facilitate quanta faelicitate with as much easynes as happynes Desinunt ista non pereunt mors intermittit vitam non eripit Our bodies are left for a time but perish not death may discontinue life not conclude it Intermittitâ—… non interimitur it may be paused cannot be destroyed 2. Obserue that all the dead doe not rise but Many and those Saints The generall resurrection is reserued to the last day this a pledge or earnest of it Now who shall rise with this comfort none but Saints as here Christ takes no other company from the graues but Saints The dead in Christ shall rise first Christ is called The first borne from the dead He hath risen and his shall next follow him Euerie man in his owne order Christ the first fruits afterward they that are Christs at his comming Wormes and corruption shall not hinder he that sayd To Corruption thou art my mother and to the wormes you are my brethren and sisters sayd also I know that my Redeemer liueth and one day with these eyes I shall behold him The wicked shall also be raised though with horrour to looke vpon him whom they haue pierced But as Christ did here so will he at the last single out the Saints to beare him companie 3. This sheweth the true operation of Christs death in all men We are all dead in our sins as these bodies were in their graues now when Christs death becomes effectuall to our soules we rise againe and become new creatures From the graue of this world we come into the Church the holy Citie But thou complainest of the deadnes of thy hart it is well thou complainest there is some life or thou couldst not feele the deadnesse The houre is comming now is when the dead shall heare the voice of the Sonne of God and they that heare it shall liue If this word hath raysed thee from death and wrought spirituall life in thy heart thou shalt perceiue it by thy breathing words glorifying God by thy mouing in the waies to the workes of obedience 4 Obserue that these Saints which arose are sayd to haue Slept The death of the godly is often called a Sleepe So it is sayd of the Patriarches and Kings of Iudah they slept with their fathers So Paul saith they sleep in Christ. The Coffin is a couch In quo molliùs dormit qui benè in vita laborauit wherein hee takes good rest that hath wrought hard in the worke of his saluation before he went to bed Foelix somnus cum requie requies cum voluptate voluptas â—…um aeternitate It is a sweete sleepe that hath peace with rest rest with pleasure pleasure with euerlastingnes So the godly sleepe till the Sound of a Trumpet shall waken them and then eternall glory shall receiue them 5. Lastly obserue that Ierusalem is called the Holy citie though she were at this time a sinke of sinne and a debaushed harlot Either as some thinke that she is called holy because she was once holy So Rahab is called the harlot because she was a harlot Simon is termed the Leper for that hee was a leper and Mathew the Publican for that he was a Publican Or els she was called holy for the couenants sake in regard of the Temple sacrifices seruice of God and of the elect people of God that were in it Whence we may inferre how vnlawfull it is to separate from a Church because it hath some corruptions Is apostate Ierusalem that hath crucified her Sauiour called still the holy Citie and must England that departeth in nothing from the faith and doctrine of her Sauiour for some scarce discernible Imperfections be reiected as a foedifragous strumpet But there be wicked persons in it what then Shee may be still a holy Cittie Recedatur ab iniquitate non ab iniquis Let vs depart from sinne we cannot runne from sinners Thus we haue considered the Miracles let vs now looke into the causes wherefore they were wrought These may be reduced into fiue In respect of The Sufferer dying The Creatures obeying The Iewes persecuting The Women beholding The Disciples forsaking 1. In regard of Christ to testifie not onely his Innocencie but his Maiestie His Innocencie that hee was as Pilates wife acknowledged a Iust man His Maiestie as the Centurion confessed Seeing the earth quake and the things that were done Truely this was the Sonne of God He seemed a worme no man the contempt and derision of the people forsaken of his confidence in the midst of all God will not leaue him without witnesses but raiseth vp senseles creatures as Preachers of his deitie Est aterni filius qui illic pendet mortuus He that hangs there dead on the Crosse is the Sonne of the eternall God Rather then the children of God shall want witnesses of their integritie God will worke myracles for their testimonie 2. In regard of the Creatures to shew their Obedience to their Creator they are not wanting to him that gaue being to them These demonstrate it was their Lord that suffered and that they were ready to execute vengeance on his murderers The heauen that was darke would haue rained fire on them the earth that quaked shooke them to peeces the rockes that rent tumbled on them and the graues that opened to let out other prisoners haue swallowed them quicke They all waited but his command to performe this revengefull execution Who shall now dare to persecute Christ in his members The stones are thy enemies the earth gapes for thee hell it selfe enlargeth her iawes if the Lord but hisse to them they are suddenly in an vprore against thee Goe on in your malice ye raging persecutors you cannot wrong Christ no not in his very members but you pull the fists of all creatures in heauen earth and hell about your eares flies from the aire beasts from the earth poison from sustenance thunder from the clouds yea at last also though now they helpe you the very deuils from hell against you All creatures shoote their malignancie at them that shoot theirs at Christ. 3. In respect of the Iewes his enemies to shame and confound them The rockes and graues are moued at his passion not they Lapides tremunt homines fremunt The stones rent the huge earth quakes with feare the Iewes rage with malice We see how difficult it is to mollifie a hard heart harder then to remoue a mountaine raise the dead cleaue a rocke shake the whole earth It is a great mryacle to conuert a wicked man greater then rending of rockes Moses rod stroke a Rocke thrice and did it ministers haue stroke mens rocky harts three hundreth times and cannot The graues sooner open then the sepulchers of sinne and darkenes the vast earth sooner quakes then mens hearts at Gods iudgements 4. In respect of the women that stood by that their faith might be confirmed For seeing him on the Crosse at their mercie
