〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but also the preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 purporteth a restoring againe or receiuing a dignitie or honour of which he was partaker before when he thought it no robberie to be equall with God his Father as our Apostle Phil. 2. or els finally as the Phrase wil beare a recouering againe of his fathers fauour as being accepted againe and receaued into the bosome of God his father from whence he descended when he tooke vpon him our flesh And yet the word being all on with that which al the Euangelists vse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his assūption being nothing els but a volūtary ascentiō a passion in him in respect of his humanitie yet an action of him in regard of his diuinitie that as he saith of him selfe as he had power to lay downe his life and power to take it againe vnto him euen so as he had power to descend to take vpon him our flesh so likewise had he power to ascend to resume againe vnto him selfe his owne glorie being caught or rapt vp in a cloude as he was man and yet taking vnto himselfe the winges of the morning to flie vp into his holy sanctuarie as he was God as a worme in respect of his incarnation in creeping on the earth but an eagle in regard of his ascention in mounting vp into heauen That as a captaine conquerer and Consull of Rome when he had vanquished any enimie won any cittie or subdued any contrie was wonte to ride in triumph with a royall Pompe before him and a greate traine behind him vp into the Capitoll the gates whereof were wide open to receaue him Euen so our Sauiour Christ Iesus after he had ouercome Sathan his grand enimie and by death as the Apostle saith subdued him that had the power of death and with all vanquished the graue and hell and did triumph ouer them Saying as it is in the Prophet Esay and Osee and the Apostle Paule Death is swallowed vp in victorie O death where is thy stinge O graue where is thy victorie and so ascended on highe and led captiuitie captiue and made a shew of them openly hauing his mightie armes of heauenlie souldiars with him As the Psalm 1. discribeth them The chariotes of the Lord are twentie thowsands of Angels and he is in the middest of them as in his holy place of Sinaie and vnto whom the gates of the Capitoll of heauen stoode open as being gladde and readie to receaue him into glorie as the Prophet Dauid expresseth the same Psalm 24. When he saith in the person of the Lord God Lifte vp your heades O yee gates and be yee lifte vp yee euerlasting dooers that the King of glorie may come in Here then as our heade is exalted highly and aduanced vnto his glorie so shall we also his members be partakers of the same honour for if we die with him we shall liue with him if we suffer with him we shall be glorified with him For as his Father appointed vnto him a kingdome so hath he appointed vnto vs a kingdome Iohn 5. As the father hath crowned him with glorie and worshipe Psalm 8. So will he being the greate shephard of the sheepe giue vnto vs an incorruptible crowne of glorie as he sitteth with his father in his throne so will he cause vs to sit with him in his throne whē as our vile bodies shall be made conformable to his glorious bodie of mortall becomming immortall of corruptible becomming incorruptible of carnall spirituall of naturall supernatuall of earthly Heauenly finally of temporall eternall in the kingdome of heauen where they shall reape and receaue fulnesse os ioye and at the right hand of God haue full fruition and plenarie possession of surpassinge Pleasure for euer more Which God the Father hath prepared of his mercie and Christ Iesus purchased by his merite for vs those which haue beene promised vs from the beginning of the wotld and shall be perfourmed vnto vs after the ende of the world in the Celestiall Paradise where the Sunne shineth not nor the Moone giueth noe light and yet where the Sunne setteth not nor the Moone changeth not but where only the glorie of God and the Lambe giueth light Ap. 21.24 Where there is pleasure for euer without paine victorie without skirmish triumphe without warre perpetuitie without time desire without default sweenesse without varietie and varietie without sacietie where there is Ioye with out gesture Knowledge with out discipline and conference without speache where there is rest with out motion partaking without enuie and vnderstanding without reasoning vbi lex veritas pax charitas modus aeternitas as Austin FINIS THE FRVITS OF HYPOCRISIE MATTH 23. v. 5. All their workes they doe to bee seene of men THese wordes which I haue reade vnto you as also those in the verse immediately going before are a confirmation in particular pointes of that reason contained in the last words of the third verse of which I haue spoken at large heretofore So that hauing before said that these Scribes and Pharises did far otherwise leade their liues then they did teach and preach now he addeth for the more certaintie and assurance of that which he affirmed before that if they had any good