fastned as strangers amongst cruell enemies imprisoned They were vnnaturall if they did not it were vnreasonable to require they should not for wee not onely may thinke it lawfull but must also acknowledge it euen a necessary duty to desire death For is there till then in vs any perfect yea any pure obedience of God Doth not sinne as long as this life lasteth dwell in our members Is there any passage to the perfect life but by the first death The fish which is taken in the net out of the sea strugleth to get in againe and Adam thrust out of Paradise would faine haue beene within againe how much more should we be desirous to bee setled in the true Paradise in assurance neuer to bee put from thence Therefore also it is not onely our dutie to desire death but also as soone as any cleerly seeth Christ presently hee desireth to die For though his state bee neuer so pleasant though his life bee most delightful though hee excell in riches and pleasures and honours and knowledge and glory and sarre exceede all that euer were yet at the sight of Christ hee euen reioyceth to forgoe all the loue of the world falling away like the mantle of Elias when hee was rapt into heauen and so crieth with the Apostle I desire to bee dissolued that he may be with Crist For Christ is light and as soone as they see him they see also themselues and the worlds false happinesse his glory and their shame and filthinesse which maketh them wish for death that they may cease to sinne against God perfectly please him and enioy true happinesse with him for all sinne is blood in their eies and all worldly pleasures vanities But why then say you haue Heman the Ezrachite Psal 88. 15. 16. 17. and Ezekiah that godlie king Esay 38. 10. 12. 13. 14 and that man after Gods owne heart the sweet singer of Israel Dauid Psalme 6. 4. and 30. 8. 9 so prayed and taught others to pray against death Why Because they all were and would haue others to be in the feruent loue of God both to die and to liue Psal 6. 10. and 36. 10. 88. 11. 12. 13. Esay 38. 11. 12 Phil. 1. 23. 24. desirous to liue that they might amongst men vphold and further the true worship of God so to saue their brethrens soules and aduance the glory of God the more to die that they might perfectly obeying God fully please him and freed from all euill enioying all good with him most blessedly liue For not onely the Apostle Paul but all these and whosoeuer are grounded in the faith of Christ but especially all that haue strong hope to aduance the honour of God are in a straite as the Apostle speaketh Philip. 1. 23. and crusht on both sides euen with two contrary desires to be with Christ which is best of all for themselues and to continue amongst men which is most needfull for them So that this remaineth a manifest most necessary dutie and of all that haue truelie as Simeon beleeued in Christ performed namely thenceforth still to desire death though they also withall desired life for others death for themselues Yet all that desire death performe not a dutie for the wicked often desire to die but not duely for though they wish sometimes for it and be willing also to abide it yet do they not in heart desire it because they thinke it not a thing in the ordinance of God good and that for them but vtterly hate it holding it an extreame euill For they acknowledge as the trueth is it will depriue them of all ther delights which heere they desire and they cannot but at least feare it will take from them all pleasure and bring them to easelesse and yet endlesse paine and torments intollerable and yet vnspeakeable For the sentence of the vnchangeable God is already giuen The fearefull and vnbeleeuing and the abominable and murtherers and whoremongers and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars shall haue their part in the lake Reu. 21. 8. which burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death And the iust Iudge shall say to all woorkers of iniquity Go ye accursed into hell fire prepared for the diuell and his Angels hell fire where the worme Mat. 9. 43. 44. 48. neuer dieth and the fire neuer goeth out Wherupon this the Prophet auoucheth There is no peace to the wicked Esay 57. saith my God For in their strong hope they feele a stinging feare their greatest confidence is not without trembling of conscience Therefore fearing the euent of death to be for them as indeed it is most horrible they vtterly abhorre it they detest it extreamely How then say some should they seeke death so eagerly How should they murder themselues so willingly They doe it not altogether willingly but wittingly not freely but forced with feare of some supposed greater euill The troubles of this world the anguish of body the horrour of mind they are most impatient of they cannot they will not endure them and thereupon they sometimes preferre death before life lesse willing to liue in vexation then dying to try whether they shall feele what they feare euen deserued damnation for they are neuer willing to die but vnwilling to liue often and so work themselues endlesse woe in hope of supposed happinesse abhorring life not truly desiring death For how die they when they most voluntarily bereaue themselues