ten degrees inferiour to man A liue dogge is better then a dead lyon there he is ten degrees lower then the wormes Plinie reporteth that there was a Diall set vp in Campus Martius which was to continue 30. yeres wherby they might know the course of the Sunne yet as he reporteth it did not agree with the Sunne for the space of all those thirtie yeares In the death of Christ we might haue seene such a Dial the Sunne did not alwaies agree with the Diall the better for vs. Christ is that tender Pellican who by wounding his owne breast doth restore his owne to life againe by his bloud I came sayth Christ that men might haue life and that they might haue life more aboundantly What is that more aboundantly but only this that wee haue more life in the death of Christ then euer wee lost in the death of Adam O falix culpa quae talem meruit redemptorem Happie Adam sayth Gregorie that euer he sinned because that we by his sinne haue grace superabounding As Peters spirit was but a shadowe to Christs spirit so Peters death was but a shadow to Christs death And as the death of a lyon was the life of Sampson so the death of Christ is the life of man Thus you see that the death of Christ is the death of death the death of the diuell the life of himselfe and the life of man and therefore he sayth in this fourth parte Not too much for my death For me Now the fift part followeth For your selues Not too little for your owne life for the life of man is the life of death the life of the diuell the death of himselfe the death of Christ the reason of all this is iniquitie and sinne which euen in Christes deare friends sayth Bernard is cast downe but not cast out Therefore though sinne cannot reigne in vs yet it will alwaies dwell in vs for it is so bred in our bones that vntil our bones bee with Iosephs bones carried out of Egypt that is out of the world sinne cannot bee carried out of our bones One recordeth that the Romanes got such a victorie ouer Chosâ—oes that he made a law that neuer after any King of Persia should euer warre against the Romanes Wee cannot possiblie subdue sinne in such sort but doe we what wee can doe sinne will alwaies be a Iebusite a borderer yea a traytor rebelling against the spirit which maketh the life of man to be as Chrysostome sayth a debt as it were owing and due to death For the diuell is the father of sinne and sinne is the mother of death Hereupon S. Iames sayth Sinne when it is finished trauelling with childbirth as I may say bringeth foorth death For euen as a man commeth into a house by a gate so death came into the world by sinne The corruption of our flesh did not make our soules sinfull but the sinne of our soule made the flesh corruptible Whereupon Lactantius calleth sinne Pabuluâ— mortis the reliefe or the foode of death As a fire goeth out when al the fuell is spent but burneth as long as that lasteth so death dyeth when sinne ceaseth but where sinne aboundeth there death rageth The Prophet Abacucke sinning not death was so farre from him that he was able to flye without wings but King Asa sinning death was so neere to him that hee was not able to stand vpon his feet Nay you may see this in one and the selfe same man Moses who sinning not death could not meere with him in the bottome of the red sea but sinning death did seaze vpon him in the top of Mount Nebo so that the life of man by reason of sinne is the life of death It is also the life of the diuel As one saith Tot crimina tot daemona euery man hath as many diuels in him as he hath euils euery sinne being sufficient to maintaine a diuell The godly finding no ioy on earth haue their conuersation in heauen but Sathan finding no ioy in hell hath his conuersation on earth So that the earth is a hell vnto vs but a heauen to him Here he hath his liuing as it was sayd in the beginning Thou shalt eate the dust of the earth all the daies of thy life This dust sayth Macarius is the diuels diet And therefore as a scalde curre watcheth for a bone so he goeth about daily seeking whom he may deuour waiteth continually vntill the godly shake off the dust of their feete that is shaketh off some sinne which they haue gotten by walking in the world that then he may lick it vp It is meate and drinke to him to see vs sinne he loues alife to see vs sinne euen as cursed Cham did to see Noahs nakednes And as flyes are alwaies flying about a sore place and the oxe wil eate the best grasse he can get so the diuel is as busie as he can to haue his pleasure vpon the best So sayth Theophilact It is euen a sport or a pleasure to Sathan which is a sore or a paine to man especially if he be a godly man for the good Angels reioyce most when one that is a sinner repenteth but euill Angels reioyce most when one that is a penitent sinneth If the diuel cannot keepe a man from liuing long then he will hinder him from liuing well