as a Hammer to breake the stone in the heart The stone in the reines is dangerous in the bladder painefull but none so deadly as the stone in the heart This Balme supples the stonie heart and turnes it into a heart of flesh 3. They commend their Balme for a speciall ease to the anger of a venomous biting But our Balme is more excellent in aculeum Draconis imò mortis against the sting of that great red Dragon nay of Death it selfe Oh Death where is thy sting Three Serpents giue vs vâ—nomous wounds Sinne first stings vs the Deuill next and Death last This Balme of Christ fetcheth out all their poysons 4. Others say of this Balme that it is the best solution to the obstructions of the Liuer I haue heard the Liuer in the body compared with zeale in the soule The Liuer according to Phisitians is the third principall member wherein rest the animall spirits In the soule two graces precede Zeale Faith and Repentance I say not this in thesi but in hypothesi not simply but in respect and that rather of order then of time For a man is begotten of immortall seed by the Spirit at once Now as the Liuer calefies the stomach like fire vnder the Pot and thence succours digestion so doth zeale heate a mans workes with an holy feruour which are without that a cold sacrifice to God A soule without zeale doth as hardly liue as a body without a Liuer Haly calles the Liuer the Well of Moisture wee may say of zeale it is the very Cisterne whence all other graces as liuing there doe issue forth into our liues The Liuer is called Hepar and Iecur because it draweth iuyce to it selfe turneth it into blood by vaines serueth the body as the water-house doth a Citie by pipes Nay it ministreth a surging heate to the braine to the eyes to the wits saitâ— Isidore The Pagan Nigromancers sacrificed onely Liuers on the alâ—ar of their God Phaebus before his oraculous answeres were giuen In the soule other graces as Faith Hope Charitie Repentance did first rather breede zeale but zeale being once inkindled doth minister nutrimentall heate to all these and is indeede the best sacrifice that wee can offer to God Without zeale all are like the oblation of Caine. Now if any obstructions of sinne seeme to oppresse this Zeale in vs this Balme of Gods word is the onely soueraigne remedy to cleanse it For the zeale is dangerous as the Liuer either by too much heate or too much cold to be distempered To ouerheate the Liuer of zeale many haue found the cause of a perillous surfetin the Conscience whiles like the two Disciples nothing could content them but fire from heauen against sinners If euer Bishop was in the time of Poperie away with the office now If euer Masse was said in Church pull it downe Though some depopulatours haue now done it in extreame coldnesse nay frozen dregges of hart making them either no Churches or polluted ones whiles those which were once Temples for Gods shepherds are now coates for their owne Yet they in vnmeasurable heate wished what these with vnreasonable cold Liuers affected Such miserable theeues haue crucified the Church one by a new religion in will the other by a no religion in deed They would not onely take away the abuse but the thing it selfe not onely the Ceremonie but the substance As the Painter did by the picture of King Henry the eight whom hee had drawne fairely with a Bible in his hand and set it to open view against Queene Mary's comming in triumph through the Citie for which being reproued by a great man that â—aw it and charged to wipe out the booke he to make sure worke wiped out the Bible and the hand too and so in mending the fault hee maymed the picture This is the effect of praeter-naturall heate to make of a remedie a disease Thus whiles they dreame that Babilon stands vpon Ceremonies they offer to race the foundations of Ierusalem it selfe Well this Balme of Gods word if their sicke soules would apply it might coole this vngentle heate of their liuers For it serues not onely to inkindle heate of zâ—ale in the ouer-cold heart but to refrigerate the preposterous feruour in the fiery-hote This is the sauing Balme that scoures away the obstructions in the Liuer and preuents the dropsie For the dropsie is nothing else saith the Philosopher but the errour of the digestiâ—e vertue in the hollownesse of the Liuer Some haue such hollownes in their zeale whiles they prâ—tend holinesse of zeale as was in the yron hornes of that false prophet Zedekiah that for want of applying this Balme they are sicke of the dropsie of hipocrisie Innumerable are the vses of Balme if wee giue credit to Phisitians vel potum vel inunctum It strengthens the nerues it excites and cherisheth the natiue heate in any part it succoureth the paraliticke and delayeth the fury of convulsions c. And last of all is the most soueragine help either to greene wounds or to inueterate vlcers These all these and more then euer was vntruely fained or truely performed by the Balsame to the body is spiritually fulfilled in this happy heauenly and true intrinsique Balme Gods word It heales the sores of the conscience which either originall or actuall sinne haue made in it It keepes the greene wound which sorrow for sinne cuts in the hart from ranckling the soule to death This is that Balsame tree that hath fructum vberrimum vsum saluberrimum plenteous fruit profitable vse and is in a word both a preseruatiue against and a restoratiue from all dangers to a beleeuing Christian. It is not onely Phisicke but health it selfe and hath more vertue sauing vertue validitie of sauing vertue then the tongues of men and Angels can euer sufficiently describe You haue heere the similitudes Heare one or two discrepancies of this naturall and supernatural Balmes For as no Metaphore should of necessitie runne like a Coach on foure wheeles when to goe like a man on two sound legges is sufficient so eartâ—ly things compared with heauenly must looke to fall more short then Linus of Hercules the shrub of the Cedar or the lowest Mole-banke of the highest Pyramides 1. This earthly Balme cannot preserue the body of it selfe but by the accession of the spirituall Balme Euen Angels food so called not because they made it but because they ministred it cannot nourish without Gods word of blessing For euery creature of God is good and nothing to be refused if it be receiued with thanksgiuing for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer If the mercie of God be not on our sustenance we may dye with meate in our mouthes like the Israelites If his prouidentiall goodnesse with-hold the vertue were our garments as costly as the Ephod of Aaron there is no benefit in them When many are sicke they trust to the Phisitians as Asa
better life is the soule spoiled of when sinne hath taken it captiue The Adultresse will hunt for the precious life She is ambitious and would vsurpe Gods due and claime the heart the soule Hee that doth loue her destroyeth his owne soule Which shee loues not for it selfe but for the destruction of it that all the blossomes of grace may dwindle and shrinke away as bloomes in a nipping Frost and all our comforts runne from vs as flatterers from a falling Greatnesse or as Vermine from an house on fire Nay euen both thy liues are endangered The wicked man goâ—â—h after her as a foole to the correction of the stâ—ckes till a 〈◊〉 strike through his liuer as a bird hasteth to the snare and knoweth not that it is for his life It is as ineuitably true of the spirituall Harlots mischiefe For the turning away of the simple shall slay them Saue my life and take my goods saith the prostrate and yeelding Traueller to the theefe But there is no mercy with this enemie the life must pay for it She is worse then that inuincible Nauy that threatned to cut the throates of all Men Women Infants but I would to God shee might goe hence againe without her errand as they did and haue as little cause to bragge of her conquests Thus haue wee discribed the Temptresse The Tempted followes who are here called the Dead There be three kindes of death corporall spirituall eternall Corporall when the body leaues this life Spirituall when the soule forsakes and is forsaken of grace Eternall when both shall be throwne into hell 1. is the seperation of the soule from the body 2. is the seperation of body and soule from grace 3. the seperation of them both from euerlasting happinesse Man hath two parts by which hee liues and two places wherein he might liue if hee obayed God Earth for a time Heauen for euer This Harlot Sin depriues either part of man in either place of true life and subiects him both to the first and second death Let vs therefore examine in these particulars first what this death is and secondly how Sathans guests the wicked may be said liable thereunto 1. Corporall death is the departure of the soule from the body whereby the body is left dead without action motion sense For the life of the body is the vnion of the soule with it For which essentiall dependance the soule is often called and taken for the life Peter said vnto him Lord why cannot I follow thee now I will lay downe my soule for thy sake 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his soule meaning as it iâ— translated his life And He that findeth his soule shall loose it but hee that looseth his soule for my sake shall finde it Here the Soule is taken for the Life So that in this death there is the seperation of the soule and body the dissolution of the person the priuation of life the continuance of death for there is no possible regresse from the priuation to the habite except by the supernaturall and miraculous hand of God This is the first but not the worst death which sinnâ— procureth And though the speciall deaâ—nesse of the guests here be spirituall yet this which we call naturall may be implied may be applied for when God threatned death to Adams sinne in illo die mâ—riâ—ris in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die yet Adam liued nine hundred and thirtie yeares after There was notwithstanding no delay no delusion of Gods decree for in ipso die in that very day death tooke hold on him and so is the Hebrew phrase dying thou shalt dye fall into a languishing and incurable consumption that shall neuer leaue thee till it bring thee to thy graue So that hee instantly dyed not by present seperation of soule and body but by mortallitie mutabillitie miserie yea by sorrow and paine as the instruments and agents of Death Thus said that Father After a man beginneth to be in this body by reason of his sinne he is euen in death The wicked then are not onely called Dead because the conscience is dead but also in respect of Gods decree whose inviolable substitution of Death to Sinne cannot be euaded auoyded It is the Satute-law decreed in the great Parliament of Heauen Statutum omnibus seâ—el mori It is appoynted vnto men once to die Tâ—is is one speciall kindnesse that sinne doth vs one kisse of her lippes Shee giues her louers three mortall kisses The first kils the conscience the second the carkase the third body and soule for euer Death passed vpon all men for that all haue sinned So Paul schooles his Corinths For this cause many are weaâ—e and sicke among you and many sleepe And conclusiuely peccati stipendium mors The wages of sinne is Death This Death is to the wicked death indeed euen as it is in it owne full nature the curse of God the suburbes of Hell Neither is this vniust dealing with God that man should incurre the death of his body that had reiected the life of his soule nisi praecessisset in peccato mors animae numquam corporis mors in supplicio sequerâ—tur If sinne had not first wounded the body death could not haue killed the soule Hence saith Augustine Men shunne the death of the flesh rather then the death of the spirit that is the punishment rather then the cause of the punishment Indeed Death considered in Christ and ioyned with a good life is to Gods elect an aduantage nothing else but a bridge ouer this tempestuous sea to Paradice Gods mercy made it so saith S. Augustine Not by making death in it selfe good but an instrument of good to his This hee demonstrates by an instance As the Law is not euill when it increaseth the lust of sinners sâ— death is not good though it augmâ—nt the glory of suâ—ferers The wicked vse the law ill though the law be good The good die well though death be euill Hence saith Solomon The day of death is better then the day of ones birth For our death is not obitus sed abitus not a perishing but a parting Non amittitur anima praemittitur tantum The soule is not lost to the body but onely sent before it to ioy Si duriùs seponitur meliùs reponitur If the soule be painfully laid off it is ioyfully laid vp Though euery man that hath his Genesis must haue his Exodus and they that are borne must dye Yet saith Tertullian of the Saints Profectio est quam putas moâ—tem Our dying on earth is but the taking our iourney to Heauen Simeon departs and that in peace In pace in pacem Death cannot be euentually hurtfull to the good for it no sooner takes away the temporall life but Christ giues eternall in the roome of it Alas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Corpora cadauera Our graues shall as
