Neponthes and faith s Reu. 21.4 Bee of good cheere there shall bee no more sorrow neither crying neither death neither paine for the first things are past And the water of the word of God is that fountain Lethe which when wee come to drinke of it speakes to vs as it were in this sort t Esay 43.18 Remember not the former things neither regard the things of old For as they which die cloth doe not immediately change one contrary into another but first turne a white into an azure and then make a puke of it So we can neuer hold coulour as a good puke except first our white be turned into an azure that is as Lyrinensis saith u Donec dediscimus bene quod didicimus non bene c. 15. except first we do well to Forget that which wee did ill to get except first we do happily vnlearne that which wee did vnhappily learne And like as they which worke in wax cannot frame any new impression in it till the old be defaced x 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bas. E. 1. p. 208. so the image of Caesar the Prince of this world the diuell must first bee defaced before the image of Christ can bee formed in vs. For this image of Christ as Clemens testifieth y 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Prot. p. 5. is seene onely in them which Forget the hill of Helicon and dwell in mount Syon Wherefore though thou haue had a bloudy issue twelue yeares yet thine issue being now stopt Forget all bloudinesse z Marke 5.25 though thou haue had a crooked body eighteene yeares yet thy body being now straightned forget all crookednesse a Luk. 13.11 though thou haue had blind eyes yet thine eyes being now cleered forget all blindnesse in seeing the truth b Marke 10.5 though thou haue had deafe eares yet thine cares being now opened forget all deafenesse in hearing the word c Mark 7.34 though thou haue had a dry hand yet thy hand being now restored forget all drinesse and niggardlinesse with men d Mat. 12.10 though thou haue had a lame foote yet thy foote being now recured forget all limping and haulting with GOD e Act. 14.8 though thou haue beene dead and buried in the graue foure daies as Lazarus was yet being now receiued forget all deadnesse in sin f Iohn 11.39 though thou haue been possessed and tormented with seuen diuels as Mary Magdalen was yet being now deliuered renounce the deuill and all his workes g Luke 8.2 and forget all thy wicked workes which are behind thee h 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vide Nas. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Yea and all thy good workes also For if thee forget them then will God remember them The Patriark Abraham was content for Gods pleasure to sacrifice his sonne Isaac i Gen. 22.16 But as soone as hee had done hee forgets it Therefore God remembers it and sets downe euery seuerall circumstance of it By mine owne selfe haue I sworn saith the Lord because thou hast don this thing There is the general But what thing The particular followes And hast not spared yea not thy seruant but thy sonne nay not onely thy sonne but thine onely sonne and hast not spared thine onely sonne therefore I will surely blesse thee That good woman k Luk. 7.42 gaue Christ louing and friendly entertainement But as soone as she had done she forgets it Therefore Christ remembers it and amplifies it from point to point He turned to the woman and said to Simon Seest thou this woman when I came to thy house thou gauest mee no water for my feet but shee hath washed my feet with the teares of her eies and wiped them with the haires of her head Thou gauest mee no kisse but she since the time I came in hath not ceased to kisse my feete My head with oile thou didst not annoint but shee hath annointed my feet with ointment Lo yee how true it is which I said before that if wee remember our good workes then God will forget them but if we forget them then God will remember them yea and he will reward them when we haue forgotten them If wee wage warre with God l Luke 14.31 and thinke to ouercome him with ten thousand of our good deeds then wil he like a puissant Prince bring forth into the field a huge Army of our sinnes twenty thousand of our sins against vs with twenty thousand of our sins will easily ouerthrow ten thousand of our good deeds and so finally confound vs. But if on the other side wee can bee content to forget all our good workes and to strow our best garments and our most flourishing branches at Christs feete m Math. 21.8 and to cast downe our very crownes before the throne of the Lambe n Reu. 4.10 then he will be a right Lambe indeed he will not fight with vs but he wil crowne vs with honour glory Almighty God appointed his people not to sheare the first borne of the sheep o Deut. 15.19 The first born of the sheep are the best of our good workes These we must not sheare nor lay naked and open to the view and knowledge of all men but forget them and hide them vnder the fleece of silence and keepe them secret to our selues So Ioseph whom God did leade as a sheepe p Psal. 80.2 hauing a first borne did not sheare this first borne of the sheepe but called him Manasses that is forgetfulnesse of those things which were behinde when God had now answered the desires of his heart q Eccles. 5.19 The faithfull speaking to Christ say thus wee will make for thee borders of gold guilt with siluer r Musenulas aureas vermiculatas argento Can. 1.10 This is quite contrary to the fashion of the world The fashion of the world is to guild siluer with gold and to put the best side outward But the faithfull guild gold with siluer and put the best side inward So Moses hauing a glorious countenance did not set it out to the shew but did forget it and couered it with a vaile s Exod. 34.33 Now a glorious countenance couered with a vaile what is it else but a border of gold guilt with siluer but we we alas for the most part haue such base minds that we are scarce worth the ground wee goe vpon Wee doe not guild our borders of gold with siluer but wee sheare the first borne of our sheepe We do not cast downe our garments and our branches and our crownes before the throne of the Lambe but wee warre against God with ten thousand of our good workes Or rather indeed which of vs all can muster together so many good workes to fight for him Nay if we haue done one thing well or one time well we think all is well we 〈◊〉 do no more wee haue done good enough and
