nay of immortalitie if otherwise it turneth into deadly poyson for hee that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh damnation to himselfe not discerning thâ— Lords body Now the only reason why I do compare the meritorious action of our blessed Lord and Saviour Christ Jesus on this day to Jupiter who as the Poets feine him was Lord of Heaven and Earth is for that as he overcame the malicious and revengefull Titan and all those monstrous and cruell Giants his sonnes called the Titanes and victoriously triumphed over theÌ„ so likewise Christ the Lord of glory and King of Kings as on this day being then the fifth of Aprill and first day of the Jewish weeke having overcome the dreadfull and spitefull Serpent the old Dragon in the Revelation according as it was prophesied of him Gen. 3. 15. and all those fiends that follow him sinne death and hell according to another prophesie in Hosea and having by his divine power raised himself from death to life as David long agoe foretold that God would not leave his soule in hell nor suffer his holy one to see corruption but that according to another prophesie of Hosea in the person of the children of Israel After two dayes he will revive in the third day raise up that we may live in his sight which is the same with the Sybils in these words He shall end the necessity of death by three dayes sleepe and then returning from death to life againe he shall be the first that shall shew the beginning of the resurrection to his chosen for that by conquering death he shall bring us life And last of all having according to his own promise which he oft times made to his Disciples That as Ionas was three dayes and three nights in the whales belly so should he be three dayes and three nights in the heart of the earth destroy this Temple and in three dayes I will raise it up are his owne words in another place meaning the temple of his body And that the Sonne of man shall be delivered into the hands of men and they shall kill him but the third day he shall rise again in another place fast bound the Dragon in the bottomelesse pit and taking away the sting of death which is sinne gloriously triumphed over the enemies of mans salvation and rising out of the Sepulchre of death confounded the souldiers that were his guard with amazement caused the earth to quake and the Angels of God to descend from heaven to attend upon his triumphs did forty dayes walke upon the earth in this triumphant manner and made twelve apparitions to his Disciples and others The first was to Mary Magdalen alone Iohn 10. 14. The second to all the women together as they returned homewards Matth. 20. 9. The third was to Simon Peter alone about noone 1 Cor. 15. 5. Luke 24. 34. The fourth was in the afternoon to the two Disciples as they went to the Castle of Emaus which was some eight miles from Jerusalem the ones name was Cleophas and brother of Joseph who brought up our Saviour and the other as may be gathered by the circumstance of the story was Luke because he hath set it downe so exactly Luke 24. The fifth was after he returned invisibly from Emaus to Jerusalem where when the doores were all shut and his Disciples were assembled together for feare of the Jewes he came and stood in the midst of them Iohn 20 19. And all these apparitions were in one day which was called the first day of the weeke The sixth apparition was eight dayes after his resurrection being the twelth of Aprill to all his Disciples Thomas being then present and the doores shut That he might make evident that his omnipotency was not tyed to any secondary causes or hindred by the property of any naturall bodies which according to S. Austine was so much the more wonderfull because hee appeared unto them substantially and effectually not as a phantasma or shadow which vanisheth away and is without any corporâ—all substance but did eat and drink and suffered his body to be handled by his Disciples The seventh apparition was to Peter Thomas Nathaneel the sons of Zebedeus and other two Disciples as they were fishing upon the shore of Tiberias which stood 36 miles from Ierusalem Northward betweene Bethsaida and Capernaum Iohn 21. The eighth was to the eleven Apostles on Mount Tabor in Galilee The ninth was to more then five hundred brethren at one time as S. Paul witnesseth The tenth was to James the son of Alpheus for he had beene seene before by Iames the son of Zebedeus but the certaine time of these foure last apparitions is not set downe But on the fourteenth day of May which was forty dayes after his resurrection he appeared to all his Apostles Disciples and friends together on Mount Olivet And in their sight with great triumph and joy he ascended into Heaven And last of all after his ascension he appeared to S. Paul as himselfe relates Thus as Luke affirmeth he shewed himselfe alive by many arguments for the space of forty dayes together and reasoned with them of the kingdome of his father Why then should any man mistrust the testimony of these men which saw him ate with him dranke with him touched him and heard him speak and whose entire estate and welfare depended wholly of the certainety thereof For what comfort had it beene or consolation to those men to have devised of themselves those former apparitions what encouragement might they have taken in these dolefull times of desolation and affliction to have had among them the dead body of him on whose only life their universall hope and confidence depended The Scribes and Pharisees being astonished at the sudden news of his rising againe confirmed unto them by their owne souldiers that saw it found no other way to resist the fame thereof but only by saying as their posterity do at this day that his Disciples came by night and stole away his body while the souldiers slept But what likelyhood or possibility can there be in this for first it is evident to all the world that his Apostles themselves who were the heads of all the rest were so dismaied discomforted and dejected at that time as they durst not once goe out of the doore for which cause only those silly women who for their sex esteemed themselves more free from violence presumed alone to visit his Sepulchre which no one man durst doe for feare of the souldiers untill by those women they were informed that the foresaid band of souldiers were terrified and put to flight by Christs resurrection And then how was it likely that men so much amazed and overcome with feare should adventure to steale away a dead body from a guard of souldiers that kept it or if their hearts had served to adventure so great a danger what hope or probability had there beene of successe especially considering the said body lay in
accomplished at that time when S. Steven suffered martyrdome and Iames the brother of Iohn was beheaded for Christs sake for even then and from thenceforth the Roman Magistrates and Synagogue of the Jewes never stinted from persecuting and putting to death all true Christians That Marke is the second Beast spoken by Ezekiel and the first by S. Iohn that had a face like a Lion is plaine because hee begins his first face or leafe at the voice like a roaring Lion in the wildernesse prepare the way of the Lord c. S. Marke is noted by Dorotheus to be one of the seventy Disciples and was very attentive unto the preaching of S. Peter from whom at the earnest perswasions of many zealous Christians he wrote his Gospell in Greek And S. Peter makes mention of him in the last Chapter of his first Epistle in these words the Church of Babylon elected together with you saluteth you and Marke my sonne and yet this Evangelist is most copious in setting downe particularly how S. Peter thrice denyed his Lord and Master He was the first Bishop of Alexandria and preached the Gospell in all the bordering Regions from Egypt unto Pentapolis and as some affirme in the reigne of Trajan the Emperour others and they more probably in the beginning of the reigne of Nero had a Cable rope tyed about his neck and by that drawne through the streets of Alexandria that his flesh was rent in pieces the stones coloured with his blood and in the end he burned to ashes by those furious Idolaters and was buried at Bucolus a place in the said City For what may be written more concerning Marke I leave to the learned and conclude with the prayer for the day saying Almighty God which haâ—t instructed thy holy Church with the heavenly doctrine of thy Evangelist S. Marke give me grace that I may not be like a little childe carried away with every blast of vain doctrine but be firmely established in the truth of thy Gospell through Jesus Christ my Lord Amen On S. Lukes day THe third fundamentall light that shewed the history of Christ is S. Luke And that he was the third is plaine by the 6 Revel 5. 