and men of Israel get ye into the holy place the closet of your hearts the secret of your consciences looke vpon the wine that runnes and the hony that streames from the treading of the grape and the opening of the rocke consider the sharpnesse of his death if there were any sorrow like vnto his the sweetnesse of his loue if there were any mercy to be compared with his and let your spirits melt and bleed and distill and bee power'd forth into a sweet ointment and great libution for the merit of his death and the benefit of your redemption Martialls Flie play'd so long vnder a tree that at length it was wrapt in amber and congeal'd in the drops that came from the boughs Sic modo quae fuerat vita contempta manente Funeribus facta est nunc praetiosa suis The best of vs are but wormes let vs not despise to be as this Flie still houering about the tree of the crosse and the ointment of his bloud till wee be wrapped and closed and buried and entombed in the pretious amber of his bleeding wounds and the sacred gum of that tree which growes in the midst of Paradise For if we suffer with him we shall raigne with him and if we bee conformed to the similitude of his death we shall bee transformed to the image of his glory Effundam de spiritu meo saith God the Father I will powre out my Spirit vpon all flesh Effudi de sanguine meo saith God the Sonne I haue powr'd forth my bloud for all flesh See the price of your redemption and the pledge of your saluation by this ye enter the holy place and are assured of that kingdome where neither height nor depth nor things present nor things to come nor life nor death nor any other creature shall bee able to separate vs from the loue of God which is Christ Iesus O Lord enflame this loue in vs and crowne this hope on vs for the bitter death and meritorious passion of thy Sonne and our Sauiour to whom with the Father bee ascribed all honour and glorie power and dominion throughout all generations Amen Sanctorum GLORIA The glory of the Saints GREG. Mor. lib. 6. Quia in hac vita discretio operum erit in illa discretio dignitatum LONDON Printed for ROBERT ALLOT THE FOVRTH SERMON MATH 19. 28. Ye which haue followed me in the regeneration when the Sonne of man shall sit in the throne of his glorie yee shall also sit vpon twelue thrones iudging the twelue tribes of Israel I Know not whether that of Theodosius do sauour more of wisedome or abound more with the sweetnesse of deuotion sure I am it is most pious and Christian Gaudeo magis c. I reioyce more to be a seruant of the liuing God then to be a Monarch of the whole earth For as his yoke is easie and his burthen light so is his protection mightie and his seruice honourable witnesse that of our Sauiour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if any man serue me the Father will do him honour It pleased Satan to vpbraid Iob with a numquid Deum gratis colit Doth Iob serue God for nought We may heare the same and neuer bee ashamed or rather pronounce without question Non colimus Deum gratis we do not serue God for nought Hee is our reward our great reward our exceeding great reward as hee doth encourage Abraham in the 15. of Genesis and therefore let me take vp the eccho of that double voyce Consolamini consolamini be comforted be comforted all ye that labour and trauell vnder the burthen of his crosse bee it father mother wife children house lands or whatsoeuer ye leaue for his names sake ye shall receiue an hundred fold and at length inherit life eternall For we haue a good master and there is ioy in the expectation of the righteous good in his promises good in his threatnings whether hee amend vs with his punishments whether hee strengthen vs with his comforts whether hee adorned vs with his graces whether he crowne vs with his mercies euery way good vnto vs. Not a man of you shall depart from the Court of his tabernacle or the presence of his maiestie without a gladsome heart and a chearefull countenance Whence is that of sweet Bernard Non Isaac sed aries molietur Though we be neuer so much affraid it is not Isaac but the Ram that must bee sacrificed it is not the delight and pleasure of our soules that shall be taken from vs for that indeed is Isaac but it is the obstinacie and contumacie of our spirits that must bee tamed in vs for that indeed is the Ramme that stuck in the bush and is neuer without the prickling thornes of anguish and vexation Do we serue God it is God that serues vs Doe wee honour the Lord it is the Lord that doth honour vs and will do more when my text shall be verified Yee that haue followed me in the regeneration when the Sonne of man shall sit in the throne of his glorie yee shall also sit vpon twelue thrones iudging the twelue tribes of Israel These words are a gracious