it Therefore the soule of thy soule is faith So that if we would know what is a faithfull man we must define Him not by his naturall soule as he is resonable but by the soule of his soule which is his faith And when we easily answer the obiection that a flood may come neere a faithfull mans goods neere his bodie neere his reasonable soule but to his faith that is to Him it can neuer come neere For if you speake of the life and essence of him that it is faith the Prophet also witnesseth Abacuck The iust shall liue by faith Gal. 2.20 And the Apostle Now I liue not but Christ liueth in me but that I liue I liue by faith in the sonne of God who loued mee and gaue himselfe for me And he that was wiser then all the Philosophers determineth this point thus The summe of the matter when yee haue heard all is this Eccles. 12.23 Feare God and keepe his commandements for this is all of man All of man what 's that All of man which will hold out against all floods of many waters For the goods of man may be gotten away by forged cauillation the bodie of man may be weakened by sickenesse the soule of man and the faculties thereof as memorie witte and such like may be impaired by age but faith in Christ the feare of God a care to keepe his commaundements is all of man which no floods either in life or in death can ouer-whelme All of man wherein man ought to imploy himselfe while he is aliue and without which man is but vanitie when he is dead but with which man both in life and death is most blessed For if this be the summe of all then of any thing but this there is no reckoning at all to be made Matth. 16.18 I haue praied for thee saith our Sauiour that thy faith should not faile and the gates of hell shall not preuaile against thee For loue is strong as death Can. 8.7 iealousie is cruell as the graue the coales thereof are fierie coales and a vehement flame Much water cannot quench loue neither can the floods drowne it Euen as Paul also glorieth Rom. 8. that nothing can separate him from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus Wherefore seeing the godly man is so inuincible that neither the gates of hell nor the flood-gates of many waters can preuaile against him Surely in the flood of many waters they shall not come neere him In the last place must be considered the asseueration Surely For if both liuing and dying my felicity be most certaine in Christ and yet I knowe not so much what comfort can I gather thereby Now in all aduersities this is my greatest ioy that the fauour of God which is most constant in it selfe is fully assured also to me For I know that my reedeemer liueth And if I be iudged I know I shall be found righteous And I know whome I haue beleeued and I am sure In one word I am Surely perswaded that neither life nor death nor any thing els can separate vs froÌ„ Christ. Nay in all the flood of waters wee shall be more then conquerours Rom. 8.37 They shall not come neere to conquer vs. But rather we shall conquer them Yea that which is strangest of all Surely we shall be more then conquerers ouer them Though an hoast of men were laid against me Psal. â—7 3 yet shall not my heart be afraid and though there rose vp warre against me yet will I put my trust in it Not in him as it is ill translated in the English but in it that is In the verie warre it selfe I will not feare Nay I will be of good hope Yea Surely in the very warre will I hope and trust For euen as a building made arch-wise the more waight is laide vpon it the more strong still it is so the more force and strength is brought against me the greater triumph victorie I shall haue Therefore I will not be afraid of tenne thousand of the people Psal. 3.7 that haue set themselues against me round about For a thousand of them shall fall at my side and ten thousand at my right hand but they shall not come neere mee The Arke in the flood was not drowned Gen. 7.18 as other things were but floated vpon the waters Yea the higher the waters encreased the higher Surely for that did the Arke still arise Likewise the redde sea did not hinder the Israelites passage Exod. 14.22 but opened an easie way to them Yea Surely it was moreouer as a wall to backe them against all their enemies The words of Saint Iames are verie plaine Iam. 1.2 My brethren count it exceeding ioy when you fall into diuers temptations Tentation of it selfe doth vexe and disquiet a man But to the godly it is a ioy As we read els where That they which are iustified by faith haue peace nay haue easie accesse to God and great ioy in tribulations But the Apostle adding Rom. 5. that this ioy is not common or ordinarie but Surely exceeding ioy raiseth vp the amplification as high as may be Whereunto S. Paul also accordeth We are afflicted on euery side 2. Cor. 4 9. yet we are not in distresse in pouertie but not ouercome of pouertie wee are persecuted but not forsaken cast down but we perish not Here he prooueth directly that the flood commeth not neere the faithfull But where is the Surely It followeth in the same epistle As dying and behold we liue as chastened and yet not killed 2. Cor. 6.20 as sorrowing and yet alwaies reioycing as poore and yet making others rich as hauing nothing and yet possessing all things O the securitie and felicitie of the faithfull For his faith maketh life of death ioy of sorrowe riches of pouertie What shall I say more or what would you haue me say more then as the Apostle saies It makes all things of nothing As hauing nothing saies he and yet possessing all things But the special thing to be noted iâ— this sentence is As dying and behold we liue For they import that death is no death but As it were death an image or a shadowe of death beeing indeede life and Surely a better life and more immortall then we had here Therefore he saies Behold we liue to shewe that by death the faithfull liue a life wherein there is some great specialty and excellencie worthy indeed to be beholded regarded As if he should say Behold we liue Behold we liue a more happie life then euer we liued in our life Saint Augustin often commeÌ„deth the saying of his master S. Ambrose when he was readie to die Speaking to Stilico and others about his bed I haue not liued so among you Non ita vixi inter vos ve me pudeaâ— vinerenet mori timeâ— quia bonum dominumâ—â—o 〈◊〉 Pontius in fine vitae eius saith he
side The Prophet Daniel recordeth that while Balthazar was drinking wine in the golden vessels Dan. 5.6 which he had taken out of the Temple there appeared fingers of a mans hand that wrote vpon the wâ—ll and the King saw the 〈◊〉 of the hand that wrote Then his coâ—â—tenance was changed and his thoughts troubled him so that the 〈◊〉 of his 〈◊〉 were loosed and his knees smote one against an other In this case of Balthazar wee may consider the state of the wicked what it shal be at the last day when they shal see the fingers and the palmes of Christs hands which they haue so pitifully wounded writing down their doome they shall tremble euery ioynâ— of them and be at their wits ends and they shall say to the mountaines â—al on vs and to the rocks Couer vs and hide vs from the presence of him that fitteth on the throne and from the wrath of the Lambe Thus these victorious wounds of Christ shall confront and confound his enemies As Saul was astonished when he heard Iesus of Nazareth calling to him as Herod was affrighted when he thought Iohn Baptist was risen againe as the Carthagineans were troubled when they sawe Sciplo's sepulchre as the Saxons were terrified when they saw Cadwallo's Image as the Philistims were afraid wheÌ„ they saw 〈◊〉 sword as the Israelits were appaled when they sawe Aarons rod as the Hungarians were daunted when they saw Zisca's drum as the Romanes were dasht when they saw Caesars robe as Iuda was ashamed when he sawe Thamars signet and staffe as Balthazar was amazed when hee sawe the hand writing vpon the wall So shall Christs enemies be confounded when they shall see his hands and his side As if our Sauiour should say thus to euery one of his enemies Thou enemie of all righteousnesse Many things many times hast thou done against me and hitherto haue I held my tongue but now will I reprooue thee and in before thee the things that thou hast done Thou art the man thou art the man that didst murther me and put me to a most shamefull death Denie it if thou darst Verendum nâ— illan vocem in iudicio suo ad vasa iniquitatis prolaturus sit fer digitum tuum hue Caesar hom 23. Denie it if thou canst These are thy marks which are yet to be seene in my hands This deadly wound is thy doing which is yet to be seene in my side Therefore thine owne eyes shall giue euidence and thine owne conscience shall giue sentence against thee See now whether I say true or no. Look what thou hast done Put thy finger here and see my hands and put forth thy hand and put it into my side and as thou art not faithfull but faithlesse so looke for no mercie at my hands but for shame and euerlasting confusion So much for the third cause which is to confound his enemies The fourth cause why Christ hath his wounds yet to be seene in his body is to comfort his friends Almighty God in the old law appointed cities of refuge whether they which had sinned vnwillingly might flie and be safe Num. 35.23 if they staied in any of them till the death of the high Priest Our high Priest can yet plainly prooue by his hands side that once he died for vs. Whether then should we flie sinnefull soules whether should we flie for succour and comfort but to Christ His wounds only are the cities of refuge wherein we are safe and secure according to that of the Psalmist The high hills are a refuge for the wilde goates and so are the stony rocks for the conies O blessed be these high hills blessed be these stony rocks which protect defend vs yea though we haue willingly sinned not onely against the furie of man and the rage of the world but also against the terrible and dreadfull displeasure of Almighty God Therefore our Sauiour speakes to his Spouse in this sort Can. 2.14 My doue thou art in the holes of the rocke in the secret place of the staires shew me thy sight let me heare thy voice Insinuating that the Church dares neither be seene nor heard of God except she be in the holes of the rocke and in the secret places of the staires The rocke is Christ. The staires also and the ladder whereby Iacob climb's vp to heauen is Christ. So that the doue which is the Church lying hid in the holes of this rocke and in the secret places of these staires dreadeth nothing but with great boldnes why doe I say boldnesse yea with great ioy with great comfort sheweth her selfe to God and speaketh vnto him Here the sparrow findeth her a house and the swallow a nest where shee may lay her young euen thine Altar that is thy wounds whereby thou didst offer vp thy selfe as a sacrifice for our sinnes euen thine altars O Lord of hosts my King and my God When Elias flying from Achab came to Beeâ—sheba he sate downe vnder a iuniper tree and desired that he might die A iuniper tree maketh the hoatest coale Fabiolae Maâ—s 15. and the coolest shadow of any tree The coale is so hot that if it be rackt vp in ashes of the same it continueth vnextinguished by the space of a whole years Therefore whereas we read in the hundred and twentieth Psalme With hot burning coales it is in the Hebrew as S. Hierom noteth with Iuniper coales Which prooueth that Iuniper coales be the most hot burning coales that are Now the coale is not so hot but the shadowe is as coole Insomuch as the only shadow of the Iuniper tree slaieth and killeth serpents Therefore Elias seeking to rest himselfe where he might be safest from serpents and other daungerr sat downe vnder a iuniper tree and desired that hee might die For hee thought he could neuer with the sparrow finde him a house and with the swallow make him a nest in a better place theÌ„ where he was ouershadowed with that Iuniper tree which shadowed out the tree of the Crosse of Christ. Of which the Church sai's Vnder his shadowe had I delight and sat downe and his fruite was sweete vnto my mouth So that if Simeon holding the child in his armes desired to die how much more blessedly then might Elias haue departed now in peace when as beeing wearied with the world he was shadowed with the tree of life and not onely held the child in his armes but also was held himselfe as a child in the wounded and naked armes of Christ. Notably also doth the storie of Noah declare what singular comfort the faithfull finde in Christs woundes For onely Noah saued all onely Christ redeameth all Gen. 6.16 Noah signified rest Christ is our rest and peace Noah saued all by the wood of the Ark Christ redâ—emeth all by the tree of the crosse Noah was tossed vp and downe vpon the waters Christ saith to his father Thou hast brought all thy waues vpon me
