one be as foolish as Nabal and haue eares as long as Midas yet if he haue mount Carmel for his Lordship and as it is in the Prouerbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 swim vp to the eares in riuers of gold the world will honor him and bowe the knee vnto him as the idolatrous Iewes did to the golden Calfe of Horeb but Gods eie searcheth the hart and the reines he regardeth the poore and the needie for euer they be most religious most vertuous he chose Dauid from the sheepe-folde following the Ewes great with young to raigne ouer Israel and hee makes choise of one of the daughters of Dauid to be the Mother of his Sonne though she was so poore that the place of her Deliuerie was a Stable and her first begotten sonnes Cradle a Cratch Why should any man be proud of his wealth then seeing both she whom all generations call blessed and hee that is Lord of heauen and earth were both very poore why should any man like Ephraim be fed with winde and puft vp with his discent his alliance his worme-eaten antiquitie seeing Christ was the Sonne of a poore Virgin betrothed and married to a Carpenter and yet both hee and shee were of the royall line of Dauid h Psal 132. To whom the Lord had sworne in truth and he did not shrinke from it saying of the fruite of thy body will I set vpon thy throane Thus was the marriage consummate betwixt Christ and his Church in the Virgins wombe this wombe was the milkie way by which he came into his garden Oh blessed was that wombe of her that bore him and those paps that gaue him sucke The second generall branch is the Mariage feast of Christ in which first let vs see the Banquetting place secondly suruay his Banquet Christ makes his Banquet in a Garden but which of his Gardens is it for Christ hath three The first is Hortus potentiae the second Hortus gratiae the third Hortus gloriae His first Garden is the kingdome of Power and this is verie large and spacious stretching it selfe from the highest heauens to the nethermost parts of the earth for his power is infinite 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Damascen He can doe all things that he will His second Garden is the kingdome of Grace in this world whereby hee raigneth in the faithfull by the holy Ghost of this Daniel speaketh saying i Dan. 7.13.14 As I beheld in visions by night behold one like the Sonne of man came in the cloudes of heauen and approached vnto the ancient of dayes and they brought him before him and he gaue him dominion and honour and a kingdome that all people nations and languages should serue him his dominion is an euerlasting dominion which shall neuer be taken away and his Kingdome shall neuer be destroyed His third garden is the kingdome of Glory which is alreadie in part begun because he is ascended into heauen and sitteth at the right hand of his Father but shall be complete at the generall resurrection when the Elect being gathered together shall raigne continually with Christ Neither the first nor this last Garden is the place where the Banquet is kept but onely the second in this the Bridegrome gathers his Mirrhe with his spice in this he eates his hony-combe with this honie in this he drinkes his wine and milke The kingdome of Grace is here called a Garden and this Garden is either shut vp or not shut vp The Garden not shut vp is the Church visible in which growes as well the fruitlesse Cedar as the fat Oliue the bitter Colloquintida as the sweet figge-tree the prickie Bramble as the cheerefull Vine for the Church visible is like vnto k Gen. 7.8 Noahs Arke in which were stabled beasts both polluted and impolluted it is like l Gen. 37.3 Iosephs Coate made of diuers colours for in it are men of diuers dispositions a Simon Peter and a Simon Magus a Iudas the brother of Iames and a Iudas Ishcariot a Priscilla and a Saphira good and euill Elect and Reprobates here onely is the difference the Wicked are weedes and grow without priuiledge they liue in the outward assembly of Christians yet are they not the true members of Christes body m 1. Ioh. 2.19 They went out of vs but they were not of vs saith Iohn n Dec. P. 2. caus 24. q. 3. cap. 8. Ad ecclesiam Dei non pertinent illi qui in eius vnitate corporaliter mixti per pessimam vitam seperantur They belong not to the Church