knowledge then his application the which are the two principall parts of faith As for his knowledge Thomas confessed here not only that Christ is a Lord and a God for there be many Gods and many Lords in opinion analogie title But to distinguish Christ from all these kindes of Lords and Gods he doth affirme that he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lord and the God that is the Lord of Lords and God of Gods Psal. 50.1 Here then is a pregnant text against vnbeleeuing Iewes and misbeleeuing Arians If Christ had not been very God of very God euen one substance with the Father he would haue condemned and not commended this confession of Thomas If any shall aske why Thomas is not content with one word but vseth two Lord and God and why first hee calls Christ Lord and then God Answere may be that he called him Lord in that he conquered hell and death and God in that hee knew the very secrets of his heart For when Christ had said put thy finger hither and see mine hands and reach foorth thine hand and put it into my side Thomas instantly remembring what hee had fondly thought and foolishly said confesseth his fault in confessing his faith my Lord and my God The Disciples vsually termed him Lord in his life to signifie therefore that it was the same Christ hee first according to his accustomed manner calleth him Lord and then after hee proceedes further then he was wont and calleth him also God In the word Lord acknowledging his humanitie in the word God his diuinitie Faiths obiect is the reuealed will and word of God and the summe of his word is the new Testament and the summe of the new Testament is Iesus Christ God and man In that therfore Thomas confessed his Lord to be crucified dead and buried as a man and that he did againe raise himselfe and loose the bonds of death as God hee did vtter that in two words which is the contents of the two Testaments and summe of all summe of faith and holy beliefe Now for application hee saith my Lord and my God Not onely God in generall but my God in particular mine by promise mine by stipulation mine by oath mine by free gift mine by purchase mine by participation of grace my Emmanuel my Shilo my Iesus Of this particular faith Isaiah the Prophet spake wheÌ„ he said Secretum meum mihi secretum meum mihi My secret to my selfe my secret to my selfe The Papists indeed terme this personall and particular assurance presumption but the children of God in all ages haue thus applied the medicine to the maladie saying with Dauid O God thou art my God and with Mary my Sauiour For as their owne Frier notes vpon my text it is not sufficient to beleeue that he is the Lord except thou beleeue likewise that he is thy Lord as Didymus here not only once but twice my Lord my God doubling as it were his faith as he had before doubted his fall O the deepnesse of the riches of Gods mercie Who would haue thought that Thomas who beleeued least and last of all his fellowes vpon so short a conference should thus equall if not excell them all in his abrupt yet absolute confession And therefore let not any man either discomfort himselfe or condemne his brother afore the time for no man hath so weake a faith or so wicked a life but that one day Christ out of his infinite goodnesse may call him and heale him as he did S. Thomas making him who did not beleeue so soone as the rest to become notwithstanding in his beleefe so sound as the rest apprehending and applying the merits of his Sauiour to his soule my Lord my God After eight daies againe his Disciples were within and Thomas with them then came Iesus Hee came before hee was vp sought and that to seeke one lost sheepe only Teaching vs heereby to recall such as are in errours and to beare the infirmities of the weake But hee deferred his comming a whole weeke that Thomas in the meanewhile might be better instructed and induced to beleeue the resurrection Or happily for the greater manifestation of his goodnesse in tolerating such incredulitie so long Or as other to trie the faith of the rest and to shew that humane reason is not able to perswade this article The translation of Gods holy day from the Saturday to the Sunday is not by patent in the Bible but only by paterne because the blessed Apostles vsually met together on this day The which assuredly they did by the direction of Gods holy spirit and as it may seeme heere by Christs approbation at the least if not institution againe and againe manifesting himselfe to be risen on the eighth day So that albeit happily some will grant that the Church assembled in a generall Councell hath authoritie to constitute another day for the Sabbath as the second or third of the weeke yet I am sure wee can neuer haue so good a patterne nor yet so great a reason for altering this our day as was heere for the changing of that other day The patterne is Christ and his Apostles and the reason is the resurrection of Christ euen that exceeding wonderfull worke of our redemption Againe Christs appearing on the eighth day is not without a mysterie wee labour six daies in this life the seuenth is the sabbath of our death in which we rest from our labours and then being raised from the dead on the eighth day Christ in his owne body the very same body that was crucified dead and buried shall reward euery man according to his worke When the doores were shut Papists vrge this place to prooue the carnall and grosse presence of Christ in the Sacrament extremely condemning our incredulitie who will not beleeue that Christs body and blood is vnder the formes of bread and wine seeing his whole body heere perfect in all