posteritatis futurus erat legitimi etiam in paradiso speciem suscepit laboris Ambro. de Parod cap. 4. Therefore the Apostle beseecheth vs also that wee receiue not the grace of God in vaine but that in all things wee approue our selues as the seruants of God in much patience in afflictions in necessities in distresses and so foorth e 2 Cor. 6.1 See yee how many posts and props hee putteth vnder vs that we may be staied vp and confirmed in the grace of God How many tooles as it were and implements he giueth vs that wee may not receiue the graces of God in vaine but that as they are receiued and kept in vs so they may be daily dressed and bettered by vs. For as Saint Peter witnesseth f 2 Pet. 1.8 if these things be and abound wee shall neither be idle nor vnfruitfull in the knowledge of Christ. Whereupon Oecumenius 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 being but also an abounding g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Because a man may haue great good things being in him and yet he 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 hee is neither idle nor vnfruitfull in the knowledge of Christ. Hereupon Charles the 5. gaue this Embleme h Vlterius Stand not still but goe on further Vlterius as God saith to his guest Superius i Luk. 14.10 Sit not still but sit vp higher So the water riseth vp higher higher which Exechiel speakes of k Ezek. 47.4 First to the ankles then to the knees theÌ„ to the loynes lastly to the head So the wheate growes vp riper and riper which Christ speakes of l Mark 4.28 First there is the blade then the eare then the full corne lastly commeth the haruest So must we with the water rise vp higher higher till we come to the head which is the Sonne of God and with the wheat grow vp riper and riper till wee come to the haruest which is the end of the world Alwayes endeauouring our selues to that which is before and continually singing one of the songs of Zion that is one of the Psalmes of degrees m Nomine graduum significatur ascensio qua proficientes quique à temporalibus ad aeterna à terrenis ad coelestia prouchuntur Prosper in tiâ—ulum Psal. 120 till we see the Lord in Zion till we see the head in the haruest the Sonne of God in the end of the world Euen as hee did who saies here I ENDEVOVR MY SELFE TO THAT WHICH IS BEFORE This is the third degree of perfection TOuching the fourth he saith I run not amisse but. I FOLLOVV HARD A man may run amisse otherwise then he should by running either too slowly or too fast Now for ouer-much slownesse Rusticus Diaconus saith a Turpe est contra ardenter peruersa asserentes nos pro veritate frigâ—dioâ—es inueniri li. aduersus Acephalos It is a starke shame for vs to bee cold in maintaining a truth seeing our aduersaries are so hot in defending a falshood When the aduersary had sowne tares among the good corne the Maister said to his seruants Let both grow together Hee saith not Let the tares grow and the good corne not grow but Let both grow together If the tares grow so faâ—â— for the fire then let the good corne grow as fast for the barne If the wicked runne so fast to damnation then let the godly runne so fast to saluation Yet the Prophets haue euer complained that the children of this world are much more forward in their kinde then the children of light Dauid speaking of the children of this world sayth They encourage themselues in an ill purpose But Esay speaking of the children of light sayth c Esay 59.4 No man calleth for iustice no man contendeth for the truth When the time drew neere that our Sauiour should be taken and carried away to be crucified onely Iudas that vile Traytor was vigilant and watchfull to bring his mischieuous purpose to passe but all the other Disciples were fast asleepe Therefore as Ierusalem sayd to her eye d Lam. 3.51 Mine eye hath spoyled my soule So might these drowsie Disciples haue sayd of their eye Our eye hath spoyled our soule And as the Centurion said of his seruant e Matth. 