surely be Coffins to our bodies as our bodies haue beene Coffins to our soules The minde is but in bondage whiles the body holds it on earth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Plato affirmes Of whom saith an Anthony that when hee saw one too indulgent to his flesh in high Diet he asked him What doe you meane to make your prison so strong Thus qui gloriatur in viribus corporis gloriatur in viribus carceris He that boasteth the strength of his body doth but bragge how strong the Prison is wherein he is â—ayled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The body is the disease the graue the destinie the necessitie and burden of the soule Hinc cupiunt metuuntque dolent gaudentque nec auras Respiciunt clausae tenebris et carcere caeco Feares ioyes griefes and desires mans life do share It wants no ills that in a Prison are It was a good obseruation that fell from that Stoicke Homo calamitatis fabula infaelicitatis tabula Man is a Storie of woe and a map of miserie So Mantuan Nam quid longa dies nobis nisi longa dolorum Colluvies Longi patientià carceris aetas It appeares then that Death is to the good a procurer of good Mors intermittit vitam non eripit Venit iterum qui nos in lucem râ—ponat dies Their Death is but like the taking in sunder of a Clocke vvhich is pulled a pieces by the makers hand that it may bee scowred and repolished and made goe more perfectly But Death to the wicked is the second step to that infernall Vault that shall breede either an innouation of their ioyes or an addition to their sorrowes Diues for his momentanie pleasures hath insufferable paines Iudas goes from the Gallowes to the Pit Esau from his dissolution in earth to his desolation in Hell The dead are there Though the dead in soule be meant literally yet it fetcheth in the body also For as originall sinne is the originall cause of Death so actuall sinnes hasten it Men speede out a Commission of Iniquities against their owne liues So the enuious man rots his owne bones The Glutton strangles the Drunkard drownes himselfe The male-content dryes vp his blood in fretting The couetous whiles he Italionates his conscience and would Romanize his estate starues himselfe in plaine English and would hang himselfe when the Market falls but that hee is loath to be at the charges of a Halter Thus it is a Feast of Death both for the present sense and future certaintie of it The dead are there 2. Spirituall death is called the death of the soule which consisteth not in the losse of her vnderstanding and will these she can neuer loose no not in Hell but of the truth and grace of God wanting both the light of faith to direct her and the strength of Loue to incite her to goodnesse For to be carnally minded is death but to be spiritually minded is life and peace The soule is the life of the body God of the soule The spirit gone vtterly from vs wee are dead And so especially are the guests of Satan dead You hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and sinnes And the Widdow that liueth in pleaâ—ure is dead whiles she liueth This diuorcement and seperation made betwixt God and the soule by sinne is mors animae the death of the soule But your Iniquities haue seperated betweene you and your God But we liue by faith and that in the Sonne of God His spirit quickens vs as the soule doth a lumpe of flesh when God infuseth it Now because these termes of spirituall death are communicated both to the elect and reprobates it is not amisse to conceiue that there is a double kinde of spirituall death 1. In regard of the Subiect that dieth 2. In regard of the Obiect whereunto it dieth Spirituall death in the faithfull is three-fold 1. They are dead to Sinne. How shall wee that are dead to sinne liue any longer therein A dead nature cannot worke He that is dead to sinne cannot as hee is dead sinne Wee sinne indeede not because wee are dead to sinne but because not dead enough Would to God you were yet more dead that you might yet more liue This is called Mortification What are mortified Lustes The wicked haue mortification too but it is of grace Matth. 8. They are both ioyntly expressed Let the dead burie the dead Which Saint Aâ—gustine expounds Let the spiritually dead bury those that are corporally dead The faithfull are dead to sinne the faithlesse are dead in sinne It is true life to bee thus dead Mortificatio concupiscentiae viâ—ificatio animae so farre is the spirit quickened as the flesh is mortified So true is this Paradoxe that a Christian so farre liues as he is dead so farâ—e he is a Conquerour as he is conquered Vincendo se vincitur à se. By ouercomming himselfe he is ouercome of himselfe Whiles hee ouer-rules his lustes his soule rules him When the outward cold rageth with greatest violence the inward heat is more and more effectuall When Death hath killed and stilled concupiscence the heart begins to liue This warre makes our peace This life and death is wrought in vs by Christ who at one blow slew our sinnes and saued our soules Vna eademque manus vulnus opemque tulit One and the same hand gaue the wound and the cure Vulneratur concupiscentia sanatur conscientia The deadly blow to the concupiscence hath reuiued the conscience For Christ takes away as well dominandi vim as damnandi vim the dominion of sinne as the damnation of sinne He died that sinne might not raigne in our mortall body he came to destroy not onely the Deuill but the workes of the Deuill Hence if you would with the spectacles of the Scriptures reade your owne estates to God Reckon your selues to be dead indeede vnto sinne but aliue vnto God through Iesus Christ our Lord. This triall consists not in being free from lusts but in brideling them not in scaping tentation but in vanquishing it It is enough that in all these things wee are more then Conquerours through him that loued vs. 2. They are dead to the Law For I through the Law am dead to the Law that I might liue vnto God Wherein hee opposeth the Law against the Law the new against the olde the Lawe of Christ against that of Moses This accuseth the accusing condemneth the condemning Law The Papists vnderstand this of the ceremoniall Law but Paul plainely expresseth that the Law morall which would haue beene to vs a Law morâ—all is put vnder wee are dead vnto it As Christ at once came ouer death and ouercame death et super it eâ— superat So we in him are exempted from the condemning power and killing letter of the Law and by being dead vnto it are aliue ouer it
importunate Widdow to doe her iustice Hee cannot well be rid of her therefore he sets her a day of hearing and when it is come faileth her Shee cries yet lowder for audience and when all his corrupt and bribed affections cannot charme her silence he drownes her complaints at a Tauerne or laughes her out of countenance at a Theater But if the pulse beates not the body is most dangerously sicke if the conscience pricke not there is a dying soule It is a lawlesse Schoole where there is an awlesse Monitor The Citie is easily surprised where the watch cannot ring the alarmes No maruell if numnesse be in the heart when there is drunkennesse in the conscience These are the dead guests Dead to all goodnesse Deafe eares lame feete blinde eyes maimed hands when there is any imployment for them in Gods seruice Eyes full of lust void of compassion Eares deafe to the word open to vanitie Feete swift to shed blood slow to the Temple Hands open to extortion shut to charitie To all religion the heart is a piece of dead flesh No loue no feare no care no paine can penetrate their senselesse and remorselesse hearts I know that according to the speech of the Philosopher Nemo fit repente miser This is no sodaine euill they were borne sick they haue made themselues dead Custome hath inveterated the vlcer rankled the conscience and now sinne flowtes the Physitians cure knowing the soule dead Through many wounds they come to this death At first they sinne and care not now they sinne and know not The often taken Potion neuer works Euen the Physicke of reproofe turnes now to their hardning Oh that our times vvere not full of this deadnesse How many neuer take the maske of Religion but to serue their owne turnes And when pietie becomes their aduantage yet they at once counterfet and contemne it If a wished successe answere the intention of their minds and contention of their hands God is not worthie of the praise either theâ—r fortune or their wit hath the glory of the deede and thankes for it But if they be crossed God shall be blasphemed vnder the name of destinie and hee shall be blamed for their ill to whom they will not be beholding for their good God is not thought of but in extremitie not spoken of but in blasphemie Oh dead hearts whose funerall we may lament whose reviuing wee may almost not hope But what will this deadnesse neuer be a little wakâ—ned True it is that God must miraculously raise vp the soule thus dead and put the life of his grace into it or it is dâ—sperate The conscience I confesse will not euer lye quiet in these dead guests but as they haue iayled vp that for a while in the darknesse of Securitie so when God looseth it it will rage as fast against them and dogge them to their graues For as there is a Heauen on earth so a Hell on earth The dead to sinne are heauen'd in this world the dead in sinne are hell'd here by the tormenting anguish of an vnappeaseable conscience As Bishop Latimer in a Sermon told these guests of a Feast in Hell which wil afford them little mirth where weeping is serued in for the first course gnashing of teeth for the second So after their Feast on Earth which was no better then Numa's where the Table swomme with delicate dishes but they were swimming dishes spectandâ— non gustandae dapes Let them prepare for another Banket where groanes shall be their bread and teares their drinke sighes and sorrowes all their Iunkets which