our voyages set forth from the Temple begin at God as we doe now observing the â—dable custome of our Nation and so indeed we ought to doe especially in assures of such consequence when the lives and estates of men are to be layd in the ballance but also to let us and all those whom there he stiles Gods Know that it is he who is Alpha Deorum the first beginning the Fountaine of the Gods He is the Ocean they but râ—valets deriv'd from it And as it was hee who sayd to them there in the Psalme I have said yee are Gods So it is he who sayes to this Alpha inter Deos minorum Gentium in my text as I may call him to MOSES one of the greatest amongst the deputed Gods I have sayd thou art a God For although we reade that the people saw the face of MOSES to shine here I so gloriously that AARON and the Children of Israell were afraid to come neare him vers 30. Yet if we looke into the next verse going before we shall finde this lustre to be none of his owne like the Starres which every night doe light their Tâ—pers a fresh at the Sunne he did but 〈◊〉 â—ct the beâ—mes he receiv'd from God vers 29 And it came to paste when MOSES came downe from Mount Sinai that the skinne of his face did shine Mount Sinai where hee had beene forty dayes and forty nights with the Lord. It was from thence he had his glory The vulgar Latine Translation reades this place thus Et erat facies Mosi Cornuta and MOSES had hornes upon his face from whence grew that custome amongst some Christians derided by the Iewes to picture MOSES with hornes which errour was occasioned by the vicinity of the wâ— Hebrew words Keren which signifies a horne and Karan to shine Nor yet was this opinion without its favourers for Tostatus approves it Emisit radios sayes he tanquam Cornua ficut radij a Sole derivati Cornu spectem praese ferunt Hee did dart forth beames from his glorified face like hornes as the beames which issue from the Sunne doe seeme forked but I will trouble yee no farther with these controversies nor with Cajetans opposing to this interpretation nor yet with the strange glosses of some ignorant Rabbines who affirme that MOSES face was sayd to be horned because it was so dryed up with fasting those 40. dayes and 40. nights that nothing but skinne was left upon the bones of his Cheekes which did so sticke out Vt acuta velut Cornua viderentur that they showed like hornes As though that omnipotent God who was able to preserve him all this while miraculously without meate or drinke were not able also to keepe his body from decay and dimâ—nution Without all question the genuine meaning of this place is as our Translâ—our renders it MOSES face did shine For the Chalâ— Paraphrast gives it thus The brightnesse of his face was multiplyed and the Septnagâ—nt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his face was glorious and St. PAVL in the 3 to the Rom. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the glory of his countenance or pâ—rson which glory God did bestow upon him for these reasons 1 That it might be a signe of Gods favour towards him and that his prayers for the people were heard 2 That it might be a meanes to increase the reverence of the people towards him 3 That the law might thereby become glorious when the given of it was so glorious 4 That it might signifie that inward illumination shining unto them in the purity of his life and doctrine 5 Vt per hoc significetur Iustitiam legis facie tenâ— solummodo esse gloriosam To show that the Iustice which comes by the Law is onely glorious in the Face 1 Outwardlie but with God it does not seeme so For which last reason I doe confesse I am beholden unto Origen who in his 12. Hom. upon Exod. Nihil in lege gloriosum habet Moses preter sol am faciem MOSES in the law had nothing glorious about him but his Face They are his owne words Vultus est Sermo legis manus opera the face of MOSES saith he is the letter of the law his hand the workes of the law Now because no man living can be justified by the workes of the Law therefore we find MOSES his hand Leprous Exod a Et in Sinum reconditur tanquam nihil perfects operis habitura And therefore as asham'd he hides it in his bosome as an unnecessary member unable to doe any thing that was perfect His feete they had no glory â—o contumeliam potius sayes he nay rather they are branded with shame for he is commanded by the Lord Exod. 3. to put his shooes from off his Feete Put thy shones from off thy Feete for the place thou standest on is holy Ground Et hoc fieret sayes the same Father Non sâ—ne alâ— ujus formae mysterâ— Nor is this without a mâ—tâ—iâ— To begin at the head of man as being the nobler member his foot his novissima pars his last part by which the Prophet Daniel will teach us to interpret longissime futura future things which are the farthest off as in the vision of NABâ—CHADNEZZAR the Head of gold signified the present flourishing Monarchy by the feet of clay were meant novissima longinqua things which were to come last in order So that MOSES being commanded to put his shooes from off his feet was showne that the latter times should come when He 1 the Law should have his shooes pluck'd from off his feet as unwilling nay rather as altogether unable to rayse up seed unto his Brother Deutr. 