be short the forme of the Rainebow is glorious The wisedome of man is blinde in the knowledge of God yea it is so intricate that wee cannot fully vnderstand the nature of it nor search into the secrets of the glory thereof And therefore here we may learne to acknowledge our own imperfection and reason thus with our selues If his workes be so glorious that we cannot comprehend the excellency of them it is no meruaile then that our mindes are so darke and our vnderstandings so blinde in the knowledge of God of his nature of his essence of his glory and of his most wonderfull properties 11. Last of all S. Ambrose obserueth that the forme of this bowe doth note mystically the clemency of God Afflictions for the good of Gods children for being a bow bent but wanting arrows it sheweth that God giueth vs a sight of afflictions rather to affright vs from our sinnes then to smite vs to our hurt How then should we take heede that wee prouoke not by our sinnes this louing God who is so full of clemency and mercy towards vs. A threefold analoy betweene the Bow and the mercy of God And of this misticall signification of the Bowe there is a threefold reason taken from a threefold analogy betweene the Bowe and the mercy of God the first because this Bowe was in the time of Noah a signe of peace of reconciliation and of the Couenant betweene God and men and therefore may well note the mercy of God Ticonius Hom. 2 in Apocal. Rupertus Mercerus in Genes for which cause of some interpreters Iris is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is peace because it did testifie that God was at peace with men Secondly this three coloured Bowe with her diuerse colours and sweete showres doth recreate and refresh the earth and so doth the mercy of God Thirdly as the semicircle doth appeare onely in our hemisphere in this life so doth the mercy of God And therefore how dangerouse is the estate of those whom the Papist shut vp in purgatory for they themselues know not how many yeares after this life since there is no mercy then to bee granted vnto them O vnmercifull and terrible doctrine to frye mens soules so long in the flames of purgatory before they shall receiue any part in the ioyes of Paradise The doctrine of Purgatory against the glory of Gods mercy and derogatory to the passion of our Sauiour But this is impious against the glory of Gods mercy and derogatory to the passion of our Sauiour for it is euident by the Scripture that our blessed Lord and Sauiour Christ Iesus by his one oblation by himselfe once offered hath made a full perfect sufficient sacrifice and satisfaction for the sinnes of the whole world and this the godly are made partakers of in this life by a true and a liuely faith and therefore we neede not Purgatorie to purge vs after our death since the bloud of Iesus Christ cleanseth vs from all sinne 1. Iohn 1.7 1. Iohn 1.7 And if from all sinne then certainly Popish purgatory must needs be excluded For the Arke and Dagon Christ and Beliall the passion of our Sauiour and Popish purgatorie can in no wise agree together And thus from the forme cast your eyes vpon the beautifull colours 2. Circumstance the colours of the Bowe which are the second thing I obserued in the Bowe I haue set my Bowe in the cloude and it shall bee for a signe of the couenant betweene mee and the earth This Bowe is called of the Greeke poets 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ab admiratione Garcaeus Doct. de meteor Plato in Theoeteto Iridem Thaumantis filiam propter admirationem dictam censuit Arist lib. 3. cap. 4. meteor Aquinas in Arist meteor or Thaumantis siue admirationis filia the daughter of Thaumantes or of Admiration because of all the meteors it worthy of admiration in respect of the admirable and beautiful colours that doe appeare in it These colours that appeare in the Rainebowe they are principally three The first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Coerulean or waterie colour The second 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the yellow or fiery colour The third 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the grassie or greene colour And the reason why three colours only doe principally appeare in the Bowe is as Philosophers teach because there are only three places in the cloude from which there is a diuerse refraction of the light and the shade namely supremus medius infimus the highest the middest and the lowest and therefore there can be but three principall colours The Watery colour doth note the first generall iudgement wherein the whole world was destroyed with water The Fiery colour the second in which the whole world shall be destroyed with fire The Greene colour which is a flourishing and gratious colour the present estate of grace and mercy by which God doth preserue the world from that future destruction And this obseruation agreeth well both with the nature and order of these colours the nature is euident and the order is