vpon good cause for who but he can so well plead his own righteousnes whereby he hath iustified vs Therefore the Apostle calls him there our Propitiation he that wil be our Aduocate must also be our Propitiation no Saints or Angels can be a Propitiation for vs therefore no Saints or Angels can be our Aduocates Augustine sayes that if S. Iohn had offered himselfe to this office he had not been Apostolus sed Antichristus We obiect further Christs promise Whatsoeuer you shall aske the Father in my Name he will giue it you Not in Maries or Peters but in my Name Bellarmine answers that there may be a Mediator between disagreeing parties three waies 1. By declaring who hath the wrong and so there is no controuersie for all agree that GOD is the party grieued 2. By paying the Creditor for the Debter so Christ is alone Mediator 3. By desiring the Creditor to forgiue the Debter and in this sense he saies Angels and Saints are Mediators But this distinction is no other then Bellarmines mincing who indeed seemes to be ashamed of the blasphemous phrases in their Missals As Maria mater gratiae Sancte Petre miserere mei salua me c. These saith he are our words but not our meanings that Mary or Peter should conferre grace on vs in this life or glory in the life to come Yet both their Schoole and Practice speakes more For Aquin sayes our prayers are effectuall by the merits of Saints that Christs intercession is gotten by the patronage of Apostles by the interuention of Martyrs by the bloud of Becket and merits of all Saints And the practice of the people is to hold Angels and Saints immediate Mediators able to satisfie and saue But as one hath well obserued if euery Saint in the Popes Calender be receiued as a Mediator we shall worship vnknowne men as the Athenians did vnknown gods For the best Papists doubt whether there were euer any S. George or S. Christopher But say they The Virgin is a knowne Saint she can and may by the right of a Mother command her Sonne Christ. Their whole Church sings O foelix puerpera nostra pâ—…ans scelera inre matris impera And Maria consolatio infirmorum redemptio captiuorum liberatio damnatorum salus uniuersorum They haue giuen so much to the Mother that they haue left nothing for the Sonne Ozorius the Iesuite saies Caput gratiae Christus Maria colluÌ„ Christ is the Head of grace but Mary is the Neck no grace can come from the head but it must passe through the necke They inuocate her their Aduocate but of Christs mediation the medium or better halfe is taken from him as if he were still a child in subiection to his Mother But as he is Mariae filius so he is Mariae Dominus the Sonne and the Lord of his Mother Therefore the first words that we read Christ euer spake to his Parents were rough and by way of reproofe According to Saint Luke these were his first How is it that yee sought mee Wist yee not that I must be about my Fathers busines According to Saint Iohn more sharply Woman vvhat haue I to doe vvith thee Quanquà m locuta est iure matris tamen duriter respondet Where was then their Monstra te esse Matrem Though at the commaund of his Mother he spake yet hee spake roughly Whereas Gods kingdome consists of his Iustice and Mercy the Papists attribute the greatest part which is his Mercy to Mary making her as one noted the Lady high Chancelour Christ as it were the Lord chiefe Iustice. As we appeale from the Kings-Bench barre to the Chancerie so a Papist may appeale from the Tribunall of God to the Court of our Lady So they make her Domina fac totum when one flatteringly wrote of Pope Adrian Traiectum plantauit Louanium rigauit Caesar autem incrementum dedit Traiectum planted Louaine watered but the Pope gaue the increase one wittily vnderwrites Deus interim nihil fecit God did nothing the while So if Mary be the comfort of the weake the redeemer of captiues the deliuerer of the damned the saluation of all the Aduocate of the poore the Patronesse of the rich then sure Christ hath nothing to doe No beloued Abraham is ignorant of vs the blessed Virgin knowes vs not but the Lord Iesus is our Redeemer Prayer is not a labour of the lippes onely but an inward groning of the spirit a powring out of the soule before God Now Saints and Angels vnderstand not the heart it is the righteous God that tryeth the heart and the reynes Christ is the master of all Requests in the Court of Heauen there needs no porter nor waiter It is but praying Lord Iesus come vnto me and he presently answeres I am with thee Heare mee O Christ for it is easie to thy power and vsuall to thy mercie and agreèable to thy promise O blessed Mediator of the new Couenant heare vs. To the bloud of sprinkling Aspersionis Hebraico more pro asperso Two things are implyed in the two words Sacrificium and Beneficium Bloud there is the sacrifice of Sprinkling there is the benefite To the bloud To speake properly it is the death of Christ that satisfies the Iustice of God for our sinnes and that is the true materiall cause of our redemption Yet is this frequently ascribed to his bloud The bloud of Christ purgeth the Conscience from dead works Out of his pierced side came forth bloud and water As God wrote nothing in vaine so what he hath often repeated hee would haue seriously considered Non leuiter praetereat lectura nostra quod tam frequenter insculpsit Scriptura sacra There are some reasons why our saluation is ascribed to CHRISTS bloud 1. Because in the bloud is the life Flesh with the bloud therof which is the life therof you shall not eat Leu. 17. 14. The soule of a beast is in the bloud and in the bloud is the life of euery reasonable creature on earth The effusion thereof doth exhaust the vitall spirits and death followes In Christs bloud was his life the shedding of that was his death that death by the losse of that bloud is our redemption 2. Because this bloud answeres to the types of the legall sacrifices This our Apostle exemplifies in a large conference The first Testament was not dedicated without bloud Moses sprinkling the booke and all the people sayd This is the bloud of the Testament Almost all things are by the Law purged by bloud and without shedding of bloud is no remission No reconciliation no remission without bloud All directed vs to this Lambe of GOD whose bloud onely vindicates vs from eternall condemnation Not that the bloud of a meere man could thus merite but of that man who is also God therefore it is called the Bloud of God 3. Because bloud is fitter for applyment to the heart of man who
