this respect as Israel is elsewhere called his h Exod. 19.5 Deut. 14.2 peculiar people so here his peculiar charge he maketh more account of Israel than all the world besides he keepeth Israel above all nay he keepeth all for his Israels sake that is the elect As he preserved the Arke for Noahs sake and Goshen for the ancient Israelites sake and all that were in the ship for S. Pauls sake and all that were in the bath for S. Johns sake and all that fled to the tombs of the Martyrs in Rome when the Goths sacked the citie for the Christians sake so at this day hee supporteth all Kingdomes and States for the Churches sake The world is as an hop-yard the Church as the hops Kingdomes States and Common-wealths as the poles and as the owner of the hop-yard preserveth the poles and stakes carefully not for themselves but that the hops may grow upon them so God preserveth all states and societies of men that they may be a support to his Church We may take this note higher and truly affirme that he keepeth heaven and earth for her sake the earth to be as a nursery for her children to grow a while and the Heaven for his garden and celestiall Paradise whither hee will transplant them all in the end Wherefore although the world never so much scorne and contemne and maligne and persecute Gods chosen yet it is indebted to them for its being and continuance for God keepeth the heavens for the earth the earth for living creatures other living creatures for men men for Israel and Israel for the elect sake For their sake it is that the heavens move the sunne moone and starres shine the winds blow the springs flow the rivers run the plants grow the earth fructifieth the beasts fowles and fishes multiply for as soone as grace hath finished her worke and the whole number of the elect is accomplished nature shall utterly cease and this world shall give place to a better in which righteousnesse shall i 2 Pet. 3.13 dwell Yet when heaven and earth shall passe this word of God shall not passe for he that now keepeth militant Israel in the bosome of the earth shall then keepe triumphant Israel in Abrahams bosome Shall neither slumber nor sleepe What the Roman Oratour spake pleasantly of Caninius his Consulship that set with the sunne and lasted but for one day k Erasm in Apoph Cic. Vigilantissimum habuimus Consulem qui toto Consulatu suo somnum non cepit there was never so vigilant a Consul as Caninius who during all the time of his Consulship never tooke a nap may truly be said of the keeper of Israel that he never suffereth his eyes to sleepe nor his eye-lids to slumber Rejoyce O daughter of Sion for the keeper of Israel continually watcheth over thee for good but tremble O thou whore of Babylon for hee continually watcheth over thee for evill Ne time à malo externo fidelis anima quia non dormit custos qui te conservat time tibi à peccato malo interno quia non dormit custos qui te observat O faithfull soule feare not outward evils because hee sleepeth not who conserveth thee but bee afraid of sin and inward evill because hee sleepeth not who observeth thee God receiveth Israel into his speciall protection and there is no safetie out of it Israel is now confined within the bounds of the Church and questionlesse out of it there is no safety While the Souldiers are within the leaguer they may sleepe all night securely because they know the Sentinels keepe their watches but if they wander abroad and sleepe overtake them they are every houre in danger to have their throats cut Behold he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleepe What the Apostle S. Paul professeth of himselfe l Aug. ep ad Hieron non mentientis astu sed compatientis affectu m 1 Cor. 9.22 I am made all things to all men that I may by all meanes win some may in a true and pious sense be applyed to God himselfe who to turne us and gaine us to himselfe turneth himselfe after a sort into all formes and natures To allure the hungry hee becomes bread to excite the thirsty a fountaine of living water to draw to him the naked a wedding garment to bring in them that are astray the way to revive the dead the resurrection and the life This accordeth with n Hom. 1. in Cant. Singulis quibusque sensibus animae singula quaeque Christus efficitur idcirco verum lumen ut habeant animae quo illuminentur idcirco verbū ut habeant aures quod audiant idcirco panis vitae ut habeat gustus quod degustet idcirco unguentum nardus ut habeat odoratus animae fragrantiam verbi idcirco palpabilis verbum caro
dicitur ut possit interioris animae manus contingere de verbo vitae Origen his note on the Canticles Christ becommeth to everie sense a most delectable object light that the eyes of the soule may have wherewith to be enlightened the word that the eares may have wherewith to be filled or rounded the bread of life that the taste may have to please it and stomacke to satisfie it spicknard to delight the smell of the soule lastly flesh that the hands of the soule may handle the word of life 1 Joh. 1.1 O how should this enflame our love to God that hee should become to our soule whatsoever shee can desire And not this onely but that he should condescend in love to take upon him all callings and offices for the safetie well-fare and comfort of his Church To give her contentment in himselfe he weddeth her and becomes her husband to dresse her vines and ripen her fruits her husband-man to instruct her in the doctrine of salvation her Schoole-master to cure her diseases her Physitian to plead her title to the kingdome of heaven her Advocate and lastly to keepe her from all ghostly and bodily enemies her Guardian and Watch-man That which Cain refused to bee to his owne brother God is to his Church that is her keeper and so watchfull and carefull a keeper is hee that his eye is never off her day nor night The point of speciall observation in the whole text is the watchfull eye of Gods providence over his Church which never closeth nor so much as winketh The parts are 1. The person who tendeth and tendreth Israel hee 2. The office he undertaketh and performeth keepeth 3. His charge that is the object of his care Israel 4. His vigilancie over his charge neither slumbreth nor sleepeth The enemies of the Church are either bodily or ghostly against the former he fenceth her with his power against the latter with his grace To keepe is to looke to preserve and protect save and defend from all violence or injurie waste or spoyle hurt or destruction as an husband doth his wife a guardian his ward a tutour his pupill a Centurion his band a watchman his quarter a shepherd his flocke a keeper his parke And all these relations the Church hath to Christ in regard of the kinde offices which he continually performeth to her in greatest love For shee is his spouse and he her husband she his ward and he her guardian she his pupill and he her tutour she his band and he her Sentinell shee his citie and he her watch-man she his flocke and he her shepherd she his parke or rather deere and he her keeper In the verse immediately going before the Prophet spake in the singular number he shall keepe thee but here in the plurall extending the care of God to the Church in generall to teach us that our heavenly father holdeth such a watchfull o August confess Sic curas unumquemque tanquam solú cures sic omnes tanquam singulos eye of providence over every one of his faithfull children as if he tended him onely and yet taketh such a care of all in generall as of every one in particular Shall neither slumber nor sleepe p Aristot de som vigil Somnus est ligatio sensuum Sleepe is the tying of the senses which if they be heart-bound wee are said to sleepe if slacke or loose to slumber The senses of our body are the windowes of the soule which in a slumber are as it were shut to but barred and bolted when we are fast asleepe Like as we see sometimes there ariseth out of the earth a thin mist which the sunne easily pierceth with his beames and disperseth it with his heat sometimes a thicke vapour mounteth up to the middle region of the aire where by the temper of the place it is turned into a dark cloud that obscureth the skie for many houres in like manner when a thin fume ascendeth from the stomacke into the braine it causeth but a slumber out of which wee easily rouze up our selves but when a grosse vapour climbeth up thither it overcasteth the cleare skie of our fancie and in the fall stoppeth all the passages of our senses and then we sleepe soundly But I need not discourse of the nature of sleepe and slumber there be few here but too accurately distinguish them for though they count it a foule shame to sleepe out a Sermon yet they make no scruple of conscience to slumber and sometimes nod who shall not need with q Aristot vit praefix op Aristotle to hold a brazen ball in their hand over a bason to awake them if sleepe chance to surprize them if the words of our Saviour continually ring in their eares r Mark 14.37 Can yee not watch with me one houre Out of this briefe representation of the nature of sleepe it appeareth that it is a matter of much more difficultie to abstaine from slumbring than from sleeping therefore the members of this sentence may seeme to be displaced and therefore ſ Calvin in Psal 121. Calvin and t Bucer in Psal 121. Bucer thus translate the words Non dormitat nedum dormit hee that keepeth Israel never slumbreth much lesse sleepeth or wee may paraphrase the words thus Hee that keepeth Israel neither suffereth his eye-lids to slumber by day nor his eyes to sleepe by night but keepeth a continuall