one shewes the greatnesse of his Maiestie the other shewes the obedience of his ministry whilst hee takes the censure of his flesh and fills it with the coales of the altar and presents the supplications of his Church and makes the smoake of those spirituall odours ascend before the Lord as from the hand of an Angell O the gracious entrance of our triumphant Sauiour into that heauenly tabernacle before hee was from the earth earthly now hee is from heauen heauenly There be heauens corporall there hee is by the presence of his body there bee heauens mysticall there hee is by the influence of his Spirit For the soule of euery Christian may bee likened vnto heauen in the corporall heauens yee haue a Sunne to giue light in the mysticall heauens yee haue Christ to bee your guide in the corporall yee haue Starres that shine by night in the mysticall ye haue vertues eminent and conspicuous that shine in the night of aduersitie and the darknesse of tribulation in the corporall yee haue continuall serenitie in the mysticall perfect tranquilitie in the corporall ye haue an extension of parts in the mysticall of charitie the loue of God being spread abroad in our hearts by the holy Ghost and our bowels yearning with mercy and compassion towards the afflictions of our brethren So that God is still in the holy place there will he dwell there is his rest for euer Though we seldome frequent the place of his Sanctuary some perhaps once a yeare as the high Priests did the inward Tabernacle some perhaps once in their liues as Christ did this heauenly Tabernacle yea I feare many leaue the holy place and choose places most vnholy and defiled defiled with superstition and idolatrie defiled with riot and luxurie defiled with extorsion and crueltie defiled with vncleannesse and impuritie where the Sunne may scarce peepe without feare of darkening or the light without danger of infection O the deplored estate and lamentable condition of spirituall Gadarens and Daemoniacall Christians that abide in graues and lie as it were in the deepe of hell that sticke in the mire and clay or rather in the sinke and iakes of abhominable pollutions and Heliogabalian filthines How do they depart from the liuing God and forget the footsteps of their Sauiour The place where he goes is holy the ground where hee stands holy and as hee is holy in his words so is hee holy in his wayes O let there not bee such a distance betwixt head and members lift vp your heads raise vp your thoughts though your bodies lie on the earth let your soules be in heauen nay be yee a heauen vpon earth shining with truth establisht with hope adorned with righteousnesse extended with lour hung and spread with those gracious clouds of knowledge and instruction that Christ may bring his Father and come into your holy place and cast out the bond woman and take his rest as in a sanctuarie Vbi habitabo saith Austin in the name of God Where shall I dwell Dost thou thinke I will abide in the ruinous building of thy collapsed nature and depraued affections or in the sordid building of thy staind actions and wicked pollutions Surely no I looke my house should be cleane swept and garnisht with the flowers of vertue as the Diamond or the Carbuncle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Nyssen he that is Lord of honour and glory will not bee owner of that which is dishonourable and inglorious If hee would not suffer the vncleane spirits to name him hee shall not suffer the vncleane men to enioy him they cryed and were rebuked if they cry they may bee refused Awake then and consider whose temples yee are this is the will of God euen your sanctification This is the will of God euen your glorification O my brethren me thinkes I see the names of all that stand before me written in the booke of life and I seeme to reade through that sea of glasse the diuine pedegree of your sacred race and heauenly genealogie There is Abraham your Father and Isaac his sonne or rather Iacob to whom the promises were made yea there is God your Father in whom all the families of heauen and earth are named and Christ his Sonne flesh of our flesh and bone of our bone together with that Spirit by whose grace we are knit and linkt in one fellowship and communion there is the ring and the robe which the Angells which bee his seruants shall cast vpon vs the ring of endlesse blisse and interminate happinesse the robe of perfect iustice and immortall holinesse Why do not we mooue as the clouds and flie as the Doues vnto our windowes Why is not our heart together with our treasure nay with our flesh and with our bloud with our strength and with our glorie He is gone before that we may follow after first by contemplation then by conuersation till at length