he is the propitiation of our sinnes But this propitiatorie is but a cubit and a halfe it is limited 2. Cor. 6.2 Heb. 3.15 Ma. 25.12 Gen. 6.3 Io. 3.4 it is not infinite Now is the accepted time saith saint Paul now is the day of saluation He that comes not to day and heares his voice but hardens his heart if he come the next day with the foolish virgins shall be excluded The olde world had a hundreth and twentie yeeres to repent in and Niniuie fortie daies Vers 20. And the Cherubims shall stretch their wings on hie couering the mercie seat with their wings and their faces one to another To the mercie seat ward shall the faces of the Cherubims be The Cherubims stretch out their wings ouer the mercie seate and so ouer the whole arke to teach vs that all Angels attend vpon Iesus Christ are his seruants to defend his Church as he himselfe witnesseth to Nathaniel Io. 1.50.51 And Iesus answered and said vnto him because I said vnto thee I saw thee vnder the figge tree beleeuest thou thou shalt see greater things thē these And be said to him Verily verily I say to you hereafter shal ye see heauen open the Angels of God ascending descending vpon the son of man Cyril in 2. ca. Io Heb. 1.14 1. Pet. 1.2 ◠as Cyrill expounds it at his commaundement ascending descending for the saluation of the faithful as S. Paul also witnesseth Are they not al ministring spirits sent forth to minister for their sakes which shal be heirs of saluatiō And they turne their faces to the mercie seate because as Peter saith they which haue preached the gospell by the holy ghost sent downe from heauen haue preached such pretious things as the Angels desire to behold And thou shalt put the mercy seat aboue vpon the Arke and nothing else Vers 21. The true Arke of God then must alone worship Iesus Christ and for his sake hope for mercie at Gods hands only Vers 21. Exod. 16.34 Deut. 10.2.31.26 1. King 8.9 Heb. 9.4 Io. 6.33 Rom. 10.9 And in the Arke thou shalt put the testimonie I will giue thee Euery member of the true Church must haue those thrée things which after were put in the Arke in his heart that is the law of God which was contained in the two tables A Gomer of Mannah that is Iesus Christs incarnation for he is the true Mannah that came down from heauen And Aarons rod that budded that is his death and resurrection So that he that hath all these in the closet of his heart shall be saued and is Gods Arke and is no doubt a member of the true Church And there I wil declare my selfe vnto thee Verse 22. from aboue the mercie seate betweene the two Cherubims which are vpon the Arke of the testimonie I will tell thee all things which I wil giue thee in commandement vnto the children of Israel From this mercie seat procéeds all Gods spéeches with vs Iosuah 7. Exod. 12.13 2. Cor. 4.1 Lam 3.22 here he heares all our prayers Of his mercie he passed ouer the houses of the Israelites when as he destroyed the Egyptians Of his mercie Paul became an Apostle It is the Lords mercie saith Ieremy that we are not consumed because his compassions faile not The table also being couered all with gold Verse 23. Leuit. 24.5 being placed in the Tabernacle whereon the shew bread or as it is called in the Hebrew the bread of faces was set Verse 29. which loaues were changed euerie sabbaoth and the crowne of gold round about the table and the instruments for the table as dishes incense cups and gobblets and the pure incense that was put vpon them what doe all these signifie but the ministerie the preaching of the Gospell The crowne about the table signifies how glorious the preaching of the Gospell shall be 2. Cor. 3.7 If the ministration of death saith S. Paul written with letters and engrauen in stone was so glorious that the children of Israel could not behold the face of Moses for the glorie of his countenance which glorie is done away how shall not the ministration of the Spirit be much more glorious The word of God also may fitly be called the bread of faces For God himselfe séeth both his stewards that distribute this bread and his seruants that receiue it And at that great day of account he shall pronounce that steward blessed Luk. 12 4◠that hath giuen meat to his family in due season And again those seruants which haue receiued much of them shall much be required Luk. 12.48 Esa 35.11 not a crum of this bread shall be lost not one word of God shall returne to him emptie it shall be either the sauour of life or of death 2. Cor. 2 1◠And this bread was renewed euery sabboth Still bread was set vpon the table but new bread euerie Sabboth day to teach faithfull Pastors that they should euerie Sabbath day preach and breake this bread of life to their flockes Luk. 4.16 So we read of our Sauiour that as his custome was he taught the people euerie sabbath day to leaue all faithfull Pastors a patterne to follow And these loaues were set in order six on one side and sixe on another to teach vs that the word of God hath meat fit for al states conditions of men Psal 2.10 Psal 82.2 Rom. 13.1 Iam. 5.13.7 Act. 2.42 Ios 6.10 for all times and seasons for kings and euen for meanest subiects for the time of prosperitie and of affliction The pure incense placed vpon these loaues declares that we must ioyne