be as a candle that neuer goes out and as a cleane creature that neuer leaues chevving the cudde euen as Iacob noted his sonnes dreames and the blessed virgin kept the shepheards sayings and pondered them in her heart For they onely are good ground vvhich vvith a good and a very good heart heare the vvord and keepe it and bring forth fruit vvith patience The third propertie of the good ground is this that they bring forth fruit vvith patience Good ground is like a good tree For indeede good ground will make a good tree Now a good tree bringeth forth good fruit And the blessed man which meditateth day and night in Gods law is like a tree planted by the waters side which bringeth forth his fruit in due season So that it is not enough for the word to goe in at one eare and out at the other but it must goe in at both eares by reuerent and religious hearing and settle deepely into the heart by faithfull and diligent keeping and lastly goe out at both hands by bringing forth fruit with patience Simeon the son of Onias was as a faire Oliue tree that is fruitfull and as a Cypres tree which groweth vp to the cloudes A cypres tree is high but barren an oliue is fruitfull but low So a Christian must not onely as a cypres tree reach vp to the clouds by meditation of high mysteries in the word but also he must as an oliue tree bring forth fruit with patience Then he shal be like Simeon neither low nor barren But though he be an oliue yet he shall be as high as the cvpres tree and though he be a cypresse yet he shall be as fruitfull as the oliue tree Noah is commanded to make a windowe in the toppe of the arke and a doore in the side of it A windowe is for the eie to look out a doore is for the whole bodie to goe out And in like manner he that would be good ground must not onely make him a window for contemplation as Daniel did at which he prayed thrise a day but also a doore for action as Abraham did at which he sate once a day At the windowe of contēplation he must meditate with a very good heart to keepe the word at the doore of action he must go out to bring forth fruit with patience The Lord also commanded Moses to make a lauer with a base or with a foote Now the Latine word Labium signifies as well a lip as a lauer So that the lauer which washeth must haue a base and the lip which vttereth great knowledge must haue a foote to walke according to it Otherwise if knowledge doe not stand vpon doing and vpon fructifying as vpon a foot thē questioules it is footelesse and so consequently it is bootelesse and the lauer wanting a base is altogether vnprofitable The Prophet Isaiah is willed to lift vp his voice like a trumpet Many things sound lowder then a trumpet as the sea the thunder and such like Yet he saies not List vp thy voice as the sea or lift vp thy voice as the thunder but lift vp thy voice as a trumpet Why so Because a trumpeter when he sounds his trumpet he windes it with his mouth and holds it vp with his hand And so euery faithfull heart which is as it were a spirituall trumpet to sound out the praises of God must not onely report them with his mouth but also support them with his hand And then indeede holding vp the word of life with his hand and bringing forth the fruit therof with patience he shall lift vp his voice like a trumpet The Patriarch Abraham buried Sarah in the caue of Macpelah that is in a double sepulchre He that buries his mind in knowledge onely without any care of bringing forth fruit he buries Sarah in a single sepulchre as Philo Iudaeus doth allegorize vpon this storie but he that burieth his minde as well in the performance and practise of religion which is all in all as in the knowledge and vnderstanding of it he buries Sarah in a double sepulchre And so must all we doe which are the true children of Abraham For then with Abraham burying our spirit in a double sepulchre we shal with Elizeus haue a double spirit A spirit that heareth the word with a verie good heart and with patience bringeth forth fruite Neither is this addition with patience altogether to be omitted For though a man cannot heare the word without patience nor keepe the word without patience yet patience is neuer so requisite as in bringing forth fruit according to the word which we haue heard and kept Wherefore the holy Ghost saith Ye haue neede of patience that after ye haue done the will of God ye may receiue the promise He saies not After ye haue heard it with your eare or kept it with your memorie but after ye haue done the will of God and brought forth the fruit thereof yee may receiue the promise For wherefore did not the stonie groūd bring forth fruite but onely for want of patience They receiued the word with ioy and seemed to haue verie good hearts for a time but in time of temptation for want of patience they fell away Wherefore did not the thorny ground