lib. de Consid ad Eugen. S. Bernard hoped of his scholler Eugenius though he were aduanced from a poore Monke to be Bishop of Rome that In se facta est mutatio non de se In that change he was not changed The Saints though their estates be changed yet they are not changed Their desire is not to be rich vnto this world but vnto God He is truly rich that aboundeth more in mercy then in substance In giuing then in taking In commending his riches to heauen Câ—â—â—sost vt supr rather then to this world Qui ad hoc viuit vt operetur ad hoc operatur vt in aeteruum viuere mereatur That liueth to worke worketh to merit merit that he might liue for euer Hitherto Chrysostome And hitherto of the first propertie wherein we are to imitate the Eagles Leâ—rne secondly of them a Sursum corda to mount with the Eagles The spirituall man hath his eleuations whereby he is eleuated aboue himselfe so Dauid u 〈◊〉 5.1 P a. 12 1. I lift my heart vnto thee and in another place I haue lifted vp mine eyes vnto the mountaines Some lift vp their eyes without their hearts as the Pharisie that drew neere with his lips c. Others their hearts without their eyes as Annah that prayed in her heart without any vocall sound Some lift vp their hearts hands and eyes inward integrity and outward profession of whom the Apostle speaketh * 〈…〉 our conuersation is in heauen And vere clati quorum conuersatio in coelis saies Gregorie Such a one was S. Paul In terra positus à terra extraneus Liued here yet a stranger while he liued here The Saints liue here but haue their conuersation in heauen Corpore ambulamus in terra corde habitamus in coelo saies x 〈…〉 Anselme Their bodies here their hearts in heauen such is their eleuation The Saints as they haue their elevation so haue they their ascensions Esay inuites vs to it Esay 2. Come let vs ascend into the Mountaine of the Lord. And y Psâ—l 15.1 Dauid demandeth Lord who shall ascend into thy holy Mountaine or who shall dwell in thy holy hill Heauen is a hill therefore we must climbe Heauen is a mountaine therefore we must ascend Faith and good workes prayer and giuing of almes ascend Let my prayer be directed into thy sight as the Incense And to Cornelius Thy prayer and thy almes-deeds haue ascended or come vp before me We are grafted saith z Rom. â— the Apostle into the similitude of his resurrection So by the same Analogie are we inserted into the likenesse of his Ascension * Preached on Sunday next aftâ—r Ascension day The Fâ—ast of the Ascension stâ—ll bleeds in our mindes Let vs therefore erect the eyes of our hearts to that height whither Christ is ascended It is the Apostles own Reason a Colâ—ss 3 1. Seeke those things that aâ—e aboue where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God Thither direct your thoughts whither Christ is ascended Ad aeterna praedectos peritura non occupâ—nt Let not momentary affaires possesse your soules that from eternitie are elected to eternitie Let not deceitfull snares make vs slacke our pace And those vanities and sinnes that may seeme faire and profitable to intice vs Non amplectâ—nda nequiter sed transcunda sunt fortiter saith b Vâ—â—m vâ—ritati◠〈…〉 sallâ—â—â— illâ—â—hâ—e non â—â—â—â—dent 〈◊〉 fidelâ—bâ—s haec â—â—mp raâ—â—â—â—â—â—â—raâ—â—ur vt pâ—re â—â—â—â—ri se in hac valle mundi â—â—â—â—ant in qua etiamsi quaedam commoda blandiâ—ntur non amplâ—ilenda nequiter sed transeunda sunt fortiter Leo ser 2. de ascens Dom. Leo Let vs not wickedly embrace thâ—m but valiantly let them goe c Heb. 12.1 Let vs lay aside euery weight and sin that doth so easily beset vs and runne with patience the race that is set before vs. Let vs shake off the fetters of sinne from the feet of our affections the dust of vanity from our wings and flie vnto the Lord like vnto the Eagles In the third place Let vs gather all the powers of our soule together to call to minde this gathering together A generall assembly the greatest Assises that euer were holden where and when all of vs must make our personall appearance for we must all appeare before the tribunall throne 2 Coâ— 5.10 saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 5. When the Lord of heauen shall send forth his processe no Non est inuentus shall be then returned no appearing by Attourney no pleading by an Aduocate but corpus cum cousa shall be then produced