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
raising of his Son Christ Eph. 1.19 to raise us from the death of sin and of carnall Esa 51.16 to make us a people created againe Psal 102.18 Doth he not plant the heavens and lay the foundation of the earth that he may say to Zion thou art my people Empty man would be wise saith Zophar Job 11.12 though man be born like a wild asse colt Mans heart is a meer emptiness a very Tohu vabohu as void of matter to maâ—e him a new creature of as the hollow of a tree is of heart of oake God therefore creates in his people cleane hearts Psal 50.10 and as in the first creation so in the new creature the first day as it were God works light of knowledge the second day the firmament of faith the third day seas and trees that is repentant tears and worthy fruits the fourth day Lightf Miscel the Sun joyning light and heat together heat of zeale with light of knowledge the fifth day fishes to play and foules to flye so to live and rejoyce in a sea of troubles and flye heaven-ward by prayer and contemplation The sixt day God makes beasts and man yea of a wild asse-colt a man in Christ with whom old things are past all things are become new 2 Cor. 5.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Thess 4. And to whom besides that they are all taught of God the very beasts Esa 1.2 and birds Jer. 8.7 doe read a Divinity Lecture Aske now the beasts and they shall teach thee and the foules of the ayre they shall tell thee Anton. Eremita ap Aug. lib. 1. de doctr Christ Niceph. l. 8. c. 40 Clem. Alex. Job 12.8 The whole world is nothing else saith One but God expressed so that we cannot plead ignorance for all are or may be book learned in the creature This is the Shepherds Callender the Plowmans Alphabet we may run and read in this great book which hath three leaves Heaven Earth Sea A bruitish man knows not neither doth a foole understand this Psal 9 29. They stand gazing and gaping on the outside of things onely but asknot Who is their Father their Creator Like little children which when they finde a Picture in their booke they gaze and make sport with it but never consider it Either their mindes are like a clocke that is over wound above the ordinary pitch and so stands still their thoughts are amazed for a time they are like a blocke thinking nothing at all Esa 40.28 or else they think Atheistically that all comes by nature but hast thou not known saith the Prophet hast thou not heard that the everlasting God the Lord the Creator c. or at best as the common passenger looks onely at the hand of the Diall to see what of the clock it is but takes no notice of the clock-work within the wheels and poises and various turnings and windings in the work so it is here with the man that is no more then a meer naturall 1 Cor. 2.15 But he that is spirituall discerneth all things he entreth into the clock-house as it were and views every motion beginning at the great wheel and ending in the least and last that is moved He studies the glory of God revealed in this great book of Nature and prayseth his power wisdome goodness c. And for that in these things He cannot order his speech because of darkness Job 37.38 39. he begs of God a larger heart and better language and cryes out continually with David Blessed be the Lord God the God of Israel who onely doth wondrous things And blessed be his glorious name for ever and eâ—er and let the whole earth be filled with his glory Amen and Amen Plal. 72.18 19. Verse 26. And God said Let us make man Man is the master-peece of Gods handy-work Sun Moon and Stars are but the workâ— of his fingers Psal 8.3 but man the work of his hands Psal 1â— 9.14 He is cura divini ingenii made by counsell at first Let us make c. and his body which is but the souls sheath Dan. 7.15 Animae vagina is still curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth that is in the womb Psal 139.15 with Eph. 4.9 as curious workmen when they have some choice peece in hand they perfect it in private and then bring it forth to light for men to gaze at Thine bands have mude me or took speciall pains about me and fashioned me saith Job Thou hast formed me by the book saith David Psal 139.16 Job 10.8 yea emâ—roidered me with nerves veyns and variety of limbs miracles enough saith One betwixt head and foot to fill a Volume Man saith a Heathen is the bold attempt of daring nature the faire workmanship of a wise Artificer saith another 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Trismegist 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eurip. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Xâ—noph Miraculorum omnium maximum Stoici Gal. lib. 3. de usu partium Lib. 11. 1â— The greatest of all miracles saith a third And surely should a man be born into the world but once in a hundred years all the world would run to see the wonder Sed miracula assiduitate vilescunt Galen that prophane man was forced upon the description of man and the parts of his body only to sing a hymn to the Creator whom yet he knew not I make here saith he a true hymn in the honour of our Maker whose service I beleeve verily consisteth not in the sacrificing of Hecatombs or in burning great heaps of Frankinsence before him but in acknowledging the greatness of his wisdome power and goodness and in making the same known to others c. And in another place Now is he saith Gallen which looking but only upon the skin of a thing wondreth not of the cunning at the Creator Yet notwithstanding he dissembleth not that he had tryed by all means to find some reason of the composing of living creatures and that he would rather have fathered the doing thereof upon Nature then upon the very Authour of Nature Lib. 15. And in the end concludeth thus I confesse that I know not what the soule is though I have sought very narrowly for it Favorinus the Philosopher Nibil in terra magnum prater bominâ—m nibil in homine praeter mentem Fav ap Gel. was wont to say The greatest thing in this world is Man and the greatest thing in man is his soule It is an abridgement of the invisible world as the Body is of the visible Hence man is called by the Hebrewes Gnolam haktaton and by the Greeks Microcosmus A little world And it was a witty essay of him who stiled woman the second Edition of the Epitome of the whole world The soule is set in the body of them both as a little god in this little world as Jehovah is a great God in the great world Whence Proclus the Philosopher could say that the
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