top of Aarons head to the beard Psal â—33 2 the skirts of his clothing This blessing of absolute power is Gods onely to giue who at his pleasure can bestow temporall or eternall gifts Sometimes temporall vpon the creatures for man or vpon man in the vse of the creatures Ephes 1.3 Sometimes eternall vpon the Saints as he blessed the elect with all spirituall blessings in Christ chosen before the foundations of the world Aquinas This blessing hath no match and therefore it is said benedicere Dei est causare bonitateÌ„ there is none but God which can create goodnesse in man The other Superiour blessing is by commission to Gods Deputies which blessing is either more-common or more rare The common blessing is praier sent as an Angell to fetch the blessing of God from the top of the ladder in heauen to the foot of the ladder on earth Thus the superiours in the Church for which cause we thinke superiority expedient do pray for the blessing of God inward and outward and ex officio doe shew that God will bestow them wich are necessary This blessing is dayly or ought to bee of Kings to their subiects Pastors to their flocke and Parents to their children The blessing of the King to his subiects Iosh 22 1 Paralip 16 3 Reg. 8 as Ioshuah blessed the Rubenites as Dauid blessed the people in the name of the Lord or as Salomon blessed all the congregation of Israel Thus shall the King prolong his daies in the kingdome and his sonnes in the middest of Jsrael The blessing of the Pastor to the flock Deut. 17.20 Nomb 6.23 Leu. 9.23 Hebr. 7.1 ought to be as Aaron blessed the people at Gods appointment as Moses and Aaron blessed the people when the glory of the Lord appeared and as Melchisedec blessed Abraham the Priest of the most high God met Abraham c. blessed him This blessing when it is directed according to the prescript and allowance of the word of God is then of great power by the power of God annexed by promise The blessing of parents to their children is also of good vse and commendable among vs in England for the good speede commonly obserued in these blessings Apud Britannos inprimis sacra antiquitatis vestigia etiamnum hodie clara in hac parte sunt Hyperius Raedius Britannicarum claritatum speciosus The Britanes are most honourable aboue all Nations for the continuance of this holy ordinance This is without all doubt an holy order which the Lord ordeined from the beginning that children might bee preserued within the compasse of dutifull obedience to their parents and might esteeme greatly of their great office ouer them Moreouer this obseruation beeing a comely correspondence to the fifth commandement doth thereby approue it self that in our religion it should not be neglected or reputed a stranger And this is more manifest by the reasons of the Wise man in which hee lappeth his counsels for the precious estimation of the parents blessing Eccles 3.11 For the blessing of the father establisheth the house of the children and the mothers curse rooteth out the foundations I might here lift vp some monuments on which it hath been proued and written how the blessings curses of parents haue kindled fire of heauen or hell as if Gods will and the parents were all one In this purpose an heathen speaketh as if he had been a Diuine in the skill of secrets Si affirmabit pater aduersus nos pati nos oportet quod ille faciat cuius potestas plus potest God doth iustly effect that which man doth iustly craue But of all blessings by commission that is the highest and of most power which is called the Patriarchall or Propheticall blessing With this blessing Isaac blessed Iaacob and Iaacob after blessed his sonnes This is called a blessing of excellency for that those holy men indued with the spirit of Prophesie did blesse with the blessing of God which could not be supplanted I haue blessed him and he shall be blessed These blessings were as delectable nuts in the Church because in them beeing words of men there was deliuered the blessing of God Cant. 6.10 as the kirnell in the nut So that Iaacob gone towards his blessing might say I went downe into the garden of nuts The Lord had so enacted the couenant of grace with those gracious fathers that it did rest in custodie vt sanctum depositum as an holy pledge deliuered in trust They by their solemne blessing might conuey this treasure to their posterities in whose families the Church and life of saith was to continue till Christ his comming Thus Noah blessed his sonne Sem before and Moses blessed the twelue Tribes after Concerning Noah his blessing the question is asked wherefore that largesse of Patriarchall blessing was bestowed on Sem when as Iaphets fauourable demeanour towards his father was of equall reuerence and care for his fathers honour as Sems was The answer to this question is plaine that the holy ghost did foresee how from Sem should spring Abraham and all his holy followers