will I feare and despaire Saluation is borne therfore we wâ—â—e al in the state of condemnation before light is come therfore we sate all in darknesse before glorie is come therfore we were all loden with shame before life is come to shew that we were all dead in sinne before Life is come and light and saluation life to the dead light to the blind and saluation to the damned For Christ is called saluation to shew that without him we are all damned firebrands of hell heires of condemnation and forsaken of God To him that is sicke it is easie to be thankfull when he is whole but when he is whole it is harder to be thankfull then to be sicke I would faine be disproued that Niniueh might be saued though Ionah would not Thy saluation This word saluation is a sweet word yea the sweetest word in all the Scripture and yet many despise this worthy iewell because they knowe not what it is worth like the dawes which would rather haue a barley corne then a pearle or a iewell because they know not the value thereof O Lord what is man that thou art so mindfull Psal 8. of him O man what is God that thou art so vnmindfull of him If a friend had giuen vs anie thing we would haue thanked him heartely for it but to him that hath giuen vs all things we will not giue so much as thankes Now therefore let the rocke gush forth water againe and let our stonie hearts powre foorth streames of teares in vnfayned repentance We haue all called vpon you but none regardeth vs as though God were as Baall and as though Diues felt no paine nor Lazarus no ioy but all forgotten Manie times Christ commeth into the Temple and there is scarse a Simeon to embrace him the babe is here but where is Simeon If God had not loued vs better then we loued our selues we should haue perished long ere this and yet we embrace not Christ as Simeon who hath saued vs from temporall and spirituall punishments We are inuited to a banket he who calleth vs to it is God What is the banket Saluation Who are the guests The Angels and the Saints What is the fare Ioy peace righteousnesse this is the fare and we inuite you euery one yet who will come at our bidding some for want of faith some for want of loue some for want of knowledge haue despised this holy banket and vnto this art thou called ô soule vnworthie to be beloued FINIS THE SECOND SERMON OF THE SONG OF OLD FATHER SIMEON Thy saluation vvhich thou hast prepared before the face of all the people a light to be reuealed to the Gentiles and the glorie of thy people Israell THY saluation This woord saluation is a sweet word holds me to it like an Adamant for when I thought to proceede this word sayd vnto me stay here teach this and teach all learne this and learne all for it is the pith of all the mercies of God towards his children Christ is called saluation because no man should despaire and because it is impossiblâ— to be saued without him for saluation is onely in him Christ can do any thing but this he cannot saue him that will not repeÌ„t He is called the saluation of God because he came not from men nor from Angels nor by chance but from God him selfe and therefore his name was not giuen him after the maner of men which was that euerie father should name his owne child but so did not Ioseph for the Angel had giuen him Luke 1. Luke 1. Mat. 2. Luke 2. Mat. 2. Luke 3. Mar. 1. Luke 4. 15. Iohn 11. Mat. 27. direction for his name The Virgine the oracles the babes the shepherds the starre the wise meÌ„ the voyce of the cryer the deuils the leapers the sicke the dead the earthquake the sunne the moone all the crâ—atures do beare witnesse vnto the sonne of God which is our saluation he is called the saluation of God because he is a saluation according to Gods owne minde He came not to bring ease and libertie but he came to bring the spirituall sword and condemnation to all obstinate sinners yet saluation to the penitent I shewed you howe many despised this iewell because they knowe not what it is worth how few Simeons there be in the TeÌ„ple how few Nathanaels how few men that feare God these plants grow not on euerie ground Who would be vnthankfull if he knew what the Lord giues and what he forgiues he giues the sonne for the bastard the Lord for the seruant the righteous for sinners the innocent for the wicked and the almightie Lord for the sinfull sonnes of meÌ„ Do you not maruel how you can offend this Lord willingly which hath done so much for you Here I reprooue vnthankfulnesse securitie and negligence striuing as it were to crucifie Christ again as the wicked Iewes did who neuer prospered since the time that they sayd his bloud be vpon vs and vpon Mat. 27. 