to haue vestimentum é pilis Camelorum et zonum pelliceam his apparell of Camels haire and a girdle of a skinne about his loynes Here was an humble man But the rich man in Luke 16. is otherwise pictured It is not omitted as a matter of speciall note that he was apparelled in purple and fared deliciously euery day Heere was a proude man How doth the Lorde by Esay rip vp the â—ryde of our rioting age expressing by â—ame al the handmaides of pride Slippers calls and round tyres sweet balls bracelets and bonnets the tyres of the head the tablets earings rings and mufflers costlie apparell the vailes crisping pynnes the glasses fine linnen hoodes and lawnes c. Had the Prophet liued in these times how might he haue inueighed against the gaudines of apparrell long staring ruâ—â—es peâ—iwiggs fardingals maskes fannes painted faces partlets bracelets frontlets fillets all lets to let and hinder vs from humilitie When God began to make apparrell for man he made it but of the skinnes of beasts And all the former Saints were couered onely with Goates-skinnes and the haâ—â— of Camels But nowe this fashion is quâ—â— out of fashion for wee rob all the creatuâ—â— of the world to cloath our backs by taking from some their wooll froÌ„ some their skâ—â— from some their fur and from some thâ—â— very excrements not sparing so much a the silly poore worme for the silke is bâ— the excrement of wormes Nay rather then wee will be vnfurnished of any thing that may adorne or beautâ—â—â— vs wee will not sticke to diue as it were 〈◊〉 to the bottom of the sea and turne vp 〈◊〉 sands of the sea for precious stones When the glystering silkes â—uffle on 〈◊〉 backs and the precious Indian rings 〈◊〉 vpon our fingers when our necks are â—â—â—ged with goodly and costly chaynes 〈◊〉 the wristes of our hands with bracelets 〈◊〉 thinke all the vvorld dooth admire vs and vvee seeme in our owne eyes like the 〈◊〉 kyms or like the builders of Babell 〈◊〉 thought to hyde theyr heades among 〈◊〉 clowdes A godly deuoute man who now is wâ—â—â— the Lorde meruaileth much at the vaniâ—â— of proude men I wonder saith hee thâ— men should in seeking to exalt themselues â—o farre debase themselues for in clothing â—hemselues so richly they make theyr apparell better than themselues theyr bodies are not so much woorth as their apparell â—hey would be better then all men and yet â—annot make theÌ„selues equall to the clothes â—hey weare vpon theyr backs Salomon when he was most royally roaâ—ed was not halfe so glorious as the Lâ—lly in â—he fielde If the Lilly did exceede Sâ—lomon and â—ee a King vvhy should priuate men or great men in high place or in lowe place howsoeuer striue to be proud since they â—annot make themselues like one of the flowers of the field which florisheth before â—he Sieth and is cut downe in a moment O let vs not so passe away our dayes in vanitie let vs rather learne this lesson of Christ here taught vs which is humilitie Euen from the beginning of his life the â—ime of his birth in Bethleem to the time of his death in Caluary alwaies hee practized humilitie He sought no rich apparell but was conâ—ent to be lapt vp in a few clowâ—es When he came to the world hee sought no stately building to dwell in The Foxes had holes and the birdes of the ayre had nestes but the Son of man had not whereon to lay his head In sted of a cradle hee had but a Cratch and a stable in sted of a chamber for there was no roome in the Inne other guests had taken vp the lodgings See what poore entertainement was made heere for him who was the King of glory a pallace was not good enough for him yet in Bethleem a Towne that had maâ—â—â— houses in it and many roomes hee alone could get neither house nor house-roome Ioseph his supposed Father Mary the blessedst among women though she were euen nowe trauailing to be deliuered were glad of a stable like as Iacob was glad of stones to put vnder his head in stedde of a pyllow when he slept at Bethell The Inne-keeper had made it to entertaine his guestes horses yet it is dignified heere and of a base place it is made an honorable place of better reckoning then any Emperours Chamber or Prince in the worlde for it was our Sauiour Christ his â—odging The person tooke away the vileâ—â—es of the place and made it honourable Micah when he wrote of Bethleem Thou Bethleem art little among the citties of Iudah might also haue saide Thou Inne in Bethâ—eem or rather thou stable of that Inne in Bethleem art little among the houses in Bethleem yet in thee shall he be borne that must rule Israell Zachary prophecying of Christ his comming sayth thus Reioyce ô Sion shoute for â—oy ô daughter Ierusalem for behold thy King Zach 9 9 commeth vnto thee he commeth poore and riding vpon an Asse and vpon a colt the foale of an Asse Hee was poore indeede when hee might not commaund an house but hee did it to shewe his humilitie The Lord of all had least of all hee had not so much as