This is not to be vnderstood of offence onely giuen to the Ministers of the Church but to signifie that a woman throwing off the vaile of modestie and token of subiection to her husband doth make euen the Angels of heauen witnesses of her dissolute contumacie The Angels are present with thee when all men on the earth are absent from thee I aske thee when thou pollutest the marriage bed attemptest an homicide plottest a treason forgest a vvriting wouldest thou then haue the Angels present with thee or absent from thee If thou desirest them present why dost thou offend them by thy turpitudes If absent thy protectors are gone and the diuels would easily confound thee Nonfacias coram Angelis Dei yea coram Deo Angelorum Do not that thing before the Angels of God yea before the GOD of Angels vvhich thou wouldest shame to doe in the sight and presence of an earthly man Yet let vs marke here by the way that albeit the Angels deserue our reuerence yet they desire not our adoration Indeed the euill Angels request it it was a speciall boone which the Diuell begd of Christ to fall downe worship him But the good refuse it See thou doe it not for I am thy fellow seruant saith the Angell to kneeling Iohn As we vsually come too short in our due reuerence to the Angels so the Papists goe too farre in vndue adoration They haue a set prayer for it Angele Dei Custos mei me tibi commissum lege superâ—…a semper rege custodi guberna This sacrilegious honour those holy spirits refuse they take no charge of such superstitious soules Accipiunt commissum non arripiâ—…nt inconcessum Honorandi non adorandi sunt Angeli Let them be honored but not adored Loue and reuerence the Angels onely worship God and Iesus Christ. 3. This declares to vs the excellent company that is in heauen Were the place lesse noble and maiesticall yet the company it affords is able to make the soule right blessed We are loth to leaue this earth for the societie of some friends in whom we delight yet wee are all subiect to mutuall dislikes Besides the meeting of those good friends againe in heauen there be also glorious Angels There is nothing in them but is amiable admirable nothing in possibilitie of changing our pleasures There thou shalt see and conuerse with those ancient Worthies Patriarchs Prophets Apostles Martyrs Confessors Fathers of the Primitiue times all of them out-shining the starres where our loue shall be as eternall as is our glory There wee shall liue familiarly in the sight of those Angels whom now we receiue good from and see not Yea there is the fountaine of all felicity that Sauiour of ours whose grace onely brings vs to the blessed vision of the whole Trinitie Neither can there be a higher happinesse then the eternall fruition of Iesus Christ. Let this teach vs all to blesse our God that hath thus aduanced vs. Man is corporeall dust O that this clay of ours should come to dwel with those incorporeal spirits We shal be as the Angels of God in heauen Sicut non ipsi like Angels though not Angels in nature Communicatione spei non speciei we haue now a communion of hope with them hereafter of glory To this place O thou Creator of men Angels bring vs through Iesus Christ. To the generall assembly and Church of the first borne which are written in Heauen Our Apostle hath spoken of the Churches glory typically and topically now he describes it materially First the Essence of it what it is The Church Secondly the Propertie of it what kind of Church it is Generall or Catholike Thirdly what are the parts of it of whom it consists Of the first borne written in Heauen The Church This word is taken in diuerse significations For the materiall Temple 1. Cor. 11. 18. When ye come together in the Church I heare there are diuisions among you For the faithfull domestikes of one Familie 1. Cor. 16. 19. Aquila and Priscilla salute you vvith the Church that is in their house For the professors of one Prouince The Church of Corinth of Ephesus c. For some famous company of Beleeuers gathered together in one place 1. Cor. 14. 4. He that prophecieth edifies the Church For an Ecclesiasticall Senate or Synode Mat. 18. 17. If he shall neglect to heare them Dic Ecclesiae tell it vnto the Church For the whole number of the Elect. Mat. 16. 18. Vpon this Rocke I will build my Church Acts 5. 11. Great feare came vpon all the Church 1. Tim. 3. 15. Which is the Church of the liuing GOD the pillar and ground of truth Here first let me premise three circumstances concerning the Church 1. Though it be a Generall Assembly yet it is but one There be threescore Queenes and fourescore Concubines and Virgins without number but my Doue my vndefiled is but one shee is the onely one of her Mother Indeed there be two parts of this One Church Triumphant in Heauen and Militant on Earth The Triumphant part is a company of Iustified spirits triumphing ouer the flesh vvorld and diuell spirits I say for bodies are not yet ascended They haue two happy priuiledges 1. To reioyce in the conquest ouer sinne and death the most righteous man liuing is in praelio in a continuall warfare But so are the other for Saint Iohn saith There was warre in Heauen This must be vnderstood of heauen on earth vvhere there is no truce with Satan Pax cum Deo bellum cum diabolo We haue peace with God but on this condition that warre with the diuell Therefore so runne the promises Uincenti dabitur To him that ouercomes shall be giuen Palmes to shew that they had been warriours are now conquerours 1. To praise God continually and to sing Amen Blessing and glory thankesgiuing and honour be vnto God for euer and euer The militant part is a company of men liuing vnder the crosse and desiring to be with Christ. They suffer and this is their way to glory through much tribulation entring into the kingdome of God They desire dissolution being willing rather to be absent from the body and to bee present with the Lord not simply and absolutely desiring death but first that they might leaue sinning and so cease to displease God and then to come neerer to their blessed Sauiour whose loue hath rauished their hearts Now this militant Church may haue many parts as the Ocean sea is but one yet distinguished according to the Regions vpon which it lies So there is the Spanish Ocean the English Ocean the German Ocean There is a Church in England a Church in France a Church in Germany yet there is but one militant Church Multa Ecclesiae vna Ecclesia saith S. Augustine One Sunne many beames one Kingdome many shires one tree many branches 2. We must note that Christ is the alone head of his
errors I beleeue saued for others Nescio quid dicere I know not what to say They haue damnable heresies as that of Free will of Merites c. yet the persons that of weakenesse defend them may be saued God pardons euen wilfull errors if they be truly repented Therefore I belieue that many of our forefathers went to Heauen though through blindnesse Now indeede they are more inexcusable because our sound is gone out among them There are Seducentes and Seducti the wilfull blind lead the wofull blind vntill both fall into the ditch If they will not see there is no helpe no hope If simple ignorance mislead there is hope of return but if affected it is most wretched Our office is to helpe them with our prayers and let vs pray for them as Paul for his Ephesians That the eyes of our vnderstanding beeing enlightened they may know what is the hope of Gods calling and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance is in the Saints Many of them haue ready hearts but they want eyes wee haue open eyes God grant vs ready hearts The first borne which are written in heauen This is a description of the persons of whom the Church consists The Church it selfe is a number of men which God hath set apart by an eternall decree and in time sanctified to become reall members of it They are written in heauen there 's their eternall election and they are the first borne that is 〈◊〉 borne there 's their Sanctification For the two parts of the description Their Primogeniture and Registring in Gods booke are but borrowed speeches whereby God would ratifie the euerlasting Predestination and saluation of his Church That as the First borne is not to bee defeated of his inheritance and the Enrolled names are neuer to be obliterated so certainly shall they inherite eternall life The first borne Some vnderstand by the first borne not all the Elect but onely the Patriarchs and such ancient Saints the noble primitiue parts of the Church Caluin Then this should haue beene referred onely to the Church triumphant in heauen but the Catholike Church is here expresly meant which coÌ„prehends also the Saints vpon earth therefore they also are first borne Besides they are said to be written in heauen which had beene a superfluous speech of those who are already in heauen they that are there need no writing Unusquisque Electâ—…est Pimogenitus But this seemes to infringe the Primogeniture of Christ to whom that Name is by speciall title and right giuen Primogenitus inter multos fratres saith Paul he is the First begotten among many brethren Primogenitus vniuersae creaturae the first borne of euery creature Primogenitus mortuorum the first borne from the dead He is the first borne as he is the Sonne of God and as hee is man As he is the Sonne of God in respect of time before all things the beginning of all in respect of dignity because hee is the foundation of all good to his Church Of his fulnesse haue we all receiued and grace for grace As he is man he is the first borne not in respect of time but of excellency and vertue In respect of his miraculous conception the first that euer was conceiued without sinne and by the ouershadowing of the holy Ghost In respect of his birth he was the first borue of Mary Shee brought forth her first borne Sonne and called his name Iesus In respect of his resurrection when GOD raised him out of the graue he is said to beget his Sonne Thou art my Sonne this day haue I begotten thee And lest the interpretation of birth onely should be deduced from that place Saint Paul expressely applies it to his resurrection Acts 13. 33. God raised vp Iesus againe as it is written in the second Psalme Thou art my Sonne this day haue I begotten thee Lastly in respect of his preeminence hee is the first borne from the dead that in all things he might haue the preeminence So the priuiledge of primogeniture is singularly and indiuidually his How then are the faithfull heere called the first borne To answer this we must know that God hath sonnes by nature and by grace Christ by nature onely all the elect by grace Christ is a Sonne begotten not made we are sonnes made not begotten in respect of nature Christ as God is begotten not borne as man he is borne not begotten We see the priuiledge of Christs primogeniture from his let vs looke to ours for from him wee haue it The elect are called First-borne in three respects 1. Because they are vnited to the first borne For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren Hee that is made vnus cum primogenito may be well called primogenitus one with the first borne is a first borne 2. Because they are culled and called out of the world Many wicked are created before them but they are elected in Gods decree to life before the other for the wicked are not chosen at all Esau was Isaaks first borne but Iacob was Gods first borne Many of the worlds first-borne haue beene reiected Israel laid his right hand vpon Ephraim the younger and his left vpon Manasseh the elder Reuben thou art my first borne but thou shalt not be excellent Cain Adams first borne Ismael Abrahams first borne were cast off Thus saith the Lord Israel is my sonne euen my first borne The Lord had first chosen that nation to be his people yet afterward reiected them and accepted the Gentiles so that the elder serue the younger But Gods first borne are neuer refused whom hee hath predestinated to be sonnes hee hath also called to bee heyres So that this primogeniture is not in respect of generation but of regeneration Though they be not primò conditi they are primò reconditi Flesh and bloud hath no worke in this birth nor the will of man but the will of God Of his owne will begate he vs with the word of trueth that wee should be a kinde of first fruits of his creatures The Spirit begets of immortall seed grace in the wombe of the Church the meanes of this Birth being the Word Except a man be borne againe he cannot see the kingdom of God Out of that vniuersall apostacie God sent his Sonne to beget some first borne to himselfe 3. Because the priuiledges of the first borne are theirs These were many as we may find in allusion to the Law 1. The excellency of strength Reuben my first borne my might and the beginning of my strength the excellency of dignitie and the excellencie of power Man decayes and the children of age are not so strong as the children of youth therefore the first borne are called the beginning of power and the excellency of strength True it is that there 's no
shall manumit and set free our soules from the prison of the body there shal be a second meeting Many haue come from east from west farre remote in place and haue met with Abraham and Isaac and the holy Patriarches which liued long before them in this world in the kingdome of heauen So already in Mount Sion are the Spirits of iust men made perfect The purer part is then glorified and meets with the triumphant Church in blisse This meeting exceeds the former in comfort 1. In respect that our miseries are past our conflict is ended teares are wiped from our eyes The very release from calamitie is not a litle felicitie So Austin meditates of this place negatiuely Non est ibi mors non luctus c. There is no death nor dearth no pining nor repining no sorrow nor sadnes neither teares nor feares defect nor lothing No glory is had on earth without grudging emulation in this place there is no enuie Non erit aliqua inuidia disparis claritatis quum regnabit in omnibus vnitas charitatis None sâ—…all malice anothers glorious clearnesse when in all shall be one gratious dearenesse God shall then giue rest to our desires In our first meeting we haue Desiderium quietis in this second Quietem desiderij Here we haue a desire of rest there we shall haue rest of desire 2. In regard that we shall see God behold him whose glory filleth all in all This is great happinesse for in his presence is the fullnesse of ioy at his right hand are pleasures for euer We shall not only meete with the spirits of iust men made perfect but also with him that made them iust and perfect Iesus the mediatour of the new couenant euen God himselfe 3 Our last meeting which is called the Generall assembly and Church of the first borne written in heauen is the great meeting at the end of the world When our re-vnited bodies soules shall possesse perfect glory and raigne with our Sauiour for euer When as no mountayne or rocke shall shelter the wicked from doome terrour so no corruption detayne one bone or dust of vs from glory We shal be caught vp together in the cloudes to meet the Lord in the ayre and so shall we be euer with the Lord. Who We. There is a time when the elect shall meete in one vniuersalitie Though now weare scattered all ouer the broad face of the earth dispersed and distressed yet we shall meet There is now a Communion of Saints 1. As of all the members with the Head all haue interest in Christ. For he is not a garden flower priuate to few but the Rose of Sharon and the Lillie of the valleys common to the reach of all faythfull hands So Iude calls this our common saluation 2. So of one member with another euen of the Church triumphant with this militant They sing Hosanna's for vs we Halleluia's for them they pray to God for vs we prayse God for them For the excellent graces they had on earth and for their present glory in heauen We meete now in our affections to solace one another and serue our God there is a mutuall sympathie betweene the parts If one member suffer all suffer with it But this meeting shal be voyd of passion and therfore needlesse of compassion though loue shall remaine for euer This Instruction is full of comfort We part here with our parents children kinred friends death breakes off our societie yet there shall be a day of meeting Comfort one another with these wordes Hast thou lost a wife brother child you shall one day meete though not with a carnall distinction of sexe or corrupt relation which earth afforded No man carries earth to heauen with him the same body but transfigured purified glorified There shall be loue hereafter not the offals of it A wife shall be knowne not as a wife there is no marriage but the Lambes Thou shalt reioyce in thy glorified brother not as thy brother according to the flesh but as glorified It is enough that this meeting shall affoord more ioy then we haue knowledge to expresse This giues thee consolation dying with griefe thou leauest those thou dearely louest Yet first thou art going to one whose loue is greater then Ionathans that gaue his life to redeeme thee And well pondering the matter thou art content to forsake all to desire a dissolution that thou mayest be with Christ. Yet this is not all thou shalt againe meet those whom thou now departest from and that with greater ioy then thou hast left in present sorow This comforts vs all if it be a pleasure for friends to meet on earth where Satan is still scattering his troubles of dissention what is it to meete in heauen where our peace is free from distraction from destruction where if there be any memorie of past things meminisse iunabit it shall rather delight vs to thinke of the miseries gone and without feare of returning It is some delight to the merchant to sitte by a quiet fire and discourse the escaped perills of wrackes and stormes Remoue then your eyes from this earth whether you be rich for whom it is more hard or poore for whom it is easier and know it is better liuing in heauen together then on earth together So then run your race that in the end you may meet with this blessed societie the Congregation of Saints in glory We yea All we In this world we must neuer looke to see an vniuersall Church but at that generall day we shall All meete In heauen there are none but good in hell none but bad on earth both good and bad mingled together I confesse that the Church militant is the Suburbes of heauen yea called the Kingdome of heauen because the King of heauen gouernes it by his celestiall lawes but still it is but heauen vpon earth In Gods floore there is chaffe mixed with the wheat in his field cockle with corne in his net rubbish with fish in his house vessells of wrath with those of honour The Church is like the moone somtimes increasing somtimes decreasing but when it is at the full not without some spottes Now this mixture of the vngodly is suffred for two causes either that themselues may be conuerted or that others by them may be excercised Omnis malus aut ideo viuit vt corrigatur aut ideo vt per illum bonus excerceatur 1. For their owne emendation that they may be conuerted to embrace that good which they haue hated So Saul a persecutor becomes Paul a professor Mary Magdalen turpissima meretrix fit sanctissima mulier a putrified sinner a purified Saint Zacheus that had made many rich men poore will now make many poore men rich when he had payed euery man his owne and that now he iudged their owne which he had fraudulently got from them Behold halfe my goods
