THE DEVOVT SOVLES SEARCH With the happie issue of Comfort found IN A SERMON Preached at Paules Crosse Ian. 14. 1610. By Thomas Myriell Preacher of the word of God at Barnet Bonus es domine animae quaerenti te Si quaerenti quanto magis inuenienti Si tam dulcis est memoria qualis erit praesentia Bern. LONDON Printed by T. C. For Iohn Budge and are to be sold at his shoppe at the great South dore of Poules 1610. TO THE RIGHT REVEREND FATHER IN God the Lord Byshop of Bath and Wells my very good Lord heauenlie grace and earthlie peace RIGHT Reuerend Father in God my very good Lord. THere is no such motiue to giue life nor meanes to preserue life in the affection of loue as loue it selfe Neither is anie thing so kindely to mans nature or so naturall to mankinde as to loue when one is beloued Therefore euen hee which is loue it selfe takes this course hee loues vs first that wee may loue him first and last Quid tam populare quam gratia saieth that generous Byshop Fauour and grace as we affect and desire nothing more So nothing so much affecteth and delighteth vs. Hence my Lord it is that as by dutie I must not but honor so by affection I cannot but loue your Lordship my selfe in particular hauiÌ„g receiued as good cause to doe this as you giue to others in generall iust reason to doe that Your Lordships promise that you would remember mee doth make me vowe neuer to forget you Your kinde affection in wishing you might do me good did me much good presently as soone as you wished it And certes I no wayes doubt such is your Lordships loue and respect with God himself in heauen and his vice-gerent vice-regeÌ„t in earth such your dignitie and eminencie in the Church and Court that anie reasonable matter is or can be so difficult that your Lordship may wish for it and yet not haue it I know your Lordship looke for no requitall and indeed I can make none Yet if I should not so much as once shew some willingnes I should more then make shewe of great vnworthinesse Aeschines a poore scholler to Socrates when hee saw manie of his companions bestow great gifts on their maister himselfe grieuing hee could not be a companion with them in giuing rewards as hee was in receiuing Learning thus said Nihil dignum te quod dare tibi possim inuenio Et hoc vno modo pauperem me esse sentio Itaque dono tibi quod vnum habeo meipsum Hoc munus rogo qualecunque est boni consulas cogiteâ—que alios cum multum tibi darent plus sibi reliquisse I can finde nothing to giue you which is anie way worthie of you and heerein onely I finde my selfe to be poore Therefore loe euen all that I haue I giue you that is My selfe This gift I desire you be it neuer so simple to take in good worth and to reckon of others that though they gaue much to you yet they kept more for theÌ„selues To whom Socrates made this answere Quidni tu mihi magnum munus dederis nisi forte paruo te aestimas Habebo itaque curae vt te melioreÌ„ tibi reddam quà m accepi Without doubt thou hast giuen me a great gift vnlesse thou accountest thy selfe little worth I will therefore endeuour that I may restore thee againe vnto thy selfe better worth then I tooke thee at the first The like gift my Lord I a poore Aeschines doe most willingly bequeath to your Lordship that because I verelie hope that with graue and wise Socrates you will ere long restore mee to my selfe againe now scarcely apud me through an Ocean of worldlie crosses much better then you now find me And for a pledge of this gift I beseech your Lordship to accept this rude sermon and to giue it your countenance to grace it and protection to defend it And then I doubt not but as it was once carefully attended from my mouth by honorable and religious hearers since earnestly requested from my hands by worshipful and deare friends So now much more it will be thankfully receiued in the hearts of all deuout Christians not because it is any longer mine but for that it is become whollie your Lordships And so humblie crauing pardon of your Lo for my boldnes I cease further to trouble you euer resting your Lordships humbly to be commanded Thomas Myriell TO THE READER DEare Christian Reader for deare I reade thee if thou be a Christian To thee I trust I need not Apologize for Printing this Sermon If it profit spoken it cannot but profit written For other if any complaine a Eccl. 12.12 There is no end of making many bookes I answere it is meant of many books made to no end But for a Sermon there is great reason as to make it out of a book in the pulpit so to make it into a booke in the Presse Euery good thing the more coÌ„mon the more commodious And it is no lesse griefe to the spirituall father to see that his ofspring bred of his braine and brought forth by his breath should die as soone as it begins to liue theÌ„ it is for the naturall mother to