25. By which Ceremony the Wife of his deceased Kinsman that is the Church in generall or each faithfull Soule in particular who ever since the death of her former husband her originall Righteousnesse which dyed in ADAMS fall had liv'd in Widdow-hood was to bee delivered up unto another which was CHRIST and his merits and his name that is the Law to be callâ— iâ—… Israel Domus discalceat vsque in hoâ—ternum diâ—m the House of him whose shooe was pluckt off for ever But the sweet rellish that â—s in these sacred mysteries his carried meâ— ofâ—tre away I will returne and by Gods assistance and you Christian patience try what wee can find oâ— from hence to make for our preâ—ent occasion without any wresting or violence offâ— to the worâ—s And what should hinder us but wee may finde something For we have first God here who is as I told yee Alpha Decâ—…um the first of the Gods by whom through whom and for whom all the rest of the Gods Kings and Iudges are Secondly we have MOSES the Civill Magistrate Gods Vice-gerent and not MOSES barely but MOSES glorified MOSES with his fare shining MOSES as it were upon the bench and next we have the People looking upon the face of MOSES And to these that yee may reade a true Character of this
meeting of yours in my Text wee have also MOSES face veyl'd 1 The strict rigour of the Law which like the glystering of MOSES countenance strikes a terrour into the people and makes them afrayd to come neare yee covered with the veyle of Equitie or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is as Aristotle defines it Eth. lib. 5. cap. 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A certaine Correction or mending of the Law beeing deficient in some cases which the Law-giver himselfe were he present would have added to the Law And this is nothing else but a wise and religious consideration and weighing of the circumstances of such facts as are to be layd in the ballance of Iustice Thus have we here a compleat Assises or rather the platforme which showes us what they should be GOD. The MAGISTRATE PEOPLE and EQVITIE And so the â—ext is easily divided not to be too curious We have heere 1. GOD and the Magistrate 2. The People and Equitie First God and the Magistrate for they must never be separated and so wee have MOSES in his glory GOD as the Author of his glory MOSES as the Subject Secondly The People and Equity which must go together too and to wee have MOSES in his veyle MOSES accommodated to the Capacity of the weake eyes of the people Or else if yee please thus Here are the two severall Aspects of MOSES 1 As he lookes upon God 2 As he lookes upon the People Like the double face of the Moone when hee is in Conjunction with the Sunne that halfe part of her Orbe with which she respects the Sunnâ— is glorious and filld with light her other 〈◊〉 that lookes upon the Earth is darke and charg'd with obscurity From the first Part of my Text the first Aspect of MOSES doe naturally arise these two Positions 1 That the face of MOSES of the civill Magistrate is glorious They are Gods Secondly That this glory of theirs comes from the Lord 't is he who hath sayd they are Gods and his dixi is a Feet With him to say they are Gods is to make them â—o Of the First I shall not need to quote much Scripture to prove the excellence of the Magistrate for to say they are Gods there in the Psalme is to say all that can be sayd and againe Exod. 22. Dijs non malediâ—as thou shalt not raile upon the Gods nor speake evill of the ruler of thy pleople Homer cals them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Sheepheards of the people and Plato 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Saviours But what need we seeke any farther or travaile to Heathen writers for Tiâ—lâ—s for them when we have the Lords owne ipse dixit Hee hath sayd they are Gods It is accounted a grand subtlety and a great peece of Art in an Oratour to perswade his Auditors that they are that that they are such men already as he would have them to be Now God the best Oratour in the World humbling himself into the way of Art vouchsafes so farre to descend to our Capacity as to use the same manner of Rhetoricke He has sayd they are glorious he has sayd they are excellent on purpose to perswade them to be so Let them take heed therfore what they do Agere uti nomeÌ„ clutt behave themselves agreeable to the Title he is pleas'd to bestow upon them lost they be found strivers as much is in them is to prove the God of all truth a lyer Bee glorious bee excellent