A Crucifixe Ephe. 5. 2. He hath giuen himselfe for vs an offering The good Politician directed Math. 10. 16. Be wise as Serpents The way home Math. 2. 12. And being warned of God in a dreame Semper Idem Hebr. 13. 8. Iesus Christ the same yesterday Gods bounty Prou. 3. 16. Length of dayes is in her right hand The lost are found Luke 19. 10. For the Sonne of man is come to seeke A Generation of Serpents Psal. 58. 4. Their poyson is like the poyson of Serpents Heauen made sure Psal. 35. 3. Say vnto my soule I am thy saluation The Soules refuge 1. Pet. 4. 19. Let them that suffer according The end of the Contents THE HAPPINES OF THE CHVRCH HEBR. 12. Ver. 22. But ye are come vnto Mount Sion and to the Citie of the liuing GOD the heauenly Ierusalem and to an innumerable company of Angels 23. To the generall assembly and Church of the first borne which are written in heauen and to God the Iudge of all and to the spirits of iust men made perfect 24. And to Iesus the Mediator of the new Couenant and to the bloud of sprinkling that speaketh better things then that of Abel THEY that make comparisons alteram partem deprimunt vt res alterius emineant debase the one part that they may aduance the honour of the other Our Apostle abates the glory of the Law that he may giue more glory where it is more deserued to the Gospell For if the ministration of condemnation be glory much more doth the ministration of righteousnesse exceede in glory The summe of the comparison is spent in these three generalls 1. There were Omnia terrena et externa all things outward and sauouring of earth ver 18. A Mount that might still be touched c. Here all Interna et coelestia spirituall and heauenly 2. There are all Obscura et caliginosa darke and difficult Blacknesse darknes c. Here all Clara et illustria cleare and conspicuous therfore the Prophet called Christ Solem Iustitiae The Sun of Righteousnesse and Iohn Baptist stiled him That light which lightens euery one comming into the world 3. There all were Terribilia fearefull and amazing not onely to the people ver 19. who intreated that the Word should not bee spoken to them any more But euen to Moses ver 21. So terrible was the sight that Moses said I exceedingly feare and quake Here all Amabilia et laeta louely as Rachel delightfull as Musike the Gospel is called the Message of peace Our Apostle therefore preacheth a double quantity in the Gospell Magnitudinem Gloriae multitudinem gratiae the greatnes of Glory to worke in vs reuerence the multitude of Grace to worke in vs loue obedience The Law was giuen by Moses but Grace and Truth came by Christ Iesus The excellency of Christ aboue Moses is exemplified in the third Chapter of this Epistle Moses verily was faithfull in all Gods house as a seruant But Christ as a Sonne ouer his owne house c. To the words the parts are generally two the Accesse and the Obiect First for the Accesse Yee are come What on your own feet without a Guide No Accessistis hoc est fide Euangelica perducti estis Yee are come that is yee are brought by the faith of the Gospel There is one that brings you God euery person in the blessed Trinity It is Opus Patris No man can come except the Father draw him Opus Filij Draw me we will runne after thee Opus spiritus sancti Let thy good spirit lead me into the Land of righteousnes Man is by nature in Zedechias case blind and lame Blind Non inuenisset viam nisi via inuenisset eum vnlesse the vvay had found him he could neuer haue found the way Lame he may know that the Temple of heauen hath a beautiful gate Grace but cannot come thither till God brings him loo sen his stupified ioynts and put into his hand the Almes of mercy This done he may enter into the Temple walking and leaping and praising GOD. Thus first he giues the Soule eyes vnderstanding then feet gracious affections and now expects that he should come God hath not so done all for thee that thou shouldest doe nothing for thy selfe A Deo sine te factus à te fine Deo infectus A Christo sine te refectus non à te fine Christo nec à Christo sine te perfectus God did create thee without thy selfe thou didst lose thy selfe without God without thy selfe Christ did redeeme thee but neither thy selfe without Christ nor Christ without thy selfe shall perfect thee Potest Dominus inueniri adueniri non praeueniri There may be a finding of God a comming to God but no preuenting of God Haue faith Hee that commeth to God must belieue and that of thine owne for there is no comming on anothers foote Thus that we might come to Christ Christ came to vs. Non de coelo merita nostra sed peccata traxerunt Not our merits but our maladies drew that great Physician from heauen to vs. Yee are not comming but come it is rather a time perfectly past then expectantly future Which plainely demonstrates that this is a description of the Church in her militant estate so well as triumphant Indeed either hath a relation to other a communion to other and the inestimable priuiledges of them both are wrapped vp together The connexion of Glory to Grace is so infallible that they often change names Heauen is called the kingdome of Holinesse and Holinesse is called the kingdome of Heauen Yee are saued by hope and Hee that belieueth hath euerlasting life and is passed from death to life So sure as if they were already in Heauen So Paul Our conuersation is in heauen from vvhence wee looke for our Sauiour Iesus Christ. The obiect or place of our arriual is described by many excellent and honourable titles First it is called a Mount but is there so much happinesse in that Feriunt summos fulgura montes the highest Mountaines are most danger'd to the violences of Heauen ver 18. There was a Mount burning with fire This is no Mountaine of danger or terror but Sion safe pleasant delightfull Sion the ioy of the whole earth the beloued of GOD the Iohn that leaned on the bosome of Christ. The Lord loues the gates of Sion better then all the dwellings of Iacob But though a Mount though Mount Sion yet it might be a solitary and vnfrecuented Hill like that whereunto the Diuell tooke Christ and shewed him the kingdomes of the world vvhere a man can onely see glory not enioy it Or like that mount Nebo or top of Pisgah whereon Moses might onely stand and behold the Land of Canaan Not so but on this Mount there stands a City a populous Citie and full of buildings like that wherein Christ
shall weepe Satan is a killing master his wages is hell fire But all in grace is liuing and enliuing Idols are dead and neuer were aliue men are aliue but shall bee dead pleasures are neyther aliue nor dead Deuils are both aliue and dead for they shall liue a dying life and dye a liuing death Onely the liuing God giues euerlasting life Ierusalem This is the appellation of the Citie As Canaan was a figure of heauen either of them called the Land of Promise so locall Ierusalem is a type of this mysticall Citie There are many conceits concerning the denomination of Ierusalem Hierom thinks that the former part of the word comes from the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Holy because Ierusalem is called the holy Citie But then there should bee a mixture of two seuerall languages Greek and Hebrew to the making vp of the word The Hebrewes deriue it better they say Sem called it Salem Peace and Abraham Iireh The place where he attempted the sacrifice of his sonne he called Iehouah-Iireh The Lord will see Thus put together it is Ierusalem visiopacis This is more probable then from the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Ierom or from Iebus as Pererius This is euident from the 76. Psalme ver 2. In Salem is his Tabernacle and his dwelling place in Sion So that Salem Sion were both in one place The Iewes haue a Tradition that in one and the same place Cain and Abel offred in the same place Noah comming out of the Arke sacrificed in the same place Abraham offered Isaac in the same place stood Areunah's threshing floore which Dauid bought in the same place Melchisedek the Priest dwelt in the same place Salomon built the Temple and our Lord Iesus Christ was crucified But to let goe ambiguities Ierusalem is a City of Peace This is plaine Melchisedek was King of Salem that is King of Peace Gods Church is a Church of peace That of Plato ouer his dore is worth our remembrance Nemo nisi veritatis et pacis studiosus â—…trabit Let none enter but such as loue peace and truth Saint Paul is bold to his Galathians I would to God they were euen cut off that trouble you Contra rationem nemo sobrius contra Scripturas nemo Christianus contra Ecclesiam nemo pacificus senserit No sober man speakes against reason no Christian against the Scriptures no peaceable man against the Church Hee that is not a man of peace is not a man of GOD. Peace is the effect of patience if men would beare iniuries and offer none all would be peace It is the greatest honour for a man to suffer himselfe conquered in that wherin he should yeeld Be of one mind liue in peace and the God of loue and peace be with you A iust reward if we haue one mind and liue in loue and peace the God of loue and peace shall be with vs. Heauenly This Citie is on earth but not of earth This is not terrestriall Ierusalem She is in bondage with her children She was not onely then vnder the Romane seruitude literally but according to Pauls meaning allegorically shee could not attaine the liberty of the Spirit but abideth vnder the wrath of God and horrour of conscience But this Ierusalem is heauenly I saw the holy City new Ierusalem comming downe from God out of heauen prepared as a Bride adorned for her husband Now it is called Heauenly in three respects Of Birth of Conuersation of Inheritance Ortus coelestis quoad originem progressus coelestis quoad conuersationem finis coelestis quoad translationem Here is all heauenly Ierusalem that is aboue is free the mother of vs all In hoc quòd dicitur sursum originis altitudo quòd Ierusalem pacis multitudo quòd libera libertatis magnitudo quòd mater faecunditatis amplitudo quòd nostrum omnium charitatis latitudo The Church in the Creede hath three properties Holy Catholike knit in a communion The word Aboue intimates she is Holy the word Mother that shee is knit in a communion the word Of all that she is Catholike Ierusalem is a type of the Catholike Church in Election Collection Dilection First for Election The Lord hath chosen Sion That out of all Cities this out of all Nations Ye are a chosen generation a peculiar people enclosed from the Commons of this world Gods owne appropriation 2. For Collection that was walled with stone this hedged in with grace God planted a vineyard in a very fruitfull hill and he fenced it It is well mounded and the Citizens of it linked together with the Bond of peace 3. For dilection Beautifull for situation the Palace of the great King the Sanctuary of his holy worship his Presence-chamber the pillar and ground of the truth There was the seate of Dauid here the Throne of the Sonne of Dauid that openeth and no man shutteth that shutteth and no man openeth A heauenly Citie 1. In respect of her Birth and beginning heauenly For the Lord of heauen hath begate her of immortall seed by the word of truth Art thou a Christian behold thy honourable birth and beginning Was it an honourable stile Troianus origine Caesar Then much more Coelestis origine sanctus Euery Saint is by his originall heauenly Beare thy selfe nobly thou hast a celestiall generation 2. In respect of growth and continuance heauenly Our conuersation is in heauen Wee liue on earth yet saith the Apostle our conuersation is expresly in heauen Our affections are so set on it that wee scarce looke vpon this world wee so runne to our treasure there that wee forget to be rich here but like the Saints cast our money at our feet Act. 4. Corpore ambulantes in terris corde habitantes in coelis Our bodies walke on earth our hearts dwell in heauen To the hating and despising world vvee answere Nil nobis cum Mundo nil vobis cum Coelo Wee haue small share in this world you haue lesse in the world to come 3. In respect of the End Ideo dicitur coelestis quia coelum sedes eius Our soules are neuer quiet till they come to their wished home Thus hath GOD blessed vs with all spirituall blessings in heauenly places The Church in her worst part is below in her best aboue Earth is Patria loci but heauen Patria iuris As Irishmen are dwellers in Ireland but Denisons of England We dwell in houses of clay vvhose foundation is in the dust but are ruled by the Lawes of that supernall Citie Father my will is that those thou hast giuen mee may be with mee where I am Amator mortuus est in corpore proprio viâ—…us in alieno A Louer is dead in his owne body aliue in anothers Animus velut pondere amore fertur quocunque fertur saith August Loue waighes and swayes the soule whither soeuer it be carried Exi
