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
reason of a man and Religion of a Christian keepe it from eruption Thou art resolued neuer to thinke highly of thine owne worth yet thou hast the seed of pride within thee thou art naturally as Luther said borne with a Pope in thy belly there 's the materiall to be too well affected to thy owne doings It is impossible thou thinkst for thee to be made an vsurer now thou hast no money yet thou hast the seede of vsury within thee and Crescit amor nummi quantum ipsa pecunia crescit all the sons of Adam loue earth too well Who shall euer perswade thee to bow downe before an Idoll yet a dainty feast perswades thee to worship thine owne belly this is no Idolatry It was but a little Cloud that Eliahs seruant saw rising out of the sea like a mans hand yet it portended a great showre Sin seemes at first like a little cloud but it prognosticates a deluge of ensuing wickednes The carelesse Gallant by many trifles often fetch'd runs so far in the Mercers bookes vnawares that he cannot endure to heare of a reckoning These little arrerages taken vp on trust runs our soules so deepe into Gods debt that if the bloud of Christ doe not pay it though we be sold wife and children and all we possesse non habenius vnde we can neuer discharge it 5. Minima peccata maximas in ficiunt virtutes a little sinne infects a great deale of righteousnesse The Leprosie infected the garments and the very walls of the house but Sinne hath infected wood and wooll and wals earth ayre beasts plants planets and stucke a scarre on the chrystall brow of nature it selfe For wee know that the whole creation groneth and trauelleth in paine together vntill now If the great world grone for mans sinne shall not the little world man grone for his owne sinne Send a little temptation in at the eare or eye it will not rest working till it runne like poyson to the heart Dauid let in a little leuen at his eye it quickly wrought to his heart gangrened to adultery to bloud hardly cured A little Coliquintida spoyles all the broth a spotte in the face blemisheth all the beauty Naaman the Syrian is plentifully commended He was captaine of the host a great man with his master and honorable because the Lord by him had giuen deliuerance to Syria he was also a mighty man of valour but he was a Leper This same But marres all But he was a Leper So in the soule one vice disgraceth a great deale of vertue When hee was cured and conuerted by Elisha first he 's charitable offers gold garments but he excepts bowing in the house of Rimmon he is deuout and begs earth for sacrifice but excepts Rimmon he is religious and promiseth to offer to none but the Lord but he excepts Rimmon This little leuen this But Rimmon sowred all Dead flies cause the oyntment of the Apothecary to send forth a stinking sauour The Apothecaries vnction is a thing praised in the Scriptures compounded of many excellent simples made not so much for medicine as for Odour yet the flies of death putrifie it So doth a little folly him that is in reputation for Wisedome and Honor. When one commended Alexander for his noble acts and famous atchieuements another obiected against him that he killed Calisthenes He was valiant and successefull in the warres true but he kill'd Calisthenes Hee ouercame the great Darius so but he kill'd Calisthenes Hee made himselfe master of the world grant it but still hee killed Calisthenes His meaning was that this one vniust fact poysoned all his valorous deeds Beware of sinne which may thus leuen the whole lumpe of our soule Indeed we must all sinne and euery sinne sowres but to the faithfull and repentant Christian it shall not be damnable There is no damnation to them that are in Iesus Christ. There is in al corruption to most affliction to none damnation that are in Christ. Our leuen hath sowred vs but we are made sweet againe by the all-perfuming bloud of our blessed Sauiour 6. Minima peccata facilius destruunt the least sins are the most fatall to mens destruction Anima est tota in toto so that if the toe akes the head feeles the eye le ts fall a teare the very heart mournes So let but the eye lust the soule is in danger to be lost Mors per fenestras faith the Prophet Death comes in at the windowes then enters into the Palaces to cut off the children without and the young men 〈◊〉 the streets Is it but an vncleane thought Mors in illâ as the children of the Prophets cryed Mors in ollâ there is death in it and for it A dramme of poyson diffuseth it selfe to all parts till it strangle the vitall spirits and turne out the soule from her Tenement How great a matter a little fire kindleth It is all one whether a man bee killed with the pricke of a little thorne or with the he wing of a broad sword so he bee killed Wee haue seene a whole arme impostumated with a little pricke in the finger if Satan can but wound our heele as the Poets faigne of