Ieremies proclamation vsed in his Lamentations and say vnto you as if Christ himselfe spake in person and shewing you his sufferings should crie Haue ye no regard all ye that passe by this way Behold and see if there be any sorrow like vnto my sorrow which is done vnto me and wherewith the Lord hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce wrath For what could he haue suffered that he did not suffer He was most lamentably afflicted by all sorts of men for whom he suffered Despised he was of Iewes 2. Scorned of Gentiles Princes of the earth stood vp and kings banded themselues against the Lord and against his Christ. 4. Priests conspire in counsell and choose a murtherer rather then the Lord of life Souldiers deuide his vestures 6. His owne seruants flie from him Iudas betraies him Peter denies him Thus we may on all sides see Iewes and Gentiles Princes and Priests souldiers and seruants doing whatsoeuer the Lord of heauen had determined before to be done Looke vpon him againe and see him perplexed in all his members with loathsome spittings in his blessed face with piercing thornes vpon his sacred head with buffets vpon his comely cheekes with stripes vpon his manly backe and with the transverse part of the crosse vpon his glorious shoulders 3. Impeached in his estate with scornefull reproches his good name wronged with blasphemies his honor trampled vpon with shamelesse obloquies his holy garments shared with profane lottery and his reputation stained with the association of theeues 4. Tormented in his senses his touch with the piercing nayles his sent with the loathsomnesse of Caluarie the place of dead sculs his hearing with wicked detractions his sight with the sorrow of his blessed mother and with the moane of his beloued disciple his taste with gall and vineger Inwardly also distressed for his soule is heauie euen vnto the death so that he cries Father if it be possible let this cup passe from me and sweateth clots of bloud that trikle downe to the earth to blesse it that was accursed At which time an Angell is sent from heauen to comfort him Yea in the extremity of this his vnspeakeable passion he cries with a loud voice My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Yet none of this nor all this could suffice vntill he had yeelded vp his sacred soule into the hands of his heauenly Father Blessed and beloued men fathers and brethren in this our Beloued is not this his zealous loue the roseall beautie of our benediction 1. Is not this that bloud that purgeth vs from all our sinnes 2. that speaketh better things for vs then the bloud of Abel for that called for vengeance but this craues for vs mercie 3. Is not this the sacrifice whereby we haue remission of our sinne 4. Is not this the reconciliation whereby wee do partake of the diuine nature this sacred bloud being shed into our hearts by the Spirit of God 1. Is not this red sea the bath for all sinners to cure vs of our leprosies of incontinency of our lethargies of ingratitude of our dropsies of couetousnesse and of our palsies of inconstancy and strayings aside from God 3. Is not this the oblation that maketh God propitious and a louing father vnto vs openeth the kingdome of heauen that was shut and sealeth vnto vs all the holy promises of God Let then a beleeuing soule say O Lord Iesus what shall I repay vnto thee for this thy loue I owed the debt and thou didst pay it I haue sinned and thou art punished this whole worke of thine is singular patience the performance of it wonderfull humility the cause vnspeakeable charity I haue circuited the whole earth and can finde no where any such loue as in thy glorious passion the breadth whereof is Charity diffused dilating it selfe into the fowre parts of the world The length is long suffering for thou hast borne mans iniquities the height is the hope of heauen and a certaine assurance of the same The depth of it is deliuerance from the lowest deepe the pit of fatall and finall destruction If any should perswade me to come downe from the high meditation of this sacred mystery I should greatly refuse it for it shall euer be a bundle of Myrrhe betweene my breasts yea here will I die and not descend vntill the Lord stretch his hand from heauen and take me into his holy sanctuary But to the retchlesse and respectlesse soule which regardeth none of this our welbeloued saith farther See what I suffer these paines these grones these moanes these nayles these thornes this speare this profusion and red sea of crimson bloud yet am I much more inly tormented that thy wilfull soule should yet be vnthankfull for this so vnspeakable loue for this so vnutterable and grieuous passion sustained for thy sake to make thee a wretched sonne of man by