15 qud quad 19 Aetneum Aetnaeum 41 num nun◠124 seeing being 196 prestare praestare 438 Hillarius Hilarius 690 Psal pag. 695 Blando Blanda And some other mis-quotations which for want of the copie I cannot directly amend The first golden Candlesticke HOLDING The first greatest light of Christian RELIGION Of the misery of MAN ROMANS 6.23 The reward of sinne is death EVery man saith holy Iob is borne to labour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yea necessitie enioyneth all mortall men to labour saith Euripides and euery labourer is induced saith Hugo Cardinalis to performe his worke with alacritie vpon the assured hope of iust reward and therefore the law required that no man should detaine the hyre of the Labourer vntill the morning but as soone as euer hee had done his worke Leuit. 19.13 to pay him his wages because as our Sauiour saith the Labourer is worthy of his hyre and we finde that according as the payment is Luc. 10.7 good or bad so are the Labourers willing or vnwilling to doe their worke for good and present payment makes a painefull and a cheerefull agent Now here the Apostle setteth downe a worke performed and the wages thereof not onely iustly deserued but also presently discharged the reward of sinne is death and in what day thou sinnest Gen. 2.17 in that day thou shalt die the death saith the Lord few words but full of matter Sinne and Death the two most common things vpon the face of the earth for all men sinned except Christ himselfe and all men died except Enoch and Elias and yet two of the most lamentable and most fearefull things in the world for what is more lamentable then sinne or what is more terrible then death Iudges 15.4.5 and yet as Sampsons Foxes were tyed together by the tayles and carried firebrands betwixt them to destroy all the Corne of the Philistimes so here sinne and death are indissolubly linked together with vnquenchable firebrands betwixt them to deuoure all the whole race of mankinde for the reward of sinne is death But I must seuer them for a time to examine these murtherers of men that all wee may hate them if we cannot shunne them and therefore according to the number of the words of this text The diuision of the Text. stipendium peccati mors I desire you to obserue the parts of this tragedie three words three parts 1 the worke performed Sinne. 2 the payment rendred Death 3 the equitie shewed the wages of sin is death All which well considered will shew vnto vs all the most wofull state and the manifold miseries of poore distressed miserable man CHAP. I. Of Originall sinne The first Part. and how the same is deriued from the Parents vnto the Children Of the worke that is done i. e. Sinne. HEre you see sinne is the roote of death and death is the fruit of sinne Sower must be the roote when the fruit doth proue so bitter and sinne must needes bee execrable when as death is a thing so lamentable and therfore sinne makes me quake to thinke of it and death should make you tremble to consider of it because death is the wages of sinne And sinne is either 1 originall Sinne is twofold 2 actuall the first is traduced vnto vs from Adam the second is daily committed by our selues For the first In what day thou eatest of the tree of knowledge of good and euill thou shalt die the death saith the Lord vnto Adam but you may eate Gen. 2.17 and you shall not die at all saith the Diuell vnto Euah she beleeued the Diuell and the man obayed his wife and so both would needes eate and therefore God cannot be true or else man must needes die and he must iustly die because he did vniustly eate i. Of Originall sinne Rom. 5.12 Here was the sinne committed by one and from him it was deriued vnto all for by one man sinne entred into the world and sinne went ouer all and spread it selfe like that far-spreading tree which Olympias dreamt shee bare or like a vile gangrene ouer all the face of the whole earth and corrupted all the race of mankinde for it is a schoole-point most infallible that Adam now stood not as a priuate person or as one particular man but as the roote of all the branches and as bearing in his person the nature of all mankinde And therefore if he had stood we had all stood Heb. 7.9 but as Abraham paying tythes Leui paid tythes in Abraham so Adam sinning we haue all sinned in Adam Et omnes peccauimus in isto vno homine quia omnes eramus iste vnus homo And wee haue all sinned in that one man because we all were that one man saith Saint Augustine And so both himselfe and wee all The dammage that we receiue by Adams fall is two-fold 1. A depriuation of all goodnesse doe by this fact of Adam receiue a double dammage 1. A depriuation of all our originall goodnesse the image of God in vs and the loue of God towards vs and therefore if at the losse of earthly treasures we shew our selues so much grieued O then how should our soules for the amission of such heauenly graces be continually perplexed vntill wee see the same once againe restored 2. An habituall naturall pronenesse to all kinde of wickednesse 1. A pronesse to all wickednesse and to commit sinne euen with greedinesse In respect of the first we are altogether vnable to doe any good for who can bring a cleane thing out of that which is vncleane how can wee being voide of grace bring forth any fruits of goodnesse and In respect of the second wee are naturally inclined to all kinde of euill like a stone tumbling downe a hill that can neuer stay it selfe vntill it come to the bottome So Medea saith Video meliora proboque deteriora sequor Though I see the good yet am I naturally driuen to doe that which is euill for our whole nature being defiled we are wholly inclined to fall from one wickednesse vnto another as the Psalmist speaketh And in respect of both these wee are said to bee conceiued in sinne borne in iniquiitie destitute of grace void of goodnesse nothing but flesh full of corruption children of darkenesse sonnes of wrath heyres of damnation slaues of death for the reward of sinne is death But here it may be questioned and it is not easily to be resolued how originall corruption is traduced from the Parents into the Children The question is not of the verity of the matter for it is plaine Ezech. 18. that our Fathers haue eaten sowre grapes and the childrens teeth are set on edge and euery one may truely say with the Prophet Psal 51.5 in sinne my Mother hath conceiued me but it is of the Mystery of the manner Iohn 3.9 as Nicodemus said to Christ how can these things be for How originall sinne
death vpon him as well as Iudas his betraying of Christ causeth him to hang himselfe And therefore timenda est ruina multitudinis etsi non magnitudinis We should as well take heed to be destroyed by the smallest Aug. de vera relig in ep 138. as by the greatest things Nam quid interest ad naufragium c. For what skils it whether the Ship suffers wracke from one huge billow that ouer-whelmes her or by some small Leakes which in time doth sincke her So what difference is it Luc 16.21 with Diues to be sent to hell for his daily denyall of his crummes of bread vnto poore Lazarus 1 King 21.16 or with Achab for once taking away of Naboths Vineyard or with our continuall swaggerers for daily swearing and loose-liuing or with the blood-like Caine that doe though but seldome commitimmane and fearefull murthers surely none but this that they doe walke diuers wayes but do meete in the end at the same place And therefore the very heathen man could say Cicerol 1. offic Qua parua videntur esse delicta c. Those sinnes which seeme to be so small as that they scarcely be perceiued to be sinnes by many ought with all care diligence be to auoyded or otherwise we shal find our Sauiours words to be true that for euery moment of time that we haue spent in vaine Matth. 12 39. and for euery idle word that we haue spoken to no purpose we shall render an account at the last day For the reward of Sinne be it neuer so little is Death And so much for the first part the worke done i. e. Sinne. Part. 2. PART II. The payment for Sinne. i. e. Death For the reward of Sinne is death CHAP. I. Of the deceit of Sinne. Of the great deceit of sinne in promising much and performing the cleane contrary YOu saw the Worke you see the Wages and thereby you may see the deceit of sinne Fronte polita Astutum vapido seruat seruat sub pectore vultum For it will appeare at first with a Syrens face most delightful but it wil proue at last to haue a Serpents sting and to be most wofull and you may easily find almost infinite instances of this trueth Gen. 3.6.7 for Eue saw the tree was good for meate and pleasant to the eye and a tree to be desired to make one wise therefore she tooke and did eate and gaue vnto her Husband But then saith Moses their eyes were opened and they knew they were naked naked in body naked in soule naked of all grace and naked of all goodnesse and therefore you see the Serpents promise to make them like Gods made them like Diuells and that the desire of delight and ostentation did worke their griefe and confusion Cle. Al. l. 3. Strom Iustin Martyr apol pro Christianis Sulpit l. 1. de sac hist Gen 6.1.2 So the sonnes of God that is not the Angels as Clemens Alexandrinus Iustin Martyr Sulpitius Lactantius and others thought but the godly sonnes of Seth as Saint Augustine and others doe most truely collect did see the daughters of men that is of the posterity of Caine that they were faire and therfore they tooke them wiues of all that they liked and what could they haue more then to haue their owne desires but what saith the Text when they thought themselues most happy then did they feele the greatest misery for suddenly the flood came and tooke them all away Mat. 24.9 So Saul thought to make aduantage by sauing Agag and the fattest of the Cattle but thereby he lost his Kingdome from his Off-spring 1 Sam. 15.9 So Iereboam thought to establish his Throne by his Idolatry but it proued to roote out all his Posterity 1 King 12.28 and so as the Scripture sheweth we finde the same truth in all other particular sinnes for though the Harlots words be sweet her countenance faire Prouerb 7.27 c. 9.18 and her bed perfumed yet her house saith Salomon is the way to the graue her chamber is the doore of death and her guests are in the depth of Hell and the very Heathen man could say Meritrix meum herum miserum Plantus Truc sua blanditia intulit in pauperiem spoliauit bonis luce honore atque amicis This Harlot with her cogging flattery hath impouerished and vndone my poore miserable Master she hath spoyled and depriued him of all his goods honour friends and all So though stolen waters be sweet and the bread of deceit is pleasant vnto a man yet afterwards his mouth shall be filled with grauell Prou. 20.17 and though the Wine seeme Cos to the drunkard that is to haue colorem odorem saporem an excellent colour in the glasse a pleasant smell in the nostrels and a sweet taste in the mouth yet in the end it will bite like a Serpent Prou. 23 32. it will hurt like a Cockatrice It will Circe-like transforme Men to Swines Virgil and make them with Vlysses fellowes to become worse then the very beasts When as the Poet saith Et pudor probitas metus omnis abest Wee shall finde in them neither feare of God nor shame of face nor scarce any quality or propertie of man besides humane shape for as Propertius saith Vino forma perit vino corrumpitur aetas Propertius l. 2. eleg vlt. Vino saepe suum nescit amica virum By Wine the beauty failes by Wine man waxeth olde Vt Venus enervat vires sic copia Bacchi tentat gressus debilitatque pedes Festus Anieno de ven vino by Wine the wedded wife with strangers will be bold And to be briefe though young men and Gallants doe reioyce in their youth and walke in the wayes of their hearts and in the sight of their eyes that is inioy what pleasure soeuer they will what their eye seeth or what their heart desireth yet in the end God will bring them to iudgement for all those things and then shall their bread in their bellies be turned into the gall of Serpents Eccles 11.9 And so euery sinne is like it selfe like Duke Ioab whose words were smoother then oyle when he saide vnto Amasa Est ne pax mi frater 2 Sam. 20.9.10 Is it peace brother and yet while the tongue called him brother his sword stab'd him to death like an enemie So sinne as it were a cunning Apothecary that writes on the out-side of his boxe Pharmaca medicines when as within there is nothing but Venena poysons Proponit quod delectabile supponit quod exitiale vngit pungit It promiseth wealth but it bringeth woes Reuel 8.13 Woe woe woe to the Inhabitants of the Earth Vae propter culpam vae propter tribulationem mundanam vae propter paenam aeternam Woe for our offences woe for our miseries woe for our eternal punishment and it annointeth vs with oyle
both Body and Soule not that the Soule begetteth a Soule That man and all other creatures receaued power to produce creatures like vnto themselues Totum generat totum hoc est corpus generat corpus mediante anima anima generat animam mediante corpore Psal 51.5 or the Body begetteth a spirit but that as all other creatures receiued power from God to produce creatures like vnto themselues as the seede of the vegetatiue to bring forth vegetatiue creatures and the sensible sensible creatures so man consisting both of Body and Soule should beget a creature like vnto himselfe consisting of the same parts for otherwise sinne must needes bee in the body before the Soule be infused for if the schoole of the naturalists be to be belieued the Soule is not infused into the Body vntill the thirtieth as some or fortieth day as some affirme and yet the Psalmist saith that he was conceiued in sinne therefore both Body and Soule were both conceiued at once or else corruption was in the Body before the infusion of the Soule and this liuing Soule by this dead flesh must needes be defiled which is most absurd for as Saint Augustine sayth of Adam It was not his corruptible flesh which made his Soule to become sinnefull but his sinnefull Soule made his flesh subiect to corruption so it must needes be in the sonnes of Adam Gene. 5.3 that not our flesh corrupts our Soules but both body and soule are conceiued in sinne both produced of sinfull seede and so sinne principally resides in the Soule and not in the Body because the Soule giues life and motion vnto the flesh hence it is that Adam hauing defiled both his Body and Soule is sayd to haue begot a childe in his owne image i. e. sinfull and polluted like himselfe both in regard of his body and Soule Bosquierus de finibus bonorum lib. 1. con 6. p. 27. Nam Adam vt persona publica sibi ac suis aut sapiebat aut delirabat for now Adam standing in paradise a publique person as I told you before was to make or to marre himselfe and all his posteritie and therefore if this roote had continued holy the branches had beene likewise holy but the tree prouing to be euill Rom. 11. the fruit could not possibly be good Math. 7.18 for a bad tree cannot bring forth good fruit sayth our Sauiour and therefore Adam sinning all his seede are become sinnefull all his ofspring tanquam serie continuata as in a continued line doe like corrupted branches of a rotten tree bring forth still corrupted fruits and so make all their generation so soone as they are begotten liable to the curse of God for that first transgression for the reward of sinne is death and the Prophet Dauid sayeth Psal 51.2 hee was shapen in wickednesse and conceaued in sinne Iohn 3.6 and our Sauiour sayth that which is borne of flesh is flesh i. e. he that is borne of a sinnefull man can be nothing else but a sinnefull man That Gods graces are not traduced from the best parents not that a godly man begets a godly man for the graces of Gods spirit are not begotten in our carnall generation but they are giuen from aboue in our spirituall regeneration and a man begets his childe not as he is spirituall but as hee is a creature consisting of body and soule and therefore whosoeuer is borne of flesh and blood must needes be tainted and corrupted with sinne and wickednesse for flesh heere is not taken pro natura carnis sed pro vitiosa qualitate totius hominis for the single nature of flesh but for the corrupted qualitie of the whole man as Saint Paul excellently sheweth when hee sayth in my flesh dwelleth no goodnesse Rom. 7.8 i. e. in the corrupted nature of a naturall man there is no grace there is no goodnesse And therefore hoc virus paternum this hereditarie poyson as Paulinus calleth it What we learne from this doctrine this our originall sinne that is inbred in euery man since the fall of the first man may sufficiently serue to teach vs. First to iustifie God First to iustifie God for inflicting death vpon euery man though man should doe nothing else to procure his death quia damnati antequam nati because euery one is guilty of this sinne and therefore of death before hee commeth to this present life for the reward of sinne is death and therefore the death of children and infants that haue done no actuall sinne doth proue them tainted with this sinne because death cannot be iustly inflicted vpon those that are no wayes infected with sinne for the reward of sinne is death but you see they are subiect vnto death and therefore you may know they are tainted with sinne Secondly Secondly to be humbled this may serue to teach all those that stand so much vpon the honour and dignity of their naturall birth to consider whâ—t they are and what they haue thereby a sinnefull corrupted and contagious being children of wrath subiects to death slaues of damnation be they Kings Princes Nobles what you will this is all they haue or can haue by their naturall birth Iohn 3.6 for whatsoeuer is borne of flesh is flesh i. e. all things that parents can conuaye vnto their children is but a corrupted natural being yea though the parties should be sanctified themselues and thereby procure their children to bee receiued and reputed members of the visible Church before men yet can they not infuse Grace Perkins in Jud. 1. nor produce sanctified children in the sight of God For though we reade of some that were sanctified in their Mothers wombe as Ieremie Iohn Baptist and the like Ier. 1.5 yet this sanctifying grace was infused by God and not traduced from their parents Luke 1.44 and therefore this should make all men to be of an humble spirit and to reioyce more in their second birth in the Baptisme that they haue receiued it may bee by the hands of some meane Minister and their begetting vnto the faith of Christ by the preaching of the word of God then in all that glory and excellencie that they haue gotten from their naturall parents for they did but make vs Men these must make vs Christian men And thus you see that by the guilt of Adams sinne euery childe of Adam deserues eternall death before he comes to this present life But because we would be sure enough of death wee will hasten it and draw it on as it were with cart-ropes throughout all our life and we will not haue it sayd Ezech. 18.2 our fathers haue eaten sower Grapes and the childrens teeth are set on edge or that Adam sinned we are punished nam errauimus cum patribus for we haue sinned wil sinne with our fathers more then our fathers we will drinke iniquity like water and adde vnto our originall corruption
