as the couetous minded Worldling to whome it was said Thou Foole this night shall they fetch away thy soule from thee Luke 12. 20. that such as are couetous are Earthly minded Philip. 3. 19. and thereby haue their heartes cleauing vnto the Earth for which cause must they much more become an Abhomination vnto the LORD then those Creeping thinges which naturally go with their Bellies vppon the ground Leuit. 11. 20. that though they haue some Kingdome yet haue they but a small portion of the Earth and that the least fixed Star in the Firmament as the Astrologians testifie is eighteene times bigger then the whole Earth that the Heathen Man could say by the Light of Nature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 An vnsatiable desire of getting is the greatest mischiefe among men that Couetousnesse worshippeth Angels not of Glory but of Gold euen the Creature for the Creator making Goods as they call them their Chiefest Good and Gold a God because Couetousnesse is Idolà try Coloss 3. 5. That to conclude â—iuitiarum hommâ— non sints ponitur vllus Man hath no end in getting or in his desire to gette But as hee which hath the dropsie the more hee drinketh the more hee thirsteth So the Earthly-minded Cormorant the more hee possesseth the more hee coueteth multiplying his possession but not increasing his ioy as we read Esay 9. 3. of multiplying the nations and not increasing their ioy Secondly this Meditation would beat and beare downe the Monster of Ambition by pondering that though the Ambitious man be growing so long as he is liuing yet doth hee no more then the slimy and brutish Crocodile that God resisteth the proud and giueth grace to the humble Thus resisted hee proud Nimrod Saul 1 Pet. 5. 5. Haman Holofernes Herod c. Thus gaue hee grace to humble Abraham Dauid Mordochee Iudeth Iohn Baptist That it is not the Sweete Figge-tree nor the Fatte Oliue-tree nor the Pleasant Vine but the tearing and renting Bramble that presumptiously vsurpeth The dignity Judge 9. 8. 9. 10. Phauorinus of a Kingdome that the ambitious man according to the fage iudgement of a wise Gentile is Ridiculus odiosus miserabilis to bee laughed at to bee hated to bee pittyed To be laughed at is hee because hee seeketh after honors not measuring his owne strength whether he can bee able to beare them to bee hated because hee coueteth to bee aloft rather for the glory and honour of him-selfe then for the good and lucre of his Country to bee pittied is hee because it fareth with him for the most part as with the Snaile who it may bee climbeth vppe to the highest branch of the tree yet neuer attayneth to the full toppe thereof because the windes happely vnto whose force it is then most exposed puffeth and bloweth it downe in whome is verified that saying Tolluntur in altum Vt lapsugrauiore ruant Ciaudia lib. 1. They are more aduanced in their raise that they may be more bruised in their fall The Ambitious man is an eye-sore to others and a sore to him-selfe as one saith Honores tumores Honors are Tumors and Tumors are sores Esay 1. 6. Thirdly this Meditation would beate and beare downe the Monster of drunkennesse by weighing that it maketh a Man a Beast yea worse then a Beast for as much as a Beast taketh that measure which is conuenient for Nature and then is satisfied but Man seeketh not onely to content Nature by Naturall appetite but to quench Nature by Artificiall quaffings beeing heerein farre more beastly then the Beast in that the Beast is still susteined on his legges whereas Man cannot stand but while his head waueth Braine swimmeth Heart faileth him hee reeleth falleth by his reeling and lieth still beeing fallen that on a Drunkard which cannot beare it the world cryeth shame as on him whose legges foundereth hands shaketh head reeleth countenance is disfigured eyes inflamed tongue swolne belly belcheth and whole man to conclude is become a scorne of men because hee seemeth to bee the out-cast of the people that against a Drunckard which can beare it God denounceth a Woe Woe be to them Esay 5. 