his lineaments length bredth and thicknes distinct and diuers from the substance and corpulence of the wood was in the same proper place the wood was in and passed thorow the same To this obiection our Diuines answer diuersly some that the doore opened of it selfe to let him in other that the doore was vnbarred by some of the house within vnknowne to the Disciples other that to come in the doores being shut is no more but that hee came in late in the euening at what time men vse to shut their doores but most acknowledge that he came in miraculously not thorow the wood and iron of the doores as the Papists absurdly conceiue but through his omnipotent and al-commanding power the dooâ—es were opened to him aâ— they were to Peter Acts 12 9. and to some other Apostles Acts 5.19 Creatur acessit Creators Hieron epist. ad Pammac tom 1. fol. 178. Or
the Virgins wombe as a bridegroome out of his chamber the Godhead was ioyned vnto the flesh and the flesh vnto the Godhead and these two were coupled together and after an ineffable manner in an ineffable marriage made one Beleeue this and thou shalt haue power to be Gods owne sonne as it is in our text My beloued if thou put on this wedding garment thy soule shall be Christs own spouse so nere so deare to him as that he will say to it I am thy saluation and it may also tell him I am my welbeloueds and my welbeloued is mine For if Pilate by wearing Christs coate without a seame did appease the wrath of angry Caesar how much more shall euery true beleeuer please God our heauenly King if he put on Christ himselfe O the blessed crying of a blessed babe by which euery faithfull seruant and sonne of God escapeth eternall howling in hell O glorious manger in which our soules Manna lay the bread of life that came down from heauen on which if a man feede hee shall not hunger againe O how rich are the ragges which haue made plaisters for our sores for our sinnes I conclude with an hymne of Prudentius Mortale corpus sumpsit immortalitas Vt dum caducum portat aeternus Deus Transire nostrum posset ad coelestia The Epistle Act. 7. 55. And Steuen being full of the holy Ghost looked vp stedfastly with his eyes into heauen c. YEsterday you heard how Christ was borne to day you shall vnderstand how Steuen died In Christs natiuitie who was borne in a little village and in an Inne of that village and in a stable of that Inne and laid in a cratch of that stable wee may learne humilitie not to boast of our great birth In S. Steuens martyrdome wee may behold an excellent patterne how to behaue our selues at our death hauing faith in God and loue toward our neighbours the which assuredly will breed such a Christian resolution in vs as that wee shall depart this life cheerefully lying downe in our graues as in a bed to sleepe for so the text here when hee had thus spoken be fell a sleepe The Church then in ioyning these two festiuals is desirous that wee should learne to liue well as Christ and dye well as Steuen In the words of Augustine Celebraâ—imus hester na die natalem quo rex marâ—yrum natus est in â—â—â—ndo hodie cel bramus natalem quo primicarius martyrâ—um migraâ—â—â— ex mundo Oportebat enim vâ— priâ—â—um immortalis pro mortalibus susciperet carnem sie mortalis pro immortals contemneret mortem Et ideo natus est Dominus vt moreâ—etur pro seruo ne serâ—â—â— timeret mori pro domino Naâ—â—â— est Christus in terris vt Stephanuâ— nasceretur in câ—lis c. And I pray with the same Father hartily donet mihi dominus pâ—â—ca dicere salubriter qui doâ—â—uit Stephane tanto dicere fartiter In the whole text two points are to be considered especially the bloudy behauiour of the Iewes in martyring Steuen godly behauiour of Steuen in his martyrdome toward God in generall hee stedfastly looked vp into heauen and called vpon God particular Lord Iesus receiue my spirit Men heartily praying for his enemies on his knees with a loud voice Lord lay not this sinne to their charge Himselfe vndergoing his martyrdome so comfortably that giuing vp the ghost hee laid downe his head vpon the hard stones as vpon a soft pillow to slâ—epe The Iewes in their blind zeale were so furious and mercilesse that they put Steuen to death who sought to bring them to eternall life stoning him as a blasphemer against God and his law who was a man full of faith and power and the holy Ghost An harsh and an hard fact of a stonie people saith Augustine ad lapides currebant duri ad duros Petris 〈◊〉 qui pro Petra qui Christus est moriebatur Lapides Indaearebellis In Stephanum lymphata rapis quae crimine duro saxeâ— semper eris But of their crueltie toward Steuen and other Prophets of God in the Gospell appointed for this day more copiously The most obseruable point in our present text is the godly behauiour of Steuen in his martyrdome 1. to God he looked vp stedfastly with his eyes into heauen c. As to the place where his treasure was his conuersation was his helpe was Hereby teaching vs whether we should flie for succour in aduersitie not vnto men here below but vnto God in heauen aboue so Dauid When I was in trouble I called vpon the Lord and hee heard me my helpe commeth euen from the Lord. So Iob my witnesse is in heauen and my record is on high And so S. Iames euery good gift is from aboue Calling vpon God and saying Lord. Thomas Becket a renowned Martyr and Saint among the Papists at his death earnestly commended himselfe and his cause to the protection of S. Mary but our protomartyr heere knowing that shee was neque magistra neque ministra neither mistresse of his soule nor yet a ministring spirit to his soule forgetting our Lady