Word and will reape his Glory His glory eyther in your instruction or destruction conuersion or conuiction life or death O why should that be to your horror that is meant to your comforts Turne not that to your desolation which God sends to your consolation Pray you then with me euery one to the Lord that this seed now sowne may bring forth fruit in vs all in some thirty in some sixty in some a hundred fold To the glory of his holy name and the eternall saluation of our soules through Iesus Christ. Amen HEAVEN-GATE OR THE PASSAGE TO PARADISE REVELAT 22. 14. in fine And may enter in through the Gates into the Citie IF we supply these words with the first word of the verse Blessed wee shall make a perfect sentence of perfect comfort Blessed are they that doe his commandements that they may haueright to the tree of life And may enter in through the gates into the Citie In the whole there be Premises Promises The Premises qualifie vs we must be such as are Blessed and who are they Qui praestant mandata that doe his commandements The Promises crowne vs and these are two 1. That wee may haue right to the tree of life euen that which Reu. 2. is in the middest of the Paradise of God From whence the Angell with a flaming sword shall keep all the reprobate 2. Et per portas ingrediantur ciuitatem And may enter in through the gates into the City When without shall be dogs and scorners c. whosoeuer loueth and maketh a lie To the last words of the verse I haue bound bounded my discourse Wherein I finde three points readily offering themselues to be considered Motus Motion Enter in Modus Manner Through the gates Terminus Place Into the Citie So there is a threefold circumstance Quid. What an Entrance Qua. How through the gates Quò Whither into the Citie The Motion Enter in They are blessed that enter in Perseuerance onely makes happy Our labours must not cease till wee can with Stephen see these Gates open and our Sauiour offering to take vs by the hand and welcome our entrance We know who hath taught vs that onely continuers to the end shall be saued It is obseruable that in the holy Spirits letters sent to those seuen Churches in the second and third chapters of this Booke all the promises runne to Perseuerers Uincenti dabitur To him that ouercomes shall it be giuen Nec paranti ad praliim nec pugnanti ad sanguinem multo minus tergiuersanti ad peccatum sed vincenti ad victoriam Nor to him that prepares to fight nor to him that resists to bloud much lesse to him that shewes his back in cowardice but to him that ouercomes to conquest Demas seeing this warre ranne away fell backe to the security of the world Saul made himselfe ready to this battell but he durst not fight glory and lusts carried him away Iudas stood a bowt or two but the High Priests money made him giue ouer and the Deuill tooke him captiue But Paul fought out this combat euen to victorie though he bore in his body the markes of the Lord Iesus I haue fought a good fight I haue finished my course I haue kept the faith Therefore now there is laid vp for me a crowne of righteousnesse which the Lord the righteous Iudge shall giue mee This is a good life saith Bern. Mala pati et bona facere et fic vsque ad mortem perseuerare To suffer euill to doe good and so to continue to the end Some came into the Vineyard in the morning some at noone others later none receiued the Penny but they that stayed till night Augustine affirmes this to be almost all the contents of the Lords Prayer Hallowed be thy Name thy kingdome come thy will be done Wherein wee desire that his Name may alwaies be sanctified his Kingdome alwaies propagated his will alwaies obeyed Indeed this grace perfects all graces Wee beleeue in vaine if our faith hold not out to the end Weeloue in vaine if our charitie grow cold at last We pray in vaine if our zeale growes faint VVee striue in vaine at the strait gate if not till we enter Venire adreligionem est vera deuotio sed non religiose viuere vera damnatio To come to the truth of religion is true deuotion not to liue religiously is true damnation Man is naturally like a horse that loueth short iourneyes and there are few that hold out Whence it comes that the last are often first and the first last Know ye not that they which runne in a race run all but one receiueth the prize He that hath a good horse can goe faster vp a hill then downe a hill He that hath a good faith doth as quickly ascend the Mount Sion as the wicked descend to the valley of Hinnon If men would as strongly erect themselues vpwards as they direct their courses downewards they might goe to heauen with lesse trouble then they doe goe to hell But he that at euery sleppe lookes at euery stoppe and numbers his perils with his paces either turnes aside faintly or turnes back cowardly They that goe wandring wondring on their iourney are at the gates of Samaria when they should enter the gates of Ierusalem God saith I will not leaue yòu Heb. 13. Will you then leaue GOD One told Socrates that he would faine goe to Olympus but he distrusted his sufficiencie for the length of the iourney Socrates told him Thou walkest euery day little or much continue this walke forward thy way and a few dayes shall bring thee to Olympus Euery day euery man takes some paines let him bestow that measure of paines in trauclling to heauen and the further he goes the more heart he gets till at last he enter through the gates into the Citie Bernard calls Perseuerance the onely daughter of the highest King the perfection of vertues the storehouse of good works a vertue without which no man shall see God There is a last enemy to be destroyed Death we must hold out to the conquest euen of this last aduersary Which if it conquer vs by the Sting of our Sinne shal send vs to the dores of hell if we conquer it by our Faith it shal send vs to the gates of this Citie Heauen Lauda nauigantem cum peruenerit ad portum All the voyage is lost through the perilous Sea of this world if we suffer shipwracke in the Hauen and lose our reward there where we should land to receiue it What get we if we keepe Satan short of ruling vs with his force many houres when at our last houre hee shall snatch our blisse from vs The runner speeds all the way but when he comes at the races end to the goale he stretcheth forth his hand to catch the prize Be sure of thy last step to put forth the hand of faith then most strongly Ne perdatur
