head and his left hand doth embrace vs so that though we should fall yet we can not be hurt because the Lord stayeth and supporteth vs with his hand Therefore S. Chrysostome giues vs good counsell not to haue iayes eyes but eagles eyes that we may behold these hands of Christ and see his side in the sacrament For indeede as o◅ten as we celebrate the memorie of our Lords death Christ our Sauiour deliuering the bread and the cuppe by his minister saith in a sort to euery faithfull receiuer Put thy finger here and see my hands and put forth thy hand and put it into my side and be not faithlesse but faithfull But yet we shall not alwaies drinke of this fruit of the vine The time will come when we shall drinke a new kinde of wine in Christs kingdome Wherefore he saies As often as ye shal eate this bread and drinke this cup you shall shew the Lords death til he come Till he come Declaring hereby that when he is come his death shall be shewed an other way Namely by his wounds which alwaies he sheweth to his Saints Euen as vve sing in that heauenly Hymne or Psalme The humble suit of a sinner Whose bloody wounds 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 the Saints reioyce how glori◅ 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 spirituall banket of the Saints For wheresoeuer the dead bodie is thither fhall the eagles resort And we that with eagles wings flie vp by faith into heauen shall euer resort to this dead bodie and we shall vnsatiably desite 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 soule which calleth home the Shulamite as the pot of Manna which nourisheth the Israelite as the well of Iacob which refresheth the ◅hirstie as the poole of Bethesda which ◅ealeth 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 woman 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 bodie is the paper Here thou maist see the bowels of my compassion thorough the wounds of my passion Assure thy selfe therfore assure thy selse 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 be 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 his second comming shal serue to confoūd his enemies onely at the day of iudgement did doe and shall serue to comfort his friends for euer Wherefore though we 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 we 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 wounds so let vs kisse the Sonne least he be angrie honour his holy wounds which are the pretious balme wherewith he hath healed vs and restored vs to euerlasting life To the which we beseech thee O good Lord to bring vs not for our owne deserts or merits but for the tender bowels of Christ Iesus loue and mercie toward vs to whome with the Father and the holy Ghost be all honour and praise both now 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 hands 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 doe so little as though they had two tongues and but one hand nay three tongues and neuer a hand In so much as that may be aptly applied to them which Pandulphus said to some in his time You say much but you do litle 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 thē they teach or else lesse then they teach teaching others to doe well and to doe much but doing no whit themselues may be resembled to diuerse things To a whet stone which being blunt it selfe makes a knife sharpe To a painter which beeing 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
a while 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 TheÌ„ the people were so incensed and enraged against them that they made the best of theÌ„ all 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 slewe Christ. But at the day of iudgement what shall Christ say Those mine enemies which would not that I should raigne ouer them bring hiâ—…her and slay them before me Then not only the angels but all creatures shall be readie to execute vengeance on these murtherers when they shall see the robe of Christ washt in vvine and his garment in the blood of grapes When Thamar Iudas daughter in lavv vvas accused for committing folly in Israel she sent to her father in lavve saying Looke I pray thee vvhose these are the signet and the staffe Iuda by and by knevve 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 shal be quite confounded vvhen they shall see hovv they haue abused him vvhen they shall see the markes vvhich their signet staffe haue made their signet in his hands and their staffe in his side The Prophet Daniel recordeth â—…hat while Balthazar was drinking wine in the golden vessels which hee had taken out of the temple there appeared fingers of a mans hand that wrote vpon the wall and the king saw the palme of the hand that wrote Then his countenance was changed and his thoughts troubled him so that the ioynts of his loynes were loosed and his knees smote one against an other In this case of Balthazar we may consider the state of the wicked what it shall be at the last day When they shall see the fingers and the palmes of Christs hands which they haue so pitifully wounded writing dovvne their doome they shal tremble euery ioynt of them be at their vvits endes and they shall say to the mountaines Fall on vs and to the rocks Couer vs and hide vs from the presence of him that sitteth on the throne and fâ—…oÌ„ the wrath of the lamb Thus these victorious vvouÌ„ds of Christ shal confront coÌ„found his enemies As Saul was astonished wheÌ„ be 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 Scipio's sepulchre as the Saxons were terrified when they sawe Cadwallo's image as the Philistims were afraid when they sawe