promise made to the Apostles but extended to the Gentiles and do concerne the whole familie of God for as they exclude Iudas though present when Christ spake by reason of his Apostasie so they include vs though many generations after Christ spake through faith in his mercie Will ye know the substance of the promise They sit and iudge Sit vpon twelue thrones There is the state and maiestie of their wonderfull exaltation Iudge the twelue tribes of Israel There is the eminencie and prerogatiue of their infinite iurisdiction Will ye learne the circumstance of this promise It is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the consummation and renouation of the whole world when he that was in the forme of a seruant shall take vpon him the forme of a Iudge and that in a Throne of glorie But vpon what termes haue we so great honour Is it giuen to any without condition No 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They are such as follow him and obserue his doctrine Not all that leaue all but all that follow him Ye that haue followed me in the regeneration when the Sonne of man shall sit vpon a throne of glorie shall also c. Here then we haue first a president of Christian imitation Ye that haue followed me Secondly a reward of blessed enthronization Shall sit vpon twelue thrones and iudge the twelue tribes of Israel Last of all the determinate point and terme of this glorie and perfection it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the renouation and instauration of the whole world when the sonne of man shall declare himselfe to bee the Sonne of God in a throne of glorie Yee that haue followed me in the regeneration when the sonne of man shall sit vpon a throne of glorie yee also shall sit vpon twelue thrones iudging the twelue tribes of Israel My whole
keyes of heauen keyes of knowledge and keyes of power to instruct the ignorant to absolue the penitent to remit sinne to release punishment to shut heauen by the threatnings of the Law and the denouncing of vengeance to open heauen by the tydings of the Gospell the ministerie of the Sacramēts Whence is that of Dauid Diffusa est gratia in labijs tuis Full of grace are thy lippes because God hath blessed thee for euer The lippes of Christ are the Ministers of his Church that declare mercy preserue knowledge excite repentance pronounce forgiuenesse and are full of grace indeed whilst they speake comfortably to Ierusalem saying in vertue of their Commission as Christ doth in the fulnesse of iurisdiction Bee of good cheare thy sinnes are forgiuen thee I absolue thee from all thy sinnes in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost Arise take vp thy bed and walke walke towards heauen get thee vnto Paradise the rest of thy Sauiour the ioy of thy Maister which is the nature and qualitie of our profession now to be examined and discussed Enter into thy masters ioy Did the Lord say enter the goods or the lands the houses or the tenures of thy Lord and master for indeed the earth is the Lords and all that is therein How would the greedie Harpyes of this world flie to get possession Some like Zacheus that came downe hastily others like the blouddy Farmer of the vineyard in the Gospell that slue the heire and tooke the inheritance but many haue these things which neuer enioy them Haue ye not seene great substance and no ioy great learning and no ioy great victorie and no ioy great spoyles and no ioy These things are often ioynd with feare and griefe and iealousie and distraction whilst many cry with the Prophet O my leannesse my leannesse in the midst of their brauest triumphs and greatest ouerflowings And therefore it is worth the obseruing what a great Sultan spake when hee beate the Christians with the losse of many thousand souldiers I would be loath to ouercome so very often Multiplicasti gentem sed non multiplicasti laetitiam saith Esay Thou hast multiplyed the Nation but thou hast not multiplyed their ioy And bee there not many of whom we may say Multiplicasti the saurum sed non multiplicasti laetitiam Thou hast multiplyed their treasure but thou hast not multiplyed their ioy Thou hast increased their children but thou hast not increased their ioy thou hast doubled their portion but thou hast not doubled their ioy thou hast enlarged their dominion but thou hast not enlarged their ioy Howsoeuer God dispose these things as he doth his Sunne and his raine sometimes on the good sometimes on the bad without distinction Hee will be sure to keepe ioy for his seruants if they haue it not in the flesh they shall haue it in the spirit if they haue it not in life they shall haue it in death if they haue it not in themselues they shall haue it in the Lord And the bones that are broken shall reioyce Good reason