which being corporally mixed in the societie thereof are seperated by an euill life In this Garden be diuers beds of Spices so saies the Spouse o Cant. 6.1 My welbeloued is gone downe into his Garden to the beds of spices to feede in the Gardens and to gather Lillies These Beds of spices be particular Churches as for instance ours in England it is a Bed of Spices a Societie of the Elect for here we haue p Cant. 4.14 Spikenard Saffron Calamus and Cinamon with all the trees of Incense Mirrhe and Aloes with all the chiefe spices We haue true Preachers whose tongues neuer cleaue to the roofe of their mouth Siluer trumpets and golden bels that ring out peales of Gods praises in Sion and sound out his wonders in Ierusalem We haue zealous professors in colour like white Lillies for their pure faith and as sweet as Incense for their charity which that they may still more and more encrease q Cant. 4.16 Arise O North and come O South and blow on our bed that the spices thereof may flowe out But alas how can they for the Enemie hath sowne three poisonous weedes in our Bed Atheisme Papisme and Simonisme which like Tares choke the wheate and hinder the growth of our better plants The first and the worst is Atheisme for are there not amongst vs whole kennels of r Apo. 22.15 Dogs whose foreheads are brasse and iron impudent audacious blasphemous and conscience-cauterized fooles s Psal 104. which in their hearts say there is no God holding t 1. Cor. 2.14 the Gospel of his kingdome to be meere foolishnesse and Scriptures fables coyned and stamped for currant onely to awe the world were there not such monsters why is the profession of Religion growne policie and Christians in name become Macheuillians in practise as mutable as Proteus as changeable as the Camelion temporizing their Consciences to day a Papist to morrow a Protestant the next day any thing for aduantage a Turke a Iew an Infidell u Psal 10.11 Tush if there be a God he hath forgotten he hides away his face and will neuer see Thus spoke their Tutor Auerrhoes denying Gods presence and prouidence herevpon earth Against the Iewes the Queene of Saba and against these Atheists the verie Gentiles shall rise in iudgement for they hauing nothing to direct them but the glimmering light of Nature would acknowledge
bridle and Wantonnesse or Impudencie in Vncleannesse and Greedines in sinning transforme him into a dogge and therefore Saint Paul writing to the Ephesians giueth an excellent caueat against these sixe Sorceresses saying This I say therefore and testifie in the Lord that ye henceforth walke not as other Gentiles walke in vanitie of their mind Hauing their cogitation darkened and being strangers from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the hardnesse of their heart Which being past feeling haue giuen themselues vnto wantonnesse to worke all vncleannesse euen with greedinesse For without shall be Dogges The second generall part is a Detestation for the wicked are heere called dogges which importeth Hatred and Basenesse as may appeare by the vse of this Title both in profane and diuine writers Odit cane peius saith the Poet she hates him worse then a dogge Non eum salutat magis quam canem saith the seruant in the Comedie she giues him the entertainment of a dogge So likewise in the Scriptures Goliah when hee saw young Dauid come against him armed onely with his staffe his sling and fiue smooth stones in his bagge or scrip he said vnto him Am I a dogge that thou commest vnto me with stones When Isbosheth reprooued Abner for going to Rispah the Concubine of Saul hee was wroth and said g 2 Sam. 3.8 Am I a dogges-head The paraphrase then both of Goliahs and Abners words is this Am I so vile so base and so contemptible So in these words Almightie God to shew and manifest his detestation and hatred of sinne calles all Reprobates dogges saying For without shall be dogges In the Scriptures we reade that when God is prouoked to anger he declares by foure seuerall waies howe much he abhors and detests sinne namely by strange signes Allegories Ironies and Characters First by strange signes to omit many other there is one most remarkeable in the Prophecie of Hoseah where wee finde that God being greatly offended at the Israelites for their Idolatrie deciphers the