Now therefore Put on as the elect of God holy and beloued bowels of mercies kindnes humblenes of minde c. As you claime any portion in those gracious blessings Election Sanctification and the loue of God as you would haue the sweet testimonie of the Spirit that you are sealed vp to the day of Redemption Put on mercie kindnes meeknes long suffering let them be as robes to couer you all ouer Yea bowels of mercies let them be as tender and inward to you as your most vitall parts Lay forbearance and forgiuenes as deare friends in your bosomes Depart from iniquitie for the high way of the vpright is to depart from euill and he that keepth his way preserueth his soule And above all these things put on Charitie which is the bond of perfectnesse Walke in loue And as many as walke according to this rule peace be on them and mercie and vppon the Israell of God Amen LOVES COPIE OR The best Precedent of Charitie EPHE 5. 2. As Christ loued vs. WE distinguished the whole verse into a Canon and a Crucifixe The Canon consisted of a Precept and a Precedent Loue is the Subiect and it is both commanded and commended Commanded in the Charge which you haue heard Commended in the Example which you shall heare I determined my speach with the Precept Walke in loue The Precedent or Patterne remaines to be propounded and expounded As Christ loued vs. Every word is emphaticall and there be foure signifying foure seuerall natures Here 1 As is a word of 1 Qualitie 2 Christ 2 Maiestie 3 Loued 3 Mercie 4 Vs 4 Miserie Two of these words be Vincula or Media that ioyne and vnite other things Sicut and Dilexit As and Loued As directs our loue to God and Man by the exemplified rule of Christ louing vs. Walke in loue to others As Christ loued vs. Loued is that blessed reconciling nature whereby Gods good Greatnes descends to our bad basenesse and the Iust giues to the vniust Saluation For what other nature but Mercie could reconcile so high Maiestie and so low Miserie As According to Zanchius his obseruation on this place is a note of Qualitie not Equalitie of Similitude not of Comparison We must loue others As Christ loued vs As for the manner not for the measure His loue was strong as Death for to the death hee loued vs. It was a bright cleare fire many maters could not quench it yea water and bloud could not put it out God so loued the World so freely so fatherly so fully as no tongue can tell no heart thinke The loue of Christ passeth knowledge To thinke of equalling this loue would be an impossible presumption Our loue is inconstant weake a mingled and often a mangled loue mingled with selfe loue and mangled with the wounding affections of the world Our loue is faine his strong ours ficle his constant ours limited his infinite Yet wee must follow him so fast as we can and so farre as wee may Walking in loue as he loued vs. His Walking in loue was strange and admirable hee tooke large steps from heauen to earth and from earth to heauen As Bernard on that speech of the Church concerning her Beloued Behold hee commeth leaping vpon the mountaines skipping vpon the hils He leaps from heauen to the Virgins wombe from the wombe to a manger from the manger to Egypt from Egypt to Iudah from thence to the Temple from the Temple vp to the Crosse from the Crosse downe to the graue from the graue vp to the earth and from the earth vp to the highest glory And he shall yet haue another leap from the right hand of his Father to iudge quicke and dead These were great iumpes large paces of loue When he made but one stride from the clouds to the cradle and another from the Cradle to the crosse and a third from the crosse to the crowne To come from the bosome of his immortall father to the wombe of his mortall mother was a great step From the lowest hell or depth of his humiliation to the highest heauen or top of his exaltation was a large pace We cannot take such large steps nor make such strides These leaps are beyond our agilitie our abilitie Yet we must follow him in loue stepping so farre as we can and walking so fast as we may Follow we carefully and chearfully though non passibus aequis The Father that takes his yong son into the field with bowes shafts and bids him shoot after him doth not expect that the child should shoote so farre as he but so farre as he can Though we cannot reach Christs marke yet If there be a willing mind it is accepted according to that a man hath not according to that he hath not Now this particle As is not barely similitudinary but hath a greater latitude and serues To Confine the Measure of our Imitation Define Matter Refine Manner 1. This Sicut Confines Our imitation and limits it to that circumference which the present rule or compasse giues it We may not follow Christ in all things but in this thing Loue As he loued vs. Our imitation hath a limitation that it may not exorbitantly start out of the circle There are speciall workes which God reserues to himselfe and wherein he did neuer commaund or commend mans following but rather strikes it downe as presumption His Power his Maiestie his Wisedome his Myracles cannot without a contumacious ambition be aymed at When Lucifer aspired to be like God in Maiestie he was throwne out of heauen When Adam contended to be like God in knowledge he was cast out of Paradise When Nebuchadnezzar arrogated to be like God in Power he was expulsed his kingdome When Simon Magus mounted to be like God in working Miracles and to flie in the ayre he was hurld downe and broke his necke God must not be imitated in his Finger in his Arme in his Braine in his Face but in his Bowels Not in the Finger of his Myracles nor in the Arme of his Power nor in the Braine of his Wisedome nor in the Face of his Maiestie but in the Bowels of his Mercy Be ye mercifull as your heauenly Father is mercifull And sayth Paul Put on the Bowels of mercy as Christ put them on Forbeare forgiue Walke in Loue As hee loued vs. Neither Angell nor Man did euer or shall euer offend in coueting to be like God in Loue Grace Mercy Goodnes So that this Sicut excludes his Myracles and directs vs to his Morralls Walke in Loue 〈◊〉 c. 2. This Sicut Defines What our Loue should be As Christ was to vs. Now his loue to vs had an infinite extention and is past the skill of men or Angels to describe Yet because this is the perfect Copy of our imitation and the infallible Rule whereby we must square our Charitie I must according to my shallow power wade a litle
per eos aliqua nuntiantur they are then onely Angels or it is all one messengers when they are sent on some message Therefore he concludes Hi qui minima nuntiant Angeli qui summa nuntiant Archangeli vocantur They that are sent on businesse of lesse moment are called Angels of greater importance Archangels August Ex eo quod est Spiritus est ex eo quod agit Angelus est They are Spirits in regard of their Being Angels in regard of their Dooing Good Angels saith Isidor are deputed for the ministery of mans saluation God hath giuen man three helps Sense to see danger neere Reason to suspect danger far off Angels to preuent that he neither sees nor suspects Now the ministery of Angels is three-fold to God to his Church to his Enemies 1. To God which consists principally in two things 1. In adoring and ascribing glory to him So the Seraphims cryed Holy holy holy is the Lord of hosts An Army sung Glory to God on high The whole Quire of heauen Thou art worthy O Lord to receiue honour and power 2. In standing in his presence ready at his command They do his commandements harkning to the voice of his Word For this promptnes of obedience wee pray Thy will be done in earth as it is in heauen Quod oramus agamus Thus Angels were messengers that Christ should bee conceiued Luke 1. 31. that he was conceiued Mat. 1. 20. that he was borne Luke 2. 11. that he was risen Luke 24. 4. that hee vvas ascended Act. 1. 11. These were great mysteries therefore were confirmed vvith the testimonie of Angels 2. To the Church Are they not all ministring Spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall be heires of saluation And by this their ordination to seruice the Apostle shewes how infinitely farre the preeminence of Christ transcends theirs But did not Christ put vpon him the forme of a seruant Doth not himselfe professe that hee came not to be ministred vnto but to minister The answer is easy Non esse hoc naturae sed voluntariae exinanitionis This was not a natural or enforced but a willing abasement of himself Humilitatem non habitam induit celsitatem habitam non exuit Hee put on an humiliation that he had not hee did not put off the glory that he had But the Angels were created to this end that they should serue Totamque conditionem sub ministerio contineri Istis naturale illi aduentitium To them it was necessary to Christ voluntary Now then ministery to the Church is three wayes considerable 1. In this life and that to our Bodies and to our Soules 1. To our Bodies for they necessarily tend to the preseruation of our temporall estates euen from our Cradles to our Graues This is true in Doctrine and in Example In Doctrine There shall no euill befall thee nor any plague come nigh thy dwelling Why how shall wee be protected ver 11. Angelis mandabit For hee shall giue his Angels charge ouer thee to keepe thee in all thy waies They shall beare thee vp in their hands lest thou dash thy foote against a stone In example an Angel comforts directs feedes Elias Angels plucke Lot out of Sodome An Angel aduiseth Ioseph to fly into Egypt with Iesus Abraham so encouraged his seruant The Lord will send his Angell before thee Iacob went on his way and the Angels of God â—…et him Peter was in prison and the Angel of the Lord freed him 2. To our Soules furthering the meanes of our saluation The Law was giuen by them sayth Steuen Yee receiued the Law by the disposition of Angels GOD makes them instruments to conuey knowledge to his Church It was Gods charge Gabriel make this man to vnderstand the Uision it was the Angels performance Daniel I am come forth to giue thee skil and vnderstanding Saint Iohn acknowledgeth in his Reuelations that an Angel shewed him those things They preserue vs in the true worship of God and cannot endure any attribution of his glory to a creature no not to themselues When Iohn fell downe at the Angels feete to worshippe him he preuented him See thou doe it not They reioyce in our conuersion There is ioy in the presence of the Angels of God ouer one sinner that repenteth They ioy in this for two causes 1. To behold the glorious fruite of their labours for it delights a man to see the works of his hands prosper GOD hath sent them to guide vs to good to gard vs from euill when we follow their guidance they reioyce Let vs hate to sinne as we would not wish to bring griefe to the thresholds of heauen 2. That their number might be made vp againe They lost a number of Spirits they are glad to haue it made vp with Soules The Angels ioyned company with men praysing God on earth so they delight to haue men made their fellow-Choristers in heauen 2. At the end of this life to carry our soules to heauen When the begger died hee was carried by the Angels into Abrahams bosome He that in life was scorned of men and had no companions but the dogges is so regarded of God that he is garded by Angels Hee that could neither goe nor sit nor stand is now carried not on the shoulders of men as the Pope the proudest on earth but hee rides on the wings of Angels He is carried to a glorious Port by gracious Porters 3. At the last day Christ shall send his Angels vvith a great sound of a trumpet and they shall gather together the Elect from the foure winds from one end of heauen to the other These are those Reapers that in the time of haruest must gather the tares to the fire and the Wheat to Gods barne This is their ministerie to vs. But it is the Lord that ordereth all our steppes hee spreads the gracious wings of his prouidence ouer vs and the Lord Iesus Christ is all in all vnto vs. Now the rule is Non multiplicanda Entie sine necessitate and Frustra fit per plura quod fieri potest per pauciora It seemes then the helpe of Angels is more then needes For hee that keepeth Israel neither slumbers nor sleepes I answere that Angelicall custody doth not extenuate but extoll Gods goodnesse and Greatnesse towards vs for this is but the execution of his high holy Prouidence It is the wisedome of the King that gouerns all the Cities and Castels in his Dominions yet he leaues not these vnfurnished of men and munition to withstand the enemies inuasion The diuels range and rage against vs in euery corner therefore God hath ordained for our gard an Host of Angels The Angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that feare him and deliuereth them True it is that God is able to defend vs himselfe by himselfe through that immediate concourse
Ministers Paul chargeth Timothy to lay hands suddenly on no man therfore he may lay hands on some To Titus For this cause I left thee in Crete that thou shouldest ordaine Elders in euery City Now we haue true Bishops therefore in Gods name allow vs to haue true Ministers For the Romanists that tell vs vve haue none of these how strangely do they bely vs and themselues Oportet mendacem esse memorem Haue they forgot their obrayding vs that we haue all our Episcopall rites from them All our ministeriall orders from them If we haue it from them then we haue it They are Bristo's owne words in his Motiues The Protestants are Apes of the Papists the Communion-booke is made altogether out of the Masse-booke Why then do they not communicate with vs It is not for conscience but for malice Let it be granted that wee haue this from them but then they must grant withall that Iacob by Gods disposing hath gotten Esau's Birthright So the Israelites were faine to go to the Philistines to sharpen their sythes We abhorre not Episcopall ordinations but Papall Our substance from them their circumstances to themselues Papales ordinationes sunt foedaenundinationes We haue their gold they haue left themselues nothing but Tinkers metall Let them keepe their owne giue vs ours But further they obiect the continuance of their succession We answere the succession of Person is nothing worth without the succession of Doctrine which they want If it were by vs granted what neuer shall be by them proued that Peter is succeeded by the Pope Yet as Matthias succeeding Iudas was neuer the worse so the Pope succeeding Peter is neuer the better Perijt dignitas Cathedrae quando veritas Doctrinae But they say that in the Romane Church Baptisme is rightly for the substance of it administred therefore it is a true Church Indeed they haue the outward washing but quite ouerthrowne the inward which stands in iustification by the imputed righteousnesse of Christ. But the Samaritans had Circumcision yet were they not a true Church Baptisme seuered from the preaching of the Gospel is of no more force then a seale when it is plucked off from the Indenture Indeed truly though they haue Baptisme yet it belongs not to them but to a hidden Church among them For doubtlesse God hath his chosen and sealed number in the midst of those Apostates As the light in the Lanthorn belongs not properly to the Lanthorne but to the Passenger That Sacrament in the assembly of Rome is like a true mans purse in a thiefes hand it no more proues them a true Church then that purse prooues the theefe a true man The Lord of his goodnesse that hath giuen them the signe of the Grace giue them also the grace of the signe true vvashing away of their sinnes in the bloud of Christ. Some haue obiected and they seeme to be kind friends to Rome that Antichrist must sit in the Temple that is the Church therefore this sitting of Antichrist in Rome proues them to be a true Church But I am sure by this argument what they get in the hundred they lose in the Shire they may put these gaines in their eye I hope they will not confesse their Pope Antichrist to haue vs grant them a true Church Therefore some of them haue affirmed Hominem non Christianum posse esse Romanum Pontificem And would not hee be a strange Head of Christs Church that is not a true member of Christs Body But howsoeuer their argument holds not for it is one thing to be in the Church another thing to be of the Church Antichrist sits in that place not as a mēber of the Church but as an Vsurper So the Pyrate sits in the Merchants ship yet hath no right to it All that can be prooued hereby is that among the Papists there is a hidden Church in the midst whereof Antichrist dominereth but hath no part of saluation in it What cause then haue we to blesse our GOD that hath brought vs from Babylon to Ierusalem out of darknesse into his maruelous light from the Romish Synagogue to the Generall Assembly and Church of the first borne vvhich are vvritten in Heauen and the Lord of his mercie preserue vs in it for euer and euer To conclude there be diuerse Censures of the Romane Church Some say it is no Church but Aequiuocè as the picture of a man is called a man or a painted fire a fire It is no more a Church then the carkase of a dead man that hath on a liuing mans garments is a liuing man looke it neuer so like him These looke vpon it Oculo vero sed seuero with a true but a sharpe eye Others say It is non sanum membrum sed membrum It is not a sound member but a member It hath Scriptures but corrupted with Traditions but indeed they haue nullified the natiue sense and so are Lanthornes that shew light to others none to themselues They haue the Articles of the Creed and make the same generall confession of faith yet ouerthrow all this another way Herein they are like a fond Father that with much indulgence tenders the body of his child would not suffer the cold wind to blowe vpon him yet by secret conueyances inwardly infects the heart destroyes him Thus they say it is still a member still a Church as a braine-sick man is a man The Romane Assembly is Verè Ecclesia sed non vera Ecclesia truely a Church but not a true Church A leprous man is a man Adultera vxor tamen vxor est an adulterous wife is still a wife So Duraus In Papatu est Ecclesia et Papatus non est Ecclesia Vt Ecclesia Dei vt Papalis Diaboli In Poperie is a Church yet Popery is not the Church As it is a Church it is of God as Popish of the diuell It is Incurata Ecclesia an incurable Church that hates to be reformed therefore no Church Wee would haue cured Babel but she would not be cured She hath apostated into treason clipped Regiam monetam the great Kings coine the Word of God turned that pure gold into sophisticate Alchimy prayer to Christ into inuocation of Saints These men conclude that it is not a body diseased full of wounds that hath the throat cut yet with some life and breath remaining but a rotten and dead carkase void of spirituall life It hath blended Iudaisme and Paganisme together with Christianitie and so sweld vp a superstitious worship of God therefore no Church For my part I iudge not GOD reserues to himselfe three things The reuenge of iniuries The glory of deeds The iudgement of secrets I will not iudge but like a witnesse giue in my testimony And here Qui bene distinguit bene docet The best construction is that which enclines to charitie that is there is no probable saluation in the Church of Rome Infants dying before they come to these