correspondent Aquinas loco citat For in the Rainebowe there is first the Watery colour secondly the Greene colour and last of all the Fiery colour To shew first the iudgement of water past next the state of grace present and last of all the iudgement of fire to come But I will speake first of the Iudgement and after of mercy and first of the first iudgement noted in the first colour of the Bowe the colour of water Admoniat Iris primò horrendi illius iudicii quod in diluuio ostensum fuit saith a good Interpreter The Rainbowe doeth put vs in minde The waterie colour noting the first iudgment Ferus in Genes first of that horrible iudgement past which was manifested in the flood and of this the same writer doeth set downe this profitable vse Hinc veniemus ad cognitionem peccatorum hinc discemus timere iudicium Hence let vs come to the knowledge of our sinnes hence let vs learne to feare iudgement Subdiuision In this iudgement I find two things remarkeable First their Sinne. And secondly their punishment The sinne of the old world intolerable 1. First their sinne was intollerable for it was vniuersally spread ouer all kinde of people ouer all parts of the world It had continued almost a thousand or at least seuen hundred yeares from the translation of Enoch when especially it began to increase as interpreters well obserue they were possessed with a deadnesse of heart Parreus in Genes and carelesse securitie with contempt of Religion with contempt of Noah the Preacher of righteousnesse and with contempt and despising of God himselfe To conclude so hatefull was their sinne in the sight of God that it repented the Lord that hee had made man on the earth and it grieued him at his heart 2. No repentāce properly in
THE RAINEBOW OR A SERMON PREACHED AT PAVLS CROSSE THE tenth day of Iune 1617. By IMMANVEL BOVRNE Master of Artes and Preacher of Gods Word ECCLESIASTICVS 43.11 12. Looke vpon the Rainebowe and praise him that made it c. LONDON Printed for Thomas Adams 1617. SAINT PAULS TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE AND TRVLY NOBLE LORD ROBERT LORD SPENCER BARON of Wormelayton Grace mercy and peace bee multiplied in Christ Iesus Right Honourable REmembring that prouerbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 know thy selfe I was not without much vnwillingnes drawn to preach this Sermon at the Crosse not being ignorant either of mine owne weakenesse or of the weightinesse of so great a taske and with much more vnwillingnesse was I ouercome to commit it to the presse for my resolution was that as my subiect is of the Rainebowe so my Sermon should haue beene like the Rainebowe not a permament but a vanishing Bowe appearing to the eies of some few not remaining to be scanned by the iudgements of all for comes calami calumnia as there are many colours of that Rainebowe in the cloudes so I am sure there will be many censurers of this my Rainebowe at the Crosse that of the Apostle may be applyed vnus sic alter autem sic one iudging after this manner another after that one speaking well another ill But as commaunding Authoritie was the cause of the former so ouerruling importunitie hath effected the latter and now like an infant new borne my Bowe is come naked into the world and without a case It was the saying of the spouse in the Canticles wee haue a little sister and shee hath no breasts and I may say the like of this I haue a little birde and shee wanteth wings yet flie shee must into the open ayre and shift for her selfe But alas what can shee doe before her winges bee growne or her sicke feathers come to ripenesse It is impossible that shee should escape and not be torne in peeces by the sharpe eied vultures the Time-consuming critickes of our time except some princely Eagle shall in pittie to so poore a wanderer shadow her with the winges of protection Your Honorable disposition Right Noble Lord in giuing incouragement to the Ministers of Christ hath emboldened this little birde to shroud her selfe vnder the roofe of your Honorable fauour and my selfe to dedicate this firstlinge of my studies vnto your Lordshippe whome with a most thankefull heart I must euer acknowledge my first incourager in my worke since I haue beene a poore and vnworthy labourer in the vineyard of Christ And if at this time I may obtaine your Honorable loue in accepting this small token of my thankefulnesse for those many and vndeserued fauours conferred vpon me by your Honour and by that most Noble Knight your Right worthy Sonne Sir William Spencer I shall receiue a most comfortable incitement to goe one forwards in my studies and bee for euer bound to praie for a blessed increase of all graces spirituall and temporall both for this life and the life to come vnto your Lordshippe your Honorable Sonne with his Right Noble Ladie all your Honourable progenie and their posteritie for euer Resting vntill Death Your Honours most readie in all respectiue seruice to my power IMMANVEL BOVRNE A SERMON