as Iacob vvrastleth with manie great imperfections and spiritual aduersaries in this life he must as a faithful subiect or seruant of God keep the lawe of wrastling appointed vnto him to wit that he minde but one thing forget that which is behind and endeuour himselfe to that which is before followe hard toward the marke but when Israel hath once ouercome all his worldly ghostly enemies is become a perfect man in Christ seeth the Lord in the life to come then he shall as a beloued friend or child of God possesse that inheritance vvhich the father hath by his euerlasting testament written vvith the bloud of Christ Iesus appointed vnto him to wit euerlasting life eternal glory ioy in the holy Ghost the kingdome of heauen The prize of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus O happy happy man art thou and thrice happy man art thou whosoeuer thou art which vvith Iacob dost wrastle keep the law as a faithfull seruaunt for no other ende but only this that with Israel thou maist see God enioy the euerlasting testameÌ„t as a beloued son For when wee shall see God we shal see and what shal we see That which no mortall eye hath seene that we shall see VVe shall see our own selues sitting shining at the right hand of the throne of Maiestie VVe shal see all our deere friends which we haue not seene this many a day embracing vs welcomming vs into Christs kingdom VVee shall see all the noble armie of Martyrs of Apostles of Prophets of Patriarkes shouting day and night and singing out the praises of the lord VVe shall see all the inuincible hoast of Angels of Archangels of Principalities of Dominations reuerently attending vpon the king of glory VVee shall see the king himselfe Christ Iesus disparkling displaying those beames of beautie which are the heauens vvonder and all the Angels blisse If there were no we amongst vs one as faire as euer Absolon was who would not be glad to beholde him But suppose some one were tenne times as fayre as Absolon howe then would men looke gaze vpon him I but if another vvere a hundred times as faire as Absolon what a matter of admiration wold that make Put the case then some one should now step forth shâ—we himselfe a thousande times fayrer then euer Absolon was vvhat wondering what maruailing would there be amongst vs howe would our eyes bee dazeled how would our very mindes be amazed at this sight VVel al this is but a counterfeit but a shadow in respect of the bright-blazing beautie of our spirituall spouse For Christ Iesus is ten times fairer yea a hundred times fayrer yea a thousand times fayrer yea ten hundred thousand times fayrer then all the children of men So that if the whole beautie not onely of all men but euen of all this inferiour Globe were put together in one yet it would not be any way coÌ„parable not onely to Christs glorie but not so much as to the least glorified bodie in heauen And yet all this is but the outside of heauen all thys wee shall see with our bodily eye The inside and the insight is much more glorious For the least glorified body seeing innumerable Saints and Angels more highly exalted then he is hath his ioy doubled trebled beyond all measure multiplied when he coÌ„sidereth that he is loued vnspeakably more by all of them yea by euery one of them then hee can be by himselfe And therefore againe seeing himselfe so deere vnto them hee for his parte likewise as a hote burning coale is set on fire and inflamed with loue and the more he seeth any other excell him in glory the more doth he reioyce and is gladder of his glory then his owne But now when hee lifteth vp his eyes to the glorious Trinitie and seeth how the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost doe eternally and perfectly loue and like and enioye one another in surpassing sweetnes and content then all his affections are swallowed vp in loue all his spirits are rauisht in delight all his desires are imparadized in pleasure In so much as if on the one side were layd the loue of Christ as he is man and of all the Saints and Angels among themselues and on the other side the loue which the least glorified body in heauen beholding the blessed Trinitie breatheth out to GOD this loue would without all comparison excell exceed that as far as light doth darknes or as heauen doth the earth VVherefore for man to see God for Iacob to be called Israel for him that hath bin a seruant to becom a sonne for him that hath kept the lawe to enioy the testament is the highest degree to perfection yea it is the very perfection of perfection it selfe The onely perfect life the onely hye honor the onely godly pleasure the only christian treasure The prize of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus Seeing then blessed brethren seeing wee fight not as they that beate the