shadowed the whole Iland So these Lawes were but the shadowes of good things to come as Saint Paul saiâ—h They were all under a cloud but now the vaile is taken away the partition wall is broken The Sun appeares the shadowes vanish and saving knowledge is apparent to all Nations in the world that doe not wilfully shut their eyes against that light Thirdly the Moone is called Phoebe to signifie as I conceive that all the splendor and brightnesse she hath it is from the Sun So these legall Ceremonies came from the Son of righteousnesse the wisdome of the Father God Almighty commanded instituted and ordained them It also shewes that they are true light though dim and darke And last of all the Moone is called Diana the Goddesse of Chastitie to shew her simplicity purity so likewise these ceremonies in themselves were harmlesse and undefiled but may bee abused as they are used Having taken a view of the Metaphor see it in the thing it selfe Circumcision is the cutting off the foreskin of mans flesh which in Latine is called Praeputium whereby God would have Abraham and his posterity distinguished from other Nations and therefore was called the signe of the Covenant betweene God and his people which was to bee performed the eight day after the birth of the child and they that refused to be circumcised were to bee out off from the living Gen. 17. The reason of which Law was to signifie that all that is begotten of man is corrupt and must bee mortified Now because Christ as on this day subjected himself to this Law Epiphanius writes that the followers of Ebion and Cerinthus gather from hence that Christians ought to be circumcised because the disciple ought to be as his master is But he confutes them thus Christ was not circumcised as a meere Man as they hold but being God he came downe from heaven by taking the true nature of man and was circumcised that this figure might appeare to have the spirituall effect from him that from thenceforth not figures any more but the truth might be divulged by him and his Disciples Hee was circumcised for many causes First that he might shew the truth of his flesh against the Manichees Secondly that it might appeare that his Humanity was not consubstantiall with his Divinity against Apollinaris Thirdly that he brought it not from heaven against Valentinus Fourthly that he might confirme Circumcision which did serve as a figure of his comming And lastly that the Jewâ—s might have no excuse left unto them for if he had not been circumcised they might have said they could not receive a Christ uncircumcised Origen saith As we dye with Christ dying and rise with Christ rising so wee are circumcised with Christs Circumcision so that we need not now to be circumcised Beda renders the reason thus Christ was circumcised to commend unto us the vertue of obedience by his owne example and that in compassion he might helpe those that being set under the Law were not able to beare the yoake of the Law and thus hee which came in the similitude of sinfull flesh doth not refuse the remedy whereby sinfull flesh was wont to bee cleansed there being the same remedie against the wound of originall sin in Circumcision which is now in Baptisme for as Athanas saith Nothing else was figured out by Circumcision but the spoiling of the old generation in that part of the body was cut away which was the cause of generation Therefore Christ being without originall sin needed not to be circumcised but onely to commend obedience by his example and to take away the yoke of the Law For our sakes only hee was circumcised in his flesh that we in him might be circumcised in spirit and Cyril saith that Christ was circumcised the eighth day and so rose againe the eighth day and intimatâ—d unto us the spirituall Circumcision when he said Goe teach all Nations Baptising them c. At the same time he had the Name JESUS imposed upon him which signifieth a Saviour because he is the salvation of the whole world which he prefigured in his Circumcision according to which the Apostle saith Yee are circumcised not with Circumcision mâ—de with hands â—ut with the Circumcision of Christ Now it is rendeâ—ed by some of the Rabbins that the name of the Messias shall be Jesus for this reason among others that as the name of him who first brought the Iewes out of bondage into the Land of promise was Iesus of Iosuah which is all one so must his name be Iesus that shall the second â—ime deliver them from the bondage wherein they are and restore them to their old and ancient possession of Iewry which is the chiefe benefit they expect by the Messias which is true in a spirituall sense And the expresse name of Iesus was prophesied long before Christ as it is to be seene in the second book of Esdras which though it be not canonicall yet it is allowed for a good book in these words of God the Father Behold the time shall come when the signe shall appear that I have told c. And my son Iesus shall be revealed with these who are with him And after those dayes my sonne Christ shall dye and the earth shall render those that sleepe therein So now having taken a view of the old Law let us look into the new and the rather because this day is called New-yeares-day the beginning of the Iulian yeare And the Sacrament that came in place of the old is called the Sacrament of initiation the beginning or entrance into a holy profession And it is as a most effectuall pledge and witnesse of our renewing and restoring by Christ as it is well set downe in our Common Catechisme in these words For we being by nature borne in sin and the children of wrath are by the meritorious blood of Christ made the children of grace which is lively represented in the element of water for as water purifieth the uncleannesse of the body so saith the Apostle The blood of Christ cleanseth us from all sinne for wee are buried with Christ in Baptisme That is he hath by his death so fully satisfied for our sins that by his mighty power sin is dead in them that lay hold on him by a true and a lively faith which with repentance is required in persons to be baptized for the efficacy of Christs blood signified by the element of water in Baptisme is not only to set before our eyes the expiation and purgation from sinne but also to demonstrate our livelyhood and growth in grace for so saith the Apostle that like as Christ was raised from the dead to the glory of the Father so we also should wâ—lke in newnesse of life Now here are the great benefits we receive by Christ at our initiation mortification and vivification the casting off the old man and the putting on of the new The death of sinne and the life of
