head and his left hand doth embrace vs so that though we should fall yet we can not be hurt because the Lord stayeth and supporteth vs with his hand Therefore S. Chrysostome giues vs good counsell not to haue iayes eyes but eagles eyes that we may behold these hands of Christ and see his side in the sacrament For indeede as o◅ten as we celebrate the memorie of our Lords death Christ our Sauiour deliuering the bread and the cuppe by his minister saith in a sort to euery faithfull receiuer Put thy finger here and see my hands and put forth thy hand and put it into my side and be not faithlesse but faithfull But yet we shall not alwaies drinke of this fruit of the vine The time will come when we shall drinke a new kinde of wine in Christs kingdome Wherefore he saies As often as ye shal eate this bread and drinke this cup you shall shew the Lords death til he come Till he come Declaring hereby that when he is come his death shall be shewed an other way Namely by his wounds which alwaies he sheweth to his Saints Euen as vve sing in that heauenly Hymne or Psalme The humble suit of a sinner Whose bloody wounds are yet to see though not with mortall eye yet doe thy Saints behold them all and so I trust shall I. O how vnspeakeably doe the Saints reioyce how glori◅ also shall we triumph when we shall see Christ in his kingdome and behold those blessed wounds of his whereby he hath purchased so many and so great good things for vs This is the new wine which we shall drinke This is the Eucharist of the Angels the food of the Elect the spirituall banket of the Saints For wheresoeuer the dead bodie is thither fhall the eagles resort And we that with eagles wings flie vp by faith into heauen shall euer resort to this dead bodie and we shall vnsatiably desite to feede our eyes and our soules with the sight of Christ who was once dead and euen now hath in his bodie those skarres which continue the memorie of his death that in all eternitie it may neuer be forgotten Thus these heauenly wounds of Christ delight and comfort his friends As the cities of refuge which saue the sinner as the holes of the rock which defend the doue as the shadow of the iuniper tree which reuiueth the wearied as the doore of the Arke which preserueth the world as the lure of the soule which calleth home the Shulamite as the pot of Manna which nourisheth the Israelite as the well of Iacob which refresheth the ◅hirstie as the poole of Bethesda which ◅ealeth the sicke as the armes of the shepheard which gather his lambs as the wings of the eagle which beare vp her birds So doe the hands and side of Christ comfort his friends As if our Sauiour should say thus to euery one of his friends Can a woman forget her child and not haue compassion on the son of her wombe though they should forget yet would not I forget thee Behold I haue grauen thee vpon the palmes of my hands Here I haue still in my hands that price of thy redemption which I paid for thee so that no man can take thee out of my hands Yea I haue written and sealed thy saluation in my side A speare is the penne my blood is the inke my bodie is the paper Here thou maist see the bowels of my compassion thorough the wounds of my passion Assure thy selfe therfore assure thy selse of my loue of my good will of my fauour for euer Make no doubt of it If thou doubt any thing Put thy finger here and see my hands and put forth thy hand and put it into my side and be not faithlesse but faithful So much for the fourth cause which is to comfort his friends You see then blessed Christians you see how these causes of Christs wounds differ one from an other The first cause to approoue his resurrection was but neither is nor shall be The second cause to appease his father was and is but shall not be The third cause to confound his enemies neither was nor is but shall be The fourth cause to comfort his friends both was and is and shall be So that Christs wounds did serue to approoue his resurrection onely between his resurrection and his ascension doe serue to appease his father onely between his ascension his second comming shal serue to confoūd his enemies onely at the day of iudgement did doe and shall serue to comfort his friends for euer Wherefore though we be neuer so great sinners yet let vs neuer despaire of the grace and mercie of Christ. His hands are still stretched out to embrace vs his side is alwaies open to receiue vs. Therefore let vs creepe low and come humbly to him that we may with the woman in the Gospel touch but the hemme of his garment nay that we may with S. Iohn leane vpon his blessed bosome yea that we may with S. Thomas in this place put our fingers into his hands and our hands into his side And euen as Constantine the great vsed to kisse that eye of Paphnutius which was boared out in Maximinus time and the Iayler in the Acts washed S. Pauls stripes wounds so let vs kisse the Sonne least he be angrie honour his holy wounds which are the pretious balme wherewith he hath healed vs and restored vs to euerlasting life To the which we beseech thee O good Lord to bring vs not for our owne deserts or merits but for the tender bowels of Christ Iesus loue and mercie toward vs to whome with the Father and the holy Ghost be all honour and praise both now and for euermore Amen FINIS Matth. 5. v. 19. He that both doeth and teacheth the same shall be called great in the kingdome of heauen BEloued in our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ It is a verie monstrous thing that any man should haue more tongues then hands For God hath giuen vs two hands and but one tongue that we might doe much and say but little Yet many say so much and doe so little as though they had two tongues and but one hand nay three tongues and neuer a hand In so much as that may be aptly applied to them which Pandulphus said to some in his time You say much but you do litle you say well but you doe ill againe you doe little but you say much you doe ill but you say well Such as these which do either worse thē they teach or else lesse then they teach teaching others to doe well and to doe much but doing no whit themselues may be resembled to diuerse things To a whet stone which being blunt it selfe makes a knife sharpe To a painter which beeing deformed himselfe makes a picture faire To a signe which beeing weather-beaten and hanging without it selfe directs passengers into the Inne To a bell which beeing deafe and
