their consciences and they shall see that they must part from all the things that they haue gathered but that not one of those sinnes will part from them which they haue committed and least they should forget them Satan will now open his booke and set all their sinnes before their eyes and then he will bestirre himselfe because he knoweth his haruest is great and his time is but short and therefore he will tell them Matth. 19.17 that if they would haue entred into life they should haue kept the commandements as our Sauiour Christ himselfe doth testifie Rom. 2.13 he will alleage against them that not the hearers but the doers of the Law shall be iustified and he will inferre that if the iust shall scarce be saued it is intollerable for them being wicked men to appeare How Satan discourageth the wicked at their death and what the Preachers of God now cannot beat into the thoughts of these carelesse men this wicked damned spirit will then irremoueably settle in their deepest considerations 1 Cor. 6.9.10 viz. that neither adulterers nor fornicators nor drunkards nor swearers nor vsurers nor extortioners nor lyers nor enuious men nor haters of men nor any such like shall inherit the Kingdome of God and of Christ O then what agonies and perplexities will inuade and teare the wofull hearts of wicked men In that day saith the Lord I will cause the Sunne to goe downe at noone Amos 8.9.10 and I will darken the earth in the cleare day I will turne their feasts into mournings and their songs into lamentations that is they shall be sure then to haue the greatest griefe and vexation when they haue the greatest need of comfort and consolation for I will make all those things that were wont most sweetly to delight them now most of all to torment them the pleasure of sinne shall now turne to be as bitter as Gall and now they shall see that they must die and liue they can no longer and that Satan whom they would not forsake all their life-time will not forsake them now at their death-time but wil be still sounding in their eares Me you haue serued and from me you must expect your wages We read the Deuil assayled the best-Saints Saint Martin Saint Bernard Eusebius Ignatius and others Luke 23.31 and if these things be done in a greene tree what shall be done in a withered saith our Sauiour If he be so busie about the Saints Pet. 4.17 which haue the Angels of God round about them to preserue them Psal 91.11 What shall he doe to sinners who haue nothing but deuils round about them to confound them This is the state of wicked men at their dying day and therefore mors peccatorum pessima of all terrible things the death of sinnefull men is the most terrible Secondly After the seperation of the body and soule How death aequalizeth the bodies of all men then death indeede makes different effects for though it makes the bodies of all alike their dust is so mingled and their bones are so like one another that we know not Irus from Craesus as Diogenes being demaunded by Alexander what he sought for among the tombes sayd he sought for his father Phillips bones but among so many dead mens soules hee knew not which they were yet in respect of the soules How death sendeth the soules of the good to Heauen and of the wicked to hell it worketh very different consequents for it sends the good soules into Abrahams bosome and the wicked soules to hell to be tormented in fire for euermore Now that the efficiente cause of death which is sinne should be the same in all men and that the fruites and effects or subsequents of death should be so different in the godly from all other men we find a treble reason A three-fold reason of the subsequent different effects of death The 1. Is the practise of a godly life 2. Is the meditation of our owne death 3. Is the application of the death of Christ These things as Sampson sayd in his riddle out of the eater bring meate and out of the strong sucke sweetenesse these things doe translate the sting and curse of death into a sweete and a blessed life Of the first Saint Augustine sayth Mala mors putanda non est Aug. de ciuit dei l. 1. c. 21. That to liue well is a speciall meanes to make vs die well quam bona vita praecessit It is impossible that his death should be ill whose whole life hath beene alwayes good quia nunquam Deus deserit hominem quovsque homo deserat deum because God will neuer forsake that man at his death which hath truely serued God throughout all his life and therefore Seneca sayth Seneca in quad epist Ante senectutem curaui vt bene viuâ—rem vt in senectute bene morerer While I was young all my care was to liue well that when I were old I might die well and so let vs doe if wee would die well let vs liue well let vs learne artem viâ—endi the art to liue the life of the righteous and wee shall bee sure to die the death of the righteous for seeing the wages of sinne is death it must needs be that the lesser and the fewer our sinnes be the better our death will be But if we liue like Baalam which loued the gaine and wages of vnrighteousnesse it is vnpossible that we should die the death of Israel for God beheld there was no iniquitie in Iacob Numb 23 21. nor any peruersenesse in Israel and therefore the Lord his God was with him Godly sorrow for sinne and the meditation of our death is the death of sinne Of the second Bosquierus sayth that à culpa natae sunt duae filiae Tristitia Mors hae duae filiae hanc pessimani matrem destruunt Sinne brought forth two goodly damosells Sorrow and Death and these two daughters like the brood of vipers doe eate through the bowells and destroy that wicked mother For First Paenitudine commissa delentur by repentance wee wash away the sinnes that are past and therefore Iohn Baptist sayth O generation of Vipers if you would kill your cruell wicked mother Matth. 3.7 8. that is Sinne bring foorth fruits meete for repentance for that is the onely way for you to escape death and to flee from the wrath to come And Secondly Meditatione mortis futura cauentur by the frequent meditation of death we come more and more to detest and to beware of sinne Aug l. 1. contra Man for so Saint Augustine sayth that nihil sic reuocat hominem à peccato quam frequens meditatio mortis Nothing is so powerfull to make a man hate sinne as continually to consider of this bitter fruit and reward of sinne which is death and Seneca before him sayth the same thing and therefore he aduiseth euery man
both Body and Soule not that the Soule begetteth a Soule That man and all other creatures receaued power to produce creatures like vnto themselues Totum generat totum hoc est corpus generat corpus mediante anima anima generat animam mediante corpore Psal 51.5 or the Body begetteth a spirit but that as all other creatures receiued power from God to produce creatures like vnto themselues as the seede of the vegetatiue to bring forth vegetatiue creatures and the sensible sensible creatures so man consisting both of Body and Soule should beget a creature like vnto himselfe consisting of the same parts for otherwise sinne must needes bee in the body before the Soule be infused for if the schoole of the naturalists be to be belieued the Soule is not infused into the Body vntill the thirtieth as some or fortieth day as some affirme and yet the Psalmist saith that he was conceiued in sinne therefore both Body and Soule were both conceiued at once or else corruption was in the Body before the infusion of the Soule and this liuing Soule by this dead flesh must needes be defiled which is most absurd for as Saint Augustine sayth of Adam It was not his corruptible flesh which made his Soule to become sinnefull but his sinnefull Soule made his flesh subiect to corruption so it must needes be in the sonnes of Adam Gene. 5.3 that not our flesh corrupts our Soules but both body and soule are conceiued in sinne both produced of sinfull seede and so sinne principally resides in the Soule and not in the Body because the Soule giues life and motion vnto the flesh hence it is that Adam hauing defiled both his Body and Soule is sayd to haue begot a childe in his owne image i. e. sinfull and polluted like himselfe both in regard of his body and Soule Bosquierus de finibus bonorum lib. 1. con 6. p. 27. Nam Adam vt persona publica sibi ac suis aut sapiebat aut delirabat for now Adam standing in paradise a publique person as I told you before was to make or to marre himselfe and all his posteritie and therefore if this roote had continued holy the branches had beene likewise holy but the tree prouing to be euill Rom. 11. the fruit could not possibly be good Math. 7.18 for a bad tree cannot bring forth good fruit sayth our Sauiour and therefore Adam sinning all his seede are become sinnefull all his ofspring tanquam serie continuata as in a continued line doe like corrupted branches of a rotten tree bring forth still corrupted fruits and so make all their generation so soone as they are begotten liable to the curse of God for that first transgression for the reward of sinne is death and the Prophet Dauid sayeth Psal 51.2 hee was shapen in wickednesse and conceaued in sinne Iohn 3.6 and our Sauiour sayth that which is borne of flesh is flesh i. e. he that is borne of a sinnefull man can be nothing else but a sinnefull man That Gods graces are not traduced from the best parents not that a godly man begets a godly man for the graces of Gods spirit are not begotten in our carnall generation but they are giuen from aboue in our spirituall regeneration and a man begets his childe not as he is spirituall but as hee is a creature consisting of body and soule and therefore whosoeuer is borne of flesh and blood must needes be tainted and corrupted with sinne and wickednesse for flesh heere is not taken pro natura carnis sed pro vitiosa qualitate totius hominis for the single nature of flesh but for the corrupted qualitie of the whole man as Saint Paul excellently sheweth when hee sayth in my flesh dwelleth no goodnesse Rom. 7.8 i. e. in the corrupted nature of a naturall man there is no grace there is no goodnesse And therefore hoc virus paternum this hereditarie poyson as Paulinus calleth it What we learne from this doctrine this our originall sinne that is inbred in euery man since the fall of the first man may sufficiently serue to teach vs. First to iustifie God First to iustifie God for inflicting death vpon euery man though man should doe nothing else to procure his death quia damnati antequam nati because euery one is guilty of this sinne and therefore of death before hee commeth to this present life for the reward of sinne is death and therefore the death of children and infants that haue done no actuall sinne doth proue them tainted with this sinne because death cannot be iustly inflicted vpon those that are no wayes infected with sinne for the reward of sinne is death but you see they are subiect vnto death and therefore you may know they are tainted with sinne Secondly Secondly to be humbled this may serue to teach all those that stand so much vpon the honour and dignity of their naturall birth to consider whâ—t they are and what they haue thereby a sinnefull corrupted and contagious being children of wrath subiects to death slaues of damnation be they Kings Princes Nobles what you will this is all they haue or can haue by their naturall birth Iohn 3.6 for whatsoeuer is borne of flesh is flesh i. e. all things that parents can conuaye vnto their children is but a corrupted natural being yea though the parties should be sanctified themselues and thereby procure their children to bee receiued and reputed members of the visible Church before men yet can they not infuse Grace Perkins in Jud. 1. nor produce sanctified children in the sight of God For though we reade of some that were sanctified in their Mothers wombe as Ieremie Iohn Baptist and the like Ier. 1.5 yet this sanctifying grace was infused by God and not traduced from their parents Luke 1.44 and therefore this should make all men to be of an humble spirit and to reioyce more in their second birth in the Baptisme that they haue receiued it may bee by the hands of some meane Minister and their begetting vnto the faith of Christ by the preaching of the word of God then in all that glory and excellencie that they haue gotten from their naturall parents for they did but make vs Men these must make vs Christian men And thus you see that by the guilt of Adams sinne euery childe of Adam deserues eternall death before he comes to this present life But because we would be sure enough of death wee will hasten it and draw it on as it were with cart-ropes throughout all our life and we will not haue it sayd Ezech. 18.2 our fathers haue eaten sower Grapes and the childrens teeth are set on edge or that Adam sinned we are punished nam errauimus cum patribus for we haue sinned wil sinne with our fathers more then our fathers we will drinke iniquity like water and adde vnto our originall corruption
making but a mocke of God and of all godlinesse And therefore the Prophet sayth of such sinners that they haue made a couenant with death and an agreement with hell it selfe i. e. neuer to forsake that sinfull course of life till death doth send them quicke to Hell But I could wish that they would be herein false and as they haue broken the couenant of their God That wee should breake the couenant which we haue made with Hell if euer we would goe to Heauen which they haue made with him in Baptisme so they would break this agreement with Hell and cast off these cords from them for the reward of sinne is death and therefore much more of such fearefull sinnes as these bee And so you see the degrees by which sinne is increased CHAP. IV. Of the manner how euery Sinne is committed THirdly hauing seene how sinne is augmented The manner how euery sinne is committed is foure-fold and groweth more and more haynous by degrees like the Cockatrice egge that in a short time prooues to be a destroying fiery Serpent you must now vnderstand the manner how euery sin is committed and that we find to be 1. Of Ignorance 2. Of Knowledge 3. Of Infirmitie 4. Of Malice First The heathen man sayth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Whosoeuer knoweth nothing sinneth nothing and Diuines say he that knoweth least sinneth least That ignorance is twofold But here you must vnderstand Ignorance to be twofold First Simple when a man therefore knowes not because he cannot learne Secondly Affected when a man therefore knowes not because he will not learne as those in Iob who said vnto God Discede à nobis quia scientiam viarum tuarū nolumus Job 21.14 Depart from vs for we will not haue knowledge of thy wayes and therefore the Prophet complaineth of such ignorant men quod noluerunt intelligere vt bene agerent that they refused to learne that they might doe well quod caeci licet ducem tamen non modo non quaerunt sed oblatum respuunt and that although they were starke blind and could see nothing Bern in ep ad magist Vincent yet not onely sought no guide but refused and contemned them that were offered as Saint Bernard speaketh The first may excuse vs à tanto licet non à toto That simple ignorance doth extenuate the sinne Acts 17.30 1. Tim. from the greater punishment though not from blame as Saint Paul sheweth of the Gentiles saying The times of this ignorance God regarded not and of himselfe That God had mercy vpon him because in persecuting the Church Hee did it ignorantly For this circumstance doth much extenuate a sinne when a man can pleade for himselfe with Abimelech Gen. 20.4 Lord wilt thou slay the righteous Nation As if he should haue sayd O Lord lay not this sinne to my charge for if I had knowne her to be his wife I would neuer haue intended to make her mine And therefore this moued our Sauiour at the time of his passion to say Father forgiue them Luke 23.43 for they know not what they doe Which is as if he should haue said if they knew that I were the Messias the sonne of God and the Sauiour of the world and would notwithstanding crucifie me Luke 24.43 then would I not desire thee to pardon them but now these things are concealed from them and therefore I desire thee that this sinne may not be imputed vnto them And so Saint Peter after he had declared their sinne how They had denied the Holy and Iust and had preferred before him a most vniust and wicked murtherer he deliuereth their comfort that if they would repent and beleeue in him they should obtaine remission and haue their sinnes done away at the time of refreshing Acts 3.17 Because they had done all this through ignorance And so the Lord himselfe sheweth this to be the reason why he spared Niniueh after the denouncement of her iudgement because There were sixescore thousand persons therein Ionas 4.11 which could not iudge betwixt good and bad which could not discerne betwixt their right hand and their left For a simple ignorance in a deuoted and well-meaning man such as Saint Augustine calls fidelis ignorantia a faithfull ignorance or the ignorance of a good faithfull man whose heart like Iehosophat 2 Chron. 20.32.33 is vpright towards God though he faile in many particular duties is either passed ouer in mercy as was the superstition of our forefathers Acts 10. or else is illuminated with knowledge in Gods appointed time Psal 50. vlt. as we reade of Cornelius and as the Apostle sheweth and the Psalmist promiseth To him that ordereth his conuersation right will I shew the Saluation of God Bosq de finibus bonarum l. 2. conc 12. p. 123. But the 2. that is affected ignorance Scaelus adcusat grauius non excusat augetque non minuit supplicium it doth inlarge the sin increase the punishment and it should treble the same sayth Bosquierus First For committing the sinne Secondly For neglecting to learne and Thirdly For affecting ignorance for when things are not knowne because men will not learne such ignorance is without excuse Quia aliud est nescire aliud est nolle scire Bernard in ep ad Valent Chrysost nescire ignorantia est scire noluisse superbia est Because this refusing to know is rather Arrogancie then Ignorancie as Saint Bernad sayth Gregor in Moral And therefore of such ignorant men quibus fuit inveniendi facultas si fuisset quaerendi voluntas Which had the meanes to know How dangerous a thing it is to be wilfully ignorant of the will of God if they had had the desire to learne the Apostle sayth si quis ignorat ignorabitur if any man know not God the same shall not be knowne of God for as the blinde and lame were not to enter into the Temple so the iudge biddeth vs educere foras populum caecum occulos habentes to bring forth and shut out of his kingdome those men which haue eyes and cannot see and which haue eares and doe not heare that is which are borne to know but will not learne and which are capable of discipline and yet will remaine vntaught Cokus de iure regis ecclesiastico And so in humane lawes we find the same truth Nam tantum abest vt ignorantia excuset c. For it is so far from reason that ignorance should any wayes excuse the fault of him which might know the truth that hee ought necessarily to haue knowne but through his negligence or wilfulnesse would not learne the same as that there is very great reason that he should be the more seuerely punished because that to be ignorant of those things which a man ought to know but will not learne non pro ignorantia sed pro contemptu haberi debet is rather to bee
thy sake CHAP. II. How euery sinne slayeth the soule AS sinne brings a curse vpon all creatures How sinne brought on man a treble death so it brings death vpon all men for the reward of sinne is death and we finde this death to bee three fold 1. A spirituall death of the Soule within the Body 2. A corporall death of the Body by continuall castigation of the same throughout all our life and a finall seperation from the soule at the end of our life 3. An eternall death both of Body and Soule in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone foreuermore The first is set downe in the 8. of Matth. 22. Chrysost hom 11. in c. 6. ad rom Where our Sauiour sayth Let the dead bury their dead i. e. Let those that are spiritually dead in trespasses sinnes as the Apostle sayth burie those that are naturally dead to shew that a sinners body is but the breathing Sepulchre of his sinnefull soule and therfore the Prophet Dauid sayth Psal 14.5 Rom. 3.13 that their throat is an open Sepulchre which yeelds a more loathsome sent vnto the nostrils of God from the corrupted putrified soule then any graue can yeeld vnto the nostrils of man from all its rotten carkases The second is set downe in the 11. of Iohn the 39. John 11.39 where Martha sayth her brother Lazarus was dead and stinked i. e. depriued of the fruition of the soule and therefore loathsome to bee seene and more loathsome to bee smell for experience sheweth vs that how sweete soeuer we be in our life and how soft and tender soeuer our flesh bee most amiably complexioned with that fresh and liuely blood which be deckes the same with the fairest colours and glides vp and downe in siluer veynes yet are the best of these sweetest Ladies but most loathsome stinking carrions within a short space after death all flesh being subiect to corruption Luke 16.24 The third is set downe in the 16. of Luke 24. where Diues being in torments prayeth vnto Abraham to shew that he had a soule and desireth a drop of water to coole his tongue to prooue that he had a body But to speake of these three more fully First Wee must vnderstand that the spirituall death of the soule is two-fold 1. Mori peccatis to die to sinne 2. Mori in Peccatis to die in sinne Macrob. c. 1. in som scip 13. For the first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the whole studie and life of the Philosopher was nothing else but a commentary Hieron ad Heliod ex Platone in Phaedone or preparation for death saith Macrobius Nam mori dicimur cum anima adhuc in corpore constituta corporeas illecebras contemnit for he may bee truely sayd to die whose soule still remayning within the body doth notwithstanding contemne and abstaine from all fleshly delights And this was aymed at by the Philosophers but it was onely attained vnto by the true Christians What it is to die to sinne for they that are Christs haue crucified the flesh and haue mortified the lusts of the same sayth the Apostle these haue eares and heare not the Sirenian notes of sinne nor the flattering suggestions of Satan they haue eyes and see not the alluring vanities of this world any wayes worthy to bee desired for I haue made a couenant with mine eyes Job 31. that they should not looke that is vnlawfully or with any lasciuious desire vpon a maide sayth holy Iob and I sayd I would take heed vnto my wayes sayth the Prophet Dauid that I offend not in my tongue Psal 39.1 and therefore as the Apostle sayth they vse the world as though they vsed it not To die to sinne is a punishment for sinne And although this death be good the onely way to bring vs vnto a better life for hee that will not die before he dieth shall neuer liue when hee dieth yet is this the reward of sinne for had it not beene for sinne we had not needed to take this care and payne Cyprian de duplici Martyrio to fight against our selues yea to Martyr and mortifie our own flesh by chastening our owne bodies to bring them to subiection least we should prooue to be cast-awayes as the Apostle speaketh and therefore the chastisements of the Saints are the punishments of their sinnes For the second to die in sinne What it is to die in sinne is when God forsaketh a sinnefull soule and suffereth the same to lye and die in her transgressions for as the soule is the life of the body so is God the life of the soule sayth Saint Augustine Aug. de ciuit dei l. 13. c. 21. Matth. 4.4 And therefore all those that liue by bread onely and not by euery word which proceedeth out of the mouth of God i. e. which liue the life of nature and not the life of grace they are like those wanton widdowes whereof the Apostle sayth 1 Tim. 5.6 that they are dead while they liue for though the soule be truely immortall yet it hath a kind of death sayth Saint Augustine and that is when God forsaketh the same for sinne and what a heauy case is this Plangis corpus quod deserit anima non plangis animam quam deserit Deus We bewaile the body when the soule is parted and shall wee not bewayle the soule which God hath forsaken sayth Saint Chrisostome Saint Augustine being as then a Manichee and reading the Hystorie of Aeneas and Queene Dido A most excellent consideration of Saint Augustine did weepe as himselfe confesseth when hee came to the death of Dido and therefore after that he was conuerted hee most diuinely sayth ô me miserum c. O wretched man that I was that would bewaile the death of Dido forsaken of Aeneas and did not bewaile the death of mine owne soule forsaken of God so we many times doe weepe for the death of our friends but doe neuer weepe for the death of our owne soules They may say vnto vs as Christ sayd to the daughters of Ierusalem weepe not for vs but weepe for your selues Luke 23.28 and for your owne soules that are dead in sinnes for euery one of vs may say with the poet Atque vtinam lugenda tibi non vita Repentance is the onely meanes to reuiue our dying soules sed esset mors mea Our life is a great deale more worthy to bee bewailed then our deâ—th in as much as the death of the soule is a great deale more lamentable then the death of the body But as wee haue no other remedie for the death of our friends but onely teares Est quadam flere voluptas Expletur lachrymis egeriturque dolor for this is a great ease vnto the afflicted heart and a kinde of comfort vnto the sorrowfull soule so we haue none other helpe for the death of our soules but onely teares Saepe per has
therefore many groanes and sighes How hard it is to recouer a sinner accustomed to sinne many teares and prayers and loud cryes must be vsed before such a soule can be raised from her sinnes and because the accustomed sinners are bound with sinnes as with a chaine and haue their faces bound vp with shamelesse impudency and couered with the same as with the Napkin therefore the Ministers of the word their friends their neighâ—ours by reproofes by counsell and by all other meanes must doe their best to loose them and to let them goe that is to withdraw them from their euill wayes and to cause them to walke in the pathes of Righteousnesse Well then seeing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the life of sinne is the death of the soule yea seeing euery sinne slayeth the soule and that it is so hard a thing to reuiue the soule from accustomed sinnes Oh why should we accustome our selues to sinne for it is more dangerous to sleepe with one sinne then with an hundred Scorpions For they can but kill the body but sinne killeth both the body and soule Oderunt peccare boni virtutis amore That the loue of goodnesse should moue vs to hate sinne Siscirem deos ignosciturâ—s homines ignorâ—turos Tamen propter peccati turpitudinem peccare dedignarer Seneca We know that good men will not sinne for the very loue they beare to vertue and for the detestation they beare to vice for so we reade that Seneca though a Heathen hated sinne least it should defile his soule and Anselmus that good Christian saith that if hee should see all punishments without sinne on the one hand and finde sinne with all the pleasures of sinne on the other hand and were compelled to make choice of one of them as Origen was either to commit Sodomie with a Blackamoore or to cast Thuâ—ibilum his censer into the fire for to sacrifice vnto the Idols hee would surely imbrace the punishments and forsake the sinne because all the Saints of God doe euer esteeme it better to suffer affliction with the people of GOD Heb. 11.25 then to inioy the pleasures of sinne for a season But if we will not imitate these good men to forsake sinne for the filthinesse of sinne yet as many wicked men are saide to haue done it That wicked men should forsake sinne for feare of punishment so let vs doe it formi ine poenae for feare of the reward of sinne for the wages of sinne is death and that not onely of the soule in sinne but also of the body for sinne And so I come to the second kinde of death CHAP. IIII. How sinne slayeth the body by inflicting on it all the miseries of this life and of the large extent of death ouer all men SEcondly Touching the death of the Body that wee may the more fully take a view thereof and the more orderly proceed in this point I must desire you to consider these three things 1. How it is defined 2. How farre it extendeth Three things to bee considered concerning naturall death 3. How variably it worketh For the first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 death is said to bee the dissolution of the body and soule that is the separation of the one from the other and not the destruction of either And wee must note that whatsoeuer worketh or causeth the diuorse and dissolution of these two must needs be a branch of this tree and therefore by death is vnderstood By death is vnderstood all that is contained in the curse of God not onely the last finall stroke and fatall seperation of the body and soule but also all other fore-runners and fore-causers of this dissolution as sicknesse griefe sorrow and all the other miseries that doe happen throughout the whole course of mans life for as I told you before the death of man pronounced here and the curse of God denounced elsewhere are aequiualent the like reward of sinne and therefore whatsoeuer is the curse of God the same must needs be contained vnder the name of death but we know that all the miseries of man doe proceed from the curse of God for sinne and therefore all the miseries and troubles and sorrowes of this life must needs bee vnderstood vnder the name of death for as the last stroke of a tree is not the onely cause that doth throw downe the tree but that with all the rest are properly sayd to hâ—ue cut it downe so the last stroke of death cannot be sayd to be the sole killer of any man but that with all the rest of his precedent miseries So death daily strikes to beate vs downe and the more sorrowes are suffered or the more dayes are passed the more chippes are chopped off from this tree of life Now the whole life of man is nothing else but a mappe of miseries and my life would bee too short to relate it yet seeing all is the wages of sinne for man suffereth all that he suffereth for his sinnes as the Prophet sheweth my text calls mee to speake a little of all and the time bids me to speake but a little of the same and therefore I desire you to consider The manifold miseries of all ages 1. How all ages 2. How all estates 3. How all creatures Doe accumulate heape vpon man heapes of miseries For the first In our infancie wee come crawling into the world without any strength Ouid. Met. l. 15. Editus in lucem iacuit sine viribus infans and as Lucretius sayth Nudus humi iacet Lucret. l. 5. Iob. 1. We come naked out of our mothers wombes and haue not any the least couering to hide vs saue onely the blood of filthinesse and if we had vnderstanding to see it we might perceiue our mothers halfe-dead by giuing vs a little life and that if wee were not helped by others the houre of our birth would be the end of our life and therefore as the Poet saith Lucret Ibid. Vagituque locum lugubri complet vt aequum est Cui tantum in vita restet tranfire laborum The poore infant now begins with dolefull cries and teares within a while as his best orators to expresse his owne miseries Iustin hist l. 1. and you neuer saw neither haue we euer read of any one saue onely of Zoroastres king of the Bactrians that either laughed or smiled at his birth nor yet in forty dayes after sayth Arist except it be sometimes as they sleepe are at rest Arist histor animal l. 7. c. 10 After wee are thus cast into the world weake wailing and miserable Galenus de diffi medicis our whole life is deuided by Galenus into foure parts whereof he maketh the 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 iuuenum of children till 15. The age of man is diuided into 4. parts 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vigentium of youths till 30. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mediorum of men till 50.
