Our mother Church may be an Example who found the truth of this Doctrine by wofull experience at whose doore Christ knocking and desiring to enter shee returning a sluggish answer I have put off my coat how shall I put it on but being better advised and arising to open unto him he was gone and as Shee was hardly perswaded to arise and open to him so was He as hardly perswaded to arise and helpe her but suffered her to run up and downe in the streets to seeke him and could not finde him yea to fall into the hands of cruell watchmen who did smite and wound her Oh see the bitter fuits of dallying and late repentance So his people having provoked him and calling to be delivered out of the hands of their enemies see what a cold answer he giveth Where are your gods the rocke wherein yee trusted that did eat the fat of your sacrifices and drinke the wine of your drinke-offerings let them rise up and helpe you and be your protection Oh poore is the helpe that Idols can give to their worshippers having eyes but see not eares but heare not feet but walke not The Prophet biddeth the people that would raise God to give him no rest Christ biddeth us aske seeke knocke and commendeth spirituall violence The Apostle requireth a labouring or striving in prayer and the King of Ninivie commanded his people to cry mightily unto God All which declare that God helpeth not his people till he be raised he is not raised but with violence and as it were by being pricked under the sides as the Hebrew word signifieth Shall I conclude this point with paralelling it with another The people of God being persecuted and much distressed by their enemies David penned that most excellent Psalme the 68. wherein first he directeth them what to doe in their wofull case viz. as the Disciples did here to goe to Christ for to him the Apostle applieth that Psalme And what must they intreat him to doe To arise Arise Lord and let thine enemies be scattered The Lord did arise and went forth before his people made Kings with their Armies to â—lie rebuked the companie of spearemen the multitude of Buls and Calves of the people and scattered them that delighted in warre And what are Gods people taught to doe then Even to praise God and mutually provoke one another thereunto Blessed be the Lord even the God of our salvation he that is our God is the God of salvation and to him belong the issues of death Oh blesse yee God in the Congregations oh sing unto God yee kingdomes of the earth oh sing praises to the Lord even to him that rideth upon the heavens the God of Israel is he that giveth strength and power unto his people blessed be God And is this all No but when they have praised him for the good he hath done they are also directed to pray unto him to goe forward and perfect his good worke begun Strengthen oh God that which thou hast wrought for us for thy Temples sake at Ierusalem so shall Kings bring presents unto thee Oh how fit that Comment and this Theme and both of them for this time Many have beene the troubles of Gods people for these late yeeres in many parts of the Christian world and Christ hath slept long but loe by the importunate prayers of his people he is at last awakened his head is up from the pillow he is risen and hath begun a gracious calme Though I cannot say with the Psalmist Warres are ceased in all the world yet hath he beene marvellous to breake the bow knap the speare asunder and create a glorious peace for so many thousands and millions of his worthy servants in France and to give them the shadow of a great rocke in that weary land Oh let the voice of gladnesse be heard in righteous mens dwellings and let God be praised in the congregations of his Saints and let all men pray the Lord to finish that good worke he hath begun establish that peace in all truth and sincerity and give like comfort and breathing to all his servants in Germanie and else-where Yea be assured now he is risen he will in his good time doe some great worke and cause if his people now praise and pray a great calme I say then with Moses Stand still feare not and see the salvation of God and with the Prophet Zacharie Be silent ô all flesh before the Lord for he is now raised up out of his holy habitation So much for Preparation The Reprehension followeth He rebuked the wind and the sea All the Euangelists doe use one and the same word which in the native proprietie doth signifie to reprehend and chide and charge yea charge strictly even with threatnings and menaces and accordingly translated in some Latine Copies q. d. I charge you be still and calme upon your perill be it I will make you rue it else Which majesticall threatning intendeth three things viz. first Authoritie to command secondly Power to punish if he be not obeyed lastly An acknowledgment of that power For in vaine it is to command or threaten if the parties or creatures doe not regard us But as hee had power to command and threaten and punish so winds and seas had eyes and eares and heart to see heare feare and obey he no sooner commanded and threatned but presently they obeyed There was a great calme Heare â— heaven and hearken ô earth for the Lord speaketh Esay 1. 2. If the Lord speake heaven and earth and all creatures have eares to heare O earth earth earth heare the word of the Lord Ierem. 22. penult I say againe let it be marked that Christ did not pray intreat and beseech but with authoritie he commanded Peace and be still as if he were much provoked with their impetuous insolencie And no marvell What Winds and seas not know their Maker What Have they heretofore trembled and fled at his presence and doe they now rage and roare and conspire to drowne him What high treason against the Lord of heaven and earth is this It is well they escape with a rebuke that he doth not make them feele the power of his wrath and give all posterities occasion to say with the Prophet What ailed thee oh thou sea What didst thou Lake of Gennesareth that the Lord was so angry and displeased with thee What was thy transgression ô sea of Galile for which the Lord powred out upon thee the furiousnesse of his wrath Oh let it be written and let all posterities note the meeknesie and gentlenesse of the Lord towards his creatures who did no further punish such a treasonable conspiracie against his life but with a rebuke Peace and be still Here for our instruction let us learne what is the soveraigne Regall authoritie of this great
earth for them Doe they want Pearles and Iewels The rivers and streames shall afford them Are they heavy-hearted The Vine shall glad them with wine Have they cause of mirth and feasting Oile shall make their faces to shine Are waters cast out of the Dragons mouth The earth shall swallow them up Doe winds and waves roare and threaten to drowne If Christ doe but bid be still they are calme and obey him A point of Doctrine which one of the Ancient Fathers hath abundantly confirmed and illustrated by positive and exemplarie Scriptures if I would inlarge it Oh let us thankfully admire and extoll the mercy and goodnesse of God who is so bountifull in the donation of good condonation of the evill of guilt and preservation from the evill of punishment that hath saved us from so many and so great evils of bodie soule estate by water and land and hath given us all good things abundantly to enioy pertaining to life and godlinesse sendeth us daily manifold comforts from Heaven Aire Earth Sea Sunne Moone Starres Light Birds Beasts Fishes Fruits Herbes And if he have so liberally provided for us in the wildernesse what inestimable good things are provided for us in our owne Countrie If so great things in the prison what in the Palace If such a calme in this world what in heaven If such varietie of comfort in this vale of teares and in Christ his absence what at the mariage-feast Oh when your tables are richly furnished with varietie of good things from aire earth sea praise him whom winds and sea obey and let your harts be lifted up to meditate on those future and inestimable good things prepared in heaven for them that love him Our Doctrine from the Mystery is That all creatures at Christ his command are readie to serve his Church and people though never so contrarie to their nature If the Lord rebuke the winds will not blow nor waters flow nor fire burne nor hungrie Lions devoure nor Sunne move If all things were not thus at command it were impossible for the poore Church of Christ to subsist on earth to endure such cruell conspiracies and bloudie persecutions of mightie Tyrants for his poore little flocke to dwell in the midst of so many ravening Wolves for this little Cock-boat to ride out such grievous stormes and tempests but our God who was then in the ship and rebuked winds and sea and they obeyed he is now in heaven and doth whatsoever he will and he hath promised to be with his to the ends of the world and that the gates of hell shall not prevaile against them And therefore if in times of trouble and distresse when it pleaseth Christ to scourge and fanne his Church we be too weake in faith and too strong in feare and bewray pusillanimity and cowardize let us with David ingenuously confesse This is our infirmitie not regarding the Scriptures nor the power of God Let us be ashamed of it and learne more stedfastly to trust in the Lord as David counselleth Let the house of Israel trust in the Lord hee is their helper and defender O house of Aaron trust in the Lord he is their helper and defender yee that feare the Lord trust in the Lord he is their helper and defender he will blesse the house of Israel he will blesse the house of Aaron hee will blesse them that feare the Lord both small and great Yea let this Doctrine be remembred and it will wonderfully comfort and strengthen our faith in the resurrection For as winds and sea obeyed Christ now at the last day earth and sea shall heare and obey the voice of Christ yeeld up al the dead which they have received Marvell not at this for the houre is comming in the which all that are in the graves shall heare the voice of Christ and shall come forth Whereof he hath given us assurance in the raising of Lazarus Rulers daughter and widowes sonne only with his word Lazarus come forth Damsell arise Young-man arise This was of old most lively represented to the Prophet in vision hee was caried by the Spirit of the Lord and set downe in the middest of a valley which was full of dead mens bones and very drie and he was commanded to prophesie upon those bones which he did saying Oh yee drie bones heare yee the word of the Lord and immediatly there was a noise and behold a shaking and the bones came together bone to his bone and sinewes and flesh and skinne came upon them and covered them This as one of the Ancient Fathers saith was a most lively picture of the Resurrection of the dead which shall at the end of the world be effected by the omnipotent voice of the Sonne of Man Yea scarce any of the Fathers have written of the Resurrection but have made singular use of that Vision If at any time then our faith shall stagger at that Article which as a Divine saith is so farre above though not contrary to naturall Reason let us strengthen our faith with that excellent Vision Yea this was also represented to Saint Iohn in vision The sea gave up the dead which were in it and death and hell gave up the dead which were in them No matter then where we die by sea or land or where we bee buried in earth or water these are all but Gods Gaolors and shall faithfully bring forth all such as have beene committed unto them at that generall Assises If thy faith stagger let it rest upon the omnipotent power of Christ and for ever remember what you have heard from this storie Christ rebuked the winds and the sea and they obeyed him And therefore say I will lay me downe and take my rest for the Lord sustaineth mee I know my Redeemer liveth and I shall rise againe Our second lesson from mysterie is That the maine and principall end of all Gods word and workes is that from consideration thereof man may be provoked to admire and set forth the praise and glory of Christ What manner of man is this that hath done such things The Lord hath made all things for himselfe saith the Wise-man And the perpetuall exercise of the glorified Saints in heaven is day and night to praise Christ for the great worke of Redemption Thou wast slaine and hast redeemed us unto God by thy bloud out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation and made us Kings and Priests unto God Here then is an infallible touch-stone whereby to trie all Doctrines and I would to God with charitie and sobrietie all the matters in question betwixt the Papists and us were with meekenesse brought to this touch-stone Those Doctrines are ever soundest which doe give glory to Christ and provoke men to admire praise him What manner of man is he But whatsoever
have therfore Verily I say unto you ye that have followed me in the regeneration when the Son of Man shal sit in the throne of his glory ye also shal sit upon twelve thrones and iudge the twelve Tribes of Israel andevery one that hath forsaken houses brethren sisters father mother wife children or lands for my names sake shall receive an hundred fold and shall inherit everlasting life And againe Yee are they that have continued with mee in my temptation And I appoint to you a kingdome as my Father hath appointed to me That yee may eat and drinke at my table in my Kingdome and sit on thrones iudging the twelve Tribes of Israel According to which promises the Apostle saith If wee suffer with him wee shall reigne with him It is a most true saying of the Apostle If in this life only we have hope in Christ we are of all men most miserable But in regard of the reward to come such as follow Christ to the end are of all men most happie Moses had respect to this recompence of reward and it made him leave following of Pharaoh and his Court and chuse to suffer afflictions with the people of God rather than to enioy the pleasures of sinne for a season This made the Apostles being scourged to depart out of the Councell rejoycing that they were counted worthie to suffer for the name of Christ This hath encouraged thousands and millions of holy Martyrs to suffer with patience and joy all the tortures and torments that the Devill and Tyrants could devise and by no meanes be pulled from following of Christ Oh then on on follow follow him let us all be Acolytes I neither meane it according to Philosophie the Stoicks being so called because they alwaies followed their opinions and did with obstinate pertinacie adhere to their doctrine and counted it a shame to forsake the same neither doe I meane it according to ridiculous Popery wherin Acolytes are one of their Ecclesiasticall Orders whose office is to light tapers and candles for there must be candles light whensoever the Masse is celebrated though at noone-day and Sunne shine never so bright and no marvell for it is a worke of darknesse but by Acolytes I meane according to the word in my Text let us follow Christ his doctrine and morall conversation and let our light so shine before men that they may see our good workes and glorifie our Father which is in heaven Oh follow him in troubles and temptations and you shall follow him in glory for so is the promise They shall follow the Lambe whither soever hee goeth Follow him on earth and you shall follow him in heaven follow him in momentanie misery and you shall follow him in endlesse felicitie follow him in temporarie death and you shall follow him in everlasting life then suffer with him and you shall reigne with him Now follow him that rideth upon the white horse and is gone forth to war and you shall follow him in triumph with Palmes in your hands and crownes on your heads when the Devill and all enemies shall be troden under foot But now give mee leave before I conclude this point to lament the paucitie the small number of those that follow Christ The time was whē it was said The whole world followed him but now may we complaine that all follow the world as the Apostle long since did All seek their own not those things which are Iesus Christs Good Lord how greedily and unweariedly doe men and women follow and even runne some after their pleasures of Hawkes Hounds Cards Dice some their profit and gaine some their honour and preferment some one sinne some another and in that pursuit will endure any hardnesse any discouragements but how few follow Christ in the way of obedience to the Gospell Which S. Bernard in his time lamented and discovered the folly of in a wittie descanting upon a Latine word The world saith I will deceive thee the flesh saith I will infect thee the Devill saith I will destroy thee but Christ saith I will refresh thee Yet how many follow the other and how few Christ They would come to Christ in heaven and are ready to say with Stephen at their departure Lord Iesu receive my spirit but will not follow Christ on earth they would with Balaam die the deaths of the righteous but cannot abide their lives they wish the end but not beginning or if they wil follow Christ on the shore they will not to sea with him can endure in times of libertie peace plentie and prosperitie to professe the Gospell but not in trouble and persecution they will bring him to the water-side and if he will preach out of the ship they will stand on shore and heare him but if it be rough they will not to sea with him But know you that the marke of a true disciple is to follow Christ in temptations tribulations perils and persecutions yea it is adversitie trieth and declareth a true disciple not like the Israelites to reioyce sing when they passed safely thorow the red sea but murmure when they wanted bread or water wherefore follow him in sicknesse povertie disgrace imprisonment death follow him to the sea let winds and waves rage never so horribly yea follow him into the sea if he call thee thereunto what hurt had the children of Israel by following the Cloud and Arke into the midst of the red sea The Lord is with his in all their temptations and tribulations hee will deliver them and bring them to honour Thus the passengers are all shipped we have observed both their number and their order Christ went in before and his Disciples followed him It now followeth to speake of the Vessell wherein they passed but for this time I conclude with that Prayer our holy mother Church hath taught vs in the Collect for this day Almightie God which by thy Sonne Iesus Christ didst give such grace to thy holy Apostle Saint Peter and commandedst him earnestly to feed thy flock make we beseech thee all Biships and Pastors diligently to preach thy holy word and the people obediently to follow the same that they may receive the crowne of everlasting glorie through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen Into a ship We have observed the Passengers for their number and order of shipping Now let us consider the Vessell wherein they passe which is here said to be a Ship The Romish Peterlings say this was Peters ship and in that they have a great mysterie that Christ and his Disciples are in their Church Indeed that Christ once was in Peters ship taught out of it and drew a great draught of fishes the Text is cleare That also Christ and his Disciples were in the Church of Rome is as cleare when Saint Paul saith Their faith