Dauids sword as the Israelits were appaled when they saw Aarons rodde as the Hungarians were dâ—…unted when they sawe 〈◊〉 as drum as the Romanes were dasht vvhen they savve Caesars robe as Iâ—…da vvas ashamed vvhen he savve Thamars signet and stasfe as Balthazar vvas amazed vvhen he savve the hand vvtiting vpon the vvall So shall Christs enemies be confounded vvhen 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 novv vvill I reprooue thee and set 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 Deny it if thoâ—… darst 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 sor 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 Almightie God in the old law appointed cities of refuge whither they which had sinned vnwillingly might slie and be safe if they staied in any os 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. Whither then should we flie sinnefull soules whither should we flie for succour and comfort but to Christ His wounds onely are the cities of refugeâ—… 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 stonie rocks for the conies O blessed be these high hills blessed be these stonie 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 dreadsull displeasure of almightie God Therefore our Sauiour speakes to his Spouse in this sort My doue thou art in the holes of the rocke in the secret places 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 shee be in the holes of the rocke and in the secret places os 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 boldnes 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 Beersheba he sate downe vnder a iuniper tree and desired that he might die A iuniper tree maketh the hoatest coale 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 vn extinguished by the space of a whole yeare Therefore whereas we read in the hundred and twentieth Pâ—…alme With hot burâ—…ing 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 â—…dowe is as coole Insomuch as the onely shadow of the iuniper tree sleeth and killeth serpents Therefore Elias seeking to rest himselfe where he might be safest from serpents and other daungers sat down vnder a iuniper tree and
walke on long enough and no man enuie you no man maligne 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 doth your aduersarie the Deuill the old enemie of all goodnes and vertue who is readie 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 haâ—…e 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 deuillish enemies No counsell of man no policie no wisdome no wit can foresee all 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 descrie them and a hand to persecure and punish them both an eye and an hand to deliuer you from daunger and to cloath them with shame Therefore saith he Cast your care vpon me 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 â—…ands I le 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 in 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 toad or as a viper or as some hidious mishapen monster and curse the very day wherein such a rebellious generation and such a trayterous brood were borne Certainly my good brethren if the mercie of God which is incomprehensible did not giue them grace at the last gaspe to repent and crie to God for pardon as they are cloathed with shame in this world so shall they be 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 be o Lord euen so to all the enemies of thine aâ—…ointed either open or secret so let it be to them As for his enemies doe thou thou O Lord thine owne selfe doe thou cloath them with shame But vpon himselfe shall his Crowne flourish These words vpon himselfe either are altogether impertinent and superfluous or else they are very important and materiall For it had beene sufficient to haue saide As for his enemies I shall cloath them with shame but as for himselfe his â—…rowne shall â—…lourish It is not greatly necessarie as it should seeme to 〈◊〉 his crowne shall â—…lourish vpon himselfe Yet the Lord in his gratious answer vnto Dauids praier thought good to put in this as a supernumerarie 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 seruant 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 weight of glory still to a greater and greater Vpon himselfe saies he shall his crowne flourish For not onely it shall be as flourishing as Dauid left it at the day of his departure to God but after his dissolutioÌ„ and death as faâ—…t as his bodie corrupteth in the earth so fast shall his crowne encrease still in heauen Trust me truly I speake it before the liuing Lord and this high presence all the whole Church which shall be edified to saluation by Dauids blessed and godly gouernement euen after his death shal yet suffer his crown neuer to die but shall continually keepe it fresh and greene Yeâ—… as euery one brought to the building of the tabernacle and to the reedifying of the temple such as they were able so I assure you I speake now a great word euery particular subiect that is saithfull to God and to his Prince as he goeth on forward to God by the peace and by the religion which he hath enioyed vnder his Prince so he shall still beautifie and decke Dauids crowne one shall bring a white rose another shall bring a red rose and adde it to the crowne that so vpon himselfe still his crowne may slourish the white rose and the redde rose that are in the crowne alreadie beeing euer made more and more fragrant and slourishing O Christ what a crowne is this And what will it growe to much more in the ende You that are mighty Kings and Potentates vpon earth haue indeede great cares and