comfort the heart And this physick doth hee still administer by his instruments his Embassadors by them that plant in the Pulpit and water in the presse that plant in their Doctrine and water in their conversation by them that administer such physick as he doth direct and apply such salves as the word doth prescribe for the healing of sick soules Secondly Christ heals immediately by himselfe pride was Adams bane Christ cured it by humility man surfeting fell by the forbidden Tree Christ fasting cured it by the cursed Tree Other Physitians d Stella in Luc. 5. restore health by opening of veynes by letting of bloud by giving of Potions and by prescribing of dyet but Christ this heavenly Physitian made e Staplet Prom. mor. Dom. inf oct nat Dom himselfe the Physick to heale us he tooke the bitter Potion f John 19.29 of vineger the deit of fasting g Mat. 4 2. the bloud-letting in his Hands his Feete his Side his Head his Body Mirabile plane incomparabile genus medicinae propter quam medicus voluit aegrotare aegrotos ipsos quibus salutis remedium procuravit sua decrevit infirmitate curare saith S. Aust. h De Sanctis Ser. 19. It was a wonderfull and incomparable kind of physick for which the Physitian would bee sick and determine to cure those sick persons to whō he procures health by his owne infirmity Esse hominis filius voluit ut nos Dei filios faceret humiliavit se ut populum qui prius jacebat erigeret vulneratus est ut vulnera nostra sanaret servivit ut ad libertatem servientes extraheret mori sustinuit ut immortalitatem mortalibus exhiberet saith S. Cyprian i De opere Elemos pag. 354 He would be made the son of man to make us the Sonnes of God he humbled himselfe that hee might exalt the humble he was wounded that hee might heale our wounds he became a servant that he might set us at liberty that were servants he dyed to restore immortality to mortall men And indeed Christs whole life whether you consider his Doctrine or his doings was healthfull and medicinable to us if we obey his precepts or imitate his patterne This Text hath been hitherto as a fruitfull Field wherein I have gathered some corne I shall now bind some profit of it up in sheaves that you may the better carry it away with you First therefore here we may see Christs love to us with astonishment and admiration What the Iewes said concerning Lazarus k John 11.36 when Christ raysed him from dead behold how he loved him so may we say behold how he loved us how deare and pretious our life hath been in his eyes may appeare by the greatnes of the price which hee payd for it even his owne life Quam indebita miseratio quam grata dilectio c. regem gloriae crucifigi pro despicatissimo vermiculo l Div. Bern. O how undeserved is that mercy how free is that love that the King of glory should be crucifyed for despicable Wormes It was a great love m Comper on Rom. 8. that Abraham shewed to Lot in hazarding his owne life n Gen. 14.14 and the lives of his family to rescue him out of the hands of Chedorlaomer but not comparable that love which our kinsman the Lord Iesus hath shewed unto us who hath given his life to deliver us out of the hand of our enemyes It was a wonderfull great love that God would make man like himselfe and all things for man greater love that he himselfe would be made man but greatest of all that he would dy for his salvation Secondly let us consider the odiousnes of sinne with hatred and detestation Thousands of Rams o Micah 6 7. nor ten thousands of Rivers of Oyle could not make satisfaction for sinne neither could the fruit of our body make satisfaction for the sinne of our soule but the Son of God must needs dy for the sins of man If sinne cost Christ so deare doubtles it will cost us dearer except we repent Memoria ergo crucifixi in nobis crucifigat omne peccatum p Div. Bern. is an excellent counsaile and worthy our practice therefore let the remembrance of Christ crucified cause us to crucify all sin in us he stretched out his hands on the Crosse to embrace us and let not us stretch out our hands to wickednes to disgrace him he was crucifyed for us let not us crucify him againe by our sins but crucify our sins that caused him to be crucified Thirdly Christ is a patterne for our imitation and that in three things First we must imitate him in the sweetnes of our action especially in dong good Secondly in our resurrection which is twofold the first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the other is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The one is a resurrection of the dead the other is a resurrection from the dead We must rise from the death of sinne to the life of grace if wee meane to rise from the death of the grave unto the life of glory But we must not rise as the Rose-tree doth at the spring to dy againe the next winter