doe against vs If God haue called vs what can the vvorld doe against vs If God haue iustified vs vvhat can the flesh doe against vs If God haue glorified vs vvhat can the deuill doe against vs If God be vvith vs vvho can be against vs The first enemie against vs is man Homo homini lupus And an other 〈◊〉 saith Either a god or a deuill â—…or to say nothing that no time is sreeed no place priuiledged no degree secured no torment vnpractised onely thiâ—… I vvill touch that no age is exempâ—…ed But the crueltiâ—… of man rageth not â—…y vpon â—…e old after they aâ—…e buried but also vpon the young before they are bâ—…e Thus saith the Lord â—…or â—…ree transgressions and for foâ—… I vvill â—…ot turne vnto Moab because they digged vp the bones of the king of â—…dom and burnt them to liâ—… The king of Edom vvas a vvicked man yet God deâ—…sted so thiâ—… vnnaturall and 〈◊〉 câ—…uelty oâ—… the Moabits â—…ard the dead that for this especially he would not be reconciled to them Thâ—… like 〈◊〉 haâ—…e not wanted in oâ—…r laâ—…d aâ—…d almost in our time Trâ—…cie two yeares Wickliffe two and fortie yeares after he was buried was digged vp So euen of late they vsed Martin Bucer and Paulus Phagius in Cambridge and Peter Martyrs wife in Oxford Such cruell men if they had as great power ouer these holy Martyrs soules as they had ouer their bodies doubtles they would haue puld them out of heauen For as long as they had a finger or a foote or a bone or a piece of a bone in the graâ—…e they neuer left mining and digging till they had rooted it out So that at the least wise we may say of them with the Psalmist The dead bodies of thy seruants O Lord haue they giuen to be meate to the foules of the ayre and the flesh of thy Saints to the beasts of the field Now the crueltie of man against man as it endeth not when life endeth so it beginneth before life beginneth For not onely Esaâ—… that cruell and cursed reprobate strugled and wrastled with his brother Iacob in their mothers wombe but also the Ammonites ript vp the women of Gilead beeing greâ—… with child and the Babylonians causeâ—… the women of Ierusalem to â—…ate their owne fruit and their children of a spaâ—… long And not long agoe in the Isle oâ—… Garnsey wheÌ„ a faithful women whosâ—… â—…ame neede not heare to be rehearsed while shee was burning at the stake waâ—… deliuered of a goodly man-child somâ—… were so hard-hearted to fling him bacâ—… againe into the fire there to be murtheâ—… red as they meanâ—… it but indeede maâ—…tyred with his mother O blessed babe Because there is no roome for him 〈◊〉 â—…he inne as soone as he is borne he is laide in a manger Nay because there is no roome for him in anâ—… one corner of all the world by and bâ—… he is baptized with the holy Ghost anâ—… with fire O blessed I say againe blesseâ—… babe Before thou art lapped in swadliâ—…g clothes thou art crowned wiâ—…â—…tyrdome before thou fully brâ—…thest in the breath of life thou happeâ—…â—…est out thine innocent soule to God But fie vpon such beastly and cruell murthers Out vpon such deuilliâ—… â—…nd fiendish tormentors These Saints â—…ese Catholiks who are Scythians if â—…ese be Saints who are Canibals if â—…ese be Catholiks which holding it as â—…n article of their faith that all children â—…ying without baptisme are damned â—…et wittingly did put this innocent â—…hild to death before he was baptized â—…nd theresore as they made the moâ—…er suffer the most vntollerable â—…aines â—…f childbirth and martyrdome both toâ—…ether so as they verily thought and â—…eleeued they slung the infant also â—…odie and soule into an earthly fire and â—…to hell fire all at once This is the â—…rueltie of man He would if he could â—…ull some out of heauen after they are â—…uried and thrust some into hell before â—…hey are borne But God hath predestinated vs. And â—…ot onely before we were borne but alâ—…o bâ—…fore the world was created hath â—…hosen vs in Christ. Euen as Christ shal â—…ay at the last day Come ye blessed of â—…y father inherit the kingdome of heaâ—…en prepared for you before the founâ—…ations of the world For looke how carefull parents prouide for their children and put them in their will before they are borne so God giues vs the grace to liue with him before he giue vs time to liue â—…ere Euen as the Sonne saith Feâ—…re not little flock for it is youâ—… fathers will to giue you a kingdome And the father â—…imselfe I eueâ—… I am hâ—… that comsort you who art thou theâ—… that searest a mortall man who fadeth away as grasse Therefore euery couragioâ—…s Christian may comfort his heaâ—… in God and say with the princely Prophet The Lord is my light and my saluation whome then shall I feare thâ—… Lord is the streÌ„gth oâ—… my life of whoâ—… then shall I be afraid when the wicked euâ—… mine enemies and my foes comâ—… vpon me to eat vp my flesh they stuÌ„bleâ—… and sâ—…ll Tâ—…ough an hoast of men weâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 me yet shall not my heaâ—… be afraid and though there rose 〈◊〉 warre 〈◊〉 me yet