Aut impetrat morte aut impetit mores sayth Zeo If he cannot kill a man he will corrupt him And indeede hee taketh more pleasure in corrupting one godly man then in killing an hundred wicked He was more delighted when Dauid slew Vrias then when Saul killed himselfe when Peter denied Christ then wheÌ„ Iudas betrayed him so that the life of man by reason of sinne is the life of the diuell It is on the other side the death of himselfe Oh miserable man that I am who shall deliuer me from this bodie of death The life of the godly is a very bodie of death but there death is only a shadow of death Thales being demanded what difference there is betweene life and death sayd they are all one then being asked againe if he had not rather die then liue no sayth he for they are all one but Hierome sayth excelleÌ„tly they are not all one Aliud est viuere moriturus aliud mori victurus It is one thing to liue in coÌ„tinuall daÌ„ger of death an other thing to dye in continuall hope of life Therefore Eccle. 7. 3. it is sayd that the day of death is better then the day of birth for when wee are borne wee are mortall but when we are dead we are immortall and wee are aliue in the wombe to dye in the world but are dead in the graue to liue in heauen Hence it is that the wicked are merrie at their birth day as Pharaoh made a feast at his birth day Gen. 40. 20. when his chiefe butler was hanged and Herod likewise made a feast at his birth day Matth. 14. 16. when Iohn Baptist
cōsumed and licked vp the water of the Altar And assuredly our sorrowfull spirit will be a most acceptable sacrifice to God as Elias his sacrifice was if we haue both the fire of Aetna the water of Nylus so that the ardent fire of faith will well nigh consume and almost burne vp the flowing streame of loue Augustine in his 21. booke De ciuit ate Dei cap. 5. writeth that there is a fountaine in Epirus which not onely putteth foorth torches that are lighten but also lighteth torches that are put out Fulgentius likewise doth report that there is an other fountaine in France with boyling much casteth vp flames of fire The fountaine of teares which is in our eyes must bee like to these two fountaines as we may see Psal. 39. 2. and 3. VVhen my sorrow was stirred my heart was hot within me there is the torch lightened And while I was musing the fire kindled VVhen my sorowe was stirred there is the first foūtaine my heart was hot within me there is the torch lightened and while I was musing there is the other fountaine the fire kindled there is the flame burning Whereupon one sayth fitly Nec fluant oculi nec siccent Our eyes must neither bee drowned nor drie if they want fire they will bee drowned if they want water they will be drie Therfore weepe not but weepe fire and water must goe together that our eyes be neither drowned nor drie And this is the right moderation which we must keepe in weeping as appeareth in this third part VVeepe not but weepe both together The fourth part followeth for me not too much for my death for the death of Christ is the death of death the death of the diuell the life of himselfe and the life of mankind the reason of all this is innocencie and righteousnes which maketh first that as the life of Christ is the life of life so the death of Christ is the death of death Therfore both before his death he chalengeth and threatneth death saying Oh death I will be thy death and also after his death hee derideth scorneth death Oh death thou art a drone where is now thy sting Aske death any of you I pray you and say death howe hast thou lost thy sting how hast thou lost thy strength what is the matter that very children doe now contemne thee whereas Kings euen tyrants did before feare thee Death will answere that the onely cause of this is the death of Christ. When a Bee stingeth a dead bodie hee taketh no hurt nor loseth his sting but stinging aliue bodie oftentimes loseth both his sting and his life too so death stinginge vs had no harme but kept his sting still and tooke hart of grace therby but when Christ the life of vs all had been once stinged the sting and strength of the diuel was taken cleane away Oh blessed king and Lord of all who hast so disarmed death that it can doe vs no harme Before death was much like a Bugbegger which they fray childrē with who being masked iettes it about vp and downe and makes all the people afraid of him vntill such time as some one lustie fellowe amongst the rest steps to him and takes a good staffe cudgelleth him well fauouredly puls his vizarde frō his face makes him knowne to the whole world and then whereas before lustie and tawle men were afraide of him now euery childe mockes him and laugheth him to scorne and stand pointing at him Oh Blessed Christ who by thy death hast thus dismasked death Christ was layd in the dust for starke dead and the diuell trampled vpon him