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
my selfe to die that thou mayest liue I doe draw thee with the destruction of a man euen with bands of loue So that the Theefe who saw his owne wounds and death in Christs body did see also Christs sauing health and life in his owne body As Alcuinus saith writing vpon the sixth of Iohn o Assumpsit vitae mortem vt mors acciperet vitam When â—he liuing Lord died then the dying â—heefe liued Notably saith the Prophet p Lam. 4.21 The breath of our nostrils Christ the Lord is taken in our sinnes to whom we said wee shall liue in thy shadow If Christ be the breath of our nostrils then he is our life And againe if wee liue in his shadow then wee liue in his death For where there is breath in a shadow there there is life in death Now as the ouer-shadowing of the holy Ghost was the life of Christ so the ouer-shadowing of Christ is the life of man And as Peters shadow gaue health to the sicke so Christs shadow giues life to the dead yea a thousand times rather Christs than Peters For as Elias his spirit was doubleâ— vpon Elizeus because Elias being aliue restored some to life but Elizeus as Ierome saith being dead raised vp one from the dead q Mortuus mortuum suscitauit so Peters spirit was doubled vpon Christ because Peter being aliue was a physitian to the liuing but Christ as Chrysostome saith being dead was a Physitian to the dead r 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Or rather indeede in this comparison there is no comparison But as Peters spirit was a shadow to Christs spirit so Peters shadow was nothing to Christs death Ezekias seeing the shadow of the Sunne goe tenne degrees backe in the Diall was assured by this signe that he should recouer of his sicknesse s Esa. 38.8 Sick Ezechias may signifie all mankinde which is sicke by reason of sinne But this is an vnfallible signe we shall recouer because the Sunne hath gone ten degrees back in the diall The Sunne of righteousnes Iesus Christ hath for our sake made himselfe lower by maâ—y degrees in the earth My father is greater then â— There hee is gone backe tenne degrees below his Father Thou hast made him lower then the Angels There hee is gone backe ten degrees below the Angels I am a worme and no man There he is gone backe ten degrees below men A liue dogge is better then a dead Lyon t Eccle. 9.4 There he is gone back ten degrees below wormes For hee was not counted so good as a liue worme but was buried in the earth as a dead Lyon to be meate for the wormes if it had bin possible for this holy one to see corruption But blessed O blessed be our Lord Christ being in the forme of God was buried in the graue and so was made lower then his Father nay lower then Angels nay lower then Men nay lower then wormes that we being now no better then wormes might be crowned in heauen and so might be made higher then wormes yea higher then men yea higher then Angels yea partakers of the same life and kingdome with Christ. Pliny reporteth v L. 36. c. 10. that there was a Diall set in Campus Martius to note the shadowes of the sun which agreeing very well at the first afterwards for thirty yeares together did not agree with the sun All the time of those thirty yea three and thirty yeares that Christ liued in his humiliation here vpon earth you might haue seene such a Diall In which time the shadow of the Diall did not agree with the shining of the Sun But thankes be to God all the better for vs. When the Sunne went backward ten degrees in the diall then Ezechias went forward fifteene degrees in his life He liued fifteene yeares longer And so the going of this Sunne Iesus Christ ten degrees backeward hath healed all our sicknesse and set vs a thousand degrees forward and infinitely aduanced vs by his death to euerlasting life For Christ is that louing Rachel which dies her selfe in Childe-birth to bring forth her sonne Beniamin aliue Christ is that righteous Adam which by the bloudy sweat of his browes hath earned for vs the bread of life Christ is that iust Noah which shutting vp himselfe in his Arke as in a sepulcher saueth all that come to him aliue Christ is that tender Pellican which wounding his owne breast doth with his bloud restore againe his yong ones to life And euen as when many birds are caught in a net if a Pellican or any other great bird that is among them get out all the rest that are little ones follow after semblably Christ as a great bird hauing broken through the net of death all we escape with him So that wee may say with the Psalmist Our soule is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowler the snare is broken we are deliuered Arnobius vpon these words in the Psalme x Psal. 138. Despise not the worke of thine owne hands writeth thus Wee are the worke of thine owne hands seeing wee are thy workemanshippe y Eph. 2.10 Ipsius summus sactura conditi in Christo. Quantum ad substantiam fecit quantum ad gratiam condidit Tertul. aduer Mar l. 5. non longè à fine Now because the worke of thy hands was destroyed by the work of our hands therefore were thy hands nailed to the crosse for our sinnes That those hands of thine might repaire againe the worke of thy hands by the tree of the crosse which was destroyed by the tree of concupiscence Thus farre Arnobius Whereby we may gather that the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and euill is euill that is death but the fruit of the tree of life that is of the crosse of Christ is life When Alexander had throwne downe the walles of Thebes Phryne a harlot promised that she would at her owne charges repaire them againe so that the Citizens would suffer this title to bee grauen vpon the gate Alexander hath throwne them downe but Phryne hath raised them vp z 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plutar. The case is quite contrary here Eue hath ouerthrowne not onely Thebes but euen all mankinde Christ hath at his owne cost and charges repaired and built vs vp againe Therefore wee must graue this title vpon the Crosse of Christ Eue hath throwne vs downe but Christ hath raised vs vp Eues tree of knowledge of good and euill hath throwne vs downe but Christs tree of life hath raised vs vp Nay I will be bold to say yet more What is that Marry this That as far as the tree of life excelleth the tree of knowledge of good and euill so farre the crosse of Christ excelleth the tree of life I know well many will muse maruell much what I meane to say so And some perhaps will scarce beleeue it is true which I say Neuerthelesse most Christian
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
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
pâ—tius vnum minutuâ—â— voluntatem meâ—â—◠〈◊〉 dabo illâ—â— ad voluâ—tatem illius qui tantus tantillum tantis beneficiis praeuâ—niâ— qui tâ—tâ— se totum me comparaâ—it Berâ— serm de Quadruplici Debito p. 100. that hauing nothing to offer but the widowes â— mites nay a great 〈◊〉 les then 2. mites I mean my bodie my soule or rather I haue but onlie one 〈◊〉 to offer only my good wil which I 〈◊〉 henceforth conforme to his wil whâ— being rich becâ—me poore for me and 〈◊〉 his bodie soule to redeem my bodie soule from death But now seing 〈…〉 almost as often sinned wilfully as either of ignorance or infirmitie what manner of men ought we to be in humbling our selues vnder Gods mightie hand f 1. Pet. 5.6 in iudging condemning our selues g 1 Cor. 11.31 in repenting as hartely as wee sinned haynously in washing our bed watring our couch wiâ—h our teares Euen this our Prophet sheweth also very good euideÌ„ce for this same doctrine els where Haue mercy vpon me O Lord saies he after thy great goodnes according to the multitude of thy mercies doe away mine offences Wash me throughly froÌ„ my wickednes cleanse me froÌ„ my sin 66 Psal. 52.2 The goodnes of God is alwaies like it selfe neither great nor little but absolutely infinite Therfore it is neuer a whitthe greater for our couÌ„ting it not little nor neuer a whit the lesse for our couÌ„ting is not great but though wee count it great yet it is stil as litle as it should be though we count it little yet it is still as great as it can bee So that the Psalmist in tearming Gods goodnes great setteth foorth the greatnesse rather of his owne badnes then of Gods goodnes confessing his owne sinne indeede to bee great and so consequently Gods goodnesse likewise to bee great but yet in this respect only not because it can take any encrease of greatnes into it selfe but because it can giue increase of gladnes to him who for a great sin is almost ouerwhelmed with as great a griefe The same may be saide of Gods mercies that they are neither many nor fewe but as his goodnes is incoÌ„prehensible so his mercies are innumerable Neuerthelesse the Prophet sticks not to say According to the multitude of thy mercies do away mine offences As if hee should haue said According to thy mercies doe away the multitude of mine offences The multitude then to speake properly is not of Gods mercies but of mine offeÌ„ces yet seeing the mercies of God are as many as all mine offences nay a great manie moâ—e then all the offences of al the world therfore hee mentions a multitude of Gods mercies Because nothing can asswage the multitude of sorrowes which arise in my heart h Psal. 94.19 for the multitude of my offences but the multitude of Gods mercies The multitude of mine offences 〈◊〉 king indeede as on Gods behalfe a multitude of mercies so on my behalfe multitude of teares And therfore he 〈…〉 wash me throughly or as it is in the latin translation 67 Amplius laua me wash me yet more Wash me and wash me and yet more againe againe wash me throughly from my wickednes cleanse me from my sin For euen as a vessel that hath bin tainted with poison or some infections liquor will not be cleane with once washing but must be often scalded throughly washed before it will be sweet so hauing heretofore possessed my vessell in impuritie i 1 Thes. 4.4 though I now wash me with niter and take mâ—e much I sope yet mine own vncleannes is â—â—ill marked before thee k Ier. 2.22 onely thou O Lord canst wash me throughlie who â—n grieued throughlie because I haue beene throughlie defiled And indeed though I cannot wash my selfe throughlie yet I am sure thou hast washt me thoroughlie because I haue repented me thoroughlie I haue mingled my drinke with weeping l Psal. 102.10 and my teares haue bin my meate day night m Psal. 42.4 nay Euerie night I wash my bed and water my Couch with my teares It is a cleare case then that a great act of sin must be bewailed with a great act of repentance For the raising of Lazaâ—â—s which hath been dead foure daies requireth the greatest growing and â—â—â—ping the greater sinne as of the Priest or voluÌ„tary or such like requireth the greater sacrifice if I haue coÌ„mitted great wickednes except I shew great repentance I cannot obtaine great mercie if I haue bin throughly defiled except I be throughly washed I cannot be throughly 〈◊〉 And therefore the holy Prophet that â—e may obtaine great mercy that he â—ay be throughlie washed saith here Eâ—â—rie night I wash my bed and water my coâ—ch with my teares To returne then where I left and so 〈◊〉 make an end S. Austins two compâ—risons of 〈…〉 of teares and of a floude of teares may seeme to some verie incredible much more these three amplifications of the Prophet Dauid Especially if we read these words as I haue noted they are in the Hebrew Euerie night I cause my bed to swim and I melt my couch with my teares But howsoeuer they may seeme to be they are I graunt very hyperbolicall yet so as the meaning of them is plain â—â—ough As if he should haue said I do◠〈◊〉 indeed cause my bed to swim in showâ—â—â— of teares neither doe I melt my Couch with floudes of teares but yet if euer anie man had done so or if it were possible any man could do so then my repentance is so great my tears so aboundant 〈◊〉 I thinke verily whosoeuer is one I 〈◊〉 be an other which should cause my bâ—d to swim my couch to melt seeing â— Eueâ—iâ— night I wash my bed water my couch with my teares Therefore they which can gather no good meaâ—ing out of these words do consider neither how â—â—â—â—efull the wrath indignatioÌ„ of God is 〈…〉 how horrible is the sense of sin 〈…〉 n Relata adse magnitudine aâ—is alicui quaÌ„ quidamâ— eques Romanus dum vixit celauerat culcitram emi cubicularem in cius anxime sic hi iussit of whome I spake before hearing of them talk in hiâ— court what a huge sum of money a certaine Knight in 〈◊〉 owed at his death 〈◊〉 that all his goodâ— were to be solde to make paymentâ— of his debts coÌ„maunded the master of 〈◊〉 wardrobe to buy for him that â—ed wherein this knight vsed to lie For sais he 68 Et praeceptum muraÌ„tibus hanc rationem reddidit Habenda est ad sâ—mmum culcitra in qua ille cum caâ—â—um deberes dormire pâ—tuit Macrob. Satur. l. 2. c. 4 if I cannot sleepe soundly in that bed wherin he could sleepe that owed so much theÌ„ surelie I shal sleepe in none If this famous Emperor thought it a matter almost vnpossible for him to sleepe quietly