will I put my truâ—… iâ—…â—…im I will â—…ot be afraid of ten thousâ—… of thâ—… people that haue set themselâ—… 〈◊〉 me round about Yeâ—… 〈◊〉 I 〈◊〉 through the valley of â—…he shadow of death yet will I fearâ—… no â—…uill for thou O Lord art with me thy â—…od and thy staffe they comfort me So â—…hat I may boldly say The Lord is my â—…elper neither will I seare what man can doe vnto me The Lord of hosts is with vs the God of Iacob is our refuge And if the Lord of hosts haue predestiâ—…ated vs vnto life wâ—…at can man doe agâ—…st vs what before we liue what while we liue what after we liue If God be with vs who can be against vs The second eâ—…emie against vs is â—…he world Which assâ—…ileth vs as well â—…y aduersitie 〈◊〉 by prosperitie What is the world saith S. Ambrose but a race or a course full of trialls and troubles It is a fiâ—…ld wherein is little corne but much cockle It iâ—… a garden wherein are fewe roses but many thornes Yet these thornes of aduersitie doe not so much oftentimes 〈◊〉 vs as the baites of prosperitie The world is more dangerous saith S. Austin when it slattereth then when it threatneth and is more to be feared when it allureth vâ—… tâ—… loue it then when it enforceth vs to contemne it For euen as Iudas by a kisse betraied his master so the world is a very Iudas It meaneth most falsly when it imbraceth most friendly Wherefore the Apostle saith thus of Demas Demas hath forsaken vs and imbraced this present world So that the immoderate embracing of this world is a flat forsaking oâ—… Christ and his gospell
his wounds perswades the people to grant Emilius triumph Aaron burning incense in his golden censer perfumeth the whole sanctuarie Noah pointing to his rainebowe putteth God in minde of his promise Iaacob laying forth his roddes make most of the lambs his owne Abel holding vp his blood cals and cries for mercie Christ shewing his hands and his side appeaseth his father As if our Sauiour should say thus vnto his father O my louing father looke vpon the face of thine annointed looke vpon the hands looke vpon the side of thine annointed The hands of thine annointed how cruelly they are mangled the side of thine annointed how wofully it is wounded Behold and see if there be any sorrow like to my sorrow These hands can signifie what exceeding sorrow I haue suffered this side can shew that I haue humbled my selfe and haue beene obedient vnto death euen vnto the death of the crosse Therefore O my deare father Put thy finger here and see my hands and put forth thy hand and put it â—…nto my side and as thou art not faithlesse but faithfull so be not mercilesse but mercifull for my sake and pitifull to thy people So much for the second cause which is to appease his father The third cause why Christ hath his wounds yet to be seene in his bodie is to confound his enemies When Saint Paul the Apostle before his conuersion persecuted the Church of God Christ called to him from heauen and said Saul Saul why persecutest thou me Who art thou Lord saies Saul I am saies Christ Iesus of Nazareth whome thou persecurest Alluding to the title of his crosse which was Iesus of Nazareth King of the Iewes At which words Saul both trembling and astonished said Lord what wilâ—… thou haue me doe Now if Saul who repenâ—…d him afterward of his persâ—…cuting Câ—…st stood so astonished when he 〈◊〉 but a peice of the title vpon his crossâ—… 〈◊〉 then shall all they be astonished how shall they be confounded which without any repentance or remorse of consâ—…ience persecute Christ continually wheâ—… at the latter day not onely the title written ouer his head but euen the very print of the wounds in his hands and side shall rise vp in iudgement to condemne them When like as Ioseph saide to his brethren I am Ioseph your brother whome you sold into Egypt so Christ shall say vnto them I am Iesus of Nazareth whome you persecuted and put to death Wonderfull indeede is the feare and confusion of a wicked conscience Aâ—…ter that Herod had beheaded Iohn Baptist he imagined still he saw and heard that holy head showting crying out against him Whereupon hearing the same of Iesus he said not as others said It is Elias or It is one of the Prophets but It is Iohn saies he whome I beheaded he is risen from the dead Saying whome I beheaded he confesseth not his fault in true repentance but onely vvith his owne mouth beareth witnesse oâ—… his owne wickednesse In so much as that may be said to him which Dauid said to the Amalakite who brought him newes of Sauls death Thine owne mouth testisieth against thee saying I haue slaine the Lords annointed Now if the remembrance of this cruell act so vexed and disquieted Herod day and night that he could take no rest for it but still thought waking and dream'd sleeping Iohn Baptist was risen againe to be reuenged of him how then shall they be affrighted how shall they be confounded which haue not beheaded Iohn but crucified Christ yea and crucisie him continually with their sinnes wheÌ„ at the resurrection of all slesh they shall see him vvhome they haue pierced and wring their hands and vveepe waile before him Scipio appointed his sepulâ—…hre to be so placed as his image standing vpon it might looke directly toward Africa that beeing dead he might still be a terror to the Carthaginians after the same sort the Prophet Esai prophesying of Christ saith In that day the roote of Iesse shall stand vp for a signe vnto the people and euen his sepulâ—…hre shall be glorious So that as the bodie of Cadwallo an auntient king of the Brittayns being embalmed and dressed vvith svvete confections vvas put into a brasen image and set vpon a brasen horse ouer Ludgate for a terrour to the Saxons in semblable sort he that is called