ayre but our rewarde is so great so exceeding great in heauen therefore as Iacob wrastled all the night long and neuer gaue ouer til about the breaking of the day he was called Israel so let vs wrastle all the night long of this life neuer giue ouer til the day breake the shadowes flye away and we come to the maruailous light sight of God And like as the same Iacob sayde to the Angell I will not let thee goe except thou blesse me euen so let euerie true Israelite say to Christ I tooke hold of him and left him not O Lord Iesus who would leaue thee or who would let thee goe or rather who would not hold thee fast which strengthenest him that holdeth thee fast and makest him perseuere that is strengthened and crownest him that perseuereth and makest him perfect that is crowned Therefore I will hold thee fast and will not let thee goe except thou blesse me that is indeede I will neuer let thee goe because thou doest neuer blesse but onely those that alwayes hold thee fast Holde fast then and Stand fast good beloued once againe I say Hold fast that which you haue that no man take your crowne from you Stand fast in that liberty whereby Christ hath made you free and be not any more entangled with the yoke of bondage But so runne so runne as yee may attayne As yee may attayne Howe is that Mary faithfully patiently constantly vnto the ende A shame it would be and a vile shame for vs if it should be sayd of vs not you doe runne well but you did runne well â—ye vpon it Hauing been hetherto brought vp in skarlet shall wee now embrace the dung Shall we be like those antickes or monsters which are halfe men and halfe beasts Shall wee be like Nabuchadnezzars image which had a head of gold and
signifies stretch our selues to those things which are before And like as Aeolus left all the other winds which might haue beene a trouble to hym with his friend Vlisses to be packt vp in a male kept onely the westerne wind for his owne vse to bring him home into his country so we must reiect all other things which may be as contrary windes to driue vs from the shoare of saluation and retaine onely that westerne winde of the spyrit of God whereby we may Endeuour our â—elues to that which is before and stretch out our sailes so come safelie to the hauen of heauen Euerie thing as Austine testifieth is either a hinderance or a furtherance if it be a hinderance cast it away If it be a furtherance then keepe it For euen as the silke worme keepes her body spare and empty and vses to fast two or three dayes together that she may stretch out her selfe the better and spin her threed the finer so we must Endeuour to bring vnder our bodies and as I may say diet them for the nonce that wee may not any longer weaue the spiders web but with the silk worme spin a new thrid The spiders webb is vinculum the silke wormes thrid vehiculum And like as the viper perceauing her olde skin to bee so stiffe that shee cannot easilie stretch out her self in it strips it quite off after the same sort we which are by nature a generation of vipers must strip off our old skin and perceauing we cannot well do our Endeuour stirre our selues in the armor of Saul wee must with Dauid put it of and put on the armour of light When long warre had bin betweene the two houses of Saul and Dauid at length the house of Saul waxed weaker and weaker the house of Dauid waxed stronger stronger In like manner the spirit must alwaies Endeuour it selfe to that which is before neuer leaue fighting with the flesh till the house of Saul who was a lim of the deuill that is the flesh waxe weaker and weaker and the house of Dauid who was a figure of Christ that is the spirit waxe stronger and stronger Thus the Baptist being but a child waxed stronger and stronger in spirit And yet speaking of Christ and himselfe he sayes thus He must increase I must decrease But the Baptist was borne of olde Elizabeth Christ vvas borne of young Marie Whereby wee see that that which is borne of the olde man which is the flesh must daily decrease in vs and grow downeward but that which is borne of the new man which is the spirit must daylie increase in vs and grow vpward For so indeede Christ in the beginning of the new world increased in wisdome for his mind and stature for his bodie To teach vs that if wee be liuely members of the same body then we must in like sort Endeuour our selues to that which is before and increase and multiply grow vp into him who is the head till we all come to the measure of the age of the fulnes of Christ. The holy ghost also in the beginning of the old world was moued vpon the waters To teach vs that if we be inspired moued by the same spirit then we must in like sort be moued vpon the waters and passe apase ouer the red sea of this world that wee may quickly come to the