hath Christ to bid vs enter his ioy for such is the incomprehensible greatnesse thereof it may not enter vs. Eye hath not seene it eare hath not heard it neither hath it entred into the heart of man For the righteous are compassed with the goodnesse of the Lord and they haue ioy on euery side ioy within from the puritie of their conscience ioy without from the glory of their bodies ioy aboue from the sight of God and the fruition of his presence ioy beneath from the remembrance of death and the torments they haue escaped but this speech is figuratiue and by the ioy of my text we conceiue the place of ioy the garden of pleasure the Paradise of God the fountaine of liuing waters where his children do not onely sucke the breasts of comfort and milke them out but drinke and are satisfied with the plenty of delight as from a riuer crying to their soules in the fulnesse of securitie as the rich man did in the deceitfulnesse of vanitie Soule soule liue at ease and take thy pastime thou hast goods layd vp for many yeares or rather indeed for euerlasting generations For the Lord hath promised to create Ierusalem as a reioycing and the inhabitants thereof as ioy So that Paul writing of that heauenly kingdome saith it is Gaudium in spiritu sancto Righteousnesse and peace and ioy in the holy Ghost What ioy the world hath stands not vpon me to examine the world that is set vpon mischiefe the world that is subiect vnto vanity it is compared to the vayle of teares and a place of Dragons there is a curse lies on it from the dayes of Cain and it is reserued to fire against the day of iudgement If there be any pleasure in it it is but as Austin speakes miseriae solatium no degree of ioy but a solace of distresse to qualifie and temper the sower water of our manifold afflictions Like that hearbe which puts vs into a laugh and depriues vs of life Moritur ridet as Saluianus speakes he that eates it smiles dying But the hill of Sion is a faire place and the ioy of the whole earth Omne quod delectat continens as Saint Bernard writes containing euery thing that may please or satisfie Let the dry and thirsty soule bee iudge that counts no ioy to that of the cup no sweetnesse to that of the grape they shall haue Vinum aromaticum calicem inebriantem The King shall leade them into his wineseller and their cup shall ouerflow Let the hogs of Epicurus and the sonnes of Philoxonus be iudge that measure their delight by the extent of their throate and the dimensions of their belly they shall haue Panem Angelorum vitulum saginatum the Lord shall spread a table for them and kill the fatted Calfe There be Hinds and Roes that leape and skip vpon the mountaines for the braue Nimrods of this world that loue to hunt and course there be chariots of fire and horses of diuers colours the white and the blacke the pale and the red as Saint Iohn writeth for the stately Caualiers and such as desire to be mounted vpon their steeds Musicke for the pleasant and that delectable riches for the worldling and those durable euery dish for euery taste euery content for euery desire without loathing or scarcity O what ioy ariseth from the place the amaenitie of the place the gates are of pearle the foundation of pretious stones the streets are paued with gold and say Hallelu-iah Blessed be the Lord which hath extolled it for euer O what ioy ariseth from the company the swetnesse of the company they are Cherubins and Seraphins hierarchies of Angels families of men the noble army of Martyrs the goodly fellowship of the Prophets that call vpon the Lord and reioyce before him with songs of deliuerance their organs are the instruments of
betwixt the flesh and the Spirit the will and the vnderstanding the reason and the affections that all the powers and faculties of soule and body may agree with a sweet Harmony and gracious consent to serue God in true loue and perfect obedience Thus doth our Lord blesse vs with his peace by the wonderfull expiation of our sinnes and trespasses and that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vpon the earth for the earth of our hearts that brought forth thornes and briars doth now abound and flourish with the sauing fruit of truth and holinesse whilst euery one cryeth with the Psalmist Praise thy God ô Ierusalem praise thy God ô Sion which maketh safe the barres of thy gates and blesseth thy children within thee which maketh peace thy borders and doth satisfie thee with the flower of wheate All peace is sweet and acceptable without which spoile and rapine as a wild beast out of the forrest surprizes houses families temples cities and not onely deuoures the habitations of the righteous but subuerts and lays wast the greatest Empires mightiest kingdomes as a desart or a wildernesse But the