the Prophet should have made an end of his exhortation This Sermon the Prophet Ezechiel now maketh unto us all here present f Ezek. 33.11 18.30.31 As I live saith the Lord I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked but that he turne from his wayes and live turne ye turne ye from your evill wayes for why will yee die Repent and turne your selves from all your transgressions so iniquity shall not bee your destruction Cast away all your transgressions whereby yee have transgressed and make you a new heart and a new spirit for why will ye perish Shake off the shackles of your sinnes and quit the companie of the prisoners of death and gally-slaves of Satan put in sureties for your good behaviour hereafter turne to the Lord your God with all your heart and live yea live gloriously live happily live eternally which the Father of mercy grant for the merits of his Sonne through the grace of the Spirit To whom three persons and one God be ascribed all honour glorie praise and thankes now and for ever Amen THE DANGER OF RELAPSE THE LVI SERMON EZEK 18.24 But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousnesse and committeth iniquity and doth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doth shall hee live All his righteousnesse that hee hath done shall not bee mentioned in his trespasse that hee hath trespassed and in his sin that hee hath sinned in them shall hee dye Right Honourable c. SAint Jerome maketh a profitable use of the a Gen. 28.12 And hee dreamed behold a ladder set upon the earth and the top of it reached to heaven and behold the Angels of God ascending and descending on it Angels ascending and descending upon the ladder which Jacob saw in a dreame reaching from the earth to heaven The ladder hee will have to bee the whole frame of a godly life set upwards towards heaven whereupon the children of God who continually aspire to their inheritance that is above arise from the ground of humility and climbe by divine vertues as it were so many rounds one above another till Christ take them by the hand of their faith and receive them into heaven They are stiled Angels in regard of their b Phil. 3.20 heavenly conversation these Jacob saw continually ascending and descending upon that ladder viz. ascending by the motions of the spirit but descending through the weight of the flesh rising by the strength of grace but falling through the infirmity of nature and hereby saith that learned Father c Hieron ep 11. Videbat scalam per quam ascendebant Angeli descendebant ut nec peccator desperet salutem nec justus de suâ virtute securus sit wee are lessoned not to despaire of grace because Jacob saw Angels ascending as they fell so they rose nor yet presume of their owne strength for hee saw Angels descending also as they rose so they fell Presumption and desperation are two dangerous maladies not more opposite one to the other than to the health of the soule presumption overpriseth Gods mercy and undervalueth our sinnes and on the contrarie desperation overpriseth our sinnes and undervalueth Gods mercy both are most injurious to God the one derogateth from his mercy the other from his justice both band against hearty and speedy repentance the one opposing it as needlesse the other as bootlesse presumption saith thou maist repent at leasure gather the buds of sinfull pleasures before they wither repentance is not yet seasonable desperation saith the root of faith is withered it is now too late to repent The learned dispute whether of these two be the more pernicious and dangerous the answer is easie presumption is the more epidemicall desperation the more mortall disease Presumption like the Adder stingeth more but desperation like the Basiliske stings more deadly many meet with Adders which are almost found in all parts of the world but few with Basiliskes Presumption is more dangerous extensivè for it carrieth more to hell but desperation intensivè for those whom it seizeth upon it carrieth more forcibly and altogether irrecoverably thither and finall desperation never bringeth men to presumption but presumption bringeth men often to finall desperation To meete with these most pernicious evils God hath given us both the Law and the Gospel the Law to keepe us under in feare that wee rise not proudly and presumptuously against him and the Gospel to raise us up in hope that the weight of our sinnes sinke us not in despaire the threats of the one serve to draw and asswage the tumour of pride the promises of the other to heale the sores of wounded consciences and the Scripture as Saint Basil rightly calleth it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a common Apothecaries shop or physicke schoole wherein are remedies for all the diseases of the soule In these verses as in two boxes there are soveraigne recipes against both the maladies above named against the former to wit desperation vers 23. against the later viz. presumption v. 24. And it is not unworthy your observation that as in the beginning of the Spring when Serpents breed and peepe d Adrianus Chamierus in ep dedicat Eccles Gal. Pastor Sicut ineunte vere cùm primùm è terrae cuniculis prodeunt serpentes ad nocendum parati fraxinum adversus venenatos eorum morsus praesens remedium laturam educit out of their holes the Ash puts forth which is a present remedie against their stings and teeth so the holy Ghost in Scripture for the most part delivereth an antidote in or hard by those texts from whence libertines and carnall men sucke the poyson of presumption The texts are these God hath raised up an horne of salvation for us that we beeing delivered out of the hands of our enemies might serve him without feare f Rom. 5.20 Where sinne abounded grace did much more abound g Rom. 8.1 There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus * Gal. 5.13 We are called to liberty Now see an antidote in the verses following Lest any man should suck poyson from these words in the first text Serve him without feare it is added in the next words in holinesse and righteousnesse before him all the dayes of our life Lest any man should abuse the second the Apostle within a verse putteth in a caveat What shall we say then shall we continue in sinne that grace may abound e Luk. 1.69 72 74. God forbid how shall wee that are dead to sin live any longer therein vers 1 2. Lest any should gather too farre upon that generall speech of the Apostle There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus h Luk. 1.75 there followes a restriction in the same verse who walke not after the flesh but after the spirit Lest any should stumble at those words of the same Apostle Ye are called to libertie he reacheth them a
High must needs be of an impatient and proud spirit Crosses work not alike upon all some are bettered by them some are made worse some are bowed downe by them others rise up against them As under the same flaile the stubble is bruised and the corne purged and in the same l Aug. l. 1. de Civ Dei Sub codem igneaurum rutilat palea fumat fire gold shineth and chaffe smoaketh so the same affliction which tryeth the faith of the godly like gold and maketh it more precious consumeth the temporary beliefe of hypocrites like drosse We reade in the Apocalyps that after the fifth Angel powred out his viall upon the seat of the Beast that his kingdome was full of darknesse and they m Rev. 16.10 gnawed their tongues for paine and blasphemed the God of Heaven because of their paines and sores and repented not of their deeds these turned medicines into poysons whereas on the contrary the true servants of God make medicines even of poysons like silver Bells they ring sweetest when they are struck hardest Of those who are smitten by the hand of God some like solid bones are hardened by his stroake some like tender flesh are softened thereby some turne to him that strikes them others flye away from him the former are blessed not the latter theirs is the Kingdome of Heaven not theses Here some may cast in a scruple Why should Christ preach poverty in spirit to his Disciples who had nothing to be proud of being poore illiterate despicable men Saint Chrysostome answereth First that the greater part of the multitude to whom Christ directed his speech were not Disciples but men of another condition who bare themselves upon their wealth or place of authority and in that regard much needed a Lecture of Humility to be read unto them Secondly he addeth that this admonition was very seasonable even to his Disciples lest they should bee puffed up with their miraculous gifts of casting out Divels and healing all manner of diseases Thirdly it may be thought also that our Saviour used this Preface to his Sermon not so much to instruct his Disciples as to vindicate them and his doctrine from scorne and dis-esteeme For if you draw out at length this rich piece of Arras you shall finde in it the heads and lineaments of this exhortation or the like O yee people of Israel and seed of Abraham you looke for a glorious and majesticall Messias to restore the kingdome unto Israel and to make you all rich and mighty men upon earth and therefore you despise mee and my Disciples in regard of our poverty and meane estate But you erre not knowing the Scriptures not the true characters of the Messias whose Kingdome is not of this world neither is he here to rule this Nation in pompe and state but to bee rejected of it and to bee slaine in it and crucified and so to enter into his glory And as for my Disciples and Followers despise not them though they be poore and in mournfull habit and forlorne and persecuted men for I tell you Blessed are these poore For theirs is the Kingdome of Heaven Blessed are these mourners for they shall be comforted Blessed are these persecuted men for my sake for great is their reward in Heaven As I come now in humility so I preach poverty in spirit As I come in the forme of a servant so I preach obedience As I come to suffer so I preach patience The Disciple is not greater than his Master nor the servant than his lord And so I have done with the assertion or affirmation Blessed are the poore in spirit and am now to examine the reason or confirmation For theirs is the Kingdome of Heaven What Synesius spake concerning his preferment to his disadvantage n Citat à Casaub tract de libertate ecclesiast 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now saith he ascend downward for before thou diddest descend upward his meaning was that now hee gained in honour but lost in profit but before lost in honour and gained in wealth may fitly be applyed to all mankinde who fell by rising in our owne conceits and * Aug. confes l. 4. c. 12. Descendite ut ascendatis ad Deum câ—cidistis enim ascendendo contra eum can no otherwise rise againe but by falling in our selves Wee ascended downward in Adam when wee would bee like unto God in knowledge but we descend upward when we strive to be like the son of man and learne of Christ to be meeke and lowly in heart The first precipice or downe fall to Hell both in Angel and Man was by pride therefore humility must needs be the first step to Heaven For the rule holds both in the physicke of soule and body Contraria curantur contrariis As the disease is contrary to health so the remedy is alwaies contrary to the disease Hee that meanes to build high must lay his foundation low hee that setteth any choice plant diggeth the earth deep to put in the root All those precious and resplendent stones reckoned up in the Apocalyps were placed in the o Apoc. 21.19 And the foundation of the wall of the Ci y was gaâ—nshed with all manner of precious stones foundation of the heavenly City to teach us that all Christian vertues are grounded in humility If a vessell be full it will receive no more liquor be it never so soveraigne and precious The proud and high minded man is full of his owne gifts and perfections and therefore letteth not into his soule the wholesome dew of Gods grace What is the reason so few great and mighty and noble and wise and learned enter into Christs schoole or very late because the gate is low and they will not stoop Holy Austin p Aug. confess l. 9. c. 4. Dulce sit mihi confiteri quemadmodum me complanaveris humiliatis montibus cogitationum mearum Tumor meus non capiebat illius modum confesseth with teares that his swelling greatnesse or tumour of pride would not suffer him for a long time to enter in at the q Mat. 7.13 14. Enter in at the strait gate because strait is the gate that leadeth unto life narrow gate that leadeth unto life In whose teares many of our noble Sparkes or lusty Gallants and high Spirits may reade the cause why they are so usually poore and naked and blinde in the inward man and though oft-times neerest to the Court of Princes yet are furthest off from the Kingdome of God They will not confesse their wants either because they suppose they have none or they cannot endure the shame of acknowledging them they will not begge because they are rich in their owne conceits they will not subject their reason to faith because they value their reason above faith but those that are poore in spirit are ever begging and asking at Gods hands and therefore alwaies on the taking hand The soule that feeleth her selfe empty hungereth and
for but what he loveth A man may beleeve the truth and be a false man he may hope for good things and yet be exceeding bad himselfe but he cannot love the best things but he must needs be good he cannot affect grace if hee have not received some measure thereof he cannot highly esteeme of God and not be high in Gods esteeme As the love of the world maketh a man worldly and the love of the flesh fleshly so the love of the Spirit makes the children of God spirituall and the love of God partaker of the divine g 2 Pet. 1.4 nature for God is love Now saith Saint Paul that is in this life abideth h 1 Cor. 13.13 faith hope and charity but after this life of these three charity onely remaineth For when we have received the end of our faith which is the salvation of our soules and taken possession of the inheritance which we have so long expected by hope faith shall be swallowed up in vision and hope in fruition but then love shall be in greatest perfection Our trust is that we shall not alwayes walk by faith and our hope is that we shall one day hope no more we beleeve the end of faith and hope for the end of hope but love no end of our love but contrariwise desire that it may bee like the soveraigne object thereof that is eternall and infinite To leap over this large field at once and comprise all in one sentence concerning this vertue of which never enough can be said Love brought God from heaven to earth love bringeth men from earth to heaven In which regard it may not be unfitly compared to the ladder at the foot whereof i Gen. 28.12 Jacob slept sweetly and in his dreame saw Angels climbing up by it to heaven For upon it the religious soule of a devout Christian resteth and reposeth her selfe and by it in her thoughts and desires she ascendeth up to heaven as it were by foure steps or rounds which are the foure degrees of divine love 1. To love God for our selves 2. To love God for himselfe 3. To love God above all things 4. To love nothing but God or in a reference to him First to love God for our selves or our owne respect whereunto wee are induced by the consideration of his benefits and blessings bestowed upon us and continued unto us The second is to love God for himselfe whereunto wee are moved by the contemplation of the divine essence and his most amiable nature The third is to love God above all things whereunto we are enclined by observation of the difference between God and all things else The fourth is to love nothing but God that is to settle our affections and repose our desires and place our felicity wholly and solely in him To which highest round or step of divine love and top of Christian perfection we aspire by fixing our thoughts upon the all-sufficiency of God who hath in him infinite delights and contentments to satisfie all the appetites of the soule whereof the Kingly Prophet David was fully perswaded when lifting up his heart to God and his eyes to heaven he calleth God himselfe to witnesse that he desired no other happinesse than what he enjoyed in him saying Whom have I in heaven but thee These words may admit â—f a double construction 1 Either that David maketh God his sole refuge and trust 2 Or that he maketh him his chiefe joy and whole hearts delight For the first sense viz. Whom have I in heaven but thee for my refuge and strength of my confidence we are to know that in heaven and in earth there are other besides God in heaven the elect Angels and the spirits of k Heb. 12.23 just men made perfect in earth there are men and the creatures yet a religious soule reposeth no confidence in any of these First not in the creature in generall for it is l Rom. 8.20 subject to vanity not in riches for m 1 Tim. 6.17 they are uncertaine Charge the rich in this world that they trust not in uncertaine riches not in n Jer. 9.23 wisedome or strength or power nor in the favour of o Psal 146.3 Princes nor any childe of man for there is no helpe in them I will yet ascend higher even to heaven and to the Angels and soules there For whatsoever power or strength or helpe may be in them we may not put our trust in them 1 Not in the soules of Saints departed for they p Esay 63.16 take no notice of our affaires here neither have we any order to addresse our selves to them Abraham is ignorant of us and Israel acknowledgeth us not q 2 Kin. 22.20 Good Josiah seeth not the evill which befell his subjects after his death 2 Not in Angels for though they excell in strength and are ministring r Heb. 1.14 Spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall be heires of salvation yet we have no charge to worship them or relie upon them for our salvation Nay wee are charged to the contrary both from God and from themselves from God Å¿ Mat. 4.10 Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serve and t Col. 2.18 Let no man beguile you in voluntary humility and worshipping of Angels and from themselves also u Apoc. 19.10 22.9 And I fell downe at the feet of the Angel that shewed me these things and he said unto me See thou doe it not I am thy fellow servant worship God For the second sense viz. Whom have I in heaven but thee for my chiefe joy and sole hearts delight we are to know that the faithfull soule is wedded to God and like a loyall Spouse casteth no part of her conjugall affection upon any but him Love she may whom he loveth and what he commandeth her to love for him and in him but not as him if she doth so shee becommeth Adultera Christo as St. Cyprian speaketh and may not be admitted to sing in Davids quire or at least not to bear a part in this Antheme Whom have I in heaven but thee O Lord No more than the life of the body can bee maintained without naturall heat and moisture can the life of grace be preserved in the soule without continuall supply of the moisture of penitent teares and a great measure of the heat of divine love wherewith we are to consume those spirituall sacrifices of prayer and praises which we are now and at all times to offer lifting up pure hands and hearts unto God To kindle this sacred fire I have brought you a live coale from the Altar of incense Davids heart sending up sweetest perfumes of most fragrant and savourie meditations This coale the best Interpreters ancient and later conspiring in their expositions blow after this manner St. u Hier. in hunc locum Neque in coelo neque in terrâ alium praeter
accessary to the death of the Lord of life And not only those that committed high treason against the sacred person of the Lords Annointed and imbrued their hands and stained their consciences with that bloud which cleanseth us from all sinne 1 John 1.7 but also Nero and Domitian and Trajan and Antoninus and Severus and Maximinus and Decius and Valerianus and Dioclesianus and Maxentius and all other Emperours that employed their swords and Simon Magus and Cerinthus and Arrius and Nestorius and Manes and all other obstinate arch-Heretickes who employed their pens against him none have hitherto escaped the heavie judgement of God who have bid battell to the Christian Faith and have wilfully and of set malice given the Spouse of Christ the least wound or skarre either by a gash with their sword or a scratch with their pen. Bee wise now therefore O yee Kings Psal 2.10 11 12. bee instructed yee Judges of the earth Serve the Lord with feare and rejoyce with trembling Kisse the Sonne lest hee bee angry and yee perish from the way when his wrath is kindled but a little blessed are all they that put their trust in him Some Interpreters by Judgement understand the spirituall government of Christ which is managed in his Church with excellent wisedome and judgement and by Victory the prevalent power of grace in the faithfull wherby they are victorious in all temptations in such sort that though Sathan labour with all his might to blow out a poore sparke yet hee shall not be able to quench it and that the smallest degree of faith like a grain of mustard seed is stronger than the gates of hell and is able to remove mountaines of doubts and oppositions cast up by Sathan and our rebellious hearts between God and us And from hence they inforce the Apostles exhortation to all the souldiers of Christ to be strong in the Lord Ephes 6.10 and in the power of his might not to looke who are their enemies but who is our Captaine not what they threaten but what hee promiseth who hath taken upon him as to conquer for us so to conquer in us These are sweet and comfortable notes but as I conceive without the rule of this Text for questionlesse the Donec or Untill is not superfluous or to no purpose but hath reference to some future time when Christs mild proceedings shall be at a period and he shall take another course with his enemies such as I have before described in the particular judgement of the Jewish Nation and the generall judgement of the whole World But if Judgement and Victory bee taken in their sense there needed no untill to bee added For Christ even from the beginning of his preaching when he strived not nor cryed nor brake the bruised reed nor quenched the smoaking flaxe sent forth judgment unto victory according unto their interpretation that is wisely governed his Church and gave victory to the faithfull in their conflicts with sinne and Sathan That therefore the members of this sentence bee not co-incident and that the donec or untill may have his full force I conceive agreeably to the exposition of the ancient and the prime of the later Interpreters that in this clause Till hee bring forth judgement unto victory the Prophet determineth the limits of the time of grace Whosoever commeth In between the first and second comming of Christ shall be received into favour but after the gates of mercy shall bee locked up Yet our gracious Ahasuerus reacheth out his golden Scepter to all that have a hand of faith to lay hold on it but then he shall take his Iron mace or rod in his hand to bruise his enemies and breake them in pieces like a potters vessell I must sing therefore with holy David of Mercy and Judgement mercy in this life and judgement in the life to come mercy during the day of grace but judgement at the day of the Worlds doom For although sometimes God meets with the Reprobate in this life yet that judgement which they feele here may bee accounted mercy in comparison of that which shall be executed upon them hereafter without all mitigation of favour release of torments or limitation of time Now the vials drop on them but then they shall bee poured all out upon them Wherefore let us all like the bruised reed fall downe to the earth and humble our selves under the mighty hand of God Let us like smoaking flaxe send forth bitter fumes of sighes for our sinnes assuring our selves that now whilst the day of grace lasteth hee will not breake the bruised reed nor quench the smoaking flaxe but if we neglect this time of grace and deferre our repentance till he send forth judgement unto victory we shall smoake for it Cogitemus fratres de tempore in tempore ne pereamus cum tempore Let us thinke of time in time lest we perish with time Let us imagine that we now saw the Angel standing upon the sea Apoc. 10 5 6. and upon the earth and lifting up his hand to heaven and swearing by him that liveth for ever who created heaven and the earth and the sea and the things that are therein that there should be time no longer Jonas 2.8 O let us not forsake our owne mercy but to day if wee will heare his voice harden not our hearts but mollifie them by laying them asoake in teares Let us breake off our sinnes suddenly by repentance and our iniquities by almes-deeds Now is the seed-time let us now therefore sow the seeds of faith hope mercy meeknesse temperance patience and all other divine Vertues and we shall reape a plentifull harvest in heaven Cypr. ad Dom. Hic vita aut amittitur aut tenetur hic saluti aeternae cultu Dei fructu fidei providetur Galat. 6.8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reape corruption but hee that soweth to the spirit shall of the spirit reape life everlasting Which God of his infinite mercy grant that we may all do in heaven through the merits of his Sonne by the grace of the holy Spirit to whom c. THE TRAITORS GUERDON A Sermon preached on the Gowries conspiracy before his Grace and divers Lords and persons of eminent quality at Croydon August 5. Anno Dom. 1618. THE FIFTH SERMON PSAL. 63. VER 9 10 11. 9. But those that seeke my soule to destroy it shall goe into the lower parts of the earth 10. They shall make him run out like water by the hands of the sword they shall be a portion for Foxes 11. But the King shall rejoyce in God every one that sweareth by him shall glory but the mouth of them that speake lyes shall be stopped Most REVEREND Right Honr. Right Wor sh c. WEe are at this present assembled with religious Rites and sacred Ceremonies to celebrate the unfortunately fortunate Nones of August which are noted in red letters in the Romane Calendar as