bring forth fruit but onely for want of patience After their departure wanting patience to digest their griefes they were choked with cares and so brought forth no fruit Therefore as a good field must endure many a cold frost snow and hard vveather in the winter time before it can yeeld a fruitfull croppe in Summer semblably ◅e that vvould be good ground must possesse his soule in much patience and continually endure yea euen manfully reiect all the motions of his flesh all the allurements of the vvorld all the temptations of the deuill vvhereby he may be hindred from bringing forth the fruit of good life according to the holy vvill and vvord of God He must like a good tree bring forth good fruite he must with Simeon be not onely high as the cypresse but also fruitfull as the oliue he must with Noah make him not only a windowe for contemplation but also a doore for action he must with Moses make him a lauer with a base he must with Esay lift vp his voice like a trumpet he must with Abraham bury Sarah in a double sepulchre in one word he must alwaies bring forth fruit with patience For they onely are good ground which with a good and a verie good heart heare the word and keep it and bring forth fruit with patience To conclude then It is not greatly needefull to exhort you with a good heart to heare the word Neuer heretofore such diligent hearing in the Court as now a dayes I dare be bold to say it All the preachers in England in verie many yeares by all their exhortations could neuer haue done halfe so much good in this kind as the
forth fruit with patience IN this parable of the sower are 4. grounds mentioned Whereof three are bad and onely one good Namely they which with a good and a very good heart heare the word and keepe it and bring forth fruite with patience Almightie God powreth out his benefits no lesse plentiously then continually vpon vs yet we can make no requitall our goodnes cannot reach to God The onely thing that we can doe for him is to loue and honour his word WhereupoÌ„ king Dauid thought it a death vnto him that beeing banished from his people he could not goe vp to the house of the Lord with the voice of ioy and gladnes among such as keepe holy-day And on the other side he said I reioyced when they said vnto me We will goe vp into the house of the Lord. The Prophet Esay likewise foretelling what alacritie and good will should be in the Gentils after they were conuerted to Christ saith thus It shall be in the last daies that many people shall goe and say Come and let vs goe vp to the mountaine of the Lord to the house of the God of Iacob and he will teach vs his wayes and we will walke in his pathes Looke how it is in the health of the bodie and so it is in the state of the soule If a man haue a good appetite and a stomacke to his meate t' is a signe he is well in health in like sort if a man be content to followe Christ for the loaues to fill his bellie and care not for the food of his soule questionles all is not well betweene God and him but if he haue a longing and a hungring desire of the word then indeede his heart is vpright in the sight of God For as S. Austen noteth well if the word of God be taken by vs it will take vs. Seeing the word of God so is and so ought to be vnto the faithfull as a hooke is to fish Then it takes when it is taken Neither are they which are taken hurt by it For they are not caught to be kild but to be drawne out of the damnation of this world aâ—…d to be translated to the libertie and glorie of the children of God Wherefore as fishers take most delight in angling when they see the fish bite quickly and greadily so if you would put life into your Preachers which are called fishers of men that they may preach the vvord vvith ioy not vvith griefe you must shevve by your countenance by your attention by your reuerence by all your outvvard behauiour that you desire nothing so much as 〈◊〉 bite at this sâ—…eete baite that so you may be drawne by the father to Christ. For they onely are good ground as we haue it here which with a good and a very good heart heare the word and keepe it and bring forth fruit with patience Here are three properties of good ground set downe All opposite to the three bad grounds mentioned before First they that are good ground heare the word with a good hâ—…rt contrarie to the ground on the high waies side which when they haue heard let the deuill take the word out of their hearts so they heare not with a good heart Secondly they keepe the word with a verie good heart contrarie to the stony ground which for a while receiue the word with ioy but in time of temptation they fall away and so they keepe not the word with a verie good heart Thirdly they bringe foorth fruit with patience contrary to the thornie ground which after their departure are choaked vvith cares and bring no fruit