6. For after the third sealed weeke which was the 43 after the birth of Christ S. Luke the third Beast wrote his Gospell and published it that all men might come and see At which time there fell a great universall famine of corne which Agabus prophesied and foretold should come to passe among the Apostles Disciples and the whole Church In this dearth the bushell of wheat was sold for five accustomed prices and the bushell of barley for three All which was prefigured by him that sate on the black horse with ballances in his hand and the voice that spake in the midst of the foure beasts saying A measure of wheat for a penny and three measures of barley for a penny So that this agrees with S. Luke in three respects First in that he is the third Beast in Ezekiel the second in S. Iohn with a face like a Bull because he beginneth his face or first leafe at Zacharias offering incense as it were a bullock at the Altar Secondly Because he wrote at this time And thirdly because he makes relation of the famine that then hapned 11 Acts 28 29 30. He was a follower of all the Apostles in their Peregrination but especially of S. Paul who makes mention of him in two of his Epistles once to the Col. 4. chap. and 14. verse Luke the beloved Physitian saluteth you and in 2 Tim. 4. 11. only Luke is with me By birth he was of Antioch but by profession a Physitian and he hath left us proofes of his skill in two volumes medicinable for our soules health one of the Gospell which he reporteth to have published according as he records it of them which from the beginning were beholders and ministers of this doctrine so that he searched all from the originall The other of the Acts of the Apostles where he compiled not only the things that he heard with his ears but also the things which he saw with his eyes And of Paul some say that he accustomed to mention the Gospell of S. Luke when he spake as of his owne saying according to my Gospel 2 Tim. 2. 8. And though S. Luke was scholer and dependant of S. Paul yet he alone of all others makes mention of the differences of Paul and Barnabas and in the story of Saint Stephens death after all his narration ended he added a clause which in humane judgement might have beene left out to wit Saul was consâ—nting and culpable of Stephens death whereby wee may perceive most perspicuously that as these Evangelists were plaine sincere and simple and fâ—rre from presuming to devise any thing of themselves so were they religious and had scruple to passe over or leave out any thing of the truth in favour of themselves or any other whatsoever Whether S. Luke dyed a naturall death or a violent I cannot finde only Dorotheus saith hee died at Ephesus and was there buried Therefore I leave the further lustre of him as of the rest of those glorious starres to the curious search of the learned and conclude with the prayer for the day saying Almighty God which calledst Luke the Physitian whose praise is in the Gospell to be a Physitian of the soule it may please thee by the wholesome medicine of his doctrine to heale all the diseases of my soule through thy sonne Jesus Christ my Lord and Saviour Amen On S. John the Evangelist SAint Iohn was the last fundamentall light that shined in the Evangelicall Hemisphere as is manifest by the forecited place of his Revelations For when he set forth his Gospell which was betweene the 50 yeares and 57 after Christs Nativity the pale Horse which by Interpreters signifies heresies among the people bringing therewith the death of the soule and procuring hell and eternall damnation began to arise who spake against the divinity of Christ Wherefore S. Iohn for the suppressing and conviction of the heresies of Cerinthus Nicholaus Ebion Elymas the Sorcerer and other certaine Pharisaicall Hereticks wrote his Gospell which beginneth at the description of Christs divinity But they not forsaking their hereticall opinions God sent his plagues against Judea and other parts of Asia the quarter of the earth where these heresies reigned That S. Iohn is the fourth beast that had a face like an Eagle is likewise evident because he beginneth his first face or lease at the high and divine essence of Christs God-head flying so high in his stile that hee is compared to an Eagle Saint Iohn was the brother of Iames who were both the sonnes of Zebedeus who was a Fisher-man and were called by Christ when they were in the ship with their Father mending their nets At which time as some relate Saint Iohn was but one and twenty years of age This Apostle was so beloved
according to Daniels Prophecy five hundred yeares before At this time there was a universall peace over the whole world for the said Emperour after five civill warres waged by himselfe and after infinite broyles and blood shed in the world raigned peaceably alone for many yeares together and in token of an universall peace over the whole earth he caused the Temple gates of Ianus to be shut according to the custome of the Romans in such cases albeit this happened but twice before from the building of Rome to that time And the very same day that Christ was borne in Jury Augustus commanded in Rome as afterward was observed that no man should call him Lord thereby to signifie the free liberty rest joy and security wherein all men were after so long miseries which by continuall warres the world had suffered to fulfill the Prophesie of Esay above an hundred yeares before Daniel that at the comming of Christ people should sit in the Tabernacle of peace in sure dwellings and safe resting places And againe he shall be called the Prince of peace and againe there shall be no end of peace and David long before him in his dayes shall arise Justice and abundance of peace Now for the particular state of Jewry at Christs Nativity thus it was according as Iosephus the Iew who was borne within five yeares after Christs Passion describeth the same One Herod a stranger whose Grandfather was sexton in Apollos Temple and his father called Antipater waâ— brought up among theeves in Idumea came out of Idumea was risen to acquaintance and favour with the Romans partly by his said fathers meanes who was as Iosephus words are a well monied man industrious and factious And partly by his owne diligence and ambition being of himselfe both witty beautifull and of excellent rare qualities By which commendations he came at length to marry the daughter of Hyrcanus King of Iewry that was descended lineally of the house of David and Tribe of Iuda and by his mariage obtained of his father in law to be Governour of the Province of Galily under him But Hircanus afterwards falling into the hands of the Parthians that carried him into Parthia Herod runne away to Rome and there by the especiall helpe and favour of Anthony that ruled together in company with Octavius he obtained to be created King of Iury without any title or interest in the world for that not only his said father in law Hyrcanus was yet alive in Parthia but also his younger brother Aristolulus and three of his sonnes named Antigonus Alexander and Aristobulus and divers others of the blood royall in Iewry Herod then by this means having obtained that Kingdome procured first to have in his hands the foresaid Hyrcanus and so put him to death he also brought to the same end his younger brother Aristobulus and his three sons likewise he put to death also his own wife Mariamnes that was King Hyrcanus daughter as also Alexandra her Mother and soon after two of his own sons which he had by the said Mariamnes for that they were of the blood royall of Iuda And a little after that againe he put to death his third son named Antipater He caused also to be slaine at one time forty of the chiefest Noble men of the Tribe of Juda and as Philo the Jew writeth that lived at the same time with him he put to death all the Sanhedrin that is the seventy two Senators of the Tribe of Juda that ruled the people He killed the chiefe of the sect of the Pharisees He burned the Genealogies of all the Kings and Princes of the house of Juda caused one Nicholaus Damascenus an Historiographer that was his servant to draw out a pedegree for him and his line as though he had descended from the ancient Kings of Juda. He translated the high Priesthood and sold it to strangers and finally he so raced dispersed and mangled the house of Juda as not one jot of government dignity or principality remained therein And when he had done all this then was Iesus of the same house and line of Iuda borne in Bethlehem the proper City of David which David was the founder and first author of regality in Juda. Now then consider the prophesie of Iacoh concerning the particular time of Christs appearance almost two thousand yeares before these things fell out Come hither my children said he that I may tell you the things which are to happen in the latter dayes c. The Scepter shall not depart from Iuda nor a Law-giver from betweene his feet untill he come who is to be sent The expectation of all Nations Which prophesie that it was fulfilled now at Christs Nativity when Herod had extinguished all Government in Iudah no man can deny that will acknowledge the things set downe before which are recorded by writers both of that time and of the Iewish Nation and Religion themselves And that it was never fulfilled from Davids dayes who began the governmeÌ„t of the house of Iuda untill this time appeareth plainely by all histories and records both divine and prophane For that from David who was the first King unto Zedechias that was the last and dyed in the captivity of Babylon the Scripture shewes