n Iob 40.10 Whereupon Gregory noteth that a sheepe or any such other beast will eate any manner of grasse though it be trampled and stained neuer so much but an oxe will eate no kind of grasse but that which is greene and fresh And so the Diuell will be sure to haue his feede of the very finest and best o Esca eius electa Abacuc 1.16 For the Angell of the Lord reioyceth most when one that is a sinner conuerteth He eateth grasse as a sheepe But the Angell of Sathan reioiceth most when one that is a conuert sinneth Hee eateth grasse as an Oxe If the Diuell cannot keepe a man from liuing long then hee will hinder him from liuing well p Aut Imperat mortes aut impetit mores Leo. If hee cannot kill him then hee will corrupt him And indeede hee takes greater pleasure in corrupting one godly man that in killing a hundred wicked He was more delighted when Dauid slew but Vrias then when Saul slew himselfe when Peter did but denie Christ then when Iudas betraied him So that the life of man by reason of his sinne is the delight yea it is the very life of the Diuell It is on the other side the death of himselfe O miserable wretch that I am saith one who shall deliuer me from this body of death The life of the godly is a very body of death But their death is onely a shadow of death Thales a Philosopher being demaunded what difference there is betweene life and death answered They are all one Then being asked againe if he had not rather liue then die No saith he as before for they are al one But Ierome saith farre more excellently They are not all one That is not true For it is one thing to liue in continuall danger of death another thing to die in continuall assurance of life q Aliud viuere moriturum aliud mori victurum Therefore Ecclesiastes saith That the day of our death is better then the day of our birth For when we are borne we are mortall but when we are dead we are immortall And we are aliue in the wombe to die in the world but wee are dead in the graue to liue in heauen Hence it is that the wicked are merry at their birth-day as Pharaoh made a feast at his birth-day when his chiefe Baker was hanged r Gen. 40.20 and Herod likewise made a feast at his birth-day when Iohn Baptist was beheaded but they are sorry at their dying day as Iudas was sorry when hee went about to hang himselfe and Caine was afraid euery one would kill him that met him Contrariwise the godly are sorry at their birth-day as Iob Let the day perish wherein I was borne and Ieremie Let not the day wherein my mother bare mee be blessed s Ier. 20.14 But they are merry at their dying day as Simeon Lord now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace and Paul I desire to be dissolued and to be with Christ. Therefore we also keepe holy dayes and celebrate the memory of the Saints not vpon their birth-daies but vpon their death-dayes to shew that these two are not all one but that the day of our death is better then the day of our birth For whereas there are 2. waies the one hauing in it first a transitory life and then an eternall death the other hauing in it first a transitory death and then an eternall life the wicked chuse to liue here for a time though they die for it hereafter eternally but the godly chuse to haue their life hid with Christ here that they may liue with Christ eternally hereafter Therefore the wicked neuer thinke of death but the godly thinke of nothing else As Alexander the Monarch of the world had all other things saue only a sepulchre to bury him in wheÌ„ he was dead he neuer thought of that But Abraham the heire of the world had no other possession of his own but only a field which he bought to bury his dead in he thought of nothing els We read that Daniel strowed ashes in the teÌ„ple to descry the footsteps of Bels Priests which did eat vp the meat So did Abraham strow ashes in his memory saying I will speake vnto my Lord though I be but dust and ashes So doe all the faithfull remembring they shall one day be turned to dust and ashes That so seeing and marking the foot-steps of death how it continually commeth and steales away their strength as Bels priests did the meat how it daily eateth vp and wasteth and consumeth their life they may be alwayes prepared for it Our first parents made them garments of figge-leaues But God misliking that gaue them garments of skins Therefore Christ in the Gospell cursed the fig-tree which did beare onely figge leaues to couer our sinne but commended the Baptist which did weare skins to discouer our mortalitie For not onely as Austin saith Our whole life is a disease t Vita morbus but also as Bernard saith our whole life is a death u Vita mors The life of man by reason of his sin is a continuall disease yea it is the very death of himselfe It is lastly the death of Christ. The Prophet Esay calleth Christ a sinne or a sacrifice for sinne x Asham Esay 53.10 prefigured by all those sin-offerings of the old law Because indeed when Christ was crucified at the first he was broken for our sins According to that of Tertâ—llian y Propter pecâ—atum mori â—ecesse habuit Filius Dei. Vâ—de etiam Aug. Medita ca. 7. vbi doceâ— hâ—minem esse causam passionis Sinne it was which brought the sonne of God to his death The Iewes were onely instruments and accessaries to it sinne was the setter and the principall They cried Crucifie him in the court of Pilate but our sinnes cried Crucifie him in the court of heauen Now as the death of Christ was not efficient to saue the wicked so the sinne of the wicked was not sufficient to condemne Christ. But the Scripture saith of them which either are or at leastwise seeme to be godly They say they know God but by their workes they deny him and Saul Saul why dost thou persecute me And They crucifie again vnto themselues the sonne of God Zachary prophesieth of Christ * Zacha. 13.6 That when one shall say vnto him What are these wounds in thy hands Then he shall answere Thus was I wounded in the house of my friends that is in the house of them which ought to haue bin my friends So that our sins did wound Christs handâ— at the first And now also not the wicked which are no part of his body but wee which are misticall members of his body and therefore should by good reason be his friends we I say doe yet oftentimes by our sinnes deny Christ with Peter nay we persecute Christ with Paul nay we crucifie Christ with the Iewes Yea
