this did not bring the drunkards to themselues for all that day and that night on the morrow when the Captaines of the Town hearing of the stirre and hurly-burly repaired to the house and demanded what was the matter They answered that the ship had bin in great danger and that they were enforced to cast forth all the fraught or lading into the Sea else had they bin all cast-away yea said one of them that thought himselfe to be the best in the company I was in speciall danger and therefore for feare I gate me vnder the hatches as far as I could The Captaines pardoned them but would not suffer them to haue any more wine and anon the tempest ceased To this effect Athenaeus Which Story I doe not recite to moue any to laugh or to smile but rather to mourne within our selues to consider the corruption of mans nature whereby that which God hath giuen for our good is vnto man an occasion of falling Man abideth not in honour â—specially if he drinke too much but may be compared to the beast that perisheth You know how Noah lay What Lot did What brags Benhadad and Belshazzar made What Herod promised when they were drunke and hâ—w the things turned to their shame and decay It is wickednesse to turne the Grace of God into wantonnesse and it is madnesse to lose ones-selfe vtterly to enioy the pleasures of sinne for a season The pleasure of the thrâ—â—â— is but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of one line as one said it hath no breadth much lesse substance in it The breadth of the throate if Bernards measure be true is not passing two fingers and shall a man for two fingers pleasure cast away health of body health of soule and whatsoeuer is to be reckoned of Know yee not that your bodyes are the Temples of the holy Ghost and will you now take the Temple of God and make it the Temple of an Idoll and of the worst Idoll 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Know ye not that drunkards are reckoned amongst them that shall not inherit the Kingdome of God and will you be at cost and doe away that you haue to lose that Kingdome which a wise Merchant would giue all that he hath to buy and to compasse O ye Corinthians saith Saint Paul my mouth is open vnto you my heart is enlarged I vse great boldnesse of speech and am earnest in shewing the detestation of this sinne and to prooue if by any meanes I may preuaile with any for their good Basil wrought vpon Valens his conscience and mooued him as also Saint Paul did vpon Foelix his and Saint Iohn the Baptist vpon Herods but yet it fared with them as it doth with iron which though it doe glowe and be made neuer so red-hot with the fire yet remaineth iron still Thus Nazianzen But I hope of better things of some that heare me namely that they will be truly changed by the renuing of their mind and so become new creatures Why vpon a Sermon that Saint Paul made to a Gaoler he beleeued and was baptized and all his house-hold straight-wayes So in the same Chapter after he had preached a time in Ephesus many of them which vsed curious Arts brought their bookes and burned them before all men and counted the price of them I cannot tell how many thousand markes But Saint Paul was an Apostle and endued with the first fruits of Gods Spirit and besides the Lord made way to the conuersion by a miracle Let me recount therefore to you another example of one Iohannes Capistranus of whom Aeneas Syluius writeth at large and for my purpose Vrspergensis in his Chronicles This fellow comming into Germany to reforme abuses preuailed so farre with them that the women did cast away their vaine apparell and gugawes and the men gathered together their Tables Dice and Cardes and burnt them But this Fryer was not alone he had an associate True but the associate did onely interpret what the Fryer did deliuer in Latine so the speech or exhortation was but one if one But the Turke did then inuade Christendome and then very feare will make men deuout and to yeeld easily What say you then to Pythagoras It is written of him by Trogus That being alone and no body to helpe him he preuailed so farre with the men of Crotona that of dissolute men he made them sober of wretchlesse frugall and modest the women also layed aside their shining garments and attire and were nothing behind the men for all kinds of temperancy but hee tooke paines with them twenty yeeres together What say you then to the Story of Polemo in Laertius This Polemo being ouertaken with drinke as he was wont to be broke into Xenocrates his Schoole with his companions of a purpose to daunt him and to driue him out of countenance but Xenocrates treating at that time as God would haue it of Temperance so handled the matter and wrought vpon the young mans conscience that he began to be ashamed of his dissolute course and became such a Conuert and well reformed that there was not the like to him among all Xenocrates his Scholars and after his death became his successor Now could a Lecture of a Philosopher preuaile with a deplorate youth then and shall not the Sermon of a Preacher nay of many Preachers preuaile with them that either are or should be more stayed now Where is the Lord God of Eliah