making straight paths for our feete lest that which is halting be turned out of the way 3. The sacrifices must be Males because the best and most perfect things are to be giuen to God Multi homines pauci viri Let vs offer vp our masculine vertues growing to a perfect man to the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ. We must aime at this perfect sacrifice Besides in the Law there were three other rules obseruable in the consecration of the first borne 1. That they should be seuen daies with the damme and the eight day be giuen to God Exod. 22. 30. wherein there vvas not onely a respondence to the rule of circumcision limited to the eight day Gen. 17. 12. But to preuent their fraud in offering to God things of no seruice being too soone taken from the damme 2. In voluntary oblations they were forbidden to dedicate to the Lord any of the first borne The firstling of the beasts which should be the Lords firstling no man shall sanctifie it The reason is because that vvas the Lords already Wee haue such names highly recorded on our Hospitall-walls painted on the windowes of our Churches often engrauen in marble the memorable tenent of worthy acts for excellent benefactors Yet All their beneuolence to God is not the Tenth of that they haue robbed God taken from his Church Foole giue of thine owne if thou wilt haue reward in Heauen first restore iustly what thou hast gathered vniustly To giue of that is not Liberaliter dare sed partialiter retribuere thou bestowest on God a Lambe of his owne Evve Doost thou looke for thanks for such a gift Alas it was Gods owne before 3. They were commanded neither to worke nor sheare the first borne Thou shalt doe no worke with the firstling of thy Bullocke nor sheare the firstling of thy Sheepe To curbe their couetousnesse though they would not deceiue the Lord of his first borne yet they would take so much profit of it as they could But they are restrained from diminution they must not present a worne Bullocke nor a shorne Sheepe Now if the Lord was so ielous of first borne beasts how is hee ielous of first borne soules Let vs not thinke our choisest and most excellent things too deare for God that hath made vs his first borne in Iesus Christ. 3. Lastly let vs vpon no condition part vvith our Birthright Hath God aduanced vs to this honour I will make him my first borne higher then the Kings of the earth then let vs neuer sell it Let there be no person profane as Esau who for one morsell of meate sold his Birthright Hath the elder brother Primariam potestatem Be Lord ouer thy brethren and let thy mothers sonnes bow downe vnto thee Let no lust subiect vs seruire minori to serue the younger The enemies rage against them but saith God to Pharaoh Let my sonne goe that hee may serue me if thou refuse to let him goe behold I will slay thy sonne euen thy first borne Thus saith the Psalmist God reproues euen Kings for their sakes Now Omne beneficium petit officium euery benefite is obligatory and binds to some thankful duty Hath God dignified vs with a Priuiledge he expects that our carefulnesse should neuer forfetit Naboth would not sell his Vineyard yet his Vineyard was but a part of his Inheritance his Inheritance but a part of his birthright Though Ahab profferd him a better vineyard or the worth of it in money yet saith Naboth The Lord forbid it me that I should giue the inheritance of my fathers vnto thee And shal we for trifles passe away our eternall Birthright It is a wretched bargaine yet the Blasphemer sweares away his birthright the Epicure feasts away his birthright the wine-bibber drinks away his Birthright the Lauish spends his birthright the couetous sels his birthright for ready mony There be some 1. that sell their Birthright it is said of the Lawyer that hee hath linguam venalem a saleable tongue the couetous venalem animam a saleable soule the harlot venalem carnem a saleable flesh Esau sold his birthright Ahab sold himselfe to worke wickednesse Iudas sold his soule for thirty peeces There is not a more wicked thing then a couetous man for such a one setteth his soule to sale because while he liueth he casteth away his bowels Others pawne their Birthright they are not so desperate as to sell it outright but they will pawne it for a while They seeme to make conscience of their waies generally and to be good husbands of their talents but when an opportune temptation comes with meat in the mouth a fit aduantage of much wealth of high honour of secret pleasure they will embrace and fasten on it though they pawne their soules for a season And indeed he that knowingly ventures to sin doth as it were morgage his birthright puts it to the hazard of redeeming by repentance But it is dangerous to be a Marchant venturer in this case the birthright is precious if that infernall Broker get but a colour of title in it hee will vse tricks to make thee breake thy day and then sue out a Iudgement against thee 3. Some lose their Birthright profane and negligent wretches that leaue their soule perpetually vnguarded vnregarded They may be carefull about many things but one thing is necessary to keepe their Birth-right While they sleepe the enemy sowes tares it is a wretched slumber that sleepes and slips away the birth-right 4. Others giue away their birthright these are specially the enuious and the desperate Malice giues it away and hath nothing for it The Ambitious bargaines to haue a little honour for his Birthright the Couetous to haue some gold for his birthright the voluptuous to haue some sensuall pleasure for his birthright but the malicious giues it away for nothing except it be vexation that doth anguish him and languish him The desperate destroying his body giues away his birthright hee hath nought for it but horrors within and terrors without These men serue the diuels turne for nothing Looke O miserable man vpon the Purchaser of thy Birthright Christ consider the price it cost him if thou sell that for a little pleasure that he bought with so much paine thou thinkest him an idle Marchant No Lord as thou hast giuē it to vs so keepe it for vs that hauing now the assurance of it in grace vvee may haue one day the full possession of it in glory Written in heauen This phrase is often vsed in the Scripture and is but a metaphor whereby God declares the certaintie of some mens eternall predestination and eternall saluation Tostatus makes three written bookes of GOD. 1. The great booke wherein are written all persons actions and euents both good and bad Out of this are taken two other bookes 2. The booke of Predestination consisting onely of the Elect. 3.
The booke of Gods Prescience which he calls the Blacke booke wherin are registred onely the Reprobate But this latter booke hath no warrant in the Scriptures it is true that as there is a certaine number to be saued so the Lord knoweth them that are ordained to destruction but the Scripture giues onely a name of booke to the first not to the worst Non quòd scribuntur in aliquo libro sed quòd non scribuntur in illo libro Let them be blotted out of the booke of the liuing let them not be written among the righteous Whose names are not written in the Booke of Life from the foundation of the World Not that they are written in any other booke but that they are not written in that booke Indeed God may be said to haue diuerse Bookes 1. Liber Prouidentiae the booke of his Prouidence wherein God seeth and disposeth all things that are done by himselfe in the World Thine eyes did see my substance yet being vnperfect and in thy booke were all my members written when as yet there was none of them Not a sparrow falls from the house not a haire from our heads without the record of this booke 2. Liber Memoriâ—… the booke of Gods memorie wherein all things done by men whether good or euill are registred A booke of remembrance was written before GOD for them that feared the Lord and thought vpon his Name The bookes were opened and another booke was opened which is the booke of Life Hence it is plaine that there are other bookes besides the booke of Life This is that which manifesteth all secrets whether mentall orall or actuall Whereby GOD shall bring euery vvorke into iudgement with euery secret thing be it good or euill This Booke shal be opened in that day vvhen God shall iudge the secrets of all hearts by Iesus Christ. 3. Liber Conscientiae the booke of euery mans conscience this is a booke of Record or testimony not so much of Iudicature as of witnesse If our heart condemne vs God is greater then our heart and knoweth all things There is Conscientiae perâ—…rsa that doth wholly condemne there is Conscientiae dubia that doth neither condemne nor acquit there is Conscientiae bâ—…e ordinata such a one had Paul I say the truth in Christ I lye not my conscience also bearing me witnesse in the holy Ghost Euery mans conscience beareth witnesse but vbi cogitatio non habet quòd accuset where the thought hath no matter of accusation against a man that conscience doth beare vvitnesse in the holy Ghost Looke well to thy life for thou bearest about thee a booke of Testimonie that shall speake either with or against thee 4. Liber monumentorum a booke of Monuments which containes the acts of the Saints for the memorie of times to come Of this nature were the Chronicles the Acts of the Apostles that martyrologie or golden Legend of the Saints in the Chapter preceding my Text. God threatens the false prophets that they shall not bee written in the writing of the house of Israel 5. Liber veritatis the booke of Truth this may also be called the booke of Life because it containes those rules that lead and direct vs to life eternall As that is called a booke of vvarfare wherein the precepts of the Military Art are written Search the Scriptures for therein yee haue eternall life All these things are the booke of the Couenant of the most high God 6. Liber Vitae the booke of Life it selfe wherein onely are written the names of the Elect whom GOD hath ordained to saluation for euer This is to be written in hâ—…uen Into that holy City shall enter nothing that defileth but only they which are written in the Lambes booke of Life Paul speakes of his fellow labourers vvhose names are in the booke of Life When the Disciples returned said Lord euen the diuells are subiect to vs through thy Name true saith Christ I saw Satan as lightning fall from Heauen Notwithstanding in this reioyce not that the spirits are subiect vnto you but rather reioyce because your names are written in Heauen This is a borrowed speech Sicut nos ea literis consignamus As we coÌ„mit that to writing the memory whereof we would haue kept So doth God not that he needes any booke of remembrance but because all things are present with him as if they were written in a booke They among men which are chosen to any speciall place or seruice are written in a booke so the Romane Senators were called Patres conscripti and it is called the Muster-booke wherein stand the names of the Souldiers pressed to the warres To conclude this writing in heauen is the booke of Election wherein all that shall be saued are registred Here vnauoydably wee come to the maine question that may seeme to infringe this happy priuiledge of the Church Whether to be written in Heauen be an infallible assurance of saluation or whether any there registred may come to be blotted out The truth is that none written in heauen can euer be lost yet they obiect against it Psal. 69. 28. Let them be blotted out of the booke of the liuing and let them not be written among the righteous Hence they inferre that some names once there recorded are afterwards put out But this opinion casteth a double aspersion vpon God himselfe Either it makes him ignorant of future things as if he foresaw not the end of elect and reprobate and so were deceiued in decreeing some to be saued that shal not be saued Or that his decree is mutable in excluding those vpon their sinnes vvhom he hath formerly chosen From both these weakenesses S. Paul vindicates him 2. Tim. 2. 19. The foundation of GOD standeth sure hauing the seale The Lord knoweth them that are his First the Lord knowes them that are his this were not true if Gods Prescience could be deluded Then his foundation stands sure but that were no sure foundation if those hee hath decreed to be his should afterward fall out not to bee his The very Conclusion of truth is this Impossibilis est deletio they vvhich are vvritten in heauen can neuer come into hell To cleare this from the opposed doubt among many I will cull out three proper distinctions 1. One may be said to be written in heauen simpliciter and secundum quid Hee that is simply written there In quantum praedestinatus ad vitam because elected to life can neuer be blotted out Hee that is but written after a sort may for hee is written Non secundum Dei praescientiam sed secundum praesentem iustitiam not according to Gods former decree but according to their present righteousnesse So they are said to be blotted out not in respect of Gods knowledge for hee knowes they were neuer written there but according to their present condition apostating from grace to sinne Lyran. 2. Some
God It is a common opinion in the world that Religion doth dull a mans wits and deiect his spirits as if mirth and mischiefe were onely sworne brothers But Gods word teacheth and a good conscience findeth that no man can be so ioyfull as the faithfull nor is there so merry a land as the holy Land no place of ioy like the Church Let the wicked thinke that they cannot laugh if they be tied to the Law of Grace nor be merry if God be in the company But the Christian knowes there is no true ioy but the good ioy and if this be any where it is in the Temple I was glad when they said vnto me Let vs goe into the house of the Lord. Indeed therefore we are not merry enough because we are not enough Christians Can you wish more ioy to be receiued then that Rom. 14 Peace of conscience and ioy of the holy Ghost Hilaris cum pondere virtus a ioy that can neither be suppressed nor expressed Or more ioy to be communicated then Colos. 