vs to a reckoning If we haue gained nothing wee shall loose all if wee haue bene carefull of a little wee shall be rulers ouer much and when that mysticall traueller that went a farre off shall returne home he will not onely gratulate our pietie with an Euge bone serue well done good seruant but reward our fidelitie with an intraui gaudium Domini tui Enter into thy masters ioy These words are a gracious inuitation of our Sauiour Christ to the quiet fruition of peace and rest Whereof I may say as King Solomon did of his Spouses tongue Lac mel sub lingua tua Milke and honie are vnder thy roofe milke and hony are vnder their couer the milke of diuine truth and spirituall comfort the hony of liquid pleasure and most incomparable sweetnesse streaming and deriued vpon the heires of righteousnesse that it may be true which Dauid long since prophesied Exultabunt sancti in gloria the Saints shall reioyce with glorie and sing vpon their beds the beds of peace and holinesse the beds of securitie and blessednesse in the mount of God and Citie of Ierusalem If you please to marke the cells as it were of this waxen combe from whence the hony drops yee shall find they are but three First the right and power of the admission they are authorized by God to make their entry and therefore saith the text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Enter Secondly the nature and qualitie of their possession it is ioy and felicitie and therefore saith the text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Enter into ioy Last of all the benefit and priuiledge of their seruice and relation they are ioyned with their master and made partners with our Sauiour and therefore saith the text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Enter into thy masters ioy In that we haue leaue to enter I note that priuate secresie of that heauenly kingdome In that wee must enter into ioy I note the sweete iucunditie of our future condition In that it is the ioy of our master I note the wonderfull dignitie of euery Christian Lift vp your heads byee gates and bee ye lifted vp yee euerlasting doores the King of glorie shall come in Yea and all his Saints with him the King and his daughter the Lord and his seruants God and his Church Christ and his members to the end they may receiue Denarium salutis as S. Austin speakes the hire of their labour and the pennie of their saluation How iustly may wee cry with Peter Master whither shall we goe Thou hast the words of eternall life It is thy life wee seeke and it is thy ioy wee hope to enter whilst thou dost so freely call vs and so graciously inuite vs to the communion and fellowship of thine euerlasting inheritance Intra in gaudium Domini tui Enter into thy masters ioy By this yee may see what the Text imports and therefore since a great an effectuall doore is opened to mee from the readinesse of your hearts and the promptnesse of your deuotion I will descend speedily and make entry Me thinkes I heare your expectation say to mee as Christ vnto you all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Enter And who I pray you would not gladly enter the gates of Paradise if he might All like the sweetnesse of the place few the straitnesse of the way and though we care not to be holy yet wee desire to be happie euer crying with the Prophet Amaui Domine habitationem domus tui O God I haue loued the habitation of thy house and the place where thine honour dwelleth Yet is it not in him that willeth nor in him that runneth but in God that sheweth mercy No man commeth to the Sonne the knowledge of the Sonne vnlesse the Father draw him no man comes vnto the Father the glory of the Father vnlesse the Sonne admit him Hee it is that puts some on the right hand with a Venite benedicti Come yee blessed others on the left hand with a Recedite maledicti Depart ye cursed that saith vnto one enter of another cast him forth into outward darknesse where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth Whence is that of Iohn Blessed are they which doe his will and haue right in the tree of life to enter the gates of the Citie For without shall be dogs and inchanters and whoremongers and murderers and idolaters and euery one that loueth and speaketh lyes the last and the 14. of the Apoca. It is a curious diuision which I read in S. Bernard and worthy obseruation Alij mercantur alij furantur c. Some purchase heauen and they are such as make friends with the riches of iniquitie others steale heauen and they are like the woman that was healed by the secret touch of our Sauiours garment many inuade heauen and take it by force for indeed the kingdome of heauen suffers violence and they may bee compared to Iacob that stroue with God and wrestled with an Angell but whether theeues and robbers that steale heauen by faith or Merchants and Factors that purchase heauen by charitie or vsurers and intruders that inuade heauen and take it by force the most gracious and acceptable force of prayers and deuotion they must all confesse that it is in the name and mediation of Christ Iesus by that new and liuing way as the Apostle notes Which he made for vs through the vayle that is his flesh Heb. 10. 