amici dolorem peccati lachrìmis non ostendiâ— Hee may kâ—ow himselfe vitiously hard that weepes for temporall losses or the death of friends and utters not his griefe for sinne in teares It is reported of St. PETER that he wept so often as he heard a Cocke crow and that by continuall running of his teares as it were Channels came to bee made in his blessed face And of St. ARSENIUS f In vit Patâ—â—â— par 2. Sect. â—â— 3. Pâ—â—t conloraâ— ejus 〈◊〉 jugi fletu ceciderunt That by perpetuall weeping the haires fell from his eyes and that all his life long sitting at worke 〈◊〉 had a cloth in his bosome because â—f the teares thaâ— powred downe out of his eyes Lam. 3.48 49.51 The Prophets eyes affected his heart foâ—â—â—unâ—ing in a manner the sorrow thereof and streaming teares till the heart melted in griefe such tendernesse 〈…〉 by Prayers g â—atheâ—◠〈◊〉 thâ—â—gh by any 〈…〉 after windes comes raine invoke we then the South winde to blow upon us the spirit to descend into our harts as a mighty wind to raise showers and floods of teares Cassian collat 9. cap. 29.30 no violence is to be used here h but God to be wayted on that with the influence of his gracious looke he would thaw our frozen hearts All consciences witnesse with St. BERNARD i De modo bene vivendi c 10. Omnis Peccator tunc se cognoscit visitari a domino quando compungitur in lachrymas uam Petrus tunc flevit quando in eam Christus respexit Every sinner knowes himselfe to bee then visited of God when he is strucke with compunction that teares follow And though Thunder inferre Raine the threats of judgments wring teares from beleevers eyes yet the soule is more easily melted into such expressions k So S. Gregor Amoris flamma succensi ordeamus in lachrymis cum odore virtutum in Ezechibom 22. p. 1222. by consideration of Gods innumerable mercies then by any representation of torments and the sweetest way of distilling teares is by vehement and burning love which is full of soft and tender affects Which to have at command and be baptized and will as the Fathers speake with holy teares is an advantage of a contemplative l Qui provecti sunt in arcem contemplationis fletum habent in virtute potestatis S. Gregor in 1. Reg. l. 4. c. 5 p. 339. person that oft retyres himselfe from the world and warmes his heart in meditation in resemblance whereof wee see MARY the devotianall sister that sate alone she was the weeper But to them that would weepe because they cannot weepe I say with St. ANASTAâ—IUS m Sinaita serm de saâ—â—a synaxi p. 108. If thou caust not weepe at least sigh and hee sad And truly if there be a good man which cannot possibly weepe how can hee possibly but mourne when he takes to heart how his sinnes are increased over his head mee in number than the haires thereof yea passing all Arithmeticks and is neare to infinity as number can make them Now God be mercifull to us and soften our obdurate hearts if there be no blisse for any that mourn not for sin Where shal they appeare who Pro. 2.14 rejoyce to do evill and delight in the frowardnes of the wicked Are so hungry that they cannot be satisfied with their owne sinnes but they must be glutting themselves also with the Reprobate acts of others applauding and taking pleasure in them Rom. 1.32 You may conceive how few are blessed so few mourne now a dayes it is as it was to DAVID a reproch to weepe Psal 69.10 Men can mention their sinnes with dry eyes and light hearts yea make themselves and others merry with them I glory in them Hinc est quod lachrymaram causas tripudâ—â—tes peragunt hinc est quod mortis sua negotium ridentes exequurtur B. Gregor in Iob. l. 20. c. 15. and act causes of teares with triumph and dispatch the businesse of their death laughing Fooles make a pastime of sinne Pro. 14 9 As if it were but a laughing matter which the blessed Apostle could not tell men of without weeping Phil. 3.18.19 What that the world hath brought us forth Roarers instead of Weepers a generation of men so abandoning all sorrow for sinne that they often bely themselves and faine to have committed the sinnes they never did to advance their credit as they take it with evill companioÌ„s as St. AUG confesses of himselfe before his conversion n Confess l. 2. c. 3. Vbi non suberat qua assso aquarer perditis fingebam 〈◊〉 furcisse quae non secâ—nem ne viderer abjuctior quo eram inâ—â—cention Many make no burthen of grievous and mortall sinnes but goe light away crying is this such a matter Which matter neverthelesse cost the LORD CHRIST his dearest blood and would appeare to 〈◊〉 where they â—â—â—kened out of their dead sleepe and securitie CHAP. 3. enough to sinke all creatures into the bottomlesse pit A few soft words wee are all sinners God helpe us bee they never so coldly spoken and on the by suffice the most to bewaile sinne but whether that bee the broken and contrite heart that God dâ—spiseth not whether it be the mourning here blessed I leave to