by his bountifulnesse With vs to blesse God by our Thankefulnesse What should I say For Iesus Christ his sake let vs be Thankefull It is a good thing to giue thankes to the Lord saith our Psalmist Good for the vertue of the action Good for the excellencie of the obiect Good for the happinesse of the retribution For the Action it is better to Blesse then to curse Rom. 12. Blesse them that persecute you Blesse and curse not For the Obiect our Prayses are sung to a most glorious God one that is Beautie it selfe and onely worthy to inhabite the prayses of Israel For the Retribution If wee blesse God God will blesse vs As one notes that all Dauids Psalmes were either Hosanna or Halleluiah that is God blesse or God be blessed Either a Prayer for Mercie or a Prayse for Merciâ— Ascendat â—rgo gratia vt descendat gratia For Gratiarum cessat decursus vbi recursus non fuerit Grace will not come downe vnles Gratitude goe vp All Riuers runne backe to the Sea whence they were first deriued Let vs send vp our gifts to God that hee may sende downe his gifts to vs. Let vs not Vti datis tanquam innatis But remember that we hold all in Capite and are sutors to the Court of Heauen worthy to forfet our estates if we pay not the quit-rent of Thankefulnesse acknowledge not Gratitude and Obedience God will not long Catulis indulgâ—râ— Luporum pamper the Wolues whelps as the Prouerbe But he will forget them that forget him Wee haue a saying from Aristotle Nec in puerum nec in senem collocanduâ— esse beneficium That our beneficence should not be fixed vpon a Child or an Old man for the Child before he comes to age will forget it and the Old man will die before he can requite it Are wee all either Children or Old men that wee either not remember or not returne Thankefulnes to God for his mercies Yet saith the Psalmist Old men and Children prayse the Name of the Lord. With him let vs then say What shall we render to the Lord for all his Benefites towardes vs Dauid was inward with God yet he studied what Present he should offer him Hee lights vpon that which hee was onely able to giue and God most willing to receaue Thankefulnesse I will take the Cuppe of Saluation and blesse the Name of the Lord. Pray wee then to GOD to giue vs Thankefullnesse that wee may giue it him For of our selues wee haue not what to giue vnlesse the Lord giue vs wherewith to giue Let vs Shew foorth his louing kindnesse in his Morning and his faythfulnesse euery Night Morning and Euening let vs prayse him that hath made the Day for our labour and the Night for our rest And that not ex vsu magis quam sensu but with a heartie humilitie Giue vnto the Lord the Glory due to his Name Bring your Sacrifiâ—e and come into his Courts Let no opportunitie steale by neglected but Reioyce in the Lord yee righteous and giue thankes at the remembrance of his Holynesse No Garment better becomes you though you haue almost put it out of fashion then to Prayse the Lord For Prayse is comely for the righteous Thanksgiuing is the best Sauce to our Meate and blesseth all the Dishes on the Table When thou hast eaten and art full thou shalt blesse the Lord thy God Whether we eate or drinke worke or rest let vs set that golden Poesie on all our labours which the Angel to Zachay gaue of the Head-stone Grace grace vnto it Hee spake pleasant truth that said He that riseth from the Table without giuing of thanks goes his way owes for his Ordinary He is vnthankefull that is vnmindfull of a benefite vnthankeful that requites it not vnthankefull that dissembles it but most vnthankefull that denies it Though wee cannot requite Gods fauour we will neither forget it nor dissemble it nor denie it I haue purposely been liberall in this doctrine neither beg I pardon for prolixitie It was necessary for the Text no lesse for our times God hath shewed vs his Light and wee bring foorth the workes of Darknesse We say we al are thankefull Our Words will not passe with God without our Deeds Our Words are so fickle and false that wee dare not trust one another without manuscrips Scriueners must be employed in al our commerce And shall God take our words with whom we haue broke so often No beloued wee must sette our hands to it and to speake to our capacitie in the Citie seale it and deliuer it as our act and deed wee must worke that which is good I appeale from mens Lippes to their Liues Verba rebus probate sayth Seneca The forme the life the Soule of Thankefulnesse is Obedience Wee like blinde Isaac cannot see your Hearts but say Let mee feele thee my sonne If your Liues be rugged like the Hands of Esau we dare not trust your Voyce for the Voyce of Iacob If your deedes be