also the blinde Heathen groped after acknowledging the worke though ignorant of the Worker The waters of Egypt had experience of his power when Moses lifting up the rod of God upon them all their rivers and streames and ponds and pooles became bloud The waters of the Red Sea also felt his power when Moses lifting up the rod of God they were divided whereof David saith He rebuked the red sea and it was dried up The river of Iordan felt his power when no sooner the Priests that bare the Arke of God came to touch it but though it was at such a time of the yeere when Iordan did overflow it banks the waters which came from above stood upon an heape the others failed and were cut off so as the people passed on dry land right over against Iericho Whereof the Prophet demanded a reason in this glorying manner What meant yee rowling and roaring streams of Iordans floud to recoile backwardly And now the Sea of Galile acknowledgeth his soveraigntie when being rebuked there was a great calme Yea that we may further extend and inlarge his dominion know that he hath all power and authoritie in Heaven Earth Seas and Hell it selfe For himselfe hath said I have the keyes of death and of hell and All power and authoritie is given me in heaven and earth And the Apostle saith Every knee must bowe unto him both of things in heaven earth and under the earth and every tongue must confesse that Iesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father As he here rebuked the winds and sea so he rebuked his Disciples who would have had fire to come from heaven and consume their enemies Yea he straitly charged his Disciples not to make him knowne He rebuked diseases also he stood over Simon Peters wives mother having a great Fever and he rebuked the fever and it left her Yea often he rebuked Devils sometimes to hold their peace and sometimes straitly charged them not to make him knowne and sometime to come out of such as they possessed which they did so as all the people were amazed With authoritie and power he commandeth the uncleane spirits and they come out Yea an whole Legion of Devils fell downe prostrate before Christ and acknowledged his power over them beseeching him not to torment them nor send them out into the deepe but suffer them to enter into the herd of Swine Wherefore Michael striving with the Devill about the body of Moses durst not bring against him any railing accusation but said The Lord rebuke thee Thus Heaven and Earth and Sea Men Diseases yea Devils and all Creatures must heare and tremble when this most high and soveraigne Lord commandeth as we shall further heare from the effect of this rebuke There was a great calme In the meane time for the use of that which we have alreadie heard what a sweet comfort and encouragement may this be to all the true disciples of Christ that where ever they become they are within the dominion and jurisdiction of Christ Whither can I flie saith David from thy presence Psal 139. 7. Of all sorts of offenders God hath no fugitives to punish Indeed Ionah fled from the land but God met him in a storme upon the sea and surely in his dominion neither wind water fire raine haile snow sicknesse disease ache paine nor Devill can hurt or vexe them but according to his good pleasure â—or they are all but his servants And if he say to one goe hee goeth to another come and he commeth Let then the world hate us the Devill like a roaring Lion seeke to devoure us yea if it were possible for heaven earth hell and all creatures to conspire our destruction yet can they doe nothing against us but what he will and when hee rebuketh all shall be calme and still And thus much for the Letter And rebuked the winds and the sea For the Mystery hereby is signified that God in his good time will still the rage and fury of persecutors against his Church To which purpose the Prophet hath an excellent saying Woe to the multitude of many people which make a noise like the noise of the seas and to the rushing of Nations that make a rushing like the rushing of mightie waters the Nations shall rush like the rushing of many waters but God shall rebuke them and they shall flie farre off and be like the rowling thing or thistle-downe before the whirlewind Oh see how easie a thing with God to still all the enemies of his Church be they never so mightie or malicious As he needed not Moses Rod nor Eliahs Cloake nor Xerxes his Fetters to still the Sea only he spake the word rebuked the winds and seae and there was a great calme so saith the Prophet If the Lord doe but rebuke the Nations they flie farre off like thistle-downe from the face of a whirlewind For the Illustration of which point be pleased to observe That for the procuring a peaceable calme unto his Church God sometimes disableth great meanes enableth small meanes yea sometimes worketh without meanes For the first because the Lord is jealous of his owne glory and man is foolish and prone to rob him of it both by trusting in great meanes and sacrificing to his owne net arrogating the praise and glory of the action Therefore doth God seldom doe any great thing by great and eminent meanes but pronounce a woe to such as trust in them as Woe to them that goe downe into Aegypt for helpe and leane upon horses which trust in chariots because they be many and in horsemen because they be multiplied but looke not to the holy one of Israel nor seeke after Iehovah When Israel upon just occasion and approved of God went to fight against Benjamin though the men of Israel were foure hundred thousand and the men of Benjamin but six and twentie thousand and odde yet the men of Israel received two foiles and lost fortie thousand til in the end they went up to the house of the Lord and there fasted and wept and learned not to trust in the multitude of an hoast but in the Lord of hoasts and then they prevailed Wherefore David from his owne experience saith godly A King is not saved by the multitude of an hoast neither is any mightie man delivered by his much strength an horse is counted but a vaine thing to save a man After whom Salomon his sonne a worthy graft of so Noble a stocke heire of his Fathers Vertues as well as of his Crowne led by the same Spirit saith in like sort The horse is prepared against the day of battell but salvation is from Ichovah And therefore let all Gods people looke unto the Mountaine from whence commeth their helpe in the needfull time of trouble and say in the name of
borne or buried or whilst he lived whereon to rest his head And as quickly was he gone againe he did but sojourne or as the word signifieth pitch his Tent among us for the space of 33 yeers which compared with eternitie or long lives of the Patriarchs is nothing He was but as a Traveller which as for a nights lodging only turned in unto us and as a stranger he was used for his owne would not receive him but did lade him with all wrongs and injuries preferre a murtherer before him and most disgracefully crucifie him betwixt two notorious malefactors But it shall suffice only to touch these things The third and last is more largely to be handled as most fitting the Text the day the insuing service of this day whereunto with some few words to that purpose I would prepare you and is this This man is a strange man wonderfully qualified For they propound the question in way of admiration What manner of man is this q. d. Oh what a wonderfull man is this And well might they so marvell and demand for there was never such a man on earth before or since or shall be The Church saith Her beloved is the chiefest of ten thousand a finite number being put for an infinite All the thousands and millions of glorious Angels in heaven or men on earth cannot afford such another He is the only Standard-bearer as the word signifieth He is anointed with the oile of gladnesse above his fellowes He received not the spirit by measure In him were hid all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge yea all that fulnesse of the Godhead dwelt in him bodily that they may well marvell What manner of man is this For Christ hath said of himselfe he is a wonder and the Prophet maketh this one of his glorious titles He shall be called wonderfull And never any creature so answerable to his name as Christ to this For what he was said did suffered ordained was all most marvellous Let us retaile these things For wherein can I more edifie you than by provoking you to marvell which is the whetstone of knowledge And first let us consider his person and it will make us marvell yea be astonished with marvelling He that is true God from everlasting in time became true man not ceasing to be what he was before but beginning to be what he was not before assuming true manhood to subsist in the word by hypostaticall or personall union neither nullifying the Deitie nor deifying the Humanitie but reserving the essentiall properties of each nature severall and distinct without mixture or confusion The Apostle saith This is a great mysterie and to be much marvelled at God manifested in the flesh The word made flesh Manhood assumed into personall union with Godhead that so Godhead and Manhood make the person of one Redeemer as soule and body doe one man that seeing as God hee could not die which God hath threatned and as man not overcome death being God and man he could both suffer and overcome the one suffered and the other enabled By reason of which union and as I may call it association of divers natures a kinde of mutuall commutation there is whereby those concrete Titles God and Man when we speake of Christ doe take interchangeably one anothers roome and in the Concrete it is most holy and true which in the Abstract were horrible and hellish blasphemie to affirme We cannot say the Humanitie made the world or Deitie suffered but we may truly say the man Christ made the world and the God Christ suffered The Apostle saith The Iewes did crucifie the Lord of glory 1 Cor. 2. 8. and that God hath purchased his Church with his bloud and Christ being on earth said at the same instant The Sonne of man was in heaven Where you see a bloudy death is attributed to God and Lord of glory and ubiquitie to manhood which humane nature admitteth not Therefore by God and Lord of glory wee must understand the whole person of Christ who died and shed his bloud but not in that nature for which he is called God and Lord of glory and in the other place by Sonne of man we understand the person of Christ who was in heaven as well as on earth though not in that nature for which he is called the sonne of man Yea without this caution the Fathers who were both sound in the faith and unanimous in defense thereof will seeme to be both corrupt and contrary For Theodoret disputeth with great earnestnesse that God cannot be said to suffer but he meant in the Abstract against Apollinarius who held the Deitie to be passible And Cyrill is as earnest saying Whosoever doth denie very God to have suffered death doth forsake the faith but he meaneth in the flesh and not in that substance for which the title God is given him But why doe I goe about to expresse and make cleare such a mysterie as is unconceiveable The strength of faith appeareth in those things wherein our wits and capacities are weake and therefore I must leave you reverendly and religiously to marvell at the person of your Redeemer and say What manner of man is this who is truly God-Man and Man-God And so I proceed to speake of his humane nature wherein he is more familiar unto us yet therein most marvellous also And first His conception is marvellous which was not according to the course of nature and by carnall copulation as Ebion blasphemed but as the holy Gospel teacheth and we professe to beleeve he was conceived by the Holy Ghost that as he was God of his Father without mother so he might become man of his mother without father and so be a Priest for ever after the order of Melchizedech who is said to be without father and mother And this comming of the Holy Ghost upon the Virgin effected a threefold worke First the fashioning of the body of a part of Maries substance that so he might be the true sonne of Adam Abraham and David according to the flesh and also the creating and infusing of the soule into the body which at the first was organized and fit to receive it which other bodies are not Secondly the sanctification of that matter that it had not the least staine or blemish of any originall sinne uncleannesse contagion or corruption Thirdly the union of the Godhead Manhood All which were wrought at the same instant of time Of all which the personal union is most marvellous That as in the Trinitie three persons are united in essence so in Christ three several and distinct substances viz. Deitie Soule and Flesh are united in one person And therefore the humanitie of Christ his soule and body did not make a person as in other men but so soone as