behold one and the selfe same day to be vnto her child dies natalis and dies fatalis a day of birth and a day of death And surely wee liue in an age where all knowledge abounds saue the true experimentall and practicall knowledge of Christ and therefore wee had need now with the Prophets of old to b Isa 28.10 adde praecept vpon praecept by speaking and line vnto line in writting These reasons with the importunitie of many friends haue made me yeeld to the publishing heereof Vse it and enioy it in the Lord in whom and to whome I leaue thee euer resting c August ad licent epist 41. Seruus tuus per ipsum conseruus sub ipso Thomas Myriell THE DEVOVT SOVLES SEARCH Mark 16.6 But he said vnto them Be not afraid Ye seeke Iesus of Nazareth which was crucified he is risen he is not heere behold the place where they put him THough the wisest of the Sonnes of men had not saide it yet the experience of the sonnes of men had long since prooued it that a Can. 8.6 Loue is as strong as death Cant. 8.6 As strong saith Augustine in a double respect b Siue quia nemo eam vincit sicut mortem siue quia in hac vita vsque ad mottem est meosura charitatis August ad Hieron Epist 29. Either because no man ouercomes loue no more then death or else because the measure of loue extendeth euen vnto death so as the partie louing shrinketh not at the sharpest sting of death to expresse his affection to the partie beloued Nay if we say loue is stroÌ„ger then death we say no more then reason will defend which telleth vs Death may extinguish life but
is not able to extenuate loue Faith and hope two great victors c 1. Cor. 13.13 but the geeatest of these is loue 1. Cor. 13.13 The greatest though not for the d NoÌ„ propter eminentiam sed propter permanentiam August emineÌ„cie here in this life yet for the permanency when this life is done Which threefold strengh of loue is well exemplified in these three holie women who loued Christ in his life and e Luc. 8.3 ministred vnto him of their substaÌ„ce Lu. 8.3 Loued him at his death f Ioh. 19.25 wept for him at his Crosse Ioh. 19.25 Loued him after death g Mar. 16 1. and ran with oyntments and odours to embalme him in his graue Mar. 16.1 Where their forward deuotion beeing preuented by his early resurrection and their sorrowful eies in stead of his dead bodie presented with the sight of a glorious Angell suddenly their hearts were filled with as much new fear as before they were cloyed with old vexing griefe But hee which defraudes not good intention of the due incouragemeÌ„t neither denies simple deuotion of her right instruction purposely sent his Angell both to direct theÌ„ against their errour to comfort them against their feare which made the Angell according to his charge kindely to bespeake them saying Be not afraid yee seeke Iesus of Nazareth which was crucified c. In which words Right honorable Right worshipfull and welbeloued Christians we may consider two things First the persons speaking or doing Secondly the matter spoken or done The persons in these words But hee saide vnto them And they are two The Angell directing the women enquiring The matter in these wordes Be not afraid ye seeke Iesus of Nazareth which was c. And it is threefold First the Angells consolation Be not afraid Secondly the womens enquisition Ye seeke Iesus of Nazareth which was crucified Thirdly Christs resurrection He is risen he is not here behold the place where they put him Of these in order And first of the persons Touching the first of the two persons Our Euangelists heere calleth him h Mar. 16 5. a young man Mark 16.5 But Saint Matthew plainely chap. 28.2 calleth him i Mat. 28.2 the Angell of the Lord. An Angell then it was in the forme of a youÌ„g man which outward forme Angels sometimes vsed as one vseth a garment to put on and off at pleasure as also their eating of meate done saith Saint Augustine k August ad Deogratias Epist 49. non necessitate sed potestate not by any necessitie which was in themselues but by a power which they had from God vsing things agreeable with vs and carrying themselues suteable vnto vs that their strangenesse might not be terrible but their familiaritie comfortable This Angel therefore being sent to comfort not to astonish tooke on him the forme of a young man in his apparition to these most deuout women Of a man a forme customable that he might not affright of a young man a forme amiable that hee might delight Now the word Angell signifieth a messenger A name saith Augustine l August in Psal 104. Ex eo quod est spi iâ—u est ex eo quod agit ang luâ— est Ibid. officij non naturae declaring an Office not describing a nature For in that he is he is a spirit in that he is sent he is an Angell but a name wel beseeming those pure louing and ready spirits who alwayes beholding Gods face in heauen