continuall businesse in your heads but yet vouchsafe I pray you to hearken a little what I shal say vnto you You watch oftentimes ouer vs when we are asleepe our selues You care for our peace when it is not in 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 We that cannot all our liues long doe the hundreth part of that good vvhich you doe euery houre shall haue nothing so flourishing a crovvne as you shall haue Vpon you vpon you shall euerlasting peace rest vpon you shall the glorie of Gods Maiestie shine vpon you vpon you shall your crovvne slourish Which the Lord of his mercie graunt I most humbly beseech him for Iesus Christs sake that as Dauids crovvne euer slourished till the first comming of Christ so our gratious Kings crovvne may euer flourish till the second comming of Christ and then that afterward for euer his royall Maiestie may be roy ally crovvned vvith eternall life thorough the same our deare Sauiour Iesus Christ to vvhom vvith the father and the holy Ghost be all honour and glo rie povver and praise dignitie and dominion novv and euermore Amen FINIS A SERMON PREACHED BEFORE the Kings Maiestie that day he entred into Oxford at Woodstocke August 27. 1065. Luk. 8. 15. But that which fell in good ground are they which with a good and a very good heart heare the word and keepe it and bring
one onely holy and happy example hath done which we see euery day before our eies Neither need ye be greatly put in mind to keepe in mind the word heard Memorie ye haue enough vnderstanding enough knowledge enough learning enough When you haue heard a Sermon you can remember and repeat and carrie away and keepe much of it But this this is the thing which I must â—…all vpon my selfe and vpon all you to thinke of to wit that we bring forth the fruit of the word in patience in temperance and in all other vertues of a sanctified life For that Samaritan Woman did not fill her pitcher at the well â—…o spill it by the way but to carrie it home full of water and there to vse it as occasion seru'd Here where the word is preached is the well of liuing water flowing forth to eternall life But this water we must carrie away with vs and keepe it to wash and purge our consciences to clense our wayes to water the roots of Gods graces in vs continually that we may bring forth fruit with patience Rachel also that other holy woman did not desire the mandrakes so much to hold it in her hand or to smell â—…o it as to be made apt thereby 〈◊〉 bring forth the fruite of her wombe To teach vs that we must not labour so much to knowe the word that we may subtilly dispute or discourse of it as to practise it that we may shewe the fruite of it in the amendment of our liues Therefore king Dauid beeing readie to redresse diuers things among his people saith in one of the Psalmes O Lord teach me goodnesse and knowledge knowledge that I may keepe thy word and goodnesse that I may shewe the fruit of it For I am sure saies he that al my keeping without fructifying all my knowledge without goodnesse is to no purpose Wherefore ó Lord giue me goodnesse and knowledge But first goodnesse and then knowledge Because indeede a little goodnesse though it be neuer so small is better then all knowledge though neuer so great One handfull of goodnesse is worth an hundred headfulls of knowledge For the feare of the Lord is the beginning of wisedome a good vnderstanding haue all they that doe thereafter the praise of it 〈◊〉 sor euer A good vnderstandâ—…ng 〈◊〉 all they that doe thereafter Why so Because an ill vnderstanding haue all they that doe not thereafter They that haue vnderstanding and doe not thereafter that is bring not forth fruit according to it they haue an ill vnderstanding But they that haue vnderstanding and do therafter lead their lise according to it such haue a good vnderstanding The praise of these shal endure for euer O how highly shall Christ praise you how richly shall he reward you if you haue a conscionable care to expresse his vertues to be transformed as it were into the obedience of his word Then he shall say vnto you Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the kingdome of heauen For ye haue not onely heard my word and kept it as farre as knowledge goes but also ye haue practised it and fructified thereby I was in prison and ye visited me I was harbourlesse and ye lodged me I was hungry and ye gaue me meate These and such other haue beene the good fruites which haue follovved your hearing and keeping of my word Therefore now ye shall be praised for your weldoing and for euer ye shall be blessed for your fruit-bearing Which God graunt to vs all for Iesus Christ his sake to whom with the Father and the holy Ghost be all honour and glorie power and praise dignitie and dominion now and euermore Amen FINIS A FVNERALL SERMON PREACHED in S. Maries May 10. 1605. Psal. 32. 