we be inducted into mount Sion the blessed Temple of our spirituall Ierusalem hauing not onely quiet and peaceable but actuall and corporall possession Now we haue Ius ad rem then wee shall Ius in re Now wee are inuested with right and power then we shall be superinuested with immortalitie and honour like those blessed Elders that worshipt the Lambe which doth wipe all teares from their eyes and guide them to those fountaines of liuing waters Did wee consider how great and excellent things God hath promist to all that loue him in the heauens our hearts would bee turned and set more by the holy place then by the honourable place or the place of custome and of sweetnes or the place of maiestie and of greatnesse there is the flower of wheate and the abundance of delight Riuers of oyle and flouds of peace in comparison whereof our ioy is heauinesse our fulnesse vacuitie our pleasure bitternesse our riches pouertie our beautie ashes our comelinesse deformitie It is Dauids note that God hath set the wicked as a wheele and the reason is giuen by a learned Father Anterius cadit posterius eleuatur The former part turnes downe the hinder part turnes vp so they incline and how downe towards the glorious brightnes of that which is before and permanent but rise are lifted vp towards the emptie shadow of that which is past and transient let them be as a wheele so wee be as a Chariot or an Eagle mounted and soaring towards the place of vision where Christ sits in the glorie of the Father Sequar illum quem mea occidit tarditas was the speech of Cassius when Brutus had bene slaine by the stay of his aide and the negligence of his armie I will follow him that my slownesse hath put to death They are our sinnes that haue put Christ to death the slownesse and backwardnesse of our hearts and vnderstandings to do any thing that is good O let vs follow him in the bearing of his crosse and the entrance of his glorie Sequar eum quem mea
in this honour it is thou onely which hast the glorie And that in altissimis and ab altissimis First in the highest for the heauens declare the glory and are the stage and theater of thine euerlasting power and triumphant maiesty secondly of the highest For the Angels praise thee and the Saints giue thankes vnto thee the heauens and all the powers therein continually do cry Holy holy holy Lord God of Sabboth heauen and earth are full of thy glory thy praise is their ioy thy honour their comfort thy celebritie their felicitie by whose power they are made by whose wisedome they are illuminated by whose grace they stand fast and shall neuer bee remooued Whence is that of Dauid Beati qui habitant Blessed are they which dwell in thy house they will euer bee praising thee Though I could assigne many reasons of this glory from the Angels as the excellent dignitie of their wonderfull creation for they beare the signiture of God in their nature the continuall fruition of diuine sweetnesse for they tast and drinke thereof as from a riuer the sure confirmation of their eternall blessednesse for they are setled and established by the incarnation of our Sauiour Yet that which fills their hearts with praise and their tongue with ioy is their instauration of their decay because thou hast built vp the walls of Ierusalem and made vp their breach by the saluation of man and the redemption of our nature The walls of Ierusalem are the companies of Angels which are built vp and made compleat by reducing man to the state of their perfection Therefore do they reioyce and sing therefore do they cry aloud vpon their beds and to vse the words of Cyprian Gratulabundi praedicant they magnifie the riches of Gods mercy with exceeding ioy and wonderfull gratulation O my brethren and yee whom I tender as mine owne bowels in the Lord. What a motiue is this to Christian loue and perfect charitie Shall the Angels praise God for vs and shall not we praise the Lord for our selues Shall an armie of spirituall souldiers triumph in the redemption of man and shall not wee reioyce in our owne saluation and the miraculous deliuerance of our brethren True deuotion is full of compassion and the Saints of God do not onely suffer together but reioyce together with Hymnes and Psalmes of spirituall melody singing to the Lord with grace in their hearts Whence are they termed filiae Iudah daughters of Iudah and filiae confessionis daughters of confession as learned Austin makes the exposition such as praise God and offer the sacrifice of thankfulnesse for his loue to man and his blessings out of Sion Tell mee then what spirit they are of that call to heauen for vengeance and would haue the Lord send downe fire vpon their enemies that delight in the ruine and destruction of their brethren yea