to their office let vs set them on worke to speake for themselues 2. Wee must not be idle our selues the difficultie must spurre vs to more earnest contention As thou wouldest keepe thy house from theeues thy garments from mothes thy golde from rust so carefully preserue thy tongue from vnrulinesse As the Lord doth set a watch before thy mouth and keepe the doore of thy lippes Psal. 141 So thou must also be vigilant thy selfe and not turne ouer thy owne heart to securitie How can yee being euill speake good things for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh Looke how farre the heart is good so farre the tongue If the heart beleeue the tongue will confesse if the heart bee meeke the tongue will bee gentle if the heart bee angry the tongue will bee bitter The tongue is but the hand without to shew how the clocke goes within A vaine tongue discouers a vaine heart But some haue words soft as butter when their hearts are keene swords bee they neuer so well traded in the art of Dissembling sometime or other the tongue das-like will betray the Maister it will mistake the hearts errand and with stumbling forgetfulnesse trip at the doore of truth The heart of fooles is in their mouth but the mouth of the wise is in their heart To auoyde ill communication hate ill cogitation a polluted heart makes a fowle mouth Therefore one day Ex ore tuo Out of thine owne mouth will God condemne thee I haue with some prolixity insisted on the Position the reasons shall bee but lightly touched 1. It is an vnruly euill The difficulty of taming the tongue one would thinke were sufficiently expressed in the euill of it but the Apostle seconds it with an other obstacle signifying the wilde nature of it vnruly It is not onely an euill but an vnruly euill I will set the Champion and his Second together in this fight and then shew the hardnesse of the combat Bernard sayth Lingua facile volat ideo facile violat The tongue runnes quickly therefore wrongs quickly Speedy is the pace it goes and therefore speedy is the mischiefe it does When all other members are dull with age the tongue alone is quicke and nimble It is an vnruly euill to our selues to our neighbours to the whole world 1. To our selues Ver. 6. It is so placed among the members that it defileth all Though it were euill as the plague and vnruly as the possessed Gergeseus Math. 8 yet if set off with distance the evill rests within it selfe A Leaper shut vp in a Pesthouse ranckleth to himselfe infects not others A wild Caniball in a prison may onely exercise his savage cruelty vpon the stone wals or yron grates But the tongue is so placed that being euill and vnruly it hurts all the members 2. To our Neighbours There are some sinnes that hurt not the doer onely but many sufferers These are districtly the sinnes of the tongue and the hand There are other sinnes private and domesticall the sting and smart whereof dyes in the oâ—ne soule and without further extent plagues onely the person of the committer So the Lavish is sayde no mans foe but hâ—s own the proud is guilty of his owne vanity the slothfull beares his owne reproch and the malicious wasteth the marrow of his owne bones whiles his envied obiect shines in happinesse Though perhaps these sinnes insensibly wrong the common-wealth yet the principall and immediate blow lights on themselues But some iniquities are swords to the Countrey as oppression rapine circumvention some incendiaries to the whole land as evill and vnrnly tongues 3 To the whole world If the vastate ruines of ancient monuments if the depopulation of Countries if the consuming fires of contention if the land manured with bloud had a tongue to speake they wold all accuse the Tongue for the originall cause of their woe Slaughter is a lampe and bloud the oyle and this is set on fire by the tongue You see the latitude and extention of this vnruly evill nor evnraly then the hand Slaughters massacres oppressions are done by the hand the tongue doth more Parcit manus absenti lingua nâ—mini The hand spares to hurt the absent the tongue hurts all One may avoid the sword by runniâ—g from it not the tongue though he runne to the Indies The hand reacheth but a small compasse the tongue goes through the world If a man wore coate of armour or maile of brasse yet Penetrabunt spicula linguae The darts of the tongue will pierce it It is evill and doth much harme it is vnruly and doth sudden harme You will say many wicked men haue often very silent tongues True they know their times and places when and where to seeme mute But Ieremy compounds the wisedome and folly of the Iewes That they were wise to do evill but to do good they had no vnderstanding So I may say of these they haue tongue enough to speake euill but are dumbe when they should speake well Our Sauiour in the dayes of his flesh on earth was often troubled with dumbe Deuils but now he is as much troubled with roaring Deuils With the fawning Sycophant a pratling Deuill With the malicious slaunderer a brawling Deuill With the vnquiet peace-hater a scolding Deuill With the auarous and ill-conscious Lawyer a wrangling Deuill With the factious Schismaticke a gaping Deuill With the swaggering ruffian a roaring Deuill All whom Christ by his ministers doth coniure as he once did that crying Deuill Hold thy peace and come out These are silent enough to praise God but lowd as the Cataracts of Nilus to applaud vanitie Dauid sayth of himselfe Psalme 32. that when he held his peace yet he rored all the day long Strange be silent and yet roare too at once Gregory answeres hâ—e that daily commits new sinnes and doth not penitently confesse his olde roares much yet holdes his tongue The Father pricked the pleurisie-vaine of our times For wee haue many roarers but dumbe roarers though they can make a hellish noyse in a Tauerne and sweare downe the Deuill himselfe yet to praise God they are as mute as fishes Saint Iames heere calles it fire Now you know fire is an ill maister but this is vnruly fire Nay hee calles it the fire of hell blowne with the bellows of malice kindled with the breath of the deuill Nay Stella hath a conceit that it is worse then the fire of hell for that torments onely the wicked this all both good and bad For it is Flabellum invids and Flagellum iusti Swearers railers scoldes haue hell-fire in their tongues This would seeme incredible but that God sayth it is true Such are hellish people that spet abroad the flames of the deuill It is a cursed mouth that spets fire how should wee auoyde those as men of hell many are afraid of hell fire yet nourish it in their owne tongues By this kinde of
