God let me aske thee this one thing why dost thou amplifie and enlarge this matter and giuest such letters of commendation vnto it No doubt thy answere is that treasure of much worth hath need to be wel kept and that pearles of cheefest price which are easily lost should be fast tied to ribbands and warily locked vp It is to much purpose that the word is sampled and patterned to a pearl and a manifold and comfortable vse we haue hereof and it liuely setteth forth the dignitie nature and excellencie of the word This Pearl is the omnipotent and eternal word of God properly so called for sundry good respects whether we consider the subiect matter or form manner and operation of the pearle For the matter of it Plinius it consisteth wholy of the dew of heauen which a certain shel-fish vsually at a set and certaine season of the yeere draweth to it self as natural philosophers and historians do report now how in this property it fitteth Christs nature the kingly Prophet sheweth vs directly in this wise Psalme 110 The fruit of the womb is of the dew of the morning Aug. Tom. 4. Quaest in Mat. quaestio 13. Ille ad margaritam iam ipsam peruenerat quae integumentis mortalitatis quasi ocncharum obstaculis inter profunda huius saecnli atque inter duritias saxeas Iudaeorum aliquando latuerat Christ now as saith Augustine grew vnto the very substance of a pearle inclosed and shut vp in virgins womb and mantle of mortalitie as it were in the shell and couerture of the fish lying hid a while in the depth of this world as it were in the sea and among the cragged rocks of the people of the Iewes The forme of the pearle is orient and glistering and exceeding beautifull wherein it hath a notable agreement with this word as the same father in the same place thus witnesseth Verbum Domini lucidum candore veritatis solidum firmitate aeternitatis vndique sui simile pulchritudine diuinitatis The word of God shineth through the brightnesse of the veritie it is firm and sound through the solidity of eternity and it is in al parts alike in the beautie of diuinitie The vertue and operation of the pearle is great and for diuers vses is exceeding medicinable among other to remedie the panting of the heart to quicken comfort and restore the vitall spirits to depell and driue away the giddinesse dizzinesse and swimming of the head Now how all these conspire in one in Christ and are compleate in him and are brought to passe in vs by feeling experience by the operation of the word it is as cleer and apparant as the Sunne This was that which was Dauids comfort and quickened him in the midst of his trouble Psalme 119 The want of this 1. Sam. 28. droue Saul into all perplexed and pittiful passions and most desperate designements whilest he rowled in his melancholy and mad moode and bethought himselfe how God was departed from him and aunsweared him no more either by Prophet or by dreame A similitude This is the comfortable electuarie of our soules made by the art of the best Phisitian and approoued by long experience as most excellent This is that aqua vitae which doth A similitude not only slack and alay our thirst but worketh within vs to the quickning of our life when it is dead in sinne Iohn 6 Therefore Peter calleth it the word of life saying Lord whither shall we goe thou hast the words of eternall life And Christ calleth it life This is life eternall Iohn 17 to know thee the true God and him whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ There is no sinner so swallowed vp of sinne so dead and buried in it whome the woorde can not quicken and rayse vp againe It cried out to the drie and dead bones in the field and loe they were knit together Ezech. 37 the flesh came vpon them and the skinne aboue couered them they breathed liued stoode vpon their feete and became a mightie armie Lazarus who had lien foure daies in his graue was quickned by this word Iohn 11 As the bodie liueth by his bodily food A similitude so doth the soule by his spiritual foode the food and diet of the soule is the word But herein this food exceedeth much the other that this is effectuall and liuely to the dead but the other is nourishable onely to the liuing Take thou heede therefore of the wretchles regard and loathsomnesse of the word since it is thy meate A similitude For as among the diseases of the body there is none more desperate then his whose stomacke either loatheth or retaineth not his meate the strength of his life without which the body dieth so he whose soule abhorreth this meate is in all extremitie and is brought according to the saying of the prophet Psaim 107. euen to deaths doore What man is so desperately and irrecouerably sicke A similitude who doth not gladly heare that Phisitian who doth but barely make him promise of his health albeit he be not able to performe it wherefore since Gods word is life of it selfe and healeth all infirmities suffereth vs not to be giddie in the spirit or wauer in the faith but giueth vs assurance of our eternal saluation ô deare and precious let this pearle be in our sight Let the Poets boast of Orpheus as they please who with musicke tamed sauage beasts of this we are most sure that Gods worde hath reclaymed and altered beastly