Where is the force of the Word that Lanctantius speaketh of Da mihi virum qui sit iracundus c. Giue me a man that is neuer so loose and vnbridled with a few of the Words of God I will bring him into good order and compasse Is the power of God shortened or is not the naughtinsse of man increased This is that which the Rabbins doe say Ba lithar mesaijegim otho When a man doth his good will and that good will is also of God God worketh in vs both the will and the deed as it is in the Philippians when I say he doth not ponere obicem as the Schoolemen speake resist the holy Ghost as the Scripture phraseth it then loe the Lord is neere vnto them that call vpon him Briefely this is that which Clemens Alexandrinus putteth vs in mind of As in the play of tossing the Ball it is not enough for one of the players to be cunning in throwing of it but the other player also must take it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 handsomely finely or else the Ball will goe downe So when the Lord shall say to vs Behold me Behold me seeke ye my face If we doe not answere Thy face Lord will we seeke we are here ready to doe thy will O God if we stop our eares against his calling harden our hearts against his knocking we can blame no body but our selues if the Word become vnprofitable to vs. The summe of all is this Beware of Drunkennesse doe ye beware
as one doth in the Gospell Finally the Land is full of Adulterers mourneth because of oathes 〈◊〉 a word by lying and killing and theeuing and whoring 〈◊〉 breake forth and blood toucheth blood I answere first 〈◊〉 Israel aliud Dilectio though Israel hath not attained yet the election hath obtained howsoeuer many wicked wax worse and worse yet there is a remnant of Grace which haue beene and are daily reformed by exemplary Iustice. Secondly Aliud officium aliud finis It is one thing to doe ones duty and an other thing to attaine his desired end Non semperferiet quodcunque minabitur arcus the arrow doth not alwaies hit the marke yet if the Archer doe take his ayme aright and leuell straight howsoeuer the weather shall blow his arrow aside he is excused Thirdly Aliud Cura aliud Curatio that is A care is one thing a curing is another as Bernard saith Curam exigeris non curationem a care is required of thee not a curing though Israel be not gathered or be neuer the better yet the Magistrate like the Minister shall be glorious in the sight of the Lord his God shall be his strength Lastly as the ancient Father said touching the fulfilling of the Law Then euery thing is said to be done when whatsoeuer is not done is pardoned So it may be said touching reformation then euery euill is said to be scattered away when whatsoeuer is not scattered is punished Is Idolatry winked at superstition smiled at impiety laughed at blaspheming of the holy name of God counted noblenesse be malefactors boulstered protected be they not hunted after that they may be taken when they are taken be they not cut off except their life will doe more good than their death then all euill is scattered all kindes of euill although not euery particular euill for that neuer was nor neuer will be But bâ— what meanes is all euill scattered for that onely now remaineth to be handled Salomon saith that a King doth it with his eyes we vse more frequently to say that the hand or the arme doth scatter but because the eye giueth counsell as it were and direction the honour of the action is attributed to it in my Text. Well then as the King is to haue many hands more than Briareus which was â—entimanus so he is to haue many eyes more than Argus which had Centum luminibus cinctum caput Hee is to haue an eye of seuerity and an eye of clemency and an eye of Maiesty and an eye of Prudence and prouidence these in his owne head and an eye of care and of circumspection in those great ones that are about him An eye of seuerity is many times necessary vt poena ad paucos exemplum ad omnes as one said that is that the punishment may reach to a few the example to all In this respect Synesius Bishop of Ptolemais said that the same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the publike sword of Iustice is as necessary for the purging of a City and so of a Common-weale for the scowring of all euills and mischiefes out of it as the great Basons which were wont to be set at the entrance of Temples was thought necessary for the scowring and making cleane of their hands that were to enter Howbeit though much is done by seuerity yet not alwayes nor by it onely sometimes there is as much good done by clemency as for example I make no doubt but that Aurelian the Emperour of whom I spake before did as much good at the least won as many hearts when besieging the City Thyana and threatning because of their standing-out to destroy as many as looked vpon the wall when he had taken it indeed and his Souldiers gaped after the prey and thirsted to shead the blood of the Citizens like water he commanded all the dogges of that City to be killed and this was all the blood that he would suffer to be shed I make no doubt I say but he did as much good by this example of Clemency as when he caused the legs of a Souldier