20. So that I may say of heauen and the doores thereof as Saint Iohn doth of the booke and the seales thereof Nemo dignus est inuentus there is none found worthie to open the booke and to loose the seales thereof but onely the Lambe and there is none found worthy to open the gates of heauen and to loose the barres thereof but onely the Lambe that Lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world Hence is he termed the way and if that be not plaine and easie the doore and if that be not open and peruious life and saluation in the abstract that hath the keyes of death and of hell or rather of felicitie and of heauen where hee sits at the right hand of God and saith vnto vs enter Enter friends and take your comfort enter seruants and take your wages enter children and take your patrimonie enter brethren and take your portion enter all ye that seeke the kingdome of heauen and the righteousnesse thereof and receiue a crowne which is layd vp for you in the highest Diues non excluditur the poore is not shut out for want of money the rich is not turned backe for the abundance of his comforts the weake is not thrust out for want of strength nor the mightie refused for the danger of their forces but euery one hath boldnesse to draw neare vnto the throne of grace by the merits of Christ Iesus For it is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 come towards the ioy of thy master and looke vpon it with desire and greedinesse as one that
thirsteth in the midst of waters but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Come into the ioy of thy Master and take part of it with delight and satisfaction as one that doth feele and tast how good the Lord is Thus doth one deepe call vpon another Abyssus luminosa abyssum tenebrosam The depth of light and claritie vpon the depth of blindnesse and obscurity the depth of power and maiestie vpon the depth of weaknesse and humilitie the depth of goodnesse and mercie vpon the depth of wretchednesse and misery And all this for the noise of the water pipes which is nothing but the sound and the cry of repentance and humilitie Hee sware vnto the generation of our fathers they should neuer enter into his rest because they prouoked him in the wildernes Hee saith onely to the generation of their children they shall enter into his rest If they obey his precepts What is his word as good as his oath yes when he that speaketh is truth it selfe and he sweareth that hath none greater then himselfe For his passion was our redemption and if I may vse the words of Bernard Clauus penetrans clauis aperiens The nayles that fastned him to the crosse the speare that ran him through the lance that opened his side the iron that went into his soule is made a key to vnlocke heauen and to make vs enter Therefore do wee sing triumphantly in the Churches Liturgie When thou hadst ouecome the sharpnesse of death thou didst open the kingdome of heauen to all beleeuers Agreeable whereunto is the vision of Saint Iohn I lookt and behold there was a doore opened in the midst of heauen and the first voice I heard was as the sound of a trumpet saying Come vp higher But if God himselfe did not rest the seuenth day before he considered the works of his creation and found them good God saw all that was made loe it was very good Gen. 1. 31. How shall we hope to enter his rest that eternall Sabboth of our bodies and our spirits before we haue done some good examined our hearts tried our faith prooued our workes and found some goodnesse in the midst of their imperfections wee may not please God without faith or see God withour holinesse The bridegroome will passe by without notice of vs if wee haue neither faith in our hearts nor oyle in our vessels The oyle of grace the oyle of mercy the oyle of deuotion the oyle of charitie shining and burning to the comfort of our brethren As wisedome doth not enter the house of an euill soule so an euill soule doth not enter the house of wisedome Therefore doth he stand at the doore and knocke with an aperi sponsa aperi columba Open my loue open my done Open to me the gates of righteousnesse that I may open to thee the gates of blessednesse For except your righteousnesse exceed that of the Pharises yee shall neuer enter the kingdome of heauen Looke vpon those Elders which stand before the throne