and disposing all things is brought in as the preordainer of Iacobs lie that I say not the Patron But not without derogation to his diuine Iustice. For first it appeares not that this was the counsell of God but onely Rebeccaes deuice verse 8. Heare my voice my sonne in that which I commaund thee My voice not Gods what I command not what GOD approoues 2. If Iacob had receiued any oraculous warrant for this proiect hee would not haue had so doubtfull an opinion of the successe The matter was forseene of God not allowed for God neuer inspireth lies Gods wise disposition of this meanes affords no warrant of his approbation He ordereth many things which hee ordayned not The means were so vnlawfull that Iacob himselfe doth more distrust their successe then hope for their blessing He knew that good Isaac beeing â—o plaine-hearted himselfe would seuerely punish deceit in his sonne Men in office truely honest are the sorest enemies to fraudulent courses in others Hee therefore carries his meate in trembling hands and scarce dares hope that God will blesse such a subtletie with good euent Yet he did but how Heere was prodigall dissembling a dissembled person a dissembled name dissembled venison dissembling answere yet beholde a true blessing to the man not to the meanes Thus God may worke his owne will out of our infirmities yet without approuall of our weakenesse or wronging the integritie of his owne goodnes 2. Some haue confessed it a lie but a guiltlesse he by reason of a necessitie imagined in this exigent as if GOD could not haue wrought Isaacs heart to blesse Iacob in this short interim whiles Esau was gone a hunting for venison Origen sayes that Necessitie may vrge a man to vse a lie as sawce to his meate Another as Physicians vse Hellebora But that which is simply euill can by no apologie be made good Causa patrocinio non bona peicr erit 3. Some take from it all imputation of alie and directly iustifie it Augustine thinkes Iacob spoke mystically and that it is to bee referred to Iacobs bodie not to Iacobs person to the Christian Church that should take away the Birthright from the elder But wee may better receiue that Iacob fell into an infirmitie then the colour of an allegorie Neyther doth the successe iustifie the meanes As some Philosophers haue deliuered that Prosperum scelus vocatur virtus luckie wickednesse merites the name of goodnesse But Iacobs one act of falshoode shall not disparage wholly that simplicitie the Scripture giues him Hee was a plaine man To bee vniust condemnes a man not the dooing of one singular act vniustly therefore God casts not off Iacob for this one infirmitie but makes vse of this infirmity to serue his owne purpose If Esaus and Iacobs workes bee weighed together in a ballance one would thinke the more solide vertue to bee in Esau's Esau obeyeth his fathers will painefully hunts venison carefully prepares it heere is nothing but praise-worthy Iacob dissembles offers kids flesh for venison counterfets Esau beguiles his father here is all blame-worthy I will not heereon speake as a Poet Committunt eadem diuerso crimina fato Ille crucem sceleris pretium tuâ—it hic diadem But inferre with the Apostle The purpose of God shall remaine by election which standeth not in workes but in grace Therefore howsoeuer Iacob got the Blessing against Isaacs will yet once giuen it stood neyther did the father recant this act as an errour but sawe in it the mercie of God that preuented him of an errour so verse 33. I haue blessed him therefore hee shall bee blessed When afterwards Esau came in Isaac trembled his heart tolde him that hee should not haue intended the Blessing where hee did and that it was due to him vnto whom it was giuen not intended Hee sawe now that hee had performed vnwilling iustice and executed Gods purpose against his owne He rather cries mercy for wrong intending then thinkes of reuersing it Yet then may Iacob stand for our precedent of Plaine-Dealing notwithstanding this particular weakenesse Who hath not oftener erred without the losse of his honest reputation Not that his fact should embolden an imitation let vs not tell Iacobs lie to get Iacobs blessing It would be presumption in vs what was in him infirmity and God that pardond his weaknesse would curse our obstinatenesse There is yet one cauill more against Iacobs integrity concerning Laban ABout the parti-coloured sheepe whether it were a fault in Iacob by the deuice of the pilled and straked roddes to enrich himselfe The answere is threefolde 1. This was by the direction of God Genesis 31. 11. who being an infinite and illimited Lord hath an absolute power to transferre the right of things from one to another as he might iustly giue the Land of Canaan to the Israelites from the vsurping Cananites 2. Iacob apprehends this meanes to recouer his owne due vnto him by a double right first as the wages of twenty yeares seruice Genesis 31. 7. yet vnpayd Secondly as the dowry for his wiues whom miserable Laban had thrust vppon him without any competent portion Thirdly especially Gods warrant concurring it was lawfull for him to recouer that by policie which was detained from him by iniury So did the Israelites borrow of the Egyptians their best goods iewells and ornaments and bore them away as a iust recompence of their long seruice 3. Lastly hee is quitted by that saying Volenti non fit iniuria Laban sees that hee was well blessed by Iacobs seruice the encreasing his flockes makes him loath to part But Iacob hath serued long enough for a dead pay somewhat hee must haue or be gone His hard vnckle biddes him aske a hire you know Iacobs demaund Laban readily promoues this bargaine which at last made his sonne in law rich and himselfe enuious So sayth Caluine Tractatus est prosuo ingenio Laban is handled in his kinde Hee thought by this meanes to haue multiplyed his owne flockes but those few spotted sheepe and goates vpon this couenant as if they had beene weary of their olde owner alter their fashion and runne their best yoong into party-colours changing at once their colour and their maister So that this meanes which Iacob vsed was not fraudulent or artificiall but naturall not depending vpon mans witte but Gods blessing who considering his tedious and painfull seruice payes him good wages out of his vnckles foldes For foureteene yeares the Lord hath for Iacob enriched Laban therefore for these last six he will out of Laban enrich Iacob And if the vnckles flocke be the greater the nephews shall be the better Most iustly then is Iacob cleared from iniustice and no aspersion of fraud with Laban can be cast to discredite his Plaine-Dealing He dwelt in Tents TWo things are obseruable in the holy Partriarchs and commendable to all that wil be heires with them of eternall life 1. Their contempt of the world They that dwell in
saith St. Paul Many in Title many in Opinion Some are Lords and Gods ex authoritate so are Kings and Magistrates God standeth in the congregation of Lords he is Iudge among the Gods Others will so stile themselues ex vsurpatione as the Canonists say of their Pope Dominus Deus noster Papa Our Lord God the Pope But he is but a Lord and God in a blind and tetrycall Opinion The Lord is onely Almighty able to doe more by his absolute power then he will by his actuall Able for potent not impotent workes He cannot lie he cannot die Diciter omnipotens faciendo quod vult non patiendo quod non vult He is called Almightie in doing what he pleaseth not in suffering what he pleaseth not This is his Greatnesse As his Mercie directs vs to loue him so let his Maiestie instruct vs to feare him I will briefly touch both these affections but Loue shall goe formost LOVE OVr God is Good and good to vs let vs therefore loue him 1. It is an Affection that God principally requires 2. It is a Nature wherein alone we can answere God For the former God requires not thy Wisedome to direct him nor thy Strength to assist him nor thy Wealth to enrich him nor thy Dignitie to aduance him but onely thy Loue. Loue him with all thy heart For the second Man cannot indeed answere God well in any other thing When God iudgeth vs wee must not iudge him againe When hee