rough and sensible of rebellion in vaine you tell vs you are Thankefull It is somewhat that you Enter into his Courts and speake good of his Name But you must also doe good for his Name and you shall be blessed I haue begun and will end with a Psalme O come then let vs fing vnto the Lord let vs reioyce to the Rocke of our saluation Let ve come before his presence with Thankesgiuing and make a ioyfull noyse to him with Psalmes For the Lord is a great God and a great King aboue all Gods God is the Lord that hath shewed vs Light binde the Sacrifice with Cords euen to the Hornes of the Altar FINIS POLITICKE HVNTING OR A Discouerie of the cunning Esauites of our times And Plaine Dealing or A president of Honesty The Text. Genes 25. 27. Esau was a cunning Hunter and a man of the field and Iacob was a plaine man dwelling in Tents WHen God hath a long while deferred his actuall Blessings to the importunate suppliants and extended their desires at last hee doubles on them the expected Mercie So hee recompenceth the dilation with the dilatation and enlarging of his fauours Rebecca had been long barren and now the Lord opens her Wombe and sets her a teeming she conceaues two at once It is obserueable that many holy Women ordained to be the mothers of men specially famous and worthy were yet long barren Sara the wife of Abraham that bore Isaac Rebeccah the wife of Isaac that bore Iacob Rahel the wife of Iacob that bore Ioseph Anna the mother of Samuel Elizabeth the mother of Iohn the Baptist Hereof may be giuen some reasons 1. One Chrysost. giues Vt ex mirabili partu stirilium praestrueretur fides partui virginis That by the miraculous Child-bearing of barren Women a way might be made to beleeue the birth of Christ by a Virgin 2. To shew that Israel
THE SACRIFICE OF Thankefulnesse ¶ A Sermon preached at Pauls Crosse the third of December being the first Aduentuall Sunday Anno 1615. By THO. ADAMS Bern. in Cant. Serm. 35. Gratiarum cessat decursus vbi recursus non fuerit Whereunto are annexed Fiue other of his Sermons preached in London and else-where neuer before Printed The Titles whereof follow in the next Page LONDON Printed by Thomas Purfoot for Clement Knight and are to be sold at his shop in Pauls Church-yard at the Signe of the Holy Lambe 1616. ⧠The Titles of the Fiue Sermons 1. Christ his Starre or the Wise mens Oblation Math. 2. verse 11. 2. Politicke Hunting Genesis 25. verse 27. 3. Plaine-Dealing or a Precedent of Honesty Genesis 25. verse 27. 4. The Three Diuine Sisters 1. Cor. 13. verse 13. 5. The Taming of the Tongue Iam. 3. verse 8. ⧠To the Right Worshipfull Sir Henry Mountague Knight the Kings Maiesties Serieant for the Law and Recorder of the Honourable Citie of London Worthy Sir WHere there is diuersitie of helpes leading to one Intention of good the variety may well be tolerated Who findes fault with a Garden for the multitude of flowers You shall perceiue heere different kinds whereof if some to some seeme bitter there is none vnwholesome It takes fire at the Altar of God and beginnes with the Christians Sacrifice the flame wherof by the operation of the blessed Spirit may both enlighten the vnderstanding and warme the affections of good men and in others consumingly waste the drosse and rust of sinne which must eyther be purged by the fire of Grace heere or sent to the euerlasting fire to be burned The Wisemens Oblation seconds it what is formerly commaunded in Precept is heere commended in Practise The Politicke Hunters of the world are discouered and Plaine-Dealing encouraged One almost forgotten vertue Charitie is praised and a busie vice is taxed In all is intended Lux Scientiae Pax Conscientiae Peccati ruina aedificatio Iustitiae Your noble endeuours are obserued by all eyes to bee distinguished into this method from your vertues there is a resultance of shining Light to information from your Office to reformation of others Goe forward so still to menage your Place in that honourable Citie and let the fire of correction eate out the rust of corruption You may punish euen whiles you pitie The good Magistrate like a good Chirurgion doth with a shaking hand search vlcers more earnestly desiring Non inuenire quod quaerit quà m inuenire quod puniat The God of mercie and saluation wrappe vp your soule in the bundle of Life and when the Lust of the earth shall to the Dust of the earth fixe you in the blessed Orbe of Glory Your Worships in all faithfull obseruance THO. ADAMS Ad Lectorem Senec. epist. 59. Cupio si fieri potest propitijs auribus quid sentiam dicere sin minùs dicam iratis THE SACRIFICE OF THANKFVLNESSE Psal. 118. 