Selected quad for the lemma: hand_n
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A05952
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The shepheards starre, or The ministers guide. By Richard Bayly late minister of Crawley in Sussex
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Bayly, Richard, fl. 1640.
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1640
(1640)
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STC 1625; ESTC S112124
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23,798
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66
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Gospell as Starres in the right hand of Christ then B what ioyfull prayse should fill the hearts and mouthes of that people whose eyes are blessed with the light of these Starres when the morning light appeares it teares off that mourning garment of sorrow which the Sable night had cast upon the body of the Earth The time was when the darkest night might have shewed you som similitude but no equality unto that dismall spirituall darknesse which tyranniz'd over our whole Nation Alas what joy could the Aegyptians have in their pleasant Land what comfort could Pharaoh take on his stately throne when palpable darkenesse clouded their faces But since the Starres of CHRIST sent from Heaven which at the first found 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Chrysostome speakes a Land full of the workes of hellish darkenes by the preaching of the Gospell 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they have turned it into a lightsome Heaven How can their hearts bee voyd of joy which were once darke and are now light How should their mouthes be voyd of the sweetest tunes of prayse and thanksgiving which were once closed up with the silence of ignorance but are now opened with the beames of saving knowledge Hierâ—nym â— Vigil Hierome tells Vigilantius that the Christians in his time were wont to light up Candles at the reading of the Gospell ad ad laetitiae signum demonstrandum to hang forth a signe of their joy We little consider the darknes of our fore-Fathers in that night of former ignorance if we cannot rejoyce when the Starres of Christ cast upon us the rayes of his glorious Gospell It was the conceit of Aristotle that if the Angells should cease moving those Caelestiall Orbes men on Earth could not be able to moove a hand or foot How could we moove the least finger with any joy should the Angells of the Churches cease their spirituall motions whereby they convey that light of comfort to dispell the darkenesse of our greatest sorrowes Chrysostome in one of his Epistles reports of the Taurocilicians Chrysost in Epâ—st that they came about him in his banishment with weeping eyes and said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It had beene better that the Sunne should have withdrawne her beames then that the mouth of Chrysostome should have beene stopt with silence better it were B that the Sunne of all the earthly joyes should dissolve into nothing then that the light of these spirituall Starres should be withdrawne from you Micah thought there was cause enough to grieve when his God and his Priest were departed from him Iudges 18.24 Judges 18 24. Yee have taken away my gods and the priest and yee are gone away and what have I more What is this that yee say unto mee what ayleth thee We need not aske a people what ayleth them we need not demand a cause of their bitter lamentation when God shall depart from them by taking away those heavenly Starres which were wont to shine upon them with the splendor of saving truth What have they more to comfort them in the midst of such sorrowes The light of the Starres which in the nights darkenesse are our best comforts will quickly vanish at the arising Sunne In the night of this present world your chiefe happinesse flowes from the Starres in Christs Hand When indeed the Sunne of Righteousnesse shall appeare in the morning of the Resurrection there will be no more need of these lesser lights * Num. 27.21 Ephâ—d 1. Sam. 30. When once yee arrive at Canaan the clearer glasse of a more divine light the Deity better then the Priests Urim shall represent things to the view in bigger letters but whilst yee travayle thorough the Wildernesse of this world your eyes should be continually fixt on the Law of God in the mouth of his Ministers these pillars of fire to guide you in your rightest way Those which labour amongst you in word and doctrine account them worthy of double honour is the Apostles precept Honor subsidium is Hieromes interpretation The honour of your hearts the helpe of your maintenance is the reward due unto the labours of these Starres When we looke upon the manners of our dayes they give us cause to complaine with Nazianzen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A Minister is now is now become a bare empty title Orat. 1. as if there were no honour due unto his function The greatest sort love indeed that language of that Grecians in Homer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To reverence the Priest Iliad 5 in tuit and receive his gifts Their fayre presents and large gifts may procure them some respect whereas otherwise Reverence should be no companion to their persons Bede informes us that the time was when the rarity of preaching had taught our fore-fathers such an esteem of Gods Ministers that when the Bishop of the Province did at any time send one of his Presbyters or Ministers amongst them they flocked about him with greatest joy Et ut Deum venerabantur and worshipped him as a god sent from Heaven Were the Sun-shine of the Gospell a little with holden from you ye would soon learne a higher account of the Ministers which like the light of the Sunne the more common the lesse esteemed And with the honour of your