of life not in loue of God longing to please him performing all seruice to him but either in paine of bodie or else anguish of mind either raging that they cannot satisfie their lusts or haue lost outward things immoderatelie loued for fearing if they die deserued torments if they liue they shall either continue in felt horrour or lose hoped for honour either impatient of Gods rod fretting against him that they so heauily feele his fury and cannot fiercely fulfill their malitious minds or freelie feede on the rest of their fleshly lustes or impotent in their desire of some false fondly conceiued good hoping with dreadfull doubting by death to better their state they choose rather to prooue the truth of Gods threats and of the terrors of their trembling minds then in life to remaine any longer rather abhorring life then any way truly desiring death Therefore in that Simeon duly desired death that which we heard of Simeon in the beginning is proued true to wit that he was iust and feared God For none but the truly religious none but they that by faith are assured they are before God righteous can rightly desire death For who would desire a change but for the better But all that are ignorant of God all the vnfaithfull what knowledge soeuer they haue cannot be in better case dead then they are now in liuing though most miserably pained nay they cannot be without iust feare when they forgoe this life to feele for euer the second death But the faithfull hauing their
neuer haue beene Papists But when they cast a mist before the eyes of men then the blind fell into the ditch which doth containe so many grosse corruptions For mine eies haue seene thy saluation For c. Because the holy Ghost by inspiration had de-declared vnto him that he should not die till hee had leene Iesus Christ therefore the same spirit led him to the Temple and shewed that which it promised and hauing seene the same he desired and wished to die and be released from this earthly prison that he might â—iue with God As idâ—e and euill wishes are vaine because they are not according to faith not grounded vpon the word of God so though we aske as cunningly as Iacob and as earnestly as the sonnes of Zebede yet if wee aske Gen. 27. 17. 18 19. 20. c. Mar. 10. 35. 37. Iam. 1. 7. not in saith according to knowledge we cannot obtaine But wee should aske so that we may receiue that we may not returne empty Therfore the ground whereon Simeon setled himselfe to wish for death was that hee had receiued a promise of God that he should be deliuered from this miserable life when hee had once seene the light of the Gentiles the Christ and now hee had seene his Sauiour and embraced the true Messias which was promised by the Father figured by the law spoken of by the Prophets foretold by the Fathers and pointed at by Iohn Baptist For thus he reasoneth Now that I see thy saluation according to thy word and therefore the condition is now performed let thy promise also be fulfilled Now let thy seruant depart c. For mine eyes c. Mine eyes haue seene c. Then we see that Christ was no spirit neither was his body a fantasticall body for if he were a spirit Simeon could not see him and if his body were a fantasticall body then could not he haue embraced him Therfore wee Iohn 11. Luke 29. Iohn 4. Luke 10. Luke 5. see that the words of the Scripture are true which saith that Christ was perfect man in all things sinne onely excepted For he sometime wept as at the death of Lazarus and like wise ouer Ierusalem Sometime he thirsted as at the Well where the woman of Samaria disputed with him and also sometime eate as at Marthaes house as also among Publicans and sinners and in euery thing shewed himselfe to be perfect man Haue seene c. O Lord saith he I desire now to be dissolued and free from the bondage of sin which so long hath inhabited in my mortall body for now he is come by whom thou hast promised to free and set vs at liberty he is come by whom thou hast promised to breake the Serpents head and he is come that will heale our infirmities and giue strength against sin and sathan by faith peace towards God through loue And now saith hee I haue embraced him and thankfully do receiue him I beleeue am perswaded that this is the same Messias whom the Father promised and the Prophets fore-told all Israel longed expected for who is the light of the Gentiles the glory of Israel and the God of the whole world So they which loue the truth of God and waite with desire to bee filled with the knowledge thereof such shall not die vntill they haue their harts desire with contemplation therof Acts 10. Acts 8. For as Peter was sent to Cornelius and Philip to the Eunuch so the Lord will stirre vp such of his seruants as may bee fit instruments to minister the same vnto vs. Iudas indeed died before the time and liued not to see Christ crucified but the Disciples which loued Iesus did see him die like an vndefiled innocent Lambe and that to their exceeding ioy and comfort when they vnderstood how that he suffered death for loue of them and for their redemption Now if Christ cannot hide him from such as hunger after him through loue then what shall we say of our Fathers which