shall make them miserable that haue this preparation Agabus told Paul hauing first bound his hands and feet with his girdle Thus sayth the holy Ghost so shall the Iewes at Ierusalem bind the man that oweth this girdle Hereupon the rest of the Saints besought him with teares not to goe vp to Ierusalem But obserue that blessed Apostles resolued answer Paratus sum I am readie What meane ye to weepe and to breake my heart I am readie not to be bound onely but also to die at Ierusalem for the name of the Lord Iesus The account is past I am prepared Men that want this fore-resolution are like a secure citie that spends all her wealth in furnishing her chambers and furbishing her streets but le ts her bulwarkes fall to the ground Here is prouision for peace none for warre something for content of friends nothing for defence against enemies It is vsuall for young-men with wooden Wasters to learne how to play at the sharpe they are taught with foiles how to deale with points He is desperate that ventures on a single combate in the field and was neuer lesson'd at the Fence-schoole We shall be vnable to fight with euils themselues if we cannot well incounter their shadowes Mischiefes are like the Cocatrices eye If they see first they kill foreseene they die What our foresight takes from their power it addes to our owne it enervates their strength and corroborates ours For by this both they are made lesse able to hurt vs and we are more strong to resist them Since therefore we must passe through this fierie triall let vs first proue our strength in a gentle meditation as that martyr tryed his finger in the Candle before his bodie came to the fire 2. They must be made welcome when they are come Non vt hostes sed vt hospites admittendi They must not be entertained as enemies but as guests Their feete are beautifull that bring good tydings but crosses bring good newes They assure vs that we are no bastards If you endure chastening God dealeth with you as with Sonnes But if you be without correction then are yee bastards Non timeas flagellari sed exhaeredari Feare not to be scourged but to be disinherited There is so much comfort in sorrow as makes all affliction to the elect Carmen in nocte a song in the night Aduersitie sends vs to Christ as the leprosie sent those Ten. Luk. 17. Prosperity makes vs turne our backes vpon Christ leaue him as health did those Nine Dauids sweetest songs were his lacrymae In misery he spared Saul his great aduersary in peace he killed Vriah his deare friend The wicked sing with Grashoppers in faire Weather but the faithfull in this like Sirens can sing in a storme It is a question whether the Sun or the Wind will first make a man throw off his cloke but by all consent the Sun will first vncloke him Imagine by the Sun the warme heate of prosperitie by the Wind the blustring cold of calamitie by the cloke Christs liuerie a sincere profession Now which of these will first vncase thee of thy zeale The boystrous wind makes a man gather his cloke closer about him the hote silent Sun makes him weary of so heauy a burden he soone does it off Secure plentie is the warme Sunne which causeth many to dis-cloke themselues cast off their zeale as it did Demas who left Christ to embrace this present world But the cold wind of afflictio gathers it vp closer to him teacheth him to be more zealous When a man cannot find peace vpon earth he quickly runs to heauen to seeke it Plutarch writes that Antigonus had in his armie a valiant souldiour but of a sickly bodie Antigonus observing his valour procured his Physitians to take him in hand and he was healed Now being sound he began to fight in some feare to keepe himselfe a good distance from danger no more venturing into the vanne or forlorne place of the battell Antigonus noting and wondring at this alteration asked him the cause of this new cowardice He answers O Antigonus thou art the cause Before I ventured nothing but a diseased corpes and then I chose rather to die quickly then to liue sickly I invited death to doe me a kindnes Now it is otherwise with me for I haue somewhat to loose A poore and afflicted life makes a man bold in his religio it is nothing to part with hunger thirst cold contempt But when prosperous fortunes flow vpon him he dares not sticke so constantly to Christ. Would you haue the rich Marchant find fault with Idolatrie stand to iustifie Gods truth No he hath somwhat to take to and although he ventures much he would be loath to bee a venturer in this Yet this somewhat is nothing in regard of what he looseth because he will not loose his riches Affliction sometimes makes an euill man good alwayes a good man better Crosses therefore doe not onely chalenge our patience but euen our thankes Thy soule is sicke these are thy Physicke Intelligat homâ—… Deum esse medicum sub medicamento positus vreris secaris clamas Non audit medicus ad voluntatem sed audit ad sanitatem Vnderstand God thy Physitian he ministers to thee a bitter but wholesome potion thy stomach abhors it thou lyest bound vnder his hand whiles he workes vppon thee thou cryest to be deliuered he heares thee not according to thy will but according to thy weale We are chastened of the Lord that we should not bee condemned with the world Thou payest the Physitian of thy body though hee cannot heale thee wilt thou not thanke the Physitian of thy soule that hath healed thee The child cryes for the knife the parent knowes it can but hurt him though he weepe for it hee shall not haue it Such children are we to thinke God doth not vse vs kindly vnlesse he giue vs euery vanitie we affect In stead of these toyes that would make vs wanton God layes on vs the rod of correction to make vs sober Our flesh is displeased our soule is saued we haue no cause to complaine I come now from the Sufferance of the Saints to The Integritie of that Sufferance According to the will of God We haue sufferd enough except it be according to his will The manner commends the matter To goe no further this point is sufficiently directed by our Apostle Vers. 14. If ye bee reproached for the name of Christ happie are you for the Spirit of glorie resteth vpon you But let none of you suffer as an euill-doer For Chap. 2. 19. This is thanke-worthie if a man for conscience toward God endure griefe suffering wrongfully This our Sauiour taught vs. Blessed are they that suffer persecution for righteousnesse sake non qui patiuntur sed qui patiuntur propter iustitiam for theirs is the Kingdome of heauen Non mortes sed mores faciunt martyres
de terra tua said God to Abraham Get thee out of thy Country yea rather de terra non tua from a Country that is none of thine vnto a Land that I will shew thee thy owne Land the kingdome of Heauen Though man be called Earth Earth Earth thrice with one breath earth by procreation earth by sustentation earth by corruption saith Bernard yet the Christian is not Habitator sed accolaterrae not a dweller but a passenger on the earth For here we haue no continuing City but we seek one to come An Englishman that traffiques in Turkie and gets wealth in Turkie yet plants not in Turkie but transports for England A Christian what euer hee gets on earth treasures vp in heauen Socrates being asked what Country-man he was answered Sum ciues mundi I am a Citizen of the world But a Christian must answere Sum ciues coeli I am a Citizen of heauen Forsake wee this home-stall with a ready mind when GOD calls vs. And the Lord grant vs so to liue in this Citie of Grace that wee may all liue for euer in the City of Glory through Iesus Christ. To an innumerable company of Angels Behold one speciall dignity the Gospel brings vs Consociari Angelis to be made companions with the Angels The incorporeall spirits are of two sorts Celestiall Infernall If we weigh the malignancie of the one with the benignitie of the other we shall truly meditate this benefite Infernall spirits are tempters to euill and tormentors for euill Homines seducunt seductos damnant damnatos torquent They seduce mortalls seduced they damne thē damned they torment them Because they lost being like God they striue to make men like themselues The diuell enhanceth his owne damnation to procure others Hee knowes himselfe irrecouerably lost therefore is desperate These are wretched companions Lord grant vs to know no more of them then by hearesay But the good Angels striue by all meanes to vphold vs in our integritie to keepe vs in the feare of that God they know and worship to preserue vs from dangers whilst we liue and beeing dead to transport vs to euerlasting ioy Blesse vs O Lord with the society of these Angels for euer Here we must consider two circumstances Quales and Quoti the Persons what they are Angels the number how many they are An innumerable company First what they are Angels An Angel is an intellectuall and incorporeall substance free of will a seruant to God by his grace immortall in blessednes Cuius substantiae speciem et terminum solus qui creauit nouit We cannot sufficiently know them whiles we are on earth O may wee one day see and know them in heauen That we may receiue comfort by this consorting with Angels and vnderstand what good they doe vnto vs let vs consider in them these sixe particulars Their nature their knowledge their power their dignitie their distinction their ministery 1. Their nature they are not qualities and motions but spirituall substances really subsisting This their actions testifie running on Gods commands executing his hests c. They are not flesh and bone yet sometimes haue taken visible formes Abraham intertaining three Angels set meate before them and they did eate Theodoret sayes they did take the meate simulatis manibus and did put it into simulatum os they seemed to eate not in truth But they had palpable and tractable bodies for the time as appeares plainely verse 4. by washing their feete Thomas thinkes they assumed a true body but non fuit vera comestura it was not a true eating But this is an idle opinion for there may be a true eating though the meat be not conuerted into the substance of the body So our Sauiour did eate after his rising from death yet no man thinkes his meate was turned into his substance It is safe to say with the Text they did eate and performe other offices of a body truly Now this was by diuine dispensation for a time the bettter to accomplish their enioyned duties Yet were these bodies no part of their natures but onely as garments are to vs. But whence had they these bodies They were eyther immediately created of God or conflate of some presubsistent matter What became of these induments deposed Eyther as they were made of nothing so resolued into nothing or else turned into the first matter whereof they were composed and so was also the meate they did eate Thus they haue beene called men Three men came to Abraham The women that came to Christs Sepulcher found two men standing by them in shining garments This is their nature which in it selfe saith Isodore is mutable for some of them fell from that blessed estate and left their owne habitation But now for the rest Seruauit eos incorruptos charitas aeterna the eternall loue of God hath made them vnchangeable For Christ hath reconciled all things to himselfe whether they bee things in earth or things in heauen This is their excellent nature inferiour to God superior to man In the Prophets vision each of the Seraphins had sixe wings with twaine he couered his face and with twaine be couered his feete and with twa◅ hee did flie They haue two wings to couer their faces as not able to behold the glory of God and two to couer their feet because wee are not able to behold them in their excellency 2. Their knowledge Austin sayes They are taught of God in the eternal contemplation of whose truth they are most blessed Quomodo quae scienda sunt nesciant qui scientem omnia sciunt How should they bee ignorant of such things as are fit to be known that know him that knowes all Their knowledge is three-fold Naturall Experimentall and Reuealed 1. Naturall receiued of God in their creation endued with an extraordinary light aboue man 2. Reuealed as God according to processe of time hath manifested to them God reuealed things to the Angels they to the Prophets 3. Experimentall which they haue acquired by obseruation they marke Gods doings For it is certaine the Angels did not know all things from the beginning which they know now They knew not perfectly the manner of mans redemption That mystery from the beginning of the world hath beene hidde in God and is Now made knowne to the principalities and powers in heauenly places Great is the mystery of godlinesse God is manifested in the flesh iustified in the Spirit seene of Angels Res mira Angelis quanta hominibus A matter worthy the wonder of Angels much more of men There be things which yet the Angels do not know 1. not the day of iudgement Of that day houre knoweth no man no not the Angels of heauen 2. not mans heart Thou Lord onely knowest the hearts of all men If Angels knew mens hearts they were Gods 3. Neyther doe I thinke with Saint Augustine that they know Quanti numeri
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