Achilles he vvill make shift to kill vs there euen from the heele to send death to the heart Therefore Christ cals Hatred murder a wanton eye adultery besides the possibility of act they are the same in the intention of heart The hornet is a little flye yet it stings deadly I know that heauier sinnes shall haue a heauier waight of punishment yet is the least heauy enough to sinke the soule to the bottomlesse pitte Greater fury of iniquity shall haue the hotter fire but O let vs neuer feele the heat of one A little leake sinkes a great vessell Pope Marcelline being accused for Idolatry answered for himselfe I did but cast a few graines of Incense into the fire that was little or nothing Yes it was manifest offering to Idols is that nothing Christ would not obey Satan in his minimis hee would not answer his desire in the smallest sute he could request of turning stones into bread euen vvhiles hee was so hungry as forty daies fasting could make him Teaohing vs to deny Satan in his best motions lest custome of hauing them granted make him so impudent as to take no repulse in his greatest temptations This is the Deuils method of working as it is in the first Psalme Blessed is the man that hath not walked c. First he gets a man to walke a turne or two with him in sinne as it were to conferre and debate the matter After some walking lest he should be weary he preuailes with him to stand in the way of sinners after admission of the thought to commission of the act Lastly hee perswades him for his ease to fit downe in the seate of the scornefull falling to despise God and deride all goodnesse Thus hee brings
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
his arrand is to the Court He is the maggot of pride begot out of corruption and lookes in an office as the Ape did when hee had got on the robes of a Senator 2. Their flatterie or trecherie they embrace whiles they sting They lie in 〈◊〉 greene grasse and vnder sweet flowers that they may wound the suspectlesse passenger Here I will couple the Serpent with the Flatterer a humane beast and of the two the more dangerous And that fitly for they write of a Serpent whose sting hath such force that it makes a man die laughing So the flaâ—…erer tickles a man to death Therefore his teares are called Crocodile lacrimae the Crocodiles teares When hâ—… weeps he wounds Euery frowne he makes giues his Patron a vomite and euery candle of commendation a purge His Church is the Kitchin his tongue is his Cater his yong Lord his God whom at once he worships and worreys When he hath gotten a lease he doth no longer feare his master nay more he feares not God 3. Their ingratitude they kill those that nourished them And here I ranke with Serpents those prodigies of nature vnthankfull persons Seneca sayes they are worse Venenum quâ—…d serpentes in alienam perniciâ—…m proferunt fine sâ—… continent Noâ—… ita vitium ingrâ—…itudinis continetur The poyson which a Serpent casts out to the danger of another he retaines without his owne But the vice of ingratitude cannot be so smoothered Let vs hate this sinne not onely for others sake but most for our owne 4. Their voracitie they kill more then they can eate And here they would be commended to the Ingrossers who hoord more then they can spend that the poore might stâ—…ue for lacke of bread Such a man if he be not 〈◊〉 a Serpent a Deuill then man makes his Almanacke his Bible if it prognosticate raine on Swithiâ—…s day he loues and beleeues it beyond the Scripture Nothing in the whole Bible pleaseth him but the storie of Pharaohs dreame where the seauen leane Kine did eate vp the seauen fat ones Hee could wish that dreame to be true euery yeare so hee might haue graine enough to sell. He cryes out in his heart for a deare yeare and yet he is neuer without a deare yeare in his belly Salomon sayes the people shall curse him and I am sure God will not blesse him but hee feares neither of these so much as a cheape yeare 5. Their hostilitie and murderous minds they destroy all to multiplie their owne kind And for this I wil bring the depopulator to shake hands with serpents For he cannot abide neighbours If any man dwels in the Towne besides himselfe how should he doe for elbow roome There are too many of these Serpents in England I would they were all exild to the wildernes where they might haue roome enough and none to trouble them except of their owne generation Serpents They complaine eagerly against our negligence in discouering new parts of the world but their meaning is to rid this land of Inhabitants They haue done their best or rather their worst when as in my memorie from one towne in one day were driuen out aboue threescore soules harbourlesse succourlesse exposd to the bleake ayre and vnmercifull world besides those that could prouide for themselues But the Lord of heauen sees this the clamours of many poore debters in the Dungeon of many poore