repentance Whether God created these skins anew or took them off the backs of sheep and goats killed for sacrifice to mind man of his mortality and mortification it much matters not Our first parents who even after the fall were the goodliest creatures that ever lived went no better cloathed no more did those Worthies of whom the world was not worthy Heb. 11.37 And surely The dogs that kept Vulcanâ— temple would tear those that came in tattered cloâ—thes Hospinian howsoever our condition and calling afford us better array and the vulgar like a Bohemian cur fawn upon every good suit purpuram magis quam Deum colunt yet we must take heed that pride creep not into our cloaths those ensignes of our sin and shame sith our fineness is our filthiness our neatness our nastiness It is a sure sign of a base minde though in high place to think he can make himself great with any thing that is lesse then himself and win more credit by his garments then his graces St. Peter teacheth women who many of them are too much addicted to over much fineness to garnish themselves not with gay cloathes but with a meek and quiet spirit as Sarah did and not as those mincing dames 1 Vestium curiositas deformitatis mentium morum indicium est Bernard Pet. 3.3 4. whose pride the Prophet inveighs against as punctually as if he had viewed the Ladies wardrobes in Jerusalem Esa 3. Rich apparell are but fine covers of the foulest shame The worst is Natures garment the best but follies garnish How blessed a Nation were we if every silken suit did cover a sanctified soul or if we would look upon out cloathes as our first parents did as love-tokens from God Nam cum charissinia semper Munera sunt Author quae pretiosa facit How could they but see it to be a singular favour that God with own hands should cloath them though he had cast them out of Paradise for their nurture a visible Sacrament of his invisible love and grace concerning their soules in covering their sins and so interresting them into true blessedness Psal 32 1 2. Verse 22. The man is bâ—come as one of us A holy irrisionof mans vain affectation of the Deity Quod Deus loquitur cum risu tu lâ—gas cum fleâ—u Aug. de Gen. ad â—â—eram 1.11 c. 3â— Howbeit St. Aug. is of opinion that God speaks thus not by way of insulting over Adam but deterring others from such proud attempts Discite justitiam moniti c. And take also of the tree of life And so think to elude the sentence of death pronounced upon him by God which yet he could not have done had he eaten up tree and all He should but have added to his sin and judgement by abuse of this Sacrament which would have sealed up life unto him had he held his integrity Multi etiam hodie propter arborem scientiae amittunt arborem vitae Aug. In terris manducant quod apudinferos digerunt Verse 23. Therefore the Lord God sent him forth He gently dismissed him as the word signifies placed him over against Paradise in the sight thereof as Stella observeth out of the Septuagint that Stella in Luc. 7 by often beholding the sorrow of his sin might be increased Iisdem quibuâ— videmus â—culis flemus Lam. 3. 2 Cor. 2.7.11 that his eye might affect his heart Yet lest he should be swallowed up of over much sorrow and so Satan get an advantage of him for God is not ignorant of his devices Christ the promised seed was by his voluntary banishment to bring back all beleevers to their heavenly home to bear them by his Angels into Abrahams bosome and to give them to eat of the tree of life which is in the midst of the Paradise of God Rev. 2.7 Our whole life here is nothing else but a banishment That we like it no worse is because we never knew better They that were born in hell saith the Proverb think there 's no other heaven The poor posterity of a banished Prince take their mean condition well-aworth Moses counts Egypt where yet he was but a sojourner his home and in reference to it calls his son born in Midian Gershom that is a stranger there Oh how should we breath after our heavenly home Aâ—â— Paradisi Gesner groaning within our selves like those birds of Paradise Naturalists speak of stretching forth the neck as the Apostles word importeth waiting for the adoption even the redemption of our bodies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 8. Rom. 8.23 glorifying God mean-while with our spirits and bodies devouring all difficulties donec à spe ad speciem transeamus till Christ who is gone to prepare a place for us returne and say This day thou shalt be with me in Paradise Verse 24. So he drove out the man The Hebrews say God led Adam gently by the hand till he came to the porch of Paradise and then thrust him out violently who hungback and plaid loth to depart That he went out unwillingly as I wonder not so that he should strive with God about his going out I believe not This garden planted meerly for his