This mysterie was reuealed vnto S. Iohn d Reâ— 20.12 And I saw all both great and small stand before the Throne and the bookes were opened c. Though neuer so great yet they shall appeare before this great one neither shall the smal ones be excluded Great in grace great in dignity great in worldly preferment great in sinnes howsoeuer great Small in the worlds eye small in humble thoughts how small soeuer they shall appeare No exemption no exception no priuiledge all within the compasse of the Lords Iurisdiction all of vs owe suit and seruice to this Court For we must all appeare And there wee must be accountable for the things we doe here in the body The workes that we now doe shall giue in euidence if good for vs if bad they speake against vs. The tree shall be knowne and iudged by his fruit and as it now falleth so it lyeth No adding to what we haue not done no retracting that we haue done Too late to goe buy oyle when the Bridegroome is come or to get a wedding garment when we haue set footing within the wedding house no place for teares no time for repentance Poenitebit sed frustra poenitebit The wicked shall be pensiue but their repentance comes too late Call to minde our incorruptible Iudge who will not be imbraced with gifts allured by fauours withdrawne by promises deceiued by ignorance to whom all things are naked Say not saith Bernard the walls are round about vs we will sinne Esto quod nemo te videat non tamen nullus Be it that no man see thee yet he seeth thee who is both testis and Index e Chrysost lib. 1. de prouidentia Dei Neque enim tunc ouina pellis lupum Our sheep-skins shall not then couer our wooluish affections Neque sepulchri dealbatio internam coinquinationem nor the outward painting our inward rottenesse f 1 Cor. 4.5 for then the Lord will bring to light the hidden things of darknesse and will make manifest the counsels of the heart Consider also that our case is life and death and that not temporall but eternall all is at the stake If the sentence make for vs then are we most happy if against vs most miserable In the sentence of consolation g Math. 25.34 euery word hath his efficacie of comfort there
A SERMON PREACHED AT PAVLES-CROSSE the second day of June being the last Sunday in EASTER Terme 1622. BY THOMAS AILESBVRY Student in Diuinitie HIERON in MATTH Quoties diem illum cogito toto corpore contremisco LONDON Printed by George Eld for Leonard Becket and Robert Wilson and are to be sold neere the Temple Church and at Graies Inne new Gate 1623. TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE LORD AND REVEREND FATHER in God IOHN by diuine prouidence Bishop of LINCOLNE Lord Keeper of the Great Seale of ENGLAND OF all created things Right Honorable which doe in their kinde set forth the Creators greatnesse Coeli enarrant c And in the firmament the Heauens glory the Sunne In Sole posuit tabernaculum suum And in the Sunne these three The glorious light piercing beames and refreshing heat thereof draw with them most admiration Man an earthly Sunne amazeth man to consider what is in man But when these three Learning Vertue and Honour meet in one man as in one Center who can but admire who can but to such a man owe and tender all obseruancie From hence is that Scitum of a knowing man Honorem esse escam Doctrinam hamum Virtutem rete amorÃs But quorsum ista Say that all these as all must say who will speake the truth not onely are but doe after a goodly proportion shine in your Lordship shall it not be said presumption in me who am as yet but a twig of the Leviticall Tree to offer my fruits which may seem perhaps but leaues and that first of all to your Selfe who are so firme so fruitfull and so profitable a root both in our Church Common-wealth Yet because both Church and Common-wealth doe truly say that of You which St. Bernard hoped he might say of his Eugenius In te facta est mutatio non de te nec priori statui tuo successit promotio sed accessit I repaire to your Lordship though I bring no more to you then Noahs Doue did to him A little branch in my mouth being very sensible that seeing it sprang from a tree in Gods garden that the onely putting forth of your hand may not onely take me that bring it into the Arke but giue to it growth with a plenteous blessing which being all my suit to your Lordship I humbly beseech