they are clothed with white robes and haue palmes in their hands which is nothing but the flower and beauty of their good workes and Christian pietie It is storied of the Scythians that once a yeare they made a great feast where none may come but such as haue slaine an enemie The feast God makes vs is the ioy of my Text a great feast and in the simplicitie of termes exceeding gaudies but there is no entrance or admission before we haue crucified the body of sinne slaine an enemie sacrificed a rebell yea many enemies and many rebels that fight against the soule by true confession and heartie repentance neuer to be repented of Adiebus Ioannis Baptistae saith Christ Since the time of Iohn Baptist the kingdome of heauen suffers violence Why since the time of Iohn Baptist But onely to shew the vertue of repentance because hee taught repentance and was neuer without a poenitentiam agite in his mouth Repent for the kingdome of God is at hand Repent for the kingdome of heauen is at hand Whence is that of Gregorie Rapiamus fletibus quod non debetur meritis Let vs snatch that by force of teares which is not due to the merits of workes If any bee meeke patient humble penitent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Christ taught in a Sermon vpon the mount theirs is the kingdome of heauen and theirs onely is the kingdome of heauen I know there bee many pretend keyes and would faine leade vs into a fooles paradise by a vaine conceit of their deceitfull merits witnesse that great Clauiger of Rome that vsurpeth all power in heauen and earth as if he alone had the key of Dauid That openeth and no man shutteth and shutteth and no man openeth It is not enough for Christ to loose if hee binde it is not enough for Christ to remit if he retaine it is not enough for Christ to say enter if hee say be gone O the cursed blasphemie of that open sepulchre how doe they spoile God of his naturall right and peculiar iurisdiction And yet they are not the keyes of heauen but of hell which these men keepe abyssi claues as Saint Iohn writes the keyes of that bottomlesse pit where they leade many by the heresie of their doctrine and the impiety of their actions If not by the thunder and lightning of their fierce anathemaes and direfull imprecations It is a pretty story which I read of Pope Leo when he was troubled in conscience and toucht with the remorse for his iniquities his Confessor cheared him vp with a Quid times sancte pater Holy father what makes you affraid Haue not you the keyes of heauen and the merits of Christ at your dispose There is none in the world that hath so great power and command as your selfe O saith Leo know yee not that hee which sells any thing hath no right in that which is sold I feare since wee haue so often sold Christ and his merits we shall haue no right nor interest in them our selues Wretched men that yee are who shall deliuer yee from the body of despaire May we not say to them as Christ did to others in the Gospell Woe be vnto you yee take the keye of knowledge but yee do not enter your selues and such as come yee forbid Woe be vnto you ye take vnto you the keyes of heauen but you do not enter your selues and such as come yee forbid or rather indeed yee bid all that come at your publike Iubilies as base Hucsters of Gods free mercy in the sale and market of Pardons and Indulgences But howsoeuer these men abuse that power against the truth which is giuen for the truth we are sure Christ hath left keyes with his Church Tibi dabo claues was a grant made to the Apostles in the name of Peter and stands good to euery Minister of the Gospell vnder the broad seale of the Crosse To thee will I giue the keyes of heauen They haue all the
ioy their works are the acts of ioy their thoughts are the springs of ioy their language is the voice of ioy whilst they sing and cry Ioy within the gates of Hierusalem and peace bee on Sion One day in thy Courts is better then a thousand I had rather bee a doore-keeper in the house of the Lord then to liue at ease in the tents of vngodlinesse Can there bee a feast or a bankquet without ioy there shall be the supper of the great King Can there bee a wedding or nuptials without ioy There shall bee the marriage of the Lambe where the Lord shall worke a greater miracle then euer he did in Cana and conuert the teares of outward heuinesse into the wine of inward gladnesse till wee bee drunke with the sweetnesse of his loue and the pleasures of his kingdome hauing as Nyssen writes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A sober kind of drunkennesse for if ioy be an act of loue and the effect of charitie as the Schooles haue determined there must needs bee great ioy where there is so great loue perfect ioy where there is