blessed brethren make you no doubt of it For it is not my opinion or my speech only They are the very words of our Sauiour I came sayes hee that men might haue life a Iohn 10.10 and that they might haue it more aboundantly More aboundantly What is that That aboundantly wee might haue more life by the Crosse of Christ then euer wee could haue by the tree of life that aboundantly we might gaine more by the obedience of Christ in his death then euer we lost or could loose by the disobedience of Adam in his life And therefore though that sinne of Adam was so heinous and so horrible that it cast the Image of God out of Paradise that it polluted all the race of mankinde that it condemned the whole world that it defaced the very frame of heauen it selfe yet considering the sequell how not onely the guilt of this sinne but euen the very memory of it is now vtterly abolished by the bloud of Christ S. Gregory is not afraid to say O happy happy happy man was Adam that euer hee so sinned and transgressed against GOD b O foelix culpa quae talem ac tantum meruit habere redemptorem Because by this meanes both hee and all we haue found such plentifull redemption such inestimable mercie such superabundant grace such felicitie such eternity such life by Christs death For as honey being found in a dead Lyon the death of the Lyon was the sustenance of Sampson so Christs gall is our hony c Christi fel nostrum mel and the bitter death of Christ by reason of his righteousnesse is the sweete life of man Thus you see that the death of Christ is the death of Death the death of the Diuell the life of Himselfe the life of Man And therfore he saies in this fourth part weepe not too much for my death For me Weepe not for me but weepe for your selues I Perceiue beloued I haue beene somewhat long in this part Therefore I will make more hast in the rest and doe what I can deuise that I may not seeme tedious vnto you Now then to the fifth part For your selues Weepe not too little for your owne life For the life of man is quite contrarie The life of man is the life of Death the life of the Diuell the death of himselfe the death of Christ. The reason of all this is his iniquitie and sinne Which euen in Gods deere children saies Bernard is cast downe but not cast out d De iectum non eiectum Therefore though sin cannot sometimes rule ouer vs because it is cast downe yet it will alwayes dwell in vs because it is not cast out For it is so bred in the bone that till our bones be with Iosephs bones carried out of Egypt that is out of the world sinne cannot be carried out of our bones The Irish history telleth vs that the Citie of Waterford giueth this poesie Intacta manet e It continueth vntouched Because since it was first conquered by King Henry the second it was neuer yet attainted no not so much as touched with treason Also that the Isle of Arren in that country hath such a pure aire that it was neuer yet infected with the plague We cannot say thus of the nature of man that it is either so cleare from treason as that Citie or else that it is so cleare from infection as that Island is Nay our very reason is treason and our best affection it is no better then an infection if it bee well sifted in the sight of God Euagrius recordeth f Li. 5. ca. 15. that the Romans got such a victorie ouer Chosroes one of the Persian Kings that this Chosroes made a law that neuer after any King of Persia should moue warre against the Romans Wee cannot possibly subdue sinne in such sort as the Romanes did this Persian King But doe we what we can doe sinne will alwaies be a Iebuzite a false borderer yea a ranke traytor rebelling against the spirit Which makes the life of man first to be sayes Chrysostome a debt as it were owne and due to death g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For the diuell is the father of sin and sin is the mother of death Hereupon Saint Iames saith that sinne being finished trauelling in child-birth like a mother bringeth forth death And Dauid in the ninth Psalme calleth sin the gate of death Because as a man comes into a house by the gate so death came into the world by sinne The corruption of our flesh did not make the soule sinfull but the sinne of our soule did make the flesh corruptible Whereupon Lactantius calleth sinne the reliefe or the foode of death h Pabulian mortis As a fire goeth out when all the fuell is spent but burneth as long as that lasteth so death dieth when sin ceaseth but where sin eboundeth there death rageth The Prophet Abacucke sinning not death was so farre from him that hee was able to flie without wings But King Asa sinning death was so neere to him that hee was not able to stand vpon his feet Nay we may see this in one and the selfe-same man Moses sinning not death could not meet with him in the bottome of the red sea but sinning death did seaze vpon him in the toppe of mount Nebo So that the life of man by reason of his sinne is the life of death It is also the life of the diuell As Emisenus saith Each one hath in him as many diuels aâ— euils i Tot daemonia quot crimina euery seuerall sinne being sufficient to maintaine a seuerall Diuell The godly finding no ioy in the earth haue their conuersation in heauen But Satan finding no ioy in hell hath his conuersation in the earth So that the earth is a hell to vs but a heauen to him Here he hath his liuing as it was said at the first Thou shalt eate the dust of the earth all the dayes of thy life This dust saith Macarius is the diuels diet k 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And therefore as a scald Cur waits for a bone so hee that goes about seeking whom he may deuouâ—e watches continually til the godly shake off the dust from their feete that is shake off some sinne which they haue gotten by walking in the world that then hee may licke it vp as one of those Dogs which did licke vp Iezabels bloud This is meate and drinke to him l Dulce diabola peccare not Hila. Enarra in p. 118. He loues it alife to see vs sinne euen as cursed Cham did to see Noâ—hs nakednesse And as flies are alwaies busie about a sore place so saith Theophylact m 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In cap. Luc. 16. p. 320. That is a sport or pleasure to Sathan which is a sore or a paine to a man especially if he be a godly mâ—n For this Behemoth the Diuell eateth grasse as an oxe
King Iames should bee brought to a happie ende that oftentimes in many mens hearings hee protested hee had rather die then be any way negligent herein Which as some thinke by all likelihood came indeede so to passe To wit that too earnest study and paines about the translation hastened his death and brought it on sooner Now as he liued so in his profession in his writings in his translating as though all the floods of many waters had neuer comn ' neare him euen so also he died During the short time of his sickenesse hee carried himselfe as alwaies before humbly mildly quietly constantly One of his louing friends standing by his bed and saying M. Liuely I pray God you may haue patience and hope and especially faith vnto the ende He lifting vp his hands said heartily and cheerefully Amen Little he vsed to speake and more he could not say for the paine and impediment of his squinsey Which though it made a speedie ende of him as the apoplexy did of the good Emperour Valentinian yet how could any death be sodaine to him whose whole life was nothing els but a meditation of death and whom the Lord whensoeuer he came might finde doing his dutie Wherefore no reason wee should lament his departure out of this world He liued blessedly he died blessedly in the Lord. Rather you Reuerend and learned Vniuersitie-men lament for this that you haue lost so famous a Professour and so worthy a writer Lament you translatours beeing now depriued of him who no lesse by his owne merit and desert then by the priuiledge of his place was to order and ouersee all your trauailes Lament you poore orphans 〈◊〉 poore children of you which he left 〈◊〉 him as Christ 〈◊〉 left eleuen Disciples bereâ—â—â—â— of your kinde and deare Father destitute of necessaries for your maiâ—â—enance to seeke of all helpe and 〈◊〉 but onely as poore folkes vse to speak such as God and good friends shal