Lord is the death of his Saints And these things as Augustine note are spoken in the Psalme not to shew the Martyrs infelicitie but in amplification of the murtherers inhumanitie For the sea shall giue vp the dead in it and the glorious Angels in the last day shall gather together all Gods elect from the foure winds and from the one end of the heauen to the other and then this corruptible shall put on incorruption and this mortall immortalitie then our bodie which hath a long time slept in the graue shall be roused vp againe by the sound of the trumpet and raised vp againe by the power of our blessed Sauiour who died for our sinnes and rose againe for our iustification And then he shall change our vile bodie that it may be fashioned like vnto his glorious bodie Then he which is the resurrection and the life shall giue vs our perfect consummation in bodie and soule in his eternall glory Iob in his greatest extremitie said I am sure that my Redeemer liueth and though after my skinne wormes destroy this bodie yet shall I see God in my flesh Ambrose being readie to depart out of this world told his acquaintance Non sic vixi vt me pudeat inter vos viuere sed nec mori timeo quia bonum dominum habemus I haue not so liued among you that I am ashamed to liue neither doe I feare to die because we serue a good Lord. Oecolampadius to his friend visiting him at the point of death What shall I say to you newes I shall be shortly with Christ my Lord. The renowned Martyr Babilas when Decius the cruell Emperour had commanded his head to be chopped off vsed the words of the Psalmist O my soule returne to thy rest And Steuen here stoned to death is said Terminis terminantibus to sleepe in the Lord. Felix somnus cum requie requies cum voluptate volupt as cum aternitate The Gospell MATTH 23.34 I send vnto you Prophets and wise men and Scribes c. IT is a good obseruation in the Churches historie that these three commonly succeed each other Ingentia beneficia ingentia peccata ingentes pocnae The present Gospell is an example hereof in which all the same points are very remarkable 1 Ingentia beneficia Christs exceeding great mercy toward the Iewes in seeking their conuersion as well by himselfe as his messengers And those Prophets and wisemen and Scribes and that not once but often how often would I haue gathered and that not cursorily but earnestly Ierusalem Ierusalem not coldly but affectionately like as the benne gathereth her chickens vnder her wings 2 Ingentia peccata the Iewes exceeding great malice toward Christ abusing his meanes ye would not ministers of all sorts Prophets Wisemen Scribes with all kind of iniury Killing Crucifying Stoning Scourging Persecuting in all places not sparing so much as the Sanctuarie whom yee shew betweene the temple and the altar At all times for it is not heere thou that hast killed in time past or thou that wilt kill in time to come but in the present thou that killest and stonest Intimating their continuall habit in killing the Prophets and stoning such as were sent vnto them As if he should haue said qua occidissi occides occisara es 3. Ingentes paere both in respect of the Guilt that vpon you may come all the righteous bloud c. Punishment behold your house is left vnto you desolate Or as other their punishment is threefold Temporall your house is left vnto you desolate Spirituall yee shall not see mee henceforth Eternall that vpon you may come all the righteous blood Wherefore behold This Idea renders not there son why Christ did send Prophets vnto this people but imports the true cause why they persecuted such as were sent namely because they were serpents and a generation of â—â—pers as it is in the words immediately going before Vipers are conceiued by byting off the males head and borne by renting the females belly so they killed their spirituall Fathers the Prophets and rent in sander the compassionate bowels of their deare mother the Church I send How shall they preach except they be sent no man ought to take that honour vnto himselfe but he that is called of God Heb. 5.4 Here then obserue that Christ is very God taking vpon him as the master of the vineyard and Lord of the haruest to thrust forth labourers into the Church It is a token of his mercy to send Prophets and Wisemen and Scribes vnto any nation and an infassible demonstration of his seuere iudgment not to send according to that of the Prophet Amos in his 8. chapter at the 11. verse Behold the daies come saith the Lord that I will send a famine in the land not a famine of bread nor a thirst for water but of hearing the word of the Lord. Prophets and Wisemen and Scribes Howsoeuer all these may be confounded and meet in one yet I thinke with Hierome and other expositors that Christ vsed so many tearmes to shew the riches and diuersities of his grace ordaining some to be Apostles and some Pastor and teachers Ephes. 