Another tempest comes and now hee vowes againe the seuen at least Deliuered then also he thought that seuen were too many and one Oxe vvould serue the turne Yet another perill comes and now he vowes solemnely to fall no lower if he might be rescued an Oxe Iupiter shall haue Againe freed the Oxe stickes in his stomacke and hee would faine dravv his deuotion to a lower rate a Sheepe vvas sufficient But at last being set ashore hee thought a Sheepe too much and purposeth to carry to the Altar onely a few Dates But by the way he eates vp the Dates and layes on the Altar onely the shels After this rate doe many performe their vowes They promise whole Hecatombes in sickenesse but they reduce them lower and lower still as they grow vvell He that vowed to build an Hospitall to restore an Impropriation to the Church to lay open his inclosures and to serue God with an honest heart brings all at last to a poore reckoning and thinkes to please the Lord with his empty shells There vvas some hope of this mans soules health vvhiles his body was sicke but as his body riseth to strength his soule falls to vveakenesse It is the reproach of Rome No peny no Pater noster let it not be our reproach and reproofe too No plague no Pater-noster no punishments no prayers Thy vowes are Gods debts and Gods debts must be payd He vvill not as men doe desperate debters dismisse thee on a slight composition No Iustè exigitur ad soluendum qui non cogitur ad vouendum He is iustly required to pay that vvas not compelled to vow Non talis eris si non feceris quod vouisti qualis mansisti si nihil tale vouisses Minor enim tunc esses non peior Thou remainest not the same hauing vowed and not performed as thou hadst beene hadst thou not vowed Thou hadst then been lesse thou art now worse Well then Beloued if wee haue vowed a lawfull vow to the Lord let vs pay it Let it not be sayd of vs that we doe Aliud sedentes aliud stantes one thing sitting in our chayre of sickenesse another thing standing in our stations of health The Lord doth not deliuer vs out of the bond of distresse that we should deliuer our selues out of the bond of obedience Be not deceiued God is not mocked for whatsoeuer a man soweth that shall he reape The next blow of his hand will be heauier because thou hast soone forgotten this Who can blame iustice if he strike vs with yet greater plagues that haue on our deliuerance from the former so mocked him with the falling fruites of our vowed deuotion Come wee then whose hearts the mercy of God and bloud of Iesus Christ hath softned and say with our Psalmist We vvill goe into thy house O Lord we will pay thee our vowes You see all the parts of this Song the whole comfort or harmony of all is Praising God I haue shewed you Quo loco in his house Quo modo with burnt offerings Quo animo paying our vowes Time hath abridged this discourse contrary to my promise and purpose In a word which of vs is not infinitely beholding to the Lord our God for sending to vs many good things sending away froÌ„ vs many euill things O where is our praise where is our thankefulnesse What shall we doe vnto thee O thou preseruer of men What but take the cup of saluation and blesse the Name of the Lord O let vs enter into his gates with thanksgiuing and into his Courts vvith praise let vs be thankefull vnto him and blesse his Name And let vs not bring our bodies onely but our hearts let our soules be thankfull Mans body is closed vp within the Elements his bloud within his body his spirits in his bloud his soule within his spirits and the Lord resteth in his soule Let then the soule praise the Lord let vs not draw neere with our lippes and leaue our hearts behind vs but let vs giue the searcher of the hearts a hartie praise Ingratitude is the deuills Text oathes execrations blaspemies lewd speeches are Commentaries vpon it But thankfulnesse is the language of heauen for it becommeth Saints to bee thankefull As therefore we would giue testimonie to the world and argument to our owne conscience that vvee serue the Lord let vs promise and performe the vvords of my Text We will goe into thy house with burnt offerings we will pay thee our vowes The Lord giue thankfulnesse to vs and accept it of vs for Iesus Christ his sake Amen MANS SEED-TIME AND HARVEST OR Lex Talionis GALAT. 6. 7. Be not deceiued God is not mocked for whatsoeuer a man soweth that shall he also reape THESE words haue so neere alliance to the former that before wee speake personally of them we must first finde out their Pedegree To fetch it no higher then from the beginning of this Chapter the line of their Genealogie runnes thus 1. Supportation of the weake vers 1. and 2. 2. Probation of our selues vers 4. 3. Communication of dueties to our Teachers vers 6. The first is an action of Charity the second of Integrity the third of Equity This last is the Father of my Text and it is fitte that we being to speake of the childe should first looke a little into his Parentage Patrique simillima proles It is this Let him that is taught in the word communicate to him that teacheth in all good things This one would thinke should stand like the Sunne all men blessing it yet Mammon hath suborned some dogges to barke against it Will they say Let him is onely permissiâ—…e They shall finde it was imperatiue Let there be light and there was light Though their sensible hearts want the obedience of these insensible creatures Or will they except against Taught as if they that vvill not be taught were not bound Indeed many are betâ—…er fed then taught otherwise they would not deny foode to his body that does not deny food to their soules Or perhaps they will plead Indignitatem docentis the vnworthinesse of the Teacher And what Paul shall be worthy if euery Barbarian may censure him But non tollatur diuinum debiâ—…um propter humanam debilitatem Let not God lose his right for mans weakenesse You haue robbed me saith God not my Ministers Will not all this quarrelling serue yet still Pauls proposition must haue some opposition Though we must giue something to our Teachers yet this charge doth not fetch in Tithes This this is the point proue this and you shall finde many a great mans soule as his Impropriations cannot be in a damnable Lapse I would say somthing of it but me thinkes I heare my friends telling me what Sadolet said to Erasmus Erasmus would proue that worshipping of Images might well bee abolished I grant quoth Sadolet thy opinion is good but this point should not bee handled because it vvill not
this world our second is a gate into the world to come There is some paine in both For this vvorld but little ioy after the paine for the other after short sorrow eternall glory Sanctification Is the second gate Make your calling and election sure saith Peter by a holy life For so an Entrance shall be ministred vnto you abundantly into the euerlasting kingdome of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ. But there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth neither whatsoeuer worketh abomination or maketh a lie Therfore Paul prayes the God of Peace to sanctifie vs wholly Holinesse is the way to Happinesse Grace the gate of Glory But some may obiect frō that of Paul that this Sanctification must be totall and perfect but who can come so furnished to the gate therefore who can enter the Citie I answer There is required onely Sanctificatio viae non Patria such a Sanctitie as the gate can afford though farre short of that within the Citie The Schoole distinguisheth vvell It must be communiter in toto vniuersaliter in singulis partibus but not totaliter et perfectè This Sanctification must be communicated to the whole man and vniuersally propagated to euery part though it haue in no place of man a totall perfection Indeed Nullum peccatum retinendum est spe remissionis No sinne is to be cherished in hope of mercy But wee must striue for euery grace vve haue not and for the encrease of euery grace wee haue Quaerendum quod deest bonum indulgendum quod adest Let vs make much of that we possesse and still seek for more striuing to the marke And yet when all is done Profectio haec non Perfectio est Wee haue made a good steppe forward but are not come to our full home But stil Lord be mercifull to me a sinner And Enter not into iudgement with vs. Now sith this gate stands in our owne Heart giue me leaue to describe it and that briefely by The Properties The properties are 2. It is Lovve Parts Little Lowe Heauen is well called a Building not made with hands for it differs both in Matter and Forme from earthly edifices For matter it is Eternall not momentany for maner fabricked without hands Great Mannors on earth haue large answerable Porches Heauen must needes be spacious when a little starre fixed in a farre lower Orbe exceedes the earth in quantitie yet hath it a lowe gate not a lofty comming in They must stoope then that will enter here He hath filled the bungry with good things and the rich hee hath sent empty away The rich in their owne conceits and proud of their owne worth shall be sent empty from this gate Zaccheus climes vp into a Sycamore tree to behold Iesus but when Iesus beheld him got vp so high he said Come downe Zaccheus Luke 19. Make haste and come downe Whosoeuer will entertaine Iesus must come down The haughtie Nebuchadnezzar that thinks with his head to knock out the starres in heauen must stoope at this gate or hee cannot enter Be you neuer so lofty you must bend Gods honour must be preferred before your honours It is no discredite to your Worships to vvorship GOD. Little Christ calls it a narrow gate They must be little that enter little in their owne eyes slender in the opinion of themselues Whosoeuer shall not receiue the kingdome of God as a little child he shall not enter therin Samuel to Saul When thou wast little in thine own sight wast thou not made the Head of the Tribes of Israel When Iesse had made all his Sonnes passe before Samuel he asked him if none remained yet Iesse answeres Yes a little one tending the flockes Fetch that little one saith Samuel for wee will not sit downe till he come That little one was hee Sayes the Angell to Esdras 2. Esdras 7. A citie is built and set vpon a broad field full of all good things Yet the Entrance thereof is narrow This is spatiosa speciosa Ciuitas A citie beautifull and roomthy yet it hath but a narrovv wicket a little Gate Alas how will the surfeted Epicure do to enter whose gluttonous body is so deformed that it moues like a great Tunne vpon two pots What hope hath an Impropriator with foure or fiue Churches on his backe to passe this little gate The bribing Officer hath a swolne hand it will not enter and the gowtie Vsurer cannot thrust in his foote The factious Schismaticke hath too bigge a head the swearer such forked blasphemies in his mouth that here is no entrance Pride hath no more hope to get into the gates of that Citie aboue then there is hope to cast it out the gates of this City below Much good do 't with earthly Courts for it must not come into the Courts of Heauen Thinke O sinners you cannot goe with these oppressions with these oathes frauds bribes vsuries with these wickednesses into the gates of this Citie You must shift them off or they will shut you out You heare the Properties the Parts are now to bee considered and these are foure The foundation the two sides and the roofe The Foundation is Faith One of the sides Patience The other Innocence The Roofe Charitie Faith Is the foundation Coloss. 1. Be ye grounded and setled in the Faith Credendo fundatur saith Augustine It is grounded in faith All other graces are as it were built on this foundation Credimus quōd speramus quod credimus speramus diligimus quod credimus speramus diligimus operamur What we hope wee beleeue what wee beleeue and hope we loue what we beleeue hope and loue wee endeuour to attaine So all is built on Faith Hope on faith Nulla spes increditi it is impossible to hope for that wee beleeue not to be Charity on faith why should a man giue all to the poore vnlesse hee belieued an abundant recompence Repentance on faith why else suffer we contrition for sin if we beleeued not remission of sinne Temperance on faith why forbeare wee the pleasing vanities of the world but that we belieue the transcendent ioyes of eternity whereof these harlots would robbe vs Patience on faith why would we endure such calamities with willing quietnesse and subiection if wee belieued not an euerlasting peace and rest to come All obedience on faith that God would accept it in Iesus Christ. If all bee built on faith I may call it the basis and foundation of this Gate Without faith it is impossible to please God for hee that commeth to God must belieue that he is and that hee is a rewarder of them that diligently seeke him Faith is the passage-way to God not one of that holy ensuing Legend entred the City of life without this He that hath faith shall enter yea hee is entred Iohn 5. He hath euerlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but
must not liue in glory with Christ. Thus farre the Rich man acts now comes in Gods part which turnes the nature of his play from Comike purposes to Tragike euents He behights all peace and ioy to himselfe But God said Thou foole this night shall thy soule be taken from tâ—…e c. The words containe an Agent Patient Passion Question The Agent is God But God said The Patient is the rich Foole. The Passion This night shall thy soule be required of thee The Question which God puts to him to let him see his folly Then whose shall those things be vvhich thou hast prouided The Agent God The Rich man was purposing great matters but he reckoned without his host he resolues thus and thus But God said to him Hence two obseruations 1. That the purposes of men are abortiue and neuer come to a happy birth if God blesse not their conception Man purposeth and God disposeth The horse is prepared to the battell but the victory is of the Lord. It is a holy reseruation in all our purposes Si Deo placuerit If it shall please the Lord. Goe to now ye that say To day or to morow we will goe into such a Citie and continue there a yeere buy and sell and get gaine Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morow Ye ought to say If the Lord will For neither tongue can speake nor foote moue if the Lord shal eneruate them as he did Zaobaries tongue in the Temple and Ieroboams arme when he would haue reached it out against the Prophet In vaine man intends that whereagainst God contends Sisera resolues on victory GOD crosseth it with ouerthrow Yet thinks Sisera Iael vvill succour me For there is peace betweene Iabin King of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite No euen there â—…he arme of the Lord is ready to encounter him a draught of milke shall be his last draught and the hand of a vvoman shall kill him that hath escaped the hand of an Armie The Iewes may say We will flie away 〈◊〉 swift horses But God saith Your Persecutors shall be swifter Senacherib purposeth to lick vp Israel as the Oxe grasse and though he found the Land before him as an Eden to leaue it behind him as Sodome But God said He shall goe home without his errand An hooke in his nostrils shall reine him back The King of Babylon sayes in his heart I will ascend into heauen I will exalt my throne aboue the starres of God and I will be like the most High But God said Thou shalt be brought down to hell to the sides of the pit Hâ—…d made himselfe so sure of Christ that rather then to faile of cutting off the prophecied King he slayes his owne sonne Hee might so but he shall not touch Gods