watch over his people The words thus illustrated present to our serious thoughts these most important considerations 1. That God himselfe is the Churches keeper 2. That how many or how great enemies soever lye in wait for her ye she is kept Israel is an impregnable castle not by reason of the nature of the place or situation nor in regard of the great store of men and munition in it but because he that keepeth it doth neither slumber nor sleepe Ecclesia oppugnatur saepe expugnatur nunquam Many times have they u Psal 129.1 2. fought against me from my youth up may Israel now say Many a time have they afflicted mee from my youth up yet they have not prevailed against mee There can be no State Societie Kingdome or Common-wealth so strongly built and fenced but if the flouds of sedition arise and the raging tempest of forraine forces beat upon it it may be ruinated because it is founded upon sand that is men who are but sand and dust but let the flouds of persecution arise and the wind of heresie blow never so furiously upon the Church yet it will stand because it is built upon the rocke Christ Jesus What speake wee of clouds which are the windowes of heaven the gates of * Matt. 16.18 hell shall never be able to prevaile against it By the gates of hell many learned Interpreters understand the counsels projects plots and designes of wicked men because for the most part the counsell among the Jewes for their better security sate in their
complexa gremio jam reliquà naturà abdicatos tum maximé ut mater operiens nomen prorogat tiâ—ulis c. Pliny calleth the earth our tender mother which receiveth us into her bosome when wee are excluded as it were out of the world and covereth our nakednesse and shame and guardeth us from beasts and fowles that they offer no indignity to our carkasses Now because it is to small purpose to bestow the dead in roomes under ground if they may not keep them Abraham wisely provided for this for hee laid downe a valuable consideration for the field where the cave was Were laid in the sepulchre that Abraham bought for a summe of money As Abraham here bought a field out-right and thereby assured the possession thereof to his posterity so by his example the Synagogue under the Law and the Catholike Church under the Gospel especially in dayes of peace secured certaine places for the buriall of the dead either purchased for money or received by deed of gift and after they were possessed of them sequestred them from all other and appropiated them to this use onely by which sequestration and appropriation all such parcells of ground became holy in such sort that none might otherwise use or imploy them than for the buriall of the dead without sacriledge or profanation As the holy oyle ran from Aarons head to his body and the skirts of his garments so holinesse stayeth not in the Chancell as the head but descendeth to the whole body of the Church and the Church-yard as the skirt thereof Mistake mee not brethren I say not that one clod of earth is holier than another or any one place or day absolutely but relatively only For as it is superstition to attribute formall or inherent holinesse to times places parcells of ground fruits of the earth vessell or vestments so it is profanenesse to deny them some kind of relative sanctity which the holy Ghost attributeth unto them in Scripture where wee reade expresly of holy ground holy daies holy oyle and the like To cleare the point wee are to distinguish of holinesse yet more particularly which belongeth 1. To God the Father Sonne and Spirit by essence 2. To Angels and men by participation of the divine nature or grace 3. To the Word and Oracles of God by inspiration 4. To types figures sacraments rites and ceremonies by divine institution 5. To places lands and fruits of the earth as also sacred utensils by use and dedication as 1. Temples with their furniture consecrated to the service of God 2. Tithes and glebe lands to the maintenance of the Priests 3. Church-yards to the buriall of the dead Others come off shorter and dichotomize holy things which say they are 1. Sanctified because they are holy as God his name and attributes c. 2. Holy because they are sanctified 1. Either by God to man as the Word and Sacraments 2. Or by man to God as Priests Temples Altars Tables c. Of this last kind of holy things by dedication some are dedicated to him 1. Immediately as all things used in his service 2. Mediately as all such things without which his service cannot be conveniently done and here come in Church-yards without which some religious workes of charity cannot be done with such conveniency or decency as they ought The Church is as Gods house and the yard is as the court before his doore how then dare any defile it or alienate it or imploy it to any secular use for profit or pleasure To conclude all Church-yards by the Ancients are termed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dormitories or dortories wherein they lye that sleep in Jesus Now it is most uncivill to presse into or any way abuse the bed-chamber of the living and much more of the dead What are graves in this dormitory but sacred vestries wherein we lay up our old garments for a time and after take them out and resume them new dressed and trimmed and gloriously adorned and made shining and Å¿ Mar. 9.3 exceeding white as snow so as no Fuller on earth can white them These shining raiments God bestow upon us all at the last day for the merits of the death and buriall of our Lord and Saviour Cui c. THE FEAST OF PENTECOST A Sermon preached on Whitsunday THE LXIII SERMON ATCS 2.1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come they were all together with one accord in one place SAint a Hom. in die ascens 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysostome comparing the works of redemption with the works of creation observeth that as the Father finished the former so the Sonne the later in six dayes especially in memorie whereof his dearest Spouse the Catholique Church hath appointed six solemnities to be kept by all Christians with greatest fervour of devotion and highest elevation of religious affections These are Christ his 1. Virgin birth 2. Illustrious Epiphanie 3. Ignominious death 4. His powerfull resurrection 5. His glorious ascension 6. His gracious sending downe of the holy Ghost The day of 1. His incarnation by which he entred into the world 2. His manifestation on which he entred upon his office of Mediatour 3. His passion on which he expiated our sinnes 4. His resuscitation by which he conquered death the grave 5. His triumphant returne into heaven on which hee tooke seizin and possession of that kingdome for us 6. His visible mission of the holy Ghost in the similitude of fiery cloven tongues on which he sealed all his former benefits to us and us to the day of redemption This last festivall in order of time was yet the first and chiefest in order of dignity For on Christs birth day hee was made partaker of our nature but on this wee were made partakers after a sort of his in the Epiphany one starre onely stood over the house where hee lay on this twelve fiery tongues like so many celestiall lights appeared in the roome where the Apostles were assembled on the day of his passion he rendred his humane spirit to God his father on this hee sent downe his divine spirit upon us on the resurrection his spirit quickened his naturall body on this it quickened his mysticall the Catholique Church on the ascension he tooke a pledge from us viz. our flesh and carried it into heaven on this hee sent us his pledge viz. his spirit in the likenesse of fiery tongues with the sound of a mighty rushing wind After which the Spouse as Gorrhan conceiveth panted saying b Cant. 4.16 Awake O North wind and come thou South blow upon my garden that the spices therof may flow out let my Beloved come into his garden eat his pleasant fruits The wind she gasped for what was it but the spirit and what are the fragrant spices shee wishes may flow but the graces of the holy Ghost which David calleth gifts for men in the eighteenth verse of the 68. Psalme the former part whereof may furnish the feast we