3. in Psalmes Hymnes and spirituall songs singing vvith grace in your hearts to the Lord. Thinke thinke thy God is here The Angels of heauen reioyce in his glorious presence and crowne it as their cheefe felicity and shall not poor man reioyce in his gracious presence as it were his most blessed society yes the light of thy Countenance O Lord shall put more gladnesse into our hearts then into the worldlings their aboundance of corne and wine Cast away then your dulnesse and vnwillingnesse of heart Come merrily and with a ioyfull soule into the house of God 3. With Holinesse It is holy ground not by any inherent holinesse but in regard of the religious vse For that place which was once Bethel the House of GOD proued afterwards Bethauen the house of iniquity But it is thus Gods Sanctuary the habitation of his Sanctity Procul hinc procul este profani Put off thy shooes d' off thy carnall affections the place vvhere thou standest is holy ground wash thy hands yea thy heart in innocency before thou come neere to Gods Altar Bee the Minister neuer so simple neuer so sinfull the word is holy the action holy the time holy the place holy ordained by the most Holy to make vs holy said a reuerend Diuine Gods house is for godly exercises they wrong it therefore that turne Sanctuarium into Promptuarium the Sanctuary into a Butterie and spirituall food into belly-cheere And they much more that peruert it to a place of Pastime making the house of praise a house of playes And they most of all that make it a house not laudis but fraudis My house is the house of prayer but ye haue made it a d◅nne of theeues robbing if not men of their goods yet God of the better part sincerity of conscience What a horrid thing would it bee Beloued if you should depart from this Church where you learne to keepe a good conscience but into the market and there practise deceit circumuentiō oppression swearing drunkennesse O doe not deriue the commencement of your sinnes from Gods house What a mockery is this and how odious in the sight of heauen if you should begin your wickednesse with a Sermon ◅as the Papists beginne their treasons with a masse I taxe no knowne person but for the facts and faults Non ignota cano I doe not speake of things vnknowne I would to God your amended liues might bring me with shame againe hither to recant and vnsay it But it often so falls out that as those conspirators met at the Capitol so the Church is made the Communis Terminus where many wickednesses haue appointed to meete What agreement hath the Temple of God with Idols Begin not the day with God to spend all the rest vvith Satan Your tongues haue now blessed the Lord let not the euening finde them redde with oathes or black with curses Let not that saying of Luther be verifyed by you that In nomine Domini incipit omne malum in the name of God begins all mischiefe Whatsoeuer your morning Sacrifice pretend looke to your afternoone You haue done so much the worse as you haue made a shew of good and it had beene easier for your profane hearts to haue missed this admonition This Caueat before I leaue Gods house I thought to commend to your practise when you leaue it I haue held you too long in the Church speaking of the Church It was the most materiall point I propounded to my discourse forgiue the prolixity the breuity of the rest shall make amends The first straine or staire was his entrance into GODS house now hee is in what doth he what bringeth hee vve finde Burnt Offerings I haue three disswasions from punctuall tractation of this point 1. The poore remnant of the fugitiue time 2. I haue liberally handled it on former occasions 3. The necessity is not great of discoursing the Sacrifices of the Law in these dayes of the Gospell wee haue the light and therefore need not trouble our selues to call backe the shadowes Sacrifices are of great Antiquity not onely the Booke of God but euen the Law of nature hath imprinted in mans heart that Sacrifices must be offered It is written in the conscience that an homage was due to the superiour power which is able to reuenge it selfe of dishonour and contempt done it and to regratifie them with kindnesse that serued it But Dauids Sacrifice was the earnest of a thankefull heart I might amplifie it and perhaps picke vp some good gleanings after others full carts I could also obserue that Dauid came not before God empty-handed but brought with him some actuall testimony of his deuoted affection Burnt offerings To the confusion of their faces who will no longer serue God if hee growes chargeable to them If they may receiue from God good things and pay him onely with good words they are content to worship him But if they cannot bee in his fauour but it must cost them the setting on they will saue their purses though they lose their soules If hee requires ought for his Church poore Ministers or poore members they cry vvith Iudas Ad quid perditio haec why is this waste They are onely so long rich in deuotion as they may be rich by deuotion and no longer But for our selues be we sure that the best Sacrifice we can giue to God is obedience not a dead beast but a liuing soule The Lord takes no delight in the bloud of brutish creatures a spirit in bodies the impassible in sauours arising from Altars It is the minde the life the soule the obedience that he requires To obey is better then sacrifice Let this be our burnt offering our Holocaust a sanctified Body and Mind giuen vp to the Lord. First the heart My Sonne giue me thy heart Is not the heart enough no the hand also wash the hands from bloud and
serued well enough with looking on And their vtmost dutie but to bring their bodies a little further liuing then they shall be brought dead for then perhaps they shall come to the Church-yard now they will bring them to Church Deuotion and they are almost strangers and so much as they know of it they dishonour by their acquaintance Their burnt offerings are nothing else but a number of eyes at vtmost lift vp to heauen their heart hath another center They bring as many sinnes vvith them euery day to Church as they haue beene all their liues in committing Their hands are not washed from aspersions of lust and bloud their eyes are full of vvhoredome their lips of slander their affections of couetousnes their wits of cheating their soules of impiety If there were no Saints in the Church how could they hope the roofe would not fall on their guilty heads But I wil leaue them to the Lords reproofe Iere. 7. Will ye steale murther commit adultery and sweare falsely and come and stand before mee in this house staring mee in the face as if you were innocent Behold euen I haue seene it saith the Lord. 3. There is yet a last-sort that will come into Gods house and bring with them burnt offerings a shew of externall deuotion but they will not pay their Vowes Distresse vvarre captiuitie calamitie famine sicknes brings downe the most elate and lofty spirits It turnes the proud Gallants fether into a kerchefe pulls the wine from the lippes of the drunkard ties vp the tongue of the svvearer whom thunder could not adiure to silence makes the Adulterer lothe the place of his sinne the bed And though the Vsurer stuffe his pillow with nothing but his bonds and morgages softer and sweeter in his opinion then Downe or fethers yet his head vvill not leaue aking This misery doth so sting terrifie and put sense into the dead flesh of the nummed conscience that all worldly delights being found like plummeâ—…s of lead tied about a man while he is exposed in this Sea so farre from helping him to swimme that they sinke him rather the eye lookes about for another shore and finds none but God To this so long forgotten God the heart beginnes to addresse a messenger and that is Prayer God the vvicked see must be called on but they knowe not how They haue beene so meere strangers to him that they cannot tell how to salute him Like beggers that are blind they are forced to beg but they see not of whom Or if their eyes are so farre open Vident quasi è longinquo salutem sed interiacente pelago vident quò eundum non quà They see health a farre off as it were beyond the Sea they see whither they would goe but not which way If any inferior thing or created proppe could vphold them God should not be sollicited If friends wil if Physike will if money will if all the delicate obiects for any sense will ease or appease their griefe they will not seek to heauen Yea if Beelzebub the God of Ekron can cure them they will not trouble the GOD of Israel But all lower pleasures to one thus sick is but like a sweet harmonie of musike to a deafe man There is no hope of comfort but from aboue the clowds Health prosperity is but as a Coach to carry our desires to heauen but sicknes is the post-horse Onely this Sub poena can bring vs to put vp a supplication in the high Court of Requests and Mercie Now loe they pray they beseech they sigh they weepe they bleed and lastly they vow What vow they Either some new act to be done or some old act to be left vndone Now the drunkard vowes abstinence the lustfull vowes continence the swearer vowes to leaue his blasphemy the Incloser vowes to throwe open his taken in commons the proud vow to leaue their gawdy vanitie the vvorldling vowes to be charitable and to relieue the poore And perhaps at such a pinch or dead lift one Vsurer in a thousand yeeres may vow to forsake his vsury and to restore all that he hath so gotten Now they say Lord remoue from me this malady this extremity and I will hereafter serue thee better loue thee more belieue thy Gospell relieue thy poore giue something to an Hospitall or doe some such act as may testifie my thankfulnes Well God heares and grants health comes strength is recouered the danger is ouer they are well Now vbi vota Where be their vowes Alas we rise from our beds of sicknes and leaue our vowes behind vs. Aegrotus surgit sed pia vota iacent Physicians haue a rule among themselues concerning their Patients Take whiles they be in paine For whatsoeuer they promise sick when they are well they vvill not performe it So God had need to take what deuotion hee can get at our hands in our misery for when prosperitie returnes we forget our vowes You haue often heard that old verse Dâ—…mon languebat tunc monachus esse volebat Daemon connâ—…luit daemon vt ante suit And as wittily Englished The Diuell was sicke the diuell a Monke would be The Diuell was well the diuell of Monke was he The morall of it sutes full to our present purpose It is reported of Constantinople that a terrible Earthquake had ouer throwne many houses slaine much people Hereupon the remaining Inhabitants affrighted fel deuoutly to their prayers and vowes priuately in their chambers publikely in their Churches the poore were relieued iustice administred their liues much amended But afterwards when God held his hand they held their tongues hee forbore plaguing and they forbore praying the rod ceased and their pietie withall they forgot their vowes When the Lord hath striken vs by famine in withholding the raine froÌ„ vs or in powring down too much too fast vpon vs Or by a greeuous plague turning our popular streets into a Desart we straight growe penitent Zeale carries vp our cryes to heauen wee pray wee sigh we weepe Sorrow sits in our eyes deuotion on our lips God hath at that time more hearty prayers in an houre then ordinarily in a yeere But as the Poet spake Nocte pluit tota redeunt spectacula manè The Lord no sooner takes off the burden of misery but we also shake of the burden off pietie we forget our vowes O the mercy of God that such forgetfulnesse should possesse Christian hearts This was vnthankfull Israels fault Psalm 106. They soone forgot his workes they forgate yea soone they made haste to forget so the Originall is They made haste they forgate Like men that in sleep shake death by the hand but when they are awake will not know him It is storied of a rich Merchant that in a great storme at Sea vowed to Iupiter if he would saue him and his vessell to giue him a Hecatombe The storme ceaseth and he bethinkes himselfe that a Hecatombe was vnreasonable he resolues on seuen Oxen.
praemium tantis lobâ—…ribus quaesitum lest the reward be lost which thou with much labour hast aymed at It is not enough Quaerere coelum sed acquirere non Christum sequi sed consequi To seeke heauen but to find it not to follow Christ but to ouertake him not to be brought to the gates but to enter in Many will say to Christ in that day Lord Lord haue we not prophecied in thy Name But the Master of the house is first risen hath shut to the doore Either they come too soone before they haue gotten faith and a good conscience or too late as those foolish Virgins when the gate was shut If then wee haue begun let vs continue to entrance Cuiusque casus tantò maioris est criminis quantò prinsquam caderet maior is er at virtutis Euery mans fault hath so much the more discredite of scandall as he before he fell had credite of vertue Let vs beware that we doe not slide if slide that we do not fall if fall that wee fall forward not backward The iust man often slips and sometime falls And this is dangerous for if a man whiles hee stands on his legges can hardly grapple with the deuill how shall he do when he is falne downe vnder his feete But if they doe fall they fall forward as Ezekiel not backward as Eli at the losse of the Arke or they that came to surprise Christ Iohn 18. They went backward and fell to the ground Cease not then thy godly endeuours vntill Contingas portum quò tibi â—…ursus erat Say we not like the woman to Esdras whether in a vision or otherwise when he bade her goe into the Citie That will I not doe I will not goe into the Citie but here I will die It is a wretched sinne saith August after teares for sinne not to preserue innocence Such a man is washed but is not cleane Quia coÌ„missa flere definit et iterum flenda committit He leaues weeping for faults done and renues faults worthy of weeping Think not thy selfe safe till thou art got within the gates of the Citie Behold thy Sauiour calling thy Father blessing the Spirit assisting the Angels comforting the Word directing the glory inuiting good men associating Go cheerfully till thou enter in through the gates into the Citie The manner Through the gates Not singularly a Gate but gates For Chap. 21. the Citie is said to haue twelue gates On the East three gates on the North three on the South three and on the West three To declare that men shall come from all the corners of the World from the East and from the West from the North and from the South and shall sit downe in the Kingdome of GOD. These Gates are not literally to be vnderstood but mystically Pro modo intrandi for the maner of entrance The gates are those passages whereby we must enter this Citie Heauen is often said to haue a Gate Striue to enter in at the strait Gate saith Christ. Lift vp your heads O yee Gates and be ye lift vp yee euerlasting doores saith the Psalmist This is none other but the house of God and this is the Gate of Heauen saith Iacob There must be Gates to a Citie they that admit vs hither are the Gates of Grace So the analogie of the words inferre dooing the commandements is the way to haue right in the tree of Life obedience and sanctification is the Gate to this Citis of saluation In a vvord The Gate is Grace Citie Glory The Temple had a gate called Beautifull Act. 3. But of poore beauty in regard of this Gate Of the gates of the Sanctuary spake Dauid in diuerse Psalmes with loue and ioy Enter into his gates with thanksgiuing and into his courts with praise This was Gods delight The Lord loueth the gates of Zion more then all the dwellings of Iacob This was Dauids election to be a Porter or keeper of the gates of Gods house rather then dwell in the Tents of wickednesse This his Resolution Our feete shall stand within thy gates O Ierusalem Salomon made two docres for the entring of the Oracle they were made of Oliue trees and wrought vpon with the carnings of Cherubins The Oliues promising fatnesse and plenty of blessings the Cherubins holinesse and eternitie These are holy gates let euery one pray with that royall Prophet Open to mee the gates of righteousnesse I will goe into them I wil praise the Lord. This is the Gate of the Lord into which the righteous shall enter In briefe we may distinguish the gates leading to this Citie into two Adoption and Sanctification Both these meet in Christ who is the onely gate or doore vvhereby we enter Heauen I am the doore saith our Sauiour Ianua vitae the gate of life by mee if any enter in hee shall be saued Adoption Is the first Gate We haue receiued the spirit of Adoption Without this passage no getting into Heauen The inheritance of glory cannot be giuen to the children of disobedience they must first be conuerted adopted heires in Christ. The Grace of God is two-fold There is Gratia gratis agens and Gratia gratum faciens This second grace which is of Adoption is neuer in a reprobate not by an absolute impossibilitie but by an indisposition in him to receiue it A sparke of fire falling vpon water ice snow goes out on wood flaxe or such apt matter kindles Baptisme is the Sacrament of admission into the Congregation of Insition and Initiation whereby vve are matriculated and receiued into the motherhood of the Church Therefore the sacred Font is placed at the Church-doore to insinuate and signifie our Entrance So Adoption is the first doore or gate whereby wee passe to the Citie of glory This is our new Creation whereat the Angels of heauen reioyce Luke 15. At the creation of Dukes or Earles there is great ioy among men but at our new creation Angels and Seraphins reioyce in the presence of GOD. Our Generation was A non esse ad esse from not being to be But our Regeneration is A malè esse ad benè esse from a being euill to be well and that for euer Through this gate we must passe to enter the Citie vvithout this death shall send vs to another place No man ends this life well except he be borne againe before he ends it Now if you would be sure that you are gone through this gate call to mind what hath been your Repentance The first signe of Regeneration is throbbes and throwes you cannot be adopted to Christ without sensible paine and compunction of heart for your sinnes The Christian hath two Birthes and they are two gates hee can passe through none of them but with anguish Both our first and second Birth begin with crying Our first birth is a gate into