putteth his trust in him shall glory in these his victories But the mouth of all Jewes and Gentiles Turkes and Infidels Atheists and Idolaters that belch out blasphemies against him shal be stopped when he shall come in the glory of his Father with his elect Angels and sit in judgement upon quicke and dead u Hieron epist ad Heliod Tunc quod vocem inbae pavebit terra cum populis tu gaudebis Judicaturo Domino lugubrè mundus immugiet tribus ad tribum pectora ferient Potentissimi quoâ—dam reges nudo latere pulpitabunt exhibebitur cum prole sua vere tunc ignitus Jupiter adducetur cum suis stultus Plato discipulis Aristotelis argumenta non proderunt Tunc tu rusticanus pauper exultabis ridebis dices ecce crucifixus Deus meus ecce Judex qui obvolutus pannis in praesepio vagiit hic est ille operarii quaestuariae filius hic qui matris gestatus sinu hominem Deus fugit in Egyptum hic vestitus coccino hic sentibus coronatus cerne manus Judae e quas fixeras cerne latus Romane quod foderas Then at the sound of the last trumpe the earth shall tremble with the inhabitants but thou O Christian shalt rejoyce When thy Lord comes to judge the world shall roare hideously all the kindreds of the earth shall smite their breasts the most puissant Kings shall appeare without their guard panting for feare Jupiter himselfe the chiefe Idoll of all the heathen with all his off-spring shall be seene all in true fire foolish Plato shall be brought with his disciples Aristotles sophistry shall stand him in no stead Then thou poore and simple countrey swaine shalt leap for joy and say Behold my God who was crucified behold the Judge who sometimes wrapt in swadling clothes cryed in a manger this is the Carpenters sonne this is he who borne in his mothers armes being God fled from man into Aegypt this he who was clad in purple and crowned with thornes see O Jew the hands which thou nailedst view O Roman the side which thou diggedst with thy speare behold O Jew the head which thou prickedst with thornes now compassed with radiant beames behold the face thou defiledst with spittle shining brighter than the Sun behold the hands thou woundedst with Iron nailes holding a rod of Iron and bruising his enemies like a potters vessell behold O Roman the naked side which thou piercedst with a speare now guarded with a troupe of Angels with their polaxes behold the body thou strippedst starke naked cloathed with light as with a garment In a word behold him whom thou esteemedst the scorne of the earth made now the glory of the heavens in a triumphant march with millions of Saints and Angels riding on bright clouds as it were fiery chariots through the aire to execute speedie vengeance upon all his enemies and to take up all the elect with him into heaven x Apoc. 22.20 Etiam sic veni Domine Jesu Even so come Lord Jesu come quickly You have heard how sweet and heavenly the musicke is if you take the highest cliffe from Christ if you take the middle from David thus the notes follow They that seeke my soule to destroy it that is my bloud-thirsty enemies shall goe into the lowest parts of the earth that is either enter into their graves or hide themselves in caves of the earth they shall make him to run out like water that is cause Saul my capitall and mortall enemie to spill his owne bloud by falling upon his owne sword And they shall be a portion for foxes This clause of the prophecie was not fulfilled in Saul his person nor his sonnes for y 1 Sam. 31.12.13 their flesh was burnt and their bones buried under a tree at Jabesh but in his servants and souldiers which mortally wounded on the mounts of Gilboa and being not able to helpe themselves nor having any to burie them after they had breathed out their last gasp fell to the foxes share and therefore David purposely altereth the number saying not they shall cast him downe and he shall bee a portion for foxes but they shall be a portion for foxes as in the truth of the story afterwards they fell to the foxes commons Now after the death first of Saul and the discomfiture of his royall armie and the overthrow afterwards of the Philistims and destruction of all his enemies round about King David sitting safely and quietly in his throne full of joy and comfort breaketh forth into a Psalme of thanks-giving to God for his wonderfull victories and strange deliverances and all the loyall subjects of Judah and Israel beare a part with him in it whereat all those that before had falsely traduced his person or impugned his right to his crowne were put to silence and shame Thus have I set the tune in my text to the middle key also and as you heare the musicke is sweet if you will have the patience to heare it once more set to the lowest key you will all perceive that every note in it conforteth not onely with our voices but our thoughts and affections at this present I have shewed you how this prophecy in my text was fulfilled in Christ Davids Lord and secondly in David the Lords Christ may it please you out of your love to him to whose honour you have dedicated this feast to stretch out your patience to the length of the houre and I shall briefly exemplifie the same in our Israels David To resume then the words of this Scripture and by the parts of it to draw the lineaments of that narration which shall serve for my conclusion First I will relate unto you the attempt of the conspirators the Earle Gowrie and Alexander Ruthen his brother and their complices by the occasion of these words They that seek my soule to destroy it Secondly the event by occasion of the words following shall goe to the lowest parts of the earth c. They that seeke my soule to destroy it Were there ever any such or are there any at this day Doth hee breathe that would goe about to stop the z Sen. de clem l. 1. c. 4. Ille est vinculum per quod respublica coheret ille est spiritus vitalis quem tot millia trahunt breath which so many thousands draw Doth the Sun give light to any that would go about to quench the light of Israel can the earth bear any such an ungratefull and gracelesse varlet whose conscience is burthened with so heavie and heinous a sin as Parricide in the highest degree laying violent hands upon the Father of his countrey whom for his clemencie and wisedome the world at this day cannot parallel Yes beloved this hath beene the lot of the best Princes that ever ware corruptible Crownes a Suet. in vita Tui Titus sirnamed Delitiae humani generis The darling of mankinde drew this lot and b
ut eorum exposcit officium nomen consulant quaeritur enim quantum reddat episcopatus non quot oves pascuae in eo sint Platina giveth a touch hereof in the life of Pope Goodface the third the first question is after a man is chosen Pope what is the Bishopricke of Rome worth Filthy lucre carrieth such an ill favour with it that the precious oyntment of Aaron cannot take away the smell thereof Covetousnesse is a spot in any coat but a stain in the linnen Ephod what so unfit what so incongruous nay what so opprobrious and scandalous as for those who in scripture are stiled Angels and should like Angels by continuall meditations and divine contemplations behold the face of God in heaven to turne earth-wormes and lye and feed upon very mucke How dare they deliver the holy Sacrament with those hands that have received bribes or are defiled with the price of blood or are foule with telling their use-money Holinesse which of all other most be fitteth our sacred calling in the greeke implyeth a contradiction to earthlinesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which wee render holy is all one in that language as unearthly If a glasse bee soyled with dust or beâ—â—â—eared with dirt it reflecteth no image at all in like manner if the minde bee soyled with the dust of earthlinesse the image of God cannot appeare in it the fancie of such a man will represent no spirituall forme conceive no divine or heavenly imaginations If wee seeke our owne and not the things that are Jesus Christs the goods not the good of our flocke wee lose the first letter of our name in the Prophet r Ezek. 3.17 Sonne of man I have made thee a watchman Ezekiel and of speculatores become peculatores and are not to be termed praedicatores but praedatores But I will not make this blot bigger by unskilfully going about to take it out 8 Of those that feede Not as Lords and take the over-sight of Gods flocke that is among them not by constraint but willingly not for filthy lucre but of a ready minde some carry themselves like Lords over the flocke not as ensamples to their flock they goe in and out before them in a stately and lordly gate Å¿ Concil Carthag 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fumosus seculityphus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in swelling pride not in exemplary humility seeking rather to over-rule them with terrour and violence than rule over them with the spirit of meeknesse These though they are put up to the highest fourme yet have not learned the first lesson in the schoole of Christianity t Matth. 11.29 to be meek and lowly in heart neither understand they that divine graces which are the plants of Paradise are like to the tree in the Poet that bare golden boughes u Virg. Aen. 6. Quae quantum vertice ad auras Aethereas tantum radice in Tartara tendit whose root was just so much beneath the earth as the top was in height above it The higher Gods Saints grow upwards to perfection the deeper they take root downward in humility considering that they have nothing of their owne but sinne and what a foolish and impious sinne of pride is it to bee proud of sinne He that presumes on his owne strength saith holy Austine is conquered before hee fight To repose trust in our selves saith * Bern. serm 20. in vigil nat dom Sibimet ipsi fidere non fidei sed perfidiae est nec confidentiae sed diffidentiae magis in semetipso habere fiduciam Bernard is not of faith but perfidiousnesse neither breeds it true confidence but diffidence To bee proud of knowledge is to bee blinde with light to bee proud of vertue is to poyson himselfe with the Antidote and to be proud of authority is to make his rise his downefall and his ladder his ruine It is the darke foyle that giveth the Diamond its brightest lustre it is the humble and low and obscure conceit of our owne worth that giveth lustre and grace to all our vertues and perfections if we have any Moses glory was the greater because his face shined and he knew not of it Thus have I numbred unto you the severall linkes of the Apostles golden chaine of instructions for Pastors now let us gather them together in a narrow roome 1 Be not such as neede to be fed but are able and willing to feede 2 Feede not your selves but the flocke 3 Feede not the flocke or droves of Antichrist but the flocke of God 4 Feede the flocke of God not out of your charge or without you but the flocke of God which is among you 5 Content not your selves with feeding them onely with the Word and Sacrament but over-looke them also have an eye to their manners 6 Doe this not constrainedly but willingly 7 Not out of private respects but freely 8 Not proudly but humbly not to shew your authority over the flock but to set before them an ensample in your selves of humility meekenesse temperance patience and all other vertues Thus feede the flocke of God that is among you thus rule those whom you feede thus carry yourselves towards those whom you rule thus give good ensample in your carriage and when the chiefe shepheard and Bishop of your soules Christ Jesus shall appeare you shall receive in stead of a Crosier a Scepter of a Miter a Crowne of a Diocesse upon earth a Kingdome in heaven You see I have a large and plentifull field before mee yet I purpose at this time to follow the example of the Apostles x Matth. 12.1 who as they passed through the corne field plucked only an eare or two and rubbed them in their hands To rub the first eare that you may see what graine it yeeldeth To feed saith y l. 1. de Rom. pont c. 15. In scripturis pascere passim accipitur pro regere ut psal 2. reges cos in virgâ ferreâ in Heb. est pasce 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Apoc. 2.27 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bellarmine signifieth to rule with princely authority to sway the scepter as a spirituall Prince over Christs flocke and to this purpose hee alledgeth that text in the Apocalyps 2.27 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hee shall feede or rule them with a rod of iron hard feeding for Christs sheepe hee had need to have an Estridge's stomacke that can digest this interpretation here Feed not over-ruling ver 3. that is over-rule them not feeding this is as naturall an interpretation of this scripture as the glosse upon the word statuimus in the Canon law id est abrogamus or statuimus quod non wee enact that is wee abrogate we command that is wee forbid we appoint this that is wee appoint that this shall not bee If this be a right interpretation of this place and the other parallel to it in Saint z Joh. 20.17 John then Saint * Bernard de considerat
how shall wee have Ministers at all without ordination and how shall wee have good Ministers or people without visitation Now for Presbyters or Ministers who are equall in degree to exercise authority one over the other and lay hands upon themselves so to become their own ghostly Fathers is to make order it selfe a confusion Therefore God in the law put a difference between the Priests and Levits and Christ in the gospell between the Apostles and Disciples and the Apostles after Christs death between Bishops and Elders Which the primitive Church kept so religiously that to oppose it in practice was accounted no lesse than l Act. Concil 1. Chalced. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sacriledge in doctrine flat heresie The first that I finde ever to have gone about to break downe the partition wall betweene Bishops and Presbyters was Aerius a man like his name light and aery easily carried away with the winde of ambition For as m Epiph. haeres 71. Cum episcopatus spe excidisset Eustathio posthabitus ut se consolaretur hanc haeresem excogitavit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Epiphanius writeth standing for a Bishopricke and missing it hee invented this heresie to comfort himselfe and because hee could not raise up himselfe to the high ranke of Bishops hee sought to pull them downe to his lower ranke of Elders What difference saith he is there betweene a Bishop and a Priest none at all their order and honour and dignity is one and the selfe-same But for this his sawcy malepartnesse he felt the smart of the Crosier staffe and for ranking Bishops among Presbyters or Elders he was himself ranked among hereticks God who made greater lesser lights in the firmament and set Angels in ranks one above another hath erected an * See King James his Cygnea Cantio Bilson his perpetuall governement Bancroft his slavey of the holy pretended discipline c. de episc Downam his sermon at the consecration of the Bishop of Bath and Wells Andrew opus posthum Hallier defenc ecclesiast hierar l. 1. Aurelius vindiciae censurae tit 3. de epis curatis Hierarchy upon earth which as he hath ever yet so I hope he still will to the end of the world establish and support and propagate it as it hath wonderfully supported and propagated the Church The bounds therof extended by the preaching kept by the government of Bishops the Hereticks and Schismaticks in all ages suppressed by Councels and Synods of Bishops the Rubricks of Ecclesiasticall Kalendars coloured with the blood of so many martyred Bishops are sufficient evidence thereof And as the Church soone after her first plantation exceedingly prospered under the shade of James Bishop of Jerusalem Titus of Crete Timothy of Ephesus Marke of Alexandria Ignatius of Antioch Antipas of Pergamus Polycarpe of Smyrna and divers others ordayned by the Apostles or their immediate successors and in succeeding ages received her best sap and nourishment from the Greeke and Latine Fathers who for the most part were Bishops so n Beza de grad Min. evang cap. 18. Non tantum insignes Dei martyres sed etiam praestantissimos doctores pastores Beza himselfe acknowledgeth it to have beene the singular happinesse of the Church of England which he prayeth may be perpetuall that this reverend and sacred order hath yeelded not only famous Martyrs but also most excellent Doctors and Pastors As the Poet blazing the vertues of the Emperour then reigning said o Mart. epig. l. 1. Te volet invictus pro libertate Camillus Si Cato reddatur Caesarianum erit Brutus and Camillus and Cato the greatest sticklers for the liberty of the commonwealth if they were now alive would turne Royalists so wee may truely affirme that the greatest enemies of Episcopall jurisdiction could not but approve of such Bishops as now sit at the sterne in our Church And what if all are not such must the whole order suffer for their sake p Ovid l. 1. de art Desine paucorum diffundere crimen in omnes lay not upon all the fault of some If one or other budde of Aarons rod the bishopricke of Rome and the dependants thereon are turned into serpents shall the whole rod bee cast out of the Arke and Jonah's gourd put in the place thereof I meane the new sprung up mushrome the governement of lay Elders Elders whereof no elder age of the Church ever took notice and the younger cannot tell yet how to christen them because they are a kind of epicoens of both genders plant-animals partly animals partly plants like a sort of Nuns at Bruxels partly regular partly secular in the morning wearing the cowles and habit of Recluses in the afternoone the feathers and other attire of Gallants For they are Clergy-laickes and Lay-clerkes of their clergy they are for they together with their Ministers ordaine Ministers and inflict ecclesiasticall censures and yet laickes they are for they may not preach nor baptize Church-men they are for they beare rule in the Church yet church-men they are not for they may receive no maintenance from the Church They are the Elders that rule well and labour not in the word for such they will have intimated by S. Paul yet the honour which their owne Interpreters there expound honourable maintenance is not due unto them Spare me Men Fathers and Brethren if I spare not them who goe about to bereave us of our spirituall Fathers qui saeviunt in plagas vulnera ecclesiae who seeke to ruine the ruines and spoile the very spoiles of ecclesiasticall dignity and distinction left among us To place such Bats as these rather mice than birds must Christs Apostles and their successors be displaced and all rankes of ecclesiasticall order confounded is there any justice in this to breake all Crosier staves and tread all Miters under foot and teare all Rochets in pieces Unius ob noxam furias Ajacis Oilei for the usurpations and tyranny of one Bishop the Pope of Rome By this reason take away the reverend order of the Apostles for Judas sake take away the sacred order of Prophets for Balaams sake take away the soveraigne order of Princes for Julians sake take away the glorious orbs of starres for the starres sake called q Apoc. 8.11 wormewood in the Apocalyps nay take away the highest regiment of Angels for Lucifers sake and the rest of his faction somtime in the highest order in heaven but now reserved in chaines of darkenesse till the great day This may suffice to bee spoken of and for your calling two words of the two duties implyed in the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 feede and take the over-sight You are Pastors and Bishops make good your titles feede as Pastors take the over-sight of your Diocesse as Bishops The three orders in the Church Bishops Priests and Deacons resemble the three faculties of the soule the vegetative sensitive and reasonable For as the sensitive
ancient as now shee is For she was made so at Christs death cum è terra sublatus fuero omnes ad me traham like Eve shee was formed out of the second Adams side whence issued the two Christian Sacraments the water of baptisme and the blood of the holy Eucharist At the first she was fed with the sincere milke of the word in the Apostles time came to her perfect growth strength and full dimensions in the Fathers dayes when shee valiantly encountred all persecutors abroad and heretickes at home After 600. yeeres she began apparently to breake and in every latter age decayed more and more and now in most parts of the Christian world except onely where by reformation her age is renewed shee is become decrepit dimme in the sight of heavenly things deafe in the hearing Gods word stiffe in the knees of true devotion disfigured in the face of order weake in the sinewes of faith cold in the heart of love and stouping after the manner of bowed old age to graven Images Wherefore it may bee doubted that Cardinal Bellarmine was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 participated somewhat of the infirmities of old age in his bookes of the notes of the Church where hee would have o Bell. de not Eccles l. 4 c. 5. Secunda nota est antiquitas antiquity to be a proper marke of the true Church He might as well have assigned old age to bee the proper note of a man which neither agreeth to all men nor to man alone nor to any man at all times no more doth antiquity to the Church What neede I adde any more sith the truth himselfe hath dashed through this marke againe and againe Matth. 5.21.27.31.33.38.43 teaching us that the essayes of the auncients are not the touch-stone of truth but his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I say you have heard that it was said by them of old time c. But I say unto you c. Yea but say our adversaries of Rome Christ himselfe elsewhere argueth from antiquity both affirmatively o Mat. 19.4 He which made them at the beginning made them male and female and negatively p ver 8. From the beginning it was not so And Saint John also q 1 Joh. 2.7 This is the message which ye heard from the beginning And r Tertul. contra Prax. Id vertum quod prius id adulterinum quod posterius Tertullian That is true which is first that is counterfeit which is latter And Saint ſ Epist ad Pomp. Nonne ad fontem recurritur c. Cyprian saying If the pipe which before yeelded water abundantly faile suddenly doe we not runne to the spring And the councell of Calcedon crying with one voice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let the auncient rites and customes prevaile and before them the Prophet Jeremy t Jer. 6.16 aske for the old paths and walke therein All which allegations make strongly for the prime and originall antiquity not for any of later standing The old pathes which the Prophet Jeremy speaketh of are the pathes of Gods commandements laid downe by Moses and the Prophets there wee are to aske where is the good way and to walke in it not because it is the old way but because it is the good way For there are old wayes which are not good wayes which God forbids us to walke in * Ezek. 20.18 Walke not in the statutes of your Fathers nor observe their judgements And u Psal 49.19 David forewarnes us of He shall follow the generation of his Fathers and shall never see light A fit poesie to be written upon the doore of every obstinate recusant among us The councell of Calcedon cryeth up ancient customes and ordinances and so doe wee such as are descended from the Apostles or at least are not repugnant to their doctrine and practice Saint Cyprians advice is good If water faile in the pipe or conduit or runne muddily to have recourse to the spring but what spring doth he there point unto fontem dominicae traditionis the fountaine of the Lords tradition that is the scriptures Tertullians observation is true 'T is good coyne that 's first stampt and afterward that which is counterfeited the husbandman first sowed good seed and then the envious man sowed tares Let the Romanists prove their Trent doctrine to be Dominica and to have in it the Kings stampe wee will admit it for currant After Christ and his Apostles had sowne the good seede which wee yet retaine pure in our reformed Churches they by their additions have sowne upon it tares Saint John draweth an argument from the beginning of the preaching of the Gospell and Christ from the beginning that is the first promulgation of the law in Paradise Let the Romanists fetch an argument from antiquity so high and we will soone joine issue with them And to this antiquity we might strictly tye our adversaries as Saint Cyprian doth his opposites u Cyp. ep 3. Non debemus attendere quid aliquis ante nos faciendum putaverit sed quid qui ante omnes est Christus Wee must not respect saith hee what any hath done before us in the matter about which wee contend but what Christ did which was before all When they pleaded ancient tradition hee demands x Epist ad Pomp. Unde est ista traditio utrumne de dominicâ evangelicâ autoritate descendens c. si in evangelio praecipitur aut in apostolorum epistolis aut actibus continetur observetur haec sancta traditio whence is that tradition is it derived from the Gospel or Acts of the Apostles or their Epistles then let such a holy tradition bee religiously kept And Saint Augustine * Aug. contra lit Petil. l. 3. c. 6. standeth at this ward against the Donatists whether concerning Christ or concerning his Church or concerning any thing that pertaineth to our faith and life wee will not say if we but as he going forward addeth if an Angel from heaven shall preach unto you but what you have received in the Scriptures of the Law and Gospell let him bee accursed Yet wee give them a larger scope even till the beginning of the seventh age wherein Mahumetanisme began to spread in the East and Antichristianisme in the West For the first sixe hundred yeeres they cannot finde any Kingdome Commonwealth Country Province City Village or Hamlet under the cope of heaven professing their present Trent Faith Wherefore as Phasis while hee was highly extolling the Emperours proclamation for placing men of quality in the Theater according to their ranke was by that very edict thrust out of the place hee had got there by Lectius the Marshall x Mart. epig. l. 5. Edictum domini deique nostri Quo subsellia certiora fiunt Et puros eques ordines recepit Dum laudat modo Phasis in theatro Phasis purpureis ruber lacernis c. Illas purpureas arrogantes Jussit surgere Lectius