6. Surely in the flood of many waters they shall not come neere him THe principall scope os the Prophet in this place is to prooue that the righteousnesse and so the blessednesse of man consisteth onely in the free forgiuenes of his sinnes and gratious imputation of Christs merits His argument may be framed thus That which the whole Church and euery godly man therein hath euer especially praied for in all afflictions and troubles that is happinesse But for remission of sinnes euery godly man will â—…ray in time of tribulation Therefore this is the felicitie of the faithfull To confirme this reason more fully he setteth downe first the circumstances going before the prayer For this shall euery one that is godly make his prayer vnto thee in a time when thou maist be found Then the forme of the prayer it selfe Thou art a place to hide me in thou shalt preserue me from trouble thou shalt compasse me about with â—…ongs of deliuerance Lastly the effect following the prayer Surely in the flood of many waters they shall not come neere him Prayer is the true sacrifice of faith The efficacie whereof is briefly but pithily set downe to the Hebrewes And I haue spoken els-where somewhat largely of this point Now but a word onely to make a fit entrance into this sermon Take it therefore thus The effocts of prayer heretofore haue beene wonderfull Prayer hath fet down hailestones from heauen to ouercome fiue Kings with their armies Prayer hath shut vp the windowes of heauen that it should not raine and againe hath opened them that the earth might giue her encrease Prayer hath staied the swist course of the sunne and caused it to go backward fifteene degrees Prayer hath held Gods hands that he could not strike when he was readie to plague his people Prayer without any other helpe or meanes hath throwne downe the strong walls of Iericho Prayer hath deuided the sea that the floods thereof could not come neere the Israelites In this place it deliuereth the faithful man from all the dangers of this world Surely in the flood of many waters they shall not come neere him The summe is this That no calamities of this world no troubles of this life no terrours of death no guiltines 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 inough 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 danger the deliuerance The danger is in these words In 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 neare him Where the deliuerance of the godly man hath three degrees also First they shall not come
doe against vs If God haue called vs what can the vvorld doe against vs If God haue iustified vs vvhat can the flesh doe against vs If God haue glorified vs vvhat can the deuill doe against vs If God be vvith vs vvho can be against vs The first enemie against vs is man Homo homini lupus And an other 〈◊〉 saith Either a god or a deuill â—…or to say nothing that no time is sreeed no place priuiledged no degree secured no torment vnpractised onely thiâ—… I vvill touch that no age is exempâ—…ed But the crueltiâ—… of man rageth not â—…y vpon â—…e old after they aâ—…e buried but also vpon the young before they are bâ—…e Thus saith the Lord â—…or â—…ree transgressions and for foâ—… I vvill â—…ot turne vnto Moab because they digged vp the bones of the king of â—…dom and burnt them to liâ—… The king of Edom vvas a vvicked man yet God deâ—…sted so thiâ—… vnnaturall and 〈◊〉 câ—…uelty oâ—… the Moabits â—…ard the dead that for this especially he would not be reconciled to them Thâ—… like 〈◊〉 haâ—…e not wanted in oâ—…r laâ—…d aâ—…d almost in our time Trâ—…cie two yeares Wickliffe two and fortie yeares after he 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 men 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 foote or a bone or a piece of a bone in the graâ—…e 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 O Lord haue they giuen to be meate to the foules of the ayre 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 Esaâ—… that cruell and cursed reprobate strugled and wrastled with his brother Iacob in their mothers wombe but also the Ammonites ript vp the women of Gilead beeing greâ—… with child and the Babylonians causeâ—… the women of Ierusalem to â—…ate their owne fruit and their children of a spaâ—… long And not long agoe in the Isle oâ—… Garnsey wheÌ„ a faithful women whosâ—… â—…ame neede not heare to be rehearsed while shee was burning at the stake waâ—… deliuered of a goodly man-child somâ—… were so hard-hearted to fling him bacâ—… againe into the fire there to be murtheâ—… red as they meanâ—… it but indeede maâ—…tyred with his mother O blessed babe Because there is no roome for him 〈◊〉 â—…he inne as soone as he is borne he is laide in a manger Nay because there is no roome for him in anâ—… one corner of all the world by and bâ—… he is baptized with the holy Ghost anâ—… with fire O blessed I say againe blesseâ—… babe Before thou art lapped in swadliâ—…g clothes thou art crowned wiâ—…â—…tyrdome before thou fully brâ—…thest in the breath of life thou happeâ—…â—…est out thine innocent soule to God But fie vpon such beastly and cruell murthers Out vpon such deuilliâ—… â—…nd fiendish tormentors These Saints â—…ese Catholiks who are Scythians if â—…ese be Saints who are Canibals if â—…ese be Catholiks which holding it as â—…n article of their faith that all children â—…ying without baptisme are damned â—…et wittingly did put this innocent â—…hild to death before he was baptized â—…nd theresore as they made the moâ—…er suffer the most vntollerable â—…aines â—…f childbirth and martyrdome both toâ—…ether so as they verily thought and â—…eleeued they slung the infant also â—…odie and soule into an earthly fire and â—…to hell fire all at once This is the â—…rueltie of man He would if he could â—…ull some out of heauen after they are â—…uried and thrust some into hell before â—…hey are borne But God hath predestinated vs. And â—…ot onely before we were borne but alâ—…o bâ—…fore the world was created hath â—…hosen vs in Christ. Euen as Christ shal â—…ay at the last day Come ye blessed of â—…y father inherit the kingdome of heaâ—…en prepared for you before the founâ—…ations of the world For looke how carefull parents prouide for their children 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 â—…ere Euen as the Sonne saith Feâ—…re not little flock for it is youâ—… fathers