reprooues vs wee must not iustifie our selues If he be angry wee must answere him in patience if hee commaunde in obedience But when God loues vs wee must answere him in the same nature though not in the same measure and loue him againe Wee may not giue God word for word wee dare not offer him blow for blow wee can not requite him good turne for good turne yet wee may can must giue him Loue for Loue. Nam cum amat Deus non aliud vult quà m amari Now because euery man sets his foote vpon the freehold of Loue and sayes it is mine let vs aske for his Euidence whereby he holdes it We call an Euidence a Deed and Deedes are the best demonstration of our right in Loue. If thou loue God for his owne sake shew it by thy deedes of Pietie If thou loue Man for Gods sake shew it by thy deedes of Charitie The roote of Loue is in the Heart but it sendes foorth Veines into the Hands and giues them an actiue and nimble dexteritie to good Workes If you loue mee sayth Christ keepe my Commandements If you loue man shew your Compassion to him Obedience to our Creator Mercie to his Image testifie our Loues Hee that wants these Euidences these Deedes when that busie Informer the Diuell sues him will be vnhappily vanquished FEARE LEt vs pà sse from Loue to Feare we must Loue our good God we must Feare our great Lord. It is obiected against this passage of vnion that perfect loue casteth out feare It is answered that feare brings in perfect loue as the Needle drawes in the Thread And it is not possible that true Loue should be without good Feare that is a filiall Reuerence For slauish feare be it as farre from your hearts as it shall be from my discourse Now this Feare is a most due and proper affection and I may say the fittest of all to be towards God Indeed God requires our Loue but we must thinke that then God stoupes low and bowes himselfe downe to be loued of vs. For there is such an infinite inequalitie betwixt God and vs that without his sweet dignation and descending to vs there could be no fitnesse of this affection But looke we vp to that infinite glory of our great Lord looke we downe on the vilenesse of our selues sinfull dust and we will say that by reason of the disproportion betweene vs nothing is so sutable for our basenesse to giue so high a God as Feare Therefore Comeye Children hearken vnto me I will teach you the feare of the Lord. Feare the Lord all ye his Seruants as well as Loue the Lord all ye his Saints Now this Feare hath as many Chalengers as Loue had When this Booke is held out euery mans lippes are readie to kisse it and to say and sweare that they feare the Lord. Loue had the Testimonie Charytie and Feare must haue his Seruice Psal. 2. Serue the Lord with feare It is mans necessitated condition to be a Seruant Happy they that can truly call Christ Maister Yee call mee Lord and Maister and ye say well for so I am Hee that serues the Flesh serues his fellow And a Beggar mounted on the backe of Honour rides post to the Diuell This is a cholericke Maister so fickle that at euery turne he is ready to turne thee out of dores Wee may say of him as of the Spaniard Hee is a bad Seruant but a worse Maister Hee that serues the World serues his Seruant as if Chams curse was lighted on him Seruus seruorum a Drudge to Slaues a Slaue to Drudges He that serues the Diuell serues his Enemie and this is a miserable seruice Sure it was a lamentable preposterous sight that Salomon saw Eccle. 10. I haue seene Seruants vpon Horses and Princes walking as Seruants vpon the Earth And Agur numbers it among those foure things whereby the World is disquieted A Seruant when he raigneth and a Foole when he is filled with Meate an odious woman when she is marryed and a handmaid that is heire to her Mistres Iudge then how horryble it is that men should set as the Sauages of Calecut the Diuell or his two Ingles the world and the flesh in the Throne whiles they place God in the foote-stoole Or that in this Common-wealth of man Reason which is the Queene or the Princes the better powers graces of the Soule should stoupe to so base a Slaue as sensuall lust Delight is not seemely for a foole much lesse for a Seruant to haue rule ouer Princes St. Basil not without passion did enuie the Diuells happynesse Who had neither Created vs nor redeemed vs nor preserueth vs but violently Labours our destruction that yet he should haue more seruants then God that made vs then Iesus Christ that with his owne precious Blood and grieuous sufferings bought vs. Well hee is happy that can truly say with Dauid I am thy Seruant O Lord I am thy Seruant and the Sonne of thy Handmayde This Seruice is true Honour for so Kings and Princes yea the blessed Angels of heauen are thy fellowes God is Good that we may loue him the Lord is Great that wee may Feare him Wee haue heard both seuerally let vs consider them ioyntly and therein the securitie of our owne happinesse It is a blessed confirmation when both these the Goodnesse and the Greatnesse of GOD meete vpon vs. His Greatnesse that hee is able his
denuntiation of Gods contempt and refusall of such Oblations Who will forget those to be the sonnes of grace that forget his Sacrifices to be the Sacrifices of a God Hee that sacrificeth a Lambe is as if hee cut off a Dogs necke Comprehensiuely IT must bee Cum Thure cum Sale cum Sanguine cum Integritate 1. Cum Thure The Frankincense is Prayer and Inuocation Let my Prayer be set foorth before thee as Incense and the lifâ—yng vp of my handes as the Euening sacrifice These the Prophet calles Vitulos Labiorum The Calâ—â—s not of our Fouldes but of our Lippes Whereof the Lord more esteemeth then of the Bullocke that hath Horn and Hoofe This is the speciall Sacrifice heere meant God expectes it of vs Non vt auarus as Ambros. Not as if hee were couetous of it but ex debito Yet as hee must giue the Beast to vs before wee can giue it to him Ioel 2. For the Lord must Leaue a Blessing behinde him euen a Meate Offering and a Drinke Offering for himselfe So this spirituall Sacrâ—fice of Prayers and Prayse must be Datum as well as Mandatum Conferred as Required Tribuat Deus vt homo retribuat Let God giue it to man that man may giue it to God Hee that commands it must bestow it 2. Cum Sale There must be Salt to season this Sacrifice Leuit. 2. With all thine Offeringes thou shalt offer Salt Salt hath been vsually taken for Discretion What S. Paul speakes of our Wordes should hold also in our deedes Coloss. 