they were they did subsist in the person of the Word So were there at once two great unions admirably singular and singularly admirable viz. 1. Manhood and Godhead 2. Motherhood and Maidenhood But because the wombe is a darke shop wherein every man is marvellously and fearefully made much more was Christ the Virgins wombe being called the shop of miracles Neither did it want mysterie that the Holy Ghost is said to overshadow her We will also beleeve with our hearts what we cannot fully comprehend with our mindes much lesse expresse with our tongues We will also religiously marvell at this and say What manner of man is this that was even conceived by the Holy Ghost and proceed to that was more visible and patulous viz. His birth S. Iohn saith He saw a great wonder in heaven a woman clothed with the Sunne and the Moone under her feet and upon her head a crowne of twelve starres and shee was with childe and cried travelling in birth He may well call it a wonder a great wonder it is the wonder of wonders and comprehendeth many wonders What! the inhabiter of eternitie subject to time and after certaine moneths in the wombe as this day borne into the world The everlasting Father a young childe The Word an Infant which cannot speake Wisdome it selfe not know good from evill He that beareth up all things by his omnipotencie borne in the armes of a woman He that is invisible in his owne nature whom no man ever saw nor can see now to be seene of any in our nature even of the country Shepherds He that hath heaven for his throne and the earth his footstoole borne in the stable of a common Inne and laid in a cratch He that filleth heaven and earth too finde no roome in an Inne He that hath girt the sea sand himselfe wrapped in swadling clothes Hee that openeth his hands and feedeth every living creature doth he sucke the breasts He that is Davids Lord is he become Davids sonne He that was before Abraham is he so long after him in the flesh and descended from his loines He that is the Lord of all is he become a servant unto all Whereas man in the nonage of the world was made after the Image of God now in the dotage of it will God be made after the similitude of sinfull man He that made woman of Adams rib will he now be made of a woman and shall his mother be a Virgin Well said God when he prophesied that the Lord will create a new thing in the earth a woman shall compasse a man He may well call it a new thing for there was never such a thing before nor since and he may well call it a Creation Yea some Divines hold the worke of Incarnation when God was made like man to be greater than the worke of Creation when man was made like God I am sure the greatest miracles that every eye saw may be seene of the spirituall man in the birth of Christ The Sunne in the Firmament hath beene seene to stand to be retrograde and goe backe divers degrees to be eclipsed or darkned at a plenilune and these were great miracles But in the birth of Christ thou shalt see the Sunne of righteousnesse come downe from heaven and the most glorious Sonne of God emptie himselfe and descend from the bosome of his Father into the wombe of a Virgin Moses saw the viriditie of a bush burning with fire preserved and in Christs birth we may see the virginitie of a mother preserved Esay 7. 14. Aarons dry rod did blossome and beare fruit and in the birth of Christ we may see the withered stock of Iesse flourish and beare fruit Manna fell out of the clouds Christ came from the bosome of his Father Elijah was taken up into heaven but a greater than he came now downe from heaven The consideration whereof made that learned and devout Father to breake out into admiration O Lord I doe not admire the stature of the world the stabilitie of the earth waxing and waning of the Moone perpetuall motion of the Sunne but I wonder to see God in the wombe the omnipotent in the cradle `` These things doe astonish me and make me say with Abacuck I have considered thy works and was afraid With whom let us marvell and say with these Disciples What manner of man is this who as this day was borne of a pure Virgin Surely this is a new and strange thing indeed which Iehovah himselfe hath created and it is marvellous in our eyes Oh rejoyce in this day which the Lord hath made yea rejoyce in this day wherein the Lord was made Rejoyce great grandfather Adam for as this day thy wife Evah hath brought forth the promised seed which shall bruise the serpents head Rejoyce grandfather Abraham This is the day thou so longedst to see Now is thy seed borne in which all nations of the earth shall be blessed Rejoyce father David this day thy Lord is become thy sonne which shall sit upon thy throne Rejoyce all yee Prophets for God hath fulfilled what he hath spoken by your mouthes Rejoyce yee men for the Sonne of God is now made man Rejoyce yee women for a woman is become the mother of God and all generations shall call her blessed Rejoyce yee Virgins for a Virgin hath conceived and borne a sonne Rejoyce yee children for the Sonne of God is become a childe Rejoyce yee that sit in darknesse for the day spring from on high hath visited yea the Sunne of righteousnesse is risen unto you Rejoyce yee that hunger for the bread of life is come from heaven Rejoyce yee that mourne for the consolation of Israel is come Rejoyce yee that are sicke in your soules the Physitian is come Rejoyce yee sinners for a Saviour is borne Let all that feare the Lord rejoyce and sing Glory be to God on high And so much for his birth He hath many most glorious high honourable titles given him as Iesus Christ Son of the most high Lord of glory Emanuel Wonderfull Counseller Mighty God everlasting Father Prince of peace Angel of Covenāt Redeemer Way Truth Life Resurrection Peace First last First begottē of the dead First fruits of them that sleepe Prince of the Kings of the earth Bright morning starre Amen Faithfull and true witnesse The beginning of the Creation of God Prince of Life The true Light Good Shepherd Vine Doore Lambe of God Only begotten Sonne of the Father Image of the invisible God second Adam Sonne of Man The true God Great God Mighty God The only God God over all King Everlasting Priest
world hath not blinded that all the pinnaces of Heretikes and Schismatikes and specially that great Romish ship though painted and gilded faire and hath large sailes with top and top gallant tacklings and cordage is indeed no better than an hot man of war a ship of Pyrates It hath leaked long and though Bellarmine hath put to all his strength in pumping and the Iesuits like cunning Divers have used and doe use all their skill to stop this leake yet shall they not be able it shall one day sinke and make shipwrack In the meane time know that the Church of England is a glorious visible Church a faire ship wherein Christ and his disciples are and therefore for this time I discharge you with renewing of the former charge Take heed you depart not from her take heed you cause not division in her but every man seeke her welfare follow faith to the conservation of the soule and keepe the unitie of the spirit in the bond of peace beware of Heresie beware of Schisme God for his Christ sake helpe us to keepe faith and a good conscience to the end and in the end Amen Followed him We have heard the number of passengers Christ and his disciples the Euangelist also noteth the manner or order of their shipping viz that Christ went before and his disciples followed him Christ ordinarily called the Disciples and Apostles in this forme and phrase of speech as to Simon and Andrew being fishing Follow me and I will make you fishers of men and in the verse before my text Follow me and let the dead burie their dead and to Matthew sitting at the receit of custome Follow me and to the young man If thou wilt be perfect goe and sell that thou hast and give to the poore and thou shalt have treasure in heaven and come and follow me The reason why Christ would specially have the Apostles conversant with him during the time of his Ministerie here was that hearing his doctrine seeing his miracles and observing his manner of life after his departure they might be witnesses to the world of that which they had heard and seene and for this cause after the death of Iudas there was care had that such an one might be chosen into his roome as had accompanied with them all the time that the Lord Iesus went in and out before them Therfore the Apostles commonly followed him from place to place in City and Countrey field and house by water and land though sometimes for some speciall causes he admitted not all but some few of them as Peter Iames Iohn were only admitted to see the miracle of raising the Rulers daughter and his transfiguration on the Mount and his agonie in the Garden The words are sufficiently cleared for their literall sense The letter teacheth us to give due honour and respect to one another The impression of superioritie and subjection command and obedience domination and service is not only stamped on man a sociable creature a little map or modell as it were of the great world though never so barbarous subjects following Kings souldiers their Captaines servants their Masters children their Parents and wives their Husbands whereby that Eutaxie and decorum which is established by nature and fortified by Morall Law Honour thy Father and Mother is preserved and ataxie and confusion prevented but God hath also stamped in man the members subject to the head the bodie to the soule and appetite to reason yea this impression is stamped upon the whole face of nature in the heavens God hath placed a greater light to rule the day and a lesser to rule the night yea if we ascend higher amongst the Angels there are Principalities Thrones Powers and Dominions and Michael an Archangell If we come to the earth the very birds by instinct of nature are subject to the Eagle the beasts to the Lion and very Bees have a master whom they in their kinde doe reverence and follow else their Common-wealth could not subsist yea if we descend lower the very Devils of Hell have Beelzebub for their Prince if that kingdome were divided in it selfe it could not endure there must be precedencie and subsequencie a going before and following after in all creatures specially amongst men and women who as they are many wayes to testifie inferioritie and respect to Gods ordinance so this way specially Christ was their Lord and Master they his servants and scholars it was therefore comely that so often we heare in the Gospell and even in shipping that Christ entred first and his Disciples followed him And it is a perpetuall rule of Civilitie which the Apostle hath prescribed that in giving honour we should prefer or as some Translations have it goe one before another As men and women should not be proud and ambitious a thing reproved by Christ in the Pharisies for loving the chiefe places at meetings shuffling and thrusting being dry drunken in the opinion of their owne worth as if none knew them but themselves whereby in Gods iustice they make themselves vile and hated whereas the way to honour is to be bid sit up higher so neither should any but most willingly in gesture word and deed acknowledge the worth and dignitie of others and specially Christians should in all places carrie themselves modestly and humbly that amongst them all things may be done decently and in order This is the fosterer of love and the spur of vertue and nourisher of Arts for what doth more prick forward and enflame men to great and noble enterprises especially of learning and chivalrie than respect honour and glory All men naturally desire esteeme and regard and to seeke it by vertue and goodnesse is very lawfull It was no ambition or vain-glory in David to aske What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistim If there be any praise thinke on those things For Christ to goe before and disciples to follow him is a comely sight But I leave the letter In the mystery this doth concerne us all and in what the Disciples did bodily wee may see what we ought to doe spiritually viz. If we be Christ his disciples or Christians wee must follow him To follow is properly an Hebraisme and signifieth to serve and obey and imitate in such things as concerne us as it is said The men of Israel went from after David and followed Shebah the Sonne of Bichri and God reproving his people for Idolatrie asketh How canst thou say I have not followed Baalim And the Pharisies say one to another concerning Christ Behold the world is gone after him that is acknowledge him for the Messiah and submit themselves to receive his doctrine and obey his precepts and imitate his example as their onely teacher and patterne And lest any should thinke it concerned only
true flesh and bloud such an one as hath had experience of Satans temptations of povertie hunger thirst wearisomenesse slander buffetting cruell paine death distresse c. How comfortable I say againe that we call on one that had himselfe experience of these things If a man be sicke of any disease he is much comsorted that his Physitian hath beene sicke of the very same for he assureth himselfe he will both have the more care and compassion on him and knoweth best how to goe about the cure Nay more wee call on such an one as is not only willing and able to heare and helpe but hath an unconceiveable simpathie and fellow-feeling of all the miseries of his children he is even pinched as much with their povertie want and distresse as themselves Patient Iob in all his misery felt nothing which Christ felt not with him neither did Lazarus suffer any thing wherein Christ did not partake with him So long as the mysticall Union holdeth which by no means can be dissolved Christ the head must needs suffer with the members of his bodie He that toucheth the faithfull toucheth the apple of his eye And he called to Saul from heaven Saul Saul why persecutest thou me He thought he had but to do with the poore abject despised people of Damascus such as had no man on earth of any sort once to speake for them but were esteemed as the off-scouring of the world and whom he thought he might have bound and imprisoned and have killed and slaine without controulement yea have done God service and purchased much favour and preferment But behold beyond his expectation there is a glorious Lord calleth unto him out of heaven whose voice was of such power and Majestie that it cast him upon the ground and he would know the Reason why he persecuted him Oh that men and women had grace to know beleeve and consider that all the reproaches slanders and hurts done to his people how simple soever in the world are done to Christ and though he sleepe for a while and seeme utterly to neglect them yet will he at the day of Iudgement set all before them and account all the good or evill done to the poore Saints as done to himselfe and will accordingly reward or punish them In the mean time let al the people of God reioice that their Saviour doth but sleepe that they have such an high Priest as hath had experience of their infirmities and therefore cannot but have compassion on them And thus much bespoken of the Letter As a man that is on sleepe heareth no cries nor complaints regardeth not the wrongs and injuries done to him or his but is altogether senselesse of such evill as being awake he would not endure but either restraine or revenge so when God maketh as though he heard not the prayers and complaints of his people suffereth his enemies to reproach and blaspheme his name and at their lust to make havocke of his Church and to destroy Religion his Temples and houses where he was wont to be worshipped then the Scriptures speake of God after the manner of men that he is asleepe The sleep of Christ then in this storme doth lively represent Gods seeming to neglect his Church in their great troubles and letting the enemie even doe what he lust Which patience or sleeping hath severall effects in the godly and the wicked first it causeth the godly exceedingly to mourne and complaine yea through Satans malice and their weaknesse to feare and much adoe to keepe from despaire So the people of God being extreamely afflicted and brought to great miserie under the persecution of Antiochus doe thus complaine Oh Lord thou goest not forth with our armies thou makest us turne our backes upon our enemies they that hate us spoile our goods thou hast given us like sheepe appointed for meat and scattered us amongst the Heathen thou sellest thy people for nought and takest no mony for them thou makest us a scorne and derision a by-word a reproach and shaking of heads And then they pray in this forme Awake why sleepest thou O Lord arise and cast us not off for ever wherefore hidest thou thy face and forgettest our affliction and our oppression And David thus for himselfe Arise O Lord in thine anger lift up thy selfe because of the rage of mine enemies awake for me to judgement which thou hast commanded oh let the wickednesse of the wicked come to an end but guide thou the just Psal 7. 6. Yea as Christ his sleepe did most trouble the Disciples they had never been so fearefull in the storme nor so earnestly called upon him if he had been awake so there is nothing so troubleth Gods people in their generall and particular distresses as that God seemeth not to regard them this oh this hath more disquieted them than any thing else and caused most bitter complaints and expostulations as Why standest thou so farre off and hidest thy selfe in this time of affliction when the wicked in his pride doth persecute the poore And againe How long wilt thou forget me O Lord for ever how long wilt thou hide thy face from me how long shall I take counsell in my soule and be so sore vexed how long shall mine enemie be exalted over me And againe Will the Lord absent himselfe for ever is his mercy cleane gone and will he shut up his loving kindnesse in displeasure By which in stead of many places which might be alledged for this purpose it is most evident that Gods children have never such conflicts and such wrestling betwixt the flesh and spirit as when either the Church of God or themselves are in distresse and God seemeth not to regard them but to have cast off all care of them oh this breedeth complaints and roaring indeed And as it begetteth great feare and perturbation yea almost despaire and deniall of Gods providence as David said of himselfe My feet were almost gone my steps had well-nigh slipt I was so grieved at the foolish and to see the wicked in prosperity So doth it wonderfully encourage the enemies of Gods people and make them proud and insolent Then say they Come let us make havocke of them altogether and let us cut them off from being a Nation that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance let us take to our selves the houses of God in possession And say God hath for saken them persecute them and take them there is none to deliver them Downe with Ierusalem downe with it even to the ground Oh how evill and wicked men bestirre themselves when they perceive Christ to be asleepe then the sea rageth indeed Oh great is the storme which is now upon the sea and no small trouble it is to such as are awake to see men and women every where asleepe in securitie specially to see those so fast asleepe