a house to be borne in and yet his father was a carpenter hee made many a house for others but none for himselfe noâ— his sonne Humilitie neuer founded gay houses this hath sprung vp but of late yeeres for our auncestors contented themselues vvith simple lodgings Heere-hence comes it which is not so coÌ„monly as truely spoken Gay-clothing sumptuous building hath vndone England Good-house-keeping and hospitalitie Are lost through pride prodigalitie Before time honest men contented them selues with an homely hall and a loouer no Now stately buildings cold kitchens chimney nor parlour nor vpper chamber and in such houses the poore founde good reliefe But nowe our houses haue so inlarged themselues as if they were so many citties for height and statelines like Nabucadnezers pallace in Babell and the manie roomes in them like the streetes of Niniuie one wrought within another like Dedalus Labyrinth or the Pyramides in Memphis and Egypt that a man being once in them can hardly finde the way out of them many halls and many parlours many chimneyes or shewes of chimneyes and of many scarce one or none smoaking Goodlie mock-beggers And all this came in with pride it vvas neuer so in his ruffe as now it is and therefore no better time to presse this example of humilitie then nowe Hee teacheth vs this lesson that teacheth vs al things Learn of me for I am humble and meeke yee shall finde rest for your soules Christ that was borne for vs so gouerne vs by his Spirit of grace that this sinne of pride and all other enormities beeing suppressed in vs wee may practize that humilitie which at last will exalt vs to immortalitie and infinite happines It followeth In the dayes of Herod the King
present another preacheth a third man standing by readeth heere is no order but confusion and God is not the God of confusion Let all things in the Church be done decently and in order Thus haue you seene Christ our Lorde entering into the Temple in deuotion and in zeale correcting the abuses that hee found there Teaching them withall the right vse of the Temple and what exercises of holines the place requireth that so they might not come together to condemnation Let it be considered what is sayd and the Lord giue vs vnderstanding in all thinges that hauing attained in some measure to the fulnesse of knowledge that is in Christ Iesus and beeing stablished in euery good worke and word our fruite may be holines and our end euerlasting life Let vs pray the spirit of Grace to enter into the temples of our harts and thence to purge and cast out all corruptions whatsoeuer To God onely wise our Sauiour be rendred all honor glory praise with thanksgiuing now and euer Amen ⧠The history of our Lords Birth ¶ A Sermon preached by the Authour at Shrewsburie vpon Christ his day MATH 2. 1. 2. When Iesus then was borne in Bethleem in Iudea in the dayes of Herod the King behold there came Wise men from the East to Ierusalem saying Where is hee that is borne King of the Iewes For wee haue seene his star in the East are come to worship him TWo principall motiues or reasons beloued in our Lord induced me to make choise of this Text. One vvas the occasion of our meeting at this time which is to solemnize keep in memorie the Natiuity of our Lord Sauiour Christ Iesus The other the great necessity of the doctrine in these wordes contained For they deliuer vnto vs the history full discourse of Christes Incarnation beeing one principall branch in the misterie of our Redemption So you see how both text time our meeting matter or cause of our meeting all conspire together and are alike sutable There shoulde be no matter of greater force to draw men together than this vvee haue nowe in hand for it is able to furnish vs with all necessary knowledge like the roule that Ezechiell tooke from the Angell which wheÌ„ he had eaten it filled both Ezch 3 belly and bowels hee straightwayes began to prophecy We liue not in those times wherein vve may offer rich presents vnto Christ like the Wisemen nor can wee nowe poynt at the bodily presence of Christ as Iohn did not can we feast him in our houses as Zacheus did nor can we embrace him in our armes as once Symeon did when hee came by inspiration into the Temple Christ nowe looketh not for these curtesies nor can we performe theÌ„ if we would But this and all this we do when we come to heare Christ preached vnto vs when we open our harts to entertaine the worde as Lydia did and when wee embrace with alacritie and cheerfulnesse the doctrine of Christ And as I haue told you one capitall branch of this doctrine is this concerning his natiuitie Men are carefull very diligent in calculating theyr owne byrth-dayes and theyr childrens natiuities for a more certaine account they kalender them vp to the end they may not be forgotten and thys they â—may doe for reason requireth it law alloweth it and ciuility commends the same But a thousand times more careful ought