calleth vpon our Lord only saying Lord Iesu receiue my spirit the which is not an invocation of God the Father as Fran. Dauid impiously taught making Iesu the Genitiue case and the meaning thus O Father in heauen which art the Lord of thy sonne Iesu but as Ambrose notes a prayer vnto God the Sonne for besides infinite places of holy Scripture wheâ—e Christ is called Lord and called vpon as the Lord. S. Iohn Apocalips 22.20 vseth as Steuen here Iesu in the vocatiue Case etiam veni Domine Iesu euen so come Lord Iesus Where Domine Iesu cannot bee construed the Lord of Iesus but the Lord Iesus See Lorin in loc Bellarmine de Christo lib. 1. cap. 8. If the Lord be considered without Iesus howsoeuer in regard of his power he is able yet in regard of his iustice not willing the good Angels and blessed Saints in heauen are willing but not able wretched vncharitable men on earth are neither able nor willing onely Christ the Mediator betweene God and man is both able and willing to heare vs and helpe vs able because Lord willing because Iesus And therefore Steuen here doth not inuocate the Lord but in the name of Iesus neither doth he call vpon any Iesus but the Lord Iesus he lookes not for any succour either from men on earth or blessed spirits in heauen onely hee poureth out his soule to the redeemer of his soule Lord Iesu receiue my spirit Receiue He knew that his life was hid with Christ in God and therefore commendeth his soule to him alone who created it and redeemed it and iustified it and sanctified it and will in his good time glorifie it O Lord Iesu take thine owne into thine owne
Christs sake whose bloud cleanseth vs from all sinne 2. Why because God is faithfull and iust so forgiue vs our sinnes 3. What a plenarie not a partiall absolution a pardon for all vnrighteousnesse 4. When in this present life while wee walke in the light Our selues must acknowledge for our selues and not another we must indeed confesse one to another but not one for another wee must also confesse sinnes and not vertues as the proud Pharisie Luk. 18. I fast twice in their 〈◊〉 I pay tithes of all that eâ—â—r I possesse and our owne sinnes not our neighbours offences as the same Pharisie who did accuse the Publican and in comparison of his faults excuse himselfe This confession is to be made to God as being the searcher of our hearts vnderstanding all our secret sinne so well yea better then our selues O Lord who can tell how ofâ— he offendeth O cleanse me from my secret faules and to God as being very willing and mostable to purge vs from all vnrighteousnesse It is true that we must acknowledge our faults one to another as hauing trespassed one another and in some cases it is expedient also that wee resort to deuour learned discreet pastors for the releefe of our distressed conscience yet by Bellamines leaue this our text is not a pregnant Scripture for popish auricular confession vsed in the Church of Rome For the Ministers of the word may both openly pronounce absolution vnto true penitents and in secret also when occasion is offered iustly Though annuall and auricular confession of euery singular and single sin were thrust out of the Church as it was for twelue hundred yeeres after Christ See Gospell 3. Sund. after Epiphanie Wee must acknowledge that is say with our mouth and acknowledge in our heart that wee haue sinned in Adam and doe sinne for the present and may sinne hereafter as long as we liue For faith Augustine Iderat peccatum insanabilius quo me peccatorem esse non arbitrabar it is our dutie to feele sinne to feare sinne to flie sinne so farre as wee can in one word soundly and seriously to repent vs of all vnrighteousnesse Non fit satis quod doleamus sed ex side doleamus non semper doluisse doleamus de dolore gaudeamus Wee must hartily griue for our offences and grieue for that we grieue no more and ioy for that we grieue so much After such a confession a penitent ought to seeke for an absolution of God as being faithfull and iust to forgiue vs our sinnes Happily some will obiect God if wee consider him as iust is more ready to punish then to pardon for the wages of sinne is death and the Church hath taught vs euery day to pray with the Psalmist enter not into iudgement with thy seruants O Lord for no flesh is righteous in thy sight For answere to this obiection I find the word iust expounded diuersly Somesay God is iust as being able to iustifie sinners Other thinke that God is called iust in forgiuing our sinne because Christ hath paid a iust and sufficient price for the sinnes of the whole world Other construe iust here to bee nothing else but a comely thing or a propertie besitting the goodnesse of God according to that of Anselme Iustum est oÌ„ Deus vt parcas malis And so some read God is faithfull and facile ready to forgiue But I follow their Glosse who thinke that faithfull and iust in this place signifie the same God is faithfull in his promise iust in his word to forgiue Now God saith in his word though their sins were as crimson they shall be made white as snow though they be red like scarlet they shall be as wooll I am not come to call the righteous but the sinners to repentance Wherefore come to me all yee that labour and are laden and I will ease you yea that which is more then his word if any thing can be greater his oath is As I liue saith the Lord God I desire not the death of the wicked but that the wicked turne from his way and liue Now God euer dealeth with his seruants according to his word and hauing bound his word with an oath it is due debt and then it is iustice to pay debts he is faithfull and