that had abused himselfe by abusing a woman to be tyed to the tops of two young saplings bowed-downe for the purpose that by the recoyling and spirting vp of the same hee might be rent asunder as he was Also if another example were necessary I am perswaded that Papyrius Cursor that famous warrier did as much good by the like example of Clemency that he shewed when calling hastily for the axe of Iustice as it might be the axe of the Tower and an offender that stood by looking for nothing but present death he caused the Executioner to let fly at a root or stub that marred the way and so ended the execution I say I am perswaded he did as much good I am sure he got more loue than when he would haue had his Magistrum Equitum to be put to death without mercy because hee fought with the enemy without his warrant though it were to a publicke aduantage The truth is that both Seuerity and Clemency haue their place and vse but they that propend vnto Clemency get more loue and they that propend vnto seuerity are holden to be rather Necessarij than Boni as it was said of one how much good soeuer they may otherwise be thought to doe The third speciall eye is the eye of Maiesty and the same is of great force to scatter away euill The young men sawe me and hid themselues and the aged arose and stood vp said Iob of himselfe and the like doe diuers report of Cato the yonger that the wantons of Rome were more afraid of him than they were of all their gods for if he were present they would forbeare to speake or doe things vncomly vpon the stage but their gods they reuerenced not and so it is written that the very cast of Alexanders eye in his image made wicked Cassander to startle and to blench what would he haue done if he had beene aliue but I may not stay longer vpon this point Besides these eyes that I haue recited the King hath the eye of Prudence Prâ—uidence in his owne head and of care and circumspection in his Councell and Nobles these are trusted to looke vnto things thorowout the Land euen from Dan to Beersheba Ne quid respub detrimenti capiat Certainely if he had but a small Barge to manage and a handfull of men to guide a few eyes and the same his owne might serue the turne but now a great vessell euen a Galliasse or rather Galliasses are committed to his charge therefore he had need of more eyes than his owne though he should haue not onely an eye vpon his Scepter which was the deuise or Embleme of the Kings of Egypt but also seuen eyes vpon one stone as it is in Zecharie and seuen eyes like the Lambe as it is in the Reuelation Counsellers therefore
starre and will helpe such to right that suffer wrong What if they haue in one hand a cup of trembling the dregs wherof they cause the wicked of the Land to drinke off and sup vp yet in the other they haue Manna and a white stone and of the fruit of the Tree of life that is in the middest of the garden as it is in the Reue. and the same they reach forth vnto the innocent and will not suffer a haire of their head to perish And can such men be terrible vnto any they are not but onely to those whom their owne conscience doth first terrifie Prima est haec vltio quod se Iudice nemo nocens absoluitur that is This is the first torment that euill members doe suffer that their owne conscience doth first scarre them and set before them the things that they haue done and then you know what Saint Iohn saith If our heart or conscience condemne vs God is greater than our heart and knoweth all things and Saint Paul God bringeth to light the hidden things of darkenesse and maketh manifest the Counsels of the heart and then euery man hath praise of God 1 Cor. 4. It is meant euery man that doth well hath praise of God It is written of Alcibiades that hearing that a shrewd inditement was framed against him when he was abroad in the seruice of his Country he betooke himselfe to his heeles and being encountred and demanded by a friend of his What hee meant to shame himselfe and wrong his Country Will ye not said he commend your cause to your Country and trust it Indeed said Alcibiades I le trust it farre but when my life lies vpon the stake I will trust neither 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 neither neither my natiue Country nor my naturall mother lest in stead of a white Counter she should cast a black-one into the bag and so helpe to cast me away Alcibiades though he had beene much honester than he was yet might misdoubt the sequell of a tryall in Athens where the state was popular and where matters were carried many times rather according vnto passion than according vnto merit Manus sustulerunt Psephisma natum est and then away with him away with him So the worthy Romane Orator that had made his Country as much bound vnto him for sauing it from destruction as himselfe was bound to his Country for his breeding and bringing vp might well be allowed to flee out of it when his capitall enemy ruled the rost and was Tribune the Tribunes of Rome being of that Soueraigne authority that agreeing together they might command the death of the greatest and most Peerelesse Peere as appeareth by Plinie lib. 7. cap. 45. where he speaketh of Metellus