20. that are mighty to drinke Wine and to them which are strong to powre in strong drinke that Saint Chrysostome calleth Châ—â—st Senâ—ca the Drunkard 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Liuing not Body but Carkasse That Drunkennesse is nothing else as one speaketh but a voluntary madnesse a madnesse is it so dangerous as it hath caused the great Conquerour of the World Alexander the great neuer therein to conquer him-selfe but to bee conquered by his passions so as hee slew his most deere friend Clytus burnt the renowmed Quint. Curâ—â— Citty Persepolis stabbed his Physition and committed many other filthy and infamous deedes that to conclude the Drunckard as writeth Saint Ambrose Though Ambros hee swalloweth downe the Wine is swallowed vp of the Wine abhorred of God despised of Angels derided of men destitute of Vertue confounded of Denills and trampled vpon by the feete of all men The like may bee said that this Meditation will doe with Gluttony Incontinencie Malice and that grand sinne of which Trismegistus saith that it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the great disease of the Soule I meane of Mercurius Trismegist Atheisme which execrable rather then miserable sect though they bee both because they giue little heede to the Booke of GOD or the sacred volume of the holye Scriptures if they would a little more strictly draw home the loose reines of their inconsiderate Sensuality and meditate some-what more seriouslye on the bookes of Nature conteined in the greater volume of the great World and the smaller Tome of Man him-selfe who is called the Little World they could not choose but assume and challenge to them-selues that name which the Scripture giueth them that they are fooles The foole hath said in his heart there is no God By this then which hath beene spoken may in some Psal 14. 1. measure appeare the danger which commeth by the neglect the good that ariseth by the Practise of Meditating If Philosophy bee the study of Wisdome and the knowledge of Christianity bee the true Wisdome then bee Christians alone the true Philosophers one saith of the life of a Philosopher that it is a perpetuall Meditation much more then ought the life a Christian so to bee as heere wee see that the taske of the Godly man in his paines is to meditate The second thing is the subiect of his paines in his lawe before we mentioned the aâ—te of meditating out-spread and at large more generally â—now are wee to consider the same as it is reduced and bound vp vnto the subiect more specially in his lawe doth hee meditate Dauid doth measure the mannage of a Godly mans behauiour by the cariage of his owne vertue I will meditate in thy precepts and consider thy wayes Yea and his meditation hath Psal 119. 15. beene
swallowed vp with desperation Yet is this but the beginning of their sorrowes to bee fully accomplished at the resurrection of their flesh and the re-union of their bodies and soules together the full complement and perfection of this their perishing This shall be the vtmost bounds of Gods wrath indignation to be imposed on the wicked when God to whome vengeance belongeth shall fully repaye it sharing out to all these children of reprobacie their due and full rewarde euen their portion with hypocrites where there shall bee weeping and gnashing of teeth This portion as it is monstrously compacted of many hideous and affrightfull limbes and members so to let passe the rest we may insist vpon these three First that there is a patternlesse extremity of it An extreamity in the vtmost extent of sorrowings and torturings which because it goâ—th beyond all extreamities is the extreamity of extremities Wherefore the spirit of God in the holy Scripture doth set about it a fearfull gard as I may so say of so many terrifying titles and attributes In which it is called Anger to come Matth. 3. 7. A prison 1. Pet. 3. 19. a dungeon of that depth and profunditie as it is sayd to bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a pitt that is bottemlesse Apocal. 9. 2. A pitt not onely bottomlesse for the depth of it but also comfortlesse for the darknesse of it therefore is it stiled by blacke darkenesse 2. Pet 2. 17 A fire Iam. 3. 6. A furnace of that fire Matth. 13. 4â— Which of it selfe is euerlasting and will not goe out Matth. 18. 8 from others is vnquenchable and cannot bee put out Matth. 3. 12. And no meruaile for it is a Lake of fire which burneth with Brimsâ—one Apocal. 19. 