Sonne With what lauish promises do the Spanyards flatter themselues when they baptised their Nauie with the name of Invâ—…nsible England is their own they are already grasping it warme with gore in their clutches But God said Destruction shall inherite their hopes and the remainder of ruine shall be onely left to testifie vvhat they vvould haue done Mens thoughts promise often to themselues Multa magna many things great things they are plotted contriued commenced yet die like Ionah's Gourd when we should expect their refreshing Quia non fortâ—…it Deus because God hath not blessed them Ambition may reare turrets in emulation of heauen and vaine-glory build Castles in the ayre but the former shall haue no roofe as the latter hath no foundation Philip threatned the Lacedemonians that if he entred their Countrey he would vtterly extinguish them They wrote him no other answere but Si If meaning it was a condition well put in for hee neuer was like to come there Si S I non esset perfectum quidlibet esset But in the menaces of angry Tyrants and purposes of hastie intenders there is an If an included coÌ„dition that infatuates all Let our lesson hence be this That our purposes may be sped with a happy successe let vs intend in the Lord for the Lord. 1. Let vs deriue authoritie of our intentions from his sacred Truth which giues rules not onely to liue well and to speake well but euen ad bene câ—…gitandum to thinke well It is a wicked purpose to fast till Paul be killed to wreake malice to satifie lust Inauspicious and without speed are the intents whose beginning is not from God Let no purpose passe currant from thy heart till God hath set on it his stampe and seale of approbation Let his Word giue it a Fiat Whatsoeuer ye doe yea or intend to doe let both action of hand and thought of heart be all to Gods glory 2. Let vs in all our purposes reserue the first place for Gods helping hand Without mee yee can doe nothing saith Christ. But it is obiected that Paul spake peremptorily to his Corinthians I will come vnto you when I shall passe through Macedonia And Dauid I will goe to the house of the Lord. I answere Cor tenet quod lingua tacet they that had so much grace in their hearts wanted not this grace et noscere et poscere facultatem Domini to know and desire the Lords permission You shall neuer take men so well affected to good workes that doe not implore Gods assistance Though they doe not euer expresse in vvord yet they neuer suppresse in thought that reseruation If it please God as Paul doth afterwards in that place If the Lord permit If any will dare to resolue too confidently patronizing their temeritie from such patterns as if their voluntates were potestates let them know that like Taylours they haue measured others but neuer tooke measure of themselues that there is great difference betwixt a holy Propet or Apostle and a profane Publican 2. Obserue that God now speakes so to the Couetous that he will be heard he preacheth another kind of Sermon to him then euer he did before a fatall finall funerall Sermon a Text of Iudgement This night shal they fetch away thy soule For this is Gods Lecture himselfe reades it But God said Hee had preached to the vvordling often before and those Sermons were of three sorts 1. By his Word But cares of the world choake this Seed the heart goes after couetousnesse euen whiles the flesh sits vnder the pulpit This is the deuills three-wing'd arrow wealth pride voluptuousnesse vvhereby hee nailes the very heart fast to the earth It is his talent of lead which he hangs on the feet of the soule the affections that keepes her from mounting vp into heauen with the printed beauty of this filthy Harlot hee bewitcheth their mindes steales their desires from Christ and sends them a whoring to the hote Stewes of hell Thus is Gods first Sermon quite lost 2. By Iudgements on others whose smart should amaze him For God when hee strikes others vvarnes thee Tua
to enioy for euer and euer Now yet further to encourage our going let vs thinke vpon our company Foure sweet associates go with vs in our Iourny good Christians good Angels good works our most good Sauiour Iesus Christ. 1. Good Christians accompany vs euen to our death If thou go to the Temple they will go with thee Many people shall say Come and let us go vp to the Mountaine of the Lord to the house of the God of Iacob If thou say Come let vs build vp the walles of Ierusalem they will answer Let vs rise vp and build So when Ioshua protested to Israel do what you will but as for mee and my house we will serue the Lord they ecchoed to him God forbid that we should for sake the Lord to serue other gods we also will serue the Lord. Thou canst not say with Elias I am left alone there be seuen thousand and thousand thoâ—…sands that neuer bowed their knee to Baal 2. Good Angels beare vs company to death in our guarding after death in our carrying vp to heauen Angelis mandauit He hath giuen his Angels charge over vs There are malicious deuils against vs but there are powerfull Angels with vs. That great Maiestie whom wee all adore hath giuen them this commission Are they not all ministring spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall be heires of saluation An Angell counsels Hagar to returne to her Mistresse an Angell accompanies Iacob in his iourney an Angell feeds Elias an Angell pluckes Lot out of Sodome Gaudent Angeli te conuersum illorum sociari consortijs The Angels reioyce at our conuersion that so their number might haue a completion 3. Good workes beare vs company Good Angels associate vs to deliuer their charge good workes to receiue their reward Though none of our actions bee meritorious yet are none transient none lost They are gone before vs to the Courts of ioy and when wee come they shall welcome our entrance Virtutis miseris dulce sodalitium What misery soeuer perplexeth our voyage vertue and a good conscience are excellent company 4. Lastly Iesus Christ beares vs company Hee is both Via and Conuiator the way and companion in the way When the two Disciples went to Emaus Iesus himselfe drew neere and went with them If any man go to Emaus which Bernard interpreteth to be Thirsting after good aduice he shall be sure of Christs company If any man entreate Iesus to goe a mile he will go with him twaine None can complaine the want of company whiles his Sauiour goes along with him Truely our fellowship is with the Father and with his Sonne Iesus Christ. There we finde two Persons of the blessed Trinity our Associates the Father and the Sonne now the Holy Ghost is not wanting The grace of the Lord Iesus Christ and the loue of God and the communion or fellowship of the Holy Ghost be with you all Amen Goe we then comfortably forward and God will bring vs to our desired Hauen But Pauci intrant pauciores ambulant paucissimi perâ—…nt Few enter the way fewer walke in the way fewest of all come to the end of the way their saluation Men thinke the way to heauen broader then it is But straite is the gate and narrow is the way which leadeth vnto life and few there bee that finde it All say they are going to glory but the greater number take the wrong way A man somewhat thicke-sighted when he is to passe ouer a narrow bridge puts on spectacles to make it seeme broader but so his eyes beguile his feete and he fals into the brooke Thus are many drowned in the whirle-poole of sinne by viewing the passage to heauen onely with the Spectacles of flesh and bloud They thinke the bridge broad so topple in Happy eyes that well guide the feete and happy feet that neuer rest going till they enter the gates of heauen Thus much for the Pasport now we come to The Certificate Thy faith hath made thee whole Wherein Christ doth comfort and encourage the Leper First he comforts him that his faith was the meanes to restore health to his body then thereby hee encourageth him that this faith encreased would also bring saluation to his soule I might here obserue that as faith is onely perceiued of God so it is principally commended of God The Leper glorified God and that with a loud voyce there was his thankfulnesse he fell downe at Christs feet there was his humblenesse The eares of men heard his gratitude the eyes of men saw his humility but they neither heard nor saw his faith But how then saith Saint Iames Shew mee thy faith Himselfe answeres By thy workes It cannot be seene in habitu in the very being yet may easily be knowne in habente that such a person hath it No man can see the winde as it is in the proper essence yet by the full sailes of the ship one may perceiue which way the winde stands The sap of the tree is not visible yet by the testimony of leaues and fruites we know it to be in the tree Now Christ sees not as man sees man lookes vpon the externall witnesses of his gratitude and humility but Christ to that sap of faith in the heart which sent forth those fruits Thy faith hath saued thee The words distribute themselues into two principall and essentiall parts The Meanes Thy faith Effects Hath made thee whole The meanes is partly Demonstratiue Faith partly Relatiue Thy faith The Quality and the Propriety the Quality of the meanes it is Faith the Propriety it is not anothers but Thy faith Faith This is the demonstratiue quality of the meanes of his healing But what was this Faith 1. There is a faith that beleeues veritatem historiae the truth of Gods word This we call an Historicall Faith but it was not this faith King Agrippa beleeuest thou the Prophets I know that thou beleeuest 2. There is a faith that beleeues Certitudinem Promissi the certainety of Gods promises that verily is perswaded God will bee so good as his word that he will not breake his couenant with Israel nor suffer his faithfulnesse to faile vnto Dauid yet applyes not this to it selfe but it was not this faith 3. There is a faith that beleeues Potestatem Dicentis the Maiestie and Omnipotencie of him that speakes so the deuill that God is able to turne Stones into brâ—…d so the Papist that he can turne bread into flesh and cause one circumscribed body to supply millions of remote places at once But it was not this faith 4. There is a faith beleeues se moturam Montes that it is able to remoue Mountaines a miraculous faith which though it were specially giuen to the Apostles In my name shall they cast out deuils take vp Serpents cure the sicke by imposition of hands say to a Tree
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
and faculties run to the soule to saue that which is principall The bloud and spirits striue to saue the life of the bodie faith hope to saue the life of the soule So that at the suddaine assault of some daunger a man shall best iudge of his owne heart It may bee at other times a dissembler for mans heart is false who can know it yet at such time it will manifest it selfe and cannot deceiue If God hath beene our familiar friend and accustomed helper danger doth not sooner salute vs then we salute him by our prayers The first thought of our hearts is Iesus Christ the first voyce of our lips is Peters on the sea in such an extremitie Lord saue mee our faith is reposed on his wonted mercy and protection Wee know whom we haue beleeued Daniell cals on GOD ere hee fals to the Lions this stoppes their mouthes The wicked in such miserie are either heauie and heartlesse as Nabal whose heart dyed within him and he became as a stone Or desperate as Iulian throwing his bloud vp into the ayre with a blasphemous confession Or sottish as these here running to the mountaines vnprofitable vnpossible helpes When the blow of vengeance strikes the couetous he runs to his counting house if his bagges can giue him no succour he is distracted If any broken reed bee their confidence in these ouerwhelming woes they catch drowning hold of that so they and their hopes perish together There are some whose tongues are so poysoned with blasphemie that in an vnexpected accident the very first breath of their lips is a curse or an oath As if they would sweare away destruction which euery vngodly speech drawes on neerer If these men hadde beene acquainted with God in faire weather they would not forget him in a storme But they that will haue no familiaritie with God in peace shall haue him to seeke in extremitie When therefore some sudden perill hath threatned thee with terrour note seriously how thou art affected Though the danger came vnlook'd for let it not passe vnthought of but as thou blessest God for deliuery so examine the good or ill disposednesse of thine owne heart If thou find thy selfe couragious and heauenly minded on thy confidence in God take at once assurance of thy faith and Gods mercie Hee that nowe stood by thee will neuer leaue thee If otherwise lament thy sinnes which darken thy soules way to the mercie-seate and beseech Iesus Christ to store thy heart with better comforts If thy treasure be in heauen and thy soule hath beene vsed to trauell often thither when danger comes it knowes the way so well that it cannot misse it 2. Affirmatiuely this presents a soule amazed with feare and follie They call to the Mountaines that can neither heare nor answere When the world was destroyed with water men climbed vp to the tops of the Mountaines when it shall be dissolued with fire they will desire the holes of the rockes and to lie vnder the hils The mountaines are but swellings of the earth and the rockes are surd things that haue no eares can they heare or if they heare can they answere or if they answere can they saue when the graues must vomite vp their dead shall the rockes conceale the liuing Those fiue Kings could not be hid in the caue of Makkedah from Ioshua and shall any caue hide from Iesus Whiles guilt and feare consult of refuge how vaine shifts they imagine Adam would hide his disobedience in the bushes Saul his rebellion in the crowd of the people So the hood-wink'd foole seeing no body thinkes no body sees him Helplesse euasions when Adoniah heard the trumpets sounding at Salomons coronation he quaked and fled to the hornes of the Altar When the vngodly shall heare the Archangels Trumpe proclaiming the coronation of Christ they haue no Sanctuarie they neuer loued it in all their liues but flie to the rockes and mountaines The graue is a darke and priuatiue place yet as a prisoner that comes out of a sordid and stinking dungeon into the open ayre for his triall in a desperate