27. God is the Lord which hath shewed vs Light bind the Sacrifice with Cords euen vnto the Hornes of the Altar THE first and the last wordes of this Psalme are O giue thankes vnto the Lord for hee is good because his mercy endureth for euer Thankesgiuing is the prescript and the postscript Hee that is Alpha and Omega the first and the last requires that our beginning and ending should be Prayse to the Lord. You see the head and the foote the bulke body members are not dissonant There is scarce any Verse in the Psalme that is not either an Hosanna or an Halleluia a prayer for mercie or a praise for mercie I haue singled out one let it speake for all the rest God is the Lord that hath shewed c. Heere is somewhat receiued somewhat to be returned God hath blessed vs and wee must blesse God His Grace and our Gratitude are the two Lines my Discourse must runne vpon They are met in my Text let them as happily meete in your Hearts and they shall not leaue you till they bring you to Heauen The summe is God is to be Praysed The particulars are Wherefore hee is to be Praysed Wherewith hee is to be Praysed Wherefore God is the Lord that hath shewed vs light Wherewith Binde the Sacrifice with Cords euen vnto the Hornes of the Altar In the For what we will consider the Author his Blessing The Author God is the Lord. His Blessing That hath shewed vs Light The Lord the Light The Author is called God and Lord which lead vs to looke vpon his Goodnesse Greatnesse GOD and Good LOe I begin with him that hath no Beginning but is the Beginning of all other Beeinges God And would onely tell you for I must not loose my selfe in this Mysterie that this God is Good In himselfe Goodnesse Good to vs. Psal. 100. The Lord is Good his mercie is euerlasting He is True Life saith August A Quo aucrtâ—â— cadere in Quem conuerti resurgere in Quo manere vinere est From Him to turne is to fall to Him to returne is to rise in Him to abide is to liue for euer Dauid in the 59. Psalme calls him his Mercie Deus meus misericordia mea my God my Mercie Whereupon Augustine sweetely discourses If thou hadst sayd my Health I know what thou hadst meant because God giues health If thou hadst sayd my Refuge I vnderstand because thou fliest vnto him If thou hadst said my strength I conceaue thy meaning because he giues strength But Misericordiamea quid est Totum quicquid sum de misericordia tuá est My Mercie What is it I am by thy Mercie whatsoeuer I am Bernard would haue vs speake of God in abstracto not onely to call him Wise Mercifull good but Wisedome Mercie Goodnesse Because the Lord is without accidents at all For as hee is most Great without quantitie so he is most Good without qualitie Nil habet in se nisi se He hath nothing in him but himselfe God then being Good not onely formaliter good in himselfe but also effectiuè good to vs teacheth vs to loue him Wee should loue goodnesse for it owne sake but when it reflects vpon vs there is a new inuitation of our loue The LORD WEe haue heard his Goodnesse listen to his Greatnesse In this Title we will consider his Maiestie as wee did in the other his Mercie Lord implies a great State â— the Title is giuen to a great man vpon earth But if an earthen Lord be great Quantus est Dominus qui Dominos facit How great is the Lord which makes Lords yea and vnmakes them two at his pleasure This is an absolute and independant Lord. 1. Cor. 8. There may be many Gods and many Lords But this is Ille Dominus The Lord or that Lord that commaunds and controlls them all They are Domini titulares this is Dominus tutelaris They are in title and name this in deed and power There are Many
Saboths Sacraments word Ministers are vilipended our selues standing by with a guiltie silence Oh which of vs hath not beene Guiltie of this Ingratitude It was the exprobation of Athens that shee suffred those men to die in exile ignominie obliuion that with their vertuous endeauours had reared her vp on the Pillars of Fame Miltiades Aristides Solon Phocion Vbi vixerunt Vbi iacent Where liued they where lye they Their worthy Actes gaue glory to that Citie and that Cittie couerd them with the inglorious dust of obscuritie So the Lord Iesus had made vs liue that were dead and we doe what we can to let his lining name dye amongst vs. The Grecians had a Prouerbe amongst them against them Pro meritis male tractarunt Agamemnona Graâ—i Agamemnon for the Honour of Greece had done great seruice to the conquest and subuersion oâ— Troy And when he came home was Slaine by his owne Wife Clitemnestra by the helpe of Aegistus the adulterer Christ loued vs as his Wife endowed vs with all his owne Riches Conquers Troy for vs subdues all our Enemies and returning home when he