we to be both Prince prophet people to kalender and keepe in memory the natiuitie of our Lord Sauiour conscience â—inforceth it custome calls for it and vvhich is most of all Christâ—â—â—â—â—e commaunds it For vnto this name and to no other vnder heauen are we baptized Of Christ wee are called Christians We are his schollers his seruaunts his disciples and therefore very careful should we be to honour our Lord Maister in keeping holy his day For as Christ in earth sought nothing but the glory onely of his Father so his father now in heauen seekes nothing but the glory of his sonne And as the same sonne beeing here on earth humbly debased himselfe as a seruaunt vnder all men to obey his Fathers will so hath it pleased God his Father againe to exalt him not onely to surmount the glorie of all Princes and Potentates whatsoeuer but also with such power maiestie hath he aduaunced him that euen the very knowledge and beleese of his glorious Name is able to giue euerlasting life to all sinners be they neuer so greeuously burdened or laden whosoeuer will come vnto him to seeke any refreshing So proued by his oâ—n testimony in the 6. of Iohn verse 40. Thy is the will of him that sent mee that euery maâ— that beleeueth in him should haue euerlasting life and I will raise him vp at the last day Haue not wee great reason then to remember this day of Christ a day as Saint Augustine calls it of all dayes the beginning of all daies the beginning of eternitie to the beleeuers Hee was borne to make vs rich hee vvas layd in a stall euen among beastes to exalâ— vs to the company of Angels Hee was borne an exile a banished person from the cradle driuen to flie into Egypt as Moses did to Mydian to the end he might make vs free Vt Moses in vluas Hee came from heauen to the earth to the end hee might dravve vs from earth to heauen Hee tooke vppon him a naturall â—ody to make vs heauenly bodies He was made flesh to make vs spirits he was made the sonne of man to make vs the â—onnes of God To as many as receiued him â—o them gaue hee power that they might be the â—onnes of God Great reason haue wee then â—o remember him that did all this for vs. And this much shall briefely suffice to â—tirre vp your mindes to a carefull contemâ—lation of Christ and his glory Now let vs â—eare S. Mathew speaking When Iesus then was borne at Bethleem c. For the increase of our fayth and for an â—ndoubted certaintie heere is layd downe â—he true story of Christes birth with cirâ—umstances thereunto belonging The maner of our Lords birth is at large â—eliuered by this our Euangelist in the forâ—er chap afore my Text beginning at the 8. verse The other circumstances runne â—eere in these wordes as first The place â—here he was born In Bethleem 2. When â—n the dayes of Herod 3. Who came first to â—im The wise men 4. How did they know â—ee was borne or howe were they directed â—â— finde him They were guided by a starre 5. To what end came they to him Iâ— worship him This day and time was foretolde by the Prophets commended to men by Angels and celebâ—ated by the godly Fathers of the Church Esay long before the comming of Chrâ—â—â— prophecied saying Loe a virgine shall â—â—â—ceaue Esay 7 and beare a sonne and they shall 〈◊〉 name Emanuell And againe Vnto vs a â—â—â— Esay 9 is
things but thys is a reason beyond reason by no humaine reason to be comprized The hautie Astronomers that walke among the starres that send vp their typtoecoÌ„ceits beyond the clowdes as if they were the onely commaunders of the world and could measure the heauens with a span as they seeme to shut vp all in one globe let them trace it no more vpon the pinacles of planetary influences If they can be so humble as to walk with vs heere beneath vpon this earth the seely Cratch in Bethleem where our Lorde lay and the wombe of a virgin trauailing with the most glorious person of the worlde Christ Iesus at whose feete Kings Emperours must cast downe theyr crownes as before the chiefe and supreme King King of Kings and all Kings glory heere may they sinde I say matter enough to occupie theyr wits and senses withall and here they may rather contemplate thys Comet thys blazing starre as in vvhose presence the greatest starre Sunne Moone and all doe lose theyr light Here they may rather wonder at his so strange comming into the worlde as his Disciples wondered at his going out of the world vpoÌ„ his ascending We all acknowledge this loue of God in that he gaue vs his sonne to be borne for vs but where is that serious consideration where is that Isaac aâ—ong vs that will goe out into the fieldes to meditate of this so excellent a benefit S. Paule counted this world but dung in respect of the excellent knowledge of Christ yet with many nowe adaies dunge it selfe the basest thing is preferred before the deerest thing For what is siluer and gold the mammon of this world which the wicked doe so highly magnifie but very earth and