absentes non deplorandi vt moâ—tui We may indeed wish for them because they are not with vs but we must not weepe for them because they are with God Loue grant commands vs. Well be it so What then But yet faith forbids vs to weepe for the dead s Pietas plorare iubet fides pro defunctis lugere vetat Isidorus And therefore Paulinus saith t Salua fide pietatis officia pendamus salua pietate fâ—dei gaudia praeferamus Though wee may notwithstanding our faith performe to the dead the duties of loue yet wee must first notwithstanding our loue afford to ourselues the comforts of faith So if wee shed some few teares which run softly like the waters of Silo no force saies Ambrose u Erunt non doloris illices sod indices pietatis They will not bewary in vs any want of faith but onely testifie an aboundance of loue Thus and no otherwise did Abraham weepe for Sara his wife Eleazar for Aaron his father Rebecca for Debora her nurse Ioseph for Iacob his father Bethsheba for Vrias her husband Christ for Lazarus his friend And here in wonderfull wisedome he teacheth vs how sparing we ought to be in weeping for the death of our godly friends considering our good hope that are aliue and their good happe that are dead As if the very dead body whom some of you perhaps euen at this present so seriously think of and so much lament for should now suddenly arise out of the graue and steppe into the Pulpit and preach and say vnto you Weepe not for mee but weepe for your selues You indeed as yet remaine in this vale of misery where you sinne daily and hourely against God where continually you feele afflictions and punishments due to your sins where lastly you are depriued of the glory of God of the society of the Saints of the ioyes of heauen Therefore if you will weepe for your selues but weepe not for me I am in that state of perfection where I neuer sinne but alwayes praise and laud the Lord I am out of the compasse of all calamities not to be touched with any trouble I euermore behold the amiable and the louing countenance of Christ and though I come not very neere him yet so farre forth I see him as this sight alone is sufficient to make mee euery way a happy man Thus would the very dead if they should rise againe speake vnto vs. But wee will not any longer disquiet the dead or disturbe them vvhich so sweetly sleepe in Christ. Certainely either this that hath been spoken will perswade vs oâ— else as our Sauiour saith though one should rise from the dead vvee would not beleeue For if these ancient and holy Fathers Fulgentius Ignatius Cyprian Chrysostome Ierome Isidore Paulinus Ambrosius should now all arise they would I assure you say no other thing but euen as you haue heard them speake alreadie in those sentences and allegations which I haue quoted and cited out of them The summe of al which is this That it is great folly and childishnesse to weepe immoderately for the dead and that it is on the other side a hie point of wisdome to be moderate in this matter considering our Lord going here to his death teacheth his friends not to weepe for him in that he saith weepe not weepe not for mee Thus much for his Wisedome Now for Benignitie he sayes Not you For though the person bee not expressed in the English yet in the Greeke verbe it is implied Weepe not as if it were Weepe not you Which Benignitie appeared in that among all his vntollerable troubles nothing troubled him so much as that his friends were troubled for his troubles And yet as it should seeme they of all other had greatest cause thus to bee grieued All the people wept for Moses death All Egypt for Iosephs death all Israel for Iosâ—as his death all the Church for Stephens death But a million of Mosesses of Iosephs of Iosiasses of Stephens are not comparable to Christ. The women of Troy wept for the death of worthy Hector their valiant Captaine making this the foot of their dolefull ditty wee weepe for Hector x Hectora flemus Seneca in Troade actu primo How much more then ought these women of Ierusalem to weepe for the death of their captaine Christ Al the widowes lamented the death of Dorcas because in her life time shee made them coates and garments And had not these women then far greater reason to lament the death of Christ who made euery one of them a wedding garment wherein he did marry them to himselfe Yee daughters of Israel saith Dauid weepe for Saul vvho cloathed you vvith Scarlet How much more then ought these daughters of Ierusalem to vveepe for Christ vvho clothed euery one of them with Scarlet and with the royall robe of his righteousnesse yea and gaue his owne deare selfe vnto them that they might put on the Lord Iesus When Christ was borne the night was turned into day as it was prophesied y Psa. 139.12 Then shall the night shine as the day But when Christ was crucified the day was turned into night as it was prophesied z Amos. 8.9 Then shall the Sun go downe at noone day The Sunne therefore wept for Christ. As Hamons face was couered when hee was condemned to die so the suns face was couered when Christ was condemned to die The temple also wept for Christ. As Dauid rent his garment when hee heard of Ionathans death so the temple rent his vaile when it heard of Christs death The graues likewise wept for Christ. As the King of Niniue threw vp dust vpon his head wheÌ„ he and his subiects were appointed to die so the graues opened and threw vp dust vpon their heads when Christ vvas appointed to die The stones lastly vvept for Christ. As Iob cut his haire vvhen he heard of his childrens death so the stones were cut in peeces and clouen asunder when they heard of Christs death As Asse carrying Christ into Ierusalem the children