will to giue you a kingdome And the father â—…imselfe I eueâ—… I am hâ—… that comsort you who art thou theâ—… that searest a mortall man who fadeth away as grasse Therefore euery couragioâ—…s Christian may comfort his heaâ—… in God and say with the princely Prophet The Lord is my light and my saluation whome then shall I feare thâ—… Lord is the streÌ„gth oâ—… my life of whoâ—… then shall I be afraid when the wicked euâ—… mine enemies and my foes comâ—… vpon me to eat vp my flesh they stuÌ„bleâ—… and sâ—…ll Tâ—…ough an hoast of men weâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 me yet shall not my heaâ—… be afraid and though there rose 〈◊〉 warre 〈◊〉 me yet will I put my truâ—… iâ—…â—…im I will â—…ot be afraid of ten thousâ—… of thâ—… people that haue set themselâ—… 〈◊〉 me round about Yeâ—… 〈◊〉 I 〈◊〉 through the valley of â—…he shadow of death yet will I fearâ—… no â—…uill for thou O Lord art with me thy â—…od and thy staffe they comfort me So â—…hat I may boldly say The Lord is my â—…elper neither will I seare what man can doe vnto me The Lord of hosts is with vs the God of Iacob is our refuge And if the Lord of hosts haue predestiâ—…ated vs vnto life wâ—…at can man doe agâ—…st 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 eâ—…emie against vs is â—…he world Which assâ—…ileth vs as well â—…y aduersitie 〈◊〉 by prosperitie What is the world saith S. Ambrose but a race or a course full of trialls and troubles It is a fiâ—…ld wherein is little corne but much cockle It iâ—… a garden wherein are fewe roses but many thornes Yet these thornes of aduersitie doe not so much oftentimes 〈◊〉 vs as the baites of prosperitie The world is more dangerous saith S. Austin when it slattereth then when it threatneth and is more to be feared when it allureth vâ—… tâ—… loue it then when it enforceth vs to contemne it For euen as Iudas by a kisse betraied his master so the world is a very Iudas It meaneth most falsly when it imbraceth 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 oâ—… Christ and his gospell
Vnskilfull swimmers when they begin to sinke if they catch hold of weedes in the bottome the faster they hold the surer they are drowned and in like sort they that shake hands with the world and embrace the pleasures and prosperitie thereof most greedily plung themselues most deeply into destruction But God hath called vs. And therefore neither aduersitie nor prosperiti◅ can hurt vs. Maruell not saith our Sauiour thogh the world hate you It hate◅ 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 vve 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 me that is I contemne the world The world contemnes me and I contemne it For as Gregorie saies He that hath nothing that he loues in the world hath nothing to feare of the world And Cyprian What neede he to feare of the world who hath God his protectour 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 ◅aith 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 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 own house It is mine owne familiar friend that listeth vp his heele against me This familiar friend was Paul much troubled withall when he said I see an other law in my members rebelling against my minde and leading me captiue vnto death And Lot who beeing a iust man that could not be ouercome with all th◅ sinnes of Sodom by immoderate drinking of wine fell to ◅llie And Sampson who otherwise impregnable yet yeelded to Dalila Therefore in the bosome 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 sanctisie 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 also the spirit against the flesh So that we cannot doe as we would For if we would serue god so holily as the angels we can not because the flesh lusteth against the spirit againe if we would sinne with full consent of wil so brutishly as the wicked doe we cannot because the spirit lusteth against the flesh But euen as Castor 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 condemne vs because in thē the spirit lusteth against the slesh 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 shrunke 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 sa◅ 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 fauour with God As if he should haue said Feare not the angel of the Lord seeing the Lord of the angel is with thee Thou hast found fauour with God to haue the fruit of thy slesh the sauiour of thy foule 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 enemie against vs is the deuill And he is the worst enemie of al◅ Therefore sai's the Apostle we hau◅ not to fight with flesh and blood but vvith principalities and povvers and vvith the Prince of darknesse that ruleth in the aver This Prince vvarreth against ◅s tvvo vvaies By persecutions and per◅vvasions For the first he is described ◅n the Reuelation to ride vpon a blacke and a redde horse The blacknesse of the horse snevveth hovv terrible the deuil is the reddenesse hovv bloodie Neither doth he come single but seauen of them at once possesse Mary Magdalen Neither doe they onely sight against vs beeing aliue but the deuill fought vvith Michael th'arkeangel for the bodie of Moses vvhen he vvas dead Neither doe they terribly set vpon vs to get our bodies onely but our soules also Especialy they do this at the day of death and vvill doe more diligently at the day of iudgement Novv their persvvasions are yet more dangerous then their threatnings When they come to vs in the shape not of an vncleane spirit but of an angel of light Thus Satan did set vpon the first Adam Hath God indeed commanded you not to eate of the tree He makes a question of it And if ye eat you shall be as Gods knovving good euill A faire promise but a contrarie performance So he did set vpon the second Adam All these things vvill ◅ giue thee if thou vvilt fall dovvne and vvorship me He vvould hire Christ and giue him good vvagesto serue him vvhich vvould haue depriued our Sauiour of all his eternall glorie But God hath glorisied vs. It is not now to be doubted whether Satan shall 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 is an other place He that beleeueth in me hath passed from death to life Not shall passe but hath passed So S. Paul He hath made vs to sit with himselfe in heauenly places aboue No◅ he will make but he hath Therefore Chrysostome writeth verie resolutely