Adag Semper Africa aliquid apportat novi c. so in the places of moist meetings monstrous sinnes are begotten monstrous oaths monstrous blasphemies monstrous murders monstrous uncleannesse here Popery is familiarly broacht nay Atheisme freely vented Gods creatures abused his Sabbath profaned the actions of the State censured the watchfull Magigistrates and the zealous Ministers of the Gospell and all that make profession of Religion nick-named jeared and made a parable of reproach here prophane Musicke and impure Songs are played and sung even in time of divine Service here 's no difference of dayes holy or common nay no difference of day or night I had almost sayd nay nor of Sexes If the hands of the religious Magistrates be not strengthened and their zeale stirred up to take some course to abate the incredible number and reforme the unsufferable abuses of these sinks of all impurity especially about the skirts and suburbs of the city we have cause to feare a worse fire than that which lately affrighted us falling in that place where it might bee as a dreadfull beacon to warne both City Borough and Suburbs I meane such a fire as fell upon Sodome and Gomorrha t Caus in Polyhist symb Polycritus writeth of a Lake of troubled water in Sicily quam si quis ingrediatur in latum extenditur into which the deeper a man wadeth the larger it doth extend it selfe Such a lake my discourse is fallen into the water is foule and troubled and the deeper I sinke into it the more it enlargeth it selfe and lest it should overflow the bankes of the allotted time I will suddenly leape out of it into my second part which is Christs prerogative whereby he is become the first fruits of them that slept Wee have surveyed the ground let us now take a sample of the fruits in the spreading whereof abroad I must handle two things 1 The reference 2 The inference 1 The reference is to Leviticus 23.10 When you reape the harvest you shall bring in a sheafe of the first fruits of the harvest unto the Priest ver 7. and he shall wave it And to Exod. 34.22 You shall observe the feast of weeks the feast of the first fruits of wheat harvest Now let us set the truth to the type As the first fruits were reapt in the harvest when the corne was ripe so Christ was cut off by death in his ripe age 2 As the sheafe that was offered was shaken before so there was an u Mat. 28.2 earthquake at Christs lifting out of the grave 3 As the sheafe was offered the morrow after the Sabbath so Christ the first day of the week after the Sabbath was presented alive to his Father at his resurrection Lastly as there was a distance of time between the first fruits which were offered on Easter day those that were offered at the day of Pentecost so there is a distance of time between Christs rising from the dead which was 1600. yeers ago ours which shall be at the last day Thus much for the reference now to the inference which is twofold 1 Christs prerogative in that he is the first fruits 2 The Saints communion with him in that they are of the heape 1 Christs prerogative * Joh. 3.31 Hee that is in heaven is above all for x Mat. 28.18 to him is given all power in heaven and earth and y Phil. 2.9 a name above all names z Eph. 1.22 he is the head of the Church and a Eph. 5.23 Saviour of the body he is the first b Heb. 1 6. begotten of the Father c Mat. 1.25 first borne of his Mother the first d Col. 1.18 Rev. 1.5 begotten of the dead e Col. 1.15 first borne of every creature Therefore as Quiros strongly concludes in every order both of creation and regeneration of nature and grace of things visible and invisible hee hath the preheminence among all let him have the precedency in our love and affections let us not set any thing above him on earth who hath the first place in heaven If hee bee the head of men and Angels let the knees of all in heaven in earth under the earth bow to him if hee bee the bright morning starre let the eye of our faith bee earely upon him if hee bee f Apoc. 22.16 Alpha and Omega the First and the Last let him bee first in our thoughts and last in our memory g Apoc. 1.8 let us begin our prayers in his name and end them in his merits 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Primâ dicta mihi summâ dicende Camenâ If he be the first fruits Reshith bicorre the first fruits of the first fruits let all the sheaves do homage to him let us sanctifie him in our minds let us offer him the first fruits of our hearts the first fruits of our lips the first fruits of our hands the first fruits of the earth the first fruits of our thoughts the first fruits of our desires the first fruits of our prayers the first fruits of our labours the first fruits of our substance so will he esteem us h Jam. 1.18 the first fruits of his creatures and we shall receive the i Rom. 8.23 first fruits of the spirit here in our regeneration and the whole harvest hereafter in our glorification as our holy brethren that are fallen asleep in soule have received already who rest from their labours and their workes follow them and here you may see them I may say of them as Isaac said of Jacob Gen. 27. The smell of my sonne is as the smell of a field which the Lord hath blessed And behold here as in a corne field Allude to the Hosp tall children in blew coates blew flowers intermingled Here the Preacher read the Catalogue printed of all the poore relieved in the Hospitals of the City which followeth Children kept and maintained at this present at the charges of Christs Hospitall in the said house in divers places of this city and suburbs and with sundry nurses in the country 905 Which is a farre greater number than hath hitherto beene since the foundation The names of all which are registred in the books kept in Christs Hospitall there to bee seene from what parishes and by what meanes they have beene from time to time admitted Children put forth apprentices discharged and dead this yeere 69 There hath beene cured this yeere last past at the charges of Saint Bartholomews Hospitall of souldiers and other diseased people to the number of 832 All which were relieved with money and other necessaries at their departure Buried this yeere after much charges in their sicknesse 121 Remaining under cure at this present at the charge of the said Hospitall 262 There hath beene cured this yeere last past at the charges of Saint Thomas Hospitall of souldiers and other diseased people 731 All which were relieved with money and other necessaries at their
see thy selfe in heaven with one eye than to see thy selfe in hell with both better hoppe into life with one legge than runne to eternall death with both better without a right hand to bee set with the sheepe at Gods right hand than having a right hand to bee set at Gods left hand and afterwards with both thine hands bee bound to bee cast into hell fire c ver 44.46.48 where the worme never dyeth and the fire is not quenched and againe and a third time where the worme never dyeth and the fire is not quenched At the mention whereof it being the burthen of his dolefull Sonnet our Saviour perceiving the eares of his auditors to tingle in the words of my text hee yeeldeth a reason of that his so smart and biting admonition saying For every one shall be salted c. and withall hee sheweth them a meanes to escape that unquenchable fire which they so much dreaded and to kill the immortall worme which even now began to bite them The meanes to escape the one is to bee salted here with fire and the meanes to kill the other is to be salted here with salt for salt preserveth from that putrefaction which breedeth that worme He who now is salted with the fire of zeale or heart-burning sorrow for his sinnes shall never hereafter bee salted with the fire of hell this fire will keepe out that as d Ovid. Met. l. 2. Saevis compescuit ignibus ignes Jupiters fire drove out Phaetons and hee who macerateth here his fleshly members with the salt of Gods uncorrupt word and the cleansing grace of his spirit shall never putrefie in his sinnes nor feele the torment of the never dying worme The Philosophers make three partitions as it were in the soule of man the first they call the reasonable or seate of judgement the second the irascible or seat of affections the third the concupiscible or the seat of desires and lusts In the reasonable part they who knew nothing of the fall of man and originall corruption find little amisse but in the concupiscible they note 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 something like superfluous moisture inclining to luxury in the irascible 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 something like cold or rawnesse enclining to feare behold in my text a remedy for both fire for the one and salt for the other And that wee may not lose a sparke of this holy fire or a graine of this salt so soveraigne let us in a more exact division observe 1 Two kindes of seasoning 1 With fire 2 With salt 2 Two sorts of things to bee seasoned 1 Men without limitation Every 2 Sacrifices without exception All. God e Gen. 4.4 had respect unto Abel and his sacrifice first to Abel and then to his offering hee accepteth not the man for his sacrifice but the sacrifice for the mans sake First therefore of men and their salting with fire and after of sacrifices and their salting with salt Every one shall bee salted with fire Saint f Hieron in hunc locum Mire dictum est c. ille verè victima domini est qui corpus animam a vitus emundando Deo per amorem consecratur nec sale aspergitur sed igne consumitur quando non peccati tantum contagio pellitur sed praesentis vitae delectatio tollitur futurae conversationi totā mente suspiratur Jerome was much taken with this speech of our Saviour it is saith he an admirable saying That which is seasoned with salt is preserved from corruption of vermine that which is salted with fire loseth some of the substance with both the sacrifices of the old Law were seasoned such a sacrifice in the Gospell is hee who cleansing his body and soule from vice by love consecrateth himselfe to God who then it not onely sprinkled with salt but also consumed with fire when not onely the contagion of sinne is driven away but also all delight of this present life is taken away and wee sigh with our whole soule after our future conversation which shall bee with God and his Angels in heaven It is newes to heare of salting of men especially with fire an uncouth expression yet used by our Saviour to strike a deeper impression into the mindes of his hearers and verily the Metaphor is not so hard and strained as the duty required is harsh and difficult to our nature It went much against flesh and blood to heare of plucking out an eye or cutting off an hand or foot yet that is nothing in comparison to salting with fire salt draweth out the corrupt blood and superfluous moisture out of flesh but fire taketh away much of the substance thereof if not all For the fattest and best parts of all sacrifices were devoured by the flame of such things as were offered to God by fire If such a salting bee requisite wee must then not onely part with an eye or a hand or a foot but even with heart and head and whole body to be burned for the testimony of the Gospell if so the case stand that either we must leave our body behind us or wee leave Christ Such a salting is here prescribed by our high Priest as draweth out not onely corrupt moisture but consumeth much of the flesh also yea sometimes all that is not onely bereaveth us of superfluous vanities and sinfull pleasures but even of our chiefe comforts of life it selfe our friends our estates our honours yea sometimes our very bodies So hot is this fire so quicke is this salt Those that are redeemed by Christs blood must thinke nothing too deare for him who paid so deare for them rather than forfeit their faith and renounce the truth they must willingly lay all at stake for his sake who pawned not onely his humane body and soule but after a sort his divine person also to satisfie the justice of God for us Every one How farre this Every one extends and what this salting with fire signifieth the best Interpreters ancient and latter are not fully agreed Some restraine every one to the reprobate only and by fire understand hell-fire others to the elect onely and by fire understand the fire of Gods spirit or grace burning out as it were and consuming our naturall corruptions They who stand for the former interpretation conceive that Christ in these words yeeldeth a reason why hee said that hell-fire shall never bee quenched Ver. 48. for every one that is say they of the damned in hell shall bee salted with that fire the fire shall be to their bodies as salt is to flesh which keepeth it from putrefying O cruell mercy of hellish flames O saving destruction O preservation worse than perdition O fire eternally devouring and yet preserving its owne fuell O punishment bringing continuall torments to the damned and continuing their bodies and soules in it It is worse than death to be kept alive to eternall pains it is
to the capacity of their nature and consequently all may truely and properly bee said to live how then is life appropriated to God and God by this attribute living distinguished not onely from fained deities which were no creatures but also from creatures which are not God I grant that other creatures live and that truely and properly For the Angels live in heaven the Birds in the ayre the Fishes in the sea Men and Beasts in the earth the Divell and damned ghosts in hell but none of them live the life of God their life differeth as much from his as their nature from his 1 His life is his nature their 's the operation of their nature the life of Angels is their contemplation of Divels is their torment of Men is their action of Beasts their sâ—â—e and motion of Plants their growth in briefe Hee is life they are but living 2 His life is his owne he liveth of himselfe and by himselfe and in himselfe their life is borrowed from him as all light is from the sunne 3 His life is infinite without beginning or ending their life is finite and had a beginning and most of them shall have an end and all might if he had so pleased 4 His life is entire altogether and perfect their 's imperfect growing by additioâ— of dayes to dayes and yeeres to yeeres 5 His liâ—e is immutable their 's mutable and subject to many alterations and changâ—s To drâ—w towards an end you heare what You are not prophane or common houses but the Temple not the Temple of Divels but of God yeâ— the living God marke I beseech you what will ensue upon it Use 1 If the â—â—â—thfull are the Temple of the holy Ghost to robbe or spoile any of them must needs bee sacriledge in the highest degree To assault and set open Gods house what is it but after a sort to offer violence to God himsâ—â—fe and commit a worse burglary than that which our lawes condemne â—â—th death 2 If 〈◊〉 Saints of God are the Sanctuaries of the most High what need they 〈◊〉 â—he ungodly pursue them fearefully to flye and basely to seeke to 〈◊〉 person for sâ—ccour oâ— place for refuge They carry a sanctuary about 〈…〉 of their bodies Why should they take sanctuary who are 〈…〉 sâ—nctuâ—ry oftentimes to save the greatest offenders from God◠〈◊〉 Such a sanctuary was Noah to the old world Lot to 〈…〉 Saint John to those that were in the house Saint 〈…〉 were in the shippe with him So soone as Noah left the 〈…〉 entrâ—â—â— into the Arke the world was drowned so soone as Lot lets God 〈◊〉 and â—led 〈◊〉 Zoar Sodome was burned with fire and brimstone from heaven so soone as Saint John left the bath where he met Cerinthus the Hereticke and got out of the house the house fell downe so soon as the Christians were safe at Pella out of Jerusalem Jerusalem was destroyed The house of Obed-Edom was blessed for having the Arke in it and thrice happy are those houses which have many of these Temples in them 3 If Gods chosen are his most holy Temple they must not admit Idolaters into their communion nor profane persons into their houses for this were to set open the Church of Christ to Belial and to entertaine Gods enemies in his owne house 4 Are our bodies and soules the Temple and our faculties and members the Chappels of the holy Ghost how holy then ought wee to be in our inward and outward man how pure in our soules and cleane in our bodies What a horrible and abominable thing were it for a man to doe any notorious villany or commit any filthinesse in the Church upon the Communion Table the savage Gothes and barbarous Infidels would not doe so wickedly Can we possibly beleeve that we are the Temple of the living God if wee bee so dissolute and impure and profane as some are Know wee not that so oft as wee sweare vainly and use curses and execrations wee profane Gods Temple so oft as wee draw bloud of our brother wee pollute it so oft as wee corrupt him wee destroy it so oft as wee defile our bodies with fornication or our soules with Idolatry wee commit filthinesse and practise wickednesse in the Temple of God in the presence of God even under his eye Men and brethren in this case what shall we doe for who hath not in some kinde or other polluted Gods holy Temple his soule and body Lactantius giveth us the best counsell that may bee d Lact. de ira Dei c. ult Mundemus hoc Templum Let us cleanse and purifie this Temple which wee have defiled You will say How is this to be done Gorrham answereth you out of the Law 1 The pavement according to the rites prescribed by Moses was to be broken up and all dead mens bones cast out let us in like manner breake up the ground of the heart and cast all dead workes out of our consciences 2 It was to bee swept all over and washed let us in like manner wash our inward Temples with tears and cleanse them with hearty repentance and godly sorrow for our sinnes 3 It was to be sprinkled with bloud let us in like manner through faith sprinkle our consciences with the bloud of the Lambe 4 It was to bee perfumed with sweet odours and incense let us in like manner perfume our inward Temple with zealous prayers and sighes for our sinnes When God shall see his Temple thus purified his house thus prepared for him hee will returne into it and dwell in it againe and take delight in it and enrich it daily more and more I will locke up the gates of this Temple with the golden Key of * Lact. l. de ira Dei c. ult Sit Deus in nobis non in templo sed in corde consecratus mundemus hoc templum quod non fumo nec pulvere sed malis cogitationibus sordidatur quod non cereis ardentibus sed claritate luce sapientiae illuminatur in quo si Deum semper crediderimus habere praesentem cujus divinitati secreta mentis pateant ita vivamus ut propitium semper habeamus nunquam vereamurs iratum Lactantius Let God bee consecrated or set up by us not in the Temple but in our hearts and let us carefully cleanse this Temple which is soyled and blacked not with smoake and dust but with impure thoughts and earthly desires which is not enlightned with burning tapers but with the light and brightnesse of wisdome in which if wee beleeve that God is continually present to the beames of whose divine eyes the inmost Closets of all hearts lye open let us so live that wee may ever enjoy his favour and never feare his wrath Gracious Lord who hast placed thy Tabernacle in the midst of us in our hearts consecrate them wee beseech thee for holy Temples unto thee sprinkle them with thy bloud cleanse them by thy grace enlighten them with thy
state upon which premisses the Oratour inferreth this conclusion y Cic. pro Muren Cedat stylus gladio umbra soli sitque illa virtus in civitate prima per quam fit ipsa civitas omnium princeps Let therefore the pen give place to the sword arts to armes the shade to the sunne and let that vertue have the preheminency in the State by which the State it selfe getteth the precedency of all other let that rule in the city by which the city hath obtained the rule of the whole world The great Philosopher Aristotle seemeth to subscribe to this conclusion for in martialling morall vertues in their order hee giveth magnanimity the first place and hee yeeldeth this reason for it the more difficult and dreadfull the subject the more excellent the vertue which regulates the affection about it now death is the chiefe of all feares magnanimity therefore which conquereth this feare is the Prince of all vertues As the strength of a blade is tryed by the hardnesse of the matter which it cutteth bee it wood stone or metall so the excellency of vertue is seene in the difficulty of the object about which it is conversant and what so difficult as willingly to hazzard our life contemne death If reason can work this in a morall man shall not religion much more in a Christian If fame a garland of flowers and a small donative can produce noble thoughts resolutions in heathen shall not immortall glory and an incorruptible garland and hope of an immarcessible crowne breed more generous resolutions in those who have given their names to the Lord of Hosts to fight his battels especially considering that valour and courage as it is more honourable so it is safer than base feare For it strikes a terrour in the hearts of the enemies and often times winnes a victory without striking a blow And as our courage maketh the enemies fearefull so our timorousnesse maketh them valorous our trembling at danger bringeth more danger upon us by making us unable to resist For this cowardly affection worketh not onely upon the soule but upon the body also and as it dejecteth and dis-armeth the one so it dis-ableth and weakeneth the other But the strongest motive to fortitude and most effectuall incentive to courage and surest ground of confidence is that which now followeth in the last place The Lord thy God is with thee whither soever thou goest The Lord whose command is universall God whose power is invincible The Lord thy God whose mercies are incomprehensible is with thee whither soever thou goest If the Lord thy God bee with thee his wisedome is with thee to direct thee his power to protect thee his strength to support thee his goodnesse to maintaine thee his bounty to reward thee his word to encourage thee and if thou dye under his banner his Angels presently to carry thee into heaven Where the Israelites lamentably deplore their ill successe in war they attribute it to Gods absence z Psal 44 9. 60.10 Thou goest not forth say they with our armies And to the end that they might be more assured of Gods presence with them in their battels they carryed the Arke of God with them and were wont to aske counsell of him before hand touching the successe of their warre and in ancienter times the Priests gave answer from God by the Ephod but in the latter if we may believe a Joseph antiq Judaic Josephus they ghessed at the event by the glaring or duskinesse of the Diamond on the Priests breast-plate For if it shined brightly and cleerely it foreshewed certaine victory but if it changed the colour or lost any thing of the lustre it portended ill successe The Lacedaemonians being overtaken by the Persian horse and overwhelmed with great flights of arrowes did notwithstanding quietly sit still without making any resistance at all or defence till the sacrifices for victory were happily ended yea though many were sore hurt and some slaine out right before any good signe appeared in the entrailes but as soone as their Generall Pausanias had found good tokens of victory and perswaded his souldiers of the divine approbation of their warre they arose and with excellent courage first received the charge of the Barbarians and after charged them afresh and slew Mardonius the Persian Generall and many thousands of the rest and got the day If the conjecturall hope of the aide and assistance of a fained deity put such courage and resolution into the Lacedaemonians shall not faith in the true God and confidence in his helpe breede better blood and infuse nobler spirits into the hearts of Gods warriours and Christian souldiers God can save his and overcome the enemy as well with small forces as with great but all the forces in the world without him have no force at all Therefore though Captaines have many employments yet they must looke especially to hoc unum necessarium this one thing most needfull That they have God on their side that they make him sure for them You will say I know How may this bee done How may hee bee wrought and made thorough for us Hee sheweth at the 7. 8. verses Observe to doe according to all the Law which Moses my servant commanded thee turne not from it to the right hand or to the left that thou maist prosper whithersoever thou goest This booke of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth but thou shalt meditate therein day and night that thou maist observe to doe according to all that is written therein for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous and then thou shalt have good successe First the Lords Josuah's must looke strictly to their life and conversation so much the rather by how much in battell they are nearer death which points to them in every sword and speare and giveth them a summons at the report of every Cannon and discharging of every Piece Secondly they must looke to their companies and troupes and see that there bee never an Achan among them never a sacrilegious prophane or abominable person whose horrible crimes if they bee not discovered and punished may prove the losse of many a battell and the ruine of a whole army The Barbarians hands saith Saint b Barbari nostris vitiis fortes sunt Jerome are made strong against us by our grievous transgressions our infirmities are our enemies greatest strength our distractions their security our crying sinnes their thundering ordnance c Sal. l. 4. de provid Salvianus acknowledgeth that it was just with God to strengthen the armies of the Gothes and Vandals though they were heretickes against the right beleeving Romanes because those barbarous nations observed most strict discipline and lived more chastly and temperately than the Romane souldiers Lastly when you put on your corporall armour forget not to put on the spirituall laid out for you by the Apostle and gilt by his divine eloquence I meane d