vile dung This time wherin we celebrate our lords natiuity we make it a time of feasting and a time of merrie-making and tyme of reioycing but I feare too too fewe there are that reioyce that Christ was as at this tyme borne for them If thys true reioycing were planted in vs it would cut off much vanity and much reioycing in euill It would make vs fall into this holy parlee and angelicall conference Hath God performed this great worke for me and shall I be vnthankfull Shall I forget him that testified so great so vnspeakable kindnes for mee in not disdaining to take my flesh and nature vppon him to be borne for me to die for me to shed his hart blood for mee and to sustaine intollerable torments for mee which I should haue vndergone And all to the end I should lyue and not die If one man should die for another here were demonstration of great loue but in that Christ our Lord would die for vs beeing the sonne the onely sonne of God the brightnes of glory farre superior to the Angels this is yet greater loue such loue as no tongue nor pen can amplifie Expresse it we cannot rather wee may wonder at it and exclaime like Paule O the riches of Gods grace Was borne Heere we must also learne the obedience of Christ our Lord and his humility As it was loue in God the Father that sent forth Christ into the world so it was obedience in Christ the Sonne of God that brought him and presented him vnto the world God would haue him come and it was his will to come for so testifieth he of him selfe Loe I come to doe thy will ò God Hebr. 10. O that we could possibly pactise the like holy obedience that when by the motion of Gods Spyrit working in vs and calling vpon vs to doe any good thing wee might be ready to aunswere We are come to do thy will This was euer in Christ but it is sildome or neuer in vs As the Father hath Ioh 9 29. sent me so I doe alwayes the thinges that please him His humilitie is likewise testified in â—aking our flesh vpon him in beeing borne for vs and in deâ—ecting himselfe to sustaine in his glorious body our infirmities For it pleased him to become in all things like vnto vs sinne onely excepted Great was this humilitie it must beare downe our pride it must teach vs to bee humble and meeke if wee will passe from earth to heauen whether hee is now ascended Abraham bowed himselfe to the Angels to shew that there is no way to come neere vnto God or to the resemblance of Christ but by humility All do gape after honour as Eue thought to be equall with GOD her Maker shee would be higher then shee was and shee would needes from Paradice mount vp to heauen before her time But because she sought it by pride therefore by pride she lost both the one and the other heauen and Eden till Christ regayned them by his humilitie Humilitie is the first step to honour as pride is to basenes and therefore saith Saâ—omon Pride goeth before destruction and an â—igh minde before the fall Pryde before and shame behinde as â—ewys the French-King spake both pithily and pleasantly When pryde is on the horseâ—acke then is shame on the crooper Our Sauiour in the eyghteene of Mark chaulking the way that leades vnto honor saith He that humbleth himselfe shall be exalted but the proud he checketh when he saith thus Hee that exalts himselfe shall be brought low As heere we find humilitie in Christ so may we find it in all the holy men before since Christ Ioseph though he were the greatest Potentate in Egypt yet confessed he was but a shepheards sonne and this he vttered being Gen 46. in the ruffe and prime of his honour Yet Ioseph knew right well that the name of a sheep-keeper was odious to the Egyptians Moses is registred to be the meekest man vpon the earth Dauid beeing instaled into the kingdome humbly acknowledgeth his beginning Thou tookest Dauid when hee followed the Ewes great with young His honour made him not forget his peâ—gree That Prince who spake mildly humbly to Eliah was not consumed so if 〈◊〉 will not be consumed with the fire of Goâ— wrath we must be humble Saint Basill speaking of the creation 〈◊〉 man saith Cur accepit Deus 〈◊〉 Why did God take the dust of the earâ—â— Câ—m 〈◊〉 audis cur elâ—uaris Why should dust and ashes be proud then Surely neyther honour noâ— riches nâ—â— friendes nor apparrell nor ought else if â— the glory of the world were heaped vppâ— vs it should not make vs proude If theâ— mightest weare â—oth of gold remembeâ— couers but a â—oule â—â—rkaâ—â—e dust ashes Of all sorts of proude men they are â—o be most condemned that are proude of theâ— apparrell as if they should glory in thâ—â— shame for apparrell was made to coueâ— our shame When Adâ—â— had sinned and so knew thâ—â— hee was naked presently hee made himselfe breeches of â—â—g-leaues So sinne and shame were the first Taylors that shaped Adams garments The humble and proude are both noted â—â— Scripture by theyr diuersitie of apparell Iohn is noted