of whom the most blessed fruite that euer did grow was to come into the world Therefore to Sem was that great Patriarchall blessing conueyed yet had Noah an other blessing for Iaphet as Abraham had for Ismael and Isaac had for Esau This secondary blessing was far short of the first as the light of a starre is short of the light of the sunne Yet this blessing might be inlarged to Iaphet if hee would light his starre at the sunne and dwell within the light of the Church within the tents of Sem according to the condition of the blessing God perswade Iaphet that he may dwell in the tents of Sem. And thus is it happilie with vs Gentiles conuerted and perswaded to fetch our light at Christ in the tents of Sem our blessing is inlarged by him and the Church with his blessing is inlarged by vs. Now then let me shew you how Iaacob the Hebrew and our English Iaacob are a blessed field The superiour blessing is vpon them both and their blessing is made manifest vnto vs in three most worthy allowances The first is for scituation the second for plants and the third for fruitfull vantages of watering In the first Iaacob is a blessed field scited in the sunne the fairest funne the Sonne of God which alway shines A blessed scite is Iaacobs conscience thus neighboured with the sun his conscience is asweet lodging sweetned with the ioies of Christ as his father Abrahams bosome O blessed Iacob thy fathers blessing hath Iodged thee in the bosome of Christ as the spouse in the bosome of her husband Cant. 2.4 Hee brought me into his wine-seller and loue was his banner ouer me God dwelling with Iaacob and Iaacob is two waies One in tabernaculo personali in the flesh of man the other in tabernaculo mistico in the
Tamsubito Cygnus qui modo consonus erat Who could perswade himselfe that a crow in a trice could be turned into a swanne Of the second sort was that light of angels and the spirit of God Luc. 24.4 Act 1.10 There were some looking for Christ and behold two men stood suddainely before them in shining vestures There were some looking on Christ and behold a light did shine suddainly from heauen Act. 2. There were some gathered in daily expectation of the comforter whom Christ promised to send and suddainly there came a sound from heauen Nescit tarda molimma gralia S. S. as of a rushing and a mightie wind What then came those illustrious messages without hope or no Indeed hope was much weakened as one trauailing long is wearie but it did but seem weake they hoped still for that vigorous resurrection they looked still for that glorious ascension they longed still for the gladsome comming of the holy Ghost Beda Yet all those maruellous vertuous famous workes were suddaine As wee all looke for that hopefull appearing of the Iudge of quicke and dead and how long soeuer his stay may be with whom a thousand yeares are but as a day hope maketh not to be ashamed Spes est sanctorum baculus de quo sustinentur ne cadant sustentātur ne deficiant Matth. 24.27 yet for all our serious vigilancie commanded it shall be suddaine As the lightening which flieth from the East to the West so shall the comming of the sonne of man be O blessed Iacob thy long promised blessing is come suddainely in a day thou thoughtest not our blessed Sauiour annointed with the oyle of grace aboue his fellowes was long and often foretold yet is his comming exceeding suddaine Therefore call his name make haste make speed Esay 8. speed to the pray and haste to the spoile Our gracious Prince his honour hath stated long in the glowing eares of ten thousand whose eies burned with zealous desire to behold it And behold of a suddaine the smell of my sonne This is the stemme of honour for which great Britaine did sacrifice their daily prayers our bounteous Queene did breath out her iust desires our renowmed king did yeeld his sacred promise and now of a suddaine is that ioyfull day come the day of playing of Organes of singing of birds and sounding of Trumpets Now is the day come in which king Iames doth pay his vowes his vowes to God his right to the Prince his honour to the Land his fauour to the subiect his word to the Queene assuredly thy sonne Salomon shall raigne after me 3. Reg. 3.30 O King liue for euer Vita hominis sabillum animae The life of man is but a small point and hath slipperie hold on earth Lex mortis firma non abrogatur mutatur Bosquier dispensatur c. Deaths doome is bound vp so fast that it cannot bee loosed It is set downe that euery man must die once Seriùs ant citius mortem properamus ad vnam I am perswaded Serniamus regi precibus qui seruit Deo legibus that neither Queene nor Prince nor any Impe royall that none truely noble or gentle or true Christian desireth to see thy last day Yet is mans life but a span long and now here is a pawne for the state a nurserie for grace the standard to religion a beautie to the crowne the peace health and wealth of the