not one so bad as this for notwithstanding all this and that they see they cannot liue and Nature tels them they must needs die yea all these fore-runners of death Auri sacra fames amor sceleratus habendi assolet imprimis excruciare fenes doe daily tell them that they are euen drawing their last breath yet the neerer they be vnto their death the more couetous they are the more worldly minded the more desirous to liue and the more loath to leaue this wretched life Secondly as all the Ages of mans life The miseries of all estates so all the estates of life are full of the punishments of sinne For First if thou beest poore Nihil habet infaelix paupertas Thou shalt be sure of nothing but contempt which is pouerties necessary attendant for the poore man shall be despighted of his own brethren and it is strange to see what pains and drudgery those poore snakes as we call them doe take The miseries of the poore Gen. 3.19 and indure both at home and abroad to get a little maintenance in the sweat of their face it may be in the coldest Winter they doe eate their bread and perhaps scarce sufficient to satisfie meere necesity as if they onely were allotted to sustaine that heauy sentence that was first denounced against man for sinne and therefore Menander saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 No burthen is more burthensome then pouerty and Plautus saith Omnibus modis Plaut rud qui pauperes sunt misere viuunt The poore are miserable euery way and it was the common receaued opinion of the Gentiles miseros esse deis inuisos that they were hated of the gods which were thus plagued by the gods and the Iewes thought little lesse Deut. 28.22.23 because this is numbred among the curses of the Law and therefore Hecuba being brought to such extreame pouerty as that she had neither clothes to couer her nakednesse nor yet foode to satisfie nature cals her mis-fortunes and miseries 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Such as surpassed the sufferance of any creature and Plutarch reports that many men to auoid the same did preuent this misery of life by a sudden and vnnaturall death choosing to die rather then to liue in extreame pouerty and so with the vnpatient Fishes they did but leape out of the Frying-pan into the fire and run away from that misery which for a while they would not indure into that intollerable torments which now they must eternally suffer The misery of the rich Secondly If thou beest rich then art thou enuied of others and shalt be very like to be consened of thy goods for theeues will seeke to robbe thee thy friends to betray thee and thy neighbours to deceiue thee which makes the rich men to take more care to keepe their wealth then they tooke paines to get it and thereby they are vexed and crucified of themselues Inuenal Satyr 10. Nam plures nimia congesta pecunia cura strangulat For gold and siluer haue destroyed many a man saith the Sonne of Syrach Eccle. 8. for riches are like thornes saith our Sauiour Christ because they haue the same power to teare our hearts Mar. 4.18 as the others haue to rend our garments Neither is this all the euill that riches bring vnto vs but they puffe vs vp with pride they make vs to disdaine our Inferiors wrong our neighbours forget our God and to thinke our selues poore wormes to be no lesse then gods on earth and therefore the Lord saith that he is greatly angry against rich Nations Because Zephan 1. they that will be rich doe fall into temptation and a snare 1 Tim. 6.9 and into many foolish and hurtfull lusts which drowne men in perdition and destruction and our Sauiour saith Matth. 19.23 it is a very hard thing for a rich man to enter into the Kingdome of Heauen And therefore though pouerty be an extreame misery Whether to be poore or to be rich is the more miserable yet doe not I know well whether to be wealthy or to be in want is the worser for though to be poore is a miserable thing in this life yet to be rich is a great hinderance for vs to eternall life and therefore I finde that the sonne of Iakeh prayed to God that he would giue him neither pouerty nor riches Prou. 30.3 but feed him with foode conuenient Because the meane state is the best state And yet Thirdly If thou beest meane then art thou accounted base The miseries of the meane estate and deemed vnfit for the Society nay for the seruice of many men for now Gentlemen and not good men are the men that are most generally required for the seruice of great men Fourthly If thou beest Noble The miseries of Nobility then art thou euer in feare of disgrace and must perhaps in forraine warres with the imbruing of thy hands in others blood mainetaine the reputation of thine owne blood at home Fiftly If thou beest one of the vulgar people The miseries of the common people then art thou at others command and euer in feare of thy Iudges anger Sixtly If thou beest a Magistrate then must thou labour and toyle for the good of others and many times The miseries of Magistrates disturbe thine owne rest and peace yea disburse thine owne state and suffer many other hazards to vndergoe to procure rest and peace vnto thy neighbours and when in any difference betwixt men thou hast done thy best and dealt as iustly as Iustice it selfe could doe yet for his saying that is righted and perhaps but coldly too that thou hast done well thou art like to bee sure of him that would haue done the wrong to be more wronged thy selfe by his railing and proclayming thee to be a corrupt and vnrighteous Iudge The miseries of the Ministers Seauenthly If thou beest a Minister and a teacher of Gods people then shalt thou see that this highest calling in Gods Church is subiect to the greatest miseries in the world for they are sent as sheepe into the midst of Wolues Matth. 10.16 and they are incident to be punished by God many times for the sinnes of others when they make them their owne Ezek. 18. because they reprooue them not and to be scorned and contemned of men when they do their best and we see many of them euen of the best to be left vnregarded vnrewarded And what should I speake of more Fathers Children Husbands Wiues Masters Seruants and whatsoeuer else no estate is free from sinne how can they then be free from miseries How all creatures do heap vp miseries vpon man Thirdly we know that when God made man he made Lord of all his creatures the trembling trees bowing yeelded their fruites the siluer streames running offered their seruice the Lyons roaring after their prey and all other creatures standing in their order subiected themselues willingly vnto man
but hee not contented to be a man aboue these but desiring to be a god aboue all was made a worme and no man inferior vnto all and then all like Acteons dogges seeing vs metamorphosed from men to worse then beasts began to rebell against vs and most furiously to pursue vs Gen 19.24 the fire to consume vs as it did Sodome and Gomorrah 2 Sam. 24. the ayre to infect vs as it did the Israelites in the time of Dauid the water to drowne vs as it did the whole world in the dayes of Noah Gen. 7.23 the earth to swallow vs as it did Corah Num. 16.32 Dathan and Abiram and all other creatures to deuour vs as the beares did those children that mocked Elizeus the Starres in their order Judg. 5.20 did fight against Sisera and since we haue sinned and rebelled against the Lord there is no creature but hath cast away the created yoke of obedience and haue rebelled against vs so that now hic labor hoc opus est It is a taske too great for Hercules to bring them againe to the obedience of man And thus you see that from our first entrance into this wretched life sinne laboureth still to kill vs and doth at all times and by all meanes vexe vs grieue vs weaken vs by passions sorrowes sicknesses and such like and will neuer leaue vs vntill it layeth vs downe in the dust and therefore that all these are the prodromi the fore-runners and beginnings of death or rather like so many little deaths that doe bring vs vnto our last and fatall death For all these are the reward of sinne and therefore branches of this death And so you see what is meant by Death For the second point hauing seene what is meant by death Of the large extent of death that is all the miseries that doe consume and waste our liues we are now to consider how farre this death extendeth And this the Apostle sheweth briefly when he saith Statutum est omnibus semel mori It is appointed for all men once to die Heb. 9.27 and the very Heathens say as much Seneca Lex vniuersa iubet nasci mori It is an vniuersall Law and a debt that we owe and must pay to Nature that euery one which is borne to life should passe away by death Laertius lib. 2. c. 3. And therefore when it was told Anaxagoras that all his sonnes were dead he answered Sciebam me genuisse mortales I knew that I had begotten mortall creatures for as nullis amorest medicabilis herbis so nihil est moderabile morte There is nothing in the world that can moderate the rage or preserue vs from the fatall stroke of death Non Torquate genus Horatius lib. 4. non te facundia non te restituet pietas saith Horace vnto his friend Torquatus And we see the faith of Abraham the strength of Sampson the wisedome of Salomon the riches of Craesus and the Kingdomes of Alexander could not preserue them from Death Polydor Virgil writeth that King Canutus seeing the Sea beginning to flow said I command thee not to touch my feete but his command was bootlesse for he had scarce ended his Edict but the surging waue dashed at his teeth So we may out-braue death in words but we may be sure that as the Sea so Death How vnresistable is death antiquum obtinebit will keepe his old wont Yea though wee could hinder the course of the Sea for meanes haue been found to tame the fiercest beasts to breake the hardest marble to mollifie the impenetrable Adamant and to deale with the Seas as Xerxes did with the waters of Hellespont or Caesar with all the Riuers of Germany yet is there no meanes in the world to escape the hands of death and therefore Saint Augustine saith August Psal 121. Resistitur ignibus vndis ferro resistitur regibus imperijs venit vna mors quis ei resistit Fire Waters Swords Kings Kingdomes were resisted but who hath euer withstood the stroake of death Quia nec miseretur inopum nec reueretur diuites Because as Saint Bernard saith it neither pittieth the poore Ber. de conu cler nor regardeth the rich but Nereus the faire Thirsites the soule Craesus the rich Irus the poore Solym the cruell Solyman the magnificent Diomedes the Prince and Damaetas the Peasâ—nt must all fall downe at Deaths feet Because that no teares no prayers no threatnings no intreâ—tings will serue the turne to turne away the face of death So stiffe so deaffe so inexorable is death How the Egyptians expressed death to be the sole enemie of all men And therefore the Egyptians in their Hierogliphickes painted Death like a Goddesse holding a sickle in her hand with this inscription Nemini parco I spare no man And because they found her so hard-hearted so implacable and so inexorable that nothing could appease her wrath when she did meane to cut vs downe but that she tooke the Husband from the bosome of his louing wife and the Parents from the poore helpelesse Infants and so fulfilling her owne will and carefull for none else therefore they built her no temples they offered no sacrifice they celebrated no rites vnto her but seeing she vsed all alike Constantinus imperator famulus meus making no difference betwixt Agamemnon and Thirsites therefore all vsed her alike and stood all vpon their guards to defend themselues so well and so long as they might against all her darts though they knew that in the end she would ouercome them all because they had all sinned and the reward of sinne is death Psal 50.22 O consider this all ye that forget God all ye that neglect God all whosoeuer Kings Lords and great men old and yong rich and poore one with another for though you liue like gods and none dare say why doe you so yet you shall die like men and if you fearelesly commit the sinne I dare boldly say that you shal be sure Aequo pode pulsat pauperum tabernas regumque turres Horatius most fearefully to indure the punishments for as you see Death spareth none but cutteth downe as well the Cedars of Lebanon and the Oakes of Bashan as the Shrubs of Cades So much lesse will God spare any man that sinneth CHAP. V. How Death worketh variably in diuers respects and the diuers causes thereof FOr the third point we must consider that although Death passeth ouer all yet that it worketh not vpon all alike but worketh variably and that as we find it in foure speciall respects 1. Of the manner 2. Of the time 3. Of the place 4. Of the effects or consequents of Death For the first we finde that there be more wayes of death then there be meanes to preserue our life for as the Poet saith Mille modâ—s laethi miseros mors vna fatigat Though there is but one way for all men to come into
Seneca epist 25. efficere mortem sibi familiarem to make death his companion and as his wife that should euer lye in his bosome that by the continuall sight of death he might be euer kept to abstaine from sinne for the couetous man might be the easier drawne to contemne the trash and trumperies of this vaine and transitorie world if hee did beleeue that hee should presently dye for so prophane Esau sayth Loe I die Facile contem nit omnia qui credit se cito moritâ—rum Hieron in ep ad Paulin Eccles 10. Incert autâ—r and what good will my Birth-right doe vnto me So the proud man would let fall his Peacocks feathers if he could thinke that hee is but dust and ashes and that when he dieth hee shall inherite wormes as the wise man sayth Omnia Caesar habet sed gloria Caesaris esse desinit tumulus vix erit octo pedum And that if he triumphed in his life like Caesar to bee the sole Monarch of the world yet would his glory soone fayle when death should locke him vp in his coffin and so of all other sinnes the frequent meditation of death is the onely preseruatiue against them For as one truely sayth of himselfe Quum recordor quod sum cinis Et quam citâ— venit finis Sine fine pertimesco Et vt cinis refrigesco When I thinke I am but dust And how soon to earth I must Bernard in carm Then incessantly I shake And as dust it doth me make So questionlesse if wee did continually thinke of death and fixe that fearefull day of Gods iust iudgement before our eyes it would bee a maruelous great meanes to deterre vs from all sinnes And as the meditation of death doth preuent sinne Bosq p. 12. de finibus honorum so it sweetneth death and makes it farre the lesse terrible vnto vs for if our eyes be dead and weaned from beholding vanities The frequent meditation of death is a great meanes to preserue vs from the feare of death our eares from hearing the Syrens songs of sinnefull pleasure and our hearts especially from the loue of vaine and worldly things then certainely they will not being thus mortified and accustomed with this death to sinne bee any whit afrayd of the death of the body which is the reward of sinne but as a horse that is to runne a race hauing often walked his way before is the more fearelesse to goe on when hee comes at the day of triall so the man that is acquainted with the wayes of death through the daily meditation of death is not afrayd to die when he seeth the day of his dissolution Palladius reports it that an Eremite being at the point to die his schollers and friends asked him if death did not seeme terrible vnto him hee smilingly answered that death was no stranger but a most familiar acquaintance to him it was his manuall and his vade mecum his table-booke which he alwayes carried about him and therefore dying he did but now repeate that his old lesson which hee had beene long in learning O that it were so with euery one of vs that throughout all our life wee would learne to die The application of Christs death is the onely cause that maketh vs happie after death Osee 13.14 that hauing made death present with vs before it comes it may neuer proue terrible vnto vs when it comes Of the third the Diuine veritie sayth that the chiefest cause the onely cause indeed of this different effect of death is the application of the death of Christ for it is he that saith O death I will be thy death O graue I will bee thy destruction and therefore as when Alexander ouerthrew the walles of Thebes Phryne a harlot promised to build them vp againe if shee might ingraue vpon them this inscription 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Alexander battered downe this Wall but Phryne built it vp againe so we may truely say that Eue threw downe these muddie walles of ours but Christ doth rayse them vp for though the wages of sinne are death Rom. 6.23 yet the grace of God brings eternall life through Iesus Christ our Lord. And the manner how he doth deliuer vs and metamorphose death to become life vnto vs he himselfe doth shew when hee sayth if I be lift vp I will draw vp all vnto my selfe i. e. if I die I will destroy the power of death for so the Apostle sayth That forasmuch as the children were partakers of flesh and blood John 8.28 and C. 12.32 Heb. 2.14 15. he himselfe likewise tooke part of the same that through death hee might destroy him that had the power of death that is the Deuill and deliuer them that through the feare of death were all their life time subiect vnto bondage 1 Machah 6.46 Iudges 16.30 and therefore as Eleazer by his owne death did put the great Elephat to death and Sampson by pulling downe the house vpon his owne head did put to death all the Philistines so Christ by his owne death did put the deuills Origen hom 8. in Iohan and all the powers of darkenesse vnto death and therefore Origen sayth that vpon the crosse of Christ two were crucified that is Christ and the deuill but after a diuers manner for Christ was crucified visibly and most willingly for hee layd downe his life himselfe but the deuill was crucified inuisibly and most vnwillingly Matth. 