sung most merrily Christ carrying his crosse out of Ierusalem the women wept most mournfully If those children had held their peace and not sung as our Sauiour their protesteth the very stones would haue sâ—ng out the praise of Christ. If these women had held their peace not cried the very stones would haue cried for the death of Christ Or rather indeed as soone as euer these women left weeping because Christ bad them straight wayes the stones fell a weeping before Christ bad them And what heart of man then could here haue refrained from weeping though it had been harder then any stone seeing the hard stones before his eyes thus dissolued and distilled into teares Yet behold the benignity louing kindnes of Christ Christ died not for the Sunne not for the Temple not for the Graues not for the stones but for vs men and for our saluation he died Yet
à fine that there is another fountaine neere Grenoble a Citie in France which although it haue not hot waters as a Bath yet oftentimes together with bubbles of water it casteth vp flames of fire The fountaine of teares that is in our eies must be like these two fountaines As the Psalmist witnesseth When my sorrow was stirred sayes he my heart was hot within mee and while I was musing the fire kindled l Psal. 30.3 When my sorrow was stirred There is the first fountaine My heart was hot within mee There is the Torch lighted And while I was musing There is the other fountaine The fire kindled There is the flame burning Whereupon one sayes fitly Our eies must neither be drowned nor dry m Nec fluant oculi nec â—icci sint Seneca If they want fire they will be drowned If they want water they will be dry Wherefore both weepe not and but weepe both fire and water must goe together that our eyes bee neither drowned nor drye And this is the right moderation wee must keepe in weeping as appeareth in this third part WEEPE NOT BVT WEEPE both together Weepe not for mee but weepe for your selues THe fourth part followeth For Mee Weepe not too much for my death For the death of Christ is the death of Death the death of the Diuell the life of Himselfe the life of Man The reason of all this is his innocencie and righteousnesse which makes first that as the life of Christ is the life of Life so the death of Christ is the death of Death Put the case how you please this is a most certaine truth that the gate of life had neuer bin opened vnto vs if Christ who is the death of Death had not by his death ouercome death a Mors mortis morti mortem nisi morte dedisset coelestis vitae iâ—nus â—lausa foret Therefore both before his death he threatneth and challengeth death saying b Osee 13.14 O death I will bee thy death and also after his death hee derideth and scorneth death saying c 1 Cor. 15.15 O death thou art but a drone where is now thy sting d Sic Iohannes Pistorius Erasmi Roterodami affinis igni cremandus dixit O mors vbi est tua victoria Aske death any of you I pray and say Death how hast thou lost thy sting how hast thou lost thy strength What is the matter that virgins and very children doe now contemne thee wheras Kings and euen tyrants did before feare thee Death I warrant will answer you that the only cause of this is the death of Christ. Euen as a Bee stinging a dead body takes no hurt but stinging a liue body many times looseth both sting and life together in like manner death so long as it stung mortall men only which were dead in sin was neuer a whit the worse but when it stung Christ once who is life it selfe by and by it lost both sting and strength Therefore as the brasen serpent was so farre from hurting the Israelites that contrariwise it healed them after the same sort death is now so far from hurting any true Israelite that on the other side if affliction as a fiery serpent sting vs or if any thing else hurt vs presently it is helped and redressed by death Those which will needes play the hob-goblins or the night-walking spirits as we call them all the while they speak vnder a hollow vault or leape forth with an vgly vizard vpon their faces they are so terrible that he which thinks himselfe no small man may perhaps bee affrighted with them But if some lusty fellow chance to steppe into one of these and cudgell him wel-fauouredly and pull the vizard from his face then euery boy laughes him to scorne So is it in this matter Death was a terrible bulbeggar and made euery man afraide of him a great while but Christ dying buckled with this bulbeggar and coniured him as I may say out of his hollow vault when as the dead comming out of the graues were seene in Ierusalem and puld the vizard from his face when as he himselfe rising left the linnen clothes which were the vizard of death behinde him Therefore as that Asse called Cumanus Asinâ—s ietting vp and downe in a Lyons skinne did for a time terrifie his master but afterwards being descried did benefit him very much Semblably death stands now like a silly Asse hauing his Lyons skin pulled ouer his eares and is so farre from terrifying any that it benefits all true Christians because by it they rest from their labour and if they be oppressed with troubles or cares when they come to death they are discharged death as an Asse doth beare these burthens for them O blessed blessed bee our Lord which hath so disarmed death that it cannot do vs any hurt no more then a Bee can which hath no sting nay rather it doth vs much good as the brasen serpent did the Israelites which hath so dismasked death that it cannot make vs afraid no more than a scar-bug can which hath no vizard nay rather as an Asse beareth his masters burthens so death easeth and refresheth vs. This hath Christ done by his death Hee