for their monument built an Altar Absalon for his memoriall set vp a Pillar Hercules vpon two Promontories erected for a perpetuall remembrance two Pillars 1 Machh 1â— 27 Simon Macchabeus set vp seuen pillars for a Sepulchre of the Macchabees Artemisia for her husband made a Royall Tombe one of the wonders of the world with 36. pillars But all all the Statues Tombes and Obelisks and Piles and Pillars and Piramides and Ornaments and Monuments in the whole world are nothing to Maries memoriall built out of this small box of Alablaster I haue yet but shewed you the box at most but opened it now as the Spouse speaketh Cant. 1.3 because of the sauour of the good ointment her ointment must be powred out In this box of ointment there is the Prophecie of a Gospell The whole Bible is but Prophecie and Gospell they be both in this box Beautifull is the box odoriferous is this of all other ointments Sacred is the Prophecie glorious is this of all Gospels neuer any prophecie so inlayed or invellopd with a Gospell euery word the Gospell euery word the Prophecie in which Prophecie or Gospell or Prophecie of the Gospell obserue two generall parts The two great lights of heauen the Sunne and Moone for as God giueth light to the Sunne and the Sunne to the Moone so Christ giueth light to this Gospel this Gospel life to Maries memoriall 1. The Promulgation of the Gospell This Gospell shall be preached c. 2. The Proclamation of Maries memoriall Mention shall be made of this c. In the first generall part obserue first the subiect the Gospell not a Storie or Parable but a Gospell Euangelium Regni a Matth. 4.23 Euangelium Dei b Rom. 1.1 Euangelium Christs c Phil. 1.5 Euangelium salutis d Eph. 1.13.18 Euangelium mortis resurrectionis Christs as my Interpreters tell mee the Gospell of the passion and resurrection of our Lord and Sauiour 2. The publishing of this Gospell the Gospell shall bee preached not written only and laid vp as the Tables in the Arke not read and repeated only as Moyses Law in the Synagogue not endorsed on the doores as the Prophecies were on the Temple not inscribed or embrodered on the Philacteries as the Pharisies did the Decalogue not tied vp in the napkin of silence or buried in the banke of negligence but proclaimed and preached This Gospell shall be preached 3. The extent of this preaching This Gospell shall be preached in the whole world not in some Cantons or Corners of the world not on the Mount only as Moyses gaue his Law not in the valley only as Iehoshaphat gaue his thankes or in the wildernesse as Iohn Baptist gaue his warning but in the whole world from one Sea vnto another from the Riuer vnto the worlds end This Gospell is gone throughout all the earth and this sound vnto the end of the world This Gospell shall be preached in the whole world In the second generall part obserue first a particular act which must follow the generall preaching of this Gospell this expressed by the words This done in the seuenth verse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 precious ointment in the tenth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a good worke verse 11. preferred before other good workes as before giuing to the poore The poore ye haue alwayes me ye haue not alwayes verse 12. commended not only for the excellencie of the act but the opportunitie of the time In that she powred this ointment on my body she did it for my buriall Our Sauiour ioyneth This Gospell shall bee preached and this Secondly the Author or Actor of this deed Math. 16.7 this woman Matthew sayes no more I here came vnto him a woman hauing an Alablaster box Marke saith no more * Mark 14.4 then Mathew Saint x Ioh. 12.3 Iohn â—ames this woman Mary tooke a pound of ointment A blessed woman as blessed as euer any but onely shee whom all generations shall call blessed This woman honour of her name ornament of her Tribe the glory of her sex admitted to annoynt the head of our Sauiour Iohn Baptist the greatest of the sonnes of women not admitted to performe so much aâ— this woman he baptised with water she annoints with oile baptisme common to the common people vnction annointing of the head proper to the King the head of the people this woman did this she annointed the King of Kings therefore our Sauiour tooke so gracious notice of it this that this woman Thirdly the memoriall hereof this that this woman hath done shall be told in memoriall of her Maries memory is continued by Christ by the Church by the Disciples by the Saints in all ages sooner heauen and earth loose their stations sunne and moone their motions winter and summer their seasons all the world shall sooner vanish and the frame of nature perish then this memoriall faile to remaine among the posterities this that this woman hath done shall be told for a memoriall of her Lastly it shall be wheresoeuer in euery place where the Gospell is read or heard or preached Maries memory followes our Sauiour as the marigold the sunne Mary that followed Christ to the feast of the Pharisie to the house of the