machinate the subuersion of States and Kingdomes with the diuellish practises of most hellish inuentions That curse where the Lord doth blesse and cry against the highest powers as the Romane legions against Iouian the Emperour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thou hast escaped the edge of the sword and the furie of battell would God thy flesh had beene giuen to the fowles of the aire and the dogs had licked thy bloud as the bloud of Iezabell by the wall of Iezrael well may they resemble Abaddon and Apolluon the Diuell and his angels they are most repugnant to God his Angels For their song is of glory peace yea and of glory for peace and that with man vpon the earth which is the second note of this Hymne and desires continuance of your deuotion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 On the earth peace Though glory belong to heauen and peace to the earth yet was there a time when neither was to be found Man had prouoked God to anger and taken away our peace translated the worship of God to Idols and depriued him of his glory but now they are both in their naturall seate and the comming of our Sauiour is like the returne of that Doue into the Arke with the gracious branch of peace of mercy When Ionah was cast into the sea the storme ceast and there was a great calme when the Lord brought his first begotten into the world the troubles were abated there was a great peace throughout the whole earth Fluuius pacis as Esay writeth A floud of peace for a sea of misery and that which before was a place of exile and banishment is now the Tabernacle of rest and quiet where the Lord hath extended peace and safetie and righteousnesse and glorie as a flowing streame For that which hee taught as an Oracle in his life and bequeathed as a legacie at his death I meane the sweetnesse of peace and the aboundance of holinesse was now begun in the time of his birth and set as a pearle on the top and crowne of his blessed incarnation whence is hee termed a King of peace our heauenly Salomon yea our very peace that made both one and set at peace through the bloud of his crosse the things on earth and the things in heauen How can wee choose but rest in peace now the Lord is come who is to the whole earth as Apollo was to Delos that hee may settle and stablish it with an euerlasting quietnesse But Luke and Mathew are at variance and there is warre betwixt the words of my Text and that of the Gospell Thinke yee that I am come to send peace into the world I came not to send peace but a sword what a sword and yet peace Fire and yet peace warre and yet peace these things are incompatible and as the Poet notes Frontibus aduersis pugnantia Yet may they bee reconciled and stand together The sword of the spirit with the peace of conscience the fire of loue with the peace of religion war against Satan and his angels with peace towards God and his Angels For as the naturall body is framed of contrary elements so diuerse qualities may perfect the mysticall body of Christ Iesus And though we do not striue against flesh and bloud yet do we against the Prince of this world and against spirituall wickednesses in the highest places whence is that of Bernard Inter Babilonem Hierusalem pax nulla betwixt Babilon Hierusalem there is no peace Satan is the King of Babylon Christ of Hierusalem which he defends with cōtinuall resistances though he be not the God of confusion but of order in all the Churches of the Saints What then is the peace of my Text but sacred and diuine such as Christ wisheth to the Apostles and the Apostles to the elect in their generall salutations Peace with God for we are reconciled to the Father Peace with Angels for they reioyce in our conuersion Peace with men for they shall bee gathered into one flocke Peace with the creature for it shall be in league with vs Peace with our owne selues
on for the consummation of our glorie There we find his patience here we find his perseuerance euery where the oyle of ioy and of gladnesse whereupon saith Bernard Nemo saluus quanto minus saluator There is none can be saued much lesse a Sauiour without the constancie of perseuerance Good lucke haue thou with thine honour and ride on Good lucke haue thou with thine honour and begin what thou hast to do Ride on with thine honour and finish what thou hast began It is thy promise that doth bind thee and thy word that doth excite thee a word of truth that shewes vs thy precepts a word of meeknesse that forgiues our iniquities a word of righteousnesse that purifies the conscience Good lucke haue thou with thine honour ride on for the word of truth and of meeknesse and of righteousnesse These are the drops of raine from aboue which I desire may fall gently into