not alway before me m 9. I will take no bullocke out of thine house nor he-goates out of thy folds n 10. For all the beasts of the forrest are mine and so are the cattle vpon a thousand hils o 11. I know all the foules vpon the mountaines and the wild beasts are all mine p 12. If I were hungrie I would not tell thee for the world is mine and all that is therein q 13. Thinkest thou that I will eate buls flesh or drinke the bloud of goates No no r 14. offer praise rather vnto thy God and pay thy voweâ— vnto the most high For as he is not a God of the dead letter but rather of the quickening spirit so he reiects this shadow till the substance doth come Almightie God in the first of Esay forgot his owne people to be the children of Iaakob because they forgot this oblation of loue to be the sacrifice of a God Heare the word of the Lord ye Princes of Sodome saith Å¿ Esa 1. 10. he hearken to the law of God ô people of Gomorrhe and asketh them in iealousie as hot aâ— fire t Vers 11. What haue I to do with the multitude of your sacrifices saith the Lord I am full of your burnt offerings of rammes and the fat of fed beasts I desire not the bloud of bullockes nor oâ— lambes nor of goates 12. When ye come to appeare before me who required this at your hands to tread in my courts x 13. Bring no more oblations in vaine incense is an abhomination vnto me I cannot suffer your new Moones nor sabboths nor solemne dayes it is iniquitie nor your solemne assemblies y 14. My soule hateth your new Moones and your appointed feasts they are a burden vnto me I am wearie to â—eare them z 15. And wheâ— ye shall stretch out your hands I will hide mine eyes from you and though ye make many prayers I will not heare for youâ— hands are full of bloud This was the hearbe and roote of bitternesse that put death in the pot this was the dead flie that putrified their oyntment and made their sweet odours and incense to stink Thus loathed he the fat of their fed beasts when their heart was as fat as brawn Thus spued he out the bloud of their bullockes when their hands were full of bloud Thus refused he the flesh of their lambes when vnder this sheepes clothing they were rauening wolues Thus checked he their treading in his courts when entring into his house they looked not to their feete but gaue the sacrifice of fooles Thus abhorred he their new Moones when the old man of malice was not chaunged nor the new man of charitie put on Thus hated he their appointed feasts when they were not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 feasts of loue Thus their sweet perfumes stinked in the nostrels of the most high and their incense incensed his wrath when their hands were full of bloud And as he began that Prophesie of Esai in this first so in the a Esa 66. 3. last Chapter with the same tune he ends it He that killeth a bullocke is abhominable as if he slue a man he that sacrificeth a sheepe regarded as if he cuts off a dogs necke he that offereth an oblation approued as if he offered swines bloud He that remembreth incense is accepted as if he blessed an idoll when his hart or as hands are full of bloud For he desired mercie more then sacrifice and this knowledge of God more then burnt offerings Hos 6. 6. Thus he that is rather a God of the quickening spirit then of the dead letter requireth more the quickening spirit of loue then the dead carcase of any sacrifice whatsoeuer I hate and abhorre your feast dayes saith b Amos 5. 2â— the Lord and I will not smell in your solemne assemblies c vers 22. Though ye offer me burnt offerings and meat offerings I will not accept them neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat beasts d 23. Take thou away from me the multitude of thy songs for I will not heare the melodie of thy vials till e 24. iudgement runne downe as waters and righteousnesse as a mightie riuer Wherewithall then shall I come before the Lord saith his Prophet in the person of the people and bow my selfe before the high God Shall I come before him with burnt offerings and with 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 first borne for my transgression and the fruite of my bodie for the sinne of my soule No no he hath shewed thee ô man what indeed is good and what the Lord requireth rather of thee surely to do iustly and to loue mercie and to humble thy selfe to walke with thy God Mich. 6. 8. This shal please the Lord better saith Dauid then a bullocke that hath hornes and hoofes Psal 69. 31. And to loue God with all thy heart and thy neighbour as thy selfe is more then all burnt offerings and sacrifices saith Dauids sonne and Lord Mark 12. 33. Therefore would f Gen. 4. 4. Heb. 11. 4. Abel be in charitie with Cain before he offered therefore would g Gen. 33. 3. 4. 20. Iaakob be reconciled to Esau before he sacrificed therefore would h Psal 26 6. Dauid wash his hands in innocencie before he went to the altar therefore would i Act. 10. 11. Peter be in charitie with the Gentils before he preached therefore would k Rom. 10. 1. Paul be in charitie with the Iewes before he prayed For l 1. Cor. 13 3. almes without loue it is not accepted m Mat. 7. 22. Prophesie without loue it is not respected knowledge without loue it is not approued miracles without loue they are not regarded burning martyrdome without loue it is as if it freezed prayer without loue it is reiected Esa 1. 15. yea it is abhominable Prou. 28. 9. nay no lesse then abhomination it selfe to the Lord Prou. 15. 8. And it is impious that a wicked man in thought or deed shall come to pray as the vaine n Hesiâ—d lib. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plat. ex Plat. Cicer. lib. 2. de legib heathen could obserue This loue then is the fire which purified Abels offering for want whereof putrified Cains oblation this is it which so iudged between the cleane and vncleane that wheâ— two were sacrificing at the altar the one was receiued and the other refused This is the sweet incense which perfumeth our sacrifice of praise and praying and setteth them foorth as the incense and the lifting vp of our hands as an euening sacrifice This is the ointment boxe of Spikenard which sweetneth the calues of our lips and maketh them better then a bullocke that hath hornes and hoofes This is the salt which like that in the o
ashamed of his malice and becomming sory for his misdoings repent of his wronging thee Some c Theoph. Zuing. Ilâ—yr Bez Râ—ll in hunc loc interpreters indeed both auncient and moderne vnderstand it of coales of iudgement and vengeance d Orig. Aquin. Lyrae Hug. Anselm Hyp. A 〈◊〉 Piscat in Rom. 12. 20. Others interprete it of coales of loue to inflame his frozen affection and charitie waxen cold And it cannot be meant of coales of vengeance and hell fire saith Thomas because that intent of feeding him is contrary to charitie whereunto the Apostle in this whole chapter exhorteth Howbeit though the former probably collect from the phrase of heaping on his head an increase of his iudgement and the latter sort from coales of fire gather it to be meant of inflaming his loue yet with the most and not worst e Ierom. Caluin H 〈…〉 g. Guâ—lt Fâ—r Oleâ—iâ— My 〈◊〉 vid. Juâ—us in Prou 25. 22. expounders may I admit both expositions With the heat of thy loue either thou shalt try him as siluer is tried in the fire of what sort he is if he be gold and siluer or euer had in his election the Lords image and superscription vpon him and was then coined in that mint for a currant Christian thy fiery coales of loue shall burne out his drosse till it be pure from rust and rancor and take away all his tinne Or if he be a vessel of earth and reprobate siluer wood hay or stubble fuell for hell fire and meate for burning Topheth thou shalt then heape those coales of hell fire on his head that neuer shal be quenched Assuredly thy feeding him shal not be in vain but either shalt thou heape on his head those fiery coales of loue and flame of God to inflame his affection Cant. 8. 6. or those fiery coales of Gods wrath Psalme 140. 10. which will burne vp the vngodly Which may lesson vs beloued brethren to shew our foes 2. Vse the deeds of amitie if we will conquer their malice and reconcile them vnto vs by feeding if they hunger and giuing them drinke if they thirst By performance whereof we shall shew our selues to be like our heauenly Father who maketh his sunne to 1. Our fathers example arise on the euill and sendeth his raine on the vniust Do good to your enemies saith Christ and he subnecteth his strongest motiue thereto That ye may be the children of your heauenly Father Math. 5. 45. Peace-makers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall be called the children of God ver 9. but by doing good to your foes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ye may be made the children of this father and heires of his kingdome for all Gods sonnes are f Rom. 8. 17. heires and coheires with Christ Ye may be Hearing of this precept indeede is an eare-mark of Christs sheepe as witnesseth the chiefe shepheard Iohn 8. He that is of God heareth Gods word he of an vncircumcised eare that wants it is one of the diuels goates and heareth it not because he is not of God But his sheepe must not haue this eare-marke alone but an hand-marke too Math. 7. 24. Iames 1. 22. and therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by this saith he shall all men know that ye are my sheepe Iohn 13. not so much 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if in word and will ye loue one another vers 34. as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if ye haue loue in your hearts one towards another whereby ye shall be made his children For wherein shall it be knowne and discerned saith g Hom. 13. â—pâ—r impersâ—â— hunc locum Chrysostome that we are Gods children vnlesse we be like our heauenly Father Naturall children resemble their parents and are often like their earthly father in face or in speech in some feature and frame of the body but our heauenly Father like h Gen. 27. Isaac trieth his sonne not by his voice but by his hands Come neare and let me feele thine hands my sonne and therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in likenes of his hands latitudo fortitudo as i Tom. 1. ser 7. super Cantic Bernard cals them must we resemble him his right hand latitudo qua tribuit affluenter which is spred out all day long vnto a rebellious people to giue largesse to his enemies Esai 65. 2. and his left hand fortitudo qua defendit potenter which is stretched out all day long to protect a gainesaying people Rom. 10. 21. and they that will shew they are his children must kisse them and be like him in both these hands saith Bernard but chiefly his hand latitude of bounty which hand when he openeth he filleth al things liuing with his plenteousnesse Psal 145. 16. For as his loue to his foes consisteth in donando condonando in giuing forgiuing Psal 103. 3. 5. so his childrens loue must both beare and forbeare giue and forgiue be bountifull and patient 1. Corinth 13. And as the Italians say of Dutch-mens dexteritie in cunning hand-crafts that their wits dwell in their fingers ends so skilfull Christians that will worke out their saluation must not only haue that verball but also reall charitie Iam. 2. 16. not to dwell in the tongues end but in their finger ends and loue not in word and tongue only but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in work and indeed 1. Iohn 3. 18. and by this shall they be made the children of their heauenly father who acknowledgeth none for his sonnes here on earth saith Saint Austine who haue not this affection of their Father in heauen For as the k Plin. nat hist lib. 10. cap 3. Ierom. lib. 12. in Esa 40. Eagle opposing the eyes of her ambigeous bird to the beames of the Sunne trieth him to be genuine if without twinckling and conniuence he can behold that splendant luster Et filius agnoscitur and she acknowledgeth him to be her broode saith l Tract 36 in Euang. Joan. Austine but if without watery eyes he can not gaze vpon that light adulterinus iudicatur he is then counted spurious and adulterate euen so this our heauenly Father as with the Eagle he stirreth vp his neast fluttereth ouer his birdes and beareth them on his wings of mercie Deut. 32. so like the Eagle also he setteth here the eyes of his children who must be tried m Math. 24. Eagles also on the Sunne of righteousnesse and on himselfe the father of lights He saith to his childreÌ„ as did Gedeon to his followers n Iudg 7 17. Looke on me and do as ye see me do Do good to your foes as ye see me do to mine enemies that ye may be like your father and prooue your selues not to be bastards but sons And indeed if as those Indian o Pliâ— nat hist lib. 7. cap. 2. Philosophers could gaze on the Sunne with stedfast eyes we could with Eagle p 1. Ioh. â—â— Iohn not onely videre
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the q Arist lib. 2. Rhâ—roric naturall man telleth Gentils and friendship worke through as the r Galat. 5. spirituall man teacheth Christians Let our friendship shew it selfe Å¿ Arist li. 8. Eâ—h c. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a beneuolence not latent and lurking but patent and working in the deeds of reconcilement and be reconciled not in word and tongue onely but in worke and in deede Yet here beloued must we not stay in these Sancta and holy 3. reconcilemet intentionaâ— places of vnitie where is but the candlesticke of concord and shewbread of friendship for there is a Iudas that can not onely kisse with his mouth but embrace too with his armes and workes of loue when his heart is farre from vs. And therefore thirdly this agreement must enter into the heart the holiest of all where is the hidden Manna and hidden man too the arke of this testimonie and the mercie-seate of reconcilement For as she said to Sampson How canst thou say I loue thee when thine heart is not with me Iudg. 16. so how canst thou truly affect and be friends with thy brother who staying him in the atrium and sanctuary of thy loue shuttest vp thy heart from him and scant once a yeare admittest him into this holiest of all The Lord by his Apostle commaunds thee this last but not least degree of agreement 1. Iohn 3. 18. Let vs loue not in word and like trecherous Ioab by workes deny it neither in tongue onely with traiterous Iudas to giue good words with our mouth and curse with our hearts but as in deed against the former so in truth that is sincerely from the heart against the latter saith Lyra on these words which is loue indeed out of a pure heart 1. Tim. 1. 5. Christian without dissimulation saith t Rom. 12. 9. Paul brotherly without faining from a pure heart feruently saith v 1. Peter 1. 22. Peter For though men not onely speake with the tongue of men and Angels to their brethren but euen giue all their goods to their enemies yet as x Tract 6. â—n â—pi Ioan Austine out of Saint y 1. Corinth 13. Paul collecteth truly if they haue not this feruent loue out of a pure heart it profiteth them nothing because though it be in deed yet not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in truth not before God who seeth their hearts and knoweth their roote to be rottennesse but before men who iudging the tree by her fruite are eft soones deceiued with z August lib 21 de 〈◊〉 Deâ— ca. 5 apples of Sodome that seeme ripe to be taken but being rotten within turne to ashes and smote when they are touched Whereas then many exhibite their beneficence when their beneuolence is inhibited some like the a Mathew 6. 1. Pharisees to be seene of men and some like those b Luke 14. 12. feasters to receiue the like againe both these haue opus non veritatem saith a c Ferus in 1. IoaÌ„ 3. 