4.11 As if hee should haue said I will omit no meanes for your conuersion I will send vnto you messengers endued with all varietie of gifts administrations and operations Some distinguish Prophets and Wisemen and Scribes after this sort Prophetae sunt quifutura praenunciant Sapientes qui recte praesentibus vtuntur Scribae qui praeterita nobis in memoriam reuocant God hath dealt with England as with Iewrie speaking vnto vs early and late by his Wickliffes and Whit gifts Bilwys and Bradfords giuing vs his Latymors and Ridleys and other Iewels of all sorts vsing all kindes of messengers adorned with all kindes of gifts sending zealous Preachers endowed with the spirit of prophecie politicke Prelates endued with the spirit of wisdome iudicious and accurate writers endued with the spirit of knowledge who like learned Scribes taught vnto the kingdome of heauen are able to bring forth out of their treasure things both new and old Ierusalem had many Prophets and great is the number of our Preachers England affoords an Eli for an Eliah and a Matthew for a Matthew c. In the first obseruable point of our text concerning Ingentia beneficia Gods owne people the Iewes and wee parallell And some of them shall yee kill and crucifie Some they killed as Iames the brother of Iohn with the sword Some they crucified as Peter and Christ himselfe the Lord of life Act. 3.15 Some they scourged as Paul for thus hee p.c. writes of himselfe Of the Iewes fiue times receiued I fortie stripes saue one I was twice beaten with rods Some they persecuted from Citie to Citie as Barnabas Act. 13.50 Some they
rest as being the tying knot on which all other linkes of holy beleefe depend as I haue shewed often elsewhere but especially Gosp. on S. Thomas and Epist. on S. Andrewes day And they appointed two They nominated more then one that the Lord who knew the hearts of all men might chuse the party that should take the roome of the miniâ—tration and Apostleship from which Iudas by transgression fell And that Matthias might acknowledge that he receiued it as Paul speakes not of man but by the reuelation of Iesus Christ Galath 1.12 The world is a circle God is as it were the center of this circle the waies of men are lines deduced from this center If then euent of the Lotterie hee not expected of diuels nor of the starres nor of any force of fortune but looked and prayed for to be directed by God it is lawfull to vse lots in temporall things as in diuision of lands and inheritance Prou. 18.18 The lot causeth contentions to cease and maketh a partition among the mighty And in spirituall affaires also for it is reported of Zacharias the Priest that his lot was to burne Incense Luk. 1.9 And though ordinary chusing of Prelates and Preachers ought not to be by lots as both Heathens and Christians in this agree yet in some cases extraordinarie to wit if two or three shall happen to stand in election of such equall holinesse and other sufficiency that humane wisedome cannot any waies discerne and so decide which is most fit it is lawfull according to the president in our text to cast lots and so commit the disposition of the choice to God In the lawfull vsing of a Lottery then obserue these remarkeable caueats 1. We must expect the lots euent from God onely Prou. 16.33 The lot is cast into the lap but the whole disposition thereof is of the Lord. 2. We may not vse lots in affaires ordinarie but in cases of necessity when as the businesse cannot otherwise be transacted 3. Wee must abandon all vncharitable conceits and all dishonourable deceits Psalm 5.6 The Lord will abhorre the deceitfull man and destroy such as speake leasing 4. We must before we cast lots as the blessed Apostle heere call vpon God in hearty prayer for a blessing on our endeauours I could adde easily more but I remember Augustines rule Secundas habeat partes modestiae quae primas non potuit habere sapientiae If any know lesse then I they may be bold to peruse this and such as vnderstand more then I may read Augustin epist. 180. de doct Christ. lib. 1. cap. 28. con 2. in Psalm 30. Thomas 22 ae quaest 95. art 8. Bellarmin lib. de clericis cap. 5. Sixt. senen vbi supra in marg Aretius Marlorat Kilius in loc And the lot fell on Matthias In the Tabernacle the curtaines of fine twined linnen and blew silke and purple were couered with curtaines of Goats haire Some men are great ornaments in the Church and yet vnfit to gouerne the Church Ornent Ecclesiam qui solis rebus spiritualibus vacant regant Ecclesiam quos labor rerum corporalium non grauat c. It may bee Ioseph as being iust was a fine curtaine in Gods Tabernacle but Matthias a couering as being apt and actiue for gouerment Alia ratio boniciuis boni viri quoth Aristotle euery good man is not a good magistrate Are all Apoâ—â—les are all Prophets are all teachers There be diâ—â—rsities