is passed from death to life Patience Is one of the Pillars Hebr. 10. Ye haue need of Patience that when you haue done the will of God yee might receiue the Promise That when you haue suffered before the gates ye may enter the Citie There bee three Enemies that assault the soule before shee enter the gates a Lyon a Leopard and a Foxe The Lion is the Deuill who roareth with hideous cryes and bloudy iawes The Leopard is the world which hath a gay spotted hide but if it take vs within the clutches it deuoures vs. The Foxe is our Concupiscence bred in vs which craftily spoyles our grapes our young vines our tender graces Patience hath therfore an armed Souldier with her called Christian Fortitude to giue repulse to all these encounters And what he cannot conquer feriendo by smiting she conquers ferendo by suffering Uincit etiam dum patitur She ouercomes euen while shee suffers Patience meekely beares wrongs done to our owne person Fortitude encounters couragiously wrongs done to the Person of Christ. She will not yeeld to sinne though she die She hath the spirit of Esther to withstand things that dishonour God If I perish I perish Innocence Is the other Pillar As Patience teacheth vs to beare wrongs so Innocence to doe none Patience giues vs a Shield but Innocence denyes vs a sword Our selues we may defend others we must not offend Innocence is such a vertue Quae cùm alijs non nocet nec sibi nocet Which as it wrongs not others so nor itselfe Hee that hurts himselfe is not innocent The Prodigall is no mans foe but his owne saith the prouerbe but because hee is his owne foe he is not innocent Triumphus Innocentiae est non peccare vbi potest It is the triumph of Innocence not to offend where it may No testimony is more sweet to the conscience then this Remember O Lord how I haue walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart So Iob My heart shall not condemne me for my dayes Blessed soule thus comforted it smiles at the frownes of earth and dares stand the thunder Though there bee no Innocency but reioyceth to stand in the sight of Mercy Yet thus in the middest of iniuries it cheeres it selfe O Lord thou knowest my innocence The wicked couer themselues with violence as with a garment therefore confusion shall couer them as a cloake But Blessed are the meeke for they shall inherit the earth That part of the earth they liue in shall afford them quiet and their part in heauen hath no disquiet in it Si amoueanâ—… admouentur in locum à quo non remouentur in aeternum If they be mooued they are moued to a place from whence they shall neuer be remoued I will wash mine hands in Innocency so will I compasse thine Altar O Lord. If Innocence must leade vs to the Altar on earth sure that must bee our gate to the glory of heauen Charity Is the Roofe Diligendo perficitur loâ—… makes vp the building Now abideth faith hope and charity but the greatest of these is charity It is a grace of the loueliest Countenance and longest Continuance For Countenance it is amiable all loue it The poore respect not thy faith so much as thy charity For Continuance faith and hope takes their leaues of vs in death but charity brings vs to heauen-dore vshers vs in to glory I know not what to say more in thy praise O charity then vt Deum de coelo traheres hominem ad coelum eleuares Then that thou didst bring downe God from heauen to earth and dost lift vp man from earth to heauen Great is thy vertue that by thee God should be humbled to man by thee man should be exalted to God You haue the Gates described Let vs draw a short conclusion from these two former circumstances and then enter the Citie The Summe There is no entrance to the Citie but by the Gates no passage to Glory but by Grace The wall of this Citie is said to be great and high High no climbing ouer Great no breaking through So Christ saith No theefe can breake through and steale Therefore through the gates or no way Corruption doth not inherit incorruption This corrupted man must bee regenerate that hee may bee saued must be sanctified that he may be glorified Babel-builders may offer faire for hâ—…uen but not come neer it the Gyants of our time I meane the monstrous sinners may imponere Pelion Ossae lay rebellion vpon presumption treason vpon rebellion blasphemy vpon all as if they would sinke heauen with their loud and lewd ordinance and plucke God out of his Throne but hell gapes in expectation of them This Gate is kept as the gate of Paradise with a flaming sword of Iustice to keepe out Idolaters Adulterers theeues couetous drunkards reuilers extortioners and other dogges of the same litter from the kingdome of God Some trust to open these gates with golden keyes but bribery is rather a key to vnlocke the gates of hell Let Rome sell what she list and warrant it like the Seller in the Prouerbs It is good it is good Yet it is naught but were it good God neuer promised to stand to the Popes bargaines Others haue dream't of no other gate but their owne righteousnesse Poore soules they cannot finde the gate because they stand in their owne light Others thinke to passe through the gates of other mens merits as well one bird may flie with another birds wings For all those hote promises of the workes of Saints for their ready money they may blow their nailes in hell Onely grace is the gate Per portam Ecclesiae intramus ad portam Paradisi Wee must bee true members of the Church or the dore of life will be shut against vs. Heauen is a glorious place therefore reserued for gracious men Admittuntur ad spiritus iustorum non nisi iusti To those spirits of iust men made perfect must be admitted none saue they that are iustified Kings are there the Companie none of base and ignoble liues can be accepted Heauen is the great White Hall the Court of the high King none are entertained but Albi such as are washed white in the bloud of Christ and keepe white their owne innocence Vngracious offenders looke for no dwelling in this glory You that haue so little loue to the gates are not worthy the Citie If you will not passe through the gates of holinesse in this life you must not enter the Citie of happinesse in the life to come Thus wee haue passed the gates and are now come to The Citie Now if I had beene with Paul rapt vp to the third heauen or had the Angels Reed wherewith he measured the wall I might say something to the description of this Citie But how can darkenesse speake of that light or the base
that can helpe thee No measure of earthly things can giue thee ease but this measure of grace that shall bring thee to the full measure of glory Grow thou as high in this world as Ionas gourd a worme shall smite thee and thou shalt wither Grow vp to this stature of Christ so fast as thou mayest and so farre as thou canst and what is here wanting to thy holy endeuours God shall make vp with his happy mercies Of the fullnes of Christ. Adulti Christi It is not meant the full growth of Christ in the flesh which was as other children Luk. 2. The child grew and waxed stronger We reade him a babe sucking at 12. yeares old disputing at 30. preaching and about 33. dying His encreasing was not habitualiter sed effectualiter But here we must consider Christ as Head of his Body the Church and so said to haue mensuram staturae adultae the measure of full stature when his body is Perfected now some predestinated members of this Body are yet vnborne which must concurre to the perfection and making vp of this stature of the fullnesse of Christ. Whence we haue a sweet and comfortable obseruation offred vs. Till the church be fully gathered together there is in some sort a want to the perfection of Christ. But we must consider Christ two wayes Personally and mistically Personall or abstractiuely in himselfe he is not onely perfect but perfection it selfe Colos. 1. For it pleased the Father that in him should all fullnesse dwell And. chap. 2. In him dwelleth not passeth by the fullnesse not a good reasonable measure and this not onely a sufficient fullnes but all the fullnesse not of any created nature but of the Godhead and that not fantastically but bodily Mistically or in relation to his Bodie the Church now ye are the bodie of Christ and members in perticular And Christs will is that where he is his members may be there also So that till the whole Bodie be gathered to the Head the head is in some sort not perfect And in this sence may that Cant. 3. be vnderstood Behold King Solomon with the Crowne wherewith his mother crowned him in the day of his espousalls where the Church is sayed to set a Crowne on Christs head as if his full and perfect coronation were not come till the day of his espousalls and marriage in heauen when his whole Church shall be crowned together with him Time was that the other Disciple out ranne Peter to the Sepulcher and Peter out went that other Disciple into the sepulcher but at this day they that are aliue shall not preuent them that sleepe For God hath prouided better for vs that they without vs should not be made perfect We shall all goe together to glory What a treasure of ioy and comfort is heere opened vs Our Sauiour so loues vs that he thinkes not himselfe perfect without vs. What is man O Lord or the sonne of man that thou soreckonest of him Thou hast Saints the spirits of iust blessed and obedient Angells thy owne infinite selfe to delight thee Quid opus vermiculo What need hast thou of a worme What am I O Sauiour that thou shouldest not thinke thy selfe perfect without me Well may this sweeten all our pouertie miserie disgrace and ignominie that the world casts vpon vs. A great Gallant blusheth to see thee take acquaintance of him lookes vpon thee betwixt scorne and anger thinkes himselfe disparaged by thy companie be content the God of heauen and earth thinkes himselfe not perfect without thee He that can breake thy contemners to pieces respecteth thee Thou art vnworthy of the fauour of Iesus Christ if thou canst not content thy selfe with it without the worlds What a terrour shal this be to the wicked to see those men crowned Kings with Christ to whom they disdained to giue notice in the world Diues lookes with pitifull eyes on glorified Lazarus who once lay at his gates without the releese of crummes It shall be no small aggravation to the vngodly's torments to say of the Saint This was he whom we had some times in derision and a proverbe of reproch We fooles accounted his life madnesse and his end without honour Now he is numbred a mong the children of God and his lot is among the Saints I conclude Euery Saint shall enioy this full measure of glorie there shall be no scanting no limitation None shall complaine of lacke there is the fountaine drinke thy fill there is the heape take as much as thou wilt There shall be in all an equalitie though not of quantitie yet of proportion which ariseth not from the obiect wherein is plenitude but from the subiect which is not alike capable A vessell throwne into the sea can be but full another is but full though it containe a greater measure Euery one shall possesse this fulnesse and being full there is no want therefore no enuie But let vs take no thought who shall sit highest in this kingdome with the sonnes of Zebedee it is enough that we shall be crowned kings Trouble not thy selfe for order onely striue for admission We cannot desire to be more then blessed Let vs get into the Citie of glory and let God appoint vs a roome Here we see the great difference betwixt this life and the next In this life we grow vp to our full Stature and then we decrease till we decease we decline and die In the other we come at first to a perfect stature and so continue for euer We are here subiect to sorrowes and sinnes the first grieuous to vs as we are men the other as we are good men loe we shall one day be freed bee perfect It is a sweete meditation that fell from a reuerend Diuine that many vegetable brute creatures doe exceede men in length of dayes and in happinesse in their kind as not wanting the thing they desire The Oake the Rauen the Storke the Stagge fill vp many yeares in regard of whom man dies in the minoritie of child-hood This made the Philosophers call Nature a Stepdame to man to the rest a true mother For shee giues him least time that could make best vse of his time and least pleasure that could best apprehend it and take comfort in it But here diuinitie teacheth reacheth a large recompence from our God Other creatures liue long and then perish to nothing man dies soone here that hereafter he may liue for euer This shortnesse is recompenced with eternitie Dost thou blame Nature O Philosopher for cutting thee so short that thou canst not get knowledge Open thine eyes perfect knowledge is not to be had here though thy dayes were double to Methushalems Aboue it is Blesse God then rather for thy liues shortnes for the sooner thou diest the sooner thou shalt come to thy desired knowledge The best here is short of the least there Let no man blame God for
euery good and faithfull Seruant the vaile is taken away and Christ sayes enter thou into the ioy of the Lord. 2. By this meanes we haue in this world a free accesse to the Throne of grace by our prayers the vaile and separation of sinne and wrath is rent asunder by Christ and a cleare way made for our supplications The Propitiatory and Mercie-seate the Cherubims of glory shadowing it the very presence of God were within the Holyest and the people might not approach it but stood without a farre off Our Sauiour hath torne away this vaile and opened our petitions a free passage to the Seate of mercie in heauen Hauing such an high Priest ouer the house of God sayth Paul immediately after the clearing our way through the vaile Let vs draw neare with a true-heart in full assurance of faith c. Wee see howe farre our prerogatiue excelles that of the Iewes They were seruants we are sonnes and cry Abba Father they had Priests we are Priests they had a barre to vs that vaile is rent away Let vs therefore come boldly vnto the Throne of grace that we may obtaine mercie and find grace to helpe in time of neede This is singular comfort that poore subiects may bee sure of accesse to the King with their petitions yea more bee heard in all their desires yea most of all haue an Aduocate at the Kinges right hand to plead their cause But then remember the Psalmists caution If I regard wickednesse in my heart the Lord will not heare mee Let the seruants of Baal cry neuer so loudly if lewdly their prayers are not heard To the cryes of vnfaithfull sinners the vaile is vp still and like a thicke cloud reuerberates beats backe their orisons that they cannot ascend to the Throne of grace Onely faith makes a free passage and a cleare conscience hath a cleare voyce that can peirce heauen 3. The breaking downe of this vaile did make the Holyest and the other part of the temple all one Whereby was signified that of two was made one Iewes and Gentiles one Church He is our peace who hath made both one and hath broken downe the middle wall of partition betweene vs. So that now those the Iewes called dogges eat the bread of the children yea they are the children and Iaphet is perswaded to dwell in the tents of Sem. She is also Beloued that was hated euen the Church of the Gentiles is the Spouse of Christ. The vaile that hindred Paul cals the Law of commandements contained in ordinances this he abolished for to make in himselfe of twaine one new man Heauen gate is no wider open to a Iew then to a Grecian In Christ Iesus neither circumcision auaileth any thing nor vncircumcision but a new creature And as many as walke according to this rule peace be on them and mercie and vpon the Israel of God The Sum of the Gospell as of the world is not confined to lighten Iudea onely but shines vniuersally There is not one priuiledge wherein the Gentile hath not as franke a share as the Iew the sonnes of Hagar are adopted the sonnes of God and the free Ierusalem aboue is the mother of vs all All this did our blessed Sauiour worke for vs by renting the vaile That he might reconcile both vnto God in one body by the crosse hauing slaine the enmitie therby Oh then let vs keepe the vnitie of the Spirit in the bond of peace Christ hath made vs at one let vs not make our selues twaine The vaile is rent why set we vp new schismes in doctrine iarres in conuersation The bill of diuorcement is cancelled let vs loue our husband Christ and for his sake euery man his brother Let vs set vp no more vailes least we doe it with the curse of building more Iericho's There is no bond so sure as Religions no ligaments so strong as faith and a good conscience Wretched man that breakest these tâ—…es and rentest thy selfe from them to whome thou art by Christ vnited A mothers yea a Fathers blessing forsakes thee and thou buildest vp a new vaile which thou must looke for no more Christs to come rent asunder 4. The renting of the vaile teacheth vs that when men sinne rebelliously against God no prerogatiue shall doe them good The Temple was one of their principallest priuiledges their glory their crowne The Temple of the Lord the temple of the Lord. It was a figure of the Church militant as Solomon the builder was a figure of Christ. For this Temples sake God often spared them So Daniel prayes Cause thy face to shine vpon thy Sanctuary that is desolate Yet when they fall away from God and crucifie their Messias this prerogatiue helpes not For here Gods owne hand rents the vaile and after giues the whole fabricke a spoyle to the Gentiles If ye will not heare if ye will not lay it to heart I will send a curse vpon you I will curse your blessings yea I haue cursed them already because you doe not lay it to heart It lies in mans sinne to make God curse his very blessings and to punish the nocent in the innocent creatures We see the way how wee may loose Temples and peace and Gospell and all priuiledges by running the courses of disobedience Who can number the blessings we haue enioyed by the Gospell Let vs beware least our vngracious and vngratefull liues robbe vs not of that with all the appertinent comforts They that haue trauelled the Belgicke Prouinces can witnesse the miserable footsteps of warre and the tyrannie of desolation Churches and Cities haue no more monuments but the ruined foundations to testifie that they were Sin made way for bloud and massacre Idolatrie puld downe those wals which otherwise the most sacrilegious hand should haue forborne If there had beene no enemie to rase them they would haue falne alone rather then couered so blasphemous impietie vnder their guiltie roofes Peace is within our walles prosperitie within our palaces blessed for euer be our God of peace for it Yet we haue a subtle aduersarie Sacriledge that incroacheth sore vpon vs and hath taken many of Gods houses in possession We cannot say They haue burnt vp all the Synagogues in the land but they haue done very wickedly to the Lords Sanctuaries The wals stand and it is well if in many places they do so but there is not a Leuite to feede the people alas how can there when there is nothing left to feede a Leuite Couetousnes would do as much hurt with vs as warre hath done with our neighbours it would but I trust in the Lord Iesus it shall not Though they haue rent away Gods right Tithes and offrings they shall neuer rent away Gods Truth and Gospell rent themselues from it indeede they are likely to do 5. Lastly The Vaile was rent By renting the part God did threaten the subuersion of