endeavour to have your faces shin before the people Let your light so shine before men that they seeing your good workes may glorifie your Father which is in heaven And yee have no other way in the World to obtaine this glory but the same which MOSES had to get his To goe up into Mount Sinai and consult with God And so wee are come already to the second Position 2. â— for indeed they cannot be long kept a sunder â—y they cannot be separated at all so neare is the kindred the relation betwixt them For no sooner is your glory nam'd but God immediately steps in nay indeed hee was there before for hee is the Author of your glory without God no glory at all no shining of the Countenance And it will not bee amisse to see the manner of MOSES consulting with God when he did obtaine this glory At the 28. verie of this Chapter So he was there with the Lord forty dayes and forty nights and did neither eate bread nor drinke water By this Lent this forty dayes fast which MOSES kept here in the Mountaine and afterwards CHRIST himselfe in the Wildernesse imitateâ— by us at this time or at least should bee as farre as our weake Natures will suffer us St. Augustine would understand the life of Man being dayes of sorrow and affliction according to the Mysticall number of weekes which a woman with Child goes before she is delivered Nor is it meerely St. Augustines observation For if yee looke narrowly into the 16 of Sâ— Iohns Gospell verse 21. Ioh. â— Ye shall â—nde our blessed Saviour himselfe to imply so much speaking how his Disciples should weepâ— and lament A Woman â—es hee while shee travaileth hath sorrow because her houre is come but as soone as she is a delivered of the Child shee remembreth no more the anguish for joy that a man is borne into the World And yee now therefore are in sorrow but I will see yee againe and your hearts shall reioyce and your ioy shall no man take from yee And that is the Christians Easter his death when hee shall keepe a perpetuall Sabboth unto the Lord with continuall Hallelujahs in his mouth The forty dayes and forty nights doe typifie then the life of man but what is meant by the fasting The same Father shall tell us Iejunium quod probat altissimus non solum intermissa corporis refectio sed a malis artibus factu disceâ—sio The true Lent which is pleaâ—ing to God is a Spirituall fast a fast from Sin and this thou must observe all the forty dayes that is the whole course of thy life Thou must fast from Bribes from Giâ—ts thou must not suffer thine eyes to wander after the fatnesse of the Oxe in the Stall nor the Wether in the Pasture thy fingers must not itch after the plumpe Gold in the Bag to divert the course of Iustice nor must thou respect the person of thy Friend Kinsman Nephew or Favorite thereby to wrong the Fatherlesse or the Widdow Thou must make a Covenant with thine eyes thou must not looke upon such a great Ladyes letter upon the Bench nor yet remember what such a Lord your Honourable Friend spoke to you in private for there is a Lord above more Honourable then hee who expects justice from thee This is the true forâ—y dayes Fast of MOSES which the Governours of the People they who sit in the Gates of Princes should observe For know that although yâ— â—t there at the
his secret place and his Pavilion round about him Christ was borne in the night as we understand by the Gospell Luke 2. And there were Shepheards watching their Flocks by night Yet when the Angell delivers the tydings of his birth to the Shepheards hee doth not say this night but this day is borne to you a Saviour It was naturally a night but the birth of Christ miraculously made it a day and the glory of the Lord shone about them sayes the Text. Christ dyes wee see here in the day in the mid day but even that is turn'd into a Night It was a day naturally but the death of our Saviour made it a night miraculously And the reason for it is good for it was not altogether so fitting that the earth should have worne one and the same Garment both at the Birth and Funerall of her Lord. He was borne in the night and that becomes day hee dyed in the day and that becomes night See how Christ both in his Nativity and Passion manifests himselfe to be the God of Nature who to shew her allegiance to her Lord and Master quite inverts her ordinary course and doth not wayte upon him in that livery which pleases her best but in that which he commands and is the most agreeable to his fortunes So that as the Disciples cryed out in an admiration when he quieted the Stormes and Tempests Who is this whom the winde and the Sea obeyeth So may wee say here Who is this whom the Night and the Day obeyeth It began at the sixth and lasted till the ninth so that the whole compasse or time of the darknesse was three of our ordinary houres I might here observe a mysterie in the number of 3 being the first perfect number that number which as