proâ—ide Lâ—â—ent lament all of you of the Toâ—ne as well as of the Vâ—â—â—ersitie because our Schoole hath lost sâ—ch a singular ornament of this age because our Churches haue lost such a faithfull and syncere seruant of Christ. Questionlesse as it should seeme by the taking away of this man almightie God is greatly angry with vs all for our sinnes Christ Iesus our Master as though he meant no more to care for vs seemeth to lie fast a sleepe in the ship while we most miserably in the flood of many waters are tormoiled and tossed Wherfore let vs in time crie aloud and awake him with our prayers Or rather indeede he is not a sleepe but awake alreadie We haue awaked him not with our prayers but with our sinnes Our sinnes haue cried vp to heauen And the Lord beeing awaked as a gyant comes forth against vs and as a mighty man refreshed with wine For not onely those are waters which are in the chanell or in the sea but as waters are here vnderstood euen those fires are waters those fires I say which very lately awaked vs at midnight and affrighted vs at noone day which raged on the South-side and anone after on the North-side of the Towne It was but a fewe mens losse but it was all mens warning And what shall we make nothing of this The plague the small pocks and the squinsey that one kind of disease deuoureth vp the Townesmen â—n other the schollers This is now the tenth course of Schollers which within this month hath beene brought foorth to buriall not one of them dying of the plague whereas heretofore if one or two schollers haue died in a whole year out of all Colledges it hath beene accounted a great matter This and such like grieuous iudgements beloued doe plainely declare that the Lord beeing awaked with the cry of our sinnes is greiuously displeased and offended at vs. Wherefore let vs nowe at the length in the name of God rowse vp our selues and awake out of our deadly sinnes Let this that our holy brother did so sodainly in a manner fall asleepe be a loud O yes as it were to awake vs all Let euerie one of vs amend one iudge one accuse one condemne one that we be not all condemned of the Lord. Let euery one of vs I beseech you crie vp to heauen for mercie and say â—ith Dauid I haue sinned and done wickedly Or with Ionas Take me for I know that for my sake this great tempest is vpon you Then our most mercifull father shall blesse vs all as he hath done this holy Saint both in our life and in our death by the pardoning of our offences couering all our sinnes with the bowels and blood of Christ. And though in this world we be euer subiect to a flood of many waters yet hee shall drawe vs still out of many waters as hee did Moses Surely in the floode of many waters no more then they did to Ionas they shall not come neare vs. Neither onely shall we be safe in the flood of death but also in the flood of the day of iudgement For that also is a flood and a terrible fearefull one too To wit not of water but of fire As it was in the dayes of Noah so shall it be at the comming of the son of man In the first flood they which had not an arke ranne vp to the toppes of houses to the toppes of trees to the toppes of mountaines because they desired to hold vp their heads aboue the still rising raging water In the second they which are not found in Christ shall say to the mountaines Fall vpon vs and to the Caues Cauer vs and hide vs from the wrath of the Lambe Then they shall be glad to creepe into euerie holâ— and corner that they may auoide the bâ—rning of fire But we that confesse our sinnes and forsake the same shall lift our heads to no other mountaine but to Christ from whom commeth our saluation we shall desire to be couered with no other rocke but onely with that out of which came the blood and water of life For neuer did Noahs flood so clean wash away all wicked men from the face of the earth as the blood of Christ shall purge vs from all our sinnes and present vs blamelesse before the face of our father onely if we be faithfull vnto death For then the next thing is felicity and the crowne of life Which God for his mercie sake graunt vs all that as we make no doubt but this our holy brother now triumpheth with Christ so all and euery one of vs after we haue waded through this world as a flood of many waters may inherit that kingdome of glory which our louing Lord Iesus hath purchased for vs with his deare blood to whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost be all honour and glory now and for euermore Amen FINIS A SERMON PREACHED at Whitehall before the KING on Twesday after Lâ— Sunday 1604. 2. COR. 3.18 But all we
à fine that there is another fountaine neere Grenoble a Citie in France which although it haue not hot waters as a Bath yet oftentimes together with bubbles of water it casteth vp flames of fire The fountaine of teares that is in our eies must be like these two fountaines As the Psalmist witnesseth When my sorrow was stirred sayes he my heart was hot within mee and while I was musing the fire kindled l Psal. 30.3 When my sorrow was stirred There is the first fountaine My heart was hot within mee There is the Torch lighted And while I was musing There is the other fountaine The fire kindled There is the flame burning Whereupon one sayes fitly Our eies must neither be drowned nor dry m Nec fluant oculi nec â—icci sint Seneca If they want fire they will be drowned If they want water they will be dry Wherefore both weepe not and but weepe both fire and water must goe together that our eyes bee neither drowned nor drye And this is the right moderation wee must keepe in weeping as appeareth in this third part WEEPE NOT BVT WEEPE both together Weepe not for mee but weepe for your selues THe fourth part followeth For Mee Weepe not too much for my death For the death of Christ is the death of Death the death of the Diuell the life of Himselfe the life of Man The reason of all this is his innocencie and righteousnesse which makes first that as the life of Christ is the life of Life so the death of Christ is the death of Death Put the case how you please this is a most certaine truth that the gate of life had neuer bin opened vnto vs if Christ who is the death of Death had not by his death ouercome death a Mors mortis morti mortem nisi morte dedisset coelestis vitae iâ—nus â—lausa foret Therefore both before his death he threatneth and challengeth death saying b Osee 13.14 O death I will bee thy death and also after his death hee derideth and scorneth death saying c 1 Cor. 15.15 O death thou art but a drone where is now thy sting d Sic Iohannes Pistorius Erasmi Roterodami affinis igni cremandus dixit O mors vbi est tua victoria Aske death any of you I pray and say Death how hast thou lost thy sting how hast thou lost thy strength What is the matter that virgins and very children doe now contemne thee wheras Kings and euen tyrants did before feare thee Death I warrant will answer you that the only cause of this is the death of Christ. Euen as a Bee stinging a dead body takes no hurt but stinging a liue body many times looseth both sting and life together in like manner death so long as it stung mortall men only which were dead in sin was neuer a whit the worse but when it stung Christ once who is life it selfe by and by it lost both sting and strength Therefore as the brasen