how all the Kings descended of the house of Iuda And during the time of their captivity in Babylon which was seventy yeares the Iewes were alwayes permitted to chuse themselves a Governour of the house of Iuda whom they called Resch galuta and after their deliverance from Babylon Zorobabel was their captaine of the same Tribe and so others after him untill you come to the Macchabees who were both Captains and Priests for that they were by the mothers side of the Tribe of Iuda and by the fathers side of the Tribe of Levi as Rabbi Kimchi And from these men â—owne to Hyrcâ—nus and Aristobuâ—us whom Herod slew there continued still the same line as Tosephus declareth so that by this Prophesie it is evident that Iesus was borne at the proper time appointed for the Messias when there was neither King nor Captaine nor High Priest nor Counsellor nor any one Governour of the house and Tribe of Iuda left in Iury. For further proofe that Christ came incarnate into the world at the time appointed here might be shewed the destruction of the second Temple according to Daniels prophesie after sixty two weekes Christ shall be slaine The attestation of Oracles the observation of Rabbins and expectation of all the Jewes at that time but I intend brevity and this is else-where learnedly described by divers famous Writers Therefore I conclude as Saint Luke declares it in the second Chapter 1. It was saith he when Augustus Caesar caused the whole world to bee taxed by taking of every person in all places a penny wherby they might professe themselves subject to the Roman Emperour and he might know how many Townes Cities and persons were in the whole world under his dominion and
the heavenly Ladder by which our God descended to the Earth Had she not been humbled to the Handmaide of the Lord she had never sung He hath done great things Virginity would not serve the turn despised humility is above magnified virginity S. Bernard was of that minde To virginity sayes he you are invited to humility you are compelled Of Virginity it is said Let him that is able receive this but of humility except you become as one of these little ones ye cannot enter into the Kingdome of Heaven without virginity you may be saved without humility you cannot And in this very point he concludes and is bold to say that without humility the virginity of the blessed Virgin Mary her selfe had never beene acceptable You saith he to the proud virgins of his time forget humility and glory in your virginity But Mary forgetting her virginity glories in her humility Be not proud of virginity for in the Parable of the Ten there was as many foolish as wise These six vertues were in her as six steps in Salomons Throne which once got over Salomon or rather a greater than Salomon reposed in it where after he was set he had the Duae Manus the supporters of each side the Throne the Father and the Holy Ghost that never left nor utterly faild him And at his descent the twelve Lions the twelve Apostles that shall hereafter sit on twelve Thrones themselves and judge the â—welve Tribes of Israel And as the Queene of Saba came to see and offer Gifts to Salomon sitting in his Throne So came the Easterne Sages to adore and offer to Christ sitting in his Throne even in the Lap of this blessed Virgin Mother where Salomon in all his royalty was not like him Such was this Paradise which God prepared to make our second Adam in Yet how gloriously soever she be compared the burden of her song is He hath respect to the humble and all that she professeth is that she is the Handmaid of the Lord. Now should I write the Story of her life according as it is related in the blessed Gospell or as I finde it written by other learned Authors I should only shew you a Map of misery and mirrour of patience As her very name if it be derived from Maâ—ah signifies a person that is oppressed with carefulnesse and griefe exposed to all misery and calamity and prest with continuall vexation and mourning so her whole life related by the learned demonstrates that she was continually molested and overwhelmed with penury â—xcessive travaile and unsupportable perplexities For though she came froÌ„ the noble stock of many famous Kings of Israel and Juda being the daughter of Eliakim of the house of David yet by reason of the mutation of worldly felicity shee was possessed with no great wealth And so according to her estate a man of mean condition Ioseph a Carpenter of the same lineage of the Tribe of Iuda the son of Iacob who was the brother of Heli whose wife the said Iacob according to the Leviticall Law after his said brothers decease maried so raising up seed unto his brother Ioseph the sonne of Heli according to Saint Lukes Gospell made choice of her for his spouse And their poverty is more evident in that they were not of ability when they were called to the generall taxation to get roome in an Inne but faine to take up their lodging in a poore cold and comfortlesse manger For her laborious travell first she went to Jerusalem being threescore and foure miles from Nazareth to which place of necessity she was to passe over diverse high and steepe hils as Mount Gilboa whereon King Saul kild himselfe Mount Gerizim and Hebal upon which the blessings and curses were denounced and Mount Ephraim upon which Ehud kild Eglon King of the Moabites Then when her Childe was two yeares old with whom she and Ioseph to accomplish the Word of the Lord Hosea 11. 1. and for feare of Herods cruelty were constrained to flye into Aegypt and continued all the dayes of Herods cruell reigne at Hermopolis one of the chiefe Cities of Aegypt three hundred and foure miles from Jerusalem to which place of necessity they were to passe thorow a barren and unfruitfull wildernesse full of rocks and sands destitute of waters and subject to many dangers inhabited by a rude and barbarous people called Saracens who take their beginning from Ishmael and as he so they are very cunning in shooting and hunting and live upon robbery and spoile In so much as Merchants at this day are constrained to go in great companies lest they should be endangered by them and savage beasts which abound in those places And by reason of the windes and sands they are enforced to guide their journey by the Compasse as men do that saile by Sea Yet thorow this wildernesse did Ioseph and Mary passe with the Childe Jesus out of Judea into Aegypt where they were in danger of theeves subject to be smothered by the sands constrained to travell over high rocks and mountaines and to rest in feare of Lions Beares and other beasts of prey that greatly abound there besides other discommodities were incident unto them as want of meat drink and other necessaries there being little water to be found there After when they came from thence to Nazareth she with Ioseph went every yeare to the Passeover at Jerusalem for the space of fourteene yeares together about which time Ioseph dyed when Christ was sixteene yeares old and her selfe thirty And as I finde related during her pilgrimage in this world which was nine and fifty yeares she travelled 3506. miles besides petty journeyes not worth relation And last of all for her perplexity and vexation of spirit behold and see if the prophesie of Simeon was not fully accomplished in her that a sword should passe thorow her soule Besides the miseries which she sustained in her travell into Aegypt as is above specified when she had carefully brought up her Son for the space of twelve years by remissenesse and neglect she with Ioseph thought him lost and were faine to seek him three daies sorrowing After losing her loving Associate yet I beleeve without any caâ—nall knowledge in the prime of her dayes it was no small vexâ—tion to her minde But last of all when her blessed Sonne was to sustaine the wrath of God and punishment for the sinnâ— of man to see him reviled by the accursed Priests Scribes and Pharisees nailed to the crosse by the mercilesse Jewes and his side pierced with a Speare by the cruell Souldier sorrow and griefe did even cut her heart a sunder but that she was armed with invincible patience and comforted by her Son and Saviours glorious Resurrection and Ascention And so from the Passion of Christ to her death which was twelve yeares she lived with the beloved Disciple S. Iohn the Evangelist in Ierusalem and was buried in the Garden called Gethsemane Thus having described the beautifull lustre
