omnino est certus modus commotionis infantum The mutuall violence breathing on those tenderlings vnborne did presage their separation after their birth The good woman perceiuing a strife in her wombe as of contentious inmates in the Bee-hiue shee went to aske the Lord for the meaning of that strife Gen. 25.22 Seeing it is so why am I thus I may not trouble you with the bundles of opinions how shee was answered or by whom It is needlesse to argue whether it was Sem or Melchizedeck or they both at once or it was Heber or as some thinke it was Abraham as it is most like for circumstance of time place and person His person aboue the rest was of neerest acquaintance of surest faith and euident grace of reuelation for hee was a Prophet Gen. 20.7 The opinion of the most learned is that shee went to aske the Lord in the Science of some famous Patriarch at that time as Abraham was Whosoeuer resolued her the Lord sent her word by him what should betide her and the Church word by her what should befall the Church These are the rare blossomes of Ecce Behold two manner of people shall be diuided out of thy bowels faithfull and vnfaithfull out of one stocke pure and impure fruit of one tree true worshippers and heretickes in one Church sincere holy seruants and prophane counterfeit obseruants as a grape and a brier-berrie both of one vine a lambe and a woolfe both of one damme Beda In Ecclesia sunt ficus vna Christus tribulus spina Diabolus In the Church are both figges and grapes for Christ is both figges and grapes and in the Church are both briers and thornes for the deuill is both briers to catch thorns to hurt Iob. 1. And on a day the sonnes of God came and stood before the Lord and Sathan was also among them Abrahams sonnes are compared to starres and sands Starres are the heauenly sonnes of Ierusalem as Iaacob Sands are filij terrae sonnes of the flesh earthly proud inhabitants of Babylon as Esau Behold it was then posterior dies melior auis the latter day the better bird The elder shall serue the younger Iaacob did excelle his brother 1 iure primogeniturae 2 haereditate terrare sanctae 3 praerogatiua faederis Ecclesiae In the right of the best birthright inheritance and couenant In three faire pre-eminences In the first is signified the spirit of adoption by which we are sealed In the second our heauenly countrie Ezech. 37. Tacita Obiect to which we are called In the third the life of the Church out of which there is no life Here our drie bones are quickned But let this be true that thus the elder prerogatiue was fastened to the younger yet non obstante it could not be true in their specialties because still the elder did preoccupate iurisdiction ouer his brother Yes Respons howsoeuer Esau for a time made a more potent shew for prioritie then the yonger yet was the Prophecie true both in the letter and the mysterie In the letter true for the Idumaeans which were of Esaus issues were tributarie to Dauid which was of Iaacobs generations Some doe vnderstand it Comestor and ingeniously also that Esau did serue Iaacob whilst he did persecute him as the fyle doth seruice to the yron to make it more bright the fanne seruice to the corne to clense it and the furnace seruice to the gold to purifie it The truth is that Esau did Iaacob more good then he meant him as Iaacobs sonnes by selling of Ioseph to vilifie him did promote him to honour Deus aliquandiu impiorum indulget petulantiae sed modum statuit Ecclesiae tandem fontes dilatat Infideles Ecclesiae ruinas in discinctis vinculis intēdunt vt Q. Fabius naues diuidendo aquis immersit Sed Ecclesia vt tyrrhenus lapis integer enatat vt impiorum furores nihil ei incommodasse appareat quin idem propagasse God doth sometime winke at the iniurious attempts of the presumptuous but at his will he doth restraine them and inlarge his Church that her health may shine out of the bond of aduersitie and her enemies blowes ende in her aduantage Here I might reioyce to handle the right hand of Gods prouident power but I must containe my selfe within the limits of Ecce in this place See then the truth in the mysterie aboue the letter Iacob came last but did ouer-flie his brother Esau First that which is carnall then that which is spirituall the old Adam came first and the new Adam came after O melior auis The Eagle bird had Eagles wings and did mount on high aboue his brother Such is his magnificence That the Lord said to my Lord Sit thou at my right hand c. Such is the superioritie of the second Adam that in his exaltation he had a name giuen him aboue euery name The elder must serue they younger and glad may Adam bee that he and his may doe seruice to Christ as the sheaues which did reuerence Iosephs sheafe for in Adam all die but in Christ are all made aliue The Schollers of Pyrene Mystae gentiles and the wanton heads of the Temple infamous