but with Christ he being raysed from the dead q Rom. 6.9 dyeth no more death hath no more dominion over him and we must so rise from the death of sin that we never commit the same sins againe Thirdly as Christ was conceived and borne for us so must we conceive and beare him in our hearts There is a threefold nativity of Christ Divine from his Father fleshly from his Mother and spirituall in the mind Ex patre nascitur semper de matre natus est semel in mente nascitur saepe saith Innocentius r Ser. 3. apud Barrad He is borne of his father alwayes he was borne of his Mother once and is borne in the mind often and we must endevour to keepe him there alwayes Forthly here is also matter of consolation and that in a double respect first as Christ is the Rose of the common Field and lyes open to all he refuseth none but those that refuse him Secondly because he is the Physitian of our Soules that is able to cure them hiding all our sins and healing all our Sores giving us spirituall health here and eternall health and happines hereafter Lastly as Elisha said to his servant concerning the good Shunamite ſ 2 Kings 4.13 She hath been carefull for us with all this care what is to be done for her so may I say to you concerning our Saviour he hath been thus carefull for us what shall we doe againe for him As he dranke to us in the cup of salvation so let us pledge him in the cup of thanksgiving as he gave himselfe a propitiatory sacrifice for us so let us give up our selves a gratulatory sacrifice of prayse and thankesgiving to him And let us fall downe with the t
Revel 19 4. foure and twenty elders and the fowre beasts praysing GOD with our Church and saying Glory be to God on high and in earth peace good will toward men We prayse thee wee blesse thee we worship thee we glorify thee we give thankes unto thee O Lord God heavenly King for all thy blessings bestowed upon us for that thou hast sent thy Sonne Iesus Christ not only to live among men but to dy for men Grant O Lord that we may all be partakers of all the benefits of his passion And that for the same Iesus Christ his sake who as he died for sin so he ever lives to make intercession for sinnes To whom with thee and the Holy Spirit be all honour and glory now and for ever Amen THE ROSE AND LILY. DELIVERED AT THE LECTVRE In ASHBY de-la-zouch in the County of Leicester By WILLIAM PARKS Master of Arts and curat of Chelaston in the County of DERBY 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Discendum propter docendum LONDON Printed by JOHN NORTON 1638. To the Right Honorable FERDINANDO Lord HASTINGS my very good Lord. WHAT Thucidides affirmes experience proves true 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that hearing is not lyable to any account but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whatsoever a man speakes but especially writes it layes him open to others censure unto which J have now exposed my selfe and crave your Lordships protection Your Honour must not expect any high straynes in this Sermon Haud facile emergunt quorum virtutibus obstat Res angusta domi As it is J desire your Lordships acceptance of it as an expression of some part of that duty and service J owe your Honor. The God of mercie poure downe his mercies on your Lordship your Honourable Lady and hopefull children Which shall alwaies be the praier of Your Lordships in all duty and service WILLIAM PARKS THE ROSE AND LILY. SOLOMONS SONG 2.1 J am the Rose of Sharon and the Lily of the vallyes WHat the Queene of Shebah told Solomon that a 1 Kings 10.6 7. though it were a true report which shee had heard of him yet the one halfe was not told her so may I say unto you concerning this Text though it bee a true report you have heard of him that is greater then Solomon b Mat. 12 42. yet the one halfe is not told you For this Text is a most fertile and fruitfull Field conteyning variety of no lesse profitable then pleasant Flowers from whence I have already brought you a Posy made of Roses and now give me leave from the same Garden to present unto you a Posy composed of Liles The Lily is next in nobility to the Rose saith Pliny c Lib. 2 cap. 5. and therefore as I have shewed you wherein Christ resembles the Rose so must I now shew you how hee is the Lily of the vallyes The writers d Arist Pliny Dodan of the nature of things have written much in the commendadation of the Lily affirming it to bee a most fine Flower both for fragrant smell and curious colours And many Princes did beare it in their crests and Escutchions but I leave this for Heralds to discourse of and for Herbalists to discusse and shall onely shew you that Christ resembles the Lily in these fowre respects First the Flower of the Lily is lifted upward and open toward Heaven but toward the earth it is close and shut so Christ had