will goe to their Master Yea let Ionah be cast into the Sea and be swallowed of a Whale and then he will cry to the Lord A strange thing saith one that he that slept in the ship should be awake in the Whales belly and he that fled from God on dry land should flie to God in the bottome of the sea Oh when men have all things according to their hearts desire they seeke not the Lord. Prosperitie dulleth devotion in the best as David found by experience In my prosperitie I said I shall never be moved but thou hiddest thy face and I was troubled then I cried to the Lord and made supplication to my God Oh to correct this dulnesse and negligence it is that God many times taketh away good things from his people and sendeth many evils both generall to the Church and Common-wealth as famine pestilence sword and particular on our families and persons as sicknesse ache paine death of friends losses and crosses and all because as we say God would be better acquainted with us and see us at his Court for in miserie he knoweth he shall heare of us but else let us alone and we let him alone So much in stead of much more be said from the letter and historie Now let us proceed to the mysterie You have heard that this storme so endangering this ship doth represent persecutions and troubles which in this world doe infest the people of God As then the disciples in this dangerous tempest went to Christ and by prayer to him procured a calme so when the Church of God is persecuted and in danger all the disciples of Christ must goe to him by prayer for it So doth David injoyne Pray for the peace of Ierusalem Luther calleth prayers the Christians Canons and surely being well charged with faith and repentance and fired with zeale and fervencie of spirit they shoot farre and pierce deepe yea it pierceth heaven and overcommeth enemies on earth As then Kings and Princes when enemies approach prepare their weapons armour swords and speares When Christians heare of warres and rumours of wars they must prepare themselves to prayer muster their petitions and set them in battell array as David saith Psal 5. 3. and not trust too much in earthly meanes as David saith Some trust in horses and some in chariots but we will trust in the name of the Lord And againe An horse is counted but a vaine thing to save a man neither is any mighty man delivered by his much strength and I will not trust in my bowe it is not my sword that can save me but in God we boast all the day long The horse is prepared for the day of battell but salvation is from the Lord By all which and many other places of Scripture which might be alledged to this purpose the use of meanes is not condemned but that they be not trusted in but be seconded with true and faithfull prayer David neglected not the meanes yet purposely penned a forme of prayer for the people to use when he went forth to battell The Lord heare thee in the day of trouble the name of the God of Iacob defend thee send thee helpe from his Sanctuary and strengthen thee out of Sion Moses neglected not the meanes when he sent forth Ioshuah with his Armies to fight with Amalek but himselfe went up to the top of the mountaine to pray and did more there with his prayer than all they with sword and speare For when he held up his hands Israel prevailed when he let them fall Amalek prevailed King Asa neglected not the means when there came up an huge Armie of Ethiopians even ten hundred thousands and three hundred Chariots He went out against them and set the battell in array and Asa cried to the Lord and the Lord heard his prayer and discomfited them Yea the greatest and most glorious deliverances and victories that ever the Church received from enemies were meerely obtained by prayer without a blow given Moses and the children of Israel crying to the Lord in their distresse at the Red Sea God hardned Pharaohs heart to pursue them into the Red Sea where he and all his hosts were drowned Gedeon with three hundred men only with trumpets and lamps in pitchers but sounding their trumpets breaking their pitchers and crying The sword of the Lord and of Gedeon not only the huge Armie of the Midianites ran and cried and fled but every mans sword was against his fellow and they slew one another When Samariah was in exceeding distresse by siege the Lord made the hoast of the Syrians to heare a noise of a great hoast in the feare whereof they arose and fled in the twilight and left their tents and horses and all the Campe as it was and fled for their lives When Ierusalem was besieged at the prayers of Esay and Ezekiah an Angell was sent who destroyed in one night an hundred fourescore and five thousand in the campe of the Assirians When such a great Armie came up against Iehoshaphat he commanded fasting and prayer and his forme of praier is recorded whereby they obtained that their enemies destroyed one another Oh the same God liveth still and is now as able and willing to helpe his people as ever but his people neglect him goe not unto him but trust in their owne meanes want the spirit of supplication like Ionah they are on sleepe in this great storme either pray not at all or very coldly Where is that disciple that feelingly and fervently zealously and faithfully publikely and privately at the least thrice a day with Daniel is on knee for Ierusalem helping devotion with abstinence and fasting that so they may cry mightily and wrestle strongly resolving as Iacob never to let the Lord goe and with the woman of Canaan to take no nay or deniall but they will awake him he shall never be rid of them Alas how are these things out of use Where is watching fasting striving in prayer How little are many moved being out of the storme and present danger themselves whether others doe sinke or swim but give themselves to riot and luxurie to feasting and playing Wherefore God hath sent me to you againe as this Scripture commeth not to my hand by chance so neither this passage wherewith to renue in his name the charge I have often already given There is a great storme and if ever you desire to see a calme away with his disciples here to Christ What meane yee oh sleepers arise and call on him and plie him with your continuall prayers he looketh for more earnestnesse than he hath yet found Oh pray pray pray for the peace of Ierusalem Resolve with David One thing I have desired of the Lord and that will I seeke after that the Lord will awake and have mercy on Sion
pen of a Writer and note from the beginning of Genesis to the end of the Revelation they cannot finde one directed to Cherub or Seraphim Gabriel or Raphael Abraham or Moses or Iohn Baptist after his death or any other creature in Heaven or Earth save only to the Lord and his Anointed yea for above two hundred yeeres after Christ Intercession of Saints was not heard of Origen was the first that broached it not as the publike doctrine of the Church but as his owne private conceit above three hundred that Basil Nyssen and Nazianzen gave some occasion of prayer to the dead by their Rhetoricall speaking unto them Yea till 500 yeeres Invocation of Saints was not received into the publike Liturgie of the Church For it was after 400 yeeres that S. Augustine said We doe not make gods of Martyrs they are named of the Priest but no prayer is made unto them And it is said that Petrus Gnaphaeus an Heretike did first put Invocation of Saints into the publike prayers of the Church See how new this corruption is which the Church of England hath godly reformed and in her approved Homilies requireth foure things in the parâ—ie to whom we are to pray viz. First that he understand whereof we stand in need Secondly that he heare our prayers Thirdly that he be willing And lastly that he be able to helpe Finde these in any but in the true God only and then wee may pray unto them otherwise wee may pray as fondly as the Papists who pray to the Virgin Mary for example to pray to Christ for them and then they pray to Christ that he would accept of Maries prayers for them Thus are men puckled when they follow their owne conceits and leave the light of Gods word Oh call on me saith God and come to me saith Christ So doe the Disciples here so doe we ever when we pray Lord save us Save Nothing so pleasing to the Saviour as to come to him for life and salvation He complained of his people Yoe will not come to me that yee might have life yea being a faithfull Creator and Saviour of all men he is well pleased that in times of danger men should call on him for bodily preservation Lord save us But let us learne from this Example if we desire to be heard to pray only for such things as are needfull Christ hath taught us to pray for bread not gorgeous apparell stately houses great livings and honours for howsoever according to severall places callings and charges some men may pray for much more than others yet if our desires be boundlesse and we proceed from necessaries to crave wanton superfluities we offend and as S. Iames saith Yee aske and receive not because yee aske amisse that yee may consume it upon your lusts Our learned Academick saith It is not lawfull nor doth stand with a good conscience to seeke for any more than is sufficient for preservation of us and ours If any thinke him too strict let him hearken what Saint Bernard saith Let thy prayers which thou makest for temporall matters be restrained ever to things necessarie If any yet thinke that devout and mortified Cloysterer too strait laced let them heare what S. Augustine a Bishop saith If any man shall say Lord increase my riches and give me so much as thou hast given to such an one and such an one I thinke that man in the Lords prayer will finde no such direction Iacob prayed but for bread to eat and clothes to put on Solomon prayed but for food conventent and neither for riches nor povertie Lepers to be made cleane blinde men to see and the Disciples to be preserved in the storme Christ heard them and was well pleased Oh let us be moderate and wise in our desires Indeed Christ his promises are very large and generall Whatsoever yee shall aske my Father in my name he will give it you And againe If you shall aske any thing in my name I will doe it But an ancient Father saith True prayer is a request of such things as are fit for God to give and us to have And another saith No man can aske in the name of the Saviour that which is against salvation For our better direction therefore we must note that if we will be heard we must only crave bona bene good things and for good uses and purposes Good things are of two sorts viz. absolute or respective Graces spirituall and necessarie for salvation as Faith Repentance Remission of sinnes c. are absolutely good never evill to any and therefore we may absolutely aske them but all corporall and earthly blessings as Health Wealth Honour are not absolutely but respectively good as it shall please God to sanctifie them and therefore are not absolutely to be asked but with condition submitting our selves to Gods will as the Leper did Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me cleane if such or such a blessing be for thy glory and my good grant it unto me And as we must aske good things so to good uses and purposes as Solomon begged wisdome whereby he might goe in and out before the people For the Minister of the word to beg increase of knowledge preservation of health libertie that he may doe God and his Church service the Magistrate to aske understanding and courage that he may the better execute Iudgements betwixt man and man the man that asketh increase of wealth that he may more cheerefully serve God and be better able to help and releeve such as are in want this is to aske good things wel and to good purposes such may looke to receive what God knoweth to be indeed for their good but to aske exquisite knowledge and learning because they would excell in Poysoning Sorcery Witchcraft and such like damnable Sciences or wealth that they may oppresse their neighbours or compasse their sinfull desires or health and strength of body to revenge wrongs or devoure wine and strong drinke and follow their pleasures These aske good things amisse neither let such looke to receive yea it is great mercy in God to denie as a father in his love denieth a knife or sharpe-edged toole to his childe which he knoweth to be dangerous and hurtfull to him The Disciples knew not of what spirit they were that desired fire from heaven upon the Samaritanes Peter wist not what he said when he desired to have three Tabernacles built on Mount Thabor The Disciples that desired to sit one on the right hand and the other on the left hand of Christ knew not what they asked Whatsoever we aske let us aske according to his will and he heareth us if not according to our will yet to our profit and as is best for us Here wee see how earnest the Disciples
as of his owne which sheweth that they praied in love Which as the Apostle saith seeketh not her owne things and without which in preaching and praying Wee are but as a sounding brasse and tinkling Cymball That which our Saviour intended in that forme of praier which he hath prescribed teaching us to pray in the Plurall Give us this day our daily bread forgive us our trespasses lead not us into temptation but deliver us from evill I doubt not but in particular cases we may make particular suit unto God for our selves As Iacob in his iourney vowed If God will be with mee and will keepe me in this way and will give mee bread to eat and raiment to put on And David Save me ô God for the waters are even entred into my soule And Peter when he was sinking into the sea cried Lord save mee Yea Christ himselfe praied Lord let this cup passe from mee But these were particular cases but in common cases we must have common hearts yea though our case be particular yet there may be others in our condition which we know not and therefore we are so to pray for our selves as yet explicitely or implicitely we crave the like blessings to all such as are in the like want with us Here then commeth a common fault worthy to be reproved for it marreth all such praiers as The wilde goord marred all the messe of pottage viz. We are strait laced full of love but it is self-love we wholly love our selves seeke our owne good what meaneth else that common wicked Proverb Every man for himselfe and God for us all Or if they bee ashamed to professe thus much with mouth yet they are not ashamed to wish it in their hearts yea they wish evill to others so any good may thence redound to theÌ„selves How many wish a famine if they have any corne to sell Yea how few but doe greatly reioyce to heare of pestilence sword shipwracke sedition or any manner of evill to befall their neighbours or brethren so they reape advantage from it Which sheweth that in their hearts they doe onely desire their owne particular good and as we say care not who hunger so their bellies be filled who goe naked so they be clothed who be poore and vndone so they grow rich who lie without doore so they lodge warme who dy so they live who sink or swim so they come safe to shore So few pray as lovingly and heartily for others as themselves as our Example teacheth us to doe Lord save us So much for the petition We perish Extreme passion commonly causeth either silence or that which is next unto it imperfect and defective speech whereunto God alluding saith I have sworne in my wrath if they shall enter into my rest The Disciples being in great feare speake imperfectly we perish the causall coÌ„junction is wanting it is in effect q. d. otherwise or else wee perish The originall word is of hard and harsh signification in best signification it is to die as it is expedient for us that one die for the people yea to die by some miserable meanes as with hunger I perish with hunger it is commonly translated to destroy as he will truly destroy