pleasure and all the benefits created for his use and service in six dayes he lost in six houres say some in nine say others the same day he was made say All almost What cause then have all his sinfull posterity to distrust themselves And how little cause had that blasphemous Pope to set his mouth against heaven Juâ—ius 3. when being in a great rage at his Steward for a cold Peacock not brought to table according to his appointment and desired by one of his Cardinals not to be so much moved at a matter of so small moment he answered If God were so angry for an apple that he cast our first parents out of Paradise for the same why may not I being his Vicar be angry then for a Peacock sith it is a greater matter then an apple Act. Mon. fol. 1417. Is not this that mouth of the Beast that speaketh great things and blasphemies Rev. 13.5 CHAP. IV. Verse 1. I have gotten a man from the Lord OR that famous Man the Lord as if she had brought forth the Man Christ Jesus These were verba spei non rei for Cain was of that wicked one the Devill 1 Joh. 3.12 as all reprobates are 1 Joh. 3.10 Cain the Authour of the City of the World saith Augustine is born first and called Cain that is a possession because he buildeth a City is given to the cares and pomp of the world and persecutes his brother that was chosen out of the world But Abel the Authour of the City of God Aug. de civit Dâ—i l. 15. c. 1. is born second called Vanity because he saw the worlds vanity and is therefore driven out of the world by an untimely death so early came martyrdome into the world the
in time of thunder by ringing their greatest Bels and letting off their greatest Ordnance Vers 17. And he builded a City So many drown themselves either in secular businesses or sensull pleasures and all to put by their melancholly dumps and heart-qualms as they call them indeed to muffle up the mouthes of their horribly guilty consciences So Nicephorus Phocas when Zimri like he had killed his master he laboured like Cain to secure himself with building high walls After which he heard a voice telling him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cedren that though he built his walls never so high yet sin within the walls would undermine all Besides that one small drop of an evill conscience troubleth a whole sea of outward comforts and contentments a confluence whereof would no more ease conscience then a silken stocking would doe a broken leg Silly are they that think to glide away their groans with games and their cares with cards c. Called the City after the name of his son Enoch That he might be stiled Lord Enoch of Enoch This is the ambition of worldly men their names are not written in heaven they will propagate them therefore upon earth as Nimrod by his tower Absolom by his pillar Cain by his city Enoch which St. Augustine fitly maketh a figure of Rome because both of them were built by a parricide Psal 49.11 Their inward thought is saith the Psalmist that their houses shall continue for ever and their dwelling places to all generations and therefore they call their lands after their own names De mali quaesâ—â—â— vix gaudet tertius baeres Lucianâ— They seek to immortalize themselves upon their possessions but the third heire seldome ever owns them Hence houses and lands shift masters so oft Olim eram Menipi nunc Speusippi c. said that house in the Apologie God justly crosseth these inhabitants of the earth Rev. 12. Philip. 3. as they are called in opposition to the Saints whose conversation is in heaven whereof they are Fellow-citizens These know that they have here no abiding City they look for one therefore above not Henochta but Heaven Whose builder and maker is God Heb. 11.10 Vers 19. And unto Enoch was born Irad c. Cain had a numerous off-spring Seven generations of his are here reckoned Seâ—h is not yet born that we hear of The wicked are ful of children and leave the rest of their substance to their babes Psal 17.14 They send forth their little ones like a flock and their children dance Job 21.11 12 13. They dance to the timbrell and harp as here Jabal and Jubul did but they suddenly turn into hell and so their merry dance ends in a miserable downfall Vers 19. Lamech took unto himself As his own lust led him not caring for consent of parents Lamech polygamus unam costam in duâ—s divisit Hier. And two wives as little caring for the comâ—and of God that two and no more should be one flesh Gen. 2.24 yea though he had the residue of the spirit and so could have made many wives for Adam yet made he but one saith the Prophet And wherefore one but that he might seek a godly seed Solomons polygamy was punished with barreness Mal. 12.5 We read not of any son he had but one Heroum filii noxae and he none of the wisest neither Rehoboam This great King hath but one son by many house-fulls of wives when many a