the Erynnis of conscience and the Megaera of desperation shall serue in and no euerlastingnesse of time shall take away But these spiritually dead guests doe not euermore scape so long sometimes God giues them in this life a draught of that viall of his wrath which they shall after sup off to the bottome The wicked man that had no feare now shall haue too much feare Hee that begun with the wanton Comedie of presumption and profanenesse ends with the Tragedie of horrour and despaire Before he was so a-sleepe that nothing could waken him now hee is so waking that nothing can bring him a-sleepe Neither disport abroad nor quiet at home can possesse him hee cannot possesse himselfe Sinne is not so smooth at setting forth as turbulent at the iourneyes end The wicked haue their day wherein they runne from pleasure to pleasure as Iobs children from banket to banket their ioyes haue changes of varietie little intermission no cessation neither come they faster then their lusts call for them So God hath his day And woe vnto you that desire the day of the Lord to what end is it for you the day of the Lord is darknesse and not light As if a man did flee from a Lyon and a Beare met him or went into the house and leaned his hand on the Wall and a Serpent bit him Such is the vnrest of a conscience brought to fret for his sinnes So August Fugit ab agro in ciuitatem à publico ad domum à domo in cubiculum He runnes from the field into the Citie from the Citie to his house and in his house to the priuatest Chamber but he cannot flie his enemie that cannot flie himselfe At first the Deuils guest pursues pleasure so eagerly that hee would breake downe the barres that shut it from him and quarrell with venture of his blood for his delights nay for the conditions of his owne sorrow and damnation Now pleasure is offered him no it will not downe Musicke stands at his Windore it makes him as mad with discontent as it did once with ioy No â—est can stirre his laughter no companie can waken his vnreasonable and vnseasonable melancholy Now hee that was madder then Nâ—ro in his delights fearâ— compasseth him on euerie side Hee starts at his owne shaddow and would change firmenesse with an Aspen leafe He thinkes like the Burgundians euery Thistle a Launce euery Tree a man euery man a Deuill They feare where no feare was saith the Psalmist They thinke they see what they doe not see This is the wicked mans alteration time is he will not be warned time comes hee will not be comforted Then he is satisfied with lusts that thought satisfaction impossible Riches wearie him now to keepe them more then they wearied him once to get them and that was enough So I haue read the oppressers will Lego omnia bona mea domino Regi corpus sepulturae animam diabolo I bequeath all my goods to the King my body to the graue my soule to the Deuill He that did wrong to all would now seeme to doe right to some in giuing his coyne to the Prince whom he had deceiued his soule to the Deuill whom hee had seâ—ued Wherein as he had formerly iniured man now he inâ—ures both God and himselfe too 3. I haue dwelt the longer on this spirituall deadnesse because the guests at this
literall as spirituall meaning In the former I haue instanced insisted on the latter It should be tedious to giue account for euery circumstance The learned and good man will iudge faucurably To the rest Si quid tu rectiâ—s istis Proâ—ir us imperti si non his vtere mecum I passe by â—he triutall obiections against Sermons in print as the deadnesse of the letter the multitude of Bookes pâ—essing to the Pâ—esse c. As if the eye could giue no help to the soule as if the queasie stomach could not forbeare surfetting as if some mens sullennesse and crying push at Sermons should be preiudiciall to otâ—ers benefit as if the Prophets had not added line to line as well as precept vpon precept I heare of some â—dle Drones humming out their dry derisions that wee will be men in print slighting the matter for the Authors sake But because their inuectiues are as impotent as themselues are impudent I will answere no further then haec culpas sed tu non meliora facis Or to borrow the words of the Epigrammatist Cum tua non edas carpis mea carmina Leli Carpere vel noli nostâ—a vâ—l edâ—tua Sloth sits and censures what th' industrious teach Foxes dispraise the Grapes they cannot reach One caueat good Reader and then God speed thee Let me intrâ—â— tâ—ee not to giue my Booke the chopping censure A word old enough yet would haue a Comment Do not open it at a ventures by reading the broken pieces of two or three lines iudge it But read it through and then I beg no pardon if thou â—islikest it Farewell Thine THO. ADAMS THE DIVELS BANKET The first Sermon PROVERB 9.17.18 Stollen waters are sweet and the bread of Secrecies is pleasant but he knoweth not that the dead are there and that her guests are in the depth of Hell I Haue here chosen two Texts in one intending to Preach of a couple of Preachers one by vsurpation the other by assignation the Worlds Chaplen and the Lords Prophet Where conceaue 1. the Preachers 2. their Texts 3. their Sermons 4. their Pulpits 5. their Commissions 1. The Preachers are two the first hath a double name Literally here the Harlot Metaphorically Sinne the minde's Harlot for between them is all spiritual adultry committed Some vnderstand it more Sinecdochically the Temptation to sinne but omne mauis includit minus their interpretation is like that short bed you cannot lay this Harlot at her ful length in it Others conceaue an Antithesis here and by conferring the 4. verse with the 16. collect an opposition of two sorts of Preachers the sincere Prophets of Wisedome and the corrupted Teachers of Traditions errors leasings I cannot subscribe to this sense as full enough let it goe for a branch call it not the body of the Tree This first Preacher then is the delightfulnesse or if you will the decâ—itfâ—lnesse of sinne The second is Solomon not erring adulterating idolatrising Solomon but conuerted confirmed Solomon A King and a Preacher 2. Their Texts 1. Sinnes Text is from Hels Scriptum est taken out of the Deuils Spell either Lucian his olde Testament or Machiauell his new lawes made in the court of damnation enacted in the vault of darkenesse like those vnder the Parliament-house Gunpowder-lawes fit for the Iustices of Hell 2. Solomons Text is the Word of eternall Truth with a Scriptum est caelitus inspiratum giuen from Heauen this is Desuper the other Desubter this is all Scripture is giuen by inspiratioâ— from God profitable c. the former is the Delusion of thâ— Deuill that lying spirit in the mouth of Ahabs prophâ—â—s the diuinitie of Hell 3. The Sermons differs as well as the Texts 1. The Harlots dixit verse 16. is thus amplified Stollen waters are sweet and the bread of Secrecies is pleasant Tullius nor Tertullus nor Hermes the speaker in the Parliament of the Heathen gods neuer moued so eloquent a tongue shee preaches according to the palate of her audience Placentia nay it is Placenta a sweet Cake whose floure is Sugar and the humour that tempers it Honey sweet pleasant Shee cannot want auditours for such a Sermon for as it is in Faires the Pedler and the Ballat-monger haue more throng then the rich Merchant Vanitie hath as many customers as shee can turne to when Veritie hath but a colde market 2. Solomons Sermon is opposed to it with a But But he knoweth not that the dead are there and that her ghâ—sts are in the depth of Hell A crosse blow that disarmes the Deuils Fencer a flat conuiction or Non-plus giuen to the arguments of sinne a little Colliquintida put into the sweâ—t-pot that as I haue obserued in some beguiling Pictures looke on it one way and it presents to you a beautifull Dâ—mosell goe on the aduerse side and behold it is a Deuill or some mishapen Stigmaticke Sinne shewes you a faire Picture Stollen waters are sweet c. Suaue delicio sum Pleasure and delight Solomon takes you on the other side and shewes you the vgly visages of Death and Hell the dead are there c. If Sinne open her Shop of delicacies Solomon shewes the Trap-dore and the Vault if she boast her Oliues hee points to the Prickles if she discouers the greene and gay flowers of delice he cryes to the Ingredients Latet anguis in herba the Serpent lurkes there Illa mouet iste monet she charmes and he breakes her spels as curious and proud as her House is Solomon is bold to write Lord haue mercy on vs on the dores and to tell vs the plague is there Stollen waters are sweet c. But the dead are there c. 4 Their Pulpits haue locall and ceremoniall difference 1. The Harlot's is described verse 14. She sits at the dore of her house on a seat in the high places of the Citie 1. Sedet she sits she is got into that inchaunted Chaire Psal. 1. 2. at her house shee neede not stray farre for customers in se turba ruunt luxuriosa proci they come in troupes to her 3. at her dore shee presents her selfe to the common eye and would be notable though not able to answere the shew 4. on a Seat nouit suum locum Vice knowes her Seat the Deuill is not without his Randeuous what say you to a Tauerne a Play-house a Feast a May-game that I say not an Ordinary 5. in the Citie Whoredome scornes to liue obscurely in the Suburbs Shee hath friends to admit her within the walles 6. Nay in the high places of the Citie in the largest streetes populous and popular houses in excelsis vrbis one of the most curious and â—taâ—ely edifices of the Citie Thus Sinne reades not a high-way lecture onely as among Theeues nor a Chamber-lecture onely as among Courtezans nor a Masse-lecture onely as among Iesuâ—tes nor a Vault-lecture onely as among Traitours nor a Table-lecture onely as among Humorists
not serue God in action it shall serue him in passion Where voluntarie obedience is denied involuntarie anguish shall be suffered Know this thou swearer that as thy tongue spets abroad the flames of Hell so the flames of Hell shall be powred on thy tongue As the Drunkard will not now keepe the Cup of satietie from his mouth so God shall one day hold the Cup of vengeance to it and he shall drinke the dregges thereof As the Vsurers are tormentors to the Common-wealth on earth so they shall meete with tormentors in Hell that shall transcend them both in malice and subtiltie and load them with bonds and executions and which is strangely possible heauier then those they haue so long traded in The Church-robber incloser ingrosser shall find worse prolling and pilling in Hell then themselues vsed on earth and as they haue beene the worst Deuils to their Countries wealth so the worst of Deuils shall attend them The vncleane adulterer shall haue fire added to his fire And the couetous wretch that neuer spake but in the Horse-leaches language and carried a mouth more yawning then the graues is now quitted with his nunquam satis and findes enough of fire in the depth of Hell The Deuill hath feasted the wicked and now the wicked feast the Deuill and that with a very chargeable Banket For the Deuill is a daintie Prince and more curious in his diet then Vitellius He feedes like the Caniball on no flesh but mans flesh He loues no Venison but the Hart no fowle but the Breast no fish but the Soule As the vngodly haue eaten up Gods people as bread so themselues shall be eaten as bread â—t is iust that they be deuoured by others that haue deuoured others As they haue beene Lyons to crash the bones of the poore so a Lyon shall crash their bones they are Satans Feast he shall deuoure them Thus they that were the guests are