Geometricians say doth make the first figure the number which Aquinas calls Numerus omnis rei the number of every thing and certainly hee had that hinte from Aristotle in his first booke de Caelo Omne totum sayes he in tribus ponimus To every whole perfect thing is requir'd the number of 3. And why may not wee say that as there went three dayes over his death like three witnesses to beare record of the truth of his death so there went three houres of darknesse over his Passion to beare witnesse of the Truth of his Passion The compleat number of 3 went over his sufferings to manifest to the world that now his sufferings were whole perfect and compleat and therefore no sooner are the three houres of darknesse over but presently he cryes Consummatum est it is finished gave up the ghost But we have beene too long in searching out the cause of this darknesse which was the third thing I propounded to be enquir'd for The neerest cause I told yee was the darkning of the Sunne But alas this will not satisfie us For as the Prophet David in the 114. Psalme which is appointed by the Church to be read upon Easter day doth not content himselfe with saying The Sea saw it and fled Iordan was driven back But hee addes also the question and sayes What aylest thou O Sea that thou fieddest and thou Jordan that thou was driven back So neither must wee thinke it enough to say the Sunne was darkned and goe no further but wee must Causam causae investigare Finde out the supreame cause of that subordinate cause and say What aylest thou O Sunne that thou wast darkened and thou Light that thou wast driven back The Sunne was darkned we confesse but what was it that darkned the Sunne This certainly will trouble us There are but three things supposing that wee are Sub dio et in sterili prospectu Under the open Heaven and withall have our eyes perfect which can any wayes take from us the sight of the Sun First The interposition of Vapours or Clouds Secondly The interposition of the Earth Thirdly The interposition of the Moone As for Clouds it is not likely that they should cause this darknesse For Saint Luke here after hee hath made mention of the darknesse which was in the ayre the place of Clouds and Vapours hee presently addes and the Sunne was darkned making this the reason of the other darknesse below so that wee may very safely beleeve that the Sunne was not darkned onely to us but even in it selfe too Hee who sayes unto the proud billowes of the Sea Be yee still and thus farre yee shall goe and no farther Hee is also able to say unto the Sunne Thou shalt not shine Hee who at the beginning was able to say Let there be light and there was light sayes now Let there be darknesse and it was so It could not be the interposition of the Earth for whensoever that is interposed it makes it night being nothing else but the shadowe of the Earth which is betwixt our eyes and the Sunne but this was at noone-day when the Sunne was in his height over the heads of the people of Jerusalem Nor yet was it possible it should bee the interposing of the Moone for the Sunne never suffers an Eclipse by the darke body of the Moone but onely when the Sunne and Moone are in a conjunction but now they were in opposition the Moone was at the full or but newly past it 180. degrees distant from the Sunne Which is easily proved for the Paschall Lambe was not by Gods command to be slaine nisi Luna quatuordecima but upon the foureteenth day of the Moone Exod. 12. and Levit. 23. and just the night before hee was crucified did Christ eate the Passeover with his Disciples so that this must needs be the fifteenth day of the Moone wherein he suffered quando solennitai erat Azimorum the first day of unleavened bread which was the great and chiefe day of the Passeover howsoever the Evangelist St. Matth. 26.17 may seeme to make the foureteenth day the first day of unleavened bread Mat. 26.17 Now the first day of the Feast of unleavened bread the Disciples came to Iesus saying unto him Where wilt thou that wee prepare for thee to eate the Passeover which must bee understood according to their Civill Account their naturall day according to that computation beginning at Sun-rising and ending with the rising of the next Sunne and in this regard the foureteenth day might be called the first of unleavened bread because it comprehended in it part of the first day of unleavened bread which day in their religious account began at the Sunne-setting and ended at the setting of the next Wee have not yet found out the Cause of this darknesse What should the Night make here usurping the dominion of the Day It is not such a hard question to answere I will give it ye in three words Christ the scond Person in the sacred Trinity united to our humane nature the wisedome of the Father by whom the worlds were made the Lambe without spot who was free from all sinne He hangs