12.29 for this strong man armed was faine to bee bound before Christ could spoyle his house And the Lord speaking of his enemies and saying that hee would be vnto them as a Lion Ose 13.7 would obserue them as a Libbard in the way of Ashur doth foreshew vnto vs both the destruction and the manner of the destruction of these our spirituall enemies for in being like a Lion he sheweth their destruction and in being like a Libbard he sheweth the manner The manner how Christ by death ouercame death how hee would destroy them for it is obserued of the Libbard that he vseth this pollicie to kill those Apes that doe molest him first he lyeth downe as dead and suffereth the apes to mocke him and trample him and to insult ouer him as much as they will but when he perceiueth them to be wearied with leaping and skipping vpon him he reuines himselfe on a sudden and with his clawes and teeth he teareth them all to pieces euen so our Sauiour Christ suffered the deuill and death and all the wicked Iewes like apes to mocke him to tread him and trample him vnder feete to crucifie him to burie him to seale vp his graue and to haue armed Souldiers to watch him that hee should not rise any more and it may be to knocke him on the head againe if he sought to reuiue but when hee saw they had done their worst and that they could doe no more Psal 78.66.67 Hee waked as a giant out of
nothing can be sayd to be trueth but God because nothing is or can be sayd to be of himselfe but God Secondly As God is essentially truth so hee is causally truth Iohn 14.6 The manner how all Truths doe proceede from God that is the fountaine of truth from whence all other channells of truth doe flow for this is the order of all veritie First The trueth of all things is conceiued in the Idea and notion or practicke knowledge and vnderstanding of God from all eternitie because all things had their being in the diuine vnderstanding before they had their being in themselues then Secondly This truth floweth to the things existing in themselues which are therefore true because they are adaequated and conformable to that truth conceiued in the minde of God concerning them then Thirdly This truth of things passeth to the vnderstanding both of Men Angels when the vnderstanding is adaequated and conformable to the things conceiued as they are in themselues i. e. when we truely vnderstand things to be as they be then Fourthly This truth conceiued in the vnderstanding proceedeth vnto expression either by words or writings when our expression of things is agreeable to that conception which wee haue of them in our vnderstanding that is when we speake or write as we thinke And therefore whensoeuer our words doe any wayes swarue from our minds and vnderstanding they cannot be true quia mendacium est contra mentem ire because a lye is to goe against our owne mindes or to say otherwise then wee thinke sayth Saint Augustine and a truth of words is the adaequation and conformitie of the tongue with the minde and vnderstanding and whensoeuer we vnderstand any thing otherwise then it is there can bee no trueth in that vnderstanding because the truth of the vnderstanding is the adaequation of the same to the things existing and being in their naturall causes and whensoeuer things doe any wayes swarue from that aeternall notion and conception of them in the minde and vnderstanding of God they cannot therein be true because the truth of all things consisteth in their adaequation and conformitie to the truth eternally conceiued of them in the diuine vnderstanding How the diuine vnderstanding is the rule that measureth all Truths But when our words are agreeable to our mindes our minds and vnderstandings to the things conceiued and those things to the minde of God then are they true because as the Schooles truely teach Intellectus diuinus est mensurans non mensuratus c. the diuine conception of things is that which measureth the trueth of all things and is not measured it selfe by any thing Et res naturalis est mensurata mensurans and euery naturall thing thus measured by the notion of God doth measure the truth of our vnderstanding and our vnderstanding measured by the truth of things conceiued doth measure the truth of our words And so you see Truth to be primatiuely in God as the light in the body of the Sunne and thence to be deriued in res existentes into the things wherein it resteth subiectiuely like vnto the light of the Moone and the starres which they receiue from the Sunne and so to passe into the vnderstanding terminatiuely like the reflection of the light of the Moone and the Starres vpon these lower orbes and lastly to our words or writings expressiuely like vnto the manifestation of things by that light which shineth vpon them Now this verum declaratiuum this expressed trueth is to bee considered two wayes 1. Primarily 2. Secondarily First As it is directed by God and guided by his Spirit so as therein there can be no cōmixtion of error and in that respect it is called the diuine Truth because it is wholy Truth and expressed by the Diuine Spirit for as Saint Peter saith 2 Pet. 1.21 The holy men of God spake as they were moued by the holy Ghost This is Theologicall Truth and it is wholy contained in the holy Scripture Coloss 1.5 which is therefore called The Word of Truth And this Truth though I might alledge many other reasons to proue the worth and the excellency thereof yet is this sufficient in stead of all that besides what Zorobabel saith of it it is in many passages of the Scripture compared vnto the Light as the Psalmist saith Send forth thy Truth and thy Light And that especially in three respects for as the Light is 1. The dispeller of darkenesse The excellency of the diuine Truth 2. The shewer of things 3. The effecter of generable Creatures So is Truth for First As the Light when it ariseth chaseth away all darkenesse and suffereth not the same to adhere vnto it whereupon the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 6.14 Truth expelleth errors What agreement is there betwixt light and darkenesse Euen so this Truth when it shineth dispelleth and driueth away all errors and ignorance from the mindes of all wherein it resteth And therefore Father Zachary saith That Christ which is Truth it selfe when hee came to preach this Word of Truth came To giue light to them that sit in darkenesse Luke 1.79 and in the shaddow of death i. e. To disperse those mysts of ignorance and errours which had ouer-shadowed the whole face of the Earth Secondly as the Light when it shineth displayeth it selfe and pierceth euery transparent body though neuer so solid and maketh all things manifest what they are for in the darke Ephes 5.13 Truth sheweth what euery thing is there is no certainty of colours white from blacke is scarce discerned there is no certainty of things Gold cannot be knowne from Copper but when the Light shineth it presently sheweth what euery thing is Euen so though while we are ignorant of Gods will euill may be deemed good and good euill yet when this Truth of God shineth i. e. this Word of God is Preached it maketh knowne euery thing what it is it sheweth the true God from the false the true seruice of God from the false superstition of men the true Church of Christ from the false Synagogue of Satan and the true members of Christ from the false hypocrites of the World Hence it is that the wicked cannot abide the Truth John 3.19 Because their workes are euill and by the preaching of the same their workes are manifested to be so And therefore Saint Paul saith That the Preachers of Gods Word are oftentimes become enemies vnto the wicked Gal. 4.16 because they tell them the Truth Truth begets vs vnto God Thirdly As the Light when it ariseth doth so heate and hearten euery thing that it is most truly said Sol homo generat hominem The Sunne and Man begets a Man Euen so this Truth of God and the Preaching of the same is the onely meanes whereby we are regenerate and begotten againe to be the Sonnes of God as the Apostle sheweth And this is that Truth whereby God sheweth himselfe to
aegroti quantum ad iustitiam Dei In regard of the state of the patient to free him from sinne and to satisfie the Iustice of God For it behoued the Mediator betweene God and man Ne in vtroque deo similis longe esset ab homine aut in vtroque homini similis longe esset à Deo to haue something like vnto GOD and to haue something like vnto man lest that in all things being like vnto man hee might be so too farre from God or being in all things like vnto God hee might be so too farre from man and therefore Christ betwixt sinfull mortall men and the iust immortall God did appeare a mortall man with men and a iust God with God 1 Tim 2.5 and so the Mediator betwixt God and men was God and man Christ Iesus and fitly too saith Saint Augustine Quia ille congruè satisfacit qui potest debet Because that is most agreeable to reason that he should make satisfaction Two speciall reasons why Christ was made man which ought and can satisfie but we know that none ought to doe it but man and none can doe it but God and therefore God was contented to be made man and that for these two especiall reasons First to shew the greatnesse of his Loue to man First to shew the greatnesse of his loue for hee had seemed to haue loued vs the lesse if he had done lesse for vs but now Quid tam pietate plenum quam filium Dei pro nobis factum esse faenum What can more commend the loue of God to man then to see the word God made flesh for man Iohn 3.16 and therefore the Euangelist to shew the greatnesse of Gods loue to mankinde saith God so loued the world that he gaue his onely begotten Sonne that is to bee incarnate to be made flesh and to suffer death that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life Secondly to erect our hope that was already deiected Secondly to erect the hope and to strengthen the faith of man and to strengthen our faith which was alwayes wauering for wee saw two things that were to be done for man and yet could not be done by any man but such a one as should be God and Man The first was a remoueall of that great euill which suppressed vs. The second was a restoring of that great good that we were depriued of First Magnitude mali The euill that oppressed all men was foure-fold the greatnesse of that euill which suppressed euery man and could not be taken away by any man consisted in foure things 1. The waight of sinne 2. The height of Gods wrath 3. The power of death 4. The tyranny of the diuell And these could not be abolished by any creature but onely by him that created all creatures and can worke all things mightily according to the purpose of his owne will Secondly Magnitudo boni The good that man lost was two-fold the greatnesse of that good which was taken away from all men and could be restored by no man consisted in two things 1. The repairing of Gods image here in this life 2. The enioying of the blessed vision of God in the next life For none could restore the image of God to man but hee that was the liuing image of God Heb. 1.3 and the ingrauen forme of his person and the Kingdome of Heauen none could giue but God that giues it to all that loue him and therefore to take away the euill which we had deserued and to restore vnto vs that good whereof we were depriued God himselfe that made vs was contented to redeeme vs by taking our flesh vpon him Vt natura offendens satisfaceret That the nature offending might make satisfaction and because satisfaction could not be made without bloud for without bloud there is no remission Heb. 9.22 saith the Apostle he was made flesh that he might die and shed his bloud for vs Aug. serm 101. de tempore Vt iniusta mors iustam vinceret mortem liberaret nos iustè dum pro nobis occiditur iniustè That so his vniustly inflicted death might ouercome our iustly deserued death and might most rightly free and deliuer vs because he was most wrongfully slaine for vs as Saint Augustine speaketh Quest 2 Secondly It will be demaunded why the word that is the Sonne should be incarnate and made flesh rather then the Father or the Holy Ghost Resp Why the Son rather then the Father or the Holy Ghost was made man Saint Augustine thinketh that the cause pertained more specially vnto the Sonne then to the Father or to the Holy Ghost for that the Diuell attempted to vsurpe the dignitie and authority of the Sonne of God saying in his heart that he would be like vnto the most highest that is the image of the Father and sought to intrude himselfe into his glory to be the Prince of this world and the Head of euery creature which things were onely proper vnto the Sonne of God and therfore it behoued the Sonne to come into the world to ouercome the Diuell that would haue wronged him and all other men that were to be members of him But we finde many other reasons to shew why the Word was made flesh rather then the Father or the Holy Ghost As First because it is the office of the Word to declare the minde of God First because the Incarnation of God was made for the manifestation of God but we declare and manifest things by words and Christ is the word of the Father the wisedome the knowledge and the interpreter of his Fathers will euen as our word is the interpreter of our minde as Origen and Clemens Alexandrinus doe declare and therefore the word was rightly incarnate that God in him might be seene and heard and vnderstood of vs according to that saying of the Euangelist that which wee haue heard and seene 1 Iohn 1.1 and our hands haue handled of the word of life that declare we vnto you For as he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word in respect of his person which is a name of relation vnto the minde as Sonne is to the Father so is he the word in respect of his office i. e. of his office as he is the second person of the Trinitie for as it is the propertie and office of the eternall minde i. e. the Father to beget the word i. e. the Sonne so it is the propertie and the office of the Word to declare the Minde but because this spirituall inuisible and ineffable Word as he is God could neuer be seene nor heard nor vnderstood of vs therefore was he made flesh that he might be heard and seene And this the Apostle seemes to shew vnto vs when hee saith God heretofore at sundry times Heb. 1.1 and in diuers manners spake vnto the Fathers by the Prophets but in these last