those husbandmen Let us not tempt Christ as some of them also tempted and were destroyed of serpents yea it signifieth the destruction of hell They shall be punished with everlasting destruction In which respect Iudas is called The sonne of destruction and the Angell of the bottomlesse pit is called in Hebrew Abaddon and in Greeke Apollyon i. a Destroyer Here it is meant of the losing perishing or destroying of the bodie by waters which we call drowning or choking in the waters So much for the sense Hence first we learne That it is an effectuall motive of mercy in praier to declare unto God our misery How often doth David to this purpose in his praiers lay open his miseries before God as Save me ô God for the waters are come in even unto my soule I sinke in the deepe mire where is no standing I am come into deepe waters where the flouds over flow me I am wearie of crying my throat is dry mine eyes faile while I wait upon my God And againe Thou hast cast off and abhorred thou hast beene wroth with thine anointed thou hast made void the covenant of thy servant and hast cast his crowne to the ground thou hast broken downe all his hedges and brought his strong holds to ruine all that passe by spoile him and he is a reproach to his neighbours thou hast set up the right hand of his adversaries and made his enemies to reioyce thou hast turned the edge of his sword and giuest him not victory in battell To this purpose also doth he declare the misery of Gods Church O God the Heathen are come into thine inheritance thine holy Temple have they defiled and made Ierusalem an heape of stones the dead bodies of thy servants have they given to be meat to the fowles of the heaven and the flesh of thy Saints to the beasts of the earth their bloud have they shed like water round about Ierusalem and there was no man to bury them Yea thus lamentably doe all Gods people complaine Thou goest not forth with our armies thou makest us to turne our backes upon the enemy they that hate us spoile our goods thou hast given us like sheepe appointed for the slaughter thou sellest thy people for nought takest no mony for them thou makest us a reproach derision by-word and shaking of the head c. The Reason of this doctrine is because God is a most mercifull God and it is the nature of mercy to be exceedingly moved with misery Misericordia Yea his mercy is called a tender mercy or bowels of mercy Great is the compassion of a brother as we see in Ioseph a godly man when he saw his brother Beniamin he made haste and â—ought where to weepe For saith the Text his bowels did yearne upon his brother Greater the compassion of a father towards his sonne as we have lately had an example when the father saw his hungry naked leane though a prodigall sonne yet he could not containe himselfe But ran and met him and fell on his necks and kissed him and commanded his servants with all speed to feed and cloath and decke him But greatest of all is the compassion of a mother towards her childe How the woman of Canaan plied Christ with praier for her daughter and would receive no answer but her cure Yea and Salomon in his wisdome discerned which was the true mother of the childe hereby for when she heard the sentence pronounced that it should be divided her bowels yearned on her sonne But the compassion of a brother father or mother is
Iudas excepted but yee of little faith The widow of Zarephath had not a Cake but an handfull of Meale in a barrell and a little Oile in a Cruse That they followed him into the ship and feared no danger that in this extreme danger they come to Christ calling him Lord Lord and pray him to save them proveth that they had some faith but that they are so fearefull and awaken him so turbulently as if they were in greater securitie if he were awake or he lesse able to helpe them being on sleepe than awake this was poore and little faith and our Saviour reproveth it with admiration O yee of little faith Not of little courage or valour for these and all other vertues grow from faith as the Apostle saith Some through faith have stopped the mouthes of Lions quenched the violence of fire of weake have beene made strong waxed valiant in fight and have turned to flight armies of Aliens No vertue so usefull in dangers as faith the Apostie calleth it our shield and another faith In all dangers and distresses wee are to encounter withall in this world it is our victorie wherefore he wondreth they have so little of it And as another Euangelist expresseth it How is it that yee have no faith that is How is it that yee have no better or greater measure of faith Or as S. Luke vet in another phrase and forme Where is your faith Or as the Greeke Article intendeth Where is that your faith that measure and degree of faith which you have shewed to be in mee All which tend to one purpose viz. to declare the weaknesse feeblenesse and modicitie of faith in this their great danger when the strength of their faith should specially have supported them But some may object and say That after this time the Apostles are said to have no faith therefore they ahd no faith now So after his resurrection it is said Christ appeared to the eleven as they sate at meat and upbraided them with their unbeleefe And to Thomas hee said Be not faithlesse but beleeving I answer That infidelitie incredulitie or unbeleefe is twofold viz. absolute and comparative Absolute unbeleefe is when the heart is void of every even the least jot grain of true faith and beleefe as where the Apostle demandeth What part hath he that beleeveth with an Infidell Comparative infidelitie is in relation not with any true but with a strong measure of faith And thus a weake or little faith a faith which in the houre of temptation is assaulted with doubtfulnesse is comparatively called faithlesnesse and unbeleefe such was their faith now and after Christs resurrection for a time And now if we make Application Surely if it bewrayed a small measure of saith for them to be so fearefull when Christ was in humilitie weaknesse and infirmitie on sleepe and before they had seene many most glorious miracles which after this time hee wrought for confirmation of their faith and before they saw his glory in his resurrection from the dead and his ascension into heaven and the sending of the holy Ghost upon them according to his promise How much lesse is our faith yea how may wee justly thinke we have no faith but are most worthy to be reproved for our infidelitie if in any danger wee exceed in feare having seene all his miracles resurrection and ascension c. in the glasse of the Gospell Was their faith little because he being on sleepe they did exceedingly feare danger And shall not our faith appeare to be farre lesse if wee so exceedingly feare seeing we know he now sitteth at the right hand of God having received all power and authority in heaven and earth and never slumbreth nor sleepeth Oh then meditate on the promises performances and power of God the merit of Christ mercy of God his goodnesse and greatnesse who both will and can turne all to the best that in greatest perplexitie and distresse that can or may befall your selves or any Gods people you may have the commendation given to Abraham that contrary to hope he beleeved under hope and may avoid this reproofe Why are ye fearefull O ye of little faith Here first we may learne what great spirituall combats and conflicts Gods children in this world are subject unto Our life is a warfare on earth as a well-tried and expert Warriour keeping the termes of his owne Art called it and the Apostle a wise and valiant Captaine in Gods hoast doth not only furnish every Christian souldier from top to toe with compleat harnesse but also describeth their enemies We wrestle not with flesh and bloud but against principalities and powers against worldly governours the princes of the darknesse of this world against spirituall wickednesses which are in high places You see what enemies we have and how exceedingly furnished with strength in their hands and malice in their hearts having all gainfull advantages both from nature they spirits and we flesh and from place they being above we below and far beneath them In which combat of our soules faith is our principall armour both of offence and defence and therefore the Apostle biddeth us Resist Satan being stedfast in the faith to take the shield of faith and to fight the good fight of faith Oh it is our faith whereby we stand and get victory Wherefore there is nothing so much assaulted as our faith yea and many times is so exceedingly battered and shaken and brought to so low an ebb that even the best of Gods children have thought they have had no faith and at least in the exceeding weaknesse thereof have made bitter complaints My God my God why hast thou forsaken me and will the Lord absent himselfe for ever and will he shew no more favor Is his mercy cleane gone for ever Doth his promise faile for evermore Hath God forgotten to be gracious Doth he shut up his mercies in his displeasure Lord how long wilt thou hide thy selfe for ever and shall thy wrath burne like fire And Oh wretched man that I am Loe these these indeed are the grievous conflicts and foiles which even the chosen Captaines of the Lords Armies have received and if such Lions themselves have roared for the disquretnesse of their hearts what have silly Lambes experience of in their soules No marvell though they sigh and mourne and complaine and be brought very low as if they had no faith at all but their hearts were full of unbeleefe doubtings feares Oh let such know to their comfort that the very best of Gods children have had and have and shall have experience hereof and shall grone under the burthen of the remainders of corruption and lament the sinfull infirmities which cleave unto them and cry out of feare doubting and unbeleefe yea know because Regeneration is imperfect
It well beseemed the great God to doe a great miracle and greatly to shew his power and authoritie in turning a great tempest into a great calme Yea as hee is a great God above all gods so he commonly doth great things for his glory and his peoples good so as their enemies confesse the Lord doth great things for them Yea lastly as there was a tranquillitie stilnesse calmnesse a great one so was it also sudden And herein lieth the greatest part of the miracle for the winds though sometime blowing strongly yet by little and little falling and sea raging extremely by little and little to grow calme is no great wonder being commonly seene But that no sooner the word of rebuke passed forth of Christs mouth but the effect of it appeared presently there was a great calme hee no sooner spake the word but it was done loe herein lieth the miracle and matter of wonder And so much be said for the opening of the sense of the words I now proceed to raise your doctrines And first from the letter The first may be raised from the context First A calme then arose a great tempest and now is made a great calme againe Which representeth unto us the mutabilitie or changeable vicissitude of all earthly temporall and sublunary things as summer and winter day and night cold and heat so in mens bodies health and sicknesse ease and paine and in mens estates wealth and povertie gaine and losse honour and disgrace and imprisonment peace and persecution are oftentimes changed one for another The world is like the Moone ever variable nothing continueth in one stay Vanitie of vanities all is vanitie And as it is in these earthly and outward so in heavenly and inward things state and condition The best of Gods children in this life are well acquainted and exercised with changes and alterations stormes and calmes mirth and mourning laughing and lamentation singing and sighing doe many times change and keepe their turnes and seldome are of any long continuance Wherefore let not such as are in best condition presume with David Tush my mountaine is so strong it cannot bee moved but let every one walke in humilitie and prepare for crosses afflictions and temptations And let such as are under the rod not be too much dejected but in patience possesse their soules and wait upon God after a storme commeth a calme Heavinesse may endure for a night but ioy commeth in the morning Our second lesson is That even all yea the most senslesse creatures man excepted doth heare and obey the voice of God and are in their kinds as it were zealous of his glory If we looke up to heaven we shall see thousand thousands and ten thousand times ten thousand stand before him even an innumerable company of most glorious Angels standing about his throne readie to doe what hee commandeth most willingly speedily and faithfully Descend by the Firmament and the Sunne which every morning commeth as a bridegroome forth of his chamber and reioiceth as a giant to runne his race yet at Gods command it stood still yea went backe and at Christ his passion it â—id it face as if then God performed what he had threatned I will cause the Sunne to goe downe at noone and I will darken the earth in a cleare day And the very starres fought against Siserah God rained fire out of heaven to burne Sodom and Aarons sonnes and Captaines with their fifties but the fire could not would not so much as sindge an haire on the heads of the three children Descend lower by the Regions of the Aire and we shall see it is the glorious God that maketh the thunder It is his voice which maketh the wildernesse of Cades to shake and Hindes to calve Lightnings are Gods arrowes and when the Lord calleth for them they answer Here we are He is the father of the raine The clouds are his bottles He also bringeth the winds out of his treasures Haile Snow Vapour all fulfill his word The earth trembleth aâ— his presence Mount Sinai shaketh as if it would rent in sunder and openeth to swallow up Core Dathan and Abiram God sent Lions to teare the Samaritanes in peeces but they did not offer any violence to Daniel being cast into their Den He did sting the rebellious Israelites with Serpents He plagued Egypt with flies and poore contemptible creatures He prepared a worme to bite Ionahs gourd at the root that it withered The Grashoppers when God sendeth them are called a strong nation mighty people and an huge armie The birds of the Aire at his command feed his Prophet with bread and flesh He hisseth for the flies of Egypt and bees of Assyria Devoureth Herod with lice Yea he doth sit above the water flouds and ruleth the Sea At his pleasure the waters must stand on an heape to let his people passe and sometimes must overflow and drowne all creatures in whose nosthrils is the breath of life The river Iordan must open and let Israel passe but the ancient river Kishon with a violent streame must sweepe the Canaanites away Fishes swim in Sea at his pleasure He prepared a Whale to swallow Ionah and the great sholes of Herrings faile not at such a day to be on such a coast He calleth for a Famine and destroyeth the provision of bread and at another time causeth the clouds to drop downe fatnesse that the poore may be satisfied with bread All diseases goe and come at his pleasure as the Centurion intended in Matth. 8. Hee punisheth disobedience with consumption and burning fever and when he rebuked it Peters wives mother was cured He shutteth up the wombe and it is he that maketh the barren to beare and become a ioyfull mother of children He formeth the light and createth darknesse maketh peace and createth evill even the Lord doth all these things Yea this great King carieth his Mace in Hell the place of confusion so as the very Devils are subject and obedient to him He never threatned or commanded uncleane spirits to bee gone but they went whereat the people greatly wondred Yea not only all creatures in Heaven Firmament Aire Earth Sea and Hell are obedient but in their kinds zealous See the zeale of the Angels who are winged and called Seraphims because they burne with a zeale of Gods glory are as a flaming fire when he useth their ministery See the zeale of the Frogs though breeding feeding creeping croaking in marish grounds and farre from houses yet being sent of God to plague Pharaoh they assaulted the Kings Palace crept into his ovens and kneading troughes yea could not be kept out of the Kings