but hee not contented to be a man aboue these but desiring to be a god aboue all was made a worme and no man inferior vnto all and then all like Acteons dogges seeing vs metamorphosed from men to worse then beasts began to rebell against vs and most furiously to pursue vs Gen 19.24 the fire to consume vs as it did Sodome and Gomorrah 2 Sam. 24. the ayre to infect vs as it did the Israelites in the time of Dauid the water to drowne vs as it did the whole world in the dayes of Noah Gen. 7.23 the earth to swallow vs as it did Corah Num. 16.32 Dathan and Abiram and all other creatures to deuour vs as the beares did those children that mocked Elizeus the Starres in their order Judg. 5.20 did fight against Sisera and since we haue sinned and rebelled against the Lord there is no creature but hath cast away the created yoke of obedience and haue rebelled against vs so that now hic labor hoc opus est It is a taske too great for Hercules to bring them againe to the obedience of man And thus you see that from our first entrance into this wretched life sinne laboureth still to kill vs and doth at all times and by all meanes vexe vs grieue vs weaken vs by passions sorrowes sicknesses and such like and will neuer leaue vs vntill it layeth vs downe in the dust and therefore that all these are the prodromi the fore-runners and beginnings of death or rather like so many little deaths that doe bring vs vnto our last and fatall death For all these are the reward of sinne and therefore branches of this death And so you see what is meant by Death For the second point hauing seene what is meant by death Of the large extent of death that is all the miseries that doe consume and waste our liues we are now to consider how farre this death extendeth And this the Apostle sheweth briefly when he saith Statutum est omnibus semel mori It is appointed for all men once to die Heb. 9.27 and the very Heathens say as much Seneca Lex vniuersa iubet nasci mori It is an vniuersall Law and a debt that we owe and must pay to Nature that euery one which is borne to life should passe away by death Laertius lib. 2. c. 3. And therefore when it was told Anaxagoras that all his sonnes were dead he answered Sciebam me genuisse mortales I knew that I had begotten mortall creatures for as nullis amorest medicabilis herbis so nihil est moderabile morte There is nothing in the world that can moderate the rage or preserue vs from the fatall stroke of death Non Torquate genus Horatius lib. 4. non te facundia non te restituet pietas saith Horace vnto his friend Torquatus And we see the faith of Abraham the strength of Sampson the wisedome of Salomon the riches of Craesus and the Kingdomes of Alexander could not preserue them from Death Polydor Virgil writeth that King Canutus seeing the Sea beginning to flow said I command thee not to touch my feete but his command was bootlesse for he had scarce ended his Edict but the surging waue dashed at his teeth So we may out-braue death in words but we may be sure that as the Sea so Death How vnresistable is death antiquum obtinebit will keepe his old wont Yea though wee could hinder the course of the Sea for meanes haue been found to tame the fiercest beasts to breake the hardest marble to mollifie the impenetrable Adamant and to deale with the Seas as Xerxes did with the waters of Hellespont or Caesar with all the Riuers of Germany yet is there no meanes in the world to escape the hands of death and therefore Saint Augustine saith August Psal 121. Resistitur ignibus vndis ferro resistitur regibus imperijs venit vna mors quis ei resistit Fire Waters Swords Kings Kingdomes were resisted but who hath euer withstood the stroake of death Quia nec miseretur inopum nec reueretur diuites Because as Saint Bernard saith it neither pittieth the poore Ber. de conu cler nor regardeth the rich but Nereus the faire Thirsites the soule Craesus the rich Irus the poore Solym the cruell Solyman the magnificent Diomedes the Prince and Damaetas the Peasâ—nt must all fall downe at Deaths feet Because that no teares no prayers no threatnings no intreâ—tings will serue the turne to turne away the face of death So stiffe so deaffe so inexorable is death How the Egyptians expressed death to be the sole enemie of all men And therefore the Egyptians in their Hierogliphickes painted Death like a Goddesse holding a sickle in her hand with this inscription Nemini parco I spare no man And because they found her so hard-hearted so implacable and so inexorable that nothing could appease her wrath when she did meane to cut vs downe but that she tooke the Husband from the bosome of his louing wife and the Parents from the poore helpelesse Infants and so fulfilling her owne will and carefull for none else therefore they built her no temples they offered no sacrifice they celebrated no rites vnto her but seeing she vsed all alike Constantinus imperator famulus meus making no difference betwixt Agamemnon and Thirsites therefore all vsed her alike and stood all vpon their guards to defend themselues so well and so long as they might against all her darts though they knew that in the end she would ouercome them all because they had all sinned and the reward of sinne is death Psal 50.22 O consider this all ye that forget God all ye that neglect God all whosoeuer Kings Lords and great men old and yong rich and poore one with another for though you liue like gods and none dare say why doe you so yet you shall die like men and if you fearelesly commit the sinne I dare boldly say that you shal be sure Aequo pode pulsat pauperum tabernas regumque turres Horatius most fearefully to indure the punishments for as you see Death spareth none but cutteth downe as well the Cedars of Lebanon and the Oakes of Bashan as the Shrubs of Cades So much lesse will God spare any man that sinneth CHAP. V. How Death worketh variably in diuers respects and the diuers causes thereof FOr the third point we must consider that although Death passeth ouer all yet that it worketh not vpon all alike but worketh variably and that as we find it in foure speciall respects 1. Of the manner 2. Of the time 3. Of the place 4. Of the effects or consequents of Death For the first we finde that there be more wayes of death then there be meanes to preserue our life for as the Poet saith Mille modâ—s laethi miseros mors vna fatigat Though there is but one way for all men to come into
Seneca epist 25. efficere mortem sibi familiarem to make death his companion and as his wife that should euer lye in his bosome that by the continuall sight of death he might be euer kept to abstaine from sinne for the couetous man might be the easier drawne to contemne the trash and trumperies of this vaine and transitorie world if hee did beleeue that hee should presently dye for so prophane Esau sayth Loe I die Facile contem nit omnia qui credit se cito moritâ—rum Hieron in ep ad Paulin Eccles 10. Incert autâ—r and what good will my Birth-right doe vnto me So the proud man would let fall his Peacocks feathers if he could thinke that hee is but dust and ashes and that when he dieth hee shall inherite wormes as the wise man sayth Omnia Caesar habet sed gloria Caesaris esse desinit tumulus vix erit octo pedum And that if he triumphed in his life like Caesar to bee the sole Monarch of the world yet would his glory soone fayle when death should locke him vp in his coffin and so of all other sinnes the frequent meditation of death is the onely preseruatiue against them For as one truely sayth of himselfe Quum recordor quod sum cinis Et quam citâ— venit finis Sine fine pertimesco Et vt cinis refrigesco When I thinke I am but dust And how soon to earth I must Bernard in carm Then incessantly I shake And as dust it doth me make So questionlesse if wee did continually thinke of death and fixe that fearefull day of Gods iust iudgement before our eyes it would bee a maruelous great meanes to deterre vs from all sinnes And as the meditation of death doth preuent sinne Bosq p. 12. de finibus honorum so it sweetneth death and makes it farre the lesse terrible vnto vs for if our eyes be dead and weaned from beholding vanities The frequent meditation of death is a great meanes to preserue vs from the feare of death our eares from hearing the Syrens songs of sinnefull pleasure and our hearts especially from the loue of vaine and worldly things then certainely they will not being thus mortified and accustomed with this death to sinne bee any whit afrayd of the death of the body which is the reward of sinne but as a horse that is to runne a race hauing often walked his way before is the more fearelesse to goe on when hee comes at the day of triall so the man that is acquainted with the wayes of death through the daily meditation of death is not afrayd to die when he seeth the day of his dissolution Palladius reports it that an Eremite being at the point to die his schollers and friends asked him if death did not seeme terrible vnto him hee smilingly answered that death was no stranger but a most familiar acquaintance to him it was his manuall and his vade mecum his table-booke which he alwayes carried about him and therefore dying he did but now repeate that his old lesson which hee had beene long in learning O that it were so with euery one of vs that throughout all our life wee would learne to die The application of Christs death is the onely cause that maketh vs happie after death Osee 13.14 that hauing made death present with vs before it comes it may neuer proue terrible vnto vs when it comes Of the third the Diuine veritie sayth that the chiefest cause the onely cause indeed of this different effect of death is the application of the death of Christ for it is he that saith O death I will be thy death O graue I will bee thy destruction and therefore as when Alexander ouerthrew the walles of Thebes Phryne a harlot promised to build them vp againe if shee might ingraue vpon them this inscription 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Alexander battered downe this Wall but Phryne built it vp againe so we may truely say that Eue threw downe these muddie walles of ours but Christ doth rayse them vp for though the wages of sinne are death Rom. 6.23 yet the grace of God brings eternall life through Iesus Christ our Lord. And the manner how he doth deliuer vs and metamorphose death to become life vnto vs he himselfe doth shew when hee sayth if I be lift vp I will draw vp all vnto my selfe i. e. if I die I will destroy the power of death for so the Apostle sayth That forasmuch as the children were partakers of flesh and blood John 8.28 and C. 12.32 Heb. 2.14 15. he himselfe likewise tooke part of the same that through death hee might destroy him that had the power of death that is the Deuill and deliuer them that through the feare of death were all their life time subiect vnto bondage 1 Machah 6.46 Iudges 16.30 and therefore as Eleazer by his owne death did put the great Elephat to death and Sampson by pulling downe the house vpon his owne head did put to death all the Philistines so Christ by his owne death did put the deuills Origen hom 8. in Iohan and all the powers of darkenesse vnto death and therefore Origen sayth that vpon the crosse of Christ two were crucified that is Christ and the deuill but after a diuers manner for Christ was crucified visibly and most willingly for hee layd downe his life himselfe but the deuill was crucified inuisibly and most vnwillingly Matth. 12.29 for this strong man armed was faine to bee bound before Christ could spoyle his house And the Lord speaking of his enemies and saying that hee would be vnto them as a Lion Ose 13.7 would obserue them as a Libbard in the way of Ashur doth foreshew vnto vs both the destruction and the manner of the destruction of these our spirituall enemies for in being like a Lion he sheweth their destruction and in being like a Libbard he sheweth the manner The manner how Christ by death ouercame death how hee would destroy them for it is obserued of the Libbard that he vseth this pollicie to kill those Apes that doe molest him first he lyeth downe as dead and suffereth the apes to mocke him and trample him and to insult ouer him as much as they will but when he perceiueth them to be wearied with leaping and skipping vpon him he reuines himselfe on a sudden and with his clawes and teeth he teareth them all to pieces euen so our Sauiour Christ suffered the deuill and death and all the wicked Iewes like apes to mocke him to tread him and trample him vnder feete to crucifie him to burie him to seale vp his graue and to haue armed Souldiers to watch him that hee should not rise any more and it may be to knocke him on the head againe if he sought to reuiue but when hee saw they had done their worst and that they could doe no more Psal 78.66.67 Hee waked as a giant out of
now I come to restore it to make him ashamed to confesse his sinnes And surely thus hee deales with vs all hee makes vs shamelesse to commit all sinnes euen with Absolon in the sight of all Israel 2 Sam. 16.22 and in the sight of the Sunne but he makes vs ashamed to confesse any sinne But if wee feare this punishment of sinne all miseries in this life death shortning life and eternall torments after death and would bee deliuered from it then let vs not make the Ministers afrayde to reproue our sinnes nor be our selues ashamed to confesse our sinnes for as the first degree of righteousnesse is not to sinne so the second is to acknowledge and forsake our sinnes If we had not sinned we had not died and if we doe acknowledge and forsake them we shall receiue no dammage by death but if we continue in sinne we shall die and we shall iustly die for the reward of sinne is death And so I come to the third part which is the equitie of this reward because death is the wages of sinne PART III. The equity of this payment Death is the stipend of Sinne. Part. 3. CHAP. I. How iust a thing it is to punish Sinne. The reward of Sinne is Death YOu haue heard of a world of miseries that are inflicted on man for sinne here in this life you haue heard of eternall death and intollerable torments for euer and euer that shall be inflicted on sinfull soules in the future life and now it resteth that I should shew the equity of this punishment how iust it is with God to render all this on man for sinne and therefore that I may the more fully cleere this point Three points to be considered to shew the equity of the punishment of sinne I must desire you to consider these three especiall things 1. That it is iust to punish sinne 2. That God is the iustest Iudge that can be found to punish it 3. That this punishment which God imposeth and inflicteth for sinne is most right and iust First there is nothing in the world Cicero de nat deorum l. 1. saith Cicero more agreeable to reason then that true and honest labour should bee commended and rewarded and the vices of men should be seuerely punished according to their iust desert for it is vnpossible saith he that either house or Common-wealth should stand Si in ea nec rectè factis proemia extant vlla Idem l. 3 de nat deor nec supplicia peccatis if there be not in the same both rewards for good deeds and punishments for sinnes and therefore Solon being demanded what was most profitable for the well-fare of a Common-wealth said Si boni proemijs innitantur mali paenis coercentur Stobaeus ser 41. to defend and reward the good and to restraine and punish the bad and M. Cato saith that there is nothing more pernicious vnto any state Plutarch in Apoth Quam si improborum mores paena non coerceantur then to suffer wicked men to goe away vnpunished and therefore he would haue those Magistrates that did not punish the impieties of the wicked and dissolute fellowes Non tantum non ferendos The Law of Nature teacheth that sinne should be punished sed lapidihus obruendos not onely not to be suffered but to be stoned with stones to death and so the Lawes of all Nations doe prouide that good and vertuous deeds should be rewarded and euill deeds should be punished for wee finde it very true by experience that impunitas delicti inuitat homines ad malignandum To forbeare the punishment of sinne doth increase the number of sinners Prou. 17 15. because punishment is deferred the hearts of the children of men are euen set to doe euill and therefore God himselfe doth say that whosoeuer iustifieth the wicked is a like culpable before him as if he had condemned the innocent and Saint Ambrose tels vs plainely that it is sometimes miserecordia punire crudelitas parcere a pious work to punish and a cruelty for to spare for this doth not onely incourage sinners to goe on from one wickednesse to another but it is an ill patterne and a great prouokement to draw others to doe the like and therefore wee may well conclude this first point that it is a most iust thing to punish sinnes and offences CHAP. II. How God is the iustest Iudge to punish Sinne. SEcondly that God is the iustest Iudge that can be found to punish sin it appereth by these 3. reasons God loueth righteousnesse Psal 45.7.8 Heb. ◠9 First because he loueth righteousnesse For it is the propertie of a iust Iudge not onely to iudge righteously to iustifie the innocent and to punish the offenders but also to loue righteousnesse and to hate iniquitie but of God the Prophet saith Psal 5.5 Thy throne O God is for euer and euer thou hast loued righteousnesse and hated iniquitie wherfore God euen thy God hath annoynted thee with the oyle of gladnesse aboue thy fellowes And againe thou hatest all those that worke vanitie Secondly because he iudgeth without any respect of persons God is no respecter of persons for this is one of the chiefest properties of a righteous Iudge to iudge according to the equitie of the cause and according to the quality of the person and therefore Iethro Iehosophat Exod. 18.21 and others doe make this not respecting of persons 2 Chron 19 7. to be one of the essentiall properties of a righteous Iudge Prou 24.23 1 Sam. 6.7 Act. 10 33. Gal. 1.6 Psal 50.10 Psal 149 8. Deut. 26.7 but with God there is no respect of persons for he will not be corrupted with the reward of the rich for all the beasts of the Forrest are his and so are all the cattell vpon a thousand hills he will not be terrified for feare of the mighty for he will binde Kings in fetters and Nobles in linkes of iron neither is he angred or molested with the incessant complaynings of the poore but he will heare their cry Psal 145.19 and will helpe them Psal 145.19 Indeed with men it is a common practise With men we finde Iustice often peruerted to haue our lawes like a spiders webbe wherein the little flies are catcht and the great buzzing bumble bees doe easily passe through and therefore it is truely said of mans Law That Dat veniam coruis vexat censura columbas It spares the rich but spoiles the poore But Gods law is rete Vulcanium like Vulcans iron net That God is most iust which apprehends and condemnes all alike for if the greatest men hurt the poorest and those poore men cry vnto me saith the Lord I will heare them that is to helpe the oppressed and to punish the wrong doer and therefore Moses saith of him Deut. 10.17 that he is a great God mighty and terrible which accepteth no person nor taketh reward but
be one peny to make vs richer for an oath of our mouth to shew our selues Gallants and for such like other things of nothing will not be afraid to offend our God to lose his fauour and to cast him off for euer I remember that when God sheweth how little hee respecteth wicked sinners Psal 44 13. the Prophet saith Thou sellest thy people for naught and takest no money for them as if they were worth nothing in the world euen so doe these men deale with God they sell him for naught and esteeme him worth nothing in the world for putting God on the one hand and the least pleasure or profit of sinne on the other hand they will imbrace that sinne and forsake their God and this they will not onely doe once or twice and then leaue but they will doe it daily and hourely and euery moment neuer leauing to sinne vntill we be compelled to leaue the world for euery one of vs may say with Manasses Vt februm recidiuarum maiora pericula vt vulnerum post cicatrices c. Bosquierus de passione Dom conc 3. p. 692. Peccaui super numerum arenae maris My sinnes are more in number then the sands of the Sea And therefore as often wounding the same scarres doth increase the danger saith Bosquierus So the continuall committing of the same sinnes doth euery way much increase and aggrauate the offences for if we did it but once it might be thought we did it precipitately of inconsideration but when we doe it continually it is apparant that we doe it wilfully with delight and deliberation and therefore must be left euery way without excuse Ansel in l. de casu diaboli Anselmus comparing the sinne of Satan with his owne sin saith Diabolus nulla praecedentis vindicta superbiens peccauit ego visa eius paena non continens ad peccatum properaui ille in innocentia constitutus ego vero restitutus ille perstitit in malitia deo reprobante ego vero deo reuocante ille obduratur ad punientem ego vera ad blandientem sic vterque contra deum ille contra non requirentem se ego vero contra morientem pro me ecce cuius imaginem horrebam in multis aspicio me horribiliorem The Diuell not seeing any vengeance vpon any former sinner by waxing proud did sinne but I though I saw his punishment for sinne did notwithstanding hasten vnto sinne He sinned in his innocency wherein he was first created I after I was againe restored hee persisted in his malice God forsaking him I persist in my sinne God still seeking to reclaime me from sinne he was hardned against God punishing him I against my God that gently and mildly intreated me and so both of vs did sinne against God he against him that after he sinned sought him not but I against him that after I had sinned sought me and dyed for mee and therefore behold I find my selfe in many things more vile and horrible then him whom for his obstinacy against God I doe so much hate and detest So infinitely great Man is not able to comprehend the infinite deformitie of sinne and so transcendently horrible is the sinne of man insomuch that Diuines conclude that as God is infinite Propter summam formositatem In regard of his excellent beauty so is sinne infinite in respect of vs Propter summam deformitatem By reason of its vnspeakeable deformitie and therefore that it can deserue no lesse then infinite punishment Well then beloued Brethren seeing the person offended All punishment ought to be answerable to the offence is so great and so excellent the offenders so base and so beggerly and the offence so haynous and so intollerable and that the punishment of a sinne Vt nec maior crimine ita nec minor esse debet As it ought not to be more so it should not be lesse then the offence deserueth what man can imagine a punishment great enough for such and so great offences as wee daily commit against our God Hence it is that Saint Paul willing to shew the equity of this inflicted punishment calleth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 stipendia The stipend or the wages of sinne Now stipendium Dr a stipe A stipend is an hirelings reward and was wont to be called the wages that was appointed to be paide the Souldiers to make prouision for their daily meate and drinke to sustaine themselues vntill they receiued their full pay this was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their stipend and none can say but the poore Souldier which aduentureth his life and his limbes euery moment for the defence of his Prince Peeres and Countrey is iustly worthy of this small measure of meate Now Death saith the Apostle is the stipend of the Sinner and therefore Death is as due to him Aretius in Rom. c. 6. 25. Vti militi stipendium suum as is the stipend vnto the Souldier saith Aretius And so you see the Worke Sinne the Wages Death and the Equity of it as iustly due to him as the stipend is to the Souldier For the wages of Sinne is Death CHAP. VI. Of the especiall application of each one of these three parts of the whole Text. ANd now to presse each one of these to make impression in our hearts let vs euer learne and remember that First seeing sinne is so various so ambiguous so horrible and so odious in its meandrian windings we should be very carefull to looke into the secret corners and tortuous labyrinths of the same for it comes as I shewed you creeping by degrees and it comes vayled with shadowes As the Serpent crept into Paradice so the Diuel creepeth into our harts and draweth vs into the height of sinne by little and little Looke into all the Ecclesiasticall Stories and you shall see that neither Idolatry nor Superstition stept into its height at first but rather crept on by little and little Saint Peters Successor was long before he could come to weare a triple Crowne so Satan seekes to bring in sinne and therefore seeing that Serò medicina paratur Cum mala per longas conualuere moras It is hard to cure an old festered disease we should obstare principijs withstand the very first beginnings of sinne and hate the very garment Jude verse 23. that is any wayes spotted or stained with iniquity That is the very least thing that may occasionate euill How we may withstand and hinder the groweth of sinne But you will say how shall this be done you tell vs what we should doe but you shew vs not the way to doe it I answere that I finde two especiall meanes whereby Satan sought to inlarge the Kingdome of Sinne and by which he had almost ouerthrowne the Kingdome of Israel The one was the aduice of Baalam Numb 24 14. the sonne of Beor a great Prophet that taught Balak King of Moab 1 Cor. 10.8 to intangle
vnto his Saints and the third both to Saints and sinners both to the best of Men and to the worst both of Men and Angels For the first the Prophet Dauid sayth the earth is full of his mercie quoniam bonus est vniuersis because all creatures taste of his goodnesse Psal 147.9 Hee openeth his hands and filleth all things liuing with plenteousnesse and he feedeth the young Rauens that call vpon him and therefore omnia in te sperant domine the eyes of all things doe looke on thee O Lord and thou giuest them their meate in due season For the second that is the forgiuing of sinnes Many particular points to be considered in the forgiuing of sinnes we shall the better vnderstand it if we doe though but briefely consider these few particulars as First Who forgiueth God omnipotent who hath no neede of sinners Et qui nec melior si laudaueris nec deterior si vituperaueris Aug. in Psal 1 Who forgiueth and which is so eminently good and so immutably blessed as thâ—t all which thou canst doe cannot better him Quia summe perfectissime bonus because he is so good that he cannot bee better nor any thing that thou canst say or doe can make him one iot the worse as Saint Augustine speaketh Secondly What hee doth forgiue crimen laesae maiestatis 2 What God forgiueth sinne horrible sinne and high treason against himselfe a thing so haynous that it would require a whole treatise to expresse it Thirdly To whom hee doth forgiue this 3 To whom he forgiueth to his owne creatures and seruants that doe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rebell and make warre like those slaues whereof Iustine speaketh that made warre against their Masters against him that made them Psal 69.9 that feeds them and that blesseth them euen then when they curse him Fourthly How he doth forgiue all this 4 How he forgiueth by laying all vpon his Sonne The rebukes of them that rebuked thee are fallen vpon mee sayth Christ yea by slaying his innocent Sonne to saue vs his wicked seruants for the Scripture sheweth that the Sonne of God was made the Sonne of Man that the sonnes of sinne might bee made the sonnes of God the Lord of glory was vilified that the sonnes of shame might be glorified and the Lord of life was deliuered vnto death that the sonnes of death might be restored to life and thus as the Christian Poet sayth Deus emit sanguine seruos Mercari exiguo nos piget aere Deum God shed his bloud to purchase those That for his loue giue not a rose So strange is mans vngratitude vnto this most mercifull God Fiftly How often he doth forgiue vs euery day 5 How often he forgiueth and that many a time God knoweth and none knoweth but God for who can tell how oft he offendeth septies in die cadit iustus Prou. 24.16 the iust man falleth seauen times a day sayth Salomon and if the iust man falleth seauen times then certainely the wicked falleth seauenty times seauen times by their leud thoughts wanton lookes idle words cursed oathes wicked lyes and sinnefull workes 6 After what manner he forgiueth Sixtly After what manner he forgiueth all this so aâ— that he forgiueth all neuer to recall them neuer to remember them for as the Distich sayth Larga dei bonitas veniam non dimidiabit Aut nihil aut totum te lachrymante dabit He forgiueth all or none at all Et semel remissa nunquam redeunt and sinnes once remitted are neuer after questioned for I the Lord change not Malac. 3.6 and my gifts are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without repentance and therefore sinnes once remitted are neuer after to be found Iere. 50.20 for the iniquities of Israel shall bee sought for and there shall be none and the sinnes of Iuda and they shall not bee found Esay 44.22 Ezâ—ch 18.21 but they shall euer bee forgotten for I will doâ— away thy transgressions as a cloude and thy sinnes as a myste and I will put away all thy wickednesse out of my remembrance sayth the Lord that is they shall bee cleane forgotten as a dead man out of minde or as the thing that had neuer beene Psal 77.10 And yet the Prophet Dauid sayth quod non obliuiscetur misereri Deus that God cannot forget to be mercifull for though the wrath of the Lord endureth but the twinckling of an eye Psal 136. yet as the same Prophet sayth and that seuen and twenty times in the same Psalme the mercie of God endureth for euer and so it is euerlasting and that as the Schooles obserue two manner of wayes The mercie of God is euerlasting two wayes Gab. Biel. in sent dist 1. q. 5. First Essentially for God is mercy quia in Deo nihil est quod non sit ipse Deus because the Diuine essence identificat sibi omnia quae sunt in diuinis doth identifie to it selfe all things that are in the Dietie and so God hath not things as qualities but is the things that are spoken of him as his essence and therefore mercy being of himselfe and euer himselfe it must needs be eternitie it selfe Aug. sup Gen l. 5. Secondly Relatiuely as it respects the creatures and makes impression on them Quia omnia priusquam fierent in notitia facientis erant because the creatures had their being in God according to his eternall purpose as the Apostle sayth from all eternitie Ephes 1.4.9 and 11. v. quia nihil noui accidit deo because no new thought can happen to the minde of God and so euer they needed mercie to continue and to accomplish that their intended being and therefore thus ex parte ante the mercy of God is euerlasting because it is from all eternitie now since they had their being and so long as they shall haue their existence in there naturall causes they doe and euer shall neede his mercy and therefore also thus ex parte post his mercy is euerlasting because endlesse And therefore Let the house of Aaron now confesse Psal 117.3 that his mercy endureth for euer and Let the house of Iuda now confâ—sse that his mercy endureth for euer and therefore also let vs all confesse that as the Prophet sayth he cannot forget to be mercifull O most excellent argument of exceeding comfort hee can forget our sinnes as I sheâ—ed you before but he cannot forget to be mercifull Can a Woman forget her owne childe Improbus ille puer crudelis tu quoque Mater Virgil in Egl. If she should that child were very vnhappy and that Mother full of crueltie yet because some Progne-like haue done it therefore Though a Woman should forget her owne child yet will not I forget you sayth the Lord. Well then here is a comfort vnto vs all That the chiefest and the surest comfort of euery man is ro relie vpon the mercie
and wouldest be adorned with the best robes of vertue Christ is the garment of righteouâ—nesse And if thou doest put on the Lord Iesus Christ Rom. 13 14. as Saint Paul aduiseth thee then all thy garments will smell of Myrhe Aloes and Cassia it will be like the smell of a pleasant field Gen. 27.27 which the Lord hath blessed or whatsoeuer thou wantest and wouldest haue thou mayest fully and freely haue the same from him Vita ab errore gratia à peccato mors à morte liberabit His life will preserue thee from error if thou wilt follow it his grace will free thee from sinne if thou wilt receiue it and his death will deliuer thee from eternall death if thou wilt beleeue in it And if thou be simple he is thy wisedome if thou be sinnefull he is thy righteousnesse if thou wouldest be holy he is thy sanctification if thou beest the slaue of hell and held captiue by the Diuell Ephes 4.8 he is thy redemption that hath ledde captiuity captiue And to comprehend all in a word This word is All in all Vt qui omnia propter Christum demittit vnum inueniat pro omnibus Christum That he which forsaketh all for Christ his sake might finde all in Christ and Christ in stead of all farre better then all vnto his soule And so might ioyfully sing with the Psalmist The Lord is my portion and I haue a goodly heritage the Lord is my Shepheard and therefore I can want nothing For Psal 23.1 as Seneca said vnto Polibius Fas tibi non est saluo Caesare de fortuna conquaeri quia hoc incolumi nihil per didisti It is not fit for thee to complaine of Fortune for want or pouerty or any other aduersitie so long as thou hast the fauour of Caesar Nam in hoc pro omnibus hic tibi omnia est ideo non tantum siccos sed laetos oculos esse oportet and him so friendly vnto thee for that hauing him thou hast lost nothing which thou canst not soone and easily recouer againe because he and his loue is better then all things vnto thee and therefore thou shouldest more reioyce in hauing him then grieue for the leesing of all things else Euen so may I farre better say the same vnto all Christians What matter though we want or leese all the things of this World if wee haue and enioy Iesus Christ for all the accessions and accumulations of worldly things can adde nothing vnto the felicity of a Christian and all the defects or wants of the same things can detract nothing from the happinesse of him that hath Iesus Christ for whosoeuer hath him hath all things and whosoeuer wanteth him hath nothing For All our knowledge is but heathenish Science All the things of this World without Christ will auaile vs nothing Iohn 14.6 able to make vs proud not to make vs happy If this word be not Obiectum adaequatum The chiefest yea and sole obiect of the same all our faith in God is but vngrounded confidence if it be not grounded vpon this word for No man commeth vnto the Father but by me All our righteousnesse is but as Pollutio panni Menstruous cloutes if it be not washed in the bloud of this word For 1 John 1.7 It is the bloud of Iesus Christ which cleanseth vs from all sinne And all our patience temperance chastity and all other vertues that either Nature planted or education effected in vs are but Splendida peccata Glittering guilded sinnes vnacceptable vnto God and vnprofitable vnto our selues able to make vs prouder not better if they be not guided by the grace and directed to the glory of this euerlasting Word For as the Bird cannot flye without her wings nor the body moue without the soule so no more can any man doe any thing that is good and acceptable vnto God without the helpe of this heauenly Word For Without me you can doe nothing saith our Sauiour Christ but in him God is well pleased John 15.5 Philip. 4.13 not onely with himselfe but also with all vs and through him We can doe all things as the Apostle saith And therefore as Duke Ioab when hee had fought the field and got the vpper hand of his enemies did send for Dauid to carry away the credit of the victory so the Prophets the Apostles and all the holy men of God in all their heauenly words miraculous workes That if there be any goodnesse in vs wee should ascribe the glory of it to Iesus Christ paines and preachings would neuer suffer any part or parcell of the credit to rest vpon themselues but did most forcibly repell it and most faithfully acknowledge it all to belong vnto this Omnipotent Word So Saint Peter after the healing of the poore lame Cripple said vnto the people when he saw them ready to adore them for so admirable a miracle Why looke you so earnestly on vs Acts 2.12.16 as though by our owne power or holinesse we had made this man to walke No no it is not so but it is The Name of Iesus Christ and our faith in his Name that made him perfectly whole i. e. He is the Author we are the Instruments and our faith is the meanes whereby this man receiued strength and therefore doe not you ascribe the honour of this worke vnto any of vs which of our selues can doe nothing but ascribe it vnto the Name of that Almighty Word which of himselfe can doe all things So Saint Paul after he had said that he had laboured more then all the rest of the Apostles least any man should thinke that he did assume the honour of that diligence vnto himselfe and not ascribe the same vnto Christ he presently addeth and yet it was not I that did it but the grace of God which was in me And so all the Saints of God after all their voluminous and laborious workes they conclude all with Laus Christo Let all the prayse be giuen to Christ And as they referred all the honour of their owne actions vnto Christ because they were all done by the grace and power of Christ so did they desire nothing in the World but Christ They forsooke all Math. 19.27 The Saints desired nothing but Iesus Christ and followed him and still cryed vnto him with Saint Augustine Da mihite Domine Take away all from vs and spare not so thou giue thy selfe vnto vs that leesing all we may leese nothing at all because we gaine thee which art the greatest gaine in the World So Saint Paul saith He trampled his owne righteousnesse and all his owne goodnesse vnderfeete Phil 3.8 that he might finde the righteousnesse of Christ he deemed all the riches and all the other things of this World but as dung and drosse 1 Cor. 22. and losse vntâ— him that he might gaine Iesus Christ and he desired to vnderstand nothing to know nothing