now the Banket as they haue beene feasted with euils so they feast the Dâ—uils Make a little roome in your heaâ—ts ye fearelesse and desperate wretches for this meditation Behold now as in aspeculatiue glasse the Deuils hospitalitie Once be wise beleeue without triall without feeling Yeeld but to be ashamed of your sinnes and then I can with comfort aske you â—hat fruit they euer brought you Let me but appeale from Philip of Macedon when hee is drunke to Philip of Macedon when he is sober from your bewitched lusts to your waked consciences and you must needes say that breuis haec non vera voluptas All the workes of darknesse are vnfruitfull except in producing and procuring vtter darknesse Sinne is the Deuils earnest-peny on earth in Hell he giues the Inheritance Temptation is his presse-money by rebellion oppression vsurie blasphemie the wicked like faithfull Souldiours fight his battels When the field is wonne or rather lost for if he conquers they are the spoile in the depâ—h of heâ—l hee giues them pay Who then would march vnder his colours who though he promise Kingdomes cannot performe a Hogge Alas poore beggar he hath nothing of his owne but sinne and death and hell and torment Nihil ad effectum ad defectum satis No positâ—ue good enough priuatiue euill Euen those that passe their soules to him by a reall Couenant he cannot enrich they liue and dye most penurious beggars as pernicious villaines And they vpon whom God suffers him to throw the riches of this world as a sâ—are ouer their hearts which he cannot doe but at second hand haue not enough to keepe either their heads from aking or their consciences from despairing Thus though God permit him â—o helpe the rich man to sill his Barnes the Vsurer to swell his Coffers the Luxurious to poyson his blood the malicious to gnaw his bowels the sâ—crilegious to amplifie his reuenewes the ambitious with credit yet therâ— is neither will in God nor willingnesse in the Deuill that any of these should be a blessing vnto them All is but borrowed ware and the Customers shall pay for day the longer they abuse them the larger arrerages they must returne Onely here I may say that bona sunt quae dona sunt they are goods that are gifts God giues his graces freely the Deuill his Iunkets falsly for the guests must pay and that deerely when the least Item in the bill for paines is beyond the greatest dish of the Feast for pleasures Solomons Sermon spends it selfe vpon Tvvo Circumstances the Persons Tempting Shâ—â— â— right Harlot as appeares by her Prostitution Prodition Perdition Tempted The Dead All death is from sinne whether Corporall Spirituall Eternall Attempted He knoweth not Whose ignorance is either Naturall Inuincible Affected Arroganâ— Place Where their misery is amplified in part personally in part locally Per infirmitatem By their â—eaknes to resist soone in Per Infâ—rnitatem In hell Per profunditatem In the depth of Hell The person tempting or the Harlot is Vice vgly and deformed Vice that with glazed eyes surphâ—ld cheekes pyed garments and a Syrens tongue winnes easie respect and admiration When the heate of tentation shall glow vpon concupiscence the heart quickly melts The wisest Solomon was taken and snared by a woman which foule adulterie bred as foule an issue or rather progeniem vitiosiorem a worse Idolatrie Satan therefore shapes his Temptation in the lineaments of an Harlot as most fit and powerfull to worke vpon mans affections Certaine it is that all delighted vice is a spirituall adulterie The couetous man couples his heart to his gold The Gallant is incontinent with his pride The corrupt Officer fornicates with briberie The Vsurer sets continuall kisses on the cheeke of his securitie The heart is set where the hate should be And euery such sinner spends his spirits to breed and see the issue of his desires Sinne then is the Deuils Harlot which being tricked vp in tempting colours drawes in visitants praemittendo suaâ—ia promittendo perpetua giuing the kisses of pleasure and promising them perpetuall We may obserue in this Strumpet 1. Prostitution Pro. 7.13 So she caught him and kissed him and with an impudent face said vnto him c. Shame now-a-dayes begins to grow so stale that many vices shall vie impudent speeches and gestures with the Harlot Come let vs take our fill of loue as Putiphars wife to Ioseph without any ambagious or ambiguous circumlocutions or insinuations come lye with me Sinne neuer stands to vnty the knot of Gods interdiction but bluntly breakes it as the Deuill at first to the rootes of mankind ye shall not die The Vsurer neuer looseth so much time as to satisfie his conscience it is enough to satisfie his concupiscence A good Morgage lies sicke of a forfet and at the Vsurers mercie It is as surely damned as the Vsurer himselfe will be when he lyes at the mercie of the Deuill These are so farre â—rom that old Quare of Christians
quid faciemus what shall wee doe That they will not admit the nouell question of these toyte-headed times What shall we thinke They will not giue the coâ—science leaue after a tedious and importunate sollicitation to study of the matter But are more iniurious and impenetrable to their owne soules then that vniust Iudge to the Widdow A cheate is offred to a Trades-man an Inclosure to a Landlord an vnder-hand Fee clapt in the left hand of a Magistrate if they be euill and corruption hath first Marshalled the way the field is wonne They neuer treat with sinne for truce or pawse on an answere but presently yeeld the fort of their conscience No wonder then if the Deuils Harlot be so bold when she is so sure of welcome It is our weakenesse that prompts the Deuill with encouragement whom if we did resist hee would desist Our weake repulses harten and prouoke his fiercer assaults He would not shew the Worldling his apparant hornes if hee did not presume of his couetous desire to bee horsed on the backe of Mammon and hurried to Hell Hence sinne is so bold as to say in the wicked heart Non est Deus there is no God and so peremptorily to conclude to it selfe I shall not be moued for I shall neuer be in adueâ—sitie Hence euen their inward thought is that their houses shall continue for euer c. This is presumptuous and whorish prostitution to set out Iniquitie bare-faced without the Maske of pretexts to hide her vgly visage An impetuous an imperious Impudence that not wâ—th a feminine rapture but rather with a masculine rape captiues the conscience You see Follies prostitution 2. Prodition is the ranckling tooth that followes her rauishing kisses Iudas kissed his Maister with the same heart Iniquâ—tie hath an infectious breath if a faire countenance All her delights are like faire and sweet flowers but full of Serpents The tempted may giue a concluding groane Sic violor violis oh violenta tuis Thy soft flowers haue stung me to death For indeede it is most true Nemo ipsum peccatum amat sed male amando illud quod amat illaqueatur peccato No man loues sinne for it owne sake but by an irregular and sinister loue to that hee doth loue hee is snared with sinne The Deuill knowes that his Ephesian Harlot Vice would want worshippers if treason and death were written vp on the Temple-dore therefore health and content are proclaimed and as on the Theater prâ—sented but there is Hell vnder the Stage there is treason in the vault Thus Temptation misleades the Nauigatours with a Pyrates light deceiues the liuing fowles with a dead bird a Syren a Iudas a Iebusite a Iesuite For were the Iesuite to play the Deuill or the Deuill the Iâ—suite on the stage of this world it would be hard to iudge which was the Iesuite which the Deuill or which played the part most naturally As Iniquâ—ties are Sathans Harlots to corrupt the affections so Iesuites are his Eâ—gines to peruert the braines for if the new guest here be heart-sicke so their Proâ—elite is braine-sicke Both are made so dissolute till they become desolate robbed and destitute of all comfort Sinne deales with her guests as that bloody Germane Prince that hauing inuited many great States to a solemne Feast flattered and singled them out one by one and cut off all their heads As fatall a successe attends on the flatteries of sinne Oh then fuge peccatum exulceratricem hanc Fly this Harlot that carries death about her Goe aloofe from her dore as they say the Deuill doth by the Crosse but let that sauour of supposition nay of superstition doe thou in sincere deuotion flie from sinne quasi à facie colubri as from a Serpent Shee hath a Syrens voyce a Mermaides face a Helens beautie to tempt thee but a Leapers touch a Serpents sting a trayterous hand to wound thee The best way to conquer Sinne is by the Parthian warre to runne away So the Poet. Sed fuge tutus adhuc Parthus ab hoste fuga est Tunc peccata fugantur cum fugiantur Wee then put sinne to a forced flight when it puts vs to a voluntarie flight That Poeticall amoris artifex et medicus so counsels Fuge conscia vestriconcubitus c. But beyond all exception the holy Apostle giues the charge flie Fornication Shunne the place suspect the apparâ—nce of euill You see her Prodition Her perdition followes Shee vndoes a man not so much in the estate of his carkasse as of his conscience The guest is not so much damnified in respect of his goods as damned in respect of his grace Euery man is not vndone that is beggered many like Iob Minime pereunt cum maxime perire videntur are indeede least vndone when they seeme most vndone Nay some may say with the Philosopher perieram nisi periâ—ssem if I had not sustained losse I had beene lost So Dauids great trouble made him a good man Naamans leaprous flesh brought him a white and cleane spirit But the perdition that vice brings is not so visible as it is miserable The sequell of the Text will amplifie this onely now I apply it to the Harlot The Harlot destroyes a man many wayes 1. In his goods It is a costly sinne Thamar would not yeeld to Iudah without a hire The hire makes the Whore Stat meretrix certo quouis mercabilis aere Et miseras iusso corpore quaerit opes Compar'd with Harlots the worst beast is good No beasts but they will sell their flesh and blood The old Prouerbe conioynes venery and beggerie The Prodigall returned not from his Harlot without an empty Purse Sinne doth no lesse vndoe a mans estate It is a Purgatorie to his Patrimonie It is obiected It rather helps him to riches and swels his purse Doth not a bribed hand asycophant-tongâ—e a couetous and griping palme make men wealthie Yeeld wealthie not rich He is rich that possesseth what hee got iustly and vsâ—th what he possesseth conscionably other wealthy are not vnlike either the Capuchines or the Seculars Some like the former professe beggerie though they possesse the Indies these had rather fill their eye then their belly and will not breake a Summe though they endanger their healths The other sort are like the Seculars that will fare well though with a hard farewell But as the Harlot so often Vice brings a man to a morsell of bread Prou. 6. Thus Tibi fit damne vitio lucrosa voluptas Pleasure is no lesse then a losse to thee then a gaine to Sinne. It is not amisse to answere Sathans Inuiters to this Feast as the vitious Poet his Cockatrice Cur siâ— mutatus quaeris quia munera posâ—is Haec te non patitur causa placere mihi It is euen one reason to disswade vs from sinne that it is costly 2. In his good name No worldly vndoing is like this shipwrack Goods may be redeemed but this semel amissa