bed-chamber nor his bed no nor from off the Kings owne person as if they had said as Iehu did Come see the zeale that we have to plague the Tyrant that thus oppresseth Gods people Oh see the zeale of the Sea when God gave it commission to attach his fugitive Prophet it wrought and was troublous it wrought and was troublous The Mariners for their lives could not bring Ionah to shore if they had not cast him in the Sea would have devoured them all q. d. See the zeale we have to the Lord of hosts in pursuit of him who is so disobediently fled from the presence of his God The Apostle calleth the fire of hell a zealous fire devouring the adversaries which Dives found by wofull experience when hee complained that hee was tormented in that flame and craved a drop of water to coole his tongue But woe and alas that man is excepted out of the Catalogue of obedient and zealous creatures That man endued with Reason and shew of Religion that the Lord of the creatures should be set to schoole to learne of the poore Pismire that God should so call and command and he either doe nothing but cast his commandements behinde his backe or doe what he doth to halfes Oh that man should give God such just cause to complaine of him I have nourished and exalted children and they have rebelled against me And I have called and yee refused I have stretched out mine hand and no man regarded yee have set at nought all my counsels would none of my reproofe And I have spread out mine hands all the day to a rebellious people How did Christ complaine of the Iewes Yee will not come unto me that yee may have life And againe O Ierusalem Ierusalem thou that killest the Prophets and stonest them that are sent unto thee how often would I have gathered thy children together even as an hen gathereth her chickens under her wings and yee would not How did Steven at his death complaine Yee stiffe-necked and uncircumcised in heart and eares yee doe alwaies resist the Holy Ghost as your fathers did so doe yee Oh that man created after Gods image and little inferiour to the Angels should not only be compared to the beasts that perish but have the dullest and rudest of them preferred before him The Oxe saith God knoweth his owner and the Asse his masters crib but Israel doth not know my people doe not understand Yea the Storck in the heaven Turtle Crane and Swallow know their appointed times but my people know not the iudgement of the Lord Oh let us now profit by this usefull Doctrine First let us learne ever to trust in him how extremely desperate soever things may be with us or Gods people it is an easie thing with him to remedie all He needeth not send Legions of Angels no nor muster troops of men and arme them with sword and speare hee is the Lord of Hosts and there are not the meanest and weakest souldiers in all his band not flies lice wormes excepted but if Christ command them they are armed with power to quell the pride of the greatest Monarchs and Monarchies in the world The second Use is that we feare this great God and commander of Sea and Land who is able to cut us downe like grasse to blow us away like dust to sweepe us away as dung Oh that men should not feare that mighty God but dare to blaspheme his Name being every where in the midst of his Armie and he able to make the least dust to be our death and the basest creature we see or with contempt doe tread upon to be our destruction This Use God himselfe presseth Heare now this ô foolish people and without understanding which have eyes and see not which have eares and heare not Feare yee not me saith the Lord Or will yee not be afraid at my presence which have placed the sand for the bounds of the sea And againe If I be your Lord where is my feare The Sea saw God and fled And David biddeth the earth to tremble at his presence Shall Earth and Sea those vast and senslesse creatures so feare and tremble and shall not man a worme of the earth stand in awe The third and last Use is that from the Example of all creatures in Heaven Firmament Aire Earth Sea and Hel we learne to obey the voice of Christ This is it David so urgeth To day if yee will heare his voice harden not you hearts Be doers of the word not hearers only The Sea did roare in the storme And even now that it is still it stil lifteth up the voice He that hath eares to heare may heare it call for obedience Habent miracula linguam si intelligantur factum verbi verbum nobis August in Iohan. tract 24. A learned man hath an elegant fiction of the world calling on man to serve and obey God in these words See how God loved thee that made me for thee I serve thee because I am made for thee that thou maiest serve him that made both thee and me me for thee and thee for himselfe Oh man if thou be disobedient all creatures even Devils will rise in judgement and condemne thee For the mysterie As by the storme persecution so by the calme the peace and tranquillitie of the Church is represented and teacheth First that in despight of Sathan and all enemies which he can raise Gods people in the end shall have a calme peace and quietnesse For illustration of which Doctrine note that the calme is twofold viz. externall and internall Externall is twofold viz generall or particular Generall concerning all or many of Gods people and particular in regard of some one or few mens persons and estates For the generall see what gratious promises God hath made to his Church The gates of hell shall not prevaile against it It is Gods house built upon a rocke though the raine descend flouds come winds blow and beat upon it yet it falleth not This was typically represented in the bush which burned but consumed not In Noahs Arke though the waters prevailed long yet at last the Arke arrived safely upon Mount Ararat and the Dove returned with an Olive leafe in her mouth an infallible token that the waters were abated from off the earth There hath beene a great tempest but our ship hath out-rid it it liveth and now there is a great calme Which promises and types have in all ages been verified The children of Israel were greatly oppressed in Egypt but could not be destroyed the more they afflicted them the more they multiplied and grew they endured a great tempest and in the end God sent a great calme when he brought forth his people with ioy and his chosen with
some will that Christ himselfe marvelled at the Centurions faith hee honoured regarded and respected not his nobilitie power wealth but his faith The word being thus opened as signifying that the Disciples did very intently behold and marke this great worke and honour Christ the Worker hence first from the Letter we learne That Gods workes in the world are to be marvelled at observed and his great name to be glorified for them This is the maine end of al his works he doth all for him selfe Thus David with a divine eye could see Gods glory in the heavens Sunne Moone Stars Thunder Lightning Raine Winds Seas yea there is not the basest and most contemptible creature in the world but beheld with a spirituall eye doth declare the glory of the Creator and would make a godly man exclaime with holy David O Lord our governour how excellent is thy name in all the world Yea so great in the greatest as not lesser in the least Saint Basil convinced the bragging of Eunomius boasting of his knowledge with a few questions concerning the poore Emmet as whether it did breath how breed how long live whether it had an heart liver bones muscles arteries But why doe I wonder at her bodie how much more may wee marvell at her endowments She is very quicke and nimble in her path see her diligence shee layeth up in Summer against Winter see her providence if any of her fellowes be over-loaded shee helpeth to beare the burthen see her charitie if her heape and nest be stirred she first gathereth in her young see her naturall affection shee beareth a greater burthen than her selfe see her strength shee keepeth a right path see her order Oh is God so marvellous in this poore insectrodden vnder foot that God hath set man to schoole to learne of her how much more in the Heaven Firmament Aire Earth Sea and those great creatures therein Behemoth Leviathan So as every where by sea and land in field and house by day and night if we had wise hearts and cleare eyes we might see and marvell at Gods workes and say Oh what a glorious Creator is this Oh what a wonderfull Governour is this But alas as God complained of old of his people O foolish people and without understanding which have eyes and see not eares and heare not so we are a foolish blinde and deafe people It may be if we saw the Vnicorne or Behemoth in the wildernesse which are the chiefe of the waies of God if we could dive into the sea and see how the fishes measure out their particular habitations and keep their perfect paths if we could see what pastime the huge Whale maketh in the deepe making it to boile like a pot of oyntment the little Remora but halfe a foot long to be able to stay the greatest ship under saile or if we saw the strange motion and specially of some seas or the strange and hidden Sympathies and Antipathies discerned to be betwixt sensitive vegetative yea insensible things it may be we would marvell a little But at the motion vertue or Eclips of Sunne or Moone different glory situation position aspect or influence of Starres Thunder Lightning Raine Snow Haile the diligence and art of the Bee the admirable structure and frame of his owne bodie who marvelleth Because these things are ordinarily seene we marvell not at them God is not honored for them though indeed God is marvellous in all his workes and sought out of them that love him Oh let us from this Example learne to marvell and praise God for his great works lest we become subject to that fearefull imprecation of David Because they regard not the workes of the Lord nor the operation of his hands destroy them and doc not build them up But specially when God doth any great worke contrary to the course and order of nature established either to declare his mercie in saving his or his justice in punishing his enemies these are for all men that come to the knowledge of them to marvell as the drying up of the Red-sea dividing of Iordan feeding his people with Manna and Quailes from heaven giving fountaines of water out of the rocke preserving the three children in the fiery furnace and Daniel in the Lions den On the other side consuming Sodom and Gomorrah and Aarons sonnes with fire from heaven causing the earth to open and swallow up Core Dathan and Abiram plagued Pharaoh and all Aegypt with Flies Frogges Lice and destroyed Herod with Wormes These and many such are registred in the Booke of God that when men heare or reade the same they may marvell and say What a mercifull or just God is this who as he can arme all creatures to take vengeance on the wicked so also preserve his though as lambes in midst of wolves and his Church a poore ship in midst of Pirats and riding out all tempests Oh how marvellous is God in the subsistence of his Church The Doctrine mysticall is That God can turne all such things as the Devill or wicked men devise against him or his people to his glory and his Churches good Yea the greater is the assault and evill intended the greater is his glory from deliverance No sooner is Christ on sleepe but the winds roare and sea rageth now Satan bestirreth himselfe to drowne ship and passengers to breake off the worke of Redemption by Christ and utterly to destroy the poore and weake beleeving Apostles But see how contrary the issue is to his expectation though the Apostles be troubled and feare yet Christ awaketh rebuketh the winds and sea Christ is glorified and the Disciples faith confirmed When Christ his houre was come how did Satan bestirre himselfe to have him put to death How did hee tempt Iudas to betray him the Iewes to preferre Barabas before him Pilate to condemne him Souldiers to execute him But see how he was confounded for even herein Gods Councell tooke effect for by death he destroyed him that had the power of death that is the Devill turned the crosse into a chariot of triumph spoiled Principalities and Powers and openly triumphed over them upon the crosse That which Satan intended for Christ his greatest shame to crucifie him betwixt two theeves was his greatest glory the Crosse being as his Throne and some on his right-hand absolved some on his left condemned When Christ was buried then Satan no lesse bestirred himselfe to keepe him there provoking the chiefe Priests and Pharisies to move Pilate to make the Sepulchre sure and so it was for besides the great stone which Ioseph rolled to the doore of the Sepulchre it was also sealed and a watch set to keepe it But herein the malice and subtiltie of Satan and his limbes were confounded for the surer that the Sepulchre
was made the greater was the truth and glory of his Resurrection yea such as were set to watch did publish it Matth. 28. 11. So the greater is the power and the more violent the assaults which enemies make against the Church of Christ the greater is Gods glory in their deliverance which the people confesse in the Psalmes If the Lord had not beene on our side now may Israel say if the Lord had not beene on our side when men rose up against us they had even swallowed us up quicke when they were so wrathfully displeased at us the waters had overwhelmed us the deepe waters of the proud had even gone over our soule But praised be the Lord who hath not given us for a prey to their teeth Our soule is escaped even as a bird out of the snare of the fowler the snare is broken and we are delivered The greater the danger of Gods people at the Red-sea the greater their deliverance the greater the evill by Iesuits intended against the Protestants in France the more glorious their peace the greater mischiefe intended by the Gunpowder treason and the nearer to execution the more marvellous our deliverance in all which cases the Church is taught to praise God and say The Lord hath done marvellous things with his owne right hand and with his holy arme hath he gotten himselfe the victory Oh trust in God be the storme and threatned hurt to the Church never so great for all shall worke for good There is no wisdome counsell or strength against the Lord But he will turne the rage of man to his praise When all that see and heare shall marvell and say with reverend awe Who is this What manner of man is this The Greeke word is very emphaticall and of greater signification than another which is thus translated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 qualis For though this be often used in the New Testament yet ever translated what which one place only excepted Neither are they derived from the same root for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pavimentum as if it were written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cujas as if they had fully expressed the word thus What Countrey-man is this Which question bewrayeth their ignorance tendeth to the begetting of knowledge and is an effect of their admiration which may thus be described according to the rules of Philosophie Admiration is a painfull suspension of the minde proceeding from the knowledge of some great effects whereof the causes are unknowne I call it a painfull suspension because all men naturally desire knowledge and the more generously minded any are the more painfull it is for them to be ignorant Some say that Aristotle the Prince touchstone of Philosophers was so grieved that hee could not finde out the cause of the ebbing and flowing of the Sea that he died on it yea some say that he cast himselfe into the Sea saying Seeing I cannot comprehend thee thou shalt comprehend me but the other seemeth more probable Now admiration proceeding from ignorance of causes doth wonderfully provoke to the studie of causes that so they may be eased of that sorrow paine and griefe whereupon admiration is said to be the soule and life of Philosophie And Pythagoras being demanded what was the end of Philosophie answered To marvell at nothing intending that herein a learned Philosopher knowing the causes of things did not marvell whereas an ignorant rustick doth marvell at his owne shadow As in Philosophie so much more in Divinitie ignorance is a painfull thing to the godly disposed and therefore the more they admire the word and workes of God the more they enquire and search into the causes thereof as the Disciples here marvelling said one to another What manner of man is this Whose question intendeth three things viz. First That Christ is true man having a true soule and bodie in regard of their substance and their essentiall properties as in the soule will understanding in body true dimensions as length bredth thicknesse yea taking also the generall and blamelesse weaknesses and infirmities of both as ignorance of some things feare sorrow wearisomenesse hunger thirst sleepe ache paine sicknesse such as accompany the generall nature of man and are not repugnant to the perfection of science and grace as was more largely shewed from his being on sleepe This is it was anciently promised The seed of the woman shall breake the Serpents head And In thy seed shall all the Nations of the earth be blessed And afterwards prophesied A Virgin shall conceive and beare a Sonne A Childe is borne a Son is given A woman shall compasse a man Which promises and prophesies have bin most truly fulfilled as this day doth witnesse to the Christian Churches For the fulnesse of time being come God sent his Sonne made of a woman The word was made flesh Iohn 1. 14. Oh what a sweet comfort is this to us miserable sinners that our blessed Saviour and Redeemer is not a stranger to our nature but tooke upon him the forme of a servant did partake with his in flesh and bloud became that prophesied Shiloh wrapped in the Tunicle skinne or Secundine our kinsman as Iob calleth him If the Baptist did so spring for joy in his mothers wombe when Mary the Mother of Christ saluted his Mother and if the Angels did so rejoyce and sing at the birth of Christ what cause have we to rejoyce and sing yea our very soules to spring for joy that wee doe celebrate this Festivitie in commemoration of our Saviours birth Yea that our comfort may be full he hath not only taken upon him our nature but our infirmities also that he might become a mercifull and compassionate High Priest So as we may boldly goe to the Throne of grace and be assured we shall finde mercie and grace to helpe in time of need The second thing avouched by the proprietie of the word in this question as you have heard in opening the sense of it is That this true man is a stranger they aske whence he is whereunto Christ returneth a perfect answer Hee descended from heaven Saint Paul saith He is the Lord from heaven Not that he brought his humanitie from heaven which passed thorow the Virgins wombe as water thorow a conduit as divers Heretiques have dreamed for he was made of a woman and had the materials of his body from the blessed Virgin but he had not his beginning here on earth as men have but God came downe from heaven and was manifested in the flesh and as he came so here he lived but as a stranger not having where to be