Preached at Pauls Crosse the tenth day of Iune 1617. GENESIS 9.13 I haue set my Bow in the cloud and it shall bee for a signe of the couenant betweene me and the earth IT is the rule of the Preacher Preface Ecclesiastes 3.1 To euery thing there is set time yea an appointed time to euery purpose vnder heauen And therefore the same diuine and heauenly Penne-man wise and vnderstanding Salomon fitly compareth a word fitly spoken to apples of gold in pictures of siluer Prou. 25.11 according to which that I might not at this time haue broken this golden thread of beautifull order I should fitly haue spoken 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the time of Pentecost concerning Pentecost Yet because I doubt not but you haue oftentimes heard this learnedly and religiously handled already I haue thought it not much out of order I am sure not vnprofitable to let passe the time in particular and to apply my selfe to the time in generall and yet the time present also and to speake fitly of this and of those things that pertaine to the same I haue chosen this portion of Scripture which I haue now read vnto you I haue set my bow in the cloud and it shall be for a signe of the Couenant betweene me and the earth Almightie God who is wise in counsell Occasion wonderfull in iudgement and adminble in the execution of his vnsearchable will hauing manifested his great terrible iudgments vnto the olde world in destroying them with a fearefull deluge of waters for their abominable impietie and wilfull impenitencie and declared his gracious fauours vnto righteous Noah in sauing him and his family in the Arke from that most direfull destruction hee doth for the further manifestation of his vnspeakeable goodnesse and most infinite grace make a compact promise and couenant betweene himselfe Noah and euery liuing creature vpon the face of the earth and withall giueth them a signe and seale of the couenant the admirable and beautifull Rainebow for the more full and perfect confirmation of their faith Both which signe and significate the Rainebow and the Couenant Moses that great Prophet of God that valiant Captaine of the hoste of Israel that meeke man aboue all the men in the earth doth briefly expresse in the words of my text I haue set my Bow in the cloud and it sall be for a signe of the Couenant Diuision betweene me and the earth In which not to dazell the eyes of your vnderstandings with any quainte or curious diuisions for my better direction and your better instruction I doe briefly and plainely obserue these particulars First the Author of this externall signe the Rainebow and of the internall significate the Couenant the omnipotent The first part Isaiah 42.8 Ego sum Iehouah illud est nomen meum Genes 3.2 Spiritus ELOHIM a. vs 1. ELOHIM Bara fortes creauit Gen. 7.1 Ezod 3.14 EHEIE ASCHER EHEIE I am that I am ANI EL-SCHADDAI ego sum Deus fortis c. Isaiah 45.12 Isaiah 43.16 and eternall God in the first words I haue set Secondly the signe it selfe the Bowe Thirdly the situation of it in the Cloud Fourthly the vse of it it shall be a for a signe Fiftly and lastly the intimation of the internall significate in the last words of the couenant betweene mee and the earth Of these in their order by the assistance of Gods gratious Spirit your christian patience and permission of the time And first of the first the Author I haue set that is I who am IEHOVAH ELOHIM the stronge one the mighty Lord of heauen and earth who am EHEIE I am alwaies the same immutable from all eternity to all
who haue contemned the grace and mercy that he offers them now S. Barnard serm 2. de aduent dom Saint Bernard in this respect compareth God vnto a Bee which hath not only sweet and pleasant honie but also a sharpe and terrible sting nunc mel offert in iudicio figet aculeum Now hee offers honie but at the day of iudgement hee shall put forth his sting and wound the wicked Christ at his first comming brought hony Christus venieâ—â— mel attulit nâ—n acculeum Idem eod S. August in Psal 74. Non est quo fugias a deo â—â—ato nisi ad placatum That there shal be a time iudgement of it is certaine and not a sting Sed nolite peccare in spe saith Saint Bernard but sinne not in hope whosoeuer ye bee that delight in sinne for this our Bee hath a time also when hee will take his stinge and fixe it into the bones and marrow of the reprobate what should we doe then beloued but flie vnto him now while wee haue time least one day we labour to flie from him when we shall haue neither time nor place 6. But certaine it is that there shall be a time of iudgment as there is and hath beene a time of mercy since it is figured by so many signes prooued by so many testimonies and foretold by so many prophecies in the holy Scriptures And therefore those are iustly confuted who haue presumed to obiect that because there is a priuate iudgment of euery particular man An Obiection at the day of his death therefore there shal be no generall iudgmeÌ„t