at Corinth did obiect that Christ died as did Adam the yonger brother as the elder The Apostle graunteth this for truth that both died yet the difference of their death is notable Both died and paid the wages of sinne Sed mors Adae poenae peccati mors Christi hostia peccati The death of Adam was the penaltie of sinne the death of Christ the redemption of the sinner This prepotencie was worth an Ecce Behold in Christ all things are become new for with his wounds are wee healed Fidelis medicus is est qui pro infirmo mortiferum ebibit remedium vt sanetur infirmus And in the reuewe of Iacob and Esau here is Ecce againe Behold white and blacke good and euill light and darkenesse life and death in two sonnes as if Rebecca's breasts did yeeld two kinds of milke wholesome milke for Iacob as the Hebrew mother corrupt milke for Esau as the Egyptian nurse And now Rebecca's breasts are not like the Equiuocators text both true and false they are both of one wholesome taste one hallowed kind of milke The second testaments are both one sincere milke of the word of God they are both of one truth and spirit of life as there is but one Lord faith baptisme hope and saluation Christus est veritas aeternalis verbum est veritas normalis Christ is the eternall essentiall truth and his word is our rule for truth There is but one God and one word Vnus veritatis fons est Deus verbum vna veritas in omnes filios saliens God is the onely fountaine of truth and his word is the liuing water flowing into his childrens hearts as the pure riuer of water of life cleere as Cristal proceeding out of
out vpon the rich fields of heauen and earth that we might be all one flocke bought and paid for and seised into possession by his precious bloud-shedding he hath set at peace through the bloud of the Crosse both things in heauen Col. 1 20 and things in earth Iaacob is a potters field Christ Iesus was laid vp in this field 2. Cor. 4.7 that Iacob might die to sinne and liue to righteousenesse Iaacob hath heauenly treasure in an ear then vessell Matth. 13.4 Christ is the hidden treasure in the potters field more worth then all the field But shall I say that Iaacob is a Meridian field yes a goodly sun-shine field of common ioy and profit to the Church As the common court of the Tabernacle was vpon the sun-shine side a faire and comely passing to the Church Exod. 27.9 Thus was Iacob a faire field of common passage for the Saints for all must come by Iaacob This is the generation of them which seeke him Psalm 24.6 of them which seeke thy face O Iaacob Nostrum est rapere regnum coelorum per gratiam quod quis nequeat attingere per naturam our nature being lame Ierome Chrisostome we must be strengthened in grace to hold heauen by violence So then albeit Iaacob be a common field in whose faire paths and steppes of faith we repaire daily towards the house of God Yet is he but a figure of a fairer field for Christ himselfe is for vs all our rich faire common field He is ager frumenti where we haue all our bread of life Ioh. 6. Hee is ager hortorum where all the Church hath all her spices He is ager sanguinis our mercy truth righteousnesse and peace beeing all died in his bloud who did tread the winepresse alone Hee was ager figuli a man of earth in all things like vnto man sinne onely excepted hee bare the shape of a seruant in our potters field Yet this was his priuiledge that his vessell was not broken Hee was pierced with thornes and scourges and bored through with nailes and speare but he could not be broken among the spoiles of death Not a bone of him shall be broken Esa 12.46 Esa 53.5 Hee was broken for our iniquities in the separation betwixt his body and soule but his body could not be corrupt because it was neuer attaint with sinne with which seale the stay of our field is put together Thou shalt not suffer thine holy one to see corruption Psalm 16.10 When all his enemies had done against him what they could hee wonne the masterie from them all as the sun at none day doth winne the victory of all the clouds of darknesse and is thus become our Meridian field Heere stands our glorious sonne the King of glory as the sunne in Gibeon on the top of the hil whilest the Lord doth fight for Israel Iosh 10 Vers 13.14 Apoc. 1 The sunne abideth in the middest of our heauen as the son of man in the middest of seuen golden candlestickes and there is no day like this Christ Iesus is our common field 1. Cor. 1.24 and there is neither Iewe nor Grecian nor bond nor free shut out which haue any title in this field as the righteousnesse of Christ for a wedding garment Matt. 22.11 There are none secluded which making right vse of their talents haue right desire to enter into the Lords ioy Matt. 25.21 as the wise virgins which went in with the bridegroome into the wedding Here we all gather plenteous redemption as Ruth gathered