of this pleasant Flower and felt the odoriferous savour of this heavenly Plant look on I pray you one slip more sprung from this fragrant Flower which I had almost forgot and that is her religious care and conformity to the Leviticall Law or decent order in the Church of God that then was viz. her circumcising her Son the eighth day her presenting him to the Lord and purifying her selfe as on this day according as God by Moses prescribed For as Christ had no originall sinne so he needed not to be circumcised as shal be shewed on Newyeares day so likewise the Virgin needed not this outward purifying which figured our cleansing from originall sin wherein the child conceived and born polluteth his Mother which was not so in this for both the conception and birth of Christ was supernaturall for she is said to have swadled the Childe beyond the ordinary strength of women who need a Midwife neither was she troubled with the usuall flux of other women in their Puerpery being free from the thing hereby signified viz. a sinfull child therefore the common opinion is that Christ came forth without any paine helpe or pollution the wombe of the Virgin remaining shut even as the Sun-beams pierceth the solid glasse without hurting it for she received no humane seed but was with childe by the Holy Ghost Now why this ceremony of sanctifying was used unto Christ by presenting him in the Temple and making an oblation for him is thus answered by â—unius That Christ was ever holy from eternity as he was God and from the very moment of his conception as he was Man wherefore he was not presented before the Father nor sanctified for himselfe but for us according to the ceremony of the Law Now such things as in the Scriptures are said to be sanctified are either sanctified indeed by Institution or Sacrament Indeed in their Nature or by declaration In Nature when by the grace of God things are made holy which were not so before by declaration when things before holy are manifested to be so Secondly by Institution things are sanctified by vertue of Gods command and promise of blessing as the Sabbath is sanctified Thirdly by Sacrament things are sanctified either absolutely or relatively that is both by signification and by the truth of the thing signified And thus Christ was sanctified though he be the truth of the Sacrament First because being Man he would obey the Law under which he was made Secondly that he might sanctifie the Law in his own Person By Institution he was sanctified for us we receiving the blessing through him as our first borne and Priest abrogating the Leviticall Priesthood And by manifestation he was sanctified when by observing this Law he was declared holy Wherefore this act of the Virgin being voluntary as I have shewed it was to shew her zeale and conformity to the decent orders of the Church of God To this might be added her constant course in keeping the Passeover every year which was a work of great labour travell But now these ceremoniall shadowes at the presence of the most glorious bright Sunne Christ Jesus vanishing away the Christian Church in all ages since hath in place or in stead of the Jewes Purification ordeined and instituted the purification of the heart by a true lively and justifying Faith and the purification of the life by unfeined and hearty repentance in that commendable and decent order of Churching women after their great deliverance from their pain and perill of child-birth enjoyneth them to bring not as then a lambe or two young pigeons but the sum of all Legall sacrifices hearty prayer and thanksgiving which consists not onely in the lippes but in the life and conversation Therefore every religious wise woman will not be so wedded to their own opinion or selfe conceit to think that it is any disparagement to her person be she never so great or a point of Popery to give publick praise to God in his Church but will be willing as Mary here was to conforme themselves to the godly discipline of the publick worship of God in his Church if ability of body hinder not as well as zealous in their own private devotions for they well know that one duty of Piety ought not to justle out another and that it is very requisite that our private and voluntary obsequies should give place to publick solemnities The sacrifice appointed for this solemnity makes this apparant for the Turtle and the Dove are boâ—h mourners or if you will both signifie the divine worship of God yet ought not the one to hinder the harmony of the other for the solitary Turtle and the associable Dove do both together set forth the secret tears and publick meetings of Gods people in divine worship for the Turtle signifies chastity and the Dove simplicity It being observed if the Turtle having once lost his mate he careth not for seeking any other and the simple and chaste conversation of the faithfull is an acceptable sacrifice of righteousnesse unto the Lord. Now they saith Calvin are deceived that think the Law of Purification to be but a politick law for God hereby would set before the Iewes eyes the corruption of their nature and the remedy of divine Grace did not appoint this only for the purifying of the wife as polluted towards her husband but this one law doth abundantly prove originall sin it being hereby intimated that the child commeth into the world so impure as that the very mother is polluted hereby The offering was for the redemption of the first-borne Levit 12. 6. And hereby it appeareth That Joseph and Mary were very poore otherwise they should have offered a lamb Whereas the child was before presented with gold it is not to bee thought that they brought him any great quantity but some little offering more for honour than for enriching It is to be considered wherefore a pair of Turtles or two Pigeons were now offered The Turtle is most in loquacitie among Birds and the Dove in mildnesse And such is Jesus become unto us being most milde And Christ as the Turtle by the voice of his Gospell and the sincere preaching thereof allureth the whole world unto him and filleth the Garden of his Church with his own melodies as it is seene at this day The voice of this Turtle is heard in our Land For the confirmation of the truth of Christs presentation in the Temple Saint Luke reports That after forty dayes from his Birth or two and thirty daies from the Circumcision His Mother brought him thither according to the Law of Moses and withall recounteth two strange things which happened at the same time to wit That two grave and reverend persons Simeon surnamed the Just and Anna the Prophetesse both of singular sanctity amongst the Jewes comming into the Temple at the very same time took notice of him and acknowledged him publikely for the Messias and Saviour of
my teares to wash those thy wounds that bled for my sinnes and in a lively faith to touch the print of thy naâ—les and thrust my finger into the hole of thy side thereby to take reall and corporall possession of thee that I may with Thomas truly call thee My Lord and my God my dread and my love my surety and my ransome my sacrifice and my Priest my Advocate my Iudge my desire and my contentment the life of my hope here and the hope of my life hereafter Before I was thine for thy hands made and fashioned mee but sith thou hast offered thy selfe to be my pledge and thy blood for my ransome thou art truly mine My Lord and my God O let the speare which ran thee thorow fasten my heart to thy crosse let the nailes which printed thy flesh imprint thy love in my soule Let the thornes which pricked thy temples not suffer the teÌ„ples of my head to take any rest in sin let the vineger which was given thee melt my adamantine heart into sorrow let the Spunge which was offered thee on the Crosse wipe out all my debts out of thy fathers tables Let others go on forward if they please I will stay still at thy crosse and take no other lesson For I desire no other Pulpit then that tree no other Preacher then thy crucified body no other text then thy death and passion no other parts then thy wounds no other amplification then thy extension no other notes then thy marks no other points then thy nailes no other booke then thy opened side The first Adam did eat the fruit of the forbidden tree Therefore thou the second Adam hangedst upon a tree By his fall all mankinde was so sorely wounded that the whole head was sicke and the whole heart faint from the crowne of the head to the sole of the foot there was nothing but wounds and bruises and sores full of corruption therefore thy whole head was pained that whole heart wounded from the sole of thy foot which was gored with nailes to the crowne of thy head which was pricked with thornes there was nothing but cuts and stripes and markes and scars and sores and wounds in thy whole body Because our heads plotted and devised wickednesse on thy head was platted a crowne of thornes Because our eyes burned with lust thy eyes were bedewed with teares because wee belched out blasphemies against thy father thy face was spitted upon because our bodies have beene stretched wantonly upon our soft beds thy body was stretched upon the hard crosse O Lord our eares have offended thee by listning to wanton musick prophane speeches and songs therefore thou sufferedst in thine eares by hearing scoffes and blasphemous taunts we have offended in our smell by luxurious perfumes sweet odours therefore thou sufferedst in thy smell by the stench of Golgotha our taste hath offended in gluttony and drunkennesse therefore thou sufferedst in thy taste by gall and vineger because our feet were swift to shed blood thy feet were nailed to the crosse because our hands were defiled thy hands were bathed in blood Because all parts of our bodies offended thou wast punished in all parts In thy temples with thornes on thy cheeks with buffets in thy joynts with straines in thy flesh with stripes Lastly because our hearts most grievously offended in unchaste