lodging and a table in the wildernesse Wherefore let us cast the burthen of our care upon the providence of our heavenly Father who feedeth the young ravens that call upon him and undoubtedly will never suffer his children to starve There is nothing more choaketh the seed of faith and dampeth the light of the spirit and troubleth the peace of conscience than worldly cares especially when they are immoderate inordinate and distrustfull immoderate in the measure inordinate in the meanes and distrustfull in the cause when we say in our hearts What shall we eate and what shall we drinke or wherewithall shall we be cloathed We have but a little oyle in our cruse and a little meale in our pot and when that is spent what shall become of us The cure of these worldly cares is threefold by 1 Diversion 2 Devotion 3 Deposition of them 1 By diversion when we withdraw our mind from these carking cares and vexing thoughts to other more pleasant cogitations of Gods former mercies to us and the present blessings we enjoy As Painters when their eyes be dazled through long poring upon over-bright objects recover them againe by looking upon greene glasse or some darker colours which congregate radios visuales the sight beames or as husbandmen when their ground is overflown with much water make ditches and water furrowes to carry it away so if our mindes be overflowne with the cares of this world there is no better meanes to draine them than by making another passage for them and diverting them to the contemplation of a better subject as David did his m Psal 119.23.24 Princes did sit and speake against mee but thy servant did meditate in thy statutes Thy Testimonies are my delight and Counsellors 2 By devotion and prayer to Almighty God as Hanna did n 1 Sam. 1.15 I am a woman of a sorrowfull heart I have drunke neither wine nor strong drink but have poured out my soule before the Lord. Count not thine handmaid for a daughter of Belial for out of the abundance of my complaint and griefe have I spoken hitherto Then Eli answered and said Goe in peace and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him And shee said Let thine handmaid finde grace in thy sight So the woman went her way and did eate and her countenance was no more sad 3 By deposition when being at a stand in our deliberations and having used all meanes to little purpose to relieve our necessities we in the end lay downe our burthen of cares and wholly rely upon Gods promises o Psal 37.3 5. Trust in the Lord and doe good and verily thou shalt be fed Commit thy way unto the Lord trust also in him and hee shall bring it to passe And p Psal 34.9.10 O feare the Lord yee his Saints for there is no want to them that feare him And q Heb. 13.5 I will never leave thee nor forsake thee r 1 Pet. 5.7 Casting all our care upon him who careth for us assuring our selves that he who prepared Zoar to save Lot in the burning of Sodome and Goshen to preserve the Israelites from the plagues of Egypt and Pella to rescue his Disciples in the siege of Jerusalem hee who provided a fountaine of water to refresh Hagar in extremity of thirst and a cake of dough to satisfie Elias in extremity of hunger and the shadow of a gourd to coole Jonas in extremity of heat and an Angell from heaven to comfort our Saviour in the extremity of his agony will never leave us utterly destitute in our greatest perplexities The woman in my text was faine to fly into the wildernesse from savage men to savage beasts unprovided of a place to lie in or any manner of food to sustaine life yet God on the sudden prepared for her both lodging and diet So did he for the Israelites brought to a like exigent Å¿ Psal 107.4.5.6 They wandered in the wildernesse in a solitary way they found no Citie to dwell in hungry and thirsty their soules fainted in them then they cried to the Lord in their trouble and hee delivered them out of their distresse t Mat. 6.32 Take no thought therefore saith our Saviour for your life what you shall eate and what you shall drinke or wherewithall you shall be cloathed for your heavenly Father knoweth that you have need of all these things He that cloatheth the lillies and feedeth the fowles of heaven will he leave his children unprovided of things necessary No if ordinary meanes faile he will lay an unusuall imposition upon all creatures to relieve his chosen The aire shall serve-in Manna for corne the hard rocke shall gush out with streames of water the dry cruse shall spring with oyle the Lions jawes shall drop with hony the fowles of heaven shall bring in meat in their bills and the fish of the sea bring money in their mouthes to supply their severall wants and defray their necessary charges Therefore trouble not your selves overmuch with the cares of this life but when you have done your utmost endevours ease your selves by relying upon Gods providence and be confident that he who feedeth you with the bread of life will not faile to give you your daily bread hee that offereth you the cup of salvation full of the price of your redemption and the grace of sanctification will not suffer you to die for thirst he that cloatheth your soules with the robes of his righteousnesse and deckes them with the jewels of his grace will undoubtedly provide a covering for your bodies 3 If the Church be truely represented by a woman flying into the wildernesse and there continuing for a long season certainely outward pomp and temporall felicity and perpetuall visibility are no certaine notes of her but rather of the malignant Church For so is the Whore of Babylon described u Apoc. 17.3.4 A woman set upon a scarlet coloured beast arrayed in purple decked with gold and pretious stones and pearles having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations And ver 15. The waters which thou sawest where the whore sitteth are peoples and nations and multitudes and tongues The darke foyle setteth off the Diamond and the Church when she is most obscure outwardly is most glorious within Albeit temporall felicity giveth her some lustre and furnisheth her with meanes to encourage Proselytes and erect stately monuments of piety and charity yet withall it ministreth matter of luxury and pride it breedeth faction and schisme it withdraweth the mind from celestiall contemplation it abateth her longing desire after the second comming of Christ on the contrary the Crosse is like a file that brighteneth all her spirituall graces quickeneth her zeale putteth her noblest vertues to the test wisedome by dangers faith by conflicts courage by terrours patience by torments and perseverance by perpetuall assaults Witnesse the prime age wherein she warmed her zeale at the embers
blessed Virgin the babe a Luke 1.41 sprang in the wombe of Elizabeth so I doubt not but that at the reading of this text in your eares the fruits of your devotion which are your religious thoughts and zealous affections leap and spring for joy in the wombe of your soule for now is the accepted time the time of grace now is the day of salvation the day of our Lords Incarnation As the golden tongued Father spake of a Martyr Martyrem dixisse laudâsse est to name a man a Martyr is to commend him sufficiently so it may be said of this text to rehearse it is to apply it I need not fit it to the time for the time falleth upon this time and the day upon this day now if ever is this Now in season If any time in all the yeere be more acceptable than other it is the holy time we now celebrate now is the accepted time on Gods part by accepting us to favour now is the day of salvation by exhibiting to us a Saviour in our flesh let us make it so on our parts also by accepting the grace offered unto us and by laying hands on our Saviour by faith and embracing him by love and by joy dilating our hearts to entertain him with all his glorious attendants a troupe of heavenly Souldiers singing b Luke 2.14 Glory be to God on high on earth peace and good will towards men c Esay 49.13 Sing O heavens and be joyfull O earth and breake forth into shouting O ye mountaines for God hath comforted his people and will have mercy upon the afflicted Keepe this holy day above others because chosen by God to manifest himselfe in the flesh bid by an Angell and by him furnished both with a lesson and with an Anthem also Well might the Angell as on this day sing glory in excelsis Deo c. for on this day the Son of God out of his good will towards men became man and thereby set peace on earth and brought infinite glory to God in the highest heavens Well may this be called by the Apostle d Gal. 4.4 The fulnesse of time or a time of fulnesse which filled heaven with glory the earth with blessings of peace and men with graces flowing from Gods good will The heavens which till this time were as clasped boxes now not able longer to containe in them the soveraigne balsamum of wounded mankind burst open and he whose name is e Cant. 1.3 an ointment poured forth was plentifully shed upon the earth to revive the decayed spirits and heale the festered sores of wounded mankind Lift up then your heavie lookes and heavier hearts yee that are in the midst of danger and in the sight nay within the claspes of eternall death you have a Saviour borne to rescue you Cheare up your drouping and fainting spirits all ye that feele the smart and anguish of a bruised conscience and broken heart to you Christ is borne to annoint your wounds bruises and sores Exult and triumph ye gally slaves of Satan and captives of Hell fast bound with the chaine of your sinnes to you a Redeemer is borne to ransome you from spirituall thraldome Two reasons are assigned why festivities are religiously to be kept 1. The speciall benefits of God conferred upon his Church at such times which by the anniversary celebration of the dayes are refreshed in our memories and visibly declared to all succeeding ages 2 The expresse command of God which adjoyned to the former reason maketh the exercises of devotion performed at these solemnities duties of obedience It cannot be denied that in this latter consideration those feasts which are set downe in the booke of God have some prerogative above those that are found wrtiten onely in the Calendar of the Church But in the former respect no day may challenge a precedencie of this no not the Sabbath it selfe which the more to honour him whose birth we now celebrate resigned both his name place and rites to the f Athanas hom de semenie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lords day and if we impartially compare them the worke wrought on this day was farre more difficult and the benefit received upon it greater than that to the memory whereof the Sabbath was at the first dedicated It was a greater miracle that God should be made a creature than that he should make all creatures and the redemption of the world so farre exceeds the creation as the means by which it was wrought were more difficult and the time larger the one was finished in sixe dayes by the commandement of God the other not in lesse than foure and thirty yeeres by the obedience of Christ the one was but a word with God the breath of his mouth gave life to all creatures the other cost him much labour sweat and bloud and what comparison is there betweene an earthly and an heavenly Paradise Nay if wee will judge by the event the benefit of our creation had beene none without our redemption For by it we received an immortall spirit with excellent faculties as it were sharpe and strong weapons wherewith wee mortally wounded our selves and had everlastingly laid weltring in our own blood had not our Saviour healed our wounds by his wounds and death and raised us up againe by the power of his resurrection To which point Saint Austine speaking feelingly saith Si natus non fuisset bonum fuisset si homo natus non fuisset If hee had not beene borne it had beene good for man never to have beene borne if this accepted time had not come all men had beene rejected if this day of salvation had not appeared wee had all perished in the night of eternall perdition Behold now is the accepted time In this Scripture as in a Dyall wee may observe 1 The Index 2 The Circles Certaine Behold Different 1 The larger 2 The narrower The accepted time The day of salvation To man in generall it is an accepted time to every beleever in particular it is a day of salvation Lynx cum cessat intueri cessat recordari Because we are like the Lynx which mindeth nothing no longer than her eye is upon it the Spirit every where calleth upon us to looke or behold Behold not alwayes or at any time but now not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not time simply but season the flower of time not barely accepted but according to the originall well accepted or most acceptable not the day of helpe or grace but a day of salvation As in the bodies which consist of similar parts the forme of the whole and the forme of every part is all one for example the whole ocean is but water and yet every drop thereof is water the whole land is but earth and yet every clod thereof is earth the
eternity yet I deny that this is any good description of time because every description ought to be per notius by something that is more known whereas eternity is farre more obscure than time it selfe all men have a common notion of the one few or none of the other Neither doe they give any better satisfaction who define time by duration For albeit there is a time of duration of every thing and a duration also of time it selfe yet duration is not time duration is the existence of any thing in time not the terme or time it selfe They define time most agreeable to the Scriptures who affirme it to be the continuall fluxe of moments minutes houres dayes weekes moneths yeeres ages from the creation of the world to the dissolution thereof after which the u Apoc. 10.6 Angel sware that time should be no more But I need to speake no more of time at this time because the word in my text is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 time but season or as it is here rendered The accepted time The season is that in time which light is in the aire lustre in metals the flower in plants creame in milke quintessence in hearbs the prime and best of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now there being a threefold season 1. Naturall which Husbandmen observe in sowing Gardeners in planting and graffing Mariners in putting to Sea Chirurgians in letting bloud Physicians in purging c. 2. Civill of which the Poet speaketh Mollissima fandi tempora which all humble suppliants observe in preferring petitions to Princes and great Personages 3. Spirituall which all that have a care of their salvation must observe in seeking the Lord while he may be found The Apostle in this place pointeth to this third and his meaning is Behold now presse hard to get into the kingdome of heaven for now the gate is open now labour hard in Gods vineyard for now is the eleventh houre now put up your petitions to the Prince of peace for now is the day of audience now provide your selves of spirituall merchandize for now is the mart now cast your selves into the Bethesda of Christs bloud for now the Angel troubleth the water now get a generall pardon for all your sinnes under the broad seale of the King of heaven for now is a day of sealing When the King commeth saith St. x Chrys in hunc locum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysostome there is no time for sessions or assises but for pardon and favour Behold now the King is come to visit his subjects upon earth and from his first comming to his last the day of grace continueth Behold now is this accepted time He calleth it an accepted time saith St. y Ib. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysostome because now God accepteth them to favour who a thousand times incurred his displeasure It is called in the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a time of good will and favour as Calvin rendereth the words who biddeth us marke the order first a time of grace is promised and after a day of salvation to intimate unto us that salvation floweth from the meere grace and mercy of God We are active in sinne to our owne damnation but meere passive to the first grace we draw on damnation with the cart-ropes of vanity but God draweth us to salvation with the cords of love The speciall point of doctrine to which this ecce or index in my text pointeth is that we ought to take speciall notice of the time of grace beginning at the birth of our Saviour and ending to us at the day of our death and to all men that shall be upon the earth at the consummation of the world As the celestiall spheres are wrapt one in another and the greatest which the Philosophers terme the Primum mobile invelopeth all the rest so the parts of time are enclosed the lesser in the greater houres in dayes dayes in yeeres yeers in ages and ages in the time of the duration of the world To explicate then to the full the time of our Lords birth it will be requisite to treat 1 Of the age of the world 2 Of the yeere of the age 3 Of the day of the yeere in which the true z John 1.9 light that lighteneth every man that commeth into the world first shined on the earth 1 Of the age of the world The Jewes according to an ancient tradition received from the house of Elias make three ages of the world as it were so many stages of time 1 From the creation to the law 2 From the law to the Messias 3 From the comming of the Messias to the end of the world To each of these they allow two thousand yeeres counting thus 1 a Carion in Chron. Duo millia vacuum 2 Duo millia lex 3 Duo millia Messias post mundi deflagratio Saint y Aug. de civit Dei l. 22 c 30. Post hanc tan quam in die septimo requi escet Deus cum eundem septimum diem quod nos erimus in seipso faciet requiescere Austine doubleth these files and maketh reckoning of sixe ages 1 From Adam to the Deluge 2 From the Deluge to Abraham 3 From Abraham to Solomon 4 From Solomon to the captivity 5 From the captivity to Christs birth 6 From Christs birth to the day of judgement after which in the seventh we shall all keepe an eternall Sabbath in heaven By both which computations it appeareth that the birth of our Saviour fell late towards the declining and end of time as b Maxin Taur hom 6 de nativ In fine temporum natus est ille cujus aeternitatem nulla saeculorum tempora comprehendunt Maximus Taurinensis observeth Here the wit of man which like the Sea will still be working though oftentimes foaming out his owne shame curiously enquireth why the desire and joy of all mankind was so long delayed why he was so late born whose birth was of more importance than of all the Potentates Princes Kings Emperours and Monarchs of the whole world Was not Christ the bright morning starre how came it then to passe that he appeared not till the afternoone if not evening of the world Was not he the bridegroome whose * Marriage song Epithalamium Solomon by the spirit of prophesie endited in the booke of Canticles how could hee then heare his dearest Spouse breathe out so many sighes and shed such abundance of teares in so many ages still longing for his comming and crying c Cant. 1.1 Let him come into the flesh and kisse mee with the kisses of his lips Was not hee the good Samaritan which healed the wounded man after Moses the Levite and Aaron the Priest passing by left him as they found him and did him no ease at all how then could this tender hearted Chirurgian suffer wounded mankinde to lie so many ages weltring in his owne bloud and
take no pity on him To silence these curious questionists the most judicious Divines teach that albeit God hath speciall reasons of his will for every thing he determineth yet to us his will must stand for the last and best reason The fullest answer that can be given to that demand why Christ was borne in the dayes of the Roman Augustus about the two and fourtieth yeere of his reigne is that then was the fulnesse of time that is the time was fully come which God appointed before all time for the comming of his Sonne in the flesh And surely a fitter time could hardly have beene chosen whether we respect the condition of the patient or the quality of the Physician or the state of Judaea or of the whole world at that time First if we regard the condition of the patient before Adam fell and by his fall tooke his deaths wound there was no need of a Chirurgian or a Physician and after he was wounded it was fit that he should feele the smart of his wounds a while and by wofull experience find that he was not able to help himselfe With this reason d Summ. p. 3. q. 1. art 5. Non decuit à principio humani generis ante peccatum Deum incarnari non enim datur medicina nisi infirmis nec statim post peccatum conveniens fuit Deumincarnari propter conditionem primi peccati quod a superbia pervenerat unde comodo homo erat liberandus ut recognosceret se indigere liberatore Aquinas rested satisfied Secondly if we regard the quality of the Physician For no man sendeth for the greatest Doctour especially if he be farre off before he hath tried others that are neere at hand or the cure grow dangerous if not desperate Before the King commeth himselfe many Embassadours and Noble men are sent Nature and Art observe the like method proceeding from lesse noble to more noble workes from the egge to the chicke from the seed to the fruit from the kernell to the apple from the dawning to the day from childhood to youth and from youth to perfect age The painter in like manner first maketh a rude draught of a face after perfectly pourtrayeth it and last of all casteth beautifull colours upon it the Chirurgian first washeth the wound then poureth in wine to search it and after oile to supple and heale it in like manner the providence of God proceeded in the dispensing the meanes of mans salvation after the twylight of nature and dawning as it were of the day the day starre appeared more obscurely in the publishing of the law but manifestly in Saint John Baptists doctrine and then the Sunne arose in the preaching of the Gospell first God sent Priests and Prophets as messengers then Angels and the Archangell as it were Princes and Peeres of heaven and last of all he sent his Sonne the heire of all things Like a Chirurgian he first cleansed the sores of wounded man by pouring in the wine of the Law after he suppled and healed them by pouring in the oyle of the Gospell first he rough hewed us by Moses and after plained and smoothed us by Christ that we might be as the polished corners of the Temple Thirdly if we regard the state of Judaea which was now most deplorate being destitute both of King and Law-giver for Herod a stranger usurped the Crowne and destroyed the Sanedrim or great Councell they had now no Prophet or Seer to lead them in this time of thickest darknesse now therefore if ever the Messiah must come to set all right Fourthly if we regard the state of the whole world which at this time was most learned and thereby most capable of the doctrine of the Gospell Besides it being reduced to a Monarchy and the parts thereupon holding better correspondency one with the other a greater advantage was given for the dispreading of Christian doctrine through all the Provinces of the Roman Empire 2 Of the yeere of the age As God crowned the age in which our Lord tooke flesh with many remarkeable accidents so also the yeere of that age 1 First Herod this very yeere bereaving the Tribe of Judah of King and Lawgiver utterly abolished their grand Councell and thereby the Prophesie of Jacob was verified that c Gen. 49.10 the Scepter should not depart from Judah nor a Lawgiver from betweene his feet till Shilo come The substance of the Scepter if I may so speake was departed before and this yeere the shadow also remaining hitherto in the Sanedrim which had a kind of sovereign power to make lawes and execute them vanished away now therefore Shilo commeth 2 Secondly Moreover this very yeere Augustus Caesar d Luke 2.1 sent forth a Decree that the whole world should be taxed which was not without a mystery viz. that this yeere the world should be prized and an estimate made thereof when our Lord came into the world to redeeme it Little thought Augustus when he gave order for drawing that Proclamation of drawing Marie to Bethlehem that she might there be delivered according to the prophesie of e Micah 5.2 Micah yet so did Augustus his temporall Decree make way for Gods eternall determination of Christs birth in Bethlehem 3 Thirdly this very yeere the same Emperour shut up the Temple of f Functius in Chron. Janus where all the Roman warlike provision lay and established a peace through the whole world that so the Prince of peace might be borne in the dayes of peace 4 Fourthly this yeere also he enacted a law g Sethus Calvisius ex Dione Cassio De manumissione servorum of setting servants at liberty which might have some reference to the spirituall freedome which h John 8.36 Christ purchased for us whereof hee himselfe saith If the Sonne make you free you shall bee free indeed 5 Fiftly this yeere in a certaine Shop or Inne to be let in Rome a i Plat ex Eutrop paulo diac fountaine of oyle sprang out of the earth and flowed a whole day without intermission Magna taberna fuit tunc emeritoria dicta De qua fons olei fluxerat in Tiberim Which may seeme literally to verifie those words of the Prophet k Esay 10.27 It shall come to passe in that day that his burden shall be taken off thy shoulder and his yoake from off thy necke and the yoake shall be destroyed because of the oyle or annointing 6 Sixtly what should I speake of the falling downe of the Temple of l Magdeburg ex Petro comest Templum pacis corruit Romae ne alibi quam in Messiâ pax quaereretur peace in Rome about this time Might not that be an item that true peace was no where now to bee sought save in Jesus Christ our onely Peace-maker now come into the world to reconcile Heaven and Earth and establish a covenant of grace betweene God and man for ever 7 Seventhly neither is m Calvis