Leper to the graue of Lazarus to the Crosse to the Sepulcher to the Garden to Galile now followes our Sauiour ouer all the world for wheresoeuer the Gospell is preached You see here be no lesse then seauen particulers a whole weeks worke nay more a iourney ouer all the whole world This is onely the comfort as the wisemen were lead by the light of a starre so we shall go by the light of the Gospell And to settle your attentions I beganne at the marke of my meditations beginning as S. Marke beginnes his first chapter The Gospell of Iesus Christ wheresoeuer this Gospell Nomen Euangelij nomen gaudij saith the glosse the name of Gospell is a name of gladnesse 1 Glosse sweete is this name and the Saints loue it well The name of Law was strange a name not so much as knowne to the Grecians in the time of Homer as Iosephus y Ioseph contra Appion lib. â— against Appion obserueth that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not so much as once vsed in all the writings of Homer Scapula pag. 10. but the name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Budeus obserues is found in Homer Euripides and Aristophanes and Atheneus and Plutarch wherein we see as neither the Iewes Law no nor the name of it was knowne a long time to the Gretians so the name of Gospell before the Gospell was known to the Gentiles a name vsed for glad-tidings among the Gentiles as if it were most properly the light of the Gentiles the 70. Interpreters vse it as oft as they meete with Basar or Besora which signifie to deliuer a message or be a Messenger Saint a Luk. 1.1 Luke tells vs 〈◊〉
is no determination it is no article of our faith flesh and bloud is blinde in the best things we see but in part wee prophesie but in part Onely I wonder that this loud sounding solemne Prophesie of this Gospell and this work and this woman should be so stifled and strangled by the crooked lines of contrary Interpreters This woman saith my Text from whom as from the wombe of my Text we receiue this Doctrine Doct. the Lord giueth much honour to the woman as to the weaker vessell in that his spirit recordeth the least holy duties performed by women the Reason is to manifest that as the woman was the occasion of sinne and death so by Christ shee is made together coheire of the grace of life Sure Gods Spirit hath some especiall end in it to giue comfort and encouragement to that weake sex by taking an Inuentory of the particular acts in Scripture performed by women not onely the chamber prouided by the Sunamite for the Prophet 2 King 4.10 but a nights lodging afforded Ioshuas spies 2 King 4.10 by the Inne-keeper Rahab Iosh 2.1 Iosh 2.1 and a small measure of oyle and meale by the widdow to Elias 1 Kings 17.14 these are vpon record and loose not their reward Magdalens box Maries choice 1 King 17.14 Marthaes cheerfull entertainment the Sulamite Sunamite Caananite the woman of Samariahs pitcher the poore widdowes mite are not forgotten which is enough to put the life of religion into the hearts of women to see euery little dutie of theirs so well accepted And sure many of them haue beene both partakers of great mercy and instruments of Gods glory as in their owne lifes which as lamps gaue light to their vnbeleeuing Husbands so in gouerning their familie and in instructing their children so was Bathsheba a blessed mother to Salomon Loys to Timothy Maxima to Basill Monica to Austin Pulcheria to Theodosius Helena to Constantine in the sex where sinne hath abounded Grace hath superabounded But none of all that sex the blessed Virgin onely excepted hitherto euer receiued such an honour as this woman many daughters haue done vertuously but thou excellest them all Pro. 31. I deny not but Sathan that blasted Paradise hath much blemished the honour of this sex hee made choice of a woman to bee the first engine and in Paradise by this wheele he turned about the world and since Dalila was the trappe for Sampson the daughter of Pharaoh for Salomon Iesabell for Ahab almost all the heresies though fathered by men yet furthered by womens wit Helena furthers Simon Magus stratagem Phioumena her Apelles Montanus hath his Prisca Donatus his Lucilla Priscillinus his Galla Arius assisted by Constantines sister and Nicholas the Deacon hath a consort of such Companions and of all Creatures that euer GOD created there bee no such ensnaring attractiue loadstones and loadstarres to Superstition and Idolatry as women Yet as Ieremy spake of the figges the good figges were very good Iâ—r 24.3 and the euill were very euill Ier. 24.3 So the good women are very good and such were those holy women in old time who trusted in God And as the Deuill neuer found of such an engine as the woman so neuer such an enemie agaâ—nst him as the woman Piumsane faithfull and pittifull â—uâ—â—n and sanctified is this sex saith Austen and the honour done by our Sauiour vnto them hath much exalted the humble and meeke for besides that the Virgin concceiued him and Elizabeth in the house prophesied of him euery passage of his life had some