setteth them r Aug. serm de Pent. Tanquam duodecim radii solis seu totidem lampades veritatis totum mundum illuminantes forth twelve beames of the sunne of righteousnesse or twelve great torches of the truth enlightening the whole world They were as the twelve Patriarks of the new Testament to be consecrated as oecumenicall Pastours throughout all the earth they were as the ſ Exod. 15.27 twelve Wels of water in Elim from whence the chrystall streames of the water of life were to be derived into all parts they were as the twelve t Apoc. 12.1 starres in the crowne of the woman which was cloathed with the sunne and the moone under her feet and as the twelve u Apoc. 21.14 pretious stones in the foundation of the celestiall Jerusalem The present assembly in this upper roome was no other than a sacred Synod and in truth there can be no Synod where the Apostles or their successours are not present and Presidents For all assemblies how great soever of Lay-persons called together about ordering ecclesiasticall affaires without Bishops and Pastours are like to Polyphemus his vast body without an eye Monstrum horrendum informe ingens cui lumen ademptum But when the Apostles and their successours Bishops and Prelates and Doctours of the Church are assembled and all are of one accord and bend their endevours one way to settle peace and define truth Christ will make good his promise to be in the * Matt. 18.20 When two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the middest of them And middest of them and by his spirit to lead them into x John 16.13 When the spirit of truth is come he will guide you into all truth all truth With one accord All the ancient and later Interpreters accord in their note upon the word accord that Animorum unio concordia est optima dispositio ad recipiendum Spiritum sanctum that Unitie and concord is the best disposition of the minde preparation for the receiving of the holy Ghost The bones in Ezekiel were y Ezek. 37.7 8. joyned one to another and tyed with sinewes before the wind blew upon them and revived them so the members of Christ must bee joyned in love and coupled with the sinewes of charitable affections one towards another before the holy Spirit will enlive them Marke saith S. z Serm. de Temp. Membrum amputatum non sequitur spiritus cùm in corpore erat vivebat precisum amittit spiritum Austine in the naturall body how if a member bee cut off the soule presently leaveth it while it was united to the rest of the members it lived but as soone as ever it was severed it became a dead peece of flesh so it is in the mysticall body of Christ those who sever themselves by schisme or faction from the body and their fellow-members deprive themselves of the influence of the holy Spirit Peruse the records of the Church and you shall finde for the most part that faction hath bred heresie When discontented Church-men of eminent parts sided against their Bishops and Superiours Gods spirit left them and they became authours of damnable heresies This was Novatus his case after hee made a faction against Cyprian Donatus after hee made a faction against Meltiades Aerius after hee made a schisme against Eustatius and doe we not see it daily in our Separatists who no sooner leave our Church but the spirit of God quite leaveth them and they fall from Brownisme to Anabaptisme from Anabaptisme to Familisme and into what not The Church and Common-wealth like the * Plin. l. 2. nat hist c. 105. Lapis Tyrrhenus grandis innatat comminutus mergitur Lapis Tyrrhenus while they are whole swimme in all waters but if they be broken into factions or crumbled into sects schismes they will soone sinke if not drowne And so I passe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from their unanimitie of affection to their concurrence in place In one place The last circumstance is the place which was an upper chamber in Jerusalem The Apostles and Disciples stayed at Jerusalem after the ascension of our Lord partly in obedience to his a Acts 1.4 command which was not to depart out of Jerusalem till they were indued with power from above partly to fulfill the prophecie the b Esay 2.3 Law shall goe out of Sion and the word of God out of Jerusalem They kept all together out of love and for more safetie and they tooke an upper chamber that they might bee more private and retired or because in regard of the great confluence of people at this feast they could not hire the whole house or as Bernardinus conceiveth to teach us that the spirit of c Com. in Act. Ut discamus quod datur spiritus iis qui se ab imis attollunt rerū sublimium contemplatione ut cibo se oblectant God is given to such as raise up themselves from the earth and give themselves to the contemplation of high and heavenly mysteries Now to descend from this higher chamber and to come neare to you by some application of this text It will be to little purpose to heare of the Apostles preparation this day if wee prepare not our selves accordingly to discourse of their entertainment and receiving the holy Spirit if wee receive him not into our hearts It is a mockerie as Fulgentius hath it Ejus diem celebrare cujus lucem oderimus To keepe the day of the Spirit if wee hate his light If wee desire to celebrate the feast of the Spirit and by his grace worthily receive the Sacrament of Christ his flesh wee must imitate the Apostles and Disciples in each circumstance 1. Rely upon Gods promises by a lively faith of sending the spirit of his Sonne into our hearts and patiently expect the accomplishment of it many dayes as they did 2. Ascend into an upper chamber that is remove our selves as farre as wee can from the earth and set our affections upon those things that are above 3. Meet in one place that is the Church to frequent the house of God and when we are bid not to make excuses but to present our selves at the Lords boord 4. Not onely meet in one place but as the Apostles did with one accord to reconcile all differences among our selves and to purge out all gall of malice and in an holy sympathy of devotion to joyne sighs with sighs and hearts with hearts and hands with hands and lifting up all together with one accord sing Come holy Ghost so as this day is Pentecost in like manner this place shall be as the upper roome where they were assembled and we as the Apostles and Disciples and the Word which hath now beene preached unto us as the sound of that mightie rushing wind which filled that roome and after wee have worthily celebrated the feast of the Spirit and administred the
Priest Christ Jesus entred after his death and there appeareth for us the curing of all bodily diseases by the word of Christ the healing of all spirituall maladies by his word preached Now if other miracles were significant and enunciative how much more this of tongues Verily he hath little sight of celestiall mysteries who cannot discerne divine eloquence in these tongues diversitie of languages in the cleaving of them and knowledge and zeale in the fire As S. John Baptist was so all the dispensers of Gods mysteries ought to z Bernard in verb. Christi Ille erat lucerna ardens lucens lucere vanum est ardere parum lucere ardere perfectum bee burning and shining lamps shining in knowledge burning in zeale There are three reasons assigned by learned Commentators why the Spirit manifested himselfe in the likenesse of fierie tongues 1. To shew his affinitie with the Word such as is between fire and light the Word is the true light that enlighteneth everie one that commeth into the world and here the Spirit descended in the likenesse of fire 2. To shew that as by the tongue wee taste all corporall meats drinks and medicinall potions so by the Spirit wee have a taste of all spirituall things 3. To teach us that as by the tongue wee speake so by the Spirit wee are enabled to utter magnalia Dei the wonderfull works of God and the mysteries of his kingdome It is not yee that a Matt. 10.20 speake saith our Saviour but the Spirit which speaketh in you which Spirit spake by the month of the Prophets that have beene since the world began Our mouthes and tongues are but like organ-pipes the breath which maketh them sound out Gods praises is the Spirit And those that have their spirituall senses exercised can distinguish betweene the sound of the golden bels of Aaron and of the tinckling b 1 Cor. 13.1 Cymball S. Paul speaketh of for sacred eloquence consisteth not in the enticing words of mans wisdome but in demonstration of the Spirit and power The fire by which these tongues were enlightened was not earthly but heavenly and therefore it is said As of fire Christ three severall times powred out his spirit upon his Apostles first c Vers 1.16 Matthew the tenth at their election and first mission the second is d Vers 22. John the twentieth when he breathed on them and said Receive yee the holy Ghost and thirdly in this place At the first they received the spirit of wisdome and knowledge at the second the spirit of power and authority at the third the spirit of zeale and courage As many proprieties as the naturall Philosophers observe in fire so many vertues the Divines will have us note in the Spirit given to the faithfull they are specially eight Illuminandi of enlightening 2. Inflammandi of heating 3. Purgandi of purifying 4. Absumendi of consuming 5. Liquefaciendi of melting 6. Penetrandi of piercing 7. Elevandi of lifting up or causing to ascend 8. Convertendi of turning For darknesse is dispelled cold expelled hardnesse mollified metall purified combustible matter consumed the pores of solid bodies penetrated smoake raised up and all fuell turned into flame or coale by fire 1. Of enlightening this Leo applyeth to the Spirit 2. Of enflaming this Gregory worketh upon 3. Of purifying this Nazianzen noteth 4. Of consuming this Chrysostome reckons upon 5. Of melting this Calvin buildeth upon 6. Of penetrating this S. Paul e 1 Cor. 2.10 The Spirit searcheth all things pointeth to 7. Of elevating this Dionysius toucheth upon 8. Of converting and this Origen and many of our later writers run upon 1. Fire enlighteneth the aire the Spirit the heart 2. Fire heateth the body the Spirit the soule 3. Fire purgeth out drosse the Spirit our sinnes 4. Fire consumeth the stubble the Spirit our lusts 5. Fire melteth metals the Spirit the hardest heart 6. Fire pierceth into the bones the Spirit into the inmost thoughts 7. Fire elevateth water and fumes the Spirit carrieth up our meditations with our penitent teares also to heaven 8. Fire turneth all things into its owne nature the Spirit converteth all sorts of men and of carnall maketh them spirituall These operations of the Spirit God grant wee may feele in our soules so shall we be worthy partakers of Christ his body and by him be sanctified in body and soule here and glorified in both hereafter To whom c. CHRIST HIS LASTING MONUMENT A Sermon preached on Maundy Thursday THE LXVI SERMON 1 CORINTH 11.26 As often as yee eate