expects to finde peace and kind entertainment in our hearts we fall to vexing and wounding him forsaking his loue and cleauing to the world in a Cursed Adulterie So Dulcem pro meritis tractamus acerrime Christum So bitterly doe we requite our sweete Sauiour for his mercies Scipio had made Rome Lady of Affricke And comming home with Triumph ouer that and Hanibal the Senate banished him into a bace village where dying he commanded this sculpture to be engrauen on his Tombe Ingrata Patria ne ossa quidem mea habes Vnthankfull Countrey thou hast not so much as my very bones Many and mightie deliuerances hath the Lord giuen vs. From furious Amalâ—kites that came with a Nauy as they bragg'd able to fetch away our Land in Turues From an angry and raging Pestilence that turned the popular Streetes of this Cittie into solitude From a Treason wherein men conspired with Deuils for Hell was brought vp to their coniurations and a whole brewing of that salt Sulphure was tunn'd vp in Barrels for vs to drinke Behold and kisse the feete of his Mercie wee are deliuered by Iesus Christ from all these miseries and mischiefes Oh let vs not voluntarily call vpon ourselues a worse then all these our owne Vnthankefulnesse Let not Christ say Ingratâ— Anglia ne ossa quidem mea habes Vnthankefull England thou hast not so much as my bones the prints and sensible impressions of these fauours in thy memorie Thou hast shut thy Sauiour out of thy minde and buried him in neglectfull obliuion Take heed least in a iust quittance hee exclude thee from his thoughts and forget to do thee any more good Least he take away his Name his Glory his Light his Gospell from thee and bestow it on those vnchristned borders where now his great Maiestie is not adored How iustly might hee leaue vs in our former wretchednesse There is a pretty Fable the morall of it will profitably fitte our present Discourse A Serpent accidentally inclosed betwixt two great Stones that hee could no way es extricate himselfe made his moane to a man passing by to deliuer him The man with much force remooued the Stone and set him free The Serpent now feeling his libertie thus bespake his deliuerer I confesse you haue done mee a kindnesse in helping me out being almost famished But now I am out my hunger is so violent that I must needes take the benefite of my fortune and deuoure you The man vrged his Ingratitude but to no purpose for the Serpent would eate him Instantly hee spied an Asse comming and desired the Serpent to put it to his iudgement The Serpent was contented knowing that the Asse durst not but condemne the man for his prey least hee endangered himselfe The case was pleaded on both sides the Man vrging his kindnesse the Serpent his hunger But the Asse gaue iudgement on the Serpents side who is now ready to set on the Man Hereupon flyes by an Eagle to whom the Man appealed for Iudgement in this controuersie The Eagle hearing the cause debated demanded of the Serpent if hee could haue freed himselfe without the mans ayde The Serpent answered affirmatiuely and sayd it was onely his policie by this tricke to get the Man within his reach The Eagle desires to see the place the Man shewes it The Eagle bids the Serpent goe into the hole againe for more certaine demonstration The Serpent doth so and the Man remooues the other Stone as it was before and reincloseth the Serpent The Eagle now bids the Serpent deliuer himselfe Hee replied hee could not Then quoth the Eagle this is my iudgement The next time the Man lets thee foorth doe thou take him for thy prey and eate him It cannot be denyed but wee were once surer in Satans hold then this Serpent is imagin'd to be betweene the Stones The Man Christ Iesus in pittie redeemed vs and gaue vs libertie Wee are no sooner out but we fall to deuoure him to make his poore members his poore Ministers our Prey to wound his Name with Blasphemies to steale his Goods with Sacriledge and to giue his Honour either to other Creatures or to our owne Wittesâ— as if we could haue deliuered our selues Let any be Iudge but the Asse our owne flesh blood and we are sure to be condemned for Ingratitude But if Christ should in his Iustice put vs againe into our former hole leaue vs in the power of Satan Who would not say with the Eagle The next time hee sets vs free let vs take him for our bootie and deuoâ—â—e our Redeemer It is recorded of Alexander an Emperour famoused for his liberalitie and of Iulius Caesar no lesse commended for his patience that the former would neuer giue nor the other forgiue an Ingratefull person Wretched were wee if the Lord should with-hold from vs either of these Mercies If he should shut vp