things for vs. euen for euer For this Incarnâ—â—e Word this God and Man Christ Iesus hath performed all things that are necessary for our saluation he liued for vs he dyed for vs he rose againe for vs and he became the Phisitian and the medicine both of our originall and actuall sinnes For against the corruption and guilt of originall sinne the pure birth and vndefiled conception of Christ is a sufficient salue and against the guilt of actuall sinne the Sanctitie and innocent life of Christ tâ—at was without any spot of sinne is a sufficient remedy and against the punishment either of originall or of actuall sinnes tâ—e most pretious death of Christ is a sufficient satisfaction Quia iniusta mors iustam vicit mortem Aug. ser 101. de tempore liberauit nos iuste quia pro nobis occisus est iniustè Because his vniust death hath iustly ouercome our death and he hath most iustly deliuered vs because he was most vniustly slaine for vs. That good examples are meanes to further godlines Besides the Word being made flesh we haue his life as a most perfect patterne to frame our liues thereby for wee are all like Apes apt to imitate and we say the life of our Minister would more moue vs to godlinesse then his doctrine and no doubt but it would doe much to them that hate not their Minister because he will not be as deboyst as themselues for a good example to good men is as a light set vpon a Candlesticke that all they which come into the house Iohn 3.19 may see the light although to euill men Christ an infallible patterne for men to imitate it moues them to the more indignation and wrath because it makes their sinnes appeare the more exceedingly sinfull and will be a iust witnesse against them in the day of wrath for that seeing the light of a good life shining amongst them they hated the same because their deeds were euill And therefore if we would be led by examples and would not erre let vs lay the the example of Christ before our face for this is a true looking glasse that is euer laid open before euery man and will neuer deceiue nor flatter any man and it is not onely a patterne for our practice but the continuall inspection and looking into the same is also in some measure an efficient cause Cyrillus l. 4. c. 5. and impulsiue motiue to incite vs to the imitation thereof and to the performance of all godlinesse because Christ is the giuer of all such graces whereby men do liue a godly life as the Apostle sheweth 1 Cor. 4.7 That we may boldly come to God Moreouer Christ hauing vnited his Deitie with our humanitie and hauing so well tempered his Maiestie with humility we may the more confidently and boldly draw neere vnto the throne of grace for that as his Deity confoundeth so his humanitie comforteth our faint and feeble soules and as his Maiestie amazeth so his humility animateth vs to come vnto him and to seeke of him whatsoeuer is needfull for vs. And further this Word being made flesh Naturam humanam nobilitauit He hath so innobled our humane nature as Saint Augustine saith that we which were wormes and no men are now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pertakers of the Diuine nature and as it were Gods and no wormes so that now 2 Pet. 1.4 That we attaine to a farre better state in Christ then we lost in Adam Bernard ser 1. de Epiphan our nature being repayred it is exalted farre aboue the dignitie of its first originall and it hath obtained to a farre better state in Christ then it had and lost in Adam because Adam was but is the image of God but wee are ioyned and made one with God as Saint Bernard saith and therefore foelix culpa quae talem meruit redemptorem happy was that fault as it happened vnto vs which brought foorth such a Sauiour to be made partaker of our flesh that wee might be partakers of his Spirit as Saint Gregory speaketh Secondly more particularly That both our bodies and our soules shall be saued in that he was made a true and a perfect man consisting both of body and soule we may assure our selues of the saluation both of body and soule for as our sinnes deserued damnation vnto both so the assuming of both by this Word hath brought deliuerance vnto them both And in that he was made subiect vnto all our humane frailties passions and miseries being made in all things like â—nto vs sinne onely excepted Heb. 2.17 c. 4 15. we may as I haue already touched before conceiue thereby an exceeding comfort for as Queene Dido said vnto the distressed Troians Haud ignara mali miseris succurrere disco Experience of miseries hath taught mee to succour all those that are miserable euen so Christ hauing felt all infirmities We may be sure of comfort in distresse and suffered more miseries then any of vs can endure will be mercifull and compassionate towards vs when hee seeth vs in distresse for he became like vnto vs that he might be mercifull vnto vs and he was tempted and suffered that he might be able to helpe and succour them that are tempted Heb. 2.17 18. saith the Apostle And therefore seeing wee haue not an High Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but is a pittifull and a compassionate Redeemer if we be inuolued in miseries and doe suffer all kindes of infirmities wants scornes sickenesse paines or whatsoeuer else let vs goe boldly vnto the Throne of Grace and beg confidently his mercy and grace Heb. 4.16 to helpe vs in the time of neede for as hee which in our Creation formed vs according to the Image of God was contented now by his incarnation to take vpon himselfe the Image of man So wee which by our transgressions made our selues like vnto the Diuell shall bee most happy and blessed if as Christ became like vnto vs in flesh so we doe endeuour to become like vnto him in the graces of his most blessed Spirit And so much for the second point that he was made Flesh BRANCH III. CHAP. I. Of the distinction of the two Natures of Christ how each of them remaineth entire inconfused and the obiections made against this truth sufficiently answered Branch 3. THirdly We are to consider how this Word was made and still is Flesh which manner may be collected out of this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He was made Flesh Touching which wee must well obserue these two speciall points Two things to be considered 1. The distinction 2. The vnion of the two natures the Word and the Flesh that is the Deity and the humanity of our Sauiour Christ First The distinction of these two Natures is most excellently shewed by Saint Paul where hee saith That in Christ there are two distinct natures Rom. 1.3.4
life Why Christ would not answere Pilate whence he was Or as others thinke he would not answere least by his eloquence he should haue escaped death insomuch that Pilate who vniustly condemned him iustly admired this that he which was wont to open his mouth in Parables and to teach others the way vnto eternall life would not at this time open his mouth to speake one word for himselfe to saue his life Secondly Pilate being much affraide to be thought an enemie vnto Caesar Marke 15.15 and being most willing to please the people as the Euangelist noteth he determined to deliuer him to be crucified And these were the motiues that caused Pilate to condemne our Sauiour Christ and these cause many a man to sinne when we feare man more then God What moued Pilate to deliuer Christ to be crucified and are desirous rather to please the people then to discharge our consciences from which two fearefull things good Lord deliuer euery faithfull soule Thirdly Because Pilate knew that for enuie the Iewes deliuered him to be crucified and his owne conscience by many arguments testified vnto him how vniustly hee condemned that iust man Math 27.24 The poor shift of Pilate to excuse himselfe therefore that it might happen vnto the Iewes according as they had concluded themselues His bloud be vpon vs and vpon our Children He taketh water and washeth his hands saying I am innocent from the bloud of this iust person See ye to it And then he gaue sentence that it should be as they required that IESVS CHRIST should be presently CRVCIFIED The sentence of Christs condemnation Ah sencelesse sinnefull man a man voide of wisedome to commit such an horrible sinne against thy God and to condemne life to death Alas what auaileth it thee to wash thy hands in water and to defile thy heart with bloud for how shalt thou answere this not onely to condemne an innocent Sed ijsdem labijs illum condemnare quibus pronuntiaueras innocentem But also with the same lippes to condemne him as guilty which euen now had pronounced him guiltlesse Surely God may say to thee as to all those Iudges that follow thy steppes to make a long speech to iustifie themselues Luke 19.22 and in few words to condemne the innocent Out of thine owne mouth will I condemne thee O thou euill seruant and I will iustly condemne thee to eternall death because thou hast vniustly condemned an innocent man to death O consider this ye that forget God and ye that be called Gods on Earth cleanse your hearts from all euill and let not your hands deale with wickednesse so shall you be innocent from the great offence And so you see what the Iudge of all the World suffered before these petty Iudges of this World CHAP. VI. What Christ suffered in Golgotha the place where he was crucified PIlate hauing passed sentence vpon Christ to be crucified the Souldiers take him and laying his Crosse a heauy Crosse vpon his shoulders as Isaac carried the wood wherewith himselfe should be sacrificed Gen. 22.6 2 Sam. 11.14 or as Vrias carried the Letters of his owne death they compelled him to carrie it so long as he was able to stand vnder it then meeting Simon of Cyrene comming from his perambulation in the fields they make him carrie that Crosse of Christ vnto the place of execution and placing the same in Golgotha which was the place where Adam was buried Ambros l. 5. Ep. 1â— as Saint Ambrose thinketh they nayled and fastened Christ vnto it vpon that very day of the weeke that Adam was created Two things considered vpon the Crosse and as is thought he was hanged vpon this Tree vpon the very same houre of the day as Adam did eate of the forbidden Tree And here wee must consider two especiall things 1. The grieuous things that he suffered Tantum distentus sum vt corpore nudo in modum tympanica pellis distento facile possint omnia ossa mea dinumerari Bern. de pass c. 7. 2. The gracious words that he vttered For the first they stretched his body as Saint Bernard saith and then they nayled him to the Crosse which was a grieuous torment vnto any but especially vnto him because his body of all other men was the most tender as being onely shaped of a Virgins substance without any commixture of the male nature and yet the most sensible parts of this tender body must be bored and mangled by his cruell enemies for his feete that afore were washed with Maries teares must now be teared with iron nayles and those blessed hands Bosquier de passione Domini p. 847. in fol. that had wrought so many wonderous workes must now be fastened Vnto this wooden Crosse and there he must hang vntill he die Horrendum dictu A most odious and a most grieuous death and that in foure respects First Because it was an accursed death so esteemed by man 1. An accursed death and so denounced by God himselfe where he saith Cursed is euery one that hangeth vpon a Tree Deut. 21. Gal. 3.13 Tripartit hist l. 1. c. 9. 2. A shamefull death And therefore Constantine the Great and good made a Law that no Christian should be crucified vpon a Crosse Secondly Because it was an ignominious and a shamefull death inflictâ—d chiefly vpon those slaues and seruants that either falsly accused or treacherously conspired their Masters death and it was neuer imposed vpon free men vnlesse it were for some haynous and notorious crimes as robberie murther sedition rebellion or such like 3. A painefull death Thirdly Because it was a most painefull death for that they were fastened to the Crosse not with any little nayles but with bigge purposely made nayles that might hold them sure and fast enough vnto the Crosse so bigge were the nayles that pierced Christ his hands and feete that being found they were found sufficient to make a bridle and a Helmet Socrates Hist l. 1. c. 17. as Socrates saith and then the whole waight of their bodies hanging by these parts made their paine intollerable and killed them at length without any deadly wound And therefore Cicero that most eloquent man which wanted no words to expresse any thing else when hee came to consider of this accursed death was brought to that passe Cicero Orat. 7. in ver to that non-plus as to say Quid dicam in crucem tollere What shall I say of that cruell and most painefull shamefull death of the Crosse 4. A slow and a lingring death Fourthly Because it was a slow and a lingering death for that as the Poet truly saith Morsque minus penae quam mora mortis habet To be long in paine is worse then death a soone dispatched riddance out of paine being a great fauour vnto a languishing life and although in other deaths they should be quickly dispatched and soone rid out of all their paine
otherwise durst not for feare to approach him and so Christ shewed his power in weakenesse for though it be a great infirmity to die yet so to die is an argument of infinite Maiestie Nazian Bern. Ser. 4. Hebdom paenosae and Saint Hierome doth well obserue that the Centurion hearing his prayer with a loud voice to shew that he was farre inough and free inough from the touch of death and seeing him Statim spiritum sponte demisisse tradidisse saith Saint Iohn emisisse saith Saint Matthew and presently to haue yeelded Et quod emittitur voluntarium est quod amittitur necessarium and most willingly to haue sent forth his Spirit out of his body as Noah sent his Doue out of the Arke Commotus signi magnitudine being troubled with the greatnesse of that wonder hee said forthwith truly this man was the Sonne of God So wonderfully strange was this his yeelding vnto death Hierom. q. 8. ad Hedib Aug tract 119. in Iohn and so Saint Augustine largely expresseth the same to shew vnto vs that the laying downe of his life was no imposed punishment against his will nor any forcible inuasion of death vpon him but a voluntary sacrifycing of himselfe for sinne and a tendering of his death to satisfie Gods wrath for our sake The third is not an absolute not a primatiue not an imposed necessity but a voluntarily assumed necessity of conueniency in respect of the end as armour and weapons are necessary for him that goeth forth to fight or a necessity by consequent presupposing the decree and ordinance of Almighty God and thus it was necessary that Christ should suffer because it was the best and most conuenient way that God in his wisedome saw fittest In what sense it was necessary for Christ to suffer Esay 53. to performe that great worke of mans saluation and because God had promised that the Messiah should suffer should be slain and therefore Christ saith vnto Peter that if he were rescued out of the hands of his enemies How then shall the Scriptures be fulfilled which said that thus it must be for God had decreed Dan. 9.26 Matth. 26.54 Esay 53.14 ordained and reueiled in his Scriptures that Christ should die CHAP. II. The instrumentall and efficient causes of the sufferings of Christ BVt because the necessity of euery thing dependeth vpon the causes that doe necessitate the same as euery man must die Of the causes which did necessitate the sufferings of Christ because hee sinned against his God and euery compound body must be corrupted because they are all composed of elementarie substance and indued with repugnant qualities therefore we must vnderstand the causes which did necessitate Christ to suffer if we would truely know how and why it behoued Christ to suffer Now for the causes of Christ his suffering I finde them to bee manifold and especially 1. Instrumentall 2. Efficient 3. Finall First The Instrumentall causes of Christ death I find likewise to be foure-fold 1. The enuy of Satan 2. The malice of the Iewes 3. The couetousnesse of Iudas 4. The desire of the people First First the enuy of Satan Satan whom he had often vanquished and dispossessed of mens soules and bodies was most obstinate in malice against him and thinking now to haue fit opportunity hauing as it were leaue to doe what he would or could doe vnto him hee entreth into the heart of Iudas saith the Euangelist and so Iohn 13.27 no doubt he did into the hearts of many of the rest and together with them he complotted all this most exquisite torments of purpose to be reuenged on him Iob 1. and to see if by this meanes hee could bring him as hee saith of Iob to curse God and die that so hee might haue him as a prey which otherwise he feared would destroy him And this our Sauiour intimateth saying I was daily with you in the Temple Luke 22.53 and ye stretched forth no hands against mee but now this is your houre and the power of darknesse i. e. now is Satan let loose Foure speciall things inraged Satan against Christ now he hath leaue to rage and now I am set as a Butte for him to shoote all his shafts at mee And we find foure speciall reasons that might moue Satan the more infinitely to rage against him As First the goodnesse of the man First the goodnesse of the man for the better any man is the more cruelly is Satan euer bent against him The things that hee possesseth are in peace but the more godly we be the more wee shall be persecuted of him and therefore Christ being without sinne he would doe his best to heape vpon him all sorrowes Secondly the rebukes he had receiued from Christ Secondly The manifold checks and rebukes that he had formerly suffered at the hands of Christ for so the Euangelists tell vs that Christ had often rebuked the vncleane spirits and commanded them to hold their peace and therefore he enuyed him and hated him and would now be reuenged on him such is the nature of the wicked when they are reproued Thirdly the victories of Christ Thirdly The many victories that Christ had formerly ouer Satan as in the Wildernesse in a single combate and when hee dispossessed him out of those miserable creatures whom he tormented Fourthly the losse of his seruants Fourthly The losse of those his slaues which Christ had already freed from his subiection and of all those hee feared Christ would free if hee should not now subdue him Haec secum Nec dum causae irarum saeuique dolores exciderant animo And therefore considering all these things and knowing that sometimes Victis redit in praecordia virtus The conquered haue happened to become conquerors he resolueth with himselfe like a desperate man either to kill or to be killed and in that resolution Vna salus victis nullam sperare salutem hee commeth forth hauing great rage against our Sauiour Christ and therefore as the prouerbe is He must needs goe whom the Diuell driues So he must needs suffer which like Iob hath Sathan for his tormentor especially being as hee was so inraged against our Sauiour Christ and hauing now leaue to impose vpon him the most exquisite torments that he could deuise Secondly The Iewes did maligne him 2. The malice of the Iewes against Christ and euen hated him vnto the death And as the Psalmist saith Astiterunt reges terrae The Kings of the Earth stood vp and the Princes tooke counsell together against the Lord and against his Christ Psal 2. So we finde that the Scribes and Pharisees and the Herodians hunted after him as for a Partridge vpon the Mountaines they watched all his wayes and sought to intrap him in all his words and to take him that they might condemne him Thirdly Iudas for very griefe 3. The couetousnesse of Iudas Marke 14.5
force as when by their friends they were rescued out of the hands of their enemies Fourthly By a ransome as when a price thought counteruaileable to the prisoners was paide for the deliuerance of the Captiues And thus Christ redeemed vs for we had solde our selues or rather giuen away our selues because we doe it for such trifles for nothing that it deserues not the name of a sale vnder sinne and we had past away our selues vnto Sathan and he would neuer suffer vs freely to be freed out of his hands neither was there any force nor friends that could any wayes restore vs vnto our former dignitie and therefore Christ came to repurchase vs that is to buy vs backe againe vnto God And though we fell our selues for nothing yet Sathan like a cunning Merchant that knowes well the worth of Soules would not part with vs at any reasonable rate and therefore Christ was faine to pay for vs not gold or siluer or any such like corruptible thing 1 Pet. 1.18 but his owne deare and precious bloud So dearely was he faine to pay for vs so dearely it cost him to redeeme our soules And so Christ came and offered himselfe How deerely it cost Christ to redeeme vs. vpon the Altar of the Crosse as a sufficient sacrifice to pacifie his Fathers wrath and to satisfie his iustice to saue our soules yea the soules of all them that beleeued in him from the beginning of the World to this present day That the bloud of Christ was the price to saue all men as well before his comming as now after his comming Gal. 4. and so forward to the finall period of all flesh For It was not the bloud of Goates or Calues that was the true propitiatory Sacrifice for the sinnes of the Fathers that liued vnder the Law but it was the bloud of Iesus Christ that was onely figured and signified by these Leuiticall shadowes by the Paschall Lambe by the Brazen Serpent and by whatsoeuer else that was giuen them as a Schoolemaster to bring them vnto Christ which purged their consciences from dead workes to serue the liuing God For he is said to be the Lambe slaine that is slaine in the figure Reuel 13.8 slaine in the purpose of God and slaine in the vertue of his passion to euery one that beleeueth him to be slaine for him from the beginning of the World And therefore all those that went before and all those that came after cried Hosanna to the Sonne of Dauid Math. 21.9 For as the looking to the Brazen Serpent was the onely meanes to saue all those people from death which were bitten by the fierie Serpents whether they were before it or behind it Numbers 21.9 or on either side of it neere it or farre from it so the beleeuing in the death of the Sonne of God was and is the onely meanes to preserue all men from the sting of sinne aswell those that went before him Et vnde mundi Philosophus erubuit ibi Apostolus thesaurum reperit quod illi visum est slultitia Apostolo factum est sapientia Quest That the merit of Christs suffering depends vpon the worthinesse of â—he person Resp as those that doe come after him And therefore Quod est grande ludibrium impijs est grande mysterium pijs The death and passion of Iesus Christ which is foolishnesse vnto the World is the sole comfort and consolation of all Christians as Saint Augustine doth most sweetly comment vpon those words of the Apostle God forbid that I should reioyce in any thing saue in the Crosse of Iesus Christ Gal 6. But here it may be demanded how the sufferings of Christ being but of short continuance should be of that worth and dignitie as to be a sufficient price for our eternall deliuerance and to make a plenary satisfaction for the sinnes of the whole World To this I answere that the merit of his suffering depends not vpon the quantity of paine or the continuance of time but vpon the worthinesse of the sufferer and that in two respects Heb. 7.26 1 Pet. 1.19.2.22 First Of his Innocency for he was holy harmelesse and vndefiled a Lambe without spot in whose mouth was found no guile And therefore Iustum est saith Saint Augustine It is a most iust and a righteous thing Aug. l. 13. c 14. de trinitate that the debtors should be set free because he which owed nothing did pay all our debt Maxim quadragess Ser. 1. Secondly Of his Excellency for he was not onely a most innocent man Quem nullum maculauit delictum But he was also a most omnipotent God as the Apostle sheweth when he biddeth vs Acts 20.28 To take heede vnto the Flocke which God hath purchased with his owne bloud And therefore as the Father is infinite which was prouoked so the Sonne is infinite which made the satisfaction that for an infinite offence there might be an infinite attonement and so the person dying being both God and Man his death must be of a greater value then the deaths of all the men of tenne thousand Worlds And therefore Saint Cyprian truly affirmeth Modicam guttam sanguinis Christi propter vnionem hypostaticam pro redemptione totius mundi sufficisse That the least droppe of the bloud of Christ by reason of the vnion of the Deitie vnto the Manhood That the sole sufferings of Christ is fully sufficient to satisfie for all sinnes to make but one person of Christ is of full sufficient vaine to make satisfaction for the sinnes of the whole World And this doth sufficiently confute all those that ioyne the afflictions of the Saints with the sufferings of Christ as a part or the accomplishment of the price of their redemption as if with Christ alone there were not as the Prophet saith Psal 130.7 plenteous redemption for though the Apostle saith I reioyce in my sufferings for you and fill vp that which is behinde of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his bodies sake which is the Church Coloss 1.24 yet this is not to be vnderstood of the propitiatory sacrifice for sinne for so Christ onely suffered all that was to be suffered for our sinnes as both the Prophet Esay Chap. 53.4.5.6 and the holy Apostles of our Sauiour Christ Saint Paul and Saint Iohn Esay 53.4.5.6 Heb. 9.26 1 Iohn 2.2 doe most fully and sufficiently declare He that is He 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by himselfe hath purged our sinnes and as Dauid onely entred the lists against Golias Heb. 1.3 when all the Israelites were but meere spectators So did Christ alone vndertake the combate against Satan and hath troden the Wine-presse alone Esay 63.3 as the Prophet speaketh and therefore Christ said All is finished that is not onely all that is written of me is now fulfilled Ille solus sordes omnium potest abluere Aug. hom 108. de tempore or all
possibly suffer As First An outward and inward darkenesse for Christ was Light and in him was no darkenesse at all saith the Euangelist Secondly Destruction of body and soule Thirdly The Lake burning with fire and brimstone Matth. 10. Apoc. 20. Aug de ciuit l. 13. c. 2. which is the second death Et qua sicut nullorum est bonorum ita nulli bona est And which as it is the place of none that is good so it is good to none and therefore either Christ was not good or hee tasted not of this second death or if he did then not vpon the Crosse because the first death must precede the second Fourthly The Worme of conscience continually afflicting them for their sinnes but in Christ there was no sinne and therefore in him there could not be any touch of conscience accusing him for sinne Fiftly Reiection from the presence of God Sixtly Malediction Seauenthly Vengeance of fire Eightly Continuance for euer All set downe in this one sentence Depart from me yee cursed into euerlasting fire Matth. 25. And neither of these can be laid vpon Christ without great blasphemie and therefore he cannot be said to suffer the paines of Hell vpon the Crosse without great Heresie That Hell in this article signifieth not the graue The second exposition is that he descended into Hell signifies Christ his buriall because Sheol commonly signifieth the graue but this cannot stand first because it were an absurd thing in a briefe rehersall of the summe of faith to haue one Article twice repeated and to haue the plainest one hee was buried expounded by a darke and enigmaticall exposition he descended into Hell secondly because it is not said that hee was laid in Sheol but he descended into Hell which signifieth a voluntary motion and therefore cannot signifie his buriall That this article signifieth not the state of the dead The third exposition is that it signifieth the state of the dead but this likewise cannot stand first because this exposition cannot auoide Lymbus Patrum for if Hell signifie the state of the dead the place of the dead can neither be Heauen nor Paradise Iob 11. secondly because wheresoeuer Hell is named as an opposition to Heauen Psal 139. 8.9 it signifieth the place of the damned euen in the Old Testament and in the New Testament but descending is a plaine opposition to ascending Matth. 11.23 as it is said that Lazarus was caried vp to Abrahams bosome and therefore if Sheol should signifie the state of the dead it should haue beene said that hee ascended vp into Sheol which is most ridiculous That the soule of Christ after the seperation from the body descended into the place of the damned The fourth exposition is that hee descended into the place of the damned for the words of the Creede He descended into hell must neither be allegorized nor confounded with the former words but they must be vnderstood as they are spoken Hee descended into hell And that for three speciall reasons 1. Necessity requireth it 2. The Scripture prooueth it 3. All antiquity confirmeth it First Necessity required that he should descend into Hell for man being inuironed with three dreadfull enemies viz. Three dreadfull enemies of man 1. Sinne during life 2. Death shortning life 3. Hell tormenting after death And the Resurrection of Christ being the full conquest of all our enemies he must ouerthrow Sinne Death and Hell or else we doe but vainely boast of releasing vs from sinne or despising death if the right and power of Hell doe still remaine ouer vs and therefore Christ must ouercome Satan and destroy his Pallace before we can be freed from his prison And this Christ hath done three wayes 1. By subduing Satan Christ destroyed Hell three wayes Matth. 12. 2. By tying Satan 3. By spoyling Satan For our Sauiour testifieth saying When a strong man armed keepeth his pallace the things that he possesseth are in peace Luc. â—2 29 but when a stronger then he commeth he taketh his armour from him he bindeth him and then he spoyleth his house And therefore Christ entred into Hâ—ll the pallace of Satan as a conqueror he tyed him as the stronger The conquest of Christ was not only by suffering but also by trampling Satan vnder feet and he spoyled him as the right owner of that which hee vniustly detained from him and this is shewed by the Apostle where he saith that Christ spoyled powers and principallities and made a shew of them openly triumphing ouer them in his owne person for this triumphing cannot be vpon the Crosse though there it was obtained because the conquest ouer Satan was not to bee by resisting much lesse by suffering the paines of Hell but by treading his aduersaries vnder his feete that so he might be truely called a conqueror And therefore we must not thinke that all his conquest was at length to repell them and with mighty feare and strong cries to escape them when the Apostle saith He spoyled them and made an open shew of them but it was a binding of them and a trampling of them vnder feet and the same was manifested to be thus fully accomplished at his Resurrection And this necessity not onely of suffering vpon the Crosse Irenaeus l 3. c. 20 but also of conquering Satan in his owne house Irenaeus sheweth saying Si homo non vicisset inimicum hominis non iuste victus esset inimicus If man had not ouercome the enemy of man That the Scripture proueth the soule of Christ to haue descended into the place of the damned the enemy of man had not beene iustly conquered Secondly The Scripture proueth the same thing for the Prophet Dauid speaking in the person of Christ saith My flesh shall rest in hope because thou wilt not forsake my soule in Hell nor suffer thine holy one to see corruption but here to take the soule for the body or hell for the graue as some doe I see no reason Quia cum Scriptura diuidit species Tertul. de carne Christi c. 13. carnem animam duo ostendit For when the Scripture speaketh of soule and body it must needs signifie both saith Tertullian and therefore Dauid in his prediction and S in t Peter in his exposition speaking both of the soule and body two names and two natures and naming a distinct place for either of them they must needes signifie two distinct and diuers things and most cleerely shew vnto vs that when his body was laid in his graue his soule descended into Hell That all antiquity teacheth the same truth Luc. 10. Euseb l. 1. c. 23. Ignatius ad Trall Thirdly The whole classie of antiquitie confirmes the same for Thaddaeus one of the seauenty Disciples taught the Citizens of Edessa how Christ was crucified and descended downe into Hell and broke downe that wall that was neuer battered down before Ignatius confessed how he suffered 〈◊〉
comfort Bernard de passione domini c. 46. p. 1236. k. then hee did sorrow and griefe at his passion saith Saint Bernard and therefore we should all of vs plus gaudere propter resurrectionem gloriosam quam dolere propter passionem ignominiosam now say with the Psalmist sing we merily vnto the Lord our God that hath turned our sorrow into ioy that we might sing one of the songs of Sion and woe to that man that doth it not Gregor hom 21. in Euangel quia indignum valde est si in eo die laudes debitas tacuerit lingua carnis quo videlicet caro resurrexit autoris because it is a great indignitie that our tongues should bee silent from giuing praise to God on that day whereon our Sauiour rose from his death saith Saint Gregory And as we should reioyce at the consideration of the resurrection of Christ from the dead so we should likewise reioyce for the resurrection of our owne soules from sinne for as Tobias said what ioy can I haue so long as I sit here in darknesse so may wee say of euery sinner what comfort can he haue whiles he liues in sinne or what fruit can he haue of those things Rom. 6. whereof hee must bee ashamed as the Apostle saith And so much for our resurrection from sinne That the resurrection of Christ is an assurance of our resurrection to eternall life Secondly if wee bee the members of Christ wee shall assuredly rise from our graues and from death vnto the resurrection of euerlasting life quia vt Redemptor noster suscepit mortem ne mori timeremus ita ostendit resurrectionem vt nos resurgere posse confideremus for as our redeemer died that we might not bee affraid of death so he rose againe that we might bee sure of our resurrection vnto life for if the head bee risen then surely the members in their due time must rise and follow after but Christ our head is risen from the dead as I haue abundantly shewed vnto you before and therefore it must be that wee which are his members shall also rise and follow after And lest any man should say sperare de se non debet homo quod in carne sua exhibuit Deus homo that man should not hope for that to himselfe which that God and man performed in himselfe S. Gregory answereth that solus in illo tempore mortuus est tamen solus minime resurrexit although hee died and was laid in his graue all alone yet he did not rise againe alone but hee was accompanied with many others to shew vnto vs that as he died not for himselfe so he rose not for himself but for vs that are his members And therefore though heere we suffer all the miseries of this world though our bodies be but semen terrae esca vermium the dust of the earth and the foode of wormes and though these bodies of ours should be cast into the seas and bee eaten of fishes and those fishes should be caught and should be eaten of men and those men should be burnt to ashes and those ashes cast into the seas yet we mâ—y assure our selues to our continuall comfort and to our refreshment in all miseries that God will collect vs and raise vs vp at the last day and giue vnto euery soule his owne body and then make vs like vnto the glorious body of Iesus Christ And so much for the first lesson 1. Cor. 15. the lesson of Theorie which these women and so likewise all men and women must learne and know That Christ is risen from the dead and therefore that we should rise from sinne and shall rise from our graues to eternall life CHAP. X. What the women are commanded to doe and why and what speciall lessons we may learne for our instruction FOR the second i. e. the lesson of practise How the Angell teacheth the women what they should doe this Angell sheweth vnto these women what they should doe saying ite goe your wayes why stand you heere and goe quickly without delay for it is the Lords businesse Why the women were to tell the Disciples that Christ was risen and cursed be they that doe the worke of the Lord negligently dicite discipulis and tell his Disciples that Christ is risen from the dead Tell his Disciples first quia vos ad praedicandum inferior sexus ad exigendum infirmior because your sex is lesse able to preach Ambros in loc lesse constant to perseuere saith Saint Ambrose secondly because women must not teach for to teach is a note of superiority and women are bound to obey and to learne at home of their husbands and therfore I permit not a woman to teach saith the Apostle thirdly that as man did rashly beleeue the woman for his destruction so he might now happily beleeue these womeÌ„ for his saluation et ecce behold he goeth before you into Galilee Galilee of the Gentiles because now the partition wall that was betwixt the Iewes and the Gentiles is broken downe and the calling of the Gentiles approacheth neere quia transmigrauerat à morte ad vitam and because now hee had passed from death to life and was to passe from this vaine and momentary life vnto that ioyfull and eternall happinesse he saith behold he goeth before you into Galilee because Galilee signifieth transmigration What we shold learne from the Angells instruction to the women or a passage ouer from one place vnto another And so you see the summe of the Angels iniunction vnto the women what they must doe and from hence we may learne these speciall lessons for our instruction First to practise what we know First that we must ioyne practise vnto our profession if wee would be happie for these two must neuer be separated these things if you know blessed are you if you doe them saith our Sauiour And yet it hath beene euer the practise of Satan to seuer those whom God hath ioyned together and therefore in former times he put out the light of the Word preached that men might not know what to do now when he seeth he can hide the light no longer he giues you leaue to know as much as you will as much as Berengarius who is said to know as much as was know-able but he laboureth that you shall doe nothing at all but shew your selues iust like the Grecians Plutar. in Lacoon which knew what was honest but did it not or like the Scribes and Pharisees which said and did not saith our Sauiour But we should consider first that this is one of the chiefest ends why God gaue his Lawes and his Commandements vnto vs that we should doe them for had hee giuen them onely to bee preserued hee might haue lockt them vp in iron coffers God gaue his Lawes not to be talked of but to be kept or had he giuen them to be talked of he might