4. Powdred with Salt The Prouerbe is true an Ounce of Discretion is worth a pound of Learning Tolle hanc et virtus vitium erit Banish this and you shall run Vertue into Vice blow Heate into a Flame turne Conscience into a Furie and driue Deuotion out of her wittes Zeale without this is like a keene Sword in a madd hand 3 Cum Sanguine Not literially as in the Sacrifices of the Law Almost all thinges by the Law are purged with Bloud But spiritually to make them acceptable they must be dipped in our the Bloud of Iesus Christ. Without this they are not holy as one expounds Sanctum quasi sanguine consecratum Here is then the necessitie of a true fayth to sprinkle all our Sacrifices with our Sauiours Bloud No Sacrifice otherwise good For whatsoeuer is not of fayth is sinne Therefore if any man comes to the Church more for feare of the Law then loue of the Gospell he offers a thanklesse Sacrifice 4. Cum Integritate And this in respect Sacrificij Sacrificantis 1. Of the Sacrifice God reproues the Iewes that they had layd polluted Bread vpon his Alter If ye offer the Blind for Sacrifice is it not euill If ye offer the Lame and the sicke is it not euill The Lords Sacrifice must be fatte and faire not a leane scraggling â—tarued Creature Paul beseecheth his Romans that they would present themselues a Liuing or quicke Sacrifice to God When infirmities haue Craz'd it and age almost raz'd it then to offer it alasse it is not a liuing but a dying not a quicke but a sicke Sacrifice This must be a whole and holy Oblation 2. Of the Sacrificer The life aâ—d soule of a Sacrifice is not the outward action but the inward affection of the Heart Mens cuiusque is est quisque As the Minde is so is the Man as the Man is so is his Sacrifice If wee bring our Sheepe to Gods Altar and them alone wee had as good haue left them behind vs as an vnprofitable Carriage Wherewith shall I come before the Lord With burnt offerings and Calues of a yeare old Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of Rammes or with ten thousand riuers of Oyle Shall I giue my fyrst borne for my transgression the fruite of my body for the sinne of my soule No learne an other Oblation God hath shewed thee O man what is good and what doth hee require of thee but to Doe iustly and to loue mercy and to walke humbly with thy God The Poet could aske the Priest In Templo quid facit aurum Hee bids them bring Compositum ius fasque animi c. Put these into my hands et farre litabo Lay vpon the Altar of your Heart Fayth Repentance Obedience Patience Humilitie Chastitie Charitie Bona pignora mentis and consâ—crate these to the Lord. When the searcher of the Reynes shall finde a carkas of Religion without a quickning Spirit hee will turne his countenance from it Beastes dyed when they were sacrificed Men cannot liue vnles they be sacrificed The Oracle answered to him that demaunded what was the best Sacrifice to please God Da medium Lunae Solem simul et Canis iram Giue the halfe Moone the whole Sunne and the Dogges anger Which three Characters make COR the Heart Deus non habet gratum offerentem propter munera sed munera propter offerentem God values not the Offerer by the Gift but the Gift by the Offerer Let not then thy Heart be as dead as the Beast thou immolatest So Peter Martyr expounds Pauls liuing Sacrifice Those things that can moue themselues are liuing and quicke they are dead that cannot stirre themselues but by others violence Compelled seruice to God as to keepe his Statutes for feare of Mans Statutes is an vnsound Oblation not quicke and liuely God loues a chearefull giuer and thankes-giuer Non respicit Deus munera nisi te talem praestes qualem te munera promittunt God regards not thy Giftes vnlesse thou dost shew thy selfe such a one as thy Giftes promise thee Ad te non munera spectat You see the Sacrifice Deuotion The Mother hath held vs long we will deale more briefly with her Daughters Constancie THe first borne is Constancie Bind the Sacrifice Grace is like a Ring without end and the Diamond of this Ring is Constancie Deut. 6. Tâ—ou shalt bind my Statutes for a signe vpon thy hand and they shall be as frontlets betweene thine eyes It is the aduice of wisedome Let not mercie and truth forsake thee Bind them about thy necke and write them vpon the Table of thy heart The Leafe of a Righteous man neuer fadeth saith the Psal. If it doth then Lapsus foliorum mortificatio arborum sayth the Glosse The fall of the leaues will be the death of the Tree It is to small purpose to steere the vessell safe through the maine and splitte her within a league of the Hauen To put your hand to the Plow and thriue well in the best husbandry and with Demas to looke backe Vincenti dabitur and fulfilled Holinâ—sse wearâ—s the Crowne Some haue deriued Sanctum quasi sancitum an established Nature All Vertues run in a race onely one winneth the Garland the Image of eternitie happy Constancie Wisedome is a tree of Life to them that lay hold on her and blessed is hee that retaines her
himselfe though due to himselfe Giue it then to his poore Ministers to his poore members heere I know not how happily I am falne into that I would neuer be out of Charitie Most men now-a-dayes as it is in the Prouerbe are better at the Rake then at the Pitch-forke readier to pull in then giue out But if the Lord hath sowne plentifull Seed hee expects plentifull Fruites an answerable measure heapen and shaken and thrust togeather and running ouer If God hath made the Bushell great make not you the Pecke small Turne not the bountie of Heauen to the scarcity of Earth Wee loue the retentiue well but our expulsiue is growne weake But as God hath made you Diuitâ—â— in arca so beseech him to make you Diuites in conscientia Accept not onely the distributiue vertue from Heauen but affect the communicatiue vertue on Earth As in a state politicke the lieger Ambassadours that are sent abroad to lie in forraine Kingdomes secureth our peaceable state at home So that wee dispearse abroad makes safe the rest at home The Prayers of the Poore by vs relieued shall preuaile with God for Mercie vpon vs. The happy solace of a well pleased Conscience shall reioyce vs and the neuer fayling Promises of God shall satisfie vs. Wee heare many Rich men complaine of losses by Sea by Debters by vniust Seruants wee neuer heard any man complaine of want that came by Charitie No man is the poorer for that hee giues to the Poore Let him summe vp his Bookes and hee shall find himselfe the richer As God therefore hath layde vp for you In terra morientium in this World so lay vp for your-selues Interra viuentium in the World to come As you are rich in the Kinges Bookes be rich in Gods Booke If it were possible all the World should miscarry your Treasure in Heauen is in a sure Coffer no Thiefe Rust Moth Fire shall consume that You shall find God the best Creditor hee will pay great Vsurie not ten in a hundred but a hundred a thousand for ten 2. Their Giftes were not slight and triuiall leane meager staruelings but Opimat optima euery one the best in their kinds Gold is the best of Metals Frankin cense of aromaticall Odours Myrrhe of medicinall Vnguents Match these Wise-men O yee miserable times of ours Rarò reddentem rarissimè optima reddentem profertis You seldome bring foorth a man that will giue but almost neuer one that will offer the best Gifts Our lame Sonne must be Gods Clerke our starued Lambe our poorest Fleece our thinnest Sheafe must fall for Gods Tenth If wee giue him the Shales the Huskes the Sheards the Shreds of our Wealth wee iudge him beholding to vs. God heares the Heauens and the Heauens heare the Earth and the Earth heares the Corne Wine Oyle and they heare vs. Our valleys stand thicke with Corne our Trees grone with the burden of Fruites our pastures abound with Cattell we returne God either nothing or the worst we can picke out Take heed least God cursè our Blessings and whiles our Barnes and Garners be Fatte he withall send leannesse into our Soules Neuer thinke ye miserable worldings without openning your Treasures and Presenting the Lord with liberall giftes euer with these Magi to see the face of the Lord Iesus Goe home now and make thy selfe merry with thy wealth whiles Christ stands mourning in the streets applaud thy Wardrobe whiles he goes Naked saturate thy selfe with thy Fatte morsells whiles he begges