8.6 My seruant lyeth at home sicke of the palsie and is ill troubled So might Christ haue said of these his sleepy disciples My disciples lie at home sicke of the palsie and are ill troubled Well said ill troubled For 〈◊〉 that is diligent to discharge his dutie and takes paines in his calling as he oughtâ—â—s well troubled f Bene torquetur But he that hath the palsie and is dissolute and negligent and lyes at home sicke of the lazy disease is ill troubled g Male tarquâ—tur Ill troubled with an euill spirit with the spirit of slumber which as Ioâ— testifies h Iob. 40.6 lieth in the couert of the reedes They that are lazie and lither fellowâ—â— and haue nothing in them are here called reedes in whom the Diuell himselfe lieth and sleepeth securely But though hee bee well quieted in them yet aâ— I said before they are ill troubled with him Ill troubled with him as those seuenty kings were ill troubled with Adâ—nibezec when hee did cut off the thumbs of their hands and feet For he that hath the thumbs of his hands cut off may perhaps do something but hee is so long about a little that hee were better sit still and doe nothing then be so long pidling about nothing So he that hath the thumbs of his feete cut off may peraduenture goe forward but it is i Testudineus gradus Plaut such a snailes pace which he goes that hee were better stand still not goe at all forward then goe so slowly forward Wherefore we must not goe so slowly forward as though the thumbs of our hands and feet were cut off but rather wee must runne as fast as it is to be supposed that mightie man could k 2 Sam. 21.10 which had vpon euery hand sixe fingers and vpon euery foote sixe toes But yet saith Bernard l Et feruor discretionem erigat discretio feruorem dirigat As zeale must direct our discretion that wee runne not too slowly so discretion must direct our zeale that we runne not too fast That wise woman by whom is meant the Church of Christ laboureth with the counsell of her hands m Consilio maâ—â—uum Pro. 31.13 Her hands are full of eyes n Oculatae manus Plautus shee hath more fore-sight and wisedome euen in her little finger then many a man hath in his whole head Shee
n Iob 40.10 Whereupon Gregory noteth that a sheepe or any such other beast will eate any manner of grasse though it be trampled and stained neuer so much but an oxe will eate no kind of grasse but that which is greene and fresh And so the Diuell will be sure to haue his feede of the very finest and best o Esca eius electa Abacuc 1.16 For the Angell of the Lord reioyceth most when one that is a sinner conuerteth He eateth grasse as a sheepe But the Angell of Sathan reioiceth most when one that is a conuert sinneth Hee eateth grasse as an Oxe If the Diuell cannot keepe a man from liuing long then hee will hinder him from liuing well p Aut Imperat mortes aut impetit mores Leo. If hee cannot kill him then hee will corrupt him And indeede hee takes greater pleasure in corrupting one godly man that in killing a hundred wicked He was more delighted when Dauid slew but Vrias then when Saul slew himselfe when Peter did but denie Christ then when Iudas betraied him So that the life of man by reason of his sinne is the delight yea it is the very life of the Diuell It is on the other side the death of himselfe O miserable wretch that I am saith one who shall deliuer me from this body of death The life of the godly is a very body of death But their death is onely a shadow of death Thales a Philosopher being demaunded what difference there is betweene life and death answered They are all one Then being asked againe if he had not rather liue then die No saith he as before for they are al one But Ierome saith farre more excellently They are not all one That is not true For it is one thing to liue in continuall danger of death another thing to die in continuall assurance of life q Aliud viuere moriturum aliud mori victurum Therefore Ecclesiastes saith That the day of our death is better then the day of our birth For when we are borne we are mortall but when we are dead we are immortall And we are aliue in the wombe to die in the world but wee are dead in the graue to liue in heauen Hence it is that the wicked are merry at their birth-day as Pharaoh made a feast at his birth-day when his chiefe Baker was hanged r Gen. 40.20 and Herod likewise made a feast at his birth-day when Iohn Baptist was beheaded but they are sorry at their dying day as Iudas was sorry when hee went about to hang himselfe and Caine was afraid euery one would kill him that met him Contrariwise the godly are sorry at their birth-day as Iob Let the day perish wherein I was borne and Ieremie Let not the day wherein my mother bare mee be blessed s Ier. 20.14 But they are merry at their dying day as Simeon Lord now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace and Paul I desire to be dissolued and to be with Christ. Therefore we also keepe holy dayes and celebrate the memory of the Saints not vpon their birth-daies but vpon their death-dayes to shew that these two are not all one but that the day of our death is better then the day of our birth For whereas there are 2. waies the one hauing in it first a transitory life and then an eternall death the other hauing in it first a transitory death and then an eternall life the wicked chuse to liue here for a time though they die for it hereafter eternally but the godly chuse to haue their life hid with Christ here that they may liue with Christ eternally hereafter Therefore the wicked neuer thinke of death but the godly thinke of nothing else As Alexander the Monarch of the world had all other things saue only a sepulchre to bury him in wheÌ„ he was dead he neuer thought of that But Abraham the heire of the world had no other possession of his own but only a field which he bought to bury his dead in he thought of nothing els We read that Daniel strowed ashes in the teÌ„ple to descry the footsteps of Bels Priests which did eat vp the meat So did Abraham strow ashes in his memory saying I will speake vnto my Lord though I be but dust and ashes So doe all the faithfull remembring they shall one day be turned to dust and ashes That so seeing and marking the foot-steps of death how it continually commeth and steales away their strength as Bels priests did the meat how it daily eateth vp and wasteth and consumeth their life they may be alwayes