20. If the fire which hath beene giuen by God vnto Man for his vse and comfort bee so whotte and vnsufferable in nature as it deserueth the highest place of torments what then shall wee thinke that that fire is which not Man who is able to deuise much nor Angels which are able to finde out more but God him-selfe who is infinitely able to inuent most of all hath in the largest compasse of his wisedome sought out to bee not for vse but for a curse not for the comfort of man but for his torment I say what shall wee thinke that fire to bee dolorous no doubt with-out limitation and vnsufferable aboue all conceipt Phalaris Bull in comparison of this may be said to bee but as the burning coales which that holy confessor Tiburtius walked vpon with his naked feete which he deemed and affirmed to be but as so many roses 4. It is a bitter and vncomfortable thing for a man to lie siâ—ke vpon the hard ribbes and iron sides of a grediron more bitter and vncomfortable if it be vpon a burning grediron But farre oh farre more bitter and vncomfortable to burne in the flames of hell the entraylls and bowells of whose â—urious burning is farre more tormenting and torturing then can the sides and ribs of any grediron bee If the disionting of one onely member doth affect vs with more paine then we can with patience vndergoe O! how shall we be able to vndergo and suffer it when the whole body shall be tormented and the whole soule discomfitted If a man hath a paine in one only member how he bemoneth himselfe and complaineth But these gnawing greeuances shal be in euery part and parcell ioynt sinew vaine muscle artery vniuersally and singularly possessing at once head eyes tounge teeth throat stomach backe belly heart sides in that misery that all the Logitians of the world cannot argue it in that manner that all the Rhetoritians of the world cannot vtter it in that number that all the Arithmeticians in the world cannot summe it in that content that all the Geometritians of the world cannot measure it This caused rich Diues to be cloathed with Purple flames as hee some-time was cloathed in Purple to bee compassed in with Blacke Darkenesse as hee sometime was apparrelled with Fine White to sue for a droppe of Cold Water with more torrentes of teares then euer Esau sought for his blessing Luke 16. A drop of cold water why euen to coole his toungue Hee which shewed not so much mercy toward Lazarus necessities as some of the Dogges had done to his Sores in that they licked them with their tounges hath his tounge burning in hell Hee which denyed Lazarus a crumme of bread to â—lacke his hunger when hee begged it obtayned not so much as a drop of cold water to coole his toungue though hee sueth for it But bee it miserable Diues that thou haddest obtayned thy droppe and with thy droppe not onely the riuers of the South but all the waters of the South and North seas yet shouldest thou haue found lesse ease in the burning fit of an hellish torment by all these waters then the sicke patient doth in the burning fit of an hot ague after a draught of cold water whereby his malady is rather increased then aswaged Or be it that thy tounge should finde ease yet thy heart thy liuer thy lunges thy bowells thy armes thy legges should burne and broyle frie and flame still The extreamity therefore of this perishing euerlasting is patternlesse Secondly there is an endlesse perpetuity of it A fire that neuer goeth out Mar. 9. 46. When as many millions not of yeares but of Ages be expired as there bee starres in the firmament yet will there still by an infinite computation bee as many more to come Be it that a man should once only in an hundred thousand yeares take a droppe of water out of the maine Sea How many millions of ages would bee spent before hee should empty it yet sooner should this vast deepe bee exhaust and dried vp by thus taking a drop out of it then this time ended Bee it that a man should liue not the age of Mathewsalem the eldest liuer but from the creation to the resurrection that is the Age of the world and should spend all that time in setting together the greatest numbers hee possibly can and in the end should summe them altogether yet is it lesse to this number then a grayne of â—â—nd to the whole shore of the sea Suppose that the whole circumference of the Heauen from the East to the Wâ—â—t and from the West to the East againe were filled wiâ—h figures sett according to the art of Arithmetike yet cannot it I will not say match but touch the accompt of the infinite times wherein these torments shall bee suffered The reason of all which may bee this because if a man should substract a hundred thousand thousandes of millions from a number that is infinite it remaineth infinite still But may some man say how may this stand with the equity of Gods iustice to punish the finite sinne of man with an infinite punishment the boundlesse perishing in hand The answer here-vnto shall not bee mine but S. Gregories