at the day of resurrection for res semel iudicata bis non iudicatur say they that which is once iudged should not be iudged againe since the Lord himselfe testifieth by his Prophet Nahum 1.9 Nahum 1.9 Non consurget duplex tribulatio affliction shall not arise the second time and therefore iudgement shall not twise be executed I answer with that Angelicall Doctor Aquinas in 4. sententiarum distinct 47. An answer Aquinas 4. sent distinct 47. iudicari primo illo animam potiorem hominis partem tandem altero hominem totum that in that first iudgement the soule of man only is iudged which is his better part but in the second the whole man shall bee iudged both in body and soule and receiue either that blessed sentence of absolutioÌ„ or that fearefull sentence of condemnatioÌ„ And concerning that place of the Prophet I Answer that the Prophet Nahum speaketh not there Nahum 1.9 either of the generall or particular iudgement to eternall life or death but of a temporall iudgement for declaring the destruction of the Assyrians hee sheweth only that their ouerthrow should bee finall that God should not neede to smite them againe the second time as Abisha said to Dauid when hee found Saul asleepe let mee smite him and I will not smite him againe 1. Samuel 26. vers 9. 1. Sam. 26.9 for hee would haue slaine him at the first blowe And thus Theophilact and Theodoret expound that place so that we may still hold the conclusion that as the day of iudgement is figured prooued and prophecied so it shall certainely come at the day appointed To conclude The day of iudgement draweth nigh at hand Heb. 10.27 it is likewise certaine that the time of this comming to iudgement is not farre off but draweth nigh at hand to bee fulfilled for as the Apostle speaketh Hebrewes 10. and the 37. verse Yet a very little while and hee that shall come will come and will not tarry and if this were true in the morning of this age it must needs bee much more true in the euening which is so many hundred yeares after and therefore here is an answer to that common obiection of wicked and irreligious Atheists which abound in the world who are not ashamed to affirme if not in their words yet in their liues and conuersations that let the Ambassadours of God say what they will they neede not bee so carefull to forsake their profitable or pleasurable sinnes for the day of Doome as they call it that is farre off God knoweth when that will bee euer or neuer and therefore they may liue yet as they liste and repent hereafter when they can bee at leisure But to these raging waues of the sea foaming out their owne shame vnlesse they repent in time is reserued the blackenesse of darkenesse for euer Iude 13. as Saint Iude speaketh in the 13. verse of his Epistle And know this whosoeuer thou art that fosterest thy selfe in this opinion Profane Athiests in a dangerous estate that though the day of iudgement may bee further of then thou shalt liue to see yet the day of thy death may bee neerer then thou art aware of and as death leaueth thee so shall iudgement finde thee Ecclesi 11.3 Heb. 9.24 for as the tree falleth so shall shall it lye Ecclesiast 11. vers 3. after death next comes iudgement Hebrewes 9.27 and when a wicked man dieth his hope perisheth Prou. 11.7 Prouerbes 11. If thou diest in thy sinnes thou shalt be found in thy sinnes at the day of iudgement Impenitent Cain died long since and yet the day of iudgement when it commeth shall finde him impenitent still the like may bee said of Saul of Achitephel of Iudas they dyed desperately and impenitent and the Lord shall finde them so at his comming and so will it be with thee whosoeuer thou art that goes on in thy sinnes without â—â—pentance S. Greg. Dialog lib 4. cap. 39. for as Saint Gregory testifieth qualis huâ—c quiâ—que egreditur talâ—s in iudicio presentatur In what estate soeuer a man doth dâ—part out of this life in the same he shal be found at the day of iudgement And S. Amb. de bono mortis S. Ambros de bono mortis He that â—n this life doth not receiue remission of sinnes shall not haue part there to wit in the communion of Saints S. Hierom. cap. 6. in Epist ad Galat. in the life to come And S. Hierome Tempus sementis tempus est presens the time of sowing is the time present and hee that will not sowe the seede of good workes in the seede time of grace here hee shall neuer reape the fruite of reward in the haruest of glory hereafter I will close this point with that religious exhortation of Saint August let euery man while hee hath time S. Aust lib. 3. de symbolo Hic dum tempus habet agat anima prose poenitentiaÌ„ quaÌ„ diu locus est miscricordiae quia ibi erit locus iustitiae The Second ciâ—cumstance the manner of this iudgement Luk. 17.24 2. Pet. 3.10 repent truly of his sinnes while hee is in the place of mercy because then there shall bee a time of iustice the foolish virgins that would not repent and prepare themselues in time shall then receiue no other comfort but that