18. writer they loue indeed before men who looke on the outside but not before God who beholdeth the inside of the platter whereas their left hand of worldly respect should not haue a finger in their giues of loue nor so much as know saith S. Austine what their right hand of pure conscience and sinceritie doth but as feruently to loue in God their friend so hartily for God their foe whose image and superscription he beareth Which loue of God aboue all seeing it begetteth the loue of our neighbor as our self Mat. 22. like d Ruth 1. 16 Naomi and Ruth they will not be parted but the daughter professeth to her mother as Ruth did to Naomi Whither thou goest I will go and where thou dwellest I will dwell thy people shall be my people and where thou diest I will die And therfore as those paire of Turtle-doues or two yong Pigeons were ioyntly a legall oblation for Christ Luk. 2. so must these two both together be an Euangelical sacrifice of Christians 1. Iohn 4. 21. And if the one Doue come alone without her mate she shal not be receiued into the ark of Gods rest nether wil he put forth his hand to receiue her vnlesse she bring an Oliue branch of peace in her mouth and of peace with all men Heb. 12. 14. Which two wings of charitie to vse the words of Saint e 〈◊〉 10. hom 27 Austine seeing as f â—â— Psal 10 4. elsewhere he noteth they are the two wings of the soule which were giuen to that Eagle the Church of God that she might flie from the Serpent into her place Apoc. 12. we should wish them the more and pray with Dauid that we had the wings of a Doue that we might flie away to the hill from whence commeth our helpe and be at rest because though these two be commanded loues and so a burden yet are they not g 1. Iohn 5. grieuous but as wings they are light Mat. 11. saith the Doue that was couered with siluer wings and her fethers like gold Onus est sed loue a burden they are but a light one saith h Sâ—r. 24. de 〈◊〉 Apost Austine and though commaundements of God yet not grieuous to the godly Non pondus ouerati sed alae volaturi not burdens such as beastes do carry but such as wings are to birds Portant illaâ— in terra portantur ab illis in câ—lum if these wings wee carry here on earth they will carry vs vp into heauen One tearmes them Pedes animae the two feete of the soule whereby she runneth the race that is set before her and walketh in loue on either whereof if she halt like lame i 2. Sam. 4. Mephibosheth she shall fall in the way or rather for her halting be turned out of the way And therefore confessed Paul himselfe that though he had the right foote of his soule to loue God so dearely as to giue his body to be burned and wanted yet the left foote of loue to his neighbour it would profit him nothing 1. Corinth 13. Teaching vs thereby to make straight stâ—ppes not with one foote alone but with both our feete in following as holinesse toward God so peace with all men least that which is halting be turned out of the way Hebr. 12 13. 14. Like the two blessed k Iohn 20. 4. Apostles Peter and Iohn they must runne to Christ both together though the loue of God like the beloued Disciple must runne before For as the Apostle hath l Ephes 6. 15. shod both our feet with the preparation of peace to run the way of his commandements so this is the way through which thou must run vnto life That he which loueth God should loue his brother also 1. Ioh. 4. 21. and that by good propottion seeing we must not halt in the way but make straite steppes with our feete nor hoppe but walke in
loue Ephes 5. 2. and so walke that not onely with Dauid we runne viam the common and Kings high way of his m Psal 10. 11 â—â— commandements and n Iames 2. royall law to blesse benefite and be beneuolent to our enemies Math. 5. 44. but walke also like him in o Psalme 119. 35 semitis in the pathes thereof which are the nearest and gainst way to heauen not as more wittily then wisely p Sâ—ellâ—â—narraâ— in Lâ—c. 3. 4. some distinguish his Euangelicall precepts and counsels for euen these q Ferus in Math 3. 3 semita are mandata Psalme 119. 35. that not onely we loue from our heart but so feruently without faining that as r Exod. â—2 32. Moses willed it for the Hebrewes Å¿ Rom. 9. 3. Paul wished it for the Israelites t Ios 2 2. Rahab ventured it for the spies v Iudges 10. Iudith indangered it for Israel x 1. Kings 18. 4. Obadiah hazarded it for the Prophets y Esther 4. 16 Ester for the Iewes z 1. Sam. 19. cap. 20. 33 Ionathan for Dauid a 1 Sam. 17. Dauid for his countrey b Iohn 13. 37 Peter promised it for Christ and Christ performed it to lay downe his life for his enemies Rom. 5. 6. so we also should walke in this path of loue that as hereby we perceiued his loue in that he layed downe his life for vs therefore ought we to lay downe our life for the brethren 1. Iohn 3. 16. then which as no man hath greater loue of heart then when he is willing to bestow his life for his friend Iohn 15. 13. so if like Christ who layed it downe voluntarily of himselfe without any taking it from him Iohn 10. 18. for he died c Bern. ser 3 de pacificat Marâ—a Non quia meruit nec quia Iudeus praualuit sed quia ipse voluit not because he deserued for he layed it downe for his sheepe verse 15. nor because the Iew preuailed for none could take it from him verse 18. but because he was willing for he layed it downe of himselfe Nec modo voluit oblatus est quia voluit oblatus est neither was he willing because to be offered but was offered because he was willing as d Ser in Feria â—ebâ— pâ—â—os de pâ—ss Dâ—m Bernard elsewhere speaketh If we could I say like Christ thus walke in loue of our hearts we should be perfect as he is perfect sith as Paul epitomizeth religion into faith and repentance Hebr. 6. 1. and Salomon repentance into feare God and keepe his commaundements Eccles 12. 13. so our Sauiour his ten commaundements into two of loue Marke 12. 31. and the Apostle e Auiâ— Pet. Mart. in Rom. 1â— those two of loue into this one of louing our neighbour Rom. 13. 9. to shew that this heartie loue of our foe is the castle-gate of religion the staires of repentance the tower and turret of faith the watch of the feare of God and the keepe of his commandements all which are wholly kept and fulfilled in one word which is this Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe Gal. 5. 14. Wherefore if offending in many things thou canst not fulfill the royall law it is so large vis compendium seruandarum omnium legum wilt thou haue saith a f Arâ—t in Rom. 13 8. Writer a short cut to keepe all Monstrabo tibi Epitomen I will shew thee a compendious way Loue thy neighbour and thou shalt fulfill the royall law Iam. 2. 8. and praise God saith Austine with an instrument of tenne strings for as Iames said of him who failes in one point that he is guiltie of all so contrariwise may I say that he who fulfils this one point in some sort is guiltlesse of all And thus are we knowne to loue God when we loue our brother and cannot before him assure our hearts till our hearts be sure to the other For as g Dâ—roth deâ—â— 6. ne iudicemus proximum lines in a circle drawne to the circumference from the center the nearer they come the center whence they first proceeded the nearer needs must they come one to another the further off they go from it the more are they distant one from another so our liues in this great round as they haue their first being from that indiuisible center of whom and to whom are all things Rom. 11. 36 so the nearer they come him in loue the nearer must they needes in affection come one another And as euery one that loueth his brother loueth God also and is borne of him so he that hateth his brother hateth God and if he say he loueth him he is but a lyer 1. Ioh. 4. Howbeit if through naturall deprauation and humane infirmitie surripit ira Christiano anger as h Aug. Prâ—fat in Psal 25. one speaketh stealeth on thy heart and like that foule of the heauen catcheth away the seed of loue out of thy heart for i Idem hom 40. humanum est irasci vtinam ne hoc possemus yet must it not be kept so long in thy breast vt fiat pridiana that it liue past a day lest the mote of anger being fed in the night with the dew of suspition become a beame in the morning to put out the eye of reason For seeing k Hâ—rat Epist as an heathen well resembleth it Anger is like an head-strong horse which must not haue the reines lest he throw headloÌ„g his rider we had need curbe this heart-strong passion and perturbation of the mind lest it carry vs headlong into mischiefe and as we put bits in horses mouths that they should obey vs whereby we rule them in the right way so hunc fraenis hunc tu compesce caâ—ena its mouth also like horse and mule without vnderstanding must be holden with bit and bridle lest it fall vpon thee Which naturall edge and sharpe affection seeing it is whetted and sharpened by Satan on the stonie heart of man to wound the name or the person of his foe therefore our l Arist lib 4. Ethic. cap. 5. maister of moralitie sheweth Why against whom how when and how farre it may be drawne and vnsheathed Why in the offence of God and defence of goodnesse as m Exod. 32. 19 Moses waxed hot against Israel for their idolatrie against n Num. 16 15. Korah Dathan and Abiram for their conspiracie o 1. Sam. 19. 14 Elias against Israel for their Apostasie p Ier. 6. 11. Ieremie against the Iewes for their impietie and Christ looked angerly on their children for their obstinacie Mark 3. 5. Secondly if thou wouldst know against whom though thou carry this sword of anger in the sheath of thine heart yet like the minister of iustice Rom. 13. must thou draw it against not the good and them that do well but the bad and them that do euill And thus did holy
punisheth that double iniquitie beholding the painted sepulcher within full of all rottennesse and filthinesse will giue it according to its wayes and most secret pathes Ier. 17. 10. It was a precept of amitie but in deed the bane of heartie and true loue giuen by an b â—urip in Hyppolit heathen that loue should be mediocris indifferent and meane dwelling in teeth Intendere vt possis facile aut remittere that being but luke-warme betweene hot and cold thou maist spue it out vpon occasion And it was a prescript for friendship fathered on c Cuer lib de anâ—â—t Bias Ama tanquam osurus loue but a litle that thou maist loath when thou list and haue thine affection at commaund as the Chamaelion her colour The former euen d Plutarch could correct Let vs practise this precept my friend Euripides saith he in enmitie not in amitie and commaund our broyles and contentions that they be mediocres in meane and moderacion neither go further then the teeth to diue into the heart Intendere vt possis facilè remittere that leauing out this aut thou maist easily intend to remit them And Scipio checking the latter could neuer be perswaded that Bias one of the seuen wisemen of Greece should speake so wickedly but rather some ambitious statist or false hearted politician who like the weathercoâ—k would turne with the wind for aduantage and swimme with the tide of prosperitie till it begin to ebbe For certainly as womans affection is commonly so plaine without hypocrisie that Vel te ardenter amat vel te capitaliter odit as the c Maâ—t 〈◊〉 Poet speaketh Her loue is either passing admirable 2. Sam. 1. 26. or her hatred and malice greatest Eccles 25. 14. 15. 17. so he that commaundeth loue without faining and from a pure heart without malice and feruently without mediocritie 1. Pet. 1. 22. wil â—â—ue this luke-warme loue out of his mouth and wisheth it were either hot or cold Apoc. 3. 15. 16. He hath prescribed you a better luke-warme loue Loue your enemies from the heart Luke 6. 35. and so loue them that ye forgiue each one from your hearts Their trespasses Forgiue saith Christ si quid if ye haue any 4. matter what All their trespasses thing against any man f Guaah homil 95. in Math 6. Mark 11. 25. any thing that offendeth word or deed small or great heauy or light saith an Homelist Any thing about the goods of the body If a man smite you on the face if a man bring you into bondage yea if a man deuoure you Any thing about the goods of the mind If a man exalt himselfe aboue you or of the goods of prosperity If he take your goods 2. Cor. 11. that as certaine beasts of good concoction and sound health digest Serpents and Scorpions yea stones themselues calore spiritus through the heate of their spirits and stomacke as g Iâ—th de cap ex 〈…〉 c. vtdâ—t Plutarch noteth so our stomackes through zeale of the spirit broke with h Math. 23. 33. Christ a generation of vipers and with his i Marke 16. Disciples meeting with Serpents and Scorpions feele no harme yea with k Act. 7. 60. Stephen l Acts 14. 19. 2. Corinth 11. Paul and m 2. Sam 16. 6 Dauid digest euen stones through feruent loue which endureth all things 1. Cor. 13. that our loue to our brethren like our mothers loue to her spouse Cantic 8. be strong as death which conquereth all things cruell as the graue which deuoureth al things whose fiery coles and flame of God much water cannot quench nor the floods drowne it that triumphing ouer all offences we may challenge all kind of iniuries with Saint n Rom. 8. 35. Paul What shall separate vs from loue shal tribulation of them that trouble vs or anguish of them that grieue vs or persecution of them that hate vs or famine of them that starue vs or nakednesse of them that strippe vs or sword of them that smite vs No in all these things we are more then conquerors and are perswaded that death of our friends nor life of our foes nor Angels of men nor principalities of diuels nor powers of darknesse nor things present that we suffer nor things to come that we endure nor height of enuie nor depth of malice nor any other creature of offence shall be able to separate vs from the loue of God and our neighbor commanded by Christ Iesus our Lord. But alas it is most lamentable complaineth o Ser. 168. dâ— Temp. Austine vpon these words that whereas these Saints could not with torments be separated froÌ„ loue nos otiosis fabulis we often with idle words of a foe are deuided from charitie and eftsoones with the least detraction and reuile of euery silly wretch we so relinguish loue that not onely many dayes but euen moneths and yeares too perhaps we will not speake to him nor come to his house to eate of his bread Perchance thou repliest Mine enemie hath made me sustaine so great losses and done so much wrong that I cannot in reason forgiue him O wretch doest thou marke how greatly man hath trespassed against thee and doest thou not consider how grieuously thou hast sinned against God If thou search and sift thy conscience truly thou hast without satisfaction committed greater sinnes against God then man hath done against thee and with what face askest thou the forgiuenesse of much who wilt not forgiue a little O remember what no comparison there is betweene pence and talents an hundred and ten thousand sinne how great against God and offence how little against man this is not worthy to name on the same day with that and therefore though Dauid had offended Bath-sheba and Vriah 2. Sam. 11. yet only for offending against God cried he out at his repentance Against thee against thee only haue I sinned and done this euil in thy sight Psa 51. Remember how farre thou seruant art inferior to thy Lord who yet bids thee forgiue as he forgiueth thee Eph. 4. 32. as he forgiueth all thy sin and healeth all thine infirmities Psal 103. p Rom. 5. 12. 14. actuall as originall q Rom. 6. 12. raigning as seruile r 1. Corint 6 18 externall as internall of the Å¿ 2. Cor. 7 1. bodie as of the spirit t 1. Tim. 5. 20. publike as priuate v Verse 24. 25. open as secret of x Iames 2. 9. 10 commission as omission of y infirmitie as z Gal. 6. 1. ignorance wicked deeds a Acts 3 17. as idle words the breach of the b Mat. 22. great as lesse commaundement c Esai 1. 18. cartropes as cords of iniquitie as vanitie d Math. 5 21 22 killing as anger e Verse 28 27 adulterie as lust f Verse 33. 34. forswearing as swearing g Verse 38. 39. reuenge as resistance h Verse 43.