poor man hath an house Full of children by one wife Erasmus tels astory of a certain poor English creeple lame on both legs that married a blinde woman Procreatis ex istâ— conjugio 12. fratribâ—â— nuloque naevo deformatis De instit Matr. Deni duodenique unam uxorem ducebant De morib gent. â— 1â— cap. 1. Vt cuique libitum fuerit pecudum more lasciviunt Twini Comment de reb Britan. ex Hâ—â—ron Act Mon. fol. 791. and gave this reason We shall the better agree when neither can hit other in the teeth with our severall defects and deformities Nec fâ—fellit hominem judicium saith he It prooved a happy match They lived lovingly and cheerfully together and God Almighty blessed them with a dozen lusty boyes that had not the least deformity about them Sardus tels us that the old Britains would ten or twelve of them take one woman to wife Belike women were scarce amongst them But yet that was better then the old Scots of whom St. Hierome reports that they took no wives but satisfied their lusts up and down as they listed and wheresoever they liked after the manner of bruit creatures I have somewhere read that not many hundreds of years since they had a custome kept up amongst them that the Landlord might demand the first night of his Tenants wife as a chieâ—e rent And Mr. Fox relates that the Friars in Germany were grown to that height of impudency as to require the tenth night of every mans wife as a tithe due to them Which to prevent the Helvetians when they received any new Priest into their Churches they bargained with him before to take his Concubine lest he should attempt any misuse of their wives and daughters How much better were it for the avoyding of fornication if every man of them had his owne wife 1 Cor. 7. saith Paul Not so saith Cardinall Campeius for if comparison should be made much greater offence it is a Priest to have a wife Ibid. 790. then to have and keep at home many harlots For they that keep harlots saith he as it is nought that they do so doe they acknowledge their sin The other perswade themselves they doe well and so continue without repentance or conscience of their fact A fit reason for a carnall Cardinall Such another was his brother Cardinalis Cremonensis who after his stout replying in the Councel of London against the married estate of Priests Ibid. 1065. exclaiming what a shamefull thing it was to rise from the sides of a whore to make Christs body the night following was shamefully taken with a notable Whore This was bad enough but that was worse in Johannes a Cassa Dean of the Popes chamber Ibid. 14 17. who so far forgot humanity and honesty that he set forth a book in Italian meeter in commendation of Sodomitry saying that he never used any other This might better have become a Turk then a Bishop Blunts Voyage p. 79. Ibid. 14. Sodomy in the Levant is not held a vice so debauched they are grown The Turkish Bashaws besides their wives whereof they have ton at least each Bashaw hath as many or likely more Catamites which are their serious loves For their wives are used but to dresse their meat to Laundress and for reputation Onely when the great Turk gives his daughter or sister to any Bashaw to wife 't is somewhat otherwise For he giveth her at the same time a dagger saying I give thee
first man that dyed dyed for Religion H. Broughton of the 10 patr exâ— Rab. Bochai In a witty sense saith Hugh Broughton Cain and Abel contain in their names advertisements for matter of true continuance and corruption Cain betokeneth possession in this world And Abel betokeneth one humbled in minde and holding such possession vain Such was his offering sheep-kinde the gentlest of all living beasts and therefore the favour of God followed him And the offering of Cain was of the fruit of the earth as he loved the possession of this world and the service of the body which yet can have no continuance and followed after bodily lusts therefore the blessed God favored him not Thus far he out of the Rabbines Another English Divine hath this note upon these words Yaâ—es his Model of Divin I have gotten a man from the Lord Jehovah Adam and Eve were all about the composition of Cain His soul was inspired pure and holy yet assoon as the vital spirits laid hold of it it was in the compound a son of Adam A skilful Artificer makes a clock of all his essential parts most accurately onely he leaves the putting of all parts together to his unskilful apprentise who so jumbles together the several joynts that all falls to jaring and can keep no time at all every wheel running backward-way So God most artificially still perfects both body and soul but our accursed parents put all out of frame and set every part in a contrary course to Gods will Sin is propagated and proceeds from the union of body and soul into one man That phrase Warmed in sin Psal 51.5 is meant of the preparation