perfect charitie ioy in our owne saluation ioy in the felicitie of our brethren whom wee shall loue as our owne soules by the vnitie of the Spirit But we may not thinke to find out the springs of Nilus or the seuerall grounds of these infinite reioycings O that I had a pitcher large enough to draw the well is deepe and my heart is not able to containe much lesse to present you with the ioyes of that heauenly kingdome Helpe mee with your prayers raise mee with your spirits let not the cry of Rome drowne the cry of Ierusalem the one calls to paine and torment the other calls to ioy and comfort the one calls to a Limbus Patrum the other calls to the garden of Eden The one calls to the fire of Purgatory the other calls to the life of glory the one calls to the triall of your workes in imaginary flames the other calls to the crowne of your workes in reall blessednesse and that by the example of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ Intra in gaudium Domini tui Enter into thy masters ioy Here then is one key more to raise our ioy a little higher and that is a relatiue terme Domini gaudium our masters ioy It skils much who is ioyned with vs in the partaking of any good Some had rather die with their friends then liue with their enemies and the poore Indians chose rather to go to hell with their ancestors then to heauen with the Spaniards If then it bee sweet and comfortable to be in ioy what is it to be with our Lord and Gouernour To enter his ioy to eate and drinke with our master at his table and in his kingdome or rather to make him our meate and drinke that is the bread of life and the well-spring of saluation Yet thus doth God intreate his seruants and there is nothing so deare to him but they shall haue part with him His owne ioy his owne secret his owne sweetnesse his owne comfort his owne robe his owne iustice his owne clothing his owne righteousnesse nay his very life and spirit shall be giuen to them as a seale and pledge of extraordinary grace and speciall fauour Much like that of Cyrus though humane resemblances come short of diuine presidents who neuer liked any dish but he sent part to his friends Semesos anseres semesos panes saith my Author sometime the bread himselfe did eate sometime the meate himselfe did tast from his trencher with this kind and friendly salutation Cyrus tibi ista quod ipsi fuerint iucundissima The King sends you this because he likes it best himselfe and holds it choise and daintie It is a small thing for the Saints of God to reioyce vnlesse it bee in the Lord. The ioy of the creature is transient the ioy of the Creator permanent They must partake of their masters ioy and reioyce in that where his soule delighteth Quo gaudet quod praestat the ioy hee giues and the ioy hee takes the ioy he loues and the ioy he is Whereupon saith Bernard Non aurum pollicetur Dominus the Lord doth not promise gold nor siluer or pretious stones but himselfe He will be our ioy and hee will be our comfort our substantiall ioy our euerlasting comfort our solid ioy our euerlasting glorie and the very crowne of our ioycing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Nyssen speakes the giuer of the crowne and the crowne that is giuen the disposer of the treasure and the treasure that is disposed the merchant that sells the pearle and the pearle that is sold by the merchant from whose golden beames and smiling rayes all the creatures in heauen and earth receiue beauty and perfection The reason is taken from that diuine master of humane knowledge 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the chiefest good is most pleasant and voluptuous in himselfe because most good most blessed most absolute most perfect and as hee reioyceth in himselfe so wee must reioyce in him The vision of his nature the contemplation of his Dietie where there is fulnesse of ioy and pleasure for euermore It is his brightnesse must clarifie our vnderstanding his goodnesse must sanctifie our affections his fulnesse possesse our hearts and satisfie the vastnesse of our greatest spirits What though Adam were affraid at the voyce of God walking in the garden we shall triumph at the sight of God riding in the heauens Gauâ—isi discipuli viso Domino saith the Euangelist The disciples reioyced when they saw the Lord but the whole world shall be rauished with ioy when they looke vpon Christ not as hee is in his works but as he is in himselfe his Essence his diuinitie with the cleare eyes of loue and knowledge like those creatures in the Apocalyps Which are full of eyes about the throne and amidst the throne about the throne in the sight and comprehension as it were of diuine greatnesse amidst the throne in the tast and fruition of diuine goodnesse O thou bright Sonne of