foulenesse of their Sinne by an vncouth signe Goe saith hee to the Prophet h Hos 1.2 Take vnto thee a wife of Fornications and children of Fornications So Hoseah went and tooke Gomer the Daughter of Diblaim and of her begot two Sonnes and a Daughter which were thus named by God himself Izreel Lo-ruhamah and Lo-ammi S. Hierome the Chaldie Paraphrase Rabbi Kimhi and Aben Ezrah say that this was onely a Vision but the more ancient Hebrew Doctors affirme that it was a thing done indeed by the appointment of God and therefore no sinne in Hoseah here then God by a very strange signe preacheth against the Idolatrie of Israell and proclaimeth vengeance against them for their sinnes as may be shewed out of the names of Hoseahs wife and his Children of Fornication First in that Hoseah marryes the Harlot Gomer which is by interpretation Corruption the daughter of Diblaim which signifies a cluster of Figges hereby is taxt the spirituall Whoredome of Israel which being corrupted by the Gentiles with a full consent had played the Harlot for so saith God himselfe i Hosea 1.2 The Land hath committed great whoredome departing from the Lord. Againe the name of Hoseahs first child is Izreel which is dispersed the second is Lo-ruhamah which is not obtaining mercy and the third Lo-ammi that is not my people There three names are Signes of Gods wrath and Sermons of vengeance The Israelites once Gods inheritance must be carryed away captiues and be dispersed ouer the face of the earth because they were become like a Cluster of rotten Figges corrupted with spirituall Fornication and being dispersed though they cry vnto God for his ayde yet will he shew them no mercy nor euer acknowledge them to be his people thus by a most strange Signe of Hoseahs marrying of a Harlot and begetting children of Fornication God declareth how much hee detesteth Sinne. Secondly by Allegories an example hereof we haue in the Prophecie of Ezekiel where the Lord thus saith k Ezech. 23.2.3.4 Sonne of man there were two women the daughters of one Mother and they committed Fornication in Aegipt they committed fornication in their youth there were their breasts pressed and there they bruised the teates of their Virginitie and the names of them were Aholah the Elder and Aholibah her Sister and they were mine and they bare Sonnes and Daughters thus were their names Samaria is Aholah and Hierusalem Aholibah c. In these words Allegorically God inueyeth most bitterly against the Idolatry of Samaria and Hierusalem in that as a token of Detestation hee compares them to two Harlots being he most odious and loathsome of all creatures Thirdly by Ironies or Iesting and Taunting a Iest is Gods Hierapicra his bitter confection his rod of Iron his Sheepe-hooke called Bondes his two-edged Sword be most peircing reproofe and the best remedie to cure a desperate sore Some Diuels saith Psellus are driuen away by Iesting and Saules euill Spirit lest him at the sweet sound of Dauids Harp and a Taunt is very forcible to make a man ashamed of his Sinne. When Adam and Heuah were fallen in Paradice God said l Gen. 3.22 Behold the man is become as one of vs to know good and euill here God derideth Adams folly because hee was seduced by the woman So likewise the Prophet Eliah mocketh the Priests of Baall saying m 1 Reg. 18.27 Cry loud for he is a God eyther he talketh or pursueth his enemies or is in his iourney or it may be that hee sleepeth and must be awaked thus God to shew his hatred of Sinne laugheth as the Wiseman saith at the destruction of the wicked and mocketh when their feare commeth Fourthly by Figures and Characters Sinne is most liuely expressed by a foule Picture and therefore God to set forth his owne hatred and to breed in vs a loathing of it vseth sometimes Characters whereof there be diuers patternes and instances as for example n Prou. 30.14 That generation whose teeth are as swords and their iawes as kniues to eate vp the afflicted out of the earth and the poore from among men I meane tyrannicall oppressors Procustes his progenie Land-rackers which measure their Tenants vpon a Bed of Iron cutting them shorter if they be too long or haue too much and tentaring or stretching them out longer if they be too short these Caterpillars I say are by the Prophet Amos called Kine o Amos. 4.1 Heare this word saith hee ye Kine of Bashan that are in the mountaine of Samaria which oppresse the poore and destroy the needy and they say to their masters bring and let vs drinke Furthermore vniust Iudges such as Iustifie the wicked for reward and condemne the innocent such as crucifie Christ in his members and let the murtherer and the robber Barabas loose there are by the Prophet Zephaniah called p Zeph. 3.3 Wolues in regard of their cruell