labourers in the field of many poore neighbours crying and dying in the streetes haue entred the â—…ares of the Lord of hoasts he will iudge it Thou hast seene it for thou beholdest mischiefe and spite to requite it the poore committeth himselfe vnto thee thou art the helper of the fâ—…herlesse 6. Lastly their enâ—…itie against Man whom they should reuerence which we sorely found and cannot but thinke of quotiâ—…s 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…picati pâ—…i as often as we remember that â—…ieapple Aeliaâ—…s and Plâ—…e report that when a serpent hath killed a man he can neuer more couer himselfe in the earth but wanders vp and downe like a forlorne thing the earth disdaining to receiue into her bowels a man murtherer The male doth not acknowledge the â—…ale nor the female the male that hath done such a deed Since therefore they rebell against Man whom they should honour let me yoke with them Traytours Seminaries and Renegates that refuse allegiance to their Lieges Soâ—…algnes Will they say 〈◊〉 Prince may loose Ius regni the right of his kingdome per 〈◊〉 regnandi by raigning with iniustice 〈◊〉 and so they are absolued of their obedience But how haps it that the Scripture neuer knew this distinction Saul though guiltie of all sinnes against the first Table yet exsolo 〈◊〉 â—…is châ—…ctere might not bee deposed but Dauid cals him Christum Doâ—… the Lords Annointed If the Prince be an offender must they punish Who gaue them that authoritie No â—…cit 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 quòd Deum expectâ—… 〈◊〉 It is enoâ—…gh for him that he looke for God to bee his Iudge O but when the Popes excommunication thundâ—…rs it is no sinne to decrowne Kings So super stâ—…tiously they follow the Pope that they forsake Christ and will not giue Câ—…sar his due They are the fire brands and bustuaries of Kingdomes Serpents hidden in Ladies and Gentlewomens chambers in a word long spoones for traytors to feed with the Deuill You see also now Quid 〈◊〉 There is poyson in Serpents now told you leaue that there is Wisedome to be learned from Serpents before shewed you studie that Euery vice you nourish is a venemous stinging serpent in your owne bosomes If you will haue hope of heauen expell those Serpents I haue read of a contention betweene Scotland and Ireland about a little Iland either chalenging it theirs It was put to the decision of a French-man who caused to be put into the Iland liuing Serpents Arbitrating it thus that if those Serpents liued and prospered there the ground was Scotlands if they died Irelands If those serpentine sinnes lusts and lewdnes liue â—…d thriue in your hearts Satan will chalenge you for his dominion If they perish and die through mortification and by reason of the pure aire of Gods holy Spirit in you the Lord seales you vp for his owne inheritance I haue giuen you the Raines at large let me giue but one pull at the Curbe and you shall goe The Cohibition is Be harmelesse as Doues In Doues there be some things to be eschewed many things to be commeÌ„ded one thing to be followed The Doue is a timorous and faint hearted creature Ephrâ—… is like a silly Doue without heart Be not ye so In Doues there are many things commendable but I will but name them regarding the limits of both my Text and Time 1. Beautie By that name Christ prayseth the beauty of his Spouse Thou art fayre my Lâ—…e my Doue c. Thou â—…ast Doues 〈◊〉 within thy lâ—…kes And the Church prayseth her Sauiour His eyes are as
heauen hic affuit inde non defuit Humana natura assumpta est Diuina non consumpta est Hee tooke Humanitie he lost not his Diuinitie He abideth Mariae Pater the Father of Mary who is made Mariae Filius the Sonne of Mary To vs a child is borne to vs a sonne is giuen Whereon Emissenus Natus qui sentiret occasum datus qni resciret exordium Hee was borne that should feele death hee was giuen that was from euerlasting and could not die Natus qui matre esset iunior datus quo nec Pater esset antiquior He that was borne was younger then his mother hee that was giuen was as eternall as his father He was Sonne to both God and Mary Non alter ex Patre alter ex Virgine sed aliter ex Patre aliter ex virgine As the flowers are said to haue Solem in coelo patrem solum in terra matrem so Christ hath a father in heauen without a mother a mother on earth without a father Here is then the wonder of his Humanitie The euerlasting Father is become a litle child He that spreads out the heauens is wrapd in swadling clouts Hee that is the Word becomes an Infant not able to speake The Sonne of God calls himselfe the Sonne of man His Humilitie If your vnderstandings can reach the depth of this bottome take it at one view The Sonne of God calls himselfe the Sonne of man The omnipotent Creator becomes an impotent creature As himselfe sayth Greater loue hath no man then this that a man lay downe his life for his friends So greater