in his bed which was so deepely in debt what would he haue said If Christ who was born in his time had bin bred in his hart o Gal. 4.19 I meane if hee had seene by the light of Godâ— word that no debts are comparable to sins And therefore if that poâ—â— Knight could hardly sleepe in his bâ—dde then that seruaÌ„t which oâ—eth his mâ—steâ— ten thousand 〈◊〉 p Math. 18.24 as alas which of vs all beloued if we remember our 〈◊〉 well is not guiltie of so many sinnes caâ— hardly take any rest This if the Emperour had knowne hee would rather 〈◊〉 bought Dauids couch that he might 〈◊〉 haue slept for bewailing his sinnes then this banckrupts bed that hee might haue slept notwithstanding all his caâ—es For these these euen our sinnes these are the debts which so trouble and toâ—mâ—â— the soule that a man 〈◊〉 better haue 〈◊〉 common wealthes in his head yeâ— the caâ—es of all the woâ—ld in his head thâ—◠〈◊〉 disquieted distracted with the 〈…〉 Christians if we be in good health Let vs be thankfull to God 〈◊〉 it let vs account it a special blessing with out which all worldly blessings are 〈◊〉 thing let vs vse it as all other good 〈◊〉 of God to his glory the good of 〈◊〉 other If contrariwise it please the Lord 〈◊〉 any time to visite vs with sicknesse 〈…〉 not in this case despaire neither But 〈◊〉 whatsoeuer other causes we may coceine let vs ingeÌ„iouslie acknowledge one cause of our sicknes to be our sinnes For if we would preuent the iudgemeÌ„ts of god by timelie repentaÌ„ce iudge our selues we should not be iudged of the Lord. But because men wil not wheÌ„ they are in health thinke of him that giueth health therefore oftentimes they are sick now and then also fal asleepe q 1. Cor. 11.30 For euen as maâ—â—facters which wil not by gentle means confesse their heinous crimes are by racking or such like tortures enforced to coÌ„fesse so when grieuous sinners can see no time to repent God in his iustice or rather indeede in his great mercie doth as it were racke them vpoÌ„ their couch with sicknesse bodily pains that they may be constrained to confesse their sinnes so may be freede of two sickenesses their bodies sickenes and their soules sicknes both at once O happie happie men are they which when they are yong remember their Creator before they be old r Eccles. 12.1 when they are in health confesse their sins forsake theÌ„ before they be sick s Prou. 28.13 And yet good louing brother if thou happen to be sick be not in any case as I said before be not altogither discouraged by it But in the next place remeÌ„ber that thy sickenes is nothing els but Gods fatherly visitation to do thee good especially to mooue thee to repentance Listen a little Harken I say Doest thou not heare him rapping aloud and knocking hard at the dore of thy hard hart saying to thee whosoeuer thou art Maiden arise Young man arise Lazarus arise and come forth Awake therfore awake thou that sleepest t Eph. 5.14 and stand vp from death Christ shall giue thee life Say with the spirituall spouse In my bed by night sought him whome my soule loueth u Cant 3.1 Saie with this our Prophet Did I not remember thee vpon my bed meditate of thee in the night season x Psal. 63.7 Looke not still to haue pillowes sowed vnder 〈◊〉 elbowes neither bolster vp thy selfe anâ—â— longer in thy sinnes y Ezec. 13.18 Lie not vpon thy beds of â—â—orie neither stretch thy selfe vpoÌ„ thy couch z Amos. 6.4 but euery night 〈◊〉 thy bed water thy couch with thy tearesâ— Behold saies thy heauenly husband a Reuel 3.20 I stand at the dore and knocke if anie 〈◊〉 heare my voice and open the dore 〈◊〉 come in vnto him wil sâ—p with 〈◊〉 be with me And again b Cant. 2.5 OpeÌ„ 〈◊〉 my sister my loue my doue mine vndefiled for my head is full of dewe and my locks with the drops of the night Wherfore seeing Christ knockes so loud at the dore of my heart for repentance knocke thou as loud at the dore of his mercy for pardon seeing he would so fain haue thee turn vnto him heare his voice be thou as willing to cal vpoÌ„ his name that he may heare thy voice seeing he is so forward to sup with thee by receiuing thy prayers be thou as desirous to sup with him by obtaining the benefit of his passioÌ„ euen the remission of thy sinnes And as he saies to thy soule Open vnto mee my sister my loue my doue mine vndefiled so be thou bold by faith to turn the same words vpoÌ„ him again say Open vnto me my brother my loue my doue mine vndefiled for my head iâ—ful of deâ— my locks with the drops of the night And why is my head fâ—ll of dewe and my locks with the dropâ— of the night Because euery night I wash my bed water my couch c. Then deare christian brother then thy sicknes shall not be vnto death but for the glory of god c Iob. 11.4 For God will turn all thy bed in thy sicknes d Psal. 41.3 And so wheras before it was a bedde of sicknes hee will turne it into a bed of health whereas a bed of paine and griefe into a bed of rest coÌ„fort wheras a bed of teares repeÌ„ntance into a bed of ioifull deliueraÌ„ce RemeÌ„ber thy selfe wel At least wise as well as thou canst well enough what happened to Iob who was sick sore all his body ouer had not â— couch neither to lie on but was â—ain to lie on a dunghil Did not al this turne to his great good when as the Lord did blesse his latter end much more then his beginning e Iob. 42.10 What happened to Ezâ—chiâ—â— who had seÌ„tence of death gon out against himâ— Did not he lying sick in his bed turn him toward the wal weep got the seÌ„teÌ„ce of death reuersed 15 yeares more added to his life f Esa. 38.6 What hapned to the maÌ„ sick of a palsey who was let down through the â—yling bed and al in the midst 〈◊〉 Iesus Did not Christ with one 〈…〉 instant heale him so that he tooke vp his bed departed to his own house praising god g Luk. 5.25 what hapned to the man which had bin sicke 38. yeares and was not able to steppe downe into the poole Did not Christ saying but Rise take vp thy bed walk cure him so that presently he was made whole tooke vp his bed walked h Ioh. 58 9 What hapned to Eâ—câ—s who was sick of the palsey as one of these two that that I spake of last had kept his bed S. yeares as the other of them Did
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
also the spirit against the flesh So that we cannot doe as wee would For if wee would serue god so holily as the angels we can not because the flesh insteth against the spirit againe if we would sinne with full consent of will so brutishly as the wicked doe we cannot because the spirit lusteth against the flesh But euen as Castâ—r and Pollux liue by turnes one one day an other an other so the flesh and the spirit preuailing sometimes one sometimes an other make mixt actions So that neither can our good actions iustifie vs because in them the flesh lusteth against the spirit nor yet can our ill actions condemn vs because in theÌ„ the spirit lusteth against the flesh For now that Sara is mortified her wombe is dead and it ceaseth to be with her after the manner of women Now that Iacob hath wrestled with God his thigh is shrunk vp Now that Paul is conuerted he chastiseth his bodie and bringeth it into subiection Now that the blessed virgin is freely beloued she keepeth her selfe within and knoweth no man And therefore sai'â— the Angel Haile Mary freely beloued the Lord is with thee But the blessed Virgin fearing the Angel added Feare not Mary for thou hast found â—â—â—our with God As if he should haue said Feare not the Angel of the Lord seeing the Lord of the Angell is with thee Thou hast found fauour with God to haue the fruit of thy flesh the Sauiour of thy soule So that if God haue a fauour vnto vs and haue iustified vs in Christ what can the flesh doe against vs The spirit will not let it doe as it would For if God be with vs who can be against vs The fourth enemy against vs is the deuill And he is the worst enemy of all Therefore sai's the Apostle we haue not to fight with flesh and blood but with principalities and powers and with the Prince of darknes that ruleâ—â— in the ayre This Prince warreth against vs two waies By persecutions and perswasions For the first he is described in the Reuelation to ride vpon a blacke and a redde horse The blacknes of the horse sheweth how terrible the Deuill is the reddenesse how bloodie Neither doth he come single but seauen of them at once possesse Mary Magdalen Luk. 8. â— Neither doe they onely fight against vs beeing aliue but the Deuill fought with Michel the Arkeangel for the â—â—cie of Moses when he was dead Iude. Neither doe they terribly set vpon vs to get our bodies onely but our soules also Especially they doe this at the day of death and will doe more dilligently at the day of iudgement Now their perswasions are yet more dangerous then their threatnings When they come to vs in the shape not of an vnclean spirit but of an angel of light Thus Satan did set vpon the first Adam Gen. 3. Hath God indeed commanded you not to eate of the tree He makes a question of it And if ye eate you shall be as Gods knowing good and euill A faire promise but a contrarie performance So he did set vpon the second Adam Matth. 