malicious covetous ambitious thoughts desires and affections and piercing our selves with worldly cares therefore thou wast most grievously pained in thy heart which was run through with a speare If all the sufferings of Martyrs since the world began were put in one skale and thine in the other thy passion would beare them all downe for thou barest the full weight of thy Fathers heaviest hand Never were there sufferings like thy sufferings because never such a sufferer the torments being infinitely improved by the bearer Never sweat like thy sweat because never any had a burthen like thine Never teares like thy teares because shed for them who thirsted for thy blood Never torments like thy torments because never flâ—sh so pure and tender as thy flesh Never horror like thy horror being forsaken of thy father because never love like thy love of him nor sorow like thine because never sense and apprehension like thy sense and apprehension of the infinite displeasure of thy father for the sins of maÌ„kinde O my most bountifull Redeemer who bestowedst largely and wast bestowed liberally for me It concerneth mee to know how much I stood thee in for how should I estimate thy love if I cannot cast the totall of thy debt thou didst discharge for me But no heart can conceive what sorrow thou conceivedst no tongue can expresse what griefe thou didst expresse by thy bloody teares and these thy strong cryes when thou complain'dst that thy soule was heavie unto death and prayedst thy Father if it were possible to let this cup passe from thee I am appaled at thine agony I am astonished at thy feare I am amazed it thy patience I am ravished at thy love My heart riseth my veines swell my blood boyles within me against thy persecutors If it were in my power I would put them all to millions of torments I would inflict a thousand deaths upon Iudas that betrayed thee and Pilate that condemned thee and the envious Scribes and Pharisees that laid snares for thee and the perjured witnesses that gave false evidence against thee and that execrable rout that preferred a murtherer before thee the barbarous souldiers that spit upon thee and buffeted thee and the bloody executioners of the Iewâ—sh malice and Roman cruelty that banged nayled and goared thee But when I dive into thy bloody passion I finde my selfe as deepe in thy blood-shedding as they They were in that but instruments but I by my sins was a principall in the death of thee the Lord of life My sinnes by their tongues and hands did all this villany and outrage upon thee Their nailes and speares pierced but thy flesh but my sinnes pierced thy very soule My sins my sins O Lord by their hands crucified thee wherefore I condemne mine eyes to continuall teares my heart to perpetuall sighes and my thoughts to everlasting pensivenesse What shall I do to wash away the guilt of thy blood which alone can take away the guilt of my sins verily I should be utterly swallowed up in this gulfe but that the price of thy blood hath satisfied as for all other sinnes so for the guilt of spilling it selfe And now my anger and feare and trouble and anguish are all turned into joy and comfort and love and admiration of the infinite wisdome of thy Father in providing such a remedy and his justice in requiring such a satisfaction but most of all for all thine infinite love making so full a payment of the infinite debt of my sins What can I doe what can I suffer enough for thee gracious God to all the rest of thy blessings spirituall
thou cursedst and it withered without naturall affections bemoane thee as the stones that clave the veile that rent and the earth that quaked at thy Passion without wil voluntarily offer thee service the Foale to beare thee the Dove to manifest thee the Fish to discharge thee the Sunne to hide thy ignominy among men and here the Cloud to veile thee from mortall eye and transport thee into heaven O Lord my Redeemer how excellent is thy Name in all the world Thou makest the Light thy Garment the Angells thy Messengers the Aire thy race the Clouds thy Chariot and flyest upon the wings of the wind into heaven Thou art ascended up on high thou hast led Captivity captive In thy Passion thou wast Deaths death and killedst it In thy buriall thou wast the Graves grave and destroyedst Destruction And now in thy Ascension thou conqueredst Conquest it selfe and ledst Captivity captive and receivedst Gifts for men for the whole Church and every beleever O Lord bestow these Gifts liberally upon me that I may grow in grace and the knowledge and love of thee This day thou liftedst up thy body from the earth lift up my heart from it This day thou transportedst thy body to heaven transport my desires thither This day thou setledst thy self in thy Throne at the right hand of thy Father fix my thoughts and settle mine affections on thee in heaven and on heaven for thee Amen VENVS OR A Meditation on Whitsunday IN the old Testament I find that two several times fire descended from heaven upon sacrifices prepared for offrings of a sweet smelling savour unto the Lord. The first was when Manoah the father of Sampson at the commandement of the Angel offered a Kid upon a stone Then did he whose name is marvellous do wondrously and ascended in the flame up into heaven for the strengthning of Manoahs faith and for the confirmation of the truth of his promise The other was when Eliah for confirmation of the true religion and extirpation of idolatry called for fire from Heaven which consumed the sacrifice and licked up the water in the Trench round about the Altar Then did the Lord manifest himself to be the only God that all superstitions and will-worship is the invention of mans braine And in the New Testament I reade that as on this day the Holy Ghost the third person in the blessed Trinity descended from heaven and sate upon the heads of 120 men and women assembled and prepared as a sacrifice acceptable to God with unity charity and devotâ—on in the likenesse of cloven fiery tongues then did God the Sonne worke wonderfully in performing his promise by sending his dejected Disciples a holy Comforter by whose comming besides the internall joy and incredible alacrity and exultation of minde they received also fortitude and audacity to goe forth into the world They received the gift of tongues enabling them to converse and deale with all sorts of people They received wisdome and learning with most powerfull illumination in highest mysteries whereby to preach to teach and convince their adversaries They received the gift of prophesie to foretell things to come together with the power of working signes and miracles whereby the whole world remained astonied and for a taste or earnest penny of that which should ensue concerning the infinite increase of that little congregation they saw 3000 of their adversaries converted to them in one day by a Sermon of S. Peter But all the parâ—iculars of this story is so divinely performed by M. Austin that in his work as in a glasse I perceive my gifts of learning and devotion are as farre inferiour to his as the frothy filthy and carnall love in Venus is inferiour to the holy Spirit of Gods love Yet because I have oft found in Scripture that the Lord is pleased for the illumination of mans dark understanding to speake of himselfe as of a man attributing to himselfe eyes nose mouth armes hands feet c. And affections also as anger zeale joy love c. whereas these qualities are not properly in God for he is voide of corporeall habit being of an infinite and incomprehensible essence Therefore I was so presumptuously bold as in my former expressions to demonstrate the meritorious actions of our blessed Saviour by those forenamed Planets so in this day to write of this blessed spirit of Gods love as it hath correspondency with mans but finding my ability to be insufficient for such a work I conclude with the prayer for the day in these words Incomprehensible Spirit the third person in the blessâ—d and glorious Trinity who after the Father had manifested himselfe to the world in the works of creation and the sonne in the works of Redemption finished in the flesh diddest manifest thy selfe on this day in a wonderfull manner by the sound of a â—ushing winde and the light of fiery tongues manifest thy self most powerfully and gloriously in the universall Church by enlarging her bounds and making up her breaches by hallowing her assemblies and furnishing her Pastors and knitting the hearts of all her members in true love the bond of perfection perfect the work of sanctification in thine elect manifest thy selfe also gloriously this day declare thy gifts in the tongues of thy Preachers and eares of the hearers and the hearts of all the congregation Direct the mouthes of thy Preachers that they may skilfully sow the seed and open the eares and mollifie the hearts of the hearers that they may receive it profitably bring forth the fruits of the Spirit abundantly which are love joy peace long suffering gentlenesse goodnesse faith meeknesse temperance c. O eternall and infinite Holy Ghost the love of the Father and the Sonne who diddest descend upon our Saviour in the likenesse of a Dove without Gall purge out of my conscience all gall of malice and bitternesse and grant that with meeknesse I may receive the ingrafted word which is able to save my soule O holiest Spirit eternall breath of the Father and the Sonne and former of the word in the womb who camest with a sound come downe upon me in the sound of thy word preached though not in extraordinary gifts of Prophesie tongues and he ling yet in the ordinary graces of faith hope and charity the spirit of supplication and prayer of wisdome and spirituall understanding of power and ghostly comfort O heavenly Spirit proceeding from the Father and the Sonne who descendedst from Hâ—aven like a mighty rushing winde throw me downe to the ground inhumility and prostrate my heart soule before thee Bâ—at downe all strong holds of 〈…〉 nall maginati 〈…〉 and worldly thoughts resisting thy grace chase away all clouds of error out of my understanding cleare my wil from all fogs of noisome desires coole and refresh me in the heat of persecution fill the sailes of my affections and drive me speedily into the faire haven where I would be O divine fire burning continually