nature to become a blessed sonne of God by grace Let vs beloued and beleeuing brethren take yet a reuiew of this blessed beauty in the sacred mixture of white and red for he is ruddy both in himselfe and in his mysticall members 1. In himselfe his beauty appeares ruddie for in the sacrament he is white in the bread and red in the wine therefore in the Scripture stiled sometime Manna which was white like the christall dew and sometime a Vine which yeeldeth red grapes to glad the heart of man The grapes of this sacred vine were the parts of his body the crosse the wine presse his bloud the holy liquor thereof making glad both God and man God in the holy obedience of his sacred Sonne purchasing himselfe a glorious kingdome and man in the saluation of his sinfull soule These sacred seales of bread and wine shew the Lords death vntill he come againe Iosephs coate besprinkled with bloud portended him to old Israel as dead but not actually but these shew our true Ioseph to be crucified and done to death in deed and yet he like Sanpsons lion sends forth euen in after his death sweete hony combes and most redolent graces For his death abateth the sting of death abandoneth sinne despoileth sathan the strong man of his weapons and procureth for vs that die in him the land of the liuing This holy mixture of white and red appeared in the opening of his side whence flowed water and bloud this blessed opening being much more powerfull then Moses rod for that caused water onely to come out of the rocke but this both water and bloud The Fathers therefore obserue that as out of the side of the first Adam the woman was taken by whom came sinne so out of the side of the second Adam the Church should be framed to saue as Noahs arke the sonnes of men from the generall and fearefull deluge of sinne and shame Let then now all Histories tell or historiographers of the world shew if in any age they haue seene or read how that a mans
valiantly that thou be not danted with the diuellish proiects and practises of Gods enemies See the sparkes of this diuine and seraphical fire in Daniel who is stiled vir desideriorum a man neuer satisfied here but still desiring to be replenished with the full sight of God Behold them in Esay the Euangelicall Prophet whose soule desired God in the night season when his eies were bereft of the distractions of the day In Dauid also whose soule thirsted for the liuing Lord and in S. Paule who was straitted for want of this enioyment and cried Who shall deliuer me wretched man that I am from this body of death Doubtlesse these holy soules knew that this loue was all loue vnto them for euen in naturall loue Christ can be all things vnto thee whereas thy gold cannot be thy clothing thy siluer cannot be thy drinke thy bread cannot be thy light Christ alone is all this vnto thee If thou neede necessarie loue he is thy protector and bulwarke If thou wouldest be happy in loue with him is the fountaine of liuing life for euer These considerations and the like caused Gods children neuer to admit any thing neere their hearts contrary to this loue as is the affection inordinate to the creature but loued the creature onely for the Lords sake They euer remoued farre from their holy affections all carking care and ouer much toyling in the businesse and negociations of this world as being the deceitfull bane of this loue vsing indeed the world necessarily but so as if they vsed it not which caused their loue to be continuall not flashes of passion rather then true affection enduring for a moment but resembling the loue of the blessed Saints who see God and loue him for euermore Againe they knew that if we would be couetous and sell our loue none could buy it dearer for he will giue vs a kingdome for it if we would be liberall and giue it none more worthy of it for he is absolutely the soueraigne good But if we would haue our loue strained from vs by violence he also will vnsheath the sword of the Spirit and with the blade thereof deuide asunder the soule and spirit euen with this one stroke If any man loue not the Lord Iesus let him be accursed Anathema Maranatha Furthermore the faithfull soules will hence gather good degrees and steps of grace as first considering euen in nature that if one had lost an eye or were distracted of his wit or were condemned to execution how would we tender him that could and would heale our eye sight restore vs to our right minde and redeeme vs from the dreadfull horror of death But Christ hath illuminated vs with the light of grace that were in the power of darknesse and shadow of death hath giuen vs repentance vnto life and regeneration that were sold to sinne and Sathan and hath purchased for vs a pardon that were condemned to euerlasting