serpent was so farre from hurting the Israelites that contrariwise it healed them after the same sort death is now so far from hurting any true Israelite that on the other side if affliction as a fiery serpent sting vs or if any thing else hurt vs presently it is helped and redressed by death Those which will needes play the hob-goblins or the night-walking spirits as we call them all the while they speak vnder a hollow vault or leape forth with an vgly vizard vpon their faces they are so terrible that he which thinks himselfe no small man may perhaps bee affrighted with them But if some lusty fellow chance to steppe into one of these and cudgell him wel-fauouredly and pull the vizard from his face then euery boy laughes him to scorne So is it in this matter Death was a terrible bulbeggar and made euery man afraide of him a great while but Christ dying buckled with this bulbeggar and coniured him as I may say out of his hollow vault when as the dead comming out of the graues were seene in Ierusalem and puld the vizard from his face when as he himselfe rising left the linnen clothes which were the vizard of death behinde him Therefore as that Asse called Cumanus Asinâ—s ietting vp and downe in a Lyons skinne did for a time terrifie his master but afterwards being descried did benefit him very much Semblably death stands now like a silly Asse hauing his Lyons skin pulled ouer his eares and is so farre from terrifying any that it benefits all true Christians because by it they rest from their labour and if they be oppressed with troubles or cares when they come to death they are discharged death as an Asse doth beare these burthens for them O blessed blessed bee our Lord which hath so disarmed death that it cannot do vs any hurt no more then a Bee can which hath no sting nay rather it doth vs much good as the brasen serpent did the Israelites which hath so dismasked death that it cannot make vs afraid no more than a scar-bug can which hath no vizard nay rather as an Asse beareth his masters burthens so death easeth and refresheth vs. This hath Christ done by his death Hee that felleth a tree vpon which the Sun shineth may well cut the tree but cannot hurt the Sunne He that poureth water vpon Iron which is red hot may well quench the heate but hee cannot hurt the Iron And so Christ the Sun of righteousnesse did driue away the shadow of death and as glowing Iron was too hot and too hard a morsell for death to disgest All the while Adam did eate any other fruit which God gaue him leaue to eate he was nourished by it but when he had tasted of the forbidden tree he perished Right so death had free leaue to deuoure any other man Christ onely excepted but when it went about to destroy Christ then it was destroyed it selfe Those barbarous people called Cannibals which feed only vpon raw flesh especially of men if they happen to eate a peece of roasted meat commonly they surfeâ— of it and die Euen so the right Canniball the onely deuourer of all mankinde Death I meane tasting of Christs flesh and finding it not to be raw such as it was vsed to eate but wholsome and heauenly meate indeede presently tooke a surfet of it and within three dayes died For euen as when Iudas had receiued a sop at Christs hand anon after his bowels gushed out In like sort death being so saucie as to snatch a sop as it were of Christs flesh and a little bit of his body was by and by like Iudas choaked and strangled with it and faine to yeeld it vp againe when Christ on Easter day reuiued Death I wisse had not beene brought vp so daintily before nor vsed to such manner of meate but alwayes had rauined either with Mithridates daughters vpon the poyson of sin or else with Noahs Crow vpon the
such things So that the birth of Christ did cosen the diuell but the death of Christ did conquer the Diuell And that much more gloriously when the temple of his body was vpon the pinacle of the crosse then vvhen the body of his crosse vvas vpon the pinacle of the Temple For when he was vpon the temple his breath spake better things then Sathan but when he was vpon the crosse his bloud spake better things then Abel and there his breath came from his lungs out of his mouth but here his bloud came from his heart out of his side and there hee fought standing stoutly to it and withstanding Sathan hee would not in any wise throw downe himselfe but here hee skirmished yeelding and humbling himselfe to the death of the Crosse and there the Diuell ascended vp to him vnto the toppe of an high mountain and so as I may say bad him base at his own goale but here he himselfe descended down to the diuell into the neathermost hell and so spoyled principalities and powers and slew the great Leuiathan in the very bottome of his owne bottomles pit For the Diuell like a greedy rauenous fish snatching at the bait of Christs body as Damascene speaketh was peirced through and twitcht vp with the hooke of his Deitie u 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Therefore both before Christs passion Peter tooke money out of a fishes mouth to pay his tribute and also after Christs passion the Disciples broiled a fish for him to feede vpon Whereby we see that Christ who made a fish pay tribute to Caesar for him made the Diuell also pay tribute to Death for him and on the other side that the Diuel while hee went about to catch this good fish which is Iesus Christ Gods sonne the Sauiour as Methodius and Sibylla proue the letters of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 x 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seuerally signifie was himselfe caught yea also killed by Christ. So that all the while Christ was buried in the graue the diuell was broyled in hell Wherefore aâ— it was bootlesse for Goliah to brandish his speare against Dauid so it little auailed the Diuell to shake his speare likewise in the hand of the souldier against the heart of Christ. For as Dauid hauing heard Goliah prate and talke his pleasure when they came to the point at the first stroke ouerthrew him so Christ with that very selfe-same speare which gaue him a little venny in comparison or if it be lawfull for me so to speake but a phillip on the side which was soone after recured gaue the diuel a deadly wound in the forehead which with all his pawes hee shall neuer be able to claw off And againe as Dauid onely with his sling wrought this feate so Christ onely by his death and by the power of his crosse which is the sling of Dauid y Sene crux ipsa funda est qua Dauid Goliath borrenoum armis formidabile visu prostrauit humi Cyr. Ioh. l. 8.17 did conquer and subdue the diuel And so the death of Christ by reason of his righteousnes is the death of the Diuel It is on the other side the life of himselfe That which was prophesied in the Psalm is here fulfilled in Christ. z Psa. 92.12 The iust shal flourish as the Palm-tree In the Hebrew it is Tamar which signifies onely a palm-tree But in the Greeke it is Phoinix which signifies not only a palme-tree but also a Phoenix Which translation proueth two things First that Iesus the iust one did most flourish when he was most afflicted For the iust shall flourish as the palm-tree a Chattamar Now the palm-tree though it haue many weights at the top and many snakes at the roote yet still it sayes I am neither