even as a good Carpenter in stead of a rotten groundsill layes a sound The same trust then must we give to God which we must not give to riches him must we esteeme above all things looke up to him in all things depend upon him for all things This is to trust in God which the Psalmist in his sweet dittie saith is a good thing good in respect of God for our trust in him is one of the best pieces of his glorie Joseph holds Potiphars trust a great honour 2. For us for what safety what unspeakable comfort is therein trusting to God Our Saviour in his farewell Sermon John 16. perswading to confidence saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a word signifying boldnesse and what is there in all the world that can worke the heart to so comfortable and unconquerable resolution as our reposall upon God The Lord is my trust whom then can I feare They that put their trust in the Lord are as mount Sion that cannot be moved Oh cast your selves therefore into those almighty hands seeke him in whom you shall finde true rest and happinesse honour him with your substance that hath honoured you with it trust not in riches but trust in God Riches are but for this world the true God is Lord of the other therefore trust in him riches are uncertaine the true God is Amen ever like himselfe ergo trust in him riches are meere passive they cannot bestow so much as themselves much lesse ought besides themselves the true God gives you all things to enjoy riches are but a livelesse and senselesse metall God is The living God Life is an ancient and usuall title of God he for the most part sweares by it When Moses asked his name he described himselfe by I am He is he liveth and nothing is and nothing lives absolutely but he all other things by participation from him In all other things their life and they are two but God is his owne life and therefore as Aquinas acutely disputeth against the Gentiles must needs be eternall because beeing cannot be severed from it self Howbeit not only the life he hath in himselfe but the life which he giveth to his creatures challengeth a part in this title A glympse whereof the heathen had when they called Jupiter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Those creatures which have life we esteem beyond those that have it not how noble soever other waies those things be Therfore he that hath the perfectest life must needs be the best God therefore who is life it self fountain of all that life which is in the world is most worthy of all the adoration joy love and confidence of our hearts and the best improvement of that life which he hath given us Trust therefore in the living God not in riches that is idolatrie yea madnesse What greater madnesse can there be than to bestow that life which we have from God upon a creature that hath no life in it selfe nor price but from men Let me then perswade every soule that heares me this day as Jacob did his houshold Put away the strange gods that are among you or as St. Paul did his Lystrians O turne away from these vanities to the living God who gives us richly All things to enjoy Every word would require not a severall houre but a life to meditate upon and the tongues not of men but of Angels to expresse it God not onely hath all in himselfe but he gives to us and gives us not somewhat but all things and not a little of all but richly and all this not to looke on but to enjoy Here the Preacher said it should content him to top the sheaves onely because he could not stand to thresh them out it shall content me with the Apostles to rub some few eares because I cannot stand to top the sheaves Whither can you turne your eyes to looke besides the bounty of God If you looke upwards his mercie reacheth to the heavens if downewards the earth is full of his goodnesse and so is the broad sea if you looke about you what is it that he hath not given us aire to breathe in fire to warme us water to coole us cloathes to cover us food to nourish us fruits to refresh us yea delicates to please us beasts to serve us Angels to attend us heaven to receive us and which is above all his sonne to redeeme us Lastly if we looke into our selves hath he not given us a soule rarely furnished with the faculties of understanding will memorie and judgement a body wonderfully accommodated to execute the charge of the soule and an estate that yeelds due conveniencies for both moreover seasonable times peace competencie if not plentie of all commodities good lawes religious wise just Governours happie and flourishing dayes and above all the liberty of the Gospell More particularly cast up your Bookes O yee Citizens and summe up your receits I am deceived if he that hath least shall not confesse his obligation to be infinite There are three things especially wherein yee are beyond others and must acknowledge your selves deeper in the bookes of God than the rest of the world First for your deliverance from that wofull judgement ef the Pestilence O remember those sorrowfull times when every moneth swept away thousands from among you when a man could not set forth his foot but into the jawes of death when piles of carcasses were carried to their pits as dung to the fields when it was crueltie in the sicke to admit visitation and love was little better than murderous Secondly for your wonderfull plentie of all provisions spirituall and bodily Yee are like the Sea all the Rivers of the land runne into you nay sea and land conspire to enrich you Thirdly for the priviledge of your governement your charters as they are large and strong so your forme of administration is excellent and the execution of justice exemplarie For all these you have reason to aske with David Quid retribuam and to trust in God who hath beene so gracious unto you And thus from the duty we owe to God in our confidence and his beneficence to us we descend to the beneficence which we owe to men expressed in the varietie of foure epithetes to one sense To doe good to be rich in good workes ready to distribute willing to communicate all is but beneficence This heape of words shewes the vehement intention of his desire of good workes and the important necessitie of the performance and the manner of this expression enforceth no lesse Charge the rich c. Hearken then yee rich men of the world it is not left arbitrarie to you that you may doe good if you will but it is layd upon you as your charge and dutie the same necessity there is of trusting in God is of doing good to men Let me fling this stone at the brasen forehead of our Romish Adversaries whom their shamelesse challenges
wretched and miserable and blind and naked Wherefore the Spirit n Ver. 17. counselleth them to buy of him gold tryed in the fire that they may be rich and white raiment that they may be clothed and that the shame of their nakednesse doe not appeare And to annoint their eyes with o Ver. 18. eye-salve that they may see 7. Lastly by the name Thyatira so called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying to runne mad after and spend ones selfe they may bee put in minde of those in Thyatira who ranne awhoring after Jezebel and spent their estates upon her and committed filthinesse with her Cap. 2. Ver. 20. which because the Angel winked at the Spirit sharply reproveth him And to the Angel of the Church in Thyatira write I know thy workes c. Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee c. These Verses resemble the branches of the p Apoc. 22.2 tree of life which bare twelve maner of fruits 1. The first I gather from them is the dignity of the Ministers of the Gospel to whom the Son of God writeth stiling them Angels To the Angel of Ephesus of Smyrna c. 2. The second the difference of degrees in the Ministry for the Son of God endorseth his letter not to the inferiour Ministers which were many in each of these Churches but to the Angel in the singular number the Bishop or Super-intendent of the place to whom the government of the Church and ordering Ecclesiasticall affaires chiefly if not onely appertained 3. The third is the glorious majesty and divinity of our Saviour who was before stiled the Sonne of man but is here called the Sonne of God and described with eyes like a flame of fire piercing through the thickest darknesse and with feet like fine brasse walking through the midst of all the Churches and yet no way defiled according to the words of the Prophet the q Hos 14.9 waies of the Lord are undefiled 4. The fourth is mildnesse in just reproofe the physician of our soules who hath cured all our wounds with the smart of his prescribeth the weak Angel of Thyatira but one pill and that a gentle one yet see how he rowles it in sugar I know thy workes and thy love c. Of many faults he mentioneth but a few and of those few insisteth but upon one 5. The fifth is the condition of good workes to which foure things are required faith love service and patience they must be done in faith proceed from the love of God with a desire to doe him service thereby and lastly the performers of them must be constant in them and resolve patiently to endure all crosses and oppositions from men or Satan who seek to stay them in their godly proceedings 6. The sixth is growth in grace or proficiency in godlinesse those who were ever good are best at the last I know thy workes that they are more as the last than at the first 7. The seventh is the state and condition of the Church Militant which at the best is like the Moone at the full in which wee may discerne some blacke spots The sweetest r Eras Adag Omnibus malis punicis putridum granum inest Pomegranet hath some rotten graine the fairest beauty hath a freckle or wrinckle the most orient Ruby a cloud and the most reformed Church in the Christian world hath some deformity in her In ſ James 3.1 many things we offend all and many in all they are but a few against whom the Sonne of God hath but a few things Notwithstanding I have a few things 8. The eighth is the duty of a Magistrate who like a good Gardener is to plucke up noysome weeds by the rootes It is not sufficient for him to doe no evill he must not suffer it the Angel is not here blamed for any sin of commission or omission in himselfe but for the bare permission of evill in others I have somewhat against thee because thou sufferest 9. The ninth is a caution to looke to the weaker sexe for often the Divell maketh of them strong instruments to dispread the poyson of heresie t Hieron ad Ctes Simon Magus heresin condidit Helenae meretricis adjutus auxilio Nicolaus Antiochenus omnium immunditiarum repertor choros duxit foemineos Marcion Romam praemisit mulierem quae decipiendos sibi animos praepararet Simon Magus had his Helena Marcion his femall fore-runner Apelles his Philumena Montanus his Maximilla Donatus his Lucillia Elpidius his Agape Priscillian his Galla Arius the Prince his sister Nicolaus Antiochenus his feminine troupes and quires and all Arch-heretickes some strumpets or other to serve them for midwives when they were in travell with monstrous and mishapen heresies Thou sufferest the woman Jezebel Yet to doe the sexe right I willingly acknowledge with Flacius Illyricus that as the Divell hath used bad women in all times as Brokers to utter his deceitfull and dangerous wares so God hath made choice of many good women to be conduits of saving grace and great instruments of his glory Not to goe out of this City of Thyatira for instance we can produce a Lydia for a Jezebel where the Divell now vented poyson by the impure mouth of Jezebel God poured out before the sweet oyntment of the Gospel by the mouth of Lydia whose u Acts 16.14 heart he opened that shee attended to those things which were spoken of Paul 10. The tenth is an observation concerning the nature of Heresie which fretteth like a canker and if it be not looked to corrupteth the sound members of Christ Thou sufferest the woman Jezebel to seduce my servants 11. The eleventh is a consideration of the odious filthinesse of Idolatry which the Scripture termeth the soules naughtinesse and spirituall fornication To commit fornication 12. The last is a wholsome doctrine concerning the contagion of Idolatry which not only infecteth our bodies and soules but our meates and drinkes also and turneth the food of the body into the poyson of the soule to such as familiarly converse and table with Idolaters and feed upon the reliques of Idols sacrifices And to eate things offered unto Idols And to the Angel of the Church in Thyatira Glorious things are spoken of you O yee Ministers of the Word and Sacraments Yee are stiled Embassadours of the King of Heaven Stewards of the houshold of faith Interpreters of the Oracles of God Dispensers of the mysteries of salvation Keepers of the Seales of grace Yee are the Salt of the earth the Light of the world the Starres of the skie nay the Angels of Heaven To the Angel The Ministers of the Gospel resemble Angels in many things 1. Angels are x Heb. 1.14 ministring spirits and the Preachers of the Gospel are spirituall Ministers 2. Angels according to the derivation of their name in Greeke are y Matth. 11.10 Malac. 3.1 messengers of God and the Ministers of the Gospel are z 1 John
1.5 messengers of Christ 3. The dwelling of Angels is in Heaven and there is or ought to be the a Phil. 3.20 Our conversation is in heaven conversation of the Ministers of the Gospel 4. The life of Angels is a continuall b Matth. 18.10 beholding the face of God and what is the life of a good Minister but a continuall contemplation of the divine nature attributes and workes 5. The Angels gather c Mat. 24.31 the Elect from the foure windes and the Ministers of the Gospel gather the Church from all corners of the earth 6. The Angels d Apoc. 16.1 poure out the vialls of the wrath of God upon the earth and the Ministers are appointed to denounce Gods judgements and plagues to the wicked world 7. The Angels e 1 Cor. 15 52. sound Trumpets at the last resurrection and the Ministers of the Gospel at the first 8. When Christ was in an agony f Luke 22.43 there appeared an Angel strengthening him and when Gods children are in greatest extremity God sendeth the Ministers of the Gospel to g Job 33.23 If there bee a messenger with him an interpreter one among a thousand to shew to man his uprightnesse c. comfort them 9. The Angels carry the soules of them that dye in the Lord into Abrahams bosome Luke 16.22 and the Ministers of the Gospel give them their passe and furnish them with their last viaticum Now if it bee demanded why God so highly advanceth the dignity of the Ministry I answer to advance his glory He lifteth up the silver Trumpets of Sion on high that the sound of his praise may be heard the further As the visible Sunne casteth a more radiant and bright beame upon Pearle and Glasse which reflecteth them againe than upon grosse and obscure bodies that dead the rayes thereof even so the Sunne of righteousnesse casteth the fairest lustre upon that calling which most of all illustrateth his glory To other vocations God calleth us but this calleth us unto God all other lawfull callings are of God but of this God himselfe was and if it bee a great honour to the noblest orders of Knighthood on earth to have Kings and Princes installed into them how can wee thinke too worthily of that sacred order into which the Sonne of God was solemnly invested by his h Psal 110.4 Father I speake nothing to impeach the dignity of any lawfull profession make much of the Physicians of your body yet not more than of the Physicians of your soule yeeld honour and due respect to those that are skilfull in the civill and municipall Lawes yet under-value them not who expound unto you the Lawes of God At least take not pride in disgracing them who are Gods instruments to conveigh grace into your soules grieve not them with your accursed speeches who daily blesse you load them not with slaunders and calumnies who by their absolution and ghostly comfort ease you of the heavie burden of your sinnes goe not about to thrust them out of their temporall estate who labour by their Ministery to procure you an eternall It is not desire of popular applause or a sinister respect to our owne profit but the zeale of Gods glory which extorteth from us these and the like complaints against you For if Religion might bee advanced by our fall and the Gospel gaine by our losses and God get glory by our dis-esteeme we should desire nothing rather than to be accounted the off-scouring of all things on the earth that so wee might shine hereafter like precious stones in the foundation of the celestiall Jerusalem But if the Preachers and the Gospel the Word and Sacraments and the Ministers thereof Religion and Priests the Church and Church-men are so neere allies that the dis-reputation of the one is a great prejudice to the other and the disgrace of the one the despising of the other if the truth wee professe if our Religion if the Gospel if Christ if God suffer in the disgraces that are put upon our calling and the manifold wrongs that are done to it we must adjure you for your owne good and deeply charge you in Gods cause that as you looke to receive any good from him so you take nothing sacrilegiously from the Church as you hope to be saved by the Ministery preserve the dignity and estimation thereof be not cursed Chams in discovering the nakednesse of your ghostly fathers Alexander thought that he could not lay too much cost upon the deske in which Homers Poems lay and we daily see how those who take delight in musicke beautifie and adorn the instrument they play upon with varnish purfle gilt painting and rich lace in like maner if you were so affected as you should be at the hearing of the Word if you were ravished with the sweet straines of the songs of Sion ye would make better reckoning of the Instruments and Organs of the holy Spirit by which God maketh melodie in your hearts yee would not staine with impure breath the silver trumpets of Sion blowne not with winde but with the breath of God himselfe yee would not trample under foot those Canes that yeeld you such store of Sugar or rather of Manna Yee will be apt enough upon these and the like texts to teach us our dutie that we ought as Messengers of God to deliver his message faithfully and as neere as we can in his owne words as Angels to give our selves to divine contemplation and endevour to frame our lives to a heavenly conversation Let it not then be offensive to you to heare your dutie which is as plaine to be read as ours in the stile here attributed to the Pastour of Laodicea the Angell It is that you entertaine your diligent and faithfull Pastours as the i Gal. 4.14 Ye received me as an Angel of God even as Christ Jesus Galathians did St. Paul and as Monica did St. Ambrose tanquam Angelos Dei as the Angels of God receive them as Abraham and Lot did the Angels sent from God unto them defend them according to your power from wrong and make them partakers of the best things wherewith God hath blessed you Angelo to the Angel in the singular number chiefe Pastour or Bishop of the Church All Ministers as I shewed you before may challenge the title of Angels but especially Bishops who watch over other Ministers as Angels over men who are to order the affaires of the Church and governe the Clergie as the Peripatetickes teach that Angels direct and governe the motions of the celestiall spheres therefore Epiphanius and St. Austine and most of the later Interpreters also paraphrase Angelo by Episcopo illic constituto and verily the manner of the superscription and the contents of the letter and the forme of governement settled in all Churches at this time make for this interpretation For supposing more Ministers in London of equall ranke and dignitie as there are who would indorse a
and as the Å¿ Pro. 14.18 But the path of the just is aâ— the shining light that shineth more and more untill the perâ—ect day light of the Sun shineth more and more till it be perfect day as the branches of the true vine bearing fruit in Christ are purged and pruned by the Father that they may bring forth more fruit Å¿ John 15.2 Herein the supernaturall motions of the Spirit resemble all naturall motions which as the Philosopher teacheth us are velociores in fine quam in principio swifter in the end than in the beginning Of all the proper markes of the elect children of God this is the most certaine and therefore St. t Phil. 3.13 14. Paul instanceth in it onely This one thing I doe forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth to those things which are before I presse towards the mark for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus And St. u 2 Pet. 3.18 Peter closeth with it as the upshot of all Ye therefore beloved beware lest ye fall from your own stedfastnesse but grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ It is not so in the spiritual as in the corporall augmentation for the body groweth according to all dimensions but to a certain age but the soule may must grow in spiritual graces till the houre of death and the reason of the difference is because the aetas consistentiae of our body is in this life but of our soul in the life to come Here the body arriveth to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 highest pitch of perfection but the soule arriveth not to hers til we come to the heavenly Jerusalem and to the x Heb. 12.23 Church of the first borne and to the spirits of just men made perfect O that our blessed Redeemer had here made an end of his letter and sealed up all the Angels praises with this sweet close what an admirable president should we have had of a perfect Pastour what joy should have beene in the presence of the Angels for the unspotted integrity and absolute perfection of this Angell But because as St. y Ep. ad â—ust Apud Deum nihil tantum suave placet nisi quod habet in se aliquid mordacis veritatis Jerome acutely observeth that there was no use of hony in the sacrifices of the old law because nothing pleaseth God which is onely sweet and hath not in it somewhat of biting truth therefore after the sweet insinuation I know c. there followeth a sharpe reprehension there is a Notwithstanding that standeth in this Angels light and obscureth the lustre of all his former vertues Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee Origen handling those word z Cant. 1.5 Nigra sum sed formosa I am blacke but comely draweth the face and lineaments of Christs Spouse if I may so speake with a blacke coale a Orig. in Cant. hom 1. Quaerimus quomodo nigra sine candore sit pulchra poenitentiam egit a peccatis speciem ei largita est conversio nigra est propter antiqua peccata sed propter poenitentiam habet aliquid quasi Aethiopici decoris How saith he can she be faire that is all blacke I answer she hath repented her of her sinnes and her repentance hath given her beautie but such as may be in a Negro or Blackmoore Philosophie teacheth that there is no pure metall to be found in the Mines of the earth nor unmixed element in the world What speak I of the earth the starres of the skie are not cleane nor the Angels of heaven pure in Gods eyes Job 25.5 Behold even to the moone and it shineth not yea the starres are not pure in his sight how much lesse sinfull man whose conception is lust and birth shame and life frailty and death corruption After St. Austine had blazoned his mothers vertues as Christ doth here the Angels he presently dasheth them all through with a blacke line b Aug. confes l. 9. c. 13. Attamen vae laudibili vitae hominum si remotâ miserecordiâ discutias eum Woe be to the most righteous upon earth if God deale with them in strict justice c Aug. l. 10. c. 28. Contendunt laetitiae meae flendae cum laetandis moeroribus ex qua parte stet victoria nescio hei mihi Domine miserere mei Contendunt moerores mei mali cum gaudiis bonis ex qua parte stet victoria nescio hei mihi Domine miserere mei Ecce vulnera mea non obscondo medicus es aeger sum misericors es miser sum As for me saith that humble Saint I confesse my sinnes to thy glory but my owne shame my sinfull delights contend with my godly sorrowes and on whether side standeth the victorie I know not woe is me Lord have mercy upon me Againe my ungodly sorrowes contend with my holy joyes and on which side standeth the victorie I know not woe is me Lord have mercy on me Behold I hide not my wounds thou art a Physician I am sicke thou art a Surgeon I am thy Patient thou art pitifull I am in miserie If the light be darknesse how great is the darknesse If our righteousnesse be as menstruous clouts Esay 64.6 what are our monstrous sinnes Yet the Prophet saith not that the covers of our sinnes but the robes of our righteousnesse are as filthy rags Whereupon b Origen in ep ad Rom. c. 3. Quis vel super justitia â—uá gloriabitur cum audiat Deum per Prophetam dicentem quia omnis iustitia vestra sicut pannus menstruatae Origen groundeth that question which may gravell all those that build upon the sinking sands of their owne merits Who dare brag of his righteousnesse when he heareth God saying by his Prophet All our righteousnesse is as filthy rags Surely Pope Gregorie was no Papist at least in this point for he prizeth the best endeavours of grace in us at a lower rate than Luther or Calvin they say our purest coyne is allayed with some quantity of baser metall he that it is no better than drosse c Greg. mor. l. 9. c. 11. Omnis humana iustitia injustitia esse convincituâ— si districtâ— judicetur All humane justice saith he examined according to Gods strict justice is injustice Therefore if we say or thinke God hath nothing against us he hath much against us for so saying or thinking For d Psal 19.12 who knoweth how oft he offendeth O cleanse thou us all from our secret faults Had we arrived to the perfection of this Angel in my text and could exhibite letters testimoniall signed by our Saviour such as this Angel of Thyatira might yet were it not safe to capitulate with God notwithstanding all our vertues and graces he hath somewhat against us either for sinnes of omission or sinnes of commission or at least sinnes of permission I