vnrelieued for the Crummes beake thy Pamperd limbes at the Fire whiles hee shakes through Cold thy miseries is to come thou shalt not behold thy Sauiour in his glory Generally their example hath taught vs somewhat to be Charitable to be Ritch in Charytie More specially they shall intruct vs to particular Gifts Some haue alluded these three Gold Myrrhe and Frankincense to the three Theologicall vertues Fayth Hope and Charitie Auro virtus perhibetur Amantis In Myrrha bona Spes Thure beata Fides By Incense they vnderstand Fayth because as that is to be offered so this is to be reposed in God alone By Myrrh Hope that though death lay the body in the Cold earth and send it to Putrefaction yet Hope shall as it were embalme it with Myrrh and giue it expectance of a better Resurrection By Gold Loue and Charitie the vse of it being such as it can procure them to whom we giue it necessary thinges to the sustentation of their liues Et quid non venditur auro Others haue resolued it thus Pro Myrrha Lachrymas Auro cor porrige purum Pro Thure ex humili pectore funde precet Pure Heart thy Gold thy Myrrhe be Penitence And deuout Prayer be thy Frankincense In a word 1. Offer vp to God thy Frankincense Supplication and Thanksgiuing Psal. 141. Let thy Prayer be set foorth before him as Incense and the lifting vp of thy Hands as an Euening Sacrifice Put this into Christs Censor and it will make a sweete smoake in Gods Nosthrils Whoso offereth mee Prayse glorifieth mee It shall perfume thy Soule qualifie the stench of thy iniquities and vindicate thy Heart from the suffocating Plague of sinne Say then Psal 54. I will freely sacrifice vnto thee I will prayse thy Name O Lord for it is good Freely for this must be Frankincense 2. Next present to him thy Myrrhe a chast and mortified Liâ—e Let thine Eyes like the 〈◊〉 of the Câ—urch Cant. 5. 5. droppe downe sweete-smelling Myrrhe Let them gush foorth with penâ—tent Teares and thy Soule powre out flouds of sorrow for thy offences Wee haue sinned we haue sinned O let the Lord behold our Oblation of Myrrhe accept our Repentance 3. Lastly thou must giue thy Gold also a pure Heart tryed in the Furnace of Affliction and sublim'd from all corruption And because God onely knowes the Heart and the World must iudge by thy Fruites giue thy spirituall Gold to Christ and thy temporall Gold to his poore members Here take with thee three Cautions 1. That all these Gifts be deriued from an honest Heart It is said of these Magi They opened their Treasurs and presented vnto him Gifts Mans Heart is his Treasurie thou must open that when thou presentest any Gift to the Lord. He that comes with an open Hand and a shut Heart shall be answerd of God as Belshazzar was of Daniel Keepe thy Rewards to thy selfe and giue thy Giftes to another 2. That thy Gifts obserue the true latitude of Deuotion which endeuours to extend it selfe to the glory of God the good of thy Brother and the saluation of thy owne Soule And to all these three may these three Gifts of the Wise-men be preferred The Incense of Prayer respects God the Gold of Charitie respects our Neighbour and the Myrrhe of Mortification respects our selues 3. That you offer not onely one but all these It hath been question'd Whether these Magi did offer Singuli singula or
Tents intend not a long dwelling in a place They are mouables euer ready to be transferred at the occasion and will of the Inhabiter Hebr. 11. Abraham dwelt intents with Isaac and Iacob the heires with him of the same Promise The reason is added For hee looked for a Citie which hath foundations whose builder and maker is GOD. These Saints studied not to enlarge their barnes as the rich Cosmopolite Luke 12. or to sing Requiems to their soules in the hoped perpetuity of earthly habitations Soule liue thou hast enough laid vp for many yeares Foole he had not enough for that night They had no thought that their houses should continue for euer and their dwelling places to all generations thereuppon calling their lands after their owne names God conuinceth the foolish security of the Iewes to whom hee had promised by the Messias to be purchased an euerlasting royalty in heauen by the Rechabites who built no houses but dwelt in Tents as if they were strangers ready on a short waâ—ning for remouall The Church esteemes Heauen her home this world but a Tent. A Tent which we must all leaue build we as high as Babel as strong as Babilon When wee haue fortified combined feasted death comes with a Voyder and takes away all Dost thou thinke to raigne securely because thou closest thy selfe in Cedar Friends must part Ionas and his gourd Nebuchadnezzar and his pallace the couetous churle and his barns Arise and depart for this is not your rest Though you depart with griefe from Orchards full of fruits grounds full stocked houses dightly furnished purses richly stuffed from musicke wine iunkets sports yet goe you must goe euery man to his owne home Hee that hath seene heauen with the eye of Fath through the glasse of the Scripture slippes off his coate with Ioseph and springs away They that liued thrice our age yet dwelt in Tents as Pilgrims that did not owne this world The shortnesse and weakenesse of our dayes strengthens our reasons to vilipend it The world is the field thy body the Tent heauen thy free-holde The world is full of troubles windes of persecutions storms of menaces cold of vncharitablenesse heate of malice exhalations of prodigious terrours will annoy thee Loue it not Who can affect his owne vexations It is thy through-fare God loues thee better then to let it be thy home Euery misery on earth should turne our loues to heauen God giues this world bitter teats that wee might not sucke too long on it Satan as some doe with rotten nutmegs guildes it ouer and sends it his friends for a token But when they put that spice into their broth it infects their hearts Set thy affections on heauen where thou shalt abide for euer This life is a Tent that a Mansion In my Fathers house there are many mansions This casuall that firme a kingdome that cannot be shaken This troublesome that full of rest This assuredly short that eternall Happy is he that heere esteemes himselfe a Pilgrim in a Tent that hee may bee heereafter a citisen in a stable kingdome 2. Their frugallitie should not passe vnregarded Heere is no ambition of great buildings a Tent will serue How differ our dayes and hearts from those The fashion is now to build great houses to our lands till wee leaue no lands to our houses and the credite of a good house is made not to consist in inward hospitality but in outward walls These punkish out-sides beguile the needy Traueller hee thinkes there cannot be so many roomes in a house and neuer a one to harbour a poore stranger or that from such a multitude of chimneis no meate should be sent to the gates Such a house is like a painted whoore it hath a faire cheek but rotten lungs no breath of charity comes out of it We say frustra fit per plura quod fieri potest per pauciora What needes a house more roomes then there is vse for A lesse house and more hospitablenesse would doe a great deale better Are not many of these glorious buildings set vp in the curse of Iericho the foundation laid in the blood of the eldest the poore the walls reared in the blood of the yoongest the ruine of their owne posterity This was one of the Trauellers obserued faults in England camini