the common sense of experienced Christians and proceed to the second head of mourning for the sinne of others CHAP. III. How Christians are tyed to mourne for the sinnes of others HEre I must intreat you to looke backe a little and observe that none can religiously mourne for the sinnes of another that is not first heartily sorrowfull for his owne a publick mourner must beginne at home acknowledging with Nehemiah Chap. 1.6 I and my fathers house have sinned and with Daniel chap. 9.20 confessing his sinne and so the sinne of his people a S. Aug. ep 122. Vide queâ—admodaâ—â— sua peccata priùs dixit postea populi sui How bold is the profane multitude that never tooke upon them so much as a sad countenance for their sinnes and yet make as if they were heavy and presume to cast forth words of discontent at the times There are abundance that finde much to mourne for in the Church much in the common-wealth either in their owne houses CHAP. 2. nothing in their owne hearts that ascribe all evill to the faults of others that turne their mourning for sinne into censuring Hypocrite first cast out the beame out of thy owne eye that thou mayest see the sinne that is in thy right hand leave thy usury thy sacriledge thy hard fradulent dealing and then we will be patient to hear thee charitably lameÌ„ting some scaÌ„dalâ— it may be in the Church abuses in the State Of a truth if these people could be perswaded to keep within and note their owne deficiency they would not have the tythe of the leasure forwardnesse that now they have to usurpe
contrary or divert any office of righteousnesse and that sets the price upon passion 2 They are persecuted for righteousnesse that suffer for just and sober demeanure of themselves and because they will not omit duely to officiate the places wherein God sets them Opus imperfect be it by great men for faithfull and discreet applying Gods word against their extravagancies or by the multitude for not joyning with them in nationall or common sinnes thus the Prophets suffered and were Martyrs St. Anselme discourseth how b Vitam S. Anselm l. 1. c. 38. Palam est enim quod qui ne levâ— contra Deum peccatum committat mori non dubitat multò maximè mori non dubitaret priùs quà m aliquo gravi peccato Deum exacerberet St. Iohn Baptist is honoured by the Church as a chiefe Martyr who was slaine not because he would not deny Christ but because hee would not conceale the truth and forbeare to speake against incestuous marriages and he proves that St. Elphege might justly be reckoned a Martyr had he been put to death only because he would not redeeme his life from the Danes with such a summe of money as hee could not levie without exaction and oppressing his Tenants For it is evident that he who stickes not to dye that hee may not commit a light sinne against God would a great deale much the more not sticke to dye sooner then hee would provoke GOD with any grievous sinne This matter is most considerable in the Churches greatest prosperity when they that cannot take up other armes be whetting their tongues against them that follow after Righteousnesse c In Ps 93. Magnus in quiâ—et Apostolu◠〈◊〉 câ—ilum volâ—â—â— qâ—omodo Elias 〈…〉 B. AUSTIN doth oft largely insist in the dangerous tentation that is by the generality of lâ—â—se Christians insulting over a few strict quasi de ipsa iustitia and hee is confident that not onely in times of Persecution but every day bee there made Martyrs d De temp serm 232 Sed quotidiè martyres siunt Dominâ—s ad martyâ—ti gloriam reputabit all that suffer any evill because they will not yeeld to drunkennesse c. the Lord will repute it in an aestimate of Martyrdome And hee treates thus with his auditorie e In Ps 30. Concione â— Incipe quicunque me auâ—is vivere quo modo Christianus vide si non tibi objictatur a Christianis sed nomine non vita non moribus Noli erubescere spe tua quomodo vivit in corde tuo sic habitet in ore tuo quia non sine causa signum suum Christus in fronte nebis sigi voluit tanquam in sede pudoris â—e Christi opprobrio Christianus erubescat begin whosoever thou beest that hearest me to live as a Christian and see if thou beest not upbraided for it even by Christians but in name not in life not in manners be not thou ashamed of thy hope as hee liveth in thy heart so let him habit in thy mouth for not without cause CHRIST would his signe should bee fixed in our forehead as in the seate of shamefastnesse that a Christian may not bee ashamed of the reproch of CHRIST Truly because as the profession of Christianity is hated by the Pagan so the vertue and power thereof by the prophane therefore wee are at our Baptisme signed with the signe of the crosse for signification that we must not be ashamed of Christian deeds for the opprobrious words of them that are Christians onely in words but shame and sorrow bee upon them who as St. BERNARD sayes f De conversione ad Clerices c. 31. Vsque adeò persecutionem