25 our seed They were not like Simeon who as soone as he saw him embraced him and reioyced ouer him There is no shew of grace in theÌ„ which shew no liking of godlinesse neither in them selues nor in others for this is the first part of our conuersion to loue them that loue God and so they are drawne to the Sonne No man will build an Arke vntill the â—loud come no man will seeke for Gen. 7. corne vntill the famine come and scarse Lot Gen. 42. Gen. 19â— will be gone out of Sodome before the time of execution of Gods wrath do come vpon them We preach vnto you and call vpon you we haue euen wearied our selues among you we haue reproued you for sin and we must still reproue you vntill you amend now therefore if there be anie grace in you if ye haue anie knowledge any feare of God in you if you haue anie goodnesse in you if you haue anie leasure to be saued turne backe now from doing euil come out of hell and plucke your limbes out of the clouches of the serpent for verily we haue not done so well in this citie as the Niniuits did for all the preaching and teaching we haue had For who hath determined in his heart to amend his life who hath left his pride who hath restored that which he hath taken by extortion vsurie wrong surely they that haue done thus are monsters I can not see him he walketh inuisible and can not be found The heauens trembled at the death of Christ the sunne did hide his face the earth quaked the vaile of the Temple Mat. 27. 45 51. 52. 53. rent in sunder the dead bodies rose out of their graues and all this was to shew that the Prince of the world suffered violence that the Lord of life suffred death for the raÌ„some of vs and all whatsoeuer throughout the world that do beleeue the Gospell and liue in obedience and
beginneth to roote out some error or superstition at the first shall haue much a do for custome and natural corruption are the first causers of heresie and shall crie against her in the maintenance thereof and withstanders of reformation shall say great is Diana of Ephesus and so for a long time they seeme to wash the Ethiopian or the blacke More the more they wash him the more they gall him and yet he is an Ethiopian still but in the end the Arke standeth and Dagon falleth downe truth triumpheth 1. Sam. 5. ouer falshood hauing got the victorie light chaseth away darknesse with the brightnesse thereof To him that asketh what scripture haue you against it it is sufficient to answer what scripture haue you for it Is not this enough to ouerthrow it that for euerie idle word you must giue account as our sauiour Christ saith And againe saith God who hath required these things at your hands They aske what shall we not say God be with them Why should you I pray Esa 1. 2. Sam. 12. you what said Dauid of his child he said no such thing but thus he is gone and will not returne but I shal follow him If he be a good man we say the Lord be thanked for his deliuerance but if he be not then we say God graunt we may do better then he hath done that by his fall we may learne to rise from sinne Therefore as Iacob said to his wiues Gen. 35. and children giue me your idols that I may burie them so say I vnto you giue me your superstitions that I may burie theÌ„ that they may remaine with you or in you no longer to the dishonor of God offending of your weake brethren or to my griefe for I am iealous ouer you because seeing you are mine and I am yours ô that my voyce were as the whirlwind to beate downe root out and blow away all your superstitions that they may no loÌ„ger raigne among you Now to my text For mine eyes haue seene thy saluation Because the holy Ghost by inspiration had declared vnto him that he should not die til he had seene Iesus Christ therfore the same spirit led him to the temple shewed him that which it promised hauing seene the same he desireth and wisheth to die and be released from this earthly prison that he might liue with God As idle euil wishes are vaine because they are not according to faith nor grounded vpon the word of God so though we aske as cunningly as Iacob and as earnestly as the sonnes of Zebede yet if we aske not in faith according to knowledge Mar. 10. we can not obtaine for we must aske so that we may receiue that we may not returne emptie Then we see that the principal cause that moued Simeon to wish for death was because he had seene his sauiour and the true Messias which was promised by the father figured by the law spoken of by the Prophets and foretold by the fathers and pointed at by Iohn Baptist he embraced What desire should he haue of life when life and ioy and peace and the verie brightnesse of the image of God appeared vnto him for all his life is but a pilgrimage of sorow and of griefe yea a continuall combat with sin therfore what should he feare death But he might haue sayd long haue I wayted in patience but what is all the time that is past and the life that is to come to an ende My kingdome is not of this world and yet I Iohn 18. haue a kingdome whereof I am certified now I see thy saluation thou hast promised and now is thy promise fulfilled therefore blessed are they that hunger and thirst after Mat. 5. righteousnesse for none shall haue this food but they that huÌ„ger for it The murmuring Isrraelites died in the wildernesse might Num. 11. 