celestial Canaan which is the kingdome of God We pray indeede that the kingdome of God may come But the kingdome of God commeth not by obseruation if wee stand still gazing and gaping for it Therefore as Abraham dyd runne from the doore of his Tent to meete the Angells So must we Endeuour to runne forward not onely looking for but also hasting vnto the comming of the day of God that wee may if it bee possible meete the Lorde in the ayre with all his holie Angells if wee would haue his kingdome come VVee pray also that the will of God may bee done in earth as it is in heauen But the will of GOD will be not done if wee will doo nothing Therefore as the Cherubins spread out their winges on high and couer the mercy seate So must we spread out our wings and stretch out or Endeuour our selues and bee alwayes prest and ready to flye as it were to do the will of God if wee would haue his will done in the earth as it is in heauen VVhen God at the first had made a paradise vpon earth hee tooke the man and put him into it to dresse it and keepe it Adam was not enioyned to bestow any bodily labour in dressing it at that time For this was a part of his punishment afterward Neither yet had he neede to keepe it from wild beasts For all these were then subiect and obedient vnto him So that he dressed and kept it by keping those graces which God hath giuen him yea and Endeuouring hymselfe to encrease them continually Therfore the Apostle beseecheth vs also that wee receaue not the grace of God in vaine but that in all thinges wee approue our selues as the seruants of God in much patience in afflictions in necessities in distresses and so forth See yee how many posts props he putteth vnder vs that we may be stayed vp and confirmed in the grace of God How many tooles as it were implements he giueth vs that we may not receaue the graces of God in vaine but that as they are receaued kept in vs so they may be daylie dressed and bettered by vs. For as Saint Peter witnesseth if these things be and abound we shall neither be idle nor vnfruitfull in the knowledg of Christ. Wherevpon Oâ—cumenius obserueth that the graces of God as the flowers of a garden must not onely be kept but also bee dressed that they may haue not onely a beeing but also an abounding Because a man may haue great good things being in him and yet be himselfe like a garden that is kept indeed but not dressed altogether idle and vnfruitfull But if they be both being and abounding in him if hee Endeuour himselfe to goe on further euery day then other then surely he is neither idle nor vnfruitful in the knowledge of Christ. Hereupon Charls the fift gaue this Emblem StaÌ„d not stil but go on further Vlterius as God sais to his guest Superius Sit not still but fit vp higher So the water riseth vp higher and higher which Ezechiel speaks of First to the ankles then to the knees theÌ„ to the loines lastly to the head So the wheat grows vp riper riper which Christ speakes of First there is the blade theÌ„ the eare theÌ„ the full corne lastly cometh the haruest So must we with the water rise vp higher and higher till wee come to the head which is the sonne of God and with the wheate grow
haue a tast as it were of this ioy As the Israelites had a tast of the Grapes and other pleasures of Canaan before they came thither But wee cannot enioy the full fruition of it vntill we come to the presence of God Therefore Dauid sayth In thy presence is the fulnes of ioy and at thy right hand are pleasures for euermore And againe They shall be satisfied with the fatnes of thy house and thou shalt giue them drinke out of the riuer of thy pleasures For this fatnes of the house of God is that meate and this riuer of the pleasures of God is that drinke which shall perfectly satisfie and fill our harts with ioy in the holy Ghost VVhen the Lord shall say to euery one of vs Enter thou into thy Lords ioy Not â—et thy Lords ioy enter into thee For it is so great that it can not enter into thee thy hart cannot hold it But Enter thou into the Lords ioy For thou shalt euen bathe thy selfe in blessednes and swim in the bottomlesse st of the sweet pleasure of God as a little fish taketh his pastime in the huge Ocean Sea And looke how hee that hath once tasted of the fountaine named Clitoriuâ— fons will neuer afterward drink any wine in like sort when thou hast once tasted this pure christall water of life thou shalt neuer any more relish the wine of the world but be perfectly delighted with ioy in the holy Ghost the only godly pleasure The prize of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus This kingdome of heauen in the only Christian treasure because it is in Christ Iesus For all treasures which are layd vp in earth may be stollen with theeues or corrupted with cankers But this treasure