Faithfull and true shall sit vpon a white horse and out of his mouth shall proceede a sharpe sword wherewith he shall smite and slay the heathen The sword wherewith Dauid hackt off Golias head after he had wrested it out of his hand was kept in the Tabernacle wrapt in a cloath behind the Ephod Which when Abimilech the Priest brought forth Dauid said There is none to that giue it me Christ also did conquer death euen with those weapons and armour wherewith death assaulted him And he keepeth still a memorial of this conquest in the tabernacle of his body That as the Philistims were afraid when they sawe Dauid fighting in the â—…ield with that sword so all Christs enemies may be confounded when they shall see the signe of the sonne of man appearing in the clouds with power and great glorie It was a strange miracle that of Aarons rodde which budded Therefore the Lord said vnto Moyses Bring Aarons rod againe before the testimonie to be kept for a token to the rebellious children The bodie of Christ was a greene tree before it was crucified After beeing dead it was clung and dry like Aarons rodde But it budded when as the third day it rose againe Therefore it is kept still for a token to the rebellious children That as Aaron conuinced the murmuring Israelites and confirmed the authoritie of his priesthood by the budding of his rod which otherwise was but a dead and a drie thing so Châ—…ist may conâ—…ound his enemies when he shall shewe such flourishing glorie such excellent maiestie in his bodie which hath yet in it the tokens and the markes of death It is reported that Zisca the valiant captaine of the Bohemians commanded that after his discease his skinne should be fleed from his body to make a drume which they should vse in their battels affirming that as soone as the Hungarians or any other their enemies should heare the sound of that drume they would not abide but take their flight And surely euery battell of the warriour is with noise and with tumbling of garments in blood but this battell wherein Christ shall tread Satan and all his enemies vnder his feete shall be with burning and consuming of fire So that no drum can be more terrible then the last trumpet shal be when the Lord Iesus shall shewe himselfe from heauen with his mightie angels and shall so come downe with the very same marks and scars in his skin as the men of Galile sawe him ascending vp They which dispatched noble Iulius Caesar in the senate house did set a good face of the matter
walke on long enough and no man enuie you no man maligne you or malice you But because God hath inspired you with his principall spirit and endewed you with speciall great graces aboue your fellowes therefore doth your aduersarie the Deuill the old enemie of all goodnes and vertue who is readie to burst to see you doe so well he I say doth bestirre himselfe and raise vp enemies against you But O blessed be our good Lord what a wonderfull comfort and incouragement haâ—…e all you what a horrible terrour affrightment haue all your enemies in this text For the holy Ghost saies not They shall be clothed or you shall cloth them but I euen I shal cloth them with shame It is impossible saies he that you should alwaies be armed at all points circumspect at all places vigilant at all times prouided at all occasions to preuent the mischieuous practises of your deuillish enemies No counsell of man no policie no wisdome no wit can foresee all their barbarous vndertakings and complottes to escape them But in heauen in heauen there is an eye an hand there is in heauen an eye to descrie them and a hand to persecure and punish them both an eye and an hand to deliuer you from daunger and to cloath them with shame Therefore saith he Cast your care vpon me let me alone with them your perill is my perill your case my case I le pay them that they haue deserued He take the quarrell into mine owne â—…ands I le trimme them well enough As for your enemies I shall cloath them with shame RemeÌ„ber I pray you beloued though indeede they haue made themselues worthie neuer to be remembred or once to be mentioned in our mouthes any more yet remember I say to their egregious dishonour reproch how those are now clothed with shame who were the first cause of the solemnizing or as I may say of the sanctifying of this present day for the day of the weeke and of yesterday for the day of the moneth of the twelue moneth with so holy an exercise How odious how execrable is their very name vnto vs what true hearted loyall subiect such as I am sure all are here doth not detest them hate them loath them as a toad or as a viper or as some hidious mishapen monster and curse the very day wherein such a rebellious generation and such a trayterous brood were borne Certainly my good brethren if the mercie of God which is incomprehensible did not giue them grace at the last gaspe to repent and crie to God for pardon as they are cloathed with shame in this world so shall they be much more in the world to come And as we hold them for no better then cursed creatures so shall the Lord at last say vnto them Goe ye cursed into euerlasting fire So let it be o Lord euen so to all the enemies of thine aâ—…ointed either open or secret so let it be to them As for his enemies doe thou thou O Lord thine owne selfe doe thou cloath them with shame But vpon himselfe shall his Crowne flourish These words vpon himselfe either are altogether impertinent and superfluous or else they are very important and materiall For it had beene sufficient to haue saide As for his enemies I shall cloath them with shame but as for himselfe his â—…rowne shall â—…lourish It is not greatly necessarie as it should seeme to 〈◊〉 his crowne shall â—…lourish vpon