thing in them at all in show and in semblance that the same was altogether vaine and trifeling false and fained because they had noe other thing in their purpose and intente but palpably to please men as it here appeareth to set out and shew forth themselues These Scribes therefore and Pharises did either most manifestly transgresse the Law of God or els did so notoriously dissemble that they seemed to be altogether honest and holy when they were nothing so nor so hauing a foule visage vnder a faire visarde for as all is not gould that glistereth so all are not perfect that appeare so nor all good and godly that giue an outward glosse of integritie and sanctimonie For as Tullie saith Frons vultus oculi saepe mentiuntur oratio vero saepissime and as the Poet. Fallit enim vitium specie vertutis vmbra So that oftentimes counterfaite in the militant Church here on earth such is the deceite of sinne the fashion of this world goeth for currant such are the cloakes and coulours of hypocrisie for euerie hypocrite is like the Camelion that can chang himselfe into euery coullour at commande and like to Protheus who can Metamorphose himselfe into euerie fourme forth with and lastly like vnto the wethercocke that can turne it self according to euerie wind And here may we behould and see the nature of sinne in generall that it is neuer single of it selfe but hath alwaies some companions and copartners conioyned with it not vnlike the serpēt Hydra a monster of many heads and to the beast mentioned in the Apocal. On which the whoore of Babilon is said to sitie hauing many heades and many hornes But more particularly of the sinne of
this our time in comparison of the daies of olde What face what fashions what forme of a Church in regard of the former state Heretofore haue been holy Byshops Reuerend fathers Zealous preachers Godly liuers Learned writers and constant Martyrs Sed quantum mutamur ab illo howe farre are wee fallen from the puritie and perfection of our predecessours For now as our common shepheards go not before but follow after their sheepe so doe for the most part our spirituall Pastours suffer the people to be an example of good life and Godly conuersation vnto them and giue them good leaue to goe before them into the kingdome of heauen but yet so as they list not themselues to follow after As Augustine of the Churchmen and Cleargie of his time Venit indoctum vulgus rapit coelum nos verò cum tota nostra doctrina ruimus in gehennam But not to inforce this point with any particular application for feare of offence Nam quicquid tetigero vlcus erit For yee know the olde Prouerbe A gauld horse will soone winch and a scabbed head is soone broken Wherefore to passe on to the next wordes THE CROVVNE OF CHRISTIANS 1. PET. 5.4 v. And when the chiefe shepheard shall appeare yee shall receiue an incorruptible Crowne of glorie IN these wordes as I haue partly declared before are contained two things the first the person that shall reward them that shall shew themselues to be examples of the flocke whom here hee calleth the chiefe shepheard and the time when they shall obtaine the same that is when as he shall appeare first therefore of the one and then the other By chiefe shepheard Christ a Shephard in three respects no doubt in this place our Apostle meaneth our Sauiour Christ Iesus who is our shepheard and that in three respects First generally in that by his heauenly fathers grace prouidence hee prepareth and prouideth granteth and giueth feedeth and filleth vs with all temporall benefits and blessings and all spirituall gifts and graces needfull and necessarie for vs and that with a full hand full horne and full haruest And so is he called our shepheard Psal 23.1 The Lord is my shepheard therefore shall I want nothing He bringeth me into greene pastures and leadeth me to the waters of comfort c. And therefore is called the Shepheard of Israel that leadeth Ioseph like a sheepe Psal 80.1 And in diuers other places of scripture which I cannot stand to repeate Secondly and more particularly in feeding our soules with the spiritual bread of life that Angell foode that heauenly Manna of the word whereby we are nourished and grow vp to be the liuely members of his misticall body in which regard he calleth himselfe a shepheard Ioh. 10.11 as Esay also calleth him 40.11 being that shepheard of whom Dauid was a type mentioned before by Ezec. 34.23 who was such a vigilant heauenly shepheard as Iacob was a worldly who in keeping and watching his flocke was in the day consumed with heate and in the night with frost so that the sleepe departed from his eies Gen. 31.40 such a carefull spirituall shepheard as Dauid was an earthly who followed his Ewes great with young feeding them according to the simplicitie of his heart and guided them according to the discretion of his hands Psal 78.71.72 And finally such a diligent eternall shepheard as the shepheards of Bethlem were temporall shepheards who abode still in the fields and kept watch by night because of their flocke Luk. 2.8 Such a painfull shepheard as gathereth