liued in the time of ignorance that longed to see his light although they had a mist cast before their eyes Surely such died not till they saw Christ and embraced him in their hearts And this is our iudgement concerning them that died in the time of Popery And likewise as concerning the rest which thought to be saued by Purgatory and Masses after that they are dead we say that they which sleep without oyle in their lampes they die ere they are aware of and ere they wish for it like the Philistines which sent for Sampson to laugh and mocke at him and to sport Iudg. 16. themselues vpon whom the house fell and destroyed them all or the Egyptians which thought that the waters had made passage for them aswell as for the Israeliers Ezod 16. both which died in and for their security because they were not watchfull nor prepared against the Lord called them Haue seene thy saluation Seeing now hee is come for whom Simeon longed what are the troubles that are past and the sorrowes that are come to an end so when wee haue our desires accomplished feeling the sound comfort of the Gospel what should we how may we thinke either on the length of time wherein we waited for them or the tediousnes or also grieuousnes of the troubles whereby wee haue obtained them Haue seene thy saluation As Moses died on the mount where hee saw the land of Canaan so the godly die in the sight of God and in Deut. 34. the contemplation of his glory like Stephen who at the very instant of his death saw the heuens open and Christ Iesuâ— sitting at the right hand of his Father and like Simeon Acts 7. here which desireth to bee loosed and no doubt shortly died viewing ioyfully and so thankfully beholding the Lord of life Beloued you are not ignorant that the great day of the Lord is neer at hand and therfore they that haue not yet seene Christ they that haue not yet embraced him but still sleepe without oyle in their lampes shal sodainly be ouertaken without the wedding garment and shall be cast into eternall torment for euer Haue seene c. There be many sights of Christ all goe not vp to the mount as Peter Iames and Iohn all see not his face with Matth. 17. Exod. 33. Iohn 13. 2. Cor. 12. 2. Moses all sleepe not in his lappe with Iohn all are not taken vp into heauen like Paul all embrace him not in their armes with Simeon But as pleaseth God so he sheweth himselfe vnto vs and all that loue him both see him and embrace him To some he shewes himselfe as in a glasse to some generally Mat. 20. to some particularly some he calleth early and some hee calleth late and there is no houre in the day wherein he calleth not some to get labour in his Vineyard To some he sheweth himselfe by Angels to othersome by visions Abraham saw
come to Christ The Papists haue found out many saluations they haue found out a saluation by Saints a saluation by Angels a saluation by masses a saluation by merits a saluation by Idols as though Christ had least to doe in his own office for they haue other saluations to flee vnto They will haue it but they will buy it and what will they giue for it Why they will fast so many daies goe so far on pilgrimages hire Priests to say so many Masses build so many Abbies and giue so many summes of Money to the Monks and Friers Therefore the Scripture goeth against them and dishonours their shamelesnesse who like Nimrod that heaping stone vpon stone would haue built vp to heauen heape sinne vpon sinne and euerie Gen. 11. houre some one heresie or superstition groweth vp from this filthy roote For what Papist dare say that Simeon thought on any of these or put confidence in any other Sauiour but only Gal 3. 1. 18. 2 Cor. 1. Gen. 42. in him whom he embraced in his armes For saluation is by the promise of God and all promises are in Christ And though Iacob wanted bread Ioseph wanted not mony therefore he gaue them backe again their money and likewise he gaue them that corne that they would haue bought with it I would wish them therefore to say as Iosephs brethren did that they haue their corne for nothing and their mony too let them I say be content and reioyce to say that they haue mercy for nothing and their works too For God cannot be wonne by mens works because they profit not him but themselues There is no water can wash Naaman but Iordan no water can wash the leprosie of sinne but the blood of 2. Reg. 5. the Lambe By this the Israelites were saued when the destroyer passed by By this the Lord knoweth vs to bee Exod. 1â— his people and by this the diuell knoweth vs to be none of his As it is proper vnto God to be called goodnesse so is it proper vnto Iesus Christ to be called saluation He is also called the way the truth and the life for that life Iohn 14. which wee haue is but a sparke and shadow of life but he is the true and eternall life Then seeing Christ is both our righteousnesse saluation and also the way the trueth and the life to leade vs thereunto it is as possible for vs without Christ to be iustified or glorified as it is to be wise without wisedome righteous without righteousnes or saued without saluation Therefore let vs not be ashamed to take our water from the fountaine seeing Christ is the fountaine of all wisedome of all righteousnesse of all truth of all knowledge of all saluation and briefly of all goodnesse for there is no other Arke to saue vs from the floud no other ladder to ascend with into heauen no other Ioseph to feede vs in the famine no other Moses to lead vs through the wildernes But as the riuer Siloa runneth through all the land of Iudea and watereth the whole Citie of God so Christ Ephes 4. 