land this is Salomon the Kings sonne Behold the smell of my sonne is as the smell of a field which the Lord hath blessed Thus much for Ecce the head of the Text and head of the springs Behold Now to the Smell the first riuer of the head Here might I shew you many delightsome turnings to many wholesome walks in this word There is odor merus metaphoricus Againe odor metaphoricus est Christiaut Christianorum But I must necessarily passe by these paths till I find other oportunitie and more leisure The common partition of Odour is into good and euill but what haue wee to doe with euill Quid argijs cum sacrificijs quid canibus cum sanctis There is no communion betwixt God and Belial without shal be dogges and idolaters Apoc. 21. all their smell is of the sulphure of Sodome Et si doctores illi scientissimi ductores aulici porcos obscaene defaedatos ne vno digitorum ostendant aut verbulo corripiant quid ego miser homuncio aut Balaami asinus I know that bookes and sermons which are admonitions of other mens faults as the blacke bill are exceeding necessarie in these times of darkenesse but they are all out of my way All our labour here should bee spent in searching out the good Odours of Iacob Christ and the Prince and thrice happy both they which haue Christ the sauour of life betwixt them All their sweet smell is of the sauour of his oyntments O blessed Sauiour Cant. 2.3 Cant. 1.2 these are the virgins which delight in thy sauour Thy name is as an oyntment powred out therefore the virgins loue thee But it is high time to distinguish of good Odours There is a good odour of pietie a sweet sacrifice Phil. 4.18 2. Cor. 2.15 2. Cor. 2.14 a good odour of good report so Saint Paul his name had a good smell a good odour of the Gospel so is it a garland all of sweet flowers a good odour of zealous prayer so is it as the perfume of the Censor Apoc. 8.4 Shall I tell you more what a sauour is there where all these meet in one soule as the incense of one altar pure religion sweet conuersation true faith and holy loue they are altogether as the offering of Noahs Altar And Noah built an Altar to the Lord and tooke of euery cleane beast and of euery cleane bird and offered burnt offerings to the Lord. Genes 8 How them what was the issue Reade further and the Lord smelled a sauour of rest Such is the smell of all faithfull hearts as the smell of Noahs Altar to the Lord Iaacobs heart is as Noahs Altar Behold the smell of my sonne But I haue more in my way of my poore readings in which I find good odours of many distributions There is one smell of the flower of the Vine S. Gregorie another of the Oliue of the Rose of the Lilly of the Violet and of the Corne-eare and all sweet The Vine is Faith the Oliue is Victory the Rose is Charity the Lillie is Chastity the Violet is Humility the Corne-eare is many cornes good workes in their ripenesse all in one odour Such Vines and Oliues and Roses and Lillies and Violets and Corne-eares were the Philippians Phil. 4.18 an odour that smelleth sweet a sacrifice acceptable and pleasant to God Such as Israel whilst the dew was vpon him hee shall grow as the Lillie Ose 14.6.7 and fasten his roots as the trees of Lebanon his beauty
for there the Lord appointed the blessing to fall and life for euer more It is easily perceiued whence all these waterings proceed ab hortulano Christo the good woman supposed Christ to be a gardener and he is a gardener indeede more truly then she supposed This is the gardener which came by water and bloud to nourish his garden 1. Ioh. 5.6 1. Cor. 10.2 Moses came by water and so our fathers were baptized in the cloud and in the Sea Christ came by water and bloud Ephes 4.5 yet without imaginary difference of Baptisme for the fathers were baptized into the bloud of Christ There is but one Baptisme They were all baptized into the bloud of the Lambe which was slaine from the beginning of the world The Apostle affirmeth of the Israelites 1 Cor. 10.1 Act. 19. that they were baptized vnto Moses and the Disciples at Ephesus answered for themselues that they were baptized vnto Iohns Baptisme And with right vnderstanding we may readily discerne the vnitie of Baptisme against all Idle suppositions for Moses Iohn Baptist and S. Paul were but Ministers of one Baptisme vnto the remission of sinnes in Iesus Christ 1 Cor. 1.13.14 There was not any one baptized in any of their names as it is argued that not any Corinthian was baptized in the name of Paul that any should beleeue in him or worship him It might well bee said that those were baptized vnto Pauls Baptism viz. in the doctrine of Paul as the Israelites were in the doctrine of Moses and those Disciples in the doctrine of Iohn And thus may you vnloose that knot that the people beleeued the Lord and his seruant Moses Exod. 14.31 that is they beleeued in God by the doctrine or ministery of Moses Now then let Iaacob and Iaacob confesse