Doctor Reconciliation for the sinnes of the world Mediator Advocate Wisdome Righteousnesse Sanctification Redemption Our Master Prophet Servant of God Our hope Our brother Bread of life Rock Stone cut out of the mountaines without hands End of the Law Spouse and Head of the Church Chiefe corner stone Righteous branch Seed of Abraham Sonne of David King of glory Lord of all the Righteous one Hope of glory Heire of all things Iudge of quicke and dead The Priest after the order of Melchizedech The consolation of Israel Who doth not marvell at these things and say What manner of man is this to whom so many glorious and honourable titles are given When he was but a childe of twelue yeares of age and lost in Ierusalem after three dayes his Parents found him in the Temple sitting in the midst of the Doctors hearing them and asking them questions and all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers and his Parents were amazed And when ye heare the story will ye not marvell and say What manner of childe is this that disputed so learnedly with the Doctors When he was baptised of his servant in Iordan the heavens were opened God the Father pronounced This is that my welbeloved Sonne in whom I am well pleased and the Holy Ghost descended in the likenesse of a Dove and rested upon him And doe you not marvell what manner of man he is at whose Baptisme such strange things hapned When Peter in the name of himselfe and the rest of the Apostles did make that excellent confession of faith which Christ so commended he said Thou art the Christ or that Christ Christ is a Greeke word and answereth to the Hebrew Messiah as is expounded in the Gospell Wee have found the Messiah which is by interpretation the Christ And both doe signifie in English Anointed and yet S. Peter at another time spake more fully Thou art the Christ or anointed of God Three sorts of persons were Legally anointed with Materiall oile viz. Kings as Saul Priests as Aaron and Prophets as Elisha and these were Christs of God for that he did set them apart and furnish them with gifts for those functions whereof that externall anointing was the Symbole which God acknowledged Touch not mine anointed and whereof David made conscience though Saul was a wicked man and he was much tempted thereunto when opportunitie was offered yet he repelled the temptation saying to Abishai Who can stretch his hand against the Lords anointed and bee guiltlesse Yea his heart did smite him for comming so neere him as to cut off the lap of his garment But never any one before or since The Christ or That Christ but the blessed Sonne of the Virgin who onely received all fulnesse of grace and in whom onely all those offices did meet and concurre They have doubled in divers who were his types as David was both a King and a Prophet Melchizedeck a King and Priest and Samuel a Priest and Prophet but all three never but in him alone and therefore worthily stiled That Christ or Anointed of God That King and Prince of all the Kings of the earth to whose Scepter Lore and Law all must stoope in obedience and all shall bee destroyed that will not have him to reigne over them That great Prophet to whose doctrine all must hearken That High Priest who onely and once for all hath offered the propitiatory sacrifice for the sinnes of the Elect. Doe you heare these things and doe you not marvell and say What manner of man is this who onely dischargeth such great offices Againe whilest hee was here on earth he tooke three of his beloved disciples and led them up to the top of Mount Thabor and there was transfigured before them his face did shine as the Sunne his raiment was white as the light and as snow so as no Fuller on earth can white them and there appeared Moses and Elias talking with him and there was also a bright cloud and there was heard the voyce of God the Father giving to his Sonne honour and glory from that excellent glory saying This is my beloved Sonne in whom I am well pleased heare him With which voice and sight the disciples that heard and saw and specially S. Peter was so ravished that he forgot himselfe and the redemption of the Elect by the death of Christ at Ierusalem and desired no other heaven but to abide there though without a Tent Oh marvell you also and say What manner of man is this Againe whilest he was here on earth what excellent doctrine did hee preach and deliver pronouncing the poore in spirit the meeke such as mourne and hunger and thirst after righteousnesse and suffer persecution for righteousnes sake Blessed requiring every disciple of his to deny himselfe take up the crosse and follow him to love our enemies blesse them that curse us overcome evill with good If we be smitten on one cheeke to turne the other yet promising great reward in heaven calling all to him that travell and are heavie laden promising he will not cast away any that come unto him that hee will not breake the bruised reed nor quench the smoaking flax that whosoever beleeveth in him shall not perish but have everlasting life yea he is passed from death to life and shall not come into iudgement that he knoweth his sheepe and will give unto them everlasting life that of all those his Father hath given him he will not lose one but raise him up at the last day that such as for his sake forsake father mother brother sister goods houses or lands shall in this world receive an hundred fold more and in the world to come everlasting life that such as now follow him in the regeneration shall sit upon thrones that such as for his sake hunger and thirst shall sit at his Table and eat and drinke with him in his kingdome such doctrine for matter and manner of deliverie as the Church truly said Hony and milke were under his tongue and his lips were full of grace Yea all the Synagogue wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth A woman could not containe her selfe when shee heard him but pronounced Blessed is the wombe that bare thee Luke 11. 27. His very enemies were astonished and said Never man spake like him And the rude multitude marvelled and questioned amongst themselves What thing is this What new doctrine is this and whence hath this man this wisdome Is not this the Carpenters sonne from whence then hath this man all these things And will not you also when yee reade in the Gospell marvell and say What manner of man is this that hath preached such new true holy humble heavenly charitable and comfortable
and shall not see it Come then come I say whilest yee may and thanke God that ye may come and goe safely and pray for them that faine would and cannot Come but come not alone bring your companie say one to another Come let us goe up to the Mountaine the house of the Lord say with Ioshuah I and mine house will serve the Lord Bring those with thee to Gods House who are with thee in thine owne house Your owne good Example who have charge of families is full of power and the more eminent yee are in state and degree the more inducing is your good Example The Reason why the Lord hath prepared his table spred his servants invite so few guests come is because so few of the chiefe come and they come alone neither care they whether wives children or servants come at all or no. Oh come bring yours with you and come often yea the oftner the more welcome to Gods Table This the Apostle intended when he said As often as yee eat this bread and drinke this cup Enjoyning all such as live in a visible Church so often as the custome of the Church is to administer it and hee hath no lawfull impediment to hinder him as absence from home sicknesse so often to receive it if hee doe not it is a great neglect if not contempt of the holy Ordinance of God And how just were it in time of sicknesse and adversity such an one should be weak in faith and void of comfort seeing he neglected the meanes when he might have enjoyed them Give me leave then to reprove a common fault even in this renowmed Mother Church where the holy Sacrament at least every month is religiously and reverendly administred how few are there that come for all our calling As if to receive the Sacrament were but a thing arbitrarie once a yeare at Easter may suffice thrice a yeare a largis to what purpose oftner Thus in Paradise with eating of the forbidden fruit wee surfetted have quite lost our appetite and loath heavenly food as the Israelites did the Manna But let me tell you the only way to recover our appetite is to come and eat none have lesse stomack than such as eat least none more than they that eat most They that make their meat their God the more they eat the lesse appetite but they that make God their meat the more they eat the more they hunger This appeareth from the worthy examples of the Saints in Ancient times It appeareth from Saint Augustine That some faithfull did receive every day and make the Lords Supper their daily bread which though he neither reprehend nor commend yet he earnestly exhorted all to receive every Lords day and our Church hath godly appointed a speciall exhortation to be read when people are negligent in this kinde But me thinketh I heare some say Indeed my departure and seldome comming doth not proceed from neglect and contempt but the reverend respect I have to that heavenly and holy Sacrament fearing that if I should so often receive I should not receive it with that care conscience and preparation that is meet I answer If thine owne heart condemne thee not neither doe I Goe in peace The reverend respect that the Centurion had to Christ made him refuse to entertaine him I am not worthy thou shouldst come under my roofe But Zacheus his reverend respect of Christ made him come downe hastily and receive him ioyfully See the contrary effects of the same affect and both approved of Christ Some out of reverence come to every Sacrament and some out of reverence come seldome Charitie hopeth the best of all But take heed Sathan tempt you not and take heed that your owne consciences condemne you not if they doe God is greater than they and he is not mocked But now Communicants being prepared and come to the Lords Table what is more to be done Our Church godly prescribeth in a very short rule Lift up your hearts though knee be on ground let the heart be in heaven and the minde intently exercised in comparing the signes and spirituall things together When we see bread and wine which are for full refection of our bodies let us thinke what a perfect Saviour we have When we see them set apart for this use let us thinke how Christ the Sonne of God became man for our sakes and salvation When we see the bread and wine blessed and consecrated and as it were made fit for so holy and heavenly an use let us thinke how Christ his humanitie being united personally to the Word received all fulnesse of grace for the worke of Redemption When we see the bread broken and wine powred out let us thinke of the bitter passion of Christ the renting of his holy bodie and shedding of his most precious bloud for our sinnes When the Minister offreth these let us thinke how lovingly God offreth his Sonne to be our Saviour And as the Receiver taketh eateth and drinketh the bread and wine and it turneth into his substance so by the hand of faith we must receive and apply Christ unto us to dwell in our hearts who hath given himselfe for us Lastly let God have most hearty thanks and praise for all his mercies represented and exhibited to us in his holy Ordinances in regard whereof the Greekes call it an Eucharist Thus from a marvelling Text I have taken occasion to provoke you to marvell at the institution of this day and at the service of this day I desire that God may have the glory of all and that ye would say one to another Doubtlesse we have heard and seene and received strange things to day and the Lord make us thankfull Amen His Passiō most marvellous to say nothing of his hunger thirst wearisomnesse dangers persecution derision his whole life being a continuall passion yet can you reade and heare of his Agonie how without any violent exercise or bodily paine in an open Garden in a fresh aire in the moist dew and prostrate on the cold earth yet was in such an Agonie that his sweat was like drops of bloud trickling downe to the ground And doe yee not marvell Himselfe did marvell Is there any sorrow like my sorrow wherewith the Lord hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger Doe you reade and heare of the desperate and insolent behaviour of wicked men preferring a notorious murtherer before the innocent Sonne of God crying out to have him crucified and let his bloud be on them and their children crowning that head with thornes which is higher than the heavens spitting in that face which the Angels doe delight to behold nailing those hands to the Crosse which made heaven and earth piercing those feet which have walked on the sea but never stood in the way of