are readie to execute his commaund on earth The chiefe of all Gods creatures excellent in all things but for three things most excelleÌ„t that is to say purenes of substance readines of obedience feruentnes of charitie Which three things the Psalmist couertlie notes Psal 104.4 m Ps 104.4 He maketh his Angels spirits and his Ministers a flame of fire Hee maketh them spirits there is their pure substance He maketh theÌ„ Ministers there is their readie obedience he maketh theÌ„ a flame of fire there is their heate of loue But Moyses declares these thinges more plainely in the making of the Cherubims which were placed ouer the mercy-seate in the Temple These he made n Exo. 25.19 of the purest golde with their wings stretched out and their faces one towardes another Exod. 25.19 Of the purest gold there is the dignitie of their substance for of all mettalls gold is most excellent With their wings stretched out there is the readines of their obedience for of all creatures winged are swiftest With their faces one towards another there is the feruentnesse of their charitie for of all the gestures of the body none is so amiable as kindly to behold him in sight to whom we are beholden of dutie That their nature is pure their mansion declares o Mat. 18 10. For they alwayes behold the face of God in heauen Matth. 18.10 Into whose presence no impure thing can be admitted p Reu. 21.27 Reuel 21.27 Hence for their shining they are called Starres and for their brightnes in shining q Iob. 38.7 Starres of the morning Iob. 38.7 That their obedience is swift their name declares A quo dominatio ab eo denominatio From the the qualitie super-eminent is the name deriued Hauing then the name of a messenger they are signified to be most diligent in executing a message Hence as for brightnes they are compared to the starres so for swiftnes they are likened to the windes r Psal 18.10 Hee rode vpon Cherub and did flie hee came flying vpon the wings of the wind Psalm 18.10 That their charitie is most seruent the scripture is euident For euery way they desire our welfare Touching our inward estate so much wish they our greatest good that they ioy in our Å¿ Luc. 15.10 conuersion to God Luk. 15.10 Not only for that by the conuersion of good men i Iacob de vorag dom 3. post Tri. their number is made vp againe u Stell in Luc. 15.10 Nor yet onely for that they see such a glorious fruit of their custodie and charge that men by repentace forsake the Tents of vngodlines like good Christian Souldiours warre vnder the banner of Christ But also for that by the conuersion of the faithful * Chrysost in Matth. bom 1. Facta est vna omnium perixtio saith Saint Chrysostome there is made a mixture of all creatures together the Angels ioyne company with men in praising God on earth as it fell out when Christ was borne and men are added to the quiers of holy Angels in heauen as it comes to passe when a Christian dies For our outward estate they waite on vs as if they were more ours then their owne a Mat. 18.10 See saith our Sauiour that yee despise not one of these little ones for I say vnto you their Angels doe alwaies behold the face of my father which is in heauen Mat. 18.10 Iustly he saith their Angels for they are
They haue smitten me but I was not sicke therefore will I seeke it yet still Pro. 23.25 Rather c Dei benefiâ—ium salutem suam scilicet memoria periculi honoreâ—t Tert. lib de poe honour Gods benefites with the memorie of thy perill and say My former danger shal be an afterwarning I haue bene praemonitus I will now be praemunitus once forewarned euer after forearmed And thus much touching the Angells consolation The next point is the womens inquisition in these words ye seeke Iesus of Nazareth which was crucified And this depends on the former part as a reason of it Be not afraid saith he Why Because ye seeke Iesus of Nazareth which was crucified Indeed they which seeke Christ and him crucified haue no reason to feare anie thing especially if they find what they seeke But they must goe through to Christ crucified or else their comfort is miserable and their seeking of no value For in this inquisition there are foure degrees and all good if they tend to Christ crucified but none good if they bend not thither To make this apparant I will relate the comfort and inferre the obiection Be not afraid saith hee For ye seeke There is one degree Indeed the scripture commaunds vs to seeke but it is the kingdome of God and maine seeke but fewe the kingdome of God therefore one may seeke and yet iustly he afraid He replieth againe Be not afraid yee seeke Iesus A second degree d Matt. 1.21 Iesus signifieth a Sauiour and he that findes the true Iesus findeth the true saluation but euery Iesus is not a Sauiour therefore one may seeke Iesus and yet iustlie be afraid