DEMEGORIAI Certaine Lectures vpon sundry portions of Scripture in one Volume By Lewys Thomas 1. Christ trauailing to Ierusalem 2. Christ purging the Temple 3. The history of our Lords birth 4. The True-louers Canticle 5. The Propheticall Kings Tryumph 6. The Anatomy of Tale-bearers 7. Peters persecution and his deliuerance 8. Heauens High-way PHILIP 3. 13. 14. Brethren I count not my selfe to haue attained vnto it but one thing I doe I forget that which is behind and indeuour my selfe to that which is before and follow hard towards the marke for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus AT LONDON Printed by I. R. for Edw. White and are to be sold at the little North-doore of Paules at the signe of the Gunne 1600. To the Right Honourable Sir Thomas Egerton Knight Lord Keeper of the great Seale of England and one of her Maiesties most honourable Priuie Counsell Lewis Thomas wisheth continuance of health and perfect happines RIght Honourable and my very good Lord the rich tast of your honours kindnes and speciall affection towards me the most vnwoorthy of a thousand but principally your godly and zealous care in planting a learned Ministerie throughout this Land haue specially called vpon me for this dutie by presenting to your Honours selfe these few labours the late fruites of my second birth which long agoe had beene strangled in ipso partu as it were bad not the carefull respect of your Honours acceptance reuiued them beeing almost liuelesse I recommend them to your Lordships safe protection protesting that with them I will be alwayes prest to performe all such duties to your Honour as God shall inable mee vnto both in praying for your health and increase of zeale to the comfort and maintenaunce of his poore flocke which I resolue is the end and onely ayme of all your honourable purposes Thus beeing ouer-bolde but in an honest cause I take my leaue commending you to God and to the word of his grace which is able to build you vp further and to giue you an inheritance Acts. 20 32 among them that are sanctified Your Lordships to commaund L. Thomas These Texts of Scripture are handled in this Booke ¶ Christ riding to Ierusalem 1 And when he was come neere the Citty he beheld it and wept for it saying o if thou hadst knowen euen in this thy day the thingsthat belong to thy peace Luke 19. 41. ¶ Christ purging the Temple 2 Iesus went into the Temple of God cast out them that bought and sold in the Temple and ouerthrew the tables of the money-changers and the seates of them that solde doues saying It is written My house is the house of prayer but you haue made it a denne of theeues Math. 21. 12. ¶ The history of our Lords birth 3 When Iesus then was borne in Bethleem in the daies of Herod the king wise men came from the East to Ierusalem saying where is he that is borne king of the Iewes for we haue seene his star in the East are come to worship him Math. 2. 1. 2. ¶ The True-louers Canticle 4 Heerein is loue not that wee loued God but God loued vs and sent his Sonne to be areconciliation for our sinnes Beloued if God so loued vs wee ought also to loue one another 1. Iohn 4. 10. 11. ¶ The propheticall Kings tryumph 5 This is the day which the Lord hath made let vs reioyce be glad in it Psal 118. 24. ¶ The Anatomy of Tale-bearers 6 Thou shalt not walke about with tales among my people Leuit. 19. 16. ¶ Peters persecution and his deliuerance 7 And when he saw it pleased the people hee proceeded further tooke Peter also c. Acts. 12. 3. 4. ¶ Heauens high-way 8 Sirs what must I doe to be saued And they said Beleeue in the Lord Iesus and thou shalt be saued thine houshold Acts. 16. 30. Christes trauailing to Ierusalem Luke 19. 41. c. And when he was come neere the Cittie hee beheld it and wept for it saying oh if thou hadst knowne euen at the least in this thy day those things that belong vnto thy peace but now are they hid from thine eyes c. IN the seauenth of Eccles and 4. verse it is written That it is better to goe into the house of mourning than into the house of feasting and therefore I haue chosen a tragicall Text sounding foorth nothing but passions and mournful notes like the tunes of those banished Israelites Psal 137. vpon Babilons banks The first voice that euer proceeded from Adam our progenitor after his fall was a voyce compounded of sorrow and feare Gen. 3. 10. when God called vpon him while hee hid himselfe among the trees of the garden all Adams children ought to bee like Adam passionate and sorrowfull making theyr whole life sutable to theyr infancie as wee all come to the worlde by a sorrowfull conception In the 33. of Genesis Iacob coulde not meete his brother but their eyes must streame forth teares And in the 23. chap. we finde Abraham the Patriarch an old man in yeeres a verie childe in teares mourning weeping In Iosiah his time whole multitudes are recorded to goe out and weepe before the Lord. Not to stand vpon particulers which are not necessary in so cleere a truth Christ Iesus the very mirror of sorow is in this place presented vnto vs weeping pittifully vpon Ierusalem Wherein wee are by the way to note the differences betweene the godly the wicked betweene the children of God the children of this world The godlie are euer noted rather sorowing then reioycing rather bewailing lamenting theyr sinfull condition than solacing themselues with the vaine pleasures of this transitory life VVee finde not them at any time either Gen 9 22. Mar 6 22. Dan 5. 