is not offended in him Why then O thou incredulous Iew wilt thou not receiue thy Sauiour is it because he came poore without any shew of worldly pompe why that should make all men the rather to imbrace him and the more thankefully to acknowledge him because that he which might haue come in Maiestie Cum caelestibus Attended on by Angels would come in pouerty and haue his bed made cum iumentis among the beasts that perish that so by his comming poore we might be all made rich through him and therefore O Iew I doe aduice thee that as thy Fathers accomplished the decree of God in condemning him so doe thou according to the will of God in beleeuing on him and thou shalt be happy for he that beleeueth in him shall neuer perish To whom with the Father and the Holy Spirit be ascribed all Honour Thankes and Praise both now and for euermore Amen A Prayer O Eternall God who as in all things else so more especially in giuing thy dearest Sonne co-eternall coequall and co-essentiall vnto thy selfe to be made flesh subiect to our humane frailties and in all things like vnto vs sinne onely excepted hast shewed thy goodnesse and thy loue to man to be like thy selfe infinite and incomprehensible we most humbly beseech thee to giue vs grace to know thee and whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ to be the onely true God whom to know is eternall life through the said Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen IEHOVAE LIBERATORI FINIS The Fourth Golden Candlesticke HOLDING The Fourth greatest Light of Christian RELIGION Of the Passion of the MESSIAS LVKE 24.46 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And thus it behoued Christ to suffer YOu haue heard dearely beloued how miserably man is distressed by sinne The coherence of this Treatise with the former Treatises how he may be releeued onely by the Mercy of God and how this reliefe is applied vnto vs by the Incarnate Word for he is the true Samaritan that doth helpe the wounded man he is the blessed Angell that doth stirre the poole of Bethesda and giue vertue vnto the water to heale our sores to helpe our soules But alas this Angell as yet is but descended and the waters are not troubled and this Samaritan is but alighted and the poore semi-dead Traueller is not set vp vpon his horse to be carryed towards his Inne that is hee hath not yet entred into the waters of tribulations to saue our soules from drowning in Hell neither hath he put our sinnes vpon his backe that we being freed from the burthen might walke on towards Heauen this resteth yet behind and this Tragedie is yet vnheard and therefore though he much humbled himselfe by his Incarnation yet is that nothing it is but the beginning of sorrowes in respect of his sore and bitter Passion For to redeeme our soules from sinne the deepe waters must enter into his soule and all our sinnes must be laid vpon his backe and for our sinnes It behoueth Christ to suffer Hic labor hoc opus est And this is that which we are now to treat of Thus it behoued Christ to suffer CHAP. I. Of the manifold vse and commodities that we reape by the continuall meditation of the sufferings of Christ Three things that mooue attention THere be three speciall things that doe vse to moue attention 1. An eloquent Author 2. An important matter 3. A compendious breuity And all these three doe here ioyne and meete together in this Text of Scripture For First the Author of these words is Christ Luk. 11.49 First the Author of these words is Iesus Christ the wisedome of God Wisedome it selfe so incomprehensibly wise that all men wondred at the gracious words that proceeded out of his mouth Secondly the summe of these words is the Tragedy of Iesus Christ Secondly the matter is the Tragedie of himselfe the laborious life and the dolorous death of the Sonne of God the chiefest Tragedy of all Tragedies for the Catastrophe hereof hath the effusion of bloud and the mourning not onely of the Sufferer or Parents and Friends but of Heauen and Earth and all the whole world farre more dolefull then the mourning of Hadadrimmon in Valley of Mâ—gyddo The Actors of this Tragedy are Kings Vice-Royes Dukes Scribes Pharises High-Priests Elders of the people The Actors of this Tragedy the Apostles themselues and others all great Christ the King of Kings Herod the great King Pilate the Vice-Roy Annas and Cayphas high Priests Peter and Iudas great Apostles and those that were mute as the Sun the Earth the Stones the Vaile of the Temple and the very Graues did by apparant signes most dolefully bewayle the nefarious death of the Son of God yea more the Angels mourned and the Diuels trembled to behold the same The Theater on which it was acted was Ierusalem The Theater was Ierusalem the very midst and heart of the earth as some imagine according to that saying of the Psalmist Operatus est deus salutem in medio terrae GOD hath wrought saluation in the midst of the Earth Heere is the place where it was acted Hic hic mors vita duello Conflixere mirando Here life and death did striue for victory and here the beholders were men of all Nations Hebrewes Greekes and Romans and the time was their most solemne feast wherein all did â—eete to eate their Paschall Lambe And therefore if there be any Theame that may challenge our eares to lysten and our hearts to meditate vpon the same it is this for this is one of those things that was once done that it might be thought of for euer that it might be had in euerlasting remembrance And the continuall meditation thereof is 1. Acceptable vnto Christ 2. Profitable for vs. For First The continuall meditation of Christs passion what it doth if the rod of Moses which wrought so many miracles in Aegypt and the Manna which fed the children of Israel 40. yeares in the Wildernesse and the Booke of the Law which was deliuered vnto Moses vpon Mount Sinai were to be preserued in the Arke First It is most acceptable vnto Christ as testimonies of Gods loue throughout all generations how much more should we keepe the remembrance of the Crosse of Christ of the Body and Bloud of Christ and of the glad tidings of saluation which we haue by the death of Christ in the Church of God for euermore Our Sauiour gaue but two Sacraments vnto his Church and one of them is chiefely instituted to this end for a remembrance of his suffering for as often as you eate this Bread and drinke this Cup Luc. 22. you shew the Lords death vntill he come 1 Cor. 11.1 And the remembrance of Christs death saith Saint Chrysostome Est beneficij maximi recordatio Chrys hom 8. in Matth. caputque diuinae erga nos charitatis Is the commemoration of the greatest benefit that euer we receiued
or grieue the good by vpbraiding them with the faults of the bad Secondly to shew vnto vs Nazian orat 4. de theol that men may be called to eminent and holy places yet be cast-awayes because it is not the excellency or the Sanctity of the calling but our holy and vpright conuersation in our callings that makes vs acceptable in the sight of God Thirdly To testifie Christ his innocencie that had alwaies his enemie to behold his conuersation Fourthly For our example to be patient Aug. li. 18. c. 49 de Ciuitat to suffer wicked men amongst vs. But againe it may be demanded why he made him his Purse-bearer knowing him to be a thiefe To this Aquinas answereth Thom. in Iohn 12. that God vseth to commit his spirituall graces to his best seruants and his temporall gifts to those that are more worldly minded to see if by any meanes he may gaine them to serue him Why Christ made Iudas his Purse-bearer for the worldlings will serue God many times when God blesseth them with all manner of store therefore Christ knowing Iudas to be a couetous wretch he made him his steward and committed to his hands all their wealth to see if this might moue him to bee true and faithfull vnto him All this Christ did for him and yet as the Prouerbe is Improbus à nullo flectitur obsequio saue a thiefe from the Gallowes and he will be the first that will seeke to hang thee so Iudas had put all these blessings in a riuen dish and as the Leopard is saide to be most sauage vnto them that doe most good to him so doth Iudas here first betray his Master that was his best friend and had done most good vnto him but wee must consider Secondly why Iudas betrayed Christ Why Judas betrayed Christ The Euangelist sheweth briefly that because the oyntment which was poured on Christ was not solde for 300. pence and put into his bagge he went vnto the high Priests Lex talionis and sels Christ for 30. pence decorum pretium a goodly price to haue for the Lord of heauen and earth and therefore cleane contrarie we reade that 30. Iewes were sold for one pennie but for Iudas we see how the desire of money is the roote of all mischiefe What a horrible sinne is couetousnesse quid non mortalia pectora cogit auri sacra fames Or as Iuuenall saith Iuuen. Sat. 14. quae reuerentia legum quis metus aut pudor est vnquam properantis auari What will not couetousnesse cause a man to doe what feare of Law what loue of Vertue what shame or honestie can you finde in couetous wretches Boet. 2 5. Nam saeuior ignibus aetnae feruens amor ardet habendi For it made Achan hide the wedge of gold to the losse of his owne life it made Achab a murtherer of innocent Nabaoth it made Polymnestor kill his Nephew Polydorus and here it makes Iudas to betray his owne Lord and Master Iesus Christ yea and to bee the formost man of all the wicked companie to shew withall that as the old distich saith Non audet stygius daemon tentare quod audet Effraenus monachus plenaque fraudis ánus Jerem. 24.2 None is so bad as wicked Priests for they are like Ieremies figges either exceeding good or extreame euill either most faithfull for Christ or most feruent for Antichrist Thirdly the Euangelist tells vs how he did bring to passe his wicked fact for he gaue them a signe that whosoeuer hee should kisse That there are fiue kindes of kisses the same was he and wee finde that there are fiue kindes of kisses the first a whoorish kisse as Salomon saith of the Harlot that she caught a young man and kissed him the second a chaste kisse Prou. 7.13 Gen. 29.11 as Iacob kissed Rachel the third is a kisse of courtesie as our Sauiour said vnto Simon the Pharise Thou gauest me no kisse the fourth is a Symbolicall kisse for a signe of loue as the Apostle saith Luc. 7.45 Greet one another with an holy kisse the fift is a treacherous kisse 2 Cor. 13.12 as Ioab kissed Amasa and presently killed him whom he kissed and thus Iudas kissed Christ for he had said Whomsoeuer I shall kisse 2 Sam. 20. the same is he hold him fast Where obserue First That he gaue them a signe to know him Why Iudas gaue them a signe because it was night when they tooke him and because Iames that was called the brother of the Lord and was afterward Bishop of Ierusalem was so like him Ignat. in ep ad Joh. si vera ep Ignat. that it was very hard to know the one from the other and therefore lest they should mistake him and take â—ames or some other for him hee gaue them a signe to know him Secondly That this signe was a kisse Why the signe that Judas gaue was a kisse that he might the more cunningly worke his purpose Nam doli non sunt doli nisi astu colas for deceits are no deceits vnlesse they be cunningly carried and that if this way fayled he might as he thought haue still retained his place and credit because he had but dutifully saluted him And therefore he comes and kissed him saying Aue Rabbi Master God saue you but herein we see 1. His arrogancy 2. His iniquity First His arrogancy that he would presume with those lippes vnder which was the Poyson of Aspes to kisse those lippes in which was found no guile Iohn Baptist thought himselfe vnworthy to vntie the laâ—ched of his shooes and Iudas will presume to kisse his mouth and so all wicked men are euer more presumptuous then the godly and they are bold and impudent when the Saints doe feare and tremble Secondly His iniquitie is herein seene that in two words hee vttereth forth two lyes for hee saith Aue God saue you to him whom he desired to perish and he saith Rabbi Master to him whom he refused to follow and so you see sweet words from a poysoned heart a praying for his life and a betraying of him to death Ille mihi tam exosus est quam inferni portae Qui aliud animo occultat aliud ore profert An Act so horribly base that the very Heathen man could say he hates him as the gates of Hell that will say one thing and doe another thing And yet behold how our Sauiour deales with this wicked Traitor he kisseth him with the kisses of his mouth How our Sauiour sought to reclaime Iudas and to bring him to repentance and what greater signe of loue and whereas he might haue angerly and iustly reuiled him for his treachery he doth mildly and kindly salute him by the name of friend and what better name could hee vse for Father Wife or Children are but vaine names vnlesse they be friends O then Si honoras dulcis domine Inimicum
life Why Christ would not answere Pilate whence he was Or as others thinke he would not answere least by his eloquence he should haue escaped death insomuch that Pilate who vniustly condemned him iustly admired this that he which was wont to open his mouth in Parables and to teach others the way vnto eternall life would not at this time open his mouth to speake one word for himselfe to saue his life Secondly Pilate being much affraide to be thought an enemie vnto Caesar Marke 15.15 and being most willing to please the people as the Euangelist noteth he determined to deliuer him to be crucified And these were the motiues that caused Pilate to condemne our Sauiour Christ and these cause many a man to sinne when we feare man more then God What moued Pilate to deliuer Christ to be crucified and are desirous rather to please the people then to discharge our consciences from which two fearefull things good Lord deliuer euery faithfull soule Thirdly Because Pilate knew that for enuie the Iewes deliuered him to be crucified and his owne conscience by many arguments testified vnto him how vniustly hee condemned that iust man Math 27.24 The poor shift of Pilate to excuse himselfe therefore that it might happen vnto the Iewes according as they had concluded themselues His bloud be vpon vs and vpon our Children He taketh water and washeth his hands saying I am innocent from the bloud of this iust person See ye to it And then he gaue sentence that it should be as they required that IESVS CHRIST should be presently CRVCIFIED The sentence of Christs condemnation Ah sencelesse sinnefull man a man voide of wisedome to commit such an horrible sinne against thy God and to condemne life to death Alas what auaileth it thee to wash thy hands in water and to defile thy heart with bloud for how shalt thou answere this not onely to condemne an innocent Sed ijsdem labijs illum condemnare quibus pronuntiaueras innocentem But also with the same lippes to condemne him as guilty which euen now had pronounced him guiltlesse Surely God may say to thee as to all those Iudges that follow thy steppes to make a long speech to iustifie themselues Luke 19.22 and in few words to condemne the innocent Out of thine owne mouth will I condemne thee O thou euill seruant and I will iustly condemne thee to eternall death because thou hast vniustly condemned an innocent man to death O consider this ye that forget God and ye that be called Gods on Earth cleanse your hearts from all euill and let not your hands deale with wickednesse so shall you be innocent from the great offence And so you see what the Iudge of all the World suffered before these petty Iudges of this World CHAP. VI. What Christ suffered in Golgotha the place where he was crucified PIlate hauing passed sentence vpon Christ to be crucified the Souldiers take him and laying his Crosse a heauy Crosse vpon his shoulders as Isaac carried the wood wherewith himselfe should be sacrificed Gen. 22.6 2 Sam. 11.14 or as Vrias carried the Letters of his owne death they compelled him to carrie it so long as he was able to stand vnder it then meeting Simon of Cyrene comming from his perambulation in the fields they make him carrie that Crosse of Christ vnto the place of execution and placing the same in Golgotha which was the place where Adam was buried Ambros l. 5. Ep. 1â— as Saint Ambrose thinketh they nayled and fastened Christ vnto it vpon that very day of the weeke that Adam was created Two things considered vpon the Crosse and as is thought he was hanged vpon this Tree vpon the very same houre of the day as Adam did eate of the forbidden Tree And here wee must consider two especiall things 1. The grieuous things that he suffered Tantum distentus sum vt corpore nudo in modum tympanica pellis distento facile possint omnia ossa mea dinumerari Bern. de pass c. 7. 2. The gracious words that he vttered For the first they stretched his body as Saint Bernard saith and then they nayled him to the Crosse which was a grieuous torment vnto any but especially vnto him because his body of all other men was the most tender as being onely shaped of a Virgins substance without any commixture of the male nature and yet the most sensible parts of this tender body must be bored and mangled by his cruell enemies for his feete that afore were washed with Maries teares must now be teared with iron nayles and those blessed hands Bosquier de passione Domini p. 847. in fol. that had wrought so many wonderous workes must now be fastened Vnto this wooden Crosse and there he must hang vntill he die Horrendum dictu A most odious and a most grieuous death and that in foure respects First Because it was an accursed death so esteemed by man 1. An accursed death and so denounced by God himselfe where he saith Cursed is euery one that hangeth vpon a Tree Deut. 21. Gal. 3.13 Tripartit hist l. 1. c. 9. 2. A shamefull death And therefore Constantine the Great and good made a Law that no Christian should be crucified vpon a Crosse Secondly Because it was an ignominious and a shamefull death inflictâ—d chiefly vpon those slaues and seruants that either falsly accused or treacherously conspired their Masters death and it was neuer imposed vpon free men vnlesse it were for some haynous and notorious crimes as robberie murther sedition rebellion or such like 3. A painefull death Thirdly Because it was a most painefull death for that they were fastened to the Crosse not with any little nayles but with bigge purposely made nayles that might hold them sure and fast enough vnto the Crosse so bigge were the nayles that pierced Christ his hands and feete that being found they were found sufficient to make a bridle and a Helmet Socrates Hist l. 1. c. 17. as Socrates saith and then the whole waight of their bodies hanging by these parts made their paine intollerable and killed them at length without any deadly wound And therefore Cicero that most eloquent man which wanted no words to expresse any thing else when hee came to consider of this accursed death was brought to that passe Cicero Orat. 7. in ver to that non-plus as to say Quid dicam in crucem tollere What shall I say of that cruell and most painefull shamefull death of the Crosse 4. A slow and a lingring death Fourthly Because it was a slow and a lingering death for that as the Poet truly saith Morsque minus penae quam mora mortis habet To be long in paine is worse then death a soone dispatched riddance out of paine being a great fauour vnto a languishing life and although in other deaths they should be quickly dispatched and soone rid out of all their paine