14. and 16. and 21. c. not so much as see the land of Canaan because they murmured against their God As Moses died on the mount where he saw the land of Canaan so the godly die in the sight Deut. 34. of God in the contemplation of his glorie like Steuen who at the verie instant of Act. 7. his death saw the heauens open and Christ Iesus sitting at the right hand of his father and like Simeon here which died not till he saw the Lord of life and till he embraced him thankfully in his armes Beloued you are not ignorant that the great day of the Lord is neare at hand and therfore they that haue not yet seene Christ they that haue not yet embraced him but still sleepe without oyle in their lamps shall suddenly be ouertaken without the wedding garment and shall be cast into eternall torment for euer Mine eyes haue seâ—ne thy saluation c. Then we see that Christ was no spirit neither was his bodie a fantasticall bodie for if he were a spirit Simeon could not see him if his bodie were a fantasticall bodie then could not he haue embraced him Therfore we see that the wordes of the Scripture are true which saith that Christ was perfect man in all things sinne onely excepted For he sometime wept as at the death of Lazarus and likewise ouer Ierusalem Sometime Iohn 11. Luke 19. Iohn 4. Luke 10. Luke 5. he thirsted as at the well where the woman of Samaria disputed with him also sometime eate as at Marthaes house as also amoÌ„g Publicans and sinners which in euery thing shewed him selfe to be perfect man For mine eyes haue seene thy saluation c. O Lord saith he I desire now to be dissolued and free from the bondage of sinne which so long hath inhabited in my mortall bodie for now he is come by whom thou hast promised to free vs and set vs at liberty he is come by whom thou hast promised to breake the serpents head and he is come that will heale our infirmities and giue strength against sinne and Sathan by faith peace towards God through loue And now saith he I haue embraced him and thankfully do receiue him I beleeue and am perswaded that this is the same Messias whom the Father promised and the Prophets â—oretold all Israel loÌ„ged expected for who is the light of the Gentils the glory of Israel the God of the whole world Simeon was desirous to liue no longer in this mortall life when he saw perfect life but like Adam when he Gen. 3. came out of Paradice was desirous to come in againe or like the fish which is taken in the net out of the sea struggleth to get in againe Seeing now he is come for whom Simeon longed therfore what are the troubles that are past and the sorowes that are come to an end So they which loue the trueth of God and waite with desire to be filled with the knowledge therof such shal not die vntill they haue their hearts
that he suffering for sinfull and wretched man was a conquerer ouer hell and all euill and had ouercome death The Scribes are against him the Pharisies were against him the rulers bande themselues against him the atheists against him and all the spitefull and enuious Iewes against him whose birth was glorious whose life was famous and whose death was meritorious but God was with him and in him by which power he hath ouercome them all Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people c. I thought when first I began this song to end it in foure or fiue sermons and I know not what keepes me from it so long but if it be as pleasant to you as it is to me you will not be wearie of it though I go forward but like a snaile but hereafter I will go faster take more and giue you the best thereof Let vs proceede Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people c. He speakes this to the ende that the eyes of all mankind may be fixed vpon him as the eyes of all Israell were fixed vpon the Brasen serpent in the wildernesse that when Num. 21. they be stinged with the sting of that firie serpent which deceiued our forefathers they may flie vnto him for helpe lest they perish in their sinne and their bloud be on their owne heads Dauid being to encounter with Goliah 1. Sam. 17. Saule tooke and put on his harnesse but he could not weare it it was too heauie for his litle bodie therefore he tooke nothing but a staffe and a few stones in a scrip and so Dauid slue the pride of the Philistines the feare of Israell And euen thus the Lord set his Sonne to fight with the Prince of this world not with swords and targets bowes and billes but with the word and spirit of God with the which he hath ouercome and through him we also haue the victorie and for this cause hath he bene prepared that all people might haue cause to reioyce in him Which thou hast prepared He was prepared long ago as it doth most plainly appeare for the Virgine which bare him the place of his birth the poore estate wherein it was his miracles his Apostles his torments his crosse his death his resurrection his ascensiō into heauē al these were foreshewed and foretold long before they came to passe Therefore some sayd who is this that is so often spoken of by the Prophets who is this that can do many miracles that the Scribes and Pharisies cannot do Luke 4. 