therefore can no more deny his promise then himselfe who saith at what time soeuer a sinner doth repent him of his sinne from the bottome of his heart I will put all his wickednesse out of my remembrance Wherefore let vs boldly come to the throne of grace let vs agree with our aduersary quickly while wee are in the way while wee walke in the light while it is called to day for after this life there is no purgatorie for sinne in another And let vs aske not onely some parcell of a pardon but an absolute absolution and a plenarie discharge from all vnrighteousnesse Larga Dei piet as veniam non dimidiabit aut 〈◊〉 ant totum se lachrymante dabit The Gospell IOHN 21.19 Iesus said vnto Peter Follow thou me c. THis Scripture containeth a Correction of Peters curiositie What is that to thee Follow thou mee The disciples error touching the death of Iohn yet Iesus said not vnto him he shall not die c. Commendation of Iohn in respect of his Grace with Christ the Disciple whom Iesus loued which also learned on his breast at supper c. Place in the Church as being an Apostle that testified of these things an Euangelist who wrote these things Conclusion of the Gospell intimating that so much is written as is necessarie to saluation and other things omitted and those many for that if they should bee written euery one the world could not containe the bookes that should bee written Our blessed Sauiour in the words immediately going afore shewed Peter in what vocation hee should liue Feed my sheepe as also by what death he should die When thou shalt be old thou shalt stretch forth thine hands and another shall gend thee and leade theâ— whither thou wouldest not And when hee had spoken thus alluding to both especially to the latter he said vnto Peter follow me that is be thou such a Pastor in feeding my sheepe and such a Pastor in suffering for my sheepe as I haue giuen example Christ said vnto Peter in the 13. chapter of this Gospell at the 36. verse Whither I goe thou caust not follow me now but thou shalt follow me afterwards Vnto whom Peter answered Lord why can I not follow thee now I will lay downe my life for thy sake Iesus replied wilt thou lay downe thy life for mysake Verily vâ—rily I say vnto thee the Cocke shall out crowâ—â— thou haue deared me thrice Now Iesus remembring this conflict and conference with his Disciple said vnto him in the words a little before our tex
to death Wherefore seeing to loue our enemies in the iudgment of some men is against Gods law and of other beside the law seeing many men in their precepts and most men in their practise manifestly shew that it is an hard saying Saint Steuens charity doth appeare to be great in blessing such as cursed him and in praying for such as did hurt him Iob renowmed in holy Scripture for his patience said If mine aduersarie should write a booke against me would I not take it vpon my shoulder and binde it as a crowne vnto me But Steuen surpassing Iob as Gregorie Nyssen obserues esteemed the very ring of his persecutors wherewith he was enclosed on euery side his crown and euery stone flung at his head a pretious diamond so that it might haue beene said of him as it was of Dauid The Lord preuented him with the blessings of goodnesse and set a crowne of pretious stones vpon his head Our goods are sweet vnto vs and therefore wee can hardly forgiue the theese our good name sweeter and therefore wee doe more hardly forgiue the slanderer but our life most sweet Skinne for skinne and all that euer a man hath will he giue for it and therefore most hardly doe we forgiue murtherers and martyrers in hot blood especially while they wring vs and wrong vs and yet Steuen full of the holy Ghost and therefore full of loue in persecutione positus pro persecutoribus orabat in the middest of his persecution heartily praied for his persecutors O Lord Iesu lay not this sinne to their charge Our sinnes not forgiuen are set before vs and as enemies in battell fighting against vs a pillar of infamie to disgrace the wicked in this and the next life the which as Basil thinkes is more grieuous to their soule then hell fire So that the meaning of S. Steuen is in saying lay not this sinne to their charge that God would giue them a better minde and not impute this offence but rather to burie this and all other their sinnes in his death and graue that they neuer rise vp againe to worke desperation in this world or destruction in the world to come S. Augustine brings in Steuen speaking thus vnto God Ego patior ego lapidor in me sauiunt in me fremunt sed ne statuas illis hoc peccatum quia vt dicamtibi à te primo audiui Ego seruus tâ—us patior sed muleum interest inter me te tu dominus ego eruus tu verbum ego auditor verbi tu magister ego discipulus tu Creator ego creatus tu Deus ego homo multum interest inter peccatum istorum qui lapidant me illorum qui crucifixerunt te quando ergo dixisti Pater ignosce illis quia nesciunt quid faciunt pro magno peccato petisti me pro minimo petere docuisti domine ne statuas illis hoc peccatum ego patior in carne isti non pereant in mente Now the Lord heard his praier and granted his request in that Saul had not this sinne said to his charge as himselfe witnesseth I was a blasphemer and a persecutor and an oppressor but I was receiued to mercy for I did it ignorantly through vnbeleefe So that Augustine is bold to say Si Stephanus non sic orasses ecclesia Paulum non haberet And Fulgentius Quo pracessis Stephanus trucidatus lapidibus Pauli illuc sequutus est Paulus adiutus orationibus Stephani When hee had thus spoken Vttering such excellent words and with such a resolute