an ireful heart a disdaining gesture and a reuiling tongue as wel as bloody hands are guilty of murder and culpable of iudgment Ver. 22. But I say vnto you whosoeuer is angry with his brother vnaduisedly shall be guiltie of iudgement and whosoeuer saith to his brother Raca shall be guiltie of a Councel and whosoeuer shal say Foole shal be guilty of the gebenna of fire This heauenly gardener if so with g Iohn 20 15. Coherence of the text Mary I may suppose him hauing thus extirpated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and plucked vp murder by the roots in weeding out those Fibras and rootes of bitternes vers 22 he now plants the herbe h Plin. hist 〈◊〉 lib. 14 cap. 19. Philanthropos or brotherly loue in the ground of their hearts vers 23. 24. to cure their malice the Kings euill of the soule so i In Eph 4. Chrysostome cals it as that vegetiue healeth the Kings euill of the body as k Rimb D 〈…〉 l. 4 plant ca. 74. Herbalists obserue Where seeing the l Mâ—st in Mat. 5. 23. â— Pharisies to misconceiue like their m Esayâ—◠◠〈◊〉 auncesters that the Almightie would be pleased with their legall oblations though their hearts as the others hands were full of blood he prescious of their thoughts preuenteth their excuse and doth anticipate their supposall in the sequent verses If then thou bring thy gift to the altar and there remembrest that thy brother hath ought against thee leaue there thy gift before the altar and go thy way first be reconciled to thy brother and then come and offer thy gift agree with thine aduersary quickly c. The briefe and summe whereof I haue here selected for the theame of my future discourse Go thy way first be reconciled to thy brother paralele whereto in sense are these words immediatly subnected vers 25. Agree with thine aduersary quickly for agree here is be reconciled for aduersary brother for quickly first In which precept of our Sauiour we may obserue The generall diuision of the text a dismission from the altar Go thy way secondly a commission of two be reconciled to thy brother thirdly this without all intermission first Go thy way first be reconciled to thy brother Touching the first if this dismission seeme so indefinit that like First the dismissioÌ„ go thy way a Iohn 6. 68. Peter thou askest Master to whom shall I go He tels thee thy whole arrant Mat. 18. 15 If thy brother trespasse against thee go thou vnto him and tell him his fault betweene thee and him alone if he heare thee thou hast won thy brother If thy brother of generatioÌ„ or regeneratioÌ„ by nature or grace trespasse in word or deed saith a b Aret. in hunc locum Bez. writer by iniury or conturnely saith the c Interl in hunc locum glosse against thee that thou d Aug. ser 16. de verb. Dom. onely knowest it go if he be absent beyond the sea saith e Lib. 1. de serm Dom. in monte cap. 20. Austine that much water must not quench the fiery coales of thy loue nor the floods drowne it but go non pedibus corporis sed motibus animi though not with the sole of thy feete yet with the feete of thy soule and at least f Ibid. cap 20. saith he thou must resolue with thy selfe that so soone as oportunity of Go. going vnto him shall offer it selfe thou wilt be reconciled But if propinquitie of place will oportune thine intent go thou seruant with reuerence to thy master thou companion louingly to thy fellow thou maister with authoritie to thy seruant sayth a g Guiliad in Mat. 18 15. Thou writer But vade mansuetus go in all meeknes with a coole temper of rebated heate for as fire cannot be quenched with fire so neither saith h Homil. 59 in Gen. 33. Chrysostome can fury be allayed with fury sith meeknesse and lenitie asswageth the hote fit of anger as water extinguisheth combustion And indeed the reason why in quenching ciuill garboiles and domesticall combustions we often for water adde fuell to the fire and oyle to the flame is quod ira 〈…〉 irati ipsi obiurgamus saith an i Plut. de ira cohibend heathen because in our anger 〈◊〉 chide our brothers anger Et quae per iraÌ„ sunt peccata in ea per iram 〈◊〉 and vnder pretence of correction in our anger râ—ufige the offâ—ce which through his anger he gaue vs as if one could see a Mathew 7. 45 clearely to plucke out the more in his brothers eye who hath a beame in his owne Hence some heathens would not aduenture their speech in reproofe or commaund till their fury was past and anger abared It was the lesson of Athenodorus the famous Philosopher which at his departure from Rome he gaue to Octauius Si succencere contingit o Imperator c. If thou chaunce to be angrie ô Emperor saith b Plut. Apoth in sinc he say ouer the 24. letters of the Greeke Alphabet before thou burst forth into speech Hence others durst not in their rage trust their hands with the rod nor would fit corrections among their families nor come with a rod when they could not in the spirit of meeknesse Caederem te nisâ—ir ascerer I would beate thee if I were not angry said c Senec. lib. 1. de ira cap. 15. Socrates to his seruant Non ausus est se irae committere saith my Author he durst not trust himselfe with anger Platâ— his scholer tooke out that lesson in his practise d Senec. lib. 3. de ira cap. 12. who being angry with his boy and laying him on the blocke with full intent to beate him when he had lift vp his hand to fetch a blow perceiuing himselfe in some passion of anger held it in suspense and would not strike but being asked of one by what he did Exigo poenas ab homine iracundo saith he I am punishing an angry man and correcting his anger Speusippus beate thou this youth for I am angrie e Plut. de ser num vindict Architas of Tarentum was not vnlike who hauing found all things wrong in his field perceiuing himselfe grieued in mind towards his Steward touched him not then but onely said departing It is happie for thee that I am angrie or as f Lib. de ira cap. 18. L 〈…〉 tius doth relate it Silly fellow whom I had killed with blowes if I were not angrie If these Moralists Philosophers of discretion durst not in heate of their wrath proceed to correction of their seruants which yet may seeme peculiar and an act legitimate for anger lest they should exceede the golden meane of correction and oeconomicall iustice much lesse may we in ouâ— bile and cholericke passions march furiously like Iehu to admonition of our brother which shold be the purueyer of peace lest for building we breake
of this bread and drinke of this cup. We c Val. Max. lib. 2. cap. 1. read that the ancient Romanes ordained a feast wherat men at enmitie were recoÌ„ciled if any iar was risen vp among them apud sacra mensae tollebantur the breach was made vp at that solemne feast by their friends which therefore they termed Charistia The Saints in the Apostolicall times whether they learned it from Christs supper before the communion or from the Apostles as most suppose at their receiuing of the Lords Supper had their feasts also 1. Cor. 11. 21. which S. Iude termeth d Iude 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 feasts of loue and the faithfull continued them in the Primitiue Church as the auncient e Tertul. apollog 39. aduers Gent. Iust Mart. ap 2. Fathers obserue wherein they ate their meate together with singlenesse of heart that so they might examine their mutuall charitie when they receiued Though we haue not those Agapas yet haue we this great feast of loue before which the Apostle requireth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 brotherly loue which we must examine before we eate of this bread and drinke of this câ—p 1. Cor. 11. 28. For if the Iewes might not eate the paschal Lamb vnlesse their loines were first girded vp their shooes on their feet and their staues in their hands Exod. 12. 11. much lesse may we eate of our Passeouer which is f 1. Cor. 5. 7. Christ sacrificed for vs vnlesse our loines be first girded about with veritie our feet shod with the Gospell of peace and the sword of the spirit in our hands Eph. 6. 14. And therefore let vs keepe this feast saith Paul not with old leauen neither in the leauen of maliciousnesse and wickednesse but with the vnleauened bread of sinceritie and truth 1. Cor. 5. 8. as the Iewes while their feast lasted might eate none but bread vnleauened It is Salomons lesson to euery inuited guest at a carnal supper Prou. 23. 1. When thou comest to eate with a Prince consider diligently what is set before thee or as the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will cary in g Mercer in Prou. 2. 31. Two motiues to examine our selues of charitie before the communion both genders quis quid consider who and what is set before thee And indeed whether we consider the feast-maker himselfe with whom we sit at this table as inuited guests or his most precious body and bloud set before vs to our saluation if worthily or to our damnation if vnworthily we receiue it we had need to take heed to our foot when we enter into the house of God that we put off our shooes and sandals our iniuries and scandals seeing the place whereon we stand is so holy ground 1. The feast-maker And for the Prince with whom we eate seeing he is King of kings at whose messe we sit saith h Hom. 3. in Ephes 2. Chrysostome whereof euen the Angels are attendants with what diligence should we consider him who is set before vs If Ioseph durst not come being inuited of Pharao till he had first shauen his head and changed his rayment Gen. 41. 14. how dare we come to this supper of the Lambe before we haue cut off excrementa malitiae those i Iam. 1. 21. excrements or superfluitie of maliciousnesse and k Ephes 4. 24. put on the new man of a wedding garment of charitie And if Iaakobs sonnes did with such diligence addresse and make ready themselues because at noone they should dine with Ioseph their princely brother Gen. 43. how should we first prepare our selues seeing we are to eate at the Lords table who searcheth his guests if any want the wedding garment of l Greg. hom 38. in Euangel loue Mat. 22. 11. We know him that hath said absentem qui rodit amicum Hanc mensam vetitam nouerit esse sibi He that back biteth his brother shall not sit at my table And Christ himselfe hath pronounced of such guests They shall Luke 14. 24. not tast of my Supper He will not take the childrens bread and cast it to whelps He wil not giue these holy things to dogs which returne to their vomite of rancor nor cast these pearles before swine which go againe with the sow to her wallowing in the mire But as those dogs and these swine he excludes from the holy citie and supper of the Lambe Apoc. 22. so from the holy communion and supper of the Lord 1. Cor. 11. with that Noli me tangere of the m Col. 2. 21. Apostle touch not tast not handle not For albeit malicious Iudas he admitted to his former supper of the paschall lambe Ioh. 13. 26. yet excluded he Iudas from this last supper of the Lambe of God which was the banquet as it were of the former sent him out with this prohibition That thou dost do quickly v. 27. as soone he had receiued the soppe n Mat. 25. 23. dipped in the dish of the paschall lambe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he went out immediatly saith Iohn vers 30. before the supper of the sacrament and though he was at supper with the Lord non interfuit coenae yet was he not at the Supper of the Lord as o Lib. 1. cap. 16. de cultu Dei externo de caenae Dom. cap. 19. in 4. precept Zanchius sufficiently proueth Or if he admitted Iudas to this table as some suppose yet accepit panem Domini non panem Dominum saith p Tract 59 in Ioh. Euang. Austine he receiued not the bread of life but the bread of the Lord which he ate to his owne damnation and after the soppe Satan entred into him vers 27. Wherefore if the Lord would not talke at mount Sinai with the children of Israell till first they had sanctified themselues and washed their clothes Exod. 19. 10. much lesse may we look for accesse to his owne table if we be not sanctified through loue but come to eate with vnwashen hands And if for their eating of the paschall Lambe they must first put away from their houses the q Exod. 12. 15. leauen of bread much more should we in keeping this fast of the true passeouer purge out of our minds the old leauen of maliciousnesse 1. Cor. 5. 7. And this we rather then they that because though by prescript he bid them eate theirs with soure herbes Exod. 12. 8. yet vs by precept he forbids to eate ours with rootes of bitternesse Heb. 12. 15. wherefore let all bitternesse and anger and wrath crying and euill speaking be put from among you with al malitiousnesse Ephes 4. 31. Howbeit if the Princes person at whose table we sit we regard 2 The feast it selfe not but bring our leauen of malice to furnish out his table of vnleauened bread and our viols of wrath to mixe his cup of saluation as if we meant to drinke of the cup of the Lord and of that
out his bitter words against their family Ver. 9. 10. Let his children be fatherlesse and his wife a widow let his children be vagabonds and beg their bread let them seeke it also out of desolate places He curseth their externall goods and riches vers 11. 12. 1â— Let the extortioner consume all that he hath and let the stranger spoile his labour Let there be no man to pitie him nor to haue compassion on his fatherlesse children Let his posteritie be destroied and in the next generation let his name be cleane put out Yea he curseth their soule vnto death and prayeth for their damnation Vers 14. 15. Let the wickednesse of his fathers be had in remembrance with the Lord and let not the sinne of his mother be done away Let them alway be before the Lord that he may roote out the memorial of them from off the earth Behold here indeed as many imprecations of Dauid against his enemies as euer Callimachus the virulent Poet spent execrations on his mortal foe Apollonius and as bitter cursings as Ouid euer spent on his enuious foe whom in imitation of him he titled Ibis yea as that banner ended his imprecatory inuectiue with this summary execration Haec tibi quae precibus iustis mea deuouet ira Eueniant aut his non leuiora malis so concluded here Dauid his with not vnlike imprecation vers 20. Let it thus happen from the Lord vnto mine enemies and to those that speake against my soule Which practise of Dauid though it may seeme at first to giue allowance and warrant to words of bitternesse in cursing our blasphemers yet if with a single eye we more nearely looke into it we shall find that this imprecation was non optantis voto sed spiritu praeuidentis as Saint r Lib. 1. de serm Dom. in moâ—t ca. 4â— Austine resolues it not so much from a desire and wish of their ruine as from the spirit of foreseeing what would befall them As our Sauiour when vpbraiding the vnthankfull cities in the 11. of Mathew he anathematized the inhabitants of Corazin Bethsaida and Capernaum Non maleuolentia optabat sed diuinitate cernebat did not as men from malice wish it but as God foresee it For Dauid as a graue Å¿ Cal 〈…〉 in Psa 69. 23 writer noteth was not herein caried with a turbulent passion of choler to powre out his bile as most men wronged by their enemies intemperatly giue their tongue the raines but the spirit of God did dictate these imprecations to his Prophet in wisedome to discerne these reprobates from curable beleeuers and in vprightnesse to respect Gods glory rather then his owne priuate reuenge in confusion of his enemies and in moderation to execrate his and Gods enemies without turbulent passions of hatred malice and maleuolence which three if like him we could obserue Probè â—um imitaremur we might lawfully do as he did But seeing our vnderstanding is not so mollified that we haue that 1. Corinth 12 gift of discerning spirits but the Lord onely knoweth who are his and who are reprobates nor our wils so rectified but that vnder zeale for Gods glory we reueÌ„ge our own wrongs nor our affectioÌ„s so sober from disturbance that we are angry and sin not v M 〈…〉 in Psal 10â— Non est hoc cuiuis vsurpandum Christiano in exemplum trahendum this practise of Dauid is no pretence for our cursings nor his example to be vsurped of any Christian as x Balaâ— of Rome doth in hiring his Baalams of Saint Francis order daily to pronounce this spalme in execration against those whom they hate and to curse Israel whom the Lord would haue to be blessed If any for farther satisfaction require a larger discourse of these imprecations I referre him to Martin Bucers disputation of prayer in his explanations on the fift Psalme and to Mollerus his Lecture on the seuenth verse of the 54. Psalme where this at large is discoursed I conclude this point with Musculus in the place before cited It is a common prescript to all which Christ the King of heauen hath commaunded Math. 5. Blesse them that curse you and pray for them that persecute you His Embassadors the Apostle of the Gentiles from his maisters mouth hath enioyned it Rom. 12. 