should carry vs vp vnto God because God is loue and loue brought downe God vnto men Huc me syderio descendere fecit olympo Hic me crudeli vulnere fixit amor And therefore no maruell that loue should carry vs vp into Heauen Aug. in Psal 83. p. 376. d. 1. wherefore Saint Augustine sayth that by loue we doe either ascend to Heauen or descend to Hell quia amando Deum ascendis in Coelum amando seculum descendis vsque ad abyssum because by louing God wee ascend to Heauen and by louing the world we descend downe to Hell Saint Gregory saith these wings are 1. The contempt of worldly things 2. The desire of heauenly things And this may well stand with Saint Augustines saying because as the same Saint Gregorie saith tanto ab inferioribus disiungimur quanto superioribus delectamur by how much the more earnestly we loue heauenly things by so much we are ascended and sequestred from earthly things And therefore if you would ascend 1. Iohn 2.15 Colos 3.2 then loue not the world nor the things of this world but set your affections on those things that are aboue and because our life is iust like a clocke that vnlesse his waight be alwayes wynded vp will soone stand therefore wee must be euer winding vp our affections and weaning them from these worldly things and with Noahs doue neuer suffer the soales of our feete to rest vntill our hearts and soules returne to him that gaue them vs. Thirdly for the signes whereby wee may know whether we haue ascended or doe ascend towards Heauen or not I might shew you many How we may know whether our hearts ascendeth to Heauen or not but now take this for all if things aboue our heads shew greater vnto vs then they did before and things beneath vs lesser that is an apparant argument that we ascend and grow higher and higher for so Saint Gregorie saith if a man were aloft in the cloudes it would appeare vnto him quam abiecta sunt quae iam alta videntur how base are the things of this earth which to a man on earth doe seeme so great for then hee should see mountaines no bigger then Mole-hills and the Sunne which before while hee was on earth did seeme but instar pilae pedalis like a footeball hee should now finde it to be a great and immens glorious body all bodies aboue him would seeme greater and all below him would seeme lesser euen so if our hearts and affections be ascended vp to Heauen then surely the things of this world doe seeme vnto vs but as they are indeede damnum stercora Dung and drosse Phil. 3.8 or as nothing and worth nothing as Nazianzen saith and the things of Heauen are the onely desires of our hearts and the delights of our soules but if folia venti lilia agri the vanities and the pleasures of this world the Titles of Honour and the confluence of wealth be the desires and delights of our hearts then certainely wee are fast bound in misery and iron wee are fastened and fettered here on earth and it may bee with Golden chaynes but fast inough from ascending vp to Heauen I will not iudge of any by this rule you may all iudge your selues if you doe highly esteeme of the preaching and Preachers of Gods Word If you make much of them that feare the Lord and loue good men and a good conscience and make none account of this world nor of the things of this world then is your heart ascended vp to Heauen but if not Nudus humi iaces Thou lyest poore and miserable fettered here in earth a flaue and captiue of the Deuill and hast neede to cry and call for Christ to lead captiuitie captiue which is the second part of my Text. And so much for the Ascention of our Sauiour Christ Part. 2 PART II. CHAP. Of the victory and triumph of Christ ouer our enemies of our deliuerance from them and of our restoring into the seruice of God againe SEcondly Touching the victory and triumph of Christ set downe in these words Thou hast led captiuity captiue we must vnderstand that this is taken two wayes 1. Passiuely 2. Actiuely And I say first Passiuely because our enemies must be vanquished before we can be deliuered and therefore How Christ ouercame death Hell sinne and Satan First This phrase may be taken Passiuely for the World Death and Hell and all other enemies of Mankinde which Christ hath conquered and led captiue that they should not raigne and rule ouer his seruants any more And thus Saint Augustine doth expound it saying Quid est captiuauit captiuitatem vicit mortem mortem procurauit diabolus ipse diabolus de morte Christi est captiuatus What is he led captiuity captiue but he ouercame death for the Diuell had procured death for sinne and now the Diuell himselfe is captiuated by the death of Christ For as Victors were wont to doe to leade in triumph those Tyrants that opprest their subiects or those enemies that they had vanquished being fast bound with chaines with their heads and feet bare for their greater shame and reproach so the Psalmist alludeth vnto the same when he saith Coloss 2.15 Thou hast led captiuity captiue and the Apostle doth more cleerely expresse it when hee saith that Christ hauing spoyled Principalities and Powers hath made a shew of them openly tryumphing ouer them in it Quest But here it may be demaunded how are they captiuated when as the Diuell compasseth the earth like a roaring Lion seeking whom he may deuoure And so doth the world still oppresse vs 1 Pet. 5.8 our flesh lusteth against the spirit and Death still raigneth ouer vs all I answere that Christ hath destroyed their Power Resp hee hath taken away their strength and hee hath quite subuerted the Kingdome of sinne and Satan and taken away the sting of death and yet they compasse about not as hauing any power ouer vs but as a Lyon tyed will teare vs in pieces if he can catch vs within his clawes so will sinne and Satan if wee yeeld vnto them for though Christ ouercame all our enemies yet hee hath not quite taken them out of our wayes but left them as it were aliue though bound that we might still beware to come within their reach if we would escape their teeth and therefore wee say that sinne is so taken away that it doth not raigne ouer the Saints though perhaps through their negligence it doth often wound them so Satan is bound though like a bridled horse he often fumes against vs and sometimes bites vs too 1 Cor. 15.54 if we beware not of him and so death is swallowed vp into victory and the sting thereof is taken away so that it can neuer hurt the Saints of God though it layes them stil into a sleepe because they shall all awake at the last day But if sinne and
how can a man carry fire in his bosome Prou. 6.27 and not be burnt so how can we haue the fire of Gods Spirit in our hearts and not bee feruent to all good works Thirdly the holy Ghost being like a Doue if hee bee in vs then we are meeke and lowly in heart for this heauenly Doue remaineth in none but those that are Doues but if with the Ducke that flying aloft among the wilde Duckes did presently alight and so brought them all with her into her owners net whereof Alciat saith Alciat de Anate Perfida cognato se sanguine polluit ales Officiosa alijs exitiosa suis They doubting not her trayterous heart at all Did flie with her and downe with her did fall We doe deceiue our friends and wrong our neighbours then surely this Doue-like spirit of God is not in vs for this holy spirit of discipline flieth from deceit Wisdome 1. Gal. 5.22 and the fruit of this spirit is all meekenesse gentlenesse and goodnesse Fourthly the holy Ghost being like winde if hee bee in vs then all the dust of vanitie is scattered from our hearts and our soules are carried against the streame of naturall desires to wish and long for heauenly things And Fiftly the holy Ghost being like tongues if he be in vs then our tongues will be like the pen of a ready writer Psal 45.2 Matth. 12.14 and our talking will be of the most highest Quia ex abundantia cordis os loquitur loquela tua te manifestum facit because a religious heart will euer expresse it selfe by a godly and a religious tongue Rom. 10.10 for as with the heart man beleeueth vnto righteousnesse so with the tongue confession is made vnto saluation but if wee talke laciuiously and speake all words that may doe hurt if the poyson of aspes be vnder our lippes and the holy name of God or the good fame of men be euill spoken of through vs then surely surely If we haue not the spirit we ought to seeke him this holy spirit of God is not in vs. And if he be not in thee then I aduise thee to seeke him while he may be found for the time will come when he cannot be found Bern. ser 75. in cant i. e. cum optauerimus salutem in medio gehennae quae facta est et praedicata est in medio terrae when wee shall wish for saluation in the midst of Hell which was wrought and is preached in the midst of the earth and therefore now while it is to day we ought to seeke vnto him and to pray with the Prophet Dauid yea and to pray earnestly that God would renue his spirit within vs Psal 51.10 and stablish vs with his free spirit for whosoeuer hath not the spirit of Christ Rom. 8.9 the same is none of his the same hath no comfort in the world no assurance of his saluation no Faith no Hope no God no good But if by these infallible rules thou findest that thou hast the spirit If we haue the spirit of God we ought not to grieue him and canst say with that worthie Martyr of our Church I haue it I haue it as hee went vnto the stake to be burned then remember what the Apostle speaketh grieue not the spirit quench not the spirit spill not this water lest that spilling this oyle thy lamp goeth out and then 1 Thes 5.19 thy last end will be farre worse then thy beginning and it had bin better for thee Luc. 11.26 2 Pet. 2.21 neuer to haue knowne it then to turne aside from the holy Commandement for as Sampson and Saul hauing the spirit of God liued honorably and did performe most worthie exploits A fearefull thing to be depriued of Gods spirit Iud. 16.10 1 Sam. but hauing lost the same by their sinnes they became in their liues most miserable and in their deaths most lamentable euen so it will happen from the Lord vnto all backe-sliders vnto all them that quench the spirit therefore I say grieue him not quench him not How Preachers may know whether they haue the gifts to edifie the Church But because the chiefest of these gifts for the collecting and the edifying of the Church is the gift of tongues whereby the Ministers are inabled for the preaching of Gods Word therefore we that are Preachers should here chiefely looke whether we haue this gift of tongues or not for Psal 45.2 First if our tongues be the pens of a readie writer that wee can readily speake of the things that we haue made vnto the King and Preach the Word of Truth in season and out of season Secondly if these our tongues be not double tongues but clouen tongues i. e. able to diuide the Word of God aright and to giue vnto euery man his owne portion in due season Luke 12.42 that is mercie and comforts vnto the repentant soule and woes and iudgement vnto the obstinate transgressors and to teach Faith and workes loue to God and man Thirdly if these our clouen tongues be of fire that is vsed rather to gaine soules then to get applause or to gather wealth to draw men to glorifie God Numb 12.21.30 1 Sam. 25.36 and not to magnifie our selues then we may be assured we haue receiued a part and portion of these gifts and graces of Gods spirit But if we be like those great clarks which they say are rare Schollers but neuer man was heard to be the better for their learning they haue it in them like the fire in the flint-stone but it neuer comes out of them they are lothe to preach they are lothe to write for then perhaps they should not be deemed so learned as now they are iudged to be for a foole holding his peace may be thought to be wise or if we be like Baalams Asse that neuer spake but twice in all her life or vse to preach as Naball feasted once a yeere when they receiue their rents or if wee would preach and cannot but it were better for vs not to preach at all then to preach so idly and so foolishly as we doe or if we preach more for profit or the praise of men then for the glorie of God then assuredly we doe proclayme vnto the world that we haue not yet receiued these gifts of fierie clouen tongues from God Vsher de Christ ecccles Vrbanus writes vnto Baldwin Arch-Bishop of Canterburie Monacho feruentissimo Abbati calido episcopo lepido Archi-episcopo remisso and so it was sayd of Alexander the sixt De vitio in vitium de flamma transit in ignem They grew worse and worse as they did grow greater and greater and I pray God it be not true among vs that high preferment spoyle not many a Preacher I say no more but so you see how the gifts which are giuen for the edifying of Gods Church were giuen vnto the Apostles and how euer since they
writings desired not onely pium Lectorem a courteous Reader of his labours but also liberum Correctorem a free reprouer of his faults but so that they doe it friendly to blame in their iudgement where it is equity but not to blaze my faults vnto the world which is a breach of charity and that they doe as well accept of what is good as except against what is ill herein for I know there be many Momus-like Qui vel non intelligendo reprehendunt Idem contra Faust l. 22. c. 34. vel reprehendendo non intelligunt that doe shew their folly in reprouing others when out of enuy or ignorance they blame that good of others which they haue not or know not themselues And for these there is none other helpe but to be carelesse of their censures and to pray against their wickednesse There be faults escaped in the Printing the most of them be literall as the mistaking of e for ae econtra and such like faults of no great moment especially to him that knowes how hard it is to make things perfect and therefore I hope they shall be either mended with thy pen or pardoned without thy censure for other things I onely desire thy prayers for mee and thou shalt euer finde his paines and prayers for thee which loueth thee and all men in Iesus Christ with all vnfainednesse GR. VVILLIAMS This Treatise cōtaineth 1. The worke done i. e. sin and that is either 1. Originall sinne where is considered 1. What euill it bringeth 2. How it is deriued 2. Actuall sin where is shewed 1. How it is defined 2. How it is increased 1. Inwardly 1. By the suggestion of Satan 2. By the delights of the flesh 3. By the consent of the spirit 2. Outwardly 1. Secretly committed 2 Publiquely aduentured 3. Vsually practised 4. Exceedingly enlarged 3. How it is cōmitted viz. of 1. Ignorance 2. Knowledge 3. Infirmity 4. Malice which is 1. Wilfull 2. Spitefull * And from hence is seene 1. The diuersity of sinners 2. The inequality of sins yet that 1. Euery sinne brings death 2. The sin of any one brings death 3. The least sin of any one brings death 2. The wages to be paid for sin i. e. death which signifieth the curse of God extending it selfe 1. Vpon all creatures 1. Heauenly 2. Earthly 2. Vpon euery man to whom it bringeth a treble death 1. Of the soule whereof it killeth 1. Will. 2. Vnderstanding 3. Memory 2. Of the body where is considered 1. What is meant by death i. e. all miseries 1. In all Ages 2. In all States 3. By all Creatures 2. How farre it extendeth ouer all men 3. How variably it worketh in respect of the 1. Manner 2. Time 3. Place 4. Effects †which are different the cause whereof is 1. The practise of a good life 2. The meditatiō of our death 3. The applic of Christs death 3. Of body and soule in Hell 3. The equity of this wages is seene if we consider 1. That it is iust to punish sinne 2. That God is the iustest Iudg that can bee found to punish sinne 1. Because he loueth righteousnesse 2. Because he iudgeth without respect of persons 3. Because he punisheth euery man according to his desart Where the inequality of Hell punishment is shewed 3. That all the punishment afore-said inflicted for sinne is most iust 1. Not in respect of a sinners will eternally to sinne if he did eternally liue but 2. In a iust proportion of the punishment to the haynousnesse of the sin committed which is seene in respect 1. Of the leuity and easinesse to doe what God commandeth 2. Of the transcendent deformity of sinne which is seene if we consider 1. The Nature of him that is offended 2. The quality of him that doth offend 3. The Nature of the sinne that is committed This Treatise sheweth 1. What God is and how God is knowne what he is two wayes 1. As he is in himselfe so none knoweth God but God himselfe 2. As he hath expressed himselfe to vs and so he may be known 1. By way of negation 2. By way of affirmation 3. By way of superexcellency and so hee is shewed to be 1. An eternall being in himselfe 2. A giuer of being 1. To all creatures 2. To all his promises which should teach vs to labour to be vnited to him to be thankefull and to beleeue all his promises 3. An absolute L. of all things which should teach vs to serue him for 3. especiall reasons 2. What maner of God he is where the nature of God is shewed by three speciall attributes viz. 1. By his Power touching which is handled 1. The number quality of the aduersaries of Gods power which are 1. The Infidels that will not beleeue in him 2. The desperate men that cannot hope in him 3. The vbiquitaries of Germany 4. The pontificialls of Rome 2. How the actiue power of God is to be considered in resp 1. Of his inward operations 2. Of his outward operatiōs and so it must be cōsidered 1. Relatiuely as it respecteth the will and decree of God 2. Absolutely so he can doe all things 1. Which are not contrary to Gods Nature 2. Which imply not contradiction 3. The proofe of Gods omnipotency which is shewed from 1. The Word of God 2. The workes of God 1. In the beginning of the world 2. Throughout the continuance 3. In the end of the world 3. The consent of all Diuines 4. The testimony of many Heathens 5. The confession of the very Diuels 4. The answering to the chiefest obiections 1. Of the Infidels 2. Of the desperate 3. Of the vbiquitaries 4. Of the pontificials 5. The vsefull appl of this do which serueth 1. To confute many heresies 2. To comfort all the Godly 3. To condemne all the wicked 2 By his goodnes and that seauen especial wayes viz. that he is 1. Mercifull which consisteth in 1. Giuing of graces 2. Forgiuing of sinnes 3. Qualifying of punishments 2. Gracious which signifieth 1. Amiable 2. Placable 3. Liberall 3. Slow to anger shewed 1. By Scriptures 2. By examples old and new 4. Abundant in goodnes 1. As he is in himselfe 2. As he is to others 1. Generally to all creatures by 1. Creating all things 1. simp g. 2. rela g. 2. pres thē frō euill 3. enric thē with g. 2. Specially to his elect 1. by dec their elec 2. by their effect cal 3. by the filling of thē with his graces 5. Abundant in truth 1. Essentially truth in himselfe 2. Causally the fountaine of al truth 1. Of things 2. Of the vnderstanding 3. Of expression which is 1. Primar in Scrip. 2 Secondarily from man to man 6. Reseruing mercy for thousands that is 1. Extensiuely 2. Successiuely 7. Forgiuing iniquitie and transgression and sin i. e. all kinds of sin 1. Originall corruption 2. Actuall commission 3. Greatest abhom if we repent * The vsefull applic of Gods
goodnesse teaching vs 1. To be afraid to sinne 2. Neuer to desp of Gods goodn 3. To imitate God in each one of the seauen forenamed points 3. By his iustice and that 1. Negatiuely not making the wicked innocent 2. Positiuely by visiting of the sins of the wicked 1. Vpon themselues 2. Vpon their children where is distinguished of 1. Parents 2. Sinnes 3. Children 4. Punishments This Treatise containeth 1. An Introduction of the excellency of the knowledge of Iesus C. wher is shewed that 1. his life is our chiefest direct 2. himselfe our onely consolatiō 2. An explication of that great mystery of the Incarnation of the Word where is handled 1. Who was made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where is shewed 1. That there can be but one God and yet that there are three persons in the vnity of that one essence how these three persons are distinguished 1. By their personal actions 1. outward which are 1. Communic 2. Transcient 3. Voluntary 2. Inward which are 1. Permanent 2. Necessary 3. Incommunicable 2. By their nominall relation Father Son and Holy Ghost And that the person made is the second person of the blessed Trinitie To his father 1. Co-eternall 2. Co-essentiall 3. Co-equall And this is fully proued all obict plainely answered and from thence shewed 1. The greatnesse of Gods loue 2. The craftinesse of Satan 3. The peruersnes of hereticks 4. The vnthankfulnes of men 2. Three especiall things touching the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 viz. 1. What 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth i. e. the Word 2. Why Christ is tearmed the Word 3. Why the Euangelist vseth this word 1. Because this name of Christ was best knowne to the Iewes and to the Gentiles 2. Because it was the fit st word that he could vse to make way for his subsequent discourse 3. The impulsiue and the finall causes of the Words incarnation and the reasons why the Word rather then the Father or the holy Ghost was to be incarnate 2. What he was made flesh where is shewed 1. The manner of his conception the reasons and the end thereof 2. The matter that hee assumed 1. All our humane nature i. e. body and soule 2. All our humane frailties both of body and soule sinne onely excepted And here is shewed many excellent lessons that we ought to learne in respect 1. Of God 2. Of Christ 3. Of our selues 3. How the Word was made flesh or how the two natures diuine and humane doe make but one person in Christ where is shewed 1. The distinction of the two natures diuine and humane that they doe still remaine intire and inconfused is fully proued and the chiefest obiections made to the contrary are plainly answered 2. The vnion of the two natures in one personis explained and 1. The confirmatiō of the truth of this point is shewed and the greatest obie made against it are sufficiently answered 2. The manner of this vnion wherein it consisteth is expressed viz. 1. Not as the Arrians say onely in respect of 1. Cohabitation 2. Will and affection 3. Co-operation 4. Participation of his names and dignities vnto the manhood 2. But in the communicating of the subsistence of the Word with the subsistence of the manhood where is shewed that this vnion is 1. Inconuertible 2. Indiuisible 3. Inconfused 4. Inseperable 5. Substantiall 6. Ineffable 3. The chiefest benefits effects of the said vnion is shewed and that 1. In respect of Christ which are 1. An exēpt from all sin 2. A collation of ineffable graces into the manhood of Christ 3. A communication of the properties of each nature to the person of Ch. Where the obiection of the vbiquit indeuouring to proue the manhood inuested with Diuine properties are fully answered 2. In resp of vs viz our vnion and reconciliation with God all the happinesse we haue in this life or doe looke for in the life to come This Treatise containeth 1 An introduction of the meditation of Christ his death which is 1. Acceptable vnto God 2. Profitable for vs. 1. To hinder sinne 2. To kindle our charity 3. To erect our hope 2. A declaration of the passion of Christ wherein is handled 4. 1. The person suffering which was 1. A Man 2. A iust Man 3. A good Man 4. A King 5. A Priest 6. A Prophet 7. A God whereis shewed who are subiect to most affliction 2. The sufferings of Christ 1. In the garden of Gethsemane 1. Alone where is shewed 1. How the affections of Christ differ from ours in respect of the 1. Obiect 2. Maner 3. Effects 2. The cause of his agony in respect of 1. obiect 2. subiect where is †Explained 1. What might grieue Christ 1. In respect of himselfe 1. The greatnesse of his paine and shame 2. The deferring of his death and punishment 2. In respect of others 1. Small account he saw they would make of his death 2. The greatnesse of their punishment which hee knew they must suffer for that their neglect 2. What Christ might feare 1. The waight of sinne 2 The malice of Satan 3 The wrath of God 2 By others where is shewed 1. The treason of Iudas where is shewed 1. what Christ had done for Iudas 2. why Iudas betrayed Christ 3. how Iudas betrayed him 2. The flight of all the followers of Christ 3. The taking and binding of Iesus Christ 2. Before his Iudges viz. 1. Before Annas where 1. He is examined 1. Of his Disciples 2. Of his Doctrine 2. he is strucken by the hie P. ser 3. he is denied by his stoutest Ap. 2. Before Pilate the first time where hee is accused 1. Of impiety against God 2. Of treaso against Caesar 3. Before Herod where the mystery of cloathing Christ in white is explained 4. Before Pilate the 2. time where his scourging crowning with thorns c. is expressed 3. In Golgotha where is expressed 1. Those things that he suffered on the Cros 1. An accursed 2. A shamefull 3. A painefull 4. a lingring D where also is shewed the generality of his suffering 2. The 7. gracious words that he vttered many other speciall obseruat full of comfort 3. The necessity of Christ his sufferings in respect of the causes viz. 1. Instrumentall 1. The enuy of Satan 2. The malice of the Iewes 3. The couetousnesse of Iudas 4. The desire of the multitude 2. Efficient God himselfe for our sinnes out of the loue he bare to man 3. Finall 1. In resp of men 1 To saue the Elect by the vertue of his death 2. To make the wicked without excuse for neglecting his death 2. In resp of God for the glory of his blessed N. where is shewed that this should teach vs 1. To compassionate his death 2. To make vs thankefull for so great a benefit 3. To cause vs to loue him aboue all things in the world 4. To make vs ready to suffer any thing with him and for his sake 4. The
i. e. God for diuers speciall reasons as 1. Because hee onely is omnipresent 2. Because hee onely is omniscient 3. Because hee onely is omnipotent 3. The place whereto pray 1. Generally euerywhere 2. Specially the Church and that for fiue speciall reasons 4. The time when to pray 1. With our heart and affect alwaies 2. With our voyce at the appointed times 1. For our priuate prayers 2. For our publ prayers ‡ Where the neglectors of publique prayers are sharpely reprehended 5. The manner how to pray 1. In humility 2. In faith 3. In zeale 4. With constancy 5. In charity 6. In piety 6. The motiues to perswade vs to pray 1. In respect of God because prayer is an essentiall part of Gods seruice 2. In respect of our selues 1. To obtaine our request 1. Whatsoeuer we aske 2. More then we aske 3. Better then we aske 2. To preuent iudgements 3. To preserue al spiritual graces 4 To weaken finne 5. To sanctifie the creatures 6. To ouercome all creatures 7. To preuaile with God 1. When hee is pleased 2. When hee is angry Where is shewed that the gift to pray is the most excellentest grace that God bestoweth on man 2. The charity of the Apostle in shewing how we should pray one for another where is shewed that we must pray 1. Specially for our selues 2. Generally for al men for three speciall reasons and more particularly †; 1. For Kings and all Magistrates 2. For our ministers and that for three speciall reasons 1. Because we owe this dutie to pray for them 2 For our owne good 3. To helpe them ‖ to discharge that great charge which is laide vpon them where is shewed the dangerous estate of Ministers whatsoeuer they doe An Jntroduction to the whole BOOKE WHen Almighty God had decreed from all eternity to make certaine creatures partakers of his felicity he did in that very period of the decreed time by his eternall Councell create of nothing all the things that are subsistent and thereby he shewed himselfe to be as all Gentiles confest it optimus maximus the very best of all that is good and the very greatest of all that is great and as Pliny saith well especially hauing but the light of nature to enlighten him Plutarch in Panegyrico Traiâ—n dict he did herein shew himselfe to be prius optimus quam maximus because hee which was so eminently good that he could not be bettered did all this for them that were iust nothing but alas behold a relapsed creature from his most indulgent Creator and see how this goodnesse of God abused by the creature became through the iust iudgement of GOD an euitable cause of all miseries vpon all transgressors for wee not contented with that blessed state wherein wee were established did spurne against our God by a most ambitious vsurpation of his very Deity and so aspiring vnto a blessed life as we thought we brought vpon our selues a most accursed death as we all finde yet God still desiring to shew himselfe a God of mercy he promised to send a Sauiour to redeem vs Gal. 4.4 by taking our nature vpon him and suffering in our flesh whatsoeuer we deserued for our sinnes and to this end when the fulnesse of time came God sent his Sonne made of a woman made vnder the Law subiect to the curse of the Law which was death of body buriall in the graue and discention into hell that he might free vs from eternall death and then to rise againe the third day to ascend into heauen and to send his holy Spirit into our hearts to worke in vs faith to apply all this vnto our selues and all other graces whatsoeuer that might fit vs and bring vs vnto euerlasting life And this is the summe of all that is contained in this booke to know our selues to know God to know Iesus Christ borne dead raised ascended and now raigning in eternall glory to guide his Church and to confound his foes for euermore Perhaps this worke may seeme as the water boughs of a fruitlesse tree a superfluous branch vnto the Church of God I willingly submit it to the iudgement of Gods children they must all confesse it is the last houre of the worlds age wherein iniquity is increased impiety is enlarged and all charity is almost abandoned all things growing worse and worse by continuance Et satanas tanto feruentior ad sauitiam quanto se sentit viciniorem ad paenam and Satan hauing the greater rage to driue vs to transgression by how much the neerer he perceiues himselfe to destruction And therefore let men say what they will yet seeing we may truly demaund of them Quid audiam verba cum vidiam contraria facta What booteth all our knowledge seeing we doe nothing that we know nor know nothing indeed as we ought to know I say that it cannot be amisse to do what wee can to expresse those things that may best make for our happinesse and I know these points are necessary to be knowne Aetas parentum peior auis tulit nos nequiores mox daturos progienem visiorem Horat. car 3.6 Greg Moral l. 34. c. 1. and most profitable to be practised by all Christians Reade them then and I will pray to God that he will giue thee grace Faeliciter currere faelicius in Christi pietate cursam tuum consummare to vnderstand what thou readest to beleeue what thou vnderstandest and to practise what thou beleeuest that so thou mayest attaine vnto euerlasting life through Iesus Christ our Lord Amen Courteous Reader these errours and the like if you meet them I pray you correct them Pag. Lin. Errata Corrige 5 19 predicatum praedicatum 7 24 as some deleatur 15 21 infelicitas infaelicitas 18 13 predicatum praedicatum 22 30 nay no. 23 36 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 28 21 occulos oculos 29 20 Athenienes Athenienses 31 15 gnostrickes gnostickes  praemit premit 37 1 equalities equalitie 38 2 quaâ—a quantae  at as 44 9 seruat deleatur 45 10 meritrix meretrix 47 23 á as 71 8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 71 6 presentes praesentes 77 12 laethi lethi 81 18 soules sculles 84 16 are is  27 elephat elephante 86 37 it in 93 4 dilicijs delicijs 102 18 diliciae deliciae 128 14 future tens for the present present tens for the future 263 7 conquari conqueri 326 25 impleueâ— impleuit 452 4 faerox ferox 463 1 progeniere progenuere 471 26 eterchangably interchangably 480 25 penae poenae 482 25 manibus maenibus 462 10 Querentis quaerentis 559 35 tum tam 571 12 fugentes fugientes 579 7 eo eos 669 31 honestatatis honestatis 676 34 lepido tepido 692 after effusion of v. their deerest bloud to defend that in the field which they with the diffusion of c. 707 1 propter praeter Marginall faults P. Err. Corrige
not one so bad as this for notwithstanding all this and that they see they cannot liue and Nature tels them they must needs die yea all these fore-runners of death Auri sacra fames amor sceleratus habendi assolet imprimis excruciare fenes doe daily tell them that they are euen drawing their last breath yet the neerer they be vnto their death the more couetous they are the more worldly minded the more desirous to liue and the more loath to leaue this wretched life Secondly as all the Ages of mans life The miseries of all estates so all the estates of life are full of the punishments of sinne For First if thou beest poore Nihil habet infaelix paupertas Thou shalt be sure of nothing but contempt which is pouerties necessary attendant for the poore man shall be despighted of his own brethren and it is strange to see what pains and drudgery those poore snakes as we call them doe take The miseries of the poore Gen. 3.19 and indure both at home and abroad to get a little maintenance in the sweat of their face it may be in the coldest Winter they doe eate their bread and perhaps scarce sufficient to satisfie meere necesity as if they onely were allotted to sustaine that heauy sentence that was first denounced against man for sinne and therefore Menander saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 No burthen is more burthensome then pouerty and Plautus saith Omnibus modis Plaut rud qui pauperes sunt misere viuunt The poore are miserable euery way and it was the common receaued opinion of the Gentiles miseros esse deis inuisos that they were hated of the gods which were thus plagued by the gods and the Iewes thought little lesse Deut. 28.22.23 because this is numbred among the curses of the Law and therefore Hecuba being brought to such extreame pouerty as that she had neither clothes to couer her nakednesse nor yet foode to satisfie nature cals her mis-fortunes and miseries 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Such as surpassed the sufferance of any creature and Plutarch reports that many men to auoid the same did preuent this misery of life by a sudden and vnnaturall death choosing to die rather then to liue in extreame pouerty and so with the vnpatient Fishes they did but leape out of the Frying-pan into the fire and run away from that misery which for a while they would not indure into that intollerable torments which now they must eternally suffer The misery of the rich Secondly If thou beest rich then art thou enuied of others and shalt be very like to be consened of thy goods for theeues will seeke to robbe thee thy friends to betray thee and thy neighbours to deceiue thee which makes the rich men to take more care to keepe their wealth then they tooke paines to get it and thereby they are vexed and crucified of themselues Inuenal Satyr 10. Nam plures nimia congesta pecunia cura strangulat For gold and siluer haue destroyed many a man saith the Sonne of Syrach Eccle. 8. for riches are like thornes saith our Sauiour Christ because they haue the same power to teare our hearts Mar. 4.18 as the others haue to rend our garments Neither is this all the euill that riches bring vnto vs but they puffe vs vp with pride they make vs to disdaine our Inferiors wrong our neighbours forget our God and to thinke our selues poore wormes to be no lesse then gods on earth and therefore the Lord saith that he is greatly angry against rich Nations Because Zephan 1. they that will be rich doe fall into temptation and a snare 1 Tim. 6.9 and into many foolish and hurtfull lusts which drowne men in perdition and destruction and our Sauiour saith Matth. 19.23 it is a very hard thing for a rich man to enter into the Kingdome of Heauen And therefore though pouerty be an extreame misery Whether to be poore or to be rich is the more miserable yet doe not I know well whether to be wealthy or to be in want is the worser for though to be poore is a miserable thing in this life yet to be rich is a great hinderance for vs to eternall life and therefore I finde that the sonne of Iakeh prayed to God that he would giue him neither pouerty nor riches Prou. 30.3 but feed him with foode conuenient Because the meane state is the best state And yet Thirdly If thou beest meane then art thou accounted base The miseries of the meane estate and deemed vnfit for the Society nay for the seruice of many men for now Gentlemen and not good men are the men that are most generally required for the seruice of great men Fourthly If thou beest Noble The miseries of Nobility then art thou euer in feare of disgrace and must perhaps in forraine warres with the imbruing of thy hands in others blood mainetaine the reputation of thine owne blood at home Fiftly If thou beest one of the vulgar people The miseries of the common people then art thou at others command and euer in feare of thy Iudges anger Sixtly If thou beest a Magistrate then must thou labour and toyle for the good of others and many times The miseries of Magistrates disturbe thine owne rest and peace yea disburse thine owne state and suffer many other hazards to vndergoe to procure rest and peace vnto thy neighbours and when in any difference betwixt men thou hast done thy best and dealt as iustly as Iustice it selfe could doe yet for his saying that is righted and perhaps but coldly too that thou hast done well thou art like to bee sure of him that would haue done the wrong to be more wronged thy selfe by his railing and proclayming thee to be a corrupt and vnrighteous Iudge The miseries of the Ministers Seauenthly If thou beest a Minister and a teacher of Gods people then shalt thou see that this highest calling in Gods Church is subiect to the greatest miseries in the world for they are sent as sheepe into the midst of Wolues Matth. 10.16 and they are incident to be punished by God many times for the sinnes of others when they make them their owne Ezek. 18. because they reprooue them not and to be scorned and contemned of men when they do their best and we see many of them euen of the best to be left vnregarded vnrewarded And what should I speake of more Fathers Children Husbands Wiues Masters Seruants and whatsoeuer else no estate is free from sinne how can they then be free from miseries How all creatures do heap vp miseries vpon man Thirdly we know that when God made man he made Lord of all his creatures the trembling trees bowing yeelded their fruites the siluer streames running offered their seruice the Lyons roaring after their prey and all other creatures standing in their order subiected themselues willingly vnto man