prayers with preaching and that our prayers must bée grounded on Gods word In the ouerthrow of Iericho the people should shout but when Iosuah appointed them so in their spirituall warfare must all the souldiers of Iesus Christ not shout nor pray no otherwise then he appointeth The frankinsence must be put vpon the loaues because prayer and hearing the word preached must be ioyned together He that turneth away his eares from hearing the law saith Salomon his prayers be abominable Prou. 2◠9 The dishes also and Goblets and cuppes which were made as instruments for the table declare the diuers states and conditions of men which should be in Christs Church and the diuersities of their gifts 1. Cor. 12.4 Matt. 12.4 1. Pet. 2.5 Reu. 1.6 Exod. 26.31 Rom. 15.4 And that the Priests should only eat of that bread signifies that all Christians should bee Kings and Priests and should now be partakers of those heauenly dainties And this Table should be placed toward the North to teach vs that the Scriptures were written as S. Paul witnesseth that through patience and comfort of the scriptures we might haue hope They are the only table of refreshing Ephes 6.15 amongst the cold and Northren blasts of this life We must bee shod with the shooes of
the Gospell against the manifold thornes and pricks which Satan here in this life strewes in our wayes and in our iourney to heauen Exod 25.31 The golden Candlesticke which God commaunded Moses to make hauing one foot and a shaft beaten our with hammers hauing on euerie side therof three brāches cōming out of it euery branch hauing 3 bowles like to an Almond vpō it one knop one flower declares vnto vs also the ministery in the Church of God Act. 26.18 Luk. 12.42 whose office is aswell to giue light and to teach all as to giue meate and food and therefore héere they are compared to the candlestick And as before there was but one table so heere there is but one Candlesticke to declare the vnitie that should be among the ministers and pastors of Christs Church They should all be as one 1. Cor. 1.10 There should be no sects or schismes amōgst them They should go out to battell against their enemies as the Israelits did Iud. 20.8 euen as one man The foote of this Candlesticke is Iesus Christ who alone sustaines vs Matth. 28 2◠Reu. 1.13 who is said to be among the golden Candlestickes The shaft thereof is the Apostles out of which procéede thrée branches on the right side and thrée on the left side to teach vs that as there were false Prophets in the law as Peter teacheth 2. Pet. 2.1 so there should be also in the Gospell This Candlesticke shall haue aswell left branches as right branches euerie branch shall haue thrée bowles like Almonds and a flower and an apple The bowles like Almonds declare the doctrine they must preach They must preach the Gospel that is Mark 16.15 comfortable doctrine and glad newes And this is to be bowles like Almond nuts Leuinus Lemnius de herb◠biblicis cap. 4◠For the Almond is comfortable and restoratiue They must also haue an apple and a flower They must not haue only flourishing words but good works that they may say with Paul Brethren be followers of me And againe Phil. 3.17.4.8 Furthermore brethren whatsoeuer things are true whatsoeuer things are honest whatsoeuer things are iust whatsoeuer things are pure whatsoeuer things pertaine to loue whatsoeuer things are of good report if there be any vertue if there be any praise think on these things which ye haue both learned and receiued heard and seene in me Those things do and the God of peace shall bee with you By this type we may learne the necessitie of the ministerie in the Church Who would dwell in a house which lacked light What ioy can I haue saith Tobias that sit in darknes Tob. 5.12 and see not the light of heauen Such is the estate of all men without the preaching of the word vers 38. The snuffers also and the vessels to put the snuffes in doe teach first that ministers must haue a care of their doctrine that it be cleare and pure grounded of the Scriptures Matth. 15. ◠that no dregges of mans traditions be mingled with it God will haue all his torches burne cleare Secondly the vessels wherein the snuffes were put doe comfort those which haue meaner gifts in the Church Those which cannot be Apostles or great Doctors must not discourage themselues God had in his Tabernacle as well vessels to hold the snuffes of the torches as the torches themselues Lastly this candlestick must bee Mikshah beaten with hammers not melted sound not hollow 2. Cor. 2.4 to teach all Gods Ministers to beware of hypocrisie They must not make merchādize of the word of God The forme and fashion of this Tabernacle how vnlike is it to the Church of Rome In the making of this Tabernacle all things were voluntarie but the Roman Church commands she puts a necessitie in all her doings The Arke being all couered with the gold of charity 1. Cor. 16.14 condemnes that couetous Synagogue Let all your affaires be done through loue saith S. Paul but they do all for money She hath separated those foure rings from the sides of the Arke and the barres also she hath pulled forth from the rings which God commaunded should not be separated while she neither suffred the Bible