that felleth a tree vpon which the Sun shineth may well cut the tree but cannot hurt the Sunne He that poureth water vpon Iron which is red hot may well quench the heate but hee cannot hurt the Iron And so Christ the Sun of righteousnesse did driue away the shadow of death and as glowing Iron was too hot and too hard a morsell for death to disgest All the while Adam did eate any other fruit which God gaue him leaue to eate he was nourished by it but when he had tasted of the forbidden tree he perished Right so death had free leaue to deuoure any other man Christ onely excepted but when it went about to destroy Christ then it was destroyed it selfe Those barbarous people called Cannibals which feed only vpon raw flesh especially of men if they happen to eate a peece of roasted meat commonly they surfeâ— of it and die Euen so the right Canniball the onely deuourer of all mankinde Death I meane tasting of Christs flesh and finding it not to be raw such as it was vsed to eate but wholsome and heauenly meate indeede presently tooke a surfet of it and within three dayes died For euen as when Iudas had receiued a sop at Christs hand anon after his bowels gushed out In like sort death being so saucie as to snatch a sop as it were of Christs flesh and a little bit of his body was by and by like Iudas choaked and strangled with it and faine to yeeld it vp againe when Christ on Easter day reuiued Death I wisse had not beene brought vp so daintily before nor vsed to such manner of meate but alwayes had rauined either with Mithridates daughters vpon the poyson of sin or else with Noahs Crow vpon the
for himselfe Wherefore as in a ballance if there be any ods in the sâ—ales wee take out of that which is the heauier and put it into that which is the lighter till there be no difference betwixt them So here wee must wey these matters well that wee our selues may be iust weight neither too heauy for our owne misery not too light for Christs mercy Thus did Dauid when hee said to God Hide mee vnder the shadow of thy wings What are Gods wings His Mercy and his Iustice. What are the shadow of his wings Our loue and our feare Our loue is the shadow of his mercy which is his right wing Our feare is the shadow of his Iustice which is his left wing Now seeing hee that is hid vnder the right wing onely may presume because hee hath no feare and hee that is hid vnder the left wing onely may despaire because he hath no loue therefore sayth Dauid Hide me O Lord vnder the shadow not of one wing but of both thy wings That I may neuer despaire while I alwaies loue thy mercy and reioyce for Christ that I may neuer presume while I alwayes feare thy iustice and weepe for my selfe A Quaile the very same Bird which was the Israelites meate in the wildernesse as he flies ouer the sea feeling himselfe begin to be weary lights by the way into the sea Then lying at one side he layes downe one wing vpon the water and holds vp the other wing towards heauen Lest hee should presume to take too long a flight at the first hee weâ—s one wing Lest hee should despaire of taking a new flight afterwards hee keepes the other wing drie Thus must a Christian man doe When hee layes downe the wing of feare vpon the water to weepe for himselfe then hee must hold vp the wing of loue toward heauen to reioyce for Christ. That his two wings may be answerable to Gods two wings That as God hath two wings the one of Mercie the other of Iustice so hee may haue two wings the one of ioy for Christ the other of sorrow for himselfe Sem Iâ—pheth Noahs godly and dutifull children when they saw their father otherwise then hee should be went backeward and couered him They went backeward that they might not see him themselues they couered him that others might not see him Christ hanging naked vpon the Crosse was the shame of men and the outcast of the people Therefore wee that are the children of God must goe backeward by abhorring them that crucified Christ and yet wee must couer him and hide him euen in our very hearts by remembring and honouring his death and resurrection Lest wee should presume wee must goe backeward for feare and yet lest we should despaire wee must couer him for loue That as God hideth vs vnder the shadow of his wings which are loue and feare loue the shadow of his mercy and feare the shadow of his iustice so we may hide God vnder the shadow of our wings which are ioy and sorrow ioy the shadow of our loue and sorrow the shadow of our feare ioy for Christ and sorrow for our selues To this strange kinde of going backeward the Psalmist alludeth when hee saith to God Thou hast made my feete like Hindes feete A Hinde goeth not still forward in one way but as an auncient father speaketh hee iumpes crosse out of one way into another Saltum habet transuersum Right so a Christians feete must be like Hindes feet He must iumpe crosse from himselfe to Christ and then backe againe from Christ to himselfe Would you see such a Hinde Then mark how Iob footes it That he might not despaire he iumpes crosse from himselfe to Christ and saith a Chap. 33.9 I am cleane without sinne I am Innocent and there is none iniquitie in mee Heere is the mercy of Christ. But that hee might not presume hee iumpes backe againe from Christ to himselfe and saith b Chap. 6.2 O that my griefe were well weighed and that my miseries were laid together in the balance Here is the misery of man Thus must we weigh the mercie of Christ and the misery of man together in the balance and besure as I said before wee make the scales euen and when we weigh the reasons why wee should not weepe for Christ then we must weigh the reasons also why we should weepe for our selues So