torments was made poore that we might be enriched gaue himselfe for me saith Bernard that I might be giuen to my selfe yea we owe him now more for redeeming vs then for making vs. For in the creation he spake the word and it was done but in our redemption it cost him his dearest bloud In this life he hath promised That all things whatsoeuer shall worke together for the best to them that loue him and in the other life the eye hath not seene nor the eare heard nor the heart can conceiue what is his displaied glory in seeing him as he is seene and knowing him as he is knowne And to purchase this inheritance for vs see how vilely he esteemes himselfe being sold for thirtie pence and prizeth vs vs I say wretches at so high a rate as his owne most peerelesse and precious bloud O insensible indurate and intollerable vnthankfulnesse of the sonnes of Adam who do not totally resigne themselues and their affections to this loue But yet for all this behold I pray you and see whether Christ be the beloued of ourage and the Helena of our countrey as we would beare the world in hand he is and be you your selues witnesses in this case Do we diligently seeke him when we haue lost him by our preuarication as wee vse to do those whom our soule loueth and as did that much louing soule Mary Magdalen when she sought him at the fearefull sepulcher and abode there though a weake woman and would not be satisfied with looking but asked Iesus then risen supposing he had bene a gardiner If thou hast taken away my Lord tell me where thou hast put him that I may fetch him O happie soule that so sought that she found Are we often frequenters of his house and louers of the place where his honor dwelleth as Anna did who departed not from the Temple but serued God day and night with prayers and fasting Do we talke of him in our iourneying as did the disciples that trauelled to Emaus Do we willingly heare of him and in hearing lay vp the things in our hearts as did the blessed Virgin Do we restore and giue for his sake as Zacheus and Cornelius did Do we suffer reproch gladly for his glory and reioyce in it as the Apostles did Do we loue his commandements as Dauid did whose studie was in them day and night Do we decline from the loue of this world and as Iacob who wresting with the angell fell lame so we in the businesse with God preuaile but in the affaires of this world grow cold and remisse Do we honor them that serue God as the Galathians did that would haue pulled out their owne eyes had not the law of God and nature forbad them to do Paul their Preacher good O how farre different are the affections of our times If we looke the Lord Iesus among some gouernors they say he is not heere many of vs haue something else to do then to attend preaching If among some of the rude people they seldome or neuer thinke of him If among the giddie hearers with Peter they answer we know not the man If among the worldly rich with Demas they haue forsaken the loue of Christ and haue imbraced this present world If among the loud but leude professors they haue a shew of godlinesse but haue denied the power thereof If among the couerous there is linsey wolsey as farre as will make for their profit so farre and no longer they loue God nor any of his seruants If among the ahabaptistical zealous they say we are not iustified by workes and therefore wee will do none at all As if their faith or any faith were auaileable with God but that which worketh by loue For without loue was neuer any man saued and with loue neuer any damned If of the worldlings they are so busie in deuiding Christ his coate that they cannot awhile to loue They are of king Roâ—us mind that vsed to say That the
hypocriticall and hyperbolicall integritie like an old bottle they must vent it or else they would burst and vtter they must yea slauer out rather then faile their owne fooleries be they neuer so grosse or neuer so greeuous to be endured So that they may be then taken for great ones they thinke and haue the names of None such or the great outcrie of vaine glorie and popularity and heare others say of them as the Ephesians doting on their Idol Diana cried Great is Diana of the Ephesians And then do they beyond all meane and measure admire themselues and their owne beauties as did Narcissus and lift vp their plumes with the peacocke contemning all other in the basest manner and crying out to their brethren whom they most contemptuously despise like the Elizean spirits to the Tartarian and say Procul ô proculite profani But yet for all this the whole ranke of them in the sound iudgement of true and essentiall wisedome is but a rout of foolish dottards and dizzie drunkards doting on their owne conceitfull beauty and transgressing in the