and so doe not as it is said here that the good ground doth bring forth fruit with patience But that which fell in good ground are they which with a good and a very good heart heare the word and keepe it and bring forth fruit with patience The first propertie of the good ground is this that they heare the word with a good heart The two disciples going to Emans when Christ was departed from them said thus one to another Did not our hearts burne within vs when he talked with vs by the way and opened to vs the Scripture O Beloued nowe you are busied in hearing the word Christ talketh to you and you are in the right way to heauen Therefore that we may heare with a good heart we must feele in our hearts that burning of which the disciples say Did not our hearts burne within vs when he talked with vs by the way For so the Spirituall spouse confesseth of her selfe My beloued put his hand to the hole of the doore and my heart was affectioned towards him And againe My soule melted when my beloued spake Now Christ puts his hand to the hole of the doore desiring himselfe to enter and vs to repent now our beloued speaketh to vs out of his word So that we cannot be good ground except our heart be affectioned and our soule melt towards him When the blessed Virgin saluted her cousin Elizabeth she felt the babe spring in her wombe for ioy Certainely Beloued you haue euery one of you a babe in your hearts euen the child Iesus which is formed and fashioned in you This babe we must feele euen to skip spring in our hearts for ioy if we would assure our selues that we be good ground and heare with a good heart Neither must we onely reioyce but alfo feare Serue the Lord with gladnesse and reioyce before him with trembling saies the Psalmist We read that when the Almightie vttered his voice the foure beasts whereby are meant the Angels let fall their wings Where are then our plumes of pride our feathers whereby vvee flie so high in an opinion of our ovvne knowledge and wisdome why are they not all let downe that we may wholly submit our selues to the Lord to be taught and directed by his word Remember I pray you what good Cornelius said I knowe well there was neuer more reuerent hearing of the word in the Court then at this day yet that which is verie well alreadie must so be commended as that which may be bet-â—…ter and better be euermore enforced Therefore as I was about to say remember what the Captaine Cornelius said to S. Peter when he was readie to preach vnto him Now saies he are we all here present before the Lord to heare all things that are commanded thee of God O that we had this good heart to consider vvhen vve heare a sermon that vve stand not before a man but coram domino before the Lord. Then vve should heare the vvord not as the vvord of man but as it is indeede the vvord of God Then vve should put a difference between other things vvhich perhaps shortly vve shall heare either to recreate the mind or sharpeÌ„ the wit or for state and maiestie or for some other earthly purpose and betweene this engrafted word which
is able to saue our soules It is strange what is reported of Constantine the great in this kinde Eusebius writeth of him that when di◅ine seruice was said he would helpe the minister to begin the praiers and to read the verses of the Psalmes ◅changeably And when there was a Sermon if any place of speciall importance were alleadged that he would turne his Bible to imprint the place in his minde the better both by hearing seeing it He addeth besides that the Emperour many times beeing as it were rauished with those things which he heard rose vp sodainely out of his throne chaire of estate and would stand a long while to heare more diligently and though they which were next him did put him in minde to remember himselfe yet he heard the word so attentiuely that he would not heare them How wonder◅ully do's this confound vs that are sarre inferiour euery vvay vvhen vve heare and see that Emperours and mightie Kings and Potentates of the world shew such a good heart in hearing the word we in the meane time haue lumpish and dul spirits and affections and are neuer a whit mooued Certainly ye honourable children of God now Christ talketh with vs by the way therefore let our hearts burne within vs now Christ putteth his hand to the hole of the doore therefore let our hearts be affectioned towards him now our welbeloued speaketh therefore let our soules melt now the blessed virgin yea a greater then the virgin euen the virgins Sonne saluteth vs and wisheth vs all haile out of his word therefore let the babe spring in our hearts for ioy now the Almightie vttereth his voice therefore let our wings fall downe and let vs wholly submit our selues to be taught of God Euen as Cornelius the Centurion thought when he heard Peter preach that he stood not before a man but