the Lambes with his arme and carrieth them in his bosome and guideth them that are with young as Esay 40.11 saith Such a tender-hearted shepheard as whose bowels yearne within him when he seeth his sheepe scattered or going astray Mat. 9.36 And such a louing shepheard as who if that any of his sheepe bee lost and go astray neuer ceaseth seeking and following after it vntill he finde it and when he hath found it layeth it on his shoulders with ioy and reioicing Luk. 15.4.5 But thirdly and principally is he called a shepheard because he laid downe his life for his sheepe preseruing them with his owne pretious bloud Ioh. 10.11 in which respect he is called the good shepheard in the same place and the great shepheard of the sheepe and therefore great because of the bloud of the euerlasting couenant which he shed for his sheepe Heb. 13.20 and the Prince that feedeth or the princely shepheard of his people Israel Mat. 26. out of Miche 5.2 as Homer calleth the Princes of Greece 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And therfore to conclude here called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Archshepheard as being the head and chiefe of the church insomuch that all other ministers byshops and archbyshops of what degree or dignitie soeuer they be are nothing els but subpastours and vndershepheards vnto him He being that hundred eied-shepheard Argus signified by the Poets that was no idoll or idle shepheard nor once sleepie or slothfull but alwaies watchfull and vigilant being all eies and nothing but an eie to looke ouer his flocke That wise Arcadian shepheard Apollo Nomius who for his feeding of sheepe may well be called Nomius so also for his excellencie aboue all others as hauing no compeere or compagnion may rightly bee tearmed Apollo finally that great Pan and God of all shepheards who hath put downe all other Gods and idoll shepheards and is become himselfe all in all Exceeding therefore and intolerable is the pride and presumption of the Pope and Bishop of Rome in taking vpon him and calling himselfe Vniuersall Bishop head of the Church and Lord of all bereauing and robbing Christ of his honor wherein he sheweth himselfe to be the verie Antichrist a woolfe an Hienna an Hypocrite and hireling a theefe and robber But the vse hereof vnto vs to apply it to our selues is twofold both which our Sauiour teacheth and telleth vs himselfe that if he be our Shepheard our chiefe shepheard that first wee ought to heare his voice Ioh. 10.3 that is not to heare it only with the outward eares of our body but with the inward eares of our soules but also to beleeue it faithfully in our harts to keepe it obediently in the actions of our life and conuersation and to beare fruit and to bring foorth with Patience some thirtie some sixtie c. For not the hearers of the lawe but the doers c. Iames. And blessed are they that heare the word of God and keepe it Luk. 11. And finally whosoeuer heareth my word and doth the same c. Mat. 7. And againe his voice and not the voice of any stranger nor of any other not the voice of any risen againe from the dead nor of any Angell comming from heauen that is only the truth of his word and Gospell Secondly that we ought to follow him as he is our Shepheard Ioh. 10.4 and to flie from a stranger or any other whatsoeuer
exactly to take reckening and account of that which he laieth out of the which the Philosopher giueth this reason 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that to require a straite and exact account of things is a signe of a base and miserable nature and the benefits that he bestoweth to be both priuate and publike both to profane vses and holy seruices not onely bestowing priuate profits vpon particular persons but also conferring common commodities to whole cities and societies and all these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for honesty and honour sake euen so dealeth the Lord God with all his creatures by opening his hand and filling all things liuing with plentifulnesse yea hand ouer head by scattering and squandring his gifts not caring nor sparing to whom when or where by conseruing and preseruing guiding and gouerning ordring and administring all things in the world for their good and his owne glorie bestowing his ordinarie benefits blessings generally vpon al alike as whē he giueth the ayre to all that breathe with the fire water and earth for the common vse and necessitie of man and maketh the sunne to shine on the euill and the good and sending raine on the iust and vniust as our Sauiour in the Gospell Mat. 5.45 And in bestowing his choicest and chiefest gifts and graces vpon his chosen children which are most deare and neere vnto him Euen as the mightie Kings and Keysers the greatest states and potentates of the world do vsually giue to their counsellers and courtiers to their seruants and subiects golde and siluer Simile chaines and bracelets lands and liuings offices and honours and other princely preferments according to their desire and desert and vpon their suite and seruice but yet