pride of their owne hearts Seest thou a man wise in his owne conceit more hope is of a foole then of him See the dottard The reason is because a foole is wiser in his owne conceit then seauen men that can render a reason Seest thou a man that is proud in his heart he is as one that transgresseth with wine as did drunken Zebul taking trees for men and as did mad Aiax taking rammes for lambes and taking carts for castles as they do Qui concipiunt aethera mente The way also that this generation walketh in is like them to wit a seeming iust and imagined straight way For whereas all skill in diuinitie is either opinion faith or knowledge these dizzie dottards are onely guided by opinion the very fountaine of Atheisme and the high way to heresie and schisme grounded vpon vncertainties and seeming truths but are not guided by the direction of Iesus faith which hath holy increasings and doth suscipere maius minus there being a progresse à fide ad fidem according to the praier of the yong beleeuer O Lord increase my faith These contrariwise take vpon them to know suddenly all reason all rule all resolutions and like ignorant idiots controll euen their learned Priests Certainely they might notwithstanding do well to call to minde Saules way which seemed iust vnto him when he spared Agag and the best things for sacrifice yet the issue thereof was the ouerrhrow of him and his estate They might also remember the fierie zeale of Iames and Iohn that would fire should come from heauen vpon the Samaritans But the Lord Iesus told them that they wotted not of what spirit they were and sent them to learne a new lesson euen this I will mercie and not sacrifice There is a way therefore that seemeth right but the issues thereof are the issues of death So S. Peter likewise in the tendernes of his hart would not the Lord should suffer at Ierusalem as he prophesied to his Apostles Math. 16. saying Master spare thy selfe But the Lord called him an aduersarie and told him that he sauored not of the things of God In the singularitie also of his good manners Peter said vnto the Lord Thou shalt not wash my feete but when he vnderstood better that if he were not washed he had no part with him he suddenly changed his minde and then would haue his head and all his body bathed by him And yet againe in the singularitie of his sincerity aboue all his fellowes he told his Master that if all forsooke him he would not and see his sinfull defect immediatly following as a punishment of that presumptuous singularity for he first and onely denied him and that most strangely being vanquished with very slight prouocations There is a way then that seemeth right to a man but the issues thereof are the issues of death In this conceitfull generation then and in this seeming way there is no essentiall worth much lesse any especiall vertue to be found Looke vp then to your Lord Iesus your soules beloued and in him and by him you shall see a beautifull generation regenerated by grace who are of his owne generation and partake of his diuine graces by the measure of sanctification giuen them they are also a choice generation set apart for himselfe and for his seruice which are stiled The generation of them that seeke the Lord. The way that they insist in is a right way not of opinion but of iudgement For all the waies of God are so many iudgements saith Gods secretary Moses These turne neither to the right hand too superciliously nor to the left hand too superstitiously but keepe the old ancient and perfect way to God Christ himselfe being their direction in this blessed way for he is verbum genitum the begotten word and the way to him is by verbum scriptum the written word If therefore I should haue my wish I would rather choose to be a doorekeeper to this generation of essentiall goodnesse then to dwell in the glorious tents of seeming holinesse and I shall rather be at sea tossed with a tempestuous storme in the ship with those that humblie professe themselues sinners then on the shore in the table of those Pharisies that iustifie themselues with their hideous haughtinesse Now as this bright beautie is essentiall in the substance so also it is especiall in the brightnesse and excellencie thereof For there are foure sorts of whitenes First fanatically phantasticall whitenes Secondly superficiall whitenes Thirdly naturall whitenes but changeable in the subiect Fourthly natiue whitenes and not changeable in the subiect The first is the diuell transformed into an Angell of light for he is fanatically phantasticall white The man that had a blemish of white in his eye was debarred from the priesthood was resembled to the owle of whom the Naturalists yeeld the reason that shee cannot see in the day time because of