to be in the Church neither the Pastors to preach it Neither were these rings fastened to the sides of the Ark neither were the tables of Gods commandements and that heauenly Manna and Aarons rod contained in the Ark while the gospell of Iesus Christ his most glorious death passion was not plainly taught the people It was neither in their houses nor in their harts She taught that the mercie seat couered not all the Ark but that the blessed Virgine was without sinne And that not as the Cherubims do all men should turne their faces to the mercie seat but that praying we may turne our faces some other way She hath also taken away the table of the shew bread from Gods house and hath not commanded his stewards to giue meat to his familie in due season but hath laid this burthen on other mens shoulders Likewise she hath made Gods house a most darke dungeon by taking from thence the light of Gods word Salomons temple also was a figure of Christs Church as first the verie author therof may teach vs. Salomon in Hebrew signifies peaceable Phil. 4.9 so the great God of peace Iesus Christ the true Salomon builded Gods Church Ioh. 14.27 Ephes 3.14 1. King 6.1 Matt. 6.33 1. King 7.1 Luk 2.46 1. King 5.13.14 He is our peace saith S. Paul He is our Salomon Secondly Salomon built the Temple in the fourth yeare of his raigne to teach vs that we must first seek the kingdome of God Salomon built Gods house before his owne house so Iesus Christ being but twelue yeares old began to build his Temple disputing with the Doctors And this exāple of Salomon proueth that kings though they be not builders themselues yet they may commaund the workmen they may cause the Lords house to be built So kings though they be no ministers yet may deale in ecclesiasticall affaires they may command the builders they may by their authoritie command and procure that Gods temple be built The Temple was builded in the moneth Zif which signifies brightnesse to declare 1. King 6.2 1. Ti. 4.13.15 that knowledge learning is required to the building of Gods house The which thing Pet. Berchorius in his Moralizations doth verie excellētly expresse Berch lib. 11. Moral super 3. Reg. cap. 5. Salomon saith he built the house of the Lord of squared wood and grauen stones and he deuided it into three roomes in height and whereof the lower was deuided into the inward oracle and outward house And thus it was made that all the walles of the lower Temple were couered with boords of Cedar and the floore with firre boords And aboue the boords all things were couered with plates of gold round
to haue reuenged the griefe of his brotherly pity The purpose of a godly mind lookes for no reward but so hir reward hath the conscience of a good worke and the effecting and bringing to passe of a good deed Base minds are pricked forward with promises and are encouraged with the hope of wages but the good soule which takes vpon hir the battell without the obligation of Gods answere reapes to hir self double fruit of praise that she may lay vp in treasure both the grace of most valiant courage and also of most perfect deuotion Thus must all Abrahams Children doe all their workes euen venture their liues not respecting wages but of a free heart with their father Abraham And of God Ambrose after writes thus And also the iustice of God is herein cōmended who rewards godly minds not by the necessity of his promise but through the consideration of his equity thinking it worthy that they which warre without any reward of man should haue a reward laid vp in store in his goodnes for whose sake they haue ventured their soules c. Gods mercie is aboue his promises naie his mercie is aboue all his works Hée will most assuredlie reward all his Againe Ambrose speaking of the vse of the law writes thus But also the law yeelds me this commodity that we are not iustified of the works of the law Amb. de Iacob beat vit ca. 6 therefore I haue no cause why I should glory in my works I haue no cause why I should boast of my selfe and therefore I will glory in Christ I will not reioice in that I am iust but I will reioice in that I am redeemed I will not reioice that I am void of sinne but because that my sinnes are forgiuen mee I wil not reioyce because I haue doon God any seruice or that any other hath doone any thing for me but because Christ is become my Aduocate with the Father because Christs bloud is shedde for me My fault is now become to me the wages of my redemption by the meanes thereof I obtaine Christ For my sake Christ tasted death my fault profited me more then my innocency my innocency made me arrogant my fault made me humble Here thou maist see wherein the law profited thee c. Granatensis of workes and merites writes thus The second steppe to humility is if a man know that that which he hath from God if so bee that hee haue any thing hee hath not obtained it by his owne strength but by the meere grace and mercy of God Gran. de perfect amor dei cap. 16. that he hath receiued it There are found some that beeing well grounded on the first step confesse that all which they haue comes from God yet notwithstanding they nourish in their breasts a secret perswasion that they haue gotten all that they haue to themselues by their