spirit and in such a reuerent fashion after he had thus spoken for the matter and thus for the manner giuing vnto God the life of his soule forgiuing his persecutors the death of his bodie hee sweetly slept in the Lord. Christus pro nobis hominem induit Stephanus pro Christo hominem exuit as Gregorie Nyssen elegantly Christ became man for Steuen and Steuen became no man for Christ hominem exuit he so willingly put off his flesh as a man would put off his clothes at night and so death as welcome to him as steepe to the wearie when he had thus spoken hee fell asleepe To mitigate deaths horror it is called often in holy Scripture sleepe So the text saith of Dauid and of Salomon and of other Kings of Israel and Iuda that they slept with their fathers In the new Testament also such as are dead in the Lord are said to sleepe in Christ. I would not haue you saith Paul ignorant concerning them which are asleepe c. For this cause many are weake and sicke among you and many sleepe 1. Cor. 11.30 For man in his graue sleepeth and waketh not againe till the heauen be no more Iob 14.12 So great a resemblance the Gentiles acknowledged between dying and sleeping that Ouid cals sleepe mortis imago deaths image Virgil consanguineus lathi the kinsman of death Seneca the brother of death and Hesiode the sister of death Among infinite comparisons I finde that death is principally likened vnto sleepe In respect of the Rest of the dead Resurrection of the dead Concerning the first it is said by the spirit Blessed are the dead in the Lord for they rest from their labore and so God giueth his beloued sleepe The coffin is a couch in que mollius ille dormit quisquis durius in vit a se gesserit I finde in the records of antiquitie that a Sepulchre is called requietorium a bed of sacred rest and securitie which Valerius Probus expressed in these letters H.R.I.P. Hic requiescet in pace and Pet. Diaconus in other D.M.S. Dormiunt mortus securi Hic mortuius requiescit semel Qui viuus requieuit nunquam But here we must obserue that our soule sleepes not in the dust as our body till our last dome For the soules of the reprobate at their death are fetched away from them and carried into hell But the soules of such as die in the Lord instantly liue with the Lord conueied by the glorious Angels into Abrahams bosome Luk. 16. 22. So Christ expresly to the theese on the Crosse Verily I say to thee this day shalt thou be with me in Paradise Anima absoluitur corpus resoluitur quae absoluitur gaudet quod resoluitur in terram suam nihil sentit And so the Saints departed are dead in their worst part onely but liuing in their best euen in that wherein they desire to liue most as an Heathen Poet diuinely Sed lugere nefas nam quite Prisce reliquit Vâ—â—â—t qua volnit viuere partemagis And therefore though the dead bodies of Gods seruants haue beene giuen as meat to the sowles of the aire and their flesh vnto the beasts of the land yet right deare in the sight of the
seeke Christ in the time of Herod the King 2. From what part of the world from the East 3. To what Citie to Ierusalem 4. By what guide by the leading of a star 5. For what end to worship him 6. What gifts they presented vnto him gold frankincense myrrhe 7. What way they returned home after they were warned of God in a sleepe that they should not goe againe to Herod they returned into their owne country another way In the time of Herod the King The Patriarke Iacob prophecied of the Messiah that the kingdom should not depart from Iuda not a langiner from his feâ—t vntill Sâ—â—lo come Now Herod was not a branch of the Kings of Iuda but an alien from their Common-wealth a stranger and a tyrant crept in by the fauour of the Romane Emperour and therefore the Wisemen enquiring after the birth of Christ in the daies of Herod the King obserued their right quando because now the scepter had departed from Iuda The which as it confutes the Iewes expecting as yet that Christ should come so it confirmes the faith of Christians assuring vs vndoubtedly that this same whom the Wise-men sought is the very Sauiour of the world and as the Wise-men in seeking euen so Christ in comming kept his right quando For when Herod was King and sinne most abounded Iesus was borne in Bethlehem a Citie of Iurie when his Israel sate in darknesse and in the shadow of death then he visited and redeemed his people Luk. 1.68.79 according to that of Dauid Thou shalt arise and haue mercy vpon Sion for it is time that thou haue mercy vpon her yea the time is come and why Thy seruants thinke vpon her stones and it pittieth them to see her in the dust Some thinke these Wise-men came to Ierusalem about two yeeres after Christs birth and the ground of this assertion is in the 16 verse of this present chapter Herode seeing that hee was mocked of the Wise-men was exceeding wroth and sent forth and slew all the male-children that were in Bethlehem and in all the coasts thereof from two yeeres old and vnder according to the time which hee had diligently searched out of the Magi. But the Wise-men had proued themselues none of the wisest men if they should at that time haue sought for Christ in Iurie when hee was in Egypt For so the text plainely Ioseph according to the direction of an Angell appearing to him in a dreame tooke the babe Iesus and his mother by night and departed into Egypt and was there vnto the death of Herod and that was in Nicephorus account 3 yeeres as Iansenius 5 yeeres as Sabellâ—câ—â— 7 yeeres I thinke therefore that the Wise-men came to Ierusalem according to the Churches institution of this feast vpon tht twelfth day