his mind open toward Heaven set on heavenly things but he alwayes neglected and contemned earthly things Secondly the leaves of the Lily spread outward and bend downward so Christ extended his benefits downward even to his enemies Thirdly the whitenesse of the Lily may signify Christs eternity or his innocency Fourthly the Lily growes among thornes and Christ when hee was upon the Earth was conversant among sinners in these respects hee shewed himselfe to bee the Lily of the vallyes And first of the first the Flower of the Lily is open toward Heaven but close toward the earth so Christ had his affections open toward heavenly things but he neglected earthly As Christ was sometime e Luke 2.51 subject to his Mother so was he alwayes obedient to his father He that f John 3.31 came from above did set his affections on things g Colos 3.2 above This Lily had alwayes the eyes of his affections open toward heaven it being his chiefest care to doe his heavenly fathers h Luke 2.49 busines but close shut toward earth and earthly things There are three i Ludolph de vita Christi part 1. cap. 67. things that hinder us from having the eyes of our soules open toward Heaven but Christ was free from them all First quando oculus nimis occupatur circa sensibilia when the eye is too much imployed about sensible objects namely when the affection is set on earthly things for then is the eye of the soule dazled with the dust of covetousnes but Christ had no mind of earthly riches but as hee had none so he did desire none Secondly quando nimis occupatur circa delectabilia when it is too much taken up with delightfull things the carnall desires of the flesh for then the eye is blinded with the fire of concupiscence but Christ was free from that and it is such a sinne that the divell himselfe would not tempt Christ by that though hee tempted him by riches and the glory of the World k Mat. 4 Thirdly quando nimis occupatur circa sublimia when it is intent on lofty things namely ambitiously taken up with the pompe and glory of the World for then the eye is darkned with the smoake of pride but Christ was free from that for he l John 6.16 fled from those that would have made him King So that he had no worldly riches to clog him no carnall pleasures to allure him no ambitious thoughts to stop him nor any of those to hinder him for having his eyes and thoughts settled on heavenly things Hee was not like the Basiliskes which Pliny m Lib. 8. calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because they looke downward and cannot turne their countenance upward toward the Firmament but rather he was like the fish which Albertus as I remember makes mention of that had but one eye placed in his pole so that he alwayes looked upward minding things above but hee did altogether neglect if not contemne all earthly things Which will the better appeare if we consider his poverty in his birth in his life and in his death First in his birth Exigua magni pompa puerperii saith S. Cyprian n Serm. de nati Christi There was but small pomp at this great birth he was borne in so meane a manner that the cratch was his cradle the o Luke 2.7 manger his chamber and the stable his Inne If the Sun of God will needs come and dwell among the sons of men Kings palaces me thinks were bad
his nest with the things of this World yet when hee comes to his hole hee leaves all behinde him Naked came wee into this World and naked shall wee goe out againe u Job 1.21 Let us not then bee like the Raynbow which though it seeme to bee in the Ayre yet the ends tend to the earth but rather like the Ceder that stretcheth forth her branches toward Heaven Interpositio terrae est causa Eclipseos lunae w Magir. Phis The Interposition of the Earth betweene the Sunne and the Moone is the cause of the Eclipse of the Moone And the interposition of earthly things betweene the Sunne of righteousnes and us doth blind our spirituall eyes that wee cannot thinke of Heaven but are like the Moone when wee are at the full oftentimes in greatest opposition to that Sunne As GOD said unto Abraham x Gen. 12.1 Exi de terra tua Get thee out of thy Countrey and from thy kindred unto a Land that I shall shew thee so doth hee speake unto the Church in generall and to every member in particular y Psal 45 10. forget thine owne people and thy fathers house This World is our Fathers house the Land wherein we are borne and bread but we must forget our fathers house forsake z Doctor Boy on the Epist for Easter day this homestall and seeke for another in the spirituall Chanaan one to come in Hierusalem that is above Wee must say to the World when it is gotten into the closet of our hearts as Amnon did a 2 Sam. 13.15 to his sister get thee hence And if it will not bee gone we must thrust it out and lock the dores of our hearts and