miser homo non compatitur pro quo solo deus patitur Hiron in Mat. and therefore how can we behold his head resting vpon a pillow of thornes his hands pierced with iron nayles and his heart bleeding for our sinnes and not to bee moued to a godly sorrow for those our horrible sinnes that caused all his sorrowes It is reported in the Gospell that when our Sauiour suffered the Sun withdrew his light as being ashamed to see so wofull a spectacle the earth quaked and trembled as it were for feare to see her Creator put to death and the stones did cleaue in sunder yea wicked Iudas that betrayed and sold our Sauiour when he saw the indignities that were offered vnto him did repent and grieue that he had betrayed that innocent bloud and therefore what strange hearts haue wee worse then Iudas and harder then stones if we can behold the torments of his Passion and not be touched with compassion The naturalist telleth vs that the Adamant stone is of an impenetrable hardnesse Plinius l. 37. c. 4. and yet he saith that if it be steeped in the warme bloud of a Goate it will be mollified and therefore if the bloud of Christ which is farre more excellent then the bloud of Buls or of Goates cannot intenerate our hard hearts wee are worse then the Adamants and no better then the Diuels That Christ should bleed for vs and we not weepe for our owne sinnes Secondly To make vs thankefull For the second Our Sauiour hauing suffered all this for sin to saue sinfull men and to eternize mortall men He hath broken the head of the Serpent he hath wounded the great Leuiathan and by the merit of his Passion he hath subdued Hell conquered the graue rebated the sting of death taken away the force and guilt of sinne and remoued those Cherubims and that flaming sword which was placed to afright vs and to keepe the way of the tree of life Gen. 2.2 and he hath blotted out the hand-writing of ordinances that was against vs and laid open vnto vs the gates of eternall life and therefore now we should all say with the Psalmist What shall we render vnto the Lord for all his benefits that hee hath done vnto vs Psal 116 11. for we must not thinke it inough to weepe in commiseration of Christ his paine but we must be also thankefull for Christ his suffering The whole world knoweth what great loue hee hath shewed to vs and what bitter Passion he hath suffered for vs and therefore vae tacentibus de te domine Woe be vnto them whose ingratitude hath silenced them from praising thee Sed faelix lingua quae non nouit nisi de te Sermonem texere but most happy is that tongue which can praise thee O Lord though it should be able to speake of nothing else because not onely nothing can be carried better in our mindes nothing can be sweeter in our mouthes nothing more melodious to our eares as Saint Augustine saith then deo gratias to ascribe all praise and to render thankes vnto the Lord our God but especially because as Saint Bernard saith no sacrifice can be more acceptable vnto God for who so offereth me thankes and praise hee honoureth mee and nothing can be more offensiue vnto Satan then to praise the Lord for though thou watchest he careth not because himselfe neuer sleepeth though thou fastest hee regards it not because himselfe neuer eateth any thing but if thou beest thankefull vnto God for his great loue to thee then is Satan grieued because thou being a silly worme on earth dost performe that here in the vally of misery which he being a glorious Angell in Heauen could not performe in that seat of Maiestie and therefore as the Prophet Dauid saith Psal 107.15 that he would rise at midnight to praise the Lord for his righteous iudgements so with the Prophet Dauid I wish to God that men would praise the Lord for his goodnesse especially for this great goodnesse and declare the wonders that he hath done and especially this suffering this great suffering that he vnderwent for the children of men and that they would praise him from the ground of the heart And because virtus nisi cum re vilior alga That we should shew our thankfulnesse to Christ by our workes Luke 2. Matth. 2. thankefulnesse consisteth more in workes then in words therefore let vs not onely with the Angels sing Glory be to God on high but let vs with the wise men present our gifts vnto him gold to clothe the naked and to feede the hungry soule Frankinsence to maintaine the preaching of Gods Word and Myrrhe to be prepared for our death Macrob. Saturnal l. 2. c. 4. that we may liue for euer with him Macrobius tels vs that a certaine souldiour of Augustus Band that had often aduentured his life in Caesars cause being to appeare before those Iudges whom he feared he desired Augustus for to assist him and the Emperour presently wished him to choose whom he would and he would appoint him for his aduocate but the Souldier replyed O Caesar I appointed no Deputy when your life was in danger to be lost but I hazarded mine owne life and receiued all these scarres which he then shewed in his body to preserue you from all hurt and doe you now appoint another to pleade for me what haue I done so much for you and will you refuse to do so small a kindnes for me euen so beloued brethren Christ did not onely hazard his life but gaue himselfe to death and suffered scarres and wounds and the shedding of all his bloud of his dearest bloud for vs and shall wee doe nothing for him Matth. 25 40. O yes beloued let vs euer doe what lyeth in vs for the poore members of Iesus Christ for whatsoeuer you doe to any one of them you doe it vnto me saith our Sauiour Thirdly to teach vs how dearely and how truely we ought to loue our Sauiour Christ For the third as Christ hath so dearely loued vs as to suffer all these things for vs so we should truely loue Christ againe and we should the rather loue him not onely because hee hath done all these things for vs but also because he requireth nothing for all these things but loue he exacts no tribute hee requires no homage he expects no requitall but loue O then let vs not say with the vncleane spirits in the Gospell What haue wee to doe with thee Marke 1.24 O Iesus thou Sonne of God but let vs rather say with the Church Cantic 2.5 in the Canticles Stay me with flagons and comfort mee with apples Bern. in Ser. de pass dom for I am sicke of loue and as thy loue to me Erat talis tantus vt nesciret habere modum was such and so great that it could not containe it selfe within the compasse of any bounds so my
haue giuen them vnto Iayes and Parrats Secondly we should know that the practise of Christianity is the onely argument to prooue vs true Christians by this Christ proued himselfe to be the Messias Practise onely proueth vs Christians for it is most true which Iouinian said of the Arrians and Orthodoxall Bishops I cannot iudge of your knowledge disputations but I can easily discerne your lines and conuersations Thirdly wee should remember that our actions are the best arguments Sozom. l. 7. A good life conuerteth others Basil l. de 40. Mart. and the most vnanswerable Syllogismes to conuert infidels Sozomenus tells vs that the godly life of a poore captiue woman moued a King and many others to become Christians and Iulian writing to Arsatius saith that Christiana religio propter Christianorum erga omnes cuiusuis religionis beneficentiam propagata est the piety and the charity of Christians did wonderfully cause the Christan Religion to increase Euseb l. 9. c. ◠and Maximinus said hee could not choose but wonder to see how sedulous the Christians were in doing good The bitter fruites of a bad life Whereas on the other side the lewd life of those that professe Christ doth bring forth many sower and bitter fruits First It dishonoureth God more then any other thing First it dishonoureth God his name is blasphemed through them among the Gentiles which beleeue not God and therefore God saith why takest thou my Lawes in thy mouth whereas thou hatest to be reformed Secondly It proueth them to be no Christians Secondly it proueth such liuers no christians because the profession of Christianity is a profession of works not of words Thirdly It hindereth the vnsetled mindes to imbrace Christianity for when they see men like Tusser that wrote well of husbandrie but was himselfe the worst husband that liued Thirdly It hindereth others to become Christians or like Erasmus Ruffian that carried by the one side a good bottle of sack and by the other side a faire guilded Testament such as will heare much and talke more of Religion and doe none of the works of God how shall not this diswade the vnstable hearts from euer imbracing of Christianitie It is reported that Lynacrus reading the Sermon of Christ in the Mount and considering the conuersation of men in the world said either this is not Gods Gospell or wee are not Gods people and I pray God that the faire-seeming-shewes of hypocritical professors and their most vile and abhominable actions bee not the cause to kindle Gods fearefull indignation against vs all And therefore beloued brethren let vs consider the Author of our profession Iesus Christ who went about doing goood let vs consider his holy Apostles Act. 10.38 and all our blessed Ancestors how sedulous they were in the practise of Religion wherby they haue gained a good report became glorious in the sight of God and men and let vs imitate them herein to doe good as they haue done and in all things to ioyne practise vnto our knowledge All men not sit for all purposes Secondly We may obserue from hence that as these women were fit messengers to tell the Disciples that Christ was risen but not to preach the same vnto the world so many men are sufficient for inferiour places and to preach the shallower points of Diuinity points of morality and popular exhortations but are not fit Ducere in altum to lanch foorth into the deepe and to treat of the higher mysticall points of Diuinity for as it is said of Dauids Worthies 2 Sam. 23.19 that they reached not vnto the first three so it may be said of vs all that many men may receiue a measure of Gods graces and yet not attaine vnto the measure of many others God giueth not the like measure of graces vnto all men because God doth not giue the same measure of graces vnto all but as in humane gifts wee finde that some had their memory so good that to their last times they could repeat whole orations some that in their yonger yeares had their iudgement so profound that they could determine the hardest questions Matth. 25.15 so in the deliuery of the Diuine talents whereby Theophilact vnderstandeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spirituall graces some haue fiue 2. King 2.9 some haue two some but one to note vnto vs that God granteth not only a superiority vnto some aboue their brethren in an higher kinde of a different grace but also in a greater measure of the same grace as the Spirit was doubled on Elisha if not in respect of his Master Eliah as some think not yet surely in respect of the other succeeding Prophets Dan. 1.20 in the Schoole of Nebuchadnezzars in chanters though they were all no doubt exceeding great Clerkes 1 Cor. 14.18 yet Daniel Shadrach Meshach and Abednego were found to be ten times better then the rest and among these Daniel sleeping was found wiser then his fellowes waking so in the New Testament Iohn Baptist was a Prophet and more then a Prophet and Saint Paul spake languages more then all the rest of the Apostles God expecteth not the like fruits from all men and therefore God doth not require all his seruants nay he will not haue them all to aduenture or seeke to bring forth the like measure of fruit for hee was not angry with the slothfull seruant because that one talent had not gained ten talents but because he hid his masters money and had gained nothing at all Thirdly We may obserue from hence That we ought to follow Christ and not to goe before him that as Christ went before these Women and his Disciples into Galilee and they all followed after him So we should suffer Christ to goe before vs in all our wayes and not to runne our selues before him where perhaps he neuer went nor will goe for it is the property of a Disciple to follow after and not precede or goe before his master and therefore we must not goe into those places where Christ went not nor dispute of those points which Christ taught not for this is to goe before him and not to follow him Fourthly We may obserue from hence That we must passe from all worldly vanities before we can inioy spirituall blessings that as Christ passed from death to life and from this world into Heauen so must we before we come to Christ passe from our deadnesse in sin vnto the life of grace and from the vanities of this worldly life vnto a spirituall and a heauenly conuersation for as there was no possession of the Land of Canaan vntill there was a transmigration of the red Sea out of the land of Egypt so we can haue no fruition of Gods presence vntill we haue relinquished and passed ouer all the Egyptian vanities of this life in our desires and affections at the least And thus you haue heard the
others will haue this phrase to signifie his abode conuersation here among men thirdly others will haue it to signifie the state and condition of the dead as if the comparison were made betwixt those parts of the earth wherein the liuing doe inhabit and that place wherein the dead are buried and so they doe expound that place of Esayas that hee was cut off from the land of the liuing and so cast into the land of the dead Esay 53.8 which they say the Apostle vnderstandeth by the lower parts of the earth and fourthly others say that he descended into the place of the damned not to suffer Iohn 19.30 because that was finished on the Crosse nor to fetch any Fathers out of Lymbe but to signifie and to shew not onely by words but also by presence that seing by his death and Passion the wrath of God was appeased Satan was to haue no more power ouer the Elect which hee held captiue that he was now made Lord of all and that all power was giuen vnto him and a name aboue all other names Collos 2.15 and not onely to declare the same vnto them but also to subdue them and to spoyle principalities and powers and as my Text saith to leade captiuitie captiue And this is the exposition of most of the ancient Fathers for mine owne part I am of Zanchius minde Laâ—ch in Ephes c. 4. that in the word descendit all these foure expositions may bee comprehended because he descended into his mothers wombe to be conuersant here among men into his graue and into Hell and our very Creede expresseth all these foure he was conceaued by the holy Ghost i. e. in his mothers wombe there is the first hee was borne of the Virgin Marie and hee suffered vnder Pontius Pilate there is the second he was dead buried there is the third and he descended into Hell there is the fourth and these be the foure degrees of his humiliation That Christ descended into Hell and this the Apostle seemeth plainely to vnderstand by the antithesis by the coherence and by the scope of the words because hee saith that hee ascended to the highest part of Heauen and therefore this also that he descended into the lower parts of the earth is literally to bee vnderstood that he descended into Hell because no place of the earth is lower then Hell Secondly Touching the exaltation of Christ Saint Paul setteth downe two things 1. He describeth the Person ascending he which descended 2. He expresseth the action he ascended He which ascended is the very same person which descended First he saith that it is he which descended that hath ascended i. e. he which was made man which suffered was buried he ascended and who is he but God the Sonne the second Person of the Trinitie for so our Sauiour saith I went forth from the Father and I came into the world and againe I leaue the world and I goe to the Father and therfore it is the very self same Son of God and none other which both descended and ascended And so by these few words we finde two great heresies quite ouerthrowne first of them which say hee brought his body from Heauen because the Apostle doth not say he which ascended descended though this be true being truely vnderstood for he ascended God and Man which so did not descend but as God alone therefore he saith he which descended he ascended secondly hereby is ouerthrowne the heresie of Nestorius which said our Sauiour consisteth of two persons for if he which descended is the very same that ascended then it is apparant that by his descention That in Christ there cannot be two persons i. e. by the assumption of our nature hee is no other person then he was before but still remaineth one and the selfe same person and that the humane nature doth adde nothing vnto the Sonne of God for the constituting or perfecting of his person for otherwise he that ascended had bin another and not the same which descended for hee had descended a simple person and ascended compounded hee had descended an imperfect person and ascended perfect which is most hereticall either to say or think And this is the cause why we affirme that the person of Christ cannot be said to bee compounded of two natures tanquam ex partibus as of two parts Christ still remaineth a most simple person i. e not compounded but as hee was before the assuming of our nature so also now hee is still a most simple and a most perfect person bearing our nature as on â—â—areth on his garment but neuer to put it off againe because it is assumed into the vnitie of his person and so Saint Augustine saith that Christ descended like a naked man and when he ascended he ascended the same person but clothed with our flesh and therefore as he is not another man that taketh on a garment so the Sonne of God is not another person because he tooke vpon him the garment of our flesh and if the humane nature assumed did neither change nor perfect nor compound the person of the Sonne of God because he which descended is the very same that ascended and none other then by the same reason it cannot be said that Christ tooke man vpon him i. e. a humane person as Nestorius taught But therefore he vnderstood not the same How Nestorius was deceiued about the person of Christ because on the one side hee held that true philosophicall principle that the actions are of the persons and not of the natures and on the other side he held another principle which is also true if it be truely vnderstood that of contrary effects there must bee contrary efficient causes and hee saw that in Christ there were diuers and contrary actions and therefore he did thence conclude that in Christ there must needs be diuers persons whereof the one should be passible and the other impassible and so he made that hee which descended was not the same but another that ascended for he considered not quod idem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 potest diuersa pugnantia opâ—rari secundam diuersas in eo naturas that the same subsistent or person may worke diuers and contrarie acts in respect of the diuers natures that are in it as a man according to his soule doth vnderstand and according to his body hee doth not vnderstand in respect of his soule he is immortall and in respect of his body hee is mortall and so through his ignorance hee hath abused these true philosophicall principles being truely vnderstood to denie the truth of the Scriptures and to wrong the person of the Sonne of God but the Fathers truely explaining the sayd principles did confute his error and confirme this truth that he which descended is the very same that ascended and none other But from hence it is apparant that the word descendit is not to be taken in