res agitur c. When the next house is on fire thy cause is in question God hath smitten Israel that Iudah might feare Though Israel play the Harlot yet let not Iudah offend Ephraim is ioyned to Idols let him alone When the plague knocks at thy neighbours dore it tells thee I am not farre off Gods iudgement on the Galileans and men in Silâ—…e is thus applied by Christ to draw others to repentance lest they likewise perish But what if thousands fall on the worldlings right hand ten thousands about him he dreames of no danger his own gold giues him more content then all this terror The Deuill hath hood-wink'd him with gaine and so carries him quietly like a hooded hawke on his fist without baiting to hell This Sermon is lost also 3. By crosses on himselfe and this Sermon comes a little neerer to him for it concernes his feeling The first was obiected to his eare the second to his eye this last to his sense But as the first Sermon hee would not heare the next not see so this he will not feele hee is stricken but he hath not sorrowed He imputes all to his ill lucke that hee loseth the game of his worldly desires he lookes no more vp to heauen then if there was none God is not in all his thoughts All these Sermons are lost But now God will be heard He said he spoke home a word and a blow He will be vnderstood though not stood vnder Uociferat vulnerat per dictum per ictum This is such a Sermon as shall not passe without consideration So he preached to Pharaoh by frogs flies locusts murraine darknesse but when neyther by Moses vocall nor by these actuall lectures he would be melted the last Sermon is a Red Sea that drownes him and his armie The Tree is bared manured watered spared in expectancie of fruits but when none comes the last sermon is the Axe it must be hewnâ—… downe and cast into the fire This kinde of argument is vnanswerable and cannot be euaded When God giues the Word innumerable are the Preachers if the lower voyces will not be heard death shall be fear'd God knocks long by his Prophets yea stands at the dore himselfe we will not open But when this Preacher comes he opens the dore himselfe and will not be denied entrance All the day long haue I stretched forth my hands vnto thee manum misericordiae the hand of his mercy it is not embraced Now therefore he stretcheth out manum Iustitiae the hand of his Iustice and this cannot be auoided All that long Day is past and novv the worldlings Night comes This night shall they require thy soule The Rich man must heare this Sermon there is no remedy But GOD said Wee are come from the Dooer to The Sufferer or Patient And his title is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thou foole What If this had come from a poore Tenants mouth it had beene held a petty kinde of blasphemy Is the rich man onely held the wise man at all parts and doth God change his title with such a contradiction Is the worlds gold become drosse the rich Idoll a foole It is euen a maxime in common acceptation He is wise that is rich Diues and Sapiens are voces conuertibiles Rich and wise are conuertible termes imagin'd to signifie one thing When the rich man speakes all the people giue bare-headed silence and attention As if no argument could euince such a necessity as the chiefe Priests to Iudas Tantum dabo So much vvill I giue thee Tantus valor in quatuor syllabis Such force is there in foure syllables and but two words It is not only eloquence but enchantment and they that vse it preuaile like Sorcerers vnlesse perhaps they light vpon multis è millibus vnum a Peter Thou and thy money be damned together If he that can plead by the strongest arguments be the wisest man how doth God call the Rich man Foole If a man should trauell through all conditions of the World what gates would not open to the rich mans knocke In the Church surely Religion should haue the strongest force yet riches thrusts in her head euen vnder Religions arme and speakes her mind Money once brought the greatest Preacher of the Gospell euen the Author of the Gospell Christ himselfe to be iudged before an earthly Tribunall Now the Seruant is not greater then his Lord no wonder if money playes the rex still and disposeth places to men of the greatest worldly not the best heauenly gifts For a gift prospereth which way soeuer it goeth It were somewhat tolerable if money did only hinder vs from what we should haue but it vvrings from vs also what we haue In the Courts of Iustice Law should rule yet often money ouer-rules law and Court too It is a lamentable complaint in the Prophecy of Esay Iudgement is turned away backward and Iustice standeth a farre off for truth is fallen in the street and equity cannot enter If there must be contention iudgement should goe forward and is it turned backward Iustice should lay a close eare to the cause of the distressed and must it stand a farre off Truth is fallen in the street O the mercy of God! in the street Had it fallen in the wildernesse it had beene lesse strange but in the street where euery body passeth by and no body take it vp miserable iniquity Equity cannot enter what not equity Are they not called Courts of Equity and must that which giues them denomination bee kept out Now all this peruersion euersion of Iustice is made by money This turneth Iudgement to wormewood poisons a good cause or at least into vineger as wine that stands long becomes sowre And you are beholding to that Lawyer that will restituere rem get you your right though he doth it cunctando by delayes There is many one of whom that old verse may be inuerted Talis homo nobis cunctando diminuit rem In the warres valour beares a great stroke yet not so great as money That Macedonian Monarch was wont to say He would neuer feare to surprise that City whose gates were but wide enough for an asse laden with gold to enter How many Forts Castles Cities Kingdomes hath that blowne vp before euer gunpowder was inuented I need name no more What quality beares vp so braue a head but money giues it the checke-mate It answereth all things saith Salomon A feast is made for laughter and wine maketh merry but Money answereth all things By all this it appears that Riches is the greatest wisdome but wee must take out a writte Ad melius inquirendum If wealth be witte what meanes Christ here to call the Rich man Foole yes good reason God hath made foolish the wisedome of this world If God calls him so he gets little to haue the world esteeme him otherwise Not hee that commendeth himselfe nor