Macedonicus This was a pittifull Estate where they that were appointed for the safegard and protection of the vertuous proued many of them authors of their bane and ruine But yet it was not so bad as vnder Marius when he returned from banishment for being attended and accompanied by a company of Cut-throats he gaue them this watch-word that whomsoeuer he spake not vnto or nodded at least when he met him they should repute him for an enemy and kill him without mercy or iudgement Who would care to liue vnder such a gouernment where liuing neuer so well his life might so easily and so wrongfully be taken from him This may moue vs beloued to blesse God for our times for our godly Gouernours for our wise Gouernours vnder whom if they may haue their will nothing but a mans owne offence can condemne him If they may haue their will I say for sometimes there arise vp false witnesses which depose things they know not and which were nothing so and so bring a true man to his end Was not Naboth the Iezrelite ouerthrowne by such a practice 1 Reg. 21 Was not Stephen by the like Acts 6.7 I forbeare to recite Athanasius and Narcissus with many other out of the Ecclesiastike Story which were some of them brought vnto their death other-some endangered by false witnesses There is scarcely any that heares me this day so void of experience or so young but he hath heard of some that suffered for a supposed offence which not they but others had committed and confessed so much at their end else-where This is much to be lamented but cannot by any meanes be remedyed for that which is past nor preuented for the time to come except there were a Law made that whosoeuer either by forswearing himselfe or procuring others to doe the like shall be the cause of death to an innocent man shall suffer the punishmēt that he brought vpon the other This is that which is expressely commanded Deut. 19. Life shall goe for life eye for eye c. where he speaketh of the punishment due vnto false witnesses I read that in Tenedos a small Iland but there was sharpe Iustice it appeareth there was a Law or Custome as strong as Law that he that accused another of a capitall crime should haue a naked Axe holden ouer his head wherewith he was to be beheaded if he did not proue his accusation Now this was very hard that it should be death to accuse one wrongfully for it is necessary that there be accusers in a State that they which be perfect may be knowne and they that are faulty may be found out as it is very behoouefull that there be dogs about a house to giue warning of theeues or suspected persons yet as these if they catch a true man by the bosome deserue not onely to be rebuked but also to be banged yea and to haue their legs broken so it is not vniust that the very accusing of a righteous man if it be prosecuted with eagernesse and vpon no probable ground should be chastized and fined deepely but now when a man shall aduisedly and maliciously forsweare himselfe and procure periury from others to compasse and procure the death of the innocent whereby the said innocent perisheth then methinkes it were pity that he that was the author of death vnto another should himselfe suffer lesse than death for he commeth within the compasse of the eternall Law of God mentioned in Genesis Hee that sheadeth mans blood by man shall his blood be shed By man By what man A priuate man No but gnal meimar daijanaija that is By the word or commandment of the Iudges as the Chaldy Paraphrast doth rightly vnderstand it and it is the voyce of nature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If a man suffer according to that which he hath done much good may it doe him Thus much Adoni-bezeck a man out of the Church confessed Iudges 1. that is As I did to others so God hath requited me I cut from others their thumbes and great toes and therefore I am iustly serued to haue mine cut off And therefore no maruell if Samuel told Agag As thy
fellowship of his sufferings being made conformable vnto his death if by any meanes I might attaine vnto the resurrection of the dead Thus he and all tend to this that he may be sure of a blessed Resurrection at the last day The discretion of a man maketh him to prouide in Summer for Winter in youth for age But if the soule be better than the body heauen than earth God than the world things eternall than things transitory it shall be our Wisedome in the sight of God and men to lay vp a good foundation against that Day when the Lord shall appeare to Iudgement For first It is a dreadfull time for then the Lord Iesus shall be reuealed from Heauen with his mighty Angels in flaming fire 2 Thess. 