oppressed with the weights nor distressed with the snakes b Nec premor nec perimor And so Christ the true palm-tree though all the iudgements of God and all the sinnes of the world like vnsupportable weights were laid vpon him yea though the cursed Iewes stood beneath like venemous snakes hissing and biting at him yet hee was neither so oppressed with them nor so distressed with these but that euen vpon his crosse he did most flourish when he was most afflicted As peny-royal being hung vp in the larder-house yet buds his yellow flower and Noahs oliue tree being drowned vnder the water yet keepes his greene branch and Aarons rod being clung and dry yet brings forth ripe almonds and Moses bramble-bush being set on fire yet shines and is not consumed Secondly that Iesus the iust one did most liue when he seemed most to be dead For the iust shall flourish as the Phoenix 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now the Phoenix though sitting in his nest among the hot spices of Arabia he be burnt to ashes yet still he sayes I die not but old age dieth in mee c Moritur me non moriente senâ—ctus And so Christ the true Phoenix though lying in his graue among the hot spices wherewith Nichodemus emblame him hee was neuer like to rise from death to life againe yet he died not but mortality died in him and immortalitie so liued in him that euen in his sepulcher hee did most liue when hee seemed most to be dead As the Laurell is greenest in the foulest Winter and the lime is hottest in the coldest water and the glow-worme shineth brightest when the night is darkest and the swan singeth sweetest when his death is neerest d Cantator cygnus funeris ipse sui Martialis lib. 13. Epigr. Epaminondas being sore wounded in fight demanded of his souldiers standing by whether his enemies were ouerthrowne or no They answered yea Then whether his bucklet were whole or no They answrered also I. Nay then sayes hee all is well This is not the end of my life but the beginning of my glory For now your deare Epaminondas dying thus gloriously shall rather bee borne againe then buried e Nunc enim vester Epaminondas nascitur quia sic moritur Christ likewise was sore wounded but his enemies Death and the Diuell were ouerthrowne and spoyled His buckler which was his God-head was whole and vntouched therefore there was no harm done His death was no death but an exaltation vnto greater glory f Ego si exaltatus fuero Iohn 12.32 That noble Eunuch riding in his coach read in Esay that Christ was silent before his death as a lambe before his shearer He saith not before the Butcher but before the shearer Insinuating that death did not kill Christ but onely sheare him a little Neither yet had death Christs fleece when he was shorne For Christ taking to himselfe aspunge full of vineger g Ioh. 19.29 that is full of our sharpe and sowre sinnes did giue vs for it purple wooll full of bloud h Heb. 9.19 that is ful of his pure and perfect iustice And indeed the onely liuery which Christ
condemned in our selues are iustified in Christ being dead in our selues are aliue in Christ The sinne of Man is the death of Christ. This is more then all to make vs sorrowfull in our selues If the Virgin Mary wept so sore for the death of her Sonne Iesus as though her tender heart had been stabbed and pierst through with a sharpe sword as Simeon speaketh Can any thing in the world then make vs more sorrowfull then this that Christ being blessed in himselfe was cursed for vs being exalted in himselfe was embased for vs being iustified in himselfe was condemned for vs being aliue in himselfe was dead for vs O deere brother blessed Christian whosoeuer thou art if thou be too sorrowfull at any time remember what Christ hath done for thee how louingly how kindly he hath dealt with thee and thou wilt soone bee glad if thou be too ioyfull at any time remember what thou hast done against Christ how vngratefully how wretchedly thou hast dealt with him and thou wilt soone be sorry So shall we neuer suffer shipwracke of faith either by too much sorrow as Esau did who sought the blessing with teares weeping for himselfe not reioycing for Christ or else by too much ioy as Herod did who heard the Baptist gladly reioycing for Christ not weeping for himselfe But euen as a ship being neither too heauily burthened nor too lightly balanced feareth neither waues nor windes but saileth safely to the hauen so we being neither too heauy for our owne misery nor too light for Christs mercy but ioyning for mee for your selues both together shall neither be drowned with the waues of desperation nor puffed vp with the windes of presumption but we shall saile safely in the Arke of Noah vpon the Sea of this world till wee arriue at the Hauen of all happinesse in Heauen And this is the right moderation we must keepe betweene Christ and our selues as appeareth in this sixth part For mee for your selues both together Weepe not for mee weepe for your selues THe seauenth part followeth Weepe not for me Wherein we must consideâ— three vertues that were in Christ. Wisedome Benignitie Magnanimitie For Wisedome hee saith Weepe not For Benignitie Not you For Magnanimitie Not for mee Nâ—t weepe Not you Not for me Weept not for mee First for Wisedome hee saith Weepe not Saint Austin hath a very excellent sentence and it is this d Crux Christi pendentis Cathedra fuit dâ—centis Christ vpon his Crosse did read vs a Lecture like a Doctor in his chaire Indeed in that learned lecture of his he deliuered vnto vs many notable poynts of wisedome And one especially wee haâ—e here whereby we are instructed how we should be affected towards the dead For if we must not weepe immoderately for the death of Christ then we must not grieue our selues greatly for the death of any Christian. The ancient Italians vsed to mourne for their dead ten moneths the Egyptians seauentie two dayes the Ethiopians forty dayes the antient Germanes thirty daâ—es the Lacedemonians eleuen dayes e Iohannes Boâ—emus de morib Gen. But the Athenians and the Romanes which were in their time counted the wisest men in the world were much more moderate For the Athenians had a law giuen them by Solon their law giuer which did forbid mourning at burials The Romanes likewise had a law in their twelue tables which did forbid to make any exclamations or out-cries at funerals f Lessum habere funeris ergo Yea the third Councell holden at Toledo in Spaine the one twentieth Canon of the Councell flatly decreeth that Christians should be brought to their graues onely with singing and reioycing g Cum cantisis solummado Psallentium vocib Because quoth the Councell the Apostle to the Thessalonians saith I will not haue you ignorant brethren concerning them which are asleepe that you sorrow not euen as others which haue no hope Therefore Cutbertus who was Archbishop of Canterbury long before the Conquest h Floruit regnauit Egberto An. Dom. 747. at his death charged that no lamentation should be made for him And Ierome writeth that when the dead body of Paul the Eremite was brought forth holy Anthony did sing Hymnes and Psalmes according to the Christian i Prolato for as corpore Hymnos Psalmos de Christiana traditione decantabat In vita Pauli Ereâ—i tradition And that when Paula a deuout widow was k Pontifices choros Psallentium ducebant