outward state and countenance in that they were sayd to bee fayre Dani. 4. 18. And these outward leaues of externall appearance consist eyther in Speach as S. Ierome Ierom in Psal 1. taketh heere Leaues to bee interpreted or 〈◊〉 in Gesture and Behauiour that is outward Grauity Modesâ—y Sobriâ—ty or the like This Leafe is two-fold of Hypocrites of Saintes First the Leafe of Hypocrites is that which alwaies is to be found alone without fruits whose Speach is feigned without sincerity and whose Behauiour is counterfeite without integrity In both of them are they as Tombes painted and gorgeous without but full of rotten bones within not vnlike the Alchymists gold which appeareth in colour to be Gold but when it is brought eyther to the touch of the stone or to the stroake of the hammer it is proued to be but Adulterine by the one and is easily broken by the other A disease there is called Noli me tangere which becommeth speedily contagious vnto others but cannot indure to bee touched it selfe so the Hypocrite in outward speach is ready to find fault with the Moate which is in the eye of another but will not permit that the Beame which is in his owne eye should once bee medled with Math. 7. 4. like them who haue the Dropsie who for get the tumorous swelling of their own belly to blame the smaller bounth of their neighbours finger The Workeman maketh the face without the heart God maketh both the face and the heart the action of the Hypocrite may be compared with the act of the Workeman which consisteth onely in the outwarde face as leaues alone with-out fruite The action of the Saints may bee likened vnto the worke of God which standeth not onely in the composition of the face which is as the leafe but of the heart which is as the fruite The Saints then are like Nathanaell whom Christ sawe vnder the Fig-tree a true Izraelite in whome there was no guile But the Hipocrites like the Fig-tree it selfe which Ioh 1. 47. 48. Christ found hauing nothing but leaues Matth. 21. 19. Izraelttes onely without Rom. 2. 28. within nothing bâ—t guile A brood of Vipers Matth. 3. 7 which though they outwardly seeme to hisse with zeale and to delight with the variety of their painted skinne yet within haue they nothing but poyson nothing but venome This leafe of the hypocrite standeth not in that happy estate which the leafe of the righteous standeth in for whereas the spirit of God testifieth in this Psalme that the leafe of the righteous shall not fade the leafe of the Hypocrite cannot but fade Whose leafe shall become as the leafe of the Oake which shall fade away Neither shall Esay 1. 38. the leafe onely fade that is the outward appearance shall perish but euen the Tree it selfe which beareth such leaues shall wither from the rootes It may bee they may Math. 21. 19. flourish for a time but the continuance of such Hypocrites will prooue like the growth of a Rushe which is withour mire therfore soone waxeth â—eare as the Grasse without Water which cannot holde out and their trust that is the thing wherein they haue most affiance is but like the house of a Spyder which is both subtile and brittle soone brooken downe and though their leafe bee greene and not yet cutt downe yet sâ—all it wither before any Iob. 8. 11. 12. 13. other hearbe The second leafe is the leafe of Saints which is alwayes accompanied with fruites whose words are outwardly vnfeigned with inwarde sinceritie and whose whole behauiour is outwardly incorrupt with inward truth in both which may they bee likened to Salomons Temple whose outward gate was beautiful and inward courtes were more beautifull Act. 3. 2. In an Hypocrite the Leaues are great but the fruit none at all but in a Saint the leaues are small and the fruit great The Saintes indeed are not altogether without their Leaues there outward shew yeâ— are they but little in comparison of there fruit their inward comfort like the Kings Daughter who no doubt was beautious without in that her cloathing was of broydred gold but nothing answerable to that shee was within for shee was first Glorious second all glorious within Psalme 45. 