humilitie neuer was then this that God should be made man It is the voyce of Pride in man I will bee like God but the action of Humilitie in God I will be man Proud Nebuchadnezzar sayes Ero similis altissimo I will be like the Highest meeke Christ sayth Ero similis infimo I will be like the lowest hee put on him the the forme of a seruant yea hee was a despised Worme God spoke it in derision of sinfull man Behold hee is become as one of vs but now we may say God is become as one of vs. There the lowest aspires to bee the Highest here the Highest vouchsafes to be the lowest Alexander a sonne of man would make himselfe the sonne of God Christ the Sonne of God makes himselfe the sonne of man God in whose presence is fullnesse of ioy becomes a man full of sorroâ—…es Eternall rest betakes himselfe to vnrest hauing whilst hee liued i passiue action and when hee dyed actiue passion The LORD ouer all things and Heire of the world vndertakes ignominie and pouertie Ignominie the King of glory is become the shame of men Pouertie Pauper in nativitate pauperior in vita pauperrimus in cruce Poore in his Birth for borne in another mans stable poore in his Life fed at another mans table poore in his Death buried in another mans sepulcher There are sayth Bernard some that are humbled but not humble others that are humble not humbled and a third sort that are both humbled and humble Pharaoh was humbled and cast downe but not humble smitten with subuersion not moued with submission Gothfrey of Boloigne was not humbled yet humble for in the very heate and height of his honour he refused to be crowned in Ierusalem with a Crowne of gold because Christ his master had bin in that place crowned with a crowne of thornes Others are both humbled and humble When he slew them they sought him they returned and enquired early after GOD. Our Sauiour Christ was Passiuely humbled hee was made lower then the Angels by suffering death the Lord did breake him Actiuely he humbled himselfe he made himselfe of no reputation and tooke vpon him the forme of a seruant he humbled himselfe Habitually hee was humbled Learne of me for I am meeke and lowly in heart Let this obseruation lesson vs two dueties 1. Esteeme wee not the worse but the better of Christ that hee made himselfe the Sonne of man Let him not lose any part of his honour because hee abased himselfe for vs. Hee that tooke our flesh is also over all GOD blessed for ever Amen There is more in him then humanitie not alia persona but alia natura not another person but another nature Though hee bee verus homo hee is not merus homo And euen that Man that was crucified on a crosse and layed in a graue is more high then the heauens more holy then the Angels Stephen saw this very Sonne of man standing on the right hand of God The bloud of this Sonne of man giues saluation and to whome it doth not this Sonne of man shall adiudge them to condemnation Vnder this name and forme of Humilitie our Sauiour apposed his Disciples Whome do men say that I the Sonne of Man am Peter answeres for himselfe and the Apostles whatsoeuer the people thought Thou art Christ the Sonne of the living God He cals himselfe the Sonne of man Peter cals him the Sonne of God The Iewes see him onely a stâ—…mbling blocke and the Greekes foolishnesse but Christians see him the Power of God and the Wisedome of God The wicked behold him without forme or comelynesse or beauty to desire him but the faithfull behold him crowned with a Crowne his face shining as the Sunne in his glory Therefore Quantò minorem se fecit in humilitate tantò maiorem exhibuit in bonitate Quanto pro me vilior tanto mihi charior The lower hee brought himselfe in humilitie the higher hee magnified his mercie By so much as hee was made the baser for vs by so much let him be the dearer to vs. Obserue it O man quia limus es non sis superbus quia Deo iunctus non sis ingratus because thou art dust of thy selfe be not proud because thou art made immortall by Christ be not vnthankefull Condemned world that despisest him appearing as a silly man The Iewes expected an externall pompe in the Messias Can hee not come downe from the Crosse how should this man saue vs They consider not that hee who wanted a Rest for his head Bread for his followers fed some thousands of them with a few loaues that hee which wanted a pillow giues rest to all beleeuing soules that hee could but would not come downe from the crosse that the deare price of their redemption might be payed Many still haue such Iewish hearts what beleeue on a crucified man But Paul determines to know nothing but this Iesus Christ and him crucified They can be content to dwell with him on mount Tabor but not to follow him to mount Caluary They cleaue to him so long as hee giues them bread but forsake him when himselfe cryes for drinke Oderunt pannos tuos O Christ they like well
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