should carry vs vp vnto God because God is loue and loue brought downe God vnto men Huc me syderio descendere fecit olympo Hic me crudeli vulnere fixit amor And therefore no maruell that loue should carry vs vp into Heauen Aug. in Psal 83. p. 376. d. 1. wherefore Saint Augustine sayth that by loue we doe either ascend to Heauen or descend to Hell quia amando Deum ascendis in Coelum amando seculum descendis vsque ad abyssum because by louing God wee ascend to Heauen and by louing the world we descend downe to Hell Saint Gregory saith these wings are 1. The contempt of worldly things 2. The desire of heauenly things And this may well stand with Saint Augustines saying because as the same Saint Gregorie saith tanto ab inferioribus disiungimur quanto superioribus delectamur by how much the more earnestly we loue heauenly things by so much we are ascended and sequestred from earthly things And therefore if you would ascend 1. Iohn 2.15 Colos 3.2 then loue not the world nor the things of this world but set your affections on those things that are aboue and because our life is iust like a clocke that vnlesse his waight be alwayes wynded vp will soone stand therefore wee must be euer winding vp our affections and weaning them from these worldly things and with Noahs doue neuer suffer the soales of our feete to rest vntill our hearts and soules returne to him that gaue them vs. Thirdly for the signes whereby wee may know whether we haue ascended or doe ascend towards Heauen or not I might shew you many How we may know whether our hearts ascendeth to Heauen or not but now take this for all if things aboue our heads shew greater vnto vs then they did before and things beneath vs lesser that is an apparant argument that we ascend and grow higher and higher for so Saint Gregorie saith if a man were aloft in the cloudes it would appeare vnto him quam abiecta sunt quae iam alta videntur how base are the things of this earth which to a man on earth doe seeme so great for then hee should see mountaines no bigger then Mole-hills and the Sunne which before while hee was on earth did seeme but instar pilae pedalis like a footeball hee should now finde it to be a great and immens glorious body all bodies aboue him would seeme greater and all below him would seeme lesser euen so if our hearts and affections be ascended vp to Heauen then surely the things of this world doe seeme vnto vs but as they are indeede damnum stercora Dung and drosse Phil. 3.8 or as nothing and worth nothing as Nazianzen saith and the things of Heauen are the onely desires of our hearts and the delights of our soules but if folia venti lilia agri the vanities and the pleasures of this world the Titles of Honour and the confluence of wealth be the desires and delights of our hearts then certainely wee are fast bound in misery and iron wee are fastened and fettered here on earth and it may bee with Golden chaynes but fast inough from ascending vp to Heauen I will not iudge of any by this rule you may all iudge your selues if you doe highly esteeme of the preaching and Preachers of Gods Word If you make much of them that feare the Lord and loue good men and a good conscience and make none account of this world nor of the things of this world then is your heart ascended vp to Heauen but if not Nudus humi iaces Thou lyest poore and miserable fettered here in earth a flaue and captiue of the Deuill and hast neede to cry and call for Christ to lead captiuitie captiue which is the second part of my Text. And so much for the Ascention of our Sauiour Christ Part. 2 PART II. CHAP. Of the victory and triumph of Christ ouer our enemies of our deliuerance from them and of our restoring into the seruice of God againe SEcondly Touching the victory and triumph of Christ set downe in these words Thou hast led captiuity captiue we must vnderstand that this is taken two wayes 1. Passiuely 2. Actiuely And I say first Passiuely because our enemies must be vanquished before we can be deliuered and therefore How Christ ouercame death Hell sinne and Satan First This phrase may be taken Passiuely for the World Death and Hell and all other enemies of Mankinde which Christ hath conquered and led captiue that they should not raigne and rule ouer his seruants any more And thus Saint Augustine doth expound it saying Quid est captiuauit captiuitatem vicit mortem mortem procurauit diabolus ipse diabolus de morte Christi est captiuatus What is he led captiuity captiue but he ouercame death for the Diuell had procured death for sinne and now the Diuell himselfe is captiuated by the death of Christ For as Victors were wont to doe to leade in triumph those Tyrants that opprest their subiects or those enemies that they had vanquished being fast bound with chaines with their heads and feet bare for their greater shame and reproach so the Psalmist alludeth vnto the same when he saith Coloss 2.15 Thou hast led captiuity captiue and the Apostle doth more cleerely expresse it when hee saith that Christ hauing spoyled Principalities and Powers hath made a shew of them openly tryumphing ouer them in it Quest But here it may be demaunded how are they captiuated when as the Diuell compasseth the earth like a roaring Lion seeking whom he may deuoure And so doth the world still oppresse vs 1 Pet. 5.8 our flesh lusteth against the spirit and Death still raigneth ouer vs all I answere that Christ hath destroyed their Power Resp hee hath taken away their strength and hee hath quite subuerted the Kingdome of sinne and Satan and taken away the sting of death and yet they compasse about not as hauing any power ouer vs but as a Lyon tyed will teare vs in pieces if he can catch vs within his clawes so will sinne and Satan if wee yeeld vnto them for though Christ ouercame all our enemies yet hee hath not quite taken them out of our wayes but left them as it were aliue though bound that we might still beware to come within their reach if we would escape their teeth and therefore wee say that sinne is so taken away that it doth not raigne ouer the Saints though perhaps through their negligence it doth often wound them so Satan is bound though like a bridled horse he often fumes against vs and sometimes bites vs too 1 Cor. 15.54 if we beware not of him and so death is swallowed vp into victory and the sting thereof is taken away so that it can neuer hurt the Saints of God though it layes them stil into a sleepe because they shall all awake at the last day But if sinne and
a gift that we haue receiued from God All that wee haue is from God because as Saint Iames saith Euery good thing and euery perfect gift is from aboue and commeth downe from the Father of lights Secondly the Spirituall gifts of God are of two sorts 1. To edifie the Church 2. To sanctifie our soules First Those gifts which he gaue to edifie the Church Ephes 4.11 the Apostle setteth downe in the eleuenth verse saying Hee gaue some Apostles and some Prophets and some Euangelists The gifts that Christ bestoweth to edifie his Church and some Pastors and Teachers for the perfecting of the same for the worke of the Ministery for the edifying of the body of Christ wherein we see that by the gifts whereof the Apostle speaketh in these words are vnderstood either 1. The Ministers of the Church or 2. The gifts wherewith the Ministers are indued or rather as I take it 3. Ministers indued and qualified with such gifts as are necessary for the gathering together of his Church which are specially The gifts 1. Of Tongues Gifts requisite for Preachers 2. Of Knowledge 3. Of Charitie 4. Of Constancy and Perseuerance 5. Of Contempt of all worldly vanities 6. Of perfect power First The gift of tongues First languages and readinesse of speech i. e. that as by the confusion of tongues the world was diuided at the building of Babell so by the helpe of the Preachers tongues the world might bee revnited and made one sheepe-fold in the building of Gods Church Secondly that these men might not offend in their tongues Thirdly that they might be the better able to teach profound and heauenly doctrine which they that want the tongues or languages cannot so easily attaine vnto And fourthly that none might bee able to resist the words of their mouthes Luke 12.11 as our Sauiour saith I will giue vnto you a mouth or tongue which your aduersaries shall not be able to withstand Secondly Knowledge Iohn 16.13 Perfecta virtus non est sine cognitione veritatis Bernard Secondly the gift of Knowledge whereby they might know all truth not of politicke and state matters but of all truth necessary for this office to edifie the Church which is the chiefest knowledge that wee should aime at or else all truth euery way because they should know him which is all truth i. e. Iesus Christ and I desire to know nothing else I will bee contented to be accounted a foole in all things else so he will giue me this gift only to know him alone Thirdly Charity 1 Cor. 8.1 Hugo de S. Vict. misc l. 1. tit 73. Thirdly the gift of Charity Quia quaerentes verum non bonum non inuenient summum bonum because knowledge without charity puffeth vp and the seeking to know the truth and not labouring to be good will neuer bring vs to the chiefest good and because of all men wee are most hated and standered and haue all occasions offered vs to make vs hate all wicked men therefore God diffuseth this gift of loue and charity into our hearts that notwithstanding all our indignity we doe still loue them better then they doe loue themselues and doe spend our whole time to doe them good and are ready to lay downe our liues for the brethren Fourthly Constancy Fourthly the gift of constancy and perseuerance because as knowledge and euery other gift without charity is nothing worth so charity and all other workes without perseuerance will auaile vs nothing Reuel 2.10 because wee must bee faithfull vnto death if wee would haue the crowne of life and therefore God doth giue vs this gift of Constancy to continue so in our vocation that neither want Rom. 8.39 nor contempt nor life nor death nor any other thing shall separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus Fiftly contempt of vanities Fiftly the gift of contemning worldly vanities for seeing it is the property of the world to esteeme of vs no better then of the scumme and off-scouring of the world euery one of vs except hee be great in wealth and honours is contemned of his owne kinred of his owne people in his owne house where hee dwelleth and of those very men whom he teacheth and for whom as a burning light he consumeth himselfe that they should not bee consumed with sinne therefore the Lord giueth vs this gift and spirit contemnere contemni to despise all contempts and to regard none of the vaine and variable things of this wicked world Sixtly the gift of perfect power Sixtly Perfect power that to the penitent and deiected to the humble and contrite hearts they might open the gates of heauen and let them in in despight of all the deuils of hell and that against the obstinate and rebellious sinners Matth. 16.19 they might close and shut the same that notwithstanding all their wealth and wit their strength and power they may be excluded out of the ioyes of heauen And so these are the gifts Ministers indued with these gifts which God giueth vnto his Church for the gathering together of his Saints And indeed What a great gift it is to bestow able ministers vpon this Church howsoeuer the world vilipendeth them and as the Prophet saith doth make but a iesting song of them yet if we truly obserue it wee shall easily finde it that among all the gifts of God which he now giueth vnto men from heauen the sending of faithfull and able Ministers indued with these gifts to discharge their duties is the chiefest gift and doth obtaine the chiefest place for alas without them what were we vnbaptized still wallowing in our sins and filthinesse vntaught still inuolued in ignorance vnvnited to Christ still chained in the hands of Satan without profession without religion without God And therefore it was not without cause Matth. 9.38 that our Sauiour exhorteth vs to pray vnto God that he would send forth labourers into his vineyard for otherwise hee knew that in a very short time it would grow wilde and in stead of grapes to bring forth wilde grapes in stead of mercy and iudgement to bring forth cruelty and oppession and in stead of piety and religion to bring forth nothing else but idolatry and superstition It is reported of Phillip King of Macedon that he sent vnto the Athenians to send him all their Orators of Athens and he would euer liue in league and peace with them and the wise Senators being ready to deliuer those learned men into the hands of their mortall enemy Demosthenes said vnto them that on a time the Wolues said vnto the Sheepe that they conceiued no ill thought against them but only for retaining those dogs which were their deadly enemies and oftentimes barked against themselues which were their feeders and therefore if they would deliuer vp their dogs into their hands they should free themselues from their barking and they would
Thirdly for a sensible and a well-pleasing suffering of all afflictions wants pouertie losses persecutions malice contempt contumelies pouertie death it selfe and that not for any game of worldly good for so worldings suffer much losse of sleepe labour and toyle to get a little wealth the drunkard many a fall and some hurts for the loue of his pleasant wine and the enuious man many a blow and some wounds perhaps to wreak his malice vpon his aduersarie and yet in these men which doe thus suffer much that they may doe euill nec miranda nec laudanda est patientia quae nulla est admirandâ— duritia neganda patientia Aug in l. de patientia c. 5. their patience is neither to be admired nor to bee commended because it is a suffering for ill ends but our suffering must be for to shew vnto the world that rather then we will in the least degree dishonor God or make shipwrack of our faith and good conscience we are most willing to indure whatsoeuer shall be imposed vpon vs. All these kindes of diuine patience the holy spirit of God worketh in the hearts of the godly to make them patiently to waite for good Iob. 1.22 and quietly to suffer all euill and all this without grumbling or charging God foolishly CHAP. III. Of the formes wherein the holy Ghost appeared and why and how the Apostles are said to be filled with the holy Ghost FOr the third that is The gifts of edifying the Church how giuen how God bestoweth these gifts vnto men we must vnderstand that as his gifts be diuers so he doth diuersly bestow them for First those gifts which are giuen for the edifying of his Church he gaue them after two speciall manner of waies 1. Abundantly and visibly in the infancie of his Church 2. Sufficiently and inuisibly euer since First the Scripture tells vs Acts 2.1 2 3 4. that when the day of Pentecost was come they were with one accord in one place and suddenly there came a sound from Heauen as of a mightie rushing winde and it filled all the house where they were sitting and there appeared vnto them clouen tongues like as of fire and it sate vpon each of them and they were all filled with the holy Ghost and beganne to speake with other tongues as the spirit gaue them vtteranee Out of all which we may chiefely obserue these three speciall poynts 1. Who were filled 2. With what they were filled 3. The effects of their filling First Saint Chrysostome saith that all the companie both of men and women were filled with these graces Cyprian ser de spiritu sancto Saint Cyprian saith the whole multitude of the beleeuers that were gathered together were replenished with this spirit Saint Augustine Saint Gregorie and Lorinus saith that all the Apostles and Disciples were filled with the holy Ghost Hieron in epitaph Paulae but Saint Hierome and Theod. Beza and others do affirme that none but the Apostles onely were replenished with these gifts howsoeuer the matter is not great it deserues not contention though it may afford discussion for mine owne part I thinke all that were there Who were filled with the holy Ghost on the day of Pentecost were not replenished because it is said many of the beholders wondered and others derided at this there sudden alteration which certainely they would neuer haue donne because there had beene none to doe it if they had bin all filled and I cannot easily yeeld that the Disciples were filled with these gifts because the promise of sending downe the holy Ghost was onely made vnto the Apostles as we may easily collect out of the fift verse of the first Chapter and because Saint Peter with the other Eleuen doe onely stand vp to answer for themselues as we may plainely see in the fourth verse of the second Chapter and especially because some antient copies haue bin found which doe expressely say that all the Apostles were filled with the holy Ghost And 1 Cor. 13.32 God can blesse or preserue his seruants in the midst of the wicked This sheweth how the spirit of the Prophets are subiect to the Prophets and that as God can powre downe his plagues vpon multitudes of men and yet preserue one free in the midst of thousands as the Prophet Dauid sheweth so he can powre down his spirit vpon one in the midst of millions of men and hee can bedewe that one with his grace like Gedeons fleece while all the rest are drie Iudges 61.38 and destitute of the same which doth exceedingly commend the wise dispensation of almighty God and affoord a great comfort vnto the Saints of Christ that although they liue in the midst of a most crooked and peruers generation yet they may see how God can preserue them as the lilie in the midst of the thornes and indue them with his grace when all the rest of the world flowes with sinne Secondly they are sayd to bee filled with the holy Ghost where we must obserue these two things 1. The thing wherewith they are sayd to be filled 2. The filling of them with that thing First they are said to bee filled with the holy Ghost and we finde that the name of the holy Ghost is taken two wayes 1. For the essence of the holy Ghost 2. For the effects and gifts of the holy Ghost First it is taken for the essence of the holy Ghost as by the spirit of the Lord were the heauens made That the holy Ghost is a true God by nature and in this sence all creatures are filled with the holy Ghost because they liue and moue in him for the spirit of the Lord filleth the world and containeth all things saith the wise man And yet some haue bin so bolde as most impiously to affirme that the holy Ghost was but a created qualitie or a godly motion in the hearts and mindes of righteous men But the very works of the holy Ghost as creating all things as Iob sheweth the spirit of the Lord hath made me Iob. 33. and the breath of the Almighty hath giuen me life and as the Prophet Dauid more expressely affirmeth saying that by the spirit of the Lord were the Heauens made and all the Host thereof by the breath of his mouth Psal 33. and here assuming on him visible formes and sitting vpon each one of the Apostles onely and none els which no created qualitie could possibly doe and especially the comparing of Esayas words with the words of Saint Paul will sufficiently confute this damnable error and most manifestly shew vnto vs this holy spirit to be the true and eternall God Esay 6.9 for whom Esayas calleth the Lord of Hosts which said vnto him Goe tell this people heare yee indeede but vnderstand not and see yee indeed but perceiue not Saint Paul calleth the holy Ghost saying well spake the holy Ghost by Esayas the Prophet saying Goe vnto this