but hee vpon Easter daie started vp and like a lyon of the tribe of Iuda he trampled the souldiers the diuels apes vnder his seete as apes at the first play with the lyon and the libard still thinking them to bee asleepe vntill they trample and treade him vnder their feete As the Chameleon spying a serpent sitting vnder a tree getteth vp into the same tree and letteth downe a fine thread out of his mouth smaller then the spiders thread with a drop of blood at the bottome more cleere then any pearle which falling on the serpent killeth him So Christ like a Chameleon climeth vp into the tree of his crosse and seeing the diuell that olde serpent sitting vnder the tree lets downe a threade with blood at the bottome thereof more cleerer then any pearle the least drop whereof straight way killeth the diuell Christ standing afore at the tree of his crosse cloathed himselfe in a blood red garment whō when the diuell saw he ranne swiftly against Christ with his hornes Christ perceiued him steppeth aside and so the diuell runneth his hornes into Christ his crosse and there they stick fast A dragon for a time may triumph ouer the Elephant but at the last the Elephant bringeth downe the Dragon with him so the diuell that ancient dragon may for a time bee doing with Christ but at the last hee killeth him He that felleth a tree vpon which the sunne shineth may wel cut the tree but hee cannot hurt the sunne He that powreth water vpon an iron that is red hotte may well quench the heate but cannot hurt the iron so the diuell could not hurt the sonne of righteousnes Christ Iesus and hot iron is too hard a morfell for the diuell to digest Those barbarous people called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which feede onely vpon rawe flesh especially of men if they eate a peece of rosted meate they surfet of it and dye and so the right 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the only deuourer of all mankind death I meane tasting of Christs flesh by finding it not to bee rawe but wholsome and heauenly meate indeed presently tooke a surfet of it and within three dayes dyed For euen as when Iudas had receiued a sop at Christs hands anon after his bowels gushed out In like sort death being so saucie as to snatch a sop as it were of Christs flesh and a little bitte of his bodie was by and by like Iudas choaked and strangled with it and faine to yeelde it vp againe when Christ on Easter day reuiued Death I wisse had not been brought vp so daintilie before nor vsed to such manner of meates but alwaies had his pray either with Methridates daughters vpon the poyson of sinne or els with Noahs crow vpō the carrion of corruption Wherefore now saith Fulgentius death did indeed taste of Christ but could not swallow him vp digest it Contrariwise Christ as soone as hee had but a little taste of death eftsoone did deuoure death so the deat of Christ by reason of righteousnes is the death of death It is also the death of the diuell as the Apostle sayth By his death he did not onely ouercome death but him which had the power of death that is the diuell Diuers ancient Fathers note that the Virgin Mary was maried that the diuell
might be deceiued for hee knew well enought that Christ should bee borne of a Virgin but he neuer suspected that blessed Mary was a Virgin considering she was bettothed to Ioseph Therefore hee did not lye in waite to destroy the seede of the woman so as other wise he would if he had by a whoore or wife any such thing so that the birth of Christ did cosen the diuell but the death of Chrsit did conquer the diuel and that much more gloriouslie when the temple of his bodie was vpon the pinacle of the crosse then when he himselfe was vpon the pinacle of the temple for when he was vpon the temple his words spake better things then Salomon but when he was vpon the crosse his bloud spake better things thē the bloud of Abel there his words came frō his lungs out of his mouth but here his bloud came from his hart out of his side and there hee fought standing lustily to it and withstanding so then he would not throwe down himself but here he skirmished the diuel yeelding humbling himself to the death of Christ there the diuell went vp vnto him vnto the top of an high mountaine so as I may saye bad him lose at his owne gole but here Christ himselfe descended into hell and so spoyled principalities and powers and slew the great Leuiathan in the very bottome of his owne bottomlesse pit For the diuell like a greedie rauenous fish nibbing at the baite of Christs bodie as Damascen speaketh was pearced through and twitched vp with the hooke of his deitie Hence it is that before Christs passion Peter tooke money out of a fishes mouth to pay his tribute and also after Christ his passion the Disciples boyled a fish for him to feede vpon whereby we see that as Christ made a fish