Ascention of Christ he made the first Oration to the eleven for the choice of an Apostle in the place of Iudas And after the feast of Pentecost he made the first Sermon by which 3000 souls were added to the Church After that he healed the lame man at the Temple gate for which he and Iohn were brought before the Councell Then is shewed in the fifth of the Acts how God by him punished the hypocrisie of Ananias and Saphira After is declared how he was sent by the Apostles with Iohn to preach in Samaria where for ought I know he withstood Simon Magus and not at Rome as some affirme In the sixth yeare after the Resurrection of Christ he went to Lidda and cured Aeneas who had bin sick of the Palsey eight yeares From thence he went to Ioppa raised Tabitha from death And in the seventh yeare after the Resurrection he came to Cesarea Strato where he preached the Gospell to Cornelius the Centurion and baptized him and his whole family In the eleventh yeare after the Resurrection hee was cast into prison and set at liberty by an Angell About five yeares after he was at the councell of the Apostles in Jerusalem And the yeare following went into Antioch of which place he was the first Bishop and the Disciples there the first Christians and being at Babylon writ his first Epistle to the strangers that dwelt in Pontus Galatia Cappadocia Asia and Bithynia Yet it is reported in Ecclesiasticall histories that Peter came from Antioch to withstand Simon Magus at Rome and there kept the Chaire 25 yeares 12 under Claudius and 13 under Nero. He opposed Simon Magus once in restoring a Noble man to life and another time when hee was going to flye into the Aire Peter brought him down with his wings headlong to the ground by which fall his legs and joynts were broken and he thereupon dyed But there are divers of the learned that affirme that Peter never came to Rome at all as may be gathered out of those five Epistles which S. Paul writ from Rome being there a Prisoner and in the conclusion of them names all his friends but never makes mention of Peter in any one of them which were written about the fifth yeare of the reigne of Nero. And when he writes to the Romans which was the second yeare of Nero hee never makes mention of any salutation to Peter which if he had beene then Bishop of that place he would not have omitted And if ever Peter were at Rome at all he came thither after the last imprisonment of S. Paul and a few dayes before his martyrdome but whether it was that he was martyred at Rome by the command of Nero or at Ierusalem by the appointment of King Agrippa or as some say at Babylon it is not materiall But certaine it is that hee was crowned with the wreath of martyrdome and was crucified with his head downeward and his feet upward which death hee chose because he confessed himselfe to be unworthy to suffer in the same manner and forme as his Lord suffered And it is reported by some when his wife was led to suffer martyrdome as he hung upon the crosse others say as hee went out of doores he greatly rejoyced and encouraged her calling her by name saying Be of good comfort and remember the Lord Iesus The truth of all which stories I leave to the consideration of the learned and conclude with the prayer for the day Almighty God which by thy Sonne Iesus Christ hast given many excellent gifts to thy Apostle S. Peter and commandedst him earnestly to feed thy flock Make I beseech thee all Bishops and Pastors diligently to follow the same to preach thy holy word and the people obediently to follow the same that they may receive the crowne of everlasting glory through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen Saint Andrew SAint Matthew and Saint Luke place this Apostle next to his Brother S. Peter because as some affirme they were first called to the Apostleship Yet this blessed starre for many other rare graces related of him by the Evangelists and other authors may well have precedency before others First for his earnest desire to draw other men to the knowledge of Christ for when he heard it of Iohn the Baptist he presently called his Brother Simon Iohn 1 40. After when the Grecians desired to see Christ he with Philip made him acquainted therewith and last of all he spent much labour time in preaching Christ to the barbarous Scythians Saxons and other Aethiopians Secondly for his ready willingnesse to follow Christ and be his Disciple for as Iesus passed by the Sea of Galilee he saw him with his brother casting a net into the sea for they were fishers And he no sooner called them but they left their nets and presently followed him And lastly for his constant perseverance in the ministeriall office he deserved this priority of place for having a long time preached the Gospell to divers barbarous nations was threatned by Aegeas King of the Edessians that if he would not surcease preaching Christ he should be crucified as his Lord was on the crosse To whom hee gave this answer and boldly said That he would not have preached the honour and glory of the crosse if he had feared the crosse And seeing the crosse afarre off with a lively and cheerefull countenance said O crosse most welcome and long looked for with a willing minde joyfully and desirously I come to thee being the Scholler of him who did hang on thee because I have beene ever thy lover and coveted to imbrace thee so being crucified gave up the ghost fell a sleepe and was buried in Patris a City in Achaia And this is all the description that my search in Antiquity can make of this starre The further amplification thereof I leave to the learned and conclude with the prayer for the day saying Almighty God which didst give such grace unto thy Apostle Saint Andrew that he readily obeyed the calling of thy Son Jesus Christ and followed him without delay grant that I being called by thy holy word may forth with give over my selfe to follow thy holy Commandement through the same Iesus Christ my Lord. S. Philip and Iames. THe reason as I conceive why the lustre of these two starres are by the order of the Church conjoyned together on this day is because they and S. Peter only are not displaced in their order by all the Evangelists for Peter is the first Philip the fifth and Iames the ninth in the nomination of them together And as it is very plaine that Peter and Andrew Iames and Iohn the sonnes of Zebedeus were the foure Apostles that were first called so it is likewise conspicuous that Philip was the fift for the twice two brethren were called in one day as Matthew Mark note but Philip was called the day after as S. Iohn saith expresly the day following Iesus found Philip and
said unto him follow me Therefore as the fifth Apostle I fix him in this starry firmament He was of Bethsaida the City of Andrew and Peter and was no sooner called himselfe but hee went and found out Nathaneel and said unto him we have found him of whom Moses did write in the Law and the Prophets Iesus the Sonne of Ioseph of Nazareth A rare example of a godly minde that being converted labours to convert others and though he himselfe as some note was unlearned yet doth adventure to draw and allure the learned to the knowledge of Christ for some affirme that Nathaneel was a learned man and also this shewes that by weak meanes God can work great miracles and by the foolishness of preaching work faith in the heart which only saves a soule from eternall damnation After it is related by Iohn that the Greeks that came up to worship at the feast came to Philip and said Sir we would see that Iesus who told Andrew and they two told Iesus for it seems Philip durst not tell him alone lest Christ should aske him some question which he could not well answer as he had tried him before by this question when hee saw a great multitude about 5000 follow him into the wildernesse whence shall we buy bread that these may eat yet not long after he of himselfe shewed his own simplicity and ignorance for Christ having spoken of the knowledge of God the Father he interrupts him and bursts out with this question shew us thy Father and it sufficeth In the sixth of the Acts is related that he was chosen one of the seven Deacons in the eighth of the Acts is shewed how hee preached the word of God wrought wonders and healed divers diseases among the people in Samaria how he baptized Simon Magus and converted the Aethiopian Eunuch And in the 21 of the Acts it is declared that he had foure Daughters Virgins and Prophetesses and that Paul abode in his house at Cesarea Philippi for many dayes and some write that he was crucified at Hieropolis where he and his daughters were honourably buried Thus having described what I finde concerning the first of these Starres I should now shew the lustre of the second the ninth Apostle S. James Alpheus Brother to Simon and Jude and called the brother of the Lord for it was usuall with the Hâ—brewes to call their kinsmen brethren so Lot being the sonne of Haran Abrahams brother was by Abraham called brother Gen. 13. 