Lord which caus'd this leaping But I shall be constrained for brevities sake to joyne the Quid the Qui and the Quomodo together the action the subject and the manner of the action Richardus de Sancto Victore and others who are for the mysticall sense of this Scripture by the rammes and lambes will understand two Hierarchies of the Angels conteining sixe of the Orders of the nine so that according to him the rammes signifie the first Hierarchy the Seraphius the Cherubin the Throni the young sheepe the last Powers Arch-Angels and Angels Sic parvis componere magna By the Mountaines and the Hills must bee meant saith hee Contemplative and speculative men and by the plaine fields which are implied here men of Action Qui hujus vitae plana non deserunt dum terrenis actibus inserviunt in camporum morem ad hujus vitae usum in terrenis lucris quasi quosdam terrae fructus ferunt Who by reason of their secular imployments are said never to forsake the Plaines of the Earth but as the fertile fields to bring forth fruit for the use and service of man Whereas the Contemplative man who is compared unto the Mountaine is commonly barren to the Earth brings no fruit to the Common wealth wherein he lives except hee joynes action to his Contemplation but yet like the Mountaine hee is a great deale nearer heaven hath a nearer accesse and acquaintance with the Lord and is more fruitfull to heaven and God although the fields active men bee more fruitfull to the earth and man The leaping of the soules of these Contemplative and speculative men meant by the mountaines and hills is a metaphor borrowed from a bodily action Now we know that to leape corporally is totum corpus a terra suspendere to take the whole body and for a while to remove it from the touch of the Earth so that for a little space it hangs as it were in the aire Et quid est aliud saith one saltus spiritualis quam spiritum totum quod spiritus est a terrenis altenare and what else is it to leape in the spirit but to remove the spirit and the soule from all earthly cogitations and to climbe up to the contemplation of things invisible The minde of man while it hath before its eyes incorporeall substances whether of Angels or the soules of men and discourses within it selfe about the nature of them is said ad se vel ad sua redire per planum ire to returne to it selfe it is then in its owne proper place and goes in a plaine course without either rises or falls because the nature of that of which he discourses is in plaine or in rancke with himselfe but when ever hee fixes a contemplative eye upon God who is the creating Nature of all things and suffers his soule to be busie upon meditation of his power his excellence his wisedome his eternity his mercy his justice then is the mind said quasi dato saltu supra semetipsam ire as by a leape given to goe above it selfe And these leapers are either the Mountaines or the Hills or Contemplative as I told ye or speculative men They are called Contemplative quibus datum facie ad faciem videre to whom it is given to see God face to face whose knowledge is not clouded in riddles aenigmas in shadowes types and allegories but behold the glory of God in nuda sua simplicitate The speculative are they qui per speculum in aenigmate vident who see God and his power and his wisedome and his greatnesse as it were by reflection presented in a glasse which is the Creator of the whole world and the preservation and governement of it But here is mention made of three things in that part of the Text which is the Coppy or Originall of rammes of sheepe and of lambes Sicut aerietes sicut agni ovium like rammes and like the lambes of the sheepe and therefore in the other part of the Text which is the Transcript we are to finde three things too to poise in the comparison against the three other and they I told yee were the mountaines the hills and the plaine or even fields for although they be not mentioned yet they are implied But here will arise a doubt seeing that in this comparison the rammes and the mountaines do hold the highest place the sheepe and the hills the second the lambes and the plaines the lowest degree of all Why then being that the mountaines are compared to rammes are not the hills compared rather to the sheepe which were to observe the true order in the comparison then to the lambes We answere that there is a great and excellent reason for this The mountaines and the rammes contemplative men and Angels of the first Hierarchy are compared together to shew that there is a similitude betwixt the leapes of the spirit of man and the leapes of those sublime and intellectuall Essenses but for feare lest any man should thinke that this might bee comparatio ad gradum a comparison of equality and from hence bee bold to affirme that the first order of men contemplatives doth ex pari respondere primo gradui Angelorum directly equall the first Hierarchy of Angells