and presenteth their prayers and them and himselfe for them to his Father For that Thummim that is perfections is an empresse becomming none but our Saviours breast all Christians will easily grant and that Urim that is lights are an Embleme of the divine nature Plato professeth saying Lumen est umbra Dei Deus est lumen luminis Light is the shadow of God and God is the light of light it selfe For Christ his third office we need not goe farre to seeke it for the Bells of Aaron sound out the preaching of the word and the Pomegranates set before us the fruits thereof and both his entire Propheticke function If there lie any mysterie hid in the numbers we may conceive the foure rowes of shining stones answerable to the foure Beasts in the Revelation full of eyes either prefigured by foure Evangelists or the foure orders in the Church Hierarchy Apostles Evangelists Doctors and Pastors as for the twelve stones doubtlesse they had some reference to the twelve Apostles for in the 21. chapter of the h Apoc. 21.14 Revelation where these twelve precious stones are mentioned it is said expresly that in the wall there were twelve foundations garnished with all manner of precious stones and in them the names of the twelve Apostles of the Lambe You have heard the mysticall interpretation lend I beseech you an eare to the morall 1. First these glorious vestments and ornaments of Aaron set forth unto us the dignity of the Priests office i 2 Cor. 3.7 8. and if the ministration of the letter were glorious shall not the ministration of the Spirit be much more Yes how dark and vile soever our calling seemeth to the eyes of the world it shall one day appeare most glorious when they that turne many unto k Dan. 12.3 righteousnesse shall shine as starres in the firmament for evermore Here I cannot conceale from you that l In Exo. c. 28. Cappo one of the Popes Botchers taketh measure of Aarons garments to make massing vestments by as before him Durand hath done in his booke intituled rationale divinorum where he saith Noster Pontifex habet pro feminalibus sandalia pro lineâ albam pro balieo cingulum pro podere tunicam pro Ephod stolam pro rationali pallium pro cidari mitram pro lamina crucem just but where is the causible in Latine casula sic dicta quasi parva casa saith hee because it closeth the Priest round as it were with a wall having a hole for him to put out his head like a Lover to let out smoake signifying that the Priest ought to be like a little cottage with a chimney in it heated with the fire of zeale sending up hot fumes of devotion and letting them out with his breath at the LOVER of his mouth But I will not put them to so hard a taske as to parallel each of their vestments with Aarons all that I shall say to them for the present is this That the neerer they prove their vestments to come to Aarons ornaments the more ceremoniall and typicall they prove them and consequently more unfit to be retained now by Christians if the Apostles argument drawne from the m Heb. 10.1 vanishing of the shadow at the presence of the body be of any force therefore let the observation of Cappo passe with a note of plumbea falsitas not aurea veritas wherewith he graceth it 2. My second observation is that God both first beginneth with the breast and appointeth also the most glorious and precious ornaments for it n Exod. 28.4 The garments shall be these thou shalt make a breast-plate an Ephod c. after followeth the mitre to the making whereof blew silke onely and fine twined linnen is required with a plate of gold on it but for the breast-plate cloth of gold wrought about with divers colours plates of gold and foure rankes of the richest jewells in all the treasury of nature are appointed all this as we may piously conceive to signifie that God best esteemeth the breast and heart and not the head My o Pro. 23.26 sonne give mee thy heart Our heavenly Father preferreth enflamed affections above enlightened thoughts he cannot bee received or entertained in our narrow understanding yet will hee p Eph. 3.17 dwell in our hearts by faith if we enlarge them by love Cecidit Lucifer Seraphim stant aeternâ incommutabilitate incommutabili aeternitate the Angels which had their names from light fell like lightening from heaven but the ministring spirits which are by interpretation burning fire hold yet their place and ranke in the Court of God Let ambitious spirits seeke to shine in Aarons mitre or at least to be caracter'd in the Onyx stones on his shoulders my hearts desire was and ever shall be to be engraven in one of the jewells upon the breast-plate to hang with the beloved Disciple upon the bosome of my Saviour 3. Thirdly I observe yet again that the names of the twelve tribes which were before written in the Onyx stones upon the shoulders of Aaron are here engraven againe in the rowes of jewels hanging neere his heart which as it representeth Christ his both supporting and affecting his chosen supporting them on his shoulders affecting them in his heart so it teacheth all the Ministers of the Gospel to beare the names of Gods people committed to their charge not onely upon their shoulders by supporting their infirmity but also upon their hearts Ver. 29. by entirely affecting them above others and above all things Gods glory in the salvation of their soules If q John 21.15 thou love me saith Christ feed my sheep if you desire that Christ should beare you on his heart before his Father beare you the names of his Tribes his chosen on your hearts before him 4. Fourthly you may easily discerne that the stones as they are of sundry kindes and of different value so they are set in divers rowes 1. 2. 3. 4. which illustrateth unto us the divers measures of grace given to beleevers in this life and their different degrees of glory in the life to come All the stones that were placed on Aarons breast-plate were Urim and Thummim that is resplendent and perfect jewells yet all were not equall some were richer and above others in value as those in the second row even so all the elect are deare to our Saviour yet some are dearer than others he entirely affected all the Apostles yet Saint John who r John 21.20 leaned upon his breast was neerer to him than any of the other all the Jewels were set in gold in their embossements yet one was set above another in like maner all the faithfull shall shine as starres in the firmament yet some shall be set in a higher sphere than others for as the Apostle teacheth us there is ſ 1 Cor. 15.41 one glory of the Sunne and another of the Moone and another of the Starres
We can pray to none other but God whatsoever is to be wished for Caesar as he is a man or a Prince I cannot begge it of any other than of him from whom I know I shall receive what I aske because he alone can performe it and I his servant depend upon none but him But what stand I upon the testimonies of two or three Fathers the whole Synod of f Theod. com in 2. ad Colos Synodus Laodicea lege prohibuit ne praecarentur Angelos ubi agit de oratoriis Michaelis eos perstringit qui dicebant oportere per Angelos divinam sibi benevolentiam conciliare Laodicea condemneth the superstitious errour of some who taught that we ought to use Angels as mediatours between God and us and to pray unto them And for Saints who have no more commission to solicit our busines in heaven than Angels howsoever it pleased the ancient Church to make honourable mention of them in their publike Service as we doe of the blessed Virgin the Archangel the Apostles Evangelists yet S. g Aug. l. 22. de civit Dei c. 10. Martyres suo loco ordine nominantur non tamen à Sacerdote qui sacrificat invocantur Austin cleareth the Christians of those times from any kind of invocation The Martyrs saith he in their place and ranke are named yet not called upon by the Priest who offereth the sacrifice Invocation is the highest branch of divine worship and they who bow downe to and call upon Saints consequently put Saints in Gods room beleeve in them Quomodo enim invocabunt in quos non credunt How h Rom. 10.14 shall they call on them on whom they have not beleeved They who call upon Saints deceased hope for any benefit by such prayers must be perswaded that the Saints are present in all places to heare their prayers and receive their petitions and that they understand particularly all their affaires and are privie to the very secrets of their hearts and is not this to make gods of Saints i Mart. epigr. Qui fingit sacros auro vel marmore vultus non facit ille deos qui rogat ille facit Yea but say our Romish adversaries had you a suit to the King you would make a friend at Court employ some in favour with his Majesty to solicit your affaires why take ye not the like course in your businesse of greater importance in the Court of Heaven We answer First because God himselfe checketh such carnall imaginations and overthroweth the ground of all such arguments by his holy Prophet saying k Esay 55.8 My thoughts are not your thoughts neither are your waies my waies Therefore we are brought to the presence of kings saith S. l Amb. in ep ad Rom. c. 1. Itur ad reges per tribunos comites quia homo utique rex est ad Deum quem nihil latet promerendum suffragatore non est opus sed mente devotâ Ambrose by lords officers because the king is a man all cannot have immediate access unto him neither will he take it well that all sorts of people at all times should presse upon him but it is not so with God he calleth all m Mat. 11.28 Come unto mee all that labour c. unto him calls upon all to n Psal 50.15 Call upon mee in the day of trouble and I will heare c. call upon him promiseth help o Joel 2.32 Whosoever shall call upon the Name c. salvation to all that shall so do neither need we any spokes-man saith he to him save a devout and religious mind Secondly admit the proportion to hold between the King of Heaven and earthly Princes yet the reason holdeth not for if the King appoint a certain officer to take all supplications and exhibit all petitions unto him hee will not take it well if we use any other but so it is in our present case God hath appointed us a p John 14 3. Whatsoever ye shall aske in my Name â—hat will I doe Ver. 6. I am the way the truth and the life no man commeth to the Father but by mee Mediator not only of redemption but also of q Rom. 8.34 Which maketh request for us incercession who is not only r Hebr. 7.25 Wherefore he is able to save them to the uttermost that comâ— unto God by him seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them able but most willing to preferre all our suits procure a gracious answer for us for we have not an high Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but was in all points tempted like as we are yet without sin let us therfore come boldly unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need Wee know not whether Saints heare us or rather we know they heare us not Esay 63.16 Abraham is ignorant of us and Israel acknowledgeth us not If they heare us we know not whether God will heare them for us but wee know that our Saviour heareth us and that God alwaies heareth him when he prayeth for us John 11.42 I know that thou hearest mee alwaies Yet our Saint-invocators have one refuge to flye unto and they hold it a very safe one We call upon the living say they to pray for us why may we not be so far indebted to the Saints departed who the further they are from us the neerer they are to God If it be no wrong to Christs intercession to desire the prayers of our friends in this life neither can it be any derogation to his Mediatourship to call upon Saints deceased Of this argument Å¿ Bellar de sanct beatit l. 1. c. 19. Bellarmine as much braggeth as Peleus of his sword Profectò istud argumentum haeretici nunquam solvere potuerunt the heretickes saith he were never able to untie this argument I beleeve him because there is no knot at all in it For First we do not properly invocate any man living 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we call to them to assist us with their prayers we call not upon them as putting any confidence in them When at parting we usually coÌ„mend our selves to our friends and desire them to commend us to God in their prayers we require of them a duty of Christian charity we do them therein no honour much lesse performe any religious service to them as the Church of Rome doth to Saints deceased Secondly when wee pray them to pray for us wee make this request to them as co-adjutors to joyn with us in the duty of praier not as mediators to use their favour with God or plead their merits as Papists do in their Letanies adjuring God as it were by the faith of Confessors constancy of Martyrs chastity of virgins abstinence of monks merits of all Saints Thirdly God commandeth the living to have
a fellow-feeling of one anothers miseries and to t 2 Cor 1.11 Phil. 1.4 Câ—lâ—s 4.3 2 Thes 3.1 Heb. 13.18 James 5.16 pray one for another but he no where layeth such an injunction upon the dead to pray for us or upon us to pray to them Fourthly we have many presidents in Scripture of the faithfull who have earnestly besought their brethren to remember them in their u Phil. 1.19 Gal. 4.3 2 Thes 3.1 Philem. 22. Heb. 13.18 prayers but among all the songs of Moses psalmes of David complaints of Jeremy and prayers of Prophets and Apostles you shall not find any one directed to any Saint departed from the first of Genesis to the last Verse of the Apocalypse there is no precept for the invocation of Saints no example of it no promise unto it Fifthly lastly we entreat not any man living to pray for us but either by word of mouth when he is present with us or by some friend who wee know will acquaint him with our desire or by letters when we have sure meanes to conveigh them to him whereby hee may understand how the case standeth with us what that is in particular for which we desire his prayers All which reasons faile in the invocation of Saints deceased for wee have no messengers to send to them nor means to conveigh letters to the place where they are neither are they within hearing neither can we be any way assured that they either know our necessities or are privie to the secrets of our heart For the Mathematicall glasse which some of the Schoolmen have set in heaven wherein they say the Saints in heaven see all things done upon earth to wit in God who seeth all things it hath bin long since beat into pieces for I demand Is this essence of God a necessary glasse or a voluntary that is Do they see all things in it or such things only as it pleaseth him to present to their view if they see all things their knowledge must needs be infinite as Gods is they must needs comprehend in it all things past present future yea the thoughts of the heart which God peculiarly x Apoc. 2.23 I am he that searcheth the heart and reines assumeth to himself yea the day of Judgment which our Saviour assureth us no man knoweth not the y Mat. 24.36 Angels in heaven nor the son of z Mar. 13.32 But of that day and houre knoweth no man no not the Angels that are in heaven neither the Son but the Father man as man If they see only such things as God is pleased to reveale unto them how may he that prayeth unto them be assured that God wil reveale unto them either his wants in particular or his prayers how can he pray unto them in faith who hath no word of faith whereby hee may be assured either that God revealeth his prayers to them or that God will accept their prayers for him Certainly there was no such chrystal instrument as Papists dream of to discover unto Saints departed the whole earth all things that are in it in the time of Abraham Isaac or Josiah for St. Austin in his book de a Cap. 13. Si parentes non intersunt qui sunt alii mortuorum qui noverunt quid agamus quid ve patiamur ibi sunt spiritus defunctorum ubi non vidunt quaecunque aguntur aut evenâ—unt in istâ vitâ hominibus curâ pro mortuis out of the second book of Kings the 63. of Esay concludeth that sith kings see not the evils which befal their people after their death sith parents are ignorant of their children without doubt the Saints departed have no intelligence how things pass after their death here upon earth So far is it froÌ„ being a branch of their happines to know the passages of human affaires here that S. b Jerom. in epitaph Nepot Foelix Nepo ianus qui haec non audit non videt Jerom maketh it a part of their happines that they are altogether ignorant of them happy Nepotian who neither heareth nor seeth any of those things which would vexe his righteous soule do cause us who see hear them often to water our plants By this which hath bin said any whose judgements are not fore-stalled may perceive the impiety of that part of Romish piety which concerneth invocation of Saints it is not only needless fruitless but also superstitious most sacrilegious for it robbeth God of a speciall part of his honour and wrongeth Christ in his office of mediatour When he holdeth out his golden scepter unto us calleth to us saying Come unto me come by me I am the way shal we run to any other to bring us to him shall we seek a way to the way shall we use mediatours to our mediatour this were to lay a like imputation upon our Redeemer to that which S. c De civit Dei l. 1. Interpres deorum eget interprete sors ipsa referenda est ad sortes Austin casteth upon the heathen Apollo the interpreter of the gods needeth an interpreter we are to cast lots upon the lot it selfe Let it not seem burthensome unto you my deare brethren that I speak much in behalf of him who alone speaketh in behalf of us all we cannot do our Redeemer a worser affront we cannot offer our mediatour a greater wrong than to goe from him whom God hath appointed our perpetuall advocate intercessor imploy Saints in our suites to God as if they were in greater grace with the Father or they were better affected to us than he Have we the like experience of their love as we have of his did they pawn their lives for us have they ransomed us with their bloud will he refuse us who gave us himselfe will he not powre out hearty prayers for us who powred out his heart bloud for us will he spare breath in our cause who breathed out his soule for us shall we forsake the fountain of living water and draw out of broken cisternes that can hold no water shall we run from the source to the conduit for the water of life from the sun to the beam for light of knowledge from the head to the members for the life of grace from the king to the vassall for a crowne of glory But I made choice of this Scripture rather to stirre up your devotion than to beat down Popish superstition therfore I leave arguments of confutation set to motives of perswasion Look how the Opal presenteth to the eye the beautifull colours of almost all precious stones so the graces vertues perfections of all natures shine in the face of God to draw our love to him among which two most kindle our affection vertue and beauty nothing so lovely as vertue which is the beauty of the mind beauty which is the chief grace and vertue of the body To give vertue her due
singular Priest an everlasting Priest a royall Priest a Priest who neither succeeded any nor any him a Priest for ever After the order of Melchizedek For the opening of this passage three points are to be cleared 1. The name 2. The person 3. The order or office of this singular and extraordinary type of Christ 1. Touching the name though it bee one word in the Greeke and Latine and carry the forme of a proper name yet in the originall it is two 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and seemeth rather to be an appellative signifying my righteous Lord or the righteous Lord of my appointment as Psal 2.6 I have set my King c. Howbeit as the name of Augustus was the common stile of all the Romane Emperours yet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the sirname of Octavius from whom the rest received it so it is not unlikely that the stile of Melchizedek was at the first attributed to this famous King of Salem who met Abraham with a present as he returned from the slaughter of the Kings yet afterwards either by adulation or for other reasons it might be given to his successors Of the interpretation of this name we can make no doubt sith the Apostle hath construed it unto us viz. ſ Hebr 7.2 King of righteousnesse and after that King of Salem which is King of peace whence some gather consequently that the most righteous Kings are most peaceable and that hee can bee no King of peace who is not a King of righteousnesse Where righteousnesse doth flourish there shall be abundance of peace As in the name of Melchizedek King of Salem so in the heart of every good King righteousnesse and peace ought to kisse each other Now Christ is a King of righteousnesse in three respects 1. Administrando because he administreth 2. Operando because he wrought and still worketh 3. Imputando because he imputeth righteousnesse He administreth righteousnesse because hee ruleth his Church with a t Psal 45 6. The scepter of thy Kingdome is a right scepter scepter of righteousnesse he wrought righteousnesse in fulfilling the Law which is called u Mat. 3.15 Thus it becommeth us to fulfill all righteousnesse righteousnesse and by his grace also he enableth us to work righteousnesse and in some good measure to fulfill his commandements he imputeth righteousnesse when he justifieth the ungodly and accounteth faith for * Rom. 4.5 righteousnesse to him that worketh not but beleeveth for God made him that knew no sinne to be x 2 Cor. 5.21 sinne for us that wee might be made the righteousness of God in him that no flesh should glory in his presence for of him are y 1 Cor. 1.30 we in Christ Jesus who of God is made unto us wisedome and righteousnes and sanctification and redemption 2. Tovching the person of Melchizedek there are sixe opinions the first 1. Of certaine Heretickes called the Melchizedekians who taught that Melchizedek was a z Epiph. haeres 55. power of God greater than Christ and that hee was the Mediatour and Advocate of Angels as Christ is of men 2. Of Hierax the Egyptian and his followers who taught that Melchizedek was a Ystella in Gen. 14. Christ himselfe who before his incarnation appeared in a humane shape to Abraham 3. Of the author of the booke q. Vet. N. Test who writeth that Melchizedek is the Holy Ghost 4. Of Origen and Didymus who thought Melchizedek to be an b Hieron ep ad Evag. Angel 5. Of Aben Ezra Bagud Haturim Levi Benyerson David Chimki and of the c Jer. Epiph loc sup cit Samaritans and Hebrewes generally who confidently affirme that Melchizedek was Shem the son of Noah 6. Of d Coel. hierarc c. 9. Haeres 55. in Gen. 14. Dionysius Areopagita Epiphanius Theodoret Hippolytus Procopius Eusebius Eustathius Calvin Junius Musculus Mercerus Pererius Pareus and divers others who hold it most probable that this Melchizedek was one of the Kings of Canaan In this variety of opinions backed with manifold authorities as Tully spake of the soule that it was lesse difficult to resolve what she is not than what she is so we may say of Melchizedek that it is a far easier matter to determine who he was not than who he was Refut 1 1. He was not any power of God greater than our Saviour or the Angels Advocate for neither is there any inequality between the divine persons neither have the evill Angels any Advocate to plead for them who are condemned already and reserved in chaines of darkness till the great day The text of Scripture which they wrested to their fancy no way advantageth them For Christ is said a Priest after the order of Melchizedek not because he was inferiour to him in person or office but because he succeeded him in time and bare an office framed after a sort according to the patterne of his Refut 2 2. He was not the Sonne of God the second person in Trinity for the type must needs be distinguished from the truth but Melchizedek was a glorious type of Christ and is said e Hebr. 7.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 assimilari to be likened to the Son of God he was not therefore the Son of God but his fore-runner in the office of Priesthood Refut 3 3. He was not the Holy Ghost for Moses describeth him to bee a man that ruled in Salem and executed also the office of a Priest to God which cannot be affirmed of the Holy Ghost who never tooke our nature upon him nor is any where in holy Scripture termed a Priest of the most high God The onely footing which this opinion hath is upon that ground that Melchizedek is said to be f Hebr. 7.3 without father which ground no way supporteth this opinion For wee cannot argue from one attribute of Melchizedek affirmatively though we may negatively This argument is good He that hath a father reckoned among men is not Melchizedek but this is not so The Holy Ghost is without father therefore he is Melchizedek For God the Father the first person in Trinity is as also Adam the first man was without father or mother yet neither of them Melchizedek Refut 4 4. He was not an Angel for it is a thing unheard of in the Church of God that the angels of heaven should sway earthly scepters or discharge the function of Priests What have Angels of heaven to do with feasting armies or receiving tythes of spoyles as Melchizedek did from the hands of Abraham These foure opinions have been long agoe exploded the two remaining stand still in competition for the truth 5. The advocates for Sem plead hard Sem say they as appeareth in the story of Genesis lived to the time of Abrahams victory to him it was promised that the Canaanites should be his servants and consequently that Salem their Metropolis should be his seat where Melchizedek was King Neither was there any greater man than Abraham to