14. Blesse them that persecute you blesse I say and curse not The Apostle of the Iewes hath from his Lord giuen this charge 1. Pet. 3. 9. Render not rebuke for rebuke but contrariwise blesse By which iniunction of both al both Iewes and Gentiles must blesse for cursing and pray for their reuilers and what else should they pray for them saith y Lib. 4. d 〈…〉 cap. 44. Gregory but z 2. Tim. 2. 25. that of Saint Paul that God may giue them repentance to know the truth and come to amendment of life out of the snare of the diuell of whom they are taken at his pleasure to do his will And let both the offender confesse and the offended forgiue and testifie his reconcilement by words of friendship and loue to his enemy though he continue yet in his vnrighteousnesse of reuiling So much be spoken of this first namely verbal reconcilement Be reconliled in word But here beloued brethren we must not stay In atrio reconciliationis in the vtter court of reconcilement where men like the a Luke 1. 10. common people stay without and like the b Actâ— 5. 12. vulgar Iewes are with one accord in this Salomons porch and portall of peace but all being priests by our Christian profession to offer vp spirituall sacrifices 1. Pet. 2. 5. we must enter sancta the holy places of peace and amity by this beautiful gate of the temple of our body and offer to our brethren not onely the calues of our lips but the sacrifice of our hands to manifest our reall reconcilement For we haue a c 2. Sam. 3. 27 Ioab that will speake peaceably to Abner and yet vpon aduantage smite him for the bloud of his brother Asahel that will giue d 2. Sa. â—0 9. 10. Amasa words softer then oile Art thou in health my brother and yet with his precious balmes breake his head yea stâ—b him deadly and shed out his bowels on the ground For thus lip louing Ioab spake friendly to his neighbours e 1. Kings 2. 5. Abner and Amasa two captaines of the hoast of Israel but hauing warre in his heart with the sist of wickednesse he smote while he smiled he killed while he kissed and as Dauid there told his sonne Salomon shed the blood of battell in the time of peace And therefore if our loue and vnity will speake truly we must passe from this atrium to the sancta from word to workes from the tongue of friendship to the deeds of agreement and secondly be reconciled in deeds to our brethren Our Sauiour as before I shewed by symmetry and proportion Second reconcilement reall in my text inioyneth
of the house of Saul on whom I may shew the mercie of God the mercie of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth bountifulnesse and largesse not ordinarie but proceeding from most ardent affection as q Pet. Marâ—yr in hunc 〈◊〉 Martyr well obserueth And when Mephibosheth Sauls nephew was brought vnto him he said vnto him Feare not for I will surely shew thee kindnesse and will restore thee all the lands of Saul thy Father and thou shalt eate bread at my table continually and this beneficence to his enemies nephew presently he performed Indeed he well called it the mercie of God for he is kind to the vnkind and mercifull to the mercilesse man And thus with Dauid if our enemie hunger should we feed him and if he thirst giue him drink at our table though he feede and drinke vs with bread and water of affliction and like Dauids enemies giue vs gall in our meate and in our thirst giue vs vineger to drinke Psal 69. 21. Our loue must be miscricordia Dei the largesse of God who maketh his sunne rise on his enemies and with Dauid a man after Gods owne heart must we cause our sunne to shine on our foes and freely giue them dimidium spherae solem simul canis iram the halfe circuit with the sunne and anger of the dogge that is cor the heart and not like angry Doeg cause one sunne to rise on our friend Saul and our canis iram and bile on our foe Dauid nor affoord him a c of our beneficence and bountie This is not the mercy of God but of Publicans and sinners who loue lend and do good to their friends to receiue the like againe Luk. 6. This is loue bought and sold and mercenarie mercie which hath then verily receiued all its reward But now alas euery man saith like him in the 2. of Sam. 10. 2. I will shew kindnes to him who hath shewed me kindnesse before or as r Xenoph. lib. 2. de fact dict Sâ—cr Chaerephon answered Socrates I know how to vse my brother benefacienti benefacere to do one good turne for another but he that will wrong me in deed I neither can nor will do him good Thus our will cannot and our can hath no will nor water in it to giue him drinke if he thirst Like him in the Å¿ Plaut Auâ—â— Comedie in one hand we bring bread for our friend and in the other a stone for our foe in the one an egge for our louers and in the other a serpent for our loathers in the one a fish for our fauorites and in the other a scorpion for our scorners Which partiall affection if it onely were found in the taile and dregs of the people which like Moab are setled vpon their lees it were lesse lamentable but alas it is seene in the auncient and honorable man who is the head and like t I had lib. 24. Homers Iupiter hath two tunnes standing in the entrance of his pallace out of one setting abroach his fauours to his friends and out of the other his vials of wrath to his foes and giues them a drinke of deadly wine Yea which is most lamentable Balaam hath a blessing for his friends Come ye blessed and a curse for his foes Go ye cursed and to these when he stands on mount Gerizim dealeth abroad his blessings and to those on mount Ebal scattereth his cursings Wheras our tongue should blesse and our hand deale a blessing where the Lord hath euen cursed and do Gal. 5. good to all though specially to the houshold of faith to the one in God and to the other for Gods sake and say like our x Mat. 20. 13. heauenly Father who doth good to friend and foe Friend I do thee no wrong I will giue to this other as much as to thee Let no man say vnto me saith y Homil. de Dauid Saul Chrysostome I haue a wicked an vngodly a desperate and an incorrigible enemie whatsoeuer thou shalt say yet is he not worse then was Saul who once and againe nay being often preserued by Dauid whose life a thousand wayes he sought yet for all so many benefites perseuered in his malice What therefore hast thou to accuse thy foe of that he hath taken part of thy land that he hath wronged thee in thy grounds that he hath transgressed the bounds of his house that he hath wiled away thy seruants that he hath offered thee violence that he hath detained thy goods vnlawfully that he hath beggered thee but yet he hath not taken away thy life which Saul did attempt But and if he hath laboured to take away thy life peraduenture he durst it but once not twice not often as Saul did indeuor But if this once or twice or thrice or often he assayed yet not rewarded of thee with so many good turnes as Saul was of Dauid yet not preserued and his life saued when once again he had falne into thy hands And if thou hast done all this to thine enemie yet Dauid excelleth thee that he vnder the law performed this thou vnder the Gospell of peace God spake to him and commaunded this but by his Prophets to thee hath he enioyned it by his onely Sonne Heb. 1. He came as it were but to mount Sinai to burning fire to blacknesse and darknesse to serue in the oldnesse of the letter but thou art come to mount Sion and to Iesus the Mediator of a better testament stablished on better promises to serue in the newnesse of the spirit Heb. 12. He was but a son of Agar the bondwoman I meane the law which ingendred vnto bondage but thou art a sonne of the freewoman Sara the Gospell which is free that libertie wherwith Christ hath made vs free Gal. 4. He was directed but with the law a 2. Pet 1. 19. light shining in a darke place and had but a a Psal 119. lanterne for his feet to be a light to his paths but thou art led by that day-starre the Gospell which like the Wisemens starre goeth before thee to Christ yea thou art directed by the Sun of righteousnes himselfe who saith to the Follow my steppes and loue thine enemies as I haue loued thee O if Dauid saith that Father had heard Christs precept Do good to your enemies Mat. 5. or the Lords prayer Forgiue men their trespasses as your Father shall forgiue yours Mat. 6. or the iudgement of the mercilesse debter that would not forgiue his fellow-seruant an hundred pence when his master had forgiueÌ„ him ten thousand talents Mat. 18. or Christ giuing his life for his enemies Mat. 20. or his innumerable sermons of louing and helping our foes Luk. 6. how great would his loue haue bene with these who without them did so recompence his arch-enemie Saul and reward his posteritie Here is an example for vs to follow euen the Publicanes and sinners do good to those who do good to them
a serpent to discerne all things and see what is euill could subscribe on the night this Epigram to the inscription of the Consuls o Plut. vit iv temple Actus vecors templum facit Concordiae bloudie and warrish hands build a temple to Concord And we in this wise charitie may iudge that though themselues they inscribe with the Temple of Concord though in their forehead and front like the p Exod. 28. High Priest they carrie the inscription of Holinesse to the Lord and amitie to their brother yet vocabulum opere destruxerunt saith q Comment in Mich. 7. Ierome though in words they professe it with their workes they denie it though they make a shew of loue yet haue they so denyed the power thereof that in their stonie heart like that r Act. 17. Athenian altar we may iudge is written Vnto the vnknowne God of Mars and malice of enmitie and enuie Å¿ Sâ—â—ll 1 enarr in Luk. 12. One compares them to Apothecarie boxes which are without titled with names of medicine and sweet hearbes when within there is nothing but Wormwood and Gall Aloes or poison And though like Ioab they haue titles of health Art thou in health my brother or like Iudas God saue thee maister yet do they flatter with their tongue saith Dauid for their inward parts are very wickednesse Pal. 5. 9. And when we open these bâ—xes we shall find them no lesse then full of those rootes of bitternesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 1. with the Paranomisia of which words Paul as one t Pisâ— at schol in R 〈…〉 â— 29 noteth was not more delighted then they are with the things themselues which they signifie I wish these men whose heart is so deceitfull and wicked aboue all things that none can know it had in their pretence of loue that fenestratum pectus glasse windowes in their breast which Momus in Plutarch looked for and found lacke of in the fabricke of mans bodie Tunc si mentes recluderentur possent aspici laniatus ictus as one u Tacit. Ann. 6. speaketh then should we see their malitious rancor in the heart like a Lion lurking in his den then should we see their mischiefe in the deepe of their hearts as it were a Lions whelpe lurking in secret places that he may rauish the poore then should we see their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 heart and a hart how they speak euery one deceitfully to his neighbor and flattering with their lips speake with a double heart Psal 12. 2. one heart in their mouth and another in their breast outwardly speaking one thing and inwardly thinking another saith Musculus on these words Then should we see how they x Thom. in hunc locum reioyce at our miserie when they seeme to bewaile our misfortune how they hate when they seeme to loue how they laugh when they seeme to lament our affliction But seeing nature hath not set that glasse window in their brest yet holdeth grace the y Iam. 1. glasse of the word before their eyes which being a z Heb. 4 12. discerner of the intents and secrets of the heart casteth such a reflexe of their inward meanings that in it as in a glasse we may behold not darkly but face to face what manner ones they are For euery one of them speaketh peaceably to his neighbor with his mouth but in his heart layeth waite for him Ierem. 9. 8. Wherefore let euery one take heed of his neighbour and trust you not in any brother saith the Prophet for euery brother wil vse deceit and euery such friend will deale deceitfully and euery one will deceiue his friend and not speake the truth for they haue taught their tongues to speake lies and take great paines to do wickedly Whose mirie pits and filthie puddles though now they lye couered with sweetnesse of apparant sanctitie and loue like dirtie bogges couered with snow in winter yet when the Sunne of righteousnesse shall rise and breake foorth in no lesse heate then flaming fire then shal these vngodly melt at the presence of God saith the Psalmist as water at fire and snow at the Sunne and then shall he lighten things hid in darknesse and make the counsels of their heart manifest and when their snow is melted by that consuming fire and brightnesse of his comming then shall appeare their myrie places their pits and plots their Serpents subtiltie that lay hid vnder the Doues simplicitie And he before whom the graue it selfe is naked Iob 26. 6. shall open these whited tombes which appeare outward so beautifull and amiable to their brethren that men going ouer them perceiue not but are within full of dead mens bones of iniquitie and all filthinesse But to leaue this snow-coloured earth and earthly whitenesse to that finall melting by the Sunne of righteousnesse to leaue these Apothecary boxes whose ointment of loue those dead flies iniuries suspitions enmities truce warre and yet againe seeming peace as the seruant told Phaedria in the a Terent. 〈◊〉 act 1 scena 3. Comedie causeth it to putrifie and stinke in the nostrils of the Almightie to b Eccles 13. that last opening of all hearts and secret things To leaue these ambidexters Quiamant tanquam osuri as c Lâ—b de amiciâ— cap. 8. Austine out of Tully speakes who loue so and are friends to day that to morow they may be foes so friendly to al that faithful to none now praising and straight dispraising now fawning and presently biting to day ready to kisse and to morrow more ready to kill to leaue these ambidexters to him that wil reward them according to the work of their hands to leaue these fast and loose men to him that d Iob 5. 22. 23. catcheth the wise in their owne craftinesse and maketh the counsell of the wicked foolish yea scattereth the deuises of the craftie so that their hands cannot accomplish their intended enterprise and to leaue lastly these masked hypocrites who in the theater of this world are now the diuels stage-players to that last catastrophe when they haue acted their parts of dissimulation Exite maledicti in ignem aeternum Go out ye cursed into euerlasting fire let all true reconciled friends as they pretend the shew and shadow so extend the bodie and substance of friendship and be reconciled indeede Which doctrine as it vnmasketh the face of hypocriticall 3. Vse Ioabs so bindeth it the hands of blood-thirstie Esawes vnder whatsoeuer their pretence of reuenge Whosoeuer shal smite thee on the right cheeke turne to him the other also commands Christ our Lord and law-giuer And if any will sue thee at the law for thy coate let him haue thy cloake also and whosoeuer will compell thee to go a mile go with him twaine Math. 5. 39. Vnder which triple iniury of our person If any smite thee and of our good If any sue thee and of our body If