In Epitaphio Paula buried the Bishoppes did bring her forth with singing And that when Fabiola was buried Psalmes were sung and Haleluiah was chanted out so loud that it did shake the seeling of the Church l Sonabant Psalmi aurata templorum roboans in sublime quatiebat Haleluia In Epitaphio Fabiolae Vide praeterea Sulpâ—tium â—a vita Martini Areopag Et Eub. Hieâ—ar Eccles. c. 7. I grant indeed wee may sorrow and weepe for the wicked not onely when they are dead but euen when they are aliue But we must sing and reioyce for the godly not onely when they are aliue but euen when they are dead And why Because they being aliue are dead but these being dead are aliue According to that saying of the Hebrew Rabbins m Tsaddikim bemotham caym c. The godly euen in their death are aliue but the wicked euen in their life are dead Therefore Dauid when his sonne Absolon died whom hee knew to be a wicked man wept for him saying Absolon my sonne O my sonne Absolon would to God I had died for thee But when his yong son died whom he knew to be an innocent babe hee was vvell apaid and arose from the ground and annoynted his face and looked cheerefully and said I shall goe to him he cannot returne to me Whereby hee warranteth that of Fulgentius who saith That the godly deceased are not lost for euer but left for a time n Non amissi sed praemissi not gone away from vs but sent to God before vs. For if that bee true which Ignatius saith That life without Christ is death o 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then this is true also which I shall say That death with and in Chirst is life The deaths of the Saints are no funerals but triumphs p Exercitia sunt ista non funera Cypr. So that in respect of vs which are aliue it is a very charitable custome yea it is a very honourable custome to giue mourning cloakes and gownes but in respect of them that are dead it is altogether needlesse For what need wee weare blacke mourning cloakes in signe of sorrow seeing as it is in the Reuelation they weare white long robes in token of triumph Therefore Chrysostome saith q 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It becommeth vs that are Christians at the death of Christians rather to reioyce as at a triumph then to weepe as at a tragedy For saies Ierome r Desideraâ—di sunt vt
bethinking wee of one vnder whose protection it might passe in publicke I thought best to make bold with your Lordship For though all sorts peraduenture may bee fitted with some thing or other in this plaâ—â—â— sermon which they may make vse of yet those I am sure will conne me most thanke for my well meaning endeauour which haue had most experience and triall of Gods louing mercies in this kind Now your good Lordship hauing bin deliuered more then once or twice from dangerous sickenesse 〈◊〉 learned such patience such meekenesse such vnfeined repentance such true mortification such assurance of Gods loue such confidence in Christ such other good vertues of a right sanctified spirit by this fatherly visitation of the Lord which is not wanting euen oftentimes to his dearest childreÌ„ as you could neuer haue learned at least wise in the same measure in health Besides I haue bin so especially beholding to your honour euen since you were first of S. Iohns colledge that I could not satisfy my selfe with the inward duty and thankfulnesse towards you which I haue euer faithfully laid vp in my breast except I also shewed the same by some such outward testimony as might cleare mee to you and the world of vngratefulnes Wherefore I doe so presume to dedicate this small labour to your good acceptance as withall I heartily desire all those that shall receiue edification thereby to pray together with me for the continuance of your Lordships good health and well sâ—â—â— that long you may euen in this world enioy this your 〈◊〉 honourable addition and all â—â—her good gifts of God and fauours of our gratious Soueraignâ— to the benefit of this Church and 〈◊〉 wealth From Cambridge the 28. of 〈◊〉 1605. Your Lordships euer to command Thomas Playfore The quotations in the margent with figures were or should haue bin deliuered at the preaching the rest with letters are only for the printing THE SICKE Mans Couch PSAL. 6. VER 6. I water my Couch with my teares NOthing is more delightsome then the seruice of God and loue of Vertue nothing more full of griefe sorrow then sinne Gods commaundements are not heauie a 1. Ioh. 5.3 yea his yoke is easie and his burden light b Mat. 11.30 On the other side how deepely sinne woundeth the very conscience the Heathen Orator confesseth saying I will not buy repentance so deare c Non emam tanti paenitere Demosth. Agreeable to that of the Apostle What fruite haue you of those things whereof you are now ashamed For the end of those thinges is death d Rom. 6.21 Looke how the Israelites â—â—ried themselues in clay and bricke without any profite or reward nay when they had done their very best they were by Pharaos Taskemasters well beaten for theyr paines e Exod. 5.14 Eâ—â—â— so the world the flesh the diuell as rigorous taskemasters incite men to sinne but all the reward they yeeld them is onely mortall immortall griefe And as the sea roareth foameth and neuer is at rest f Esa. 57.20 after the same sort the wicked are like the raging sea foaming out their 〈…〉 shame g Epist. Iud. 13 and neuer rest till hauing made shipwracke of faith h 1 Tim. 6.9 they bee drowned in perdition and destruction They which worship the beast haue no rest day nor night i Reu. 14.11 Now what beast so cruell as sin which not only killeth the body as a beast doth but slayeth the soule k Sap. 1.11 yea it destroyeth both body and soule in hell l Math. 10.20 Therefore this indeed is the beast which depriueth all those that serue it of liberty and rest Of whome the Prophet Ieremie writeth thus m Ier. 9.5 They haue taught their tongues to speake lyes and they take great paines so doe wickedly This holy King Dauid had good experience of Namely that in sinne there is nothing but sorrowes and paines For lying here sicke in his bed l Hereupon I entitle this Sermon The sicke mans Couch and feeling this same sicknesse to bee a stroke of gods heauy hand for his offence hee cries God heartily mercy and sayes Haue mercie vpon me O Lord for I am weake O Lord heale me for my bones are vexed My soule also is sore troubled but Lord how long wilt thou delay Now that his soule is sore troubled he proueth in this present verse I am wearie of my groanings euery night I wash my bed water my couch with my teares The soule must needes be sore troubled which is so grieuously tormented Especially in the wordes of my Text by three notable amplifications he sheweth how serious and syncere his repentance is First saies he Not onely I wash but also I water secondly Not onely my bed but also my Couch thirdly not only with my groanings but also with my teares I water my couch with my teares These will be very godly and ghostly meditations The rather in this time of Lent Onely the worst I doubt will bee mine For that hauing discoursed at large of this doctrine elsewhere l In the sermon intituled The meane in mourning I can not now cull out the choisest matter 〈◊〉 must bee faine to gather together such fragments as were then left I water my couch with my teares The first