eternall glory that dost create the Saints exhilarate the Elders diaper the heauens serene the elements inspire the Cherubins inflame the Seraphins enlighten the temple of Ierusalem and make glad the Citie of our God thy loue is our ioy thy peace our ioy thine eyes our ioy thy lookes our ioy If thou wert like a bundle of my the in thy sufferings thou art as a heape of Camphire in thy blessings Thou dost cheare vs now but it is imperfectly and as it were by a proxie the proxie of thy creatures the proxie of thy seruants Sometimes the fatnesse of the earth and the dew of heauen sometimes by the comfort of friends and the abundance of thy treasure at most by the pretious influence of thy inuisible graces but thou shalt one day cheere vs by thy selfe the maiestie of thy presence the fruition of thy company the vision of thy person the
in this honour it is thou onely which hast the glorie And that in altissimis and ab altissimis First in the highest for the heauens declare the glory and are the stage and theater of thine euerlasting power and triumphant maiesty secondly of the highest For the Angels praise thee and the Saints giue thankes vnto thee the heauens and all the powers therein continually do cry Holy holy holy Lord God of Sabboth heauen and earth are full of thy glory thy praise is their ioy thy honour their comfort thy celebritie their felicitie by whose power they are made by whose wisedome they are illuminated by whose grace they stand fast and shall neuer bee remooued Whence is that of Dauid Beati qui habitant Blessed are they which dwell in thy house they will euer bee praising thee Though I could assigne many reasons of this glory from the Angels as the excellent dignitie of their wonderfull creation for they beare the signiture of God in their nature the continuall fruition of diuine sweetnesse for they tast and drinke thereof as from a riuer the sure confirmation of their eternall blessednesse for they are setled and established by the incarnation of our Sauiour Yet that which fills their hearts with praise and their tongue with ioy is their instauration of their decay because thou hast built vp the walls of Ierusalem and made vp their breach by the saluation of man and the redemption of our nature The walls of Ierusalem are the companies of Angels which are built vp and made compleat by reducing man to the state of their perfection Therefore do they reioyce and sing therefore do they cry aloud vpon their beds and to vse the words of Cyprian Gratulabundi praedicant they magnifie the riches of Gods mercy with exceeding ioy and wonderfull gratulation O my brethren and yee whom I tender as mine owne bowels in the Lord. What a motiue is this to Christian loue and perfect charitie Shall the Angels praise God for vs and shall not we praise the Lord for our selues Shall an armie of spirituall souldiers triumph in the redemption of man and shall not wee reioyce in our owne saluation and the miraculous deliuerance of our brethren True deuotion is full of compassion and the Saints of God do not onely suffer together but reioyce together with Hymnes and Psalmes of spirituall melody singing to the Lord with grace in their hearts Whence are they termed filiae Iudah daughters of Iudah and filiae confessionis daughters of confession as learned Austin makes the exposition such as praise God and offer the sacrifice of thankfulnesse for his loue to man and his blessings out of Sion Tell mee then what spirit they are of that call to heauen for vengeance and would haue the Lord send downe fire vpon their enemies that delight in the ruine and destruction of their brethren yea machinate the subuersion of States and Kingdomes with the diuellish practises of most hellish inuentions That curse where the Lord doth blesse and cry against the highest powers as the Romane legions against Iouian the Emperour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thou hast escaped the edge of the sword and the furie of battell would God thy flesh had beene giuen to the fowles of the aire and the dogs had licked thy bloud as the bloud of Iezabell by the wall of Iezrael well may they resemble Abaddon and Apolluon the Diuell and his angels they are most repugnant to God his Angels For their song is of glory peace yea and of glory for peace and that with man vpon the earth which is the second note of this Hymne and desires continuance of your deuotion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 On the earth peace Though glory belong to heauen and peace to the earth yet was there a time when neither was to be found Man had prouoked God to anger and taken away our peace translated the worship of God to Idols and depriued him of his glory but now they are both in their naturall seate