of gifts and diuersities of administrations and diuersities of operations Happily Ioseph excelled in one kind and Matthias in another He who kâ—ew to iudge best of the best for this ministration in his â—ecret wisedome cast the lot on Matthias Or in electing Matthias hee did insinuate that his waies are not as our waies and that hee iudgeth according to the heaâ—ts of all men and not after the flesh or titles or â—uâ—side Ioseph is called Barsabas that is the sonne of rest and innocency surnamed also for his singular honesty â—uâ—tus And yet Matthias is chosen of God howsoeuer not adorned with such commendations before men Here the Gospell and Epistle meet I thanke thee Father Lord of heauen and earth because thou haâ— hâ—d these things from the wise and prudent and hast shewed them vnto babes euen so was â—t thy good pleasure The lot falleth on the sonne of labour afflicted with the load of sinne not on the iust or on the sonne of rest on Matthias and not on Barsabas The Gospell MATTH 11.25 In that time Iesus answered and said I thanke thee O Father Lord of heauen and earth because thou hast had these things from the wise and prudent and hast shâ—wed them vnto babes c. CHrists exceeding rich mercy toward vs is manifested in this Scripture by two things especially to wit his inuocation of God I thanke thee O father c. And his inuitation of men Come vnto mee all ye that labour c. In both ioyned together hee that hath an eye to see may behold the chiefe causes of our effectuall vocation Efficient the good pleasure of God the father Lord of heauen and earth c. Materiall babeâ— and all such as labour and are heauie laden Instrumentall Iesus vnto whom all things are giuen Finall refreshing and rest in soule I thanke thee Prayer and thankesgiuing vnto God for benefits obtained in prayer ought alwaies to concurre Christ had often heretofore prayed for the gathering together of the Church as it was prophesied of him in the second Psalme Desire of me and I will giue thee the heathen for thine inheritance and the vttermost parts of the earth for thy possession And now his prayer being heard he rendreth vnto God his praise Father I thanke thee Lord of heauen and earth In which one line three wicked errours are consuted first the words I thanke thee consound the Iewes assuming that Christ was a blas 〈◊〉 Secondly father ouerthroweth Arrians an 〈◊〉 â—ch as deny Christ to bee Gods eternall sonne Thirdly heauen crosseth the Manicheans opinion holding God to bee Creator of visible things onely but not of inuisible Because thou hast hid those things from the wise Hee did not absolutely thanke his father for hiding the mysteries of his sauing grace from the wise but for that be reuealed them vnto babes You may reade the like phrase Rom. 6.17 God be thanked that ye haue been the seruâ—nts of inne but ye haue obtained from the heart vnto be forme of the doctrine which was deliuered vnto you 〈◊〉 blessed Apostle did not giue thankes vnto God for that the Romans had made their members as weapons of iniquitie but because they who sometime were the seruants of sinne through his grace were now the seruants of righteousnesse as Primasius vpon the place Gratias Deo quia fuist is sed ipso liberatore iam non estis Euen so Christ heere thankes
Sund after Easter and Gospell on Saint Thomas day Here pause and pray Almighty father which hast giuen thine onely sonne to die for our sinnes and to rise againe for our iustification grant vs so to put away the leauen of malice and wickednesse that we may alway serue thee in purenesse of liuing and truth through Iesus Christ our Lord Amen The Epistle Eâ—HES 4.7 Vnto euery one of vs is giuen grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ c. SAint Paul doth especially two things in all his Epistles 1. treate 2. entreate Hauing sufficiently treated in the former Chapters of doctrinals he commeth in this present to morals entreating his Ephesians in generall to walke worthy of the vocation whereunto they were called in more particular to support one another thorough loue keeping the vnity of the spirit in the bond of peace pressing this one point with arguments of two sorts The first of which epist. 