the God of heauen to assist you with his grace foeliciter currere ac foeliciùs in Christi pietate consummare to the great good of Church and Common-wealth here and to the vnspeakable good of your owne soule and body hereafter Your Honours vnfainedly devoted in all obseruance and dutie THOMAS AILESBVRY TO MY MOST worthy Friend SIR GRati est cui multum debes ei plurimum velle debere All that know me know that I owe you much more then my selfe And God the searcher of the heart is priuie to my gratefull acknowledgement thereof I dare not expresse your kindnesse nor your name for I am well acquainted how pleasing it is to you to doe well and vnpleasing to heare thereof hauing learn't with Seneca That Qui dedit beneficium taceat narret qui accepit The knowledge of the ill successe of hiding Talents in the Earth and your especiall desire to read aswell as to heare haue moved me to suffer this Sermon to be printed The good therein is Gods and his grace working in me The perfection is his the imperfection mine owne For wee haue this treasure in earthen vessells My chiefe intention was to please God and to ayme at his glory But I know not how an affection of humane affectation hath interserted it selfe As that man thinking to satisfie nature with food vnawares offendeth in gluttony Per expositionem patefeci dona per confessionem detego vulnera In my Sermon I layd open what Christians are to practise and in this confession what in me they are to pardon God giue a blessing to mine indeauours and a pardon to mine infirmities and multiply his grace vpon you and yours in this world that when these temporary meanes faile you may bee receiued into the euerlasting habitation Your Seruant in Christ Iesus Thomas Ailesbury Faults escaped in printing which the Printer prayeth the courteous Reader to correct with his Pen the Author being absent Fol. Lin. Fault Correction 5. 23. pasturing pastoring 9. 22. arescet arescit 25. 1. And the and that the. 29. 5. caught into caught vp into 29. 27. Ea Eagles 36. 18. * â— 34. 1. but speciall but by speciall A SERMON PREACHED AT Paules-Crosse LVKE 17. verse 37. Vbicunque fuerit corpus illuc congregabuntur Aquilae Wheresoeuer the body is thither will the Eagles be gathered together THAT Adam did eat of the fruit of the forbidden tree by faith we constantly beleeue it by experience we wofully lament it But the a Habet curiosam cognitioneÌ„ adhuc incompertam Pererius in Gen. lib. 3. q. 2. species or kinde of fruit that he did eat if it were a Pomegranate or a Fig if it were a Grape or an Apple holy Scripture hath not expressed The substance of his fault that he did eat is recorded but the circumstance what kinde of fruit he did eat is not at all reuealed That lawlesse eating hath occasioned a lawfull iudgement which Christ in the Gospell hath positiuely declared but the time when and place where that iudgement shall be is not by him in any place disclosed And therefore when his Disciples would haue pressed him to it by a bold and curious question Where shall it be Lord our Sauiour in my Text shapeth such an answer that needs an explication Intimating thereby Gods counsels to be as deepe waters which mortall men may not thinke to draine in the hollow of their hands Vbicunque fuerit corpus saith hee wheresoeuer the body is thither will the Eagles be gathered together Dauid prophesied of Christ b Psal 78.2 Aperiam in parabolis os meum that his lips should distill parables In this Text in part his prophesie is fulfilled And parables haue in them what Fulgentius generally applyeth to the Scriptures c In Sâ—ripturis abundat quod robustus comedat quod parvulus sugat Fulgent ser de Confessor Et quod robustus comedat quod parvulus sugat Meat for the great ones milke for the weake ones And that of d Diuinus sermo sicut mysterijs prudentes exercet sic plerunque superficie simplices refovet habet in publico vnde parvulos nutriat seruat in secreto unde mentes sublimium admiratione suspendat Greg. epist ad Leandr affix fronti Moral in Iob. Gregory agreeth with euery parable That which may nourish the little ones habet in publico That which suspendeth with admiration the profoundest wits seruat in secreto It is a deepe and yet a shallow Ford vbi Agnus ambulet vbi Elephas natet where the Lambe may wade the Elephant may swim Therein are mysteries to exercise the prudent and histories to giue