minds Act. 9 and of Apostates hath made them Apostles of purloyners of Gods secrets and merchandizers of the word hath made them the faithfull dispensers of his mysteries Paul very expressely laieth out so much whenas portraying out our counterfeit as it was without Christ after whose glorious image we haue bin perfected and transformed he indigestly shadoweth vs out with a blacke coale in this mishappen manner We our selues also were in times past vnwise Titus 3. disobedient deceiued seruing the lustes and diuers pleasures liuing in maliciousnesse and enuy hatefull and hating one another Likewise leading vs along with a rehearsall of sundrie enormities which we rifely committed he inferreth therevpon that this was our estate but the case is altred with vs we are washed sanctified 1. Cor. 6. and iustified in the name of the Lord Iesus and by the spirit of God Be we neuer so profound and deeply wise in humane wisedome it may beseeme vs well to seeke after this wisedome as a Pearle of greater price and vertue than the other Solomon the wisest that euer was saw verie manifestly that wheresoeuer the vncreated wisedome of God spake Prouer. 〈◊〉 it spake of excellent things euen things seemely for Princes And although some places are shallow enough for the lambe to wade in yet there be some deep enough to drowne the very elephant of the which we may say with the
it 's labour loft to plow vp Ocean shore The good ground are they Luke 8 by the testimony of Christ who with honest and good heartes heare the worde and keepe it make their hearts the bagge to carry this treasure The good mans hart is the arke of the couenant Hebr. 9. wherein not onely the tables of the olde Lawe but the Gospel of the new is hidden and locked vp It is a fooles heart that is like a broken pitcher that holdeth no water or like a spend-thriftes purse that holdeth no money of a giddy and changeable disposition as leaues of trees shaking euery way with eucry puffe of winde turning round about as the doore vpon the hinges and as a tennis ball that is tossed to and fro and not suffred to rest vpon the ground In the olde Canons such beasts as did not ruminate and chew the cudde as swine Leuitic 1◠Deuter. 14. and such like were defined to be vncleane by the Law of Moses as no doubt those soules are who do not ponder and lay vp in their hearts such precepts and commaundements as the Lord giueth them Therefore that you may not heare the word in vaine the best counsaile that may be giuen you is this to record and write in the tables of your hearts such lessons as you doe learne You must follow the Angels counsaile to Ezechiel Ezechiel 3 saying vnto him Sonne of man eate this rowle that I giue thee cause thy belly to eate and fill thy bowelles with this rowle The like charge did the Angell giue to Iohn that hee should eate and digest the booke Reuel 10. It is the fashion and guise of many to reade much but to eate little to deuoure a great deale but to digest and concoct nothing They returne from the sermon to their dinner and remember nothing no longer than their bodies are in the church as Siues that holde no water no longer than they are holden within the riuer These men labour of a daungerous disease A similitude that is next to deaths doore for theyr case is like vnto that sicke mans estate whose stomacke is so weake as it is not able to retayne and keepe such meate as is put into it but immediately dooth cast it vppe His life is in his nourishment which if hee cannot keepe how is it possible that he should keepe his life I therefore feare much their eternal death who loathe and leaue the diet of the soule which onely preserueth the life of the soule And the prophet Dauid seemeth to conclude so much and to make it an infallible and irrefragable consequence Psalme 107 Their soules faith hee abhorreth all kinde of meate And what followeth heerevppon They are next vnto deaths doore Is there possible any good to be had in the onely hearing and reading of the word without any further heede thereunto Can the henne hatch chickins of those egs A similitude which after shee hath a little sette vppon in the neast she immediately vtterly forsaketh them It is against all beleefe no more can wee bring foorth any good by the hearing of the word which as soone forgotten as it is heard of vs. There is nothing more forcible and effectuall then fire A similitude powerfull to consume but it must haue a time to take holde of his combustible subiect before it can shew his strēgth vpon it For if thou runnest swiftly through it be the fire neuer so quicke thou canst not be scorched or once singed with it A stay must be made that it may apprehend and claspe the fewell or else it is impossible that it should consume it Gods word is the fire of the spirite Luke 24. which inflameth all our heartes and maketh them to burne like a torch which burneth vppe al our sinnes like stubble But if we slubber it vp carelesly and haste away from it and make no stay at it that it may kindle the coales of zeale within them it shall neuer kindle or warme our colde consciences or giue them any comfort Wherefore be perswaded to followe this course which reason aduiseth thee and the practise and examples of