7. Iohn 11. Luke 8. Mat. 27. Iohn 10. Mar. 6. that can raise the dead that can ceasse the windes calme the waters at whose suffering the earth quaked the sunne hid his face darkenesse came ouer all and being dead rose againe by his owne power and ascended into heauen in the sight of a great multitude How can it be then but it must be known before the face of all people which was so manifest by dreames by visions by oracles by power by authoritie euery thing had a tong to speake for God Euerie thing was prepared for him before he came to be reuealed he came not in the beginning nor in the ending he came not in the ending that we which come after him might long for his second comming He came not in the beginning because that such a Prince as he should haue manie banners and triumphs before him He came not in the beginning because the eyes of faith should not be daseled in him and lest they should forget him and his comming so long since which liued in the latter ages euen as you forget that which I haue sayd as soone as you are gone hence He came not in the beginning because if he had come before man had sinned man would haue acknowledged no need of a phisitian but when man had sinned that he might feele the smart of sinne therfore he came not then for when they were cast out of Paradice they ran vnto Christ as the Israelites did to the serpent He came not in the beginning but in the perfect age of the world to shewe that he brought with him perfection perfect ioy perfect peace perfect wisedome perfect righteousnesse perfect iustice perfect truth signifying therby that notwithstanding he came in the perfect age thereof yet he found all things vnperfect The Iewes thought that he should come like some great Prince with pōpe glorie which was a carnal conceipt for herein they were maruelously deceiued his father was but a poore carpenter and his mother but a simple woman and he a sillie babe wrapt in clouts Then ought not we to reuerence our Lord and to praise his name for that he became so humble for vs most vile wretches that are worthie of nothing and yet we see how cruelly they dealt with this blessed one which came to saue them Ignorance sate in the chaire deceipt gaue the sentence and crueltie executed him with the most painfull shamefull death of the crosse O that your eyes do not dasell your eares tingle and your hearts maruell at this dealing of theirs to our louing Sauiour which came to saue them if they would and now see that he will abase him self for our sakes euen to the vttermost ô wonderfull thing to thinke of If you would marke I would make you in loue with him before I haue done with you I say vnto all those that come hither to be edified take your fill of pleasure enter into Paradice lift vp your eyes stretch foorth your hands and eate your fill of the tree of life and the Lord will go home with you imbrace him and kisse him entertaine him well and he will dwell with you for euer But you that come hither for fashions sake either to see or beseene to finde fault with somewhat or to make an hypocritical shew of godlinesse where there is none I tell you that comfort shall shake hands with you at the dore marke it and you shall see that my wordes are true Shewe me what it is that is better then saluation I would haue none of you to be damned if I might preuent it nor so much as a peece of you to be giuen to Sathan therefore I would I knew that stone that would kill Goliah for I would strike it with all my might into his temples If you will you may be saued and the Lord will one day put those words in my mouth that will touch your hearts Therefore now arise kisse and imbrace the sweet babe Iesus and then afterward frame your selues to obey him for then the Lord will knocke at your hearts and if ye will let him in he wil teach you all things The Lord came not in the beginning nor in the ending but he came in the middle age of the world to shew that if it will not learne now it will neuer learne to come vnto God by repentance amēdment that they
sinne and giue it gall to eate and when you haue done so set a crowne of thornes vpon his head and when you haue thus crow 〈…〉 you haue condemned it put it to death and when you haue put it to death burie it and when you haue buried it â—oll a great stone vpon the head of it and set watch men to keepe it and let your watch-men be fasting and prayer that it may neuer rise againe to raigne any more the which the Lord for his mercie sake grant Amen THE CALLING OF IONAH Ionah 1. 1. 2. 1 The vvord of the Lord came to Ionah the sonne of Amittai saying 2 Arise and go to Niniuie that great Citie and crie against it for their vvickednesse is come â—p before me YOu haue heard the sweet song of old father Simeon like the pleasaunt song of a sweet bird before her death setting foorth the ioy of the righteous which embrace Christ Iesus Before Christ Iesus vouchsafed to come vnto vs we would not come vnto him but in all our doings we wrought our condemnation through the innumerable heapes of our iniquities laboured to driue him without all hope of mercie from vs. So we continued like flies which flutter about the candle till they haue consumed them selues When we had done as much as in vs lay to driue him away from vs then he saued and recompenced good for euill vnto vs. So that if God had loued vs no better theÌ„ we loued our selues we