hearts you must adjoyne also the helpe of your Purses for the maintenance of these Starres It was the conceite of the ancient Naturalists that the coelestiall Starres are fed with exhalations arising from the Earth as a supply of Oyle unto those heavenly Lampes which shine for the good of this inferior world Sure we are these spirituall Starres must bee nourished with a supply of your maintenance for whose eternall well-fares they spend their best strength If we sowe unto you our spirituall light is it any great thing if wee reape your temporalls The blind Aegyptians were so devoute as not to suffer the bitter famine to compell their Priests to sell their Land 1 Cor. 9.11 And shall such pinching famine fall upon the Ministers of the Gospell in some places that they must be compelled to selâ— not their Lands of that they have none But their bookes and study-furniture to buy them food When the devotions of men in the dayes of Constantine had inriched the Church with large endowments there was a voyce heard from Heaven if we may believe Nauclerus Hodiè Venenum infusum in Ecclesiam This day is poyson dropt into the Church I am sure a farre worse poyson is spread in the hearts of many they can turne the Churches patrimony left by their Fathers devotion into a monopoly of their owne possessions Our age is full of such Dionysius's which are willing to robbe the Church of her golden Coate least it should make her proud they thinke a woollen garment will keepe her warme enough and make her humble Gods Ministers are fallen under the power of such cruell taskemasters that the tale of brick is expected without diminution and little or no Straw is left to worke with The woefull experience of many families hath made it a true observation that the Eagle seldome or never steales a piece of flesh from Gods Altar but shee carries a coale along with it which sets her nest on fire howsoever the glorious Sun-shine of their instant prosperity may make some ready to thinke that in earnest which Dionysius in Lactantius speakes in jest unto his companions Videtisne quà m prospera sacrilegis navigatio ab ipsis diis immortalib tribuatur You see how the Gods blesse sacrilegious persons with the pleasant wind of a prosperous navigation The sweetnesse of the Glebe distempers their palates that they cannot judge of the bitternesse of the sinne Their present felicity makes them thinke sacriledge a blessing and not a curse Yet sure we are Heaven and Earth shall sooner passe away then the least 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Gods Word shall faile It is a snare to the man that devoureth Holy things Prov. 20.25 Pro. 20.25 How many soules will cry out for vengeance against them when as God tells those extortioners Ieremy 2.38 in their skirts in their broad wings and golden lace is found the bloud of poore innocents Gen. 9.4 Levit. 17.12.13 14. The old Law thought it not fit that Gods people should eate the bloud of any beast Surely the Gospell will never judge it lawfull that Christians should feed and cloath themselves with the bloud of soules Therefore B it will be your best wisdome to walke worthy of the light of these Starres whilst yee doe injoy them Esay 22.1 least God in his just displeasure should remove them out of our golden Candlesticke We see that the Starres above keepe no one continuall place in our Hemispheare the evening shewes them in the West and the morning finds them in the East These spirituall Starres are in the right hand of Christ the hand fittest for motion He may quickly send them to enlighten those Eastern parts which were once light shining with a glorious light when we our selves sate in darknes â—nd in the shadow of death Esa 22.1 our valley of vision may be soone covered with the darknesse of our former ignorance if we begin to contemne the Starreâ— whence our light proceeds All your happinesse comes by the light of the Gospell therfore you may well bestow the honour and the maintenance upon these Starres in the Right hand of Christ And now if the time would give leave I should crave your attentions unto the Orbe where these Starres are scituate Dextrâ Christi that there you might behold their honour and their safety The right hand is the place of chiefest honour and of greatest strength to defend our friends It is no small honour to these spirituall Starres that they are with Bathsheba placed at the right hand of Salomon 1 Kings 2.19 And they shall ever finde sufficient strength in this hand to defend and protect them safe from the close-contrived projects of their wisest enemies But I must not be unmindefull of the other occasions therefore let us desire of God a blessing upon the word heard that after our daies in the Kingdome of grace we may be placed as Happy Starres on the right hand of Christ in glory 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 FINIS
traffique of dearest affections in the mutuall exchange of their gifts and graces The blunt whet-stone may sharpen the keener Knife and some more dull in knowledge may set a sharper edge of zeale on the subtle conceits of more refined wits Acts 18.24 26. Apollos mighty in the Scriptures might learne something from Aquila and Priscilla meaner persons The Jewish Rabbines confesse they came to understand that place in Esai 14.23 Esai 14.23 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will sweepe them with the besome of destruction by hearing an Arabian woman speake of a Broome in her language to her mayde All this diversity of gifts come from one and the same spirit for the firmer union of the Church in love and concord The Starres seeme to us sometimes to eclipse the splendor each of other yet no jarring contention amongst themselves Lessen If the bright splendour of anothers grace should seem to lessen the shining of our weaker lights yet let not bitter