the world yet there is 1000. wayes How death hath diuers wayes to shorten life Prou 17.22 Act. 5.10 for euery man to goe out of the world And so we finde some haue perished with sudden death as Ananias and Saphira some with Gluttony as Domitius Afer others with drunkennesse as Attila King of Hunnes some by fire from Heauen as the Sodomites Gen. â—9 the two fifties that were sent to fetch Elias and Anastatius the Emperour an Eutychian Hereticke others by waters as Marcus Marcellus Exod. 24.28 King Pharaoh and all his hoast and all the old wicked world excepting those eight persons that were saued in Noahs Arke Gen. 7 21. 1 Pet 2.5 Numb 16.32 Some with hunger as Cleanthes others with thirst as Thales Milesius some were swallowed vp quicke to Hell as Corah Dathan and Abiram and others by earthquakes were stricken dead as Ephrasius Bishop of Antioch Some were stifled with smoake as Catulus others dyed with a fall as Nestorius some were taken in their lasciuious dalliances as Cornelius Gallus others with ouerwatchingâ— as M. Attillius some with poyson as Phocion others choked with flies as Pope Adrian some at the disburdening of Nature as that wicked Arrius others torne in pieces by wilde beasts as Heraclius Lucian 2 King 2 24. and Acteon by dogges Hypolitus by wilde Horses Licus the Emperour and the disobedient Prophet by Lions Ancaeus King of Samos by Bores and Hatto Bishop of Mentz by Rats and so some die with ioy as Chylo the Lacedemonian and Diagoras the Rhodian who seeing his three sonnes crowned Champions in one day he reioyced so much that he dyed for ioy in the very place More die with griefe Quia spirâ—tus tristis exiccat ossa Because a broken spirit dryeth the bones and a heauy heart doth hasten to death and therefore the Prophet Dauid when he found hâ—mselfe so melancholicke and discontented did rouze vp his heart and spirits saying Why art thou so heauy O my soule and why art thou so disquieted within me yet put thy trust in the Lord for he is thy helper and defender and so should wee doe Bosquier de finibus bonorum mal pag. 31. 32. when either cares or crosses doe dismay vs. But most men die with sicknesses and diseases Feauers Fluxes Gouts Plagues and 1000. more they being so many that neither Galenus nor Hypocrates nor all the best Physitians can number them saith Bosquierus the generations of men here on earth being as Homer saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tale quale est foliorum Like vnto the leaues of a tree whereof some doe perish and others spring in their places They spring they flourish they waxe old and soone wither away Et tum quoque cum crescimus Senecal 3. ep 24. vita decrescit and our life then decreaseth as our yeares increaseth Vt rosa mane viget sero mox vespere languet Sic modo qui fuimus cras leuis vmbra sumus We bring our yeares to an end as it were a tale that is told For the second that is the Time when death doth attach vs We see some are taken yong and some are left vntil they be very old Death taketh men of all ages some taste of death before they doe see the light when their mothers wombes are as the tombes for their buriall some die in their Cradles as the babes of Bethelem and some liue so long that they are weary of life And sometimes the good are soonest taken as Enoch sometimes the bad as Onan Et vocantur ante tempus boni Gen. 5.24 Gen. 33. ne diutius vexarentur à noxijs And the good are often taken away that they should be neither vexed nor corrupted by the wicked and the wicked are sometimes taken away that they should not persecute the godly any longer and that they might be an example of Gods vengeance vpon all such as feare not God And sometimes death fore-warneth vs as it did Ezechias by sending his messengers to bid vs to set our houses in order that we may be prepared for death as age sickenesses and such like and sometimes it preuenteth vs and takes vs afore we are aware of it as it did yong Onan and old Ely who were both suddenly met by death when death was looked for by neither of them For the third that is the Place where death will meete vs Death smiteth in euery place we know death is not very scrupulous be it faire or soule wide or narrrow priuate or publike in the field or in the Church or wheresoeuer where hee meetes vs there hee will arrest vs Poet Euâ—ulus and his wife both a bed Vrias in the field and Ioab at the hornes of the altar And all this taking of vs in any Manner at any Time That we shâ—ld be alwayes ready for death and in any Place is to teach vs to be alwayes ready and to looke for death at all times and in all places Omnem crede diem tibi diluxisse supremum For seeing thou knowest neither the time nor the place where death meanes to arrest thee it is thy chiefest wisedome to be ready for death at all times and to waite for the same in euery place For the fourth that is the effects of death we must note Death is a comfortable thing to the godly that they are very different both about the time of the dissolution and after the time of the separation of the body and soule for first at the time of their dissolution bona mors iusti right deare in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints And this is the thing they longed for to be losed from the bonds of sinne and to be with their Sauiour Christ in happinesse to be with him which was dead and is aliue and liueth for euermore Reuel 2.8 And therefore to these men Mors vltima poenae est Lucan l. 8. nec metuenda viris Death is the ending of their paine and the beginning of their pleasure nay more as Prudentius saith Tormenta carcer vngulae stridensque flammis lamina atque ipsa poenarum vltima mors Christianis ludus est All the bitternesse of the bitterest death Prudent in hymno de Vincent is ioy and sweetnesse vnto them for that in death they see their life they behold the Angels pitching their tents round about them and ready to receiue their soules to glory before their bodies can be laid in their graues and therefore well might Salomon say that the godly man hath hope in his death Prou. 14.32 for he knoweth not what to feare because he knoweth in whom he beleeued The death of the wicked is most terrible vnto them But mors peccatorum pessima the death of the wicked is most fearefull and therefore the very remembrance of it is most bitter vnto them for now before it shuts the eyes of their bodies it will open the eyes of
sleepe and smote all his enemies vpon the cheeke bone and brought them vnto perpetuall shame and as the Apostle sayth Collos 2.15 hee spoyled principalities and powers and led away captiuitie captiue Ephes 4.8 and receiued gifts for men And therefore as many as lay hold vpon this death of Christ they need not feare their owne death for they may say with the Phenix Moritur me moriente senectus Sinne and misery dieth in vs but wee doe still liue with Christ And therefore Saint Cyprian sayth that Cyprian de mortalitate eius est timere mortem qui ad Christum nolit ire it is enough for them to feare death which will not beleeue in Christ his death John 11.26 for hee that beleeueth in him shall neuer die but they that will not beleeue in him may well feare and tremble at the remembrance of this death because after death comes iudgement and then shall they feele another death which is eternall death for the reward of sinne is death that is indeed eternall death in hell Marke 9.44 where their worme dieth not and their fire is not quenched CHAP. VI. How sinne brings eternall death both of Body and Soule THirdly Touching eternall death wee must vnderstand What eternall death is that this is a separation of man from God which is paena damni the losse of eternall happinesse a losse farre exceeding the losse of all the world and an allegation of a damned soule in a tormented body non viuendâ— sed dolendi causa not to giue any comfort of life or ioy but to giue the true sence and feeling of eternall death and sorrow which is paena sensus the payne of feeling and suffering the greatest paynes that can be conceiued for when the wicked are called by God to be adiudged for sinne they shall bee condemned by Christ Of the intollerable paynes of hell and then caried by the deuils into euerlasting torments into the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone for euermore and there their musicke shall be horrors and howlings their meate shall be balls of fire and their drinke shall be fountaines of teares alwayes distilling downe from their eyes and yet neuer procuring them any ease there their torments shall be intollerable their times endlesse and their companions deuils for so Saint Augustine sayth August ser 55. de tempore that in inferno nec tortores deficiant nec miseri torti moriantur sed per milia milia annorum cruciandi nec tamen in secula liberandi in hell neither the cruell tormenters shall be wanting nor the miserably tormented shall bee eased but for thousand thousands of yeares bee plagued and neuer thence to bee deliuered Isidorus de summo bono and as Isidorus sayth Ibi erit semper velle quod nunquam erit semper nolle quod nunquam non erit there shall bee a will neuer satisfied and a nille neuer gratified neuer inioying the ease they would and euer suffering the paynes they would not And if we diue into the depth of that dolefull tragedie of miserable Diues wee shall see this trueth fully confirmed for as the Scripture sheweth that here iudgement shall be without mercy and that euery one shall receiue his punishment in waite and measure according to the measure of their sinnes so wee find it true it him who as hee denied the crumbes of bread to poore Lazarus so is he now denied the least drop of water to coole his burning tongue How the least comfort shall be denied vnto the damned and the least dramme of mercy to refresh his poore distressed soule quis talia fando sustinet a lachrymis Who can indure to dwell in deuouring flames and yet behold this is the reward of sinne for the wages of sinne is death Oh then A most earnest perswasion to forsake sinne beloued brethren seeing euery sinne slayeth the soule within the body corrupteth the body in the graue and eternally tormenteth both the body and soule in hell let vs hate and detest all sinnes for though wee reade of many tyrants Nero Phalaris Caligula Heliagabalus and such like that were carniuorants and blood-thirsty men sauage beasts in the shapes of men delighting themselues onely in blood cruelties yet we neuer reade of such a tyrant as Sinne for the blood of death would quench these mens rage but no payne no death but eternall death a death that neuer dieth and a paine that neuer endeth will satisfie this tyrant Sinne. This is the deceit of sinne as the Poet sayd of Venus Laeta venire Venus tristis abire solet To present pleasure or profit vnto our eyes but assoone as ouer the sinne is done to deale with vs 2 Sam. 13.18 as Ammon did by Thamar thrust her out and hate her wound our conscience and destroy our soules And therefore once againe I beseech you let vs forsake our sinnes let vs leaue our drinking our swaggering and our swearing and instead of by God by God and more fearefull oathes which I am afraid to name at euery word which is the most odious yet most carelesse custome both of Court and Countrey let vs say in truth in truth the words are as easie and they will bring more ease vnto our soules for swearing graceth not your speech but disgraceth you and dishonoureth God and therefore one day you must greatly repent you of it or you shall fearefully die for it and I beseech you pardon mee for speaking it for it is my dutie that I owe you and it would bee my destruction if I did conceale it from you Clemens l. 1. recog as S. Clemens sayth in the like case and I desire not so much with Aristotle my God of Heauen is my witnesse that I lie not to bee deemed a great Scholler as with Gregorie Nazianzen to bee indeed an honest man to liue as I teach and to discharge my duety in reprouing sinne rather then to shew my knowledge in any Science and therefore I humbly intreate you all to giue me leaue to beseech you to leaue your sinnes and because wee cannot quite forsake them to confesse them and to bee ashamed of them John 1.19 for if we confesse our sinnes God is mercifull and iust to forgiue vs all our sinnes and to cleanse vs from all vnrighteousnesse But the deuill cannot indure that we should confesse them least God should thereby forgiue them and therefore as he perswadeth vs euer to commit them so he perswadeth vs euer to conceale them and neuer to confesse them For I read that on a time a sinner being at confession That the deuill cannot indure wee should confesse our sinnes the deuill intruded himselfe and came to him and being demaunded by the Priest wherefore he came in he answered to make restitution and being asked what he would restore hee sayd shame for this sayth hee I haue stollen from this sinner to make him shamelesse in sinning and
teach vs Psal 103.1 35.10 that all parts of man at all times of the yeere are to be imployed in Gods seruice but also to shew vnto vs that wee are not onely to abstaine from euill 1 Cor. 15.58 but also to doe good because not onely the riotous and wastfull Steward that imbezelled his Masters goods but also the idle and thriftlesse seruant that did no good with his Masters goods shall be bound hand and foote and be cast cut into vtter darkenesse where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth And so we reade of Diues that he is tormented in flaming fire Non quia tulit aliena sed quia non dedit propria Not because he did euill to any but because hee did not good to poore Lazarus Luke 18 11. And therefore we should all striue not onely with the Pharisee to be truly able to say that we thanke God we are not Adulterers Swearers Extortioners Drunkards Raylers Lyars or such like but also as Saint Peter bids vs to adde vnto our Faith 2 Pet. 1.5 Vertue and to our Vertue Knowledge and to Knowledge Temperance and to Temperance Patience and to Patience Godlinesse and to Godlinesse Brotherly kindnesse and to Brotherly kindnesse Charity and so to goe on from one grace vnto another vntill at last we doe attaine vnto the perfection of goodnesse for assuredly to doe good will be our chiefest comfort Rom. 2.7 in life in death and after death for glory and honour and peace shall be to euery one that doth good and God himselfe will say vnto him Euge serue bone Well done thou good and faithfull seruant Math. 25.23 enter thou into thy Masters ioy Fiftly we should loue the Truth and say the Truth euery man vnto his Neighbour yea and so accustome our selues to Truth Vt mentiri lingua prorsus ignoret 5. To accustome our selues to say the Truth That our tonguâ—s should not know how to lye for as God is Truth so Truth makes vs the Children of God And therefore Pythagoras being demanded wherein men become likest vnto God answered Cum veritatem exercent Stobaeus Ser. 11. When they accustome themselues to say Truth I doe not know two more excellent things Zach. 8. Veritatem pacem diligite and more comfortable for the life of man while hee liues here in this World then Peace and Truth Peace to free vs from all euill and Truth to preserue vs in all good And yet I feare me we may now take vp the Prophet Esayes complaint that Truth is fallen in the streete yea and as Ieremy saith Is perished and cleane gone Esay 59.4.14 Jerem. 7.18 for though as Euripides saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Truth is a simple speech that requires neither welt nor guard yet now we doe so cunningly and craftily adorne lyes That there is a great want of practising to say the Truth amongst vs. and falshoods that we make them passe currantly for Truth and he that cannot dissemble and deceiue his Neighbour is accounted but a foole that cannot liue in the World So that now it is growen into a common speech to say We know not whom we may trust and we doe verifie that ancient saying Multis annis iam peractis Nulla fides est in factis Mel in ore verba lactis Fel in corde fraus in factis Many yeeres past and gone Faith in deeds there is none Hony in mouth words sweete Gall in heart deceit in deede But if we will haue any part in this God of Truth we must neither vse to speake a lye nor to conceale the Truth for Qui veritatem occultat qui mendacium prodit vterque reus est ille quia prodesse non vult iste quia nocere desiderat Aug. in l. de Agon christiano He that conceales a Truth and he that inuenteth lyes are both alike culpable in the sight of God the one because hee will not doe good the other because hee desireth to doe euill And though Veritas odium parit The Preachers of Truth shall finde little grace with men as Saint Ambrose saith yet must we not hide the Truth for any feare nor yet speake a falshood for any gaine but in all things we must hold fast the Truth Heraclid in sua hist Theat Zwing if we will be like vnto this God of Truth It is reported of one Idor an Abbat that for three things he was most excellent First that he neuer lyed at any time Secondly that he neuer spake euill of any man Thirdly that hee neuer spake any thing without great necessitie I onely wish we were all like him herein 6. To abound in the workes of mercy Sixthly we should reserue mercy for thousands that is to abound in the workes of mercy and compassion and that towards all men either in action or affection for where effecting meanes are wanting God neuer reiects a charitable meaning whereas the doing of good without good will or a large giuing with small charitie proues to be of no validity because he giues but externally some things without himselfe and not internally De semetipso From his heart And thus our mercy should extend it selfe to thousands because wee haue alwayes those before our eyes that haue neede of mercy and that in a double respect The outward workes of mercy are principally sixe 1. Of a corporall necessitie 2. Of a spirituall miserie The Schooles auouch the first to consist chiefly in sixe points 1. Visiting the sicke 2. Feeding the hungry 3. Clothing the naked 4. Redeeming the Captiue 5. Intertayning the Stranger 6. Burying of the Dead And for the second I see not lesse formes of pitty then there be deeds of Charity or acts of iniquity In the first respect the rich may be mercifull and shew pitty vnto the poore and in the second respect the rich may be pittied by the poorest men in the World because none are more lamentable then those that are poore and naked and destitute of the true spirituall riches And therefore in both respects we ought euer to shew mercy and compassion vnto our distressed Brethren Now in mercy there are two speciall acts Sinners are the men that are chiefly to be pittied 1. To see their miseries 2. To helpe their infirmities 1. To see with our eyes and then to helpe with our hands or at least to pitty with our hearts Diues saw Lazarus full of sores and we see men now full of sinnes and yet he did not pitty him nor these will not be helped by vs for if either by reprehension or instruction or by the mildest manner of aduising them yea or by most humbly requesting the Spirituall Lords That it is dangerous to seeke to redresse the dangerous estate of great men and temporall Potentates of this age to looke into their miserable estate wee would seeme to pitty them or make any attempt to helpe them they would make vs all to be
is not offended in him Why then O thou incredulous Iew wilt thou not receiue thy Sauiour is it because he came poore without any shew of worldly pompe why that should make all men the rather to imbrace him and the more thankefully to acknowledge him because that he which might haue come in Maiestie Cum caelestibus Attended on by Angels would come in pouerty and haue his bed made cum iumentis among the beasts that perish that so by his comming poore we might be all made rich through him and therefore O Iew I doe aduice thee that as thy Fathers accomplished the decree of God in condemning him so doe thou according to the will of God in beleeuing on him and thou shalt be happy for he that beleeueth in him shall neuer perish To whom with the Father and the Holy Spirit be ascribed all Honour Thankes and Praise both now and for euermore Amen A Prayer O Eternall God who as in all things else so more especially in giuing thy dearest Sonne co-eternall coequall and co-essentiall vnto thy selfe to be made flesh subiect to our humane frailties and in all things like vnto vs sinne onely excepted hast shewed thy goodnesse and thy loue to man to be like thy selfe infinite and incomprehensible we most humbly beseech thee to giue vs grace to know thee and whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ to be the onely true God whom to know is eternall life through the said Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen IEHOVAE LIBERATORI FINIS The Fourth Golden Candlesticke HOLDING The Fourth greatest Light of Christian RELIGION Of the Passion of the MESSIAS LVKE 24.46 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And thus it behoued Christ to suffer YOu haue heard dearely beloued how miserably man is distressed by sinne The coherence of this Treatise with the former Treatises how he may be releeued onely by the Mercy of God and how this reliefe is applied vnto vs by the Incarnate Word for he is the true Samaritan that doth helpe the wounded man he is the blessed Angell that doth stirre the poole of Bethesda and giue vertue vnto the water to heale our sores to helpe our soules But alas this Angell as yet is but descended and the waters are not troubled and this Samaritan is but alighted and the poore semi-dead Traueller is not set vp vpon his horse to be carryed towards his Inne that is hee hath not yet entred into the waters of tribulations to saue our soules from drowning in Hell neither hath he put our sinnes vpon his backe that we being freed from the burthen might walke on towards Heauen this resteth yet behind and this Tragedie is yet vnheard and therefore though he much humbled himselfe by his Incarnation yet is that nothing it is but the beginning of sorrowes in respect of his sore and bitter Passion For to redeeme our soules from sinne the deepe waters must enter into his soule and all our sinnes must be laid vpon his backe and for our sinnes It behoueth Christ to suffer Hic labor hoc opus est And this is that which we are now to treat of Thus it behoued Christ to suffer CHAP. I. Of the manifold vse and commodities that we reape by the continuall meditation of the sufferings of Christ Three things that mooue attention THere be three speciall things that doe vse to moue attention 1. An eloquent Author 2. An important matter 3. A compendious breuity And all these three doe here ioyne and meete together in this Text of Scripture For First the Author of these words is Christ Luk. 11.49 First the Author of these words is Iesus Christ the wisedome of God Wisedome it selfe so incomprehensibly wise that all men wondred at the gracious words that proceeded out of his mouth Secondly the summe of these words is the Tragedy of Iesus Christ Secondly the matter is the Tragedie of himselfe the laborious life and the dolorous death of the Sonne of God the chiefest Tragedy of all Tragedies for the Catastrophe hereof hath the effusion of bloud and the mourning not onely of the Sufferer or Parents and Friends but of Heauen and Earth and all the whole world farre more dolefull then the mourning of Hadadrimmon in Valley of Mâ—gyddo The Actors of this Tragedy are Kings Vice-Royes Dukes Scribes Pharises High-Priests Elders of the people The Actors of this Tragedy the Apostles themselues and others all great Christ the King of Kings Herod the great King Pilate the Vice-Roy Annas and Cayphas high Priests Peter and Iudas great Apostles and those that were mute as the Sun the Earth the Stones the Vaile of the Temple and the very Graues did by apparant signes most dolefully bewayle the nefarious death of the Son of God yea more the Angels mourned and the Diuels trembled to behold the same The Theater on which it was acted was Ierusalem The Theater was Ierusalem the very midst and heart of the earth as some imagine according to that saying of the Psalmist Operatus est deus salutem in medio terrae GOD hath wrought saluation in the midst of the Earth Heere is the place where it was acted Hic hic mors vita duello Conflixere mirando Here life and death did striue for victory and here the beholders were men of all Nations Hebrewes Greekes and Romans and the time was their most solemne feast wherein all did â—eete to eate their Paschall Lambe And therefore if there be any Theame that may challenge our eares to lysten and our hearts to meditate vpon the same it is this for this is one of those things that was once done that it might be thought of for euer that it might be had in euerlasting remembrance And the continuall meditation thereof is 1. Acceptable vnto Christ 2. Profitable for vs. For First The continuall meditation of Christs passion what it doth if the rod of Moses which wrought so many miracles in Aegypt and the Manna which fed the children of Israel 40. yeares in the Wildernesse and the Booke of the Law which was deliuered vnto Moses vpon Mount Sinai were to be preserued in the Arke First It is most acceptable vnto Christ as testimonies of Gods loue throughout all generations how much more should we keepe the remembrance of the Crosse of Christ of the Body and Bloud of Christ and of the glad tidings of saluation which we haue by the death of Christ in the Church of God for euermore Our Sauiour gaue but two Sacraments vnto his Church and one of them is chiefely instituted to this end for a remembrance of his suffering for as often as you eate this Bread and drinke this Cup Luc. 22. you shew the Lords death vntill he come 1 Cor. 11.1 And the remembrance of Christs death saith Saint Chrysostome Est beneficij maximi recordatio Chrys hom 8. in Matth. caputque diuinae erga nos charitatis Is the commemoration of the greatest benefit that euer we receiued
Cantic quem pro nobis bibit nothing in the world makes Christ to be loued of vs more then that Cup which he hath drunke vp for vs. Quia amor amoris magnes durus est qui amorem non rependit Because loue is as a loadstone to draw loue againe and greater loue then this hath no man that a man should giue his life for his friends and therefore the remembrance of this cannot choose but cause vs to loue him againe Euripides in Alceste It is reported subeuntem fata mariti Alcesten that Alcestes was contented to vndergoe the destinies of her husband for when Apollo had obtained of the Fates to spare Admetus life if any one of his friends or kindred would willingly die for him and that all his friends refused the same his wife Alcestes redeemed his life with her owne death So was Pythias ready to die for Damon and Damon likewise for Pythias and so the Codri for the Athenians and the Curtij for the Romans did willingly giue themselues to die Sic fratrem Pollux alterna morte redemit And surely these are arguments of great loue yet farre farre short of the loue of Christ For First these did it for them that loued them as much Lactant. institut l. 5. c. 18. and were as ready to doe as much for them againe but Christ did it for vs when we were his enemies Rom. 5.8 Secondly these owed so much vnto their friends and countrey for in that they were they were from these and whatsoeuer they had they had from them and therefore Cicero l. 1 offic Partem ortus nostri patria partem patres sibi vendicant Our Country our friends and our parents doe rightly challenge no small part of euery man saith Cicero and as Lucan saith Haec duri immota Catonis Lucan l. 2. secta fuit Nec sibi sed toti genitum se credere mundo It was Cato's mind that he was not borne for himselfe but to doe what good he could to others but Christ oweth vs nothing he is a debter to no man for who hath first giuen vnto him Rom. 5 8. and it shall be recompenced vnto him againe And therefore seeing the loue of Christ to vs was so great as when we deserued no good at his hands but deserued so much euill as is due to mortall and perfidious enemies to suffer so many things for vs how can it choose but the remembrance therof should exceedingly kindle our loue towards him againe for who can behold and consider the grâ—â— price that was paid for his redemption and not loue his Redeemer or who can thinke of that bitter potion which he drunke for our saluation and not be inflamed with the loue of his Sauiour There be 3. things saith Mirandula that doe moue vs to loue any one First The vertues of the person Mirand de morte Christi li. 1. c. 17. Secondly The benefits that we haue receiued of him Thirdly The good that we doe expect from him But Christ is the vertue of God his Father the chiefest good and all goodnesse and although euery vertue doth challenge loue yet no vertue deserueth the same so much as liberality and what greater bounty or liberality can there be then this to shedde his precious bloud and to offer vp himselfe vpon the Altar of his Crosse to deliuer vs from eternall death and what greater good can be desired then that eternall happinesse which hee hath purchased for vs and which we doe expect from him And therefore who would not loue so good a Sauiour It is reported of Ignatius Bishop of Antioch that he did so continually meditate vpon those great things which Christ had done and suffered for him Jdem quo supra c. 10. that hee was thereby brought so intirely to loue him as when he was demanded why hee would not forsake and forget Christ rather then suffer himselfe to be torne and deuoured of wilde and sauage Beasts He answered That hee could not forget him because the sufferings of Christ were not onely words transient in his mouth or remoueable obiects before his eyes but they were indelible Characters so engrauen in his heart that all the torments of the Earth could neuer race them out And therefore being commanded by that bloudy Tyrant Traiane to be ript and vnbowelled they found Iesus Christ written vpon his heart in Characters of Gold Oh that it might be so with vs that wee would euer set the sufferings of Christ before our face and with Saint Paul desire to know nothing but Iesus Christ and him crucified that so by the continuall consideration of Christ his great loue to vs we might be induced to loue him againe The meditation of Christs suffering supporteth our hope Thirdly As the continuall meditation of Christs suffering suppresseth sinne and kindleth our loue so it supporteth our hope for though I haue sinned grieuously and my conscience is much troubled yet it shall not be ouer-cha◠〈◊〉 despaire Quoniam vulnerum Domini recordabor â—od ex me mihi deest vsurpo ex visceribus Domini Bernard Ser. 61. in Cant. Becaus◠〈◊〉 will remember the wounds of my Lord Iesus and whatsoeuer is wanting in my selfe I will assume from the bowels of my Sauiour for when my wisedome faileth my righteousnesse sufficeth not my holinesse helpeth not the sufferings of Christ shall suffice for all This shall be my last refuge this shall be mine onely remedy saith Saint Bernard Idem Ser. 22. in Cant. And so Saint Paul after hee had shewed how doe he what he could he serued with his flesh many times the Law of sinne and therefore cryeth out O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from the body of this death He saith I thanke God Rom. 7.24.25 through Christ our Lord As if hee should haue said Seeing I am so prone to sinne and so vnapt to goodnesse I haue none other refuge but onely to flie vnto the sufferings and merits of Iesus Christ and I know that is sufficient for me in stead of all for as Israel sucked honey out of the rocke and oyle out of the flint stone Deut. 32.13 so doe wee sucke all our comforts and refresh our selues with those streames of teares and bloud that gushed out of that stonie Rocke Iesus Christ And as the high hilles are a refuge for the wilde Goates Psal 104.18 and the stony Rockes for the Conies those poore silly fearefull Creatures that haue none other shift to saue their liues but to hide themselues in the holes of the Rockes so the poore silly simple soules of sinnefull men haue none other place to hide themselues in from the wrath of God Cantic 2.14 but onely with the Doue in the Canticles In foraminibus petrae In the clefts of this Rocke in the secret places of his stayres as some translate it that is in the wounds and stripes of Iesus Christ for