that they haue all their waterings and washings of Christ Cant. 6.1 Most happy gardens thus watered and washed by this gardener Christ is come into his garden in the middest of the garden is a fountaine of liuing waters Ioh. 4 Psalm 36.9 this maketh the garden blessed Christ is the well of liuing waters O blessed fountaine with thee is the well of life and this is the happinesse of our Paradise that both these brothers may ioyfully reioice with the Saints Gal. 2.20 thus I liue yet not I now but Christ Iesus liueth in me Heere might I shew you triplicem Paradisum the terrestriall spirituall and celestiall paradise all well met in Christ The naturall man in the beauty of his princely I mage built vpright with his face prone to heauen was our terren Paradise in Paradise before his fall The spirituall man renued and borne againe of water and of the spirit in oriente fidei constitutus set with his face towards the day spring he is the beautifull continent of Gods manifold rich blessings to man and this is our spirituall Paradise The holy troops of Angels and Saints in heauen in their cheerefull recreations melodious pleasures are that heauenly Paradise 2 Cor. 12 of which S. Paul doth so triumph albeit his sight was but at a blush taken vp he knew not how Here might I discourse further of the earthly Paradise how it is changed into a spirituall Paradise in the conuersion of the sinner and how the spirituall Paradise is translated by Iesus Christ into the heauenly one Paradise into an other But the most exquisite Paradise of all is Iesus Christ himselfe qui est triplex Paradisus Thinke of his body without spot and of his spirit without staine and of his diuinity without mixtures of feblenesse and mutability O triplex Paradisus Heere flourish without thornes and thistles all the faire flowers of Paradise I would bee glad to stay heere yet I must passe further from this faire contemplation with an obiectiue question What is Iacob a field without weeds No such a field is Christ but neither Iaacob before nor Iaacob after nor any other man but God Joh. 3 The enuious man is dayly sowing his tares yet there is a winde which bloweth where it listeth daily sent of God to kill those seedes Hee which well considereth this worke may well thinke that Raphael the Angell of God is sent of purpose to kill those seedes in the quickning to keepe Iaacob and kill his enemies The aduersarie is daily breeding and feeding Giants Atheisme Gen. 14 12 Marlorat Gentilisme Mahumetisme and Papisme and these are the ringleaders of all violence against the Church as the 4. Kings which carried Lot away by force These marshal their complices with strong hand and lead after them neglect and contempt of God Pride Idolatry Blasphemie Malice Couetousnesse Prodigality Drunkennesse such an innumerous Army of Locusts that we haue cause to say as the Israelites said we haue seene monsters there Happie is that man which taketh those Giants whilst they are young Psalm 137. and dasheth their heads against the stones Satan is alwaies hatching these Serpents firie Serpents in our bosomes but Christ is the great Physitian Ioh. 3 Nomb. 21 Ferus lift vp as the brasen Serpent in the wildernesse to kil those Serpents and cure them which are bitten So Moses made a Serpent of brasse Christ is the Physitian the Serpent without poyson as the brasen Serpent was And as Moses lift vp the Serpent in the wildernesse so must the son of man be lift vp that the wounded might bee healed and the sinner saued Christ is the Angell of God he is more then Raphael both the Physitian and the physicke of God to heale our Iacob of all his hurts that he may confesse of Christ as the other Iacob did Gen. 48.16 the Angell which hath deliuered me from all euill Now then shall I offer a challenge in the name of this Angell to all the enemies of Iacob What Serpent Dragon Beare Leopard Fox or Woolfe Tyger wild Boare Lion Giant or Diuell himselfe can roote vp this field thus kept vnder the shadow of the almighties wings Psal 57.5 Basil This vineyard thus fenced with Gods blessings election vocation regeneration sanctification iustification preseruation all sure stakes and all preparatiues to glorification the crowne of all Gods blessings Heere is a pleasant Mount to stand on for the vpshot of this text The prouidence of God is as an high Zodiacke ouer Paradise where the Lord is beholding in a pleasant prospect Psal 11 1 Multa sine voluntate Dei facta sunt nulla sine prouidentia Psalm 46 2.5 Psalm 76 6 Corda disponen do casus commutando successus ordinando voluntates moderando omnia intendoÌ„do ad finem melâ—rem all the mirth-full benedictions of this field This prouidence hath a long reach tam ad vermiculos in coeno quà m ad angelos in coelo It is Lorica castrorum the fort of defence for all the tents in this militant Church a sure defence whither all celestiall birds do flie for safetie fly to the