before the Lord and Constantine the Emperour could neuer satisfie himselfe with reuerent attention of his good heart to the word Then indeede shall we be good ground as all they are which with a good and a very good heart heare the word and keepe it and bring forth fruit with patience The second propertie of the good ground is this that they keepe the word with a very good heart In our English translation it is read thus with a good and an honest heart But I follow the vulgar Latin which readeth thus With a good and a very good heart And I referre the good heart to hearing the very good heart to keeping As if the words stood thus Which with a good heart heare the word and with a very good heart keepe it and bring forth fruit with patience To the matter then It is to no purpose that the seede be sowne except it be couered in the earth Neither that the word be heard except it be kept Therefore saith the Prophet In my heart haue I hidde thy word that I may not sinne against thee So that to keepe the word with a very good heart is to hide and couer this holy seede in the fallow grounds of our heart beeing plowed vp by the preaching of the Gospel Whereupon the kingdom of heaue◅ is likened to a tre◅ sure hid in a field And this very field i◅ a faithfull heart which keepeth and hideth in it selfe the word which is the direct way to the kingdome of heauen According to that of our Sauiour Th◅ kingdome of heauen is within you Ye◅ a faithfull heart not onely is a sield wherein is a treasure but also is it selfe a treasure wherein are both old and new things For euery Scribe which is taught vnto the kingdome of heauen is like vnto a housholder which bringeth forth out of his treasure things both new and old His heart is filled with a treasure of comforts gathered out of the olde and new Testament The wise woman by whome is meant the spouse of Christ keepes her candle a light all the night long Clemens vnderstandeth this light to be the heart and he calleth the meditations of holy men candles that neuer goe out S. Austin writeth among the Pagans in the temple of Venus there was a candle which was called vnextinguishable whether this be true or no of Venus temple it is vncerten onely Austi◅s report we haue ◅or it but without all doubt in euery faithfull hearer and keeper of the word who is the temple of the holy Ghost there is this candle or light that neuer goes out For so we read that the word of the Lord illuminate◅h the heart there 's the light And that this light goes not out at any time appeareth by that which is written else-where O Lord how doe I loue thy statutes they are my meditation continually In the old law those creatures onely were accompted cleane which did chew the ◅ud No otherwise shall we be accōpted vncleane in the sight of God if we chew not the cud as it were and ruminate and meditate of those things which we haue heard out of the word For euen as it is not auaileable to eate except the meate be inwardly digested and diuided to all the parts of the bodie so hearing is vnprofitable vnlesse the word heard be kept in minde and memorie and shewed and set forth in all the parts of our life Therefore they of Berraea were esteemed more noble then they of Thessalonica because they after Paul had preached to them conferred among themselues and searched the Scriptures not onely to see whether the Apostles doctrine were warrantable by the word but also to confirme their owne memorie and to exercise their meditation in the Law of God Now then ye holy ones of God if we would be good ground indeede as the Patriarch Iacob noted his sonne Iosephs dreames so let vs not onely heare but also note the word For this is proper to the child of God to haue the law of his God in his heart Not noted in writing tables or written in tables of stone but noted written in the fleshie tables of the heart And euen as the holy virgin kept all those sayings and pondered them in her heart which were by the Shepheards reported and published abroad concerning her sonne Iesus in like manner they that are wise vvill heare nay they vvill ponder and keepe those things vvhich they haue heard that so they may the better vnderstand the louing kindnesse of the Lord. Especially seeing those things vvhich vve heare are no dreames but vnsearchable mysteries of our saluation neither are vve that publish and preach them such shepheards as the Angel spake vnto but vve are appointed to vvatch ouer the flocke vvhich Christ hath bought vvith his blood Therefore if you vvould shevv your selues to be good ground your very good heart must be as a field that hath a treasure hid in it yea it must be as a treasure it selfe that hath old and nevv things hid in it it must