not all sleepe but shall be changed in a moment in the twinckling of an eye Hereupon many of the i 〈…〉 10. 〈◊〉 42. Ancient haue thought that some at that day shall passe without death to life though Dauid say Lord who is that man that shall not see death Shall he deliuer himselfe from the power of the graue And the Apostle tells vs that it is a statute agreed vpon in the Parliament of heauen Heb. â—â— Statutum est omnibus mori all to die and so to iudgement But S. Paul seemeth to determine this doubt though a sleepe shall not be yet a change shall be in stead of sleeping Shall not sleep that is so long as others that haue lyon long buried so * 〈◊〉 men Aâ—selm in 1. Cor. 15. Occumenius â—tà dormitio breuissiâ—na non tamen nulla so * 〈◊〉 men Aâ—selm in 1. Cor. 15. Anselmus Shall not all sleepe that is continually but shall be awaked so * 〈…〉 Lorinus to meet in the clouds the Lord of glory The third is of the attendance of the Angels Saints and Martyrs vpon the Lord of glory Saâ—â—â— vâ—â—rtes 〈◊〉 Doâ—â—â—â—â— m Matth. 25 31. Then shall you see the Sonne of man come in glory and the holy Angels with him in the clouds in maiestie and great glory For qualis Rex talis praeparatio Regis sayes the Author of the imperfect perfect worke vpon Matthew and Dignitate domini honorata sit conditio serui The glory of the Iudge shall be eminent in his followers and the Saints shall be glorified in attending vpon the Lord of glory Of this saith the Apostle n Câ—â—â—s 3.4 When Christ who is our life shall appeare then shall we appeare also with him in glory The fourth that by the Eagles are meant all the Saints Sanctâ—â— gâ—â—ere from the first day of the world till the last day o Heb. 11 2â— for they without vs shall not be made perfect These elect Eagles shall come from the foure quarters of the world and shall sit downe with the Patriarkes in the kingdome of heauen Thus we see all agree that by the Eagles are meant the Saints only therefore he saith not the Vultures or such foule Fowles though it be their property likewise but the Eagles are gathered In them to note the regalitie of the Saints And this the p 〈…〉 oâ—d 〈…〉 Glosse obserueth duo quaerentibus vnum respondet of the two labourers in the field the Disciples demand where the one and the other shall be Christ he answers for his that they shall be gathered and leaues them to vnderstand what shall become of them which are none of his they shall be reiected T is true the Eagles doe not rise alone but they shall be gathered alone The Vultures shall appeare the wicked shall arise but to condemnation Damnable is that Rabbinicall conceit that none shall rise but those that shall be saued And the wicked by this corporall death shall be vtterly extinct in soule and body grounding themselues vpon those mistaken words of the q Psal 1.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 à radice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies to â—â—e or stand Psalme The wicked shall not rise in iudgement non quod non resurgant sed quod in iudicio non resurgant he saith not that the wicked shall not rise but in iudgement they shall not rise saith r Hieron in Psal â— S. Hierome they shâ—ll not Å¿ Cyriâ—l Hierus Isâ—g rise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Cyrill of Hierusalem As Felons whose fact being euident are placed at the barre not so much to be conuicted as to be condemned Their sins their conscience c. shall so accuse that the Lord Iudge will not make any great inquisition to find out their fault but presently proceede to sentence t Greg. Moral in Iob. lib. 26. S. Gregory obserues that of the wicked and the godly the Eagles and the Vultures there shall be a fourefold manner of proceeding in iudgement First of the wicked Quidam iudicantur pereunt some are iudged and condemned perish by iudgement such as haue drawne neere vnto God with their lips but are farre from him in their hearts u Idem ibid. Professionem fidei retinentes opera professionis non habentes Hold ng a profession of the faith but not works of that profâ—ssion These mens cause shall be heard I was hungry but you fed me not c. Such men shall be weighed in the scales and shall be found to be light shall perish in iudgement Secondly of the wicked Quidam non iudicantur pereunt Are