women to attend him Hanna in the Temple reioyced to see him and Magdalen at the table washt and annointed him and Martha with a great feast entertained him and Mary her Sister poured ointment on him and Iohanna and Susanna and many women ministred of their substance to him the Daughters of Ierusalem wept for him sundry women with infinite sorrow attended him at the crosse when his Disciples fled from him and women came to the graue though Ioseph and Nichodemus had bestowed a hundred pound of Mirrh and Aloes as well applied as Art or Deuotion could deuise yet women came to embalme his body and whom they found wanting to annoint they sought weeping to lament This honourable testimonie of this holy woman giueth full assurance of our Sauiours acceptance of the seruice of that sex if they be sanctified seeing hee ioynes with this Gospell this woman and this worke The Vse whereof should incite all Christian women to serue the Lord that in the day of retribution Vse they may receiue reward from the Lord. S. Austen maketh this Vse Quum foenum eruerit slos deciderit Austin verbuaâ— Domini manebit when the grasse and grace of beauty and the flower of mortall frailty shall fall the word of the Lord shall endure for euer Christian Matrones be yee ambitious of the beauty of the daughter of Zyon and remember yee that supercilious sailes of vanitie and vaine glory as they are the vnfitting fashion of the Court so the worst infection of the Citie Much ornament is no good signe painting of the face argues an ill complexion of body a worse mind Truth hath a face both honest and comely and lookes best in her wone colours The Lord threatneth in Esay to ransacke the womens wardrope and to take away the tinkling ornaments and their caules and round tires Esay 3. and chaines and bracelets and musters and bonnets and headbands and tablets and earnings and mantles and wimples and Iewells and hoods and vailes and crisping pinnes and threatneth Aâ—sten lamentation and mourning and desolation to those daintie Creatures that sate at ease in Sion God is the same your sinnes the same your warning the same Nuptae Susannam Anna vidus virgines Mariam cogitent saith Austen I might remember you how hatefull the memorie of some women are a Diblaim or Dido Infaelix Dido nulls bene nupta marito Such are the sexes curse and the earths dregges of corruption I might remember you of our Debora blessed Elizabeth a woman after Gods owne heart the glory of the Christian and enuie of the Infidell world who was such a nursing mother to our Land and Church that the cause of Religion doth owe more to that one Queene then to many Kings that were before her But the time as well as the feast keeps Passouer and I follow All women must needs confesse that they can neuer honour him enough who hath honored them so farre as to make them the first witnesses of his resurrection Hugo and hath as Hugo obserueth principally deserued the loue of women in that hee vouchsafed to be borne of a woman that when it was granted to no man to be the father it was performed to a woman to bee the mother of Christ wherefore ye Ladies which like the lyllies of the field toile not nor spinne not and yet Salomon in all his royaltie not arraied as one of
these If euer yee had pitty on the fruite of your wombes take pittie on your soules pamper not your bodies to murther your soules Cloath not Hagar with the colour of the Rainebow and let Sara the soule the Kings daughter sterue Flatter not your selue worms made your cloathes worms eate your bodies Alas wantons and wormes-meate what be yee what shall become of yee if ye neglect the message of saluation No oyle for your lampes no ointment for your heads Holinesse should become the house of God for euer if ye are his ye are his houses to dwell in and nothing can better become yee then holinesse Beautie natures frailtie affections fancie cannot better become yee Apparell nakednesse garment follies garnish Adams fig-leaues and beasts leauings cannot better become yee Gold and siluer the Wise-mans drosse but the Miserables darling the earths gifts and mineralls garbage cannot better become ye Wit vertues wanton fooles wonder vices friend and the worlds fauorite cannot better become ye Embrace annoint kisse loue solace onely in the contemplation of your sauiour No snake in this garden no worme in that gourd be ye amiable as Rahell wise as Rebecca obedient as Sara diligent as Martha but withall religious as Mary who receiued this Testimonie wheresoeuer I am at length come to her memoriall my third circumstance of the second part Saint Chrysostome makes mention In 1 Cor. 4. hom 14. of the women of Corinth who had a custome to set vp lights or tapers at the birth of euery childe with proper names and looke what name the taper bare which lasted longest in the burning they transferred that name to the childe our Lord hath put vp a burning lampe for a perpetuall monument of Mary her name and her ointment shall neuer haue an end Quanto huius seminis benedictio satio parca messis abundans