prepared for it Our first parents made them garments of figge-leaues But God misliking that gaue them garments of skins Therefore Christ in the Gospell cursed the fig-tree which did beare onely figge leaues to couer our sinne but commended the Baptist which did weare skins to discouer our mortalitie For not onely as Austin saith Our whole life is a disease t Vita morbus but also as Bernard saith our whole life is a death u Vita mors The life of man by reason of his sin is a continuall disease yea it is the very death of himselfe It is lastly the death of Christ. The Prophet Esay calleth Christ a sinne or a sacrifice for sinne x Asham Esay 53.10 prefigured by all those sin-offerings of the old law Because indeed when Christ was crucified at the first he was broken for our sins According to that of Tertâ—llian y Propter pecâ—atum mori â—ecesse habuit Filius Dei. Vâ—de etiam Aug. Medita ca. 7. vbi doceâ— hâ—minem esse causam passionis Sinne it was which brought the sonne of God to his death The Iewes were onely instruments and accessaries to it sinne was the setter and the principall They cried Crucifie him in the court of Pilate but our sinnes cried Crucifie him in the court of heauen Now as the death of Christ was not efficient to saue the wicked so the sinne of the wicked was not sufficient to condemne Christ. But the Scripture saith of them which either are or at leastwise seeme to be godly They say they know God but by their workes they deny him and Saul Saul why dost thou persecute me And They crucifie again vnto themselues the sonne of God Zachary prophesieth of Christ * Zacha. 13.6 That when one shall say vnto him What are these wounds in thy hands Then he shall answere Thus was I wounded in the house of my friends that is in the house of them which ought to haue bin my friends So that our sins did wound Christs handâ— at the first And now also not the wicked which are no part of his body but wee which are misticall members of his body and therefore should by good reason be his friends we I say doe yet oftentimes by our sinnes deny Christ with Peter nay we persecute Christ with Paul nay we crucifie Christ with the Iewes Yea
against thee what hath it beene else but a daily renuing of all thy bloudy torments and of thy whole passion Ah vile wretch that I am how often haue I like Iudas himselfe betraied thee and sold thee for a little worldly pleasure or for a little lucre and gaine how often haue I bound thy hands and euen most despightfully spit in thy face by refusing those gifts which thou wouldest haue giuen mee and by killing the comforts of thy spirit Woe is me alacke for pitty I am that cursed Caine which haue murdered innocent Abel my brother whose bloud doth now cry out for vengeance against mee because that bloud by my sinnes onely is polluted by which the sinnes of all the world besides are purged For this I will weepe day and night yea though I had as many eyes in my head as there are starres in the skie yet I would weepe them out euery one c In fâ—ntem scontem atque in fium malumina â—ertam to thinke that I should be such an vnworthy wretch as by my sinnes to crucifie Christ so often and to put him to so many deaths who hath beene vnto mee so kind and so louing a Lord. O deere Abel deare Abel O my good brethren that I could possibly deuise what to say or what to doe to obtaine thus much of you or rather of God for you that you would weep though it were neuer so little for your sinnes But alas I can doe no more now but commit and commend all that hath been spoken to the effectual working of the Holy Ghost in you and to the faithfull obedience of your good hearts to God Blessed be God I am yet very much reuiued being otherwise almost quite spent with speaking so long when I looke about me and behold euery one that is present For I see no place in this great Auditory where there are not very many ready to weepe the water standing in their eyes and some already weeping right-out in true remorse and sorrow for their sinnes You make me remember that which we read in the booke of Iudges when the Angell of the Lord found fault with the Israelites for their disobedience they lifted vp their voyces and wept and called the name of that place Bochim and offered vp sacrifices there vnto the Lord d Iudg. 2.5 This place also may bee now called Bochim that is the place of weeping wherein you haue offered vp as many Sacrifices to the Lord as you haue shed teares for your selues O what an acceptable Sacrifice to God is this your sorrowfull spirit I warrant you you shall neuer repent you of this repentance you shall neuer be sorry for this sorrow This sorrowfull spirit of yours makes God haue a ioyfull spirit and greatly pleaseth and delighteth the holy Ghost Wherefore now that we haue once made the good spirit of God reioyce and take pleasure in vs let vs not in any case hereafter let vs not hereafter grieue the same spirit of God whereby wee are now sealed vp to the day of redemption The Holy Ghost is grieued when we are not grieued but if wee be thus grieued for our sinnes then is the Holy Ghost delighted Yes such griefe and sorrow will not onely bee to the Holy Ghost a great pleasure and delight but also it will be to vs the very seed or the interest and loane of euerlasting life c. For looke how a Father pittieth his owne childe and if he see him crie doth what hee can to still him and takes out his handkercher and wipes the infants eyes himselfe after the same fashion God our heauenly Father will with his owne holy finger wipe away all teares from our eyes and take vs most