cause had rather keepe the prison still So these reprobates newly raysed from the earth cry to it to receiue them againe glad to remaine though not on the face of it with pleasure in the bowels of it with rottenesse and solitude rather then in the open light to come before the iudgement seat of Christ. The graue is a drowne-bed to hell They suddainly start out of their sleepe and meet with gastly amasednesse at the mouth of their sepulchers beholding on the one side sins accusing on another side hellish fiends vexing an anguish'd conscience burning within heauen earth without aboue them the countenance of an angry Iudge below them a lake of vnquenchable fire round about howling and bitter lamentations no maruell then if at the worlds end they be at their wittes end and cry to the mountaines Fall on vs. Let all this declare to men the vanitie of their worldly hopes God is the Preseruer of men not hils rocks The rich man is brought in vpon a Premunire can his gold acquit him in this Starre-chamber The Epicure thinkes to drowne sorrow in lustie wines the oppressor mistrusts not the power of his owne hand the proud refugeth his troubled heart in his trunkes the lustfull in his punkes what is this but running to rockes and mountaines Thus madly doe men commit two errors Ier. 2. They forsake the creator which would neuer forsake them and adhere to the creatures which can neuer helpe them O Lord the hope of Israell all that forsake thee shall be ashamed and all that depâ—…t from thee shall be written in the earth Nowe at this day perhaps they would seeke to the Lord but they are answered Goâ—… to the gods whom ye haue serued Loe then of these gods they shall be wearie as in the 2. of Esay where these very words of my Text are deliuerd ver 19. They shall goe into the holes of the rockes c. it is immediatly added In that day a man shall cast his Idols of siluer and his Idols of gold which he made for himselfe to worship 〈◊〉 the moules and to the battes Euen the spirituall Idolater the Couetous shall throw his Images golden or siluer shrines for the Diana of his auarice his damned coyne to combustion with a vae Woe vnto it it hath lost my soule As the sicke stomacke lothes the meate whereof it surfetted Well let vs leaue inuocation to these Rockes worldly refuges and remember that there is one to be called on who is onely able to defend vs a spirituall holy and happy Rocke Iesus Christ. Dauid often cals God his Rocke and his refuge A rocke that beares vp the pillars of the world Their Rocke is not as our Rocke euen our enemies themselues being iudges He that builds his house of assurance on this rocke shall stand
you are now ashamed or at last in vengeance let them be ashamed that transgresse without a cause Let this teach vs how to iudge rightly of sinne that driues vs from the face of God But doth not the glory of the Lord fill all the earth Whither then shall they goe from his face whither fly from his presence we shall find the Prophet concluding in that Psalme that there is neither heauen nor hell nor vttermost part of the sea nor day nor night light nor darknes that can hide vs from his face Our sitting lying downe rising vp the words of our tongues wayes of our feete thoughts of our hart our reines bones and mothers wombes wherein we lay in our first informitie are well knowne to him Let vs not flatter our selues as if we would plucke out the eye of knowledge God hideth his face he will neuer see vs. For there is neither couch in chamber nor vault in the ground neither bottomes of mountaines nor holes of rockes neither secret friend nor more secret conscience neither heauen nor hell that can conceale vs. Of him that sitteth Christ now sittes in glory Whiles he was on earth how little rested he He dearly earned that voice before he heard it Sitte thou at my right hand now behold he sittes Good rest is the reward of good labour the weeke of our dayes spent we shall haue an eternall Sabboth enter into Gods rest Apoc. 14. rest from our labours Hast thou laboured thou shalt haue ease hast thou trauelled in the wayes of grace thou shalt sitte on the seate of glory On the throne Christ at this day shall appeare in his true Maiestie on earth he would not be crowned the reason of his refusall was my Kingdome is not of this world now he sittes in his Throne He hath a Kingdome here but it is secret in the conscience then it shall be conspicuous sitting in his Throne His maiestie hath beene despised but now Bring those mine enemies that would not haue me raigne ouer them and slay them before me Thus differs Christs first comming and his second Then in humilitie now in glory then with poore shepheards now with mightie Angells then the contempt of nations now the terror of the world then crowned with thornes now with maiestie then iudged by one man now iudging all men then in a cratch now in a Throne You see his All-knowledge now for his Almightines From the wrath The wrath of Christ is his Iustice Attribuitur ira Deo per effectum As man offended seekes reuenge so when God executes iudgment it is called his wrath But passion in vs perfection in him He hath long beene prouoked giue him now leaue to stricke You that made so light to trample his bloud vnder your sensuall feet shall now find what his wrath is Let vs now thinke of this wrath that we may escape it The commination of hell doth not lesse commend Gods prouidence then the promise of heauen Nisi inâ—…ntata esset gehenna oâ—…es in gehennam Câ—…beremur Now or neuer is this wrath to be escaped therefore Kisse the Son least he be angry and so ye perish from the way if his wrath be kindled yea but a little Blessed are all they that put their trustin him Of the Lambe Christ was called a Lambe in his passion so here in his comming to iudgment not that he should suffer any more but to shew that the same Lambe that was slaine shall giue sentence on his murderers The Father iudgeth no man but hath committed all iudgment vnto the Sonne And hath giuen him authoritie to execute iudgment because he is the sonne of man It shall aggrauat their vexation that the Lambe who offred his bloud for their redemption shall now censure them for despising He that would haue beene their mediatour to pray for them their aduocate to plead for them must nowe bee their Iudge to sentence them The Lambe that saueth the sheepe on the right hande shall cast off the goats on the left The Lambe they haue contemned by this Lambe they shall be condemned Woefull men whome the wrath of the Lambe lights on for he shall giue them an Ite maledicti What shall then become of them but to knocke at the gates of heauen whiles those gates are standing and crie for euer to God but to no purpose I haue no will to end with a terrour yet no time to sweeten your thoughts with those comforts which fayth might sucke from this last word the Lambe I say no more the godly shall find him a Lambe indeede as willing now to saue them as before to suffer for them He hath purchased promised and prepared a kingdome they shall Raigne mith him that sittes on the Throne and with the Lambe for euermore To whom be eternall glory Amen MAIESTIE IN MISERIE OR The power of Christ euen dying MATH 27. 51. And behold the vaile of the Temple was rent in twaine from the top to the bottome and the earth did quake and the rockes rent and the graues were opened and many bodies of Saints which slept arose IN the lowest depth of Christs humiliation GOD neuer left him without some euident and eminent testimony of his diuine power He hangs here on the crosse dying yea dead his enemies insulting ouer him whereis now his God If he be able to saue vs let him saue himselfe He beares not onely the wrath of God but euen the reproch of men Yet euen now shall his Diuinitie appeare and breake like a glorious Sunne through these clouds of miserie he rents the vaile shakes the earth breakes the stones raiseth the dead These two verses stand gloriously adorned with foure myracles 1. The vaile of the Temple was rent in twaine You will say perhaps the substance of it was not so strong but an easie force might rend it But ver 50. Christ was dead before or dyed at that very instant It was aboue nature that a dying yea a dead man crucified in so remote a place from it should rend the vaile within the Temple 2. The earth did quake Say the vaile was of lesse substance yet the huge bodie of the earth will trie a mans strength In vaine should silly man contend with that which shall deuoure him He cannot moue the earth the earth shall remoue him from walking aliue on it to lie dead in it Behold the power of Christ Terram mouet hee makes the vast bodie of the earth to tremble 3. The rockes rent Will any yet say naturall causes can shake the earth then let their malicious cauill bee choaked with this third myracle beyond exception he breakes the stones not little stones but huge massie rockes 4. Lastly to stop the mouth of all aduersaries to his diuine power he rayseth vp the dead Suscitare mortuos esepulchro is onely proper to God No man can giue a ransome to God for his brother that hee should liue for euer and
with the workes that are therein shall be burnt vp The workes of mens hands the workes of their brines their very thoughts shall perish The Lords voyce shooke the earth and hee hath saide yet once againe I will shake not the earth onely but also heauen O blessed place that is not subiect to this shaking whose ioyes haue not onely an amiable countenance but a glorious continuance The things that are shaken shall be remoued but the things that are not shaken remaine for euer All the terrours of this worlde mooue not him that is fixed in heauen Impauidum ferient ruinae They that put their trust in the Lord shall be as mount Sion which cannot beremoued but abideth for euer But the Tabernacles and hopes of the wicked shall perish together For the world passeth away and the lust thereof but he that doeth the will of God abideth euer Whereon sayth August Quid vis Vtrum amare temporalia transire cum tempore an amare Christum viuere in aeternum Whether wilt thou loue the world and perish with it or loue Christ liue for euer 3. Myracle The rockes rent A wonderfull act to breake stones and rend rockes This giues vs two obseruations 1. This did foresignifie the power and efficacie of the Gospell that it should bee able to breake the very rockes As the death and passion of Christ did cleaue those solid and almost impenetrable substances so the publishing of his death and passion shall rend and breake in pieces the rockie hearts of men So Iohn Baptist said God is able of stones to rayse vp children vnto Abraham The hearts of Zaccheus Mary Magdalene Paul were such rockes yet they were cleft with the wedge of the Gospell This is that Rod of Moses able to breake the hardest Rockes till they gush out with flouds of penitent teares This is Ieremies hammer powerfull to bruise the most obdurate hearts The bloud of the Goate sacrificed of force to dissolue Adamant There is power in the bloud of Iesus to put sense into stones Blessed are you if you be thus broken-hearted for him whose heart was broken for you For the broken heart the Lord will not despise 2. Obserue the wonderfull hardnesse of the Iewes hearts The stones rent and claue in sunder at the cruell death of Iesus but their hearts more stony then stones are no whit moued They rend not their garments much lesse their hearts when as the earth rent the Stones her bones and the rockes her ribbes The flints are softer then they the flints breake they harden They still belch their malicious blasphemies the rocks relent the stones are become men and the men stones O the sencelesnesse of a hard heart rockes will sooner breake then that can be mollified Euen the hardest creatures are flexible to some agents flints to the raine iron to the fire stones to the hammer but this heart yeelds to nothing neyther the showers of mercie nor the hammer of reproofe nor the fire of Iudgements but like the stithy are still the harder for beating All the plagues of Egypt cannot mollifie the heart of Pharaoh It is wondrously vnnaturall that men made the softest hearted of all should be rigidiores lupis duriores lapidibus more cruell then wolues more hard then stones I woulde to GOD all hard-heartednesse had dyed with these Iewes but it is not so Howe often hath Christ beene here crucified in the word preaching his Crosse to your eares in the Sacraments presenting his death to your eyes thinke thinke in your owne soules haue not the stones in the walles of this Church beene as much moued God forbid our obduratenesse should be punished as theirs was since they would be so stony-hearted Ierusalem was turned to a heape of stones and the conquering Romanes dasht them pitifully against those stones which they exceeded in hardnesse Here let the wicked see their doome the stones that will not be softned shall be broken There is no changing the decree of God but change thy nature and then know thou art not decreed to death Stony harts shall bee broken to pieces with vengeance doe not striue to alter that doome but alter thy owne stony heart to a heart of flesh and so preuent it in the particular Wolues and goates shall not enter into heauen thou maiest pull starres out of heauen before alter this sentence but doe it thus Leaue that nature and become one of Christes sheepe and then thou art sure to enter No adulterâ—… nor couetous person sayth Paul shall inherite the kingdoâ—… of heauen this doome must stand but not against thee if thou bee conuerted Such were ye but ye are washed c. You are not such Had the Iewes ceased to be stones they had beene spared God will roote thornes and bryers out of his vineyard if thou wouldst not haue him roote out thee become a Vine and bring forth good grapes God threatens to breake the hairy sealpe of him that goes on in sinne yet mayest thou ward this blow from thy selfe Goe no further on in sinne When God comes in iudgement to visite the earth to shatter rockes and breake stones in peeces thou hast a heart of flesh mollified with repentance Let the earth quake and the rockes teare thy faith hath saued thee goe in peace 4. Miracle The graues were opened and many bodyes of Sanits which slept arose Concerning this two questions are moued 1. Where their soules were all this while before I answere where the scripture hath no tongue we should haue no eare Most probably thus their soules were in heauen in Abrahams bosome and came downe to their bodyes by diuine dispensation to manifest the power and Deitie of Christ. 2. Whither they went afterwards I answere by the same likelyhood that they died no more but waited on the earth till Christs resurrection and then attended him to heauen But these things that are concealed should not be disputed Tutum est nescire quod tegitur It is a safe ignorance where a man is not commanded to know Let vs then see what profitable instructions we can hence deriue to our selues They are many and therefore I will but lightly touch them 1. This teacheth vs that Christ by his death hath vanquished death euen in the graue his owne chamber That gyant is subdued the graues flie open the dead goe out This beares ample witnesse to that speach of Christ. I am the resurrection and the life he that beleeueth in me though he were dead yet shall he liue The bodies of the Saints what part of the earth or sea soeuer holds their dusts shall not be detayned in prison when Christ cals for them as the members must needs goe when the Head drawes them He shall speake to all creatures Reddite quod deuorastis restore whatsoeuer of man you haue deuoured not a dust not a bone can be denyed The bodyes of the Saints shall be raised sayth August Tanta