2. sporting it like Cham or dauncing like Herodias or carowsing like Belshazar Search the volume of holy Writ from Moses vnto Iohn that saw so many misseries in Pathmos and wee shall finde a contrary humour and another kinde of affection raigning in the righteous Moses as hee was drawne vp from the waters so hee shewed himselfe in the course of his life to be as it were quite swallowed vp with the ouerflowing waters of affliction and he prayed God to race him out of his booke that he had written in the 32. of Exod 32. Exodus Dauid watered his couch with continuall teares Paule wept for the Corinthians 2 Cor 2. Luke 22. 62 Peter went out to weepe bitterly for denying his Lord. And to come to our example in thys place Christ Iesus though hee were the Sonne of GOD shewes himselfe in thys to be also the sonne of man he shed many a salt teare ouer Ierusalem VVho among vs can be so deuoted and so solde ouer as it were to sinfull vanitie now to be sporting seeing Christ our Lord so heauy and passionate The generall proposition vvhich Saint Luke vrgeth
hee told them They knewe not that which belonged to their peace Which had they knowne it had brought them to the knowledge of all the rest They knewe not Christ by the preaching of the word they receiued not the Gospell of peace They yeelded no obedience to the worde of truth nor did shewe any carefull practise in reforming their liues accordingly These people of Ierusalem liued in securitie and at ease they liued in peace euery man vnder his owne Vine and vnder his own fig-tree And they soothed vp themselues in this their securitie assuring themselues that this great citty beeing the Lady of so many Prouinces the light and beauty of all Asia and all kings glory so strongly sortifyed so richly furnished and vvith so many people replenished should neuer bee brought to vtter desolation Such is the naturall corruption of men generally to be carelesse and not once to thinke or aduise themselues of future calamities so long as it goeth well with them so long as they are fatted with the aboundance of Gods blessings These inhabitants of Ierusalem were not so prouident nor so wise as the prophane Phylosophers notwithstanding they liued then when wisedome cryed in their streets Sapientis est in otio de negotio cogitare a wise man ought in time of peace to think vpon warre So is it verifyed vvhich vvas spoken by our Sauiour The chyldren of this world are Luke 16 8. wiser in theyr generation then the chyldren of light These carelesse Iewes abused their peace because they sought no meanes to contitiue it For they killed the Prophets and stoned theÌ„ that were sent vnto them Yea when Christ himselfe came among them they crucified him to seale vp theyr securitie to theyr greater ouerthrow And howe then could this people know theyr peace vvhen they contemned and euill intreated him that was the onely authour and maintainer of theyr peace Thys Peace contayneth in it all other blessings And therefore Christ onely nameth it in this place as the very continent of all the rest The excellencie whereof may appeare in those speciall commendations of it Before his departure hee commended vnto them Peace My peace I leaue vnto you Luk 24 36 When he was risen againe hee commended peace vpon his byrth-day the Angels proclaimed peace and the Gospell is Luke 2 14 called the Gospell of peace Therfore haue peace and thou hast all the blessings that God hath and want onely this peace and thou art worse spoiled of Gods graces than euer was Iob of his chyldren and goods Oh if thou hadst knowne c. Here it may be proclaimed againe which once was vttered by that voyce of maiestie proceeding from God himselfe in the 34. of Exodus The Lord the Lord strong mercifull and gracious slowe to anger and aboundant in mercy and truth See howe Christ our Sauiour trauaileth with mercy in this place and laboureth to be deliuered Oh if thou hadst knowne Yet hee offereth mercy to Ierusalem if Ierusalem would haue repented Oh that yet they would turne and be saued Shall I say since they will perrish let them perrisht nay surely saith Christ I will yet wash Naaman seauen times more to clense him of his leprosie if hee vvill be clensed In the 51. of Ieremie ninth verse saith the Lorde I woulde haue cured Babell So Christ in this place saith I would haue cured Ierusalem but alas she will not be cured All the precious balme in Gylead will