louingly by the hand and lead vs out of the house of mourning into the house of mirth Then though wee haue sowen in teares yet wee shall reape in ioy f Tum breuibus lachrymis gaudia longa metam Paulinus Yea though wee haue sowen but a very few teares which God hath in a small bottle yet we shall reape all the infinite ioyes which God hath in heauen Then though wee haue wanted wine a little while yet in the end Christ shall turne all our water into wine all our sadnesse into gladnesse all our musing into musicke all our sighing into singing Then though wee haue beene a long time married to weeping blear-eyed Leah yet at length wee shall enioy the loue of cheerful and beautifull Rachel Then shall Abraham that good mower binde vs vp into sheaues as pure corne and fill his bosome full with vs and carry vs into the Lords barne to make a ioyfull haruest in heauen Then shall wee with the wise virgins hauing store of teares in our eyes which are as oyle in our lampes goe out of this vale of teares which floweth with woe and weeping and enter into the celestiall Canaan which floweth with milke and honey Then shall Christ say vnto vs not as it is here Weepe not for mee but weepe for your selues But hee shall say Weepe not for mee and weepe not for your selues For that which would bee too much ioy in this life shall not be ioy enough in the life to come Therefore hee shall not onely say vnto vs Weepe not for mee and weepe not for your selues but hee shall also say Reioyce for mee and reioyce for your selues Reioyce for mee because I was once lower then the Angels but now I am crowned with honour and glory and reioyce for your selues because you were once as sheepe going astray but now you are returned to the shepheard and Bishop of your soule Reioyce for me because I am your brother Ioseph whom once you sold into Egypt but now all power is giuen me in heauen and in earth and reioyce for your selues because you are the true children of Israell which once dwelt in a land of famine but now you are brought by triumphant fiery chariots into the land of Goshen which is the kingdome of glory To the which kingdome of glory and ioy of all hands ioy for Christ ioy for our selues we beseech thee O good Lord to bring vs after the miseries of this wofull and wretched world not for our owne deserts or merits but for the most glorious passion and most ioyfull resurrection of Iesus Christ to whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost be all honour and glory power and praise dignitie and dominion now and euermore Amen THE PATH-VVAY To Perfection A SERMON Preached at Saint MARIES Spittle in London on Wednesday in Easter-weeke 1593. By THOMAS PLAYFERE Doctor of Diuinitie LONDON Printed by Thomas Snodham for Matthew Law and are to be sold at his shop in Paules Church-yard 1623. TO THE MOST NOBLE AND WORTHY KNIGHT MY HONORABLE good Patron Sir GEORGE CARPY Knight Marshall of her Maiesties most honourable Houshold and Gouernour of her I le of Wight all ioyes externall internall eternall SIR as soone as I had preached this Sermon it pleased the
how little they do for God But as for the godly they are not giuen to their desires but their desires are giuen to them Because not onely they loue to desire God but also they desire to loue God And so all their desires beeing as it were but one desire all agreeing in one God when they haue God they haue all their desires giuen theÌ„ in God q Domine ante â—â—omne deside rium meum Psal. 38..10 Nam vltima perfectio ipsius anima deus est centrum locusque naturalis omnium desideriorum eius So the three childreÌ„ being meÌ„ of desires r Viri desideriorum Dan. 9 23. had their desires giuen them They desired to bee deliuered from the furnace This desire was giuen them when as God walked with them in the fierie furnace s Dan. 3.25 So Moses being a man of God had his desires giueÌ„ him He desired to see Gods face This desire was giuen him when as Christ talked with him face to face Mark 9.4 So Iohn beeing a friend of God had his desires giuen him He desired to see Christs glory This desire was giuen him wheÌ„ as Christ said He that loues me shall be loued of me I will manifestly shew mine own self vnto him u Ioh 14.21 so Lazarus being Gods little begger x Mâ—ndicus dei Greg. as I may say had his desires giueÌ„ him He desired to be relieued not so much with the meate of the earthly Diues as with the mercy of that heauenly Diues which is so rich in mercie This desire was giuen him when as the Patriarch speaking of him to the glutton said Now is hee comforted and thou art tormented y Luk. 16.25 And so whosoeuer thou art if thou be a man of desires as the three children were if thou bee a man of God as Moses was if thou bee a friend of God as Iohn was if thou be a begger of God as Lazarus was he shall giue thee all that thou canst beg or desire For to speake no more of those three children these three men which I named last vnto you Moses the man of God Iohn the friend of God Lazarus the begger of God did lie in three bosomes In Moses bosome in Christs bosome in Abrahams bosome Moses hand did lie in Moses bosome z Exod. 4.6 Saint Iohn did lie in Christs bosome Lazarus did lie in Abrahams bosome Moses bosome is lawe Christs bosome is Gospel Abrahams bosome is glory Therefore feare must driue thee out of Moses bosome faith must keepe thee in Christs bosome felicitie must bring thee to Abrahams bosome For first thou must with Moses put thy hand into Moses bosome and there seeing how full of leprosie thy hand is how wicked all thine owne handy works are thou must abhorre thy selfe