13. These Leaues these outward and extreame appearances because they are accompanied with fruit therefore as Laban was blessed for Iacobs sake and Pharaoh prospered for Iosephes cause shall these Leaues bee so established for the fruites sake as neither Fruit nor leafe shall fade O then how fearefull a thing is it to bee Trees bringing forth Leaues without fruit with the Hypocrites for then not onely the Leaues but the Trees also themselues by the fearefull yet most iust iudgement of God as proud Iesabell and her painted face shall both of them perish together On the otherside how bliffull a thing will it bee to bring forth Leaues with fruit as the Saints vse to doe for then not onely the Fruite but the Leaues also by the fauorable prouision of Gods most mercifull protection shal both of them flourish together euen as he which dyeth in the Lord his workes go both of them to heauen together Oh let vs then seeing it is the pleasure of G O D S spirit to call vs by the name of Trees not become such Trees as haue a shewe of Leaues onely without the substance of fruite therein as Hypocrites least that God meete with vs in the extreame rigor of his sharpest iudgement not onely to shake of our leaues Ieremy 8. 13. but euen to lay an Axe to the roots of such trees to cut them downe Matth. 3. 10. But let vs rather striue with the best straine of our might to prooue our selues such trees which shall produce Leaues of shew coupled and accompanied with fruites of substance therein as Saints that so God may deale with vs in that louing kindnesse which may not onely conserue our fruite that it may become liuing like the fruite of the tree of life but also that our very Apocal 22. 2. Leafe may not onely bee durable to continue but medicinable also to doe good as the Leaues of that Tree there mentioned according to the truth of this Text whose leafe shall not fade The second part in the similitude it is the adiection or part subsequent So whatsoeuer hee doth shall prosper Wherein there is conteined First a further Declaration or Dilatation of that Blessednesse promised as a recompence of the vertuous labours of the godly man vers 1. in that it is said of him that hee shall prosper Secondly how he shall prosper So c. that is euen as the tree planted by the riuers of waters which will bring forth her fruite in due season whose leafe shall not fade Thirdly wherein hee shall prosper in his dooings Hee shall doe c. Fourthly in what dooings not in some but in all his dooings Whatsoeuer hee shall doe c. First then touching the
vnholsome it forbeareth it and casteth it forth againe but if it findeth it to bee loue-some and nourishable it conuayeth it further into that place which nature hath ordayned to be as the source and fountaine of nutrition and strength to the whole body in generall and euery singular member thereof particular But on the other side the care of the wicked become as the Spunge which sucketh vp all both good and bad or rather as the Siue which letteth goe the good and keepeth the bad As therefore wee reade of a Fooles mouth Proueb 18. 7. so may this bee said to bee a Fooles eare A Fooles mouth speaketh any thing so a Fooles eare heareth any thing but a Fooles mouth speaketh euer or for the most part that which is bad so a Fooles eare heareth seldome or neuer that which is good as Flattering is to the eares of the great so are the words of a tale bearer to the eares of the great so are the words of a tale bearer to the eares of the wicked they goe downe into the bowels of the belly Pro. 18. 8. They goe downe by light credence deepe euen vnto the bowelles of the belly by malicious Remembrance because the wicked are as the Chaffe light of eare as that is light of substance Secondly it may appeare vnto vs that the wicked are as Chaffe light because they bee light of there Word They haue not there mouth in there heart like the Wise-man that they may bee constant but they haue there heart in there mouth like the Foole that they may bee vncertaine wauering mutable Eccle. 21. 26. The certainty of the word of the wicked is like the groweth of a Mushrom which commeth vp in one night and is gone in another It is said of words that they bee as wind so may it bee said of the wordes of the vngodly that they bee more light then the winde and also more flitting Doe they promise any thing there promises are but as Esdras visions which proued but as vanishing apparitions for he which is Wiced is also Vnwise and a lye is oft in the mouth of such a one Doe they Vow any thing which is more then an ordinary Ecc. 20. 23 promise because it carieth a Protestation with it yet keepe they there vowes no better then they did which Act. 23. 