mali that we had ill clockes and worse chimneis for they smoaked no charity We see the Precedent the application must teach vs to Deale plainely Here is commended to vs Plainesse in Meaning Demeaning Which instructs vs to a double concord and agreement In Meaning betwixt the heart and the tongue In Demeaning betwixt the tongue and the hand In Meaning THere should be a louing and friendly agreement betweene the heart and the tongue This is the minds herald and should onely proclaime the senders message If the tongue be an ill seruant to the heart the heart will be an ill maister to the tongue and Satan to both There are three kindes of dissimulation held tolerable if not commendable and beyond them noâ—e without sinne 1. When a man dissembles to get himselfe out of danger without any preiudice to another So Dauid fained himselfe madde to escape with life So the good Physician may deceiue his patient by stealing vppon him a potion which he abhorreth intending his recouerie 2. When dissimulation is directly aymed to the instruction and benefite of another So Ioseph caused the money to bee put in his brethrens sackes thereby to worke in them a knowledge of themselues So Christ going to Emaus with the two Disciples made as if he would goe further to try their humanity 3. When some common seruice is thereby performed to the good of the Church Such are those stratagems and policies of warre that carry in them a direct intention of honesty and iustice though of hostillity as Iosuah's whereby he discomfited the men of Ai. Further then these limits no true Israelite no Plaine-Dealing man must venture Plato was of opinion that it was lawfull for Magistrates Hosium vel Ciuium causa mentiri to lie eyther to deceiue an enemy or saue a citisen I might against Plato set Aristotle who sayth expresly that a lie in it selfe is euill and wicked And another Philosopher was wont to say That in two things a man was like vnto God in bestowing benefites and telling the truth Nor will we inferre with Lyranus because there is a Title in the Ciuill Law De dolo malo of euill craft that therefore it is graunted there is a craft not euill But let vs know to the terrour of lyers that the deuill is the father of lying and when hee speaketh a lie hee speaketh of his owne And beyond exception they are the words of euerlasting veritie No lie is of the truth Therefore into that heauenly Hierusalem shall enter none that workes abhomination or maketh a lie A lie must needes be contrary
to the rule of grace for it is contrary to the order of nature which hath giuen a man voyce and words to expresse the meaning of the heart As in setting Instruments they referre all to one tune so the heart is the ground which all our Instruments should goe by If there were no God to search the heart he was a foole that would not dissemble since there is he is a foole that doth Therefore Iob excellently All the while my breath is in mee and the spirit of God is in my nosthrills my lippes shall not speake wickednesse nor my tongue vtter deceit The sweetest Psalmist insinuates no lesse My heart is inditing a good matter my tongue is the pen of a ready writer When the heart is a good Secretary the tongue is a good pen but when the heart is a hollow bell the tongue is a lowd and a lewd clapper Those vndefiled Virgins admitted to follow the Lambe haue this praise In their mouth was found no guile In Demeaning WHich is the good harmony betwixt the tongue and the hand The righteous man to whom Gods celestiall Tabernacle is promised speaketh the truth in his heart and when he hath sworne though to his owne hurt he changeth not The paucitie of these men makes the Church of God so thinne of Saints and the world so full of Dissemblers As the tongue must not speake false so the hand must not doe vniustly iniustice is the greatest dissimulation We liue vnder Libra Iustice and Equitie who knowes whether the nights or the daies passe ouer his head more happily we feare not Taurus the Bull that shoots his hornes from Rome nor Scorpio that sends his venemous sting from Spaine nor the vnchristned Aries of Infidels profane and profest enemies to engine and batter our walls if the Sagittarius of heresie do not wound vs in the reines nor the Gemini of double-dealing circumuent vs in our liues The world is full of trickes wee will not doe what wee ought yet defend what we doe How many spend their wittes to iustifie their hands Through the vnluckie and vnnaturall copulation of fraud and malice was that monstrous stigmatike Aequiuocation ingendred a damned egge not couerd by any faire bird but hatched as Poets faine of Osprayes with a thunder-clap I will now onely seeke to winne you to Plaine-Dealing by the benefites it brings the successe to God 1. The principall is to please God whose displeasure against double dealing the sad examples of Saul for the Amalekites of Gehezi for the bribes of Ananias for the inheritance testifie in their destruction Whose delight in Plaine-dealing himselfe affirmes Behold an Israelite indeed in whom is no guile 2. The credite of a good name which is a most worthy treasure is thus preserued The riches left thee by thy Ancestors may miscarry throgh others negligence the name not saue by thy owne fault It is the Plaine-dealers reward his name shall bee had in estimation whereas no faith is giuen to the dissembler euen speaking truth euery man is more ready to trust the poore Plaine-dealer then the glittering false-tongued gallant 3. It preuents and infatuates all the malicious plotts of enemies God in regard to thy simplicitie brings to naught all their machinations Thou O Lord hadst respect to my simple purenesse An innocent foole takes fearelesse steps and walkes as securely as if it stood girt with a wall of brasse 4. It preserues thy state from ruine When by subtiltie men thinke to scrape together much wealth all is but the Spiders web artificiall and weake What Plaine-dealing gets stickes by vs and infallibly deriues it selfe to our posterity Not onely this mans owne soule shall dwell at ease but also his seed shall inherite the earth Wicked men labour with hands and wittes to vndermine and vndoe many poore and from their demolished heapes to erect themselues a great fortune but GOD bloweth vpon it a Nonplacet and then as powder doth small shot it scatters into the ayre not without a great noise and they are blowne vp If thou wouldst be good to thy selfe and thine vse Plainesse 5. It shall somewhat keepe thee from the troubles and vexations of the world Others when their double dealing breaks out are more troubled themselues then erst they troubled others for shame waits at the heeles of fraud But blessed are the meeke for they shall inherite the earth 6. The curses of the poore shall neuer hurt thee Though the causlesse curse shall neuer come yet it is happy for a man so to liue that all may blesse him Now the Plaine man shall haue this at last Gallant prodigalitie like fire in flaxe makes a great blaze a hote shew but Plaine hospitality like fire in solide wood holds out to warme the poore because God blesseth it So I haue seene hote-spurres in the way gallop amaine but the Iuy-bushes haue so staied them that the Plaine traueller comes first to his iournies end 7. It shall bee thy best comfort on thy death-bed Conscientia benè peractae vitae the conscience of an innocent life On this staffe leanes aged Samuel