of Christ differ from ours in three respects First In respect of the obiect for we many times feare where there is no feare and we doe loue the things which we should despise but he onely feared the things that are to be feared and loued the things that are to be loued indeed Secondly In respect of the manner for will wee will we these affections will inuade vs and when they haue once taken hold vpon vs we doe many times feare and loue and hate if not against reason yet surely beyond and beside all reason and so that as we cannot guide them so we cannot leaue them when we would but CHRIST is angry reioyceth feareth loueth when and where and so much as iust reason directeth him for these affections master vs but he mastereth them and therefore Saint Augustine saith that Aug. in Johan potestate non infirmitate turbauit seipsum These affections are rather signes of his omnipotency then arguments of his infirmitie because he mastereth their willingnesse to oppresse him when they cannot find any weakenesse in him to be oppressed Thirdly In respect of the effects for our passions and affections blinde vs so that we cannot see the light of truth in whom we loue we see no sinne our loue is blinde and in whom we hate we can see no goodnesse for malitia corum exaecauit eos the malice of the wicked blindeth them saith the wise man and as the Poet saith of wrath Impedit ira animum ne possit cernere verum That it blindeth our eyes and disturbeth our senses so as wee know not what is what So might I say of feare of loue and of euery other vehement passion Non modo memoriam excutit Plutarch in l. de Fortuna Alexand. sed quoduis constitutum quemuis conatum impedit It doth not onely disturbe our memories but it hindereth all our purposes and indeuours so that in respect of these we forget many times and are hindered oftentimes to doe those things which our selues most of all desire to effect Psal 55.5 and therefore the Psalmist according to the vulgar Latine saith Timor hebetudo mentis venerunt super me contexerunt me tenebrae Fearefulnesse and trembling came vpon me and then darkenesse hath inuironed me or an horrible dread hath ouer-whelmed me and the reason hereof is truely rendred by the Philosopher Auicen rer nat lib. 6. c 5. Quia potentiae naturales intensae mutuo se impediunt The naturall powers stretched to the highest straine doe mutually disturbe and hinder each other to discharge their right functions and therefore exceeding ioy swalloweth vp griefe and so of all the rest Arist aethic l. 7. c. 14. the more intentiue we are to see any thing the lesse able wee are to heare any other thing according to that vulgar saying Pluribus intentus minor est ad singula sensus The sense intent to many things To each one truth it neuer brings But in Christ they could neuer diuert him from his desire they could neuer darken his vnderstanding nor any wayes hinder the execution of his Office Neither concourse of many yea of most contrary passions and affections as loue and hatred ioy and griefe and such like any wayes mitigate or stupifie the sharpenesse or liuely-hood each of other but that euen now when he most feareth this deadly Cup he exceedingly reioyceth at the benefits that he seeth shall accrew thereby And therefore though I easily grant that nature it selfe abhorreth death the soule and body being euer loth to part and euery thing desirous of life yet that death should be thus feared thus prayed against thus melt our Sauiour Christ into such a bloudy sweat I cannot willingly yeeld For Iohn 8.20 First Desiderio desiderauit With a longing desire did hee wish this houre and he calleth it his houre as if in that houre he were to inioy his longing and he makes no more account of his death then of his dipping in the water Luke 12 5. for be calleth the same a Baptisme John 2.4 saying I must be baptized with a baptisme and how am I troubled till that be ended i. e. How am I payned and grieued Iohn 11. not because I must vndergoe it for that is my chiefest desire but because I must stay yet a while Mine houre being not yet come before I may doe it and therefore to this end Quasi ambiens mortem as one that would euer keepe himselfe in his enemies sight or as one desirous to be dissolued he goeth vp vnto Ierusalem he raiseth Lazarus from the dead that the wrath of the Iewes Iohn 13.27 being stirred vp by this present miracle he might be the sooner condemned vnto death he biddeth Iudas to doe quickely what he meant to doe not commanding the Act but as desiring the speedinesse of the Act as Caietan saith and knowing that his howre was at hand and his enemies neere hee saith vnto his Disciples Come let vs goe meet them because they were not so desirous to take him Matth. 26.46 as he was to be taken by them And therefore I cannot see how so much feare of death as to cause such an agony and such a greedy desire of death can stand together especially in such a person whose Passions cannot inuade him beyond the limits of his owne Commission but that we must ascribe farre greater matters to be the causes of this great and fearefull agony Seconly We see his Saints and seruants not onely willing to die but also running with Ignatius vnto the beasts and singing with the Salamander in the midst of the fire and therefore shall we thinke that this heauenly Physitian which healed others would not heale himselfe and which strengthened others to call and cry for death would thus vehemently pray and cry onely for feare of death But to this it is answered The Saints at their death were supported by God that the Saints were supported by the power of his grace and they were enabled by the helpe of his Spirit and therefore no wonder though they desired it but Christ though he was both God and Man yet was he now lest destitute of tâ—e helpe both of God and Man for all his friends forsak't him and the God-head himselfe which was himselfe did now sequester and withdraw all his helpe from this poore destitute and distressed man Iesus Christ and therefore no maruell that he being wholly left to himselfe nay not himselfe but the Humanitie it selfe should be thus moued and troubled at the sight of death I confesse that although Martyres non eripuit God did not deliuer his Martyres from death yet nunquam deseruit He did neuer forsake them at their death Whether Christ was wholly destitute of all assistance from the Godhead but distilled still into their hearts abundant comforts of his heauenly Spirit and it is most true that very much of the influence of Gods comfort and of the
comfortable beames of the God-head were now restrayned from the assistance of the Man-hood of Christ as hereafter I shall more fully shew vnto you yet I say that all the Diuine comforts were not detained from him for then the Humanity could not haue indured so great an agony had he not beene somewhat sustained by the Deity Nay be it so Winton in Pass Ser. sup Thren 1 p 3. as some would haue it that his soule was euen as scorched heath-ground without so much as any drop of dew of Diuine comfort yet I say he was not depriued of his reasonable soule he had all the powers and faculties of reason and vnderstanding in a farre more excellent measure then any other man whatsoeuer and these faculties were not disturbed nor any wayes darkened with the vehemencie of any Passions as I shewed vnto you before and therefore I cannot see how the feare of a naturâ—ll deâ—th onely could so exceedingly affright him as to make him so earnestly to pray against the same for we find that euen naturall men not knowing God and therefore not guided by the light of God doe and haue by the light of Humane reason made light account of death and yet you see Christ a man of perfect knowledge as man so much as man could haue is here grieuously troubled and vehemently affrighted at the consideration of that Cup which he was to drinke of and therefore that Cup did containe a great deale more then that little draught of naturall death And Heb. 5.7 That Christ was heard and therefore deliuered from what he feared Thirdly The Apostle vnto the Hebrewes saith That when Christ offered vp prayers and supplications with strong cryings and teares vnto him that was able to saue him from death he was heard in that which he feared or for his piety as the originall hath it Now this must be referred vnto his feruent prayer and those bloudy teares in the Garden for we doe not reade that in any place else he did offer the like prayers and teares vnto God and therefore seeing he was heard i. e. so heard that he obtained his request Prae reuerentia for his modestie or for the respect that God had vnto him and was deliuered from that which he feared it must needes be that it was not his owne naturall death that he so much feared and so earnestly prayed against it for from this he was not deliuered but he suffered dyed and was buried Psal 75.9 And therefore as the Prophet Dauid saith In the hand of the Lord there is a Cup the wine is red it is full mixt as for the dregs thereof That Christ was to vndergoe the punishment of all others all the vngodly of the earth shall drinke them and suck them out So I say of this Cup of Christ it is a Cup of many ingredients it is full red and it hath many dregs and although in this good seruant there was found no sinne yet seeing he was contented to vndergoe the punishments of all bad seruants and to suffer the iust desarts of all the vngodly therefore hee must drinke and sucke vp the very dregs of this Cup and yet if we duely obserue it we shall see that he was heard in that which hee feared for though he drinkes it vp sheere yet it shall cleerely passe from him and his prayer was no more for hee prayed not that he might not drinke of it but that it might passe from him euen as a man that drinketh a cup of poyson and yet thereby is not poysoned And so it did with Christ he dranke vp all and yet it did him no hurt at all for though it made him sweat the drops of bloud though it grieued him and pained him and made him cry out Matth. 27.46 My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee yea though it cast him into a sleepe and laid him dead in his graue and there sealed him for a time yet presently within the space of forty houres or thereabouts he reuiued and awaked as a Lion out of sleepe or as a Giant refreshed with wine and then he smote all his enemies vpon the cheâ—â—e-bone Psal 78.66.67 and put them to a perpetuall shame And through that short and momentary death of his he purchased vnto his Church euerlasting life And therefore seeing this Cup which Christ feared was not onely that little draught of naturall death that was but the least drop thereof but was a Cup of many ingredients Let vs so farre as we may gather it out of the word of God obserue and learne what those ingredients might be which were contained in that Cup that so we may the better know what he suffered and what he prayed against CHAP. III. Of diuers particular things that were in that Cup which our Sauiour dranke of ANd if we diligently search into the particulars we shall finde that therein might be The difference betwixt feare and sorrow or griefe First Something 's that he grieued at which troubled him And Secondly Something 's that he feared which he prayed against For there be great differences betwixt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 griefe and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 feare and betwixt the causes of sorrow and feare for the obiect of sorrow and griefe may be as well euill past as the paine present but the obiect of feare is onely euill to come or that which is present but as yet not wholly passed ouer feare alwayes going before the paine sorrow and griefe following after and yet I say that the same things now in Christ might and did worke both feare and griefe because he fore-saw those things that were to come as present or as already past and therefore he feared them as things to come and he grieued for them as if they had beene already past Of the first sort there were somethings 1. In respect of himselfe 2. In respect of others What Christ griâ—ued at 1. In respect of himselfe he fore-saw these two things 1. The greatnesse of his paine and shame 2. The deferring of his death and punishment 2. In respect of others he fore-saw likewise these 2. things 1. The small account that they would make of so great a worke 2. The greatnesse of that punishment which they must suffer for this smalenesse of their account And would not these things grieue a man What Christ feared Of the second sort there were especially three things 1. The waight of sinne 2. The malice of Satan 3. The wrath of God And would not these enemies so many in number so mighty in power and so terrible to behold make a man to feare to tremble and to sweat And yet from all these he was deliuered and so as the Apostle saith He was heard in that which he feared But to speake of these a little more particularly What Christ fore-saw in respect of himselfe First his punishment First He fore-saw that he should indure Supplicium quo nullum
or grieue the good by vpbraiding them with the faults of the bad Secondly to shew vnto vs Nazian orat 4. de theol that men may be called to eminent and holy places yet be cast-awayes because it is not the excellency or the Sanctity of the calling but our holy and vpright conuersation in our callings that makes vs acceptable in the sight of God Thirdly To testifie Christ his innocencie that had alwaies his enemie to behold his conuersation Fourthly For our example to be patient Aug. li. 18. c. 49 de Ciuitat to suffer wicked men amongst vs. But againe it may be demanded why he made him his Purse-bearer knowing him to be a thiefe To this Aquinas answereth Thom. in Iohn 12. that God vseth to commit his spirituall graces to his best seruants and his temporall gifts to those that are more worldly minded to see if by any meanes he may gaine them to serue him Why Christ made Iudas his Purse-bearer for the worldlings will serue God many times when God blesseth them with all manner of store therefore Christ knowing Iudas to be a couetous wretch he made him his steward and committed to his hands all their wealth to see if this might moue him to bee true and faithfull vnto him All this Christ did for him and yet as the Prouerbe is Improbus à nullo flectitur obsequio saue a thiefe from the Gallowes and he will be the first that will seeke to hang thee so Iudas had put all these blessings in a riuen dish and as the Leopard is saide to be most sauage vnto them that doe most good to him so doth Iudas here first betray his Master that was his best friend and had done most good vnto him but wee must consider Secondly why Iudas betrayed Christ Why Judas betrayed Christ The Euangelist sheweth briefly that because the oyntment which was poured on Christ was not solde for 300. pence and put into his bagge he went vnto the high Priests Lex talionis and sels Christ for 30. pence decorum pretium a goodly price to haue for the Lord of heauen and earth and therefore cleane contrarie we reade that 30. Iewes were sold for one pennie but for Iudas we see how the desire of money is the roote of all mischiefe What a horrible sinne is couetousnesse quid non mortalia pectora cogit auri sacra fames Or as Iuuenall saith Iuuen. Sat. 14. quae reuerentia legum quis metus aut pudor est vnquam properantis auari What will not couetousnesse cause a man to doe what feare of Law what loue of Vertue what shame or honestie can you finde in couetous wretches Boet. 2 5. Nam saeuior ignibus aetnae feruens amor ardet habendi For it made Achan hide the wedge of gold to the losse of his owne life it made Achab a murtherer of innocent Nabaoth it made Polymnestor kill his Nephew Polydorus and here it makes Iudas to betray his owne Lord and Master Iesus Christ yea and to bee the formost man of all the wicked companie to shew withall that as the old distich saith Non audet stygius daemon tentare quod audet Effraenus monachus plenaque fraudis ánus Jerem. 24.2 None is so bad as wicked Priests for they are like Ieremies figges either exceeding good or extreame euill either most faithfull for Christ or most feruent for Antichrist Thirdly the Euangelist tells vs how he did bring to passe his wicked fact for he gaue them a signe that whosoeuer hee should kisse That there are fiue kindes of kisses the same was he and wee finde that there are fiue kindes of kisses the first a whoorish kisse as Salomon saith of the Harlot that she caught a young man and kissed him the second a chaste kisse Prou. 7.13 Gen. 29.11 as Iacob kissed Rachel the third is a kisse of courtesie as our Sauiour said vnto Simon the Pharise Thou gauest me no kisse the fourth is a Symbolicall kisse for a signe of loue as the Apostle saith Luc. 7.45 Greet one another with an holy kisse the fift is a treacherous kisse 2 Cor. 13.12 as Ioab kissed Amasa and presently killed him whom he kissed and thus Iudas kissed Christ for he had said Whomsoeuer I shall kisse 2 Sam. 20. the same is he hold him fast Where obserue First That he gaue them a signe to know him Why Iudas gaue them a signe because it was night when they tooke him and because Iames that was called the brother of the Lord and was afterward Bishop of Ierusalem was so like him Ignat. in ep ad Joh. si vera ep Ignat. that it was very hard to know the one from the other and therefore lest they should mistake him and take â—ames or some other for him hee gaue them a signe to know him Secondly That this signe was a kisse Why the signe that Judas gaue was a kisse that he might the more cunningly worke his purpose Nam doli non sunt doli nisi astu colas for deceits are no deceits vnlesse they be cunningly carried and that if this way fayled he might as he thought haue still retained his place and credit because he had but dutifully saluted him And therefore he comes and kissed him saying Aue Rabbi Master God saue you but herein we see 1. His arrogancy 2. His iniquity First His arrogancy that he would presume with those lippes vnder which was the Poyson of Aspes to kisse those lippes in which was found no guile Iohn Baptist thought himselfe vnworthy to vntie the laâ—ched of his shooes and Iudas will presume to kisse his mouth and so all wicked men are euer more presumptuous then the godly and they are bold and impudent when the Saints doe feare and tremble Secondly His iniquitie is herein seene that in two words hee vttereth forth two lyes for hee saith Aue God saue you to him whom he desired to perish and he saith Rabbi Master to him whom he refused to follow and so you see sweet words from a poysoned heart a praying for his life and a betraying of him to death Ille mihi tam exosus est quam inferni portae Qui aliud animo occultat aliud ore profert An Act so horribly base that the very Heathen man could say he hates him as the gates of Hell that will say one thing and doe another thing And yet behold how our Sauiour deales with this wicked Traitor he kisseth him with the kisses of his mouth How our Sauiour sought to reclaime Iudas and to bring him to repentance and what greater signe of loue and whereas he might haue angerly and iustly reuiled him for his treachery he doth mildly and kindly salute him by the name of friend and what better name could hee vse for Father Wife or Children are but vaine names vnlesse they be friends O then Si honoras dulcis domine Inimicum
of him yet would not be be offended He doth here accumulate and heape one sinne vpon another for First He fled with the rest and left our Sauiour all alone First he fled Secondly He waxeth cold Secondly he waxeth cold in loue not onely through the coldnesse of the night but also through feare which driueth away the bloud and causeth the same to hide and to congeale it selfe as it were in some secret corners as the Poet saith Gelidusque per ima cucurrit ossa tremor Virgil. Aeneid 2. A trembling feare makes all the members cold and especially through want of loue and affection vnto Christ Nam si amore in deum corda inflammareÌ„tur perparum aut nihil vis frigorum corporibus esset nocitura Frigora ne possim gelidâ— sentire profundi Qui calet in câ—pido pectore praestat amor Ouidius ep Leand. Heron. For as carnall loue driueth away all cold as Leander saith vnto Hero So much more he that burneth with the heauenly loue of Christ will scarce feele any outward cold and therefore Christ saith vnto his beloued spouse My head is full of dew and my lockes with the drops of the night and yet because he loued her he patiently bore it all but Peter it may be hearing the wicked seruants relating how one had cast him downe to the ground another had thrown him into the brook of Cedron and a third had smote him vpon the cheeke then begins to waxe pale and fearefull and to forsake his first loue and therefore he had need to warme his hands at the high Priests fire when his heart was cold in the loue of God Thirdly hee denieth and forsweareth his Master Thirdly He denyed Christ with a lie with an oath with a curse and that presently at the voyce of a Woman a silly wench not any of the greatest Ladies but a poore seruing-maide that kept the doores O quantum mutatus ab illo Hectore What dost thou Peter deny Christ who then will confesse him for thou saidst Matth. 16.16 that he was the Sonne of the liuing God and dost thou now sweare thou knowest not whence he is Why Christ suffered Saint Peter for to fall And yet Christ though to humble him now that was so arrogant before and to teach vs to be afraid to fall for if so great a pillar fell how much easier may we be hurled downe if we be not wary to erect our hope that if with this Apostle through infirmity we do fal we shold not despaire with Iudas but still vpon our repentance trust in God Matth. 14.31 yet as formerly when he walked vpon the water and began to sinke Christ vpheld him with an outstretched arme so now when he walked through the pathes of death and was well-nigh swallowed in the gulfe of perdition Christ looketh vpon him with the eyes of mercy and saueth his soule by his compassionate grace for he causeth the Cock to crow Numbers â—2 28 the dumb beast like Balaams Asse to reproue the iniquity of the Apostle and as not respecting his owne indignity so much as his seruants infelicity How mercifully Christ preserueth Saint Peter hee looketh backe on him that had forgot himselfe and thereby reuiuing his memory to thinke vpon his masters words he sent him out to weepe bitterly that so he might restore him mercifully Fourthly Hee is falsly accused How Christ is falsely accused of his enemies and charged with the things that he neuer knew that he neuer said for they sought false witnesses for true witnesses they could haue none and there came many witnesses against him but they could not agree some saying one thing some another yet at last comes two sonnes of Belial children of their Father the Diuell that peruerting our Sauiours sence and changing his words said they heard him saying that he could destroy that Temple made with hands Marke 14.58 and build another in three dayes then the high-Priest adiured him by God to tell them what he was and when Christ did meekely and mâ—ldely say the truth he furiously rent his cloathes and said hee blasphemed against God as if God could or would blaspheme himselfe then all the foolish Clearkes of this wicked Priest did say Amen Et quae sibi quisque timebat Vnius in miseri exitium conuersa tulere And approuing what they knew not How all consent to crucifie Christ as a iust reward for sauing many of their wretched liues they all consent to put him to an accursed death and then followeth their acclamation Crucifie him crucifie him their saying is doubled and redoubled he must be put to death there is nothing else will satisfie these bloud-thirsty men and therefore he is now to be kept by the base Sargiants and the most barbarous Souldiers as a condemned man and to make themselues merry as at a banquet of Wine or as if they had beene at an enterlude play What grieuous things Christ suffered after he was condemned by Cayphas to passe away this tedious night they doe eterchangeably sport at him and first they mocke him secondly they beat him thirdly they spit in his glorious face and so make that face which the Angels desire to behold to become so deformed by reason of their blowes and spitles that it seemed as in a leprosie Esay 53.4 and as hauing neither forme nor beauty fourthly they hoodwinke him fiftly they beat him with their hands and fists sixtly they scoffingly say prophesie vnto vs who hath strocken thee O sweet Iesus Christ Quis cladem illius noctis quis funera fando Explicet aut possit lachrymis aequare dolorem Who is able to expresse thy bitter sufferings to declare thy heauy thoughts and to shew forth all thy griefe which thou endurest throughout all that long and tedious night And yet though he could haue easily stayed their fury and haue suddenly strucken them all starke dead with the least word of his mouth he opened not his mouth but he did patiently suffer whatsoeuer they did violently offer vnto him and when they had done what they would they consulted and consented to send him vnto Pilate How and whereof Christ was accused before Pilate And here before Pilate they doe accuse him of two speciall things First Of his impiety against God because as they sayd they found him peruerting the Nations and people of the Iewes and teaching them strange and pernitious doctrines breaking the Sabbaoth condemning their traditions and no wayes obseruing Moses his Law Secondly Of iniquity against man no lesse then high Treason against their soueraigne Emperour because he denyed to pay tribute vnto Caesar and said that himselfe was King And the more to induce Pilate to beleeue them to incense him against Christ they said that he began in Galilee because Galilee had brought forth many seditious and rebellious persons Act. 5. as Iudas Galileus Theudas and others and because Pilate
had formerly shewed that he could not indure the Galileans How fully they seeke to incense Pilate against Christ not onely because they were vnder the iurisdiction of Herod which till that time was a profest enemy vnto Pilate but especially because they had so prouoked Pilate that he caused the bloud of many of them to be mingled with their sacrifices And so they ioyne subtilty and iniquity both together for a subtiller way they could not inuent and a greater iniquity they could not effect How false was their accusation of him for he truely explained Moses wherein their sophisticall Rabbies and Pharisaicall Doctors had most falsly corrupted him and he did not onely bid them giue vnto Caesar what belonged vnto Caesar but he paid tribute vnto Caesar both for himselfe and for his seruants and therefore as they had most maliciously accused him so herein they haue most falsely slandered him vnto Pilate But as the darnels may passe for wheate vntill they be fifted so falshoods may carry the colour of truth vntill they be discussed and therefore Pilate examineth the matter and in the carriage of this businesse he doth something well and in many things ill as I haue shewed at large in my treatise of the resolution of Pilate Resolution of Pilate pag. where I referre my Reader for his fuller satisfaction in this point Now Pilate hauing played his part What was done to Christ before Herod and vnderstanding as I shewed you before that he was of Galilee hee sends him vnto Herod and there the Euangelists say that Herod and his men of Warre set him at naught Vbi Iesus non respondebat ibi vt ouis silebat hoc est sicut agnus innocens non apperuit os suum vbi vero respondebat ibi sicut pastor docebat Aug. in Johan and mocked him and arrayed him in a gorgeous robe and Christ though they questioned with him in many things yet answered nothing and therefore they derided his silence and exposed him to the greater laughter and the Souldiers that had formerly imbrued their hands in the bloud of the innocents doe now most impiously batter and buffet the Sonne of God and they disgorge their filthiest foame vpon his most glorious face and to increase their owne sport and his griefe Induunt eum veste alba they arrayed him with a white glittering and a gorgeous raiment And so The mystery of clothing Christ in white expressed against their wils they doe herein after a mysticall manner sufficiently testâ—fie both the excellent dignity and the most innocent probitie of the man for as Cicero saith Color albus praecipue decorus deo est That the whitest colour is most agreeable to the highest God Cicero l. 2. de legibus hee appeared many times in white but neuer in any other colour and therefore not onely the Wise man saith Let thy garments be alwayes white but also the very Saints of Heauen are said to be clothed in long white robes Reuel 4. and Iuuenal saith Sufficiunt tunicae summis aedilibus alba that white robes are fittest for the greatest Peeres euen for Kings and Caesars saith Iansenius And the white colour is the chiefest note of ioy and innocency for the Poet wishing for ioy saith Sumatur fatis decolor alba meis Cicero pro milone meminit A literae salutaris C. autem tristis And as the ancients by letters did expresse ioy or griefe life or death as Î¥ to shew the patterne of our humane life the lower part signifying youth which is vncertaine which way it will goe and the vpper part on the right side the way of vertue and on the left side the way of vice and therefore Persius saith of this Letter Et tibi quae sameos deduxit litera ramos Surgentem dextro monstrauit limite callem Which one translateth thus The branches of the letter first in Samea found How the Ancients by letters and colours did vse to expresse diuers things Of mans life doth shew the high way and ground And Θ which hath a dart in the middle was the Character of death and therefore was wont to be set by the Iudges as a marke vpon the heads of those that were condemned to die whereupon the Poet saith O multum ante alias infaelix litera Theta And so Tau was the letter of life so intimated by Ezechiel and so expressed by the Gentiles and vsed as a marke on them that were to be preserued aliue euen so they did vse to expresse the same things by diuers colours as white to be the signe of innocency and absolution and blacke to be the token of guiltinesse and condemnation whereupon Ouid saith Ouid. Met. l. 15. Mos erat antiquis niueis atrisque lapillis His damnare reos illis absoluere culpa The fashion was in ancient times By blacke or white to expresse our crimes And therefore certainely these things that they should clothe him in white before they send him vnto Pilate backe againe Non sine numine diuum Eueniunt doe apparantly shew that they were directed herein by diuine prouidence and declared plainly against themselues that Christ should rather be absolued as an innocent then condemned for a malefactor Yet all this would not serue but as he was posted from Annas to Caiphas from Caiphas to Pilate from Pilate to Herod so now he must be returned to Pilate once againe And although the former Scenes were Tragical enough yet were they nothing to these that follow for now begins those dolefull Acts which proue that saying to be most false Nullum caruit exemplo nefas No villanous deed doth want the like How no age did euer paralell this villany done to Christ but presidents may bee found as bad as it for if you aske the dayes of old and search all the Stories of the whole world since the day that it was first created yet shall you neuer be able to shew me such indignities offered to any man as was here done vnto the Sonne of God for now Pilate by the approument of Herod and the message of his owne wife who as the Poet saith of Cassandra Tunc etiam fatis apperit Cassandra futuris Ora dei iussu nequicquam credita Teucris did now beginne to Prophesie nay How Pilats wife iustified Christ to testifie of the truth of Christ his innocency and therefore presently sent and earnestly aduised her husband to haue nothing to doe with that iust man yea and shewed a very good reason for it because shee had suffered many things that very day because of him I say Pilate hereby perceiuing his innocency and fearing his Deity and therefore seeking to loose him deuiceth a cruell way to satisfie the Iewes and to iustifie Christ and so to let him goe Bosq de pass dom pag. 8â—0 for stripping him of all his clothes he caused sixe hangmen sixe varlets saith Saint Hierome to scourge him and whip him while
Serpents head Gen. 3.15 Dan. 9.26 and that the Messias should suffer for our sinnes and be broken for our transgressions Esay 53.5 And the Father promised this for none other cause The loue of God to mankinde moued God to doe all this for vs. but this Because he loued vs For God seeing vs in such a miserable state as we had made our selues by sinne was moued with compassion ouer vs and was contented to giue his onely begotten Sonne to be crucified for vs rather then we should be eternally separated from him So our Sauiour saith God so loued the World i. e. So admirably so exceedingly and so incomprehensibly John 3.16 That he gaue his onely begotten Sonne that is to die for vs That whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life And so Saint Paul saith God setteth out his loue towards vs seeing that while we were yet sinners Christ died for vs. And surely it was a farre greater argument of his loue to giue his Sonne to die for vs then if hee had forgiuen our sinnes and acquitted vs without any satisfaction at all And therefore Saint Paul speaking of this loue of God calles it Too much loue as the vulgar Latine reades it Deus propter nimiam charitatem God through his great Ephes 2.4 or too much loue wherewith he loued vs hath quickened vs with Iesus Christ And this great loue of God will appeare the greater if wee consider that this Sonne of God which hee gaue to die for vs Omnis in Ascanio Charistat cura parentis was not onely his onely begotten Sonne which was very great that hauing but one onely Sonne he would giue that one to die for vs but was also such a Sonne in whom onely God was well pleased and with whom he was neuer offended as I shewed vnto you before And as the Father shewed Tantam charitatem so great loue in giuing his Sonne to die for vs so the Sonne shewed the like equall loue in being so willing as he was to suffer for vs for in the beginning or in the volume of the Booke it is written of me saith Christ that I should fulfill thy will O God Hebrewes 10.7 and I am content to doe it That is I am as willing and as ready to fulfill it as thou art to conceiue it yea I am grieued I am pained till I haue fulfilled it For it is meate and drinke to me saith Christ to doe my Fathers will And therefore once againe behold the great loue wherewith Christ hath loued vs Surely saith Saint Bernard Dilexisti me magis quam teipsum quia pro me mori voluisti Thou hast loued me more then thou didst thy selfe because thou gauest thy selfe to die for me For greater loue then this hath no man John 15.13 that a man should giue his life for his friends especially for his enemies Rom. 5.8 as he did for vs Cum inimici essemus While we were yet sinners â—nd regarded neither him nor our selues Bern. de Caena Domini Ser. 13. And therefore Saint Bernard doth most truly say that he did this Tanto dignantius quanto pro minus dignis So much the more wonderfully worthy of loue by how much the lesse worthy we were of his loue And in very deede there is no man breathing No Creature able to express the great loue of Christ to mankinde that is able to expresse how great was the loue of Christ towards mankinde But my conscience is my witnesse O my Sauiour what I haue done to thee and thy Crosse doth witnesse what thou hast done for me for thou wast God and I a man and yet thou a God wouldest be made man for me yea to become exiled poore and base for vs that were the vilest of all Creatures poore and base miserable sinners And not onely so but also to die a most cruell bitter and a shamefull death to deliuer vs from eternall death O what couldest thou haue done more for vs that thou hast not done The like example cannot be found in any History Rom. 5.7 for one will scarce die for a righteous man It may be they will ride and runne to saue a good mans life but to die for another we shall scarce finde any that will venter it Titus Liu. Decad 1. l. 2. Val. Max. l. 5. c. 6. It is true that the Curiatij and the Horatij are reported to haue aduentured their liues for the libertie of their Countrey And so Decius Curtius and Codrus did freely offer themselues to death for to preserue their peoples life but they did this either for ambition to be honoured for their facts and to be numbred among the Gods or else in desperation of their liues to be ridde out of their griefe when they saw none other helpe of their miseries but Christ when there was no necessity to compell him did all this and farre much more then I haue shewed for vs And that not onely Sine nostris meritis sed cum nostris demeritis When we deserued no good Bern. Ser. 15. in Cant. but especially when we were worthy of so much euill at his hands as was due to most deadly enemies as Saint Bernard saith CHAP. III. Of the finall causes why Christ suffered both in respect of Men and in respect of God himselfe AND so you haue seene the instrumentall causes of Christ his death and you heard the efficient cause why God punished Christ for vs and for our sinnes and why for vs because he loued vs with a great exceeding incomprehensible loue And how this should teach vs that as our hearts doe hate Iudas Pilate and all the rest of our Sauiours bloudie persecutors which were but the Instruments of his death so much more should we loath and detest our owne sinnes and wickednesse which were the maine principall cause that moued God thus seuerely to punish him And now it resteth The final cause of Christ his death that we consider the finall cause thereof and I finde that to be two-fold 1. In respect of Men. 2. In regard of God 1. In respect of Men. First In respect of Men I finde it likewise to be two-fold 1. The sauing of all the Elect. 2. To make the reprobate without excuse Math. 20.28 For the first Our Sauiour faith That he came to giue his life a ransome for many and to saue those that were lost And so Saint Paul saith Gal 4.4 That Christ was made vnder the Law to redeeme them that were vnder the Law and that Iesus Christ was sent into the World to saue sinners Now wee must know that as Bellarmine noteth there are diuers kindes of redemption as That there were diuers kindes of redemption First By Manumission as when the Lord did willingly of his owne accord let his slaues goe free Secondly By permutation as when one prisoner was exchanged for another Thirdly By