wee shall find for great cause of ioy in Christ great cause of sorrow in our selues for greater cause of ioy in Christ greater cause of sorrow in our selues for greatest cause of ioy in Christ greatest cause of sorrow in our selues for that which is more then all to make vs ioyfull in Christ that which is more then all to make vs sorrowfull in our selues The righteousnesse of Christ is the death of Death Great cause of ioy in Christ. If Debora reioyced when Barack put Sisera to flight haue not wee as great cause to reioyce seeing Christ hath put death to flight The sinne of man is the life of death Great cause of sorrow in our selues If Anna wept for her barrennesse haue not wee as great cause to weepe seeing wee can conceiue nothing but sorrow and bring forth iniquity vnto death The righteousnesse of Christ is the death of the Diuell Great cause of ioy in Christ. If Iudith reioyced when shee did cut off the head of Holofernes haue not wee great cause to reioyce seeing Christ hath cut off the head of the Diuell The sinne of man is the life of the diuell Greater cause of sorrow in our selues If Thamar wept being defloured by her brother haue not wee greater cause to weepe seeing we commit spirituall incest and adultery daily with the diuell The righteousnesse of Christ is the life of himselfe Greatest cause of ioy in Christ. If Sara laughed when shee heard shee should haue a quicke childe in her dead wombe is not this the greatest cause of laughter which can be vnto vs that Christ liued in death and was most free among the dead and could not see corruption in the graue The sinne of man is the death of himselfe Greatest cause of sorrow in our selues If Agar wept being turned out of Abrahams house is not this the greatest cause of weeping which can be vnto vs that our life is no life because we neuer cease from sinning while wee are heere pilgrimes and strangers exiled and banished out of our fathers house in heauen The righteousnesse of Christ is the life of man This is more then all to make vs ioyfull in Christ. If Queene Ester did reioyce as King Iames doth at this day whom God for his mercies sake euer saue and preserue and let all the people say Amen because he deliuered his people from thraldome and destruction can any thing in the world then make vs more ioyfull then this that we being cursed in our selues are blessed in Christ being embased in our selues are exalted in Christ being
he suffereth these senseles creatures to weep and to haue a liuely feeling of his death though they had no benefit by his death But being content himselfe to shed his dearest and his best bloud for vs yet will not suffer vs in recompence to shed so much as one little teare for him No no sayes he I will beare all the sorrow you shall haue only ioy and though I die and shed my very heart bloud for you yet you shall not so much as weepe or shed the least teare for me Not you weepe not for me Thus much for his Benignitie Lastly for Magnanimitie he sayes Not for mee Strange stoutnesse and courage Especially in him that was otherwise so milde and so meeke a lambe But here the cause quarrell being ours and he fighting for the saluatioÌ„ for our soules there is no rule with him hee plaies he Lion wheresoeuer he goes For holding now in his hand the cup of trembling and being ready to drinke vp the very dregs of it yet neither his hand nor his heart trembleth Ennius the Poet as Tullie testifieth could say thus much Let no man weepe for my death a Nemome lachrymis decoret And Saint Laurence the Martyr as Prudentius witnesseth Doe not weepe for my departure b Desiâ—â—e discessu meo stetum dolentur sundere But as Ennius or any other Pagan could neuer come neere Christians in true magnanimitie So S. Laurence or any other Christian could neuer come neere Christ. The blessed Apostle S. Paul of any that euer I heard of commeth neerest to him going toward IerusaleÌ„ what do you saies he weeping breaking my heart for I am ready not only to be bound but euen to die also for the name of the Lord Iesus Euen so saith Christ here or rather indeed not so but a thousand times more couragiously going out of Ierusalem What doe you saies he weeping and breaking my heart for I am ready not onely to bee bound but euen to die also for the saluation of man He knew well enough his passion would be a new kind of transfiguration vnto him For at his transfiguration he was accompanied with his deere Disciples Peter Iames and Iohn but at his passion Peter denied him Iames and Iohn forsooke him And there he was vpon mount Tabor which smelled sweetly of hearbs and flowers but here he was vpon mount Caluery which smelled loathsomly of bones and dead mens sculs And there his face did shine as the Sun but here his face was couered nay it was buffeted and spit vpon And there his garments were white as the light but here his garments were parted nay they were like Iosephs coate all embrewed in bloud and he himselfe stript stark naked And there he was betweene two famous Prophets Moses and Elias but here when they thought hee called for Elias to helpe him Elias would not come nay he was betweene two theeues the one at his right hand the other at his left And there his Father spake most ioyfully to him from heauen This is my beloued Sonne in whom only I am pleased but here he screeched most lamentably to his Father from the Crosse My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Yet behold behold the Magnanimitie of Christ. Christ knew well enough before hand of all this fearefull and horrible passion prepared for him wherein he was not transfigured as before but disfigured so as neuer was any man Yet nothing could moue him This