Cedars stately built and richly furnished with all the rarities which nature or art affoords Why were Jewels and precious Stones and rich metals created but for mans use And what better use can be made of them than to shew forth the glorie of God and the splendour and magnificence of his Vicegerents on earth Certainely they were never made to maintaine the luxurie of private men which is now growne to that excesse especially at Court that the Embassadours of forreine Princes speake as loud of it abroad as the poore cry and wring for it at home Where shall we finde a Paula deserving the commendation which St. q In Epitaph Paul Non in marmora sed lapides vivos Jerome giveth her for laying out her money not upon marble or free-stone but upon those living stones which she knew one day should be turned into gemmes and laid in the foundation of the heavenly Jerusalem Doth not the liberality of most of the wealthy of this age resemble their heart which is hard cold and stony The greatest expence they are at is in building houses of Cedar for themselves by which they are better knowne than their houses by them As the world so the Proverb is turned upside downe it stood thus Non domus Dominum sed Dominus domum but now it is thus overturned Non Dominus domum sed domus Dominum the house gets no credit by the owner but the owner if he have any by the house Ye will thinke when ye come into many of them that ye are fallen into an Egyptian Temple most glorious without but within nothing to be seen but the picture of a Jack an Ape or a Cat or some such contemptible creature as that superstitious Nation worshipped I sharpen my stile the more against this abuse of our age because it is well knowne that the superfluous expence upon the Sepulchres of the dead and the erecting of houses of Cedars for the living farre above I will not say the wealth but above the ranke and worth of those that dwell in them is the cause why the Arke of the Lord lieth yet in many places under the curtaines nay not so well but under the open aire without cover or roofe to keepe out raine and weather If that which hath beene luxuriously cast away in building houses of pleasure and ambitiously if not superstitiously consumed in erecting Statues Obelisques Tombes or Monuments for the dead had beene employed in rearing up houses for Prophets and erecting Temples to the living God the Prophets of God should not need to complaine as now they are constrained against the men of this age in the words of the Prophet Haggai c. 1. ver 4. Yee dwell in sieled houses and the house of the Lord lieth waste or in the like in my text Behold now ye dwell in houses of Cedars and The Arke of the Lord within the Curtaines Before the Sunne rise you see no light but through mists and vapours and shadowes on the earth even so before the Sunne of righteousnesse Christ Jesus arose in the Firmament of his Church there was no light of the Gospell to be seene but through mists and obscure shadowes so the Å¿ Heb. 8.5 10.1 Apostle termeth the types and figures of the old Law among which the Tabernacle and in it the Arke and therein especially the Tables Rod and Pots of Manna shadowed the state of the Christian Church and presented to the eye of faith the principall meanes of salvation under the Gospell which are three 1 The preaching of the Word summarily contained in the two Tables 2 The Sacrament of Christs body and bloud figured by the Manna 3 The exercise of Ecclesiasticall discipline lively set forth by the budding of Aarons rod. As for Baptisme which is the Sacrament of entrance into the Church the type thereof was set at the entrie into the Tabernacle where stood a great Laver in which those that came to worship God after they had put off their clothes bathed themselves as we Christians put off the old man and wash away the corruption of originall sinne in the Font of Baptisme before we are admitted as members into the Christian Church whereunto three sorts of men belong 1 Some that are to be called 2 Others that are already called into it 3 Such as are called out of it into Heaven 1 The first are in the state of nature 2 The second in the state of grace 3 The third in the state of glorie Answerable whereunto God commandeth three spaces or partitions to be made 1 Atrium the outward Court for the people 2 Sanctum the holy place for the ordinarie Priests 3 Sanctum sanctorum the most holy place for the High-Priest to enter once a yeere and shew himselfe to God for the people Which are similitudes of true things For as by the outward Court the Priest went into the holy place and from the holy place into the most holy so from the state of nature the children of God are brought into the state of grace and from the state of grace into the state of glorie If any question these mysticall expositions for the first I referre them to St. t Apoc. 11.2 John who saith expressely that the Court was given to the Gentiles and was not therefore to be mete with a golden reed for the second to St. u 1 Pet. 2.9 Peter who calleth all Christians Priests for whom the holy place was appointed for the third to St. * Heb. 9.24 Paul who openeth the vaile of that figure and sheweth how Christ our High-Priest after his death entered into the holy of holies and there appeared before God for us To these observations of the Tabernacle may be added many the like resemblances betweene the Arke and the Church In the fore-front of the Tabernacle there was the Altar of burnt-offerings and a place of refuge for malefactors who if they could take hold of the hornes of the Altar were safe Christs Crosse is this Altar the hornes whereof whosoever take hold by faith be they never so great malefactors escape Gods vengeance In the Sanctuarie was the mercy seat towards which the Cherubims faces looked to teach us that the Angels of x 1 Pet. 1.12 heaven desire to looke into the mysteries of the Gospell The dimensions of the Arke were small and the limits of the militant Church in comparison of the malignant are narrow The outside of the Arke was covered with skins but the inside was overlaid with gold in like manner the Church hath for the most part no great outward appearance pompe or splendour but yet is alwayes most y Psal 45 13. glorious within The arke when it was taken by the Philistims conquered Dagon and cast him downe on his face even so the Church of Christ when shee is in captivitie and greatest weakenesse in the eye of the world getteth the better of her enemies and is so farre from being diminished by persecution that
Thou shalt plant vineyards and dresse them but shalt neither drinke of the wine nor gather the grapes for the worme shall eate them Thou shalt have olive trees throughout all thy coasts but thou shalt not annoint thy selfe with the oyle for thine olive shall cast his fruit Hereunto if we adde the infinite armies of plagues and judgements mustered in this chapter against Gods enemies we cannot but subscribe to the Prophets conclusion Non est pax impio there is no l Esay 48.22 57.21 peace to the wicked saith my God there is no fruit of sinne for it is the vine of m Deut. 32.32 33. Sodome and of the fields of Gomorrah the grapes thereof are the grapes of gall their clusters are bitter Their wine is the poyson of Dragons and the cruell venome of Aspes Would yee know all the miseries that sinne hath brought into the world reckon then all that are or ever were in the world For they are all concomitants effects or punishments of sinne Sinne cast the Angels from Heaven into Hell thrust man out of Paradise drowned the old world burnt Sodome and Gomorrah with fire and brimstone ruinated the greatest Monarchies destroyed the ancientest Cities and hath rooted up the most flourishing Churches and shall wee looke for better fruit of it But this interrogatory of the Apostle What fruit had yee seemeth to mee rather to aime at the particular endammagement and detriments of sinne which every soule that committeth it sustaineth within it selfe whereof many have been already recounted yet the greater part is behind among whom this is not the least that it blindeth the eyes of the mind and infatuateth the sinner Whereupon Saint Austines observation is If a theefe or fellon should presently upon his fact lose the sight of his eyes every body would say that it was the judgement of God upon him Oculum cordis amisit ei pepercisse putatur Deus behold God hath taken away the sight of his soules eyes and doest thou thinke that hee spareth him or letteth him goe n Cic. de Arusp respons Oculorum caecitas ad mentem translata est unpunished What greater losse to a noble mind than of libertie which is forfeited by sinne Sinne enthralleth our soule to our body and our body and soule to the Divell If captivitie of the body be so grievous a calamity what may wee judge of the captivitie of the soule If wee so disdaine to be slaves to men how much more should wee to bee vassals to beastly lusts To speake nothing of peace of conscience which crying sinnes disturbe and divine motions which worldly cares choake and heavenly comforts which earthly pleasures deprive us of and sanctifying graces which impure thoughts and sinfull desires diminish to leave the consideration of shame and death for matter of ensuing discourses by that which hath been already delivered all that are not besotted by sin and blind-folded by Sathan may see great reason for this question of the Apostle What fruit had yee A question which the proudest and most scornfull sinners who have them in derision that make conscience of unlawfull gaine shall propound unto themselves one day and checke their owne folly therewith as we reade in the booke of o Wisd 5.8 Wisedome What hath pride availed us or what profit hath the pompe of riches brought us Then shall they change their mindes when they cannot their estates and sigh for griefe of heart and say within themselves looking up to Heaven and seeing the felicity of the righteous crowned with eternall glory Ibid. Ver. 4 5 6 7. This is hee whom wee sometimes had in derision and in a parable of reproach Wee fooles thought his life madnesse and his end without honour But now how is hee accounted among the children of God and what a portion hath hee among the Saints Therefore wee have erred from the way of truth and the light of righteousnesse hath not shined upon us We have wearied our selves in the wayes of wickednesse and have gone through many dangerous pathes and the way of the Lord wee have not knowne Howbeit two sorts of men in the opinion of the world seeme to make great gaine of sinne the covetous and the ambitious the former is indebted to his extortion oppression and usury for his wealth the other to his glozing dissembling undermining perfidious and treacherous dealing for his honour and advancement in the Court of Princes The spirit of the former hath been conjured downe heretofore by proving that whosoever gathereth wealth or mony by unjust and indirect meanes putteth it into a broken bagge and that his mony shall perish with him unlesse hee breake off his sinne by repentance and make friends of unrighteous Mammon I come to the Politicians who correct or rather pervert that sentence of Saint Paul Godlinesse is great gaine thus a shew of godlinesse is great gaine of whom I would demand what shew of reason they have for this their politicke aphorisme If they beleeve there is a God that judgeth the earth they cannot but thinke that hee will take most grievous vengeance on such as goe about to roote out the feare of God out of mens hearts and make Religion a masque and God himselfe an Image the sacred Story a fable Hell a bug-beare and the joyes of Heaven pleasant phantasies If men hold them in greatest detestation who faulter and double with them shall not God much more hate the hypocrite who doubleth with his Maker maketh shew of honouring and serving him when hee indeed neither honoureth nor serveth him at all Simulata sanctitas est duplex iniquitas counterfeit sanctity is double iniquity and accordingly it shall receive double punishment When our Saviour threateneth the most hainous transgressours that they shall have their p Mat. 24.51 portion with hypocrites hee implyeth that the condition of none in Hell is lesse tolerable than of the hypocrite The q Psal 14.1 foole hath said in his heart there is no God and even in that hee shewed himselfe the more foole in that hee said it in his heart supposing that none should heare it there whereas God heareth the word in the heart before it bee uttered in the tongue and what though other know it not sith hee whom hee wrongeth who is best able to revenge it knoweth it But to wound the Politician with his owne sword If a shew and appearance of Religion is not onely profitable but necessary in politicke respects shall not Religion it selfe be much more Can there bee a like vertue or power in the shadow or image as in the body it selfe If the grapes painted by Zeuxis allured the Birds to pecke at them would not the Birds sooner have flowne at them had they been true grapes All the wit of these sublimated spirits wherewith they entangle the honest simplicity of others cannot wind them out of these dilemmaes If it bee a bad thing to bee good why doe they seem so If
night and are very earnest at their game but in the midst of it the candle goeth out they perforce give over who no doubt if the light had lasted would have played all night This inch of candle is the time of life allotted to a wicked man who is resolved to spend it all in sinfull pleasures and pastimes and if it would last perpetually he would never leave his play and therefore sith he would sin eternally though by reason that the light of his life goeth out hee cannot he deserveth eternall punishment 4. Though the sins of the reprobate are finite in respect of the time and the agents yet as they are committed against an infinite Majesty the guilt of them is infinite Here it will be objected That if sinnes be infinite in any respect they must needs be all equall because infinity admitteth no degrees nothing can be more or lesse infinite I answer that although b Camp rat 8. Paradox Campian and other Papists charge the reformed Churches with that absurd Paradoxe of the Stoickes That all sinnes are equall and consequently that it is as great a wickednesse to kill a Capon to furnish a luxurious feast as to kill a man yet their heart cannot but smite them for so notorious a calumny for they themselves teach That mortall sinnes as they are committed against God are of infinite guilt and deserve infinite and eternall punishments and yet they hold not that all mortall sinnes are equall their Casuists teaching that parricide is a greater sinne than murder incest than adultery blasphemy than perjury all of them being mortall As for the knot of the former objection it is thus easily untyed That sinnes may be considered either in a genericall notion as they are breaches of the eternall Law offend an infinite Majesty in which respect as they are infinite so they are equall or in a specificall reason as they are of this or that kind clothed with such such circumstances as they are breaches of the first or second Table as they are committed immediately against God or mediately once or often on the sudden or unadvisedly ignorantly or wilfully out of infirmity or presumptuously tending much or little to the hurt or prejudice of our neighbour In all which and divers like respects the guilt of sinne is improved or diminished and one sinne is more hainous and lesse pardonable than another We have said enough to these words for their coherence sense and construction let us now see what they say to us for our further use and instruction There is no physicke but if it worke maketh the patient sicker for the present and for the most part the smarting plaister most speedily cureth the wound These observations are true in corporall physicke and much more in spirituall because the smart of sinne and trouble of conscience for it are not so much signes and symptomes of maladies as the beginning of cures Some say the feare of the plague bringeth it but if we speake of this plague and other judgements of God for sinne it is certaine that the feare of them is the best preservative against them he onely may be secure of the avoiding Hell torments and escaping the pangs of eternall death who feareth them as he ought and he that feareth them not is in a most fearfull case O c Ecclus. 41.1 death how bitter is the remembrance of thee It was spoken of the first death but may with greater reason of the second some tastes whereof I wil give you at this present as well to make you loath the morsels of Sathan as the better to rellish the fruits of the tree of life The first shall be out of Saint Matthew d Mat. 25.10 Clausae sunt fores the doores were shut Conceive ye that to be now which if ye prevent it not certainly shall be that after ye have heard the Archangel sound the last Trump and with him a Quire of heavenly spirits singing an Epithalamium or marriage song ye should see the gates of Heaven opened and the Sonne of man marching out of them with an innumerable company of Angels presently sent abroad to gather the Elect from the foure windes and soone after infinite troupes of them assembled from all parts in goodly order and glorious armour accompanying our Saviour in his triumphant returne into heaven to receive each of them a crowne of glory and you caught up into the clouds pressing hard after them to enter with them into heaven should be presently stayed and the gates shut against you and fastened with everlasting barres O! what a corrasive would this be what a disgrace what an unspeakable griefe to have a glimpse of the celestiall Jerusalem and to be excluded for ever out of it to see those whom ye sometimes scorned reviled and trod under foot admitted into Christs Kingdome before your face and you repelled with a non novivos Away from mee I know you not Have ye enough of this taste or doe ye yet desire a second ye have it in Saint Matthew e Mat. 25.30 Projicite in tenebras exteriores Cast the unprofitable servant into utter darknesse there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth Suppose ye were stripped stark naked and then bound hand and foot with iron chaines and throwne into a deep darke loathsome and hideous dungeon full of Adders Vipers Basiliskes and Scorpions hissing croaking biting stinging you in all parts of your body you being not able to stirre a joynt or make any resistance at all Are yee affrighted at this The torment of the damned is farre worse for the stinging of Serpents is nothing to the tormenting with Divels nor the darknesse of a dungeon to the horrour of Hell For though there be fire there yet it yeeldeth no comfortable light but as the flame in the bush had the f Exod. 3.2 light of fire yet not the consuming heat so on the contrary the flames of Hell have the scorching heat but not the comfortable light of fire As ye like this take another taste g Mar. 9.44 Vermis eorum non interit Imagine that whilest ye lye in the darke dungeon bit stung in your outward parts there should be a venemous worme within your bowels gnawing at your very heart and upon remembrance of every hainous sinne giving you a deadly bite what paine and torment might this be yet it is nothing to that which Christ there addeth Ignis eorum non extinguitur Their fire is not quenched There is none such a blocke but apprehendeth what unsufferable paine it is to lye soultering in the fire or boyling in a river of brimstone or frying in the flames of a furnace and crying but for one drop of water to coole the tip of the tongue and not obtaining it If these tastes affect you not take you yet a fourth made of the very gall of Aspes h Apoc. 20.10 They shall be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone and shall
may be in our apprehension absolutely to yeeld without further disputing to him who hath more than thirty legions of Angels at his command and all the creatures in heaven and earth besides There is no contesting with soveraignty no resisting omnipotency no striving with our Maker The fish that is caught with the hooke the more he jerkes and flings the faster hold the hooke taketh on him the harder a man kickes against the pricks the deeper they enter into his heeles An earthen pitcher the more forcibly it is dashed against an iron pot the sooner it flies in pieces in like manner the more we contend against God and his judgements the more we hurt wound and in the end destroy our selves Wherefore let us not like dogges bite the stone never looking upon him that flingeth it but mark him who aimes at us and hitteth us and lay our hands on our mouth with a Psal 39.9 David saying I held my peace because thou Lord hast done it The Persian Nobles as b Annot. in Tacit. Janus Gruterus reporteth accounted it an exceeding great grace to be scourged by their Prince and though it were painfull to them yet they seemed much to rejoyce at it thanking him that he would take paines with them and minister correction unto them himselfe and shall we not much more praise the divine Majesty that hee vouchsafeth himselfe to chasten us for our good The wounds of a friend are more welcome to us than the plaisters of an enemy and a sicke patient who will not endure a bitter potion offered him by a Physician yet oftentimes taketh it from the hands of his most endeared spouse or a beloved friend and shall not all Gods children sicke of too much prosperity willingly take the bitter yet most wholsome potion of affliction from the hand of the Father of spirits Saint Paul shall close up the doctrine When c 1 Cor. 11.32 we are judged we are chastened of the Lord that we should not be condemned with the world and Saint Peter the use d 1 Pet. 4.19 Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their soules to him in well doing as unto a faithfull Creatour From the person I proceed to his actions rebuke and chasten not condemne and punish 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 verba virtutem non addunt soft words make smart blowes neverthelesse felt if the stroakes be as many and inflicted with equall force whether ye call it chastening or punishing all is one to the poore patient Indeed were there but a verball difference and not a reall between punishing and chastening this note would little better the musicke but if ye look more narrowly into the words ye shall find in them many and materiall differences In punishing ye shall observe a Judge in chastening a Father in punishment a satisfying of justice in chastisement a testifying of love in punishment a compensation of desert in chastisement a mitigation of favour in punishment a principall respect had to a former offence in chastisement to future amendment A Judge principally regardeth the wrong done to the law and therefore proportioneth his punishment to the quality of the offence but a father whom not love of law and justice but the law of love moveth and after a sort enforceth to do what he doth for his childes good is contented with such correction not as he deserveth for the fault he hath committed but that which he hopeth will serve for his amendment Pro magno peccato parum supplicii satis est patri In briefe this word Castigo I chasten how much soever at the first it affrighteth us yet it affordeth us this comfortable doctrine That God as a father inflicteth with griefe and compassion moderateth with mercy and directeth by providence all the stroakes that are laid upon his children 1. He inflicteth with griefe and compassion O f Hos 6.4 Ephraim what shall I doe unto thee O Judah how shall I entreat thee my bowels erne within mee and my repentings roll together and For the g Jer. 9.10 mountaines will I take up a weeping and wailing and for the habitations of the wildernesse a lamentation because they are burnt up so that none can passe through them neither can men heare the voice of the cattell both the fowle of the heavens and the beast are fled they are gone h Mic. 1.8 9. I will waile and howle I will goe stripped and naked I will make a wailing like the Dragons and mourning as the Owles for her wound is incurable 2. He mitigateth with mercy his childrens payment 1. In respect of time 1. Indefinitely 2. Definitely 2. In respect of the grievousnesse of their stroakes He mitigateth in respect of time indefinitely In a little i Esa 54 7 8. wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment but with everlasting kindnesse will I have mercy on thee saith the Lord thy Redeemer For a small moment have I forsaken thee but with great mercy will I gather thee and The God of all k 1 Pet. 5.10 grace who hath called us into his eternall glory by Christ Jesus after that ye have suffered a while make you perfect establish strengthen settle you Sometimes he prescribeth the definite time as to l Gen. 41.1 Joseph for his imprisonment two yeers to the m Jer. 25.11 They shall serve the King of Babel seventy yeeres Jewes for their captivity seventy yeeres to n Dan. 4.25 Nebuchadnezzar for his humiliation seven yeers to the o Apoc. 2.10 Ye shall have tribulation ten dayes Angel of Smyrna ten dayes And as he mitigateth their sufferings in respect of the time so also in respect of the grievousnesse of their punishment The Lord hath p Psa 118.18 severely chastened mee saith David but he hath not given mee over unto death God he is q 1 Cor. 10.13 faithfull and will not suffer his children to be tempted above their strength 3. He directeth by his providence and fatherly wisedome all the crosses that are laid upon his children to speciall ends for their good namely to cure their dulnesse and stupidity abate their pride tame their wanton flesh exercise their patience enflame their devotion try their love weane their desires from this world and breed in them a longing for the joyes of heaven and fruits of Paradise Prosperity flattereth the soule but trouble and affliction play the parts of true friends they rightly enforme us of the insufficiency of all worldly comforts which leave us in our extremities and can stand us in no stead at our greatest need And therefore S. Bernard very well resembleth them to rotten stakes flags and bull-rushes which men catch at that are in perill of drowning hoping by them to scramble out of the water but alas it falleth out far otherwise these help them not at all nor beare them above water but are drawne downe under water with them This most