after the birth of Christ. If any desire to bee satisfied how they could performe in so short a time so great a iourney let them at their leasure peruse the Commentaries of Maldonat vpon this text and Cardinall Baron annal Tom. ad an 1. fol. 53.54 From the East The first sinne committed by man in the world was eastward for Adam and Eua did eate of the forbidden fruit in Paradise planted Eastward Gen. 2.8 〈…〉 her Abel was an inhabitant of the East Gen 4. â—â— The builders of the Tower of Babel also came from the 〈◊〉 Gen. 11.2 And there 〈◊〉 Christ 〈…〉 that hee might 〈…〉 and take away the sinne of the world called at his 〈◊〉 appearing Wise-men from the East and hee was crucified 〈◊〉 toward the 〈◊〉 as hauing put all our sinnes behind his bâ—cke Eâ—a â—â— 17 And for this 〈◊〉 happily 〈◊〉 with other whereas the 〈…〉 toward the South and sectaâ—â—â— to the West 〈…〉 and thaâ— from the very time of theâ— Apostles vse to pray toward the 〈◊〉 And it 〈…〉 that such as were to bee baptized should in their renunciation of the deuill and all his workes euer turne their face toward the Wâ—â—l and on the contrary when they made their con 〈◊〉 of the faith of Christ 〈◊〉 the East as 〈…〉 and Cyrâ—l apud Baron 〈…〉 58 fol. 564. Our Sauiour said Matth. 8.11 that mary shall 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 and shall sit downe with 〈…〉 Isaac and Iacob in the kingdome of heauen These 〈◊〉 came from the East and 〈◊〉 from the West and 〈◊〉 knowledged Christ to bee King of the Iewes Magi ab 〈…〉 hoc est nasâ—ents the autem occidenti hoc est 〈…〉 regi Iudeorum That these Magi came from Persia most accord but whether they were Kings or Philosophers or both it is vncertaine It was a receiued opinion among the Popish Friers heretofore that these Magi were Kings and that Matthew in terming them Wise-men gaue them a title more honourable then that of Kings 〈…〉 A scepter may be put into the hands of a foole The name then of Magus in that age when Philosophers did raigne was of greater account then that of Magnus Other Papists of better note for their learning confesse that they were not reges but reguli not puissant Princes of a whole Country but pettie Lord of some little Towne aâ— Gen. 14. Bera King of Sodome Birsha King of Gomâ—rrah Shâ—â—ab King of Admâ—th But that these were crowned Kings and but three whose names are Melchior Gaspar Balthasar Const. 〈◊〉 pictura sed noâ— ex scriptura is a tale painted on a wall not written in the word That I say these were but three whereof one was an olde man another a yong man and the third of middle age whose dead bodies haue been translated first from India to Constantinople Secondly from Constantinople to Millane Thirdly from Millane to Colon and thereupon commonly called the three Kings of Colon is thought by Protestant Diuines a ridiculous fable better fitting the signe of a Tauerne then the wall or window of a Temple That they were Wise-men is said in this text and proued also for in seeking the Lord when and where hee was to be found they shewed themselues wisemen indeed according to that of the Prophet Let not the wise man glory in his wisedome but let him that gloâ—uth glory in this that hee vnderstandeth and knoweth mee that I am the Lord which exercise louing kindnesse iudgement and righteousnesse in the earth for in these things I deâ—â—â— saith the Lord. It is likewise consonant to the text that these Magi were aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel as the shepheard were the first fruits of the Iewes so these Wise-men the first fruits of the Gentile They were neere these came from farre both met in Christ the chiefe corner stone who made of both one that is of two walles one house for the Iewes and Gentiles are all one in Christ Galat. 3.28 A mysterie which in times past as you haue heard in this daie Epistle was not opened
when he found them vpon conference to be dullards in his schoole he chides them O fooles and slow of heart c. fooles in vnderstanding slow in affecting the truth Arguit eos amentiae in parte cognoscitiua tarditatis in parte affectiâ—a But yet in calling them fooles he brake not his owne law whosoeuer shall say foole to his brother is worthie to be punished with hell fire because this rebuke proceeds out of a spirituall zeale for their good and not out of any carnall hatred for their hurt And such a reproofe is not a reproch it is officium and not conuitium a worke of charity and not a marke of malice So Paul called his Galathians foolish and hee gaue this precept vnto Timothie improue rebuke but with all long suffering and doctrâ—ne for Christ here did not only correct his diâ—ciples â—â—â—our but also direct them in the truth and that by words and deeds By words vrging the truth of his death and resurrection First by reason ought not Christ to haue suffered these things and to enter into his glory 2. From authority hee began at Moses and all the Prophets and interpreted vnto them in all Scriptures which were written of him Here first note the sweet harmonie betweene the two Testaments in that both agree together and meet together in Christ as being alpha and omega the beginning of the Gospell and the end of the Law 2. That the grounds of all our sermons are to be taken out of holy writ the Ministers and messengers of God ought o deliuer the words of God 3. That in our preaching we should vse such scriptures as are most apt and fit for our present occasion as Christ heere cited not all the Scriptures in all the law but onely such as were written of him euen those which euidently proued his death and resurrection He did interpret vnto them in all