blow the thought onely of murder is in thine heart and thou art counted a murderer before him who asketh especially the heart Ille viuit tu occidisti he is aliue and yet thou hast killed him quantum ad te attinet occidisti quem odisti to thy power hast thou slaine him whom thou hatest And therfore are these two hatred and murder coupled together as yoke-fellowes in that long teame of beastly workes of the flesh which draw men to perdition Rom. 1. 29. Gal. 5. 21. And as the father and the son deuill and euill differ but a letter so the mother and the daughter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are no more nor so much distinct in deed when she like concupiscence hath conceiued and bringeth forth sinne in the act but both are counted murder before God and according to the p Ezek. 16. 44. prouerb As is the mother so is the daughter For as q Lib. â— nat hist cap. 23 Plinie noteth of the Adders that coniuga vagantur nec nisi cum compare vita est they go by twoes and liue together by couples in such mutuall companionship that when the one is killed the other burning with reuenge pursueth her fellowes foe and by a certaine knowledge infesteth him alone in any prease of people Euen so saith Austine the concupiscible and irascible faculties and it is more true of hatred and murder like two Adders they go coupled together in such a linke of loue that when enuy is wounded with griefe of the mind murder steps vp in anger from the heart and reuengeth her quarrel and so makes enuie guiltie and accessary to murder when she is the principall Wherefore let vs not breed that viper in our breasts which will eate through our tender bowels of mercie kindnes long-sufferance and forgiuenesse Let vs not carry that fire in our bosome which will set vs on fire of hell Let vs rub off that rust which consumeth as a canker Let vs pull out that stone out of our hearts which rotteth the fruite of the spirit Let vs not suffer that worme to lie at the roote of our hearts which gnaweth and withereth the righteous plant but rather cherish the worme of remorse in our conscience whose gnawing makes the red tree white and our scarlet sinne white as wooll And that rather considering the season let vs do it the season I say that it is now time we should arise from sleeping in malice and letting so oft the Sunne set on our wrath For now is our saluation nearer then when we beleeued it Magni solit dies celebramus r August 〈◊〉 supracitat saith Austine preaching this day of this duty of forgiuing Now we keepe the festiuall of the great Sunne and Sonne of God the birth day of our Sauiour and great Sunday of the Sonne of righteousnesse Let vs now then in this Sunne-shine of grace cast off and hang foorth that our cloake of maliciousnesse 1. Pet. 2. 16. that the moth of malice may perish when it feeleth the Sunne And let not the Sunne which riseth on the good and euill go downe vpon thy wrath lest the Sun of righteousnesse saith Austine who riseth to the iust alone set to thy soule and going downe vpon thy wrath leaue thee in tenebris interioribus eijciendum in tenebras exteriores in the internall darknesse of the mind to be cast into that externall and eternall darknesse of both bodie and soule at the day of wrath And if that terror cannot shake loue from thy heart toward thy foes yet shold the good that cometh from these euill ones the light that shineth out of this darknesse and the heate that commeth from this burning fire in selfe-loue and pitie of thy selfe induce thee to loue them For whether indeed they haue power corporally to afflict they exercise thy patience or onely by strange opinions oppugne thee they exercise thy wisedome as Å¿ Lib. 8. de 〈◊〉 Dei cap. 51. Austine speakes of the enemies of the Church in generall And in that thou louest them they exercise thy beneficence in giuing and in forgiuing thy beneuolence For as he t Quid. lib. 2. de Trist said of him whom he had offended Si non peccassem quid tu concedere posses Materiam veniae sors tibi nostra dedit So art thou to loue them because in doing wrong they haue giueÌ„ thee matter of remitting yea as u Lib. 8. Ethie cap. 1. Aristotle truly said that as friends were needfull to our earthly blessednes as namely both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for custodie of our goods to ayde vs against theeues or robbers and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the vse of our bountifulnesse and liberalitie so are foes as truly necessarie to our heauenly happinesse both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to keepe vs as the Psalmist speakes from the great offence and deterre vs like those thornes Hos 2. from the paths of impietie and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the vse also and trafficke of our loue of whose bellies as one speaketh we may make bagges as we are commanded Luk. 12. 33. to lay vp treasure in heauen where neither theeues breake through nor steale For touching this custodie as x Lib. 5. Hexa cap. 8. Ambrose reports of the Oister that while she is tossed by the Crabbe in the waues of the sea she so claspeth her shell from her foe that then she is least in daunger of deuouring but when without feare of her foe she layeth open her selfe to the Sunne on the shore then comes the Crab and putting a stone betweene the lippes of her shell thrusts in safely the cleyes and pickes out her fish Euen so while we are tossed to and fro like those faithfull ones Heb. 10. 33. by crabbed men and regredient back-sliders they make vs in their storme pull our cloake and roabe of righteousnesse neare vnto vs and walke warily to them that are without lest like Cham seeing our nakednesse they sport at our priuie faultes And if we be not in perils of these waters or with y 2. Cor. 11 26. Paul in perils among false brethren if without feare of a foe and suspitioÌ„ of the Crab we theÌ„ lay open our nakednesse in the Sun-shine of friendship and prosperity and giue occasion to the aduersaries to speake euill and feed on our inward corruption who keepe themselues close and marke our steps when they lay waite for our soule And such Crabs that tossed Dauid made him claspe his shell and shut vp the doore of his lips lest he should offend in his toung while the vngodly his foes were in his sight Psal 39. 1. When some about Scipio with no small ioy auouched that the common-wealth of Rome was now in safest state sith they had vanquished the Carthaginians and conquered the inhabitants of Pontus No z Plut. lib. de cap. ex iâ—imic vâ—lit said wise Scipio we are now in greater danger then
we were before because we haue left vs no enemies to stand in awe of and feare So true was that saying of a Ibid. Antisthenes That a man rather needes deadly foes to deterre him from notorious faults then honest friends to admonish him to vertue So truly replyed b Plut. libel de multâ— amic Chilo one of the seuen Wise men of Greece to one boasting that he had not a foe Then saith he thou hast not a friend And therfore as Plutarch wrote a booke titled De capienda ex inimiâ—is vtilitate Of the good that comes by our enemies and proued the title good so made c T 〈…〉 Chrysostome a whole sermon intitled Diligamus etiam nos persequentes Let vs loue euen our greatest enemies Seeing as his brethrens great enmitie and dishonour brought Ioseph greatest amitie and honour or as Telephus receiued cure from the rust of that speare wherewith Achilles wounded him or as he that meant to smite Iason to death opened but his dangerous impostume to his health so an enemies tongue which is as sharpe as a speare or a sword doth but cure while it cutteth and heale while it lanceth and letteth vs bloud in the swelling veine of some vanitie that we may confesse like him vna eadémque manus vulnus opcmque tulit The same hand that killeth maketh aliue that bringeth downe raiseth vp that maketh poore maketh rich that bringeth low exalteth and professe with Zachary in another sense Luk. 1. 71. that we receiue as the originall reades it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 health from our enemies and good from the hands of all them that hate vs. Which hearty loue of our foes and dismission of displeasure seeing it consisteth in the remission of their faults and the giuing ouer of anger in the forgiuing of their wrongs our Sauior from the parable of the mercilesse debter straitly chargeth each one to forgiue from our hearts their trespasses seuenty times seuen times vnto our brethren and that vnder this condition If mine heauenly Father shall forgiue you your sinnes Mat. 18. 35. Wherein Hearty loue and reconcilâ—ment consisteth in forgiuing whether we respect the condonation not forbeare but forgiue or the remitters not some but each one or the maner not from the teeth but our hearts or the matter not thoughts or words alone but all their trespasses or the times when not vnto seuen times alone but vnto seuenty times seuen times or lastly the partie to be pardoned who is our brother this key of knowledge should so vnlocke our sealed-vp affection and set open our hearts that as the Corinths had in d 2. Cor. ◠〈◊〉 Pauls our brethren should haue a large roome in our hearts And first touching this act of 1. CondonatioÌ„ Forgiue heartie loue in remitting we must if our brother offend vs forgiue him commaundeth Christ our Sauiour Luk. 17. 3. 4. If he offend vs I say for if man trespasse against man it may be pardoned or iudged saith old Ely but if a man trespasse against the Lord who will pleade for him 1. Sam. 2. 25. k Ioh. who can forgiue sinnes but God alone Neuerthelesse if he offend thee dimittendâ— habes potestatem imò necessitatem Thou maist yea must as l Lib. 3. in Mat. 18. 15. Ierome speaketh forgiue For marke who said forgiue and to whom he said it saith Saint m Serm. 3 1. dâ— verb. Apost Austine truth to his scholers the chiefe pastour to his sheepe the king to his souldiers the Lord to his seruants Christ to his Apostles God to man Height to wormes creeping below on the earth who hath voluntarily bound himselfe with an obligation to forgiue vs if we keepe the condition to forgiue our brethren Mat. 6. 14. Neither is it negligently to be passed ouer n Lib 2. cap. 18. dâ— serm Dom. in 〈◊〉 saith that Father that of all those petitions which he taught vs to pray withall this onely of forgiuing he chiefly commends vnto vs which because it is of greatest weight and importance as Pharao his dreame was doubled it is ingeminated twise together vnto vs Mat. 6. 15. For in no other petition we so pray as to bargaine and indent with God but in this alone Forgiue vs as we forgiue others In which couenant if we lye and forgiue not our brother totius orationis nullus erit fructus all the other petitions are made in vaine and fruitlesse is the rest of the Lords prayer seeing our sins are not forgiuen vnlesse we forgiue In this o August hom 40. de frat charit alone we make an indenture with God and subscribe the condition with this prouiso As we giue for them that trespasse against vs. Which p Idem Euchir ad L 〈…〉 cap. 73. if we performe without all doubt verba sponsionis huius implentur we keepe the condition of this obligation which is such If ye forgiue men their trespasses As if he had said q Ibid. serm 31. dâ— verb. Apost Thou man hast a debter euen thy brother who hath offended thee and I haue another debter euen thy selfe who hast grieuously offended me that which thou doest to thine will I do to mine for so thou in thy prayer desirest me If thou forgiuest I do forgiue if thou retainest I retaine against thee or rather thou against thy selfe r Idem serm â—â—2 de Temp. Forgiue therefore ne dum fratri negaâ— misericordiam tibi claudas patris indulgentiam lest whilst thou denyest mercie and shuttest vp thy hart froÌ„ thy brother thou shut the gate of mercy with thy father For there shall be iudgement and that mercilesse too to him that sheweth no mercie Iam. 2. 13. And indeed deare Christian Å¿ with what face canst thou say the Lords prayer with what conscience canst thou aske the maker of heauen and earth forgiuenesse of then thousand talents when thou doest and hast not nor wilt forgiue thy fellow seruant an hundred pence thou I say a worme crawling twixt heauen and earth t Take heede lest thou heare of that iust Iudge Phisition heale thy selfe thou perswadest me to mercie which thou thy selfe wilt not impart to thy brother thou intreatest me to haue patience when thou wilt not heare thy brother intreating for his debt thou intreatest me to blot out all my hand writing against thee and yet thou suest thy brothers bill of offence 〈◊〉 debitor est in carcere tu in Oratorio thy debter is in prison and thou in the Church to aske forgiuenesse thy prayer shall there be heard I will forgiue thee as thou forgiuest him that trespasseth against thee O foolish man tibi contradicis in oratione thou prayest against thy selfe saith u Serm 2 de 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—râ—m Austine Lord forgiue me my trespasses as I euen as I forgiue them that trespasse against me but Lord thou knowest I forgiue not them that trespasse against me therefore O Lord forgiue not me Non
I none but such as I haue I giue and forgiue thee In all other good works some one sometime may pretend some colorable excuse saith g Serm. 61. de Temp. Austine but for loue none can excuse himselfe Some bodie may say vnto me I cannot fast but can he say truly I cannot loue he may say for my stomackes sake and owne infirmitie I cannot abstaine from wine or flesh-meate but can he iustly say I cannot loue Some man may say I cannot keepe my virginitie he may say he cannot sell all his goods and giue them to the poore but can he say truly I cannot loue and forgiue them that trespasse against me Let no man deceiue himselfe beloued brethren for God is not mocked nor deceiueth any for though there be many good workes which through humane infirmitie we cannot corporally performe it is too abhominable and a filthy excuse that in this worke of the mind either the lame or the deafe or maimed should for its wearisomnesse make excuse For in this worke of loue neither the feet labour in running nor the eyes with seeing nor the eares with hearing nor the hands in working It is not said vnto vs go ye to the East and seeke charitie saile to the West and ye shal find loue it is engrauen in our heart by that lawe of nature Do as ye would be done to Luk. 6. 13. Whosoeuer thou art this commandement of loue which he commaundeth thee this day is not hid from thee neither is it far off as h Deut. 30. 11. 12. Moses speaketh It is not in heauen that thou shouldest say who shal go for vs to heauen and bring it to vs that we may do it Neither is it beyond the sea that thou shouldest say Who shall go ouer the sea for vs and bring it vs and cause vs to heare it that we may doe it But loue is very neare vnto thee euen in thy mouth and in thine heart to giue it in forgiuing each one his brother Some man may say saith i Ser de Maâ—â—yr Leo I cannot watch I cannot fast I cannot giue all to the poore I cannot liue single but can he say I cannot loue It may be saith k H 〈…〉 l. 6. 〈…〉 d Maâ— 5. 44 Vâ—de tom 6. â—b 〈…〉 a Aâ—hmant â—â— 17. ser 59. dâ—â—â—p Austine that sometime thou hast not gold and siluer apparell or corne wine or oile in thine house to giue to the poore but what shadow of excuse canst thou pretend that thou hast not a penniworth of charitie a wedding garment of loue a graine of mustard-seed of amitie a drop of dilection and ointment of loue in thy coffer and wardrobe and garner and chalice and boxe of thy heart No no this is the tribute of loue wherewith all the world is taxed and all may go to be taxed euery man to his owne citie It is an easie offering alwayes at hand or at heart that with Isaac thou needst not aske but where is the Lambe for the oblation It is within which thou maist easily offer as of that which cost thee nothing In forgiuing each one From the heart For because man ofteÌ„ forgiues with his mouth â— manne◠〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 propter homines as l Hâ—â—d 〈…〉 rat Dom. Austine noteth and keepes hatred in his hart propter daemones and m Ierom lib. 3 an Math 18. 35. can say of his brother He knowes I beare him no euill will I will leaue him to God his Iudge I haue for my part forgiuen him for n Buâ—â—r enarra in Math. 18. 