in thy selfe Afterward thou must with Iohn coâ—â—ey not thy hand only but thy whole body and thy soule also into Christs bosome there seeing how thou art cleansed from the leprosie of thy sinne freely iustified by faith in Christ thou must delight thy selfe in the Lord. Then thou must bee carried into Abrahams bosome and there both louing to desire God and desiring to loue God hee shall giue thee thy desires First I say lye in Moses bosome and abhorre thy selfe in thy selfe afterward lye in Christs bosome and delight thy selfe in the Lord then thou shalt lye in Abrahams bosome O blessed bosome O sweet bosome And he shall giue thee thy desires Delight thy selfe in the Lord and hee shall giue thee the desires of thy heart The desires Lastly Of thy heart Thy heart here is all one with thy selfe before As if the words had stood thus Delight thy self in the Lord and hee shall giue thee the desires of thy selfe or else thus Delight thy heart in the Lord and hee shall giue thee the desires of thy hart To the point then Augustine sayes thus a Fecistinos domine ad te ideo inquietum est cor nostrum donec 〈◊〉 veniamus ad te O Lord thou hast made vs for thine owne selfe and therefore our heart is euer vnquiet while it is from thee neuer at quiet vntill it come to thee A Bul which is bayted at the ring as soone as euer he gets any little breathing turnes him straitwayes toward that place by which he was brought in imagining that by how much the more he is nearer to the stall by so much the more he shall bee further from the stake In like manner a faithfull heart beeing baited and towsed in this world with many dogs b Psal. 22.16 which come about it alwaies hath an eye to that place from which it came and is neuer quiet till it returne to him from whom it was fet at the c Querula penitus errabunda est donec ad cum a quo originaliter exiâ—t triumphali virtute reuertatur first He that lets downe a bucket to draw water out of a Well as long as the bucket is vnder the water though it be neuer so ful he may get it vp easily but when hee begins to draw the bucket cleare out of the water then with all his strength hee can scarse get it vp yea many times the bucket when it is at the verie highest breakes the yron chaine and violently fals backe againe After the same sorte a Christian heart so long as it is in him who is a Well of life is filled with delight with great ioy drinketh in the water of comfort out of the fountaine of d Esa. 12.3 saluation but being once haled and pulled from God it draweth backe as much as it can possibly resisteth and is neuer quiet till it bee in him again who is the center of the e Via moris iâ— deum tanquam in ceâ—â—tâ—m proprium mouetur vt in iâ—so summe deletur soule For as the needles point in the mariâ—ers compasse neuer stands still till it come right against the north pole so the heart of the wise men neuer stood still till they come right against the starre which appeared in the f Math. 2.9 East and the verie starre it selfe neuer stood still till it came right against the other starre which shined more brightly in the manger then the Sunne did in heauen Wherefore our harts do alwaies erre they are Planets g Stâ—lleâ—erraticae ude 13. wandring starres before they come to Christ but theÌ„ onely they are stars of the firmament the true seed of Abraham wheÌ„ they are firmly h Psal. 57.8 fixed setled in God The Prophet Ionas all the while he fledde froÌ„ God in what a case was he one while he was turmoiled in the storms of the teÌ„pest another while he was sowsed in the waues of the Sea another while hee was boyled in the bowels of the Whale But as soone as he returned to God by by he was cast vp safe vpon the sea shore and then he said to
called goods but melt away as snowe this is a better and a more enduring substance yea most enduring a surpassing eternall waight of glorie Thus ye see how eternall our glorie is It is a kingdome a crowne a treasure And this kingdome is an euerlasting kingdome this crowne is an incorruptible crowne this treasure is an eternall treasure And therefore seeing our glorie is so surpassing eternall we must be patient in all affliction For the momentarie lightnesse of our affliction worketh vs a surpassing exceeding eternall waight of glorie Fourthly our glorie is waightie yea exceeding waightie The glorie to come by some resemblances is shewed to be eternall by other to be waightie First to this purpose it is compared to wine Touching which our Sauiour saith Mark 14.15 Hereafter will I not drinke with you of the fruite of the vine till I drinke it newe with you in my fathers kingdome Now how waightie this wine shal be appeareth in that the spies bringing clusters of grapes out of Canaan carried them vpon a poale on their shoulders Numb 13.24 To shewe in the celestiall Canaan what waightie glorie there shall be So when our Lord turned water into wine he commanded to fill the vessels to the toppe These vessels top-full of wine Ioh 27. doe signifie at the marriage of the Lamb that the patient shall haue a full reward 1 Ioh. 8. pressed downe shaken together running ouer So that euerie one of them may say My cuppe doth ouerflowe Psal. 13. Againe our glorie is compared to a peny Now in a peny we consider fowre things The image the superscription the sound the waight So our Sauiour when they shewed him a peny asked whose image and superscription it was First then for the image Christ shall change our vile bodies Phil. 3.21 that they may be like the glorious bodie of his Sonne that as wee haue borne the image of the earthly so we may beare the