Scriptures and yet named none that hee might incite vs hereby to the diligent searching and examination of them Secondly Christ instructed his Disciples in this present controueâ—sie with his actions for as it is said at the 19. verse hee was a Prophet mighty in deed and word That is in soundnesse of docâ—rine and sanctity of life First as Theophylaâ—t obserues powerfull in deed and then powerfull in word For he perswadeth vnto vertue most who liueth best As in this place Christ himselfe was knowne by breaking of bread sooner then by preaching of the word Or as other powerfull in his miracles and powerfull in his teaching His actions here mentioned concerning the bread are foure He tooke it and blessed it and brake it and gaue to them Among all which he was onely knowne in breaking of bread for that hee did miraculously breake bread with his hands as other cut it with a knife The which hee did often in his life and so by this easily knowne after his rising from death By this dialogue you may see that Christ is especially knowne in the Scriptures and yet not in the Scriptures except he first open our eyes and breake and giue to each one the bread of life And in the conclusion or epilogue following you may see likewise the fruit of interpreting Scriptures how the ministry of the word maketh the fire of Gods spirit to burne first in our selues and then ofterwards to shine towards other As the two Disciples heere so soone as their eyes were opened to see Christ instantly the same houre they rose vp and returned to Hierusalem and found the eleuen gathered together and they told what things were done in the way and how they knew him in breaâ—ing of bread the circumstance of the time and distance of the place manifestly shew their â—ealous affection in relating these newes vnto the brethren Emmaus as our Euangelist in the 13. verse was about threescore furlongs from Hierusalem eight furlongs make an ordinary mile and so threescore furlongs are about seuen miles and an halfe Some Diuines affirme that it was a iourney of three or foure houres on foot If then it were towards night when Christ vpon their importunity sat at table with them as we read at the 29. verse then it was as we may coniecture probably midnight before they could come to Hierusalem and yet saith our text they went the same houre neither deferring the time nor preferring their priuate businesse before the publike good Howsoeuer they were doubtlesse after trauell wearie and after meate in the night sleepie yet they would not suffer their eyes to sleepe nor their eye lids to slumber nor the temples of 〈◊〉 head to take any rest vntill they had published vnto the brethren how Christ was risen againe from the dead and how they knew him in breaking of bread That we may performe the like diligence toward Gods people as occassion is offered in our seuerall estaâ—es and callings let vs pray with our mother the Church Almighty God which through thy onely begotten sonne Iesus Christ hast ouercome death and opened vnto vs the gate of euerlasting life wee humbly beseech thee that as by thy speciall grace preuenting vs thou doest put in our minds good desires so by thy continuall helpe we may bring the same to good effect through Iesus Christ our Lord c. The Epistle ACTS 13.26 Yee men and brethren children of the generation of Abraham c. THis text is part of that excellent sermon made by the blessed Apostle S. Paul at Antioch a City of Pisidia to the Iewes assembled together in their Synagogue on the Sabbath day The maine scope whereof is that Iesus Christ is the Sauiour of Israel and Messias of the world promised vnto the fathers and exhibited in the fulnesse of time to their children euen vnto vs as being by faith a generation of Abraham and that through him all that feare God and beleeue receiue forgiuenes of their sinnes and are iustified from all things from which they could not be iustified by the law of Moses The whole sermon hath especially two parts Explication from the 16. verse to the 26. intimating that Iesus Christ is the blessed seed promised in old time by the Prophets and preached in these last daies by Iohn the Baptist who was more then a Prophet Application in the words allotted for our present text wherin three points are principally regardable to wit an insinuation ye men and brethren c. preoccupation for the inhabitors of Hierusalem c. commination beware therefore lest that fall vpon you c. The Gospell of Christ is a proclamation in writing common to all and the Preacher is the voice of a cryer euen the mouth of God to giue notice to the people that the contents of the proclamation concerne them and euery one of them As Act. 2.39 The promise is made to you and to your children and to all that are a farre off euen as
Sund after Easter and Gospell on Saint Thomas day Here pause and pray Almighty father which hast giuen thine onely sonne to die for our sinnes and to rise againe for our iustification grant vs so to put away the leauen of malice and wickednesse that we may alway serue thee in purenesse of liuing and truth through Iesus Christ our Lord Amen The Epistle Eâ—HES 4.7 Vnto euery one of vs is giuen grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ c. SAint Paul doth especially two things in all his Epistles 1. treate 2. entreate Hauing sufficiently treated in the former Chapters of doctrinals he commeth in this present to morals entreating his Ephesians in generall to walke worthy of the vocation whereunto they were called in more particular to support one another thorough loue keeping the vnity of the spirit in the bond of peace pressing this one point with arguments of two sorts The first of which epist. 