euill will persecute the good and the good may not partake of the vices of the bad What agreement hath the temple of God with Idols Wherefore come out from among them and be ye separate saith the Lord and touch not the vncleane thing and I will receiue you Out of the Egypt of this world hath God called his Sonnes We are forbidden all fellowship with the vnfruitfull workes of of darkenes not altogether with the workers For then wee must needs goe out of the world It is commanded Ierem 15. that the precious be separated from the vile yet so that they may returne to the good though the good may not turne to them It is good for the good to sunder themselues from the incorrigible wicked as being the first stayre of the ladder that leaues the earth and sets the first step of our iourney to heauen God in his eternall decree separated the elect from the Reprobate in his Vocation he sequesters them from nature and sinne When hee executes particular iudgement hee takes Israell from the Tabernacles of Corah when he will giue the generall he will seuer the Sheepe from the Goates Christ then who is the Prince of Peace causeth not quarrels betweene man and man as they are creatures but betwixt goodnesse and euill as they are contrarie natures That the sonnes of Beliall hate the sonnes of God Christ is not the cause but the occasion For when the Gospell separates vs from the world the world then bends his malicious forces against vs. So that Peace in sinne Ver. 51. Christ came not to send but Peace of conscience Phil. 4. The peace of God which passeth all vnderstanding c. Which because the wicked will not embrace therfore Fiue in one house shall be diuided the Father against the Sonne and the Sâ—…nne against the Father c. The Gospell doth not otherwise worke this diuision then the Law is sayd to make sinne because it made sinne knowne Or the Sunne is sayd to cause mothes because it causeth their appearance Let Paul continue a Pharise and the Pharises will loue him conuert he to a Christian and they will hate him Whiles we liue after the world we haue peace with the world none with God when we are turned to Christ we haue peace with God none with the world This ground laid we will consider for the better exposition of the words fiue circumstances The Fire Fewell Kindlers Smoake Bellowes Wherein we shall find Christs willing and the fires kindling Who wils goodnesse to his chosen which he is sure will enrage the wicked to their persecution The cause thus giuen the fire is left to be kindled by others For though Non sine Deo patimur yet non a Deo petimur The instruments of our afflictioÌ„ will be found vngodly who though they plead we haue done the will of the Lord shall goe to hell for their labour The Fire Is discord debate contention anger and hatred against the godly Euery man is composed of foure elementall humours whereof one is Choler resembled to Fire In whom this Choler is most adust puissant they are vsually most hote furious fiery But I speake here of nature for grace can alter nature and purge this corruption Regeneration is the best physicke to purge Choler Many medicines hath Philosophie prescribed against this spirituall disease but in vaine The Philosophers seruant could scoffe his Maister He inueighes against anger writes volumes against it ipse mihi irascitur and yet he is angry with me Onely grace can more then giue rules giue power to master this madnesse Fire and Contention haue some resemblances 1. Debate is like Fire for as that of all elements so this of all passions is most violent The earth is huge yet we walke quietly on it it suffers our ploughes to rend vp the entrals of it to teach vs patience The aire is copious yet admits our respiration The waters boystrous yet sayle we vpon them against them But Fire especially getting the vpper hand is vnmercifully raging it left nothing behind to witnesse the former happynes of Sodome The worlds last destruction shall be by Fire and God vseth that of all elements to expresse the very torments of hell adding Brimstone to it To this is the anger of God likened Our God is euen a consuming fire So doth debate exceede all passions flouds of correction can quench the turbulent an fiery spitit which is set on fire of hell Onely one extreame may driue out another as we hold our burnt finger to the fire by a new heat to extract the former So the fire of grace onely must draw out the Fire of debate or send it to the euerlasting fire to purge it 2. Contention is like Fire for both burne so long as there is any exustible matter to contend against Only herein it transcends fire for fire begets not matter but consumes it debate begets matter but not consumes it For the wicked study cause of contention as Benhadad against Ahab 1. king 20. So when the Pope could find no iust exception against Fredericke the Emperour he quarrell'd with him for holding the wrong stirrop when the great Prelate should mount his palfrey and thought he might easily mistake for Emperours are not vsed to hold stirrops yet hee was persecuted almost to excommunication for it It is wofull dwelling amongst debatefull men whose soules hate peace that are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without naturall affection which Paul makes a reprobates marke striking all that stand in their way and not ceasing to burne till all matter cease to feede them Salomon discribes such with a firie comparison First ver 17. he cals him a Busi-body he passeth by and meddleth with strife belonging not to him he thrusts himselfe into impertinent busines and is like one that taketh a dog by the eares which hee can neither hold nor well let goe ver 18. He notes his politicke villanie As a mad-man who casteth firebrands arrowes and death and saith Am I not insport he scattereth abroad mortall mischiefes vnder the colour of iest And ver 20. lest the fire should goe out hee administers fewell himselfe Where no wood is there the fire goeth out ver 21. when he hath kindled this flame hee striues to spread and disperse it and is as coales to burning coales and wood to the fire The words of a tale-bearer are wounds and they goe downe into the innermost parts of the belly They penetrate and cruciate the most tender and sensible places 3. As a litle sparke growes to a great flame so a small debate often proues a great rent Behold how great a matter a litle fire kindleth The wind at first a small vapour yet gets such strength in going that it ouer-turnes trees and towers A back-biting tongue hath pulled downe strong citties and ouerthrowne the houses of great men Warre is compared to fire
them casting vp white and red earth in abundance Wherewith his amazed eyes growing soone enamoured he desires a participation of their riches They refuse to ioyne him in their gaines vnlesse he wil ioyne himselfe in their paines Hereupon he fals to toyling digging deluing til some of the earth fals so hea uie vpon him that it lames him and he is able to goe no further There he dies in the sight of that Citie to which he could not goe for want of feet looseth a certaine substantial gift for an vncertain shadow of vaine hope You can easily apply it God of his gracious fauour not for our deserts giues man his creature a glorious Citie euen that whose foundations are of Iasper Saphyre and Emerald c. He doth more directes him the way to it Goe on this way Walke in loue He begins to trauell and comes within the sight of heauen but by the way he spies worldlings toyling in the earth and scraping together white and red clay siluer and gold the riches of this world Hereof desirous he is not suffered to partake except hee also partake of their couetousnes and corrupt fashions Now Mammon sets him on worke to digge out his owne damnation where after a while this gay earth comes tumbling fo fast vpon him that his feet be maimed his affections to heauen lost and he dyes short of that glorious Citie which the king of heauen purchased with his owne bloud and gaue him Thinke of this ye worldlings and seeing you know what it is to be charitable put your feet in this way Walke in Loue. There be yet others whose whole course is euery step out of the way to God who is Loue and they must walke in Loue that come vnto him 1. There is a path of Lust they erre damnably that call this the way of Loue. They turne a spirituall grace into a carnall vice and whereas Charitie and Chastity are of nearer allyance then sound these debauched tongues call vncleanesse Loue. Adulterie is a cursed way though a much coursed way for a whore is the high-way to the Deuill 2. There is a path of malice and they that trauell it are bound for the Enemie Their euill eye is vexed at Gods goodnes and their hands of desolation would vndoe his mercies Other mens health is their sicknes others weale their woe The Iesuites and their bloudy Proselyts are pilgrims in this way We know by experience the scope of their walkes Their malice was strong as Sauire in saxa but they would turne Ierusalem in aceruum Lapidum into a heape of stones Yea such was their rage that Nil reliqui fecerunt Vt non ipsis elementis fieret iniuria they spared not to let the elements know the madnesse of their violence They could not draw fire from heauen their betters could not do it in the dayes of Christ on earth therefore they seeke it they digge it from hell Flectere cùm nequeunt Superos Acheronta movebunt Here was a malicious walking 3. There is a counterfeit path the Travellers make as if they walked in loue but their loue is dissimulation It is not dilectio vera true love which S. Ioh. speakes of nor dilectio mera as Luther not a plaine-hearted loue They will cosen you vnseene and then like the whore in the Proverbes wipe their mouthes and it was not they Their art is Alios pellere aut tollere to giue others a wipe or a wound Iudas-like they salute those with a kisse against whome they intend most treason 4. There is a way directly crosse to loue which neither obeyes God for loue keepes the commandements nor comforts man for loue hath compassion on the distressed These haue feete swift enough but swift to shed bloud Destruction and miserie are in their wayes They are in Zedechiahs case both their eyes are put out and their feete lamed with the captiue chaines of Satan so easily carried downe to his infernall Babilon These are they that devoure a man and his heritage Therefore Christ calles their riches not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 things without them as if they had swallowed them down into their bowels The phrase is vsed by Iob He hath swallowed downe riches he shall vomit them vp againe God shall cast them out of his belly When this vomit is given them you shall see strange stuffe come from them Here the raw and vndigested gobbets of vsurie there the mangled morsels of bloudy oppressions here fiue or sixe impropriate Churches there thousand acres of decayed tillage here a whole casket of bribes there whole houses and patrimonies of vndone orphans here an Inclosure of commons there a vastation of proper and sanctified things Rip vp their conscie nces and this is the stuffing of their hearts These walke crosse to the Crosse of Christ as Paul sayth they are Enemies cursed walkers Whereupon we may conclude with Bernard Periculosa tempora iam non instant sed extant the dangerous times are not comming but come vpon vs. The cold frost of indevotion is so generall that many haue benūmed ioynts they cannot walke in loue Others so stiffe and obdurate that they will meete all that walke in this way and with their turbulent malice striue to iustle them out of it Therefore David prayes Preserue me from the violent men that haue purposed to ouerthrowe my goings Let vs then vpon this great cause vse that deprecation in our Let any From pride vain-glory hypocrisie from envy hatred malice all vncharitablenes Good Lord deliver vs. I am loth to giue you a bitter farewell or to conconclude with a menace I see I cannot by the times leaue drinke to you any deeper in this cup of Charity I will touch it once againe and let every present soule that loues heauen pledge me Walke in loue The way to life everlasting is loue and hee that keepes the way is sure to come to the end We knowe that we haue passed from death to life because we loue the brethren For this are the workes of mercie charity piety and pitty so much commended in the Scriptures by the Fathers with so high titles because they are the appoynted way wherein we must walke and whereby we must worke vp our owne salvation Therefore the Apostle claps in the necke of good workes laying vp in store for themselues a good foundation against the time to come that they may lay hold on eternall life Thereby wee lay the ground of saluation in our consciences and take assured hold of eternall life He that goes on in loue shall come home to life This comforts vs not in a presumption of merite but in confident knowledge that this is the way to glory wherein when we find our selues Walking wee are sure we are going to heauen and sing in the wayes of the Lord Great is the glory of the Lord.