of Christ that he was suffred to leane on Christs bosome when he was at Supper He his brother and Peter were permitted to see Christs Transfiguration on Mount Tabor and they three were taken from the rest to behold his Agony in the Garden Wherefore the Mother of John dreaming that Christ should bee a temporall King presuming so much upon the love which shee saw in Christ towards her children boldly asked That they might have the greatest honour viz. one to sit at the right hand and the other at the left in his Kingdome Yet though this is noted by Saint Matthew to be the Mothers desire Saint Marke relating the same story Chap. 10. 35. saith That it was the desire of Iames and Iohn for which the other Disciples disdained them two to shew that it was their ambition to solicite their Mother to make such a petition which Gospell though it touched Saint Iohn who then lived and had the perusall thereof never denyed it nor took it il but approved that the other two Evangelists to be true so sincere simple and without all art of flattery or rhetorical amplification was all their writings that they do not spare Christ himselfe whom they adore and acknowledge to bee their God and Saviour but shew the infirmities of his flesh as he was a man as his hunger and thirst his being weary and how hee wept his passions of feare anger love c. therefore much lesse would they favour the Apostles or themselves And last of all Christ upon the Crosse to expresse the great love that hee bare this Apostle called the blessed Virgin his Mother and him her sonne And from that day to her death she lived with him Presently after the feast of Pentecost when hee with the rest had received the holy Ghost he with Peter was cast into prison for healing the cripple Acts 4. And a while after he with Peter was sent by the Apostles to preach the Word of God in Samaria Act. 8. Foure yeares after the death of the Virgin Mary he was present at the Apostolicall Councell in Jerusalem Now Iames his brother who was called the elder was beheaded two yeares before for this Councell was celebrated in the presence of Iames the younger Peter Iohn Paul and Barnabas c. about sixteen yeares after the Resurrection of Christ and fourteen after the Conversion of Paul Gal. 2. Act. 15. After the death of Paul he governed the Churches of Asia minor where he wrote his Gospell And in the 86. year of his age being cast into a vessell of boyling oyle and comming out unhurt by the command of Domitian the Emperour he was banished into the I le of Pathmos where he wrote his Revelation to the seven Churches in Asia It is related of him that hee turned certain peeces of wood into gold and stones by the sea side into Margrits to satisfie the desire of two whom he perswaded to renounce their riches and after they repenting that for worldly treasure they had lost heaven changed them into the same substance againe That he raised up a widow and a young man from death to life That he drunke poyson and it hurt him not and raised up two to life which had drunk the same before and that he called a young man to repentance that was captaine of theeves After the death of Domitian he came to Ephesus whâ—re as Saint Austin relates he caused his grave to be made and in the presence of divers went in alive and being no sooner in and to their seeming dead they covered him which kind of Rest saith he was rather tearmed a sleepe than death for that the earth of the grave bubbleth or boyleth up after the manner of a Well by reason of John resting therein and breathing a signe of his slumbering therein And thus he dyed when hee was as some relate an hundred and twenty years old others say ninety nine and some ninetie one the truth of all which I leave to the diligâ—nt search of the learned and conclude with the prayer for the day saying Mercifull Lord I beseech thee to cast the bright beames of light upon thy Church that it being lightned by the doctrine of thy blessed Apostle and Evangelist Saint Iohn may attaine to thy everlasting Gifts through Jesus Christ my Lord Amen Saint Peters day HAving made a briefe relation of the lives and deaths of the foure Evangelists who writ the Gospell of our Lord and Saviour Now I should set forth the glorious lustre of those Stars which were equall and some before them in the order of Apostleship The first in order is Simon whose surname was Peter the son of Iona of Bethsaida in Galilee The order of his precedency is noted by three Evangelists in four places where all the Apostles are nominated viz. Matth. 