12. vowed Paules death which they neuer performed the difference is that the vowers of Paules death performed it not because they could not but these performe not there vowes because they will not Doe they sweare and bind the matter with an oth yet bee there oathes like Belles or Bubbles in the water which swell and breake in a â—erom moment As the Godly sweareth in Iudgement verity and righteousnesse as is praescribed Iere. 4. 2. wherevpon Saint Ierome writeth in Iudgement in respect of them-selues least they should doe it rashly in Verity and in regard of iustice of the cause they sweare for in veritate ne falsa sit in verity least it should bee false in iusticia ne illicita in iustice least it should bee vnlawfull as also it is alledged by Thomas Aquinas so the wicked and vngodly doe neither Tho. Aquin. Sum par 2. 2. q 〈…〉 t. 89. Aâ—ti 3. sweare of iudgement in respect of them-selues but rashly inconsideracely neyther in Truth and Iustice touching the cause not in Truth because bee it true or false it is all one to them not in Iustice because whether it bee lawfull or vnlawfull they regard not As therefore they sweare lightly so likewise forsweare they as lightly in Promise Vow oath and by consequence in their word light as the chaffe is light Thirdly it may appeare vnto vs that the wicked aâ—e as Chaffe Light because they bee light in their mindes entertaining and excluding admitting and reiecting receiuing repelling hundreds yea thousands not of variable and changeable but of varied changed interpretations determinations courses purposes whose councels and intentions hang no better together then if a man should wreath as the prouerbe saith a rope of sand velut â—gri somnia vana as the vaine dreames of a sicke man That which one while pleaseth them forth-with discontents them that which one while affects them with mirth forthwith surprizeth them with sorrow that which one while lifts them vp with pride forth-with casts them downe in basenesse They now sing now sighe now leape now languish now laugh now weep Caereus in vitium flectâ— may Hoâ—ace be the vngodly mans Motto because like Wax hee may be wrought and brought into all shapes and formes by a very sudden mutation but in all thinges tending vnto Vice like a certaine creature called Nabis which cosisting of many shapes make but one monster Neither doth this Pliâ—â—y lightnesse in their minds concerne their Moral intents only but also their religious courses For were there as great variety of religions in the world as there is of faces and countenances whereof neuer were two found that in all respects were like each other yet could they bee content to bee of them all so as from them all they moughâ— reape any aduancement or aduantage at all But while they take all religions in all they haue none euen as the water which receaueth the semblance of all coulors indeed hath none Hee that is without religion is at the sayrest but immortale pecus an immortall beast Immoâ—tall in respect of his soule which cannot dye a Beast because hee laboureth rather to staine that soule by Sinne then to saue that soule by Grace The Religion of such standeth if it standeth at all onely in outward appearance not like vnto the Sacrifice which God approueth Leuit. 1. 9. whose Inwardes must bee washed The Confession of Peter was his Religion Math. 16. 16. which our Sauiour Vers 18. calleth by the name of a Rocke If religion be as A Rocke it ought not to be I wil not say easily but at all remoued or altered but stand firmely and vnchangeably grounded and rooted Gregor Nazian witnesseth concerning Constantius Grego Nazian orat funeb in Laud. Athanasâ—i the Emperor when he was ready to dye that he complayned that there were three euills which chiefly happened to his Empire while he reigned the one was the slaughter of Gallus his son in lawe the second was the setting at liberty of â—ulian the Apostata the third the innouation of religion But that which Constantius deemed and doomed to be a maine euil to his whole Empire viz the change of religion the wicked supposeth to bee no indamagement to his particular selfe for hee is in his Minde and by consequence in his religion light as the chaffe is light Fourthly it may appeare vnto vs that the wicked are as Chaffe Light because they bee Light of their Bodies by committing of manyfold adulteries and fornications A sinne which is committed by them with greedinesse of sinning by which they do not onely offend but defend it when they