owne labour and merites or deserts when as it is most certaine that the merites themselues as well as that which is obtained by the merites to be the graces of God vvhen as we cannot haue a thought or one good desire that is not of God Furthermore also our works haue not the value and merite they haue of themselues but of the grace of God by which they are doone For euen as the value of any coine is not of the substance of the coine but especially of the Image and inscription that it hath so the merit of our workes doeth not so much proceede of the substance of the worke as of the grace of God which giues value to them And therfore as often as by them any grace is giuen vnto vs euen one grace is giuen for another euen as if a friend should giue thee a hundreth pieces of gold and for them afterwards should giue thee a horse Here were both a selling and a giuing gaine and grace Grace because thy friend gaue thee gaine because vvith the mony that he gaue thee thou boughtest the horse of him The Prophet doth couertly teach vs both these when hee saith Come and buy without money and without any exchange Wine and Milke That is meat and drinke both for the beginners and for those that are perfect In which words when as he biddes vs buy he declares our industry but when as he excludes Siluer and all exchange he shewes grace All this therefore declares that man hath nothing in himselfe whereof he may glory thinking that which he hath comes of himselfe yea rather he ought to thinke that he hath of himselfe infinite sinnes for which he deserues so many hels And that all things else whatsoeuer they are come from aboue from the Father of light and are bestowed on vs of grace when as merite it selfe is grace Thus far Granatensis who plainlie affirmes that all our merites are grace And surelie our wages that the best of vs is to looke for if wee bee worthie of anie is like the wages they receiued that came into the Vineyard at the eleuenth houre of the daie a wages also of grace and not of desert or merit But Granatensis goeth forward To this the fourth steppe is to be added for it is not sufficient that a man acknowledge himselfe poore and destitute of all good things but also it is necessary that he acknowledge how truly hee abounds with many euilles that is how greatly he loues himselfe and his owne will and stands in his owne conceit how liuely are all his euill affections and how perfect are all his wicked motions how inconstant he is in good purposes how lauish in his tongue howe carelesse in keeping of his heart what a louer he is of his owne profit and of the desires of his owne pleasures To know these things is the best knowledge in the world and also most profitable For other knowledges as the Apostle sayeth puffe vs vp but this onely makes vs humble And it is also true that to the obtaining of this knowledge our owne exercise onely sufficeth not but wee stand need also of the light of heauen that the mist of our owne selfe-loue do not blindfold vs which is a very blind iudge And for this cause euery Christian ought to aske of God this light and that as earnestly as Saint Frances did who very often in his prayers repeated these words O my God that I may know thee and that I may knowe me Neither is it sufficient for him that he account himselfe such a poore and grieuous sinner but let him imagine that he is the greatest sinner in the world and the most vile of al sinners And this is a degree higher then the former for as a certain doctor saith It shal hurt thee nothing to cast downe thy selfe at the feet of all men but it may hurt thee if thou preferre thy selfe before any one c. Thus Granatensis would haue euerie Christian humble himselfe And is not this the verie doctrine our Church teacheth Granatensis also of our sinnes and the satisfaction
For to this thou art also inuited of the bridegroome in the Canticles when he saith Let me be as a signet in thy heart and as a signet on thy arme Thus much Granatensis cites out of Bernard A discourse worth the marking who knowing these vertues of the name of Iesus will not call vpon it or will call vpon any other name This must be an electuarie euer in our bosome and euer in our hands saith Bernard and Granatensis two skilfull Physitions of soules and shall we not follow their counsell Of prayer in the Church he writes thus Med. 10. vit Christi It is an vsuall thing that if we wil find any thing we wil seeke it in his proper natural place If therfore the Church be the proper place of God it is meet that the son of God and God be sought found there The church is the house of prayer and where prayer is heard there God is found Wherefore my brother when as thou art afflicted destitute of comfort distracted with cares lean luke warme without any fatnesse or sparke of deuotion enter into the Church continue in prayer For if thou shalt continue praying with faith and humilitie without doubt thou shalt finde Christ who is God and this shall be a signe to thee that thou hast found him if thou shalt after finde deuotion pleasure refreshing and ioy in thy soule Med. 16. And after that in the Church and in all other places that we should praie onely vnto Christ he alleadgeth this notable saying out of Austen