his arrand is to the Court He is the maggot of pride begot out of corruption and lookes in an office as the Ape did when hee had got on the robes of a Senator 2. Their flatterie or trecherie they embrace whiles they sting They lie in 〈◊〉 greene grasse and vnder sweet flowers that they may wound the suspectlesse passenger Here I will couple the Serpent with the Flatterer a humane beast and of the two the more dangerous And that fitly for they write of a Serpent whose sting hath such force that it makes a man die laughing So the flaâ—…erer tickles a man to death Therefore his teares are called Crocodile lacrimae the Crocodiles teares When hâ—… weeps he wounds Euery frowne he makes giues his Patron a vomite and euery candle of commendation a purge His Church is the Kitchin his tongue is his Cater his yong Lord his God whom at once he worships and worreys When he hath gotten a lease he doth no longer feare his master nay more he feares not God 3. Their ingratitude they kill those that nourished them And here I ranke with Serpents those prodigies of nature vnthankfull persons Seneca sayes they are worse Venenum quâ—…d serpentes in alienam perniciâ—…m proferunt fine sâ—… continent Noâ—… ita vitium ingrâ—…itudinis continetur The poyson which a Serpent casts out to the danger of another he retaines without his owne But the vice of ingratitude cannot be so smoothered Let vs hate this sinne not onely for others sake but most for our owne 4. Their voracitie they kill more then they can eate And here they would be commended to the Ingrossers who hoord more then they can spend that the poore might stâ—…ue for lacke of bread Such a man if he be not 〈◊〉 a Serpent a Deuill then man makes his Almanacke his Bible if it prognosticate raine on Swithiâ—…s day he loues and beleeues it beyond the Scripture Nothing in the whole Bible pleaseth him but the storie of Pharaohs dreame where the seauen leane Kine did eate vp the seauen fat ones Hee could wish that dreame to be true euery yeare so hee might haue graine enough to sell. He cryes out in his heart for a deare yeare and yet he is neuer without a deare yeare in his belly Salomon sayes the people shall curse him and I am sure God will not blesse him but hee feares neither of these so much as a cheape yeare 5. Their hostilitie and murderous minds they destroy all to multiplie their owne kind And for this I wil bring the depopulator to shake hands with serpents For he cannot abide neighbours If any man dwels in the Towne besides himselfe how should he doe for elbow roome There are too many of these Serpents in England I would they were all exild to the wildernes where they might haue roome enough and none to trouble them except of their owne generation Serpents They complaine eagerly against our negligence in discouering new parts of the world but their meaning is to rid this land of Inhabitants They haue done their best or rather their worst when as in my memorie from one towne in one day were driuen out aboue threescore soules harbourlesse succourlesse exposd to the bleake ayre and vnmercifull world besides those that could prouide for themselues But the Lord of heauen sees this the clamours of many poore debters in the Dungeon of many poore labourers in the field of many poore neighbours crying and dying in the streetes haue entred the â—…ares of the Lord of hoasts he will iudge it Thou hast seene it for thou beholdest mischiefe and spite to requite it the poore committeth himselfe vnto thee thou art the helper of the fâ—…herlesse 6. Lastly their enâ—…itie against Man whom they should reuerence which we sorely found and cannot but thinke of quotiâ—…s 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…picati pâ—…i as often as we remember that â—…ieapple Aeliaâ—…s and Plâ—…e report that when a serpent hath killed a man he can neuer more couer himselfe in the earth but wanders vp and downe like a forlorne thing the earth disdaining to receiue into her bowels a man murtherer The male doth not acknowledge the â—…ale nor the female the male that hath done such a deed Since therefore they rebell against Man whom they should honour let me yoke with them Traytours Seminaries and Renegates that refuse allegiance to their Lieges Soâ—…algnes Will they say 〈◊〉 Prince may loose Ius regni the right of his kingdome per 〈◊〉 regnandi by raigning with iniustice 〈◊〉 and so they are absolued of their obedience But how haps it that the Scripture neuer knew this distinction Saul though guiltie of all sinnes against the first Table yet exsolo 〈◊〉 â—…is châ—…ctere might not bee deposed but Dauid cals him Christum Doâ—… the Lords Annointed If the Prince be an offender must they punish Who gaue them that authoritie No â—…cit 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 quòd Deum expectâ—… 〈◊〉 It is enoâ—…gh for him that he looke for God to bee his Iudge O but when the Popes excommunication thundâ—…rs it is no sinne to decrowne Kings So super stâ—…tiously they follow the Pope that they forsake Christ and will not giue Câ—…sar his due They are the fire brands and bustuaries of Kingdomes Serpents hidden in Ladies and Gentlewomens chambers in a word long spoones for traytors to feed with the Deuill You see also now Quid 〈◊〉 There is poyson in Serpents now told you leaue that there is Wisedome to be learned from Serpents before shewed you studie that Euery vice you nourish is a venemous stinging serpent in your owne bosomes If you will haue hope of heauen expell those Serpents I haue read of a contention betweene Scotland and Ireland about a little Iland either chalenging it theirs It was put to the decision of a French-man who caused to be put into the Iland liuing Serpents Arbitrating it thus that if those Serpents liued and prospered there the ground was Scotlands if they died Irelands If those serpentine sinnes lusts and lewdnes liue â—…d thriue in your hearts Satan will chalenge you for his dominion If they perish and die through mortification and by reason of the pure aire of Gods holy Spirit in you the Lord seales you vp for his owne inheritance I haue giuen you the Raines at large let me giue but one pull at the Curbe and you shall goe The Cohibition is Be harmelesse as Doues In Doues there be some things to be eschewed many things to be commeÌ„ded one thing to be followed The Doue is a timorous and faint hearted creature Ephrâ—… is like a silly Doue without heart Be not ye so In Doues there are many things commendable but I will but name them regarding the limits of both my Text and Time 1. Beautie By that name Christ prayseth the beauty of his Spouse Thou art fayre my Lâ—…e my Doue c. Thou â—…ast Doues 〈◊〉 within thy lâ—…kes And the Church prayseth her Sauiour His eyes are as
occîdit peccatum he killed sinne In loue he seekes vs in wisedome he saues vs here was Amare sapere This sweet and comfortable note I must leaue to your meditations my speech must end his sauing though of his saluation there be no end Paruum est seruare bonos it is a small thing to saue those that are in no danger of spilling therefore lastly looke to the Obiect The lost There Ecce Potestatem behold his power He is that strongest man that vnbound vs from the fetters of sin and Sathan Fortissimus for caetera excellit caetera expellit he excels the rest he expels the rest He had need be powerfull that redeemes so weake man from the hands of so strong enemies Magnus venit medicus quia magnus iacebat aegrotus The whole world was sicke there had need be a great Physician for there was a great Patient Loe where wretchednes lies at the foot of Goodnesse ecce miserum ante misericordem What but infinite Miserie should be the fit obiect of infinite Mercie Here was then the purpose of Christs comming to seeke the lost to recall wanderers to heale the sicke to cleanse the Leprous to reuiue the dead to saue sinners He came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance He leaues the nintie nine in the Wildernesse to seeke the lost sheepe Whether it bee meant of the iust Angels in Heauen as Ambrose Chrysostome Hilary Euthymius thinke Or those that thought theÌ„selues iust as Bucer and Ludolphus the Scribes and Pharises that presumed they needed no repentance He embraceth Publicans and sinners that confesse themselues sicke and lacking a Physician sinfull wretches and needing a Sauiour Those worldlings in the Gospell haue better cheare at home what care they for Christs supper It is the dry ground that thinkes well of raine the hungry soule that is glad of sustenance The mercie of God falls most welcome on the broken spirit They that feele themselues miserable and that they stand in need of euery droppe of his sauing bloud to those it runnes fresh and sweet They that feele themselues lost are found They are least of all lost that thinke themselues most lost they are nearest to their health that are most sensible of their sicknesse These hee seekes these he saues to these Nascens se dedit in socium conâ—…escens in cibum moriens in pretium regnans in praemium In his birth he became their companion in his life their food in his death their redemption in his glory their Saluation Lost but where was man lost There are diuerse loosing places 1. A garden of delights and there the first man lost himselfe and all vs in a Garden therefore our Sauiour found vs againe We were Lost in a garden of rest we are found in a garden of trouble The serpent could neuer take the hare he was too light footed for him till hee found him sleeping in a garden of sweet flowers vnder which the serpent lay hidden Whilst man not onely surfeits on pleasures but sleepes in them Satan that old serpent wounds him to death 2. A wildernesse is a place able to loose vs and that 's this world a wide and wilde forrest many lost in it Wee read of a rich man Luk. 12. that lost himselfe in one corner of this wildernesse his very barnes strange to be lost in a barne And yet how many loose themselues in a lesse roome their Counting house The vsurer hath there lost his soule and no man can find it It is so long wrapped vp among his bonds till Satan take the forfeit The depopulator takes a larger field to loose his soule in and to make sure worke that grace may neuer find it he hedges and ditches it in 3. Another loosing place is a Labyrinth or Maze In the Orchard of this world the God of it hath made a Labyrinth which St. Iohn describes The lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life The entrance hereinto is easie as you haue seene in that Embleme of Suretiship the Horne a man goes gently in at the Butte end but comes hardly out at the Buckall the comming forth is difficult It is so full of crooked meanders windings and turnings out of one sinne into another from consent to delight from delight to custome from custome to impenitencie that in this Labyrinth men soone grow to a maze and know not how to be extricated Labyrinthus quasi labor intus the wicked wearie themselues in the wayes of destruction Lust of the flesh lust of the eyes pride of life Haec trâ—…a pro trino Numine mundus habet This is the trinitie the world worships Lust of the flesh The adulterer looseth himselfe in the forbidden bed Inter mammillas perditur he is lost betweene the brests of a Harlot He that seekes for him must as the Pursuivant for the Seminary not forbeare the Mistresses bed to find him Lust of the eyes Ahab casts a couetous eye at Naboths vineyard Dauid a lustfull eye at Bathsheba The eye is the pulse of the soule as Physicians iudge of the heart by the pulse so wee by the eye A rolling eye a rouing heart The good eye keepes minute-time and strikes when iâ—… should the lustfull crotchet-time and so puts all out of tune Pride hath lost as many as any her fellow Deuils They say shee was borne in heauen and being cast downe wandred vpon earth where a woman tooke her in and there shee hath dwelt euer since Indeed Esay 3. the shop of pride is the womans wardrobe in this wardrobe many soules both of women and men too are lost The common studie is new fashions but it is an ill fashion thus to loose the soule If we would get out of this maze we must as God warned the Wisemen depart another way Out of lust we must wind forth by Chastitie out of couetousnesse by Charitie out of Pride by Humilitie Penitence is the clew to guide vs forth howsoeuer wee came in we must goe out by Repentance 4. A fourth loosing place is the multitude of new and strange wayes wherein men wander as Saul after his Asses and are lost There is a way to Rome a way to Amsterdam a way to the sillinesse of ignorance a way to the fullennesse of arrogancie None of all these is the way to Sion In the multitude of wayes multitude of soules loose themselues 5. Lastly some are lost in the darke vault of ignorance applauding themselues in their blindnes and like Bats refusing the Sun-shine They haue an Altar but it is Ignoto Deo to an vnknowne God Like the Hoast of the King of Syria they are blind and lost betwixt Dothan and Samaria They may grope as the Sodomites for the dore of heauen but let not the Pope make them beleeue that they can find it blind-fold Ignorance is not Gods Starre-chamber of light but the Deuils vault of darkenes By that doctrine
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