of vs. 118 All the excellencies of Christs man-hood were created excellencies 146 God expressed to Moses what he is three manner of wayes 121 Examples of Gods mercy in seeking after sinners 181 We should carefully examine whether we loue God or not 189 Examples of Gods slownesse to punish sin 194 Good examples a great meanes to further godlinesse 360 Three sorts of men excluded from the Paschall Lambe 682 Excellency of diuine truth 215 EK The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whether rightly translated created or not 287 FA. THree faculties of the soule of man 53 Euery faculty of the soule defiled by sinne ibid. Fathers how they extoll the power of God ibid. Faith seeth what reason perceiueth not 176 God called Father of mercies neuer called Father of vengeance and why 195 Faults of some not to be ascribed vnto all 221 God the Father alwayes begetteth the Sonne 275 The name of Father taken two wayes 278 God the Father of Christ not as he is our Father 291 The Father how greater then Christ 300 Father sent not Christ by way of command 301 Christ the fairest among the sons of men 353 Family from whence Christ descended 396 c. Faults of the Disciples Christ would not reueale 466 Faith foure-fold 647 Iustifying faith the properties of it 648 FE That we should feare our Lord. 131 That we should aswell feare Gods iustice as hope for his mercy 244 Feare is two-fold 355 Feare and sorrow how they differ 449 What Christ feared 450. 455 c. Whom we neede not feare 538 God in what sence to be feared 539 Magistrates and parents in what sence to be feared 538 Feare brought into the world by sinne 540 God how he ought to be feared 541 That we ought to feare in euery state of grace lapse and recouerie 441 FI. Fire and sinne cannot be concealed 20 Fire and sinne not resisted will necessarily increase 22 Christ in what respect sayd to be the first begotten Sonne of God 291 That we should striue to be the first in Gods seruice 590 Apostles onely filled with the holy Ghost on the day of Pentecost 658 Fiue kindes of kisses 460 FL. Flesh apt to conceiue sin 14 Flesh taken for the corrupted qualitie of man 8 Flesh of Christ made by all the three persons of the Trinity 325 Flesh diuers kindes 339 Our flesh assumed by Christ 369 Flesh of Christ how said to be Deified 369 How said to doe diuine operations 389 Christ how flouted by all men 481 482 Flesh the tenderer the more sensible of paine 483 FO Forgetfulnesse an infernall Fiend 60 To forbeare to punish sinne increaseth the number of sinners 90 Fore-sight of good and euill is not the cause of punishment or reward of either 95 Heathens fâ—lsly ascribed to Fortune what is true of God 139 To forgiue sinne the greatest worke of Gods power 140 God able to forgiue sinnes ibid. In the forgiuing of sinnes many particulars to be considered 183 God forgiuâ—th all sinnes or no sinne 184 God cannot forget to be mercifull ibid. Foâ—giuenâ—sse of sinnes our chiefest comfort 224 That wee ought to forgiue one another 236 And to foâ—get all iniuries ibid. Our foâ—e fathers how they exceeded vs in deuotion 731 To be in the forme of God is to be very G â— 280 To lay a good foundation the best way to teach 392 Fortitude of the women seeking Christ 521 Christ in heauen forgetteth not his seruants on earth 629 Foure points handled touching the power of God 13â— Foure sorts of men erre about the doctrine of Gods power 135 Foure speciall graces bestowed vpon the elect 204 Foure kindes of redemption 500 Foure sorts of ascenders 609 Foure-fold end of Christs ascention 639 Foure points considered about the gifts of God 640 Foure signes of fulnesse 665 Foure-fold feales or signes wherewith Saints are sealed 669 Foure sorts or receiuers of the Sacraments 680 FR. Christ assumed all our humane frailties 351 Friends of Christ how dearly he loued them 488 God expecteth not the like fruits from all men 602 The Saints are freed from all their enemies 636 Christ freeth vs from Satan to place vs in his owne seruice ibid. We are not freed from Satan to doe what we list 637 FV. Fury of the wicked restrained 178 All men are full of somethings 665 GA. WHy Christ went to the garden of Gethsemane to bee taken and what befell him there 441 Gaufredus Clareuallensis what he said 613 GI Gifts of God of two sorts 192 641 Hee giueth spirituall gifts to the godly ibid. And temporall gifts to the wicked ibid. Gifts of God are free gifts 640 Diuersly bestowed 523 Euery man should be contented with the gifts God giueth him 523 Diuersity of gifts among the Apostles and Fathers ibid. Gifts requisite for Preachers 641 Gifts to edifie the Church how giuen 657 Speciall gifts of God whereby the elect are saued vnpossibly to be knowne 646 Gifts of prayer the chiefest of all Gods graces 730 Gifts of the Magi what they shewed Christ to be 413. GE. Generation of Christ two-fold 288. Gentiles were not altogether ignorant of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 311 What they writ of this name of Christ 312 313 Gentiles how they might come to the knowledge of this word 313 3â—4 Gentiles expected the comming of the Messias 316 412 Generality of Christ his suffering 483 GO God how said to bee the Father of Spirits 6 Goâ—ly mens sinning differ in three things from the wicked 35 36 Godly life maketh a happy death 82 God loueth righteousnesse 90 No respect of persons 91 Most iust ibid. Iudgeth euery man according to his desert 92 How great and how mighty he is 102 How ineffable 125 A most faithfull performer of all his promises 127 How he guideth and gouerneth all things 138 Of his owne nature most intelligible 120 To vs incomprehensible 120 121 That there is but one God proued many wayes 269 270 God onely to be prayed vnto 710 Christ no titular but a true God by nature proued 278 279 280 c. To deny the God-head of Christ what a hainous sinne 305 God-head of Christ suffered not but sustained the man-hood to suffer 438 485 The godly how they doe ascend 614 Loue of goodnesse should make vs hate sin 66 Goodnesse of God to man how incomprehensible 101 103 Good and godly men ought to be cherished and promoted 110 Goodnesse what it is 196 Goodnesse of things two-fold 197 God good to all things 197 Perfectly absolutely and vniuersally good 198 Nothing absolutely good but God ibid. Goodnesse of God two-fold 198 Generall goodnesse of God seene in two things 198 All things made good in their kinde 199 Good for some vse yet not vniuersally good ibid. Goodnesse of God withholdeth the wicked from many sinnes suspendeth our iust deserued punishments 200 How it extendeth it selfe to all men 201 Yet not alike good to all men 202 Gods speciall goodnesse seene in two things 203 It preserueth the Saints
our death what it doth 82 Mediators two sorts 296 Mediator betwixt God and man to bee like God and like man 320 Christ a perfect mediator 341 Theesame measure of effectuall grace must worke the same effect in all men 209 Our meaning is accepted where meanes are wanting 232 Meditation of Christs Passion what it effecteth 421. 422 c. Most acceptable vnto Christ 421 Expelleth sinne 423 Kindleth our loue to God 424 Supporteth our hope 426 The same measure of grace not giuen to all men 602 Meanes to bring vs to our end decreed as well as our end 654 The Apostles receiued not the same measure of grace 667 The same measure of fruits God expecteth not from all men 668 Melchisedech who he was 330 No inhabitant of Canaan 330. 331 That he was Iesus Christ the Son of God in the shape of man proued 331 c. Memnons heresie 343 Merit of Christs suffering how to bee considered 502 All men of note vnder the old Testament types of Christ 258 To hope for mercie and to neglect Gods seruice vaine presumption 717. Mercie and peace how they pleaded for man 319 Mercie in God what it signifieth 180 Mercie of God how it sought Adam and many more when they sinned 180 c. Mercie of God magnified 182 It consisteth chiefly in three things 182 It is euerlasting two waies 184 The best stay to relie vpon 185 How it qualifieth punishments 186 Found in all places and in all creatures 188 Mercie of God two-fold 188 How God is onely mercifull to them that loue him ibid. It proceedeth naturally from God 195 How it pleadeth for sinners ibid. How largely it extendeth it selfe 223 Mercies of God innumerable and immeâ—surable 223 Lasting for euer and euer ibid. Mercie of God teacheth vs to bee affrayd to sinne 225 God more mercifull then we are sinnefull 226 We ought to imitate God in the workes of mercie 228 Mercy how scarce among men ibid. Workes of mercie of two sorts 232 Motiues to perswade vs to be mercifull 223 Mercie makes vs like to God ibid. Scarce amongst vs. ibid. That it is no mercie to spare wicked men 235 Messias expected by the Gentiles 316 MI. Able ministers what a great gift 643 We ought to pray for our ministers 737 Ministers subiect to the greatest miseries 74 The manifold miseries of all Ages 68 Of infancie 68. Of child-hood 68. 69. Of youth 69. Of man-hood 70. Of old age 70 71 The miseries of al estates 71. Of the poore 72. Of the rich 72. Of meane men 73. Of the nobilitie ibid. Of the common people ibid. Of the Magistrates ibid. Of the Ministers 74 How Christ suffered all miseries 260 MO. Christ how mocked vpon the Crosse 481 MV How Christ multiplied the loaues of bread 174 To murmure against God what a haynous sinne 139 MY Mysterie of clothing Christ in white explained 473 Mysterie of the Trinitie why not fully reuealed at first 272 Misteries of faith how farre past the reach of a naturall man 59 NA NAture is wholy defiled 4 Nature can neuer procure the gifts of grace 64 Nature teacheth vs to punish sinne 90 Nature notable to shew the reason how the world should be made 138 The nature of all things good 197 Nature relieueth the part most distressed 451 To the nature of God what things are repugnant 152 Two natures in our Sauiour Christ 363 Confirmed 365. 366. By nature wee are alike indifferent to all sinnes 204 Abstract names of all excellencies most proper vnto God 122. 294 Jehoua the essentiall name of God 123 Name of God taken two waies 296 All names of dignitie in the old Testament types of Christ 258 Christ came from Nathan and not from Salomon 398 NE. Negatiue precepts 365. 230 Necâ—ssitie three-fold 491 How it was necessarie for Christ to suffer 493 Nestorius his heresie 374 Wherein he affirmed the vnion of the two natures of Christ to subsist 375 His heresie confuted 376 How he was deceiued about the person of Christ 619 NI Christ borne in the night time and why 406 NO Nominall relation of the three Persons of the Trinitie maketh a true distinction of the persons 278 Nouatus his heresie 112 Why hee thought sinnes of recidiuation should not be pardoned 593 OB. MAny obseruations about the manner of his crucifying 489 Obstinate sinners how hardly reclaimed 463 Obedience of Christ seene in the incarnation of Christ 358 Obiections of the Arrians against the eternall God-head of Christ answered 284. c. OF We offend God for trifles 105 Officers not to be made but of the best and godliest men 109 Office of the Word to declare the minde of God 312 What we should offer vnto Christ 415 OL. Old age described and the miseries thereof 71 ON One sinne brings death 3â— OM. Omnisciencie cannot be communicated to any creature 156 OP Oppressing the poore what a fearefull sin 240 To oppose the knowne truth what a horrible sinne 240 The euill that oppresseth man is two-fold 321 OR Originall corruption how traduced 4 Hard to be expressed 5 Order obserued by God in all things 324 PA. HOw painefull to walke in the wayes to hell 100 Christ made passible the first degree of his passion 438 Patience and mercy of God shewed by two passages of Scripture 196 Patience necessary to retayne the truth 218 No sinner excluded from hope of pardon 224 Good Parents leaue the best patrimonie vnto their children 224 Christ the perfect patterne of all vertue 260 Meditation of Christs passion what it effecteth 421 422. c. Cause of passions two fold 443 Passions of man how they inuade him will he nill he but not Christ 444 Passions of man how they blinde and distract him but not Christ 445 Our Parents neuer to be forgotten 488 All the particulars of Christ his passions vnpossible to be expressed Patience in suffering more respected of God then our suffering 520 Patience what an excellent gift 655 Patience two-fold 655 Christ set vs downe a perfect patterne of prayer 718 PE. Chiefest perfection of man consisteth in the will of man 53 Perplexities of the wicked at their death-time 80 A most earnest perswasion to forsake sinne 87 God a faithfull performer of all his promises 227 358 Each person of the Trinity a true Iehoua 123 124 Three persons in the one essence of God 272 The three persons of the Trinity distinguished two waies 274 Person of Christ how alwaies abused by Satan and all heretickes 304 What is true of the person of Christ is not alwaies true being restrayned to the body of Christ 344 Christ conceiued a perfect man in the first moment of his conception 337 Christ was in all respects a perfect man 340 Peters infirmities manifold 467 Why suffered to fall 468 How restored by Christ ibid. Persecutors of Christ how plagued 558 Petition of the theefe on the crosse how soone granted 487 People how they desired the death of Christ 495 Person of Christ how excellent he was