yoursoules as into a fleece of wooll with facilitie of patience and humilitie of deuotion Good lucke haue you in hearing good lucke haue I in speaking from him that rideth on the circle of the heauens and is now drawne throughout the whole world on the foure Euangelists that triumphant chariot the chariot of the Gospell And so I begin with my first obseruation and take the Omen of my text Fortunam Domini cantare nobile regnum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Good lucke haue thou with thine honour That inscription of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or good fortune which Demosthenes bare on his shield Christ bore in his cradle and the starre that shined at his birth was auspicious through the whole course of his life it brought him to honour it kept him in honour and made him triumph gloriously ouer the whole power of the enemie for what is the magnificence of humane greatnesse without the assurance of diuine goodnesse but as Saluianus notes Sine medulla corpus as flesh with our life or bones without marrow Many refuse to be great none to be fortunate Marke the speech of Baiazet the fourth when his sonne was taken captiue and one of his chiefest Cities ransackt by the enemie he enuies the condition of a heard and his discontent breakes forth as lightning O happie sheepe heard that hast neither Orthobules nor Sebastia to loose And therefore I the lesse maruell what Saint Austin notes among the Romanes that when they built temples on to their Images and deified their seuerall powers they all giue place to Felicitie as Queene and Empresse among the gods of the Nations and Idols of the heathen for it is the dew of heauenly grace and coelestiall benediction that must crowne and establish not onely the labours and designes of mans wit and humane inuention but the highest aduancements and greatest preferments wee can sustaine You may compare it to that siluer cup which Ioseph put into the mouth of Beniamins sacke all the sonnes of Iacob returned laden from Aegypt with come and money in their sacks onely Beniamin had the cup as a singular pledge of his brothers fauour And though many reioyce for the corne and the wine and the oyle that hath increast yet this grace cup whether you terme it scyphum gratiae a cup of grace with Ambrose ore calicem benedictionis a cup of blessing with the Apostle this siluer cup this grace cup is still kept for Beniamin the sonnes of God and the children of his right hand that grow and flourish vnder the wing and shadow of his protection Great was the honour of Christ in regard of his threefold vnction he was annointed as a Prophet and spake as neuer man did he was annointed as a Priest and layd the holo caust of his bodie vpon the altar of his crosse he was annointed as a King and now sits regnant on the hill of Sion the house of Iacob the throne of Dauid hauing receiued all power both in heauen and earth by donation from the Father Yea saith Bernard Pretiosi magis panni saluatoris The robes of Kings are not to be compared with the raggs of Christ nor the throne of Princes with the crosse of our Sauiour There is more honour in the nayles of his crosse then in the pearles of their crownes that mannage the scepters of diuers Nations and mighty kingdomes But whether his arme be full of strength or his lippes be full of grace or his soule be full of knowledge or his flesh be full of glorie the ground is taken from the Prophet Quia Deus in eternum benedixit Because God hath blessed him for euer Full of grace are thy lippes because God hath blessed thee for euer And therefore let vs beseech our heauenly Father as the daughter of Caleb did her earthly father that he would giue vnto vs the springs aboue as well as the springs beneath that irriguum inferius of humane grace and temporall happinesse that irriguum superius of diuine grace and spirituall blessednesse wrestling with God as Iacob with the Angell till he blesse vs and make a vnion of that double character Traiano melior Augusto foelicior the vertue of Traian with the fortune of Augustus Non te demittam nisi benedixeris I will not let thee go except thou blesse me Yet let me not confine the honour of Christ to any particulars when he was lifted on a throne the whole Temple was full of his glorie and if wee desire to comprehend with all Saints what is the length and the bredth the height and the depth thereof wee must take the wings of the morning and flie to the vttermost parts of the earth the height reacheth vp to the clouds the depth pearceth below the center the length stretcheth from one generation to another the bredth extends from the riuer to the sea and from the sea to the worlds end But that which is here chiefly entended is militarie and