10. Mark 3. Luke 6. and Act. 1. But whether he were the first that was called to be an Apostle or no I cannot certainly determine for though Saint Matthew and Marke make relation that hee with his brother Andrew were first called yet Saint Iohn affirmes that two of Iohn's disciples followed Christ of which one was Andrew who went and told his brother Simon that he had found the Messias But whether he were first or second that was called to the Apostleship I leave to the learned The Evangelists make more mention of him than of any one Apostle besides as first they shew that Christ comming to his house healed his wives mother of a fever Then they shew how ready he was to walke on the sea at the command of Christ and yet because of a little tempest his strong courage failed him and he ready to sincke Then againe his noble confession that hee made of Christ for which Christ so highly commended him but presently after they shew his carnall feare for which Christ checked him Then they shew Christs love to him in making choise of him and the two sonnes of Zebedeus to be spectators of his glorious transfiguration and bitter agony in the Garden and in the first they say hee spake hee knew not what being overcome with joy and in the second they shew his carelesnesse for which Christ checked him by name because hee could not watch one houre Then they shew how inquisitive he was to aske questions how oft shall I forgive my brother in one place dost thou wash my feet in another and what shall this man doe in a third c. And last of al before his PassioÌ„ they declare his strong resolution Though all men foâ—sake thee yet will not I. And yet presently after they shew how basely hee denied his Lord Christ All the particular relations that the Evangelists make of this Apostle are so many that it would make a little volume to make rehearâ—all of them And I have intended brevitâ— Therefore will I make a short story of his life after the Passion of Christ as it is related in the Acts and other Authors After the
nay of immortalitie if otherwise it turneth into deadly poyson for hee that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh damnation to himselfe not discerning thâ— Lords body Now the only reason why I do compare the meritorious action of our blessed Lord and Saviour Christ Jesus on this day to Jupiter who as the Poets feine him was Lord of Heaven and Earth is for that as he overcame the malicious and revengefull Titan and all those monstrous and cruell Giants his sonnes called the Titanes and victoriously triumphed over theÌ„ so likewise Christ the Lord of glory and King of Kings as on this day being then the fifth of Aprill and first day of the Jewish weeke having overcome the dreadfull and spitefull Serpent the old Dragon in the Revelation according as it was prophesied of him Gen. 3. 15. and all those fiends that follow him sinne death and hell according to another prophesie in Hosea and having by his divine power raised himself from death to life as David long agoe foretold that God would not leave his soule in hell nor suffer his holy one to see corruption but that according to another prophesie of Hosea in the person of the children of Israel After two dayes he will revive in the third day raise up that we may live in his sight which is the same with the Sybils in these words He shall end the necessity of death by three dayes sleepe and then returning from death to life againe he shall be the first that shall shew the beginning of the resurrection to his chosen for that by conquering death he shall bring us life And last of all having according to his own promise which he oft times made to his Disciples That as Ionas was three dayes and three nights in the whales belly so should he be three dayes and three nights in the heart of the earth destroy this Temple and in three dayes I will raise it up are his owne words in another place meaning the temple of his body And that the Sonne of man shall be delivered into the hands of men and they shall kill him but the third day he shall rise again in another place fast bound the Dragon in the bottomelesse pit and taking away the sting of death which is sinne gloriously triumphed over the enemies of mans salvation and rising out of the Sepulchre of death confounded the souldiers that were his guard with amazement caused the earth to quake and the Angels of God to descend from heaven to attend upon his triumphs did forty dayes walke upon the earth in this triumphant manner and made twelve apparitions to his Disciples and others The first was to Mary Magdalen alone Iohn 10. 14. The second to all the women together as they returned homewards Matth. 20. 9. The third was to Simon Peter alone about noone 1 Cor. 15. 5. Luke 24. 34. The fourth was in the afternoon to the two Disciples as they went to the Castle of Emaus which was some eight miles from Jerusalem the ones name was Cleophas and brother of Joseph who brought up our Saviour and the other as may be gathered by the circumstance of the story was Luke because he hath set it downe so exactly Luke 24. The fifth was after he returned invisibly from Emaus to Jerusalem where when the doores were all shut and his Disciples were assembled together for feare of the Jewes he came and stood in the midst of them Iohn 20 19. And all these apparitions were in one day which was called the first day of the weeke The sixth apparition was eight dayes after his resurrection being the twelth of Aprill to all his Disciples Thomas being then present and the doores shut That he might make evident that his omnipotency was not tyed to any secondary causes or hindred by the property of any naturall bodies which according to S. Austine was so much the more wonderfull because hee appeared unto them substantially and effectually not as a phantasma or shadow which vanisheth away and is without any corporâ—all substance but did eat and drink and suffered his body to be handled by his Disciples The seventh apparition was to Peter Thomas Nathaneel the sons of Zebedeus and other two Disciples as they were fishing upon the shore of Tiberias which stood 36 miles from Ierusalem Northward betweene Bethsaida and Capernaum Iohn 21. The eighth was to the eleven Apostles on Mount Tabor in Galilee The ninth was to more then five hundred brethren at one time as S. Paul