with the workes that are therein shall be burnt vp The workes of mens hands the workes of their brines their very thoughts shall perish The Lords voyce shooke the earth and hee hath saide yet once againe I will shake not the earth onely but also heauen O blessed place that is not subiect to this shaking whose ioyes haue not onely an amiable countenance but a glorious continuance The things that are shaken shall be remoued but the things that are not shaken remaine for euer All the terrours of this worlde mooue not him that is fixed in heauen Impauidum ferient ruinae They that put their trust in the Lord shall be as mount Sion which cannot beremoued but abideth for euer But the Tabernacles and hopes of the wicked shall perish together For the world passeth away and the lust thereof but he that doeth the will of God abideth euer Whereon sayth August Quid vis Vtrum amare temporalia transire cum tempore an amare Christum viuere in aeternum Whether wilt thou loue the world and perish with it or loue Christ liue for euer 3. Myracle The rockes rent A wonderfull act to breake stones and rend rockes This giues vs two obseruations 1. This did foresignifie the power and efficacie of the Gospell that it should bee able to breake the very rockes As the death and passion of Christ did cleaue those solid and almost impenetrable substances so the publishing of his death and passion shall rend and breake in pieces the rockie hearts of men So Iohn Baptist said God is able of stones to rayse vp children vnto Abraham The hearts of Zaccheus Mary Magdalene Paul were such rockes yet they were cleft with the wedge of the Gospell This is that Rod of Moses able to breake the hardest Rockes till they gush out with flouds of penitent teares This is Ieremies hammer powerfull to bruise the most obdurate hearts The bloud of the Goate sacrificed of force to dissolue Adamant There is power in the bloud of Iesus to put sense into stones Blessed are you if you be thus broken-hearted for him whose heart was broken for you For the broken heart the Lord will not despise 2. Obserue the wonderfull hardnesse of the Iewes hearts The stones rent and claue in sunder at the cruell death of Iesus but their hearts more stony then stones are no whit moued They rend not their garments much lesse their hearts when as the earth rent the Stones her bones and the rockes her ribbes The flints are softer then they the flints breake they harden They still belch their malicious blasphemies the rocks relent the stones are become men and the men stones O the sencelesnesse of a hard heart rockes will sooner breake then that can be mollified Euen the hardest creatures are flexible to some agents flints to the raine iron to the fire stones to the hammer but this heart yeelds to nothing neyther the showers of mercie nor the hammer of reproofe nor the fire of Iudgements but like the stithy are still the harder for beating All the plagues of Egypt cannot mollifie the heart of Pharaoh It is wondrously vnnaturall that men made the softest hearted of all should be rigidiores lupis duriores lapidibus more cruell then wolues more hard then stones I woulde to GOD all hard-heartednesse had dyed with these Iewes but it is not so Howe often hath Christ beene here crucified in the word preaching his Crosse to your eares in the Sacraments presenting his death to your eyes thinke thinke in your owne soules haue not the stones in the walles of this Church beene as much moued God forbid our obduratenesse should be punished as theirs was since they would be so stony-hearted Ierusalem was turned to a heape of stones and the conquering Romanes dasht them pitifully against those stones which they exceeded in hardnesse Here let the wicked see their doome the stones that will not be softned shall be broken There is no changing the decree of God but change thy nature and then know thou art not decreed to death Stony harts shall bee broken to pieces with vengeance doe not striue to alter that doome but alter thy owne stony heart to a heart of flesh and so preuent it in the particular Wolues and goates shall not enter into heauen thou maiest pull starres out of heauen before alter this sentence but doe it thus Leaue that nature and become one of Christes sheepe and then thou art sure to enter No adulterâ—… nor couetous person sayth Paul shall inherite the kingdoâ—… of heauen this doome must stand but not against thee if thou bee conuerted Such were ye but ye are washed c. You are not such Had the Iewes ceased to be stones they had beene spared God will roote thornes and bryers out of his vineyard if thou wouldst not haue him roote out thee become a Vine and bring forth good grapes God threatens to breake the hairy sealpe of him that goes on in sinne yet mayest thou ward this blow from thy selfe Goe no further on in sinne When God comes in iudgement to visite the earth to shatter rockes and breake stones in peeces thou hast a heart of flesh mollified with repentance Let the earth quake and the rockes teare thy faith hath saued thee goe in peace 4. Miracle The graues were opened and many bodyes of Sanits which slept arose Concerning this two questions are moued 1. Where their soules were all this while before I answere where the scripture hath no tongue we should haue no eare Most probably thus their soules were in heauen in Abrahams bosome and came downe to their bodyes by diuine dispensation to manifest the power and Deitie of Christ. 2. Whither they went afterwards I answere by the same likelyhood that they died no more but waited on the earth till Christs resurrection and then attended him to heauen But these things that are concealed should not be disputed Tutum est nescire quod tegitur It is a safe ignorance where a man is not commanded to know Let vs then see what profitable instructions we can hence deriue to our selues They are many and therefore I will but lightly touch them 1. This teacheth vs that Christ by his death hath vanquished death euen in the graue his owne chamber That gyant is subdued the graues flie open the dead goe out This beares ample witnesse to that speach of Christ. I am the resurrection and the life he that beleeueth in me though he were dead yet shall he liue The bodies of the Saints what part of the earth or sea soeuer holds their dusts shall not be detayned in prison when Christ cals for them as the members must needs goe when the Head drawes them He shall speake to all creatures Reddite quod deuorastis restore whatsoeuer of man you haue deuoured not a dust not a bone can be denyed The bodyes of the Saints shall be raised sayth August Tanta