the second order of men which is the speculatives the second Hierarchy and the third order of men which are the men of Action and secular imployment the third Hierarchy therefore the Pen of David here which was certainely guided by the holy Spirit doth rather choose to inâ—ringe the order and method of the comparison and compares the Hills which are the second in order amongst men unto the lambes which are the third and last amongst the Angels And the same answere gives Richardus although in other words Quod ergo dictum non est tacuit Propheta saith hee pro removenda suspicione aequalitatis ut id quod dictum intelligatur pro ratione similitudinis But before we can learne truely after what maner the mountaines and the hills doe leape we must first looke upon the patterne after which they doe leape By those forenamed living creatures I told yee wee might in a mysticall sense understand the three Hierarchies of Angels The first three orders Seraphim Cherubin Throni which are likened unto the mountaines are they which are immediately joyned to God who doe inlighten all the inferiour orders but doe receive no illumination from any save from God The three second orders which here lie in method in the similitude although not observed by the Psalmist against the Hills are Dominations Vertues and Principalities and these doe both receive illumination from the higher orders and give to the inferiour The three last orders are Powers Arch-angels and Angels and these receive light or knowledge from the superiour Hierarchies but have no orders below them to whom to communicate any illumination Now for every one of these orders to leape in his kinde is supra semetipsos
ire to rise up in a Contemplation unto such things as are above their owne nature For the first orders therefore to reade the greatnesse the wisedome and providence of God in any of the inferiour orders or in subjecta creatura in the Fabrick of the world hoe descendere potius quam saltus dare this is rather to goe downe then to leape To view the greatnesse and majestie of God in themselves in looking into their owne pure nature hoc illorum est per planum ire this is their plaine way they neither rise nor fall in doing thus But they are said to leape when they ascend into a simple and naked Contemplation of the Power the Wisedome the Majesty of God as he is in himselfe and so behold with admiration that Fountaine of beauty of goodnesse of order of proportion The second and third Hierarchies they are onely said to leape when they doe rise in a speculation into the orders above them and from thence are furnished with matter of admiration concerning the Divine power and wisedome For although it be granted that these inferiour orders have also their simple contemplations doe behold the face of God too enjoy the beatificall vision as well as the other yet this may be called illorum volatus potius quam tripudium rather their flight then their leaping because wee know hee that leapes doth not multum elongere se à stationis suae loco removes not himselfe farre from the place he was in before which we finde contrary in a flight when the thing that flies works it selfe many times into a vast distance Therefore because those orders of Angels which are here set out unto us by the name of rammes in their leapes doe never use but a simple Contemplation and the other inferiour orders never but a speculation most fitly hath the Psalmist laid his comparison together Montes exultaverunt ut arietes colles sicut agni ovium For the mountaines then to skip like rammes is when Contemplative men in a kinde of sacred extasie and overflowing of the soule doe climbe up into pure notions of the Deity abstracted from speculations doe behold the face of God not in the glasse of the creature but as he is in himselfe all splendor all glory all brightnesse all goodnesse And for the hills to skip like lambs is when speculative men doe climbe up into an admiration of God by beholding the works of his handâ— as St. Paul to the Romans 1.20 For the invisible things of him that is his eternall power and Godhead are seene in the creation of the world being considered in his workes Pensemus ergo c. Let us therefore conceive if we be able what a mighty prerogative and grace it is for our humane and fraile natures to be likened in the motions of our minds unto the glorious Angels And let us therfore praise the GOD of Angels and men who hath made us a little lower then the Angels to crowne us with glory and worship O blessed soule and truely happy who can take such leapes as these who leaving the dull senses asleepe can secretly steale from the body and mount up in a moment unto the familiarity of Angels bee partakers of their joyes be present at their spirituall delicates and with them leape from one degree of knowledge and illumination to another and with infinite delight and admiration still