amplification is in this word I water Not onely I wash but also I water The faithfull sheepe of the great Shepheard goe vp from the washing place euery one bringing forth twinnes and 〈◊〉 barren among them m Cant. 4.2 For so I 〈◊〉 sheepe hauing conceiued at the watering troughes brought forth strong 〈◊〉 coloured lambes n Gen. 30.38 Dauid likewise who before had erred and strayed like a lost sheepe o Ps. 119. vlt. making here his bed a washing place by so much the lesse is barren in obedience by how much the more hee is fruitfull in repentance In Saloâ—â—â— temple stood ten Caldrons of brasse to wash the flesh of those beasts which were to be sacrificed on the Altar p 1. Reg. 7.38 Salâ—â—â—â—s Father maketh a water of his teares a caldron of his bed an Altar of his heart a sacrifice not of the flesh of vnreasonable beasts but of his owne body a liuing sacrifice which is his reasonable seruing of God q Rom. 12.1 Now the Hebrew word (4) Askeh here vsed signifies properly To cause to swimme which is more then simply to wash And thus the Geneua translation readeth it I cause my bedde euery night to swimme So that as the Priests vsed to swimme in the molten Sea (5) 1. Reg. 7.27 that they might bee pure and cleane against they performed the holy rites and seruices of the temple in like manner the princely prophet washeth his bedde yea hee swimmeth in his bedde or rather hee causeth his bedde to swimme in teares as in a sea of griefe and penitent sorrow for his sin Neither were this so much
deuotion of al oâ—ther christian vertues which were but beâ—gun vnperfect in this life putting away of all corruption mortality putting on the royall robe of immortality and blisse For that which hapned to Christ shall happen to thee also because by faith thou art not only in soule but eueÌ„ in body vnseparably vnited and ioyned vnto him being by vertue of this misticall vnion made bone of his bone flesh of his flesh Therefore as he from that agonie wherin he praied with strong crying and teares from that crosse wherein hee commended his spirit into his fathers handes from that graue wherin death for a time seemed to insult to trample vpon him rose vp againe ascended farre aboue all heauens and now sitteth at the right haÌ„d of glory so thy soule shall certainely be in the hand of God thy very body also after it hath a while rested from watering thy couch with thy teares from all other labors of this life shal be raised vp againe caught vp in the clouds shal togither with thy soule for euer raign with Christ in the life to come Which God grant to vs al for the same our blessed Sauiour Iesus Christs sake to whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost be all honour and glory power and praise dignitie and dominion now and euermore Amen FINIS NINE SERMONS PREACHED By that eloquent Diuine of famous memorie TH. PLAYFERE Doctor in DIVINITIE PROV 10.7 The memoriall of the iust shall be blessed but the name of the wicked shall rotte Printed by CANTRELL LEGGE Printer to the Vniuersitie of CAMBRIDGE 1621. To Sir REYNALD ARGAL Knight RIGHT Worshipfull and my especiall good friend How desirous I haue been to answer some part of your worthie curtesies at least by laying them open to the world this small remembrance may testifie for me and how vnable I am to equall deseruings the same remembrance testifieth against mee whether I will or no beeing borrowed from the monuments of a dead man the onely glorie of his times while he liued But it was fit that a farre greater gift then mine owne should aspire to bee the instrument of your honour and the testimonie of the dead I tooke to be meeter euen in this regard because that is as vnsuspected aâ— your kindnesse toward my 〈◊〉 beene 〈…〉 no further disturbing the harmonie of your best thoughts as you are wont to account it diminishing the reward which is laid vp for you in heauen by vntimely blazing merits vpon earth I commit this depositum to your sauour and Patronage my selfe also and my endeavours resting alwaies at Your Worships disposition D. C. To the Reader WHAT a losse the Church of God had by the death of D. Playfere I had rather the opinion of the world should determine then my slender pen attempt to expresse If euer those combinations of Vertue and Learning of Knowledge and Vtterance of Wit and Memorie of Reading and Vse of Holesome and delightfull of Schoole and Pulpit of Olde and New or in one word to say of Nature and Industry of humane felicitie and heauenly grace concurred to make a Scribe perfect and absolute to the kingdome of God we may not be so much our owne back-friends though wee detract not from the fortune of places further off nay we may not so impeach the honour of the giuer nor disparage the worth of our friend departed as to doubt but this was principally manifested in M. Playfere Who because he was but lent the world for a time nay because he was redemanded sooner then his time if it were lawfull to controll the heauenly wisedome with that word Sooner Phil. 1. â—4 but I mean in regard of the Churches vse and that same propter voâ— which made the Apostle to demurre I say since he was to be returned backe againe to his Maker and ouer-ripe perfection not to contiâ—â—â— ouerlong it had bin to be wished he had left behinde him some more monuments of his trauailes as wel comfortable to the suruiuers as honourable to himselfe Which whether he in his discretion and because he had so resolued was nice to doe after the example of them that would write nothing though very able or was then a doing most whâ—â— God cal'd him I cannot say This which the good Reader will be loath perhaps to heare I may not conceale that these are the lost of all his labours which are like to be divulged Into so small a compasse is that spirit 〈◊〉 ranged Cornel. apud Propet l. 4. â—leg 12. as to be as she sayes En sum quod digit is quinque leuatur 〈◊〉 or indeede not so much as a iust handfull which lately was not confinable within bounds too great for me to speake of But the summe is this For I lift not to defend his method of preaching against the Methods masters of our age who me thinks should knowe either that of the Apostle Diuersitas donorum est sed vnus spiritus or that of the Prophet Laudate eum in â—uba laudate in cithara or if nothing will please them but what they do themselues we must be faine to say as Crassus did to Scevola Omnium igitur conciones tu conficies vnus omnes ad te sub tempus veniemus c. I say the summe is this that is the Sunne-light is pleasantest toward the set and the skilfull eare finds most store of musicke in the close so this Sun this Swan this sweet singer of Israel for what lesser tearmes can our loue affoard him if any bring were we will not refuse them his last monuments and his last labours that the world may euer hope for shall finde we trust the dearer intertainement A SERMON PREACHED at Winsor before the Kings Maiestie the 11. day of Septem 1604. MATTH 4.4 Man liueth not by bread onely but by euery word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God CHRIST our SAVIOVR came into the world to dissolue the workes of the Deuill Now how throughly hee would afterward destroy the deuill and all his workes he gaue a cast as it were in this his first encounter Wherein we may note what great difference there is betweene the first Adam and the second The first Adam was in Paradise a place of all abundance and pleasure the second Adam in the desart a place of all scarcitie and want The first was full and so the lesse needed to eate the forbidden fruit the second fasting and so the easilier drawne to make himselfe meate Yet the first though he were in Paradise and full when his wife intised him to eate the apple tooke it and ate it but the second though he were in the desart and fasting a long time when the deuill enticed him to turne stones into bread would not yeeld to him but said Man liueth not by bread onely but by euery word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God Howbeit as Christ herein was contrary to Adam so he