4. All these things will I giue thee if thou wilt fall down and worship me He would hire Christ and giue him good wages to serue him which would haue depriued our Sauiour of his eternall glory But God hath glorified vs. It is not now to be doubted whether Satan shal preuaile against vs or not but it is most sure he shall not He hath glorified vs saith S. Paul Though the possession of it be to come yet the assurance of it is past Euen as our Lord auoucheth in an other place Hee that beleeueth in me hath passed from death to life Not shall passe but hath passed So S. Paul He hath made vs sit with himselfe in heauenly places aboue Not hee will make but he hath Therefore Chrysostome writeth very resolutely Onely in one point I am proud 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and very proud namely in renouncing and denying the deuill Hee is indeede a strong man But yet a stronger then he hath thrust him out spoiled him of all his goods He is a roaring lyon But the lyon of the tribe of Iuda hath ouercome him Hee is an olde serpent almost of sixe thousand yeares standing and experience But Christ the new serpent prefigured in the brasen serpent hath been too cunning for him Therefore though he seeke to winnow Peter as come iâ— sifted yet no danger Christ hath prayed for Peter that his faith should not faile Where by the way we may marke the difference betweene Christ and the tempter Christ hath his fanne in his hand and fanneth vs the tempter hath his siue in his hand and sifteth vs. Now a fanne casteth out the worst and keepeth in the best a fine keepeth in the worst and casteth out the best Right so Christ in his trialls purgeth chaffe and corruption out of vs nourisheth and increaseth his graces in vs. Contrariwise the deuill if there be any il thing in vs that he confirmeth if faith or any good thing else that he weakeneth But Christ hath prayed for vs yea doth still at the right hand of the father make intercession and request for vs that our faith should not faile So that all Sathans power yea the gates of hell shall neuer preuaile against vs. In like manner S. Paul beeing buffered by the angel of Satan prayed that he might bee deliuered The answer of God was My grace is sufficient for thee Whether Satan buffet vs or not buffet vs still the grace of God shal suffice vs Much more his glory who hath glorified vs. For God doth giue both grace and glory and no good thing wil he withold from them that liue a godly life Pone me iuxtatr cuiusâ— is manus pugnet contra me Therefore euery child of God may triumph with Iob saying Stand thou beside me and let any mans hand fight against me For if God be on our side what can the Deuill doe against vs If God be with vs who can be against vs Nazianzen makes a good conclusion This only is a fearefull thing to feare any thing more then God Feare God and feare nothing else 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 feare not God and feare euery thing For in the feare of the Lord is the confidence of courage Because sai's Gregoria be that in a chast and filiall feare Quitimore castro Deo subijeâ—tur c. Gregor is subiected to God by a hopefull kind of boldnesse is aboue all saue God But he that feareth not the Lord may be annoyed by any thing Mice were too strong for the Philistims and lice for the Egyptians So that if God be against vs who can be with vs But if God be with vs who can be against vs Now certainly God is with vs. Doe you doubt of this Then consider how that all great potâ—â—rates of the world who of late were some of them scarse
our good freinds doe now earnestly desire to bee made partakers of our peace What doe I speake of men The very heauen the elements and this so seasonable haruest An. 1604. such as hath not been knowne if one may take any gesse by these outward things doe plainely declare that God is now with vs purposeth to power out his blessings and benefits most abundantly vpon vs. Nothing then remaineth but that as God is with vs so we labour to be with God And as S. Peter admonisheth vs make our election sure by faith and good workes liuing soberly vprightly and godly in this present world That so we may feare no cruelty of man no misery of the world no entisements of the flesh no terrors of the deuill but in all these things may bee more then conquerours assuring our selues that if God be with vs nothing can be against vs. Which that it may be so God graunt for Iesus Christs sake to whome with the Father and the holy Ghost be all honour and glory now and euermore Amen Blessed are they that heare the word of God and keepe it The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ and the Ioue of God and the fellowship of the holy Ghost be with vs that nothing may be against vs this day and euermore Amen FINIS A SERMON PREACHED at the Court at Whitehall March 10. 1598. IOHN 20.27 After said he to Thomas Put thy finger here and see my hands and put forth thy hand and put it into my side and bee not faithlesse but faithfull OVr blessed Sauiour Iesus Christ hath his wounds yet to be seene in his body for foure causes First to approoue his resurrection secondly to appease his Father thirdly to confound his enemies fourthly to comfort his friends After said he to Thomas Put thy finger here and see my hands and put forth thy hand and put it into my side and be not faithles but faithfull The first cause why Christ hath his wounds yet to be seene in his body is to approoue his resurrection When Iacobs children told him saying Ioseph is yet aliue his heart failed and he beleeued them not but as soone as he saw the chariots which were sent for him by and by his spirit reuiued and he said I haue enough Gen. 4â— 28 Ioseph my sonne is yet aliue In like manner when the Disciples said to Thomas we haue seene the Lord he beleeued them not but nowe that hee beholdeth Christs glorious wounds the triumphant tokens of his victorie and the chariots as I may say whereby we are with Elias carried vp into heauen he confesseth indeede that Christ is risen againe and that the true Ioseph is yet aliue Ioâ— 11.4 Euen as Anna seeing that spaniell coÌ„ming homeward which went forth with her sonne at the first knew certainely that her sonne Tobias himselfe was not farre off but followed immediately after so Thomas seeing those wounds in Christ which accompanied him to his graue knew assuredly that no other body was risen againe but onely the very selfe same body of Christ which was buried S. Peter beeing brought out of prison by an Angel went forth with to the house of Marie Act. 12.14 where knocking and calling to get in a maiden named Rhode before euer she sawe him knewe him by his voice And although they that were within tolde her she wist not what she said yet shee still constantly affirmed it was none other but he Christs rising out of the graue was as strange as Peters deliuerance out of prison the rowling away of the stone as strange as the opening of the yron gate And â—lbeit Thomas was not so forward as Rhode to know Christ by his voice when he said Peace bee vnto you yet as soone as Christ tooke him by the hand and shew'd hiâ—â— his side he made no more doubts but presently beleeued For if Prâ—togâ—â—â—s seeing but a little line drawne in â— table kâ—ewe straightwaies it was Apâ—lles doing whome he had neuer seene Plin. lib. 35. c. 10 how much more easily then might Thomas know Christ seeing not onely one line but very many lines yea whole pictures of his passion and of his râ—surrection in his head in his hands in his side in his feete When King Arthurs bodie was taken vp somewhat more then sixe hundred yeares after his death Stow pag. 61. it was knowne to be his by nothing so much as by the prints of â—enne seuerall wounds which appeared in his skâ—ll Christ our King who did ouercome death could likewise if it had pleased him haue quite and cleane defaced and abolished all the markes of death Neuerthelesse as at his transfiguration he shewed Peter Iames and Iohn the signes of immortalitie in his bodie which was then mortall so here contrariwise at his resurrection he sheweth Thomas the signes of mortalitie in his bodie which is now immortall That he and all we might vndoubtedly confesse that though they perhaps might bee deceiued in King Arthurs bodie yet we can neuer be deceiued so long as we beleeue that the very same body of Christ which in Golgotha the place of dead mens skuls was wounded from top to toe and put to death for vs is now risen again from death to life Euen as King Alexanders stagges were knowne a hundred yeares together Plin. l. 8. c. 32. by those golden collars which by the kings commandement were put about their necks so much more might Thomas know Christ by his wounds which were as a comly ornament to his head and as chaines vnto his necke we also when we preach the resurrection of Christ preach no other thing but that which we haue heard which we haue seen with our eies which we haue looked vpon and our hands haue handled of the word of life Socrates in his Ecclesiasticall historie writeth that Athanasius beeing accused by one Ianâ—â—â— to haue killed Arsenius and after to haue cut off his hand that he might vse it to magick and sorcerie cleared himselfe notably of this slander Hauing by good happe found out Arsenius who lay hid for the nonce hee brought him before the Coâ—ncel of Tyrus and there asked his accuser whether hee euer knew Arsenius or no He answered yes Then Athanasius called him forth with his hands couered vnder his cloake and turning vp the one side of his cloakâ— shewed them one of his hands And when most men surmised lib. 1. c. â—1 that th' other hand at least wise was cut off Athanasius without any more ado casteth vp the other side of his cloake and sheweth the second hand saying You see Arsenius hath two hands now let mine accuser shewe you the place where the third hand was cut-off Christs case was euen almost the same Hee was thought by some to be quite dead and gone But Thomas seeing those very hands of his which were nailed to the crosse acknowledgeth that this our brother was dead and is aliue againe was lost and is found
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
Lords death til he 〈◊〉 Till he come Declaring hereby that when he is come his death shall bee shewed an other way Namely by his wounds which alwaies he sheweth to his 〈◊〉 Euen as we sing in that heauenly Hymne or Psalme The humble suit of a sinner Whose bloâ—dy wouâ—dâ— are yet to see though not with mortall eye yet doe thy Saints behold them all and so I trust shall I. O how vnspeakeably doe â—he Saints 〈◊〉 how gloriously also shall we triumph when we shall see Christ in his kingdome and behold those blessed wounds of his whereby he hath purchased so many and so great good things for vs This is the new wine which we shall drinke This is the Eucharist of the Angels the food of the Elect the spirit 〈…〉 of the Saints For wheresoeuer the dead bodie is thither shall the eagles refer And we that with eagles wings flie vp by faith into heauen shall euer resort to this dead bodie and we shal vnsatiably desire to feede our eyes and our soules with the sight of Christ who was once dead and euen now hath in his bodie those skarres which continue the memorie of his death that in all eternitie it may neuer be forgotten Thus these heauenly wounds of Christ delight and comfort his friends As the cities of refuge which saue the sinner as the holes of the rock which defend the doue as the shadow of the iuniper tree which reuiueth the wearied as the doore of the Arke which preserueth the world as the lure of the â—oule which calleth home the Shulamite as the pot of Manna which nourisheth the Israelite as the well of Iacob which refresheth the thirstie as the poole of Bethesda which healeth the sicke as the armes of the shepheard which gather his lambs as the wings of the eagle which beare vp her birds So doe the hands and side of Christ comfort his friends As if our Sauiour should say thus to euery one of his friends Can a mother forget her child and not haue compassion on the son of her wombe though they should forget yet would not I forget thee Behold I haue grauen thee vpon the palmes of my hands Here I haue still in my hands that price of thy redemption which I paid for thee so that no man can take thee out of my hands Yea I haue written and sealed thy saluation in my side A speare is the penne my blood is the inke my body is the pâ—per Here thou maist see the bowels of my compassion thorough the wounds of my passion Assure thy selfe therfore assure thy selfe of my loue of my good will of my fauour for euer Make no doubt of it If thou doubt any thing Put thy finger here and see my hands and put forth thy hand and put it into my side and be not faithlesse but faithful So much for the fourth cause which is to comfort his friends You see then blessed Christians you see how these causes of Christs wounds differ one from an other The first cause to approoue his resurrection was but neither is nor shall bee The second cause to appease his Father was and is but shall not be The third cause to confound his enemies neither was nor is but shall be The fourth cause to comfort his friends both was and is and shall be So that Christs wounds did serue to approoue his resurrection onely between his resurrection and his ascension