plentie of releese in the field of Boaz Ruth 2.15 Let her gather among the sheaues and doe not rebuke her O blessed Boaz our Sauiour what strength is in thee for vs all what strong charity what faire righteousnesse hast thou scattered for vs all to gather As Boaz scattered some of his sheaues of set purpose for Ruth Vers 16 so Christ himselfe let fall some of his sheaues for vs that we might gather without rebuke Ecclesia militans est sancta imputatione inchoatione segregatione sanctitate multimoda à sancto sanctorum imbuta Nay who can tell how many thousand more Christ hath done for vs that we may gather heauenly fruits and after feede thereon for euer It is said of Ruth that shee gleaned in the field till euening Heere vntill euening till the day of this life bee spent wee gather all our good conditions comforts profits pleasures all our mercies sweet remissions all our truth true faith all our righteousnesse faire beauty and all our peace sweet rest vntill our euerlasting sabbaths rest in that blessed field of Gods rest for euer But all this while where is the Prince hath hee no place heere or doth he beare no Armes in this Field Yes now let all the worthies of the world looke on him the Prince is Hur all white cleane hands and cleane heart and vpholdeth the armes of his worthy father as Hur did the hands of Moses to the discomfiture of our enemies 〈◊〉 he going downe of the sunne The Prince is a field of Corne Colos 3. â—6 Nom. 24.6 Heb. 10.22 Psalm 78.39 the Word of God doth plentifully dwell in him A field of gardens as the gardens by the riuers side A field of bloud sprinkled in his heart from an euill conscience and yet a potters field Let him remember that he is but flesh and a winde that turneth not againe What then are all those sanctities lost in him no now let my tongue touch my heart and let my voyce shout out for ioy that the Prince is our English Paradise Henricus campus meridianus magnae Britanniae The Lord sent him out of the North into the South and now is he becom our meridian field for the health and wealth of Christendome The Lord hath brought againe the captiuitie of Sion Psalme 126.1 and here is the health and wealth of these dominions Now shake thy selfe from the dust arise and sit downe O Ierusalem loose the bands of thy necke O captiue daughter Sion Shall I compare with that happie time of our blessed Queene Elizabeth They which were banished in Queene Maries time for sowing were sent for againe in Elizabeths daies to reape a fauourable recompence of God Psal 126 5 that they which did sowe in teares might reape in ioy In former time the people went downe into Egypt and Ashur oppressed them without cause but now how beautifull vpon the mountaines are the Watchmen which see lift vp their voyce and shout together Now is our mouth filled with laughter Vers 2 and our tongue with ioy our ioy renewed new ioy doubled double ioy multiplied our manifold ioyes established in the King and the Kings sonne Heere is cause enough for vs all to confesse the largesse of Gods mercifull true and righteous dealing in the performance of his promise Leu. 26.9 I will haue respect vnto you and make you
increase and multiply you and establish my couenant with you A most happie performance that now we haue hope for feare truth for doubt righteousnesse for iniustice peace for warre right heires for wrong as firre trees for thorns Esay 55.13 and mirrhe trees for nettles Now are our fairest riuers in the South the faire streames turned hither in righteousnesse with ioy and honour to themselues and all iust men Lord thou hast turned our captiuitie as riuers in the South How did the ioyes of good subiects hearts sparkle out at their eies attending to the Kings comming as the Angel of the Lord to leade his people The King came first and his Angel came after as the hawke doth flie by thy wisdome Iob. 39.29 stretching out his wings towards the South It is written of the South-winde that his originall is in the North but when he passeth the coasts of the Zodiacke towards the South there to meet the sunne as the sole Lord of all those beautifull passages then is he whot and moist and yeeldeth power to all the nurseries of Nature to worke from the worme that creepeth to the bird which flieth If I doe not mistake the likenesse this is a likely president of the faire arriuall here of the King and the Kings sonne to the gladnesse of Nature and Art and Grace and to the common solace of poore and rich both naked wormes and feathered fowles Now all true subiects eased of all their feares may sing vnder their owne vines Loe how our clothes are warme Iob. 37.17 when he maketh the earth quiet through the South winde In what corners are those to be found which doe not reioyce in this ioy Henrie Prince of Wales is our Meridian field richly mantled with pleasant varieties of high