of this bread and drinke of this cup yee doe shew the Lords death till he come WHen our Saviour was lifted up from the earth to draw all to him and his armes were stretched out at full length to compasse in and embrace all true beleevers after he had bowed his head as it were to take leave of the world and so given up the ghost a souldier with a a John 19.34 speare pierced his side and forthwith came there out water and bloud Which was done to fulfill two prophecies the one of b Exod. 12.46 Moses A bone of him shall not be broken the other of c Zech. 12.10 Zechary They shall looke on him whom they pierced as also to institute two d Chrysost Cyrillus Theophilact in hunc locum Damascenus lib. 4. de fid c. 10. Aug. l. 2. de Symb. c. 6. tract 9. in Johan Sacraments the one in the water the other in the bloud that ran from him the one to wash away the filth of originall sinne the other to purge the guilt of all actuall The hole in Christs side is the source and spring of both these Wells of salvation in the Church which are continually filled with that which then issued out of our Lords side For albeit he dyed but once actu yet he dyeth continually virtute and although his bloud was shed but once really on the crosse yet it is shed figuratively and mystically both at the font and at the Lords board when the dispenser of the sacred mysteries powreth water on the childe or wine into the chalice and by consecrating the bread apart from the wine severeth the bloud of Christ from his body In relation to which lively representation of his sufferings the Apostle affirmeth that as oft as we eate of that bread and drinke of that cup wee shew the Lords death till he come In the Tabernacle there was sanctum sanctum sanctorum a holy place a place most holy so in the Church Calendar there is a holy time all the time of Lent and the most holy this weeke wherein our blessed Saviour made sixe steps to the Crosse and having in sixe dayes accomplished the workes of mans redemption as his Father in the like number of dayes had finished the workes of creation the seventh day kept his e Bernard in dic Pasch Feria sexta redemit hominem ipso
many jewells I make no doubt but that you will resolve with the Apostle to desire to know nothing but Jesus Christ and him crucified Let Israel hope in the Lord saith the b Psal 130 7. Psalmist for with the Lord there is mecrcy and with him is plenteous redemption Plenteous for what store of bloud shed he in his agony in his crowning with thornes in his whipping in his nailing and lastly in the piercing of his side whereas one drop of his bloud in regard of the infinite dignity of his person might have served for the ransome of many worlds one drop of his bloud was more worth than all the precious things in the world As Pliny writeth of the herbe c Plin. l. 22. c. 15. Scorpius herba vâ—let adversus animal sui nominis Scorpius that it is a remedy against the poyson of a Scorpion so Christs death and crosse is a soveraigne remedy against all manner of deaths and crosses For all such crosses make a true beleever conformable to his Redeemers image and every conformity to him is a perfection and every such perfection shall adde a jewell to his crown of glory This death of Christ so precious so soveraigne we shew forth in shadow as it were and adumbration when either we discourse of the history of Christs passion or administer the Sacrament of his death but to the life when as Saint Francis is said to have had the print of Christs five wounds on his body so wee have the print of them in our soules when we expresse his death in our mortification when we tye our selves to our good behaviour and restraine our desires and affections as he was nailed to the crosse when we thirst after righteousnesse as he thirsted on the crosse for our salvation when we are pierced with godly sorrow as his soule was heavie unto death and when as his flesh so our carnall lusts are crucified when as hee commended his soule to his Father so we in our greatest extremities commit our soules to God as our faithfull Creatour Cui c. THE SIGNE AT THE HEART A Sermon preached on the first Sunday in Lent THE LXVII SERMON ACTS 2.37 Now when they heard this they were pricked in their heart and said unto Peter and the rest of the Apostles Men and brethren What shall we do SInnes for repentance to worke upon and repentance for sinne take up in a manner our whole life Not onely the wicked in their endlesse mazes in the rode to hell but even the godly who endeavour to make the streightest steps they can to heaven Ambulant in circuitu walke in a kind of circuit From fasting to feasting and from feasting againe to fasting from Mount Gerizin to Mount Hebal and from Mount Hebal to Mount Gerizin from sinnes to repentance and from repentance backe againe though against their will to sin It is true that grace in the regenerate never quits the field but groweth more and more upon corrupt nature and in the end conquereth her yet so conquereth her as Lucullus and other Romane Captaines did a Cic. de leg Manil. Ita tamen superarunt ut ille pulsus superatusque regnaret Mithridates that nature still ruleth in the members and often putteth the mind to the worst alwaies to much trouble Wherfore as the Sea-mew that maketh her nest on the sea shore is forced daily to repaire it because every day the violent assault of the sea waves moulter away some part thereof so the regenerate and sanctified soule hath need to renew the inward man daily and repaire the conscience by repentance because every day nay almost every houre by the violent assaults of tentation and sinnes as they are termed of ordinary incursion some breach or other is made into it Now albeit private repentance hath no day set nor time prefixed to it but is alwayes in season yet now is the peculiar season of publike when the practice of the primitive and the sanction of the present Church calls us to watching and fasting to weeping and mourning to sackcloth and ashes to humiliation and contrition when in a manner the whole Christian world I except only some few Heteroclites accordeth with us in our groanes and consorteth with our sighes and keepeth stroake with us in the beating our breasts and setteth open the sluces to make a floud of teares and carry away the filth of the whole yeere past Abyssus abyssum invocet let this floud carry away the former deluge Verily such is the overflowing of iniquity and inundation of impurity in this last and worst age of the world that the most righteous among us can hardly keep up their head and hold out their hands above water to call to God for mercy for themselves others hath not then the Church of God great reason to oppose the Eves Embers Lent fasts as so many floud-gates if not quite to stay yet somewhat to stop the current of sin Anselme sometimes Archbishop of Canterbury whom the Church of Rome hath inserted into the Canon of Saints but he ranketh himselfe among the Apocrypha of sinners recounting with hearts griefe and sorrow the whole course of his life and finding the infancy of sinne in the sinnes of his infancy the youth and growth of sinne in the sinnes of his youth and the maturity and ripenesse of all sinne in the sinnes of his ripe and perfect age breaketh forth into this passionate speech Quid restat tibi O peccator nisi ut totâ vitâ deploret totam vitam What remaines for thee wretched man but that thou spend the remainder of thy whole life in bewailing thy whole life What should wee Beloved in a manner doe else considering that even when we pray against sin wee sin in praying when we have made holy vowes against sin our vowes by the breach of them turne into sinne after wee have repented of our sinnes we repent of our repentance and thereby increase our sinne In which consideration if all the time that is given us should be a b Hier. ep 7. In quadragesima abstinentiae vela pandenda sunt tota aurigae retinacula laxanda Lent of discipline if all weekes Embers if all daies of the weeke Ashwednesdayes how much more ought we to keep Lent in Lent now at least continually to call upon the name of God for our continuall blaspheming it Now to fast for our sinnes in feasting now to weep and mourne for our sinnes in laughing sporting and rioting in sinfull pleasures to this end our tender mother the Spouse of Christ debarreth us of all other delights that wee should make Gods statutes our delights for this cause shee subtracteth our bodily refection that wee may feast our soules therefore shee taketh away or diminisheth our portion in the comforts of this life that with holy David wee should take God for our c Psal 119.57 portion This is a time as the name importeth Lent of God to examine our