witnesseth The tenth was to James the son of Alpheus for he had beene seene before by Iames the son of Zebedeus but the certaine time of these foure last apparitions is not set downe But on the fourteenth day of May which was forty dayes after his resurrection he appeared to all his Apostles Disciples and friends together on Mount Olivet And in their sight with great triumph and joy he ascended into Heaven And last of all after his ascension he appeared to S. Paul as himselfe relates Thus as Luke affirmeth he shewed himselfe alive by many arguments for the space of forty dayes together and reasoned with them of the kingdome of his father Why then should any man mistrust the testimony of these men which saw him ate with him dranke with him touched him and heard him speak and whose entire estate and welfare depended wholly of the certainety thereof For what comfort had it beene or consolation to those men to have devised of themselves those former apparitions what encouragement might they have taken in these dolefull times of desolation and affliction to have had among them the dead body of him on whose only life their universall hope and confidence depended The Scribes and Pharisees being astonished at the sudden news of his rising againe confirmed unto them by their owne souldiers that saw it found no other way to resist the fame thereof but only by saying as their posterity do at this day that his Disciples came by night and stole away his body while the souldiers slept But what likelyhood or possibility can there be in this for first it is evident to all the world that his Apostles themselves who were the heads of all the rest were so dismaied discomforted and dejected at that time as they durst not once goe out of the doore for which cause only those silly women who for their sex esteemed themselves more free from violence presumed alone to visit his Sepulchre which no one man durst doe for feare of the souldiers untill by those women they were informed that the foresaid band of souldiers were terrified and put to flight by Christs resurrection And then how was it likely that men so much amazed and overcome with feare should adventure to steale away a dead body from a guard of souldiers that kept it or if their hearts had served to adventure so great a danger what hope or probability had there beene of successe especially considering the said body lay in
world fell out the like and must needs bee granted by his chiâ—fest enemies to be supernaturall The second point is of externall things and facts done by Jesus above all power of humane ability in the sight knowledge of all the Jewes which facts were published by our Evangelists and especially by Saint Matthew in the Hebrew tongue while yet the persons were alive upon whom they were wrought or infinite other that might be witnesses thereof As for example the raising of Lazarâ—s in Bethania that was a Village but a mile or two distant from Ierusalem at whose death and buriall being a Gentleman many Scribes and Pharisees must needs be present according to the Iewish custome at that time and they saw him both deceased interred and the funerall feast observed for him as also raised againe from death by Iesus after foure dayes of his buriall with whom they did eat and drink and converse after his returne to life and every day might behold him walking up and downe in the streets of Ierusalem This story could not be feined So in like manner the raising of the Archi-Synagogues daughter whose name is affirmed to be Iairus with divers other circumstances that do make the thing most notorious The raising of the widowes sonne before the gate of the City Naim in the prefence of all the people that bore the said corps and stood about it the healing of â—he Cripple in Ierusalem that had laine thirty and eight yeares lame at the Pooles side or Bath called Probatica which miracle was done also in the sight of infinite people The casting out a legion of devils from a man that for many yeares was knowne to live in the mountaines the feeding and filling of five thousand men beside women and children at one time and four thousand at another with a small parcell of bread and a few fishes The turning of water into wine at a mariage in Cana in the presence of all the ghests the healing of him by a word only that had an incurable dropsie and this at the table of a principall Pharisee and in the sight of all that sate at dinner with him the giving sight to him that was borne blinde well knowne to many These and divers other such miracles which were done in the sight and presence of an infinite number of people and recorded by our Evangelists at such times when many desired to discredit the same and might have done easily by many witnesses and authority If any one part thereof had beene subject to calumniation cannot in reason or probability be doubted of And last of all though more occult and secret yet not the least but rather the greatest miracle that ever Christ did in his life is his fasting forty dayes and forty nights typified in the fast of Moses and Elias recorded by three Evangelists for confirmation of the truth thereof And all that while was tempted of the Devill as S. Luke expressely saith being forty dayes tempted of the devill yet some thinke hee endured all those sharpe temptations in one day whom in the end he overcame with his own weapons And this hapned upon him presently after he was baptized of Iohn Baptist so saith S. Marke Immediately the Spirit driveth him into the wildernesse And I note it the rather because it is the usuall custome of Sathan now in these dayes to deale with the servants as he dealt with the Lord. As soone as they begin to consecrate their endeavours to the service of God the devill by the winde of promotion the allurements of pleasures or spur of worldly profit drives