image of the heauenly For the superscriptioÌ„ our Sauiour saith To him that ouercommeth will I giue a white stone Reuel 2.17 and in it a name written which no man knoweth but he that receiueth it As a Prince seeing his name vpon a peice of coine knoweth it is of his owne mint so euery patient Christian seeing his owne name in this white stone which is a token of honour knoweth it properly belongeth to himselfe For the sound the Psalâ—ist saith Blessed are they that dwell in thy house they shall alwayes praise thee This shal be the sound of the peny continually the praise of God As the foure and twentie Elders neuer ceased day nor night Reuel 1.8 to sing Holy holy holy to him that is and was and is to come Fourthly for the waight the shekel of the Sanctuarie was twise as waighty as the common shekel in like manner our glorie shall be as the shekel of the Sanctuarie exceeding massie and waightie But what speake I of wine What of a peny God himselfe shall be our glory According to that Psal. 3.3 Thou art my glorie and the lifter vp of my head As if hee should haue said Affliction would make me cast downe my countenance and hold downe my head like a bulrush â—â— but the remembrance of this that thoâ— art my glory makes me lift vp my head So say's God to Abraham Gen. 15.1 Feare not Abraham I am thy buckler and thy exceeding great reward I am thy burkler to latch those blowes which affliction would lay vpon thee and thy exceeding great reward blessing thee with exceeding waighty glory For they that shall enioy this glorie shall see God Agreeable to that of our Lord Matth. 5.8 Blessed are the pure in spirit for they shall see God And how shall they see God Not standing behind the lattisse or looking out of a window 2. Cor. 13.12 that is darkly and obscurely but face to face talking with him familiarly as one friend doth to an other O ioy aboue all ioyes O glorie that passeth all vnderstanding when we see the amiable and gracious countenance of our Lord reconciled to vs by Christ. Doubtlesse if the Queene of Saba thought her selfe happie for hearing the wisedome of Salomon and seeing the riches of his house and the order of his seruants then much more shall we be happy when we shall see the glory and heare the wisedome of the Father not as the preachers shewe it out of the word but as our owne eies shall behold it in heauen O how blessed shall we thinke our selues then that by any paines by any afflictions we haue at length attained to such waighty glorie For this glorie is wine râ—â—â—ing ouer is a pony waighty according to the shekell of the Sanctuarie is the blessed sight and fruition of God himselfe Wherefore considering how waightie our glorie is we must be patient in all affliction For the momentarie lightnes of our affliction worketh vs a surpassing exceeding eternal waight of glory Compare then the affliction on the one side with the glory on the other side the shortnes of the affliction with the eternity of the glory the lightnes of the affliction with the waightinesse of the glory And then be content for an eternall glorie to suffer momentarie affliction for waightie glory to suffer light affliction The Stoicks if their greife were either momentary or light cared for no more for if it were short they cared not how heauie it were againe if it were light they cared not how long it were Our affliction is both momentarie and light One helpe was sufficient for them we haue two for â—ayling A starke shame â—herelessâ— would be for vs if heathens pagans hauing fewer meanes then wee haue should shew greater patience then we shew But the Scriptures affoard vs yet more forceable inducements Iacob being in loue with Rachell serued for her first seuen yeares and afterward seauen yeares more in all fourteene and these many yeares seemed to him but a fewe dayes O deere Lord that we had thy grace to loue thy eternall waightie glorie but as well as many a man hath done a mortall earthly creature Then â—o doubt many years of afflictioÌ„ would seeme to vs but a few dayes heauy burthens of affliction would seeme to vs very sweet and light Christ Iesus for the ioy that was set before him indured the crosse and despised the shame and now sitteth at the right hand of the throne of God Questionlesse beloued the crosse of Christ was tedious and long the shame that he suffred was heauy and vntollerable Yet this crosse seemed but momentarie to him and this shame seemed but light vnto him in comparison of the ioy that was set before him and of the eternall waightie glory which he hath now attained sitting at the right hand of the throne of God To the which plate of honour and worship we beseech thee O louing Lord to bring vs after all the afflictions of this wretched world not
the Apostles doctrine were warrantable by the word but also to confirme their owne memory and exercise their meditation in the Lawe of God Now then ye holy ones of God if we would be good ground indeede as the Patriarch Iacob â—â—ted his sonne Iosephs dreames Gen. 37.11 so let vs not only â—eare but also 〈◊〉 the word For this is proper to the child of God to haue the law of his God in his heart Not noted in writing tables or written in tables of stone but noted written in the fleshâ— tables of the heart And 〈◊〉 as the holy virgin kept all those sayings Luk. 2 1â— poâ—dered them in her heart which 〈◊〉 by the Shepheards reported and published abroâ—d concerning her sonne Iesus in like manner they that are wise will heare nay they will ponder and keepâ— those things which they haue heard that so they may the better vnderstand the louing