not suffice to recouer Ierusalem the prayse of the world In this thy day He calls it Ierusalems day to shewe that God giueth all men a time and now is our day and our time therefore vse the time and abuse not Gods lenitie For the night will come when no man can worke And therfore it is sayde To day if you will heare his voyce But if you will not to day I will not to morrow Beholde as when I called you woulde not heare so when you call I vvill not heare saith the Lord. A day consists but of a morning an euening and a noone and hee that hath the longest time permitted him hath but a day Defer it not then in any case since thy time in which thou maist turne to God is so narowly scantled If thou lose the morning of thy life lose not the noone and if thou be so carelesse a sinner as that thou puttest off thy conuersion till the euening of thy life yet euen then reclaime thy selfe before the sunne of Righteousnes doe set when it can shine no more vnto thee But thou shalt haue a happier successe in my iudgement if thou begin betimes like Abraham in the morning of thy life to sacrifice thy selfe to GOD. For wee haue an old saying it is a true saying A good beginning makes a good ending And qualis â—ua sâ—ns ita As a man liues so commonlie he dies Euery man would be gladde to die vvell as Balaam desired to die the death of the righteous but hee had no care to lyue the life of the righteous And therfore though he could prophecie to others yet hee could not prophecie to himselfe nor sore-see his owne end Farre otherwise did Dauid that propheticall King carry himselfe and may stande as a rare president not for Kinges onelie but for priuate men also he began his day betimes and so continued it to the end At euening morning and at noone will I prayse Psal 55. 17. thee Thys forslowing the time and continuall running on in sin making vp the score of iniquitie is heere imbrayded vnto these Iewes The tyme of grace was offered them the time of visitation vvhen the Lorde called vpon them for repentance but they repented not The Turtle the Crane and the Swallowe knowe theyr appoynted times yet Israell knoweth not his time God sent his Worde they neglected it his Prophets them they slewe his ovvne Sonne and him they crucified Still they were carelesse like the olde worlde before the flood And so GOD shut them out of Tyme for that vvhen they had Time they abused the commoditie thereof in the world If these people had considered of theyr peace they had not prouoked Christes eyes to distill into teares But as fast as Christ drevve them forwardes sinne and sathan drew them backwards euer-more sounding in their eares this so pleasing and so plausible a lesson It is not yet time time is not yet See howe continuance of sinne breedes custome when custome entereth Gods grace auoydeth and so the Temple of God becomes a denne of theeues For Consuetudo peccandi tollit sensum peccati Custome in sinne takes away al sence and feeling of sinne and so beeing once past sence and feeling the body becomes dead without motion life or soule in it Note the degrees of sinne in sinfull men first they grow wicked then obstinate then desperate like Caine posting it from one sinne to another at last a griping worme of conscience seazeth vpon theyr soules as
louing vs more then that howe carefull to manifest his loue in sending vs his onely sonne to reconcile vs and lastly what he requireth of vs in liew of this his carefulnes which is that he louing vs we should also loue one another God is the first that inuiteth and the last that forsaketh neuer leauing but first left and euer offering till he be refused Hee still spreadeth his armes like as the Cherubins doe their wings O let vs yeelde to his embracings least when wee would he will not and so wee seeke the blessing with Esau too late and cannot preuaile though we shedde many teares And so I end this Loue-song as I began to the end that if you be so dull of hearing as that you haue forgotten the sum of all that hath beene deliuered yet at least you may remember the burthen of the song Heerein is loue not that we loued God but that God loued vs and sent his Sonne to be a reconciliation for our sinnes Beloued if God so loued vs we ought also to loue one another Soli Deo gloria The Propheticall Kings tryumph PSALME 118. 24. This is the day that the Lord hath made Let vs reioyce and be glad in it The whole Argument of the Psalme is in substance thus much DAuid being the last and least of all his Father house being despised of his owne brethren persecuted by Saule and vtterly reiected of the Iewes dooth notwithstanding obtaine the Kingdome to iustifie the trueth of that Scripture There is no regard of persons with Acts. 10. 