interior peace which keepeth our hearts and minds in the knowledge and loue of God and exceeds the power of humane vnderstanding is the richest iewell that euer was bestowed vpon the earth Like a bed and palate where the Spouse of Christ may rest with ease and pleasure vntill his second comming O how beautifull are the feete vpon the mountaines of those that bring such tidings that speake comfortably to Hierusalem and say to her that her warfare is accomplished and her iniquitie pardoned that shee is iustified by faith and hath peace with God that her righteousnesse is grauen on his fingers and her walls are euer in his sight that hee stands behind the wall of his flesh and hath broken downe the partition wall of her offences That neither height nor depth nor things present nor things to come nor life nor death nor any other creature is able to separate her from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus Were this peace finished where it is begun we should haue a terrestriall Paradise and a heauen vpon earth but that which is imperfect in our trauell shall be perfect in our country that we may esteeme it as a pledge of future glory and not inuert the method of the Angels like those in Bernard who seeke peace in heauen and glory on the earth till they loose both peace and glory For it is peace that is our inheritance on the earth and that which followes her immoueable center as motion heauen is the tranquillity of rest holines Though Christ might haue promised many things to his Disciples and giuen them power ouer kingdomes and nations as well as ouer serpents and scorpions yet all that hee sayes vnto them is In me pacem habituri In mee yee shall haue peace as if this alone were able to counterpoize and weigh downe all the miseries and afflictions and calamities and persecutions and disgraces and reuilings that euer the world might cast vpon them That counsell of Seuerus was good vnto his souldiers In vobis pacem caeteros despicite So ye agree among your selues ye may despise the threats of your enemies and it must needs aduantage true Christians In vobis pacem caeteros despicite haue peace among your selues or rather with God and neuer feare what the Diuell or man can do against you Beware then lest at any time ye forgoe this peace yet if yee will not bee pacifici yet be pacati If ye will not make peace with others yet take peace vnto your selues from God and his Ministers that yee bee not as those against whom the Disciples shooke off the dust of their feete and left them in their wickednesse Seeke this peace loue this peace pray for this peace long for this peace keepe the vnitie of the spirit in the bond of peace that as Christ is knit to vs in the vnitie of person we may be knit to him in the vnitie of profession O my brethren yee are the sonnes of peace and the heires of peace by the gracious visitation of our heauenly Salomon Christ Iesus his cradle his infancy his weaknesse his pouerty his exhibition to sheepeheards ouer their flocks his presentation to Simeon in the midst of the temple are all signes of peace and most infallible tokens of this spirituall tranquillitie Possesse your hearts with peace and your soules with patience peace towards your Maker and peace towards your neighbour Let it rest in your flesh and take sanctuary in the earth of your mortall bodies till yee feele that in your selues which is here published by the Angell 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 On the earth peace As for these who haue neither peace with God nor peace with man but awake his beloued out of sleepe and disturbe the quiet of his Church they are worse then vnbeleeuing Iewes or Iewish souldiers for howsoeuer they cast lots for the garment of our Sauiour they would make no diuision of it but these rend and teare I will not say the garment but the body of Christ which is his Church with open strife and scandalous diuision Persecutor non fregit crura Donatus rupit Ecclesiam saith learned Austin the souldiers would not breake the legs of Christ but Donatus teares the Church of Christ As long as his body hung vpon the crosse among theeues and malefactors it remained whole but when it was receiued by Christians it was rent and torne into many parts and sections Beloued I feare they are more inhumane and intractable then Wolues or Tigres or whatsoeuer is of wild or sauage disposition for all creatures though neuer so fierce were gathered in Noahs arke and met together but these extrauagant Separatists will hardly assemble into the Arke of Christs Church or ioyne together in the vnitie of faith and conformitie of Religion If it bee for lacke of knowledge they are to be pittied if it be for lacke of charitie they are to be condemned And so I leaue them to the act