them into the wildernesse of worldly affaires where they remaine long ere they can get out of the entanglements of many thorny cares and anxieties of minde How this wildernesse was called the Evangelist doth not specifie but it is thought to bethe desert of Araâ—ia Pâ—traea and that our Saviour fasted upon the mountaine of Sinai where Moses and Elias fasted foâ—ty dayes and forty nights for there was no place more fit for Sâ—tlâ—an to tempt our Saviour in then where the Law was delivered which is the power of sinne for although the Son of God was without sin yet he took upon him the sinnes of all the world And so our Saviour Christ according to coÌ„mon computation continued in this desert from the seventh of October to the sixteenth of November which was forty daies and forty nights And upon the seventeenth of November hungred And then the devill with an extraordinary boldnesse carried him from mount Sina with great violence through the aire and set him upon the top of a pinacle of the temple which was so exceeding high that whosoever looked downe from it into the valley of Cedron their eyes dazâ—led and it seemed as though there had been clouds in the bottome of the valley for it was six hundred foot from the bottome to the top From this place the devill bad our Saviour throw himselfe downe after the devill set Christ upon an exceeding high mountaine but what hill it was or how it was called the Evangelist doth not set downe but it is to be thought it was the high mountaine Nebo which was also called Pisgah and stood twenty foure miles from Ierusalem Eastward where God shewed unto Moses all the land of Canaan beyond Iordan And in this place the devill shewed our Saviour the Kingdomes of the world and the glory of them saying All these will I give thee c. Now our Church hath piously set a part this annuall fast to begin as on this day in commemoration of that fast of our Saviour for by our conformity we shew whose servants we are even his whose works we imitate and that abstinence from usuall repast might be a meanes to quicken our resolutions against the receiving of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper at Easter for though fasting in it selfe be no religious act in which the immediate worship of God consists For the kingdome of God as the Apostle saith consisteth not in meat and drinke yet it is a religious act as accessary to the worship serving as a help or preparative to faith prayer c. And so may be called a good work And therefore in all Churches and in all Ages since the Apostles time it hath beene piously observed as is learnedly demonstrated in divers treatises extant in English Now why this day is called Ashwednesday is for that the Christians in the Primitive times retained many of the Heathens and Jewish ceremonies as Iobs friends sprinkled dust upon their heads towards heaven the King of Nineveh and Queen Esther with the Iewes sate in ashes to expresse their sorrow so they to expresse their own vilenesse and unworthinesse cast ashes on their heads But this was an unnecessary ceremony and therfore in the reformed Churches well dismissed So now I conclude this dayes meditation with that divine prayer of Doctor Featelies in these words Oh let not my Lord be angry that I who am but
and temporâ—ll conferred upon me purchased by thy sufferings ad this one above the rest the special gift of remembrance of these thy sufferings that wheresoever I am whatsoever I doe I may have thy passion in my heart and thy wounds bleeding a fresh in my minde with an infinite hatred of sin that procured them and love of thy goodnesse who enduredst them for me Thy Church since thou leftest her is a widow and I am as one of her dead children not as the Samaritan was hâ—lfe dead but wholly dead in my sins and transgressions Thou Lord art the true Elias who raisedst and doest raise from death this widowes children to life by stretâ—hing thy body over them O my gracious Lord apply thy body stretched this day on the crosse to me Lay thy head to my head thy hands to my hands thy feet to my feet and thy heart to my heart that I may receive warmth from thy blood and ease from thy stripes health from thy wounds and spirit from thy breath and strength from thy grace to stand up from the dead and walke with thee henceforth in newnesse of life So be it Amen IVPITER OR a Meditation on Easter-day WHen I did first compose this Annuall world my thoughts were so presumptuous as to promise to my unlearned selfe a power and faculty to fit every dayes meditation to the resemblance which I first propounded in the entrance into this Tabernacle but as I have come farre short in the precedent expressions so I feare I shall come much more behinde in the subsequent meditations Yet I will adventure to show that the Sacrifice which was offered unto God upon the Altar of the Crosse on Goodfriday for the expiation of the sins of mankinde is truly exhibited to every worthy receiver in the blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist or Lords Supper And therfore the Christian Church in all ages hath piously appointed this yearely feast of Easter to be by every one of her members solemnely observed instead of the Jewes Passeover whereby every beleeving soule may be assured that if he finde the blood of that most immaculate Lambe sprinkled upon the doore post of his heart the destroying Angell shall have no power to enter therein Which assurance that he may obtaine first before hee receive these sacred mysteries he ought to be fitted with the preparing graces of true sorrow and hearty contrition of spirit for sinnes past joyned with penitent resolutions and endeavours to lead a new life in time to come perfect love and charity with all men joyned with longing desires to participate the benefits of Christs passion and humility of spirit joyned with