not iudged and condemned perish without iudgement Notorious sinners that would not be curbed vpon any termes Of them the Apostle speaketh * 〈◊〉 2.12 As many as haue sinned without the Law shall perish without the Law x Gregâ— supra Neque enim necesse est lege perimi qui lege nunquam potuit teneri No nec ssitie that the lawlesse liuer should be tryed by a lâ—w as his life knew no law so his death shall be without law shall perish without iudgement Thirdly of the godly whereof Quidam iudicantur regnant are iudged and quitted saued by iudgement Secular men that vse the world are often foyled in the world and recouer by repentance Their cause is heard Esuriuâ— dedâ—stis mihi I was hungry and you fed me c and the sentence pronounced for them Come yee blessed of my Father c. Fourthly of the godly Quidam non iudicantur regnant are not iudged and raigne saued without iudgement Saints that haue transcended ordinarie holinesse hauing abstained from things lawfull because not expedient that they might be the more at liberty to serue the Lord. Such were the Apostles y 〈◊〉 1 â—8 Peter to Christ Ecce reliquimus omnia Behold we haue left all and followed thee Christ to Peter You â—o many as haue thus followed mee shall sit vpon twelue Thrones and iudge the twelue Tribes of Israel Thus wee see the Saints shall not rise alone but shall be saued alone The Eagles onely to the body shall be gathered together It is not amisse in the next place to consider wherein the Eagles doe resemble the Saints and that 's in fiue properties ensuing z Gorrâ—n expos in locum Matth. â—4 The first is The Eagles moolt off their old feathers and so become bald The Saints of God doe so plucke off their sinfull feath rs from the soule that they become bald like vnto the Eagle They crucifie the old man with the lusts weed out sinne by the roots The Prophet Micah exhorting the people to repentance bids them a Micah 1. vlt. to inlarge their baldnesse like the Eagle Mary Magdalen did more then cast her feathers when shee conuerted her eyes her haire her lips feathers of wantonnesse into pledges of Repentance Her eyes that allured
's a louing call Come ye a diuine blessing Come yee blessed a fatherly affection Come yee blessed of my Father a retribution of reward receiue yee an assignment of a kingdome Receiue you the kingdome a preparation of glory prepared for you eternall predestination from the beginning of the world I haue chosen you from the beginning of the world therefore haue prepared you glory haue prepared glory therefore haue assigned you a kingdome haue assigned you a kingdome for you are my sonnes and I am your Father I am your Father therefore you are blessed you are blessed therefore come yee What a Iubilee of ioy will this cause in their blessed hearts They cannot but say within themselues Thy word O Lord is sweeter vnto vs then the honie or the honie combe Veâ— 4â— And in the sentence of condemnation euery word striketh dead vnto the heart First a separation from God Goe yee a malediction Goe yee cursed a prison Goe yee cursed into the sharpnes of the paine Goe yee cursed into fire The durance of the same into eternall fire the grim societie with the deuill and his angels This is durus sermo a hard speech who can endure it No repealing of this sentence no appealing from this Iudge Now the Lambe speakes in mercy who will not heare it Then the Lyon shall roare in iustice who will not feare it Remember this remember thine end and thou wilt not sinne Dauid made Gods iudgements his obiect his eyes were neuer off them h Psal 18.22 all his iudgements are in my sight And Solomon the sonne trode his fathers footsteps i â—â—â—â—s 3.17 I said in my heart God shall iudge the righteous and the wicked So all the Saints with S. Hierome seeme to heare alwayes the trump to sound with arise yee dead and come to iudgement Here is a memento for all great and small shall arise great and small are to remember it to both of which I am a debtor and now with Gods permission my debt I will discharge First you whom the Lord hath made great 1. To great ones An exhortation to the Iudges by communicating a parcell of his Regiment looke vpon him who is vnto you author exemplum he that did erect you is a patterne to direct you your authority is great your place eminent your charge is great and let me speake