doe serue to appease his Father onely between his ascension and his second comming shall serue to confound his enemies onely at the day of iudgement did doe and shall serue to comfort his friends for euer Wherfore though wee be neuer so great sinners yet let vs neuer despaire of the grace and mercie of Christ. His hands are still stretched out to embrace vs his side is alwaies open to receiue vs. Therefore let vs creepe low and come humbly to him that wee may with the woman in the Gospel touch but the hemme of his garment nay that we may with S. Iohn leane vpon his blessed bosome yea that we may with S. Thomas in this place put our fingers into his hands and our hands into his side And euen as Constantine the great vsed to kisse that eye of Paphnutius which was boared out in Maximinus time and the Iayler in the Acts washed S. Pauls stripes and vvoundâ— so let vs kisse the Sonne least he bee angry and honour his holy vvounds vvich are the precious 〈◊〉 vvherevvith he hath healed vs and restored vs to euerlasting life To the vvhich vve beseech thee O good Lord to bring vs not for our ovvne deferrs or merits but for the tender bovvels of Christ Iesus loue and mercie tovvard vs to vvhom vvith the Father and the holy Ghost bee all honour and praise both novv and for euermore Amen FINIS MATTH 5. V. 19. He that both doeth and teacheth the same shall be called great in the kingdome of heauen BEloued in our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ It is a verie monstrous thing that any man should haue more tongues then handâ— For God hath giuen vs two hands and but one tongue that we might doe much and say but little Yet many say so much and do so little as though they had two tongues and but one hand nay three tongues and neuer a hand Insomuch as that may be aptly applied to them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Pandulphus said to some in his time You say much but you doe little you say well but you doe ill againe you doe little but you say much you doe ill but you say well Such as these which do either worse then they teach or else lesse then they teach teaching others to doe well and to do much but doing no whit themselues may be resembled to diuerse things To a wherstone which being blunt it selfe makes a knife sharpe To a painter which being deformed himselfe makes a picture faire To a signe which beeing weather-beaten and hanging without it selfe directs passengers into the Inne To a bell which beeing deafe and hearing not it selfe calls the people into the Church to heare To a nightingale which beeing restles and sitting vpon a thorne her selfe brings others by her singing into a sweete sleâ—pe To a goldsmith which beeing beggerly and hauing not one peice of plate to vse himselfe hath store for others which he shewes and sells in his shoppe Lastly to a ridiculous actor in the citie of Smyrna which pronouncing ô coelum O heauen pointed with his finger toward the ground which when Polemo the cheifest man in the place sawe he could abide to stay no longer but went from the company in a chase saying This â—oole hath made a solecisme with his haâ—â—â— hee hath spoken false Latine wâ—â—â— his hand Such are all they which teach one thing and do another which teach well and doe ill They are like a blunt wheâ—stone a deformed painter a weather-beaten signe a deafe bell a restles nightingale a beggerly
remember Dauid and all hâ—â— meekenesse saies he in the beginning of this Psalme He was the kindest and the meekest man aliue Ween hee had his mortall foe at a vantage and at a dead lift as we say and might haue nailed him fast to the ground with his speare he onely did cut off a lap of his garment to shewe that when he might haue hurt him hee would not Posse â—olle â—obile Yet this meeke Dauid patient Dauid mercifull Dauid valiant and victorious Dauid holy Dauid had enemies Wherefore you most honourable and blessed seruants of God you that excell in vertue if you haue some enemies thinke not strange of it For if you had nothing in you 〈◊〉 feare of God no reuereÌ„ce towards his word no loue and loyaltie towards your Soueraigne no forâ—itude no temperance no good thing in you yee might perhaps walke on long enough and no man enuie you no man maligâ—e you or malice you But because God hath inspired you with his principall spirit and endewed you with speciall great graces aboue your fellowes therefore â—oth your aduersarie the Deuil the old enemie of all goodnes and vertue who is ready to burst to see you doe so well he I say doth bestirre himselfe and raise vp enemies against you But O blessed be our good Lord what a wonderfull comfort and incouragement haue all you what a horrible terrour affrightment haue all your enemies in this text For the holy Ghost saies not They shall be clothed or you shall cloth them but I euen I shal cloth them with shame It is impossible saies he that you should alwaies be armed at all points circumspect at all places vigilant at all times prouided at all occasions to preuent the mischieuous practises of your diuillish enemies No counsell of man no policie no wisedome no wit can foresee their barbarous vndertakings and complottes to escape them But in heauen in heauen there is an eye an hand there is in heauen an eye to desery them and an hand to persecute and punish them both an eye and an hand to deliuer you from dannger and to cloath them with shame Therefore saith he Cast your care vpon mee let me alone with them your perill is my perill your case my case I le pay them that they haue deserued He take the quarrell into mine owne hands He trimme them well enough As for your enemies I shall cloath them with shame RemeÌ„ber I pray you beloued though indeede they haue made themselues worthie neuer to be remembred or once to be mentioned iâ— our mouthes any more yet remember I say to their egregious dishonour reproch how those are now clothed with shame who were the first cause of the solemnizing or as I may say of the sanctifying of this present day for the day of the weeke and of yesterday for the day of the moneth of the twelue moneth with so holy an exercise How odious how execrable is their very name vnto vs what true hearted loyall subiect such as I am sure all are here doth not detest them hate them loath them as a road or as a viper or as some hidious mishapen monster and curse the very day wherein such a rebellious generation and such a trayterous blood were borne Certainly my good brethren if the mercie of God which is incomprehensible did not giue them grace at the lâ—st gaspe to repeâ—t and crie to God for pardon as they are cloathed with shame in this world so shall they bee much more in the world to come And as we hold them for no better then cursed creatures so shall the Lord at last say vnto them Goe ye cursed into euerlasting fire So let it 〈◊〉 O Lord euen so to all the enemies of 〈◊〉 anointed either open of secret so 〈◊〉 be to them As for his enemies do them thou O Lord thine owne selfe do them cloath them with shame But vpon himselfe doth his Crowne flourish These words vpon himselfe either 〈◊〉 altogether impertinent and superâ—â—â—ous or else they are very important 〈◊〉 materiall For it had beene sufficient to haue said As for his enemies I shall cloath them with shame 〈◊〉 as for hiâ—selfe his crowne shall flourish It is 〈◊〉 greatly necessarie as it should seeme to say his crowne shall flourish vpon himselfe Yet the Lord in his gracious â—â—swer vnto Dauide praier thought good to put in this as a supernumeâ—â—â—â—â— word ouer and besides the necessitie of the sentence to teach the good King and vs all likewise a very notable lesson Namely that he would blesse the crowne the dignitie the flourishing estate of his louing serâ—ant not onely in his owne person and his posteritie in this world and in the world to come as I haue shewed alreadie but also from a lesser â—â—ight of glorie still to a greater and greater Vpon himselfe saiâ—s he shall his crowne flourish For not onely is shall be flourishing as Dauid left it at the day of his departure to God but after his dissolution and death as fast as his bodie corrupteth in the earth so fast shall his crowne encrease still in heauen Trust me truely I speake iâ— before the liuing Lord and this high presence all the whole Church which shall be edified so saluation by Dauids blessed and godly gouernement euen after his death shal yet suffer his crown neuer to die but shall continually keep in fresh and greene Yes as euery one brought to the building of the â—â—bernacle and to the reedifying of the temple such as they were able so I assure you I speake now a great word euerie particular subiect that is faithfull to God and to his Prince as he goâ—â—h on forward to God by the peace and by the religion which hee hath enioyed vnder his Prince so he shall still beautifie and decke Dauids crowne one shal bring a white rose an other shall bring a red rose and adde it to the 〈…〉 that so vpon himselfe still his crowne may â—â—â—rish the white rose and the redde rose that are in the crowne alreadie beeing euer made more and more fragrant and flourishing O Christ what a crowne is this And what will it growe to 〈◊〉 more in the end You that are mightie Kings and Potentates vpon earth haue indeede great cares and continuall busines in your headâ— but yet vouchsase I pray you to â—earken a little what I shall say vnto you You watch oftentimes ouer vs when we are asleep our selues You care for our peace when it is not 〈◊〉 our power to further it you procuring good to Sion and prosperitie to Ierusalem yet many times enioy the least part of it your selues But no force Take this still for your comfort Wee that cannot all our liues long doe the hundreth part of that good which you doe euery houre shall haue nothing so flourishing a crowne as you shal haue Vpon you vpon you shall euerlasting peace rest vpoÌ„ you shal the glory of Gods maiestie shine vpon you
held Gods hands that hee could not â—â—ike when he was readie to plague his people Prayer without any other helpe or meanes hath throwne downe the strong walles of Iericho Prayer hath deuided the sea that the floods thereof could not come neere the Israelites In this place it deliuereth the faithfull man from all the dangers of the world Surely in the flood of many waters they shal not come neere him The summe is this That no calamities of this world no troubles of this life no terrours of death no guiltinesse of sinne can be so great but that a godly man by meanes of his faith and felicitie in Christ shall wade out of them well enough For howsoeuer other things goe still he shall haue such a solace in his soule such a comfort in his conscience such a heauen in his heart knowing himselfe reconciled to God and iustified by faith that Surely in the flood of many waters they shall not come neere him Which that it may the better appeare I shall desire you to obserue two things The daunger the deliuerance The danger is in these words Iâ— the flood of many waters Where the tribulations that the godly man is subiect to in this life are likened First to waters then to many waters thirdly to a flood of many waters In the flood of many waters The deliuerance is in these words Surely they shall not come neere him Where the deliuerance of the godly man hath three degrees also First they shall not come neare secondly him they shall not come neere him then Surely surely they shall not come neere him Surely in the flood of many waters they shall not come neere him First the afflictions of the faithful are likened to waters Fire and water haue no mercy we say But of the two water is the worst For any fire may be quâ—câ—ed with water but the force of water if it begins to be violent cannot by any power of man be resisted Canutus who was King of England Polyd. lib. 7. Scotland Denmarke Norway a great part of Sueâ—iâ— all at once sitting at a low water vpon the Thames shoare commanded the water not to come neare him But notwithstanding his commandement the water returning and flowing againe as 〈◊〉 in Ezekiel which came to the ankles Ezech. 