and complement of all that hath bene spoken and that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Good will towards men Towards men good will Some haue good will without peace they are infortunate and miserable some haue peace without good will they are perfidious and deceitfull but my Text puts both together On the earth peace good will towards men There be that referre this to God and take it for the eternall loue of diuine complacence which moued him first to the worke of our redemption There be that referre it vnto man and make it a limitation of that which goes before reading 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not peace on earth to men good will but peace on earth to men of good will This is the sence of Austin Bernard Cyprian Ambrose together with the most ancient and learned of the Fathers and may not be refused For howsoeuer
Cimmerian darknesse and euerlasting destruction To saue Israel to passe Iordan with the staffe of his crosse to redeeme Sion and with a few drops of bloud to purge the whole earth and to binde vp the fractures thereof Yea saith that good Bishop of Nazianzum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as runnet curdles milke so doth the bloud of Christ vnite and conioyne and cement and coagulate as it were the whole companie of Gods elect in one fellowship and communion to the praise of the glorie of his grace This is it that doth magnifie the Lord that heauen is not able to containe him before the triumph of his crosse he might haue bene held in a stable or a manger but now heauen must be enlarged and the gates thereof set wide open for the entrance of his glorie Lift vp your heads ô ye gates and be ye lift vp ô yee euerlasting doores and the King of glorie shall come in Who is able to expresse the wonderful celebrity of his magnificent greatnesse There is a voyce heard and the Saints of God are conuerted by the trumpet of his word to come forth and behold the solemne coronation of his victorious maiestie Egredimini filiae Sion Come forth ye daughters of Sion and behold King Solomon in his crowne It was a crowne though it were of thornes when hee made the crosse his throne and a reed his scepter Egredimini filiae Sion Come forth yee daughters of Sion and behold King Solomon in his crowne O let not those dead flies of Iewish infidelitie corrupt the sweetnesse of this pretious ointment or taint the sauour of his incomparable glorie Mused blasphemie saith Bernard these dead flies are blasphemous obloquies of heathens and infidels that stumble at the weakenesse of his flesh and are scandalized with the humilitie of his passion that tread vnder foot the bloud of his crosse and insult ouer the miserie of his voluntarie sufferings much like Tiberius in Sueton Qui Germanici facta eleuabat that snarled at the greatnesse of Germanicus and traduced his noble acts as vaine and friuolous Whereas wee know Christs honour is great in our saluation and that whatsoeuer he endured was but dispensatiue as when one man goes downe into a pit that he may helpe another out or a Physition tasts a potion that he may temper it for the sick by the greatnes of his loue and the bowels of his compassion What then shall I say but as the Apostle doth our vncomely parts haue more comelinesse on neither are wee ashamed of our God though he were crucified that was his glorie and will be our felicitie O Lord if thy shame bee glorious what is thy glory How shall wee be aduanced by the strength of thy power that are so dignified by the weakenesse of thy sufferings It is the honour of Christ to saue vs let it be the honour of Christians to serue him Yea and as Basil speakes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the very top and crowne of our glorie and reioycing When the wise men brought myrrhe they knew hee should die like a man but when they brought incense they knew he was to be honoured as a God Take heed then I beseech you lest at any time the weaknesse of his manhood abolish that honour which is due vnto his Godhead If yet it be obscure hee will proceed and ride on by the declaration of his power and the amplification of his kingdome which is the second thing that is here promised of our Sauiour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ride on for the word of truth He rode on the cloud of his flesh when he came into the world hee shall ride on the clouds of heauen when he comes to iudgement He rode on an Asse the embleme of meekenesse when he went to Ierusalem whether he do so in the host when he is carried aloft by sacrificing Priests and ridiculous shauelings bee ye Iudges Iohn in the Apocalyps speakes of a white horse the puritie of his righteousnesse and of a red horse the seueritie of his iustice he fits the one in the long