cowardlinesse of his Disciples this noisomnesse of the place these diuelish buffets vpon his bare face these bloudy wounds vpon his naked body these vile theeues these hideous screeches could not one whit daunt his heroicall heart But euen as a noble Champion hauing already had a legge and an arme slasht off when all the stage in admiration of his valour and manhood cries Saue the Man saue the man yet puts out himselfe and standing vpon one legge and striking with one arme fights stil as stoutly as if he had neuer been hurt at all so Christ hauing bin scorned and scourged already when the whole theater of heauen and earth wept for him yea when the powers aboue the heauen came downe and the dead vnder the earth rose vp to mone and pitty him only he himselfe would neither aske any fauour of others nor yet shew any fauour to himselfe but was very angry called him Sathan that gaue him such counsell Yea though all the Saints in heauen and earth did bleed at the very heart c Coelum terra compatiuntur ci Anselmus inspeculo Euangel serm cap. 13. in a manner as much as hee himselfe did vpon the crosse to see so good a man so shamefully despighted yet nothing could stay him but still he went on forward as pleasantly and as cheerefully as to any banket or feast to this most rufull and dreadfull death O sweet Iesus O my deare Lord forgiue me I humbly beseech thee for thy mercy sake forgiue mee this one fault Thou wilt neither weep thy selfe nor yet suffer me to weep for thy death But I am contrariwise affected Though I do not see thee at this present led as a Lambe to the slaughter yet onely meditating of thy death so many hundred yeares after I cannot possibly refraine from weeping Yea by so much the more do I lament and mourn by how much the more I see thâ—e ioyfull glad Come forth yee daughters of Sion saith hee d Cant. 3.11 and behold King Salomon with the crowne wherewith his mother crowned him in the day of his marriage and in the day of the gladnes of his heart As if he should haue said Come forth yee daughters of Ierusalem and behold Iesus Christ with the crowne of thorns wherewith the Synagogue of the Iewes crowned him in the day of his passion and in the day of his death vpon the Crosse. He calleth the day of his passion the day of his marriage and the day of his death vpon the crosse the day of the gladnesse of his heart Thus you see in this seuenth part the Wisedome the Benignitie the Magnanimitie of Christ in that he saith Not weepe Not you Not for me Weepe not for me Weepe not for me but weepe for your selues THE eighth part which is the last now onely remaineth But weepe for your selues Wherein wee must consider likewise three vertues that ought to be in vs Deuotion Compunction Compassion For Deuotion hee sayth But weepe For Compunction But you For compassion But for your selues But weepe But you But for your selues But weepe for your selues First for Deuotion hee saith But weepe Deuotion generally is a supernaturall dexteritie wrought by the Holy Ghost in the heart of a deuout man whereby hee is made prompt and ready to performe all those duties which appertaine to the seruice of God As a man may bee said to bee deuout in Preaching deuout in hearing deuout in making prayers deuout in giuing Almes But here especially
for our owne deserts of merits but for the merit of that crosse which Christ endured of that shame which Christ despised To whom for his crosse be all praise for his shame be all glory together with the Father and the holy Ghost now and euermore Amen FINIS A SERMON PREACHED before the KINGS Maiesty lying at the Lord SAYES house called Broughton besides Banbâ—ris the 2 day of Septem 1604. ROM 8.31 If God be with vs who can be against vs THese words contain a most magnificent and triumphant conclusion arising out of the former discourse For the Apostle hauing before prooued that man is iustified only by the free grace and mercy of Christ without any merit and desert of good workers at length concludeth in the beginning of this chapter Therfore there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus and so likewise here If God be with vs who can be against vs Maximilian the Emperour â—o admired this sentence Nathan Citraeus in Iteneratio that he caused it to be set in letters of checker worke vpon a table at which he vsed to dine and 〈◊〉 that hauing it so often in his eye hee might alwaies haue it in minde also â— Deus pro nobis quis contranos If God be with vs who can be against vs The truth of it is so apparant that it hath bin made a common watchword not of Christians onely but euen of heathenish souldiers Out word is Immanuel that is Esa. 8.3 by interpretation God with vs. And some of the auncient Romanes vsed likewise in their wartes this watchword Vegetius l. 3. c. 3 Nobisâ—um Deus God with vs. For indeede if we be of the colledge and societie of Immanuel and if God be on our side we shall be sure to preuaile If God be with vs who can be against vs Damascene saith well according to the Scripture 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Damaâ—câ—n 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cyril Mierosol Our God is aboue all Gods And so likewise Cyrill The power of our God is aboue all power Therefore if that power be on our side which is aboue all power and that God which is aboue all Gods nothing can hurt vs If God be with vs who can be against vs S. Austin sheweth out of the verse immediately going before De verbis Apostoli Ser. 16 Deus pro nobis ve praedestinaret noâ— that foure especiall waies God is with vs. God is with vs in that he hath predestinated vs God is with vs in that he hath called vs God is with vs in that he