himselfe Yet the Lord in his gratious answer vnto Dauids praier thought good to put in this as a supernumerarie word ouer and besides the necessitie of the sentence to teach the good King and vs all likewise a very notable lesson Namely that he would blesse the crowne the dignitie the flourishing estate of his louing seruant not onely in his owne person and his posteritie in this world and in the world to come as I haue shewed alreadie but also from a lesser weight of glory still to a greater and greater Vpon himselfe saies he shall his crowne flourish For not onely it shall be as flourishing as Dauid left it at the day of his departure to God but after his dissolutioÌ„ and death as faâ—…t as his bodie corrupteth in the earth so fast shall his crowne encrease still in heauen Trust me truly I speake it before the liuing Lord and this high presence all the whole Church which shall be edified to saluation by Dauids blessed and godly gouernement euen after his death shal yet suffer his crown neuer to die but shall continually keepe it fresh and greene Yeâ—… as euery one brought to the building of the tabernacle and to the reedifying of the temple such as they were able so I assure you I speake now a great word euery particular subiect that is saithfull to God and to his Prince as he goeth on forward to God by the peace and by the religion which he hath enioyed vnder his Prince so he shall still beautifie and decke Dauids crowne one shall bring a white rose another shall bring a red rose and adde it to the crowne that so vpon himselfe still his crowne may slourish the white rose and the redde rose that are in the crowne alreadie beeing euer made more and more fragrant and slourishing O Christ what a crowne is this And what will it growe to much more in the ende You that are mighty Kings and Potentates vpon earth haue indeede great cares and continuall businesse in your heads but yet vouchsafe I pray you to hearken a little what I shal say vnto you You watch oftentimes ouer vs when we are asleepe our selues You care for our peace when it is not in our power to further it you procuring good to Sion and prosperitie to Ierusalem yet many times enioy the least part of it your selues But no force Take this still for your comfort We that cannot all our liues long doe the hundreth part of that good vvhich you doe euery houre shall haue nothing so flourishing a crovvne as you shall haue Vpon you vpon you shall euerlasting peace rest vpon you shall the glorie of Gods Maiestie shine vpon you vpon you shall your crovvne slourish Which the Lord of his mercie graunt I most humbly beseech him for Iesus Christs sake that as Dauids crovvne euer slourished till the first comming of Christ so our gratious Kings crovvne may euer flourish till the second comming of Christ and then that afterward for euer his royall Maiestie may be roy ally crovvned vvith eternall life thorough the same our deare Sauiour Iesus Christ to vvhom vvith the father and the holy Ghost be all honour and glo rie povver and praise dignitie and dominion novv and euermore Amen FINIS A SERMON PREACHED BEFORE the Kings Maiestie that day he entred into Oxford at Woodstocke August 27. 1065. Luk. 8. 15. But that which fell in good ground are they which with a good and a very good heart heare the word and keepe it and bring
forth fruit with patience IN this parable of the sower are 4. grounds mentioned Whereof three are bad and onely one good Namely they which with a good and a very good heart heare the word and keepe it and bring forth fruite with patience Almightie God powreth out his benefits no lesse plentiously then continually vpon vs yet we can make no requitall our goodnes cannot reach to God The onely thing that we can doe for him is to loue and honour his word WhereupoÌ„ king Dauid thought it a death vnto him that beeing banished from his people he could not goe vp to the house of the Lord with the voice of ioy and gladnes among such as keepe holy-day And on the other side he said I reioyced when they said vnto me We will goe vp into the house of the Lord. The Prophet Esay likewise foretelling what alacritie and good will should be in the Gentils after they were conuerted to Christ saith thus It shall be in the last daies that many people shall goe and say Come and let vs goe vp to the mountaine of the Lord to the house of the God of Iacob and he will teach vs his wayes and we will walke in his pathes Looke how it is in the health of the bodie and so it is in the state of the soule If a man haue a good appetite and a stomacke to his meate t' is a signe he is well in health in like sort if a man be content to followe Christ for the loaues to fill his bellie and care not for the food of his soule questionles all is not well betweene God and him but if he haue a longing and a hungring desire of the word then indeede his heart is vpright in the sight of God For as S. Austen noteth well if the word of God be taken by vs it will take vs. Seeing the word of God so is and so ought to be vnto the faithfull as a hooke is to fish Then it takes when it is taken Neither are they which are taken hurt by it For they are not caught to be kild but to be drawne out of the damnation of this world aâ—…d to be translated to the libertie and glorie of the children of God Wherefore as fishers take most delight in angling when they see the fish bite quickly and greadily so if you would put life into your Preachers which are called fishers of men that they may preach the vvord vvith ioy not vvith griefe you must shevve by your countenance by your attention by your reuerence by all your outvvard behauiour that you desire nothing so much as 〈◊〉 bite at this sâ—…eete baite that so you may be drawne by