8. And Iacob being the sonne of Rebecca Labans sister was called brother by Laban Gen. 20. 15. And so this Iames and Joses and Simon and Judas being the Virgin Maries sisters sonne was by the Iewes called Christs brethren in a scornefull manner Mat. 13. 55. And S. Paul in 1 Gal. 6. makes mention of this Apostle saying I saw none of the Apostles save Iames the brother of the Lord. He was by the Apostles chosen to be Bishop of Ierusalem for so saith an ancient Father Peter Iames and Iohn after the assumption of our Saviour though they were preferred by the Lord yet challenged not this prerogative to themselves but appointed Iames the Iust Bishop of Ierusalem He continued in the said See 30 years and wrote the Canonicall Epistle which beares his name And at the last wore the crowne of Martyrdome The story of whose life and death I find exquisiâ—ely written after this manner following Iames the brother of Christ took in hand the governement of the Church after the Apostles termed a just and a righteous man of all men from the time of our Saviour unto us for many other were called Iames besides him but this man was holy from his mothers wombe He dranke neither wine nor strong drink neither ate any creature wherein there was life He was neither shaven neither anointed neither did he use bath unto him alone was it lawfull to enter into the holy places he used no wollen vesture but wore a Sindone and alone frequented hee the Temple so that he was oft-times found prostrate on his knees praying for the sins of the people His knees were after the guise of a Camels knee benumm'd and bereft of the sense of feeling by reason of his continuall kneeling in supplication to God and petition for the people For the excellency of his righteousnesse he was called Iust and Oblias which soundeth by interpretation the bulwark or defence of the people in righteousnesse as prophesies do go of him When divers asked him touching the Heresies among the people which was the gate or doore of Iesu he answered the same to be the Saviour by whose meanes they beleeved Iesus to be the Christ but the foresaid heresies acknowledge neither resurrection nor the coÌ„ming of any Iudge which shall reward to every one according to his works for as many as beleeved they beleeved by meanes of Iames. When many of the Princes were perswaded there arose a tumult of the Iewes Scribes and Pharisees saying It is very dangerous lest the whole people looke after this Iesus as though hee were Christ and being gathered together they said to Iames we pray thee stay this people for they erre in Iesu as though hee were true Christ We pray thee perswade this people which frequent to the feast of the Passeover concerning Iesu for we all obey thee yea we and all the people testifie of thee that thou art just and respectest not the person of any man perswade therefore this multitude that they erre not in Iesu for the whole multitude and wee obey thee stand therefore upon the Pinnacle of the Temple that thou mayest be seene aloft and that thy word my be heard plainly of all the people for because of this Passeover all the Tribes are met together with the Gentiles The foresaid Scribes and Pharisees place Iames upon the Pinacle of the Temple and shouted unto him and said Thou just man at whose commandement we all are here in so much as this people is seduced after Iesus who was crucified declare unto us which is the way or doore of Jesus crucified And hee answered with a loud voice Why aske yee mee of Iesus the Son of Man when as he sitteth at the right hand of the great power in Heaven and shall come in the clouds of the Aire When as hee had perswaded many so that they glorified God at the testimony of Iames and said Hosanna in the highest to the Sonne of David then the Scribes and Pharisees said among themselves wee have done very ill in causing such a testimony of Iesus to be brought forth but let us climbe up and take him to the end the people being stricken with feare may renounce his faith And they shouted again saying O O and the Iust also is seduced and they fulfilled the Scripture which saith in Esay Let us remove the Just for hee is a stumbling block unto us wherefore they shall gnaw the buds of their owne workes They climbed up and threw Iustus
towne of Iewry called Giscalis which Towne being taken of the Romans he and his parents fled to Tharsis a Towne in Cilicia but he himselfe confessed that he was borne in Tarsus after he was sent to Ierusalem and brought up at the feet of Gamaliel of whom you may reade in Acts 5. 34. and Acts 22. 3. Some say that after he was the Disciple of Simeon the Just who took Christ in his armes and blessed him and being but a young man he was one of those that kept the garments of the martyr S. Stephen who was martyred in the yeare of Christs nativity 35. About the same time he was made an Inquisitor for private heresies and became a cruell persecutor of the Gospell the next yeare he went to Damascus where by the way he was converted and of a persecutor was made a glorious confessor and was baptized of Ananias in Damascus He confounded Elimas the Sorcerer and one Sergius Paulus Proconsul of Cyprus to the faith of Christ of whom as some say he took the name of Paul for after that he is called no more Saul In the 25 yeare after the Passion of Christ which was An. Dom. â—8 when Festus ruled in Iewry he was sent bound to Rome And in the 14 yeare of Nero thâ— same day that Peter was crucified though not the same yeare as some write he was beheaded at Rome and buried in the way that goeth to Ostia Anno Domini 60. He wrote nine Epistles to seven Churches and foure to three of his Disciples but it is doubtfull whether he wrote the Epistle to the Hebrewes or no. Now were I able to write of all this blessed Apostles labours and travels from Ierusalem to Illyricum Italy and Spaine I should then show you how he was persecuted from City to City how he was beaten with rods here how he was stoned with stones there how he laboured with his hands in one place how he fasted and prayed in another And as himselfe confesseth in the 2 Cor. 11. That he was in labours more abundant than any of the rest in stripes above measure in prison more plenteously in death oft of the Iewes five times received I forty stripes save one I was thrice beaten with rods I was once stoned I suffered thrice shipwrack night and day have I beene in the sea in journying often in perils of waters in perils of robbers in perils of my owne nation in periâ—s among the Genâ—iles in perils in the city in perils in the wildernesse in perils in the sea in perils among false brethren in wearinesse and painfulnesse in watching often in fastings often in cold and in nakednesse beside the things which were outward I am incombred daily and have the care of all the Churches but I knowing my own insufficiency for the performing of such a worke conclude with the Collect for the day saying God which hast taught all the world through the preaching of thy Apostle S. Paul grant I beseech thee that I who have his wonderfull conversion in remembrance may follow and fulfill thy holy doctrine that hee taught through Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen S. Barnabe THis is that Ioses who was of the Apostles also called Barnabas which is by interpretation the Sonne of Consolation being a Levite of the countrey of Cyprus whereas he had land sold it and brought the money and laid it down at the Apostles feet whose praise is in the 11 Acts 24 verse that he was a good man and full of the Holy Ghost and faith and much people in Antioch where they were called the first Christians by his powerfull preaching joyned themselves unto the Lord. This was Pauls yoke-fellow who by the commandement of the Lord were joyned together Acts 13. 