bee knowing of that immensity which can never bee fully knowen Lord let my soule ever leape after this manner and I shall not envie all the flattering courtship that the world can shew me But I make haste to the Quare the cause of this leaping What aile yee O yee mountaines c. reade but the next verse and the Question is answered A facie Domini mota est terra for so good Translations as I told yee reade it The earth was moved at the Face of the Lord. Hugo set downe foure severall faces of Christ Facâ—m 1 Viventis The face of Christ living or the face of his Poverty And this face did he shew in his Nativity and after in his whole life being made poore for our sakes so that hee had not so much as whereon to lay his head 2 Morientis The face of Christ dying or the face of his Griefe And this face did hee shew us upon the Crosse which seemed to becken to all Passengers and to say in the Prophet Ieremies words Lam. 1.12 Have yee no regard all yee that passe by this way behold and see if there bee any sorrow like unto my sorrow 3 Iudicantis The face of Christ Iudging or the face of his Anger And this face will he shew to the wicked ones in the day of judgement 4 Regnantis The face of Christ reigning or the face of his Glory and pleasure And this face will hee onely shew to the Saints in the Kingdome of Heaven But I must make bold in the midst of these foure to insert one face more of Christs which Hugo Cardinalis did not thinke of and that is Facies resurgentis The face of Christ arising from the dead subduing the grave and leading Captivity captive And this is the face of Christ meant here at the sight of which the Earth was moved The Mountaines skipped c. And what thing is there so heavy that could sit still and behold this face O let not us then be more insensible then the Mountaines and Hills to which wee are compared for we must know that the strength of the comparison doth not lie in the ponderousnesse of the Mountaines No wee ought not to imitate them in this but it doth consist in the height in their neernesse to heaven and their distance from the common roades of men Lift up your heads therefore O yee gates and be yee lift up yee everlasting doores and the King of glory will come in First then O yee mountaines of the earth who doe enjoy a vicinity and kinde of familiarity with God and heaven Yee men of contemplation who by the advantage of your height have a far clearer and neerer prospect of God and of the wonders that are in him then they who are upon the little Hills and Plaines of the earth below O lift up your heads on high in a thankfull acknowledgement and admiration of the wisedome the power the mercy of our God who sent his onely Sonne in whom he was well pleased into the world that he by his poverty his ignominie his obedience his death might make an atonement for our sins And this is the day wherein that gracious worke was perfectly finished this is the day wherein our Saviour Christ having entred into the house of that strong man Death and bound him like a Giant refreshed with wine issued out of the Grave in triumph Or once This is the day which the Lord hath made let us reioyce and be glad in it For be sure that the Lord lookes for greater higher and more frequent leapes from you for purer and
to point onely at the West of CHRIST at his Death at the setting of our Sunne of Righteousnesse But no sooner had this Sunne who for a while was set unto the World recover'd the East and was Risen again from the Grave but immediately this West worship of the Iewes was abolished For His Death did set a Period unto all their Ceremonies Nay the Temple it selfe we know not long after was Destroyed as being now of no use because CHRIST had already suffered at whose Death the Worship of that Temple did point And therefore the Christians of the primitive times who now had a new Law the Law of the Gospell which did and does chiefly looke unto the East of CHRIST unto his Resurrection that they might acknowledge against the Iewes who were Enemies to CHRIST and denyed him to be come in the Flesh that he was both come dead and risen againe they did turne from the West to the East The Iewes even to this houre doe Worship towards the West still expecting when CHRIST should come and set and dye At nos a tergo ponimus mortem Christi a fronte Resurrectionem adventum ad judicium But we turne our Backs upon the West as professing CHRISTS Death to be past and behinde us and point towards the East as confessing his Resurrection and expecting his comming againe to Iudgement who shall come as he himselfe telles us in th 24. of St. Math vers 27 As the Lightning which commeth out from the East and shineth into the West and therefore the Câ—u â—n has thought fâ— in the buriall of Christian bodyes so to dispose of the scituation of them in the Grave that they are placed with theyr Faces as it were looking into the East expecting