Gomer was for Manna Curiositie is the rennet that turnes our milke into curds Not to your selues Let thy fountaines be dispersed abroad sayth the wisest king communicate thy knowledge Math. 5. Christians must be like lights that wast themselues for the good of those in Gods house Scire tuum nihil est nisi te scire hoc sciat alter Hee that will be wise onely to himselfe takes the ready way to turne foole Non licet habere priuatam ne priuemur eâ The closer we keepe our knowledge the likelier wee are to loose it Standing water soone puddles the gifts of the mind if they be not imployed will be empaired Euery wicked man is a foole by comparing their properties 1. It is a Fooles propertie Futuranon prospicere to haue no foresight of future things So hee may haue from hand to mouth he sings care-away So the grashopper sings in haruest when the Ant labours and begges at Christmasse when the Ant sings The wicked takes as litle care what shall become of his soule as the naturall foole what shall become of his body Modo Potiar sayth the Epicure Let me haue pleasure now It is better to a liuing dogge then to a dead Lyon They doe not in faire weather repaire their house against stormes nor in time of peace prouide spirituall armour against the day of warre They watch not therefore the day of the Lord shall come vpon them as a theefe in the night and spoyle them of all their pleasures The maine busines of their soule is not thought of nor dreame they of an Audite till they be called by death away to their reckoning 2. It is a Fooles propertie to affect things hurtfull to himselfe Ludit cum spinis he loues to be playing with thornes Neither yet Quod nocuit docuâ—…t hath that which hurt him taught him caution but hee more desperately desires his owne mischiefe The wicked doe strongly appropriate to themselues this qualitie Cum illis ludunt quae illis laedunt they loue to dally with their owne vexation who else would do at on the world and houer like waspes about the galley-pot till for one licke of the honey they be drownd in it What is your ambition O ye world-affecters sayth August but to be affected of the world what doe you seeke but per multa pericula peruenire ad plura per plurima ad pessima but through many dangers to find more through easier to find the worst of all Like that doating Venetian for one kisse of that painted harlot to liue her perpetuall slaue The world was therefore called the Fooles Paradise there he thinkes to find heauen and there he sells it to the deuill Noxia quaerunt improbi they hast as a bird to the snare the deuill doth but hold vanitie as a sharpe weapon against them and they run full brest vpon it They need no enemies let them alone and they will kill themselues So the enuious pines away his owne marrow the adulterer poysons his owne bloud the prodigall lauisheth his owne estate the drunkard drownds his owne vitall spirits Wicked men make warre vpon themselues with the engines of death 3. It is a Fooles propertie to preferre trifles and toyes before matters of worth and waight The foole will not giue his bable for the kings Exchequour The wicked preferres bodyes of dust and ashes to their soules of eternall substance this sinne corrupted and time-spent world to the perfect and permanent ioyes of heauen short pleasures to euerlasting happines a puffe of fame before a solid waight of glory What follie can be more pitiable then to forsake corne for acornes a state of immortalitie for an apple as Adam did a birthright with all the priuiledges for a messe of pottage belly-cheare as Esau did a kingdome on earth yea in heauen too for asses as Saul did all portion in Christ for bacon as the Gergesites did a royaltie in heauen for a poore Farme on earth as the bidden guest did This is the worldlings follie Villa bones vxor c. Mundus cura caro caelum clausere vocalis To esteeme grace and glory lesse then Farmes oxen wiues manna then onions mecrie then vanitie God then Idols They may be fitly paralelld with the Prodigall Hee forsooke 1. His Fathers house for a strange countrey these the Church Gods house for the world a place wherein they should be strangers and wherein I am sure they shall not be long dwellers 2. His Fathers inheritance for a bag of money so these will not tarrie for their heritagein heauen but take the bags which Mammon thrusts into their hands on the present Who but a Foole will refuse the assured reuersion of some great Lordship though expectant on the expiration of three liues for a ready summe of money not enough to buy the least sticke on the ground This iâ—… the worldlings folly rather to take a piece ofâ—… p-coine in hand then to trust God for the inualuable masse of glory 3. He forsakes his louing friends for harlots creatures of spoile and rapine so these the company of Saints For the Sonnes of Beliall those that sing praises for those that roare blasphemies 4. Lastly the bread in his Fathers house for huskes of beanes so these leaue Christ the true bread of life for the draffe which the swine of this world puddle in Here is their Folly to fasten on transient delights and to neglect the pleasures at the right hand of God for euermore 4. It is a Fooles propertie to runne on his course with precipitation Yet can he not out-runne the wicked whose driuing is like Iehu's the son of Nimshi he driueth as if he were mad As if he had receiued that commission salute no man by the way The wise man seeth the plague and hideth himselfe but the foole runneth on and is punished He goes he runnes he flies as if God that rides vpon the wings of the wind should not ouertake him Hee may passe a pace for he is benefited by the way which is smooth without rubbes and downe a hill for hell is a bottome Facilis descensus Auerni Hast might be good if the may were good and good speed added to it But this is Cursus celerrimus praeteruiam He needs not run so fast for numquamserò ad id venitur a quo nunquam receditur the foole may come soone enough to that place from whence he must neuer returne Thus you see the respondencie of the spirituall to the naturall Foole in their qualities Truly the wicked man is a Foole so Salomon expounds the one by the other Eccl. 7. Be not ouermuch wicked neither be thou foolish why shouldst thou die before thy time Fooles Obserue this is plurally and indefinitely spoken The number is not small Stultâ—…rum plena sunt omnia Christs flocke is little but Satans kingdome is of large bounds Plurima possima vile thinges are euer most plentifull Wisedome flies
into this infinite and boundles Sea I will onely note foure sweete streames of life in his Loue. It was Holy Sine Merits Hearty Mode Kind Despectâ—… Constant Defectâ—… 1. Holy The Loue of Iesus to vs was Sancta sanctificans dilectio a Loue holy formaliter in itselfe and holy effectiuè in making those holy on whom it was set He gaue himselfe to vs and for vs and gaue vs a faith to receiue and embrace him Sine quo nec dilâ—…cti nec diligentes fuissemus Without whom wee neither could haue receiued loue nor returned loue Now his loue did not only extend to our bodyes health but to our soules blisse So he loued vs that he saued vs. Our loue should likewise be holy whole desiring not onely our brothers externall welfare but much more his internall his eternall blessednes He that pitties not a famished body deserues iustly the name of an vnmercifull man but he that coÌ„passionates not an afflicted conscience hath much more a hard heart It is an vsual speech of compassion to a distressed man Alas poore Soule but this same alas poore Soule is for the most part mistakeÌ„ Neither the pittier nor the pittied imagins the soule pittiable Very humanitie teacheth a man to behold an execution of theeues traytours with griefe that men to satisfie their malicious or couetous affections should cut off their owne liues with so infamous a death But who commiserates the endangered Soule that must then ventor and enter on an eternall life or death The story of Hagar with her Son Ishmael is set downe by so heauenly a pen that a man cannot read it without tears She is cast out of Abrahams house with her child that might call her Master father Bread water is put on her shoulder and she wanders into the wildernes a poore reliefe for so long a iourney to which there was set no date of returning Soone was the water spent in the bottle the child cries for drinke to her that had it not and lifts vp pittiful eyes euery glance whereof was enough to wound her soule vents the sighes of a dry panting heart but there is no water to be had except the teares that ran from a sorrowful mothers eyes could quench the thirst Downe she layes the child vnder a shrubbe and went as heauy as euer mother parted from her onely son and sate her downe vpon the earth as if she desired it for a present receptacle of her griefe of her selfe a good way off saith the Text as it were a bow-shoâ—…e that the shrickes yellings dying groanes of the child might not reach her eares crying out Let me not see the death of the child Die she knew he must but as if the beholding it would rent her heart and wound her soule she denyes those windowes so sad a spectacle Let mee not see the death of the child So she lift vp her voyce and wept Neuer was Hagar so pittifull to her Sonne Ishmael as the Church is to euery Christian. If any sonne of her wombe wil wander out of Abrahams familie the House of Faith into the wildernes of this world and prodigally part with his owne mercy for the gawdy transient vanities thereof She followes with intreaties to him and to heauen for him If he will not returne she is loath to see his death she turnes her backe vpon him and weeps He that can with dry eyes and vnrelenting heart behold a mans Soule ready to perish hath not so much passion and compassion as that Egiptian bond-woman 2. Hearty The loue of Christ to vs was hearty not consisting of shewes and signes and courtly complements but of actuall reall royall bounties He did not dissemble liue to vs when he dyed for vs. Exhibitio operis probatio amoris He pleaded by the truest and vndenyable argument demonstration I loue you wherein I giue my Life for you Tot ora quot vulnera tot verba quot verbera So many wounds so many words to speake actually his loue euery stripe he bore gaue sufficient testimony of his affection His exceeding rich gift shewes his exceeding rich loue This heartines must be in our Loue both to our Creator and to his Image 1. To God so he chalengeth thy loue to be conditioned with thy Heart with all thy heart And this saith Christ is Primum Maximum mandâ—…tum the First and the greatest Commandement The first Quasi virtualiter centinens reliqua as mainely comprehending all the rest For he that loues God with all his heart will neither Idolatrize nor blaspheme nor profane his Sabboths no nor wrong his creatures The greatest as requiring the greatest perfection of our loue This then must be a hearty loue not slow not idle but must shew it selfe Et properando operando in ready diligence in fruitfull working obedience There are many â—…otent to loue God alitle because he blesseth them much So Saul loued him for his kingdome These loue God Pro seipsis not Prae seipsis For themselues not before themselues They will giue him homage but not fealtie the calues of their lippes but not the calues of their stals If they feast him with venison part of their Imparked Riches which is deere to them yet it shall be but rascall deere the trash of their substance they will not feast him with the heart that is the best deere in their Parke 2. To man whom thou art bound to loue as thy selfe where say some As is but a Tam not a Tâ—…ntum As thy selfe not As much as thy selfe As for the maner not for the measure But this is certaine true loue begins at home and he cannot loue another soundly that primarily loues not himselfe And he that loues himselfe with a good heart with the same heart will loue his brother In quâ—… seipsum proptâ—…r quod seipsum In that maner for that cause that he loues himselfe This then coÌ„mands the same loue if not the same degree of loue to thy brother that thou bearest to thy selfe This hearty loue is hardly found More is protested now then in former times but lesse done It is wittilyob serued that the old maner of saluting was to take shake one another by the hand now we locke armes ioyne breasts but not hearts That old hand full was better then this new armefull Our cringes and complementall bowings promise great humilitic but the smootherd venime of pride â—…es within We haue low lookes and loftie thoughts There are enough of those Which speake peace to their neighbours but mischiefe is in their hearts Whose smooth habites doe so palliate and ornamentally couer their poyson as if they did preserue mud in Chrystall The Romaynes vsually painted Friendship with her hand on her heart as if she promised to send no messenger out of the gate of her lips but him that goes on the hearts arrand Now we haue studied both textures of words and pretextures of