and the comming of our Sauiour is like the returne of that Doue into the Arke with the gracious branch of peace of mercy When Ionah was cast into the sea the storme ceast and there was a great calme when the Lord brought his first begotten into the world the troubles were abated there was a great peace throughout the whole earth Fluuius pacis as Esay writeth A floud of peace for a sea of misery and that which before was a place of exile and banishment is now the Tabernacle of rest and quiet where the Lord hath extended peace and safetie and righteousnesse and glorie as a flowing streame For that which hee taught as an Oracle in his life and bequeathed as a legacie at his death I meane the sweetnesse of peace and the aboundance of holinesse was now begun in the time of his birth and set as a pearle on the top and crowne of his blessed incarnation whence is hee termed a King of peace our heauenly Salomon yea our very peace that made both one and set at peace through the bloud of his crosse the things on earth and the things in heauen How can wee choose but rest in peace now the Lord is come who is to the whole earth as Apollo was to Delos that hee may settle and stablish it with an euerlasting quietnesse But Luke and Mathew are at variance and there is warre betwixt the words of my Text and that of the Gospell Thinke yee that I am come to send peace into the world I came not to send peace but a sword what a sword and yet peace Fire and yet peace warre and yet peace these things are incompatible and as the Poet notes Frontibus aduersis pugnantia Yet may they bee reconciled and stand together The sword of the spirit with the peace of conscience the fire of loue with the peace of religion war against Satan and his angels with peace towards God and his Angels For as the naturall body is framed of contrary elements so diuerse qualities may perfect the mysticall body of Christ Iesus And though we do not striue against flesh and bloud yet do we against the Prince of this world and against spirituall wickednesses in the highest places whence is that of Bernard Inter Babilonem Hierusalem pax nulla betwixt Babilon Hierusalem there is no peace Satan is the King of Babylon Christ of Hierusalem which he defends with cōtinuall resistances though he be not the God of confusion but of order in all the Churches of the Saints What then is the peace of my Text but sacred and diuine such as Christ wisheth to the Apostles and the Apostles to the elect in their generall salutations Peace with God for we are reconciled to the Father Peace with Angels for they reioyce in our conuersion Peace with men for they shall bee gathered into one flocke Peace with the creature for it shall be in league with vs Peace with our owne selues
betwixt the flesh and the Spirit the will and the vnderstanding the reason and the affections that all the powers and faculties of soule and body may agree with a sweet Harmony and gracious consent to serue God in true loue and perfect obedience Thus doth our Lord blesse vs with his peace by the wonderfull expiation of our sinnes and trespasses and that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vpon the earth for the earth of our hearts that brought forth thornes and briars doth now abound and flourish with the sauing fruit of truth and holinesse whilst euery one cryeth with the Psalmist Praise thy God ô Ierusalem praise thy God ô Sion which maketh safe the barres of thy gates and blesseth thy children within thee which maketh peace thy borders and doth satisfie thee with the flower of wheate All peace is sweet and acceptable without which spoile and rapine as a wild beast out of the forrest surprizes houses families temples cities and not onely deuoures the habitations of the righteous but subuerts and lays wast the greatest Empires mightiest kingdomes as a desart or a wildernesse But the interior peace which keepeth our hearts and minds in the knowledge and loue of God and exceeds the power of humane vnderstanding is the richest iewell that euer was bestowed vpon the earth Like a bed and palate where the Spouse of Christ may rest with ease and pleasure vntill his second comming O how beautifull are the feete vpon the mountaines of those that bring such tidings that speake comfortably to Hierusalem and say to her that her warfare is accomplished and her iniquitie pardoned that shee is iustified by faith and hath peace with God that her righteousnesse is grauen on his fingers and her walls are euer in his sight that hee stands behind the wall of his flesh and hath broken downe the partition wall of her offences That neither height nor depth nor things present nor things to come nor life nor death nor any other creature is able to separate her