the better sort at all times haue animated and incited thee vnto Christes Disciples were led by this rule Luke ◠whenas their thoughts did runne vppon his speech and brought them back again to ask the meaning of it The Virgin Mary is a woman twice or thrice noted for this Luke 12. that she pondered with herselfe the words of the Angell and what kind of salutation is should be and that she lodged such sayings as the heard secretly in hir heart The men of Berea are registred in the chronicles of the spirite for this Act. 17 that they caried home with them the Sermon of Saint Paul that they might trie and examin by the scriptures whether things were so or no. So Dauid vsed this for thus he speaketh of himselfe saying Psalme 119 I haue hidden thy commandement within my heart that I should not sinne against thee There is this marke of difference between Iacob and his sonnes when Ioseph discouered his dreame vnto them his brethren vouchsafed not to giue hi audience but the text saith Gen. 37 that Iacob noted the saying As spicery yeeldeth thee more forcible smell A similitude the more it is brayed and stamped in the morter so the word of God is of better sauour to vs the more it is beaten and bruised in our hearts Wherfore this our Marchant-Ieweller is wise who hideth his treasure assoone as he findeth it And he doth but that which is of common practise The Captain or Lieftenant A similitude to whom the generall Gouernour in the field shal commit a tower or a strong cittie to be kept not only fortifieth it with garrison and munition but foreseeth it to be so diked and fenced round about as it may be sure against intended inuasion If we shall be thus prouident for the safegard of this treasure which the enemy so subtily endeuoureth to haue from vs and keep that thus carefully which our generall commander the Lord of Hostes hath committed to our trust and of which he wil one day take a streight account of vs we shall like loyall subiects discharge our duties wel and shal be very highly rewarded of him for it Let the example of Ezechias be a fair warning to vs 2. Reg. 20 and let vs binde it as a signe vpon our hands who for opening that treasure vnto the ambassadors of Babylon which should haue bin priuatly kept to himselfe and hidden from them gaue occasion to the enemie afterward to rob his posteritie of it As those that do lay seige to any great place A similitude do stop such passages by which they may conceiue their enemie may be succoured so the diuell an old beaten souldiour to this craft intercepteth al the keyes and ports by which he knoweth the Lord conuayeth vnto vs
rellise onely the sweetnes of Gods word It fareth with vs A similitude as with the Gentlemans hawke who being hooded and blinded is sluggish and hath no pleasure to followe his game and to soare alost but being vnhooded he taketh his flight with delight enogh pursueth his pastime so we whom the god of this world hath blinded with earthly cogitations haue no heart or stomacke vnto heauenly matters and perceyue not being sensuall and carnall men the things that are of God but if God vnhoodeth vs and openeth vnto vs the eies of our mindes then wee flie vp as the hawke on high wee looke vppon heauen and haue our whole conuersation in heauen and do place all our pleasure and felicitie in heauen As one nayle or wedge is driuen out with another A similitude so one pleasure doth expel another The ioy and pleasure of the holy Spirit chaceth away the paltrie pleasure of the world Wherefore such who are affrighted and dismayed within themselues at the preaching of the word haue not yet learned Christ or vnderstoode what is the nature and operation of the word The name of the gospel desciphereth plainely the nature of the Gospel It is called Euangelium which signifieth Bonum nuntium that is a glad message and tydings of great ioy Beholde sayth Christ his heauenly harbenger Gabriel Luke 3. vnto the shepheardes I bring you tidings of great ioy which shall be vnto all the people Beholde what ioy this is it is not a slender and light kind of ioy appertaining vnto some few but it is a great and vniuersall ioy belonging vnto all This ioy in some sorte is familiarly layde open vnder the plaine similitudes of haruest men and of souldiers at the end of their haruest at the diuiding of their booties Isai 9. They haue reioyced before thee according to the ioy of haruest and as men reioyce when they diuide a spoyle And what is the subiect occasion of this ioy the Prophet there telleth thee The yoake of their burden the staffe of their shoulder the rodde of their oppressor hast thou broken as in the day of Midian The Turke taketh a great company of prisoners and putteth them to his gallies A similitude and galleth and wasteth them with most cruell bondage Their king sendeth his sonne with great power to procure their gaole deliuery what ioy and gladnesse is there now as you imagine in the hearts of these captiues vpon so happy newes Yet let vs further presse this sweete and comfortable doctrine by making this the case A similitude A serpent hath bitten a man vnto the death with his venemous mouth and there is no other meanes to preserue his life but an other mans death some man must die