shut the windowes of our affections after it It is written of the Squerill and Badger b Pliny that in their nests and dens they have two holes one they open towards the Sunne but shut the other to keepe out the blustering winds so let us open the dores of our hearts toward the Sunne of righteousnes but keepe them shut against the blusterings of this world Wee should bee like Aristotles vessell which being made of virgins Wax would keepe out the salt water but receive the fresh so let us refuse the bitter waters of Iericho and receive the waters of life If wee affect Ierusalem that is above let us neglect Babilon that is below Remember then O man that thou art a man looke not downward on the earth with the eyes of thy soule as beasts doe with the eyes of their bodies Goe not on thy belly with the Serpent grow not with the Bramble with both ends towards the earth but be lifted upward toward Heaven that thou mayst appeare to bee a member of the Church which doth herein resemble the Flower of the Lily of the Vallies Secondly the leaves of the Lily do extend outwards and bend downwards so the Church and the members thereof must extend their charity not onely to them that are neere either by propinquity of neighbourhood or affinity of kindred but even to them that are farr off The heart of man doth derive the heat not only to the breast and belly and the parts that are neere it but even to the toes and fingers and the parts farthest of so the members of the Church ought to extend their charity not only to them that are neere but even to them that are farr off The Henn they say will cover no Chickens under her wings but her owne or such as shee supposeth to bee her owne So many will make much of none but those that are of their owne kindred as for strangers there is no hope of any thing for them Nature c Aristotle in the generation of a Frogge being afrayd that her matter will not hold out doth bestow so much on the breast and belly and the parts neere the heart that there is little left for the legge whence it is that the belly of a Frogge is so large and swelling so many feare that their substance will not hold out they shall not have inough for their friends and kindred and therefore their donation is very small for them that are farre off I speake not this to streighten the bowells of affection and charity in men to their owne kindred for in some they are straitned too much already in these degenerate dayes of ours wherein a man may oftentimes meete with a more lively heat of affection from strangers then from their owne friends and alliyes The Apostle saith d 1 Tim. 5.8 hee that provideth not for his owne hee is worse then an infidell Cosmographers make mention of some Anthropophagi men eaters that live neere the Caspian Hills that the children use to eat their fathers when they grow old that they should not bee devoured of the Wormes This custome I feare may bee found among many when as the Prophet speaks e Ezek 5.10 the fathers eat the sonnes and the sonnes eat the fathers they oftentimes consuming and devouring the estates one of another The Apostle makes it a note of the last dayes f 2 Tim. 3.3 that men should bee without naturall affection How can they bee spiritually affected g Absal Funerall Teares that are not naturally affected Can they love Gods children that have no love to their owne bowells or they be friends to their enemies that are tirants to their friends So that it is true that charitas inicpit in seipsa charity beginns at him Yet non desinit in seipsa it must not end there but goe abroad to our neighbours Constantine the great h Euseb Ecclâ—s Hyst 〈◊〉 cap. 9. got great favour of the people and added to the Christians dayly by providing for the poore insomuch that the Gentiles noted the love of Christians one to another and by their charity were sometimes compelled to confesse the God of the Christians Stipis pauperum thesaurus divitum was the word of the good Emperour Tiberius Constantius i Reusaer Symb. The rich mans treasure is the poore mans stock It is recorded k Nazian in vita ejus of S. Bazill the great that in a famine hee did not onely give to the poore such as hee had himselfe but exhorted all others to set open their Barnes and to doe the like But now there are many churlish Naballs that say l 1 Sam. 25.10 11. Who is David and who is the sonne of Iesse there bee many servants now adayes that breake away every man from his Mayster Shall I then take my bread and my water and my flesh that I have killed for my shearers and give it unto men whom I know not whence they bee There is many an unmercifull Dives m Luke 16. that will not part with a crumme though it might make them to gayne a Crowne For Da parva ut magna recipias saith S. Bazill n In Div. pag. 16. He that gives little shall receave much And damna