Whose Oxe er Asse haue I taken To whom haue I by fraud or force done wrong On this pillow doth sicke Hezekiah lay his head Remember Lord that I haue walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart and haue done that which is good in thy sight So Iob solaceth himselfe My heart shall not condemne me for my dayes When no clogges of vsury with their heauy pressures nor foldes of iniustice with their troublesome vexations disquiet our peace-desiring sides or lie vpon our consciences When thou hast no need to say to thine heire Restore this or that which I haue fraudulently or vniustly taken away You see how false the Prouerbe was Plaine-dealing is a Iewell and hee that vseth it shall die a begger But it is well returned in the supplement he that will not vse it shall die a dishonest man 8. Lastly thou shalt finderest for thy soule Thou hast dealt plainely so will God with thee multiplying vpon thee his promised mercies If thou hadst beene hollow not holy fraudulent not plaine thy portion had beene bitter euen with hypocrites But now of a plaine Saint on earth thou shalt become a glorious Saint in heauen FINIS THE THREE DIVINE SISTERS IOHN 13. 34. A new commandement giue I vnto you That you loue one another as I haue loued you that yee also loue one another AVGVST Domus Dei fundatur credendo sperando erigitur diligendo perficitur LONDON Printed by Thomas Purfoot for Clement Knight and are to be sold at his shop in Paules Church-yard at the Signe of the Holy Lambe 1616. THE THREE DIVINE SISTERS 1. COR. 13. 13. Now abideth Faith Hope Charitie these three but the greatest of these is Chatitie WHen those three Goddesses say the Poets stroue for the golden ball Paris adiudged it to the Queen of Loue. Heere are three celestiall
graces in an holy emulation if I may so speake striuing for the chiefedome and our Apostle giues it to Loue. The greatest of these is Charity Not that other Daughters are blacke but that Charity excels in beauty Wee may say of this Sister as it was sayd of the good Woman Prou. 31. Many daughters haue done vertuously but thou surpassest them all Paul doth not disparage any when he sayth Charity is the greatest All starres are bright though one starre may differ from another in glory Wee may say of graces as of the Captaines of the sonnes of Gad the least can resist a hundred the greatest a thousand Or as the song was of Saul and Dauid Saul hath slaine his thousand Dauid his ten thousand Faith is excellent so is Hope but the greatest of these is Charitie Mee thinkes these three Theologall Vertues may not vnfitly bee compared to three great Feastes which wee celebrate in the yeare Easter Whitsuntide and Christmas Faith like Easter beleeues Christ dead for our sinnes and risen againe for our Iustification Hope like Pentecost waites for the comming of the holy Ghost Gods free Spirit of grace to come into vs and to bring vs to Heauen And Charitie lookes like Christmas full of loue to our neighbours full of hospitality and mercy to the poore These are three strings often touched Faith whereby wee beleeue all Gods promises to bee true and ours Hope whereby we waite for them with patience Charitie whereby vee testifie what wee beleeue and hope Hee that hath faith cannot distrust hee that hath hope cannot bee put from anchor he that hath charity will not lead a licentious life for Loue keepes the commandements For Methods sake wee might first conferre them all then preferre one But I will speake of them according to the three degrees of comparison 1. Positiuely 2. Comparatiuely 3. Superlatiuely The greatest of these is Charitie Faith IS that grace which makes Christ ours and all his benefites God giues it 1. Cor. 12. Faith is giuen by the spirit By the Word preached Rom. 10. Faith comes by hearing For Christ his sake To you it is giuen for Christ his sake to beleeue in his name This vertue is no sooner giuen of God but it giues God So soone as thou beleeuest Christ is thine and all his For he that giues vs Christ will also with him giue vs all things Without this it is impossible to please God Let vs not otherwise dare to come into his presence There is nothing but wrath in him for sinne in vs. Ioseph charged his brethren that they should come no more in his sight vnlesse they brought Beniami◠with them Wee come at our perill into Gods presence if wee leaue his beloued Beniamin our deare Iesus behind vs. When the Philosopher heard of the inraged Emperours menace that the next time hee saw him hee would kill him he tooke vp the Emperours little sonne in his armes and saluted him with a potes ne Thou canst not now strike mee God is angry with euery man for his sinnes happie is hee that can catch vp his sonne Iesus for in whose armes soeuer the Lord sees his sonne he will spare him The men of Tyre are faine to intercede to Herod by Blastus Act. 12. Our intercession to God is made by a higher and surer way not by his seruant but by his sonne Now this Mediator is not had without a medium Faith Fides medium à quo remedium Faith is that meanes whereby wee lay hold on this Christ. Diffidence shall neuer haue Iesus for the Aduocate Though euerie man may say I beleeue Lord helpe my vnbeleefe Saint Paul vseth one word that very significantly expresseth Faith calling it the Euidence of things not seene Fides est credere quod non vides cuius merces est videre quod credis Faith is to beleeue what thou seest whose reward is to see what thou beleeuest Now the Metaphore may be extended thus 1. Christ dying made a Will or a Testament scaling it with his owne bloud wherein hee bequeathed a certain Legacie of Inheritance to his brethren with himselfe Ioh. 17. Father I will that they whom thou hast giuen mee bee with mee where I am that they may behold my glory which thou hast giuen me This is the substance of his Will and Testament 2 The Conueyance of this Will is the Gospell Whosoeuer beleeues and is baptized shall bee saued A large Patent a free and full grant There is no exception of persons eyther in regard of state quality or Country There is neyther Iew nor Greeke bond nor free male nor female for yee are all one in Christ Iesus The conueyance is of an ample latitude 3. The Executor or Administrator of this Will if I may so speake is the holy Ghost that Comforter which Christ promised to send that should lead vs into all truth This Spirit begets faith sanctification in our hearts puts Abba into our mouthes applyes the merites of our Sauiour to our soules and indeed seales vs vp to the day of redemption Without his assistance wee could appropriate no comfort by his Will nor challenge any Legacie therein bequeathed 4. Lastly the Euidence whereby euery particular man apportions to himselfe this title and interest is his Faith Thou vnregenerate soule pleadest a Legacie in this Will Goe to let vs ioyne issue come to tryal Where is thy Euidence Here it is my Faith This Euidence as all other must haue some witnesses produce thine and before the Barre of the great Chiefe Iustice the Kings Bench of Heauen let them not lie The first is thy Conscience Alas giue this leaue to speake without interruption and one day it shal not flatter thee This sayth thy Euidence is false counterfeit forged by a wretched Seriuener flesh and bloud for thy heart trusts in vncertainely good riches or in certainely bad vanities more then in the liuing God The next is thy life Alas this is so speckled with sinnes so raw and sore with lusts that as a body broken out into blaines and biles argues a corrupted liuer or stomacke within so the spottes and vlcers of thy life demonstrate a putrified heart Loe now thy witnesses Thou art gone at the common Law of Iustice It is onely the Chancerie of mercy that must cleare thee What wilt thou now doe What but humble thy selfe in repentance for thy false faith take prayer in thy company for pardon of former errors goe by the word preached for the Minister is as it were the Register to ingrosse the deed and desire God on the humbled knees of thy soule to giue thee a new and a true Euidence Let this instruct vs to some vses 1. Be sure that thy Euidence is good Satan is a subtill Lawyer and thou doest not doubt of his malice and will soone picke holes in it find out tricks and cauils against it He will winnow and sift thee