how wise a king hath read his destinie Pride will haue a fall 2. The next is Prodigalitie and because hee takes himselfe for the true Charitie hee must be second at least This is a young Gallant and the horse he rides on is Luxurie Hee goes a thundring pace that you would not think it possible to ouertake him but before he is got a quarter of the way hee is spent all spent ready to begge of those that begd of him 3. Enuie will be next a leane meager thing full of malicious mettle but hath almost no flesh The horse he rides on is Malcontent He would in his iourney first cut some thousand throates or powder a whole kingdome blow vp a State and then set on to heauen But the hangman sets vp a Galowse in his way wherat he runs full butt and breakes his necke 4. Then comes sneaking out Coâ—…eteousnes a hunger-staru'd vsurer that sells wheat and eates beanes many men are in his debt and he is most in his owne debt for he neuer payd his belly and backe a quarter of their dues He rides on a thinne hobbling Iade called vnconscionablenes which for want of a worse stable hee lodgeth in his owne heart He promiseth his soule to bring her to heauen but tarrying to enlarge his barnes he lost opportunitie and the prize of saluation and so fell two bowes short Fayth and Repentance 5. Lust hath gotten on Loues cloke and will venture to runne A leprous wretch and riding on a trotting beast a hee-goate was almost shaken to pieces Diseases doe so crampe him that hee is faine to sit downe with Vae misero and without the helpe of a good Doctor or a Surgion he is like neuer to see a comfortable end of his iourney 6. Hypocrisie is glad that he is next to Charitie and presumes that they two are brother and sister Hee is hors'd on a halting hackney for he does but borrow him called Dissimulation As he goes hee is offring euerie man his hand but it is still emptie Hee leanes on Charities shoulder and protests great loue to her but when shee tryes him to borrow a little money of him for some mercifull purpose he pleads he hath not enough to serue him to his iourneys end He goes forward like an Angell but his trusted horse throws him and discouers him a Deuill 7 The last named but first and onely that comes to the prize at the goales end is Charitie She is an humble vertue not mounted as the other racers but goes on foote She spares from her owne belly to relieue those poore Pilgrims that trauell with her to Heauen She hath two Virgins that beare her companie Innocence and Patience She does no hurt to others shee suffers much of others yet was shee neuer heard to curse Her language is blessing and shee shall for euer inherite it Three celestiall Graces Glory Immortalitie and Eternitie hold out a Crowne to her And when Faith and Hope haue lifted her vp to heauen they take their leaues of her and the bosome of euerlasting Mercie receiues her A CRVCIFIXE OR A Sermon vpon the Passion EPHES. 5. 2. He hath giuen himselfe for vs an offering and a Sacrifice to God for a sweet swelling sauour THis latter part of the verse is a faire and liuely Crucifixe cut by the hand of a most exquisite caruer not to amaze our corporall lights with a peece of wood brasse or stone curiously engrauen to the encrease of a carnall deuotion But to present to the eye of the conscience the grieuous Passion and gracious compassion of our Sauiour Iesus Christ Who gaue himselfe for vs c. This Crucifixe presents to our eye seauen considerable Circumstances Who Christ. What Gaue. Whom Himselfe To whom To God For whom For vs. After what manner An offering Sacrifice Of what effect Of a sweet sauour The poynts you see lie as readie for our discourse as the way did from Bethanie to Ierusalem onely fayle not my speech nor your attention till we come to the Iourneys end Who. The Person that giues is Christ the qualitie of his person doth highly commend his exeeding loue to vs. We will ascend to this consideration by 4. staires or degrees and descend by 4. other Both in going vp and comming downe we shall perceiue the admirable loue of the giuer Ascendently 1. We will consider him Hominem a man Behold the man saith Pilate We may tarry and wonder at his lowest degree that a man should giue himselfe for man For scarcely for a righteous man will one die But this man gaue himselfe for vnrighteous man to die not an ordinary but a greevous death exposing himselfe to the wrath of God to the tyrranie of men and Devils It would pittie our hearts to see a poore dumbe beast so terrified how much more Hominem a man the Image of God! 2 The second degree giues him hominem innocentem an Innocent man Pilate could say I haue found no fault in this man No nor yet Herod No nor the Devill who would haue beene right glad of such an advantage So Pilates Wife sent her husband word Haue thou nothing to do with that iust man So the Person is not onely a man but a iust man that gaue himselfe to endure such horrors for vs. If wee pittie the death of malefactors how should our compassion be to one Innocent 3. In the third degree he is not onely Homo a man and Iustus homo a good man but also Magnus homo a great man royally descended from the auntient Patriarches and Kinges of Iudah Pilate had so written his Title and he would answere not alter it Quod scripsi scripsi And what was that Iesus of Nazereth the King of the Iewes Now as is the Person so is the Passion the more noble the giuer the more excellent the gift That so high a King would suffer such contempt and obloquie to be cast vpon him when the least part of his disgrace had beene too much for a man of meane condition That a Man a Good man a Great man bore such calumnie such calamitie for our sakes here was an vnmatchable an vnspeakable loue 4. This is enough but this is not all there is yet a higher degree in this Ascent we are not come to our full Quantus It is this he was Plus quam homo more then man not onely maximus hominum but mator hominibus the greatest of men yea greater then all men Not mere filius hominis but verè filius Dei he was more then the Sonne of man euen the Sonne of God As the Centurion acknowledged Truely this man was the Sonne of God Here be all the foure staires vpwardes a Man a Harmeles man a Princely man and yet more then man euen God himselfe Salomon was a great king but here is a Greater then Salomon Salomon was Christus Domini but here is Christus Dominus he was the annointed of the Lord but this