the Flud-gates of his Bountie and cease giuing or locke vp the Treasure-house of his Mercie and leaue forgiuing If hee should neither Donare bona sua nor Condonare mala nostra woe vnto vs Wee might curse our Births or rather our Ingratitude Wee hope still God will be mercifull to vs for Christ his sake So God of vs hee hopes wee will be obedient to him for Christ his sake Petimusque damusque vicissim As wee expect God should saue vs for the merites of his Sonne So God expectes wee should serue him for the merites of his Sonne If the bitter sufferings and heart-blood of Iesus cannot get of vs the forbearance of Iniquitie How shall it get for vs the forgiuenesse of Iniquitie As wee intreat God for his Mercie to bee good to vs So God intreats vs for his Mercie to bee good to him and therein most good to our selues O let that Goodnesse that reconciles vs both preuaile with vs both With God to blesse vs
Feete but either supplyes the other to purloine Gods glory Discusse whether more that list I am certaine both the blind and the lame are guiltie Both haue offended both must in a repentant Oblation be offered to God Therefore sayth Paul not onely Present your Bodyes 〈◊〉 Sacrifice but also Bee transformed by the renewing of your Mindes Bodily labour profites â—tle without the Soule and it is a proud Soule that hath stiffe Knees These Magi therefore giue both Procidentes adorâ—uerunt eum Heere is one thing sticks horribly in the Papists stomackes and like a Bone in the throat will neither vp nor downe with them They fell downe and worshipped him Not her This same leauing out of Her hath much vexed them How much would they haue giuen the Euangelist to put in Illam They saw Him with his Mother yet they Worshipped Him not his Mother They haue troubled vs and themselues with many Arguments that though this was concealed it was not omitted And they are resolued to beleeue it though they cannot prooue it and that though it be not so good shall be as ready Howsoeuer they will confute the Magi in their practise for they still Adorare eam when perhaps they forget eum and giue the Mother more honour then her Maker It was but manerly in Bellarmine to post-scribe two of his Tomes with Laus Deo virginique matri Mariae Prayse to the Lord and his Mother the virgin Mary Some setting the Cart before the Horse haue written Laus beatae virgini et Iesu Christo Prayse to the virgin Mary and Iesus Christ And they haue enioyned ten Auemaries for one Paternoster It is to be feared at last they will adore her for their Sauiour as they doe for their Mediatour and shut Christ quite out of dores But let mee come out of Babel into Gods Citie They fell downe and worshipped Him Let our Instruction hence be this God did euer so strangely qualifie the basenesse of Christ that though hee seemed in mens eyes a contemptible obiect and abiect Esa. 53. yet hee was beautified with some certaine marke of his Diuinitie that hee might be discerned to be more then Man Heere when hee had an Oxe-stall for his Cloath of estate hee had a Starre from Heauen to shine foorth his Glory Now when generally in the world there was as much thought of the man in the Moone as of Christ the Sonne of Righteousnesse behold Magitians come from the East and prostrate themselues before him The eye of their Flesh saw his ragges of Pouertie the eye of their Fayth saw his robes of Glory Instead of the cold Stones and Pauement they saw his Saphyres Iaspers Chrysolites Instead of his Manger they saw his Throne For the Beastes about him they saw armies of Angels attending him For his base Stable they saw Palatium centum sublime columnis a Palace of many Turrets They behelde Magnuâ— in paruo latere that this little Child was a great King yea a great GOD yea a great King aboue all Gods Thus as Thomas in one of his Himnes Quod non capis quod non vides Animosa firmat fides Praeter rerum ordinem What wee neither feele nor see Powerfull Fayth beleeues to bee When Christ was first reuealed to poore Shepheards hee was not without a Quâ—re of Angels singing his Glorie Let him be in the Wildernesse among wild Beastes euen those glorious Spirits are his Pensioners and minister to his wants Hee comes hungry to a Figtree to demonstrate his natural infirmitie but finding no fruite on it hee curseth the Figtree Neuer Fruite grow on thee hereafter to declare his Power Must hee pay tribute Yet the Kings Sonne should pay none but hee is content to be a Subiect hee will pay it but hee bids Peter goe to the Sea and take it out of a Fishes mouth To shew his Humilitie hee will pay it but to shew his Diuinitie he bids the Sea pay it for him He that vndertooke the Miserie