2. Cor. 15. Rom. 5. doth shew himselfe all in all all-sufficient in mercy to saue and blesse all his Church with spirituall gifts If Christ be saluation what shall make vs despaire Shall Sathan No for he hath ouercome Sathan Shall death No for he hath ouercome death Shall hell No for he hath ouercome hell Shall the Law No for he hath fulfilled Esay 63. the Law Shall wrath No for he hath troden the wine-presse of his Fathers wrath Therefore it was a sweet saying of one at his death VVhen mine iniquity is greater then thy mercy O God then will I feare and despaire Saluation is borne therefore we were all in the state of condemnation before light is come therefore we sate all in darkens before glory is come therefore we were all loaden with shame before life is come to shew that we were all dead in sinne before Life is come and light and saluation life to the dead light to the blind and saluation to the damned For Christ is called saluation to shew that without him we are all damned fire-brands of hel heires of condemnation and forsaken of God To him that is sicke it is easie to bee thankfull when hee is whole but when he is whole it is harder to be thankfull then to be sicke I would faine be disproued that Niniuch might be saued though Ionah would not Thy saluation This word saluation is a sweet word yea the sweetest word in all the scripture and yet many despise this worthy iewell because they know not what it is worth like the dawes which would rather haue a barly corne then a pearle or a iewell because they know not the value thereof O Lord what is man that thou art so mindfull of him O man what is God that thou art so vnmindfull of him Psalm 8. If a friend had giuen vs any thing we would haue thanked him heartily for it but to him that hath giuen vs all things we will not giue so much as thanks Now therefore let the rocke gush out water againe and let our stony hearts powre forth streames of teares in vnfained repentance We haue all called vpon you but none regardeth vs as though God were as Baal and as though Diues felt no paine nor Lazarus ioy but all were forgotten Many times Christ commeth into the Temple and there is scarce a Simeon to embrace him the babe is here but where is Simeon If God had not loued vs better then we loued our selues we should haue perished long ere this and yet we embrace not Christ as Simeon who hath saued vs from temporall and spirituall punishment Wee are inuited to a banquet he who calleth vs to it is God What is the banquet Saluation VVho are the guests The Angels and the Saints What is the fare Ioy peace righteousnesse this is the fare and we inuite you euerie one yet who will come at our bidding some for want of faith some for want of loue some for wnat of knowledge haue despised this holy banquet yet vnto this art thou called still O soule vnworthy to be beloued FINIS THE SECOND SERMON OF THE SONG OF old father Simeon Thy saluation which thou hast prepared before the face of all the people a light to bee reuealed to the Gentiles and the glorie of thy people Israel THy saluation This word saluatiis a sweete word and holds mee to it like an Adamant for when J thought to proceede this word said vnto me stay here teach this and teach all learne this and learn all for it is the pith of all the mercies of God towards his children Christ is called saluation because no man should despaire and because it is impossible to bee saued without him for saluation is onely in him Christ can doe any thing but this hee cannot saue him that will not repent He is called
and their sentence is Burne them How fine would be the way of vertue if you would pare away the rubs that are in it if you would take away all occasions of sinne and giue it gall to eate and when you haue done so set a crowne of thornes vpon the head thereof and when you haue thus crowned it make it carrie the crosse and when it hath carried the crosse condemne it and when you haue condemned it put it to death and when ye haue put it to death burie it and when you haue buried it role a great stone vpon the head of it and set watchmen to keepe it euen fasting and praier that it may neuer arise againe to raigne any more the which the Lord for his mercy sake grant Amen FINIS THE CALLING OF IONAH IONAH 1. 1. 2. 