of the body as an instrument of evil which is not so actually till the soul come Vers 3. In process of time That distance of time between the Creation and the general Flood Varro the most learned of the Romans calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 obscure or unknown because the Heathen had no Records of that which we now clearly understand to have been then done out of the holy Scriptures Cain brought of the fruit Godw. Hebr. Antiq. p. 27. They brought their sacrifices to Adam the high Priest of the family who offered them to God in their name So in the Levitical Law though a mans offering were never so good he might not offer it himself upon pain of death But the Priest must offer it And the Priest was to offer as well the poor mans Turtle as the rich mans Ox To teach that none may present his service to God how good soever he may conceit it but in the hand of the high Priest of the New Testament Jesus Christ Revel 5. the just one who will not onely present but perfume the poorest performances of an upright heart with his odors Vers 4. See Num. 18.12 Fat taken for the best of all things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mark 12.41 Mal. 1. Of the firstlings of his flock He brought the best of the best not any thing that came next to hand as Cain seems to have done holding any thing good enough as did those rich wretches that cast brass-money into the treasury But cursed be that couzener that hath a male in his flock and offereth to God a corrupt thing Offer it now to thy Prince will he be content with thy refuse stuff Behold I am a great King saith God he stands upon his seniority and looks to be honored with the best of our subâ—tance Mary that loved much thought nothing too much for her sweet Saviour John 12.9 She brought an Alabaster box of oyntment of great price and poured it upon him and he defends her in it against those that held it waste Among the Papists their Lady of Loretto hath her Churches so stuffed with vowed presents of the best Sir Edw. Sands Relation of West Relig. sect 〈◊〉 Turk hist. fol. 342. 1 Pet. 3.11 Isai 66.2 as they are fain to hang their Cloysters and Church-yards with them Shall not their supeâ—stition rise up and condemn our irreligion our slubbering services and dough-baked duties The Turks build their private houses low and homely but their Moschces or Temples stately and magnificent Had respect to Abel and his offering The eye of the Lord is still upon the righteous and his ears are in their prayers He looks upon such with singular delight with special intimation of his love he is ravished with one of their eyes lifted up in prayer Cant. 4.9 with one chain of their graces when as he was no whit affected with the offer of all the worlds glory Matth. 4. He saith of such to the wicked as the Prophet said of Jehosaphat to the King of Israel Surely 2 King 3.14 were it not that I regard the presence of Jehosaphat King of Judah I would not look toward thâ—e nor see thee Cain here for instance Vers 5. But to Cain and his offering c. Because he brought non personam sed opus personae as Luther hath it Luth. in Decal who also calls those Cainists that offer to God the work done but do not offer themselves to God Works materially good may never prove so formally and eventually Luke 16. Levit. 11.18 That which is fair to men is abomination to God He rejected the Swan for sacrifice because under a white feather it hath black skin Sordet in conspectu Judicis quod fulget in conspectu operantis saith Gregory A thing may shine in the night from its rottenness Vers 6. Why is thy countenance fâ—â—n Why dost lowre and look so like a dog under a door Vultu saepe laeditur pietas Cicer. orat pro Amerin Ovid. Metaâ— Difficile est animum non prodere vultâ— He was discontented at God and displeased at his brother He looks but sowre and suffen upon him and â—od takes him up for it He so loves his little ones that he cannot abide the cold wind should blow upon them The Sun must not smâ—te them by day nor the Moon by night Psal 121. Cantâ—◠〈◊〉 The North and South must both blow good to them Better a milstone c. then offend one of these little ones be it but by a frown or a frump Better anger all the witches in the world then one of Gods zealous witnesses Revel 11.5 For there goeth a fire out of their mouths to devour their enemies Vers 7. Resipiscenti remissio pertinaci supplicium imminet idque proximum prae entiss Jun. Nemeâ—s dicitur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nemo eam effugere possit Sin lyes at the door Like a great ban-dog ready to pull out the throat of thy soul if thou but look over the hatch Say this dog lie asleep for a while yet the door is for continual pass and repass and so no fit place for any long sleep Your sin will surely finde you out saith Moses as a blood-hound and haunt you