It is not the death but the cause that giues the honour of Martyrdome Indeed there is no man that suffers contrary to the will of God but many suffer not Secundùm not according to the will of GOD. In his concealed will he allowes the sufferings of the Reprobates this is his iust iudgement They are smitten but for their faults Moerent merentur they lament and deserue to lament When the Adulterer is wounded for his lust he cannot thinke himselfe a patient secundum beneplacitum Dei according to the will of God When the vsurer is fetch'd ouer for his extortion the depopulator for his enclosing the slanderer for his libelling all these suffer but not for conscience toward God not according to his will They onely are said to suffer according to his will that suffer first innocently then patiently 1. Innocently for the wicked suffer mali malè sed meritò Euill men beare euill things but after their deserts The Pope hath made many Saints from this kind of suffering Straw-saints such as Garnet was If they be first drench'd at Tyber and after hang'd at Tyburne Martyres sunt they can be no lesse then Martyrs Not seldome their names are put into the Rubricke but they stand there in those red letters for nothing els but to remember their red bloudie actions They may pretend some shew of religion as if for cause thereof they suffered but it is not a meene but a mixt cause not for faith but for faction not for truth but for treason It is obserued that as the Physitians say none die of an ague nor without an ague so none of them suffer for the Romish religion nor without the Romish religion Therfore as Aristides dying of the bite of a Weasell exceedingly lamented that it was not a Lyoâ—…so these Seminaries may greatly lament that they die not for the Lyon of Iudah but for the Weasell of Roe Not secundum voluntatem Dei but secundum voluptatem Antichrists not according to the will of Christ but according to the lust of Antichrist But hee can make them amends with Sainting them men shall kneele to them pray to them climbe to heauen by the ladder of their merites Alas poore Saints the Pope sends them to heauen but how if they were in hell before May wee not say of them as Augustine did of Aristotle woe vnto them they are praysed and prayed vnto where they are not and condemned where they are Vnlesse as the vision was to Ormus that among the Apostles and Martyrs there was a vacant place left in heauen which sayth he was reserued for a Priest in England called Thomas Becket and this reuelation was full twelue years before Becket dyed So except the Pope can make them Saints before they die I feare his authoritie can doe little afterwards Yet indeed the Pope is a great Saint-maker and hath helped abundance of men to heauen For he sent them thither through the fire for the cause of Christ he condemned cursed burnt them to ashes and thus spight of his teeth he hath helped to make them martyrs and Saints For our selues if wee suffer any wrong of men let vs be sure we haue not deserued it Our Innocence cómends our suffering for this is according to the good will and pleasure of God 2. Patiently a murmuring mind evacuates the vertue of thy sufferings For what glory is it if when ye bee buffetted for your faults ye shall take it patiently but if when ye doe well and suffer for it ye then take it patiently this is acceptable to God Let me therefore helpe your patience by two considerations 1. What Christ our head suffered for vs bitter words and more bitter wounds Obserue him Looke to Iesus the author and finisher of our faith who for the ioy that was set before him endured the crosse and despised the shame So let vs run with patience the race that is set before vs. If we cannot endure an angry word from our brothers mouth how would we suffer boyling lead boyling coales as the Martyrs did How to be crucified as our Lord Iesus was What would we doe then Shew me now one dram of this patience Among gallants a word and a blow among ciuill men a word and a writ The backe of Patience can beare no load But ought not Christ first to suffer these things and then to enter into his glory First he was crowned with thornes then crowned with honours Caput spinosum in terris si sit gloriosum in coelis That head must first weare a wreath of sorrow on earth that shall weare a wreath of ioy in heauen Hereunto are we called because Christ suffered for vs leauing vs an example that we should follow his steps 2. That all this is according to the will of God Our blowes come at least mediately from the hand of God And this hand is guided with prouidence temperd with loue Distressed worldlings cry out it was my owne folly that ran me into this danger or the malice of mine enemy vndid me or surfeit on such meat made me sicke So the cur bites the stone which could neuer haue hurt him but from the hand that threw it Looke vp to the first mouer O mad man and discharge the meanes The Instrument may be vniust in thy wrongs but the cause is iust from him that inflicted it What rod soeuer beats thee consider it according to the will of God and be patient His hand sets theirs on worke I hope thou wilt not dispute with thy maker The medicine of thy passion is composed by God himselfe no euils nor deuils shall put in one dram more then his allowance no man nor Angell can abate one scruple The impatient man wants eyther wisedome or obedience Wisedome if he be ignorant from whom his crosses come obedience if he knowes it and is not patient This is the Integritie of the Suffering now followes The Comfort of this Integritie Let him commit the keeping of his soule to God Euery man cannot with this confidence but qui patitur propter Deum recurrit ad Deum He that suffers for Christs testimonie is confident of Gods mercie Let vs come therefore vnto the throne of grace boldly that we may obtaine mercie and find grace to helpe in the time of need Here let vs obserue three circumstances Quis Quid Cui Who What to Whom Who They that suffer according to the will of God Felicitie thinkes it hath no neede of God But God is more daintie of spirituall comforts then to giue them to such as are confident in worldly comforts The Balme of the Spirit shall not be sophisticated or mixed veneno mundi with the poyson of this world Giue strong drinke to the heauie sayth Salomon God will not giue his consolations to those that are drunke with prosperitie mad-merry with the world but his wine to the heauy heart He will comfort them that mourne Let them that
for the most part inseparable companions Eccle. 6. God giues to a man Riches and Honour First Riches and then Honour for it is lightly found so much Riches so much Honour and reputation is measured by the Acre I haue wealth enough saith the worldling Luke 12. I will turne Gentleman take my ease eate drinke and be merry Riches are the staires whereby men climbe vp into the height of dignitie the fortification that defends it the food it liues vppon the oyle that keeps the lampe of Honour from going out Honour is a bare robe if Riches doe not lace and flourish it and Riches a dull Lumpe till Honour giue a Soule to quicken it Fiftly then Honour and Riches Wealth and Worship doe beare one another companie 4. Lastly obserue that though riches and honour be Gods gifts yet they are but the gifts of his left hand therefore it necessarily followes that euery wise man will first seeke the blessings of the Right First seeke the kingdome of God and his righteousnes and these things shall be added to you Godlinesse is the best Riches Riches the worst let vs striue for the former without condition for the other if they fall in our way let vs stoope to take them vp if not let vs neuer couet them It is no Wisedome to refuse Gods kindnesse that offers wealth nor pietie to scratch for it when God withholds it When the Lord hath set thee vp as high as Haman in the Court of Ahasuerus or promoted thee to ride with Ioseph in the second Chariot of Egypt were thy stocke of Cattell exceeding Iobs seauen thousand sheepe three thousand Camels fiue hundred yoke of Oxen did thy Wardrobe put downe Salomons and thy cup-bord of plate Belshazzars when the vessels of Gods temple were the ornature Yet all these are but the gifts of Wisedomes left hand and the possessors may be vnder the malediction of God and goe downe to damnation If it were true that sanctior qui ditior that goods could make a man good I would not blame mens kissing the left hand and sucking out Riches and Honour But alas what antidote against the terrour of conscience can bee chym'd from gold What charme is there in braue apparell to keepe off the rigour of Sathan Quod tibi praestat opes non tibi praestat opem That which makes thee wealthy cannot make thee happie Ionas had a Gourd that was to him an Arbour he sate vnder it secure but suddenly there was a worme that bitte it and it dyed Compare secretly in your hearts your riches to that Gourd your pleasure to the greenesse of it your pompe attendance vanities to the leaues of it your suddaine encrease of wealth to the growing and shooting vp of it But withall forget not the Worme and the Wind the Worme that shall kill your roote is Death and the Wind that shall blow vpon you is calamitie There is a greater defect in this wealth and worshippe then their vncertaintie Non mâ—…do fallacia quia dubia verùm insidiosa quia dulcia They are not onely deceitfull through their ticklenesse but dangerous through their lushoâ—…snesse Men are apt to surfeit on this luxurient abundance it is a baâ—…e to securitie a baud to wantonnes Here is the maine difference betweene the gifts of Gods right hand and of his left He giues reall blessings with the left but he doth not settle them vpon vs he promiseth 〈◊〉 perpetuitie but with the graces of his right he giues assurance of euerlastingnes Christ calles Riches the riches of deceitfulnesse but grace the better part that shall neuer be taken away Dauid compares the wealthy to a flourishing tree that is soone withered but Faith stablisheth a man like Mount Sion neuer to be remoued He that thinkes hee sittes surest in his seate of Riches let him take heed least he fall When a great man boasted of his abundance sayth Paulus Emilius one of his friends told him that the anger of God could not long forbeare so great prosperitie How many rich Marchants haue suddenly lost all How many Noblemen sold all How many wealthy heires spent all Few Sundayes passe ouer our heads without Collections for Ship-wrackes fires and other casualties Demonstratiue proofes that prosperitie is inconstant riches casuall And for honour wee read that Belâ—…sarius an honourable Peere of the Empire was forced in his old age to beg from dore to dore obulum date Bel sario Fredericke a great Emperour was so low brought that he sâ—…ed to be made but the Sexton of a Church O then let vs not adhere to these left hand blessings but first seeke length of dayes eternall ioyes neuer to be lost A man may enioy the other without fault the sinne consisteth praeferendo vel conferendo either in preferring Riches or in comparing them with faith and a good conscience Vtere caducis fruere aeternis Thou must necessarily vse these transient things onely enioy and rest vppon the euerlasting comforts of Iesus Christ. When God hath assured to a Christian spirit the inheritance of Heauen he ioyfully pilgrims it through this world if wealth and worship salute him by the way he refuseth not their companie but they shall not stray him out of his path nor transport his affections for his heart is where his hope is his loue is where his Lord is euen with Iesus his Redeemer at the right hand of God Now this mans very Riches are blessed to him for as from the hand of God hee hath them so from the hand of God hee hath to enioy good in them Whereas to some sayth Salomon I haue seene Riches kept for the ownâ—…s thereof to their hurt to this man they shall worke to the best blessing his condition in this life and enlarging his dition in heauen as the wise man sweetly The blessing of the Lord it maketh rich and hee addeth no sorrow with it Thus in particular if we conferre the right hand with the left we shall generally learne 1. That both Gods hands are giuing it is enough if man giue with one hand but the Lord settes both his handes a doling his Almes of mercie Nemo tuarum vnam vincet vtraque manu No man can doe so much with both handes as GOD with one hand with one finger Hee hath Manum plenam extensam expansam hand full not emptie so full that it can neuer be emptied with giuing Innumerable are the drops in the sea yet if one be taken out it hath though insensibly so much the lesse but Gods goodnesse can suffer no diminution for it is infinite Men are sparing in their bountie because the more they giue the lesse they haue but Gods hand is euer full though it euer disperse and the filling of many cisternes is no abatement to his euer running fountaine Our prayers therfore are well directed thether for blessings whence though we receiue neuer so much wee leaue no lesse behind Let this
master of Requests in heauen haue all our suites wee are sure either to receiue what wee aske or what wee should aske It is extensa a hand put forth and stretched out Stretched out not to receiue but to giue The Prophet speakes of Rulers that stretch out their hands for bribes and cry Giue yee but the Lords hand is put forth to offer good things All day long haue I stretched forth my hands to a disobedient people Indeed God hath a hand and woe to the man against whom it is stretched Homer sayth that all the Gods could not ward a blow of Iupiters hand His hands are not onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hands that cannot be sufficiently preised but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hands that cannot be resisted It is a heauy hand when it lights vpon men in anger It is a fearefull thing to fall into the hands of the liuing God When reuolting Israell fell to serue Baal and Ashtaroth Whethersoeuer they went out the hand of the Lord was against them for euill When the men of Ashdod were smitten with Emerods it is said the hand of the Lord was heauie vpon them So Dauid in his grieuous miserie Thine arrowes sticke fast in me thy hand presseth mesore It is not this hand that God here stretcheth out Bernard sayth God hath two hands Fortitudo and Latitudo A hand of strength Qua defendit potenter wherewith he protects his friends and confounds his enemies A hand of Bountie Qua tribuit affluenter wherby he disperseth and disposeth the larges of his gifts This is the hand here put forth manus regalis and giues munus regale a royall hand full of reall mercies let vs humbly kisse it It is expansa not a shut hand but open Thou openest thy hand and fillest all things liuing with plenteousnesse God giues richly sayth Paul Man is poore because hee is a creature the very namâ—… of creature inferres pouertie it implies a receiuing of all Quid habes quod non accepisti The Creator hath the possession of all and the disposition of all at his own pleasure Euery good gift and euery perfect gift is from aboue and commeth downe from the Father of Lights Bread in the Lords prayer is called Ours Giue vs this day our daily bread but ne putetur a nobis dicimus da nobis lest we should imagine it our owne from our selues we are taught daily to begge it of our father in heauen whose it is It is the Lords hand that barreth the gates of our cities that filleth our garners with plentie that sets peace about our walles and prosperitie in our pallaces that blesseth our goings out and commings in euen all the workes of our hands But what speake I of temporall things the gifts of his lest hand in comparison of length of dayes euerlasting ioyes the treasures of his right Repentance humilitie charitie and the Lady of all graces Faith come from his hand and are the faire gifts of God Ipsum velle credore Deus operatur in homine The first will to beleeue is wrought in man by God If any aske Cur illi ita suadeatur vt persuadeatur illi autem non ita Why doth this man beleeue another remaine in infidelitie Hic digitus Dei the hand of God hath bin here working faith in the soule of him that beleeueth All comes from this hand of mercy Quisquis tibi enumerat merita sua quid tibi enumerat nisi muneratua He that reckons to God his merites what doth he reckon but Gods mercies Quae bo na mea dona tua those that are my goods as Gods gifts 2. Though hands be here attributed to God yet it is but by way of metaphore not literally and in a true proprietie of speech To conceiue GOD to bee as man with humane dimensions was the heresie of the Anthro pomorphites and hee that thus grossely thinkes of God sayth Ierome makes an Idol of God in his heart But herein God stoopes to the qualitie of our vnderstandings ascribing to himselfe anger and displeasure as it were passions to the impassible whereas Nec Deus affectu capitur nec tangitur irâ—… they are not passions but perfections God hath a mouth by which he teacheth man wisedome he hath