Augusta vena spatiosi maris quantum pretium praetiosae meris No Iustes nor Olympiads nor Iubiles nor ages nor Plato his longest yeare nor the long liued motion of the ninth spheare shall terminate or antiquate this memoriall In this Gospell I should looke for a monument vpon Christs sepulcher Esay It was Esaies Prophesie gloriosum erit eius sepulchruÌ„ Alexander may haue Europe and Asia and all the world represented on his Tombe Cyrus on his Hic PersaruÌ„ Domitor Themistocles on his En memoranda facta Themistocles yet neither Alexander against Barbarians Themistocles against the Persians Emilius against the Macedonians Marcellus against the Scithians or Scipio against the Carthaginians had euer the like victory in the field as Christ had in the graue nor doth this victorie want a memory euer vpon the monument of his Sepulchre For as Alphonsus had this Alphonsus iacet hic so Christs Sepulcher this inscription Luk 24.6 Surrexit Christus nonest hic That memoriall is by an Angell but Christs memoriall is by Christ himselfe A more ample memoriall then euer Christ gaue any neither Peter first called nor Iohn best beloued nor Iames his neere kinsman none of these pillars as Paul calleth them had such a Pillar erected as Maries memoriall Christ buildeth a memoriall out of Maries box because she poured her oyle on his body and this is a memoriall not of him but of her Erasmus obserueth that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a solemne monument an honourable memoriall Chrysostome on Mathew wonders at the eternitie of this memoriall nec insignis persona nec multitudine testium celebrata nec in Templo nec in Theatro sed in domo in domo leprosi confecta No noble personage not done in the Temple or Theatre or before a multitude of witnesses but in a priuate house in the house of a Leper when the Disciples were onely present and yet saith Chrysostome the famous deedes of Kings and Emperours is silenced they which built cities erected wals fought battles attained Trophies subdued nations though they erected statues and made ordinances for celebrating their memorialls yet their memoriall is perished with them when as this act of this woman is recorded and this is the woman whose praise is in the Gospell A priuate woman in a priuate manner in the priuate house of a Leper to poure out a small box of ointment on Christs head Say her loue was great and her act was good and her oyntment were pretious notwithstanding that of Claudian in greater acts hath beene true Minuit presentia famam quanto magis illam minuit notitia Fame is an infection acts reported are either portentious beyond truth and by bignesse they breake or else so cankered with the rust of vntruth as being lessened they liue not It is true many haue sought honour by building wherein they haue thought to leaue perpetuall monuments and what are all these but Mâ—â—â—mons ryots and times ruines making the earth to groane vnder the burthen it beareth Where is Neroes house of gold or Dioclesians hot bathes or Anthonies water workes or Augustus forum or Cornelius Theatre or the Amphitheatre of Statilius or Dianas Temple or the Mansolian Tombe or Octanias gate or Liuias gally or Apolloes Church or Iupiters Capitoll It is a very poore monument how immense how sound that lime and stone and wood and timber and dust and ashes must pile for a memoriall to posteritie when time and storme and winde and weather and moath and rust and ruine doe corrupt it There was a monument bestowed on a Viceroy of Spaine Propter nos nostram salutem descendit ad inferos and many such great ones to the shame of their posteritie deserue no better memorie When as Maries ointment smels sweete ouer all the world whose memoriall yeelds this Doctrine The good workes of Gods Saints shall bee had in euerlasting remembrance The reason Doct. because they shall bee exemplary to posteritie and incitements to Gods glory In Nehemiah 3. there is a list of the Benefactours that built the wall of Ierusalem Neh. 3. not onely their families and their Tribes but their trades the Marchants and the Goldsmiths are twise named the whole trade and company are named and one in the 8. verse and Apothe earies sonne is named and after seuerall men and euery mans seuerall worke The righteous saith Dauid shall be had in euerlasting remembrance Psal 112.6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 blessed and long liued saith Chrysostome Blessings are on the head of the Iust the memory of the iust is blessed Pro. 10.7 the remembrance of Iosias as the composition of a perfume Eccles 49.1 The heathen thought for euer to be remembred for their famous inuentions Cadmus for letters Pithagoras for numbers Sidonius for measures Aesculapius for medicines Lycurgus for Lawes Arte for arts Hercules for games but how few take notice of this fame when that the godly neglected on earth are registred in heauen and emblasond by Gods sentence and sanction Non sic impij non sic the vngodly are not so they perish and stinke and rot the countenance of the Lord