as the pastor For all Christians 〈◊〉 imitate the example of Christ. And fâ—…r Christ S. Iohn tells vs that he was full of grace and truth The fulnesse of his truth made him teach well of his grace doe well Saint Peter likewise that he did no sinne neither was there guile found in his mouth Many haue no guile found in their mouthes which notwithstanding doe sinne But euen as Christ had neither guile in his teaching nor yet sinne in his doing so we that are Christians must neither deceiue others by teaching guilefully nor yet deceiue our selues by doing sinnefully For we know that not euery one that saith Lord Lord shall be saued Neither yet euery one that saith The Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord shal be blessed Seeing oftentimes a man the nearer he is to the Temple of the Lord the further he is from the Lord of the Temple Therefore as that figtree was accursed which did beare leaues and no fruit so shall euerie man be accursed which beareth leaues without fruit I meane a slourish of teaching without any fruit of doing Yea such a man being once accursed shall be euer tormented For knowing his masters wil nay knowing it so wel that he is able to teach it others also yet doing it not himself he shal be beateÌ„ with many stripes Chrysostome saith that drunkeÌ„ men haue both strings wherewith their tongues are tied so that they can teach nothing well and also strings wherewith their hands are tied so that they can doe nothing well They are both tongueti'de and handti'de But such as know their masters will and doe it not are worse then drunken men For though the string of their tongue be loose as that stammerers in the Gospel was so that they can teach well enough yet the string of their hand is not loose their hand is still bound vp in their bosome as that loyterers in the Prouerbs is so that they can doe nothing well Therefore they draw neere to God with their tongues but are farre from him with their rains Yea they are so farre from comming to him with their hearts that they neuer come neere him so much as with their hands But though they haue the smooth tongue of Iacob which teacheth well yet they haue the rough hand of Esau which doeth ill Such doe not touch Christ but throng Christ. They touch Christ as that good woman did which follow him and come neere vnto him by well doing They throng Christ as the rest of the people did which oppresse and ouerwhelme him with a multitude of words without any matter or manner of doing which are as wells without water or as clouds without raine Such as the Prophet Ieâ—…emie speaketh doe steale Gods word They haue not onely false and lying tongues but also filching and stealing tongues For teaching well and doing ill their teaching doth not become them it doth not beseeme them it doth not belong vnto them It is strange that a man should steale with his tongue euen as it is strange also that a man should speake with his hand Yet as I noted before that these speake false construction with their hand so now I note that these steale true construction with their tongue They steale their words I say howsoeuer otherwise they be most true who as Austin writeth would seeme to be righteous in that they teach the words of God whereas indeed they are vnrighteous in that they doe the workes of the deuill Wherefore we that are a holy people must not teach the words of God and doe the workes of the deuill we must not teach one thing and doe an other For not he that onely teacheth but He that both doeth and teacheth the same shall be called great in the kingdome of heauen Thus much for the first part negatiue vvhat must not be Neither pastor nor people must teach one thing and doe an other That must not be The second part affirmatiue follovveth what must be Both pastor and people must doe that themselues vvhich they reach others to doe That must be First for the pastor he hath two kind of garments A brestplate and an Ephod The breast-plate shevves that he must haue science to teach the Ephod shews that he must haue conscience to doe that vvhich he teacheth And in the very brestplate it selfe is vvritten not onely Vrim but also Thummim Vrim signifies light Thummim signifies perfection To prooue that the pastor must not onely be the light of the world but also the salt of the earth not only a light of direction in his teaching but also a patterne of perfection in his doing For euen as the snuffers of the tabernacle were made of pure golde so preachers which should purge and dresse and cleare others that they may burne-out brightly must be made of pure gold that by doing well they may also shine themselues Hence it is that the Priest hath out of the sacrifices for his share the shake breast and the right shoulder The shake-breast puts him in minde of teaching well the right shoulder puts him in minde of doing well That great Prophet Elias is called The horseman and the Chariot of Israel A horseman directs the chariot and keeps it in the right way