with two eies the first being like a Doues eie washt with milke the second like a flame of fire Mercy and Iustice according to whose seuerall viewes he made two Decrees the one of Election the other of Reprobation which two resemble the two streames that issue from the throne of God k Dan. 7.10 the one being all fire the other l Reuel 22.1 Water of life m Ephes 1.4 Rom. 9.16 Election is the decree of God whereby on his owne free will he hath ordained certaine men to saluation without any fore-sight of their good workes to the praise and glory of his grace n Rom. 9.21 Reprobation is Gods decree whereby according to the most free and iust purpose of his will he hath determined to reiect certaine men vnto eternall destruction to the praise of his iustice These decrees are built vpon two seuerall foundations o Rom. 11.32 Adams sinne is the ground of Reprobation of Election p Heb. 5.5 Christ Iesus is the foundation called of his Father from all eternitie to performe the office of a Mediatour that in him all those which should be saued might be chosen as then he was predestinate to be the Reconciliation betwixt God and mankinde so likewise there was preordained a Mariage or vniting of the two Natures Diuine and Humane Secondly the Bridegrome he is willing for he confesseth as much by the mouth of the Psalmist saying q Psal 40. In the volume of the booke it is written that I should fulfill thy will O my God I am content to do it thy law is within my heart Euer since the making of this decree God the Sonne and his spouse the Church like a paire of Turtle Doues haue loued and wooed each other as appeareth by those sweet passions with which this Song is full fraught and yet from the time that he was first promised till the fulnesse of time when he was conceiued r Cant. 2.9 He euer stoode behinde the wall looking through the windowes and appearing through the grates These windowes were the Sacraments Circumcision and the Paschal Lambe these Grates the Tabernacle of Moses and the Priesthood of Aaron all of them principall Types and figures of the Messiah s Cant. 2.3 Thus for a long time the Church vnder his shadow onely had delight and his fruite was sweet vnto her mouth But at length she growes loue-sicke and cries t Cant. 2.5 Stay me with flagons and comfort me with Apples for I am sicke of Loue. u Cant. 1.1 Let him kisse me with the kisses of his mouth for his loue is better then wine As if she should haue said how long will he appeare vnto me onely in types and figures when shall mine eies see the Saluation of God which he hath prepared to be a light to the Gentiles and the glory of the people Israel x Cant. 4.16 Let my beloued come into his garden and eate his pleasant fruite Let the word be made flesh and dwell amongst vs. Our Sauiour therefore y Cant. 4.9 whose heart from the beginning she had wounded with one of her eies and a chaine of her necke Because he would not suffer her to pine away and languish with expectation answeres her saying I am come into my garden my sister my spouse As if he should haue said the Contract of Marriage which by my Fathers decree was from eternitie is now consummate by my Natiuitie In which Consummation three Circumstances may be considered First the publishing of the Banes by the Angell Gabriel thus speaking to the Virgin Mary z Luc. 1.28 Haile thou that art freely beloued the Lord is with thee blessed art thou among women and hauing thus saluted her he tells her that she shall conceiue and beare in her wombe a Sonne and call his name Iesus But how shall this be saith Mary seeing I know no man this she speakes saith Theophilact not doubting of the euent but enquiring the manner The Angell answeres her a Luc. 1.35 The holy Ghost shall come vpon thee and the vertue of the most high shall ouershadow thee Vide hic saith