animitie of patience he fits the other in the execution of his vengeance Sometimes he rides vpon the Church for shee is likened to a troope of horses in the chariots of Pharoh sometimes on the Cherubins for there hee is aduanced by the excellencie of their knowledge But if euer he sate vpon a colt it was when the Disciples spread their garments that wee might be sure he will not abide the skittish wildnesse and vntamed peruersnesse of our depraued nature and coltish dispositions vnlesse we cloath our soules with the pretious robes of diuine grace and Apostolicall holinesse Yet in all this he neither rides backe or round backe with the Apostate or round in the mill of profest wickednesse or resolued impietie or in the maze of inextricable thoughts or confused distractions His motion is directly progessiue as a Giant in his course or a Bridegroome from his chambers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ride on for the word of truth till thy horses get the hill and thy Chariots bring saluation nay till thou hast placed the Kings daughter in a vesture of gold at thy right hand and made her as a Queene Paramount with the Sunne ouer her head and the Moone vnder her feet this is well implyed in the Chalde paraphrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vpon the throne of Maiestie and the horses of thy kingdome which the Septuagint reades 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rule and haue Dominion be exalted and take vnto thy selfe the royalties of a King For it is not enough that Christ should purchase an heritage with his bloud vnlesse he bring it vnto glorie The stone which Daniel saw cut without hands did not onely breake the image of gold and of siluer and of iron and of clay but prooued a great mountaine and filled the earth with the immensitie of its presence So is it with the power of Christ hee must not onely bruise the Nations of the earth with a rod of iron or say with the Prophet Iudah is my lawgiuer Moab is my washpot ouer Edom will I cast my shoe ouer the Philistims will I triumph But hee must erect a kingdome of his owne and spread his banner ouer it till he make the beautie thereof as Carmel and the glorie thereof as Lebanon If he be risen from death he must ascend on high if he be gone on high he must poure forth his Spirit that he may direct and gouerne protect and aduance his Church aboue the crowne of pride and the malice of the aduersarie Praeclarè administrans quod facilè est adeptus managing that with honour and dignitie which he got with power and facilitie These are the steppes and degrees of his royall pace and maiesticke procession whilest hee comes leaping ouer the hils and skipping ouer the mountaines from mount Tabor where he was transfigured to mount Caluarie where hee was crucified from mount Caluarie where he was crucified to mount
time yee should awake and returne with the Shunamite I would to God yee were as those Switzers who are ready to serue for the best pay If Satan bee able to giue more follow him If Satan be able to promise more follow him Quis fascinauit Who is it that hath bewitched you as the Apostle writeth to the Galatians had ye rather eate huskes and feede swine with the prodigall then haue bread enough and sit at table with the children Had yee rather lie in hell as sheepe that death may gnaw vpon you then raigne in heauen as Iudges that life may abide in you By how much it is better to sit in a throne and iudge the tribes of Israel then to stand at the barre and here the sentence of condemnation by so much is it more safe and comfortable to follow God then man Christ then Belial 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Nazian Let vs flie the world and the Prince thereof but seeke Christ and sticke vnto his mercie the exhortation is enforced by that of Ambrose teneat clauus si reuocat infirmitas If the weaknesse of our flesh and the infirmitie of our nature draw vs from him let the remembrance of his death and the nayles of his crosse pin vs to him Who could make vs but hee who did saue vs but hee who but hee shall adorne vs with his grace and crowne vs with his glorie set vs in his presence where there is fulnesse of ioy and place vs at his right hand where there are pleasures for euermore how can yee neglect so great saluation how can ye leaue so great felicitie ye haue seene his starre in the East and hee that bringeth light out of darkenesse hath shined in your hearts to the light of knowledge in the face of Christ Iesus There is no excuse left but the stay of his promise and the expectation of his goodnesse that it is not yet but shall be hereafter in the second birth of the whole vniuerse which is the terme and point of this complement and perfection My last circumstance that