yea whole pictures of his passion and of his resurrection in his head in his hands in his side in his ◅eete When king Arthurs bodie was taken vp somewhat more then sixe hundred yeares after his death it was knowne to be his by nothing so much as by the prints of ten seuerall wounds which appeared in his skull 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 immortality in his body which was then mortall so here contrariwise at his resurrection he sheweth Thomas the signes of mortalitie in his bodie which is nowe immortall That he and all we might vndoubtedly con◅sse that though they perhaps might be deceiued in King Arthurs bodie yet we can neuer be deceiued so long as we beleeue that the verie same bodie 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 by those golden collars which by the kings commandement were put about their necks so much more might Thomas know Christ by his woundes 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 seene 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 being accused by one Iannes to haue killed Arsenius and after to haue cut off his hand that he might vse it to magick and ◅orcerie cleared himselfe notably of this slander Hauing by good happe found out Arsenius who lay hid for the nonce he brought him before the Counsell of Tyrus and there asked his accuser whether he 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 cloake shewed them one of his hands And when most men surmised that th◅ other hand ◅t leastwise was cur o◅f Athanasius without any more adoe 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 He was thought by some to be quite dead and gone Bu◅ Thomas seeing those very hands of his which were n◅iled to the crosse acknowledgeth that this our brother was dead and is aliue againe was lost an◅ is found For if the spies that were se◅ to viewe Iericho knew Rahabs hou◅ from all the rest by a red thread whi◅h hung out of the windowe how much more easily then might Thomas know Christ especialy seeing Rahabs house was a figure of Christs body the windowe a signe of the wound in his side the red thread a figure of the streame of blood issuing out of that wound When Vlysses had beene long from home no man almost at his returne knew him yet Euriclea his nurce espying by chance the mark of a wound in his foote which he got by hunting the wild boare by and by made him known to his friends In like manner Thomas beholding the wounds not of Christs feete onely but also of his whole bodie beleeueth verily though the wild boare out of the wood stroake sore at him that he might fall yet that he hath now recouered him selfe and is risen and returned home againe Euen as the wise men knewe Christ was borne by the starre which appeared in the East and knewe also where he lay when he was borne by the standing of that star directly ouer against him so Thomas not by one starre but by many starres which notwithstanding are more beautifull and bright then all the starres of heauen knoweth and confesseth that the true sunne of righteousnesse is now risen and shineth ouer all the earth Thus these blessed wounds witnesse and my hands and put forth thy hand and put it into my side and be not faithlesse but faithfull So much for the first cause which is to approoue his resurrection The second caus◅ why Christ hath his wounds yet to be seene in his body is to appease his father Almightie God was once readie to haue destroied the Israelites had not Moyses his chosen stood before him in the gap Moyses as he was a mediator betweene God and the people was a singulur type of the Messias to come And standing in the gap he did as it were point to Christ. For when our Sauiours side was woū ded then indeede there was a great gap and a great breach made by which all we that beleeue in him may escape Therefore Moyses his standing before the Lord in the gap did signifie as S. Barnard noteth that Christ making intercession before his father for vs shold alwaies stand in the gap and shew how he himself was broken vpon the crosse and as I may say troden downe for our redemption That poore creeple also which begged at the beautifull gate of the temple teacheth vs what he continually doth who when he was rich became poore for our sakes The temple is his bodie which after it had been destroied was built vp againe in three daies The beautifull gate of this temple is the pretious wound in his side of which the Psalmist saies This is the gate of the righteous the iust shall enter in by it Therefore as that poore creeple lying at the beautifull gate of the temple was healed by S. Peter so Christ lying a◅ the beautifull gate of his owne body shewing his most grieuo◅s b◅t yet most glorious susferings and torments appeaseth his fathers wrath and obtaineth whatsoeuer he intreateth of him King Ezekias hauing receiued rayling letters from Senacherib went