by licking him whole and by taking away his rancke contagion with his tongue wel some base man of no reputation may serue this turn yet life for life that must be the ransom But the case is quite contrary a miserable mā hath beene stung by this serpent and rather than he should die the king sendeth his only begotten sonne whome he nourished in his bosome whome hee made heyre of all with his sweete lippes which were full of grace to licke his contagious and putrifying sores and to die for him Or A similitude if you please let vs paraphrase thus there are notorious theeues for capital crimes committed to the gaole and the doome of death by the searlet Iudge is giuē out against them and they must be executed all the sorte of them But loe as God would haue it in the meane time commeth the Kings sonne with his retinue and guarde about him at the sight of whome these enormous caitiues out of their grates and prison holes crie with a lowde voyce saying Saue vs maister lest we perish The Kings sonne hereat amazed and standing still asketh his followers what this clamorous and shreeking out-cry meaneth They answere in this wise they are famous malefactors whome thy father hath imprisoned and adiudged vnto death for their due demerites and they are foorthwith to be led out to execution and to suffer death as traytors in the highest degree But the bowelles of this young Prince moued with their dolefull and most extreame estate commaundeth them to be slayde and offereth himselfe as a ransome and redemption to his father for them Whose heart is so stony that will not be mollified and broken in peeces vpon tydings of such strange and vnspeakeable ioy Our case is euen the same and this is the benefit which we haue by Christ the obiect of our ioy the subiect of the Gospel which wee preach vnto you By him wee haue deliuerance from the thraldome of Satan Psal 107 being fast bound in miserie and yrons By him we that haue beene stung by the Serpent the old red dragon are healed againe And by his red blood the ransome of our sinnes he hath pacified the wrath of his Father and hath deliuered vs his prisoners appointed vnto death For this cause Psalme 126 let our tongues be filled with laughter and our hearts with ioy And let vs gladly entertayne all such as bring this happy legation vnto vs. The longing expectation which our Fathers had of this Iohn 8. lifted vp their hearts and through this they were comforted before he was exhibited Abraham did see Christ but a farre off and greatly reioyced wee haue him nigh at hand and possesse him in deede whom they had but in hope and therefore wee haue argument of greater ioy than they If Solomon so reioyced 1. King 8. and al Israel wyth him as the earth it selfe rang with the noyse they made when they brought the Arke of God into the Temple of God much more ought wee to reioyce hauing had the liuely Arke Psalme 48. the Sonne of God among vs and hauing seene the louing kindnesse of the Lord in the midst of the temple The Easterne Magicians Matth 2. at the sight but of a starre which conducted them to the way where Christ was to be borne were exceeding glad we haue Christ himselfe directing vs in the way that wee are to walke therefore we ought in duty to go beyond them in ioyfulnesse If greate mirth and melody was in the fathers house Luke 16. for the ioyfull welcome home of the prodigall sonne whenas we prodigal children come home vnto our father and do his holy word we shall likewise heare of ioy and gladnesse that the bones which he hath broken may reioyce If Iohn the Baptist leapt in his mothers wombe Luke ◠vppon the comming of the mother of Christ into his mothers house how shuld we leape and skippe like young Vnicornes whenas Christ by his worde entreth into our soules Finely saith Chrysologus Chrysologus A letter comforteth but no longer than when the party is present that did send it A bil of debt bindeth but it hath no further vse when the hand-writing
Reg. 18 Iona. 1. Adam could runne behind the trees of his orchard Sarah could hide her selfe within her tent Litle Zoar was a sanctuary to Lot Elias could shrowd himself in Mount Carmel and Ionas could go downe to the hatches of the keele that he might flee to Tharsis from the presence of the Lord. But in the iudgement Luke 23. Apoc. 6 we shall say to the mountaines hide vs and to the hills couer vs from the anger of him that sitteth vpon the throane and of the lamb Tell me what it is whereat thou shouldest sticke to go through with this purchase Or what it is that thou shouldst desire in comparison of this One saith riches another saith honor one desireth beauty this man is for his backe and this man for his belly one for his myrth another for his credite another for his pride here one and there one goeth vp higher Gen. 28. and desireth heauen and steppeth vp this ladder as the Angells that Iacob did see in his dreame It is euen as the shaking of an oliue tree Isai 17 here and there a berry is to be had A similitude Thus like bruit beasts who set more by stubble gras then by gold they sottishly esteeme more of earthly vanity then of heauenly felicity As the Sun which is but one A similitude doth minister far more light then all the smaller stars