hath iustified vs God is with vs in that he hath glorified vs. Innocentius the third In eo mâ—â—â—n Apostolerunt sermâ— Hostis conta nos inferior homo sheweth out of the words consequently following after that fowre speciall enemies are against vs. The inferiour enemy against vs is man the exteriour enemy against vs is the world the interiour enemy against vs is the flesh the superiour enemy against vs is the Deuil So that whereas the Apostle sai's here If God be with vs who can be against vs It is all one as if hee should haue said If God haue predestinated vs what can man doe against vs If God haue called vs what can the world do against vs If God haue iustified vs what can the flesh doe against vs If God haue glorified vs what can the deuill doe against vs If God be with vs who can be against vs The first enemy against vs is man Homo homidi lupus Aut deus aut damon And an other prouerbe saith Either a god or a deuill For to say nothing that no time is freed so place priuiledged no degree secured no torment vnpractised onely this I will touch that no age is exempted But the crueltie of man rageth not only vpon the old after they are buried but also vpon the young before they are borne Thus saith the Lord For three transgressions and for foure I will not turne vnto Moab because they digged vp the bones of the king of Edom and burnt them to lime The king of Edom was a wicked man yet God detested so this vnnaturall and barbarous cruelty of the Moabits toward the dead that for this especially he would not be reconciled to them The like ensamples haue not wanted in our land almost in our time Tracie two yeares Wickliffe two and fortie yeares after hee was buried was digged vp So euen of late they vsed Martin Bucer and Paulus Phagius in Cambridge and Peter Martyrs wife in Oxford Such cruell mâ—n if they had as great power ouer these holy Martyrs soules as they had ouer their bodies doubtles they would haue puld them out of heauen For as long as they had a finger or a fobre or a bone or a peice of a bone is the graue they neuer left mining and digging till they had rooted it out So that at the least wise we may say of them with the Psalmist The dead bodies of thy seruants Psal. 79.2 O Lord haue they giuen to bee meate to the foules of the aire and the flesh of thy Saints to the beasts of the field Now the crueltie of man against man as it endeth not when life endeth so it beginneth before life beginneth For not onely Esau that cruell and cursed reprobate strugled and wrafâ—led with his brother Iacob in their mothers wombe but also â—â—e Ammonites ript vp the women of â—â—â—lead beeing great with child Amos 1.13 Lamen â— 20 and the Babylonians caused the womâ—n of Ierusalem to eate their owne fruit and their children of a span long And not long agoe in the Isle of Garnsey when a faithful woman whose name need not here to be rehearsed while she was burning at the stake Perotine Massy was deliuered of a goodly man-child some were so hard-hearted to fling him back againe into the fire there to be â—â—rthered as they meant it but in deede martyred with his mother O blessed babe Because there is no roome for him so the inne as soone as hee is borne hee is laide in a maunger Nay because there is no roome for him in any one corner of all the world by and by he is baptized with the holy Ghost and with fire O blessed I say againe blessed babe Before thou art lapped in swadling clothes thou art crowned with martyrdome before thou fully breathest in the breath of life thou happily breathest out thine innocent soule â—â— God But â—ie vpon such beastly and cruell murthers Out vpon such deuillish and fiendish tormentors These Saints these Catholikes who are Soythians if these be Saints who are Canibals if these be Catholikse which holding it as an article of their faith that all children dying without baptisme are damned yet wittingly did put this innocent child to death before he was baptized And therefore as they made the mother suffer the most vntollerable paines of childbirth and martyrdome both together's so they verily
Lillie and you shall soone perceiue Marke saies our Sauiour z Matth. 5.24 how the lillies of the field doe growe they labour not neither doe they spinne yee doe I say vnto you that euen Salomon in all his royaltie was not cloathed like one of these Now if God so cloath the flowers of the field which growe to day and to morrow are cast into the ouen how much more shall he cloath Dauids enemies with shame but vpon himselfe make his crowne flourish For euen as in Salomons Temple fiue candlesticks at the right side and fiue at the left standing before the Oracle and being made for matter of pure gold for forme with branches and flowers did well nigh dazil the eyes of any that entered into the Temple a 1 Reg. 7. â—9 so the Lord here giues his word that the Kings crowne shall euer flourish in the house of our God disparkling and displaying those rayes of Maiestie those beames of beautie which shall amaze the world and be a wonder as well to Angels as to men Wherefore as I said euen nowe of his enemies shame that it should be threefold so here I repeat the same againe of his crownes flourishing His crowne shall flourish in his owne conscience in the world in the day of iudgement Touching his owne conscience the blessed Apostle calleth the Philippians his ioy and a crowne b Phil. 4.1 And to the Thessalonians hee writeth thus What c 1. Thes. 2.19.20 is our hope or ioy or crowne of reioycing Are not euen you it in the presence of our Lord Iesus Christ at his comming yes yee are our glorie and ioy Now if this precious vessell of honour reioyced in nothing so much as in the testimonie