a chariot goes in the right way it selfe And so a minister must not onely as a horseman direct others and set them in the right way but also as a chariot he must followe a good course and walke in the right way himselfe He must be both the horseman that teacheth the chariot that doth both the horseman and the chariot of Israel Therefore he hath vpon the fringes of his vesture pomgranats and bells Many preachers are full of bells which make a great ringing and gingling but because they haue not pomgranats as well as bels therefore all the noise that they make is but as sounding brasse or as a tinckling cymball For the godly pastor must not only say well and sound out the word of the Lord to others clearely as a bell but also he must doe well and as a pomegranate be fruitfull himselfe and full of good workes Euen as the pillars of the tabernacle were made of Shittim wood and ouerlaid with pure gold so preachers which are called in the Epistle to the Galatians the pillars of the Church must not onely be ouerlaid outwardly with pure gold teâ—…ching the word of God purely but also they must doe as they say and inwardly be made of Shitrim woode which neuer corrupteth neuer rotteth hauing no corruption no rottennes in their liues Hereupon our Lord speaking to his Prophet saies Lift vp thy voice as a trumpet Diuers things there are which sound louder then a trumpet The sea the thunder or such like Yet he saies not Lift vp thy voice as the sea or lift vp thy voice as the thunder but lift
walke on long enough and no man enuie you no man maligne you or malice you But because God hath inspired you with his principall spirit and endewed you with speciall great graces aboue your fellowes therefore doth your aduersarie the Deuill the old enemie of all goodnes and vertue who is readie to burst to see you doe so well he I say doth bestirre himselfe and raise vp enemies against you But O blessed be our good Lord what a wonderfull comfort and incouragement haâ—…e all you what a horrible terrour affrightment haue all your enemies in this text For the holy Ghost saies not They shall be clothed or you shall cloth them but I euen I shal cloth them with shame It is impossible saies he that you should alwaies be armed at all points circumspect at all places vigilant at all times prouided at all occasions to preuent the mischieuous practises of your deuillish enemies No counsell of man no policie no wisdome no wit can foresee all their barbarous vndertakings and complottes to escape them But in heauen in heauen there is an eye an hand there is in heauen an eye to descrie them and a hand to persecure and punish them both an eye and an hand to deliuer you from daunger and to cloath them with shame Therefore saith he Cast your care vpon me let me alone with them your perill is my perill your case my case I le pay them that they haue deserued He take the quarrell into mine owne â—…ands I le trimme them well enough As for your enemies I shall cloath them with shame RemeÌ„ber I pray you beloued though indeede they haue made themselues worthie neuer to be remembred or once to be mentioned in our mouthes any more yet remember I say to their egregious dishonour reproch how those are now clothed with shame who were the first cause of the solemnizing or as I may say of the sanctifying of this present day for the day of the weeke and of yesterday for the day of the moneth of the twelue moneth with so holy an exercise How odious how execrable is their very name vnto vs what true hearted loyall subiect such as I am sure all are here doth not detest them hate them loath them as a toad or as a viper or as some hidious mishapen monster and curse the very day wherein such a rebellious generation and such a trayterous brood were borne Certainly my good brethren if the mercie of God which is incomprehensible did not giue them grace at the last gaspe to repent and crie to God for pardon as they are cloathed with shame in this world so shall they be much more in the world to come And as we hold them for no better then cursed creatures so shall the Lord at last say vnto them Goe ye cursed into euerlasting fire So let it be o Lord euen so to all the enemies of thine aâ—…ointed either open or secret so let it be to them As for his enemies doe thou thou O Lord thine owne selfe doe thou cloath them with shame But vpon himselfe shall his Crowne flourish These words vpon himselfe either are altogether impertinent and superfluous or else they are very important and materiall For it had beene sufficient to haue saide As for his enemies I shall cloath them with shame but as for himselfe his â—…rowne shall â—…lourish It is not greatly necessarie as it should seeme to 〈◊〉 his crowne shall â—…lourish vpon himselfe Yet the Lord in his gratious answer vnto Dauids praier thought good to put in this as a supernumerarie