in the children of his love than the mutuall love of his children one to another n Mat. 23.8 Ye are all brethren love therefore as brethren be pitifull be courteous not rendering evill for evill nor railing for railing but contrariwise o 1 Pet 3.8 9. blessing knowing that yee are thereunto called that yee should inherit a blessing As beames of the same sunne let us meet in the center of light as rivelets of the same spring joyne in the source of grace as sprigs on the same root or twins on the same stalke sticke alwaies together Such was the love of the Saints of God in old time that their hearts were knit one to the other yea which is more All the beleevers had but p Acts 4.32 The multitude of them that beleeved were of one heart of one soule one heart But such love is not now to be found in our bookes much lesse in our conversations we hardly beleeve there can be such love in beleevers we seem not to be of their race wee seem rather to be descended many of us from Coelius who could not be quiet if he were not in quarrells who was angry if he were not provoked to anger whose motto was Dic aliquid ut duo simus Say or doe something that we may be two or from Sylla of whom Valerius Maximus writeth that it was a great question whether he or his malice first expired for he died railing and railed dying or of Eteocles and Polynices who as they warred all their life so after a sort they expressed their discord and dissention after their death for at their funerals the flame of the dead corpses parted asunder when they were burned When the Son of man commeth shall hee find q Luke 18.8 faith on the earth saith our Saviour I feare we may demand rather shall he find charity on the earth All the true family of love may seem to be extinct for the greater part of men as if they had been baptized in the waters of strife from the font to their tomb-stone are in continuall frettings vexings quarrells schisme and faction Turba gravis paci placidaeque inimica quieti But let these Salamanders which live perpetually in the fire of contention take heed lest without speedy repentance they be cast into the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone forever If r Mat. 5.9 blessed are the peace-makers for they shall be called the children of God cursed are all make-bates for they shall be called the children of the wicked one If the fruits of ſ Jam. 3.18 righteousnesse are sowne in peace of them that make peace certainly the fruits of iniquity are sowne in contention by them that stirre up strife and contention If they that sow t Pro. 6.16 19. These sixe things doth the Lord hate yea seven are abomination unto him a false witnesse that speaketh lies and he that soweth discord among brethren discord among brethren are an abomination to the Lord they that plant love and set concord are his chiefe delight What u Cic. tusc 1. Optimum non nasci proximum quà m citissimè mori Silenus spake of the life of man The best thing was not to be borne the next to dye as soone as might be may bee fitly applyed to all quarrells and contentions among Christian brethren it is the happiest thing of all that such dissentions never see light the next is if they arise and come into the Christian world that they dye suddenly after their birth at the most let them be but like those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 small creatures Aristotle speaketh of whose life exceedeth not a summers day Let not the * Ephes 4.26 sun goe down upon our wrath How can we long be at odds and distance if we consider that we are all brethren by both sides For as we call one God our Father so we acknowledge one Church our Mother wee have all sucked the same breasts the Old and New Testaments we are all bred up in the same schoole the schoole of the crosse we are all fed at the same table the Lords board we are all incorporated into one society the communion of Saints and made joynt-heires with our elder brother Christ Jesus of one Kingdome in Heaven If these and the like considerations cannot knit our hearts together in love which is the bond of perfection the Heathen shall rise up in judgement and condemne us x Mart. epig. lib. 1. Si Lucane tibi vel si tibi Tulle darentur Qualia Ledaei fata Lacones habent c. Martial writeth of two brothers between whom there was never any contention but this who should die one for the other Nobilis haec esset pietatis rixa duobus Quod pro fratre mori vellet uterque prior The speech also of Pollux to Castor his brother is remarkable y Mart. epig. lib. 1. Vive tuo frater tempore vive meo I cannot let passe Antiochus who when he heard that his brother Seleuchus who had been up in armes against him died at Galata commanded all the Court to mourne for him but when afterwards hee was more certainly enformed that he was alive and levied a great army against him he commanded all his Commanders and chiefe Captaines to sacrifice to their gods crown themselves with garlands for joy that his brother was alive But above all z Plut. de fraterno amore Euclid shewed in himselfe the true symptomes of brotherly affection who when his brother in his rage made a rash vow Let me not live if I be not revenged of my brother Euclid turnes the speech the contrary way Nay let me not live if I be not reconciled to my brother let me not live if we be not made as good friends as ever before Shall nature be stronger than grace bonds of flesh tie surer than the bonds of the spirit one tie knit hearts together faster than many The a Cic. offic l. 1. Oratour saith Omnes omnium charitates patria complectitur but we may say more truly Omnes omnium charitates Christus complectitur all bonds of love friendship affinity and consanguinity all neernesse and dearnesse all that can make increase or continue love is in Christ Jesus into whose spirit we are all baptized into whose body we are incorporated who in his love sacrificed himselfe to his Fathers justice for us who giveth his body and bloud to us in this sacrament to nourish Christian love in us For therefore we all eate of one bread that we may be made one bread therefore wee are made partakers of his naturall body that wee may be all made one mysticall body and all quickned with one spirit that spirit which raised up our head Christ Jesus from the dead Cui cum Patre c. THE PERPLEXED SOULES QUAERE A Sermon preached on the third Sunday in Lent THE LXIX SERMON ACTS 2.37 What shall we doe THe words of the
God only knowes Jam ad Triarios res rediit now the whole shock of the army and the maine battell is to advance and upon the sinceritie of the humiliation and fervency of devotion and strength of our united praiers sighes this day dependeth much the safety and life of our State and in it of our Church and in it of our true and incorrupt Religion Let no man goe about with Mercuries inchanted rod to close the eyes of our Argus's let no man sow pillowes under the elbowes of our true Patriots to make them sleep in security lest destruction steale upon us at unawares It is certaine our enemies sleep not and it is most certaine that our crying sinnes have awaked Gods justice it standeth us therefore upon to watch and pray Judgement is already begun at the house of God the Angel hath poured out his viall of red wine upon the Churches of Bohemia and their fields are thicke sowne with the blood of Martyrs the same Angel hath emptied another viall upon the Churches in the Palatinate and the sweet Rhenish grape yeelds in a manner now no liquor but blood a third viall runneth out at this houre upon the reformed Churches in France and our sinnes as it were holloe to him to stretch his hand over the narrow sea and cast the dregges of it on us who have beene long settled upon our lees and undoubtedly this will bee our potion to drinke if wee stretch not our hands to heaven that God may command his Angel to stay his hand If hee have already turned his viall and wee see drops of bloud hanging in the ayre yet the strong wind of our prayers may blow them away and dispell them in such sort that they shall not fall upon us a gale of our sighes may cleare the skie Moses praiers manicled the hands of Almighty God and shall not the united devotions of this whole Land either stay or turne his Angels hand Away with all confidence in the arme of flesh away with all hope in man away with all cloakes of sinne and vizzards of hypocrisie there is no dissembling with God no fighting against him Albeit our land bee compassed with the sea as with a moat and environed with ships furnished with ordnance as with brazen and iron walls though the most puissant Princes on earth should send us innumerable troupes to succour and aide us yet we have no fence for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we lye open to heaven wee are naked to the arrowes of the Almighty and no carnall weapons for succours can stand us in any stead onely the helmet of salvation and the buckler of faith and the powder of a contrite heart and the shot of pious ejaculations may doe us some good It is our pride Beloved that hath throwne us downe and it is humility which must raise us our divisions have weakened us and it is union that can strengthen us our luxury hath imbezelled us and now nothing but fasting and abstinence can recover us our sinnes have made a breach and nothing but repentance can make it up our profane oathes our sinfull pleasures our carnall security and sensuality hath driven away the Spirit of grace and comfort from us and nothing can wooe him to returne backe againe but our vowes of amendment unfeigned teares and sorrowfull sighes Let us therefore ply sighes and b Cyp. ep 1. Incumbamus igitur gemitibus assiduis deprecationibus crebris haec enim sunt arma coelestia quae stare perseverare fortiter faciunt haec sunt munimenta spiritualia tela divina quae protegunt nos Et serm de laps Oportet transigere vigiliis noctes tempus omne lachrymosis lamentationibus occupare stratos solo adhaerere cineri in cilicio volutari sordibus prayers for these are the spirituall weapons we alone can trust to through the intercession of Christs bloud which speaketh better things for us than the bloud of Abel These weapons our Lord himselfe made tryall of in my Text and sanctified them to our use viz. passionate teares and compassionate prayers When hee drew neere to Jerusalem and fore-saw in spirit that shee drew neere to her ruine his eyes melted with teares he beheld the City and wept and his heart breaketh out into sighes Oh that thou knewest Teares trickle not down in order neither are sighes fetched by method Expect not therefore from mee any accurate division or methodicall handling of this passionate Text only in the first place fasten the eye of your observation upon the eyes of our Saviour and you shall discerne in them 1. Beames of love He beheld 2. Teares of compassion He wept over it In the next place bow the eares of your religious attention towards his mouth and ye shall heare from him 1. Sighes of desire Oh or if that thou knewest 2. Plaints of sorrow But now they are hid from thine eyes I have pitched as you see upon a c Hom. Il. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 moist plat or fenny ground wherein that your devotion may walke more steadily I have laid out for you five knolls or steps to rest upon and pawse 1. Venit He came 2. Vidit He beheld 3. Flevit He wept 4. Ingemuit He sighed 5. Oravit He prayed 1. Venit or appropinquavit he drew neere The end of our Saviours life here was the sacrifice of his death he was borne that he might die for us and by one oblation of himselfe on the crosse satisfie for the sinnes of the whole world Now all sacrifices by the Law were to be offered at Jerusalem to Jerusalem therefore hee comes up to finish the worke of our redemption and he maketh the more haste because Easter was neere at hand when he was to eate the Paschall Lambe with his Disciples and to be eaten of them in the mysterious rite of the Sacrament to kill the passover in the type but to be killed himselfe in the truth Oh how farre hath our Saviour left us behind him in his love He came with a swift foot to us we returne with a slow foot to him he made more haste to give himselfe than we make to receive him After hee received the commandement from his Father to lay downe his life for his sheep he rode more cheerfully into Jerusalem and was led more willingly to the altar of the crosse where hee lost his life than we repaire to his holy table there to be partakers of the bread of eternall life He came neere to the City that he might view it he viewed it that hee might weep over it hee wept over it that hee might testifie a threefold truth 1. Naturae of his Nature 2. Amoris of his Love 3. Doctrinae of his Doctrine or prophesie 1. Veritatem naturae the truth of his humane nature He must needs be a true man who out of compassion sheds teares 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sic fatur lachrymans Cold stone or metall relenteth not a phantasme
he but out of as great or greater pride so our adversaries the Papists may be justly taxed for exterminating one errour the errour of consubstantiation by bringing in another as bad the errour of transubstantiation which putteth accidents without subjects quantity without dimensions bodies without place and what not l Sueton in Calig Utinam populus Romanus haberet unicam cervicem Caligula wished that all his enemies had but one necke that hee might cut them all off at one blow the three heresies now mentioned have all but one necke I will therefore smite off all their heads at once with the sword of the Spirit Christ was like unto us in all things sinne onely excepted if so then was hee circumscribed with quantity and confined to one place at once then not in many places as the Papists teach and much lesse in all places as the Eutychians and Lutherans beare us in hand he is But to leave the confutation of these heresies and draw neere unto our present occasion Christ never came to any place but hee left behinde him some print of his Majestie or pledge of his love he touched no where but he wrought some miracle or shewed some mercy If the presence of the Arke which was but a type or shadow brought a blessing to Obed Edome how much more shall the presence of the body the truth himself make the place happie wheresoever he resideth Jesus never commeth without salvation with him and therefore when he entred into the house of Zaccheus he laid Hodie huic domui salus contigit this day salvation m Luk. 19.9 is come to this house The approach of the Sunne is the spring and joy of the yeare even so the approach of Christ is the bloâ—â—oming of the trees and opening the flowers of Paradise it crowneth â—oth the Church and Common-wealth with spirituall and temporall blessings as it were garlands one upon the other Yea but how may his approach be obtained who can intreat him to come neare us what load-stone can draw his love to us I answer Our love our faith our hope our devotion n James 4.8 Draw neere unto God and hee will draw neere unto you Draw neere unto him by faith accedit qui credit faith layeth hold on him Draw neere unto him by hope hope relieth upon him Draw neere unto him by love love embraceth him and o Psal 73.28 adhereth to him Draw neere unto p Esa 29.3 him with your lippes by prayer with your q Eccles 5.1 eares by listening to his Word draw neare with your whole body by presenting your selves at his table and worthily participating the holy Sacrament Thus if ye draw neere to him he will draw neere to you and comming neere to you as he did to Jerusalem hee will fixe his eyes on you And so I passe to the second step 2. Vidit he beheld it There is comfort when the Physician commeth to visit his patient there is hope when an expert Chirurgeon vieweth a dangerous wound David thought it enough to say Looke r Psal 25.18 upon mine affliction and miserie and Å¿ Psal 84.9 Looke upon the face of thine annointed and Lord lift t Psal 4.8 thou up the light of thy countenance upon us God never casteth his eye upon any but he settleth his affection upon him and hee never settleth affection upon any without an intention of blessing them As Christ cured mens bodies with a word so their soules with a looke Hee looked upon Peter and presently he repented he looked upon Zaccheus and presently he was justified hee looked upon Saint Matthew and presently hee was called Why then was Jerusalem no better for this gracious aspect because she shut her eyes against the true light When Christ looked to her she turned away from him when he wept for her she laught at him when hee sought to save her shee plotted his death and destruction Yet were not the beams of Christs eye cast in vaine upon this City for the spirituall Jerusalem as Saint u Orig. in hunc locum Origen telleth us that is the faithfull in Jerusalem were the better for them for they observed our Saviours eye and kept his teares in a bottle and laid up his words in their heart and being fully perswaded of the truth of his prediction concerning the destruction of the City and Temple when forty years after Titus began to lay siege to it they left it and fled to Pella and thereby escaped all those miseries and troubles which our Saviour could not foretell with drie eyes The Philosophers and Physicians are not yet agreed utrum visio fiat extramittendo vel intromittendo whether in the act of seeing the eye casteth out beames upon the object or receiveth species from it The question is easily resolved here for Christ both cast out a beame of his affection out of his eye on the City and received also the species or image of it into his eye at once he looked upon her with a twofold eye 1 The eye of sense 2 The eye of Prophesie To the eye of sense Jerusalem appeared most beautifull glorious and happy environed with strong walls adorned with magnificent buildings stored with people abounding in wealth and furnished with all sort of munition but to the eye of prophesie shee appeared in another hiew with her walls sacked her houses burnt her turrets demolished her young men slaine her virgins defloured her priests sacrificed her streets piled with carkasses and her channels running with gore bloud u Vir. Aenead 2 Quis talia fando Temperet à lachrymis This most lamentable spectacle though a farre off drew teares from our Saviours eyes And so I passe to the third step which is the wettest of all 3. Flevit super eam He wept over it In the water of Christs teares we may see after a sort the face both of his humane and divine nature In that they were teares issuing from the troubled fountain of sorrow in his heart they prove him to be a true man but in that they represented the weeping and mourning that should ensue after his death in Jerusalem they demonstrate him to be true God for x Tertul. apol argumentum divinitatis veritas divinationis the certainty of divination is an argument of divinity Neither were these teares onely indices naturae evidences of his nature but pledges of his love and as y Orig. in Mat. Omnes beâ—titudines quas in Evangelio locutus est suo firmavit exemplo Origen noteth instances of his doctrine touching the blessednesse of mourners Christ exemplified every point of his doctrine in himselfe he taught that the poore in spirit are blessed and none so humble in heart as hee hee taught that peace-makers were blessed who so great a peace-maker as he who is our peace and reconciled heaven and earth hee taught blessed are they that suffer for righteousnesse sake and none ever suffered so much