the exceeding great whitenes she hath in her eyes which scattereth so the sight that the optiques thereof cannot discerne perfectly the obiects Such are all those that conceiue themselues pure and yet are not washed and cleansed from their euill conscience who say they see and therefore their sinnes remaine for had they bene blind they might pretend some excuse but now all excuse is taken from them because they say that they see The superficiall white are painted sepulchers and whited walls loathsome within and the best is but woodden without like the gilded potsheard Salomon speakes of that the next shower of raine discouereth to be but an outcast for the potters field how gloriously soeuer it glister The natural white but changeable are they that are borne faire but afterwards by the Sunne and soyle they become blacke and Aethiopian-like Semblable are those that begin in the spirit of grace and bright
euery where It remaineth that I onely acquaint you with a safe station while you are here to stand in and a powerfull supplication while wee are here to pray with Let your station be like that of Elias in mount Horeb who stood in the clifts of the rockes entrance vntill the strong wind the earthquake and the fire in all which God was not were passed by but when he heard a soft and still voice he came out and stood before the Lord so let vs be continually meditating the passion and rents of our rocke Christ Iesus and hiding our selues therein while the winds of wickednesse the earthquakes of changings and chances the fire of might and malice and while all the works of darkenesse wherein God is not passe by vntill we heare a soft and sweete voice of the Lord to call vs forth of our station to rest Then let vs go forth willingly vnto our welbeloued and loue him and liue with him for euer Let our prayers and supplications in the meane while be the words of the hard-hearted and misbeleeuing Iewes but not their spirit for they cried His bloud be vpon vs and vpon our children and it was and is so to their vtter ruine and desolation euen vntill this day as a iust iudgment of God for their crucifying the Lord of life But we will pray and say in the spirit of the faith of Iesus in whom we beleeue His holy bloud be vpon vs and vpon our children to our saluation according to Gods blessed promise made to the Patriarks Prophets and to all the faithfull For he is the chiefest of ten thousand c. or as some reade it the chiefest of twelue thousand where in wee may see the mystery of the number both of ten and twelue as also the excellency of the partie that he is the chiefest in heauen and the choicest on earth together with the perfection of both heauen and earth in himselfe and imparted to his chosen the Church of the redeemed The Papists imitating the Platonists are very superstitious in numbers the one putting a fatall necessity in them in the period of estates and kingdomes the other affirming a certaine secret efficacy to be in many numbers but in the septenary number especially Hence haue they their canonicall houres for prayer and sacrifice But Bodin in his booke de Repub. iustly taxeth Plato for that dreame And the schooles conclude against them both that Numeri qua numerus nulla vis nulla efficacia Wee therefore will content our selues with the holy and mysticall vse which the booke of God maketh of them The mysticall numbers of sacred text are these to wit three foure fiue sixe seauen eight ten twelue Ten and twelue meete vs in this text by variation of readings both signifying perfection Ten is the highest of simple numbers all nations after ten begin to number againe The tenths was consecrated to the Priests Gods seruants In the tenth moneth the waters of Noahs floud abated Sem a father of the faithfull seeth the tenth age Ten words for the Creation of the world and ten words for the gouernment thereof as the Talmudists obserue For twelue we reade of twelue Patriarches the sonnes of Iacob twelue stones set vp in Iordan twelue precious stones in the breast plate of Aaron At twelue yeares Salomon decideth the plea of the dead child Christ the true Salomon at twelue yeares disputeth with the Doctors Twelue Apostles are sent to perfect the kingdome of grace Twelue foundations twelue gates twelue Angels the porters a tree that beareth twelue manner of fruites medicinable all the twelue moneths of the yeare describe the perfection of the kingdome of glory in the celestiall Ierusalem Thus we see that the mysterie of the number sheweth onely the excellency of the perfection of the partie being the chiefest in heauen and earth so described by Iohn the Diuine Apoc. 5. A throne is seene in heauen one sitting theron hauing a booke in his hand written within and without sealed with seauen seales But none was found neither in heauen nor in earth nor vnder the earth worthie to open the booke no nor once to looke into it Then wept the Diuine because none was found worthie to open the booke or once to looke therein But one of the Elders said Weepe not Behold the Lion of the tribe of Iuda the stocke of Dauid hath so preuailed that he may open the booke and loose the seales thereof This booke is Gods will these seauen seales are loosed and made knowne vnto vs by the declaration of Iesus Christ. The first seale is his Natiuitie opened Mal. 4. 