holy revâ—rence and godly devotion Secondly in receiving he ought to be indued with the comprehensive grace of a true lively and justifying faith And last of all he ought to have the reteining graces of hearty praise and thanksgiving for all Gods inestimable benefits especially for the Word and Sacraments joyned with joy and cheerefulnesse in the service of God and constant perseverance in all these heavenly graces to his lives end The man that is thus qualified for the reception of this heavenly repast may with aged Simeon take into his hands his Lord and Saviour yea and see him with the eye of his faith take with a pure hand eat with a clean mouth and keep in a sanctified heart this sacred bread this chosen Manna the word of life and food of Angels for by and with the sacred elements though not in or under them he doth partake of the flesh of God spiritually for his words are spirit and life yea truly in very deed for he is the living bread that came downe from heaven his flesh is meat indeed and his blood is drink indeed As at sumptuous feasts where curious services are we see the proportion and shape of the Deer or Fowle set out in gold and colours on the outside or lid of those baked meats which are truly contained under it and to be eaten so if we may draw a resemblance of so high and divine a mysterie from an earthly and humane repast under the figures of bread and wine as it were the printed lid or cover thou O devout soule feedest on the meat of Angels the dainties of heaven and flesh of thy Saviour who is there described in thy sight and before thee crucified That which is represented in the signe to the eye of the body is presented in the thing signified to the eye of the soule and hand of thy faith what is shadowed in the Sacrament is truly also exhibited by it If thou beleevest that thou eatest thou eatest that thou beleevest Let no hereticall Harpies pluck from thee this heavenly dish or meat as Celaeno did Aeneas's Beware of two sorts of heretiques especially those that seeke to beguile thee in the Sacrament or rather of it viz. The Sacramentaries and Papists the one denying the signe the other the thing signified the one offereth thee a shadow without the body the other the body without the shadow or resemblance and consequently neither of them giveth thee the true Sacrament to whose nature essence both are requisite The Sacramentaries would rob thee of the Iewel the Papists of the Casket Lay thine hands on both hold both fast as thou seest the one so beleeve the verity substance of the other as thou takest the one receive the other as thou handlest the one apprehend the other as thou feedest with thy mouth on the one feed in thy heart on the other And as truly as the one nourisheth thy body to a temporall the other shall preserve thy soule to eternall life For it is the tree of life which growes in the midst of the Paradise of God his Church on earth The way to the mysticall tree in Paradise was guarded by an Angell waving a flaming sword the way to this in like manner is fenced there stands an Angell at the Table Gods minister brandishing the sword of the Spirit and forbidding under paine of death any to eat of this fruit that have their teeth set on edge with the Apples of Sodome and Grapes of Gomorrah Other fruits and meats are prepared for us but we must be prepared for this before we eat it the bread of the earth cannot feed when thou eatest it till it be changed into thy body because thou art more excellent then it but this bread which came downe from heaven is more excellent then thou art and therefore thou must be changed into it before it nourish thee All other meat is received as it is in it selfe and no otherwise but this is divers as it is received other meat affecteth and altereth the taste but here the taste altereth the meat for if it be worthily received it is the body and blood of Christ if unworthily it is but bare bread and wine If it meet with a spirituall taste and appeâ—ite and stomack purged and prepared it proveth the food of life
thy triumph over them O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory O my soule where is all thy comfort If in this life thou art most miserable If thy life be hid with Christ in God then when Christ which is thy life shall appeare thou shalt also appeare in glory What though I mourne here I shall be comforted what though I fast here I shall be satisfied what though I be disgraced here I shal be glorified What though I am here trampled under feet I shall be there crowned What though my flesh bee eaten with wormes and these wormes turned into dust and that dust blowed by the wind over the face of the earth yet after thou turnest man to destruction Againe thou sayest Come againe yee children of men I know thou my Redeemer livest and shalt stand up at the last day and I shall see thâ—e in my flesh with these eyes and none other Lord establish this beleefe in me beat downe all the forts that naturall reason reareth against it Grant that I may every day more and more feel as the power of thy birth in my regeneration and of thy death in my mortification so also of thy Resurrection in my rising from the death of sinne to the life of grace Lord thou restoredst life to three men to one in his bed to another on the beare a third in the grave They who conceive sinne in their hearts are like him that was dead in his bed they who bring it forth into action are like him that was brought forth dead on the beare but they that continue in sinne and all impurity and putrifie in the custome therof are like him that was foure dayes dead and stanke in the grave such a one or worse am I for I have laine not foure dayes but many years in this loathsome grave and am even devoured of the worme of conscience Yet Lord this day of thy glorious Resurrection say unto mee as thou didst