Language a man may know who is of hell There are three sorts of languages obserued Celestiall terrestriall and infernall The heauenly language is spoken by the Saints Blessed are they that dwell in thy house they will be still praising thee Their discourse is habituated like their course or coâ—uersation which Paul saith is heauenly The earthly tongue is spoken of worldlings He that is of the earth is earthly and speaketh of the earth Worldly talke is for worldly men The infernall language is spoken by men of hell such as haue beene taught by the deuill they speake like men of Belial Now as the Countrey man is knowne by his language and as the Damosell tolde Peter Sure thou art of Galile for thy speech bewrayeth thee so by this rule you may know heauenly men by their gracious conference earthly men by their worldly talke and hellish by the language of the lowe Countries swearing cursing blasphemy Well the efore did the Apostle call this Tongue a fire and such a fire as sets the whole world in combustion Let these vnruly tongues take heede lest by their roarings they shake the battlements of heauen and so waken an incensed God to iudgement There is a curse that goeth foorth and it shall enter into the house of the swearer and not onely cut him off but consume his house with the timber and the stones of it It was the Prophet Ieremies complaint that for oathes the Land mourned No maruaile if God curse vs for our cursings and if the plague light vpon our bodies that haue so hotely trolled it in our tongues no wonder if wee haue blâ—sterd carcases that haue so blisterd consciences and the stench of contagion punish vs for our stinking breaths Our tongues must walke till the hand of God walke against vs. 2. Full of deadly poyson POison is hâ—omini iâ—imicum loathsomely contrary to mans nature but there is a poison not mortall the venime whereof may bee expelled this is deadly poyson Yet if there was but a little of this resident in the wicked tongue the danger were lesse nay it is full of it full of deadly poyson Tell a blasphemer this that he vomites hell fire and carries deadly poison in his mouth and hee will laugh at thee Beloued we preach not this of our owne heads we haue our infallible warrant God speakes it The poison of Aspes is vnder their lippes sayth the Psalmist It is a loathsome thing to carry poison in ones mouth wee would flie that serpent yet willingly conuerse with that man A strangely hated thing in a beast yet customable in many mens tongues Whom poison they First Themselues they haue speckled soules Secondly They sputte their venime abâ—oad and bespurtle others no beast can cast his poyson so farre Thirdly Yea they would and no thankes to them that they can not poison Gods most sacred and feared namâ— Let vs iudge of these things not as flesh and blood imagineth but as God pronounceth It is obseruable that which way soeuer a wicked man vseth his tongue he cannot vse it well Mordet detrahendo lingit adulando He bites by detraction lickes by flattery and eyther of these touches ranckle he doth no lesse hurt by licking then by biting All the parts of his mouth are instruments of wickednesse Logicians in the difference betwixt vocem and sonum say that a voice is made by the lippes teeth throat tongue The Psalmographer on euery one of these hath set a brand of wickednesse 1. The lippes are labia dolosa lying lippes Psal. 120. 2. The teeth are frementes frendentes gâ—ashing teeth 3. The tongue lingua mendax lingua mordax What shal be done vnto thee thou false tongue 4. The throat patens sepulchrum Their throat is an open sepulcher This is a monstrous and fearefull mouth where the porter the porch the entertainer the receiuer are all â—icious The lippes are the Porter and that 's fraud the porch the teeth and there is malice the entertayner the tongue and there is lying the receiuer the throat and there is deuouring I cannot omit the Morall of that old Fable Three children call one man Father who brought them vp Dying he bequeaths all his estate only to one of them as his true naturall sonne but which that one was left vncertaine Heereupon euery one claimes it The wise Magistrate for speedy decision of so great an ambiguitie causeth the dead father to be set vp as a marke promising the chalengers that which of them could shoot next his heart should enioy the Patrimony The elder shootes so doth the second both hitte but when it came to the yongers turne he vtterly refused to shoot good nature would not let him wound that man dead that bred and fed him liuing Therfore the Iudge gaue all to this sonne reputing the former bastards I he scope of it is plaine but significant God will neuer giue them the Legacie of Glory giuen by his Sonne Will to children that like bastards shoot through and wound his blessed Name Thinke of this ye swearing and cursing toâ—gues To conclude God shall punish such Tongues in their owne kinde they were full of poison and the poyson of another stench shall swell them They haue beene enflamed and shal be tormented with the fire of hell Burning shall be added to burning saue that the first was actiue this passiue The rich glutton that when his belly was full could loose his tong to blasphemie wanted water to coole his tongne His tongue sinned and his tongue smarted Though his torment was vniuersall yet he complaines of his tongue That panted that smoked that reeked with sulphur and brimstone that burnes with the flame of hell dead that burned with it liuing For a former tune of sinne it hath a present tune of woe It scalded and is scalded as it cast abroad the flames of hell in this world so all the flames of hell shall bee cast on it in the world to come It hath fired and shall bee fired with such fire as is not to bee quenched But blessed is the sanctified tongue God doth now chuse it as an instrument of musicke to sing his praise hee doth water it with the sauing dewes of his mercie and will at last aduaunce it to glorie FINIS Mat. 3. 11. 12. Psal. 100. 5. In Orat. Dom. Psal. 59. 10. Aug. in Psa. 58. Si dicas Salus mea intelligoâ—quia Deus â—al salutem c. Serm. 80. in Cant. Ardens Aug. 1. Cor. 8. 5. Psal. 82. â— Aug. de Ciuit Dei Lib. 5. Cap. 10. Bern. Serm. 83. in Cant. Ioh. 14. 15. 1. Ioh. 3. 17. 1. Ioh. 4. 18. Psal. 34. 11. Psal. 31. 23. Psal. 2. 11. 1. Ioh. 13. 13. Ecâ—l 1â— 7. Proâ— 30 22. Pro 19. 10. Psal. 116 16. Psal. 85. 10. Psal. 116 5. Orat. de obâ—â—â— Theodoâ—â—â— 1. Ioh. 1. 5. lam 1 17. Pâ—o. 15. 3. Ioh. 1. 9. Luk. 7. 79. Math. 21. 9. Luth in Galate Aug. Ioh 1.