contention marre the harmony of our spirituall Starres It came from the Penne of that Graecian Oratour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Demosthenes If any man have much and do us no wrong what cause have we to cast upon him the malignant aspect of an envious eye and to bite him with the teeth of envy Judges 5.20 The Starres which disagree not among themselves joyned in one to fight in their courses against Sisera and his Host Civill warres can never be good when a publick enemy is at hand to encounter with us Our best wisedome will be to leave off private discords and to joyne our mutuall forces against that common Sisera Satan the grand Captaine of all those troups of enemies which warre against the peace of Sion It 's full time B for Abner to cry unto Ioab shall the sword of brotherly dissension devoure for ever know we not that it will be bitternesse in the latter end 2 Sam. 2.26 2. Sam 2.26 It 's a bad presage of the bodies destruction when 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Nazianzen speakes Nazianzen Orat. 1 a. the members contend amongst themselves That towring City will be soone turned into a Babel when once the builders are divided in their tongues One calls forbrick and they bring him morter another layes a stone in the building and a fourth pulls it down How should the towers of Gods Hierusalem come to any perfection when the spirituall builders are divided in their hands and tongues What happy successe would crowne the building of the Temple were all the workemen Vnius labii of one lip Gen. 11.1 God hath distinguished the members of the same body into severall functions Yet as Theodorete well observes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Orat 6. de providen Every part keepes natures operation peculiar to it selfe but the profit is extended in common for the good of the whole body It should be for the good and perfection of Christs body the Church not the division of his Coate that diversity of gifts hath made these spirituall Starres like their patterne not all alike in their quantity nor in their quality Eightly the Caelestiall Starres Ratio 8. though they be great in themselves yet they appeare small and little unto others The greatnesse of honour in these spirituall Starres of Christians should be so termed that others may judge them little in appearance in their own eyes by the practise of humility Paul was no sooner made a Starre of the primest magnitude not inferior to the cheifest of the Apostles but he appeares in his own eyes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ephes 3.8 ◠Cor. 12.11 Lesse then the least of all Saints Non est magnum esse humilem in abjectione saith Bernard Bernard the Low dejected estates of some men constraynes them to put on a forced humility Magna prorsus rara Virtus humilitas honorata This is the rarest virtue when honour and humility are concentred in one breast This will be our chiefest ornament when the honour and dignity of our calling is graced with this attendant of humility The dignity of the person may quickly mingle the Eagles Feathers of mounting pride amongst his choycest graces This Moth will soonest breede in the finest cloth of the best wits When Paul is lifted up to the third Heavens there is some danger of being carryed beyond himselfe unlesse Stimulus in Carne a good in the flesh drive him back Master Foxe was much delighted in that seeming paradox Mr. Foxes paradox that his graces did him most hurt and his sinnes most good The sight of his black feete was a meanes to keepe down the spreading of his white plumes whereas the continuall thought of his graces might have blowed up his heart with windy pride above the pight of other men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost as Chrysostome well observes The subtle Serpent knowes how to cast his poyson upon our best actions to make good Hezekiah swell with ostentation of his treasures This poyson is that which distempers the eye of our judgement and makes us account that pride in some which we would esteeme ornaments of grace in our own hearts the eye infected with a false colour will soon misjudge all things like her selfe A proud eye will acknowledge no man humble Humility B would be the best glue to joyne the hearts of Ministers in the nearest union of concord and affection When Epiphanius and Chrysostome yield too much unto a selfe opinion they may soon fall into sharpe contentions Let Epiphanius never come into his own Country and let not Chrysostome dye a Bishop were the breathings of a secret pride The Divell hath wrought mischiefe in the Church by nothing more then by sowing the tares of dissenting pride amongst the Clergy Parker Some have observed that no lesse then fourescore and eight kindes of heresies arose in the Church in the first 400. yeares after Christ they all sprung from an ambitious desire after the chayre of honour and the authours selfe-pleasing pride in the conceits of their own braines Psal 25.9 The Psalmist tells us the humble are those whom GOD will teach his wayes Wee know the descending into the lowest pits and deepest wells is the ready way to see those Starres at noon-day which others above us cannot behold when we keepe in the low vault of humility we may discover those Starres of divine truthes which others higher then our selves above us cannot so wel discerne when their eyes are swelled with pride It is no small honour that you are Starres in the right hand of Christ but remember the greater you are in dignity others should behold you like the Starres the lesser in appearance by the practise of humility Applicatio ad populum We have hitherto looked upon our selves in this Starry glasse I must in the next place desire to fasten the peoples eyes upon these Starres by some application unto them Applic. Are the ministers of the