Cyprian cooperantem simplicem trinitatem Quae est virtus altissimi nisi Christus virtus sapientia patris c. See here the whole Trinitie are at worke together what is this vertue but Christ the vertue and wisedome of his Father of whom is this Vertue but of the most high Although then the Sonne alone was conceiued and incarnate yet both the Father and the Holy Ghost were present to sanctifie his conception which is the second circumstance and the manner of the Mariage He was not conceiued of the seede of Ioseph and Mary as Ebion dreamed but by the holy Spirit of the seede of Mary alone as may appeare by these testimonies b Gen. 3.15 The seede of the woman shall bruise the Serpents head Feare not Ioseph c Mat. 1.20 to take Mary for thy wife for that which is conceiued in her is of the holy Ghost A strange conception here is Aarons rod cut from the stem blossoming and a Virgin without a man conceiuing Christ was conceiued by the holy Ghost there is an argument of his Diuinitie and borne of a virgin there is a proofe of his humanitie so he is neither God only hauing an aierie body as Apelles the hereticke thought nor meere man as the d Epipha lib. 2. tom 2. haeres 69. Arrians surmised but God and Man vnited one Christ conceiued by the holy Ghost and borne of the Virgin Mary which natiuitie of Christ is the third circumstance and the very forme of the Marriage betwixt him and his Spouse the Church Our Sauiour out of the Virgins wombe came like a Bridegrome out of his chamber full of glory and yet in all humility e Philip. 2.6.7 For being in the forme of God and thinking it no roberie to be equall with God he made himselfe of no reputation tooke on him the forme of a seruant and was made like vnto men and was found in shape as a man This his lowlinesse appeareth further in the very choise of his Mother who was a poore Virgin betrothed vnto a Carpenter He was conceiued when she was a Virgin betrothed but hee was borne when she was a Virgin married because hee would honour both Single life and the marriage bed A Virgin she was to fulfill the Prophecie of Isaiah saying f Isai 7.14 A virgin shall conceiue and beare a Sonne Ante partum in partu post partum Virgo saith S. Ierome Before at the very instant and after her deliuerie a Virgin not past foureteene yeares of age as Augustine and Chrysostome writ Flos ipse in the flower of her youth she bore him who is the g Cant. 2.1 Rose of the field and the Lilly of the vallies A Virgin but yet very poore God euer lookes on the inside but the world on the out-side of a man Let
man mad But it is far otherwise in drinking this Wine and Milke for the first draught is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 t Esa 53.11 a fulnesse of knowledge by the illumination of Gods spirit the second is Certitudo salutis u Gal. 4.6 certaintie of saluation reueiled vnto vs by the same Spirit which in our hearts cryes Abba Father the third is Confidentia x Heb. 4.6 Confidencie whereby we approach boldly to the Throne of Grace the fourth is y Ephe. 1.5 Adoptio Adoption by which we receiue power to be actually accounted the Sonnes of God by Christ O let vs therefore drinke this Wine and Milke that we neuer hereafter may thirst againe Thirdly saith Christ Be merrie O my Welbeloued Nay further Be drunkē for so is it word for word in the Hebrew be drunken but z Ephe. 5.18 not with Wine for that is a voluntarie madnes and the Soules corruption Be drunken but not with sin a Esay 29.9 for then the Soule staggers falles into a spirituall slumber but be drunken with ioy because I haue Eate my Hony-combe with my Honie purchased your b Ephe. 2.15 peace Be merrie because I haue bailed you out of Deaths dungeon and deliuered you from the bondage of Sathan Be merry and reioyce alwaies because your names are writ in Heauen Lastly be euen drunken with mirth and ioy because being my friends vpon earth you shall be filled in heauen with the pleasures of Gods house To which holy tabernacle he that was born for vs bring vs to whom with the Father the holy Spirit be all honor and glorie now and euer-more FINIS The second Sermon THE TRIVMPH OF CONSTANCIE APOC. 3.11.12 VER Behold I come shortly hold that thou hast that no man take thy Crowne Him that ouercommeth will I make a Pillar in the Temple of