vp to the temple and spread the letters before the Lord and praied saying Open thine eyes O Lord and see and heare all the words of Senacherib who hath sent to blaspheme the liuing God No Ezekias was euer more taunted and reuiled more scorned and reproched then he who was counted the shame of men and the outcast of the people Wherefore now he spreadeth forth and laieth open not onely the blasphemous words which were v◅tred against him but also the dolorous wounds and gashes which were giuen him that so he may put out the hand-writing that was against vs and appease his father and throughly reconcile him to vs. And looke how king Salomon when he praied for the people stood before the altar and stretched out his hands toward heauen in semblable wise Christ who is farre greater then Salomon standeth euermore beside the altar o◅ his crosse and stretcheth out his beskarred and
his wounds perswades the people to grant Emilius triumph Aaron burning incense in his golden censer perfumeth the whole sanctuarie Noah pointing to his rainebowe putteth God in minde of his promise Iaacob laying forth his roddes make most of the lambs his owne Abel holding vp his blood cals and cries for mercie Christ shewing his hands and his side appeaseth his father As if our Sauiour should say thus vnto his father O my louing father looke vpon the face of thine annointed looke vpon the hands looke vpon the side of thine annointed The hands of thine annointed how cruelly they are mangled the side of thine annointed how wofully it is wounded Behold and see if there be any sorrow like to my sorrow These hands can signifie what exceeding sorrow I haue suffered this side can shew that I haue humbled my selfe and haue beene obedient vnto death euen vnto the death of the crosse Therefore O my deare father Put thy finger here and see my hands and put forth thy hand and put it â—…nto my side and as thou art not faithlesse but faithfull so be not mercilesse but mercifull for my sake and pitifull to thy people So much for the second cause which is to appease his father The third cause why Christ hath his wounds yet to be seene in his bodie is to confound his enemies When Saint Paul the Apostle before his conuersion persecuted the Church of God Christ called to him from heauen and said Saul Saul why persecutest thou me Who art thou Lord saies Saul I am saies Christ Iesus of Nazareth whome thou persecurest 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 wilâ—… thou haue me doe Now if Saul who repenâ—…d him afterward of his persâ—…cuting Câ—…st stood so astonished when he 〈◊〉 but a peice of the title vpon his crossâ—… 〈◊〉 then shall all they be astonished how shall they be confounded which without any repentance or remorse of consâ—…ience persecute Christ continually wheâ—… at the latter day not onely the title written ouer his head but euen the very print of the wounds in his hands and side shall rise vp in iudgement to condemne them When like as Ioseph saide to his brethren I am Ioseph your brother whome you sold into Egypt so Christ shall say vnto them I am Iesus of Nazareth whome you persecuted and put to death Wonderfull indeede is the feare and confusion of a wicked conscience Aâ—…ter that Herod had beheaded Iohn Baptist he imagined still he saw and heard that holy head showting crying out against him Whereupon hearing the same of Iesus he 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 he confesseth not his fault in true repentance but onely vvith his owne mouth beareth witnesse oâ—… 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 testisieth against thee saying I haue slaine the Lords annointed Now if the remembrance of this cruell act so vexed and disquieted Herod day and night that he 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 crucisie him continually with their sinnes wheÌ„ at the resurrection of all slesh they shall see him vvhome they haue pierced and wring their hands and vveepe waile before him Scipio appointed his sepulâ—…hre to be so placed as his image standing vpon it might looke directly toward Africa that beeing dead he might still be a terror to the Carthaginians after the same sort the Prophet Esai prophesying of Christ saith In that day the roote of Iesse shall stand vp for a signe vnto the people and euen his sepulâ—…hre shall be glorious So that as the bodie of Cadwallo an auntient king of the Brittayns being embalmed and dressed vvith svvete confections vvas 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 after he had wrested it out of his hand was kept in the Tabernacle wrapt in a cloath behind the Ephod Which when Abimilech the Priest brought forth Dauid said There is none to that giue it me Christ also did conquer death euen with those weapons and armour wherewith death assaulted him And he keepeth still a memorial of this conquest in the tabernacle of his body That as the Philistims were afraid when they sawe Dauid fighting in the â—…ield with that sword so all Christs enemies may be 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 Therefore the Lord said vnto Moyses Bring Aarons rod againe before the testimonie to be kept for a token to the rebellious children The bodie of Christ was a greene tree before it was crucified After beeing dead it was clung and dry like Aarons rodde But it budded when as the third day it rose againe Therefore it is kept still for a token to the rebellious children That as Aaron conuinced the murmuring Israelites and confirmed the authoritie of his priesthood by the budding of his rod which otherwise was but a dead and a drie thing so Châ—…ist may