Austen saith that so great mercie and courtesie shined in the person of our Sauiour in all his words works and in his whole life and that there was such a report thorow all that countrey of his courtesie and mercie which sprung of the workes which he wrought daily amongst them that the malicious harts of the Iewes thought that so courteous and mercifull a man could not speake the word of condemnation or pronounce sentence of death against any no not although the lawe condemned him and therefore they brought vnto him the woman taken in adulterie that hereby they might take an occasion of slaundering him and of accusing him as a transgressor of the law So that the greatnesse of the clemencie and mercie of our Sauiour gaue opportunitie to those wicked persons of accusing him But the wisedome of God ouercame the malice of man and Moses Serpent deuoured the Serpents of the Sooth-sayers For the Lord iudged so wisely that the woman was absolued her accusers being put to silence and confusion If the malicious Iewes had such an opinion of the great mercie of our Sauiour shall not Christians haue the like And if they haue will they direct their prayers to anie other And after speaking of the woman of Chanaan he writes thus Med. 17. First we are taught here in all our tribulations and necessities that we must run vnto God as this woman did who as Origen notes was an infidell and a worshipper of diuels yet she neither went to men nor to diuels to seeke remedy of them but she came to the true Sauiour and redeemer of the world For this is the propertie of prayer that it is a generall remedy against all euils and in this respect the vertue thereof was commended as Theodoret witnesseth of one of the auncient fathers who was wont to say That physitions for diuers diseases had their diuers medicines and that they cured this disease with this medicine and that with another but Christians against all manner of euils haue but one medicine and that is continuall and deuout prayer which neuer returnes emptie If this infidell naie being also a worshipper of diuels as Origen affirmes were not repelled of our Sauiour whie should anie Christian distrust And of the cōditions which are required in our praiers he writes thus The first thing that is required in our prayers is faith For which this woman is commended to which especially the obtaining of her suit is ascribed of the Lord according to the word of Christ himselfe saying All things whatsoeuer you aske praying beleeue that you shall receiue them The reason hereof among other is this because this bond of faith which euer brings with it assured trust of the mercie and goodnesse of God is one of those things which doe most glorifie and honour God whose nature is to honour those againe of whom he is honored and to glorifie those of whom he is glorified The which that we may better vnderstand wee must know that there are two manner of waies of praysing God One with wordes another with workes The physition with words commends the treacle he hath made and saith that it is of great force against all poyson but he commends it in deed who being stricken of a Scorpion takes his treacle and is healed by it Thou seest how this second kind of praising is better then the former The one praiseth it in hope the other in deed the praise of the one consists in words but of the other in workes and therefore as much difference as there is betweene saying and doing so great difference is there also betweene those two manner of commendations But faith praiseth the goodnesse and mercie of God after the second manner when as she being in the midst of perils and temptations she is secure and triumpheth Through this assurance she vndertakes great and hard matters and she distributes to the poore that she hath without any care hoping with assurance in the mercie of God which neuer forsakes them which trust in him and which enter into perils and troubles for his name sake There are verie fewe although perchance otherwise good men who haue attained to this steppe of faithfull assurance but happy and thrice happy is he that hath attained vnto it to which this woman seemes to haue climbed vp who being so often repelled and reiected of the Lord yet for all that did not distrust of his goodnesse and mercie Therefore not without cause the Lord commends her faith saying O woman great is thy faith Be it vnto thee euen as thou wilt And this is diligentlie of vs to be marked here that thorow the whole Gospell there are onely found but two such exclamations of our Sauiour and both of them to the same purpose One is in the words now recited the other is when as Christ reproouing a man not beléeuing cried out O froward and incredulous generation How long shall I be with you how long shall I suffer you These two exclamations doe verie manifestly declare how gratefull and acceptable to God that faith is which hath this hope assurance euer ioined with it and how greatly incredulitie and distrustfulnesse displeaseth him Faith brings with it euer assurance and confidence and therefore cannot abide wauering and doubtfulnesse And such a faith only is acceptable to God saith Granatensis But how can then that be a faith acceptable to God which other papists