of his conscience that in simplicitie and godly purenesse and not in fleshly wisedome but by the grace of God hee had his conuersation in the world the power of Gods spirit working still most mightily by his ministerie to the conuersion of the world to Christ how much more shall the Lords anointed haue his conscience crowned with flourishing ioy with comfort with content with heauenly peace when he shall remember that not onely for matters of religion and Gods true seruice hee hath beene and still is with Saint Paul profitable to the Church but also is a strong bulwark and a tower of defence to maintaine euen the outward felicitie and prosperitie of Gods people yea the very particular right wealth life of euery one of them all this I say and a 100 things more when he considereth what a great and a glorious instrument he hath beene euery way of Gods glory O Lord God what a heauen shall he haue in his heart what a sweet paradise of pleasure in his soule what security what assurance of Christs loue what a confident and vndaunted hope of eternall glory what a flourishing crowne of reioycing shall he haue men in his very conscience vpon himselfe shall his crowne flourish Touching the world our holy Prophet speaking to God though in the third person yet of himselfe saies Thou hast preuented him with liberall blessings and hast set a crown of pure gold vpon his head His honour is great in thy salvation glory and great worship hast thou laid vpon him Now that crowne which is of gold yea of pure gold must needes be very flourishing euen in the viewe and face of the world Neither is this to be vnderstood of Dauids person onely but euen of his posterity in all ages to come How was he himselfe crowned with conquests and victories ouer his enemies How was his sonne Salomon crowned with riches with wisedome with same glory iâ— the whole world which flourishing of 〈◊〉 soone as of a noble branch graced in a â—â—â—ner the â—etie rooâ—e of Dauid himselfe For as his worthiâ— sonne teacheth Childrens children are the â—ed one of the elders c. Prou 17.6 and the glory of the children â—re their fathers Therefore as children may â—ustly glorie of the renowne of their fathers vertue and honour so the excellent father is in a sort crowned with happinesse in this world when he sees his childrens children like to grow vp and flourish after him But vpon himselfe shall his crowne flourish Lastly touching the day of iudgement then then shall all the righteous flourish when as hauing beene faithfull vnto the death they shall receiue the crowne of life A crowne as S. Peter calleth it immortall and vndefiled 1. Pet. 1.4 and that fadeth not away Denying that euer it fadeth away he affirmeth that it euer flourisheth I would here be bold if I might doe it without offence as I hope I may to shew you one goodly cluster of grapeâ— of vhe land of Canaan a land flowing with milke and honie whether you are now going before you enter into it D. Thomas Bodleius qui plurâ—mis pulcherrimis libris Oxoniensem bibliothecam instruxit A worthie and verâ—â—us gentleman whom I neede not name in this place because no doubt many ages will name him and renowne him hereafter giueth for his armes three crownes with this posey Quarta perennis erit As if he should say these three crownes which I beare in my coat are but the difference of my house and gentry but Quarta perennis erit the fourth crowne which I look for in heauen shall be euerlasting and immortall That â—ourth though it bee but one crowne yet shall be worth all those three crowns yea three thousand more such as these are The fourth shall be eternall Now if he and we that are such aâ— he no question is faithfull to God and loyal to the chosen seruant of God may well hope for a most flourishing incorruptible crowne of glory then much more may Dauâ—d himselfe reioyce in God his Sauiour and say Quinta aut sexta perennis erit The fift or the fixt shall bee eterâ—all This crowne which God of his grace with his owne right hand and his holy arme 〈…〉 vpon mine head is indeede thankes and praise hee giuen vote the sâ—me God a very flourishing crowne flourishing in mine owne conscience flourishing in the world both for my person and for my posteritie But it is nothing in respect of that flourishing crowne which I shall receiue at the day of iudgement For the g Psal. â— â—2 iust shall flourish like a palme tree and shal grow like â— Cedar in Lebanon Such as hee planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God And then indeede shall this bountifull promise of God be most fully performed But vpon himselfe shall his crowne flourish As for his enemies I shall cloath them with shame but vpon himselfe shall his crowne flourish To drawe then to an â—ode it may seeme very strange that Dauid had any enemies Yet oâ—â— of these words As for his enemies I shall cloath them with shame it may be well gathered that some he had What had Dauid meeke Dauid Lord