me Who art thou Lord saies Saul I am saies Christ Iesus of Nazareth whom thou persecutest Alluding to the title of his crosse which was Iesus of Nazareth King of the Iewes At which words Saul both trembling and astonished said Lord what wilt then haue me do Act. 22.8 Now if Saul who repented him afterward of his persecuting Christ stood so astonished when he heard but a peice of the title vpon his crosse how â—heâ— shall all they bee astonished how shall they be confounded which without any repentance or remorse of conscience persecute Christ continually when at the latter day not onely the title written ouer his head but euen the verie print of the wounds in his hands and side shall rise vp in iudgement to condemne them When like as Ioseph said to his brethren I am Ioseph your brother whom you sold into Egypt so Christ shall say vnto them I am Iesus of Nazareth whom you persecuted and put to death Wonderfull indeed is the feare and confusion of a wicked conscience After that Herod had beheaded Iohn Baptist he imagined stil he saw and heard that holy head showting and crying out against him Mark 6.16 Whereupon hearing the fame of Iesus hee said not as others said It is Elias or It is one of the Prophets but It is Iohn saies he whome I beheaded he is risen from the dead Saying whome I beheaded hee confesseth not his fault in true repentance but onely with his owne mouth beareth witnesse of his owne wickednesse In so much as that may be said to him which Dauid said to the Amalakite who brought him newes of Sauls death Thine owne mouth testifieth against thee saying I haue slaine the Lords anointed Now if the remembrance of this cruell act so vexed and disquieted Herod day and night that hee could take no rest for it but still thought waking and dream'd sleeping Iohn Baptist was risen againe to be reuenged of him how then shall they be affrighted how shall they be confounded which haue not beheaded Iohn but crucified Christ yea and crucifie him continually with their sins when at the resurrection of all flesh they shal see him whom they haue peirced and wâ—ing their hands and weep and waile before him Scipio appointed his sepulchre to bee so placed as his image standing vpon it might looke directly toward Africa that beeing dead hee might still be a terror to the Carthaginians after the same sort the Prophet Esay prophesying of Christ saith In that day the roote of Iesse shall stand vp for a signe vnto the people and euen his sepulchre shall be glorious Et erat schulchrum eius gloriosum So that as the bodie of Cadwallo an auncient king of the Brittaines being embalmed and dressed with sweete confections Hollinshed was put into a brasen image and set vpon a brasen horse ouer Ludgate for a terrour to the Saxons in semblable sort he that is called Faithfull and true shall sit vpon a white horse and out of his mouth shall proceede a sharpe sword wherewith he shall smite and slay the heathen The sword wherewith Dauid hackt off Golias head 1. Sam 21.9 after he had wrested it out of his hand was kept in the Tabernacle wrapt in a cloath behind the Ephod Which when Abimelech the Priest brought forth Dauid said There is none to that giue it me Christ also did conquer death euen with thâ—se weapons and armour wherewith death assaulâ—ed him And hee keepeth still a memoriall of his conquest in the tabernacle of his body That as the Philistims were afraid when they sawe Dauid fighâ—ing in the field with that sword so all Christs enemies may bee confounded when they shall see the signe of the sonne of man appearing in the clouds with power and great glorie It was a strange miracle that of Aarons rodde which budded Therfore the Lord said vnto Moses Numb 7.10 Bring Aarons rod againe before the testimonie to bee kept for a token to the rebellious children The bodie of Christ was a greene tree before it was crucified After being dead it was clung and drie like Aarons rod. But it budded when as the third day it rose againe Therefore it is kept stil for a token to the rebellious children That as Aaron conuinced the murmuring Israelites and confirmed the authority of his priesthood by the budding of his rodde which otherwise was but a dead and a drie thing so Christ may confound his enemies when he shall shew such flourishing glorie such excellent maiestie in his bodie which hath yet in it the tokens and the marks of death It is reported that Zisca the valiant captaine of the Bohemians commaunded that after his decease his skinne should be fleed from his bodie to make a drum which they should vse in their battels affirming that as soone as the Hungarians Fox Act. or any other their enemies should heare the sound of that drumme they would not abide but take their flight And surely euery battel of the warriour is with noyse with tumbling of gaâ—ments in blood but this battell wherein Christ shall tread Satan and all his enemies vnder his feete shall bee with burning and consuming of fire So that no drum can be more terrible then the last trumpet shal be when the Lord Iesus shall shewe himselfe from heauen with his mightie Angels and shall so come downe with the very same markâ— and sears in his skin as the men of Galilie saw him ascending vp They which dispatched noble Iulius Caesar in the senate house did set a good face of the matter a while Dion l. 44. till Antonius the next day shew'd his robe in the market place all bloody cut and full of holes as his enemies had left it Then the people were so incensed and enraged against them that they made the best of them al glad to hide their heads The Romanes said We haue no King and therefore they slewe Caesar the Iewes said We haue no King but Caesar and therefore they slew Christ. But at the day of iudgment what shall Christ say Those mine enemies which would not that I should raigne ouer them bring hither and slay them before me Then not onely the angels but all creatures shall be ready to execute vengeance on these murtherers when they shall see the robe of Christ washt in wine and his garment in the blood of grapes Gen. 38.20 When Thamar Iudahs daughter in law was accused for committing folly in Israel she sent to her father in law saying Looke I pray thee whos 's these are the signet and the staffe Iuda by and by knew them and said She is more righteous then I. And so shall Christs enemies be enforced to confesse him more righteous then theÌ„selues yea they shall be quite confounded when they shall see how they haue abused him when they shall see the marks which their signet and staffe haue made their signet in his hands and their staffe in his