to be whipped did also to prooue his Maiestie whip the Buyers and Sellers out of the Temple Which was no lesse then a miraculous Wonder that a priuate man should doe it without resistance Yea when hee was dying betweene two Theeues hee so qualifies the basenesse of the Crosse that hee workes in the heart of one to call him Sauiour and to desire remembrance in his Kingdome When his Soule was leauing his Body as a man euen then hee rent the Vaile of the Temple shooke the Earth tore the Rocks opend the Graues to prooue that hee was GOD. Thus in his greatest humiliation God neuer left him without some testimony of his diuine power that as beholding him hungry thirsty weary weeping bleeding dying wee say O homo certè sure hee was a Man So seeing him to calme the Seas commaunde the Winds heale the Sicke rayse the Dead cast out Diuels wee may say O Deus certè sure hee was GOD. Thus these conuerted Magitians behelde him Hominem verum though not hominem merum a litle Child a great GOD. To borrow a distich of a diuine Poet. O strangest eyes that saw him by this Starre Who when by-standers saw not saw so farre Men are especially taken with three things Submission Honour Gifts These Wise-men therefore hauing Falne downe and worshipped him doe now open their Treasures and present him Gifts Gold Frankincense and Myrrhe Diuers of the Fathers haue diuersly gloss'd these Wise-mens Giftes Bern. They did offer Gold to relieue Maries necessity Frankincense to sweeten the Stable Myrrhe to comfort the swadled Babe Others thus They did offer Gold to Christ as being a King Frankincense as being God Myrrhe as being Man to die for the redemption of the World Ambros. Aurum Regi Thus Deo Myrrham Defuncto or Morituro Gold for a King Incense for God Myrrhe for a Man that must die a speciall Vnguent to reserue the Body from corruption So Basil. Vt Regiaurum vt morituro Myrrham vt Deo thus obtulerunt The same Hillary In auro Regem in thure Deum in Myrrha hominem confitentur All the Fathers and other Writers harpe on this string and sing the same note Nazianzen Cyprian Augustine Hierom Gregory Fulgentius that in Gold they acknowledged him a King by Incense God by Myrrhe a passible and mortall Man So the Christian Poets haue sung Aurea nascenti fuderunt munera Regi Thura dedere Deo Myrrham tribuere sepulehro So another Aurum Thus Myrrham Regique Deoque Hominique Dona ferunt In generall learne two profitable Instructions 1. They come not to Christ empty-handed It was Gods charge to Israel Deut. 16. but wee thinke now wee are deliuered from that Law Non apparebis in conspectu meo vacuus Thou shalt not appeare before mee emptie You plead God cares not for our Sheepe and Oxen or the fatte of our Rammes for all the World is his Hee requires it not for
the perpetuity Thus to iustifie a man Faith is greater but in a man iustified Charity is greater Let Faith alone with the great worke of our salvation but that finished it shall end so yeeld superiority to Loue which shall endure for euer Thus you haue commended to your soules these three sisters Faith Hope and Charity Faith wee must haue or we are reprobates Hope or wretches Charity or not Christians There is a promise made to Faith that it shall haue accesse to God Heb. 11. To Hope that it shall not be ashamed Rom. 5. But to Charity that it shall dwell in God and haue God dwelling in it 1. Ioh. 4. I should now tell you that as these three fayre Sisters come downe from heaven so in a crosse contrariety the Devill sends vp three foule fiends from hell Against Faith Infidelity against Hope Desperation Against Charity malice He that entertaines the elder sister vnbeleefe I quake to speake his doome yet I must Hee is already condemned Hee that embraceth the second vgly Hagge Despaire barres vp against himselfe the possibility of all comfort because hee offends so precious a nature the mercy of God tramples vnder his desperate feete that bloud which is helde out to his vnaccepting hand He that welcomes malice welcomes the Devill himselfe hee is called the Envious and loues extremely to lodge himselfe in an envious heart These be fearefull prodigious sisters flie them and their embraces and remember O yee whom Christ concernes the commandement of your Saviour Loue one another I will end with our Apostles exhortation to his Philippians If there bee any consolation in Christ and there is consolation in him when the whole world cannot afford it If any comfort of loue and hee that knows not the comforts of loue knowes no difference betwixt man and beast If any fellowship of the spirit by whome wee are all knit into one Communion and enriched with the same treasures of grace If any bowels and mercies if vncharitablenesse and avarice hath turned our intrals into stone and yron if wee haue not forgotten the vse and need of mercy Fulfill my ioy that yee be like minded and haue the same loue Fulfill the Apostles ioy onely the ioy of the Bride and Bridegroome of the Church on earth of the Saints in heauen of the ioy of the blessed Angels the ioy of the Father Sonne holy Spirit and last of all the ioy of your owne hearts that you Loue one another Forget not that trite but true saying They shall not want prosperitie That keepe Faith Hope and Charity FINIS THE TAMING OF THE TONGVE MATH 12. 37. By thy wordes thou shalt bee iustified and by thy words thou shalt be condemned BERN. Lingua quae facilè volat facilè violat TP LONDON Printed by Thomas Purfoot for Clement Knight and are to be sold at his shop in Paules Church-yard at the Signe of the Holy Lambe 1616. THE TAMING OF the Tongue IAM 3. 8. But the tongue can no man tame it is an vnruly euill full of deadly poyson HEre is a single Position guarded with a double reason The Position is No man can tame the Tongue The Reasons 1. It is vnruly 2. Full of deadly poyson Heere is busie dealing with a wilde member a more difficult action and intractable nature could not haue met Tongue is the Subiect I meane in the discourse and can you euer thinke of subiecting it naturally to reason or taming it to Religion Goe leade a Lyon in a single haire send vp an Eagle to the skie to pecke out a starre cope vp the thunder and quench a flaming City with one widdowes teares if thou couldest doe these yet nescit modo lingua domari the Tongue can no man tame As the Proposition is backed with two reasons so each reasons so each reason hath a terrible second The Euill hath for the second vnrulines the Poisonfulnes hath deadly It is evil yea vnruly euill it is poyson yea deadly poyson The Fort is so barricadoed that it is hard scaling it the refractary Rebell so guarded with Euill and Poyson so warded with vnruly and deadly as if it were with Gyants in an vnchanted Towre as they fabulate that no man can tame it Yet let vs examine the matter and finde a stratagem to subdue it In the Proposition Wee will obserue 1. The Nature of the thing to bee tamed 2. The difficulty of accomplishing it The insubiectible subiect is the Tongue which is 1. a member and 2. an Excellent Necessary Little Singular Member It is a Member Hee that made all made the Tongue he that craues all must haue the Tongue Quicreavit necessariam postulat creatam It is an instrument let it giue Musicke to him that made it All creatures in their kind blesse God Psal. 148. They that wanttongues as the heauens Sunne Starres Meteors Orbes Elements prayse him with such obedient Testimonies as their insensible natures can afford They that haue tongues though they want reason prayse him with those naturall Organs The birds of the ayre sing the beasts of the earth make a noyse not so much as the hissing Serpents the very Dragons in the deepe but sound out his praise Man then that hath a tongue and a reason to guide it and if more a religion to direct his reason should much much more blesse him Therefore sayes the Psalmographer that for the well tuning of his Tongue is called the sweete Singer of Israel I will praise the Lord with the best Instrument I haue which was his Tongue Not that praises can adde to Gods glory nor blasphemies detract from it The blessing Tongue cannot make him better nor the cursing worse Nec melior si laudaueris nec deterior si vituperaueris As the Sunne is neither betterd by birds singing nor battered by dogs barking He is so infinitely great and constantly good that his glory admittes neyther addition nor diminution Yet we that cannot make his name greater can make it seeme greater and though wee can not enlarge his glory we may enlarge the manifestation of his glory This both in words praysing and in workes practising We know it is impossible to make a new Christ as the Papists boast the almightinesse of their Priests yet our holy liues and happy lippes if I may so speak may make a little Christ a great Christ. They that before little regarded him may thus be brought to esteeme him greatly giuing him the honour due to his name and glorifying him after our example This is the Tongues office One member without arrogating any merite or boasting the beholdingnesse of the rest vnto it is to doe that duetie which is assigned it The eye is to see for all the eare to heare for all the hand to worke for all the feete to walke for all the knees to bow for all the Tongue to praise GOD for all This is the Tongues office not vnlike the Towneclarkes which if it