the father to Christ. For they onely are good ground as we haue it here which with a good and a very good heart heare the word and keepe it and bring forth fruit with patience Here are three properties of good ground set downe All opposite to the three bad grounds mentioned before First they that are good ground heare the word with a good hâ—…rt contrarie to the ground on the high waies side which when they haue heard let the deuill take the word out of their hearts so they heare not with a good heart Secondly they keepe the word with a verie good heart contrarie to the stony ground which for a while receiue the word with ioy but in time of temptation they fall away and so they keepe not the word with a verie good heart Thirdly they bringe foorth fruit with patience contrary to the thornie ground which after their departure are choaked vvith cares and bring no fruit and so doe not as it is said here that the good ground doth bring forth fruit with patience But that which fell in good ground are they which with a good and a very good heart heare the word and keepe it and bring forth fruit with patience The first propertie of the good ground is this that they heare the word with a good heart The two disciples going to Emans when Christ was departed from them said thus one to another Did not our hearts burne within vs when he talked with vs by the way and opened to vs the Scripture O Beloued nowe you are busied in hearing the word Christ talketh to you and you are in the right way to heauen Therefore that we may heare with a good heart we must feele in our hearts that burning of which the disciples say Did not our hearts burne within vs when he talked with vs by the way For so the Spirituall spouse confesseth of her selfe My beloued put his hand to the hole of the doore and my heart was affectioned towards him And againe My soule melted when my beloued spake Now Christ puts his hand to the hole of the doore desiring himselfe to enter and vs to repent now our beloued speaketh to vs out of his word So that we cannot be good ground except our heart be affectioned and our soule melt towards him When the blessed Virgin saluted her cousin Elizabeth she felt the babe spring in her wombe for ioy Certainely Beloued you haue euery one of you a babe in your hearts euen the child Iesus which is formed and fashioned in you This babe we must feele euen to skip spring in our hearts for ioy if we would assure our selues that we be good ground and heare with a good heart Neither must we onely reioyce but alfo feare Serue the Lord with gladnesse and reioyce before him with trembling saies the Psalmist We read that when the Almightie vttered his voice the foure beasts whereby are meant the Angels let fall their wings Where are then our plumes of pride our feathers whereby vvee flie so high in an opinion of our ovvne knowledge and wisdome why are they not all let downe that we may wholly submit our selues to the Lord to be taught and directed by his word Remember I pray you what good Cornelius said I knowe well there was neuer more reuerent hearing of the word in the Court then at this day yet that which is verie well alreadie must so be commended as that which may be bet-â—…ter and better be euermore enforced Therefore as I was about to say remember what the Captaine Cornelius said to S. Peter when he was readie to preach vnto him Now saies he are we all here present before the Lord to heare all things that are commanded thee of God O that we had this good heart to consider vvhen vve heare a sermon that vve stand not before a man but coram domino before the Lord. Then vve should heare the vvord not as the vvord of man but as it is indeede the vvord of God Then vve should put a difference between other things vvhich perhaps shortly vve shall heare either to recreate the mind or sharpeÌ„ the wit or for state and maiestie or for some other earthly purpose and betweene this engrafted word which
separate him from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus Wherefore seeing the godly man is so inuincible that neither the gates of hell nor the flood-gates of many waters can preuaile against him Surely in the flood of many waters they shall not come neere him In the last place must be considered the asseueration Surely For if both liuing and dying my 〈◊〉 be most certaiâ—…e in Christ and yet I know not so much what comfort can I gather thereby Now in all aduersities this is my greatest ioy that the fauour of God which is most constant in it selfe is fully assured also to me For I know that my redeemer liueth And if I be iudged I know I shall be found righteous And I know whome I haue beleeued and I am sure In one word I am Surely perswaded that neither life nor death nor any thing els can separate vs froÌ„ Christ. Nay in all the flood of waters we shall be more then conquerours They shall not come neere to conquer vs. But rather we shall conquer them Yea that which is strangest of all Surely we shall be more then conquerers ouer them Though an hoast of men were laid against me yet shall not my heart be afraid and though there rose vp warre against me yet will I put my trust in it Not in him as it is ill translated in the English but in it that is In the very warre it selfe I will not feare Nay I will be of good hope Yea Surely in the very warre will I hope and trust For euen as a building made arch-wise the more waight is laide vpon it the more strong still it is so the more force and strength is brought against me the greater triumph victorie I shall haue Therefore I will not be afraid of tenne thousand of the people that haue seâ—… themselues against me round about For a thousand of them shall 〈◊〉 at my side and ten thousand at my right