for the most part inseparable companions Eccle. 6. God giues to a man Riches and Honour First Riches and then Honour for it is lightly found so much Riches so much Honour and reputation is measured by the Acre I haue wealth enough saith the worldling Luke 12. I will turne Gentleman take my ease eate drinke and be merry Riches are the staires whereby men climbe vp into the height of dignitie the fortification that defends it the food it liues vppon the oyle that keeps the lampe of Honour from going out Honour is a bare robe if Riches doe not lace and flourish it and Riches a dull Lumpe till Honour giue a Soule to quicken it Fiftly then Honour and Riches Wealth and Worship doe beare one another companie 4. Lastly obserue that though riches and honour be Gods gifts yet they are but the gifts of his left hand therefore it necessarily followes that euery wise man will first seeke the blessings of the Right First seeke the kingdome of God and his righteousnes and these things shall be added to you Godlinesse is the best Riches Riches the worst let vs striue for the former without condition for the other if they fall in our way let vs stoope to take them vp if not let vs neuer couet them It is no Wisedome to refuse Gods kindnesse that offers wealth nor pietie to scratch for it when God withholds it When the Lord hath set thee vp as high as Haman in the Court of Ahasuerus or promoted thee to ride with Ioseph in the second Chariot of Egypt were thy stocke of Cattell exceeding Iobs seauen thousand sheepe three thousand Camels fiue hundred yoke of Oxen did thy Wardrobe put downe Salomons and thy cup-bord of plate Belshazzars when the vessels of Gods temple were the ornature Yet all these are but the gifts of Wisedomes left hand and the possessors may be vnder the malediction of God and goe downe to damnation If it were true that sanctior qui ditior that goods could make a man good I would not blame mens kissing the left hand and sucking out Riches and Honour But alas what antidote against the terrour of conscience can bee chym'd from gold What charme is there in braue apparell to keepe off the rigour of Sathan Quod tibi praestat opes non tibi praestat opem That which makes thee wealthy cannot make thee happie Ionas had a Gourd that was to him an Arbour he sate vnder it secure but suddenly there was a worme that bitte it and it dyed Compare secretly in your hearts your riches to that Gourd your pleasure to the greenesse of it your pompe attendance vanities to the leaues of it your suddaine encrease of wealth to the growing and shooting vp of it But withall forget not the Worme and the Wind the Worme that shall kill your roote is Death and the Wind that shall blow vpon you is calamitie There is a greater defect in this wealth and worshippe then their vncertaintie Non mâ—…do fallacia quia dubia verùm insidiosa quia dulcia They are not onely deceitfull through their ticklenesse but dangerous through their lushoâ—…snesse Men are apt to surfeit on this luxurient abundance it is a baâ—…e to securitie a baud to wantonnes Here is the maine difference betweene the gifts of Gods right hand and of his left He giues reall blessings with the left but he doth not settle them vpon vs he promiseth 〈◊〉 perpetuitie but with the graces of his right he giues assurance of euerlastingnes Christ calles Riches the riches of deceitfulnesse but grace the better part that shall neuer be taken away Dauid compares the wealthy to a flourishing tree that is soone withered but Faith stablisheth a man like Mount Sion neuer to be remoued He that thinkes hee sittes surest in his seate of Riches let him take heed least he fall When a great man boasted of his abundance sayth Paulus Emilius one of his friends told him that the anger of God could not long forbeare so great prosperitie How many rich Marchants haue suddenly lost all How many Noblemen sold all How many wealthy heires spent all Few Sundayes passe ouer our heads without Collections for Ship-wrackes fires and other casualties Demonstratiue proofes that prosperitie is inconstant riches casuall And for honour wee read that Belâ—…sarius an honourable Peere of the Empire was forced in his old age to beg from dore to dore obulum date Bel sario Fredericke a great Emperour was so low brought that he sâ—…ed to be made but the Sexton of a Church O then let vs not adhere to these left hand blessings but first seeke length of dayes eternall ioyes neuer to be lost A man may enioy the other without fault the sinne consisteth praeferendo vel conferendo either in preferring Riches or in comparing them with faith and a good conscience Vtere caducis fruere aeternis Thou must necessarily vse these transient things onely enioy and rest vppon the euerlasting comforts of Iesus Christ. When God hath assured to a Christian spirit the inheritance of Heauen he ioyfully pilgrims it through this world if wealth and worship salute him by the way he refuseth not their companie but they shall not stray him out of his path nor transport his affections for his heart is where his hope is his loue is where his Lord is euen with Iesus his Redeemer at the right hand of God Now this mans very Riches are blessed to him for as from the hand of God hee hath them so from the hand of God hee hath to enioy good in them Whereas to some sayth Salomon I haue seene Riches kept for the ownâ—…s thereof to their hurt to this man they shall worke to the best blessing his condition in this life and enlarging his dition in heauen as the wise man sweetly The blessing of the Lord it maketh rich and hee addeth no sorrow with it Thus in particular if we conferre the right hand with the left we shall generally learne 1. That both Gods hands are giuing it is enough if man giue with one hand but the Lord settes both his handes a doling his Almes of mercie Nemo tuarum vnam vincet vtraque manu No man can doe so much with both handes as GOD with one hand with one finger Hee hath Manum plenam extensam expansam hand full not emptie so full that it can neuer be emptied with giuing Innumerable are the drops in the sea yet if one be taken out it hath though insensibly so much the lesse but Gods goodnesse can suffer no diminution for it is infinite Men are sparing in their bountie because the more they giue the lesse they haue but Gods hand is euer full though it euer disperse and the filling of many cisternes is no abatement to his euer running fountaine Our prayers therfore are well directed thether for blessings whence though we receiue neuer so much wee leaue no lesse behind Let this