47.2 then to the knees and yet higher to the necke so neuer left rising till it came vp neare him and wet him Then turning about to his noble men that were there attendant on him he said You call me your Soueraigne Lord and Master and yet I cannot command this little channell of water to keep a loofe off from me Whereupon he went immediatly to Westminster and with his owne hands set his Crowne vpon the Crucifix there and could neuer be perswaded after to weare it vpon his owne head This experience that Canutus so mightie a King made doth directly prooue that no man but God onely can set barres and doores against the water and say Iob. 38.11 Hitherto shalt thoâ— come but no further and here shalt thou stay thy proud waues The afflictions of the righteous therefore beeing â—ere compared to waters must needes â—e very violent For thus the Psalmist â—â—ith Thine indignation lyeth hard on me Psal. 88.8 and thou hast vexed mee with all thy waues And God himselfe I will pâ—â—re out my wrath vpon thee as water So that the securitie and felicitie of the faithfull man is inuincible He may be often in daunger of tribulations as of great waues or waters Hos. 5.10 but they shall neuer ouerwhelâ—e him Surely in the flood of many waters they shall not come neere him But these our tribulations which are waters are also many waters Our common prouerb is Seldome comes sorrow alone But as waters come rouling and wauing many together so the miseries of this life Ezeck 2.10 The Prophet Ezekiel saw the roule of a booke written within and without and there was written therein Lamentations and singing and woe The booke is written within and without â—o shew that many are the troubles of the righteous both inward and outward And it is two to one if any thing befall vs it is rather an ill happe then a good happe Seeing for one singing there is in the booke a double sorrowing lamentations and woe Or if it be read as some translate it Et scriptura in eo erat lamentarionum lugubâ—isque carminâ—s vae Tremel Lamentations and mourning and woe then it is yet more plaine that in this world many troubles as many waters come one in the neckâ— of an other no earthly ioy 〈◊〉 comfort comming betweene This the good King greatly complaineth of Psal. 4â— 7 One deepe calleth another because of the noyse of the water-pipes all thy floods and stormes haue gone ouer me And Iob Iob. 16.14 hee hath giuen meâ— one wound vpon an other and hee hath runne vpon me as a gyant And Saint Paul Philip. 2.37 though in one place he write God shewed mercie toward him that hee should not haue sorrowe vpon sorrow yet oftentimes elsewhere he speaketh of his owne manifold dangers 2. Cor. 11.26 I suffered thrice shipwracke saies he night and day haue I bin in the deepe sea In iourneying I was often in perills of waters in perills of robbers in perills of mine owne nation in perills among the Gentiles in perills in the citie in perills in the wildernesse in perills in the sea in perills among false brethren Thâ—s we see how many waters the godly mâ—n is subiect to in this life For one thy hee hath at least two sorrowes if hee 〈◊〉 no more one deepe calleth an other one wound bringeth another hee hath sorrow vpon sorrow perils vpon perils Many waters many dangers Neuerthelesse Surely in the flood of many waters they shall not come neere him Thirdly the daungers of this life are as a flood The very naming and mentioning of flood must needes â—e very terrible euer since Noahs flood destroyed the whole world For euen as a horse or a mule of whome the Prophet a little after speaketh in this Psalm vers 9. hauing beene once well lashed with a whip doth euer after feare if he heare but the bel which is tied to the whippe so man since the world was so well sâ—oured and scourged with a flood could neuer almost abide either to talke or thinke of it Now though our whole life be nothing else but a flood of many waters yet nothing in the world may more fitly be so called then our going our of the world This indeede bringeth with it a flood of many waters and an Ocean sea of infinite cares Aristotle writeth that nothing is so terrible as death which Antiochus feeling sensibly in himselfe 1. Mac. 6.11 cryeth out thus Oh into what aduersitie am I come and into what floods of miserie am I now fallen He addeth the reason an on after For I must die with great
sorrow in a strange land What speake I of a wicked tyrant Holy men often are in great perplexitie at the time of their departure Hier. in vita â—ius S. HieroÌ„ writeth of Hilarion that beeing ready to giue vp the ghost he said thus to his soule Goe forth my soule why fearest thou goe forth why tremblest thou Thou hast serued Christ almost these threescore and ten yeares and dost thou now feare death Christ himselfe also feeling that hee was compassed about with the sorrowes of death beganne to be afraid and to be in great heauinesse and he said moreouer Mark 14.33 My soule is very heauie euen to the death I know well Christ was afraid without sinne nay with great comfort For hee prayeth thus Not as I will but as thou wilt And againe Into thy hands I commit my spirit This then was his comfort that the Iewes could doe nothing in putting him to death but as S. Peter testifieth that onely which his Father boâ—â— by his counsell and will hath decreed and by his hand hath ordained Hilarion also that holy ancient Father comforteth himselfe with this that hee had sâ—â—â—d Christ almost seauentie yeares Oâ—â—â—â— children of God haue had other comforts and all haue this that both in life and in death they are happy in Christ. Howbeit seeing many holy Christians and euen Christ himselfe feared death it remaineth that death simply and in it selfe considered is a flood of many waters But yet the faithfull man euen in death is out of all danger Surely in the floods of many waters they shall not come neere him Thus much for the first part which is the danger In the flood of many waters The second part followeth which is the deliuerance Surely they shall not come neere him First they shall not come neere They that is The waters shall not come neere The holy Church and euerie member thereof is likened to a house built vpon a rocke Matth. 7. â—5 Vpon which though the winds blow and the floods beate yet it cannot be throwne downe because it is built vpon a rocke So that the floods which shake it can neuer come neere it to ouerthrowe it The sâ—me may be said of the ship couered with waters It might well floaâ—e but it could neuer be drowned For as soon as the Disciples cryed vpon Christ to saue them Matth. 8.24 presently there followed a great calme Therefore Luther when his life was sought of all the world in a manner Psal. 46.1 translated the Psalme Deus noster refugium into dumb meeter and caused it to be sung in all the reformed Churches God is our hope and strength a very present helpe in trouble Therefore will we not feare though the earth be mooued and though the hills be caried into the midst of the sea Though the waues thereof rage and swell and though the mountaâ—â—â—â— shake at the tempest of the same S. Peter the Apostle began to sinke but he sunke not right downe Christ was ready at hand to helpe him For as soone as he sawe himselfe in present perill and danger forthwith he cryed Master saue me Saue me Psal. 69 1. O God for the waters are coâ—â— in euen vnto my soule I sticke fast in the deepe mire where no ground is and 16. I am come into deepe waters so that the floods runne ouer me Take me out of the mire that I sinke not and out of the deepe waters Let not the water 〈◊〉 drowne me neither let the deep swallow me vp let not the pit shut 〈◊〉 mouth vpon me S. Paul likewise suffered shipwrack but lost not by it one haire of his head Act. 17.34 Wherby we may see the absurdity of the Papists They would prooue that iustifying grace may bee lost because some haue made shipwracke of faith but if we should graunt them that the Apostle speaketh of iustifying not of historicall faith 1. Tim. 1.19 yet we haue the help of a second answer To wit that shipwrack is one thing and drowning an other Therefore faith which is wrackt is not by and by drowned For it may happen to suffer shipwracke as S. Paul did and swimme out safe to the shore But this 〈◊〉 but a touch by the way Meane season we see how safe and secure the faithfull man is in Christ. He is a house to which the floods may come neere to shake it but neuer to throwe it downe he is a ship which the waues may come neere to tosse it but neuer to turne it ouer euen as Saint Peter beganne to sinke but still kept vp his head and Saint Paul sâ—ffered shippewracke but was not a haire the worse for it Surely in the flood of many waters they shall not come neere him Secondly him They shall not come neere him This word must in no case be omitted It helpeth vs to answer a verie strong obiection For it may bee said Many holy men haue lost their goods haue suffered great torments in their bodie haue beene troubled also in minde how then did not the floods of many waters come neere them The word Him helpes vs to answer The verie Philosophers themselues reckoned their goods pertained no more to them then be it spoken with reuerence and regard the parings of their nayles Zeno hearing newes he had lost all he had by sea Rene facis fortuna cum ad pallium nos compellis said onely thus Thou hast done verie wel Fortune to leaue me nothing but my cloake An other called Anaxarchus whom as Nicocreâ—â— the tyrant commanded he should be 〈◊〉 to death in a morter spake thus to the executioner Beate and bray as long as thou wilt Anaxarchus his bagge or sachell so he called his owne body but Anaxarchus thou cansts not touch Yet these making so smal reckoning of their goods and bodie set their mindâ— notwithstanding at a high rate Mens cuinsque is est quisque The minde of a man is himselfe say they Hence it is that Iulius Caesar when Amyclas the Pilot was greatly afraid of the tempest spake to him thus What meanest thou to feare base fellow doest thou not know thou carriest Caesar with thee As if he should say Caesarem veâ—is Caesars bodie may well bee drowned as any other manâ— may but his minde his magnanimity his valour his fortitude can neuer be drowned Thus farre wâ—nt Philosophie But Diuinitie goeth a degree further For Philosophy defineth Him that is a man by his reason and the morall vertues of the minde But Diuinitie defineth a Christian man by his faith and his coniunction thereby with Christ. Excellently saith Saint Austin Whence com's it that the soule dieth Tract 49 in Iohan. Vnde mors in animâ â— quia non est fides Vnde mors in corporeâ— quia non est ibi anima Ergo animae tuae anima fides est Because faith is not in it Whence that the bodie dieth Because a soule is not in