honours His Father Apollo the King hath watered him his excellent father his God his high father hath increased him in holy infusions of grace and rich ornaments of the purest Discipline Now is the Prince his Court more seemely to behold then the bankes of the Muses all bright and famous with faire fountaines of knowledge all garnished as a mellifluous garden where many Bees doe gather hony vnder the Master Bee Lord of the soyle Behold the smell of my sonne is as the smell of a field Some write of the magnanimous aduentures of the Holy Land Mantuan Sotterus Eusebius Faber some of the spatious propagation of the Gospel through Ethiopia Egypt India and Grecia in the time of the Apostles some of the wide spreading of the triumphant banner of Iesus Christ in these latter times among the Arabians Persians and Indians but who can write wherefore God hath giuen such iudgements to the King and such righteousnesse to the Kings sonne Psal 72. this were worth the Penne of a ready writer This wee all ought to doe to offer vp our hands and hearts and all our aid to the King and the Kings sonne The Gospel is yet in bondage in our neighbour countries and states remote and there is no Prince in the world of more assurance for Gods assistance Psal 144.1 to teach his hands to warre and his fingers to fight There is none more likely to helpe by the smell of his field all zealous pietie and resolute integritie that euery confident heart may say to him who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdome for such a time In my weake meditations I haue found that God hath fowen his diuers kinds of seeds in three sundry fields in Paradise in the wide World and in the soule of man In Paradise a pure man in the world a pure word and in the soule of man pure seedes of grace In Paradise the first man Adam was made a liuing soule 1. Cor. 15.45 without hang-bies of originall sinne or in-bred hostilities of strong preuaile Therefore the complaint of mans fall is two-fold one against mans securitie the other against the Serpents enuie whilest Adam slept the enuious man sowed tares Matth. 13. Thus was man corrupt both within and without in his body and his soule when the pure Adam receiued in the impure sting of sinne as Ishbosheth liuing receiued in his sleepe his deaths wound 2. Sam. 4.6 Man did not continue in honour but became like vnto the beasts which perish Psal 49.12 In the second field the Lord hath bestowed his liuely word of which the great sower saith himselfe For this cause was I borne Ioh. 18.37 Esay 1.9 Rom. 9.29 and for this cause came I into the world Therefore well may we say Except the Lord had reserued seed for vs wee had beene as Sodome and like to Gomorrha Here then among many indifferent questions of the Astrologers I reioyce much in this one to know where is the best influence of the heauens Many men haue many opinions and if it may please you to accept mine among them all I thinke the best is there where is a most plentifull prosemination of the word of God This is the sacred aspersion wherewith the most parts of our nation is copiously sprinckled Therefore Iacob shall reioyce and Israel shall be glad Psalme 14.7 This was the pleasant meate and drinke wherewith the King of the Prophets did cheere vp the hearts of his friends and his owne he shewed his word vnto Iacob his statutes and his iudgements vnto Israel he hath not dealt so with euery nation Psa 147 19 20 all people haue not had such wholesome influence This was Ecclesiae gloria circumfluens vbertim mala superans Pellican the satiable riches of the Church Thus the mercy and kindnesse of the Lord doth follow vs hee maketh our cuppe to ouerflowe Yea this blessed influence filleth innumerable orchards full of figge-trees Christian consciences full of the fauours delights of God The word of God is a fig tree worth keeping and tending where we haue our daily nutriment and comfort Prou. 27.8 For he which keepeth the figge-tree shall eate the fruit thereof But shall I speake what I haue heard from the clamours of the wisdome of the world That this great allowance of the word of God is abundant and superfluous To such I haue offered a bold some will say a blinde answere That their wisedom is the sooles bable which hath said in his heart There is no God Psal 14.1 Excellentia regiminis Christiani non est ex opinatione politica sed ex ordinatione dominica dirigenda Jac. de Valen. Aqua nobilis ex frigore saepe gelatur There are too many wise men of the West which hold opinion of common preaching as some Philosophers doe of the light about the Southerne pole That as by the absence of the Sunne there the aire is not hindred in his light so by the want of ordinary preaching religion is not darkened in her beautie Circa polum Australem per absentiam solis non defieit lumen conueniens ad vitam felicem Indeed some to compare