kindnesse of the Lord. Especially seeing those things which we heare are no dreames but vnsearchable mysteries of our 〈◊〉 on neither are we that publish and preach them such shepheards as the Angell spake vnto but we are appointed to watch ouer the flocke which Christ hath bought with his bloâ—d Therefore if you would shewe yourselues to bee good ground your verie good heart must bee as a field that hath a treasure hid in it yea it must be as a treasure it selfe that hath olde and new things hid in it it must bee as a candle that neuer goes out and as a cleane creature that neuer leaues chewing the cudde euen as Iacob noted his sonnes dreames and the blessed virgin kept the shepheards sayings and pondered them in her heart For they onely are good ground which with a good and a verie good heart heare the word and keepe it and bring forth fruit with patience The third propertie of the good ground is this that they bring foorth fruit with patience Good ground is like a good tree For indeede good ground will make a good tree Now a good tree bringeth forth good fruite And the blessed man which meditateth day and night in Gods lawâ— Psal. 1. is like a tree planted by the waters side which bringeth forth his fruit in due season So that it is not enough for the word to goe in at one eare and out at the other but it must goe in at both eares by reuerent and religious hearing and settle deepely into the heart by faithfull and diligent keeping and lastly goe out at both hands by bringing foorth fruite with patience Ecclus. 50.16 Simeon the son of Onius was a faire Oliue tree that is fruitfull and as a Cypres tree which groweth vp to the cloudes A cypres tree is high but barren an oliue is fruitfull but low So â— Christian must not onely as cypres tree reâ—th vp to the cloud by meditation of high mysteries in the word but also he must as an oliue tree bring forth fruit with patience Then he shal be like Simeon neither low nor barren But though he be an oliue yet he shall be as high as the cypres tree and though he bee a cypresse yet he shall be as fruitfull as the oliue tree Gen. 6.16 Noah is commanded to make a windowe in the toppe of the Arke and a doore in the side of it A windowe is for the eye to look out a doore is for the whole bodie to goe out And in like manner hee that would be good ground must not onely make him a window for contemplation as Daniel did at which hee prayed thrice a day but also a doore for actiâ—â— as Abraham did at which he fat◠〈◊〉 a day At the windowe of contemplation be must meditate with a very good heart to keepe the word at the doore of action he must go out to bring forth fruite with patience The Lord also commanded Moses to make a lâ—uer with a base or with a foote Now the Latine word Labiâ—â— signifies as well a lip Exod. 30.38 as slaâ—er So that the lâ—â—er which wâ—sheth 〈…〉 a base and the lip which vâ—tereth great knowledge must haue a foot to walke according to it Otherwise if knowledge doe not stand vpon doing and vpon fructifying as vpon a foote then questionles it is footles so consequently it is bootlesse and the 〈◊〉 wanting a base is altogether vnprofitable The Prophet Isaiah is willed to lift vp his voice like a trumpet Esa. 58. â— Many things sound louder then a trumpet as the sea the thunder and such like Yet he saies not Lift vp thy voice as the sea or lift vp thy voice as the thunder but lift vp thy voice as a trumpet Why so Because a trumpeter when hee sounds his trumpet he windes it with his mouth and holds it vp with his hand And so euery faithfull heart which is as it were a spirituall trumpet to sound out the praises of God must not onely report them with his mouth but also support them with his hand And then indeede holding vp the word of life with his hand and bringing forth the fruit therof with patience hee shall lift vp his voice like a trumpet The Patriarch Abraham buried Sarah in the caue of Macpelah Gen. 23 1â— that is in a double sepulchre Hâ— that buries his mindâ— in knowledge onely without any care of bringing forth fruit be buries Sarah in a single sepulchre as Philo Iudaâ—â— doth allegâ—rize vpon his storie but he that burieth his minde as well in the performance and practise of religion which is all in all as in the knowledge and vnderstanding of it he buries Sarah in a double sepulchre And so must all we doe which are the true children of Abraham For then with Abraham burying our spirit in a double sepulchre we shal with Elizeus haue a double spirit A spirit that heareth the word with a verie good heart and with patience bringeth forth fruite Neither is this addition with patience altogether to be omitted For though a man cannot heare the word without patience nor keepe the word without patience yet patience is neuer so requisite as in bringing forth fruit according to the word which wee haue heard and kept Wherefore the holy Ghost saith Heb. 10.36 Ye haue neede of patience that after yee haue done the will of God yee may receiue the promise He saies not After ye haue heard it with your eare or kept it with your memorie but after yee haue done the will of God and brought forth the fruit thereof yee may receiue the promise For wherefore did not the stony ground bring forth fruite but onely for want of patience They receiued the word with ioy and seemed to haue very good hearts for a time but in time of temptation for want of patience they fel away Wherefore did not the thornie ground bring forth fruit but onely for want of patience After their departure wanting patience to digest their greifes they were choked with cares and