1 The word of the Lord came to Ionah the son of Amittai saying 2 Arise and goto Niniuie that great Citie and cry against it for their wickednesse is come vp before me YOu haue heard the sweet song of old father Simeon like the pleasant song a sweet bird before her death setting forth the ioy of the righteous that embrace Christ Iesus Before Christ Iesus vouchsafed to come to vs we would not come vnto him but in all our doings we wrought our condemnation and through the innumerable heaps of our iuiquities laboured to driue him without all hope of mercy from vs. So wee continued like flies which flutter about the candle till they haue consumed themselues When wee had done as much as in vs lay to driue him away from vs then hee saued vs and recompenced good for euill vnto vs. So that if God had loued vs no more then wee loued our selues wee might haue perished in our sinnes and our blood should haue beene vpon our owne heads Jf Christ bee the light of the Gentiles let vs embrace him and euery one walke as becommeth the children of light but manie doe shut their eies against it lest they should see and not onely many smother their owne light but the Sunne saith vnto the Moone shine not and the Moone saith vnto the stars be not bright And many haue smoothred their light so long that the dampe hath put out the candle and thus they labour to bring the darkenesse of Aegypt vpon Goshen so that their eies haue forgotten to see and somany goe cut of the way because they would not looke vpon the candle and the diuell giueth to euery one that which hee wisheth so it may bee for his hurt But who can but pitty that with the same Manna which commeth from heauen and feedeth many of life euerlasting so many are poisoned and find in it nothing but fauour of eternall death The Iewes had no cause to enuie our light for he gaue them glory hee was poore and yet hee gaue them riches hee was counted base and yet hee made them honourable hee was contemned and yet he made them beloued they were full of darkenesse and hee brought them light but they contemned his light and so procured their owne condemnation And therefore now it is come to passe that they are become vagabonds vpon the earth and most contemned of all other Nations and euery people haue a dwelling whereas since they prophecied euill vnto themselues saying His blood bee vpon vs and our children goodnesse hath put on the face of bashfulnesse amongst them Jf thou embrace Christ as Simeon did the Christ is thy glory but if thy glory consist in beautie which fadeth in gay cloth which weareth in wealth which wasteth or in gold which rusteth then Christ is not thy glorie Wee haue gone long with an old man and now we haue lost him but we are loth to part with him he is such a good companion neuerthelesse wee hope to finde him againe in Ionah Wee haue gone but slowly with him as with an old man that is not very swift of foote but now we must runne with Ionah as with a Post lest Niniuie be destroied The Prophecie of Ionah J neede not to shew the authority of Prophets but concerning their sorts and differences there are three sorts of Prophets The first were such as called vpon the name of the Lord in praier for the people and receiued an answer from the Lord in the peoples behalfe of which sort 1. Sam. 10. 9. was Samuel and these were called Seers A second sort of Prophets were such as God raised to expound the Law and declare the will of God vnto the people when the priest and such as should doe so were slacke in their callings of which sort was Esay Ieremy Ezechiel Daniel Hosea Ioel Amos Obediah and the rest of the holy Prophets A third sort were such as haue beene since Christ working such like effects of which sort was the Prophet Agabus of whom mention is made in the 11. of the Acts and 28. verse Now in the second sort of these was Ionah whom God sent to declare his will to his people vnto whom also the Lord did reueale the subersion of kingdomes the ouerthrow of Tribes the captiuitie of Nations the calamities that were to come vnto the sonnes of men for iniquitie and rebellion against God As all wise men were not borne at once nor liued together so these holy Prophets haue not beene at once but were raised vp by the Lord God some here some there according to his pleasure and as hee saw the people stand in need of them by reason of the corruption of the times And furthermore the Lord hath not at any time reuealed vnto one of these all things that might bee reuealed but as much as sufficient for them euery one in their times and places Neither hath any of them told as much of the will of God as might bee declared nor fully expounded his Lawes but the Patriarkes left some to the Prophets and the Prophets left some to the Apostles but they haue left none for vs but they haue all set open the whole will of God vnto vs and euery Prophet now bringeth only golde myrthe and frankencense like the wise men that came to see our Lord. There are three things that mooued mee to take this story in hand aboue all others First because you know the story and therefore can the better conceiue of the matter as I goe forward with it Secondly because it is briefe and doth containe a great deale in a little Thirdly because it is most agreeable for the time and state of this sinful age wherein we liue and therefore most cunenient for vs. Jt is manifest that Ionah lined in a very troublesome time namely in the time of Ieroboam the soune of Ioash King of Israel a wicked King though not hee that is called the Ieroboam that made Israel to sinne For of this second Ieroboam in whose time he prophecied it is written 2. King 14. 24. he departed not from any of the sinnes of Ieroboam that made Israel to sin which