Thriambeuticall like that of Knighthood and chiualry got as if it were in the field by the strength of his arme and the power of his owne right hand the triumphant honour of his glorious victorie ouer death hell world and the diuell When he was lifted from the earth and drew all things vnto him when he entred the strong mans house and tooke away his prisoners and smote Goliah with his owne sword and deliuered the prey from the iawes of the enemie when he destroyed the kingdome of Satan and bare away those gates of brasse vpon his shoulders and trode the wine-presse and came victoriously from Edom with his garments red from Bozrah leauing this encouragement to all posteritie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be of good cheere my friends I haue ouercome the world Beloued Christians that stand in the Courts of Ierusalem to behold the faire beautie of the Lord and to admire his glorie What greater honour then to smite his enemies on the cheeke bone and to drowne Pharoh and his chariots in the sea To cast the Dragon and his Angels into the bottomlesse pit of
thirsteth in the midst of waters but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Come into the ioy of thy Master and take part of it with delight and satisfaction as one that doth feele and tast how good the Lord is Thus doth one deepe call vpon another Abyssus luminosa abyssum tenebrosam The depth of light and claritie vpon the depth of blindnesse and obscurity the depth of power and maiestie vpon the depth of weaknesse and humilitie the depth of goodnesse and mercie vpon the depth of wretchednesse and misery And all this for the noise of the water pipes which is nothing but the sound and the cry of repentance and humilitie Hee sware vnto the generation of our fathers they should neuer enter into his rest because they prouoked him in the wildernes Hee saith onely to the generation of their children they shall enter into his rest If they obey his precepts What is his word as good as his oath yes when he that speaketh is truth it selfe and he sweareth that hath none greater then himselfe For his passion was our redemption and if I may vse the words of Bernard Clauus penetrans clauis aperiens The nayles that fastned him to the crosse the speare that ran him through the lance that opened his side the iron that went into his soule is made a key to vnlocke heauen and to make vs enter Therefore do wee sing triumphantly in the Churches Liturgie When thou hadst ouecome the sharpnesse of death thou didst open the kingdome of heauen to all beleeuers Agreeable whereunto is the vision of Saint Iohn I lookt and behold there was a doore opened in the midst of heauen and the first voice I heard was as the sound of a trumpet saying Come vp higher But if God himselfe did not rest the seuenth day before he considered the works of his creation and found them good God saw all that was made loe it was very good Gen. 1. 31. How shall we hope to enter his rest that eternall Sabboth of our bodies and our spirits before we haue done some good examined our hearts tried our faith prooued our workes and found some goodnesse in the midst of their imperfections wee may not please God without faith or see God withour holinesse The bridegroome will passe by without notice of vs if wee haue neither faith in our hearts nor oyle in our vessels The oyle of grace the oyle of mercy the oyle of deuotion the oyle of charitie shining and burning to the comfort of our brethren As wisedome doth not enter the house of an euill soule so an euill soule doth not enter the house of wisedome Therefore doth he stand at the doore and knocke with an aperi sponsa aperi columba Open my loue open my done Open to me the gates of righteousnesse that I may open to thee the gates of blessednesse For except your righteousnesse exceed that of the Pharises yee shall neuer enter the kingdome of heauen Looke vpon those Elders which stand before the throne they are clothed with white robes and haue palmes in their hands which is nothing but the flower and beauty of their good workes and Christian pietie It is storied of the Scythians that once a yeare they made a great feast where none may come but such as haue slaine an enemie The feast God makes vs is the ioy of my Text a great feast and in the simplicitie of termes exceeding gaudies but there is no entrance or admission before we haue crucified the body of sinne slaine an enemie sacrificed a rebell yea many enemies and many rebels that fight against the soule by true confession and heartie repentance neuer to be repented of Adiebus Ioannis Baptistae saith Christ Since the time of Iohn Baptist the kingdome of heauen suffers violence Why since the time of Iohn Baptist But onely to shew the