reseruing his casket of precious pearles and peerelesse iewels his rich treasurie and exchequer his royall crowne and dignitie his Princely throne and chaire of estate and all his glorious kingdomes and dominions vnto his owne sonne the Prince and Heire apparant which is to succede him in his Soueraigne rule and gouernment Semblably dealeth the Lord God with those that are Dilecti electi Dei his chosen children his darlings and delight for whom onely although he bestow vpon all others both good and bad his temporall benefits and blessings euen as Aug saith of riches so of all other externall things of this life Dantur bonis ne videantur esse malae dantur malis ne videantur esse bonae making them common as it were to all mankinde He prouideth and prepareth to whom alone he promiseth and performeth his spirituall gifts and graces as pecullars properly appertaining vnto them So the prophet Dauid He shewed his word vnto Iacob his statutes and ordinances vnto Israel He hath not dealt so with any nation neither hath the Heathen knowledge of his lawes Psal 146.19.20 So vpon the faithful which are the true members of the holy catholike church Foure priuiledges of the faithful God bestoweth foure especiall priuiledges and prerogatiues 1. to be a communion of Saints 2. remission of sinnes 3. resurrection of the body and 4. life euerlasting So vnto the Disciples and Apostles of our Sauiour telleth them in the Gospell It is giuen to you to know the mysteries of the kingdome of heauen but vnto others it was not giuen Mat. 13.11 So vnto the little flocke saith Christ the heauenly Father will giue a kingdome So vnto all those that loue Christs appearing Paul affirmeth that there is laid vp a crowne of righteousnesse 2. Tim. 4.8 And to him that endureth temptation and loueth the Lord shall be giuen a crowne of life as Iames 1.12 And to the Elders that feede the flocke of Christ committed to their charge an incorruptible crowne of glorie as Pet. 1.5.4 As finally Iohn in this place testifieth that vppon these babes and beloued of God is bestowed an ointment from him that is holy which others had not obtained nor could attaine vnto as those Antichrists mentioned in the last verse going before who also are said in the next and former verse by our Apostle to go out from vs because they were not of vs not partakers of this ointment because they were enemies of the grace of God and such as denied Iesus to be Christ as it is in the verse next following but on the 22. whereby it cuidently appeareth what difference the Lord maketh of his gifts and what choise of his elect in singling them out from the rest in reseruing his especiall and singular blessings for them alone that they might be annointed with the oyle of grace and ointment of gladnesse aboue their fellowes as it is said of Dauid and of Christ Psal 45. And such were these vnto whom Iohn writeth in this place and of whom may it be said as the Prophet Psal 144. Happy are the people that be in such a case yea blessed are the people which haue the Lord for their God and Christ for their Sauiour And here likewise consider how the Lord God rewardeth the gratious and gratefull receiuing and carefull and circumspect employing of such gifts and graces as he bestoweth vpon vs euen by giuing vs a greater growth and encrease thereof and by amplifying and multiplying the same vpon vs in more full measure and plentiful manner whereas contrariwise they which either disdainfully contemne or dissolutely neglect or slothfully let slippe or sleepe the good gifts of God in them thereby suffering them to decay die by not putting them in vre and vse shall be vtterly depriued of Gods heauenly grace and finally bereaued of all his diuine blessings for the one first as the Preacher of Almes of deuotion of charitie workes and deeds of mercie Cast thy bread vpon the waters and after many daies thou shalt be sure to find it Eccl. 11.1 As it is manifest by the widowe of Zereptha The meale of whose barrell wasted not nor the oyle of whose cruse diminished not although shee did make and bake cakes thereof for Elias her selfe and her sonne 1. King 17.16 And as our Sauiour in the Gospell of constancie and continuance in the time of tribulation and persecution euen to the losse of life friends lands and goods Verily I say vnto you There is no man that hath for saken house or brethren or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or land for my sake and the Gospels but he shall receiue an hundred folde more at this present houses and brethren and sisters and mothers and children and lands with persecutions and in the world to come eternall life Mar. 10.29.30 As it is euident in Iob that president of patience whose captiuitie for his perseuerance in his temptations the Lord turned into libertie his miserie into felicitie his pouertie into wealth and his sicknesse into health blessing his last daies more then his first causing all his neighbours friends and kindred and acquaintance to flocke and flow vnto him to accompanie and and comfort him and to conferre and contribute vnto him