it with your fauour your account shall bee great Cum crescunt dona crescunt rationes donorum Greg. when our talents are enlarged our account is increased the beasts and such vnreasonable creatures non iudicantur quia non iudicant Ber. They are not iudged because they cannot iudge it is not so with man whom he hath indowed with reason to discerne and so made euery priuate man a priuate Iudge much lesse with those whom hee hath set apart to be Iudges S. Bernard to k Lib. 1. de Consid Eugenius Papa Blanditur cathedra sonat tibi officium non otium doth the chaire flatter thee it cals to mind thy duty not idlenes What though thou art seated in an eminent place where thou ouerlookest all Enim vero prospectus iste procinctum parit non somnium it tels thee thou hadst need to looke about thee what place left for retired thoughts where causes and cases non leges sed lites Solicitudes and vexations of minds and spirits are still before you Et finis horum quid nisi aranearum telae Vt supra The same Father demands of the same man when art thou free Vbi tutus Vbi tuus where art thou safe where art thou thy selfe Are not you alwaies possessed with cares troubles tumults whither will you turne you from them l Cicero pro Archia Poeâ—a pernoctant vobiscum peregrinantur rusticantur day and night at home and abroad they euer attend you Certainly to a man that soberly considereth these things Your Honours are rather to be pittied then enuied And he rather commiserateth your daily incumbrances then repineth at your splendent dignities My Reuerend Lords though these cares continually beat at your doores yet let contemplation of spirituall things modestly prompt you That withdrawing your selues from the sea of worldly affaires you may with the Israelites m Exod. 14.13 stand still vpon the shoare and see the saluation of the Lord. St. Agustine spends a noble Chapter n lib. 10 de ciuitate Dei cap. 9. of a noble worke wholly vpon this subiect Though many are tyed so to attend worldly affaires that in neglect thereof they should neglect their duty to Prince and Countrey yet none are so to bee oppressed with businesse as to forget their duty to God He is not worthy to bee a Bishop qui praeesse dilexerit non prodesse that loueth more to command then to be commodious He is not worthy to be a Iudge that loueth more the praeheminence of his place then to doe good in his place Wherefore Ocium sanctum quaerit charitas veritatis Loue of heauens truth desires a holy leisure Negotium iustum suscipit necessitas charitatis necessity of earths charity vndertakes iust affaires So carry your selues betwixt contemplation and action Vt nec subtrahatur ista suauitas nec opprimat illa necessitas that the necessity of your actions doe not eclipse the sweetnesse of your meditations nor your meditations cause you to slacke your iust occasions Giue me leaue to commend vnto your thoughts two things The first the greatnesse of your authority as God hath lent you part of his power so part of his title o Psal 82. I haue said you are gods and hee hath an eye after you for it is in the same Psalme He iudgeth in the midst of gods or in the middle he iudgeth the gods as * Hieron expos Psal 81. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hierome reades it and the Originall Hebrew will beare it Awake then ye men of God that are placed in the presence of God how dares corruption approach bribery draw neere peruerting of iustice enter into the presence of the all-seeing eye thinke on this The Lord doth behold your actions The 2. thing to be remembred is that you haue this treasure in earthen vessels A strange and true Epithite you are mortall gods Be not puffed vp with your high authority and title you shall dye like men you shall rise like men you shall giue an account like men you shall bee iudged like men your now ouer-seer shall be then your Iudge and who is present at your actions shall sentence you accordingly Remember you amongst these Eagles shall be gathered together Secondly to the small to all remember that of Saint Peter p 1. Pet. 3.10 When the heauens shall passe away with a great noise the elements shall melt with feruent heat and the earth burne vp what manner of men ought you to be in holy conuersation and godlinesse Suppose now you should see as God knoweth how soone you shall see