sayth Christ my workes beare witnesse of me We may thus vnderstand God ex operibus his actions preach his will 3. God speakes by his Sonne Hebr. 1. God who at sundry times and in diuers manners spake in tâ—…me past vnto the Fathers by the Prophets hath in these last daves spoken vnto vs by his Sonne Hee is therefore called the Word Ioh. 1 The sacred Scriptures and sayings of the Prophets giuen by the inspiration of God for no prophecie is of private interpretation it came not by the will of man but holy men spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost are called Verbum Domini the word of the Lord. But to distinguish God the Sonne from those words he is after an eminent sort called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word or That excellent word As also hee is called not a light but That light not a lambe but â—…hat lambe Not a vocall word formed by the tongue beating the aire for hee was before eyther sound or aire But the mentall and substantiall word of his Father but Ipse Paterâ—… 〈◊〉 effigies lumenque a lumine vero According to that of Paul The brightnesse of his glory and expresse image of his person 4. GOD speakes by his Scriptures Whatsoever things were writen aforetime are written for our learning that wee through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might haue hope Scripta sunt they are written Things that go onely by take or tradition meete with such variations augmentations abbreuiations corruptions false glosses that as in a Lawyers pleading Truth is lost in the Quaere for her Related thinges wee are long in getting quicke in forgetting Therefore God commanded his law should be written Litera scripta manet Thus God doth effectually speake to vs. Many good wholesome instructions haue drop'd from humane pennes to lesson and direct man in goodnesse But there is no promise giuen to any word to conuert the soule but to Gods word Without this Antiquitie is noueltie Noueltie subtletie Subtletie death Theologia Scholastica multis modis sophistica Schoole Diuinitie is little better then meere Sophistrie Plus argutiarum quam doctrine plus doctrina quà m vsus It hath more quicknesse then soundnesse more fauce then meate more difficultie then doctrine more doctrine then vse This Scripture is the Perfect and Absolute rule Bellarmine acknowledgeth two thinges requireable in a Perfect Rule Certaintie and Evidence If it bee not certaine it is no Rule if it bee not euident it is no rule to vs. Onely the Scripture is both in truth and euidence a perfect rule Other writings may haue canonicall veritie the Scripture onely hath canonicall authoritie Others like oile may make cheerefull mans countenance but this like Bread strengthens his heart This is the absolute Rule And as many as walke according to this Rule peace be on them and mercie and vppon the Israel of God O that wee had hearts to blesse GOD for this mercie that the Scriptures are among vs and that not sealed vp vnder an vnknowne tongue The time was when a deuout Father was glad of a piece of the new Testament in English when he tooke his little Sonne into a corner and with ioy of soule heard him reade a chapter so that euen Children became Fathers to their Fathers and begate them to CHRIST Now as if the commonnesse had abated the worth our Bibles lie dusty in the windowes it is all if a Sunday-handling quite them from perpetuall obliuion Few can read fewer do reade fewest of all read as they should God of his infinite mercie lay not to our charge this neglect 5. GOD speakes by his Ministers expounding and opening to vs those Scriptures These are Legati a latere dispencers of the mysteries of heauen Ambassadors for CHRIST as if God did beseech you through vs so wee pray you in Christs stead that you would be reconciled to God This voice is continually sounding in our Churches beating vpon our eares I would it could pierce our consciences and that our liues would eccho to it in an answerable obedience How great should be our thankfullnesse God hath delt with vs as hee did with Eliah The Lord passed by and a great strong wind rent the mountaines and brake in pieces the rockes before the Lord but the Lord was not in the wind After the wind came an earthquake but the Lord was not in the earthquake After the earthquake a fire but the Lord was not in the fire And after the fire a still voyce and the Lord came with that voyce After the same manner hath God done to this Land In the time of K. Henry 8. there came a great and mightie Wind that rent downe Churches ouerthrew Altarages impropriated from Ministers their liuings that made Lay-men substantiall Parsons and Clergie men their vicar-shadowes It blew away the rights of Leui into the lappe of Issachar a violent wind but God was not in that wind In the dayes of King Edward the sixt there came a terrible Earthquake hideous vapours of Treasons and conspiracies rumbling from Rome to shake the foundations of that Church which had now left off louing the Whore and turned Antichrist quite out of his saddle Excommunications of Prince and people execrations and curses in their tetricall formes with Bell Booke and Candle Indulgences Bulls Pardons promises of heauen to all traytors that would extâ—…rpate such a King and kingdome a Monstrous earthquake but GOD was not in the Earthquake In the dayes of Queene Mary came the Fire an vnmercifull fire such a one as was neuer before kindled in England and wee trust in Iesus Christ neuer shall be againe It raged against all that professed the Gospell of Christ made bonefires of silly women for not vnderstanding that their ineffable mysterie of Transubstantiation burnt the mother with the child Boner and Gardiner those hellish bellowes that set it on flaming A raging and insatiable fire but God was not in that fire In the dayes of Queene Elizabeth of blessed memorie came the still voyce saluting vs with the songs of Sion and speaking the comfortable things of Iesus Christ and GOD came with his voyce This sweete and blessed voyce is still continued by our Gracious Soueraigne GOD long preserued him with it and it with him and vs all with them both Let vs not say of this blessing as Lot of Zoar Is it not a litle one nor bee weary of Manna with Israel lest GODS voyce grow dumbe vnto vs and to our woe wee heare it speake no more No rather let our hearts answere with Samuel Speake Lord for thy seruants heare If wee will not heare him say to our soules I am your saluation wee shall heare him say Depart from mee I know you not So sayth wisedome Because I haue called and yee refused I will therefore laugh at your calamitie and mocke when your feare commeth The gallant promiseth himselfe many yeares and in them all to reioyce