is an enduring substance hoorded vp in heauen where neyther theefe stealeth nor cankar corrupteth Therefore the kingdome of heauen is likened to a treasure hidden in the field And the field is Christ Iesus in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge O blessed then O blessed is the man that findeth this wisedome and the man that getteth this knowledge Because the marchandize therof is better then siluer and the gaine therof is better then gold It is more pretious then pearles and all thinges that thou canst desire are not toâ— bee compared vnto it Yea doubtlesse sayes one I thinke all things but losse for the excellent knowledge sake of Christ Iesus my Lord. O wise O worthy O holy O heauenly Marchant Heere is a frank chapman indeed which prizeth the kingdom of heauen according to the right worth and true value of it Knowing that this Christian treasure was bought and purchased for him not with corruptible things as siluer or gold or such like but with the most deare and pretious blood of Christ For whom saies he I haue counted al things losse and doe iudge them to be doung that I may gayne Christ For Christ Iesus onely is the wisedome of his Father and by him onely we come to the knowledge of God Hee is the wisedome of his Father because hee doth giue vs grace in this life that we may be wise vnto saluation and see the Father by fayth and receiue the earnest of our inheritance By him wee come to the knowledge of God because hee will giue vs glorie in the lyfe to come that we may know as we are knowne and behold GOD face to face and receaue not onely the earnest-peny or the pledge-peny but also the prize-peny or the possession-peny of perfection So that Christ Iesus is the Alpha and the Omega the beginner and the ender of our perfection the author and the finisher of our faith who for the ioy which was set before him endured the crosse and despised the shame and is set at the right hand of the throne of God He is the authour and finisher of of our faith that is our fore-runner and marke who for the ioy which was set before him that is for the kingdome of heauen the onely Christian treasure The prize of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus endured the crosse and despised the shame that's againe followed hard toward the marke and is set at the right hand of the throne of God that's againe and is now possessed of the kingdome of heauen the onely Christian treasure The prize of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus Loe ye loe ye whether we are now come So high that we can goe no higher Namely to the right hand of the throne of God VVhich is euerlasting life eternall glory ioy in the holy Ghost the kingdome of heauen The prize of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus For this rich throne of God is that yuory throne of Salomon wherof I spake in the beginning VVhich is the onely perfect life the onely high honour the only godly pleasure the only Christian treasure The prize of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus This is the sixt and last degree to perfection NOw then my deare brethren let vs heare if it please you pause a while and seriously consider how Christ prayed for his chosen that they might be made perfect in one That they might bend the whole forces of all their actions and affections to this one thing namely to the attayning of perfect blessednes or if you had rather so call it of blessed perfection And therefore forgetting that which is behind and leauing the doctrine of the beginning of Christ let vs Endeuour our selues to that which is before and be led on forward vnto perfection Yea let vs follow hard and runne with patience the race that is set before vs looking vnto Iesu who is our marke and hath giuen vs an example That euery one of vs might say vnto him with good Dauid I haue applyed my hart ro fulfill thy statutes for the eternall recompence of reward for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus Tell me beloued I beseech you if it wil be no great trouble to you as I trust it will not tell mee I pray you wherfore sayes the same Dauid speaking to God O knit my hart vnto thee that I may feare thy name but only to teach vs that But one thing is the first degree to perfection For whereas we vsually reade it O knit my hart vnto thee that I may feare thy name the Chaldee paraphrast S. Ierom translate it O make my heart but onely one hart that I may feare thy name So that a man cannot any way so much as enter into the feare of Gods name which is the beginning of all perfection except first his hart be made one in it selfe and one in GOD that hee may principally minde but one thing Almighty God concerning the East gate of the Temple sayth thus This gate shall be shut and shall not bee opened and no