banket haue this death in present the precedent and subsequent are both future the one naturally incurred by sinne the other iustly inflicted for vnrepented sinne For all shall dye the corporall death Hee that feareth an oath as well as hee that sweareth the â—eligious as the profane But this last which is Eternall death shall onely cease on them that haue before hand with a spirituall death slaine themselues This therefore is called the second death Blessed and holy is hee that hath part in the first resurrection which is the spirituall life by grace On such the second death hath no power Hee that is by Christ raised from the first death shall by Christ also scape the second But hee that is dead spiritually after hee hath died corporally shall also dye eternally This is that euerlasting seperation of body and soule from God and consequently from all comfort Feare him saith our Sauiour that is able to destroy both body and soule in Hell And many of them that sleepe in the dust of the earth shall awake some to euerlasting life and some to shame and euerlasting contempt This is that death that God delights not in His goodnesse hath no pleasure in it though his iustice must inflict it Man by sinne hath offended God an infinite Maiestie and therefore deserues an infinite miserie Now because he is a nature finite hee cannot suffer a punishment infinite in greatnesse simul et semel together and at once hee must therefore endure it successiuè sine fine successiuely without end The punishment must be proportioned to the sinne because not in present greatnesse therefore in eternall continuance Christ for his elect suffered in short time sufficient punishment for their sinnes for it is all one for one that is eternall to dye and for one to dye eternally But he for whom Christ suffered not in that short time must suffer for himselfe beyond all times euen for euer This is the last Death a liuing death or a dying life what shall I tearme it If it be life how doth it kill If death how doth it liue There is neither life nor death but hath some good in it In life there is some ease in death an end But in this death neither ease nor end Prima â—ors animam dâ—lentem pellet de câ—rpore secunda mors animam nolentem tenet in corpore The first death driues the soule vnwillingly from the body the second death holdes the soule vnwillingly in the body In those dayes shall men seeke death and shall not finde it and shall desire to dye and death shall flye from them Their worme shall not dye Thus saith the Scripture morientur mortem they shall dye the death Yet their death hath much too much life in it For there is a perfection giuen to the body and soule after this life as in heauen to the stronger participation of comfort so in hel to the more sensible receiuing of torment The eye shall see more perspicuously and the eare heare more quickly and the sense feele more sharply though all the obiects of these be sorrow and anguish Vermis conscientiam corrodet ignis carnem comburet quia et corde et corpore deliquerunt The worme shall gnaw the conscience the fire burne the flesh because both fleâ—h and conscience haue offended This is the fearfull death which these guests incurre this is the Shoâ— at the Diuells Banket God in his Iustice suffers him to reward his guests as hee is rewarded himselfe and since they loued his worke to giue them the stipend due to his seruice These are the tempted guests dead The vlgar Latine translation I know not vpon what ground hath interpreted here for mortui Gigantes thus hee knoweth not that the Gyants are there Monstrous men that would dart thunder at God himselfe and raise vp mountaines of impietie against Heauen As if they were onely great men that feasted at Sathans Banket whose riches were able to minister matter to their pleasures And surely such are in these dayes of whose sinnes when we haue cast an inventory account we might thus with the Poet sum vp themselues Viâ— dicam quid sis magnus es Ardelio Thou hast great lands great power great sinnes and than Dâ—st aske me what thou art th' art a great man The Gyants in the Scripture were men of a huge stature of a fierce nature The Poets fained their Gyants to be begotten and bred of the Sunne and the Earth and to offer violence to the Gods some of them hauing an hundred hands as Briareiu was called centimanus meaning they were of great command as Helen wrot to Paris of her husband Menelaus An nescis longas regibus esse manus This word Gyants if the originall did afford it must be referred either to the guests signifiing that monstrous men resorted to the Harlots table that it was Gigantoum conviuium a tyrannous feast or else and that rather to the tormentors which are laid in ambush to surprise all the commers in and carry them as a pray to Hell But because the best translations giue no such word and it is farre fetched I let it fall as I tooke it vp The third person here inserted is the Attempted the new guest whom she striues to bring in to the rest He is discribed by his ignorance Nescit Hee knoweth not what company is in the house that the dead are there It is the Deuils pollicie when hee would ransacke and robbe the hoâ—se of our conscience like a theefe to put out the candle of our knowledge That wee might neither discerne his purposes nor decline his mischeefes Hee hath had his instruments in all ages to darken the light of knowledge Domitian turnes Philosophie into banishment Iulian shuts vp the Schoole-doores The barbarous souldiours vnder Clement the seauenth burned that excellent Vatican library Their reasons concurred with Iulians prohibition to the Christans 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 least they kill vs with our owne weapons For it is said euen of Gentile learning Hic est Goliae gladius quo ipse Goliah ingulandus est Hic Herculis claua qua rabidi inter Ethnicos canes percutiendi sunt This is that Goliahs sword whereby the Philistine himselfe is wounded This is that Hercules clubbe to smite the madde dogs amongst the heathen Habadallus Mahomets scholler that Syrian Tyrant forbad all Christian children in his dominions to goe to schoole that by ignorance hee might draw them to superstition For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To be destitute of learning is to dance in the darke These were all Sathans instruments yet they come short of the Pope whose pollicie to aduance his Hierarchie is to oppresse mens consciences with ignorance teaching that the fulnesse of zeale doth arise from the emptinesse of knowledge euen as fast as fire flasheth out of a fish-pond There are degrees in sin so in ignorance It is a sin to be ignorant of that we
haue giuen his last sentence At that day when Quaesitor scelerum veniet vindexque reorum the searcher of all and punisher of wicked hearts shall giue his double voyce of dread and ioy when hauing spoken peace to his Saints hee shall thunder out condemnation to the wicked Goe ye into euerlasting fire dent ocyus omnes Quas meruere pati sic stat sententia poenas And if here on earth Seiudice nemo nocens absoluitur a mans owne conscience condemne him for his sinnes how much greater shall be the iust condemnation of God Then all murdering Cains scoffing Chams persecuting Sauls theeuish and sacrilegious Achans oppressing Ahabs couetous Nabals drunken Hâ—lofernesses cruell Herods blasphemous Rabshaceh's vniust Pilates shall reape the seed in their eternall deaths which they haue sowne in their temporall liues There shall be scorching heate and freezing cold Ex vehementissimo calore ad vehementissimum frigus Without either act of refreshing or hope of releasing Euery day hath beene their Holy-day on earth euery day shall be their workie-day in Hell The Poets fained three furies Scindet latus vna slagello Altera tartareis sectos dabit anguibus artus Tertia fumantes incoquet igne genas One brings a Scorpion which the Conscience eates Another with yron whips the blacke flesh beates Whiles the third boyles the soule in scalding heates Nemo ad id sero venit vnde nunquam cum semel venit poterit reuerti No man can come too late to those sufferings from whence being once come hee can neuer returne This is Hell where darknesse shall be their prison euerlastingnes their fetters flames their torments angry Angels their tormenters Vbi nec tortores deficiant nec torti miserimoriantur Where the scourgers shal neuer be weary of afflicting nor the scourged faile their suffering But there shall be alwayes torments for the body and a body for torments Fire shall be the consummation of their plagues not the consumption of their persons Vbi per millia millia annorum cruciandi nec in secula seculorum liberandi Myriades of yeeres shall not accomplish nor determine their punishments It shall be their miserie Semper velle quod nunquam erit semper nolle quod nunquam non erit to haue a will neuer satisfied a nill neuer gratified 3. Per profunditatem The depth of Hell The Scripture is frequent to testifie Hell a deepe place and beneath vs. Capernaum shall be cast downe to Hell Solomon so speakes The way of life is aboue to the wise that hee may depart from Hell beneath And of this Harlot Her house is the way to Hell going downe to the chambers of death Her feete goe downe to death her steps take hold on Hell Downe and beneath doe witnesse the depth of Hell There are three places Earth Heauen Hell Earth wee all enioy good and bad promiscuously Heauen is prepared for the good and it is vpwards If ye be risen with Christ seeke the things that are aboue Hell is ordained for the wicked and it is downeward called here profundum a depth To define the locall place of Hell it is too deepe for me I leaue it to deeper iudgements I doe not giue Dâ—monax answere being asked where Hell was Expecta simul ac illuc venero et tibi per literas significabo Tarry till I come thither and I will send thee word by letters No I onely say this There is one wee are sure of it let vs by a good life be as sure to scape it But to confine my speech to the bounds of my Text I take it that by Hell the depth of it here is ment the deepe bondage of the wicked soules that they are in the depth of the power of Hell Sathan hauing by sinne a full dominion ouer their consciences For Hell is often allegorically taken in the Scriptures So Ionas cryes vnto God out of the belly of Hell Dauid sung de profundis Out of the depth haue I cryed vnto thee oh Lord. So Christ speakes of the vnbeleeuer that hee is already damned And the reprobate are here affirmed in the depth of Hell This exposition I esteeme more naturall to the words For as the godly haue a Heauen so the wicked a Hell euen vpon Earth though both in a spirituall not a literall sence The reprobates Hell on earth is double or of two sorts 1. In that the power of Hell rules in his conscience Hee walkes according to the course of this world and according to the Prince of the power of the Ayre the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience Hee is taken and ledde captiue of the Deuilâ— as hereafter in the chaines of damnation so here in the bands of dominion which Solomon cals funes peccatorum as he hath drawne iniquitie with the cords of vanitie so hee shall be holden with the cords of his sinnes 2. There is a Hell in his conscience So Saint Augustine Sunt duo tortores anime Timor et Dolor The soule hath two tormentors euen in this life griefe for euill felt feare of euill to be felt Whereof the Poet. Sic mea perpetuos curarum pectora morsus fine quibus nullo consiciantur habent These are the fearefull terrours whereof the guilty heart cannot be quitted cannot be quieted though pleasure it selfe were his phisitian and the whole world his minstrell Domino priuante suo gaudio quid esse potest in gaudium when God withholds his musicke and peace what can make the heart merry Polidore Virgill thus writes of Richard the third's dreame the night before Bosworth-field That hee thought all the Deuils in Hell pulled and haled him in most hideous and vgly shapes And concludes of it at last Id credo non fuit somnium sed conscientia scelerum I doe not thinke it was so much his dreame as his wicked conscience that brought those terrours When this euill spirit comes on a wicked Saul let him goe to his merriest good fellowes beguile at once the time and himselfe with playes and sports feast away his cares at his owne table or burie them together with his wits at a Tauerne alas these are pitteous shifts weaker then wals of paper Sleepe cannot make his conscience sleepe perhaps the very dreames are fearefull It will not leaue thee till it hath shewed thee thy Hell no nor when it hath shewed thee it will it leaue thee quiet The more thou offerest to damme vp this current the more ragingly it swels and gusheth ouer the resisting banckes This wounded Conscience runnes like the stricken Deare with the arrow of death in the ribbes from thicket to thicket from shelter to shelter but cannot change her paine with her place The wound ranckles in the soule and the longer it goes on the worse still it festers Thus sinne that spake thee so faire at her inuiting to the Banket now presents to thy waked