He addeth in the next place Be not afraid ye seeke Iesus of Nazareth A third degree Nazaret signifieth a flower and he that findes the true Nazarite e Isay 11.1 findes the true Flower of Iesse But as euery Iesus is not a Sauiour so euery Nazarite is not a flower therefore one may seeke Iesus of Nazareth yet iustly be afraid The Angel coÌ„cludes Bâ— not afraid ye seeke Iesus of Nazareth which was crucified The fourth degree the degree of perfection against which nothing can be obiected to make a man iustly afraid For more instance in these points To seeke absolutely is not good but onely so farre forth as it tendeth to Christ and his Crosse True it is in this world wee are all at a losse and can neuer finde what we lost till we be found of him Who came to seeke and to saue that which was lost f Luc. 19.10 Lu 19.10 As all seeking is vaine vnles we seeke him so all seeking of him is in vaine vnles he finde vs and hee must be praised for both saith FulgeÌ„tius g Siue cum nos ad se quaerenduÌ„ dormientes exsuscitat seu cum se inuenienduÌ„â—obis quaereÌ„tibus donat Falg ad monim li. 1. Whether it be for stirring vs vp to seeke him when we are sleeping or for offering himselfe vnto vs when we are seeking Hee that seekes other thing then this or otherwise then thus shal be sure to loose as the prouerb saith opâ—ram oleum both his labour in seeking and his cost in labouring h Psal 24.6 This way onely seeking is good and seekers gainers This is the generation of them that seeke thee euen of them that seeke thy face Psal 24.6 All other seeking is vaine and finders losers Of which there are manie generatioÌ„s in the world and of whome Paul complaineth saying i Phil. 2.21 All seeke their owne not that which is Iesus Christ Phil. 2.21 For example Some seeke their owne wealth and riches Say I some I may say All for it is that which we seek for both All and Some k O ciues ciues quaerenda pecunia primum est virtus post nummos Haec Ianos summus ab imo per docet c. Hor. â—pist 1. Citizens giue eare to such as speake from about the tâ—niple of lanus Quaerenda pecunia primum est Seeke money aboue all things rather then to such as exhort them in the Temple of IESVS l Mat 6.33 Quaerite primum râ—gnum Dâ—i Seeke first the kingdome of GOD and then all these things shal be minittred vnto you Mat. 6.33 Hence it comes to passe that manie of them which be rich to the world are very poore to God For 2. heauy burdeÌ„s saith Chrysostome inuade the rich mans thoughtes m Chrysost in Matâ—h hom 45. Deliciarum putredo curarum magnitudo the vanitie of fleshlie delight and the greatnes of worldlie cares n Quorum vnum quod que ad subigeâ—dum nauigium suf ficit Ibid. of which the least is able to sinke a shippe Hence Christ compareth a rich man to a Camel o Ambro. Serm 4. Ille oâ—cratus est carâ—â—bus iste peccatis vterque habet propriaÌ„ sarcinam saith Saint Ambrose They haue each of theÌ„ a burdeÌ„ on their backs the one of flesh the other of fleshly lusts Not that riches of theÌ„selues are euil but the immoderate loue of riches Paul saith not They which are rich but they which will be rich fall into temptation p 1. Tim. 6.9 1. Tim. 6.9 In diuitijs cupiditateÌ„ reprehendit non facultateÌ„ saith S. q August de ciuit dei lib. 1. cap. 10. Augustine Reprehending indeed the wretchednesse of the mind not the richnes of the man Some seeke for vaine-glorie An intollerable drunkennesse of the mind saith Saint r Chrysost in Ioh. ho. 2 Chrysostome and such a disease as is not easilie cured Into this ranke of seekers I may put as I feare mee some of our brethren or rather for which I grieue they haue put theÌ„selues Who as some olde Monkes were wont to be proud of humilitie so these men striue to be accounted most learned by shewing no learning We with our learning may sift while wee will into the deepest questions but all the Flowre they say is of their boulting Great Clerks with their learned preaching doe nothing our their ignoraÌ„ce is the onely mother to breed and bring forth deuotion When we alledge a Father they say wee preach our selues whilst they being as much beholding to them as wee by concealemeÌ„t of their names father all vpon theÌ„selues Me thinks I may applie Iobs words vnto theÌ„ thogh they haue not halfe the eloquence of Iobs friends Å¿ Iob. 12.2 Because ye onely are the people learning must die with you Iob. 12.2 For they are the onely people now a dayes and onely the peoples to whome they suggest that like new Palaemons secum natae periturae literae learning hath her birth her death with theÌ„ Yea rather because they are the peoples they willingly permit all learning to die wth them because they see that learning the peoples loue no more theÌ„ Dagon the Ark can stand together And certes in my iudgment this is the time of fufilling that prouerbe