feet by which he walketh on the earth his footestoole he hath hands by which he giueth food to all flesh he hath none of these organically as men haue but in the varietie of effects which he produceth So Bernard Per effectum haec habet non per naturam 3. Obserue that in the left hand there is a double benefite Riches and Honour in the right but a single one Length of dayes yet this one farre transcends both the other For if we should restraine it to this world long life is a great blessing and more valuable then wealth and worship But taking it as it is meant for eternitie For this life is but a span long a span then now scarce the length of a finger as Psal. 23. I will dwell in the house of the Lord for euer originally to length of dayes but fitly traÌ„slated For euer the left hand is as far exceeded by the right as short mortalitie is by euerlastingnesse Aged Israel to his grand-children Ephraim Manasseh two sonnes of Ioseph when the father had placed the first borne Manasseh to his right hand and Ephraim the younger to his left hee crossing his hands layd the right vpon Ephraim and the left vpon Manasseh When Ioseph would haue remoued his hands he refused I know it my sonne I know it Manasseh also shall become a people and he also shall be great but truely his younger brother shall be greater then he The Lord doth blesse many Manassehs with his left hand in riches and honours but blessed be that Ephraim to whom his right hand is commended Lord let others enioy the treasures of thy left hand but lay thy right vpon our soules 4. I conclude Since the Lord out of both his hands powres and showres vpon vs these mercies what should we doe but be thankfull Shall wee receiue benefites by heapes and is the incense of our gratitude of so thinne a smoake Et capitur minimo thuris honore Deus All these blessings seeme to say to man Take and take heed Accipe redde caue Receiue returne beware Take warmth from me sayth apparell heat from me fâ—…yth fire strength from me sayth bread Restore thankfullnesse to the Giuer Or else beware lest the fire burne thee water drowne thee aire choake thee lest all giue destruction that should giue comfort Receiue in the name of God Returne in the Praise of God or Beware in the feare of God To whom for the blessings of both his hands be glory ascribed from all lips and hearts for euer and euer Amen THE LOST ARE FOVND LVK. 19. 10. For the Sonne of man is come to seeke and to saue that
was lost THE first word is Causall and puts vs in mind of some reference In briefe the dependance is this Litle Zacheus became great in Gods fauour he was ver 2. a Publican a chiefe Publican a rich Publican Yet he hath a desire to see Iesus and Iesus hath a purpose to see him A figtree shall helpe him to the sight of Christ Christ to the sight of him Our Sauiour calls him downe it is fit they should come downe in humilitie that entertaine Christ and bids himselfe to his house to dinner He is made Zacheus his gest for temporall food and Zacheus is made his guest for euerlasting cheare This day is saluation come to this house ver 9. This mercy is not without the Pharises grudging ver 7. When they saw it they all murmured saying That hee was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner Murmuring is betweene secret backbiting and open railing a smotherd malice which can nether beevtterly concealed nor dare bee openly vented The cause of their murmuring was that hee was become a guest to a sinner as if the Sunne of righteousnesse could bee corrupted in shining on a Dunghill of sinne No whiles hee did associate the bad hee made them good feeding them spiritually that fed him corporally Hee did not consent to their sinne but correct it not infecting himselfe but affecting their soules and effecting their blisse A man may accompany those whom hee desires to make better or them to make him better And that the mouth of all wickednesse might be stopped our Sauiour sayes that his comming into the world was not onely to call home Zacheus but euen many such Publicans For the Sonne of man is come to seeke and to saue c. Wee are thus gotten ouer the threshold For let vs now looke into the house and suruay euery chamber and roome in it The foundation of this comfortable scripture is Iesus Christ and the building may bee distinguished into fiue seuerall Parlours all richly hung and adorned with the graces and mercies of God and the midst thereof paued with loue for the daughters of Ierusalem CHRIST is the Buttresse or corner stone and in him consider here His Humilitie The Sonne of man Veritie Is come Pittie To seeke Pietie To saue Power That which was lost 1. The Sonne of man Ecce Humilitatem Hee that is the Sonne of eternall God cals himselfe the Sonne of mortall man 2. Is come Ecce veritatem What God had promised his Seruants prophecied his Types prefigured he hath now performed They all foretold in their kinds that he should come he makes all good he Is come 3. To seeke Ecce compassionem He knew that we were vtterly gone that we had Nec valentis oculum nec volentis animum neither an eye able nor a mind willing to seeke him in Pittie he seekes vs. 4. To saue Ecce Pietatem He seekes vs not in ruinam to our destruction as we deserued but in salutem to our saluation as he desired Amissos quaerit quaesitos invenit inventos seruat He seekes them that were lost hee finds them he seekes he saues them he finds To saue 5. The lost Ecce Potestatem He is not onely able to strengthen vs weake nor to recouer vs sicke nor to fetch vs home offring our selues to bee brought but when we had neither will nor power to procure this yea when wee had a reluctancie against this for wee were his enemies and hated him he did recall vs gone reviue vs dead seeke and saue vs that were lost You see the Chambers how they lie in order let mee keepe your thoughts in this house of Mercie a while wherein may all our soules dwell for euer In survaying the Roomes it is fit wee should begin with the lowermost and thither the Text aptly first leads vs. The Sonne of Man Christ is called a Sonne in three respects 1. In regard of his Deitie the Sonne of God begotten of him from all eternitie coequall and coessentiall to him 2. In respect of his flesh the Son of Mary naturally borne of her 3. He cals himselfe the Sonne of Man in regard that he tooke on him mans nature and vndertooke the performance of mans redemption Man like vs in all things sinne onely excepted So that in this circumstance two things are considerable in Christ the one necessarily involved in the other His Humanitie Humilitie His Humanitie When the fulnesse of time was come God sent his Sonne made of a Woman Ex muliere non in muliere as Gorran notes against Valentinus whose heresie was that Christ passed through the Virgin as water through a Conduit-pipe But this Preposition Ex signifies a pre-existent matter as a house is made of tymber stones bread of wheat wine of grapes Christ had therefore the materials of his bodie from the virgin Mary though not his Formale principium for the holy Ghost was agent in this wonderfull conception Neither is this a thing impossible to God though wonderfull to Man that this Christ should be the Son of Mary without man As it was possible to God in the first creation to make a Woman out of a Man without the helpe of a Woman so in this new creation to make a Man out of a Woman without the helpe of a man There is the same reason of possibilitie It is as easie to bring fire from a steele without a flint as from a flint without a steele But he that could dare essentiam nihilo can raise a nature ex aliquo God had foure diuerse manners of creating humane creatures 1. The first man Adam was made of no man but immediately created of God 2. The second that was Eue was made not of a woman but of a man alone 3. The third sort all men and women else are begotten of man and woman 4. Christ the last sort was of a different maner from all these 1. not of no precedent flesh as Adam 2. Not of a man without a woman as Eue. 3. Not of man and woman as all we 4. But after a new way of a woman without a man We are all in this sort opposed to Adam Christ to Eue Adam was made of neither man nor woman wee of both man and woman Eue of a man without a woman Christ of a woman without a man Now as this was a great worke of God so it is a great wonder to man Three miracles here Deum nasci virginem parere fidem haec credere That the Sonne of God should become the Sonne of woman a great myracle That a virgin should beare a child and yet before at after the birth remaine still a virgin a great myracle That the faith of man should beleeue all this Maximum miraculum this is the greatest wonder of all Thus you haue Diuinitie assuming Humanitie a great mystery God manifested in the flesh In mundum venit qui mundum condidit he comes downe to earth but hee leaues not
heauen hic affuit inde non defuit Humana natura assumpta est Diuina non consumpta est Hee tooke Humanitie he lost not his Diuinitie He abideth Mariae Pater the Father of Mary who is made Mariae Filius the Sonne of Mary To vs a child is borne to vs a sonne is giuen Whereon Emissenus Natus qui sentiret occasum datus qni resciret exordium Hee was borne that should feele death hee was giuen that was from euerlasting and could not die Natus qui matre esset iunior datus quo nec Pater esset antiquior He that was borne was younger then his mother hee that was giuen was as eternall as his father He was Sonne to both God and Mary Non alter ex Patre alter ex Virgine sed aliter ex Patre aliter ex virgine As the flowers are said to haue Solem in coelo patrem solum in terra matrem so Christ hath a father in heauen without a mother a mother on earth without a father Here is then the wonder of his Humanitie The euerlasting Father is become a litle child He that spreads out the heauens is wrapd in swadling clouts Hee that is the Word becomes an Infant not able to speake The Sonne of God calls himselfe the Sonne of man His Humilitie If your vnderstandings can reach the depth of this bottome take it at one view The Sonne of God calls himselfe the Sonne of man The omnipotent Creator becomes an impotent creature As himselfe sayth Greater loue hath no man then this that a man lay downe his life for his friends So greater humilitie neuer was then this that God should be made man It is the voyce of Pride in man I will bee like God but the action of Humilitie in God I will be man Proud Nebuchadnezzar sayes Ero similis altissimo I will be like the Highest meeke Christ sayth Ero similis infimo I will be like the lowest hee put on him the the forme of a seruant yea hee was a despised Worme God spoke it in derision of sinfull man Behold hee is become as one of vs but now we may say God is become as one of vs. There the lowest aspires to bee the Highest here the Highest vouchsafes to be the lowest Alexander a sonne of man would make himselfe the sonne of God Christ the Sonne of God makes himselfe the sonne of man God in whose presence is fullnesse of ioy becomes a man full of sorroâ—…es Eternall rest betakes himselfe to vnrest hauing whilst hee liued i passiue action and when hee dyed actiue passion The LORD ouer all things and Heire of the world vndertakes ignominie and pouertie Ignominie the King of glory is become the shame of men Pouertie Pauper in nativitate pauperior in vita pauperrimus in cruce Poore in his Birth for borne in another mans stable poore in his Life fed at another mans table poore in his Death buried in another mans sepulcher There are sayth Bernard some that are humbled but not humble others that are humble not humbled and a third sort that are both humbled and humble Pharaoh was humbled and cast downe but not humble smitten with subuersion not moued with submission Gothfrey of Boloigne was not humbled yet humble for in the very heate and height of his honour he refused to be crowned in Ierusalem with a Crowne of gold because Christ his master had bin in that place crowned with a crowne of thornes Others are both humbled and humble When he slew them they sought him they returned and enquired early after GOD. Our Sauiour Christ was Passiuely humbled hee was made lower then the Angels by suffering death the Lord did breake him Actiuely he humbled himselfe he made himselfe of no reputation and tooke vpon him the forme of a seruant he humbled himselfe Habitually hee was humbled Learne of me for I am meeke and lowly in heart Let this obseruation lesson vs two dueties 1. Esteeme wee not the worse but the better of Christ that hee made himselfe the Sonne of man Let him not lose any part of his honour because hee abased himselfe for vs. Hee that tooke our flesh is also over all GOD blessed for ever Amen There is more in him then humanitie not alia persona but alia natura not another person but another nature Though hee bee verus homo hee is not merus homo And euen that Man that was crucified on a crosse and layed in a graue is more high then the heauens more holy then the Angels Stephen saw this very Sonne of man standing on the right hand of God The bloud of this Sonne of man giues saluation and to whome it doth not this Sonne of man shall adiudge them to condemnation Vnder this name and forme of Humilitie our Sauiour apposed his Disciples Whome do men say that I the Sonne of Man am Peter answeres for himselfe and the Apostles whatsoeuer the people thought Thou art Christ the Sonne of the living God He cals himselfe the Sonne of man Peter cals him the Sonne of God The Iewes see him onely a stâ—…mbling blocke and the Greekes foolishnesse but Christians see him the Power of God and the Wisedome of God The wicked behold him without forme or comelynesse or beauty to desire him but the faithfull behold him crowned with a Crowne his face shining as the Sunne in his glory Therefore Quantò minorem se fecit in humilitate tantò maiorem exhibuit in bonitate Quanto pro me vilior tanto mihi charior The lower hee brought himselfe in humilitie the higher hee magnified his mercie By so much as hee was made the baser for vs by so much let him be the dearer to vs. Obserue it O man quia limus es non sis superbus quia Deo iunctus non sis ingratus because thou art dust of thy selfe be not proud because thou art made immortall by Christ be not vnthankefull Condemned world that despisest him appearing as a silly man The Iewes expected an externall pompe in the Messias Can hee not come downe from the Crosse how should this man saue vs They consider not that hee who wanted a Rest for his head Bread for his followers fed some thousands of them with a few loaues that hee which wanted a pillow giues rest to all beleeuing soules that hee could but would not come downe from the crosse that the deare price of their redemption might be payed Many still haue such Iewish hearts what beleeue on a crucified man But Paul determines to know nothing but this Iesus Christ and him crucified They can be content to dwell with him on mount Tabor but not to follow him to mount Caluary They cleaue to him so long as hee giues them bread but forsake him when himselfe cryes for drinke Oderunt pannos tuos O Christ they like well