17. Sund. after Trin. is taken from such things as are common vnto the whole Church as being in all the faithfull one and the same there is one body and one spirit and one hope one Lord one faith one baptisme one God and father of all which is aboue all and through aâ— and in you all As if he should argue thus if the Church your mother bee but one God your father but one Christ your Lord but one the holy spirit your comforter but one if ye haue but one hope one faith one baptisme I see no cause why ye should not liue together and loue together as all one labouring to keepe the vnity of the spirit in the bond of peace The second contained in our present text is taken from such graces as are in euery one diuerse shewing that this inequality of gifts is not an hindrance but rather a furtherance to vnitie for asmuch as all of them are giuen by the same author for the same end Vnto euery one of vs is giuen some gift vnto none all he that hath most hath but a measure As then in the naturall body the eye can not say to the hand I haue no need of thee nor the hand againe to the feet I haue no need of you but euery part seeketh anothers and not his owne good Euen so in the Church which is Christs mysticall body God made not all Apostles or all Prophets or Euangelists c. but some Apostles some Prophets some Euangelists c. There be diuersities of gifts and diuersities of administrations and diuersities of operations 1. Cor. 12. euery one standeth in need of anothers gift and thereupon is occasioned to support one another in loue preseruing the vnity of the spirit in the bond of peace See epist. 2. Sun after Epiphan and 10. after Trinity In the whole 4. points are to be considered especially 1. Who Christ and that is proued out of the 68. Psal. verse 18. hee led captiuitie captiue and gaue gifts vnto men 2. When when hee ascended vp on high euen aboue all heauens to fulfill all things 3. What hee made some Apostles some Prophets some Euangelists c. 4 Why for the perfiting of the Saints for the worke of the ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ. Concerning the first in that our Apostle doth auowe here that the diuersity of grace bestowed on the Church is the gift of Christ whereas he saith elsewhere that God the father ordained Apostles and Prophets and teachers and that the spirit worketh ad these things vnto euery one seuerally distributing as he will we may learne two conclusions in diuinity 1. That all the workes of the sacred Trinity quoad extra without it selfe are common and communicable to euery person of the three 2. That God the sonne is equall in might and mercy to God the father he being ascended aboue all heauens is the giuer of gifts vnto men and here we must accord the Prophet and our Apostle The one saith he receiued gifts for men the other he gaue gifts vnto men and these two seeme to contradict each other Answere is made that Dauid speakes of this deuotion in time to come but Paul of thiâ— donation already past and accomplished Dauid of the promise Paul of the performance Or Christ as he was God gaue gifts in heâ—â—â—n and as man he reâ—â—â—ed gifts on earth or he receiued in that his members receiued according to his owne saying Mat. 25.40 â—n as much as ye haue done it vnto one of the leastâ— these my brethren yee haue done it vnto mee or he receiued to giue as Exod. 25.2 Speake to the children â—f â—srael that they receiue an offering for me that is according to the translation of our present Church bible â—â—at they bringâ— where reioycing as Abbâ—n Ezâ—a notes is giuing and so Paul alluding rather to the sense then to the words of Dauid saith he 〈…〉 Touching the second point it is demanded how Christ is said here to haue made some Apostles and some Prophets c. When he went 〈…〉 and led captiuity â—aptiue seeing wee reade in the Gospels history that he chose his Apostles and Disciples and gaue them a commission to preach in his life time and that after his resurrection he confirmed them in his office by breathing on them and giuing the holy Ghost and saying as my father sent mee euen so send â—y â—â— goe teach all nations baptizing them in the name of the father and the sonne 〈◊〉 the holy ghost Answere may bee that Christ is reported in this Scripture to haue giuen Apostles vnto the Church after he went vp on high in respect of their gifts extension and 〈◊〉 Extension as hauing after Christs ascensâ—ou receiued the gifts of the holy ghost after a more glorious manner and in a farre greater measure So the text the â—â—ly ghost was not yet giuen because that Iesus was not yet glorified and If I goe not away the comforter will not come vnto you but if I depart I will send him vnto you And Christ at his ascension also charged them to waite for this promised power of the holy ghost See gosp Sun after ascension day Oâ—tension and that 1. in respect of the solemne inauguration into their Apostleship on the feast of Pentecost in the sight of Gods people gathered together at Hierusalem out of euery nation vnder heauen It is reported of Dauid that he was first annointed King of Israel in the middest of his brethren 1 Sam. 1.10 and afterward in Hebron 2. Sam. 2. But hee was not called King vntill he was annoynted solemly before all the tribes of Israel 2. Sam. 5. Euen so though it bee granted that the Apostles were nominated and elected to their office before Christs death and confirmed in their calling after Christs resurrection yet they were not apparantly knowen vnto Gods people to bee so till he went vp on high and gaue