to an account to consider how deeply thou hast engaged Gods justice to poure down the vialls of his vengeance upon thee for thy rebellion against his ordinances thy corporall and spirituall fornication thy resisting the spirit of grace thy peremptory refusing of the meanes of salvation thy persecuting the truth even to the death and imbruing thy hands in the bloud of Gods dearest servants sent to thee early and late for thy peace Jerusalem had a day and every City every Nation every Church every congregation every man hath a day of grace if he have grace to take notice of it hath an accepted time if he accept of it and he may find God if he seek him in time It was day at Jerusalem in Christs time at Ephesus in S. Johns time at Corinth Philippi c. in S. Pauls time at Creet in Titus time at Alexandria in S. Markes time at Smyrna in Polycarps time at Pergamus in Antipas time at Antiochia in Evodius and Ignatius time at Constantinople in S. Andrew and Chrysostomes time at Hippo in Saint Austines time now in most of these it is night it is yet day with us O let us worke out our n Phil. 2.12 salvation with feare and trembling whilest it is o Heb. 3.7 13. called to day if the Sun of righteousnesse goe downe upon us we must looke for nothing but perpetuall darknesse and the shadow of death Although Ninevehs day lasted forty daies and Jerusalems forty yeers and the old worlds 120. yeers and although God should prolong our daies to many hundred yeeres yet we should find our day short enough to finish our intricate accounts That day in the language of the holy Ghost is called our day wherein wee either doe our own will and pleasure or which God giveth us of speciall grace to cleare our accounts and make our peace with him but that is called the Lords day either which he challengeth to himselfe for his speciall service or which he hath appointed for all men to appeare before his Tribunall to give an account of their own workes A wicked man maketh Gods day his owne by following his owne pleasures and doing his own will upon it and living wholly to himselfe and not to God but the godly maketh his owne daies Gods daies by imploying them in Gods service and devoting them as farre as his necessary occasion will permit wholly to him Wherefore it is just with God to take away from the wicked part of his owne daies by shortening his life upon earth and to give to the godly part of his day which is eternity in heaven I noted before a flaw and breach in the sentence as it were a bracke in a rich cloth of Tissu If thou knewest in this thy day what then thou wouldst weep saith S. p Homil. in Evang Gregory thou wouldest not neglect so great salvation saith q Comment in Evaâ—g Euthyrtius it would bee better with thee saith Titus Bostrensis thou wouldst repent in sackcloth and ashes saith r Brug in Evang Brugensis But I will not presume to adde a line to a draughâ— from which such a workman hath taken off his pensill and for the print I should make after the pattern in my Text and now in the application lay it close to your devout affections I may spare my farther labour and your trouble for it is made by authority which hath commanded us to take notice of those things that belong to our peace viz. to walke humbly with our God by fasting and prayer wherefore jungamus fletibus fletus lachrymas lachrymis misceamus let us conspire in our sighes let us accord in our groanes let us mingle our teares let us send up our joynt praiers as a vollie of shot to batter the walls of heaven let all our hearts consort with our tongues and our soules with our bodies what wee doe or suffer in our humiliation let it be willingly and not by constrant let our praiers and strong cries in publike be ecchoed by the voice of our weeping in private who knoweth whether God may not send us an issue out of our present troubles by meanes unexpected who knoweth not whether he may not have calicem benedictionis a cup of blessing in store for those his servants beyond the sea who have drank deep of the cup of trembling Christ his bowells are not streightened but our sins are enlarged else it would be otherwise with them and with us I have given you a generall prescription will ye yet have more particular recipe's take then an electuary of foure simples The first I gather from our Saviours garden Let your Å¿ Luke 12.35 loines be girt and your lamps in your hands Let your loines be girt that is your lusts be curbed restrained and your lamps burning that is your devotions enflamed Gird up your loines by mortification discipline and have your lamps burning both the light of faith in your hearts and of good workes in your hands The second I gather from S. John Baptists garden t Matth. 3.8 Bring forth fruits meet for repentance or worthy amendment of life let your sorrowes be * Cyp de laps Quam grandia peccavimus tam granditer defleamus answerable to your sinfull joyes let the fruit of your repentance equall if not exceed the forbidden fruit of your sin wherein ye have most displeased God seek most to please him Have ye offended him in your tongue by oathes please him now by lauding and praising his dreadfull name and reproving swearing in others Have ye offended in your eies by beholding vanity and casting lascivious glances upon fading beauty enticing to folly make a covenant from henceforth with your eies that they cast not a look upon the world or the flesh's baits imploy them especially from henceforth in reading holy Scriptures and weeping for your sins Have ye offended in thought sanctifie now all your meditations unto him Have ye offended in your sports let now your delight be u Psal 1.2 in the Law of God let the Scriptures bee your * Aug. l. 11. confes c. 2 Sint deliciae meae Scripturae tuae nec fallar in iis nec fallam ex iis delicacies with S. Austine meditate upon them day and night make the Lords holy-day your delight Esay 58.15 and honour him thereon not following your owne waies nor finding your owne pleasure nor speaking your owne words The third I gather from S. James his garden x Jam. 4.10 Cast down your selves before the Lord and he will lift you up The Lion contenteth himselfe with casting downe a man if he couch under him and make no resistance he offereth no more violence Corpora magnanimo satis est prostrâsse Leoni It is most true if we speake of the Lion of the Tribe of Judah for hee will not break a bruised reed much lesse grind to powder a contrite heart If Ahabs outward humiliation who notwithstanding had sold himselfe
as he he taught blessed are they that mourne and he wept himselfe sanctifying thereby tears and assuring all godly mourners here of comforts hereafter z Gor. in Luc. c. 19. Christus quater flevit 1. in nativitate Sap. 7. Primam vocem nobis similem emisit plorans 2. In Lazari suscitatione Joh. 11. Lacrymatus est Jesus 3. in hac solenni processione flevit super eam 4. in passione Heb. 5. Haec sunt quatuor flumina quae de Paradiso prodierunt Gen. 2. ad totius mundi 1. ablutionem 2. refrigerationem 3. foecundationem 4. potationem Gorrhan observed that Christ shed teares foure times first at his birth next in the raising of Lazarus a third time in his surveigh of Jerusalem and a fourth time on the crosse and these foure saith he are spiritually the foure rivers of Paradise which serve 1. to purge 2. to coole and refresh 3. to water and make fruitfull 4. to quench the thirst of the world of beleevers Notwithstanding I find in the Gospel but two leaves onely wet with our Saviours teares Joh. 11. and here It is likely he cried at his birth after the manner of other children and it is certaine that hee offered up prayers upon the crosse with strong cries yet we reade not of any teares shed by him but here on Mount Olivet and at Lazarus his grave and both teares were teares of compassion and both also funerall teares There he wept for the death of Lazarus and here for the finall period and if I may so speake funerals of Jerusalem to be solemnized with desolation and exceeding great mourning like that of Hadradrimmon in the valley of Megiddo within a few yeeres after his passion It was the manner of the Prophets when they fore-told the calamities that were to fall upon any people or nation to expresse them as well by signes as by words to make a deeper impression in their hearers Ahiah * 1 Kings 11.30 cut Jeroboams cloake Jeremy breaketh his a Jer. 19.10 bottle Ezekiel b Ezek. 5.1 shaveth his beard Agabus c Act. 21.11 bindeth himselfe In like manner Christ prophesying the finall overthrow of the City and Temple representeth the great sorrow mourning and lamentation of the inhabitants of Jerusalem by his owne teares Theodoret yeeldeth another reason Alii flent ex passione Christus ex compassione Others weep saith he out of passion Christ out of compassion Ut ostenderet qualia haberet erga ingrates viscera to shew what bowels hee had toward the ungratefull though they least deserve teares who have no sense at all of their owne misery yet they most of all need them It grieveth mee saith S. d Cypr. de laps Plango quia te non plangis Cyprian that thou grievest not for thy selfe mine eyes are wet because thine are alwaies dry I have little comfort because there is little or no hope of grace in thee Ea fletus majoris causa est cùm rideant qui flere debeant wee have the greater cause to mourne when they laugh who ought to weep Jerusalem was now in a fit of frenzy shee laughed and feasted and revelled even now when shee was neere utter ruine and confusion and this more opened the salt springs in our Saviours eyes hee shed teares the more abundantly by reason of the carnall security obstinacy and senslesse stupidity of the Jewes his Countrimen and especially the inhabitants of Jerusalem who killed the Prophets and stoned them who were sent unto them to fore-warne them of Gods fearefull judgements hanging over their heads I told you before that this was a wet step and many here have slipt For this objection offereth it self to every mans conceit Was not Christ God and consequently omnipotent