hand but they shall not come neere me The Arke in the 〈◊〉 was not drowâ—…ed as other things were but floated vpon the waters Yea the higher the waters encreased the higher Surely for that did the Arke still arise Likewise the redde â—…ea did not hinder the Israelites passage but opened an easie way to them Yea Surely it vvas morcouer as a vvall to backe them against all their enemies The vvordes o Saint Iames are verâ—…e plaine My brethren count it exceeding â—…oy when you fall into diuers temptations Tentaâ—…ion of it selfe doth vexe and disquiet a man But to the godly it is a ioy As we read els where That they â—…vhich are iustisied by 〈◊〉 haue peace nay haue easie accesse to God and great ioy in tribulations But the Apostle adding that this ioy is not common or ordinarie but Surely exceeding ioy raiseth vp the ampliâ—…ication as high as may be Whereunto S. Paul also accordeth We are afâ—…licted on euery side yet we are not in distresse in pouertie but not ouercome of pouertie we are persecuted but not forsaken cast down but we perish not Here he prooueth directly that the flood commeth not neere the faithfull But where is the Surely It followeth in the same epistle As dying and behold we liue as chastened and yet not killed as sorrowing and yet alwaies reâ—…oycing as poore and yet making many rich as hauing nothing and yet possessing all things O the securiâ—…ie and feliciâ—…ie of the faithfull For his faith maketh life of death ioy of sorrowe riches of pouertie What shall I say more or what would you haue me say more then as the Apostle saies It makes all things of nothing As hauing nothing saies he and yet pâ—…ss ssi g all thingâ—… But the special thing to be noted in this sentence is As dying and Behold we liue For they import that death is no death but As it were death an image or a shadowe of death beeing indeede life and Surely a better life and more immortall then we had here Therefore he saies Behold we liue to shewe that by death the faithfull liue a life wherein there is some great specialty and excellency worthy indeed to be beholded regarded As if he should say Behold we liue Behold we liue a more happy life then euer we liued in our life S. Augustin often commeÌ„deth the saying of his master S. Ambrose when he was readie to die Speaking to Stilico and others about his bed I haue not liued so among you saith he that I am ashamed to liue longer if it please God and yet again I am not afraid to die because we haue a good Lord. He doth not say Mine ovvne goodnesse puts me out of feare but Gods goodnesse This goodnesse of God makes me quiet in my conscience and secure in soule readie to embrace death vvhensoeuer it commeth Wherefore Surely is fitly added For afflictions as vvaters doe not ouercome the faithfull Nay they come not neere him But contrariwise the faithfull conquereth afflictions Yea Surely he is in them all more then a conquerour In vvarre he is not afraid Rather he greatly hopeth And Surely euen in the verie vvarre he hopeth The flood of vvaters commeth not neere to drovvne the Arke but lift it vp And so much the higher Surely the arke still riseth as the flood riseth The sea staieth not the Israelites passage It is a dry land for them to march on As a vvall moreouer to backe them Surely against all their enemies Tentation not onely is no matter of sorrovve but also on the other side of ioy Surely of great ioy Death is no death but a life and Surely such a life as onely of it vve may say Behold vve liue So happie both in life and death is the faithfull man Surely in the flood of many waters they shall not come neere him To conclude then No calamitie or aduersitie can possibly disseuer that coniunction vvhich faith maketh of euery godly man with Christ. For feeling the remission of his sinnes assured and sealed vnto him he contemneth not onely the works of the world and dismaiments of his conscience but euen the very feares and terrours of death This our deare brother M. Edward Liuely who now resteth in the Lord lead a life which in a manner was nothing els but a continuall flood of many waters Neuer out os suits of law neuer-ceasing disquieters of his studie His goods distrained and his caâ—…tell driuen off his ground as Iobs was His deare wife beeing not so well able to beare so great a flood as he euen for very sorrow presently died A lamentable and ruefull case So many children to hang vpon his hand for which he had neuer mainâ—…enance neither yet now had stay his wife beeing gone Well but that sorrowfull time was blowne ouer He was appointed to be one of the chiefest translators And as soone as it was knowne how farre in this trauaile he did more then any of the rest he
was verâ—…e well prouided for in respect of liuing For which my L. his Grace of Canterbury now liuing is much to bâ—… reuerenced and honoured But beeins so well to passe both for himselfe anâ—… for his children so dainely he fell sicke He was taken with an ague a squinsey both together And the more vsuall that was the lesse dangerous was this accompted but the euent shewes the contrarie For the squinsey beeing both by himselfe and his friends no greatly regarded within foure dayes tooke away his life These were many waters and diuerse tribulatioâ—…s Besides a thousand more which I cannot now stand to repeate Yeâ—… he carried himselfe so in life and death as these waters seemed not once to come neere him He was professour of the Hebrewe tongue in this Vniuersitie thirty yeares As his father in law D. Larkyn bad beene professour of Phisick siue or sixe and thirty yeares Which tongue howsoeuer some account of it yet ought to bee preferred before all the rest For it is the antienst the shortest the plainest of all A great part