knocks at the doore of your hearts and eares to keepe them open It is stored of a Romane that he neuer beheld the rubbish of old marble or lookt vpon the ruines of any ancient building but he wept and cryed Recordatione temporum meliorum ploro I grieue and lament to thinke of the dayes which are gone and past But wee are contrary and as he lookt backe with griefe and sorrow on that which is past so wee looke forward with ioy and comfort towards that which is to come the changing of our flesh the instauration of our nature the renewing of the world the transformation of the elements when the creature that trauels and groanes vnto this present shall bee deliuered from the bondage of corruption for then it is wee must enioy the right and seate of Iudicature and prehemmence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the regeneration Which some call the resurrection others call the redemption of our bodies when mortalitie shall bee swallowed vp of life and this corruptible shall put on incorruption For the first generation and birth of man is when hee comes into the world the second generation and birth of man is when hee is raised out of the world and taken into heauen Ad contemplandum lumen aeternitatis as Saint Gregorie speakes to contemplate the Lord and to behold eternitie and as there is a regeneration of the inward man after the image of God by grace and faith in the bloud of Christ and the lauour of Baptisme termed by the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The lauour of regeneration where he is begot of the immortall seede and borne as it were anew of water and the spirit so must there be a regeneration of the outward man by the power of God Who shall change our vile bodies and make them like vnto his glorious body which extends to euery creature sublunarie as the elements coelestiall as the heauens Behold saith God I create a new earth and a new heauen Behold saith Iohn I see a new earth and a new heauen So that we may boldly cry with Peter Expectamus nouos coelos We looke for a new earth and a new heauen according to his promise wherein dwelleth righteousnesse For he shall change them and they shall be changed the earth shall be changed and cloathed with beautie the aire shall be changed and purged from obscuritie the fire shall be changed that is do not consume the water shall be changed that it do not putrifie the heauens shall be changed for they shall rest from motion and receiue a greater perfection of brightnesse and claritie the Sunne shall stand in the East and the Moone in the West where first they were created that wee may behold the faire beautie of the Lord and looke vpon his Sonne in a throne of glorie Sonne of God and yet Sonne of man for hee shall iudge as hee was iudged and returne in the same forme wherein he was despised that euery eye may see whom they pierst and be not affraid of him they crucified for the greatnesse of his power and the brightnesse of his presence Quid facturus saith that notable Moralist if his enemies went backe and fell to the ground when he came in weakenesse and humilitie to be iudged how shall they start and bee confounded when he comes in power and maiesty to iudge the world and to pronounce the sentence of condemnation against euery cursed malefactor Foelix trembled at the mention of it and these vnhappy Foelixes shall neuer be able to abide the sight of his glorious throne enuironed with a guard of heauenly souldiers At length wee see what our hope is and when it shall be reuealed not before the day of iudgement and the coming of our Sauiour Beware then lest yee bee ouer hastie to iudge before your time I speake onely of priuate censure vncharitable suspition malicious calumnie spightfull detraction which is not iudicium but praeiudicium not iudgement but preiudice Eagle-sighted in the faults of others and ready to sticke as flies in the sores and vlcers of their griefes and infirmities As for that golden pillar of publike iudicature The ground and basis of regular states and well ordered kingdomes it is strengthened in my text and ministerially with subordination deriued to such as are Apostolique For if wee shall iudge the tribes of Israel and the families of the earth nay the whole world together with the blessed Angels 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 how much rather smaller things and such as pertaine vnto life the argument is not humane but diuine drawne from the mouth and pen of that great Doctor and vessell of election in the sixt Chapter and the first Epistle to the Corinthians Where hee speakes inclusiuely and makes himselfe a Iudge as well of things temporall as of things eternall and let all such as hold the sonnes of Zadocke most vnworthy of all iusticiarie function