sinners yea pierced that heart with a speare which devised all good for man And doe yee not marvell Doe you reade that the fountaine of living water thirsteth the light of the world put out Truth oppressed by false witnesses Discipline scourged He that beareth up all things faint under the Crosse He that is Iudge of quicke and dead judged by a mortall man Justice condemned Foundation hanged on a Tree Salvation wounded and Life killed and doe yee not marvell But alas these were lamentable things and in the eye and wisdome of flesh and bloud base and contemptible Behold then such things as are full of glory and majestie The Sunne ashamed of their doings pulled in his beames covered it face and refused to give light to such a work of darknesse The earth trembled as not able to beare the weight of such a sinne The vaile of the Temple rent asunder from the top to the bottome in detestation of such wickednesse The Centurion confesseth truly This was the Sonne of God Pilat whose hands were embrewed with his bloud writeth his inscription and publisheth his glory to Hebrewes Greekes and Latines This is Iesus of Nazareth King of the Iewes And will you not marvell at it Yea open the eyes of your mindes and you shall see the benefits hereof He was apprehended that we might escape scourged that we might be spared bound that we might be loosed disgraced that we might be honoured wearied with the burthen of the Crosse that wee might be eased of the burthen of the Curse fainted that we might be refreshed thirsted that we might be satisfied wounded that we might be healed humbled to the Crosse that we might be exalted to Thrones died amongst Theeves that we may live amongst Angels condemned that we may be justified killed that we may live And doe yee not marvell and say What manner of man is this Moreover when Christ was truly dead and buried and all made sure as they thought the wicked triumph and rejoyce and his Disciples full of sadnesse and sorrow Luk. 24. 17. loe he that had power to lay downe his life had also power to take it up againe Ioh. 10. 18. Hee loosed the sorrowes of death whereof it was impossible for him to be holden Acts 2. 24. having thorowly conquered death even in the grave it strongest hold fortresse or castle It was not the great sealed stone could keepe him in Matth. 27. ult but Sampson-like carrieth on his shoulders the brasen gates Iudg. 16. 3. and declared himselfe mightily to be the Sonne of God by his rising from the dead Rom. 1. 4. Death and Grave confesse their weaknesse and his dominion they are weary of their prey and hasten with the Whale to cast up this Ionah they are oppressed with an intolerable burthen and have swallowed so bitter a morsell as they would faine be rid of the earth is in travell till it be rid of him Moreover after that he had beene conversant with his Disciples for the space of forty daies after his resurrection and had instructed them concerning his kingdome he was received up into glory from the top of Mount Olivet in the sight of his Apostles he ascended into heaven that is his humane Nature by the power and vertue of his Godhead was truly and locally translated from earth into the highest heavens of the blessed where he is said to sit on the right hand of God to make continuall intercession for his Elect from whence he sent the Holy Ghost in likenesse of cloven tongues of fire within ten daies according to his promise from whence he powreth out his spirit on all flesh and specially on such as he hath called to the work of the Ministerie doth gather and protect his Church bridle and confound his enemies and at the appointed time shall come from thence in his owne glory and the glory of his Father and of the holy Angels to iudge both the quicke and dead when all his Saints shall be gathered from the foure corners of the world shall meet him in the aire and be with him in happinesse for ever whose kingdome shall have no end Oh most marvellous Redeemer Oh most glorious mysteries of the Gospell How are we bound for ever to that good God who hath revealed them by his word and Spirit unto us How poore and simple beggerly base and contemptible are all the Religions in the world compared with this What is Moses and all the Legall service and worship though ordained of God yet the time of Reformation being come the Apostle calleth them weake and beggerly elements What is that Impostor Mahomet with his Alcaron though a Religion so generally received and professed how carnall filthy and obscene What are his best promises but such as a godly minde would despise abhorre How many great Kingdoms do worship Sunne Moone Starres yea foure-footed beasts and creeping things And some worship the Devil himselfe How in Poperie are poore people deprived of the Scriptures nusled in ignorance and implicite faith taught to beleeve lying Legends counterfet miracles fed with old wives fables and abused with cosening tricks of deceitfull men Oh stand fast in the faith marvell and praise God who hath made knowne the Saviour and the way of salvation unto you You have marvelled at many things but I pray you forget not that which is the burthen of all What manner of Man It is Man yea true Man that is so marvellous in birth life doctrine death resurrection ascension Oh how highly hath God exalted humane nature Some love their flesh for the beauty of it and some for the comely shape and proportion some for the strength Here is the ground of true love to love it because in Christ it is the flesh of God and herein exalted above the nature of Angels It was a great honour was given to man at the Creation when he was made after Gods Image but it is a far greater honour given in Redemption God himselfe becomming man flesh of our flesh and bone of our bone Oh Christian acknowledge thy dignitie and doe not defile with a lewd conversation what God hath so highly honoured But me thinketh I heare some object this is a matter of offense that Christ was a man yea a weake and poore man I answer Indeed it is true if we behold him with a carnall eye and looke upon no more but his bare humanitie and wrapped up in great infirmitie it is a matter of offense and therefore Christ hath pronounced Blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in me The Prophet foretold hee should be a stone to stumble at and a rocke of offense And the Apostle saith We preach Christ a stumbling blocke to the Iewes and foolishnesse to the Gentiles But whoso well observeth the Gospell shal see in
Doctrine how plausible soever yea such Doctrines are most pleasing to our corrupt nature which doth sooth up man in his owne free-will workes and righteousnesse to make him strout it and pride himselfe and say What manner of man am I that have this power and have done these these workes it is earthly carnall sensuall Hearest thou then any doctrine delivered which thou art not able fully to examine for the truth of it nor to unty the knots of intricate questions Yet aske Doth this Doctrine advance the glory of Christ It is good then Doth it make man proud and haughty in himselfe It is naught then And I need not any other Argument to make me reject it As the most points of Popery doe as their doctrine of Free-will workes of righteousnesse meritorious of congruitie or condignitie obedience to Councels Auricular Confession Penance and workes of satisfaction the Propitiatory Sacrifice of the Masse mediation of Angels and Saints Popes Pardons and Indulgencies Purgatorie c. all draw from Christ to admire themselves or the Pope This rule our Saviour himselfe hath given He that speaketh of himselfe seeketh his owne glory but he that seeketh the glory of him that sent him he is true and there is no unrighteousnesse in him Saint Paul examined his doctrine by this touch-stone and found it currant Doe I now perswade men or God Doe I seeke to please men Then I were not the servant of Christ And therefore confidently pronounced If an Angell from heaven shall preach otherwise let him be accursed What doctrine soever doth rob Christ of his glory and draw away the hearts and minds of men from marvelling and praising of him as most points of Popery doe it is accursed and woe to them that preach and beleeve it We are now at the last come safely to shore blessed be Christ our Pilot who hath brought us thorow the tempest to the haven where we would be and hath visibly commented from heaven and confirmed the truth of that hath beene delivered in the present state of his Church All I am or have what I have delivered you have received I dedicate to his glory And let every thing that hath breath in all the parts of his Dominions praise the Lord. He also bring us l and all his thorow all the stormes and tempests of this world that in the end in despight of Satan and all contrary winds and waves we may saâ—â—â—y arrive at the blessed haven of eternall happinesse To him with the Father and the holy Spirit of us and his whole Church even of al the Angels and Saints in heaven most gloriously triumphant and all Christians men women and children on earth militant be rendred as is most due all Honour Glory Majestie Wisdome Thankes and Dominion â—â— ever and ever Amen FINIS a Hieronym epist Paulino Tom. ult Basil apud Iâ— Frob. anno 1524. b Tull. de Orat. lib. 3. c Clem. Alexand. Strom. lib. 1. Basil anno 1556. d Dr. And. CoÌ„cion ad Convocat anno 1592. e Videant Lectores societatem Iesuitarum à Iesuita Cosmopolitam dictam Cornel. à Lapid in Numb 1. 5. pag. 774. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Graeâ— Paroem * 1 Cor. 4. 1. f Hoc auguror hoc voveo Amen g August Tom. 6. contr Manich. h Sylv. Girald Topogr Hiber i Poscentes vario nimium diversa palato Horat. inserm 1 Cor. 1. 17. k Eruditum saâ—is quod clarum est l August in Iohan. tract 26. col 225. D. m Ambros n Hieronym Damas pag. 131. Basil Apud Io. Eroben Anno 1524. o Sic non te spernat qui pro nobis dignatus est sperâ—â— August tom 2. Ep. 2â— coll 100. p August tom 3. de T 〈…〉 lio 1. cap. 3. coll 241. q Luâ—oviâ— Viv. in August de Câ—vi at Dei â—â—b 22. cap. ult ad 〈◊〉 coll 1398. r August Tom. 2. Ep. 110. coll 515. B. Å¿ August Tom. 9. Manual cap. 6. coll 794. t August sup Manual c. 36. coll 808. Prayer Preface Acts 20. 36. a Psal 107. 23. 5. b Ionah 1. 4. c Acts 27. 14. d Gen. 16. penult 21. 2. e Gal. 4. 22. f Gen. 6 7 8 cap. g 1 Pet. 3. 21. h Exod. 14. i 1 Cor. 10. 2. k Exod. 17. 6. l 1 Cor. 10. 4. m Exod. 16. 14. n Ioh. 6. 48 51. o 1 King 3. 1. p Psal 45. 9 10. I. Sea * Salva rerum gestarum fide August lib. de unitate Ecclesiae cap. 5. q Rev. 4. 6. r Eph. 4. 14. Å¿ 1 Tim. 1. 19. t Eph. 6. 12. u Rom. 13. 12. * Ibid. x Hebr. 4. 13. y Rev. 1. 14. 2. Ship 3. Storme z Psal 18. 4. a Psal 124. 4. b Esay 8. 7. Ierem. 47. 2. c Psal 69. 1. 4 Christ his sleepe d Psalme 10. 1. e Psal 22. 2. f Psal 74. 10 11 22. g Psal 3. 7. h Psal 7. 6. i Psal 44. 23. 5 Called upon and awaked 6 Causing a calme 1 Context * in terra jam transit ad mare Ludolph ex Origen Analysis Part. 1. 1. For preaching k Matth. 13. 2. l Luke 5. 1. m Matth. 4. 19. 2 For recreation n Marke 6. 31. o Marke 6. 34. Matth. 14. 13. Luke 9. 10. 11. p Iohn 3. 2. q Matth. 8. 20. Application r 2 Tim. 4. 2. Å¿ Revel 14. 13. 3. The working of the miracle t Iohn 5. 36. u Iohn â—â— 37. * Marke 4. 34. Luke 8. 22. x Iohn 6. 6. 4. Triall of his Apostles faith y Gen. 22. 1. Doctr. Simile Confirmation z 2 Tim. 3. 12. a 1 Pet. 4. 12. b Heb. 12. 8. c Ecclus. 21. Prevention d Iames 1. 12. e 1 Pet. 1. 7. Vse f Luk. 17. 5. Exhortation g Psal 26. 2. h Psal 139. ult i Ierem. 17. 9. k Iob 9. 21. l 1 Cor. 4. 4. Comfort m Exod. 3. 12. n Iosh 1. 5. o Ierem. 1. 8 19. p Esay 43. 2. q Matth. 28. ult r Rev. 1. 13. Å¿ Matth. 14. 29. t Psal 23. 4. Absence fearefull u Exo. 33. 2. 3. 14. * Ezech. 9. 3. x Iohn 16. 6. y Iohn 16. 7. z Ibid. a Iohn 14. 2 3. b Ibid. c Acts 1. 9. d Luk. 24. 17. Vse Obiection c Iudges 6. 12 13. Solution 1. Miraculous deliverance f Dan. 6. 22. g Dan. 3. 27. h Exod. 34. 24. i Psal 46. 8. k Psal 76. 3 10 vlt. 2. By gratious supportation l Rom. 8. 35. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 supervincimus m Acts 5. penult n Acts 16. 25. o Heb. 10. 34. p Heb. 11. 35. * Tyrannâ—s ipsumque Neronem velut quosdam culices Chrysost 2. Homil de laudibus Pauli q Tertull. advers gentes non procul ab initio “ Rupert Part. 2. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ex 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 disco q Matth. 11. 29. r Iohn 6. 45. Å¿ 1 Tim. 2. 11. t Matth. 11. 2. u Iohn 9. 28. * Acts 20. 30. “ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
God Let Ionah be cast into the sea and devoured of a Whale and he will pray out of the fishes belly and crie by reason of his affliction Let the woman of Canaans daughter be grievously vexed with a Devill and shee will pray to Christ yea follow after him and take no deniall Let there arise a storme that the Disciples are all like to be drowned and then you shall heare their prayers Lord save us c. Let Pharaoh be plagued and if he cannot pray himselfe he will intreat Moses and Aaron to doe it for him And surely amongst others this is one singular benefit of affliction that it provoketh prayer than which there is nothing more pleasing to God or profitable to our selves yea this is not the least benefit from the great troubles which have befallen the Church and people of God that God hath received many a sigh sob groane teare and prayer which else he had not knowne Well if Affliction be the Mistresse of Prayer surely never were Gods people more taught to pray than in these daies such warres and rumours of warres troubles distresses perplexities on everie side Oh pray for the peace of Ierusalem But alas herein we are generally too cold and negligent how are publike humiliations and solemne assemblies in fasting weeping mourning and confessing of sinnes laid aside and as it were worne out of date How justly may God complaine of us as sometimes he did of his owne people I called to fasting weeping mourning baldnesse and girding with sack-cloth But behold joy and glad nesse slaying oxen and killing sheepe eating flesh and drinking wine Let us eat and drinke for to morrow we shall die Or who in private is so affected with the calamities of their brethren as feelingly and fervently to pray for them in the words of my Text Lord save them No no in stead of fasting and praying we feast and play we wanton and riot it still we thinke our selves out of danger in sure harbour and are therefore senslesse of the miseries of our brethren few as they ought doe pray for them a sinne which once God threatned This is revealed in mine eares surely this iniquity shall not be purged from you till yee die saith the Lord God of hoasts Oh arise and call upon God in this troublesome time that we perish not Secondly hence we may learne how powerfull even a short prayer is with God so it be fervent yea therfore short praiers commonly most powerfull because commonly most fervent The counsell of Salomon is Let thy words be few The counsell of Iesus the son of Swach iâ— Make not much babbling when thou prayest Yeâ— Iesus â—he Son of God and wiser than Salomon biddeth When we pray to use no vaine repetitions In all which long prayers are not simply forbidden discommended or disgraced so they be with fervenâ—â— of spirit and without opinion of being heard for much babbling sake A great part of the day at a publike fast was spent in prayers and confession of sins And though our Saviour Christ many times were very briefe yet he spent whole nights in prayer And a large Chapter is but one of his prayers therefore most sweet and powerfull are the long prayers of Gods people when time place and occasion serve but because even Moses his hands grew heavie and though the spirit be never so wiling the flesh is weake and quickly dulled and distracted and no prayer is further heard or pleasing to God than it is fervent therefore the Scripture prayers which have most prevailed with God are most short and but as holy ejaculations Moses cried but spake never a word Annah powred out her soule and wept sore but spake not The prayer of the Leper was Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me cleane The prayer of the blind men O Lord Sonne of David have mercy on us The prayer of Christ for himselfe Father if thou wilt let this cup passe from me and againe the same words and for his enemies Father forgive them they know not what they doe The prayer of the Publican God be mercifull to mee a sinner The prayer of the father of the sicke childe Lord helpe mine unbeleefe The prayer of the penitent theefe Lord remember me when thou commest into thy Kingdome The prayer of Saint Stephen for his persecutors Lord lay not this sinne to their charge The prayer of the Disciples here because the time was short death at hand place inconvenient and distractions many they beg all in a few words and couch a great deale of devotion in a little roome Lord save us we perish All which I observe for the speciall comfort of such as mourne in their soules because of their want in this kinde and are much assaulted with this temptation that they cannot pray and therefore cannot be Gods children because they have not Gods spirit Indeed the Spirit of God is called the spirit of supplication and it is an excellent gift of the Spirit and much to be desired whereby a man or woman when times places and occasions serve are able to lay open their wants and in Scripture phrase to expresse their desires but yet the Apostle saith The Spirit doth helpe our infirmities with sighes and grones which cannot be expressed yea if thou canst say no more but as thou hast heard Lord save us Lord have mercy Lord remember Lord helpe mine unbeleefe If faithfully and fervently these are most powerfull prayers with God yet strive to increase in this grace for God may accept at the beginning what he will not afterwards be content withall yea whosoever useth this gift aright shall doubtlesse finde a gracious increase therein And so much be said of the petition in generall now let us view it more particularly It is short and in most languages that I know hath but three words I say in most for such is the elegancie of the Hebrew Language affixing the Pronounes that in it here are but two yet in Greeke Latine and English three Which three words containe so many vertues in this and in all godly composed prayers The first noteth the partie to whom all prayers are to be made Lord. The second the blessing they crave salvation The third communitie and love us Lord save us For the first they pray to the Lord not to the Lady to change the Gender is Popish wickednesse A Reverend Bishop hath truly observed that it is a sufficient challenge to all the Papists that in so many prayers of both ancient and righteous Patriarcks Prophets Iudges Kings registred in the Booke of God and in an hundred and fiftie Psalmes an hundred whereof at least are prayers and supplications and in all the devout requests that the Apostles of Christ and other his disciples sent into Heaven if they take the