word ouer and besides the necessitie of the sentence to teach the good King and vs all likewise a very notable lesson Namely that he would blesse the crowne the dignitie the flourishing estate of his louing seruant not onely in his owne person and his posteritie in this world and in the world to come as I haue shewed alreadie but also from a lesser weight of glory still to a greater and greater Vpon himselfe saies he shall his crowne flourish For not onely it shall be as flourishing as Dauid left it at the day of his departure to God but after his dissolutioÌ„ and death as faâ—…t as his bodie corrupteth in the earth so fast shall his crowne encrease still in heauen Trust me truly I speake it before the liuing Lord and this high presence all the whole Church which shall be edified to saluation by Dauids blessed and godly gouernement euen after his death shal yet suffer his crown neuer to die but shall continually keepe it fresh and greene Yeâ—… as euery one brought to the building of the tabernacle and to the reedifying of the temple such as they were able so I assure you I speake now a great word euery particular subiect that is saithfull to God and to his Prince as he goeth on forward to God by the peace and by the religion which he hath enioyed vnder his Prince so he shall still beautifie and decke Dauids crowne one shall bring a white rose another shall bring a red rose and adde it to the crowne that so vpon himselfe still his crowne may slourish the white rose and the redde rose that are in the crowne alreadie beeing euer made more and more fragrant and slourishing O Christ what a crowne is this And what will it growe to much more in the ende You that are mighty Kings and Potentates vpon earth haue indeede great cares and continuall businesse in your heads but yet vouchsafe I pray you to hearken a little what I shal say vnto you You watch oftentimes ouer vs when we are asleepe our selues You care for our peace when it is not in our power to further it you procuring good to Sion and prosperitie to Ierusalem yet many times enioy the least part of it your selues But no force Take this still for your comfort We that cannot all our liues long doe the hundreth part of that good vvhich you doe euery houre shall haue nothing so flourishing a crovvne as you shall haue Vpon you vpon you shall euerlasting peace rest vpon you shall the glorie of Gods Maiestie shine vpon you vpon you shall your crovvne slourish Which the Lord of his mercie graunt I most humbly beseech him for Iesus Christs sake that as Dauids crovvne euer slourished till the first comming of Christ so our gratious Kings crovvne may euer flourish till the second comming of Christ and then that afterward for euer his royall Maiestie may be roy ally crovvned vvith eternall life thorough the same our deare Sauiour Iesus Christ to vvhom vvith the father and the holy Ghost be all honour and glo rie povver and praise dignitie and dominion novv and euermore Amen FINIS A SERMON PREACHED BEFORE the Kings Maiestie that day he entred into Oxford at Woodstocke August 27. 1065. Luk. 8. 15. But that which fell in good ground are they which with a good and a very good heart heare the word and keepe it and bring
separate him from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus Wherefore seeing the godly man is so inuincible that neither the gates of hell nor the flood-gates of many waters can preuaile against him Surely in the flood of many waters they shall not come neere him In the last place must be considered the asseueration Surely For if both liuing and dying my 〈◊〉 be most certaiâ—…e in Christ and yet I know not so much what comfort can I gather thereby Now in all aduersities this is my greatest ioy that the fauour of God which is most constant in it selfe is fully assured also to me For I know that my redeemer liueth And if I be iudged I know I shall be found righteous And I know whome I haue beleeued and I am sure In one word I am Surely perswaded that neither life nor death nor any thing els can separate vs froÌ„ Christ. Nay in all the flood of waters we shall be more then conquerours They shall not come neere to conquer vs. But rather we shall conquer them Yea that which is strangest of all Surely we shall be more then conquerers ouer them Though an hoast of men were laid against me yet shall not my heart be afraid and though there rose vp warre against me yet will I put my trust in it Not in him as it is ill translated in the English but in it that is In the very warre it selfe I will not feare Nay I will be of good hope Yea Surely in the very warre will I hope and trust For euen as a building made arch-wise the more waight is laide vpon it the more strong still it is so the more force and strength is brought against me the greater triumph victorie I shall haue Therefore I will not be afraid