conâ—…ound his enemies when he shall shewe such flourishing glorie such excellent maiestie in his bodie which hath yet in it the tokens and the markes of death It is reported that Zisca the valiant captaine of the Bohemians commanded that after his discease his skinne should be fleed from his body to make a drume which they should vse in their battels affirming that as soone as the Hungarians or any other their enemies should heare the sound of that drume they would not abide but take their flight And surely euery battell of the warriour is with noise and with tumbling of garments in blood but this battell wherein Christ shall tread Satan and all his enemies vnder his feete shall be 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 marks and scars in his skin as the men of Galile sawe him ascending vp They which dispatched noble Iulius Caesar in the senate house did set a good face of the matter
neare secondly him they shall not come neare 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 asflictions 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 quenched with water but the force of water if it begins to be violent can not by any power of man be resisted Canutus who was King of England Scotland Denmarke Norway and a great part of Suevia 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 that in Ezekiel which came to the ankles then to the knees and yet higher to the necke so neuer left rising till it came vp neere 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 can not command this little channell of water to keepe aloose osf from me Whereupon he went immediatly to Westminster and with his owne hands sâ—…t his Crowne vpon the Crucifix there and could neuer be perswaded after to weare iâ—… 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 Hitherto shalt thou come but no further and here shalt thou stay thy proud waues The afslictions of the righteous therefore beeing here compared to waters must needes be very violent For thus the Psalmist saith Thine indignation lieth hard on me and thou hast vexed me with all thy waues And God himselfe I will powre out my wrath vpon thee as water So that the securitie and selicitie of the faithfull man is inuincible He may be often in daunger of tribulations as of great waues or waters but they shall neuer ouerwhelme him Surely in the flood os 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 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ther so the miseries of this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Prophet Ezekiel saw the roulâ—… 〈◊〉 written with in and withouâ—… and there was written therein Lamentations and singing and woe This booke is written within and without to shew that many are the troubles of the righteous both outward and inward 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 Lamentations and mourning and woe then it is yet more plaine that in this world many troubles as many waters come one in the necke of an other no earthly ioy or comfort comming betweene This the good King greatly complaineth of One deepe calleth an other because of the noise of the water pipes all thy floods and stormes haue gone ouer me And Iob He hath giuen me one wound vpon another and he hath runne vpon me as a gyant And Saint Paul though in one place he write God shewed mercie 〈◊〉 him that he should not haue 〈◊〉 vpon sorow yet oftentimes elsâ—… 〈◊〉 speaketh of his owne manifoâ—…d daungers I soffered 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 Thus we see how many waters the godly man is subiect to in this life For one ioy he hath at the least two sorowes if he haue no more one deepe calleth an other one wound bringeth another he hath sorow vpon sorow perills vpon perills Many waters many dangers Neuer thelesse Surely in the flood of many waters they shall not come neare him Thirdly the dangers of this life are as a â—…lood The very naming and mentioning of a flood must needes be very terrible euer since Noahs flood destroyed the whole world For euen as a horse or a mule of whom the Prophet a little after speaketh in this Psalm hauing beene once well lashed with a whippe doth euer after feare if he heare but the bell which is tied to the 〈◊〉 so man since the world was so well scoured 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 out of the world This indeede bringeth with it a â—…lood 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 crieth out thus Oh into what aduersitie am I come and into what floods of miserie am I now fallen He addeth the reason anon 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 S. HieroÌ„ writeth of Hilarion that being ready to giue vp the ghost he said thus to his soule Go forth my soule why fearest thou go 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 he was compassed about with the sorrowes of death beganne to be afraid and to be in great heauinesse and he said moreouer My soule is very heauie euen to the death I know well Christ was afraid without sinne nay with great comfort For he prayeth thus Not as I will but as thou wilâ—… And againe Into thy hands I commit my spirit This then was his comfort that the Iewes could do nothing in putting him to death but as S. Peter testifieth that onely which his father both by his counsell and will had decreed and by his hand had ordained Hilarion also that holy antient Father comforteth himselfe with this that he had serued Christ almost seauentie yeares Other children of God haue had other comforts and all haue this that both in life and in death they are happie 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