soule her true forme and playes the make-bate betwixt God and thee betwixt thee and thy selfe So long as securitie hath kept thee sleeping in thy delighted impieties this quarrell is not commenced The mortallest enemies are not alwayes in pitched fields one against another This truce holds some till their death-beds neither doe they euer complaine till their complaints can doe them no good For then at once the sicke carkase after many tossings and turnings to finde the easiest side moanes his vnabated anguish and the sicker conscience after triall of many shifts too late feeleth and confesseth her vnappeased torment So Cain Iudas Nero in vaine seeke for forraine helps when their executioner is within them The wicked man cannot want furies so long as he hath himselfe Indeede the soule may flye from the body not sinne from the soule An impatient Iudas may leape out of the priuate hell in himselfe into the common pit below as the boyling fishes out of the Caldron into the flame But the gaine hath beene the addition of a new hell without them not the losse of the old hell within them The worme of Conscience doth not then cease her office of gnawing when the fâ—ends begin their office of torturing Both ioyne their forces to make the dissolutely wicked desolately wretched If this man be not in the depth of Hell deepely miserable there is none Loe now the Shot at the Deuils Banket A reckoning must be payd and this is double 1. the earnest in this life 2. the full payment in the life to come The earnest is whiles Hell is cast into the wicked the full satisfaction is when the wicked shall be cast into Hell Whosoeuer was not found written in the booke of life was cast into the Lake of fire I will take leaue to amplifie both these a little further 1. The earnest is the horrour of an euill conscience which sparkles with the beginnings of future torments I know that some feele not this in the pride of their vanities or at least will not seeme to feele it Some whorish for-heads can out-face their sinnes and laugh them out of countenance Wide gorges that can swallow periuries bloodynesse adulteries vsuries extortions without trouble But it may be the heart doth not laugh with the looke He dares be an hypocrite that durst be a villaine If hee would speake truth of himsâ—lfe he would testifie that his thoughts will not affoord him sleepe nor his sleepe affoord him rest but whiles his senses are bound his sinne is loose No command of reason can quiet the tempest in his heart No sonne of Sceua no helpe of the world can cast out this Deuill The blood of the body often being stopped in the issue at the nostrils bursts out at the mouth or finds way into the stomach The conscience thus wounded will bleed to death if the blood of Iesus Christ doe not stanch it Thinke of this ye that forget God and are onely indulgent to your selues the time shall come you shall remember God neither to your thankes nor ease and would forget your selues Happy were it for you if you hauing lost your God could also loose your selues But you cannot hide your selues from your selues Conscience will neither be blinded in seeking nor bribed in speaking You shall say vnto it as that wicked Ahab to Elias hast thou found me oh thou mine enemie yet alas all this is but the earnest A hell I may call it and a deepe hell and as I â—ay say a little smoake reâ—king out of that fiery pit whereby the afâ—licted may giue a guesse at Hell as Pythagoras guessed at the stature of Hercules by the length of his foote But else per nulla figura gehâ—nnae nothing can truely resemble Hell 2. The earnest is infinitly short of the totall summe And his Lord was wroth and deliuered him to the tormenters till hee should pay all that was due vnto him The guest must indure a death not dying liue a life not liuing no torment ends without the beginning of a worse The sight afflicted with darknesse and vgly Deuills the hearing with shrikes and horrible cries the smelling with noysome stenches the tast with rauenous hunger and bitter gall the feeling with intollerable yet vnquenchable fire Thousands poynting at not one among thousands pitying the distressed wreâ—ch I know this Earth is a dungeon in regard of Heauen yet a Heauen in respect of Hell wee haue miserie enough here it is mercie to what is there Thinke of a gloomy hideous and deepe Lake full of pestilent dampes and rotten vapours as thicke as cloudes of pitch more palpable then the fogs of Egipt that the eye of the Sunne is too dull to peirce them and his heate too weake to dissolue them Adde hereunto a fire flashing in the reprobates face which shall yeeld no more light then with a glimpse to shew him the torments of others and others the torments of himselfe yet withall of so violent a burning that should it glow on mountaines of steele it would melt them like mountaines of Snow This is the guests reckoning a sore a sowre payment for a short and scarce sweet Banket All his senses haue been pleased now they are all plagued In stead of perfumes fragrant odors a sulphurous stench shall strike vp into his nosthrils In stead of his lasciuious Dalila's that fadomed him in the armes of lust behold Adders Toades Serpents crawling on his bosome In stead of the Dorian musicke charming his eares Man-drakes and Night-rauens still shriking to them the reuerberating grones of euer and neuer dying companions tolling their funerall not finall knels and yels round about him In stead of wanton kisses snakes euer sucking at his breath and galling his flesh with their neuer blunted stings Thinke of this feast you riotous feasters in sinne There is a place called Hell whither after the generall and last assises the condemned shall be sent through a blacke way death is but a shadow to it with many a sigh and sobbe and grones to those cursed fiends that must be their tormentors as they haue beene their tempters Behold now a new feast a fatall a finall one To suppe in the vault of darknesse with the princes and subiects of horror at the table of vengance in the chaire of desperation Where the difference on earth betwixt Master and Seruant drudge and commander shall be quite abolished Except some Atheisticall Machiauell or trayterous Seminary or some bloody delegate of the Inquisition be admitted the vpper-end of the table But otherwise there is no regard of age beauty riches valour learning birth The vsurer hath not a cushion more then his broker There is not the bredth of a bench betweene Herod and his Parasites The Pope himselfe hath no easier a bed then the poorest Masse-priest Corinthian Lais speeds no better then her chambermaid The Cardinall hath not the vpper hand of his Pander There is no prioritie betweene the plotter
diuided to our hands by the rule of three A tripartite Metaphore that willingly spreads it selfe into an Allegorie 1. Gods word is the Balme 2. The Prophets are the Physitians 3. The People are the Patients who are very sicke Balme without a Physitian a Physitian without Balme a Patient without both is in fausta separatio an vnhappy disiunction If a man be ill there is neede of Physicke when he hath Physicke he needes a Physitian to apply it So that here is miserie in being sicke mercie in the Physicke Not to disioyne or disioynt the Prophets order let vs obserue that the words are spoken 1. In the person of God 2. In the forme of a question 3. By a conclusiue inference Onely two things I would first generally obserue to you as necessarie inductions to the subsequent Doctrines Both which may naturally be inferred not tyrannously enforced from the words That which first obiects it selfe to our consideration is the Wisedome of God in working on mens affections which leades vs here from naturall wants subiect to sense to supernaturall inuisible and more secret defects from miseries to mysteries That as if any man admired Solomons House they would be rauished in desire to see Gods House which transcended the former so much as the former transcended their expectation So heere wee might be led from mans worke to Gods worke from things materiall to things mysticall and by the happinesse of cure to our sicke bodies be induced to seeke and get recouerie of our dying soules The second is the fit collation and respondent relation of Diuinitie and Physicke the one vndertaking to preserue and restore the health of the body the other performing much more to the soule 1. God leades vs by sensible to the sight of insensible wants by calamities that vexe our liuing bodies to perils that endanger our dying Consciences That wee might inferre vpon his premisses what would be an eternall losse by the sight of a temporall crosse that is so hardly brooked If a famine of bread be so heauie how vnsupportable is the dearth of the Word saith the Prophet Man may liue without bread not without the word If a wearie Traueller be so vnable to beare a burden on his shoulders how ponderous is sinne in the Conscience which Zacharie calls a talent of Lead If blindnesse be such a miserie what is â—gnorance lf the night be so vncomfortable what doth the darknesse of Superstition afford If bodily Disease so afflict our sense how intollerable will a spirituall sicknesse proue Thus all earthly and inferiour Obiects to a Christian soule are like Marginall hands directing his reading to a better and heauenly reference I intend to vrge this poynt the more as it is more necessarie both for the profit of it being well obserued and for the generall neglect of it because they are few in these dayes that reduce Christianitie to Meditation but fewer that produce Meditation to practise and obedience Diseases destined toward Death as their end that can by Nature neither be violently endured nor violently repelled perplexe the flesh with much paine but if Diseases which be Deaths capitall Chirurgions his preceding Heraulds to proclaime his neerenesse his Ledgers that vsurpe his place till himselfe comes be so vexing and full of anguish what is Death it selfe which kils the Diseases that killed vs For the perfection of sicknesse