35. thus we wold often seeme to pardon our brother when we scarce from our hart forgiue him that we loue him as before yea o Tom. 1. ad epâ— Castor say in the Lords prayer Forgiue as we forgiue animo discrepante cum verbis oratione dissidente cum factis as Ierome noteth therefore Christ saith that Father taking away all hypocrisie and colour of fained peace commandeth to forgiue from our hearts And that if not from his precept yet after Gods example Qui remittit ex corde as Musculus on these words obserueth Who so forgiueth men from his heart that he p Ier. 31. 24. remembreth their trespasses no more but q Micha 7. 19 casteth them into the bottome of the sea and imputeth them not vnto them but couereth al their offences Psalme 32. 1. Which most motiue example of his Father his Apostle vrgeth as the strongest inducement Ephes 4. 32. Be ye tender hearted forgiuing one another But how 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 euen as God forgiues you And if this loue of God shed abroade in our hearts and r Mathew 3. 11 fire of the spirit like that purifying flame in the Å¿ Numb 31. 23. law cannot burne out all our drosse of malice till it be pure and take away all our tinne of hatred from the heart certainly it argueth we remaine full like those wicked Gentils Rom. 1. 29. of all vnrighteousnesse wickednesse maliciousnesse full of enuie murder and debate and poisonous affections of the heart For as we reade of Germanicus Caligula his father that when according to the t Suet. â—n Tyber cap. 75. vide comens Beroald custome of the Romanes who burned their Emperors bodies and other least being interred in forrame wars the enemie should dig them vp though his bodie was consumed in the fire yet his heart could not â—e prierced by the flame but lay vnburned among his bones because being opened it was found full of poison whose nature is such that dipt in poison it resisteth all fire as v Suet. in Calig cap 1. Tranquillus and x Li. 11. nat hist cap. 37. Plinie both obserue euen so and more then so if this fire of Gods spirit That he forgiueth vs from his heart kindle only our tongues and hands to loue our enemies in word and worke alone and inflame not our hearts also to loue them in truth 1. Iohn 3. 18. it tels the searcher of the heart that yet for all this our heart is wicked and deceitfully malicious aboue all things and as y Iames 3. 8. Iames speaketh of as little a member full of deadly poison And though this stonie heart cannot be burned with this fire but lieth buried in the whited tombe of the body though this whited tombes rottennesse and ranc or appeare not to flesh and blood and men that go ouer it perceiue not for it is wicked and deceitfull aboue all things who can know it Ier. 17. 9. yet he who onely knoweth the hearts of all the children of men 1. Kings 8. 39. z Iob 10. 4. hauing not carnall eyes nor seeing as man seeth a 1 Sam. 16. 7. looketh not like man on the outward appearance but beholdeth the heart yea so searcheth the heart and trieth the reines he I say who as Ierome speaketh is all eye when he seeth the hearts hypocrisie and all hand when he
it reconcilement sith we neuer fell out so strange may it seeme our Sauiour should write to a brother 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be reconciled and not rather 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 neuer fall out seeing brother with the Hebrewes so much importeth vnitie that they call a stocke or stone brother and sister because it is vnited to another Exod. 26. 3. Ezec. 1. 9. Howbeit seeing Sathan who made e Esa 50. â— separation betweene God and man that the father was deuided against the sonne and the sonne against the father hath also made a diuision among men that now the bonds of brotherhood are dissolued and brother as Christ prophesied is deuided against brother Mat. 10. as it was needfull for Paul to beseech the sonne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be reconciled to God thy Father 2. Cor. 5. so here necessarie for Christ to say to the brother 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be reconciled to thy brother or to paraphrase with the Glosse be reconciled because he is thy brother But as the Lawyer asked Christ of his neighbour Luk. 10. thou wilt say vnto me Who is then my brother Saint f Tem â— adâ—â— Heâ—uid Ierome finds in the Scripture a foure-fold brother First naturall as Iacob g Gen. 2â— 30. and Esau in the old h Mat. 4. 21. Iames and Iohn in the new Testament which are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 borne of the same parents as the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 properly signifieth which i Scap. Steph. â— Linguists deriue either from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 simul and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vter because they are couterini of the same wombe or k Macroâ— lib. â— Satur. cap. 17. from the priuatiue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vnus that is not one because one cannot be called a brother whence we call him brother in our tongue as it were bred-other But the Latine frater is more generall which some thinke l Ambros calap dict comes of the Atticke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Eustathius on those words in m Lib. 2. Iliad Homer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 deriues from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and imports men who 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by any law of fellowship haue communitie among themselues whether they be fellow-citizens or fellowes in religion or of the same familie or of the same tribe or at the same feast or of the same bloud so neare linked that each is frater quasi ferè alter as n Aâ—l. Gel. lib. 13 cap. 10. Nigidius deduced it a brother as if he were almost another And therefore Ierome finds a second brother namely by nation as all the Iewes are tearmed brethren Deut. 15. 12. because within the land of Iurie vers 7. and all other straâ—ngers and not brethren vers 3. because alients from the commonwealth of Israel Thirdly is there a brother by consanguinitie as all of one stocke and linage So Lot Abrahams nephew is tearmed his brother Gen. 13. So Paul calleth the Iewes his brethren though but kinsmen according to the flesh Rom. 9. 3. and Christ is said to haue brethren Luk. 8. 20. that is as our English translation on the margent there rendreth it kinsfolkes or cousins as o Mat. 13. 55. Mar. 3. 31. 6. 3. Ioh. 2. 12. 1. Cor. 9. 5. elsewhere it doth interpret From which place although Heluidius and other Antimarites would inferre Christ had naturall brethren and staine so Maries virginitie who was a Virgin after child-birth and a chast mother before mariage as p Tom. 3. apolo prolib aduers louâ—â—an Ierome speaketh yet was her wombe as with q Lib. 13. in E zec 44. loco â—itat him Austine r Serm. 2. de Temp. ser 14. applies it like the gate into the holiest of all into which our high Priest onely entred Eze. 44. 2. and said This gate shall be shut and shall not be opened and no man shall enter by it because the Lord God of Israell hath entred by it and it shall be shut It appertaineth to the Prince the Prince himselfe shall sit in it he shall enter by the porch of that gate and shall go out by the way of the same And s Tom 3. fol 5. adu Hel. de perpet virgiâ— beatâ— Mariae Ierome there against Heluidius by many arguments proueth she remained a perpetuall Virgin as the Orthodoxall both Greeke and Latine Fathers Ignatius Irenaeus Origen Basil Ierome Austine Ambrose Bernard Chrysostome Gregorie Nyssene Epiphanius Damascene and Theophilact with t Vide Georg. Soh tom 2 art 3 de pers â—ssâ—c Corâ—stâ— quaest 3. de natâ—â— moderne Writers affirme and confirme at large No her wombe saith u Lib. 4 in Mat. 27. Ierome was a tombe for Christs bodie and new sepulcher wherein neuer man but he was laid Vpon proofe of which point he produceth this distinction of brethren now in hand and saith there is a fourth kind of brethren spirituall by profession of one faith whence all Christians by our Sauiour are tearmed brethren Mat. 23. Neuerthelesse sith that x 1. Ioh. 5. 7. three-one hath conioyned all persons in a triple-vnitie naturall as men ciuill as fellow-citizens and spirituall as Christians for he made all mankind of one bloud as men to dwell together on the face of the earth as cohabitants to seeke him as Christians Act. 17. 26. 27. and in him as men we liue moue vp and downe as fellow-citizens and haue our spirituall being as Christians I may semblably speake of this triple fraternitie naturall of brethren by birth and all men by bloud ciuill of societies and spirituall of Christian brethren And to begin reconcilement of naturall brethren whose being 1. Brother 〈◊〉 was from two leauing no lesse then father and mother to become one flesh for their coexistence whose bed was one wombe for their infant growth whose life and vital spirits were from one concord of contrarie qualities and conspiring temper of elements in the hodie whose diet and meate was one milke from the breasts of loue yea whose hearts tongues and hands were from one heart one tongue and hands for their agreement in thought word and deed this vnion is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith y Lib. 8 Ethâ—c cap. 12. Aristotle so naturall that I may with the z 1. Cor. 11. 15. Apostle send them to the schoole of nature and aske them nonne ipsa quidem natura hoc vos docet Doth not nature it selfe teach you this thing and grace should not need to learne them reconcilement For euen nature as an a Plut lib de frat amor Heathen noteth to teach them loue reciprocall and mutuall ayde hath put a booke into their hands their owne bodie in whose brotherly members as in so many columes they may reade this borowed beneuolence in whose fabricke and structure she hath made most parts double germana
Iudgement in his soule Thou art cursed from the earth iudgement in his goods The earth which opened her mouth to receiue his blood from thine hand mistrusting no harme from brothers which were but two on the earth l Ambr. lib. 2. de Caâ—â— Abel c. 10. Nam quomodo poterat suspectare parrâ—â—dium quae adhuc not viderat homicidium for how could it suspect brotherly murder which had not yet seene man-slaughter the earth is cursed for thy sake not as it was to thy father Adam to giue m Gen. 3. 17. no fruite without his sweate and labour but when thou shalt till the ground it shall not yeeld thee henceforth her strength And thirdly iudgement in his bodie a vagabond and a runnagate shalt thou be in the earth And after sentence see how this condemned caitife is caried from the barre with despaire of mercy My sinne is greater then can be pardoned with horror of iudgement My punishment is greater then can be borne and with terror of conscience Behold thou hast cast me this day from the earth and from thy face shall I be hid and whosoeuer findeth me shall slay me But of whom saith that n Ambr. lib 2. de Caâ—â— Abel cap 9. Father was he afraid to be slaine that had none with him on earth but his parents He might feare iustly the incursions of natural brute beasts who more beastly had broken the course of nature he might feare rightly the teeth of wild beasts who brutishly had fleshed them with mans blood yea the blood of his brother He could not presume of the subiection of fowles who had taught them that a man might be killed He might now also feare the hands of his parents who had taught them that parricide might be committed and that they would learne to practise a murder who had taught him the precept in their original sinne This is Cains punishment in his person and yet see the taint of his blood in al his postetitie whom Noes flood washt away saith o Lib. 15 de â—iâ— Dâ— cap. 20. Austin from the face of the earth when it could not wash away their scarlet sinne of blood double died both in Caine the threed and in his of-spring the cloth and garment of vengeance whom the holy Ghost deigneth not to name in reciting the catalogue of Adams posteritie Gen. 5. for the face of the Lord is against them that did euill to cut off saith Dauid their remembrance from the earth For he would not take them in his mouth nor make mention of their names within his lippes as if that curse of the Lord had fallen on his progenie Psal 109. Let his posteritie be destroyed and in the next generation let his name be cleane put out O that all Caines which thirst the bloud of their Abel that all Ismaels which persecute their Isaac that all Esaus which pursue their Iaacob to the death would beware to follow the way of Caine that they might not perish in the gaine-saying of Core Are they Graecians or Barbarians wise or vnwise let those reade Plutarch a naturall man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of brotherly loue and these their owne bodie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of lime-loue how those brethren and twins of the bodie eyes eares hands and feet loue one another and for shame of their soules be reconciled to them who are flesh of their flesh and bone of their bones And surely if we yet looke further to the rocke whence we 2. Brother naturall in blood which is each man are hewne and to the hole of the pit whence we were digged if we consider Adam our father and Eue that bare vs we shall find that we haue all this p Iunius Polan in Mal. 2. 10 one father Mal. 2. 10. and all this one mother who is mater omnium viuentium Gen. 3. 20. aut iustiùs morientium as one q Ferus in Gen. 3. 20. cals her the mother of all men liuing or rather dead while they liue in her trespasses and sinnes and all men therefore brethren Gen. 9. 5. and this brotherly kinred of men made by him who made all mankind of one bloud Act. 17. 26. For as r Ser. 1. de â—eâ—uâ— Leo truly said of neighbour that euery man whether friend or foe bond or free is our neighbour so fratrem vt proximum vel omne hominum genus accipere debemus saith Å¿ Lib 2. in Zâ—c cap. 7. Ierome and Saint t Lib 2. locut de Exod. Austine Euery man is our brother by nature as our neighbor in the vse of naturall things Through which coniunction of mankind the very heathen u Cic lib. 1. Ossâ— could see in the twilight of nature that certaine duties of amitie and fellowship are naturally due from all men euery one to other and therefore x AEsch â—rat cont â—â—sâ—ph Arist lib. â—â—hetor ad Theâ—â—ect vsed the name neighbour as our Sauiour doth here brother generally for all men And indeed seeing as y Homil 51. ad Pop. Antioch 1. The greater world preacheth concord and vnity to man Chrysostome well noteth the God of all hath giuen all but one house the world to be domesticos naturae the houshold of nature that father of lights hath light all but one candle the Sunne to be filios lucis iust and vniust children of that light seeing he that spreadeth it out like a curtaine hath couered all but with one canapie and roofe of heauen to be one family of loue And seeing the feeder of euery liuing thing hath spread all but one table the earth at which boord we are all companions of one bread and drinke all of one cup the ayre doubtlesse this communitie of naturall things should breed such a common vnitie in nature as should make men in this one house to be of one mind and sons of one light to walke in loue as children of the light and the familie vnder one roofe to walke in this house of God as familiar friends and companions at one table to eate their meate together with singlenesse of heart as it vnited those Saints because they had all things common Act. 2. 44. Which communion of all things naturall if it cannot knit men in one with these bonds of nature yet beholding the common vnion of all things amongst themselues the musicke of this harmonie should breed concord and peace in man the son of peace For whether we lift vp our eyes to heauen aboue behold it is there the heauens declare the glorie of God in their peace and the firmament sheweth his handi-worke or whether we cast our eyes on the earth below behold also it is there both preaching peace to his people and to his Saints that they turne not againe Wherefore as z Prou. 6. Salomon sent the sluggard to the pismire as his schoole-maister to bring him to labour a Esâ— 1. Esau the vngratefull to the oxe and asse to learne