non sustinent propter justitiam vt persecutionem malint quam justitiae pertinere are so farre from suffering persecution for righteousnesse that they had leifer be punished then retaine unto righteousnesse as divers suffer for drunkennesse uncleannesse theeverie perjury heresie schisme and disobedience 3 The Kingdome of Heaven is assigned unto sufferers as theirs by right and title of passion by which rod the Lord gives deliverie and seisin thereof And it is sayd theirs is the Kingdome not theirs shall bee the reward running in the present because God heere crownes the difficulty of that service with no small tasts of heavenly joy STEPHEN upon earth sees heaven open Quid est quod Stephano exit obviam beatitudo quasi extra coeli januas procurrit Dronel in Zodiaco Christiano signo 9. and the Sonne of man standing at the right hand of God Act. 7. Beatitude as it were running forth of heaven gates to meet him for a declaration of those say's and preambles of beatificall vision and glory which sufferers injoy upon earth Rom. 8.18 Remigius ibid. The passions of this time are not worthy to bee compared to future glorie if one could have indured sufferings from Adams first sigh to the last mans last breath all those passions should have no full equality nor just condignity to the value of GODS Kingdome the worth of eternall life transcends the dignitie of good workes even as they issue from Grace but for CHRISTS merits it is especially proposed to them that have the charity to suffer for it because if any thing might bee compared to future glory passions would For that of LACTANTIUS holds the g Lib. 3. c. 11. Vis et natura virtutis in malorum perferentia est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 S. Clem. in Ep. ad Corinth p. 8. quintessence of vertue lyes in the indurance of miserie therefore godly sufferingâ— as the best deserts of the creature are in highest reference and respect to Gods Kingdome Excellently our worthy Countryman GILBERT h Supra Cant. ser 30. Passiones hujuâ— temporis cooperantur quidem etsi non compaparantur ad futurâ—â—â— gloriae coronam the passions of this life though they may not to be conferred yet they doe conferre to the future crowne of glory the thought whereof makes the Righteous looke up in their deepest pressures ALTISIODORENSIS hath a prettie straine L. Tract 7. c. 5. quest 4. Quoniam Petrus passus est propriè pro se crucifixus est vultu verso in coelum ac si diceret ego patior pro regno coeli ut illud habeam Christus verò passus est pro nobis non pro se unde crufixus est vultu verso in terraÌ„ ac si diceret propeccatoribus patior CHRIST suffered for us and our salvation not his owne and therefore was crucified with his face looking downe to the earth as if hee should say I suffer for sinners PETER because hee suffered properly for himselfe was crucified with his face looking up to Heaven as if he should say I suffer for the Kingdome of Heaven CHAP. II. Of Suffering for CHRISTS sake WEE have toucht upon the positive degree of Blisse in the suffering for Righteousnesse sake now let us handle the superlative in suffering for CHRISTS sake in
no one without a beape of graces and mercies in it therefore esteeme variety of sufferings a subject deserving not some measure but the whole affect and faculty of joy St. BASIL rehearsing that Hebr. 11.36 37 38 they were scourged bound imprison'd ston'd sawne a sunder tempted slaine addes a these are the braveries of Saints 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thus the Primitive Christians were affected Act. 16.25 Magis damnati quèm absoluti gauâ—â—us Tertul ad Scapulam blessed is he that is held worthy of sufferings for CHRIST more blessed he that abounds in such sufferings Martyrs joyed in a sentence of condemnation as offendours in 2 sentence of absolution 2. Cor. 15.31 The Apostles joy in dayly subjection to death and other passions and continuall expectance and preparation for them was so great cleere and undoubted that he sweares by it by our reioycing in Christ Iesus I die dayly The holy Abbot IOHANNICIUS b Non solum laâ—â—batur probris pro Christo affectâ—â— sed etiam â—â—plebat majora pâ—ti reâ—â—â— scient quia per â—a majora cause queretur Evitâ— ejâ—â— c. 49. Nov. 4. not onely rejoyced being reproched and persecuted for Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but also wished that he might suffer more well knowing that thereby he should reape more fruit 2. Cor. 12.10 I take pleasure in infirmities in reproch in necessities in persecutions in distresses for CHRISTS sake Which PAUL did as purely loving himselfe in God and therefore most pleased with what profited most to his purgation proficiencie perfection And this may wee take for a proofe of our spiritualitie if tribulation bee savourie to us and we finde upon earth a paradise iâ— passion 2. Cor. 1.5 As the sufferings of Christ abound in us so our consolation abounds by Christ Aegidius Minorita askes c In Vita ejus c. 40. Quid causae est quodâ— aegrè forimus afflictiones Non concupiscimus medullitus spiritales consolatto â—es what 〈◊〉 the cause that we take afflictions heavily and answeres we doe not heartily covet spirituall consolations It is meere carnalitie to aspire after an exception from the crosse and to be alwayes treading upon roses to wish this beatitude to any rather then our selves and ours Faith moves in its own orbe when it renders exceeding glad notwithstanding the heavines through manifold temptations 1. Pet. 1 6. Thus St. VALERIAN d Hom. 16. Perfectae fidei est lucrativis locum dare suppliciis it is the exercise of perfect faith to give way to gainfull penalties At any rate to take up where wee are strangers those disgraces which in our Country will passe for the highest dignities That ARNOBIUS IUNIOR repeating these words who â—â—â—â—n say all manner of evill of you falsely for my sake rejoyce and be exceeding glad for great is your reward in heaven might for cause presse them in this sort e Si recti estis fide nolite quaerare laudes hominum in terris quia habehitis Angelorum in coelis In Ps if yee be right in Faith seeke not the praises of men upon earth when ye shall have the applause of Angels in heaven And this hath brought us to the cause why we should bee joyfully glad in the happinesse of suffering for great is your reward in heaven they purchase a great degree in glory CHAP. IV. CHAP. 4. Of the speciall glory comming to Sufferers BEsides the reward of heaven which is equall in all the saved there is a reward in heaven diversified according to our actions and passions for CHRIST This makes the Apostles straine so hyperbolicall as it is in the originall 2. Cor. 4.17 and the reward for persecution is the greatest which therefore for its latitude is not specified but stiled simply great as above all the degrees of comparison and exceeding all the hyperboles of our speech 2. Tim. 2.11 12. If wee suffer wee shall reigne CHRISTS pâ—â—â— may lose their lives not their rewards Hee that tooke off â—aulâ— head could not take away his crowne a In his Preface ad asueâ— fâ—â—◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Follow Christ and conquer as St. BASIL admonishes for thou followest 4 victorious King who will have thee partaker of his victorie and if tha◠〈◊〉 killed thou shalt more then conqueâ—â— Wee hold our selves more bound to them that suffer for us then to them that any other wayes minister to us CHRISTS specially acknowledges them in heaven that were confessors on earth Matth. 10.32 The Martyrs field brings for the 〈…〉 fold the glorified bodies 〈◊〉 most glorious in their skars every Saint hath his 〈◊〉 the sufferer aureolam an additionall flourish of triumph b Qui volâ—nt detrahit famae mea nolens addit mercedi meae S. Aug. cont lit Petilian l. 3. c. 7. 12. De bono viduitatis c. 22. He that with his will detracts from thy reputation shall against his will adde to thy retribution In all the universe there is not a worthier sight then a Martyr suffering 1. Cor. 4.9 Wee are made a spectacle to the world to Angels and to men The Lord lookes downe from heaven and sees no sight so meriting his aspect as Minutius Faelix sayth c In Octavio p. 10. Quam pulchrum spectaculum Deo cum Christianus cum dolore congreditur How goodly a spectacle for God is a Christian encountring with paine Therefore CHRIST that fits at the right hand of God as judge of quick and dead at the passion of Stephen stands to behold the good fight of faith stands as Advocate for his d S. Ambr. de fide l. 2. 7. Christus sedot ad dextram Dei quasi judex vivorum mortuorum stat quasi advocatus suorum sâ—abat ergo quasi sacerdos quâ—ndo patri hostiam boni martyris offerebat stubat quasi loâ—â— iuâ—â—atori braviam tanti prasul certaminis redditurâ—â— stands as Priest offering to the Father the sacrifice of a prime Martyr stands as supervisor and ready to render the prize to the valiant Champion Our Lord remembring the persecuted of rewards allowes the time of persecution for a season to meditate recompences and retaliation Heb. 11.24.25 MOSES chose afflictions with the people of God rather then the pleasures of sinne and esteemed the reproch of CHRIST greater riches thâ—â— the treasures of Aegypt because he had respect to the recompence of reward So in dammages indignities Christians may support themselves with contemplation of future advantages and honours and in place have an eye at glory and prelation therein to be thereby the more incouraged in the Lord and the better to subdue the unwillingnesse of the flesh to conflicts and hard services in Christ Iam. 5.11 Behold we count them blessed that have suffered invites vs to reflect our judgments on our consciences and seeing wee count and call the Martyrs and Confessours blessed whensoever we mention them and thinke their noble armie the supreme of all orders in the Church militant and