which are innumerable so the sun-shine of the glorious gospell of Christ doth vs more good by infinite proportion then all the creatures which the world yeeldeth vs as by particular discourse shall appeare in the winding vp of this historie in the last Chapter Wherfore grudge we not to do away those things that are of meanest moment for those of greatest substance to change chaffe with wheat drosse with gold myre for pearl earth for heauen Know we not how that pearles and pretious stones A similitude are not set vpon yron and copper rings but only vpon golde In like case the glittering gemme of heauenly glory may not be set into yron hearts brazen affections impure and earthly mindes but into such as are purified as fine gold from all impure commixtion For the estate of the soule is in nature not vnlike a pure crystall glasse which is so dimmed with the least dust and is so obscured but with once breathing on it as it neither giueth the image of that face that looketh into it neither sendeth backe such bright and cleare light as is obiect vnto it He must partake with God in his life that will share with him in glory If Christ our grand Captaine despised the world and renounced al to do his fathers will it appeareth that we fight not vnder his standerd and are not his souldiers who are as greedy of the world as a crow is of carrion and who can sauour nothing but the things of this world There be many with Balaam Num. 23. that desire to die the death of the righteous but they refuse with Balaam to liue the life of the righteous They would liue rebelliously with Iudas Mat. 26 and die in peace with Simeon Luke 2 but it may not be for the life of beasts and the glory of Angells may not be knit together It is not to be hoped for that if we liue in this world like beasts we shall liue in the other like Angells The sheepe otherwise a seely creature A similitude yet is so wise as he knoweth what hearbes are most wholesome for him and what as hurtful he is to refuse He knoweth the woolfe to be his enemy and the shepheards curre that is like a wolfe for to be his friend The Lord hath giuen vs iudgement and discretion if we would vse it thereafter to leaue the euill and to chuse the good to eschew sinne and to ensue righteousnes to loath the earth and to loue heauen The birdes of the ayre naturally are disposed A similitude though the cage be neuer so precious wherein they are inclosed be it of Iuory or of gold or howsoeuer they are daintily dieted and tended to desire to be at liberty abroade which they shew by the often grating their beakes against the wyer window so the godly scorn al the plesures of the world in regard of their ioyes prepared in heauen and to be in state and fruition of them are willing and desirous to make a surrender of all their earthly profits and commodities whatsoeuer CHAP. XI ¶ That all our endeuours are to redound to the glory of God and to tend only to a spirituall end as is liuely shadowed in the example of this Merchant whose bargain of sale of all his temporalls was onely for the purchase of this heauenly Treasure THis Marchant in this Chronicle is celebrated and renouned for this three-fold action For the sale of his substaunce For the sale of al his substance For the end thereof onely for a heauenly Purchase The two first must waite vppon the last without which the former shall be done in vaine Many there haue bin who haue renounced their worldly right simply haue surrendred all their earthly state Ezech. 13 yet neuer were accounted in the assembly of Gods people neyther shal they be written in the writings of the house of Israel It is not the action that God respecteth but the intention and end of the action that he only beholdeth God loueth not Adiectiues without Aduerbs Bonum without Benè It is better to do wel then to do good for a man may trespasse in doing good if he doth it not well Deut. 5 Deuter. 12. The Pharises in praier fasting almes duties that were good offended in that they did them not wel the end and the manner marring the whole matter How many heathen people haue gone before vs in a seuere conuersation in a strickt mortification and yet haue vtterly lost al their deuotion because it hath wanted the onely vse and end of true religion They wrought but yet they wrought not like cunning artificers according to the rule which is to do that which is good in good order To forsake our wiues to neglect our children to dispise our frends to contemne the world if it be in wordly sort and it doth not tend to an heauenly end it is to no end The Romane Curtius the Athanian Codrus the Theban Crates and others the famous philosophers of the Gentiles Socrates Diogenes Bias Thales Milesius Mucius Scaeuola Fabricius Romanus and such like who haue martyred themselues offered strange violence torture to their bodies haue liued priuate austere liues scorned worldly wealth haue sequestred themselues aloofe from al the inticements of the world inasmuch as the ends of their actions were in vaine the lyme the stone the timber wanted a foundation wherevpon to leane all their whole structure and building tumbled down and all their labors and endeuours perished The manner therefore in matters of Gods seruice Gen. 4