hee for whom you suffer seeth what you suffer and that hee is your witnesse who will bee your rewarder and crowner even God himselfe And so I fall upon the next circumstance the person exalting Wherefore God highly exalted him Hee humbled himselfe but God exalted him The fruit which wee are to gather from this branch of my text is like to the former yet there is a difference betweene them the former qualified and pacified the minde from murmuring and discontent at our present estate and calling how low and mean soever it were this keepeth it from aspiring thoughts t Mat. 23.12 and unwarrantable projects and attempts for the raising of our fortunes * Luk. 14.11 and advancing our estate Before the burden of our song was He that humbleth himselfe shall bee exalted but now it is He that exalteth himselfe shall be brought low The latter is as true as the former both were uttered with one breath by our Saviour As not hee that commendeth himselfe is to bee commended so neither is hee that exalteth himselfe to bee approved but hee whom God exalteth If any might ever have magnified and exalted himselfe certainly our Lord and Saviour might best who both spake as never man spake and did as never man did and suffered what never man did or could suffer yet hee himselfe professeth u Joh. 8.14 If I honour my selfe mine honour is nothing it is my Father that honoureth mee Hee honoureth and exalteth himselfe who either vainegloriously setteth forth his owne wares blazoneth his owne armes and is the trumpet of his owne praises or hee who ambitiously desireth such dignities and preferments whereof hee is unworthy or useth indirect meanes to compasse those places whereof he might otherwise bee worthy and capable This vitious affection is discried in * Joh. 3.9 Diotrephes noted in the x Luk. 20.46 Pharisees sharply censured in the y Mat. 20.26 Disciples severely punished in Adoniah Seba Absalom and Haman Jacob saw in his vision Angels ascending upon a ladder to heaven what need Angels goe by steps to heaven who being spirits as the Schooles teach can mount thither and backe againe in an instant might it not bee to teach us that Magistrates and Ministers who are both in Scripture stiled Angels are not suddenly to leape or hastily to climbe up to places of preferment but ascend by degrees when God setteth a ladder for them Thistle-down and feathers and vapours and other light and imperfect mist bodies raise themselves from the earth but pretious metall and all perfect mist bodies move not upwards but perforce Trajan if wee may beleeve z Panegeric Trajan Nihil magis à te subjecti animo factum est quà m quod coepisti imperare Pliny was in nothing more over-ruled by Nerva than in taking the rule of the Empire into his hand What violence was used to Saint Austine and Ambrose at their investiture the one wept the other hid himselfe for a while both hung off and drew backe with all their strength How doth Saint * Ep. 7. 26. Durum valdè fuit c. Usque ad terram me superposito onere depressistis Gregory complaine of them that chose him Bishop of Rome What have yee done my friends ye have laid such a burden upon me that presseth me down to the earth in such sort that I cannot lift up my minde to the contemplation of the things that are above Publike charges and eminent places besides the great troubles they bring with them expose them that hold them to great perils and dangers Graviore lapsu Decidunt turres feriuntque summos Fulmina montes The high hills are strucke with thunderbolts the tops of trees blasted with lightnings the pinacles of Temples and fanes of turrets and weathercockes of steeples are frequently blowne downe with the winde and all the storme and violence of weather beateth upon the roofes and tops of houses Qui jacet in terrâ non habet unde cadat The opposition betweene the members of these two verses is very observable Hee humbled himselfe so low therefore God exalted him so high When man humbleth himselfe God exalteth but when man exalteth himselfe God humbleth how much better is it to humble our selves and be exalted by God than to exalt our selves and to be humbled by him As none can raise so high so none can pull downe so low as hee Lucifer who would have exalted himselfe above the starres of heaven was throwne downe below the wormes of the earth contrariwise our Saviour who humbled himselfe beneath the earth even to the gates of hell was raised by God above the highest heavens 1 Pet. 1.5 6. My exhortation therefore unto you is the same with that of the Apostle S. Peter Humble your selves under the mighty hand of God that hee may exalt you in due time submit your selves one to another decke your selves inwardly with lowlinesse of minde There is no vertue drawn by the pensill of God in more lively colours Psal 113.6 7. Esay 57.15 Mat. 11.25 Jam. 4.6 10. Psal 113.8 Mat. 5.3 with brighter beames of his favour shining upon them than it for hee that dwelleth in the highest heavens hath respect to the lowest and lowliest hee visiteth them and dwelleth with them hee familiarly converseth with them and revealeth unto them his secrets hee bestoweth on them the treasures of his grace hee raiseth them and advanceth them to a kingdome on earth yea to a kingdome in heaven To which kingdome the Lord exalt us for the merit of Christ Jesus who humbled himselfe and became obedient to death even the death of the crosse wherefore God hath highly exalted him and hath given him a name above all names that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow and every tongue confesse that Christ is the Lord to the glory of God the Father To whom c. A SUMMONS TO REPENTANCE THE LIV. SERMON EZEK 18.23 Have I any desire at all that the wicked should dye saith the Lord God Right Honourable c. WEE read in our Calendars of some things that come in at one season and goe out at another but sinne is not of that nature it is alwayes comming in but never goeth out till our exit out of this world Therefore nothing is more necessary at any time or more seasonable at all times than the doctrine of repentance wee cannot heare too often of it because a Psal 19.12 none knoweth how oft hee offendeth Such is the weaknesse of our nature and the slipperinesse of our way in b Apoc. 15.2 this sea of glasse whereupon wee walke that wee slip and fall daily and are often maimed and wounded by our falls and unlesse by grace the use of our limbes bee restored unto us and wee raised up by repentance wee lye as a prey for the Devill c 1 Pet. 5.8 who runneth about like a roaring Lion seeking whom he may devour Let it then not seem
her husband on the sudden loseth him which I call God to witnesse saith x Orig. in Cant. Conspicit Sponsa Sponsum qui conspectus statim abscessit frequenter hoc in toto carmine facit quod nisi quis patiatur non potest intelligere saepe Deus est testis Sponsum mihi adventate conspexi mecum esse subitò recedentem invenire non potui Origen I my selfe have sensible experience in my meditations upon this book And who of us in his private devotions findeth not the like Sometimes in our divine conceptions contemplations and prayers we are as it were on float sometimes on the sudden at an ebbe sometimes wee are carried with full saile sometimes we sticke as it were in the haven The use we are to make hereof is when we heare the gales of the Spirit rise to hoise up our sailes to listen to the sound when we first heare it because it will be soon blown over to cherish the sparkes of grace because if they be not cherished they will soone dye There came a sound Death entred in at the windowes that is the eyes saith Origen but life at the eares z Gal. 1.8 For the just shall live by faith and faith commeth by hearing The sound is not without the wind for the Spirit ordinarily accompanieth the preaching of the Word neither is the wind without the sound Away then with Anabaptisticall Enthustiasts try the spirits whether they be of God or no by the Word of God To the y Esay 8.20 Law and to the testimony saith the Prophet Esay If they speake not according to this word it is because there is no light in them And if we saith the Apostle or an Angel from heaven preach unto you any other Gospel than what ye have received that is saith St. * Aug. contr lit Petil. l. 3. c. 6. Praeterquam quod in Scripturis legalibus Evangelicis accepistis Anathema sit Austine than what is contained in the Propheticall and Apostolicall writings let him be accursed From heaven This circumstance affordeth us a threefold doctrine 1. That the Spirit hath a dependance on the Son and proceedeth from him for the Spirit descended not till after the Son ascended who both commanded his Disciples to stay at Jerusalem and wait for the promise of the Father which yee have a Act. 1.4 heard saith he from mee and promised after his departure to send the b John 15.26 When the comforter is come whom I will send unto you from the Father Act. 1.5 Yee shall be baptized with the holy Ghost not many dayes hence spirit and accordingly sent him ten dayes after his ascension with the sound of a mighty wind in the likenesse of fiery cloven tongues 2. That the Gospel is of divine authority As the Law came from heaven so the Gospel and so long as we preach Gods word ye still heare sonum de coelo a sound from heaven Thus c Lactan. instit l. 3. c. 30. Ecce vox de coelo veritatem docens sole ipso clarius lumen ostendens Lactantius concludes in the end of his third booke of divine institutions How long shall we stay saith he till Socrates will know any thing or Anaxagoras find light in darknesse or Democritus draw up the truth from the bottome of a deep Well or Empedocles enlarge the narrow pathes of his senses or Arcesilas and Carneades according to their sceptick doctrine see feele or perceive any thing Behold a voice from heaven teaching us the truth and discovering unto us a light brighter than the sunne 3. That the doctrine of the Gospel is not earthly but of a heavenly nature that it teacheth us to frame our lives to a heavenly conversation that it mortifieth our fleshly lusts stifleth ambitious desires raiseth our mind from the earth and maketh us heavenly in our thoughts heavenly in our affections heavenly in our hopes and desires For albeit there are excellent morall and politicke precepts in it directing us to manage our earthly affaires yet the maine scope and principall end thereof is to bring the Kingdome of heaven unto us by grace and us into it by glory This a meer sound cannot doe therefore it is added As of a rushing mighty wind This blast or wind is a sacred symbole of the Spirit and there is such a manifold resemblance between them that the same word in Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Latine spiritus signifieth both what so like as wind to the Spirit 1. As the wind bloweth where it d John 3.8 listeth so the Spirit inspireth whom he pleaseth 2. As wee feele the wind and heare it yet see it not so wee heare of the Spirit in the word and feele him in our hearts yet see him not 3. As breath commeth from the heat of our bowells so the third person as the Schooles determine proceedeth from the heat of love in the Father and the Son 4. As the wind purgeth the floore and cleanseth the aire so the Spirit purifieth the heart 5. As in a hot summers day nothing so refresheth a traveller as a coole blast of wind so in the heat of persecutions and heart burning sorrow of afflictions nothing so refresheth the soule as the comfort of the Spirit who is therefore stiled Paracletus the Comforter 6. As the wind in an instant blowes downe the strongest towers and highest trees so the Spirit overthrowes the strongest holds of Sathan and humbleth the haughtiest spirit 7. As the wind blowing upon a garden carrieth a sweet smell to all parts whither it goeth so the Spirit bloweth upon and openeth the flowers of Paradise and diffuseth the savour of life unto life through the whole Church 8. As the wind driveth the ship through the waves of the sea carrieth it to land so the gales of Gods Spirit carrie us through the troublesome waves of this world and bring us into the haven where wee would bee Cui cum Patre Filio sit laus c. THE MYSTERIE OF THE FIERY CLOVEN TONGUES THE LXV SERMON ACTS 2.3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire and it sate upon each of them AMong the golden rules of a Cael. Rodig lib. antiq lect Nunquam de Deo sine lumine loquendum Pythagoras so much admired by antiquity this was one that we ought not to speake of God without light the meaning of which precept was not that we ought not to pray to God or speake of him in the night or the darke but that the nature of God is dark to us and that we may not presume to speak thereof without some divine light from heaven Nothing may be confidently or safely spoken of him which hath not been spoken by him In which regard b Salv. de gubern lib. 1. Tanta est Majestatis sacrae tam tremenda reverentia ut non solùm illa quae
of your superiours a crowne of thornes to his head every neglect of charity to his members new nailes to wound his hands and feet every blasphemous word a new spitting on his face every oath a speare to pierce his heart But what moved him to become our surety and sacrifice No reason can be given but his will Oblatus est quia voluit He was offered because hee would hee would because hee loved us and to the end hee might the better undergoe his office because it became us to have such an high Priest that had feeling of our wants and infirmities he became man The man The Hebrewes have foure severall words for a man Adam Enosh Ish Geber Adam signifying red earth Enosh a man of sorrow Ish a man of a noble spirit Geber a strong man wee have found a man here in all these senses Adam earth as wee Enosh a man of sorrowes Ish a man of a noble spirit to encounter all the powers of darkenesse Geber a strong man stronger than hee in the q Mat. 12.29 Gospell which first possessed the house Behold the man saith Pilat but a man of sorrow saith Esay nay a worme and no man saith David nay lesse resisting than a worme for a worme if it bee trod upon will turne againe but this man went like a lambe to the slaughter or if hee may rightly be termed a worme certainely a silke-worme spinning us a precious web of righteousnesse out of his owne bowels yet this worme and no man is Ish one of noble spirit and Geber a valiant man yea such an one as is Gods fellow My fellow For in him the Godhead dwelleth bodily and in him all the Saints are compleat he is the brightnesse of his Fathers glory and the engraven forme of his person ipse paterni Pectoris effigies lumenque a lumine vero Semper cum patre semper de patre semper in patre semper apud patrem semper quod pater saith Fulgentius ex ipso cum ipso hoc quod ipse saith Saint Austine who being in the forme of God thought it not r Phil. 2.6 robberie to bee equall with God and therefore God calleth him here his fellow Such a one i◠became him to be that was to encounter principalities to come upon the strong man whereby is meant the Divell and binde him and spoile his goods to grapple with the great King of feare Death to say to hell and the grave Effata to swallow up the swallower of all things to destroy destruction and to lead captivitie captive and to returne with glory from thence unde negant quenquam redire Againe my fellow yet a man creator matris creatus ex matre saith Saint Austine ipsum sanguinem quem pro matre obtulit ante de sanguine matris accepit saith Emissenus Hee that was the brightnesse of his Father and such a brightnesse as no man could behold and live hath now a traverse drawne over his glorie the word is made flesh sepositâ non depositâ majestate saith Emissenus naturam suscipiendo nostram non amittendo suam saith Saint Austine ad terrena descendit coelestia non deseruit hic affuit inde non defuit and so be became Emmanuel God with us perfect God and perfect man man to receive supplications from man God to deliver them to God man to suffer for man God to satisfie God Apparuit medius saith Saint Austine inter mortales peccatores immortalem justum mortalis justus mortalis cum hominibus justus cum Deo ne vel in utroque similis longè esset à Deo aut in utroque dissimilis longè esset ab hominibus To conclude this point Gods fellow to offer an infinite sacrifice for all mankinde and a man that he might be himselfe the sacrifice killed by the sword which is now awaked to smite him 1 Smite the Shepheard Hachharogneh hacke him hew him butcher him Now are the reines let loose to all the powers of darkenesse now is the sword flying about the Shepheards eares now have they power to hurrie him from Annas to Caiaphas from Caiaphas to Pilat from Pilat to Herod from Herod againe to Pilat and so to Calvarie and in every passage appears a sword that might cleave asunder a heart of Adamant yet the Lord of hostes saith still 2 Smite him Now hath Judas power to betray him the Priests to convent him the standers by to buffet him the officers to whip him the people to deride him Pilat to condemne him and in every act appeares a sword that might cleave in sunder a heart of rocke yet the Lord of hostes saith still 3 Smite him Now the thornes have power to goare him the whip to lash him the nailes to fasten him the speare to pierce him the Crosse to extend him the grave to swallow him and in every one appeares a sword that might cleave in sunder a heart of steele yet the Lord of hostes saith still 4 Smite him Let no part bee free from torment not his head from pricking nor his face from spitting nor his flesh from whipping nor his pallat from vinegar nor his hands and feet from piercing nor his heart from the speare yet still the Lord of hostes saith 5 Smite him The torment of his body was but the body of his torment the soule of his torment was his soules torment Now his soule is troubled saith John nay exceeding sorrowfull saith Marke nay heavie unto death saith Matthew all the streames of bloud that issued from him on the Crosse were nothing to his drops in the garden those were forced with outward violence these were drained out with inward sorrow Sure saith one he was neare some fornace that melted him Here was a blow that if he had not beene Gods fellow would have strucke him downe to hell yet the Lord of hostes saith 6 Smite him The sense of paine is not so grievous as the want of comfort Here all comfort is with-held the people deride him and preferre a murderer before him of his owne people and servants one betrayeth him another denies him all forsake him all this is nothing in comparison For friends are but earthly comforts but that his Father from heaven should forsake him here is the sword that cleaveth his heart and maketh up the full measure of the blow In the very heat of his passion hee tooke no notice of any other torment but this onely that his God had forsaken him It is wonderfull that never any Martyr brake forth into the like speech notwithstanding all their exquisite torments but the reason is assigned by St. Austine Martyres non eripuit nunquid deseruit By this time I know you expect the fulnesse of the blow vox faucibus haeret it is death the ignominious death of the Crosse Vexed he was before his death tortured in his death wounded after his death hic salus patitur fortitudo infirmatur vita moritur Now the Angels stand amazed at the
blow the earth trembles the stones are cleft and the vaile of the Temple rends and the people smite their breasts now are blackes hung all about the galleries of heaven the Sunne hath put on a darke vaile insomuch that a Philosopher as farre from his hearse as from his faith takes notice of this great Gods funerall And to make up the companie of true mourners the grave sendeth forth her dead and corpse arise and enter into the holy Citie now is his hearse set without the gate that they that are without even dogs may see him and make songs of him and lest any should be ignorant whose hearse it was his title is set up in Hebrew Greeke and Latine O tell it not in Gath publish it not in Askelon lest the uncircumcised rejoyce to see the glory of Israel obscured nunc nunc vires exprime dolor solitum flendi vincito morem If it be true that the Hebrewes have no word for eyes but what serves for springs it seemeth that all the eyes the holy Language speaketh of should be like springs wherewith they should bewaile him whom they have pierced yet there is better use of this than to lament O consider this and rejoyce weepe for him but rejoyce for your selves When the glittering sword in the hand of the Lord was lift up and his arme stretched out utterly to destroy you this Shepheard steppeth in and standeth betweene and in his owne body receiveth the blow that was aimed at you O consider you this for whom the Shepheard hath suffered such things First acknowledge with reverence the singular justice of God that could not be satisfied but with such a ransome Secondly acknowledge with detestation the hideousnesse of your sinnes that deserved so great a ransome Thirdly acknowledge the uneffable love of this blessed shepheard that payd this great ransome On the other side consider this and tremble yee that forget God yee have no interest in this Shepheards death looke to your selves in time antequam exeat ira apprehendite disciplinam osculamini filium The Shepheard is smiten if you looke to it in time it may be for you if not a worse disaster remaineth for you than befell these sheepe you shall be confounded they were but scattered The sheepe shall be scattered This Prophesie hath speciall relation to their temporall flight but it extendeth also to their amazement and staggering at the heavinesse of the blow They trusted that it had beene hee that should have redeemed Israel but now through his blow they are fallen from their trust The Sunne labours in the eclipse no ray appeares hee cannot bee discerned to be the Sonne of God all candles were quite blowne out this night unlesse it were as Allensis affirmeth that of Virgin waxe and whether it had any light in it I cannot say certainely the sword went through her heart too But disperguntur tantum non destruuntur oves these sheepe shortly met againe and suffered much with great constancie for their shepheard Peter and Andrew were crucified James beheaded the other James brained with a Fullers club all martyred save John yet in all these deathes they were more than conquerours sanguis Martyrum semen Evangelii the bloud they spilt was as oyle to feed the lampes of the Church or as dew to fatten her soyle Let no man therefore be deterred at the mention of the Crosse it is like the man in armour that appeared to Josuah who seemed dreadfull at the first but in the end proved a friend O bone Jesu ubicunque fueris in praesepi in horto in cruce in sepulchro non curo modo te inveniam O sweet Jesu wheresoever thou art in the manger in the garden in the crosse in the sepulchre I care not what befalls me so I may finde thee Thus have I presented unto you the gift which the first Speaker tendered to the Spouse of Christ a border of gold with studs of silver nothing remaines but that I worke an embleme of the giver in his gift Every embleme consisteth of an image and a motto the Image shall be Sulpitius the motto Tullies testimonie of him in his booke De claris oratoribus Maximè grandis ut it a dicam tragicus Orator incitata volubilis nec redundans tamen oratio vox magna suavis gestus venustus he was a loftie and if I may so speake a tragicall Oratour his speech was full and fluent yet not redundant his voyce great and sweet his gesture comely THE SECOND BORDER OR THE RIGHTEOUS MAMMON The second border of gold which the second Speaker offred to the Spouse was wrought upon that text of Scripture which we finde 1 Tim. 6.17 Charge them that are rich in this world that they be not high-minded nor trust in uncertaine riches but in the living God who giveth us richly all things to enjoy Ver. 18. That they doe good that they be rich in good workes ready to distribute The second Sermon preached by Doctor Hall now Lord Bishop of Exon abridged willing to communicate And thus he put it on Right Honourable Right Reverend c. THose things which are most necessary in their use are most dangerous in their miscarriage And therefore nothing is more necessarie for a Christian than to be rectified in the managing of a prosperous estate and to learne so to manage his happinesse here that hee may be happier hereafter which this text undertakes to teach where Timothie is set as it were upon the Bench to give the charge Charge A charge to whom To the rich Of what 1 What they must avoyd 1 High-mindednesse because their wealth is in this world 2 Trust in wealth because their riches are uncertaine 2 What they must endeavour and labour for 1 Confidence in God because he is a living and liberall God 2 Beneficence to men because by this they lay up to themselves a sure foundation Here said the Preacher is worke enough for my discourse and your practice I feare more than enough for my rehearsing The God of heaven who blessed it in his hands blesse it now in mine who have it but at the second hand Charge Charge Janus-like hath a double aspect the one that lookes up to Saint Paul the other that lookes downe to Timothie and from him to the rich In the first there is Apostolicall superioritie in the second Episcopall power and Evangelicall sufficiencie For the first charge thou referres to I charge thee ver 13. so Paul chargeth Timothie to charge the rich The first foundation of the Church was layd in an inequalitie and hath ever since so continued There can be no harmonie where all the strings and voyces are of one tenour hee that giveth the charge if hee be not the chiefe of the Bench yet hee is greater than the Jurie the rich are commonly great Nobility in the account of God is joyned with wealth Curse not the King in thy thought nor the rich in thy bed chamber saith