sorrow in a strange land What speake I of a wicked tyrant Holy men often are in great perplexitie at the time of their departure Hier. in vita â—ius S. HieroÌ„ writeth of Hilarion that beeing ready to giue vp the ghost he said thus to his soule Goe forth my soule why fearest thou goe forth why tremblest thou Thou hast serued Christ almost these threescore and ten yeares and dost thou now feare death Christ himselfe also feeling that hee was compassed about with the sorrowes of death beganne to be afraid and to be in great heauinesse and he said moreouer Mark 14.33 My soule is very heauie euen to the death I know well Christ was afraid without sinne nay with great comfort For hee prayeth thus Not as I will but as thou wilt And againe Into thy hands I commit my spirit This then was his comfort that the Iewes could doe nothing in putting him to death but as S. Peter testifieth that onely which his Father boâ—â— by his counsell and will hath decreed and by his hand hath ordained Hilarion also that holy ancient Father comforteth himselfe with this that hee had sâ—â—â—d Christ almost seauentie yeares Oâ—â—â—â— children of God haue had other comforts and all haue this that both in life and in death they are happy in Christ. Howbeit seeing many holy Christians and euen Christ himselfe feared death it remaineth that death simply and in it selfe considered is a flood of many waters But yet the faithfull man euen in death is out of all danger Surely in the floods of many waters they shall not come neere him Thus much for the first part which is the danger In the flood of many waters The second part followeth which is the deliuerance Surely they shall not come neere him First they shall not come neere They that is The waters shall not come neere The holy Church and euerie member thereof is likened to a house built vpon a rocke Matth. 7. â—5 Vpon which though the winds blow and the floods beate yet it cannot be throwne downe because it is built vpon a rocke So that the floods which shake it can neuer come neere it to ouerthrowe it The sâ—me may be said of the ship couered with waters It might well floaâ—e but it could neuer be drowned For as soon as the Disciples cryed vpon Christ to saue them Matth. 8.24 presently there followed a great calme Therefore Luther when his life was sought of all the world in a manner Psal. 46.1 translated the Psalme Deus noster refugium into dumb meeter and caused it to be sung in all the reformed Churches God is our hope and strength a very present helpe in trouble Therefore will we not feare though the earth be mooued and though the hills be caried into the midst of the sea Though the waues thereof rage and swell and though the mountaâ—â—â—â— shake at the tempest of the same S. Peter the Apostle began to sinke but he sunke not right downe Christ was ready at hand to helpe him For as soone as he sawe himselfe in present perill and danger forthwith he cryed Master saue me Saue me Psal. 69 1. O God for the waters are coâ—â— in euen vnto my soule I sticke fast in the deepe mire where no ground is and 16. I am come into deepe waters so that the floods runne ouer me Take me out of the mire that I sinke not and out of the deepe waters Let not the water 〈◊〉 drowne me neither let the deep swallow me vp let not the pit shut 〈◊〉 mouth vpon me S. Paul likewise suffered shipwrack but lost not by it one haire of his head Act. 17.34 Wherby we may see the absurdity of the Papists They would prooue that iustifying grace may bee lost because some haue made shipwracke of faith but if we should graunt them that the Apostle speaketh of iustifying not of historicall faith 1. Tim. 1.19 yet we haue the help of a second answer To wit that shipwrack is one thing and drowning an other Therefore faith which is wrackt is not by and by drowned For it may happen to suffer shipwracke as S. Paul did and swimme out safe to the shore But this 〈◊〉 but a touch by the way Meane season we see how safe and secure the faithfull man is in Christ. He is a house to which the floods may come neere to shake it but neuer to throwe it downe he is a ship which the waues may come neere to tosse it but neuer to turne it ouer euen as Saint Peter beganne to sinke but still kept vp his head and Saint Paul sâ—ffered shippewracke but was not a haire the worse for it Surely in the flood of many waters they shall not come neere him Secondly him They shall not come neere him This word must in no case be omitted It helpeth vs to answer a verie strong obiection For it may bee said Many holy men haue lost their goods haue suffered great torments in their bodie haue beene troubled also in minde how then did not the floods of many waters come neere them The word Him helpes vs to answer The verie Philosophers themselues reckoned their goods pertained no more to them then be it spoken with reuerence and regard the parings of their nayles Zeno hearing newes he had lost all he had by sea Rene facis fortuna cum ad pallium nos compellis said onely thus Thou hast done verie wel Fortune to leaue me nothing but my cloake An other called Anaxarchus whom as Nicocreâ—â— the tyrant commanded he should be 〈◊〉 to death in a morter spake thus to the executioner Beate and bray as long as thou wilt Anaxarchus his bagge or sachell so he called his owne body but Anaxarchus thou cansts not touch Yet these making so smal reckoning of their goods and bodie set their mindâ— notwithstanding at a high rate Mens cuinsque is est quisque The minde of a man is himselfe say they Hence it is that Iulius Caesar when Amyclas the Pilot was greatly afraid of the tempest spake to him thus What meanest thou to feare base fellow doest thou not know thou carriest Caesar with thee As if he should say Caesarem veâ—is Caesars bodie may well bee drowned as any other manâ— may but his minde his magnanimity his valour his fortitude can neuer be drowned Thus farre wâ—nt Philosophie But Diuinitie goeth a degree further For Philosophy defineth Him that is a man by his reason and the morall vertues of the minde But Diuinitie defineth a Christian man by his faith and his coniunction thereby with Christ. Excellently saith Saint Austin Whence com's it that the soule dieth Tract 49 in Iohan. Vnde mors in animâ â— quia non est fides Vnde mors in corporeâ— quia non est ibi anima Ergo animae tuae anima fides est Because faith is not in it Whence that the bodie dieth Because a soule is not in