1.8 By the dread of that Day is described some time of fearefull punishment on sinners in this life as some learned iudge or if that Day it selfe be there meant as others conceite marke the astonishment thereof Reuel 6.12 And loe there was for it is as sure as if already acted a great Earthquake and the Sunne became blacke as a sackeâ—loth of haire and the Moone became as blood and the Starres of heauen fell vnto the earth euen as a figge tree casteth her vntimely figs when shee is shaken of a mighty wind and the heauen departed as a scrole when it is rolled together and euery Mountaine and Iland were moued out of their places Should we see such things now What would our feare and amazement be How would not our hearts within vs melt with perplexity Surely that Day that shall end all times and the course of all things in this world must be to man a hideous time For the Kings of the earth and the great men and the rich men c. hid themselues saith the Spirit of prophesie making things present that are to come in dennes and in rocks of the mountaines and said to the mountaines and rocks Fall on vs and hide vs c. from the suffering perhaps of momentany things And what will they do at this Day As it was said of the last end of Ierusalem so of this time and most truely Then shall be great tribulation such as was not from the beginning of the world till then 2. T is the time of tryall and of the great Assize If a man be to be tryed for life how doth he prouide against the time to cleare his innocency or to plead his pardon Then it comports euery man to be ready with his plea that he be not condemned Magistrates Ministers people For we must all appeare before the Iudgement Seat of Christ that euery man may receiue according to that he hath done in the body whether it be good or euill Thirdly As it fareth with vs then so must it stand with vs for euer No reuersing that Sentence by a writ of error no appeale from thence to a Court of Chancery Mercy accepted in this our Day shall be shewed then refused here shall be denyed there And the execution shall follow To them on the left hand it shall be said Goe ye cursed To the on the right hand Come ye blessed And so long as eternity lasteth and the immortall soule liueth yea so long as God is God the reprobate shall be in the torments of hell and the righteous in the ioyes of heauen Now it would make a mans heart to shiuer and his flesh to tremble to see how in other matters men carefull of euery trifle and of euery complement obseruant neglect this matter of greatest consequence Would you thinke that a man that trots from Lawyer to Lawyer to secure and assure lands would not be a better husbandin greater matters When Parents be so carefull to get an estate to leaue to posterity would they be imagined to be vnprouided of a place for themselues at need If euill be towards another we can pity him if an Oxe be in a pit we can helpe him out we can euen pity a Dog in his hurt yet not be touched towards our selues in the extremest danger of extremest misery as if nothing were cheape with vs but our selues nothing vile but our owne soules If a man had the keeping of the blood of Christ in a violl how chary would he be of it We haue the custody of our soules committed to our selues dearer to Christ as Saint Bernard obserueth than his owne blood and shall we not be most tender of them Trifles in themselues are trifles and some things that beare some shew in comparison with others of more weight are trifles Now to the soule of man and his welfare at the Day of Christ all the Kingdomes of the world are but trifles for what shall it profit a man to win the whole world and to lose his owne soule or what recompence shall a man giue for his soule Be intreated therefore Brethren in conclusion be intreated by the sweet mercies of God by all the sufferings and intercessions of Christ by all the ioyes of heauen by the great charge which God and Nature haue committed vnto you of your owne soules oh by the glory and dread of that Day be intreated to prepare that it may goe well with you then and that ye may be numbred among the blessed Here to liue and lye with swine is abhorred and it is much more to be abhorred to liue with Deuils and damned spirits in hell Might those who now suffer the scorching of those hellish flames haue offer how readily would they apprehend it to be deliuered thence And how should we beware and vse all possible meanes that wee come not there They had their time and they lost it our time is now Behold now is the accepted time behold now is the Day of saluation 2 Cor. 6.2 Heauen may be had oh deare Christians lose it not cast vp your account mourne for your sinnes make your peace with God through the blood of Christ bring forth fruits of Regeneration Offer your selues sacrifices to God holy and acceptable and if ye finde these things hard if to you impossible call in Christ to your helpe Christ will informe your minds mollifie your hearts regenerate your wits subdue your affections purge your consciences rebuke Satan and giue the victorie the Crowne Assure your selues as the Church doth her selfe saying His left hand shall be vnder mine head and his right hand shall embrace me he will stay me with apples and comfort me with flagons And as our Saint Paul himselfe I am able to doe all things through the helpe of Christ that strengthneth me Idle not out your time with the foolish Virgins lest the gate be shut against you but with the wise Virgins get oyle into your Lampes the oyle of knowledge the oyle of faith the oyle of holinesse the oyle of praises let your Lampes be trimmed and your lights flaming that ye may enter with the Bridegroome into the bridechamber