of wisdome as Plato sheweth is in the knowledge of true Etymologies These in other tongues are vncertaine in this taken out of the naturall qualities of euery thing that is named In so much as wheÌ„ any man hath found the Hebrewe Etymologie then he neede seeke no forther Besides all the Scripture written before the birth of Christ except a fewe chapters of Daniel and Ezra were written in Hebrewe And the Rabbins themselues though they haue no small number of fables and lies in them yet diuerse things they haue notwithstanding fit for the opening of the old Testament Therefore though a man cannot reade the Rabbins yet vnlesse he can vnderstand handsomely well the Hebrew text he is compted but a maimed or as it were but halfe a Diuine especially in this learned age Lastly diuerse learned men are of opinion to whome I very willingly assent that the holy tongue which was spoken in paradise shal be eternally vsed in the heauenly paradise where the Saints shall euer extoll and praise God But this worthy professour deceased got him great credit as well by the continuance as by the holinesse of his profession For he was not a professour for one or two yeares as others are but full thirtie yeares together Nathan Cytraeus writeth that in Prage an Vniuersitie of Bohemia where Iohn Hus and Hicrome of Prage professed that they that haue continued professours for the space of 20. yeares together are created Earles and Dukes both together And therefore their style is to be called Illustres whereas they which are singly and simply but onely either Earles or Dukes are called Spectabiles Neither maketh it any matter that they haue no reuenewes to maintaine Earldomes or Dukedomes For they haue the title notwithstanding euen as Suffragans haue of Bishops Our good brother hauing no such profit or dignitie propounded vnto him but contenting himselfe with his stipend spent halfe his life in this place For he was vpon threescore yeares old when he died He wrote a book of Annotations vpon the first fiue small Prophets dedicated to that great paâ—…ron of learning and learned men Sir Francis Walsingham Wherein diuers speeches and phrases of the Prophets are compared with the like in Poets and Oratours both Greek and Latin and many notes neither vnpleasant nor vnprofitable to be read are set out of the Rabbins But in mine opinion he took greatest pains in his Chronologie which he dedicated to Doctor Iohn Whitgift the reuerend late Archbishop of Canterbury This booke indeede is full of hidden learning and sheweth infinite reading in stories I asked him within this little while whether he had written no more bookes He tould me he had but printed no more because he had no time to peruse and per 〈◊〉 them for other businesse Now by busines he meant I weene especially his studie care to performe well his taske in the translation Wherin how excellently he was imploved all they can witnes who were ioyned with him in that labour For though they be the very slower of the Vniuersitie for knowledge of the tongues yet they will not be ashamed to confesse that no one man of their companie if not by other respects yet at leastwise for long experience and exercise in this kind was to be compared with him For indeede he was so desirous that this busines begunne by the commandement of our most gratious Soueraigne King Iames should be brought to a happie ende that oftentimes in many mens hearings he protested he had rather die then be any way negligent herein Which as some thinke by all likelihood came indeede so to passe To wit that too earnest studie and paines about the translation hastened his death and brought it on sooner Now as he liued so in his profession in his writings in his translating as though all the floods of many waters had neuer comn ' neare him euen so also he died During the short time of his sicknes he caried himselfe as alwaies before humbly mildly quietly constantly One of his louing friends standing by his bed and saying M. Liuely I pray God you may haue patience and hope and especially faith vnto the ende He lifting vp his hands said heartily and cheerefully Amen Little he vsed to speake and more he could not say for the paine and impediment of his squinsey Which though it made a speedie ende of him as the apoplexie did of the good Emperour Valentinian yet how could any death be sodaine to him whose whole life was nothing els but a meditation of death and vvhome the Lord whensoeuer he came might finde doing his dutie Wherefore no reason we should lament his departure out of this world He liued blessedly he died blessedly in the Lord. Rather you Reuerend and learned Vniuersitie-men lament for this that you haue lost so famous a Professour and so worthie a writer Lament you translatours beeing now depriued of him who no lesse by his owne merit and desert then by the priuiledge of his place was to order and ouersee all your trauailes Lament you poore orphans eleuen poore children of you which he left behind him as Christ ascending left eleuen Disciples bereaued of your kinde and deare Father destitute of necessaries for your maintenance to seeke of all helpe and meanes but onely as poore folkes vse to speake such as God and good friends shall prouide Lament lament all of you of the tovvne as vvell as of the Vniversitie because our Schoole hath lost such a singular ornament of this age because our Churches haue lost such a faithfull and syncere sâ—…ruant of Christ. Questionlesse as it should seeme by the taking away of this man almightie God is greatly angrie with vs all for our sinnes Christ Iesus our Master as though he meant no more to care for vs seemeth to lie fast asleepe in the ship while vve most miserably in the flood of many waters are