from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus Were this peace finished where it is begun we should haue a terrestriall Paradise and a heauen vpon earth but that which is imperfect in our trauell shall be perfect in our country that we may esteeme it as a pledge of future glory and not inuert the method of the Angels like those in Bernard who seeke peace in heauen and glory on the earth till they loose both peace and glory For it is peace that is our inheritance on the earth and that which followes her immoueable center as motion heauen is the tranquillity of rest holines Though Christ might haue promised many things to his Disciples and giuen them power ouer kingdomes and nations as well as ouer serpents and scorpions yet all that hee sayes vnto them is In me pacem habituri In mee yee shall haue peace as if this alone were able to counterpoize and weigh downe all the miseries and afflictions and calamities and persecutions and disgraces and reuilings that euer the world might cast vpon them That counsell of Seuerus was good vnto his souldiers In vobis pacem caeteros despicite So ye agree among your selues ye may despise the threats of your enemies and it must needs aduantage true Christians In vobis pacem caeteros despicite haue peace among your selues or rather with God and neuer feare what the Diuell or man can do against you Beware then lest at any time ye forgoe this peace yet if yee will not bee pacifici yet be pacati If ye will not make peace with others yet take peace vnto your selues from God and his Ministers that yee bee not as those against whom the Disciples shooke off the dust of their feete and left them in their wickednesse Seeke this peace loue this peace pray for this peace long for this peace keepe the vnitie of the spirit in the bond of peace that as Christ is knit to vs in the vnitie of person we may be knit to him in the vnitie of profession O my brethren yee are the sonnes of peace and the heires of peace by the gracious visitation of our heauenly Salomon Christ Iesus his cradle his infancy his weaknesse his pouerty his exhibition to sheepeheards ouer their flocks his presentation to Simeon in the midst of the temple are all signes of peace and most infallible tokens of this spirituall tranquillitie Possesse your hearts with peace and your soules with patience peace towards your Maker and peace towards your neighbour Let it rest in your flesh and take sanctuary in the earth of your mortall bodies till yee feele that in your selues which is here published by the Angell 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 On the earth peace As for these who haue neither peace with God nor peace with man but awake his beloued out of sleepe and disturbe the quiet of his Church they are worse then vnbeleeuing Iewes or Iewish souldiers for howsoeuer they cast lots for the garment of our Sauiour they would make no diuision of it but these rend and teare I will not say the garment but the body of Christ which is his Church with open strife and scandalous diuision Persecutor non fregit crura Donatus rupit Ecclesiam saith learned Austin the souldiers would not breake the legs of Christ but Donatus teares the Church of Christ As long as his body hung vpon the crosse among theeues and malefactors it remained whole but when it was receiued by Christians it was rent and torne into many parts and sections Beloued I feare they are more inhumane and intractable then Wolues or Tigres or whatsoeuer is of wild or sauage disposition for all creatures though neuer so fierce were gathered in Noahs arke and met together but these extrauagant Separatists will hardly assemble into the Arke of Christs Church or ioyne together in the vnitie of faith and conformitie of Religion If it bee for lacke of knowledge they are to be pittied if it be for lacke of charitie they are to be condemned And so I leaue them to the act and complement of all that hath bene spoken and that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Good will towards men Towards men good will Some haue good will without peace they are infortunate and miserable some haue peace without good will they are perfidious and deceitfull but my Text puts both together On the earth peace good will towards men There be that referre this to God and take it for the eternall loue of diuine complacence which moued him first to the worke of our redemption There be that referre it vnto man and make it a limitation of that which goes before reading 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not peace on earth to men good will but peace on earth to men of good will This is the sence of Austin Bernard Cyprian Ambrose together with the most ancient and learned of the Fathers and may not be refused For howsoeuer