to him Come forth awake thou that sleepest and stand up from the dead and I will give thee light Make this day of thy Resurrection from the death of nature the day of my rising from the death of sin and corruption first to the life of Grace and after to the life of Glory Amen MERCVRY OR A Meditation on Ascension day ACcording to my proposed method I should in this place shew how the sweet Incense of the blessed Sacrifice Christ Jesus ascended into heaven to bee as the Leviticall Sacrifices were an Oblation of a sweet savour unto the Lord for as God after the universall Deluge smelled a pleasant savour of Rest in the offering of Noah so likewise God the Father after the inundation of sin overflowing the whole world for the space of 4000. years and upwards did smell a sweet savour of Pacification Reconciliation and satisfaction in this last meritorious act of our blessed Saviour which I compare to the flight of winged Mercury who by Poets is fained to descend and ascend to keepe unity and concord between their fained gods being their observant Messenger And Christ the Angell or Messenger of the everlasting Covenant descended from heaven in the day of his Nativity and brought those blessed tidings of Salvation revealed in the Gospell to mankind and as this day ascended into heaven to accomplish the work of mans redemption but this glorious Act of our Saviour is so divinely pathetically and excellently accomplished by Mr. Austin in his divine Meditations that though I like foolish Icarus because as on this day I first drew breath received the common aire doe strive with waxen wings to take an higher flight than my learning is able to performe am so melted with the rayes of the scorching heat of his devotions that I am forced to dash out my dim taper before his bright Sonne and conclude with Master Doctor Featleyes divine Prayer saying Glorious and gracious Redeemer Lord Iesus Christ who huÌ„bledst thy selfe and didst become obedient to death even the death of the Crosse and therefore thy Father highly exalted thee above the Grave in thy Resurrection above the earth in thy Ascension above the heavens in thy session at his right hand and then He gave thee a Name above all names that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow both of things in heaven and in earth and of things under the earth I humbly bow the knees not only of my body but of my heart and soule unto thee I never heare of thee or remember never think or speak of thee but with greatest reverence and love that heart can conceive or tongue expresse I admire the mystery of thy Incarnation I tremble at the horror of thy passion I adore the power of thy Resurrection and triumph in the glory of thy Ascension My God and my Lord make me wholly thine as thou art mine Thy birth was my life thy life my merit thy death my ransome thy Resurrection my delivery out of the prison of death where thy Father laid thee for my debt thy Ascension my assurance and taking possession of an incorruptible and undefiled inheritance reserved in the heavens O Saviour if thou haddest not been borne I never had been born a new if thou hadst not dâ—ed for my sinnes I had dyed in my sins If thou haddest not risen from the dead my soule might have been with thee in Paradise but my body should not have rested in hope neither should I have seene God in my flesh If thou hadst not ascended I might have been freed from hell but I should never have had a place prepared for me in heaven O Lord when thou camest to us on earth Iohn was thy fore-runner but thou wert my fore-runner in thy returne into heaven Iohn prepared the way before thee on Earth but thou preparedst a way before me into heaven That way and those Regions in the aire which Lucifer defiled and cursed by his fall through them from heaven thou hast clensed and blessed by thy marching triumphantly thorow them into heaven O blessed Creator and Repairer of nature in thee not onely all the kindred of the Earth but all creatures under the cope of heaven are blessed and therefore they sigh and groane together with us desiring fervently thy second comming The earth was blessed and sanctified by thy birth and thy treading upon it The water by thy descending into the River Iordan at thy Baptisme and walking on the Seas Now the Aire likewise and fire expected an honour and a blessing from thee and both received it the Aire by thy Ascending thorow it the Fire by sending downe the Holy Ghost in the likenesse of fiery cloven tongues O Lord my Redeemer how excellent is thy Name in all the world Creatures without voice praise thee as the Heavens and Earth without understanding know thee as the Star that lighted the Sages to thee without will obey thee as winds and Seas without â—ares hearken to thee as the Fig-tree which
sonne But what became of him after all these bloody Tragedies by him committed Eusebius out of Iosephus relates a most loathsome and shamefull disease of which hee most miserably dyed From which I observe that miserable and wretched is their condition that for obtaining of a little fading and transitory honour in this world which indeed is but the shadow of true honour trouble and perplex both their bodies and mindes while they live in this life loose the true substantiall and everlasting felicity in the world to come and sometimes receive double punishment both here on earth and hereafter in hell for ever as Herod and others But leaving him now I will once more take a view of these blessed innocents these Protomartyrs these first fruits of martyrdome these seeming Christs of the same age of Christ these that suffered for him while he was safe in his cradle or in his mothers armes The cause was his and these silent advocates make answer he was the agent and they the patient hee was sought for and they were found for his fact they were slaine