might haue perished in our sinne and our bloud should be vpon our owne heads If Christ be the light of the Gentiles let vs embrace himâ— and let euerie one walke as becommeth the children of light but many do shut their eyes against it least they should see and many do not onely smoother their owne light but the Sunne sayth vnto the Moone shine not and the Moone sayth vnto the Stars be not bright And many haue smothered their light so long that the dampe hath put out the candle and thus they labor to bring the darkenesse of Egypt vpon Goshen so that their eyes haue forgotten to see and so manie goe out of the way because they would not looke vpon the candle and the deuill giueth to euerie one that which he wisheth so it may be for his hurt to the bramble fire and who can but pittie that the same Manna which commeth from heauen should be poysoned with it The Iewes had no cause to enuie our light for he gaue theÌ„ glorie he was poore and yet he gaue them riches he was counted base and yet he made them honourable he was contemned and yet he made them beloued they were full of darknesse and he brought them light but they contemned this light and so procured their owne condemnation And therefore now it is come to passe that they are become vagabonds vpon the earth and most contemned of all other nations euerie people haue a dwelling but since they prophesied euill vnto themselues saying his blood be vpon vs and our children goodnesse hath put on the face of bath fulnesse amongst them If thou embrace Christ as Simeon did then Christ is thy glorie but if thy glorie consist in beautie which fadeth in gay clothing which weareth in wealth which wasteth or in gold which rusteth then Christ is not thy glorie We haue gone long with an olde man and now we haue lost him but we are loth to part with him he is such a good companion neuerthelesse we hope to finde him againe in Ionah We haue gone but slowly with him as with an olde man which is not verie swift on foote but now we must runne with Ionah as with a poste least Niniuie be destroied The word of the Lord came vnto Ionah I neede not shew the authoritie of Prophets but concerning their sorts and difference there are three sorts of Prophets The first were such as called vpon the name of the Lord in prayer for the people and receiued an answer from the Lord in the peoples behalfe of which sort was Samuell these 〈◊〉 Sa. 10. 9 were called Seers A second sort of Prophets were such as God raysed to expouÌ„d the law and declare the will of God vnto the people when the Priests and such as should do so were slacke in their callings of which sort was Esay Ieremie Ezechiell Damell Hose Ioell Aâ—â—os Obadiah Ionah and the rest of the holy Prophets A third sort were such as haue beene since Christ woorking such like effectes of which sort was the Prophet Agabus of whome mention is Act. 11 28. made in the eleuenth of the Acts and the 28. verse Now in the second sort of these was Ionah whom God sent to declare his wil vnto his people vnto whom also the Lord did reueale the subuersion of kingdomes the ouerthrow of Tribes the captiuitie of Nations and calamities that were to come vnto the sonnes of men for iniquitie and rebellion against God As all wise men were not borne at once nor liued togither so these holy Prophets haue not beene at once but were raised vp by the Lord God some here some there according to his pleasure and as he sawe the people stand in need of them by reason of the corruption of the times And furthermore the Lord hath not at any time reuealed vnto one of these all things that might be reuealed but as much as was sufficient for them euerie one in their times and places Neither hath any of them told as much of the will of God as might be nor the expounding of his lawes But the Patriarkes haue left some to the Prophets and the Prophets haue left some to the Apostles but they haue left none for vs but they haue all left open the whole will of GOD vnto vs and euerie one bringeth Golde and Myrrhe and Frankensense like the wise men which came to see our Lord. There are three things which moued me to take this storie in hand aboue al others First because you know the storie and therefore can the better conceiue of the matter as I go forward with it Secondly because it is brief and doth containe a great deale in a little Thirdly because it is most agreeable for the time and state of this sinfull age wherein we liue and therefore most conuenient for vs. It is manifest that Ionah liued in a very troublesome time namely in the time of Ieroboam a wicked king of whom it was said that he not only sinned himself against the Lord but it is he which is called the IeroboaÌ„ that made Israell to sinne Also this commeÌ„deth the constancie of Ionah that he in the midst of all the corruptions wherwith all the people were ouerflowne kept him selfe vncorrupted and vnspotted amongst them all And furthermore it layeth open and magnifieth the great loue of God in that he sent a Prophet to admonish his vngodly people when as he should haue sent a thunderbolt to terrifie them or rather vtterly to destroy