of diuision God defend that Bethmarraboth the house of bitternesse wiped out should become Behoram the house of anger and wrath God defend that Hierusalem the vision of peace which in Dauids gouernment was like a citie at vnitie in it selfe Psal 122. should in Lysias the chiefe captaines time be like Ierusalem all on an vprore Act. 21. God forbid that the head should reioyce to see the members bite and deuoure one another or nourish drones in the hiue which work not at al but are busie-bodies For howsoeuer skilful Bee-keepers and cunning hiue-heards iudge that swarme to be best fruitfull in making honie apud quod strepitus susurrus frequens tumultusque plurimum est which buzzeth most and makes the greatest stirre and tumult as l Loco citaâ— Aristotle noteth yet that regent cui Deus ciuilis examinis curam imposuit who hath gouernment of the ciuill hiue saith m Reip. gâ—rend praecept Plutarch must iudge them to make then most honie when they are most peaceable and quiet and thinke that when they are busie-bodies they worke not at all For where strife and enuying is there are all manner of euill workes Iam. 3. 16. Let me end this point with the n Rom. 16. 17. Apostles exhortation Now I beseech you brethren marke them diligently which cause diuision and offences contrarie to the doctrine which ye haue receiued and auoid them for they that are such serue not the Lord Iesus but their owne bellies and with faire speech and flattering deceiue the hearts of the simple o Phil. 2. 1. 2 3. 4. And if there be any consolation in Christ if any comfort of loue if any fellowship of the spirit if any bowels of compassion and mercie fulfill my ioy my ioy yea your heauenly Fathers ioy the Church your mothers ioy on earth mens ioy the Angels ioy and the diuels griefe and sorrow that ye be like minded hauing the same loue being of one accord and of one iudgement that nothing be done through contention or vainglorie but that in meeknesse of mind euery man esteeme other better then himselfe Looke not euery man on his owne things but euery man also on the things of other and the God that maketh p Psal 68. men to be of one mind in an house giue you that ye be like minded q 2. Cor. 13. 11 Be of one mind liue in peace ciuilly with your brethren and the God of peace and loue shall be with you But be it that naturall brethren of one Adam and Eue breake 3 To thy spirituall brother the linkes of consanguinitie and ciuill brethren of one head and common weale dissolue the bands of brotherhood in ciuill societie yet seeing saith r Lib. de discip Christ cap. 1. Austine as Christians we haue all one father which is God one mother the Church whereby we are brethren in the spirit let vs keepe the vnitie of the spirit in the bond of peace For seeing almightie God our Å¿ Mat. 23. 9. heauenly father hath t 1. Pet. 1. 2 3. begot vs by the immortall seed of his word in the u Esa 46. 3. wombe of his x Cant. 4. 9. 10. Hos 2 19 spouse the Church which is the y Gal. 4. 26. Esa 54. 1. 13. mother of vs all all ye Christians are brethren saith Christ our elder z Rom. 8. 29. brother Mat. 23. 8. Which spirituall fraternitie so the a 1. Pet. â— 9. Apostle cals it as it is more holy then carnall brotherhood for sanctior est copula cordium quà m corporum saith b Tom. 1. lib. de mod beâ— viâ— ser 5. de châ—râ—â— Bernard so should it be nearer linked in loue seeing coniunctiores sunt qui animis quà m qui corporibus coniunguntur nearer are they of kinne which are allyed in the spirit then they who are but of linage in the flesh as c Lib. 6 diuin instit cap. 10. Lactantius obserueth Whereupon as for that the son of the Virgine Mary counted his mother more blessed for carying him in her heart by grace then in her wombe by nature Luk. 11. 28. so for this our elder brother Christ preferred his spiritual brethren to his mother and brethren in the flesh Mat. 12. 49. Which mysticall bodie of the Church sith Christ hath knit together by ioynts and bands proceeding from him Col. 2. 19. as the head doth our naturall bodie by arteries and sinewes deriued froÌ„ it therfore sheweth the Apostle to vs seuen of these bands and nerues of loue Ephes 4. 4. First we are one bodie whose members must needs be knit together secondly we haue all one spirit whereby we are vnited together thirdly one hope of our vocation for which as hopefull coheires we should reioyce together fourthly one Lord whom as fellow-seruants peaceably we serue together fiftly one faith which we maintaine together sixtly one baptisme in which we promised against his foes to fight together and seuenthly one God and Father of all who will haue his children to be and reioyceth to see them in vnitie together Which bonds of peace common to vs all shold linke vs in loue as those primitiue Christians were one heart and one soule when they had all things common Act. 2. 4. For seeing amitie and loue springeth from likenesse and equalitie as d Lib. 8. Ethic. cap. 8. Aristotle e Lib de amicit Tully and f Lib. de multit amicorum Plutarch teach this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this though earthly onenesse and identitie wrought euen with heathen men so much that old Hegio in the g Terent. Adel. act 3. sâ—en 5. Comedie from this could resolue neuer to breake friendship Cognatus mihi erat vnâ à pueris paruoli Sumus educati vnâ semper militiae domi Fuimus paupertatem vnâ pertulimus grauem Animam relinquam potiùs quà m deseram We were borne together we were brought vp together at home and abroad we alwaies were together we suffered want both together nothing but death shall diuorce vs. h Val. Max. li. 1. cap. de â—iraâ— Philostratus and Hippoclides because they were borne in one day had one schoolemaister and lesson of Philosophie and one decrepit age they had one mind and one affection and one purse their loue continued to the last houre of their death and dyed both together What knit Tully and Scipio so together that they were of one heart and one soule in two bodies but this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and likenesse as himselfe i Lib. de amicit confesseth whereby they both liued in one house fed at one table learned one knowledge fought in one warre trauelled in one peregrination and conuersed in one rustication and countrie life Such vnitie of minds this onenesse of manners bred in these men that he professeth himselfe he neuer offended him in any thing to his knowledge and confesseth of his friend that he neuer heard any thing from his
mouth that displeased him wherefore well might he speake as he k Ci◠in Lalio doth from his experience that nothing doth more beget and bring vp amitie then paritie equalitie and likenesse in the things of the bodie of mind and of fortune What knit Austine and Alipius so indissolubly together to come to more spiritual friendship but because as he l Lib. 6. 8. 9. conf confesseth they were borne both in one towne Togasta in Affricke brought vp in one studie of learning almost of one age conuerted by one Ambrose at Myllaine at one time from one heresie receiued one baptisme and one spirit of new birth And what should more linke our hearts then that we are all borne of one immortall seed in one wombe of the Church growing vp in one bodie to the full stature of Christ as members knit together by one spirit all trauelling to one Canaan and hope of our calling in this way seruing one Lord maintaining one faith fighting together in one Sacrament and oath of Baptisme and louingly liuing together as sons of one God and Father of all O hearts harder then Adamant complaineth m Eras pacis quarim peace In rebus tam multis consortium in vita tam inexplicabile dissidium In so many things fellowship and in life no friendship All one bodie and in the members no sympathie In all one spirit and in the affections no harmonic All one hope of heauen and in coheires no symphonie All one Lord and in fellow seruants no vnitie All one faith and in opinions no symmetrie Al sworne in one Baptisme and in fellow soldiers no symmachie all adopted by one Father and in brethren no fraternitie For all these one 's no vnitie This of all other is argumentum maximi momenti the most inducing motiue saith a n Beza maior ann in Eph. 4. 4. Writer and strongest argument that may be to loue that we are all by one God and Father made one bodie through one Spirit to serue one Lord in one faith and consecrated to him by one Baptisme doe hope all for one glorious inheritance whereunto we are called Which seuen o Zach. 11. 14. bands of brotherhood seeing Satan hath dissolued as Antiochus cut off the seuen brethren which were knit together 2. Mach. 7. giue me leaue to bind them faster then before and seeing the vnitie of one God and Father is p Rolloc in Eph. 4 first in order somewhat inuerting the linkes to order them as Beza in that golden chaine hath proposed them First we haue all one God and Father of all who as he is the 1. linke of Christian brotherhood One Father author not of confusion but of peace 1. Corint 14. 33. so will he haue all things in his house done honestly and by order ver 40. And rather so done because as mightily he hath shewed himself a Father of generation to vs all Esai 64. 8. wherein yet are both q Acts 17. 24. 28 beasts and r Verse 26. beastly men our brethren and our sisters but the ſ Iob 17. wormes so mercifully hath he bene a Father of regeneration to redeeme vs his children Esai 63. 16. for which cause we may call t Math 13. 9. none our father on earth but him nor any brethen but the children of his spirit From which former paternitie of creation as he called his creatures onely good when they were seuered apart but then indeed very good when in one view he saw them v Iun. in Gen. 1. 31. in symmetrie vnited together Gen. 1. 31 so frō this later fatherhood of recreation he counts his new creatures good when in peace they serue him by x Mat. 18. 20. two or three but then only commendeth them for very good when they all continue together with one accord in the temple and in symphonie praise him together Acts 4. 46. yea so good that in admiration thereof he crieth out in exclamation Ecce quà m bonum behold how good it is when brethren dwell together in vnitie Psalme 133. For indeed as the eye saith Saint y Lib. 3. de Gen. ad lit cap. 24. Austine the light of the body though it seeme faire and is well fauoured in it selfe when it is apart from the whole is yet more beautifull and comely when vnited with the members of this little world so the light of the world was glorious and good in it selfe when it was without the firmament of his luster Gen. 1. 4. but then onely called most glorious and very good of its Father when he saw it ioyned with the members of the greater world verse 31. Which vnitie of creatures if it be so good and comely in the eye of their mightie Father who formed them of dust by his word then Quà m bonum quà m iucundum how good and comely is it in the eye of their mercifull father who framed them anew by his essentiall word to see his children like brethren dwell together in vnitie Which dutie of accord though as father rightly he might claime by that title of father A sonne honoreth his father If then I be a father where is mine honor And which seruice of vnitie though as God iustly he might challenge by that right of master a seruant honoreth his master If then I be your master where is my feare Mal. 1. 6. yet draweth he them with promise of reward in that Psalme that they might do it at least like hired seruants for their profit which they would not for his pleasure as dutifull children Ecce saith he behold how profitable and how pleasant it is which sith for himselfe is not pleasant any thing vnto the Almightie that thus thou art righteous nor profitable vnto him that thou makest thy wayes thus vpright Iob 22. 3. for as thy goods are not profitable Psal 16. so neither is thy goodnesse pleasant vnto him for himselfe Iob 35. 7. surely the profit and the pleasure of this concord redounds to them alone that like brethren dwell together in vnitie And though vertue haue no reward better as vice no punishment greater then it selfe so that we should not need the spurre of reward to be pricked forward to this as neither the bridle of punishment to be restrained from that yet is he here driuen to call on our dull nature with the spurres of profit and pleasure when we behold how profitable and pleasant a thing it is for brethren to dwell together in vnitie For seeing omne amabile euery obiect of our loue which lodestone-like draweth our iron hearts to affect and embrace it must be as our z Arist li. 8. eth cap. 2. Moral-master teacheth either good or profitable or pleasant he setteth here this Psalme before our eyes as a glasse wherein we may behold how good how profitable and how pleasant a thing it is for brethren to dwel together in vnitie The glorie of which vertue was so eminent to the eye of his
knowledge that as a Ser. 2. de pace ad frat in erem Austine noteth Prius miraretur quà m ostenderet quid vtilitatis iucunditatis haberet He first stood admiring it before hee shewed what profite and pleasure it affoorded and therefore that Father admiring this admiration of our heauenly Father crieth out and exclaimeth O quà m grandem admirationem proposuit O what admirable and wonderfull admiration he shewed when he cried out Behold What maruellous profit and pleasure he proclaimed when he wondred how profitable and pleasant a thing it was For pleasantnesse he b Psal 133. 2. likeneth it to the sweete sauour of Aarons precious ointment which ranne downe from his head to the skirts of his clothing and for profite to the c Verse 3. deaw of Hermon which watered the mountaines of Sion and made them fruitfull hilles Some things indeede are good saith d Ibid. Austine but not delightsome as fasting watching and afflictions are profitable but not pleasant Hebr. 12. 11. some things are delightsome but not good as gluttonie drunkennesse chambering wantonnesse and sinne is pleasant but not profitable 2. Pet. 2. 13. But wouldst thou haue a good thing sweetened with pleasure and a pleasant thing relishing of goodnesse Ecce Behold how good and pleasant it is Miscuit vtile dulci he hath mingled here pleasantnesse to make thee tast with good to make thee sauor this great thing of God and both procuring health in this life and happinesse in the oother For there saith the Prophet the Lord promised his blessing in this life and life for euermore in the world to come Psalme 133. 3. Behold then how good and pleasant it is when loue faiths yonger brother like e Gen. 43. 34. Beniamin the yongest hath his messe doubled of our Ioseph and this holinesse that is so pleasant and profitable vnto all things hath the promise of the life present and of that which is to come 1. Tim. 4. 8. The profitable pleasure of which brotherly vnitie as God the Father did admire when he beheld it so fell that good father into admiration of this peace and vnion of brethren when he saw it O peace saith f Ibid. Austine mother of Eremites father of Caenobites sister of solitaries thou bond of the Patriarks thou chariot of the Prophets thou refuge of the Apostles thou solace of the Martyrs thou girdle of Confessors thou dance of virgines thou glasse of widdowes thou spectacle of maried folkes thou hate of tyrants and halter of robbers O peace and brotherly loue thou calmenesse of the mind thou tranquilitie of the soule and singlenesse of the heart This is the happinesse which stantheth grudges and quencheth broiles and stinteth garboiles pulleth downe the crest of pride embraceth the humble appeaseth the disagreeing and pacifieth the furie of foes O peace let thy possessor keepe thee let him that wants thee seeke and him that hath lost thee go after thee for behold how good and pleasant a thing it is for brethren to dwell together in vnitie Which as it was ioyful for Dauid to behold in some of his kingdome for ostende bat qui dicebat ecce saith g In hunc Psal Austine he pointed the finger to some whom he said Behold so I wish this Psalme might now be said as truly Ecce behold how brethren of one heauenly father dwell together in vnitie I wish they that are without might point at vs as did the h Tertul. 