is Death But alas if the sicknesse and Death of the body be such what are Sinne the sicknesse and Impenitencie the death of the soule What is the dimmed eye to the darkned vnderstanding the infected members to the poysoned affections the torment of the reynes to the stitches girds and gripes of an aking Consciencâ— what is the Childes caput dolet my head akes to Ierusalems cor dolet my heart akes The soule to leaue the body with her offices of life is not so grieuous as Gods spirit to relinquish the soule with the comforts of grace In a word it is farre lesse miserable to giue vp the ghost then to giue vp the holy Ghost The soule that enters the body without any sensible pleasure departs not from it without extreame paine Hee that is animans animas the soule of our soules forsakes not our spirits but our paine is more though our sense be lesse As in the Warres the cut of a sword crossing the Fibres carries more smart vvith it though lesse mortallitie then the fatall charge of a Death-thundring Cannon The soule hath two places an Inferiour which it ruleth the body a Superiour wherein it resteth God! Mans greatest sorrow is when hee dyes vpwardly that GOD forsakes his God-forsaking soule His greatest sense when he diâ—s downewards and sicknesse disperseth and dispatcheth his vitall powers Let then the inferiour suffering vvaken vs to see the Superiour that doth vveaken vs. Thus God drawes our eyes from one obiect to another nay by one to another by that which wee loue on earth to that which wee should loue in Heauen by the prouidence for our bodies to the prouision for our soules So our Sauiour hauing discoursed of carefulnesse for terrene wants drawes his speech to the perswasion of celestiall benefits giuing the coherence with a But. But first seeke ye the Kingdome of God and his righteousnesse and all these inferiour things shall be added vnto you Vt ad excellenâ—iam diuinarum rerum per corporalia homines attollat That at once hee might lesson vs to holy duties and lessen our care for earthly things Thus quios homini sublime dedit cor subliâ—ius eleuare voluit Hee that gaue man a countenance lifted high meant to erect his thoughts to a higher contemplation For many haue such groueling and earth-creeping affections that if their bodies curuitie was answerable to their soules incederent quadrâ—pides they would become foure-footed beasts It is a course preposterous to Gods creation disproportionable to mans fabricke that he should fixe his eyes and thoughts and desires on the base earth made for his feete to stand on and turne his feete against Heauen in contempt lifting vp his heele against God Hee whose ill-ballancing Iudgement thinkes Heauen light and Earth onely weightie and worthie doth as it were walke on his head with his heeles vpward I haue heard Trauellers speake of monstrous and praeternaturall men but neuer any so contranaturall as these Christ knew in the dayes of his flesh what easie apprehension worldly things would finde in vs what hard impression heauenly would finde on vs therefore so often by plaine comparisons taught secret Doctrines by Histories Misteries How to the life doth he explaine the mercie of God to the miserie of man in the lost Sheepe in the lost Groat in the lost Sonne How sweetly doth hee describe the different hearers of Gods Oracles in the Parable of the Seede which howsoeuer it seemed a Riddle to the selfe-blinding Iewes yet was a familiar demonstration to the beleeuing Saints So the Prophets found
and not pitie it is impossible for any but a Faulx but a Deuill 1. To make some further vse hereof to our selues Let vs auoyd sinne as much as we may And though we cannot stay our selues from going in let vs stay our selues from going on least our God complaine against vs. If we make him sorrowfull for a time hee can make vs sorrowfull for euer If wee anger him hee can anger all the veines of our hearts If in stead of seruing GOD by our obedience wee make him serue with our sinnes hee will make vs serue with his plagues If we driue God to call a Conuocation of heauen and earth Heare oh heauen harken oh earth I haue nourished children and they haue rebelled against me If he call on the mountaines to heare his controuersie he will make vs call on the mountaines to helpe and hide our miserie And they said to the mountaines and rockes Fall on vs c. If we put God to his querelam controuersie and make him a Plaintife to enter his sute against vs he will put vs to a complaint indeede Therefore shall the land mourne and euery one that dwelleth therein shall languish He will force vs to repent the time and deeds that euer made him to repent that hee made vs. Hee will strike vs with such a blow that there needeth no doubling of it He will make an vtter end destruction shall not rise vp the second time As Abishai would haue stricken Saul at once and I will not smite him the second time We cannot so wrong God that hee is depriued of power to right himselfe His first complaint is as I may say in teares his second in blood I haue read of Tamberlaine that the first day of his siege was honoured with his white Colours the second with fatall red but the third with finall blacke God is not so quicke speedy in punishment nor come his iudgements with such precipitation Niniueh after so manie forties of yeeres shall haue yet forty dayes Hee that at last came with his Fanne in his hand and fanned but eight graines of good corne out of a whole Barne-full of Chaffe a whole world of people gaue them the space of one hundred and twentie yeeres repentance If Ierusalem will not heare Christs words they shall feele his wounds They that are deafe to his voyce shall not be insensible to his hands He that may not be heard will be felt 2. If God complaines against sinne let vs not make our selues merry with it The madde humours idle speeches outragious oathes of drunken Athiests are but ill mirth for a Christian spirit Wickednesse in others abroad should not be our Tabret to play vpon at home It is a wretched thing to laugh at that which feasts Satan with mirth laughing both at our sinnes and at vs for our sinnes Rather lament Make little weeping for the dead for he is at rest but the life of the foole is worse then death Weepe for that When Israell now in Moses absence had turned beast and Calued an Idolatrous Image Moses did not dance after their Pipe and laugh at their superstitious merriment with Tabrets and Harpes but mourned to the Lord for them and pleaded as hard for their sparing as hee would haue done for himselfe nay more Spare thy owne people though thou race my name out of the Booke of Life They are onely marked for Gods with his owne priuy Seale that mourned for the abominations of Israell and their mournings were earnest as the waylings of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddo Where are you ye Sonnes of the Highest ye Magistrates put in power not onely to lament our sinnes but to take away the cause of our lamenting cease to beake your selues like Iehoiakim before the fire of ease and rest rend your cloathes with Iosiah and wrap your selues in sackcloath like Niniueh's King as a corps laid out for buriall Doe not Foelix-like grope for a bribe at criminall offences sell not your conniuence and withall your conscience where you should giue your punishment Let not gold weigh heauier then Naboths wrongs in the scoles of Iustice. Weepe ye Ministers betweene the Porch and the Altar Lament your owne sinnes ye Inhabitants of the world England be not behinde other Nations in mourning that art not short of them in offending Religion is made but Pollicies stirrop to get vp and ride on the backe of pleasure Nimrod and Achitophell lay their heads and hands together and whiles the one forrageth the Parke of the Church the other pleads it from his Booke with a Statutum est The Gibeonites are suffred in our Campe though we neuer clap'd them the hand of couenant and are not set to draw water and choppe wood doe vs any seruice except to cut our throates The Receate I â—ad almost said the Deceate of Custome sâ—ands open making the Lawes tolleration a warrant that many now sell their Lands and liue on the vse of their Monyes which none would doe if Vsurie was not an easier securer and more gainefull Trade How should this make vs mourne like Doues and groane like Turtles The wilde Swallowes our vnbridled Youngsters sing in the warme Chimneyes the lustfull Sparrowes noctiuagant Adulterers sit châ—rping about our houses the filching Iayes secret theeues rob our Orchards the Kite and the Cormorant deuoure and hoord our fruits and shall not among all these the voyce of the Turtle be heard in our Land mourning for these sinfull rapines Haue whoredome and wine so taken away our hearts and hidden them in a maze of vanities that repentance cannot finde them out Can these enormities passe without our teares Good men haue not spent all their time at home in mourning for their owne sinnes sometimes they haue iudged it their worke to lament what was others worke to doe That Kingly Prophet that wept so plentifully for his owne offences had yet floods of teares left to bewaile his peoples Ieremy did not onely weepe in secret for Israels pride but wrote a whole Booke of Lamentations and was not lesse exact in his methode of mourning then others haue beene in their Songs of ioy It was Gods behest to Ezekiell Sigh thou Sonne of man with the breaking of thy loynes and with bitternesse sigh before their eyes Hee mourned not alone at Israels wâ—e She had a solemne Funerall and euery Prophet sighed for her Looke away from me saith Esay I will weepe bitterly labour not to comfort me because of the spoiling of the daughter of my people I am payned at my very heart saith Ieremie because thou hast heard oh my soule the sound of the Trumpet the Alarme of warre Our sinnes are more why should our sorrowes be lesse Who sees not and sayes not that the dayes are euill There is one laying secret Mynes to blow vp another that himselfe may succeede there is another buying vncertaine