17. Sund. after Trin. is taken from such things as are common vnto the whole Church as being in all the faithfull one and the same there is one body and one spirit and one hope one Lord one faith one baptisme one God and father of all which is aboue all and through aâ— and in you all As if he should argue thus if the Church your mother bee but one God your father but one Christ your Lord but one the holy spirit your comforter but one if ye haue but one hope one faith one baptisme I see no cause why ye should not liue together and loue together as all one labouring to keepe the vnity of the spirit in the bond of peace The second contained in our present text is taken from such graces as are in euery one diuerse shewing that this inequality of gifts is not an hindrance but rather a furtherance to vnitie for asmuch as all of them are giuen by the same author for the same end Vnto euery one of vs is giuen some gift vnto none all he that hath most hath but a measure As then in the naturall body the eye can not say to the hand I haue no need of thee nor the hand againe to the feet I haue no need of you but euery part seeketh anothers and not his owne good Euen so in the Church which is Christs mysticall body God made not all Apostles or all Prophets or Euangelists c. but some Apostles some Prophets some Euangelists c. There be diuersities of gifts and diuersities of administrations and diuersities of operations 1. Cor. 12. euery one standeth in need of anothers gift and thereupon is occasioned to support one another in loue preseruing the vnity of the spirit in the bond of peace See epist. 2. Sun after Epiphan and 10. after Trinity In the whole 4. points are to be considered especially 1. Who Christ and that is proued out of the 68. Psal. verse 18. hee led captiuitie captiue and gaue gifts vnto men 2. When when hee ascended vp on high euen aboue all heauens to fulfill all things 3. What hee made some Apostles some Prophets some Euangelists c. 4 Why for the perfiting of the Saints for the worke of the ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ. Concerning the first in that our Apostle doth auowe here that the diuersity of grace bestowed on the Church is the gift of Christ whereas he saith elsewhere that God the father ordained Apostles and Prophets and teachers and that the spirit worketh ad these things vnto euery one seuerally distributing as he will we may learne two conclusions in diuinity 1. That all the workes of the sacred Trinity quoad extra without it selfe are common and communicable to euery person of the three 2. That God the sonne is equall in might and mercy to God the father he being ascended aboue all heauens is the giuer of gifts vnto men and here we must accord the Prophet and our Apostle The one saith he receiued gifts for men the other he gaue gifts vnto men and these two seeme to contradict each other Answere is made that Dauid speakes of this deuotion in time to come but Paul of thiâ— donation already past and accomplished Dauid of the promise Paul of the performance Or Christ as he was God gaue gifts in heâ—â—â—n and as man he reâ—â—â—ed gifts on earth or he receiued in that his members receiued according to his owne saying Mat. 25.40 â—n as much as ye haue done it vnto one of the leastâ— these my brethren yee haue done it vnto mee or he receiued to giue as Exod. 25.2 Speake to the children â—f â—srael that they receiue an offering for me that is according to the translation of our present Church bible â—â—at they bringâ— where reioycing as Abbâ—n Ezâ—a notes is giuing and so Paul alluding rather to the sense then to the words of Dauid saith he 〈…〉 Touching the second point it is demanded how Christ is said here to haue made some Apostles and some Prophets c. When he went 〈…〉 and led captiuity â—aptiue seeing wee reade in the Gospels history that he chose his Apostles and Disciples and gaue them a commission to preach in his life time and that after his resurrection he confirmed them in his office by breathing on them and giuing the holy Ghost and saying as my father sent mee euen so send â—y â—â— goe teach all nations baptizing them in the name of the father and the sonne 〈◊〉 the holy ghost Answere may bee that Christ is reported in this Scripture to haue giuen Apostles vnto the Church after he went vp on high in respect of their gifts extension and 〈◊〉 Extension as hauing after Christs ascensâ—ou receiued the gifts of the holy ghost after a more glorious manner and in a farre greater measure So the text the â—â—ly ghost was not yet giuen because that Iesus was not yet glorified and If I goe not away the comforter will not come vnto you but if I depart I will send him vnto you And Christ at his ascension also charged them to waite for this promised power of the holy ghost See gosp Sun after ascension day Oâ—tension and that 1. in respect of the solemne inauguration into their Apostleship on the feast of Pentecost in the sight of Gods people gathered together at Hierusalem out of euery nation vnder heauen It is reported of Dauid that he was first annointed King of Israel in the middest of his brethren 1 Sam. 1.10 and afterward in Hebron 2. Sam. 2. But hee was not called King vntill he was annoynted solemly before all the tribes of Israel 2. Sam. 5. Euen so though it bee granted that the Apostles were nominated and elected to their office before Christs death and confirmed in their calling after Christs resurrection yet they were not apparantly knowen vnto Gods people to bee so till he went vp on high and gaue