miser homo non compatitur pro quo solo deus patitur Hiron in Mat. and therefore how can we behold his head resting vpon a pillow of thornes his hands pierced with iron nayles and his heart bleeding for our sinnes and not to bee moued to a godly sorrow for those our horrible sinnes that caused all his sorrowes It is reported in the Gospell that when our Sauiour suffered the Sun withdrew his light as being ashamed to see so wofull a spectacle the earth quaked and trembled as it were for feare to see her Creator put to death and the stones did cleaue in sunder yea wicked Iudas that betrayed and sold our Sauiour when he saw the indignities that were offered vnto him did repent and grieue that he had betrayed that innocent bloud and therefore what strange hearts haue wee worse then Iudas and harder then stones if we can behold the torments of his Passion and not be touched with compassion The naturalist telleth vs that the Adamant stone is of an impenetrable hardnesse Plinius l. 37. c. 4. and yet he saith that if it be steeped in the warme bloud of a Goate it will be mollified and therefore if the bloud of Christ which is farre more excellent then the bloud of Buls or of Goates cannot intenerate our hard hearts wee are worse then the Adamants and no better then the Diuels That Christ should bleed for vs and we not weepe for our owne sinnes Secondly To make vs thankefull For the second Our Sauiour hauing suffered all this for sin to saue sinfull men and to eternize mortall men He hath broken the head of the Serpent he hath wounded the great Leuiathan and by the merit of his Passion he hath subdued Hell conquered the graue rebated the sting of death taken away the force and guilt of sinne and remoued those Cherubims and that flaming sword which was placed to afright vs and to keepe the way of the tree of life Gen. 2.2 and he hath blotted out the hand-writing of ordinances that was against vs and laid open vnto vs the gates of eternall life and therefore now we should all say with the Psalmist What shall we render vnto the Lord for all his benefits that hee hath done vnto vs Psal 116 11. for we must not thinke it inough to weepe in commiseration of Christ his paine but we must be also thankefull for Christ his suffering The whole world knoweth what great loue hee hath shewed to vs and what bitter Passion he hath suffered for vs and therefore vae tacentibus de te domine Woe be vnto them whose ingratitude hath silenced them from praising thee Sed faelix lingua quae non nouit nisi de te Sermonem texere but most happy is that tongue which can praise thee O Lord though it should be able to speake of nothing else because not onely nothing can be carried better in our mindes nothing can be sweeter in our mouthes nothing more melodious to our eares as Saint Augustine saith then deo gratias to ascribe all praise and to render thankes vnto the Lord our God but especially because as Saint Bernard saith no sacrifice can be more acceptable vnto God for who so offereth me thankes and praise hee honoureth mee and nothing can be more offensiue vnto Satan then to praise the Lord for though thou watchest he careth not because himselfe neuer sleepeth though thou fastest hee regards it not because himselfe neuer eateth any thing but if thou beest thankefull vnto God for his great loue to thee then is Satan grieued because thou being a silly worme on earth dost performe that here in the vally of misery which he being a glorious Angell in Heauen could not performe in that seat of Maiestie and therefore as the Prophet Dauid saith Psal 107.15 that he would rise at midnight to praise the Lord for his righteous iudgements so with the Prophet Dauid I wish to God that men would praise the Lord for his goodnesse especially for this great goodnesse and declare the wonders that he hath done and especially this suffering this great suffering that he vnderwent for the children of men and that they would praise him from the ground of the heart And because virtus nisi cum re vilior alga That we should shew our thankfulnesse to Christ by our workes Luke 2. Matth. 2. thankefulnesse consisteth more in workes then in words therefore let vs not onely with the Angels sing Glory be to God on high but let vs with the wise men present our gifts vnto him gold to clothe the naked and to feede the hungry soule Frankinsence to maintaine the preaching of Gods Word and Myrrhe to be prepared for our death Macrob. Saturnal l. 2. c. 4. that we may liue for euer with him Macrobius tels vs that a certaine souldiour of Augustus Band that had often aduentured his life in Caesars cause being to appeare before those Iudges whom he feared he desired Augustus for to assist him and the Emperour presently wished him to choose whom he would and he would appoint him for his aduocate but the Souldier replyed O Caesar I appointed no Deputy when your life was in danger to be lost but I hazarded mine owne life and receiued all these scarres which he then shewed in his body to preserue you from all hurt and doe you now appoint another to pleade for me what haue I done so much for you and will you refuse to do so small a kindnes for me euen so beloued brethren Christ did not onely hazard his life but gaue himselfe to death and suffered scarres and wounds and the shedding of all his bloud of his dearest bloud for vs and shall wee doe nothing for him Matth. 25 40. O yes beloued let vs euer doe what lyeth in vs for the poore members of Iesus Christ for whatsoeuer you doe to any one of them you doe it vnto me saith our Sauiour Thirdly to teach vs how dearely and how truely we ought to loue our Sauiour Christ For the third as Christ hath so dearely loued vs as to suffer all these things for vs so we should truely loue Christ againe and we should the rather loue him not onely because hee hath done all these things for vs but also because he requireth nothing for all these things but loue he exacts no tribute hee requires no homage he expects no requitall but loue O then let vs not say with the vncleane spirits in the Gospell What haue wee to doe with thee Marke 1.24 O Iesus thou Sonne of God but let vs rather say with the Church Cantic 2.5 in the Canticles Stay me with flagons and comfort mee with apples Bern. in Ser. de pass dom for I am sicke of loue and as thy loue to me Erat talis tantus vt nesciret habere modum was such and so great that it could not containe it selfe within the compasse of any bounds so my
loue to thee is and shall be such and so much as I shall be possibly able to expresse Fourthly to make vs willing to suffer with Christ For the fourth Saint Bernard tells vs that in the Passion of Christ there are three things especially to be considered 1. The Worke. 2. The Manner 3. The Cause And he saith that Christ shewed first in the worke singular patience secondly in the manner admirable humility and thirdly in the cause inestimable charity and therefore if wee would truely honour God for the giuing of his Sonne wee must labour what we can to imitate Christ herein First In patience Quia crux non ad impotentiae documentum sed ad exemplum patientiae suscepta est Because as Saint Augustine saith the Crosse of Christ is as a Schoolemaster to teach patience vnto all Christians And so Saint Peter saith 1 Pet. 2.21 Christ suffered for vs leauing vs an example that we should follow his steps That the sufferings of Christ is an example to teach vs how to suffer 1 Mac. 6.34 In the first of the Machabees and the sixt It is said that Antiochus being to fight with Iudas Captaine of the hoste of the Iewes He shewed vnto his Elephants the bloud of Grapes and Mulberies to prouoke them the better vnto the fight and so the Holy Ghost hath set downe vnto vs what iniuries what contumelies what torments our Sauiour Christ did beare and how patiently he did beare them to incourage vs to indure whatsoeuer calamnities shall betide vs during this our pilgrimage here on earth for we see our Sauiour Christ Sine peccato venit tamen sine flagello non exijt Though we doe all know that he came into the world without sinne yet you doe see he went not out of the world without sorrow without suffering and therefore Chrys in 27. Matth. Quae nobis erit contumelia post quam haec Christus passus est What if wee suffer reproaches pouerty shame death what matter what shame is that to vs seeing Christ hath suffered all those things for vs nay what a shame is it vnto vs if we will not be ready to suffer any thing for his Names sake that hath suffered so much for our sinnes But we must note that our suffering with Christ We suffer with Christ two manner of wayes is two wayes to be considered First What we voluntarily assume to be made like vnto Christ Secondly What is malitiously imposed and we patiently suffer for the Name of Christ In the first sense Saint Gregory tels vs that duobus modis crux tollitur aut cum per abstinentiam affligitur corpus aut cum per compassionem animi affligitur animus Wee take vp our crosse two manner of wayes either when through abstinence fastings 1 Cor. 9.27 watchings praying we bring our bodies vnto subiection that they bring not our soules vnto destruction That as members of the same body we should willingly suffer when we see others suffer or else through a compassionate fellow-feeling of others miseries we make our selues copartners with them in all distresses and therefore we should euer crucifie and mortifie all the inordinate lusts of our flesh all our wanton and lasciuious cogitations and we should with all diligence fight against them as they doe fight against our soules and as members of the same body we should all suffer inward griefe when we see any man indure outward paine In the second sense we ought patiently to suffer whatsoeuer God in his wisedome or men in their malice shall lay vpon vs and that not onely because we cannot auoide them but because we are contented to vndergoe them for if the minde resisteth when the body suffereth we rebell in what we can and we doe onely suffer what we cannot helpe and God respecteth not so much the sufferings of the Martyres though their torments were almost intollerable as their meeke patience in suffering and therefore it is noted in our Sauiour Christ Esay 53 7. That God respecteth our patience in suffering more then our suffering that he was carried as a Sheepe to the slaughter and as a Lambe that was dumbe and opened not his mouth to teach vs as Saint Gregory saith that it is not the sword or the flame that makes a Martyr but the patient and willing minde of him that suffereth any thing for the name and truth of Christ Quia sine ferro flamma Martyres esse possumus sine patientia non possumus Because wee may be Martyres without the paine of sword or stake Cyprian de duplici Martyrio but wee cannot be Martyres without patience though wee should suffer by the sword or be burned at the stake as Saint Cyprian doth most excellently declare And therefore seeing Christ hath suffered for vs and hath suffered for our example to teach vs how we should suffer for his sake That we shold be most ready and willing to suffer any thing for the Name of Christ though the world should rage and swell and lay vpon vs all the waight of miseries that it could heape vpon vs pouerty reproaches banishment imprisonment death it selfe or any kinde of death fire sword or whatsoeuer yet let vs patiently suffer whatsoeuer shall be imposed vpon vs and let vs say with holy Iob Though the Lord should kill vs Iob 13.15 yet will we trust in him for seeing he suffered so much for vs to saue our soules from eternall death it were a shame if we should be vnwilling to suffer any thing for him and his truthes sake that it might be well with vs and our children for euer and that wee might haue for our selues eternall life Secondly Matth. 12.29 As we are to imitate Christ in patient suffering vnto death so we are to learne of him true humility to bee meeke and lowly in heart throughout all our life Thirdly We should imbrace that Queene of vertues Diuine charity that as Christ in loue That as Christ loued vs so we should loue him and loue one another for the loue of Christ and for the loue of man descended from Heauen and suffered all this for vs so we should for the loue of him suffer any thing rather then to swarue a nayles-bredth from him and doe what good wee can vnto all our neighbours for if we loue him we must needs loue one another And yet it is a lamentable thing to consider what strifes and contentions what hatred and heart-burning raigneth not onely betwixt the children of this world but also betwixt Christians in the Church of God I pray God we seeke not our owne rather the things that are Iesus Christs and make Religion to be a colour to make way for vs to execute our owne greedy mindes and desires to commit all wrong and oppression It was said of old when the Pope sent his Buls to fulfill his owne will that in nomine dei incipit omne malum
How the want of loue is the cause of many mischiefes in the world I onely pray it may neuer be so with any Christian soule that we make not the truth of God with all reuerence be it spoken as a Packe-horse to support our vile desires I am sure if there were more loue and charity among Christians lesse faults lesse errours would appeare to bee in the Church of God then now there seemes to be 1 Cor. 13. for charity suffereth all things beleeueth all things and is euer willing to make faults and errours lesser then they be whereas the want of loue will make the worst of euery thing euery errour to be an Heresie and euery infirmity to be hainous impiety nay want of loue will make sinnes where God made none We ought to loue all men and to hate all vices in whomsoeuer they be and make vertues to be vices whereas perfect charity will neuer hate the man though he be full of iniquity and therefore my conclusion of this point is that as Christ hath loued vs and gaue himselfe for vs so let vs loue Christ and loue one another for Christ his sake and he that doth these things shall neuer fall Part. 4 PART IIII. CHAP. Of the manner of Christs suffering how he suffered all that I haue shewed so as the Prophets fore-told and as the Apostles had seene the same with their eyes The incomprehensible manner of Christ his sufferings FOurthly Hauing heard of the person suffering Christ of the chiefest things that he suffered which are recorded by the Euangelists and of the necessity of that suffering in respect of those causes which did necessitate the same wee are now to cōsider the maner how he suffered expressed in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so to suffer that is so humbly so louingly so meekely so patiently and so euery way in respect of himselfe as that neither the tongues of men nor Angels are neuer able by any like to expresse it by any words to declare it That all predictions touching the Messias were all accomplished in Iesus Christ or by any apprehensions or thoughts of man to conceiue it And so in regard of men as the Prophets had foretold and the Apostles had already seene for so it pleased Almighty God before the comming of the Messias to fore-tell almost euery thing that should happen throughout all the whole life of the Messias euen from the first moment of his conception vnto the very last act of his Ascention that so all men might beleeue in him in whom they saw all those predictions fulfilled none other for the Prophet Esay had said that a Virgin should conceiue and beare a sonne Esay 7.14 Mich. 5.2 Hos 11.1 Esay 9.1 Micheas said that hee should be borne in Bethlehem-Iuda Hoseas foretold of his flight into Egypt and to be briefe the place of his dwelling in the borders of Nepthali the manner of his liuing Healing all manner of infirmities Cap. 53.4 and preaching the glad tydings of saluation and almost euery one of the least particulars that should happen vnto him at his death Zach. 2.9 as how he should be sold and betrayed by his owne Disciple Psal 41 2. how all his followers should flie from him how craftily and maliciously he should be apprehended Esay 53.10 how falsly he should be accused how basely he should be handled buffeted whipped and spitted vpon how vniustly hee should bee condemned and how cruelly he should be fastned vnto the Crosse to die an accursed death and as most accursed betwixt the wicked and how he should be generally mocked his garments taken from him and haue Gall to eate and Vinegar to drinke and what not all was fore-shewed that should happen vnto the Messias and therefore it behoued Christ so to suffer because it was prophesied that he should so suffer And as the Prophets did fore-shew how the Messias should suffer so the Euangelists and Apostles testifie how Christ did suffer all and euery one of those things that were written of him for they were eye-witnesses of the same 1 Iohn 1.1 and soth ey testifie vnto vs that which was from the beginning which we haue heard and seene and our hands haue handled of the Word of life that testifie wee vnto you i. e. that all the things that were written of him which was promised from the beginning wee haue seene them fully accomplished fulfilled in him which liued and conuersed amongst vs and which we preach vnto you Iesus Christ S. Mathew recollects 32. seuerall Prophesies that he saw fulfilled in our Sauiour Christ Saint Iohn addes many other and so doe the rest diuers more So that whosoeuer would with the men of Berea search the Scriptures from the first Booke of Moses vnto the last Prophet Malachy and marke out all the things that were spoken of the Messias that was for to come we shall if we doe but looke finde them all recorded in the writings of the Apostles and Euangelists to be most fully fulfilled in the person of Iesus Christ A sufficient condemnation to all Iewes that still looke for another Christ for why should not they beleeue their owne Prophets they said the Messiah should suffer these things Christ suffered them so as they were prophesied who then can be the Messias but he in whom all these prophecies were fulfilled but Saint Paul tels vs why they will not beleeue in him Why the Iewes beleeue not in Christ Rom. 11. because partly blindnesse is come vpon them vntill the fulnesse of the Gentiles be come in And now Lord if it be thy will open their eyes that they may see this truth and circumcise all infidelity from their hearts that they may beleeue thy Sonne Iesus Christ to be the Sauiour of the world And as this condemneth all vnbeleeuing Iewes so it confirmeth all true Christians in the faith of Christ and I wish to God that as the seeing of all these things fulfilled in Christ makes vs all to beleeue in Christ so the suffering of all these things for vs would make vs all to praise this our Lord Iesus Christ for his goodnesse to feare him in all our wayes to loue him with all our hearts and to serue him truly and faithfully all the dayes of our life O blessed God grant this vnto vs for Iesus Christ his sake To whom with thee O Father and the Holy Spirit three distinct persons of that one indiuided essence be ascribed all praise and glory both now and for euermore Amen A Prayer O Most blessed God that hast giuen thy dearest and thine onely Sonne not onely to be made man subiect to all infirmities but also to suffer all miseries throughout his whole life and in the end to be put vnto a most shamefull painefull and accursed death by wicked men for sinnefull men that hee suffering what wee deserued wee might be deliuered from thy wrath we most humbly beseech
thee in his Name and for his sake to forgiue vs all our sinnes to accept his death as a plenary satisfaction to acquit vs from euerlasting death and to giue vs thy grace that for this and all other thy louing sauours vnto vs we may be truely thankefull and most dutifully obedient to please thee and to praise thy blessed Name for euer and euer through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen IEHOVAE LIBERATORI FINIS The Fift Golden Candlesticke HOLDING The Fift greatest Light of Christian RELIGION Of the Resurrection of CHRIST MATH 28.4.5.6 And for feare of him the Keepers did shake and became as dead men And the Angell answered and said vnto the Women feare not you for I know that you seeke Iesus which was crucified He is not here for he is risen as hee said come see the place where the Lord lay OVR blessed Lord God The coherence of this Treatise with the former and louing Father out of his excellent prouidence and secret loue to Man hath so tempered all the accidents and whole course of mans life with such proportion and equall counterpoyse that euer and anon ioyes and sorrowes are mixt together as wee may easily see in our blessed Sauiour for vpon Mount Thabor he was transfigured in glory Math. 17.2 that his face did shine as the Sunne and vpon Mount Caluary he was disfigured in sorrow that confusion went ouer his face and that in him there was neither forme nor beauty and vpon Mount Oliuet euen now Esay 53.2 Luke 22.43 Verse 44. an Angell comforting him and by and by an agony affrighting him so vpon the Crosse euen now he cries as destitute of all helpe My God my God why hast thou forsaken me yet by and by after as assured of comfort he saith O my Father into thy hands I commend my spirit Math. 27.46 Euen so it is with vs all Nocte pluit tota Luke 23.46 redeunt spectacula mane Heauinesse may indure for a night but ioy commeth in the morning To day we may be sicke at the point to die to morrow wee may be restored to life againe to night in prison and in distresse to morrow at liberty and aduanced to dignitie And this we see plaine in my Text for the last day was a day of cloudes and darkenesse a day of griefe and sorrow for the passion and suffering of the Sonne of God But behold this day is a day of ioy and gladnesse a day of Iubile for the most glorious resurrection of this Omnipotent Son of God for as it behoued him to suffer for our sinnes as you heard so it behoued him to rise againe for our iustification saith the Apostle And so this Angell testifieth that he did Rom. 4.25 He is not here but is risen as he saide Come see the place where the Lord lay And In these words we may obserue The diuision of the Text. 1. The persons here mentioned 2. The action of each person plainely expressed First The Persons mentioned are especially of three sorts 1. Keepers 2. Women 3. Angels Secondly The actions expressed are 1. Of the Keepers watching Christ 2. Of the Women seeking Christ 3. Of the Angell 1. Terrifying the former 2. Comforting the latter And from all this we may see these three things 1. The malice of the Iewes 2. The deuotion of the Women 3. The Office of the Angels And the maine summe of all is The Resurrection of Christ PART I. CHAP. Of the malice of the Iewes against our Sauiour Christ FIRST The malice of the Iewes against our Sauiour Christ is seene in that they did not onely spitefully oppose themselues against him throughout all his life and most vniustly deliuer him to a most shamefull death but also maliciously watched him in his graue that he might not rise to shew the right property of the wicked not onely to throw the righteous downe but also to keepe them downe and to trample them still vnder feete and to hire the Watchmen to belie both themselues and his Disciples that the truth of his Resurrection might not be knowne and beleeued for our saluation O miseri quae tanta insania ciues O wretched men that you are what is your rage as strong as death nay stronger then death and longer then death For the man is dead and he is buried And yet Vos excandescitis ira Your rage is implacable you set armed Souldiers to watch and ward ouer this dead harmelesse man And so we finde what the Scripture saith of the wicked to be true in you Malicia eorum excaecauit eos Wisedome 2.21 Your malice and your wickednesse haue blinded your eyes Nay but this deceiuer said saith some of them That after three dayes I will rise againe A deceiuer indeede Sed pius seductor How wicked men are deceiued But of them onely that deceiue themselues either First By relying too much on his mercy and not thinking of his iustice or Secondly By fearing too much his iustice and forgetting all his mercy or Thirdly By not beleeuing his power either to saue the penitent beleeuers in him or to punish the wicked contemners of him for of all these and the like the Prophet saith The Lord will deceiue you that is suffer you to deceiue your selues He will make his Arrowes drunken in bloud Deut. 32.42 and hee will cause his Sword to goe through your sides But them that truly trust in him he will neuer deceiue nor suffer them to be deceiued in him For our Fathers hoped in him Psal 22.4 and were not confounded But what if you had seene him rise againe what would you haue done would you haue beleeued in him no surely for you know he rose his Disciples testifies it to your faces and your owne Souldiers sayes it and you are faine to hyre them to say the contrary What then would you haue done would you haue crucified againe the Lord of life Yes no doubt such is the malice of the wicked that the death of the godly decies repetita placebit is neuer often enough inflicted O therefore good Lord thou King of Heauen Giue me any head saue the head of a Serpent and any malice saue the malice of an enemy For death it selfe cannot hide me from these but they will rage and rayle on my very Ghost And so much for the malice of the Iewes Part. 2 PART II. CHAP. I. Of the number and the names of these Women that came to seeke our Sauiour Christ in his Sepulcher SEcondly The deuotion of the Women is here commended in that they are said to come early while it was yet darke to seeke Iesus Iohn 20.1 for to imbalme him And for the better vnderstanding of this point these three especiall things must bee considered 1. Their number 2. Their names 3. Their action First Saint Mathew here seemes to say they were two Why three Women went together vnto the Sepulcher Mary Magdalen and the other
whom much is giuen Luke 12.48 of them much shall be required and wee know he gaue more to vs for he gaue his Son vnto vs and he did more for vs for hee dyed for vs and hee shewed more loue towards vs for he was made one with vs then euer hee did vnto the Angels and therefore I say no more but wee are obliged to the more thankefulnesse How the Angels punish wicked men Secondly The Angel here descended to affright and terrifie these wicked Keepers and therefore the Keepers at the sight of him Intus timent exterius concutiuntur vt ferè exanimes redduntur Caietan in Math. c. 28. were astonied and became as dead men for though they haue a charge to cherish the godly and to preserue them so Psal 91 11. in all their wayes that they dash not their foote against a stone yet they are likewise charged to punish the wicked and to dash them in pieces against euery stone and therefore they consumed Sodom Gen. 19. Exod. 12.29 2 Kings 19.35 they plagued Aegypt they destroyed 100. 80. and 5000. men in the hoste of the Assirians and here the very countenance of one Angel doth so terrifie these wicked men that they are astonied and become as dead men and no maruell for his countenance is admirable it was like lightning and his garment white as snow their voyce is terrible as the voyce of God and I heard thy voyce saith Adam vnto God and I was afraide Gen. 3.10 for as it is Vox suauiter dulcis dulciter suavis a voice like the sweet and melodious voyce of Harpers harping with their harpes vnto the godly so it is Vox mirabiliter terribilis terribiliter mirabilis a voyce like the sound of many waters that is wonderfully terrible vnto the wicked it shaketh the Cedars of Libanus Reuel 19.6 and terrifieth the very hearts of the vngodly and their power is incredible Ye Angels of his saith Dauid that excell in strength Psal 103.20 O therefore sencelesse godlesse men will ye not feare him that as he hath his army of little ones that are able to destroy the greatest Potentates of the world as the frogges flyes and caterpillars subdued Pharaoh and all his kingdome so he hath his Army of great ones Reuel 10.1 of these mighty Angels as the Apostle cals them to fight against you poore silly wormes of the earth Alas if their countenance be so admirable their voyce so terrible That it is vnpossible to escape the hands of any destroying Angell and their power so incredible as I shewed before what shall you do when they shall haue a power super added a power giuen them to destroy the earth a shaking blade put into their hands not onely to keepe the way of the tree of life but also to cut downe the wicked like grasse and to cast them forth into eternall death O consider this you that forget God lest hee teare you in pieces while there is none to helpe you for this is a dolefull and a fearefull case Psal 69.23 a most grieuous curse pronounced by Dauid To haue those things which should be for your aduantage an occasion of falling to haue those glorious Angels which are appointed by God to saue and preserue you if you serue God to be transmuted by your sinnes to destroy and consume you and therefore Kisse the sonne lest hee bee angry for if his wrath be kindled yea but a little blessed are all they that trust in him Thirdly This Angell here descended in respect of the women and that for two speciall ends 1. For their consolation 2. For their instruction CHAP. II. How the Angell comforteth these women diuers wayes FIrst How the Angell comforteth the Women The Angell comforteth these women many wayes but especially 1. By the manner of his apparition 2. By his kinde and friendly allocution For First He appeared vnto them not in a blacke mournfull robe but in a garment white as snow which signifieth purity and is the ensigne of ioy and felicity and he assumed the shape of a yong man Marke 16.5 Haymo in postil super Euangel die pasch whose forme must needes be amiable vnto all men and he sate on the right side which signifieth a successiue happinesse vnto their intentions All good signes all signes of comfort But Secondly As these dumbe shewes doe a little consolate their afrighted soules so his gracious speech doth wholly expell all feare and sorrow from their afflicted hearts for he said vnto the women Feare you not for I know that you seeke Iesus that was crucified Wherein is intimated three especiall things 1. Whom we ought to feare 2. Who ought and who ought not to feare 3. How we ought to feare That we need not feare men Angels diuels First We need not feare Men Angels Diuels for that is the meaning of the Angels words vnto the women you need not feare the Iewes you need not feare me you need not feare the very Diuels Matth. 10.28 for they are but your fellow seruants and the greatest of all these can and without the leaue and permission of God they cannot but confiscate your goods Rom. 8. and cast your bodies into the fire for when they haue done so they can doe no more saith Christ but God can cast both body and soule into Hell fire and therefore as wee should hate nothing but sinne because nothing but sinne makes vs to be hated of God so wee should feare none but God because if God be with vs none can hurt vs nothing can harme vs. Ob. But against this it may be obiected that we should feare our superiours as Kings Magistrates Parents Preachers and such like therefore others besides God are to be feared Sol. I answere that our superiours haue a power and authority ouer vs but first it is potestas data non innata a power giuen them from aboue and not inbred in themselues for as our Sauiour saith vnto Pilate there could be no power in man except it were giuen him from God Iohn 19.12 and secondly it is potestas limitata a power limited so farre as God permitteth and no further for God saith vnto them as he doth vnto the sea Hitherto shalt thou goe and no further here shalt thou stay thy proud waues and therefore I confesse that they are to be feared 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in respect of that concessed and receiued power which they haue from God and so indeed we feare not them but the power and authority of God in them but not absolutely because they haue not absolute power In what sense and how farre parents and magistrates are to be feared but God hath all and absolute power a power both of body and soule and therefore God onely is to be feared absolutely in all respects But then Secondly It may be said that obiectum timoris malum The obiect
The question is betwixt vs and the Iewes whether Iesus the Sonne of Mary whom they crucified and buried and whom we preach and beleeue in be the true Messias or not and whether he raysed himselfe from his graue yea or no. To both these the Iewes answere no Not the Messias not raysed from the dead First Not the Messias because hee came not downe from the Crosse when he was fast nayled vnto the same for If he be the King of Israel said the chiefe of them their high Priests and Elders of the people Let him now come downe frrom the Crosse Math. 27.42 and we will beleeue in him Ah foolish Nation a Nation voide of vnderstanding and Children of your Father the Diuell Namque haud tibi vultus humanus nec vox hominum sonat For here you sing the same song Math. 4.6 and you harpe vpon the same string as he did If thou beest the Sonne of God cast thy selfe downeward saith the Diuell and if he be the King of Israel let him come downe from the Crosse say these Children of the Diuell Chrysost hom de cruce So you see the one would haue him to descend from the Temple the other from the Crosse the one from seruing God the other from suffering for man and both to descend whereas God made man to ascend Os homini sublime dedit caelumque tueri inssit And of all his Creatures he made him onely straight God made man to ascend to looke vp towards Heauen and bids men alwayes to haue Sursum corda Their hearts like their heads lifted vp their thoughts in Heauen and their conuersations in Heauen Phil. 3.20 And therefore whensoeuer we are inticed to descend from the height of Gods seruice or suffering vpon our Crosse and to settle our affections here vpon the base things of this World let vs know it is the voyce of Satan not of God Math. 27.42 I but let him come downe and we will beleeue in him saith this people and let vs enioy the pleasures and the vanities of the Earth and we will serue him saith the generation of this World Luke 16.31 But as our Sauiour saith vnto them in another case If you will not beleeue Moses and the Prophets neither will you beleeue though one should arise from the dead So Saint Bernard saith in this case If now you will not beleeue in him that raysed himselfe from the graue you would neuer haue beleeued in him if he had then descended from the Crosse Greg. Hom. 21. in Euang. Quia plus erat de sepulchro surgere quam de cruce descendere plus mortem resurgendo destruere That it was a greater matter to rise from the dead then to come downe from the Crosse quam vitam descendendo seruare Because it was a greater matter to raise himselfe from the graue then to descend from the Crosse and a farre more excellent argument of inuincible omnipotency being dead to destroy death by rising againe from the dead then being aliue to saue his life by descending from the Crosse And so I say to the base descending worldlings if they will not stay vpon the Crosse to suffer with Christ here they are not worthy to be exalted to raigne with Christ hereafter and if they will not beleeue in him and serue him for the hope of the ioyes of Heauen they are not worthy to be receiued into the number of his seruants because such men loue the World more then God and will not loue God but for the Worlds sake August de ver Dom. Serm. Like vnto the Woman Quae non maritum amat sed aurum mariti Which loues her Husbands wealth more then her Husband or not her Husband but for his wealths sake Secondly They say he raysed not himselfe from the graue but his Disciples came by night and stole him away and if this be true he could not be the true Messias Whether the Disciples stole away Christ from his graue or not But what his Disciples that forsooke him and forsware him while he was yet aliue and could if he had would haue rescued himselfe out of the hands of all his enemies Alas poore men durst they now silly Fishermen thrust themselues among the pikes of armed Souldiers to steale away a dead carkasse that could neither helpe himselfe nor them No no they were readier to hide themselues in graues then to aduenture to take him out of the graue And therefore Mary Magdalen that knew his Disciples did not nor durst not take him away thought rather when shee found him not in his Tombe that they which left him no rest in his life did also take him and tosse him now out of his graue Sic multum terris iactatus alto And so left him not neither in life nor death Dementia insanabilis So implacable was their rage against him But though shee was in the right that his Disciples did not meddle with him yet herein shee was deceiued Ambros in hunc locum lucae Putando Christum sublatum esse de monumento When shee thought that the Souldiers had remoued him saith Saint Ambrose because this victorious Lyon did Sampson-like carrie away the gates of Gaza Iudg. 16.3 and burst open the doores of his Sepulcher that his glorious Body might come forth yet the Womans weakenesse may be excused Quia cum pietate societus est Because her error proceeded of ignorance and was accompanied with an vpright conscience but who can extenuate or who will not aggrauate that extreame folly and horrible impiety of this wretched and malicious people How the High Priests did what possibly they could to hinder the Resurrection of Christ For they not onely refused to receiue him for their Sauiour and said Nolumus hunc regnare super nos Wee will haue none of this man we will haue none other man but Caesar to be our King But they did also persecute him as a seducer and crucified him as a false vsurper and then buried him without honor There were no Widowes to make lamentation nor any of his friends that durst shew it and being buried they locked fast his Sepulcher Molemque montes insuper altos imposuere They prest him downe with a mighty stone and they hired a band of armed Souldiers to watch him that he should neither rise himselfe nor his Disciples come and take him away And therefore his Disciples that were so lately amazed at his passion were now so stupified at this obsignation this sealing and watching and warding of him that they durst not once passe out of doores to looke after his Resurrection vntill these three Women which esteemed themselues more free from violence and thereupon presumed first to see the Sepulcher had informed them that this one had chaste a thousand and had put all that band of men to flight Or if their hearts had serued them to aduenture so great a danger and