paye tribute to Caesar so hee made the diuell also paye tribute to death for him and that the diuell while he wēt about to catch the good fish Iesus Christ Gods sonne the Sauiour as the letters of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seuerally signifie was himselfe caught yea also killed by Christ so that all the while our Sauiour was buried in the graue the diuell was boyled in hell Wherfore as it was bootlesse for Goliah to brandish his speare against Dauid so it little auailed the diuell to shake the speare likewise in the hand of the soldier against the heart of Christ For as Dauid hauing heard Goliah prating and talke his pleasure yet when they came to the poynt at the first stroke ouerthrewe him so Christ with the very same speare which gaue him a little venue in comparison or but a fillip on the side which was soone after recured gaue the diuell soone after a deadly wound in his forehead which he shall neuer bee able to claw off againe And again as Dauid hackt off the Giants head with his owne sword so Christ wrested that shaking sword out of the Cherubines hands and therewith chopt off the serpents head and so the death of Christ by reason of righteousnes is the death of the diuell It is on the other side the life of himselfe That noble Eunuch riding in his coach read in Esay that Christ was silent before his death as the lambe before the shearer He saith not as a lambe before the butcher but before the shearer insinuating that death did not kill Christ but sheare him a little Neither yet had death Christs fleece when he was shorne for Christ taking to him a sponge full of vineger Ioh. 19. 29. that was full of our sharpe and sower sinnes did giue vs for it purple wooll full of bloud Hebr. 9. 19. that is full of his pure and perfect iustice and indeede the onely liuerie which Christ our Lord and master giueth to his seruants is a coate made of purple wooll The iust saith Dauid shall florish like a palme tree Christ is that true 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that true palme tree who although he bare al the burdens of sinne in the world vpon his backe yet then he doth most flourish of all euen as Camamile the more it is trod vpon the more it groweth and florisheth And as the palme tree hath many weights aboue many snakes beneath and yet may truely say of it selfe Nec premor nec perimor I am neither by the weights of the bowes ouermuch laden and pressed downe nor by the snakes below eaten vp or consumed So Christ neither by the weight of Gods wrath aboue is ouercharged nor by the heauines of our sinnes pressed downe but like the Swanne singeth sweetest when his death is neerest The Prophet Dauid sayth that God giueth his snowe like wooll but we may turne the sentence and say that Christ giueth his wooll like snowe For as snow couereth the ground when it is rugged and deformed so Christs coate without seame couereth our sinnes and though they were as crimson yet maketh he them white as snow And as Gedeons fleece when it was moyste the earth was drie but when it was drie the earth was moyste so when Christes fleece was moyste as a greene tree then were all wee drie like rotten stickes but when Christ his fleece was drie all the blood and water being wringed out of his pretious side then were we moystened with his grace therefore seeing Christs fleece fell not to deaths lotte when he was shorne but we haue it who beleeue in him it followeth that neither death was the better nor Christ the worse but as a lambe is much more nimble and liuelie for shearing so this shearing of Christ was a kinde of quickning to him and only a trimming to him before hee ascended to his father as Ioseph was trimmed and powled before he went to Pharaoh When Adam slept his side was opened when Christ died his side was opened Adams side being opened flesh and bone was taken out Christs side being opened water and blood was taken out Of Adams flesh and bone the woman was built of Christs water blood the church is built so the death of Christ is nothing els but the sleepe of Adam for as hee himselfe sayth of the damsels death The damsell is not dead but sleepeth so he sayth of his own death I layd me downe to sleepe and rose up againe for the Lorde susteined mee And in another place when the father saide to his sonne Awake my glorie awake my lute and harpe God the Sonne answers to his Father I will awake right early That vessell which Peter saw in a traunce which was let downe from heauen vnto the earth and knit to the foure corners and had all kind of beasts in it did betoken Christ Christ came downe from heauen vnto the earth and his glory is knit vp by the foure Euangelists and hee hath made Iewes and Gentiles yea all nations one in himselfe Now saith Cassianus it is worth the marking which the spirit of God sayth Not that the vessell was a great sheete but