of Christ. A weake body is a kinde of occasion to a strong faith It was good for me saith the Psalmist that I was in trouble It was good for Naaman that he was a Leaper this brought him to Elisha and Elisha to GOD. It was good for Paul that hee was buffeted by Satan It is prouerbially spoken of a graue Diuine that as pride makes sores of Salues so Faith makes Salues of sores and like a cunning Apothecarie makes a Medicinall composition of some hurtfull simples Of all hearbs in the Garden onely Rue is the hearbe of grace And in what Garden the rue of affliction is not all the flowers of grace will be soone ouer-runne with the weedes of impietie Dauid was a sinner in prosperitie a Saint in Purgatorie The afflicted soule driues vanitie from his dore Prosperitie is the Play-house Aduersitie the Temple Rarae fumant foelicibus arae The healthie and wealthie man brings seldome Sacrifices to Gods Altar Israels miserie had beene enough to helpe her recouerie if shee had gathered and vnderstood her vexation to God by Gods visitation on her and guessed the soules state by the bodies Shee did not therefore her sicknesse abides As Christ to the Pharises You say you see therefore be blinde still 3. As she did neither directly feele it nor circumstantially collect it so shee neuer confessed it Prima pars sanitatis est velle sanari The first entrance to our healing is our owne will to be healed How shall Christ either search our sinnes by the Law or salue them by the Gospel when we not acknowledge them Ipse sibi denegat curam â—ui Medico non publicat causam He hath no care of his owne Cure that will not tell the Phisitian his griefe What spirituall Phisitian shall recouer our persons when wee will not discouer our sores Stultorum incurata pudor malus vlcera celat Lay the guilt on your selues if you ranckle to death It is heauy in thy friends eares to heare thy groanes and sighes and plaints forced by thy sicke passion but then sorrow pierceth deepest into their harts through their eyes when they see thee growne speechlesse The tongue then least of all the losse doth mone When the lifes soule is going out or gone So there is some hope of the sinner whiles he can groane for his wickednesse and complaine against it and himselfe for it but when his voyce is hoarâ—'d I meane his acknowledgement gone his case is almost desperate Confession of sinnes and sores is a notable helpe to their Curing As Pride in all her Wardrobe hath not a better garment then humility many clad with that was respected in the eyes of God So nor humillity in all her store-house hath better food then Confession Dum agnoscit reus ignoscit Deus Whiles the vniust sinner repents and confesseth the iust God relents and forgiueth The confident Pharise goes from Gods dore without an Almes what neede the full be bidden to a Feast tolle vulnera tolle opus medici It is fearefull for a man to binde two sinnes together when hee is not able to beare the load of one To act wickednesse and then to cloake it is for a man to wound himselfe and then goe to the Deuill for a playster What man doth conceale God will not cancell Iniquities strangled in silence will strangle the soule in heauinesse There are three degrees of felicitie 1. non ofâ—endere 2. noscere 3. agnoscere peccata The first is not sinne the second to know the third to acknowledge our offences Let vs then honour him by Confession vvhom vvee haue dishonoured by presumption Though we haue failed in the first part of Religion an vpright life let vs not faile in the second a repentant acknowledgement Though wee cannot shew GOD with the Pharise an Inuentory of our holy workes Item for praying Item for fasting Item for paying Tythes c. Yet as dumbe as we are and fearefull to speake we can write with Zachaay His name is Iohn Grace grace and onely grace Meritum meum misericordia tua Domine My merit oh Lord is onely thy mercie Or as another sung well T is veré pius ego reus Miserere mei Deus Thou Lord art onely God and onely good I sinfull let thy mercie be my food Peccatum argumentum soporis confessio animae suscitatae Sinfulnesse is a sleepe Confession a signe that we are waked Men dreame in their sleepes but tell their dreames waking In our sleepe of securitie we leade a dreaming life full of vile imaginations But if wee confesse and speake our sinnes to Gods glory and our owne shame it is a token that Gods spirit hath wakened vs. Si non confessus lates inconfessus damnaberis The way to hide our iniquities at the last is to lay them open here Hee that couereth his sinnes shall not prosper but he that confesseth and forsaketh them shall haue mercie Thiâ— is true though to some a Paradoxe The way to couer our sinnes is to vncouer them Quae aperiuntur in praesenti operiuâ—tur in vltimo die If wee now freely lay open our iniquities to our God he will conceale them at the latter day Else cruciâ—nt plus vulnera claâ—sa Sinnes that are smothered will in the end â—ester to death The mouth of Hell is made open to deuoure vs by our sinnes when we open our owne mouthes to confesse wee shut that Israell is not then restored because her sicknesse is not declared 4. The last defect to Israels Cure is the want of application What should a sicke man doe with Phisicke when hee lets it fust in a vessell or spils it on the ground It is ill for a man to mispose that to losse which God hath disposed to his good Beloued Application is the sweet vse to be made of all Sermons In vaine to you are our Ministeries of Gods mysteries when you open not the dores of your hearts to let them in In vaine we smite your rocky hearts when you powre out no floods of teares In vaine we thunder against your sinnes couetous oppresâ—ions of men treasonable Rebellions against God when no man sayes Master is it I Quod omnibus dicitur nemini dicitur Is that spoken to no man which is spoken to all men Whiles Couetousnesse is taxed not one of twenty Churles layes his finger on his owne sore Whiles Lust is condemned what Adulterer feeles the pulse of his owne conscience Whiles Malice is enquired of in the Pulpit there is not a Nâ—bâ—â—ish neighbour in the Church will owne it It is our common armour against the sword of the spirit It is not to me he sâ—eakes For which God at last giues them an answerable plague they shall as desperatâ—ly put from them all the comforts of the Gospell as they haue presumptuously reiected all the precepts of the Law They that vvould particularise no admonition to themselues nor take one graine out of the vvhole heape of Doctrines for
the other side of Iordan The fetching ouer their Merchandise was no long nor dangerous voyage Yet was this spirituall Balme neerer to them it lay like Manna at their dores Venit ad limina virtus The Kingdome of Heauen is among you saith Christ. There needed no great iourney for naturall Phisicke but lesse for spirituall comfort Behold God himselfe giues his vocall answeres betweene the Cherubins Yet alas as it was once iustly prouerb'd on the Monkes and such spirituall or rather carnall Couents in that night of Popery that the neerer they were to the Church the further from God So it was euen verefied of the Iewes that by how much they were of all next to the Sanctuary by so much of all remotest from sanctitie And therefore he that once said Gilead is mine and of the Temple in Iuda this is my house called by my name afterward left both the hill of Gilead and the Mount Syon and the holy Sanctuary a pray to the Romanes who left not a stone vpon a stone to testifie thâ— ruines of it or for succeeding ages to say This was the Temple of God Thus saith the Prophet Hosea Gilead is a Citie of them that worke iniquitie and is polluted with blood Therefore God turned that fruitfull Land into barrennesse for the wickednesse of them â—hat dwelt therein For not content with the fertillitie of their soile they manured it with blood saith the Prophet Hence no maruell if it became at last like the cuâ—sed Mountaines of Gilboah that drunke the blood of Saul and Ionathan You haue heard the Balme the next subiect that offers it selfe to our speech is the Phisitians Is there no Balme at Gilead is there no Phisitians there The Prophets are allegorically called Phisitians as the word is Balme So are the Ministers of the Gospell in due measure in their place To speake properly and fully Christ is our onely Phisitian and wee are but his Ministers bound to apply his sauing Phisicke to the sickly soules of his people It is he onely that cures the carkasse the conscience 1. No Phisitian can heale the body without him The Woman with the bloudy issue was not bettered by her Phisitians though she had emptied all her substance into their purses till Christ vndertooke her cure The Leper in the 8. of Mathew was as hopelesse as haplesse till hee met with this Phisitian and then the least touch of his â—inger healed him Phisitians deale often not by extracting but protracting the disease making rather diseases for their cure then cures for diseases prolonging our sicknesses by Art which Nature or rather natures defect hath not made so tedious Therefore as one saith wittily the best Phisicke is to take no Phisicke or as another boldly our new Phisicke is worse then our old sicknesse But when our diseases be committed to this heauenly Doctour and hee is pleased to take them in hand our venture is without all peraduenture wee shall be healed The least touch of his finger the least breath of his mouth can cast out the euill in vs that can cast out the diuell in vs he can hee will cure vs. 2. No Minister can heale the Conscience where Christ hath not giuen a blessing to it Otherwise he may lament with the Prophet I haue laboured in vaine I haue spent my strength for nought Or as the Apostle I haue fished all night and caught nothing yet at thy command c. Who then is Paul or who is Apollo but Ministers by whom â—ee belieued â—uen as the Lord gaue to euery man I haue planted Apollo watered but GOD gaue the increase If any be blinde Hee is the Oculist if any be lame He sets the Bonâ—s if any be wounded Hee is the Chirurgion if any be sicke Hee is the Phisitian They write of the Indian Phisitians that they cure the wound by sucking the poison Christ heales after a manner I know not whither more louing and strange by taking the disease vpon himselfe Who his owne selâ—e bare our sinnes in his owne body on the tree He was wounded for our transgressions hee was bruised for our iniquities and with his stripes we are healed And the Lord hath laid on him the iniquitie of vs all As the scape-goaâ—e was said to beare vpon him the sinnes of Israell so saith the Prophet of his antytipe Christ morbos portauit nostros hee hath borne our griefes too vnsupportable a burthen for our shoulders able to sincke vs downe to hell as they did Caine and Iudas if they had beene imposed Tulit Iesus Christ carried our sorrowes Neuer was such a Phisitian that changed healths with his sicke Patient But Hâ—e was humbled for vs. Mans maker is made man the worlds succourer takes sucke the Bread is hungry the Fountaine thirsty the Light sleepy the Way weary the Truth accused the Iudge condemned Health it selfe is become sicke nay dead for our saluation For mans sake such was our weaknesse Christ descended such was his kindnesse tooke one him to cure vs such was his goodnesse and performed it such was his greatnesse It was not Abanah nor Pharphar nor all the riuers of Damascus not the water of Iordan though bathing in it 70. times not Iobs â—now-water nor Dauids water of Isope not the poole of Bethesda though stirred with a thousand Angels that was able to wash vs cleane Onely fusus sanguis Medici factum medicamentum phrenetici the bloud of the Physitian is spilt that it may become a medicine of saluation to all beleeuers This is the Pelican that preserues her young with her own blood This is the Goat that with his warme gore breakes the adamants of our harts This is that lambe of God that with his owne blood takes away the sinnes of the world When the Oracle had told the king of Athens that himselfe must dye in the battaile or his whole army perish Codrus then King neuer stucke at it but obtruded his owne life into the â—awes of ineuitable death that hee might saue his peoples The King of heauen waâ— more freely willing to lay downe his for the â—edemption of his Saints when the eternall decree of God had propounded him the choise Is there no means to recouer the sicke world but I must dye that it may liue then take my life quoth Life it selfe Thus pro me doluit qui non habuit quod pro se doleret He was made sicke for me that I might be made sound in him This then is our Phisitian in whom alone is sauing health As Sybilla sung of him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Virginij partus magnoque aequaeua Parenti Progenies superas coeli quae missa per auras Antiquam generis labem mortalibus aegris Abluit obstructique viam patefecit Olympi Hee wrought all things with his word and healed euery disease with his power To Him let vs resort confessing our sores our sorrowes They that be