of ice thus suddenly thawed as waxe with the heate of Luxurie But Parum iusto a little that the righteous man hath is better then the riches of many wicked For the armes of the wicked shall be broken the strength of their state shall be confounded Their wealth is not Gods therefore he takes no charge of it But the Riches of the good is the riches of God and he will prosper it 2. These riches are well disposed or vsed Pietie not lust rules them He whom Gods blessings hath made rich giues God his part man his part and keepes the thirds to himselfe He returnes part 1. To God it is reason that he who giues all should haue part of all And because thou shouldest not grudge it hee chalengeth but a litle part but the tenth part wretched men that will not giue him one that gaue them tenne As Pilates wife sent her husband word Haue thou nothing to doe with that iust man meddle not with Gods portion lest a voyce come to thee as to Abimelech Thou art but a dead man This was good Iacobs resolution of all that thou shalt giue me I will sure ly giue the tenth vnto thee Goe too now ye that say the Gospell hath no law for Tythes and that they were meerely ceremoniall Iacob payed them vnder nature they are therefore vnnaturall men that deny them You can find no law commanding your payment but you shall find a law condemning your non payment What can then be pleated for our accursed Impropriations Did the heauenly Wisedome euer giue you those riches Shew vs your Patent and wee will beleeue you If euer God did conuey his owne portion to you shew vs his hand and seale for it Where did euer Iesus passe away his royall prerogatiue or acknowledge any fine before a Iudge that you say Haec nostra sunt these are ours What money did you euer pay him for them where is your acquitance Shew your discharge O but you plead prescription If you were not past shame you would neuer dare to prescribe against the eternall God Nullum tempus occurrit Regi the king of heauen had these from the beginning and will you now plead prescription You may thus vndoe the poore Minister in these terrene Courts but your plea shall bee damned in the Courts of God We can produce his act and deed whereby hee separated Tenths to himselfe haue you nothing to shew and will you take away his inheritance Goe to you haue a Law and by your owne law this proceeding is intolerable You say you hold them by your law by your law you shall be condemned Perhaps you thinke to make amends for all for you will encrease the stipend of the vicar When the Father hath gotten thousands by the sacrilegious Impro priation the Sonne perhaps may giue him a Cowes grasse or a matter of fortie shillings per annum Or bestow a litle whiting on the Church a wainscote seate for his owne worship Yea more hee may chance to found a litle Almeshouse and giue twelue pence a piece a weeke to sixe poore people O this oppressor must needes goe to heauen what shall hinder him But it will bee as the by-word is in a Wheelebarow the fiends and not the Angells will take hold on him For is it not a great piece of charitie to get fiue hundred pound a yeare from God and to bestow twenty markes a yeare on the poore When Dauid prouiding for the Temples building saw how bountifully the Princes and people offered he giues solemne thankes to God acknowledging that they had all receiued this first from him f For all things come of thee and of thine owne haue we giuen thee The originall is of thine hand What here the left hand of God gaue to them their right hand returnes to God They did not as our Churchsackers and ransackers doe robbe God with the right hand and giue him a litle backe with the left take from him a pound and restore him a peny Well you would know whether God hath giuen you your wealth and he sayes whatsoeuer you haue gotten by Tenths was none of his giuing and besides euerlasting malediction it shall make your posteritie beggars 2. The second rule of vsing our riches well is when God hath his owne in the next place tribuere cuique suum to render euery man his due If they bee Gods gifts they must be disposed with iustice This is double Commutatiue distributiue Iustice. The one Arithmeticall the other Geometricall Arithmeticall is to giue euerie one alike Geometricall is to giue euerie one according to his deserts 1 Cùm res adaequaturrei 2. Cùm res adaequatur personae There are two rules for him that would be iust a negatiue and an affirmatiue rule 1. The negatiue Doe that to no man which thou wouldest not haue done to thy selfe Quod tibi non vis alterine facias 2. The affirmatiue Whatsoeuer ye would that men should doe to you doe ye euen so to them Not what euerie man out of his disordered passions would haue another doe to him but what in his composed and deliberate iudgment he approues done to himselfe let him doe that to others Wouldst thou be relieued Relieue Wouldest thou borrow lend If I should follow this point of iust distribution as a marke to discerne of your riches whether they are Gods goods or not how distasting would my speech be How few of your houses are filled with those treasures onely which the heauenly wisedome here disperseth How litle of them is found to come in Gods name It may be some of your wealth was giuen you of God but your euill vsage alters the nature of it and it can no more properly be ascribed to him It is hard to draw this circumstance into a square it is so confused in your actions that I cannot tell how to find a method for it in my discourse You may make your riches none of Gods blessings by vsing them ill in respect of others especially three wayes Or Detinendo debita by detaining things due to others Extrudendo vilia by putting forth base things for good Corrūpendo vtilia by corrupting with good things others 1. By detaining those things that are due to others these are either Debts Promises 1. Debts Rom. 13. Owe no man any thing but to loue one another Indeed there must be some owing as there must be some lending without this mutuall commerce we are worse then Sauages But we must pay againe The wicked borroweth and payeth not againe Debt is not deadly sinne when a man hath no meanes but when he hath no meaning to pay There must be votall restitution if there cannot be actuall Restore Quoad affectum thought you cannot Quoad effectum For if their be first a willing mind it is accepted according to that a man hath not according to that he hath not God reckons that as done which
word beleeuing onely so much as you list Faith is holy and catholicke if you distrust part of Gods word you prepare infidelitie to the whole Did God promise Christ and in the fulnes of time to send him Then since he hath againe promised him and appointed a day wherein he will iudge the world by that man he shall come As certainly as he came to suffer for the world so certainely shall he come to iudge the world Christ was once offered to beare the sinnes of many and vnto them that looke for him shall he appeare the second time without sinne vnto saluation He that kept his promise when he came to die for vs followed by some few poore Apostles will not breake it when he shal come in glory with thousaÌ„ds of Angels Neither did God onely promise that Christ should come but that all beleeuers should be saued by him As many as receiued him to them gaue he power to be the sonnes of God euen to them that beleeue on his Name Misit filium promisit in filio vitam He sent his Sonne to vs and saluation with him Wretched and desperate men that distrust this mercie Whosoeuer beleeues and is baptised shall be saued Whosoeuer Qui se ipsum excipit seipsum decipit Did not God spare to send his promised sonne out of his bosome to death and will hee to those that beleeue on him deny life No all his promises are Yea and Amen in Christ may these also be Yea and Amen in our beleeuing hearts A yeelding Deuill could say Iesus I knew yet some men are like that tempting deuill Math. 4. Si filiu Dei sis If thou be the sonne of God Si if as if they doubted whether he could or would saue them Is come There is a threefold Comming of Christ according to the threefold difference of Time Past Present Future As Bernard Venit Ad homines In homines Contra homines 1. First for the time past he came among men Iohn 1. 1. The word was made flesh and dwelt among vs. 2. For the present he comes into men by his Spirit and grace Reu. 3. I stand at the dore and knock if any open vnto me I will come into him 3. For the time to come hee shall come against men Rom. 2. At the day when God shall iudge the secrets of all hearts by Iesus Christ. Or as it is wittily obserued the Sunne of righteousnesse appeareth in three signes Leo Virgo Libra 1. In the Law like a Lyon roaring out terrible things with a voice not indurable And they sayd to Moses Speake thou with vs and we will heare but let not God speake with vs least we die 2. In the Gospell hee appeared in Virgo an Infant borne of a virgin Math. 1. 25. 3. At his last Audite hee shall appeare in Libra weighing all our thoughts words and workes in a balance Behold I come quickly my reward is with me to giue euery man according as his worke shal be Is come He was not fetched not forced sponte venit of his owne accord he is come No man taketh my life from me but I lay it downe of my selfe Ambrose on these words of Christ Are ye come out against a theefe with swords and staues to take me Stultum est cum gladijs eum quarere qui vltro se offâ—…rt It was superfluous folly to apprehend him with weapons that willingly offered himselfe to seeke him in the night by treason as if he shunned the light who was euery day teaching publiquely in the Temple Sed factum congruit tempori personis quia cùm essent tenebrae in tenebroso tempore tenebrosum opus excercebant The fact agrees to the time and Persons they were darknesse therefore they doe the worke of darknesse in a time of darknesse Indeed hee prayes Father saue mâ—…e from this houre but withall hee corrects himselfe Therefore came I to this houre But he is said to feare dâ—…th Hebr. 5. What is it to vs Quòd timuit that hee feared nostrum est quòd sustinuit that hee suffered Christs nature must needs abhorre destructiue things but his Rationall ouercame his Naturall will Hee feared death Ex affectu sensualitatis not Ex affectu rationis Hee eschewed it secundum se but did vnder goe it propter aliud Ex impetu naturae hee declined it but ex imperio rationis considering that either hee must come and die on earth or wee all must goe and die in hell and that the heads temporall death might procure the bodies eternall life behold the Sonne of man is come Neither was it necessary for him to loue his paine though hee so loued vsto suffer this paine No man properly loues the rod that beats him though hee loues for his soules good to be beaten As Augustin sayd of crosses Tollerare iubemur non amare Nemo quod tollerat amat etsi tollerare amat We are commanded to beare them not to loue them No man that euen loues to suffer loues that he suffers Voluntarily hee yeelds himselfe saluting Iudas by the name of Friend Amice â—…r venis He suffered not his followers to offend his enemies nor commands the Angels to defend himselfe O blind Iewes was it impossible for him de paruo slipite ligni descendere qui descendit a coelorum altitudine to come downe from a peice of wood that came downe from heaueÌ„ Nunquid tua vincula illuÌ„ possunt teâ—…ere quem câ—…li non possunt capere Shall your bonds hold him when the heauens could not containe him He came not to deliuer himselfe that was in freedome but to deliuer vs that were in bondage Is come Is Christ come to vs and shall not wee come to him Doth the Sonne of God come to the Sonnes of men and doe the Sonnes of men scorne to come to the Sonne of God Proud dust wilt thou not meet thy maker If any aske Whether is thy beloued gone that wee may seeke him with thee The Church answers My beloued is gone downe into his garden to the beds of spices to feed in the gardens and to gather Lillies You shall haue him in his Garden the Congregation of the faithfull Wheresoeuer a number is gathered together in his Name Behold Venit ad limina virtus Manna lies at your thresholds will you not goe forth and gather it The Bridegrome is come will you not make merrie with him The nice piece of dust like Idolatrous Ieroboam cryes the Church is too farre off the iourney too long to Christ. Hee came all that long way from heauen to earth for vs and is a mile too tedious to goe to him Goe too sede ede perde sit still eate thy meate and destroy thy selfe who shall blame the iustice of thy condemnation But for vs let vs leaue our pleasures and goe to our Sauiour Non sedeas sed cas ni pereas
sayth Christ my workes beare witnesse of me We may thus vnderstand God ex operibus his actions preach his will 3. God speakes by his Sonne Hebr. 1. God who at sundry times and in diuers manners spake in tâ—…me past vnto the Fathers by the Prophets hath in these last daves spoken vnto vs by his Sonne Hee is therefore called the Word Ioh. 1 The sacred Scriptures and sayings of the Prophets giuen by the inspiration of God for no prophecie is of private interpretation it came not by the will of man but holy men spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost are called Verbum Domini the word of the Lord. But to distinguish God the Sonne from those words he is after an eminent sort called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word or That excellent word As also hee is called not a light but That light not a lambe but â—…hat lambe Not a vocall word formed by the tongue beating the aire for hee was before eyther sound or aire But the mentall and substantiall word of his Father but Ipse Paterâ—… 〈◊〉 effigies lumenque a lumine vero According to that of Paul The brightnesse of his glory and expresse image of his person 4. GOD speakes by his Scriptures Whatsoever things were writen aforetime are written for our learning that wee through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might haue hope Scripta sunt they are written Things that go onely by take or tradition meete with such variations augmentations abbreuiations corruptions false glosses that as in a Lawyers pleading Truth is lost in the Quaere for her Related thinges wee are long in getting quicke in forgetting Therefore God commanded his law should be written Litera scripta manet Thus God doth effectually speake to vs. Many good wholesome instructions haue drop'd from humane pennes to lesson and direct man in goodnesse But there is no promise giuen to any word to conuert the soule but to Gods word Without this Antiquitie is noueltie Noueltie subtletie Subtletie death Theologia Scholastica multis modis sophistica Schoole Diuinitie is little better then meere Sophistrie Plus argutiarum quam doctrine plus doctrina quà m vsus It hath more quicknesse then soundnesse more fauce then meate more difficultie then doctrine more doctrine then vse This Scripture is the Perfect and Absolute rule Bellarmine acknowledgeth two thinges requireable in a Perfect Rule Certaintie and Evidence If it bee not certaine it is no Rule if it bee not euident it is no rule to vs. Onely the Scripture is both in truth and euidence a perfect rule Other writings may haue canonicall veritie the Scripture onely hath canonicall authoritie Others like oile may make cheerefull mans countenance but this like Bread strengthens his heart This is the absolute Rule And as many as walke according to this Rule peace be on them and mercie and vppon the Israel of God O that wee had hearts to blesse GOD for this mercie that the Scriptures are among vs and that not sealed vp vnder an vnknowne tongue The time was when a deuout Father was glad of a piece of the new Testament in English when he tooke his little Sonne into a corner and with ioy of soule heard him reade a chapter so that euen Children became Fathers to their Fathers and begate them to CHRIST Now as if the commonnesse had abated the worth our Bibles lie dusty in the windowes it is all if a Sunday-handling quite them from perpetuall obliuion Few can read fewer do reade fewest of all read as they should God of his infinite mercie lay not to our charge this neglect 5. GOD speakes by his Ministers expounding and opening to vs those Scriptures These are Legati a latere dispencers of the mysteries of heauen Ambassadors for CHRIST as if God did beseech you through vs so wee pray you in Christs stead that you would be reconciled to God This voice is continually sounding in our Churches beating vpon our eares I would it could pierce our consciences and that our liues would eccho to it in an answerable obedience How great should be our thankfullnesse God hath delt with vs as hee did with Eliah The Lord passed by and a great strong wind rent the mountaines and brake in pieces the rockes before the Lord but the Lord was not in the wind After the wind came an earthquake but the Lord was not in the earthquake After the earthquake a fire but the Lord was not in the fire And after the fire a still voyce and the Lord came with that voyce After the same manner hath God done to this Land In the time of K. Henry 8. there came a great and mightie Wind that rent downe Churches ouerthrew Altarages impropriated from Ministers their liuings that made Lay-men substantiall Parsons and Clergie men their vicar-shadowes It blew away the rights of Leui into the lappe of Issachar a violent wind but God was not in that wind In the dayes of King Edward the sixt there came a terrible Earthquake hideous vapours of Treasons and conspiracies rumbling from Rome to shake the foundations of that Church which had now left off louing the Whore and turned Antichrist quite out of his saddle Excommunications of Prince and people execrations and curses in their tetricall formes with Bell Booke and Candle Indulgences Bulls Pardons promises of heauen to all traytors that would extâ—…rpate such a King and kingdome a Monstrous earthquake but GOD was not in the Earthquake In the dayes of Queene Mary came the Fire an vnmercifull fire such a one as was neuer before kindled in England and wee trust in Iesus Christ neuer shall be againe It raged against all that professed the Gospell of Christ made bonefires of silly women for not vnderstanding that their ineffable mysterie of Transubstantiation burnt the mother with the child Boner and Gardiner those hellish bellowes that set it on flaming A raging and insatiable fire but God was not in that fire In the dayes of Queene Elizabeth of blessed memorie came the still voyce saluting vs with the songs of Sion and speaking the comfortable things of Iesus Christ and GOD came with his voyce This sweete and blessed voyce is still continued by our Gracious Soueraigne GOD long preserued him with it and it with him and vs all with them both Let vs not say of this blessing as Lot of Zoar Is it not a litle one nor bee weary of Manna with Israel lest GODS voyce grow dumbe vnto vs and to our woe wee heare it speake no more No rather let our hearts answere with Samuel Speake Lord for thy seruants heare If wee will not heare him say to our soules I am your saluation wee shall heare him say Depart from mee I know you not So sayth wisedome Because I haue called and yee refused I will therefore laugh at your calamitie and mocke when your feare commeth The gallant promiseth himselfe many yeares and in them all to reioyce