2. But vnto you that feare my name shall the Sunne of righteousnesse arise and health shall be vnder his wings and ye shall go forth and grow vp as fat calues The second his Baptisme Zach. 13. 1. In that day there shall be a fountaine opened to the house of Dauid and to the inhabitants of Ierusalem for sinne and for vncleannesse The third his Passion poutrayed by Esay 53. chap. throughout The fourth his Descent deciphered Hosh. 13. 14. I will redeeme them from the power of the graue I will deliuer them from death O death I will be thy death O graue I will be thy destruction The fift is his Resurrection recorded Psal. 16. 10. For thou wilt not leaue my soule in the graue neither wilt thou suffer thine holy one to see corruption The sixt his Ascension described Psal. 68. 18. Thou art gone vp on high thou hast led captiuity captiue and receiued gifts for men yea euen the rebellious bast thou led that the Lord might dwell there The seauenth is the sending of the holy Ghost pointed out vnto vnto vs Ioel 2. 28. And afterward will I powre out my Spirit vpon all flesh and your sonnes and your daughters shall prophecie your old men shall dreame dreames and your yong men shall see visions By the opening of the first seale to wit his Natiuitie whereby he became flesh he hath redeemed vs from being worse then very brute beasts For man being in honor vnderstood it not and therefore was compared to the beasts that perish S. Augustine speaking of the grace of the new Testament comforteth vs thus saying Let no man despaire but conceiue hope vnspeakable for by participation of the word we become the sonnes of God seeing that Iesus Christ by incarnation is become the sonne of man Aske your forefathers saith Moses and the daies of old euen since the day that God created man vpon the earth and aske from the one end of heauen vnto the other if there come to passe such a great thing as this Did euer people heare the voice of God speaking out of the midst of a fire as thou hast heard and liued If Moses spake thus of the voice of an Angell for the law was giuen by the ministrie of Angels what may we say of the gracious words of eternall life vttered by the Lord of life Indeed
the cloud that led the people of God in the wildernesse was darke toward the Aegyptians but bright and lightsome toward the Israelits So if our Gospell be hid it is hid to them that are lost for now the booke is opened and the seales loosed By Baptisme the second seale we put on Christ Gal. 3. 2. For as many as are baptized into Christ haue put on Christ are engraffed into him by the Spirit Rom. 6. For if we be graffed into him by the similitude of his death euen so shall we be in the similitude of his resurrection It being the lauacre of regeneration both priuatiuely and positiuely priuatiuely in forgiuing our sinfulnesse and positiuely in conferring his owne righteousnesse vpon vs begun by sanctification perfected by glorification This blessed seale of sacred baptisme being vnto vs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Clemens Alexandrinus calleth it the counterpoise of all deadly venime of corruption being also the diluuium peccati as Nazianzen cleapes it the deluge of sinne the water of adoption so Basil and the purgatory of life so Chrysostome These vertues being not in the element nor in the weight of the worke nor in the intention of the Baptizer but onely in the bloud of Christ which purgeth vs from sinne and shame By the third seale to wit his Passion we are reconciled to God the Father and sealed to euerlasting life Behold the wounds of Christ hanging vpon the crosse his precious bloud shed in his agony of death the price of our redemption Behold againe his head on the crosse inclined to heare vs pray his heart opened that we might see his deare loue his armes stretched forth to embrace vs his whole body exposed to shame scorne and torture to redeeme vs. His descent the fourth seale was the death of death and the death of the diuell who had the power of death the ruine of the gates of hell that they might neuer preuaile against his people the triumph ouer darknesse and the defiance of all hellish power and principalities