3. And their names are no lesse then twelve times coupled together in three Chapters viz. from the 12 to the latter end of the 15 Chapter of the Acts where the relation of the division that was betweene them is set downe I reade that he first preached the Word of God in Rome but was afterward made Bishop of Millaine and at the last had a rope tyed about his neck was therewith drawne to the stake where he was burned to ashes and so dyed a noble Martyr as many other starres in this firmament did as the Phenix by death gained life eternall Therefore I conclude with the Collect for this day saying Lord Almighty who hast indued thy holy Apostle Barnabas with singular gifts of the Holy Ghost let me never be destitute of thy manifold gifts nor yet of grace to use them alway to thy honour and glory through Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen S. Michael the Arch-Angell IN this place according to my intention at the beginning I should show the glorious Cherubins that look towards the Mercy Seat in Salomons Temple under the Metaphor of the Chrystalline Heaven but as in all the rest so in this likewise I finde my selfe farre unable to performe such a hard task though my minde is willing yet my skill is weak But the reason why I compare this day to the Chrystallin heaven is conspicuous because as Chrystall is of a pure bright and cleare substance so the glorious Angels of whom S. Michael the Arch-Angell is one of the most eminent for whose memoriall the Church hath appointed this Festivall are pure sublime and heavenly creatures created as some affirme with the light which is nearest their nature being one of the three invisibles which never any mortall eye is able to behold in their simple existence to wit God Angels and the soules of men for they are void of all corporeall substance But what substance they are of we are ignorant And as we do not know their nature so we cannot tell their number yet some have observed that there are nine orders of them in three Hierarchies opposed against nine orders of evill Angels In the first order are Seraphin Cherubin and throns opposed by Pseudothei spiritusmendacii and Vasa iniquitatis In the second Hierarchy are Dominations Potestates and Virtates opposed against ultores soelerum Prestigiatores and Aëreae Potestates In the third Hierarchy are Principatus Archangeli Angeli opposed against Furiae Criminatores and Tentatores From Angels we receive power to receive and declare the will of God from Archangels to rule all creatures put under us from Principalities to subdue all we ought to rule from Vertues to obtaine the reward we strive for from powers helpe against our enemies from dominations to subdue our owne bodies from Thrones to collect and settle our memories on eternall objects from Cherubin light to apprehend heavenly things And lastly from Seraphin ardent Affection whereby we cleave to God but to leave these curious speculations of the schooles These heavenly creatures whether they be of these names orders and operations or not as is hard to prove were most certainely in the beginning made to this end viz. for the glory of God and good of man And although
bed me thought I was upon the sudden wrapt into the element of fire looking about me I saw no living creature therein And being much scorched by the fervent heat thereof I descended from thence into the coole aire and there I beheld a glorious Rain-bow upon which I was going to sit downe but me thought Jove seeing my insolency and pride cast me into the sea where I swimming like a fish in troubled waters could not meet either fish or any other creature so being weary with swimming got on shore And as soone as I arrived on the land I beheld a glorious Tree under the branches whereof I thought to repose my selfe and rest but being cold and wet I was enforced to go into the fresh aire to receive the comfortable heat of the Sun to drie and warme me And walking in a garden I beheld the fairest flower that ever was seene and being ravished with the sight thereof but much more with the smell I had a desire to pluck it up by the roots as I was taking hold on it presently the Gardiner came to me and told me that I must take heed that I doe not too rashly touch it lest I might deerely pay for it for that it was set there for show and savour but not to be toucht by me nor any which threatning I fearing presently awaked and understood the morall thereof to be to this effect that I having undertaken to make a description of the whole Universe in the Holydayes of the yeare and having according to my dâ—ll fancy in the former Meditation demonstrated the foure parts thereof my mind was much troubled to find some daies in the yeare equivalent to the effects of the elements And having examined every Festivall day throughout the yeare I could not finde any one day to make a fit resemblance either of fish in the water or of the Worme Piransta in the fire but only found a delightfull Flower and a flourishing Tree which came from the element of the earth and a glorious Rainebow an effect of the aire The Flower I found on this daies solemnity in the life of the Virgin Mary And to shew that she was a blessed Flower sprung from the root of Jesse Nazareth which was the place of her Nativity signifies a Flower and our Saviour that sprung from her is called The flower of the field So here we have a Flower Christ sprung from a Flower Mary in a Flower Nazareth Now as a Flower is fragrant for smell and delightfull to look upon so was the Virgin Mary odoriferous in bearing the sweet savour of life unto life in her wombe and much more pleasant for our imitation in the variety of her beautifull and excellent vertues bearing Christ in her heart by faith Therefore I will write of this blessed Flower as she is learnedly coÌ„pared to King Solomons Throne in these particulars First that Throne was the royall Seat of a King and she the royall Mother the receptacle of the King of Kings Secondly in that Throne none but the King only sate in her wombe Christ only lay Thirdly in that seat Salomon sat to judge all the people and in that flesh which Christ took of her shall he sit to Iudge all the people even the quick and dead Fourthly that Throne was made of Ivory a part of a most chaste beast and she of the most purest Ivory even Chastity it selfe being an Immaculate and perpetuall Virgin And as long kept Ivory turnes red so long kept Virginity as in her turnes into martyrdome Fifthly that Ivory was covered over with the best gold and her chaste body was gloriously enriched with the beames of the Godhead when the Holy Ghost came upon her Sixthly the top of the Throne was not covered but round the most perfect figure And she all round without any base corners of iniquity a most perfect and good woman Seventhly this Throne had six steps that made it high and Mary had six graces that made her eminent grace upon grace A modest woman is a ladder of graces The first step whereof in her was her wisdome Luke 1. 29. when the Angell came unto her and declared a blessed message shee thought what manner of saluation that might be And in the Chapter following vers 19. she pondered considered And in the 52. verse after she kept these sayings in her heart she thought she pondered and laid to heart the Contents of the Gospell A great signe of wisdome nay indeed the truest wisdome of all The second dâ—gree is her modesty like a good Maid she feared or was abashed at the presence of a man And she answered the Angell in very few words this sweet silence is a great vertue in a woman kinde And she was troubled at the manner of the salutation to heare her owne commendations from the Angell The more that goodnesse is commended the more it feares Theeves steale our goods and commendations our vertues therfore she was troubled a great signe of modesty The third degree is her chastity she was a Virgin we have proofes â—nough of it she her selfe sayes so I have not knowne man And the Angell findes her where a Virgin should be she was not gadding abroad he found her at home and within The fourth degree is her Faith she doubts not of the great mystery of that wonderfull conception nor requires a signe as Zachary did at the conception of Iohn Baptist her How can this be is not like his Whence shall I know this She only enquires of the meanes since she knowes not man she had read in the Law and beleeved that a virgin should conceive but she never read of the meanes that was never before revealed to man but reserved for the mouth of an Angell Zachary doubted of the Angell Gabriels words even in the ordinary course of nature and required a signe therefore he was dumbe and sung not his Benedictus till his son Iohn was born She asked no signe but admiring a worke above nature beleeves the same Angell and was made a signe her selfe Behold a Virgin shall conceive was a signe to Ahaz And she sings her Magnificat before her sonne was borne And a further demonstration of her strong Faith was at the Mariage in Canaan in that she was assured whatsoever Christ commanded should be accomplished though it was against the ordinary course of nature to turne water into wine The fifth degree was her obedience she consents and becomes readily obedient to the will of God in saying Be it unto me according to thy word The last degree is her h 〈…〉 ity which is the adjunct to her obedience the last words before the Act of the Incarnation the â—e it unto me are behold the Hand-maide of the Lord. That is her profession to be a servant in humility what sublime humility is this she is made the Mother of God and yet she cals her selfe an Hand-maid This made one say that the humility of the Virgin was