will I speake that I may take breath m Iob. 3â— 19 As Elibu then kept silence some while euen from good wordes though it were paine and griefe to him but at the last the fire kindling and his heart beeing hotte within him spake with his tongue n Psal. 39.3 so the spirit of God in all the elect of God is like wine put into a bottle which will haue a vent to spurge out or els it will burst the bottle or like fire rakte vp in embers which will haue a passage to burne out or els it wil consume the whole house o 1. Ioh. 2.9 And therefore Saint Iohn likewise saith Whosoeuer is borne of God doth not sinne for his seede remaineth in him neither can he sinne because hee is borne of God Marke yee this well The Apostle thinketh it not enough to say Hee doth not sinne but addeth moreouer He cannot sinne What is that To witte presumptuously without feare hee doth not sinne and desperately without remorse he can not sinne He can not sin I say presumptuously as Pharaoh did desperately as Caine did malitiously as Iudas did blasphemously as Iudas did He cannot hee cannot sinne thus Why so Because the seede of God remaineth still in him And what is the seede of God It is the spirit of God of which S. Paul saide euen now The spirit lusteth against the flesh and these are contrary one to the other so that ye cannot do the same thing that yee would Yee doe not sinne nay yee cannot sinne as the flesh would haue you ye cannot doe the same things that ye would but yee doe nay ye can not choose but doe manie times as the seede of God remaining in you and as the spirit of God lusting in you would haue you So that this is a legall kinde of preaching to say Take heede you sinne not yee may happen so to loose your faith to loose all the iustifying grace which God hath giuen vs to be for euer excluded out of the Kingdome of heauen This is to be sayde to vassals to drudges to slaues not to sonnes To sons this may bee better sayde p Heb. 12.5 vobis vt filijs Take heed yee sinne not God hath adopted you giuen you the earnest of his spirite q 2 Cor. 5.5 Therefore grieue not this sweete spirite whereby yee are sealed vp to the day of redemption r Eph. 4.30 If yee be louing children indeed though there were no hel to feare no heauen to hope for no torments to dread no rewards to expect yet wee will obey your good father be the sorrow-fullest Creatures in the world if you haue but once displeased him onely for the meere loue yee beate towards him and for the vnspeakeable loue hee hath shewed towardes you s Diligenti deuÌ„ sufficit ei placere quem diligit quam nulla maior expeteuda est remâ—â—etatio quom ipsa dilectio Leo Magnus Serm. 7 de Ieiunio For if he gaue his onely begotten sonne to die for you wheÌ„ ye were his enemies t Rom. 5.10 now you are sons and such deare sonnes in his dearest Sonne u Eph. 1.6 what duty will you denie him what loyaltie will you grudge him what heartie thankefulnesse and good will is there which you will not afford him what faithful honour and seruice is there which you will not yeeld him In one word ye holie ones of God I speake now to you all beloued he which stands much vpon this obiection hath no faith no repentance no iustifying grace at all in him For the faithfull will neuer make that liberty which Christ hath purchased for them with his precious bloud a cloake to couer their wickednesse x 1. Pet. 2.19 but rather a spurre to incite them to godlinesse y Luk. 1.74 Liberamur vt seruiamâ—s ei Neyther will they at any time reason thus z Rom. 6.15 VVe will sinne because wee are not vnder the Law but vnder grace nor yet thus a Rom. 6.2 We will continue in sinne that grace may abound but alwaies thus b Rom. 6.11 By that wee are deade to sinne wee gather that wee are aliue to God or else thus c Tit. 2.11 The grace of God hath appeared teaching vs to deny vngodlines and worldlie lusts Thus you see then howe the regenerate man euerie new acte of sinne must be bewailed by a new acte of Repentance For God wil not forgiue me except I repeut no more then I am bound to tell my brother I forgiue him except hee tell me He repents Naaman must wash himselfe seauen times before he can bee cleane the Angell of Ephesus must rise from his fall and doe the first workes or else his Candlesticke shall bee remoued the Church of Corinth though it bee neuer so Holie yet by sinne violating Gods loue must oftentimes bee reconciled anew euen king Dauid in this place though he were a man according to Gods own heart yet before Nathan would absolue him he was faine to crie Peccâ—â—â— and before God would forgiue him he was faine to confesse his wickednes and to water his couch with his teares The second note is That a great act of sinne must be bewailed with a greate acte of Repentance I meane not that anie paine or griefe of ours can make satisfaction for the least of our sinnes or that one contrition can be any cause of remission but onelie that where sinne hath abounded there sorrowe sholâ—d abound also that Grace may superabound at the last d 5. Rom. 10. The Schoolmen shewe heere that great griefe may bee considered two waies According to a mans appretiation and according to his intension e Vide Bellar. de Pâ—â—itentia libro 2 â— 11 As the Patriarke Iacob in his intension did lament his sonne Ioseph whom he thought to be dead more pittifully then he did any sin that we read of f Gen. 37.34 but in the appretiation or estimation which hee had of the â—aynousnesse of sinne certainly he would rather haue lost tenne sonnes then once haue sinned against God Therfore howsoeuer in intention sorrow for sinne bee none of the greatest yet in appretiation they would euer haue it excessiue But we neede not borrow such vncoth wordes of the Schoolemen to expresse our meaning if we can tel how to vse those words which we haue of our owne For if wee looke narrowly into this place wee shall see that the Prophet Dauid is both waies in the highest degree sorrowfull First by how much the more dearely he esteemed Gods loue and friendshippe then the health of his body by so much the more is hee grieued that that is violated then that this is endangered And yet againe how intensiuelie and bitterlie he bewaileth not so much the sicknesse of his bodie as the cause thereof the sinne of his soule appeareth in that he trisâ—eth not but washeth his bed and waterâ—â—â— his couch with his
teares VVe reade of three that Christ raised from death â—aâ—rus daughter the widowes sonne and Lazarus g De tota hanc Alegoria vide Aug. ser. 44 de Verbis Domini Tract 49. in Iohannem Erasmâ—m etiam in concionâ— de Miserecordia dei Feâ—rum in Iohan c 11. Hanc approbat Cal vinus in Luc verse 11. his verbis Scimus inuâ—uem 〈◊〉 quem Christus a morte suscitauit speciem esse spiritualis vita quam nobis restituit For raising vp of Iairus daughter 57 Mat. 38. deinceps many weeping and wailing greatly for her he came to the house and went in where shee lay and suffered but a very few to goe in with him and tooke her by the hand and said vnto her Maiden arise and straight way shee arose and walked charge was giuen that this should not bee tolde abroâ—de Fos raising vp the widowes sonne 58 Ioh. 11.33 et deincep much people of the citie weeping with his mother for him who was now caried out of the gate to be buried he went and touched the coffin and said Young man arise and he that was dead sat vp and began to speake and he deliuered him to his mother and the rumor hereof went forth through out all Iudea For raysing vp Lazarus 50 Luc 7.12 et deincep when he saw Mâ—ry weepe and the Iewes also weepe which came with her he groaned in the spirit he was troubled in himselfe he vnderstanding he had bin dead and buried foure daies wept for him hee groned againe he came to the graue hee caused the graue stone to be taken away hee lifted vp his eies to his father hee prayed very feruently hee cryed with a lowed voice Lazarus come foorth then hee that was dead came foorth bound hand and foote with hands and his face was bound with a napkin and Iesus saide vnto them Loose him and let him goe Now these three sorts of corses are three sorts of sinners (60) Ista tria genera mortuâ—rum sunt tria genera peccatorum â—ug ser. Iayrus daughter lying dead in her fathers house resembleth them that sinne by inward consent the widowes sonne being carried out of the gate of the citie them that sinne by outward act (44) de verbis Domini Lazarus hauing beene dead and buried foure daies them that sinne by continuall custome h Resuscitauit filium Archisy â—agogi ad huc in domo iacentem resuscitauit iuuenâ—m filium viduae extra portam ciuitatis elatuÌ„ resâ—scitauit Lazarum sepultum quatri duanum Au. Tractatu 49. in Iohan The first was dead but one houres the second but one day the third foure daies The young maiden lay in a bed the young man in a coffinâ— Lazarus in a graue For the first Christ touched her hand for the second he touched the coffin for the third he touched nothing Before their raysing vp because the maiden figured those that sinne not so much in acte as in consent hee touched her hand which had beene 〈◊〉 great instrument of any acte because the young man had sinne in aâ—â— but not in custome into which he might haue fallen if he had liued longer he touched the coffin which kept him from custome because Lazarus smelled hauing beene dead now foure daies the first day by conceiuing sinne the second by consenting to sinne the third by acting sinne the fourth by continuing in sin i Prima est quasi 〈◊〉 delecâ—atiâ—â—is 〈…〉 Aug. serm 44. Christ touched him not at all At the raising of the first few were present and they were charged also to make no words of it that the maiden might be lesse shamed which had sinned for the most part but in consent at the raising of the second much people of the citie were present and the thing was noised abroad farre and neare that the young man might be more ashamed which had sinned also in acte at the raising of the third a huge number of Iewes were present which saw his face bound with a napkin to testifie the extreame confusion and shame that couered his face and they 〈◊〉 him themselues and let him 〈◊〉 beeing eye-witnesses of his seruitude and slauerie which had sinned so 〈◊〉 by custome After their raising vp 〈◊〉 daughter strait-way arose walked because for her that had stept aside but by consenting to sinne it was easie to recouer and to arise and forthwith to walk in the way of Gods commaundements the widowes son sat vp began to spâ—â—â—e was deliuered to his mother because for him that had actually committed sinne it was a harder matter to recouer and therefore by little and little hee came to it k Residet enim qui peccare desâ—â—eâ—â—â—rigit se ad 〈…〉 lioris 〈◊〉 qui 〈◊〉 suam 〈…〉 dei misericordiam 〈…〉 tri qui pâ—eactis remediis restituitur Ecclesiae Ecommunioni rase vbi supra first sitting vp by raising vp himselfe to a purpose of amendement 〈◊〉 beginning to speake by confessing his owne misery and acknowledging Gods mercy Lastly being deliuered to his mother by returning to the bosome of the holy Church and enioying the remission of his sinnes Lazarus came foorth bound hande and foote with bâ—â—dâ—â— because for him that had a stone laide vpon him l Moles illaimposita sepulchro ipsa est vis dura consu etudinis quam premitur anima nec resurge re nec respirare permittur Aug ser. 44. and had made his heart as hard a graue stone or as a nether milstone by making a custome and as it were a trade of sinne it was a matter vnpossible to 〈◊〉 thinking to recouer onely the omnipotent power of Christ coulde bringe 〈◊〉 foorth bound hand and foote and breake these handes asunder and restore 〈◊〉 againe to the liberty of the soâ—â—â—â— of God For you must knowe 61 Ex Epiphanio Catalogo dogmatum Manuhai that thirtie yeares old he was when he was raised vp and thirty yeares more hee liued after he had beene raysed vp So that halfe his life he spent in sinne the other halfe in repentance of sinne But I haue a litle forgot myselfe Yet it will be no great faulte Right Honourable and beloued in our Lord if it will please you to pardon it I should haue obserued to you in the first place how Christ was earnestly requested to raise vp the first n Mark 5.23 but raysed vp the two last of his owne accord o Luk. 7.13 Ioh. 11.11 and contrariwise how for the two first their friends onely wept p Mar. 5.38 Luk. 7.13 but for the last besides his sisters and friends Christ also wept exceedingly q Ioh. 11.35 These are verie important matters and properly belonging to the point in hand For seeing the young maiden by sinning in consent had lesse offended Christ he would not haue troubled himselfe about her but vpon intreatie of others but the two last the one an actuall the other a customable sinner