39. apo aduers Gent. heathen at those Christians in the Primitiue Church and say Behold how these Christians loue one another This was the Prophet Dauids Ecce but I feare another ecce of the Prophet Esai may point out too many He that is their father looked for iudgement but ecce behold oppression for righteousnesse but behold a crying Esai 5. 7. Beloued in Christ Iesus haue we not all one i Mal. 2. Father hath not one God made vs why then do we transgresse euery one against his brother and breake the couenant of our father Though some false brethren as they dealt with k Gal. 2. 4. Paul that crept and came in priuily to spie out our libertie which we haue in Christ Iesus of things indifferent to bring vs into bondage haue appropriated this name of brethren to themselues yet conference found them like Simeon and Leui but brethreÌ„ in euil and into their secret descend not thou my soul my glory be not thou ioyned with their assembly and a CanoÌ„ hath discharged and dissolued the bonds of their brotherhood That all Christians are indeed brethren Rom. 8. 29. and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a fraternitie among our selues from this one Father 1. Pet. 5. 9. and therefore must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and loue as brethren 1. Pet. 3. 8. there is an herbe almost in euery hedge which for it nature by some l Vid. Kemb Dâ—d Herbalists is named 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 louer of brethreÌ„ or Cliuer because in loue it cleaues to euery one that doth but touch it This herbe we plucke vp and let the roote of bitternesse spring vp in our hearts whereby many are defiled But Paul the m 1. Cor. 3. best planter would haue vs let it grow on in our gardens Heb. 13. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let brotherly loue continue For as in a gardeÌ„ knot diuersitie of flowers and sweete herbes cause a more fragrant smell to him that keepeth them so incundum est it is a sweete smelling flower in the nostrils of him whom Mary supposed to be a gardener when brethren dwell together in vnitie I might adde with Dauid It is also profitable vnto them for surely saith n Ser. 11 de Quadrag Leo Apud suum patrem qui non fuerit in charitate fratrum non habebitur in numero filiorum he shall neuer haue the inheritance of sonnes with God his father in heauen who hath not the loue of brethen with his mother the Church here on earth Let vs not then by our iarres grieue the holy spirit of God our Father whereby we are sealed for sonnes vnto the day of redemption Ephes 4. 30. as Esau would not be auenged of o Genes 27. 41. Iaakob least he should vexe his father Isaac who the rather should not be grieued with his contentious children because he hath made them all One bodie whereof his owne sonne is the head Ye are the 2. linke one bodie bodie of Christ and euery man a member thereof for his part 1. Cor. 12. 27. Now how absurd in nature would it seeme to a naturall man that the members of the bodie as I sayd before 1. vnitie in the body should be deuided That head was mad in Iudas which plotted the feete were vnnaturall that went and the hands cruell which executed the other members with an halter Mat. 27. 5. they were lunatick feet possessed with a diuel which oft times caried their fellow members into the
Å¿ Mat. 22. he said of the coine Whose image and superscription hath it whose badge and cognisance is this that you weare Satans why then giue to Satan that which is Satans ye serue not one Lord alone it seemes by your armes ye t Zeph. 1. 5. sweare by the Lord and by Malcham your u Hos 10 2. heart is diuided into an x Psal 12. 2. heart to your friends and an heart to your foes that ye halt betweene me and Satan If y 2. King 18. 21 he be your Lord go after him but if I be your one and only Lord come after me alone for z Luk. 16. 13. ye cannot serue vs two masters whose seruice is so a Gal. 5. 17. contrarie as the b Iam. 4. 4. amitie of the one is the enmitie of the other and whosoeuer will be a friend of Satan maketh himselfe the enemie of God this one Lord. O then ye seruants of my God leane not to Satan vnlesse ye will leaue this one Lord. Keepe not backe like c Act. 5. Ananias and Saphira part of his possession The sonne and Lord of Dauid like his d 2. Sam. 16. father will not be serued with followers whose beards are halfe shauen and with curtald wedding garments of loue He who requireth the whole heart and not the halfe Prou. 23. like the true e 1 King 3. 26. mother will not haue it diuided into parts but will haue all the heart all the soule and all the mind thrise all least a thought of malice should stay behind Math. 22. 37. For which seruice of your one Lord if doubting your reward ye resolue with them in Malachie 3. 14. It is in vaine to serue God and what profite is it that we haue kept his commandement and walked humbly before the Lord of hosts Therefore we count the proud blessed euen they that worke wickednesse are set vp and they that tempt God yea they are deliuered O tarrie the Lords leisure for his reward Erit tempus there will be there will be a time when he will discerne betweene the righteous and the wicked saith the Prophet betweene him that serueth God and him that serueth him not Vers last He that waiteth on his Lord shall come to honour f Prou. 27. 18. saith Salomon Which though it oft be not so with our earthly Lords yet the Lord will not forget his people nor forsake them that be godly Thou Lord saith Dauid hast neuer failed them that serue thee Psal But as he promised his followers a reward and appointed vnto them a kingdome because they had continued with him and followed him in the regeneration Luke 22. so will this one Lord if him alone ye serue in loue giue you the kingdome when that great donatiue shall fall into his hand for you to receiue it Howbeit if this one Lord cannot linke fellow seruants in loue yet the One faith wherein all we serue him should knit the faithfull 3. Linke One faith in affection Where by faith whether we vnderstand that faith in God Mark 11. 22. by which g Rom. 5. 1. hand we receiue h Rom. 6. 23. that gift of God and i 1. Tim. 6. 12. lay hold on eternall life or that faith of God Apocal. 14. 12. by which seed of the word we conceiue this hope of that kingdome as k Aquit Zench in Ephes 4. 4. some do them both either of them is so specifically one in the obiect of one Lord which they apprehend though neither numerically one in the subiects wherein they are comprehended that they should linke the subiects together wherein they dwell to this one Lord whereon they worke And touching the former though each man hath his owne One faith in God particular faith by which alone he shall liue Abak 2. 4. which in S. Paul is not numerically one with the faith of his Titus yet haue they both one faith of the elect Tit. 1. 1. which specifically is one and called a common faith to them both in respect of the obiect vers 4. and still through the Scripture termed in the singular number the faith of the Saints whether Iewes or Gentiles For howsoeuer that Apostle may seeme vnto some to distinguish Two doubtfull places expounded the Iewes faith from the faith of the Gentiles in saying One God shall iustifie circumcision * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of faith and through Former faith vncircumcision Rom. 3. 30. from which diuerse prepositioÌ„s in l As Rom. 11. 36. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And 1. Cor. 11. 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 other places m Lib. 3. in Ro. 3. 30. Origen here proposeth some diuersitie yet is not this spokeÌ„ saith n Lib. de spirit lit cap. 29. Austine to make anie difference between the faiths of these two nations as if of and as though through faith did really differ for as here he auerreth circumcision shall be iustified of faith so elsewhere he auoucheth that God wil iustifie the Gentiles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of faith also Gal. 3. 8. And as here he affirmeth that vncircumcision shall be iustified by faith so elsewhere he confirmeth that the Iewes shall be iustified 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 likewise by faith Gal. 2. 16. But this one faith shadowed vnder these two prepositions whether it was thus spoken ad veritateÌ„ locutionis as that Father noteth as Pharaoh his dreame though one in o Gen 41. 25. matter was doubled in manner p Vers 31. because the thing was certaine and of importance or whether it was to increase and exaggerate the thing as Martyr thinketh with these two diuerse phrases as q Col. 1. 16. All things were created 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of him and through him elsewhere he doth in another cause or whether as Ierome iudgeth he would rather change the phrase theÌ„ ingeminate the same as r 1. Cor. 12. 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. elsewhere he doth in one verse or to checke the Iewes supposed reall difference of their iustification from the Gentiles by a verball difference as with Caluin I rather thinke surely though these prepositions be diuerse yet the propositions are the same as generally most ancient and late writers do agree As if when the Iewes looked for a difference from his mouth he should haue said And will you needs haue one here is all God will iustifie the Iewes of faith through faith the Gentiles which differ but in word Or those of faith saith Caluin because they were borne heires of the couenant and receiued it ex patribus of their fathers Rom. 9. and these by faith because it was to them aduentitious and through the fall of the Iewes Rom. 11. 11. â—atter doubtâ—ll place There also may seeme one faith of the Iewes and another of Gentiles where the Apostle saith By the Gospell the righteousnesse of God is reuealed from
euery side and are trauelling homeward to our heauenly Father in the promised land let vs like fellow-citizens of that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and countrimen of one kingdome sticke fast together in a straunge land Our Ioseph hath charged vs his brethren b Gen. â—5 24. fall not out by the way fall not out in thought word or deed by the way about your victuals and prouision about your sackes and your money about your Ins and your lodgings about baiting in this earthly pilgrimage And if ye chaunce here to fall out agree with your aduersarie quickly while ye are in the way Mat. 5. 25. for seeing by many tribulations we must enter into this kingdome and hope of our calling as the children of Israell went thorough fire and water into a wealthie place let common daunger of this red sea vnite our hearts for a common hope of the hauen that like fellow-swimmers we support one another through loue and hold them vp that they sinke not We c â—lin lib. 8. nat hist cap. 32. reade of the Harts that when they passe the sea to an Island for pasture the strongest swimme foremost to beare vp on their hanches the heads of the weaker and when they are wearie the hindmost sustaine them Which louing nature of the Harts perchance Salomon meant saith d Lib 83. quâ—st 71. Ser. 21. dâ— ver Apost Austine Prou. 5. 19. where he calleth the Hind amicissimam most friendly or as the Hebrew ceruam amicitiae the Hind or Hart of amitie Such Harts saith that e In Psal 129. locâ— câ—t Father often applying this storie should Christians be one to another that while they passe these waters of affliction to their fortunate Iland and Capê bonê Speranzê their Cape of good hope They which are strong ought to beare the infirmities of the weake and not to please themselues alone Rom. 15. 1. They must beare one anothers burden of miserie and so fulfill the law Gal. 6. 2. though euery one must beare his owne burthen of transgression Versâ— And then indeed as the Harts by mutuall supportance in common daunger safely attaine the hauen and make not shipwrack in the sea Quia quasi nauis est illis charitas because charitie as he speaketh is their ship their hope their dread-nought which conuoyeth them ouer So we communicating our helpe in communitie of perill shall in this shippe of charitie which supporteth all arriue safe at heauen the hauen of this hope For as the Church of God is semblable to f Act. 27. Paules shippe wherein we must saile to these Faire hauens so must there be in this sea-fare which g Lib. â— Ethic. cap. 12. Aristotle requireth in euery shippe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the amitie of fellow-sailers which common daunger hanging ouer them as it did in Ionahs fellowes Christs disciples and Paules mariners should effect And as their shippe continued they friendly in it would saue them all but the boat were it kept in to it would loose all Act. 27. 31. euen so while we continue with one accord in the temple the Church of God tyed to the anker of this Hope will saue vs all and like the arke land vs on the mount of Armenia but if any forsaking the ship and the fellowship we haue among our selues as the manner of some is shall flie into the cocke-boate of his priuate humor and spirit of singularitie it endaungereth him to make shippewracke of faith and a good conscience Wherefore as wisely did they in their course who cut off the boate and let it fall away lest the mariners leauing the shippe should cause a wracke of the rest so was it their wisedome of the spirit who haue cut off the spirit of singularitie least many flying from the Church should make shipwracke of faith and a good conscience Wherefore seeing the tenure of this Hope and inheritance we hold in capite in our head Christ Iesus surely as at his farewel he left vs here in peace Peace I leaue with you Iohn 14. so vnlesse at his returne he find vs in peace this Hope his peace he will not giue vnto vs. Peace I leaue with you and if you keepe it till I come my peace I giue vnto you Nec dum capaces estis saith h Ser. 4. in vâ—gâ—â— nat Dom. Bernard in his person interim relinquo vobis viam pacis tunc dabo patriaÌ„ pacis Ye are not yet capable of the end of this hope in the meane time I leaue you the way of peace and after your iourney wil giue you this Hope the country of peace In the way to this hopefull inheritance in the world ye shal haue affliction but theÌ„ in me ye shal haue peace Reioyce in the Lord saith i Ibid. Bernard that here ye receiue the gifts of his left hand but now I say againe reioyce yea alway reioyce in the Lord that then ye shall haue this hope and rewards of his right hand for in his left hand is but riches honor and peace externall but in his right hand is eternal peace and length of dayes Prou. 3. 16. These be the two armes of the bridegroome saith k Ser. 4. de â—â—â—â—uent Dom. he wherin his hopeful spouse resting said of her husband His left hand is vnder my head and his right hand doth embrace me Can. 2. 6. His left hand of peace externall was vnder her head before his right hand of this Hope and eternall peace did embrace her Laeua quidem leuat dextra suscipit saith Bernard laeua medetur iustificat dextra amplectitur beatificat in laeua eius merita in dextra verò praemia continentur in dextra deliciae in laeua sunt medicinae This is the reward of the right hand which he bestoweth on them that kisse his left hand of peace this is the hopefull inheritance and substance which that father in the Gospell will deuide to his sonnes that are not at diuision This is the countrey of good hope which the Prince of peace in heauen wil giue to his spouse of peace in earth In this mariage dinner indeed on earth which is but a feast of desponsation here oft wants wine of comfort peace and here is great store euen sixe water pots of affliction but in that mariage supper of the Lamb which is the feast of copulation when he shal take her to himself the Bridegroome will turne that water into wine Iohn 16 Ye now sorrow saith he but your sorrow shall be turned into ioy O that the consideration of this country of peace wold draw and drag vs along the way of peace O that we would reioyce againe and againe I say reioyce on earth in this hope of reioycing in the Lord alwayes in heauen When he shall fill vs all with loue of â—ll without iealousie of any peace without distention and ioy without enuie and emulation Where he shall fill animam rationalem sapientia