35. God but in all places and among all Nations who so feareth him and worketh righteousnes shall be accepted And agayne God hath chosen the vile things of the world to confound the honourable And the virgins song was this God hath Luk. 1 52. put downe the mighty from their seates and hath exalted the humble and meeke Dauid being the yongest sonne of Ishay and of smallest reckoning is taken from the sheepe-fold and crowned a King from guiding sheepe in Bethleem to gouerne a 1. Sam. 16. mighty Nation in Israel So God alone numbreth wayeth deuideth Hee measureth seasons times and yeares hee setteth vp Kings and putteth downe Kings at his pleasure as wee reade in the 2. of Dan. 21. The very coÌ„sideration of which kindnes and exceeding fauour of the Lord caused Dauid to pen this Psalme to testifie thereby his thankfulnes And this is briefely the substance of this Psalme And yet is this but a litterall construction you must knowe that another misticall matter and of greater import is heere deliuered In the person of Dauid Christ our Lord is most liuely set forth Who being the king of glory the very sonne of God heire and Lord of all things was notwithstanding reiected of the Iewes among whom hee was borne he came among his owne and his owne receaued him not But maugre the malice of the deuill and his instruments flesh and blood could not preuaile Herod and all the wayting for of the people of the Iewes could not ouerthrow Christ and his Kingdome Nay they rather ouerthrow themselues Hee is neuerthelesse exalted his enemies quite confounded yea hee hath crushed them with a Scepter of iron and broken them in peeces like a potters vessell To make the Tyrantes of the vvorlde to knovve how vayne a thing it is to band themselues against the Lord and agaynst his annoynted The carefull consideration heere of gladded the hart of Dauid more then the stablishment of his owne throane Yea it filled him vvith such vnspeakeable ioy when once the Spyrite of GOD had taught him that Christ shoulde come from hys loynes to be a Prince to his people and to gouerne them vvith righteous iudgements for euer and howe hee alone must make his enemies his foote-stoole I say it so reioyced him that hee could not choose but sing tryumphantly to the Lord. The right hand of the Lorde is exalted The right hand of the Lorde bringeth mightie thinges to passe The stone which the builders refused is become the head-stone in the corner And so in a heauenly kinde of meditation he contiâ—â—eth the same note to the words of my text proclayming as it were a new holy-day to the Lord which should religiously be obserued throughout aâ—l ensuing posterities euen to a thousand generations This is the day which the Lord hath made Let vs reioyce and be glad in it This Text needes no curious diuision for the words deuide themselues This is the day There is the Prophets proclamation Which the Lord hath made There is the Author from whom it is sent Let vs reioyce c. There is the celebration of it This is the day Dauid beeing endued with the spirit of prophecie could tell that Christ shoulde come in the flesh as could the Patriarchs and all the holy men before him And least a matter of so great tydinges should by the malice of sathan or by the practise of bloody tyrants be lapt vp in obscurity both our Prophet heere and all the rest did in all ages record the same in sundry places of Scripture as well to chalenge it from forgetfulnes and obliuion as also to take away all excuse from the vnbeleeuing Iewes who if they had not beene altogether giuen ouer to a reprobate sence they must of necessity haue acknowledged Christ since he was so liuely poynted at by so many prophecies throughout the whole Scripture Moses in the 3. of Genesis told it plainly or rather God himselfe by Moses speaketh that the seede of the woman shoulde breake the serpents head Zachary telleth Sion and Ierusalem that her King was comming He commeth poore Zach 9. 9. ryding vpon an asse c. Christ himselfe speaking of Abrahams testimony sayth Abraham sawe my dayes and reioyced As a lambe before the shearer so opened he not his mouth And diuers other testimonies whereof the Scriptures are plentifull Dauid as if hee had seene all prophecies sealed vp speaketh in this place of Christes day as it were as if he had beene already in the world This is the day Blessed is hee that commeth in the Name of the Lord. For Sions sake I will not hold my tongue Esiy 62. for Ierusalems sake I will not rest till the righteousnes thereof breake forth as the light What was that lampe light but Christ all the law and the Prophets did presignify to the world that Christ should come euen to the time that the Angell appeared to the Shepheards and bad them goe see him whom all the world desired to behold So that we may preach to our selues as Christ did to the Iewes In our eares this day are all these Scriptures fulfilled This is the day This proclamation is very sutable to that in the second of Luke Beholde I bring you tyâ—ings of great ioy which shall bee to all flesh that vnto you this day is borne a Sauiour It was indeed tydings of the greatest ioy that might come