for our owne deserts of merits but for the merit of that crosse which Christ endured of that shame which Christ despised To whom for his crosse be all praise for his shame be all glory together with the Father and the holy Ghost now and euermore Amen FINIS A SERMON PREACHED before the KINGS Maiesty lying at the Lord SAYES house called Broughton besides Banbâ—ris the 2 day of Septem 1604. ROM 8.31 If God be with vs who can be against vs THese words contain a most magnificent and triumphant conclusion arising out of the former discourse For the Apostle hauing before prooued that man is iustified only by the free grace and mercy of Christ without any merit and desert of good workers at length concludeth in the beginning of this chapter Therfore there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus and so likewise here If God be with vs who can be against vs Maximilian the Emperour â—o admired this sentence Nathan Citraeus in Iteneratio that he caused it to be set in letters of checker worke vpon a table at which he vsed to dine and 〈◊〉 that hauing it so often in his eye hee might alwaies haue it in minde also â— Deus pro nobis quis contranos If God be with vs who can be against vs The truth of it is so apparant that it hath bin made a common watchword not of Christians onely but euen of heathenish souldiers Out word is Immanuel that is Esa. 8.3 by interpretation God with vs. And some of the auncient Romanes vsed likewise in their wartes this watchword Vegetius l. 3. c. 3 Nobisâ—um Deus God with vs. For indeede if we be of the colledge and societie of Immanuel and if God be on our side we shall be sure to preuaile If God be with vs who can be against vs Damascene saith well according to the Scripture 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Damaâ—câ—n 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cyril Mierosol Our God is aboue all Gods And so likewise Cyrill The power of our God is aboue all power Therefore if that power be on our side which is aboue all power and that God which is aboue all Gods nothing can hurt vs If God be with vs who can be against vs S. Austin sheweth out of the verse immediately going before De verbis Apostoli Ser. 16 Deus pro nobis ve praedestinaret noâ— that foure especiall waies God is with vs. God is with vs in that he hath predestinated vs God is with vs in that he hath called vs God is with vs in that he hath iustified vs God is with vs in that he hath glorified vs. Innocentius the third In eo mâ—â—â—n Apostolerunt sermâ— Hostis conta nos inferior homo sheweth out of the words consequently following after that fowre speciall enemies are against vs. The inferiour enemy against vs is man the exteriour enemy against vs is the world the interiour enemy against vs is the flesh the superiour enemy against vs is the Deuil So that whereas the Apostle sai's here If God be with vs who can be against vs It is all one as if hee should haue said If God haue predestinated vs what can man doe against vs If God haue called vs what can the world do against vs If God haue iustified vs what can the flesh doe against vs If God haue glorified vs what can the deuill doe against vs If God be with vs who can be against vs The first enemy against vs is man Homo homidi lupus Aut deus aut damon And an other prouerbe saith Either a god or a deuill For to say nothing that no time is freed so place priuiledged no degree secured no torment vnpractised onely this I will touch that no age is exempted But the crueltie of man rageth not only vpon the old after they are buried but also vpon the young before they are borne Thus saith the Lord For three transgressions and for foure I will not turne vnto Moab because they digged vp the bones of the king of Edom and burnt them to lime The king of Edom was a wicked man yet God detested so this vnnaturall and barbarous cruelty of the Moabits toward the dead that for this especially he would not be reconciled to them The like ensamples haue not wanted in our land almost in our time Tracie two yeares Wickliffe two and fortie yeares after hee was buried was digged vp So euen of late they vsed Martin Bucer and Paulus Phagius in Cambridge and Peter Martyrs wife in Oxford Such cruell mâ—n if they had as great power ouer these holy Martyrs soules as they had ouer their bodies doubtles they would haue puld them out of heauen For as long as they had a finger or a fobre or a bone or a peice of a bone is the graue they neuer left mining and digging till they had rooted it out So that at the least wise we may say of them with the Psalmist The dead bodies of thy seruants Psal. 79.2 O Lord haue they giuen to bee meate to the foules of the aire and the flesh of thy Saints to the beasts of the field Now the crueltie of man against man as it endeth not when life endeth so it beginneth before life beginneth For not onely Esau that cruell and cursed reprobate strugled and wrafâ—led with his brother Iacob in their mothers wombe but also â—â—e Ammonites ript vp the women of â—â—â—lead beeing great with child Amos 1.13 Lamen â— 20 and the Babylonians caused the womâ—n of Ierusalem to eate their owne fruit and their children of a span long And not long agoe in the Isle of Garnsey when a faithful woman whose name need not here to be rehearsed while she was burning at the stake Perotine Massy was deliuered of a goodly man-child some were so hard-hearted to fling him back againe into the fire there to be â—â—rthered as they meant it but in deede martyred with his mother O blessed babe Because there is no roome for him so the inne as soone as hee is borne hee is laide in a maunger Nay because there is no roome for him in any one corner of all the world by and by he is baptized with the holy Ghost and with fire O blessed I say againe blessed babe Before thou art lapped in swadling clothes thou art crowned with martyrdome before thou fully breathest in the breath of life thou happily breathest out thine innocent soule â—â— God But â—ie vpon such beastly and cruell murthers Out vpon such deuillish and fiendish tormentors These Saints these Catholikes who are Soythians if these be Saints who are Canibals if these be Catholikse which holding it as an article of their faith that all children dying without baptisme are damned yet wittingly did put this innocent child to death before he was baptized And therefore as they made the mother suffer the most vntollerable paines of childbirth and martyrdome both together's so they verily
thought and beleeued they flung the infant also body and soule into an earthly fire and into hell fire all at once This is the crueltie of man He would if he could pull some out of heauen after they are buried and thrust some into hel before they are borne But God hath predestinated vs. And not only before we were borne Ephes. 1.4 but also before the world was created hath chosen vs in Christ. Euen as Christ shall say at the last day Come ye blessed of my Father Matth. 25.34 inherit the kingdome of heauen prepared for you before the foundations of the world For looke how carefully parents prouide for their children Primâ—sius in a Tim. â— 1. in illa Ante tempora secularia Arator Doâ—â— prius tempora dedit and put them in their will before they are borne so God giues vs the grace to liue with him before he giue vs time to liue here Euen as the Sonne saith Feare not little â—â—ock for it is your Fathers will to giue you a kingdome And the father himselfe I euen I am he that comfort you who 〈◊〉 thou then that fearest a mortall maâ— who fadeth away as grasse Therefore euery couragious Christian may comfort his heart in God and say with the Prâ—â—â—â—y Prophet The Lord is my light and my saluation whome then shall I feare the Lord is the strength of my life of whoÌ„ then shall I be afraid when the wicked euen mine enemies and my foes come vpon me to eat vp my flesh they stumbled and fell Though an hoast of men were laid against me yet shall not my heart be afraid though there rose vp warre against me yet wil I put my 〈◊〉 in him I will not be afraid of ten thousand of the people that haue set themselues against me round about Yea though I walke thorough the valley of the shadow of death yet will I feare no euill â—or thou O Lord art with me thy rod and thy staffe they comfort me So that I may boldly say The Lord is my helper neither will I feare what 〈◊〉 can doe vnto me The Lord of hoaste with vs the God of Iacob is our refuge And if the Lord of hosts haue predestinated vs vnto life what can man doe against vs what before we liue what while we liue what after we liue If God be with vs who can be against vs The second enemie against vs is the world Which assaileth vs as well by aduersitie Qusd est mundus nisi agon plenus cetraminum as by prosperitie What is the world saith S. Ambrose but a race or a course full of trials troubles It is a field wherein is little corne but much cockle It is a garden wherein are few roses but many thornes Yet these thornes of aduersitie doe not so much oftentimes endanger vs as the baites of prosperitie Mundus peririculosior est blandus quam molâ—stuâ— magis cauendus eunse â—lliâ—â—t diligi qaâ—m cum ad monet cogitqueâ—ontemni Epist. 144. The world is more dangerous saith S. Austin when it flattereth then when it threateneth and is more to be feared when it allureth vs to loue it then when it enforceth vs to contemn it For euen as Iudas by a kisse betrayed his master so the world is a very Iudas It meaneth most falsly when it embraceth most friendly Wherefore the Apostle saith thus of Demas Demas hath forsaken vs and imbraced this present world So that the immoderate embracing of this world is a flat forsaking of Christ and his Gospel Vnskilful swimmers when they begin to sinke if they catch hold of weeds in the bottom Qui mundum amploctuntur similes sunt illis qui submerguntur in aquis Bern. de Adnent setm. 1. the faster they hold the surer they are drowned in like sort they that shake hands with the world and embrace the pleasures and prosperitie thereof most greedily plunge themselues most deeply into destruction But God hath called vs. And therefore neither aduersitie nor prosperitie can hurt vs. Maruell not saith our Saâ—iour though the world hate you It hated me before it hated you If you were of the world the world would loue you but because you are not of the world but I haue chosen you out of the world therefore doth the world hate you Well as the world hateth vs so weâ— must hate it againe As it contemneth vs so we must contemne it againe According to that of S. Paul The world is crucified to me and I vnto the world I am crucified to the world that is The world contemnes me the world is crucified to mee that is I contemne the world The world contemnes me 〈◊〉 I contemne it Moral senn 10. c. 2. Qui nihil habet in mundo quod appetat nihil est quod de mundo pertimesent Cyprian Quis ei de secullo metus est cui in seculo deus tutor est For as Gregory sayes He that hath nothing that he loues in the world hath nothing to feare of the world And Cyprian What neede he to feare the world who hath God his protector his tutor his defendour in the world He that is of God ouercommeth the world And this is our victorie whereby we ouercome the world euen our faith Whereupon our Sauiour saies Be of good comfort I haue ouercome the world and behold I am with you euen vnto the ende of the world So that the world and the trouble we shall haue in the world shall haue an ende but the comfort we haue in God shall haue no end Behold I am with you saith he And if God be with vs and haue called vs out of the world what can the world doe against vs If God be with vs who can be against vs The third enemie against vs is the flesh Prou. 30.22 Salomon saith this is one thing which maketh the earth euen tremble when a seruant beginneth to beare rule The flesh is and ought to be a seruant Yet it beareth rule in the vnregenerate Yea it striueth to beare rule and beginneth to beare rule euen in the godly A mans enemies are they of his owne house It is mine owne familiar friend that lifteth vp his heele against me This familiar friend was Paul much troubled withal when be said I see an other law in my members Rom. 7. rebelling against my minde and leading mee captiue vnto death And Lot who beeing a iust man that could not be ouercome with all the sinnes of Sodom by immoderate drinking of wine fell to follie And Samson who otherwise impregnable yet yeelded to Dalila Therefore in the 〈◊〉 it lieth which striueth to lay our honour in the dust But God hath iustified vs. And hauing iustified vs in some measure also hath begunne to sanctifie vs. So that the flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh in so much as we cannot doe as we would Not onely the flesh against the spirit but