beleeue the testimonies of the Apostles to moue and perswade men to giue credit vnto their testimony yet me thinkes the plainenesse of their declaration and the smalnesse of their expectation of any manner of profit or reward in the World for the testifying of these things should be sufficient to make all men beleeue them For First All the World may see First Their plainenesse they sought not with any tricks of wit to set a faire die vpon a bad cloth nor with any glozing speeches fine sentences subtile arguments or any such like sophisticall wayes to procure credit vnto themselues and to draw men to beleeue fabulous inuentions but their proceeding is plaine carrying nothing with it but a declaration of simple truth nakedly reported without any manner of humane subtilty to confirme it And Secondly All the World may see Secondly their desire what they aimed at by their testimony they looked for no gaine in the World but the gaine of Soules no credit by their writing no profit by their preaching but onely that men would beleeue the truth to saue their owne soules If the man whom they had affirmed to be dead and to haue risen againe to life had still continued with them and had beene in expectation to be some great Monarch of the world it might be said they auouched his rising from the dead in hope to be raised by him to some eminent place in the world but you see they looke for no such thing neither by their testimony to raise him to any humane honour nor by him to be raised or to be any wayes rewarded in this life themselues vnlesse it be to be afflicted and persecuted vnto death for this testimony of Iesus Christ This was the best that they could expect and therefore the testimony of these men must needs be faithfull and true to proue more then abundantly sufficient that Iesus is the true Messias and that being dead he raised himselfe to life againe the third day And yet CHAP. VII Of many other circumstances that doe infallibly prooue the Resurrection of Christ and so consequently this Iesus Christ to be the true Messias and Sauiour of the world The circumstantiall proofes of the Resurrection of Christ THirdly Besides all this there be many other circumstantiall proofes and declarations of this same truth God not desirous to make men beleeue so great a matter as is the eternall saluation of all the world without more then abundantly sufficient witnesse And therefore First the great earth-quake First At the very instance of his Resurrection and descending of the Angels as Caietan saith there was a very great earth-quake Caietan in Math. 28. the earth either dancing for ioy that Christ was risen or trembling for feare that men would not beleeue this Resurrection of Christ Secondly the sudden courage of the Apostles Secondly The Apostles and Disciples hearts were presently changed for whereas a little before they durst not peepe out of doores because they did but waueringly thinke that this was hee which should haue redeemed Israel they doe now couragiously compasse the whole world and confidently teach and auouch there is no other name giuen vnder heauen whereby men may be saued but the name of Iesus Thirdly Many that were dead rose from their graues Thirdly the apparitions of the raised bodies and appeared vnto many of their acquantance in Ierusalem to testifie vnto them and to assure them of the Resurrection of Christ Diues thought if one was sent from the dead his brethren would beleeue him and behold here are many sent and yet the Iewes the brethren of Christ will not beleeue them Fourthly Pilate himselfe that condemned him to death Fourthly the testimony of Pilate did testifie of his Resurrection vnto life in a letter that he wrote vnto Tiberius Caesar and therefore Tiberius desired the Senate to admit Christ into the number of their gods for it was their custome saith Tertullian Vt nisi homini deus placeret Tertull. l. cont gentes c. 5. deus non esset That God should be no God vnlesse he were approued of men and because they refused to receiue him God not suffering the Arke and Dagon to stand together vpon the same Altar nor Christ and Beliall to be worshipped together in the same Temple Tiberius was incensed against the Romans God working all things together for the best for them that loue him that he gaue free leaue and liberty vnto all Christians to beleeue and professe the Name of Iesus Christ Fiftly Iosephus the most learned among the latter Iewes saith Fiftly the testimony of Iosephus Iosephus antiq l. 8 c. 9. Sixtly the sufferings of the Martyres that cum Pilatus eum in crucem agendum decreuisset c. After Pilate had crucified him he appeared vnto his followers the third day according as the Prophets had fore-shewed Sixtly All Martyres haue most boldly confessed this truth and haue most constantly suffered in defence of this truth Tertullian doth most excellently shew the difference betwixt the Martyres and Malefactors saying Mali apparere deuitant deprehensi trepidant accusati negant condemnati maerent Euill doers are loth to be seene being taken they tremble being accused they deny it being condemned they deplore themselues but with the Martyres there is no such matter for they are neither ashamed of their profession neither doe they grieue at their apprehension but if they be noted for Christians they reioyce at it if they be accused they confesse it if adiudged to die they deeme it better then life and therefore saith he Quid hoc mali est cuius reus gaudet cuius accusatio votum est cuius paena felicitas What euill is this when the guiltie of the fact reioyceth in his accusation and is made happy in his condemnation Zephan 2.11 Seauenthly the confession of Christ his enemies Seauenthly The very enemies of Christ yea and his greatest aduersaries did confesse and iustifie this truth of Christ for as the Prophet said that the Messias should famish all the gods of the earth so Christ did spoyle them all and stopped the mouthes of all infernall spirits that by their lying oracles they could speake no more but against their wils to confesse that hee was the Holy One of God and that this Galilean had ouercome them all as Iulian that great Apostata to his great cost at last confessed saith Nicephorus Eightly the heauy punishments of Christs persecutors Eightly The great plagues and punishments that were presently inflicted and haue still to this very day continued vpon all the persecuters and denyers of Christ doe sufficiently proue the Resurrection of Christ and that Christ to be the true Messias for Pilate being accused by the Iewes was inforced to appeale from Vitellius the chiefe Gouernour of Syria Ioseph antiq l. 18. c. 11. and to goe to Rome to defend himselfe before Caesar who before Pilate came there was dead and
letting fall the Tortoise out of her bill that so falling vpon a stone the shell might be broken it fell vpon his head and killed him so the deuill deales with these men he lifts them vp as hee did Simon Magus to make them flie in the aire and then as he did to the said Magus he throwes them downe to breake their neckes and therefore it had beene good for many they had neuer beene thus lifted vp It is reported of one Gaufredus Monachus Clarevallensis Bosqâ—ier de monomachia that hauing refused a Bishopricke in his life time he appeared after his death vnto his chamber-fellow and said that hee did well in refusing that Bishopricke which his friends would haue had him to accept quia si in numero Episcoporum fuisset in numero damnatorum esset because that if he had been of the number of the Bishops he should now haue beene of the number of the damned not that all Bishops must be damned God forbid there haue beene and there are many of them exceeding good learned painefull and vpright men though I must vnfainedly confesse I haue seene some not as I would wish but that if hee had aspired to that dignity by that vnlawfull meanes as it is most likely it was offered him for otherwise it had beene most lawfull for him both to desire it and to accept it for hee that desireth the office of a Bishop desireth a good worke saith the Apostle or though he might lawfully haue attained vnto it yet if hee finding himselfe though fit enough to be a Monke yet vnfit to be a Bishop had accepted the same then certainely it must needes haue followed that if more mercy were not shewed then hee deserued hee must needes bee in the number of the damned and it would bee well for many if they did not rise to fall for of such ascenders Bonauen de ascen ser 4. p 199. Bonauenture saith that quantum ascenderunt per ambitionem in mundo tantum descendent per damnationem in inferno by how much the higher they haue ascenbed by their ambition in the world by so much the greater shall be their damnation in hell and so of these the Prophet Dauid saith in a mysticall sense though literally I confesse it spoken of sea-faring men quod ascendunt vsque ad Coelum descendunt vsque ad Abyssos that they are lifted vp to the Heauens and downe againe they fall into the bottomelesse pit but they doe not descend in the same manner as they ascend for they doe ascend most willingly but they shall bee cast downe most violently into that place of vtter darkenesse Luke 12. Thou foole this night they shall take away thy soule from thee euen as a Sergeant doth a prisoner into his goale against his will and they doe ascend by degrees by little and little and by the space of forty fifty or sixty yeeres but they shall suddenly fall away like the lightening whereof our Sauiour speaketh I saw Satan as a lightening falling downe from heauen i. e. suddenly and fearefully they shall fall to ruine Diabolus itaque homo Bernard in flor p. 2090. c. homo vterque ascendere voluit sed praepostere hic ad scientiam ille ad potentiam ambo ad superbiam and so both the Deuill and wicked men would each of them ascend but preposterously men to bee wise the deuill to bee great and both to be proud saith Saint Bernard for which they shall both fall downe to hell How the godly doe ascend Secondly good men doe ascend aswell as the euill and wicked and though they doe not ascend after the same manner yet they doe it the same way saith Saint Bernard as the wicked doe Idem de gradibus humilit p. 972. because as the same way leadeth vnto the city as goeth from the city and by the same doore wee enter into the house as we goe out of the house so if we would returne vnto the truth and ascend vp into heauen wee neede not seeke any other new way but by which we haue descended and fallen downe from heauen we must ascend and climbe vp into heauen and as Cacus dragged his cattell backewards into his caue so we vestigia retrorsum must retire backe by the same steps as we haue proceeded forward but you know wee fell by pride we would be like God Gen. 3.5 and therefore we must ascend by humility wee must know our selues to bee nothing and worth nothing this is the way and there is none other but this qui aliter vadit cadit potius quam ascendit and hee that would by any other way ascend vp to heauen hee doth surely fall from heauen because it was enacted by the eternall Law of the God of heauen that euery one which exalteth himselfe shall be humbled The way to heauen is humility and hee that humbleth himselfe shall be exalted And therefore Christ hauing not as he was God any way whereby he might ascend because nothing is higher then God and God cannot be higher then he is by his humiliation and descention he found how to ascend for comming to bee incarnate and to suffer death that we should not suffer eternall death therefore God exalted him and gaue him a name aboue all other names to teach vs that by humility onely wee may ascend to eternall felicity Goe thou and doe thou likewise humble thy selfe if thou wouldest bee exalted into heauen and because thine humility is full of pride lay hold vpon the humility of Iesus Christ for that is onely perfect and therefore it is that only that can bring thee to perfection Fourthly we reade that Christ ascended and was lifted vp Christ ascended three speciall times and that as we finde three speciall times 1. vpon the Crosse when the Iewes insulted ouer him 2. from his Graue when the Deuils trembled at it 3. into Heauen when all the hoste of heauen reioyced at it and said Lift vp your heads O yee gates and bee yee lifted vp yee euerlasting doores that the King of glory may come in for this is hee that hath troden the wine-fat alone and is worthy of all glory and honour for euermore And so you see how many sorts there be of ascenders and you see I thinke how fearefull is the ascention of Satan and of wicked men Bernard de ascen ser 4. pag. 199. and how glorious is the ascention of the Saints And we finde that as S. Bernard saith omnes cupidi sumus ascentionis exaltationem concupiscimus omnes we all desire to be exalted wee all would faine bee lifted vp to heauen but who shall teach vs the way thither lest wee should bee seduced by him that fell from thence and so seeking to ascend vp into heauen we should fearefully fall downe into hell Who saith Saint Bernard but he Iohn 3.13 of whom it is written that he ascended vp on high that ascended vp aboue
a gift that we haue receiued from God All that wee haue is from God because as Saint Iames saith Euery good thing and euery perfect gift is from aboue and commeth downe from the Father of lights Secondly the Spirituall gifts of God are of two sorts 1. To edifie the Church 2. To sanctifie our soules First Those gifts which he gaue to edifie the Church Ephes 4.11 the Apostle setteth downe in the eleuenth verse saying Hee gaue some Apostles and some Prophets and some Euangelists The gifts that Christ bestoweth to edifie his Church and some Pastors and Teachers for the perfecting of the same for the worke of the Ministery for the edifying of the body of Christ wherein we see that by the gifts whereof the Apostle speaketh in these words are vnderstood either 1. The Ministers of the Church or 2. The gifts wherewith the Ministers are indued or rather as I take it 3. Ministers indued and qualified with such gifts as are necessary for the gathering together of his Church which are specially The gifts 1. Of Tongues Gifts requisite for Preachers 2. Of Knowledge 3. Of Charitie 4. Of Constancy and Perseuerance 5. Of Contempt of all worldly vanities 6. Of perfect power First The gift of tongues First languages and readinesse of speech i. e. that as by the confusion of tongues the world was diuided at the building of Babell so by the helpe of the Preachers tongues the world might bee revnited and made one sheepe-fold in the building of Gods Church Secondly that these men might not offend in their tongues Thirdly that they might be the better able to teach profound and heauenly doctrine which they that want the tongues or languages cannot so easily attaine vnto And fourthly that none might bee able to resist the words of their mouthes Luke 12.11 as our Sauiour saith I will giue vnto you a mouth or tongue which your aduersaries shall not be able to withstand Secondly Knowledge Iohn 16.13 Perfecta virtus non est sine cognitione veritatis Bernard Secondly the gift of Knowledge whereby they might know all truth not of politicke and state matters but of all truth necessary for this office to edifie the Church which is the chiefest knowledge that wee should aime at or else all truth euery way because they should know him which is all truth i. e. Iesus Christ and I desire to know nothing else I will bee contented to be accounted a foole in all things else so he will giue me this gift only to know him alone Thirdly Charity 1 Cor. 8.1 Hugo de S. Vict. misc l. 1. tit 73. Thirdly the gift of Charity Quia quaerentes verum non bonum non inuenient summum bonum because knowledge without charity puffeth vp and the seeking to know the truth and not labouring to be good will neuer bring vs to the chiefest good and because of all men wee are most hated and standered and haue all occasions offered vs to make vs hate all wicked men therefore God diffuseth this gift of loue and charity into our hearts that notwithstanding all our indignity we doe still loue them better then they doe loue themselues and doe spend our whole time to doe them good and are ready to lay downe our liues for the brethren Fourthly Constancy Fourthly the gift of constancy and perseuerance because as knowledge and euery other gift without charity is nothing worth so charity and all other workes without perseuerance will auaile vs nothing Reuel 2.10 because wee must bee faithfull vnto death if wee would haue the crowne of life and therefore God doth giue vs this gift of Constancy to continue so in our vocation that neither want Rom. 8.39 nor contempt nor life nor death nor any other thing shall separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus Fiftly contempt of vanities Fiftly the gift of contemning worldly vanities for seeing it is the property of the world to esteeme of vs no better then of the scumme and off-scouring of the world euery one of vs except hee be great in wealth and honours is contemned of his owne kinred of his owne people in his owne house where hee dwelleth and of those very men whom he teacheth and for whom as a burning light he consumeth himselfe that they should not bee consumed with sinne therefore the Lord giueth vs this gift and spirit contemnere contemni to despise all contempts and to regard none of the vaine and variable things of this wicked world Sixtly the gift of perfect power Sixtly Perfect power that to the penitent and deiected to the humble and contrite hearts they might open the gates of heauen and let them in in despight of all the deuils of hell and that against the obstinate and rebellious sinners Matth. 16.19 they might close and shut the same that notwithstanding all their wealth and wit their strength and power they may be excluded out of the ioyes of heauen And so these are the gifts Ministers indued with these gifts which God giueth vnto his Church for the gathering together of his Saints And indeed What a great gift it is to bestow able ministers vpon this Church howsoeuer the world vilipendeth them and as the Prophet saith doth make but a iesting song of them yet if we truly obserue it wee shall easily finde it that among all the gifts of God which he now giueth vnto men from heauen the sending of faithfull and able Ministers indued with these gifts to discharge their duties is the chiefest gift and doth obtaine the chiefest place for alas without them what were we vnbaptized still wallowing in our sins and filthinesse vntaught still inuolued in ignorance vnvnited to Christ still chained in the hands of Satan without profession without religion without God And therefore it was not without cause Matth. 9.38 that our Sauiour exhorteth vs to pray vnto God that he would send forth labourers into his vineyard for otherwise hee knew that in a very short time it would grow wilde and in stead of grapes to bring forth wilde grapes in stead of mercy and iudgement to bring forth cruelty and oppession and in stead of piety and religion to bring forth nothing else but idolatry and superstition It is reported of Phillip King of Macedon that he sent vnto the Athenians to send him all their Orators of Athens and he would euer liue in league and peace with them and the wise Senators being ready to deliuer those learned men into the hands of their mortall enemy Demosthenes said vnto them that on a time the Wolues said vnto the Sheepe that they conceiued no ill thought against them but only for retaining those dogs which were their deadly enemies and oftentimes barked against themselues which were their feeders and therefore if they would deliuer vp their dogs into their hands they should free themselues from their barking and they would
is the capacitie of mans desire And yet we finde that in some sense euery man may be truely said to be full for nature it selfe abhorres vacuity Rom. 1.29 and therefore the wicked are said to be full of all vnrighteousnesse full of sinnes full of worldly cares and being full of these things they must bee voide of grace and empty of goodnesse their braines empty that they vnderstand nothing their memory empty that they remember nothing and their hearts empty that they practise nothing that is good All men are either full of sinnes or of grace But as the vessell that is full of water must be emptyed of that water before it can be filled with Wine or as thy hand full of Counters saith Saint Chrysostome must be emptied of the Counters before thou canst fill the same with gold so must wee empty our selues of sin before we can be filled with grace we must cast away the cares of this world before wee can be satisfied with the ioyes of Heauen and therefore the Apostles did forsake the world and left all things to follow Christ and then hauing emptyed themselues of all worldly vanities to follow Christ they were presently filled with these heauenly graces of Christ Hugo de Prato apud Discip Now as Hugo de Prato saith there be foure speciall signes of fulnesse 1. Not to murmure 2. Firmely to stand 3. To receiue no more 4. To flow ouer And wee finde this to be true in each sort of them that are full For First The wicked which are full of all vnrighteousnesse First They are dumbe and open not their mouthes to giue thankes to God for any thing and if God knocketh on these vessels with the fingers of his blessings yet we shall not heare the least sound of any thankefulnesse they are full of sinnes and therefore they cannot speake of grace Secondly They are so constant in their wickednesse Mens immota manet that as a full vessell cannot easily be remoued so all the preaching in the world cannot make them to alter their lewde and wicked courses Thirdly They are so full of sinnes that there is no roome in them for grace because nothing can receiue but his fulnesse Fourthly They corrupt others and speake of wicked blasphemy and their talking is against the most highest and so their sinnes doe flow and ouerflow the whole Countrey to shew indeed that they are full and more then full of sinnes Secondly The Apostles and Disciples and all good Christians being replenished with Gods Spirit they haue the same properties but in a farre different sense For First If God should knocke on these vessels with the fingers of afflictions with any plagues or troubles yet they murmure not at any thing they open not their mouthes whatsoeuer they suffer but they reioyce in tribulation that they are counted worthy to suffer any thing for the Name of Christ Act. 5.41 Secondly They stand constant in their profession that neither life nor death can remoue them from their most holy Faith Rom. 8.35 And yet here you must not thinke that the constancy of standing while a man is full of Gods Spirit doth imply a necessity of continuing full with the said graces for though the Holy Ghost sate vpon the Apostles and they stood firme while hee sate on them or remained in them yet for their sinnes if they take not heede 1 Sam. 16.15 this Spirit may be taken from them as he was from Saul and their Candlestickes may be remoued as they were from the seauen Churches of Asia and he that standeth may soone fall if he doth not warily looke vnto his wayes for though the gifts and graces of God be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without repentance i. e. The sauing graces once giuen are neither finally nor totally taken away but the common graces are oftentimes taken away from the wicked by reason of their wickednesse though the sauing grace of God being once receiued by the Elect can neuer after totally be extinguished yet those gifts and graces which are commonly giuen as we see many times to the bad as well as to the good or else for the edifying of the Church may wholly cease and be extinguished as we reade of Nicholas the Deacon on whom the Spirit sate and was one of them that were filled with the Holy Ghost if Saint Augustine Saint Gregory Lorinus and others iudgement be to be followed and yet fell from the faith as Bonauenture collecteth against Saint Chrysostome But from hence it is well concluded that as all or most of the Apostles and Disciples that were here filled did continue vnto the end as our Sauiour requireth so it sheweth that we should be all not like the Aegyptian dogges at Nilus Qui bibunt fugiunt Which for feare of Crocodiles doe take a snatch of the Riuer and then slinke away but very carefull to giue attendance euery man in his calling Donec venerit vntill our Master commeth and neuer to slinke away Thirdly They forsooke all and followed Christ Matth. 19.27 There was no roome in their hearts for worldly vanities and they deemed them but as dung and drosse as the Apostle calleth them Fourthly Hest 10.6 in Apocryph As the little Well in Hester grew into a great Riuer and flowed ouer with great waters so now the Apostles being filled with the Holy Ghost they powre out the graces of God ouer all the face of the earth to renue it as the waters of Noah preuailed to destroy it for now they speake with other tongues as the spirit giues them vtterance And yet here we must obserue that although they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and that from them all the graces of Gods Spirit did flow and ouerflow the earth yet they had not all the same measure of grace That the Apostles receiued not all the like measure of grace and therefore that grace could not flow in the same measure from them all for as Richardus de sancto Victore doth well obserue there is infusio defusio effusio gratiae A giuing of a quantity of some grace and there is a filling with a fulnesse of grace and there is a superabundancy of grace or there is a small and a middle and a superordinary measure of grace and so we finde it both in the Preachings and in the Pennings of these Apostles for Iames staide onely in Ierusalem and the maior part of the rest preached ouer all the world Iude writ but one Epistle and that one a very short one and most of them writ nothing at all but Saint Iohn and Saint Paul writ very much That we must not expect the same measure of fruites from all men and therefore of those as well Preachers as others which haue receiued grace not onely to sanctifie themselues but also to edifie the Church we must not expect the same measure of fruits from all For young men and the
reproue great men 233 Who most subiect to dangers 433 Daughters of sinne are two 82 In the day of Christs natiuitie three things obseruable 435 DE. Death the fruit of sinne 2 Seauen deadly sinnes 40 By death is contained all that is vnder the curse of God 47 67 Death three-fold 49 Death of the soule three-fold 53 Death what it is 67 How largely it extendeth it selfe 75 How vnresistable it is ibid. How expressed by the Egyptians 76 How it shortens life diuers wayes 77 How it taketh men of all ages 78 How it smiteth in euery place 79 How comfortable it is to the godly 79 How terrible to the wicked 80 How it equalizeth the bodies of all men 81 Death of Christ the sole cause that maketh our death happy vnto vs. 84 Death eternall what it is 86 Death of Christ a sufficient satisfaction for the greatest sinnes 164 Death how little Christ respected it 446 Saints at their death supported by God 447 Death of the crosse grieuous in foure respects 479 480 Death of Christ maketh the wicked without excuse 504 Certainty of Christs death shewed in that her rose not til the third day 556 Deceit of sinne how great 44 Deceits no deceits vnlesse cunningly carried 461 Deformitie of sinne greater then we can comprehend 107 Deferring of Christs suffering grieued Christ 451 Wicked men how they deceiue themselues 517 God a debter to no man 531 To defend the truth with the hazard of all that we haue 217 Why God deferreth to giue vs what we desire 723 Delight in sinne maketh vs exceeding sinfull 15 Our deliuerances from punishments to be ascribed to Gods goodnesse 203 God deliuereth not alwaies his deerest Saints from afflictions 206 Christ deliuered from what he feared 448 To derogate from Gods power how great a sinne 161 God denieth his grace vnto the children for their Fathers sinnes 251. Why. 252 Why God denieth what we aske 725 To descend from the crosse easier then to rise from the graue 562 Descention of Christ into hell handled 580. 581 c. proued by Scripture and by the stimonie of antiquitie 484. 618 That Christ descended before hee could ascend 609 Why Christ descended not from the crosse 481 We ought to despaire of no mans conuersion 533 Descending of Christ signifieth the assuming of our flesh 301 Description of God by way of negation affirmation and super eminencie 121 Desire to sinne is an act done 96 Desperate men thinke God cannot forgiue them 139 We ought neuer to despaire of mercie 226 To despaire what a haynous sinne 228 Saints desired nothihg but Christ 264 Demosthenes his Parable vnto the Athenians of the wolues request vnto the sheepe 644 Of the young man that hired an Asse to Megara 678 DI. Christ whether hee died for all men and how 505 To die to sinne what it is 50 a punishment for sinne ibid. To die in sinne what it is 51 Difference betwixt spirituall and eternall punishment 250 How the word God differeth from our Word 309 A great difference betwixt appearing in the forme of man and to be made man 329 Difference betwixt assuming flesh and to bee made flesh 345 Difference betwixt the two-fold generations of Christ and of the Saints 364 Difference betwixt Law and Gospell 3â—4 Difference betwixt the sinnes of the godly and the wicked three-folde 35 Difference betwixt feare and sorrow 449 Philosophers most diligent to attaine to all kinde of knowledge 315 How diligent we ought to be to know Christ 393 Dirt nothing so foule as sinne 52 Diseases of the soule what they be 63 Discontent with God what a heauie sinne 239 Disobedience to God what a haynous sinne 293 Disobedience to parents what a fearefull sinne 240 To distinguish of Gods power reconcileth diuers Authors 150 Dispertion of the Apostles grieued Christ 453 In distresse how wee ought to seeke vnto God 488 Disciples whether they stole Christ from the graue or not 562 Discretion how needfull for Preachers 696 Diuels know God and Christ and the mysterie of the Trinitie 314 Confest Gods power 162 DO Doctrine touching the person of Christ how alwaies opposed by Satan 304 Doctrine of diuinitie how deepe and difficult 392 Whatsoeuer God doth is no sinne 166 Doores being shut how Christ came in 387 Doubting of Gods goodnesse what a fearefull sinne 239 That we should neuer doubt of Gods promises 130 DR To draw neere to vs how God is said 165 M. Drusus desired all men might see what he did 604 EA EArth accursed for the sinne of man 48 EF. The effects that Christs sufferings should worke in vs. 505 EG Egyptians how they expressed death 76 EL. Electionis of some men not of all 203 The elect onely are effectually called 203 Elizabeth the wife of Zacharias of what Tribe she was 397 EN Enemies that besot the godly 177 Enuie of Satan against Christ 493 and why he enuied him 434 Enemies of Christ ascribe to him in mockery what he was in deed 432 433 Enemies of Christ what they testified of him 578 Enemies of man especially three 582 EP. Epicurus confest the world had beginning and shall haue ending 137 EQ Equalitie of sinnes confuted 37 Equitie of eternall punishment for a temporarie sinne shewed in two respects 97 Christ equall with the Father 299 ER. Error of the Philosophers touching the etertie of the world 136 Error of the Vbiquitaries touching the power of God 141 Error of the Iesuites about the power of God 141 Error of Pellagius about the abilitie of mans nature 63 64 Error of Nouatus about sins after Baptisme 112 Errors of the vulgar about the absolute power of God 151 Errors expelled by truth 215 Errors boulstered with lies 175 Error of Saint Gregorie and Saint Bernard confuted 94. 95 Error of Lactantius and Pellagius confuted 63 Error of the Philosophers Stoicks Arist Seleucus Hermias Hermog confuted 136 137 c. Error of the Vbiquitaries shewed 141 Confuted 155. Their Obiect anws 165 Error of Bellarmine and the Iesuites shewed 141. Their Obiections answered 172 c. Error of Saint Hierom. 330 ES. Essence of God in heauen cannot bee seene but in the face of Iesus Christ 118 Essence of God not safe to search too farre into it 124 Essence of God distinguished into three persons 272 The word essence deriued our of Scripture and vsed in Scripture 294 Christ of the same essence with his Father 292. Vnpossible to escape out of the hands of the Angels 337 ET Eternity of Christ proued and the obiections against the same answered 278 279 280 c. Eternall punishment how inflicted for a temporary sinne 94 EV. Eua beleeueth the Deuill 3 The euill that oppresseth euery sinner two-fold 321 Euangelist why hee saith the Word was made flesh rather then man 349 Eutichian heresie what it was 367 c. EX Excuses of sinners to iustifie themselues 24 Excuses of sinners to lessen sinne 110 Examples of wilfull and spitefull sinners 33 Excellency of God cannot be conceiued
of vs. 118 All the excellencies of Christs man-hood were created excellencies 146 God expressed to Moses what he is three manner of wayes 121 Examples of Gods mercy in seeking after sinners 181 We should carefully examine whether we loue God or not 189 Examples of Gods slownesse to punish sin 194 Good examples a great meanes to further godlinesse 360 Three sorts of men excluded from the Paschall Lambe 682 Excellency of diuine truth 215 EK The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whether rightly translated created or not 287 FA. THree faculties of the soule of man 53 Euery faculty of the soule defiled by sinne ibid. Fathers how they extoll the power of God ibid. Faith seeth what reason perceiueth not 176 God called Father of mercies neuer called Father of vengeance and why 195 Faults of some not to be ascribed vnto all 221 God the Father alwayes begetteth the Sonne 275 The name of Father taken two wayes 278 God the Father of Christ not as he is our Father 291 The Father how greater then Christ 300 Father sent not Christ by way of command 301 Christ the fairest among the sons of men 353 Family from whence Christ descended 396 c. Faults of the Disciples Christ would not reueale 466 Faith foure-fold 647 Iustifying faith the properties of it 648 FE That we should feare our Lord. 131 That we should aswell feare Gods iustice as hope for his mercy 244 Feare is two-fold 355 Feare and sorrow how they differ 449 What Christ feared 450. 455 c. Whom we neede not feare 538 God in what sence to be feared 539 Magistrates and parents in what sence to be feared 538 Feare brought into the world by sinne 540 God how he ought to be feared 541 That we ought to feare in euery state of grace lapse and recouerie 441 FI. Fire and sinne cannot be concealed 20 Fire and sinne not resisted will necessarily increase 22 Christ in what respect sayd to be the first begotten Sonne of God 291 That we should striue to be the first in Gods seruice 590 Apostles onely filled with the holy Ghost on the day of Pentecost 658 Fiue kindes of kisses 460 FL. Flesh apt to conceiue sin 14 Flesh taken for the corrupted qualitie of man 8 Flesh of Christ made by all the three persons of the Trinity 325 Flesh diuers kindes 339 Our flesh assumed by Christ 369 Flesh of Christ how said to be Deified 369 How said to doe diuine operations 389 Christ how flouted by all men 481 482 Flesh the tenderer the more sensible of paine 483 FO Forgetfulnesse an infernall Fiend 60 To forbeare to punish sinne increaseth the number of sinners 90 Fore-sight of good and euill is not the cause of punishment or reward of either 95 Heathens fâ—lsly ascribed to Fortune what is true of God 139 To forgiue sinne the greatest worke of Gods power 140 God able to forgiue sinnes ibid. In the forgiuing of sinnes many particulars to be considered 183 God forgiuâ—th all sinnes or no sinne 184 God cannot forget to be mercifull ibid. Foâ—giuenâ—sse of sinnes our chiefest comfort 224 That wee ought to forgiue one another 236 And to foâ—get all iniuries ibid. Our foâ—e fathers how they exceeded vs in deuotion 731 To be in the forme of God is to be very G â— 280 To lay a good foundation the best way to teach 392 Fortitude of the women seeking Christ 521 Christ in heauen forgetteth not his seruants on earth 629 Foure points handled touching the power of God 13â— Foure sorts of men erre about the doctrine of Gods power 135 Foure speciall graces bestowed vpon the elect 204 Foure kindes of redemption 500 Foure sorts of ascenders 609 Foure-fold end of Christs ascention 639 Foure points considered about the gifts of God 640 Foure signes of fulnesse 665 Foure-fold feales or signes wherewith Saints are sealed 669 Foure sorts or receiuers of the Sacraments 680 FR. Christ assumed all our humane frailties 351 Friends of Christ how dearly he loued them 488 God expecteth not the like fruits from all men 602 The Saints are freed from all their enemies 636 Christ freeth vs from Satan to place vs in his owne seruice ibid. We are not freed from Satan to doe what we list 637 FV. Fury of the wicked restrained 178 All men are full of somethings 665 GA. WHy Christ went to the garden of Gethsemane to bee taken and what befell him there 441 Gaufredus Clareuallensis what he said 613 GI Gifts of God of two sorts 192 641 Hee giueth spirituall gifts to the godly ibid. And temporall gifts to the wicked ibid. Gifts of God are free gifts 640 Diuersly bestowed 523 Euery man should be contented with the gifts God giueth him 523 Diuersity of gifts among the Apostles and Fathers ibid. Gifts requisite for Preachers 641 Gifts to edifie the Church how giuen 657 Speciall gifts of God whereby the elect are saued vnpossibly to be knowne 646 Gifts of prayer the chiefest of all Gods graces 730 Gifts of the Magi what they shewed Christ to be 413. GE. Generation of Christ two-fold 288. Gentiles were not altogether ignorant of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 311 What they writ of this name of Christ 312 313 Gentiles how they might come to the knowledge of this word 313 3â—4 Gentiles expected the comming of the Messias 316 412 Generality of Christ his suffering 483 GO God how said to bee the Father of Spirits 6 Goâ—ly mens sinning differ in three things from the wicked 35 36 Godly life maketh a happy death 82 God loueth righteousnesse 90 No respect of persons 91 Most iust ibid. Iudgeth euery man according to his desert 92 How great and how mighty he is 102 How ineffable 125 A most faithfull performer of all his promises 127 How he guideth and gouerneth all things 138 Of his owne nature most intelligible 120 To vs incomprehensible 120 121 That there is but one God proued many wayes 269 270 God onely to be prayed vnto 710 Christ no titular but a true God by nature proued 278 279 280 c. To deny the God-head of Christ what a hainous sinne 305 God-head of Christ suffered not but sustained the man-hood to suffer 438 485 The godly how they doe ascend 614 Loue of goodnesse should make vs hate sin 66 Goodnesse of God to man how incomprehensible 101 103 Good and godly men ought to be cherished and promoted 110 Goodnesse what it is 196 Goodnesse of things two-fold 197 God good to all things 197 Perfectly absolutely and vniuersally good 198 Nothing absolutely good but God ibid. Goodnesse of God two-fold 198 Generall goodnesse of God seene in two things 198 All things made good in their kinde 199 Good for some vse yet not vniuersally good ibid. Goodnesse of God withholdeth the wicked from many sinnes suspendeth our iust deserued punishments 200 How it extendeth it selfe to all men 201 Yet not alike good to all men 202 Gods speciall goodnesse seene in two things 203 It preserueth the Saints