vertue of repentance because hee taught repentance and was neuer without a poenitentiam agite in his mouth Repent for the kingdome of God is at hand Repent for the kingdome of heauen is at hand Whence is that of Gregorie Rapiamus fletibus quod non debetur meritis Let vs snatch that by force of teares which is not due to the merits of workes If any bee meeke patient humble penitent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Christ taught in a Sermon vpon the mount theirs is the kingdome of heauen and theirs onely is the kingdome of heauen I know there bee many pretend keyes and would faine leade vs into a fooles paradise by a vaine conceit of their deceitfull merits witnesse that great Clauiger of Rome that vsurpeth all power in heauen and earth as if he alone had the key of Dauid That openeth and no man shutteth and shutteth and no man openeth It is not enough for Christ to loose if hee binde it is not enough for Christ to remit if he retaine it is not enough for Christ to say enter if hee say be gone O the cursed blasphemie of that open sepulchre how doe they spoile God of his naturall right and peculiar iurisdiction And yet they are not the keyes of heauen but of hell which these men keepe abyssi claues as Saint Iohn writes the keyes of that bottomlesse pit where they leade many by the heresie of their doctrine and the impiety of their actions If not by the thunder and lightning of their fierce anathemaes and direfull imprecations It is a pretty story which I read of Pope Leo when he was troubled in conscience and toucht with the remorse for his iniquities his Confessor cheared him vp with a Quid times sancte pater Holy father what makes you affraid Haue not you the keyes of heauen and the merits of Christ at your dispose There is none in the world that hath so great power and command as your selfe O saith Leo know yee not that hee which sells any thing hath no right in that which is sold I feare since wee haue so often sold Christ and his merits we shall haue no right nor interest in them our selues Wretched men that yee are who shall deliuer yee from the body of despaire May we not say to them as Christ did to others in the Gospell Woe be vnto you yee take the keye of knowledge but yee do not enter your selues and such as come yee forbid Woe be vnto you ye take vnto you the keyes of heauen but you do not enter your selues and such as come yee forbid or rather indeed yee bid all that come at your publike Iubilies as base Hucsters of Gods free mercy in the sale and market of Pardons and Indulgences But howsoeuer these men abuse that power against the truth which is giuen for the truth we are sure Christ hath left keyes with his Church Tibi dabo claues was a grant made to the Apostles in the name of Peter and stands good to euery Minister of the Gospell vnder the broad seale of the Crosse To thee will I giue the keyes of heauen They haue all the
aspect of that face which the Angels desire to behold and that continually Whereupon saith Dauid Letificabis nos in lumine vultus tui Thou shalt make vs glad with the ioy of thy countenance And this is it which is termed Domini gaudium our masters ioy For indeed wee are all seruants of one master King and Priest sheepheard and flocke Prophet and Disciple Magistrate and subiect which made that great Emperour Constantine neuer writ to any Christian though neuer so meane but with this direction as Eusebius noteth ad fratrem conseruum to his brother and fellow seruant Worthy to bee obserued by such as are Grandes and Demigods vpon earth lest at any time they despise the humilitie of others low condition But I would not haue the name of master take vs from the ioy of our master that is it I would imprint into you that you may be receiued into it O that your hearts were fixt vpon it and that ye would seeke after the fountaine of eternall happinesse Then would yee fly your selues and abandon the corruption of humane infirmitie like that good man in Nazianzene 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that would not suffer the nobilitie of his soule to bee depraued with carnall filthines How doth it come to passe that so many are caught with vanitie led with curiositie taken with desire inflamed with pleasure wract with enuie defiled with luxurie poysoned with malice enraged with furie stung with serpents haunted with maladies troubled with cares vexed with heauinesse drowned and plunged in the sea and gulfe of inextricable miseries but onely for neglect of this ioy because they do not looke after their masters ioy and sing with the blessed Virgine My soule doth magnifie the Lord and my spirit hath reioyced in God my Sauiour God forbid we should forbid any to reioyce the Text perswades it the Lord