could not he have prevented their finall overthrow could not hee have given those Jewes beleeving and relenting hearts could he not have converted them all miraculously by a vision from heaven as hee did St. Paul who before that powerfull change wrought in him was as much enraged against the professours of the Gospel as any of these nay more Did not Christ foresee and decree the destruction of Jerusalem how then doth he bemoane it with teares e Calv. harm in evang Sicut è coelo descendit Christus carne humanâ indutus ut divinae salutis testis esset minister vere humanos induit affectus quatenus susceptae functioni intererat quatenus datus erat huic populo minister in salutem pro officii sui ratione illius exitium deploravit Deus erat fateor sed quoties oportuit doctoris officio fungi quievit ac se quodammodo abscondidit deitas Calvin reacheth us a hand to helpe us off of this wet knoll As saith he Christ descended from heaven clad with humane flesh that he might bee a witnesse and minister of divine salvation he truly put upon him also humane affections so far as it was requisite for the discharge of his function therefore as being sent as a minister for the salvation of that people in the faithfull execution of his office hee forewarned them of their danger and bewailed their overthrow which could not but ensue upon their obstinacy and impenitency Hee was God I acknowledge and most certainly fore-saw what would befall the City according to his eternall decree but whilest hee performed the office of a teacher the deity rested as it were and hid it selfe That yee may take faster hold upon this stay which this learned Interpreter reacheth unto you ye are to consider Christ three manner of waies 1. As God 2. As man 3. As Mediatour betweene God and man As God he most justly sentenced that bloody City to utter ruine and desolation as man he could not but bee touched with griefe and sorrow for those heavie judgements which hung over the city and people they taking no course at all to prevent or avert them as Mediatour betwixt God and man he might and ought ex officio both bewaile what hee fore-told and fore-tell what hee now bewailed and that most seriously For pro quibus nunc lachrymas postea effudit sanguinem for hee shed his bloud for those for whom he now shed teares and it was their owne fault that this death was not effectuall to them for their redemption and salvation An all-sufficient remedy was tendered unto them but they would none of it and even this also as it aggravated their sinne and consequently their punishment so it increased their spirituall Physicians griefe and drew more teares from his eyes Utinam Domine ut verbum caro factum est sic cor meum carneum fiat Oh that as the word was made flesh so my heart were made fleshly and tender to receive a deep impression of my brethrens griefe Such a heart was Jeremies which evaporated into these sighes f Jer. 9.1 Oh that my head were waters and mine eyes fountaines of teares that I might weep day and night for the slaine of
the daughter of my people Such was Saint Pauls g 2 Cor 11.29 Besides those things that are without that which commeth upon mee daily the care of all the Churches who is weake and I am not weake who is offended and I burne not Of the same temper was Saint Cyprian I h Cypr. ep 16. Compatior condoleo fratribus nostris qui lapsi pâ—rsecutionis infestatione prostrati partem nostrorum viscerum secum trahentes acrem dolorem suis vulneribus intulerunt Et l. de laps Cum plangentibus plango cum deflentibus dâ—fleo cum prostratis fâ—atribus me quoque prostravit affectus sympathize and condole with you for those of our brethren whom the cruelty of persecution hath overthrowne and laid upon their backs the wounds which they have received no lesse paine mee than if part of my bowells had been plucked out of my body And againe I mourne with them that mourne and weep with them that weep and am cast downe with them that are fallen This sympathy is a more noble worke of mercy and charity towards our afflicted brethren than bounty it selfe he that spendeth his affection upon his brother in his distresse doth more than hee that reacheth unto him an almes for the one giveth somewhat out of his purse the other out of his bowells on the contrary want of naturall affection is ranked with the worst of all vices i Rom. 1 31. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being filled with all unrighteousnesse wickednesse covetousnesse maliciousnesse full of envie murder debate back-biters haters of God disobedient to parents covenant breakers without naturall affection implacable unmercifull Doubtlesse they are monsters in nature that want bowells nothing more provoked God in k Salvian de Dei gubern l. 6. Confundebatur vox morientium vox bacchâ—ntiâ—â—m vix discerni poterat plebis ejulatus qui fiebat in bello sonus populi qui clamabat in circo Salvianus his judgement to double his stroaks upon the French when the Goths came in upon them than that they had no sense or feeling of their brethrens calamities The voice of the dying could hardly be distinguished from the clamours of those that were drunk at the same time when the people without the City cried out for feare of the enemy the people within the City shouted at their sports It is not safe for any to feast when God calleth to fast to sing when God calleth to sigh to brave it in gorgeous apparrell when God calleth to sackcloth Whose heart quaketh not at that thunder-clap in the Prophet Esay l Esay 22.12 13 14. And in that day did the Lord God of hosts call to weeping and mourning and to baldnesse and to girding with sackcloth And behold joy and gladnes slaying oxen and killing sheep eating flesh and drinking wine And it was revealed in my eares by the Lord of hosts surely this iniquity shall not bee purged from you till you die The sinne wherewith God charged the old world before it was over-flowne with a deluge of water and Christ in the Gospel chargeth the new which shall be over-flowne with a deluge of fire is the same wherewith hee here chargeth the Jewes that they knew not that is tooke not notice of the time of their visitation m Luk 17.26 27 28 29 30. As it was in the dayes of Noah so shall it be also in the daies of the Son of man They did eate they dranke they married wives they were given in marriage ntill the day that Noah entred into the Arke and the floud came and destroyed them all Likewise also as it was in the daies of Lot they did eate they dranke they bought they sold they planted they builded but the same day that Lot went out of Sodome it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all Even so shall it be in the day when the Sonne of man shall be revealed The meaning is they went on in the ordinary tract of their businesse as if there had been no judgement toward as also did the inhabitants of Jerusalem at this time whom when Jesus saw so neere the brink of destruction and yet so carelesse he wept 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when he considered what he was to suffer for that City and what that City afterwards was to suffer because of him his griefe ran over the naturall bankes his eies The same organ is ordained for seeing and weeping to teach us that weeping should not be without seeing nor sorrowing without understanding The cause why we weep not for the desolation of our Jerusalem neere at hand if this our present fasting and repenting in dust and ashes remove it not is because wee see not the evills that hang over our heads wee see them not because we put them farre from us or hide them from our eies The infant while it lieth in the darke prison of the mothers wombe never quatcheth nor weepeth but as soone as ever it commeth out of the womb into the light it knits the browes and wrings the eyes and cries taketh on even so the childe of God whilest he is yet kept in the darke of ignorance in his unregenerate estate never crieth to his Father nor weepeth for his sinne but as soone as the light of grace shineth upon him hee bewaileth his grievous misery and never thinketh that he hath filled his cup of teares full enough The spouts will not runne currently if we pump not deep If then wee would have the spouts which nature hath placed in our heads run aboundantly with teares of repentance we must pump deep we must dive deep into the springs of godly sorrow which are the consideration of our owne sinnes and the afflictions of Gods people Were Jesus now upon earth in his mortall body and should behold this Kingdome as he did the City of Jerusalem and take a survay of all the evills we doe and are like to suffer could he thinke you refraine from teares would he not second his teares with groanes And so I passe to the fourth step 4. Ingemuit he sighed saying If thou knewest or Oh that thou hadst knowne The Greekes in their Proverbe give it for a character of a good man that he is much subject to sighing and free of his teares n Eras chil 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I am sure the best man that ever was as hee wept more than once so hee sighed often When he opened the eares of the deafe and dumbe and when the Pharisees seeking of him a signe tempted him he o Mar. 7.34 Looking up to heaven he sighed and saith unto him Effata be thou opened Mar. 8.12 sighed deeply in his spirit and when he raised p John 11.38 Jesus therefore groaning in spirit commeth to the grave Lazarus stinking in the grave and againe in my Text. And this he doth not as God for immunity from passion is a prerogative of the divine nature but as Calvin