of tenne thousand of the people that haue seâ—… themselues against me round about For a thousand of them shall 〈◊〉 at my side and ten thousand at my right hand but they shall not come neere me The Arke in the 〈◊〉 was not drowâ—…ed as other things were but floated vpon the waters Yea the higher the waters encreased the higher Surely for that did the Arke still arise Likewise the redde â—…ea did not hinder the Israelites passage but opened an easie way to them Yea Surely it vvas morcouer as a vvall to backe them against all their enemies The vvordes o Saint Iames are verâ—…e plaine My brethren count it exceeding â—…oy when you fall into diuers temptations Tentaâ—…ion of it selfe doth vexe and disquiet a man But to the godly it is a ioy As we read els where That they â—…vhich are iustisied by 〈◊〉 haue peace nay haue easie accesse to God and great ioy in tribulations But the Apostle adding that this ioy is not common or ordinarie but Surely exceeding ioy raiseth vp the ampliâ—…ication as high as may be Whereunto S. Paul also accordeth We are afâ—…licted on euery side yet we are not in distresse in pouertie but not ouercome of pouertie we are persecuted but not forsaken cast down but we perish not Here he prooueth directly that the flood commeth not neere the faithfull But where is the Surely It followeth in the same epistle As dying and behold we liue as chastened and yet not killed as sorrowing and yet alwaies reâ—…oycing as poore and yet making many rich as hauing nothing and yet possessing all things O the securiâ—…ie and feliciâ—…ie of the faithfull For his faith maketh life of death ioy of sorrowe riches of pouertie What shall I say more or what would you haue me say more then as the Apostle saies It makes all things of nothing As hauing nothing saies he and yet pâ—…ss ssi g all thingâ—… But the special thing to be noted in this sentence is As dying and Behold we liue For they import that death is no death but As it were death an image or a shadowe of death beeing indeede life and Surely a better life and more immortall then we had here Therefore he saies Behold we liue to shewe that by death the faithfull liue a life wherein there is some great specialty and excellency worthy indeed to be beholded regarded As if he should say Behold we liue Behold we liue a more happy life then euer we liued in our life S. Augustin often commeÌ„deth the saying of his master S. Ambrose when he was readie to die Speaking to Stilico and others about his bed I haue not liued so among you saith he that I am ashamed to liue longer if it please God and yet again I am not afraid to die because we haue a good Lord. He doth not say Mine ovvne goodnesse puts me out of feare but Gods goodnesse This goodnesse of God makes me quiet in my conscience and secure in soule readie to embrace death vvhensoeuer it commeth Wherefore Surely is fitly added For afflictions as vvaters doe not ouercome the faithfull Nay they come not neere him But contrariwise the faithfull conquereth afflictions Yea Surely he is in them all more then a conquerour In vvarre he is not afraid Rather he greatly hopeth And Surely euen in the verie vvarre he hopeth The flood of vvaters commeth not neere to drovvne the Arke but lift it vp And so much the higher Surely the arke still riseth as the flood riseth The sea staieth not the Israelites passage It is a dry land for them to march on As a vvall moreouer to backe them Surely against all their enemies Tentation not onely is no matter of sorrovve but also on the other side of ioy Surely of great ioy Death is no death but a life and Surely such a life as onely of it vve may say Behold vve liue So happie both in life and death is the faithfull man Surely in the flood of many waters they shall not come neere him To conclude then No calamitie or aduersitie can possibly disseuer that coniunction vvhich faith maketh of euery godly man with Christ. For feeling the remission of his sinnes assured and sealed vnto him he contemneth not onely the works of the world and dismaiments of his conscience but euen the very feares and terrours of death This our deare brother M. Edward Liuely who now resteth in the Lord lead a life which in a manner was nothing els but a continuall flood of many waters Neuer out os suits of law neuer-ceasing disquieters of his studie His goods distrained and his caâ—…tell driuen off his ground as Iobs was His deare wife beeing not so well able to beare so great a flood as he euen for very sorrow presently died A lamentable and ruefull case So many children to hang vpon his hand for which he had neuer mainâ—…enance neither yet now had stay his wife beeing gone Well but that sorrowfull time was blowne ouer He was appointed to be one of the chiefest translators And as soone as it was knowne how farre in this trauaile he did more then any of the rest he