the comming againe of their Lord and Saviour in his Glory I might here adde that the East is the Nobler part of the World wherein Gods Greatnesse and Majestie does most appeare beeing manifested in the motion of the Heavens which is from the East I might also tell you that Paradise was scituated in that part of the World for so it was if we'll beleeve the Translation of the Septuagint in the 2d. of Gen. Quasi quaeremus ad Paradisum redire sayes Aquinas as if by worshipping thus we sought to returne backe to Paradise from whence the Sinne of our first Parents drove us I could adde also that the Sunne the Day and the Light have their blessed and comfortable inroades upon us from that Part of the World and being that we are to worship a God whose Infinite Majestie to us is invisible and onely yet to be seene in the Workes of the Creation therefore we bend our selves in this Religious action towards that Part of the Creation which is the most Glorious and by consequence of greatest vertue to excite and inflame our present Devotion And this may give you some satisfaction concerning our turning towards the East at the Hymnes the Doxologies and Prayers For these and other Heavenly reasons has the Church thought good to make the East part of the Temple to imitate the Holyest place of the Iewes which was in the West and therefore there they have plac'd the Altar or Communion-Table where the Body and Bloud of our blessed Saviour is administred unto the people where the Prayers and Thankesgivings of the Congregation like a Sacrifice of Incense is by the mouth of the Priest offer'd unto God and before or towards this place doe we worship God It is a scandall and an ignorance grosse as Aegyptian darkenesse which may be felt to say that we bow to the Altar or Table No we bow to God and the having of that Table in my sight when I bow putting me in minde of the mercies and Sufferings of my Saviour cannot chuse but make me bow the lower Seeing that the stiffe knee of this Pharisee has put me into this discourse I would willingly give all the satisfaction I could possible and truly I would thanke that man who but would whisper an objection into me that I might by Gods assistance endeavor to answer it and I have receiv'd one already from which of yee it comes I know not and it is this We ought yee say when ever wee come into the Church to joyne with the Congregation presently if they be at Prayers then indeed to kneele with them if hearing the Lessons or the Sermon immediately to settle our selves to that if they be standing up confessing theyr Faith then to joyne with them and intend that What without so much as once taking notice what Place it is yee are come into Without so much as once acknowledging God to dwell in that House Yee durst not thrust thus rudely into the Presence Chamber of a King His Chayre of State would strike a greater awe into yee Yee ought to doe thus Who told yee that yee ought to doe thus I never heard any say so but your selves and I doe not hold your credit so good in Learning that your bare word should passe in a Controversie of this high Nature But suppose I yeeld that yee ought to doe thus I le tell yee of another thing which yee ought too and yee shall not onely take my Assumpsit for it yee shall have a Canon of the Church to backe it Yee ought also to joyne with the Congregation in comming to the Church betimes before divine Service is begun not to stay lurking 〈◊〉 your houses till the Confession and Absolution be past nay many times till the Psalmes be done because yee would prevent the standing up at the Doxologyes betwixt them nay sometimes till the Lessons and the Popery of the Letanie as yee call it be over and then come stealing in as if yee were sent for Spyes to see what Religion we are of This yee ought to doe also and then we will allow yee to joyne presently with the Congregation for so yee shall have time enough before yee come to the publike duty to worship God and acknowledge the ground â—ee stand upon to be Holy But I heare another object Will not presently Kneeling downe in my seate when I come into the Church and saying a private Prayer lifting up a private Ejaculation to the Lord serve the tuâ—ne without first bowing and prostrating my selfe before the Altar I answer doe but so and no man shâ—ll finde fault with thee thou doest well in doing it but yet he who does the other too and does it truly from his heart and withall knowes the reason why he does it does a great deale better And therefore untill thy judgement bee a little better inform'd at the least suspend thy censure of those men who doe it Be not too rash in accusing them of Popery or Superstition Who art thou that judgest anothers Servant For if thou wilt observe a little in coole bloud this Nuda genu flexio as I may call it this naked bowing before the Altar which is not accompanied with Prayer but is onely a