he the Isaac that was intended for the sacrifice and these the innocent lambes that were sacrificed in his stead O Lord in what had these offended how had they broken thy statutes that could neither go nor speake their hearts had no knowledge to thinke their hands too feeble to work and their tongues unable to utter any thing that was ill Now they were bewailing the miseries that their originall sinne did expose them unto and thou by the hand of Herod sent the messenger of death to invite them to eternall joy Grant I beseech thee that as they were two yeares bewailing their miseries and thou thy selfe two dayes in the bed of the grave and in the third raisedst thy selfe and restoredst them to joy in the third yeare so I likewise having been in the bed of sin for the time past of my life bewailing my sin for the time to come may now live the life of grace and hereafter partake of eternall joyes in glory for ever Amen The Zodiake IN which Astrologers note 12. Constellations or houses for 280. Starres which they call the twelve signes And in the yeare we commemorate the lives and vertues of the twelve Apostles and with them the day Star Saint John the Baptist the evening Stars Saint Paul and Barnabas and three other Stars of like splendor Saint Marke Saint Luke and Saint Steven That the Saints and especially these spred the light of their heavenly doctrine over the whole world is evident by Dan. 12. 3. where the Prophet affirmes that they which be wise shall shine as the brightnesse of the firmament and they that turne many to righteousnesse shall shine as the stars And they are not only stars which enlighten the spiritual Jerusalem the Spouse of the Lambe Christs Church on earth which Iohn in a vision saw come downe from heaven but precious stones are rare jewels to adorne and beautifie her as is excellently paraphrased upon the twelve foundations of that City which were the twelve Apostles in these words The first Apostle from the Indies gathered in all these green Iaspers who abode ever greene and unwithered from the true faith to found with these the first foundation of this heavenly habitacle another Apostle to make up the second course of this foundation brought in those celestiall Saphires who indued with heavenly hewes and qualities respected no earthly showes The third Apostle for the third course of this foundation gathered in from among the Aegyptians the victorious and fiery Chalcedonies even the zealous Professors and victorious Teachers of the Truth Some fourth Apostle to build the fourth foundation even from the Scythians and Bactrians brought in the greene and glancing Smaragdes even the flourishing unwithered and sincere Christians of those Countries For the fifth course of this foundation some Apostles gathered in from among the Arabians their meeke lowly and chast people comparable to the simple and chast nature of the Sardonyx The sixth Apostle gathered in these mollified people in whose soft hearts are engraven the seales of salvation even the continuall memory of Christs Passion represented by the bloody and fleshly colour of the Sardius The seventh Apostle for the seventh ground and foundation the wise and constant Chrysolites The eighth Apostle for his course and foundation gathered in all diligent Christians and peace-makers comparable to the precious Berill The ninth Apostle to found his course with gathered in the patient people and restrainers of their affections represented by the nature of the Topaze The tenth Apostle brought into the tenth course of this foundation the golden greene Chrysoprasus even those Christians that renouncing avarice glory in that golden Treasure of heaven that never withereth nor decayeth The eleventh Apostle to found his eleventh course gathered in the golden purple and princely Hyacinths even those magnificent and princely professors who being richly decored with spiritual blessings overcame all temptations Finally for the twelfth course and to compleat the foundation of this holy worke the last Apostle brought in even from Armenia the pure and temperate Amethysts to wit those Christians who detesting gluttony and drunkennesse are endued with Sobriety and temperance O Lord grant that in the day thou makest up thy Jewels I may be found a precious stone in this building having in this life shined as a wandring Star in grace I may for ever rest a fixed Star in glory Amen A short Meditation of the Feast of Saint Iohn Baptist THis glorious Starre was the first that appeared in the Evangelicall Hemisphere At the lustre whereof the shadow of the Law began to withdraw and vanish that the spirituall sense might appeare through the literall He concluded the Law and the Prophets and prepared the way for the Sunne of Righteousnesse the day spring from on high And now the letter of the Law spiritually understood is turned into Gospell yet the owle-eyed Jewes that loved darknesse better than light when Iohn shone in the Pulpit like a taper on a candlesticke could scarse endure him burning longer than a farthing candle an houre was the utmost of their patience This is that Star that gave an heroicall rise of jubilation in the wombe of his blessed Mother At the first approach of this Sun or at the first dawning of the day of Salvation as the glorious Sunne entred into the blessed Aequator the Virgin Mother and began to shew forth his spirituall rayes by heavenly ejaculations in Hymnes Psalmes and spirituall Songs from Mary the Mother of our Lord from Zacharias the father of his Harbenger and old Simeon that wayted for his Salvation This is that Elias that was to come the Prophet of the Highest and more than a Prophet so much the more that a greater than hee was not borne of a woman in naturall generation The voyce of the Cryer in the wildernesse such a voice as David speakes of in the 29. Psalme