commands it and my heart is enlarged towards you with ioy and gladnesse Laetemur iugiter modo innocentèr Let vs reioyce daily so it be without hurt in the Lord in our master Wee haue iust cause to feare that many preferre the ioy of the world before the ioy of the master mutable vanitie before true felicitie And yet let me do them no wrong they are very desirous of their masters ioy but who is their master Is not pride or couetousnesse or violence or extortion or some domineering habit of malitious wickednesse Lust calls to one and sayes I am thy master Reuenge to another and sayes I am thy master seuerall vices to seuerall humours with the like claime of subiection and obedience So that where God hath many seruants created vnto good workes the Diuell hath as many pensioners sold vnto euill workes Base slaues mercenary hirelings if not for pleasure at least for profit they come into the diuels ioy his baites and his contentments the Diuell comes into their ioy their soules and their consciences into some by a pot into others by a sop as hee did that accursed miscreant and Apostate Iudas but wee hope better things of you and such as doe accompanie saluation For mee thinkes yee are come alreadie into your masters ioy the Tabernacles of God the Courts of his Sanctuarie Where yee serue him with gladnesse and come before his presence with a song For if there were ioy in heauen for one sinner that repenteth what ioy shall there bee with the Lord of heauen for so many Christians that mooue toward his Courts and fly as the Doues to their windowes O how beautifull are your feete how aimiable are your doings How is the Lord pleased with your sacrifices and oblations whilst yee come from the East and stand in the gates of the daughter of Sion and open your treasure and present the Lord with the riches of your substance euen gold and myrhe and frankincense For this it is that hee doth open his bosome and stretch forth his armes and lift vp his voyce and extend the golden scepter of his louing kindnesse to the end yee may come to his royall Pallace saying to vs as the King did to Hester What is thy petition and what is thy request it shall be giuen thee to the halfe of my kingdome Come with mee from Lebanon euen with mee from Lebanon or rather as it is in my Text Intra in gaudium Domini tui Enter into thy masters ioy O let not the ioy of man draw vs from the ioy of God O let not the ioy of the creature draw vs from the ioy of the Creator O let not the ioy of the left hand draw vs from the ioy of the right hand O let not the ioy of things visible and temporall draw vs from the ioy of things inuisible and eternall Could the ioyfull sound of Amphions harpe raise stones to the fencing of Thebes And shall not the ioyfull cry of our Sauiours Spirit draw vs to the building of that heauenly Ierusalem Audite vocantem quia exaudit inuocantem saith Austin be not slow to here the Lord when hee calls vnto you because he is ready to heare you when you call vpon him Yee see the power of your vocation yee are called by our Sauiour yee see the nature of your inheritance it is ioy and gladnesse yee see the benefit of your seruice it is the ioy of your Lord and master as the Romanes painted the Graces so hath God planted his children Semper gaudentes semper ridentes they were euer laughing and these are euer lauding lauding and praising and singing and reioycing with ioy vnspeakable and glorious My prayer shall be with Moses Si inueni gratiam if I haue found grace in thy sight shew vs thy way if wee haue found grace in thy sight shew vs thy selfe and shew vs thy glorie bring vs vnto thy rest and take vs into thy ioy that Israel may bee truly Israel and see God that Israel may bee glad in him that made him and Sion may bee ioyfull in her King euen Iesus Christ thine onely ioy and our onely Sauiour to whom with the Father and the Spirit three persons and one God bee ascribed all power maiestie and dominion this day and for euer Amen Angelorum ANTIPHONIA The Angels Antheme BERN. Cant. Ser. 13. Tibi Domine gloria maneat illibata mecum bene agitur si pacem habuero LONDON Printed for ROBERT ALLOT THE SIXTH SERMON LVKE 2. 14. Glorie bee to God in the highest on earth peace good will towards men WHat Iob prophesied time hath verified that when the corner stone was layd the sonnes of God reioyced and the starres of the morning praised him together Christ our Sauiour is the stone of the corner that lyeth in the foundation of his Church the starres of the morning are the glorious Angels and Citizens of heauen that shine as Iasper about the throne of God and cry Hosanna in the highest Blessed is hee that cometh in the name of the Lord Hosanna in the highest whereupon saith Ambrose Laudatur in coelis