the offender 37 Curious questions not to be discussed 627 RA. RAge of the Iewes against the dead corps of Christ 482 Christ onely raised himselfe from the dead 552 RE. Regenerate men haue a double being 6 Repentance the best meanes to reuiue our dying soules 51 52 Repentance killeth sinne 82 God no respecter of persons 91 God easie to be reconciled 191 Men cannot repent when they will 242 Christ would not reueale himselfe vnto the world all at once 259 Certaine resemblances of the Trinity seene in the creatures 273 Christ how he reconcileth vs to himselfe 297 How the word God resembleth our outward and inward word 308 God reuealed many things concerning himselfe to the Gentiles 313 The Deuils reuealed many things concerning God to the Gentiles why 313 315 Christ would not reueale his seruants shame 466 Reiection of the Iewes grieued Christ 454 Regeneration not needfull vnto Christ 364 To receiue the outward Sacraments and not the grace of the Sacraments is nothing worth 681 Heretickes receiue neither Christ nor the Sacraments of Christ 682 Worthy receiuers of the Sacraments receiue Christ and all his graces 682 We may receiue Christ without the Sacraments 680 Request of the thiefe how soone granted 487 What small things God requireth of vs. 99 To relye on God in afflictions how safe 489 Redemption foure-fold 500 To redeeme vs how dearely it cost 50 Our redemption paraleleth our creation 557 Resurrection of Christ shewed by the Angell 543 Resurrection of Christ manifesteth the conquest of Satan deliuerance of men and Christ to haue ouercome all his enemies 551 Resurrection of Christ the third day foreshewed 553 How ascribed to each person of the Trinity ibid. Resurrection of Christ the third day confirmeth our faith in foure respects 556 Certainty of Christs Resurrection shewed in his rising the third day 557 Resurrection of Christ the third day is a patterne of our condition 544 Resurrection of Christ sought to be hindered by the high Priests 563 Resurrection of Christ beleeued of vs for three respects 566 Proued many wayes 567 c. Resurrection of Christ a patterne to teach vs how to rise from sinne 587 A cause of great ioy 598 An assurance of our resurrection to eternall life 598 Resurrection of Christians twofold 586 Relapsing or often falling into the same sinnes how dangerous 549 RI. Riches haue destroyed many men and what euill they doe 73 Riches or pouerty whether best ibid. No man truly Rich. â—81 Christ truly rich ibid. God loueth righteousnesse 90 The more righteous we be the more subiect to be afflicted 434 Christ to rise againe for three reasons 550 Typicall Testimonies that Christ should rise the third day 554 Christ himselfe shewed that he should rise the third day ibid. To rise from the dead greater then to descend from the Crosse 562 We should rise truly from sinne and from all sinnes 591 592 Ro. Rossensis his parable to Henery the eight of the axe that came to the trees for a handle 589 SA SAcraments a most excellent meanes to beget grace 679 They shew all that the Scriptures teach ibid. Euery sacrifice should be perfect 341 Sacriledge what a fearefull sinne 241 Saints preserued from sinne by the power of God 178 More glorious in aduersity then prosperity 207 They alwayes prayed to Christ 283 Saints at their death supported by God 447 Salomon speaketh of a two-fold generation of Christ 288 His words the Lord created me how vnderstood 286 Salomons posterity for his sinnes were finished in Iechonias 399 Saluation how we ought to thirst after it 488 Saluation by none but by Christ 501 Rabbi Samuel what he saith concerning Christ 579 Sanctification what it is 208 Samosatenian heresie 363 Satan how said to ascend 910 He lifteth vp the wicked to destroy them 612 His subtilty to deceiue the people 644 He ought to be spied before he comes too neere vs 13 He is the Father of sinne 14 He suggesteth sinne diuers wayes 12 He laboureth to conceale the light either of preaching or of applying Gods word 18 How he handleth the wicked at the time of their death 80 He cannot doe what he would 178 How he alwayes laboureth to vilifie the person of Christ 304 His insolency against Christ 322 His enuy against Christ and why 493 494 Without satisfaction no sinne can be pardoned 163 SC. Holy Scripture wholly true 215. 216 The best warrant for all Preachers 606 Scourging of Christ how grieuous it was 475 Christ how scoffed vpon the Crosse 481 SE. To search too farre into Gods essence is not safe 124 Seede of the parents the substance of the whole man 340 Seed of the man whether it falleth into the substance of the childe 340 God seeking after vs should make vs to seeke for him 181 God not to seene with any materiall eyes 117 Wee shall not see Gods essence in heauen but in the face of Iesus Christ 118 All men are euer seeking something 524 Godly men seeke onely for God â—25 Many seeke him amisse 526 Many seeke Christ amisse ibid. How we ought to seeke for Christ 526 521 c. That we cannot seeke for God vntill God doth seeke for vs. 529 Why the wicked seeke not God 531 Sensitiue facultie soone defileth the reasonable soule 17 Christ not sent by way of command 301 Seneca what he said 66 Sentence of Christ his condemnation 478 Senate of Rome lothe to derogate from the worth of Augustus 504 To serue sinne a most grieuous slauerie 22 Seruetus his heresie 343 To serue God the greatest good that wee can doe vnto our children 253 It procureth all blessings to vs. 132 Not to serue God heapeth all plagues vpon vs. 133 We were redeemed and preserued that we might serue him 132 It is the onely way to perpetuate our posterities 399 Late seruice God will hardly accept and why 587. 588 The seauen words of Christ vpon the Crosse 486 SH Shamefull handling of Christ how it grieued him 450 Shame of sinne cast off wee are almost past hope of goodnesse 20 Shedding of mans blood what a heauie sinne 240 Shepherds why first informed of the birth of Christ 412 SI Sight of sinne is no sinne 15 Sicknesse of the soule how worse then the sicknesse of the body 63 A signe why giuen by Judas 461 Signes how we may know whether wee bee ascended any thing towards heauen or not 632 Signes of a faithfull teacher 466 Similies expressing how the word alone assumed our flesh 327 A simile of Damascus and Theodorus shewing how the two natures of Christ though vnited doe remaine inconfused 388 Sinne is so vgly that at the first the sinner himselfe would faine conceale it 18 To be resisted at the first 23 It blindeth vs that we cannot perceiue it's vglinesse 42 At last it tormenteth the consciences of all sinners 42 How vgly and loathsome it is 47 Euerie sinne payeth the same wages 46 Sinnes the diseases of the soule 63 It extinguished all knowledge of God
children of the wicked not punished for their fathers sinnes 247 A childe how conceiued in the wombe 337 God chooseth no man in respect of any thing that is in man 211 Christ the word the summe of all things 258 Signified by all the most memorable things of the old Testament 258 Christ would not reueale himselfe to the world all at once â—59 To know him is the onely thing that makes vs happy ibid. Christ despised all vanities 260 Suffered all miseries ibid. Christ the most perfect patterne of all vertue 260 Christ knowne suppresseth all vices 261 He alone is all sufficient to supply all our neede 262 Without Christ the whole world will auaile vs nothing 263 Christ onely should be preached by all Preachers 266 The Name of Christ should be alwayes in our mouthes to be honored not to be blasphemed 267 Christ in the Father not as we are in the Father 270 Christ a true God proued 278. 279. c. Christ is truely rich 281 Christ created all things and gouerneth all things 283 Christ prayed vnto 283 Christ began to be a God existing in the manhood when he was made flesh 248 Christ no accidental but an essential word 285 Christ how he may be said to be created and begotten 289 Christ made the beginning of our wayes 288 Christ demaunds the earth as man and giueth heauen as God 290 Christ how the first begotten and how the onely begotten Sonne of God 291 Christ how God of himselfe 293 How said to be with God and in God 298 Christ equall to the Father 299 Christ after what manner conceiued 335. Not of the Essence but by the vertue of the Holy Ghost ibid. Christ conceiued a perfect man in the first moment of his conception 337 How wonderfully he was made man ibid. Christ why conceiued of a Virgin 338 How he commeth from Adam ibid. Christ made a perfect man 340 That he had a true body 341 c. Christ made subiect to all humane frailties 351 Christ how hee hath performed all things for vs. 360 Christ an infallible patterne for all men to imitate 360 Christ brought vs more good then we lost in Adam 361 Christ how made inuisible vnto the Iewes 387 Christ how he came in the dores being shut ibid. How he walked vpon the seas 388 How he appeared to S. Paul 388. 389. c. Christ came from Nathan and not from Salomon 3â—8 Christ why born in the raigne of Augustus 404 Why in the sixt age of the world 403 Why in December 405 Christ what manner of person he was 429 That he was a man ibid. A iust man ibid. A good man 430 A King a Priest a Prophet 431 A true and eternall God 432 Christ his sufferings expressed 436. c. His whole life a continuall suffering 437 Christs sufferings chiefly in three places 437 Christ suffered in soule ibid. Christs first degree of suffering in being made passible 438 Christs sufferings most admirable 439 Christ why he went out to be taken 439 Why out of the citie 440 Why into the garden 441 Christ whether wholly destitute of all diuine assistance 447 How lightly he esteemed of death 446 Christ how by his death he ouercame death 84 Christ deliuered from what he feared 448 Christ to vndergoe the punishment of all others ibid. Christ how he sought to reclaime Iudas 461. c. Christ how handled presently after he was taken 464 Christ why he chose Iudas to be his Apostle 459 Christ how crowned with thornes 475 Christ why he came not down from the Crosse 481 Christ dead is still persecuted raged at 482 Christ how said to be euery where 540 Christ no where to be found but in the Church 545 Church the fittest place for publique prayers 711 Church how to rule her children 520 Church how subiect to afflictions 520 CL. Clytoriaâ— Well what it effecteth 528 Cloathing Christ in white what it signified 473 CO. Comforts that we haue from Christ his being subiect to infirmities 361. 362 Whatsoeuer God commandeth is no sinne 166 God compelleth not his seruants to doe good 530 To compell others to sinne the practise of most wicked sinners 25 Manner of Christ his comming to iudgement 622 623 Gods commandements few short light and profitable 99 The least comfort denied in hell 87 What communicates most goodnesse vnto others is euer best 197 That we should confesse our sinnes 113 Conuersion to God not to be deferred 24 That we should confesse our sinnes the diuell cannot abide 28 An excellent consideration of Saint Augustine 51 Consciences of the wicked opened before they die 80 We can conceiue but the least part of Gods excellencie 118 What are contrariâ— to the nature of God 152 How contradictories destroy each other 153 God cannot doe contradictories proued 154 That we should not contest about trifles 265 Consultation in heauen about the restitution of man 319 God worketh one contrarie out of another 351 Contentednesse requisite in any state 410 Conception of Christ ineffable 336 Consideration of Christs sufferings most admirable 439 Condemnation of all the infidels that would not beleeue in Christ grieued Christ 454 That we should condole the sufferings of Christ 506 Conuersion of a sinner first wrought by God 529 Conuersion of any man not to be despaired of 533 Contempt of vanities most requisite for Preachers 642 Constancie most requisite for Preachers 642 643 Conquest of Christ ouer Satan not onely by suffering but also trampling him vnder feete 583 Couetousnesse what a horrible sinne 460 To be auoided 704 Couenant with hell should be broken 26 Colours vsed by the ancients to expresse diuers things 474 The great courage of the Apostles presently after the resurrection of Christ 576 Corporall presence of Christ no where now but in heauen 545 Christ not corporally present in any secrets 546 547 Correction how burthensome to children 69 No cost to be spared to get truth 217 CR. All creatures heape miseries on man 74 All creatures haue their being from God 125 The creatures haue many impressions of Gods goodnesse infixed in them 256 All creatures how inriched with good 201 Foure crying sinnes 41 No creature can be capable of infinitenesse or of infinite perfections 156 Crueltie of Satan against the Preachers 644 CV Custome of ancient times to expresse our mindes by visible signes 680 Cup that Christ was to drinke of what it was 444 Cup which dranke vp killed Christ but ouerceme not Christ 449 Curiositie to be shunned in searching out the manner of diuine mysteries 277 Curiositie to be auoided in searching what God is 122 124 Custome of sinning makes the sinner bold to sinne 20 It makes the greatest sinnes seeme no sins 21 It bindeth vs in sinne 22 It indammageth the soule 23 And makes the sinners almost incurable 65 DA. DAmage receiued by Adam two-fold 3 What a danger it is to neglect publique prayers 717 Dauids words This day haue I begotten thee how to be vnderstood 290 Dangerous to
reproue great men 233 Who most subiect to dangers 433 Daughters of sinne are two 82 In the day of Christs natiuitie three things obseruable 435 DE. Death the fruit of sinne 2 Seauen deadly sinnes 40 By death is contained all that is vnder the curse of God 47 67 Death three-fold 49 Death of the soule three-fold 53 Death what it is 67 How largely it extendeth it selfe 75 How vnresistable it is ibid. How expressed by the Egyptians 76 How it shortens life diuers wayes 77 How it taketh men of all ages 78 How it smiteth in euery place 79 How comfortable it is to the godly 79 How terrible to the wicked 80 How it equalizeth the bodies of all men 81 Death of Christ the sole cause that maketh our death happy vnto vs. 84 Death eternall what it is 86 Death of Christ a sufficient satisfaction for the greatest sinnes 164 Death how little Christ respected it 446 Saints at their death supported by God 447 Death of the crosse grieuous in foure respects 479 480 Death of Christ maketh the wicked without excuse 504 Certainty of Christs death shewed in that her rose not til the third day 556 Deceit of sinne how great 44 Deceits no deceits vnlesse cunningly carried 461 Deformitie of sinne greater then we can comprehend 107 Deferring of Christs suffering grieued Christ 451 Wicked men how they deceiue themselues 517 God a debter to no man 531 To defend the truth with the hazard of all that we haue 217 Why God deferreth to giue vs what we desire 723 Delight in sinne maketh vs exceeding sinfull 15 Our deliuerances from punishments to be ascribed to Gods goodnesse 203 God deliuereth not alwaies his deerest Saints from afflictions 206 Christ deliuered from what he feared 448 To derogate from Gods power how great a sinne 161 God denieth his grace vnto the children for their Fathers sinnes 251. Why. 252 Why God denieth what we aske 725 To descend from the crosse easier then to rise from the graue 562 Descention of Christ into hell handled 580. 581 c. proued by Scripture and by the stimonie of antiquitie 484. 618 That Christ descended before hee could ascend 609 Why Christ descended not from the crosse 481 We ought to despaire of no mans conuersion 533 Descending of Christ signifieth the assuming of our flesh 301 Description of God by way of negation affirmation and super eminencie 121 Desire to sinne is an act done 96 Desperate men thinke God cannot forgiue them 139 We ought neuer to despaire of mercie 226 To despaire what a haynous sinne 228 Saints desired nothihg but Christ 264 Demosthenes his Parable vnto the Athenians of the wolues request vnto the sheepe 644 Of the young man that hired an Asse to Megara 678 DI. Christ whether hee died for all men and how 505 To die to sinne what it is 50 a punishment for sinne ibid. To die in sinne what it is 51 Difference betwixt spirituall and eternall punishment 250 How the word God differeth from our Word 309 A great difference betwixt appearing in the forme of man and to be made man 329 Difference betwixt assuming flesh and to bee made flesh 345 Difference betwixt the two-fold generations of Christ and of the Saints 364 Difference betwixt Law and Gospell 3â—4 Difference betwixt the sinnes of the godly and the wicked three-folde 35 Difference betwixt feare and sorrow 449 Philosophers most diligent to attaine to all kinde of knowledge 315 How diligent we ought to be to know Christ 393 Dirt nothing so foule as sinne 52 Diseases of the soule what they be 63 Discontent with God what a heauie sinne 239 Disobedience to God what a haynous sinne 293 Disobedience to parents what a fearefull sinne 240 To distinguish of Gods power reconcileth diuers Authors 150 Dispertion of the Apostles grieued Christ 453 In distresse how wee ought to seeke vnto God 488 Disciples whether they stole Christ from the graue or not 562 Discretion how needfull for Preachers 696 Diuels know God and Christ and the mysterie of the Trinitie 314 Confest Gods power 162 DO Doctrine touching the person of Christ how alwaies opposed by Satan 304 Doctrine of diuinitie how deepe and difficult 392 Whatsoeuer God doth is no sinne 166 Doores being shut how Christ came in 387 Doubting of Gods goodnesse what a fearefull sinne 239 That we should neuer doubt of Gods promises 130 DR To draw neere to vs how God is said 165 M. Drusus desired all men might see what he did 604 EA EArth accursed for the sinne of man 48 EF. The effects that Christs sufferings should worke in vs. 505 EG Egyptians how they expressed death 76 EL. Electionis of some men not of all 203 The elect onely are effectually called 203 Elizabeth the wife of Zacharias of what Tribe she was 397 EN Enemies that besot the godly 177 Enuie of Satan against Christ 493 and why he enuied him 434 Enemies of Christ ascribe to him in mockery what he was in deed 432 433 Enemies of Christ what they testified of him 578 Enemies of man especially three 582 EP. Epicurus confest the world had beginning and shall haue ending 137 EQ Equalitie of sinnes confuted 37 Equitie of eternall punishment for a temporarie sinne shewed in two respects 97 Christ equall with the Father 299 ER. Error of the Philosophers touching the etertie of the world 136 Error of the Vbiquitaries touching the power of God 141 Error of the Iesuites about the power of God 141 Error of Pellagius about the abilitie of mans nature 63 64 Error of Nouatus about sins after Baptisme 112 Errors of the vulgar about the absolute power of God 151 Errors expelled by truth 215 Errors boulstered with lies 175 Error of Saint Gregorie and Saint Bernard confuted 94. 95 Error of Lactantius and Pellagius confuted 63 Error of the Philosophers Stoicks Arist Seleucus Hermias Hermog confuted 136 137 c. Error of the Vbiquitaries shewed 141 Confuted 155. Their Obiect anws 165 Error of Bellarmine and the Iesuites shewed 141. Their Obiections answered 172 c. Error of Saint Hierom. 330 ES. Essence of God in heauen cannot bee seene but in the face of Iesus Christ 118 Essence of God not safe to search too farre into it 124 Essence of God distinguished into three persons 272 The word essence deriued our of Scripture and vsed in Scripture 294 Christ of the same essence with his Father 292. Vnpossible to escape out of the hands of the Angels 337 ET Eternity of Christ proued and the obiections against the same answered 278 279 280 c. Eternall punishment how inflicted for a temporary sinne 94 EV. Eua beleeueth the Deuill 3 The euill that oppresseth euery sinner two-fold 321 Euangelist why hee saith the Word was made flesh rather then man 349 Eutichian heresie what it was 367 c. EX Excuses of sinners to iustifie themselues 24 Excuses of sinners to lessen sinne 110 Examples of wilfull and spitefull sinners 33 Excellency of God cannot be conceiued