By his resurrection the fift seale our corruption putteth on incorruption the bandes of death are broken the horror of the graue is turned to sweete repose and sacred rest in the Lord. By his ascension the sixt seale reuealed is opened an entrance to heauen for vs from whence before wee were exiled He is entred himselfe not in his owne name but in ours according as he himselfe saith I go to prouide you a place Ioh. 14. In a word he ascended to fulfill all things the earth with his mercie hell with his iustice and the heauens with his glory The mission of the holy Ghost being the seauenth seale hath furnished the Christian Church of the redeemed with the seauenfold graces of his glorious spirit Gregory vpon Ezech. saith that seauen ascents or steps were to go vp into Ierusalem the holy citie mystically signifying the seauen graces of Gods spirit tending to the perfection of Christian glory The first of these gifts is filiall feare making vs humble The second Christian pietie making vs mercifull The third diuine knowledge making vs discreet The fourth sacred intelligence causing vs to be prouident The fift is the wisdome of God making vs prudent The sixt fortitude setting vs free The seauenth counsell making vs wise to saluation in euery occurrence These graces of Gods Spirit are also signes vnto our brethren and seales vnto our selues of our heauenly perfection For by his reuealed Natiuity wee as new borne babes in the second birth must desire the sincere milke of the word to feede our soules therby vp to eternall life By baptisme we learne to confesse our sinnes to God and turne our misdeeds outwards as the Scolapendra doth her entrals to wash them By his passion onely to reioyce in the crosse of Christ whereby the world is crucified vnto vs and we vnto the world By his descent into hell to remember that we couet not lest we fall into temptation and snares of the diuell By his resurrection to striue that we may haue part in the first resurrection so shall not the second death touch vs. By his ascension to seeke the things that are aboue where now Christ our treasure is and not the things beneath And by the sending of his graces whereby the loue of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Spirit which is giuen vnto vs that all things may be consecrated to Gods glory Which things that we may performe behold Christ the chiefest in heauen hath opened the book that we might know them and loosed the seales that we might do them Woe therefore be vnto them to whom his booke is yet shut and those seales yet vnloosed for our Gospell is hid to none but to them that are lost Christ Iesus is also the chiefest to be found on earth In the Reuelation of S. Ioh. Chap. 7. there are 144000 sealed by twelues Christ is sealed in the tribe of Iuda in whom also the rest are sealed to be the associats of the Lambe according to that ancient prophecy of Iacob Gen. 49. saying that the Scepter should not depart from Iuda vntill Silo come And against Dan he prophecieth thus O Lord I haue waited for thy saluation meaning Christ. Thus the Chaldaean paraphrasts I will not here mention the pourtraiture which Pub. Lentul sent vnto the Senate of Rome describing the lineaments of our Sauiour as he was vpon earth That he was gracious in aspect of a smooth brow of an aburne haire long and wauing at his backe like a Nazarite with a parted beard and the whole frame of his blessed body being incomparably beyond all men that euer were both in feature and fauour For I am not ignorant how apocriphall that relation is in sacred history and how grosly the Papists abuse themselues and others in the table painting limming of that Lord of life according to the rude hand of many an idle lozel that dares aduenture to pourtray that sacred beautie But what a one the Scripture mystically hath decyphered and described him to be that willingly will we looke vpon and behold with awfull eyes of feare and diuine reuerence And therein also we shall see him the chiefest of ten thousand The Psalmographer in the 45. Psal. setteth him out in the person of Salomon to be of surpassing beauty in the dignity of his forme For he was fairer then the sonnes of men Gracious in his speech for grace was powred from his lips valiant in his acts for he was mighty in renowne powerfull in his facts for his arrowes pierced the hearts of his enemies splendent in his royalty his throne being for euer and his scepter a scepter of righteousnesse it selfe Magnificent in his whole deportment for all his garments smell of Myrrhe Aloes and Cassia The beauty of Ioseph Dauid and Absolon are recommended in Scripture but the first had an alluring beauty the father and the sonne goodly to be looked on but in Christ it was the beauty