my God and he shall goe no more out and I will write vpon him the Name of my God and the Name of the Citie of my God which is the new Hierusalem which commeth downe out of Heauen from my God and I will write vpon him my new Name AT the two ends of the a Exod. 25.13.19.20 Mercie-seat were set two Cherubims of beaten Gold whose wings were stretched out on hie and their faces one against an other both towards the Mercie-seat This Seate of Mercie is b Rom. 3.24 Christ these Cherubims the Prophets and the Apostles both which in all their Writings looke and leuell their pennes at Christ who is the true propitiatorie The Prophets being the Apostles of the Law were taught of God in c Num. 12.16 Dreames Visions both that the Messiah should come into the world to suffer and also what should happen before his birth The Apostles being the Prophets of the Gospel were after the same manner instructed in all occurrences concerning the Church till the last day Christs comming into the world to iudge Of this ranck was Iohn an Apostolicall Prophet and a Propheticall Apostle as appeareth by this Booke of the Apocalyps being a Register of intricate Visions wherein there be couched as many d Hier. ad pauli Mysteryes as Words The Author hereof was Christ the Secretarie Iohn the place in which he penned it Pathmos an Island in the e Strab. lib. 13. Aegaean Sea whither hee was banished by f Eus eccle hist lib. 3. cap. 18. Domitian the Emperour The time when these Visions were seene was the Lords day and his first Vision was of one like vnto the Sonne of Man hauing in his right hand seauen starres and standing in the middest of seauen golden Candle-sticks the Mysterie hereof is reueiled by Christ saying The seauen Starres are the Angels of the seauen Churches the seauen Candlestickes are the seauen Churches of Ephesus Smyrna Pergamus Thiatira Sardi Philadelphia and Laodicia to the Angels or Byshops whereof our Sauiour writes seauen Epistles commending some reprouing others and exhorting all to Perseuerance to Patience to Repentance but to omit the rest at the seauenth verse of this Chapter begins the Epistle to the Angel of Philadelphia a Citie of Misia in Asia Strab. lib. 12. in the first part wherof he commendeth the Angels patience threatens his enemies and assureth him of ayd and assistance In the latter part which is my Text hee first exhorts him to Constancie in these words Behold I come shortly hold that thou hast that no man take thy crowne Secondly recounts the rewards of Conquerors saying Him that ouercommeth will I make a Pillar in the Temple of my God and hee shall goe no more out and I will write vpon him the Name of my God and the Name of the citie of my God which is the new Hierusalem which commeth downe out of Heauen from my God and I will write vpon him my new Name The Exhortation lies in these words which are the very Nauill of the Verse Hold that thou hast about which these two Motiues twine like the Serpents about Mercuries rod. First Behold I come shortly secondly that No man take thy Crowne Hold that thou hast Constancie and Perseuerance are in the scriptures set forth by foure Metaphors Ploughing Running Standing and Holding For the first our Sauiour saith g Luc. 9.62 No man that putteth his hand to the Plough and looketh backe is apt to the Kingdome of heauen This Plough is Gods seruice and the Profession of Christ to which when a man hath once setled himselfe hee must by remembring Lots wife take heed that he looke not backe Religion is fitly resembled by the Plough for the life of a true Professour and a Plough-man are alike both full of labour and trauaile the one eates his bread in the sweat of his face the other groneth continually vnder the Crosse To this Plough all that hope for heauenmust put their hands for the Kingdome of heauen suffers violence saith Christ therefore we must take paines for it and continue constantly at our worke without looking backe from Zoar to Sodome and from the paines of the Plough to the pleasures of the world For the second S. Paul saith h 1. Cor. 9. So runne that you may obtaine In some sort all men runne but because all doe not obtaine it seemeth there is Error either in the choice of the way or in the maner of running There is but one way to heauen i Mat. 7.13 and it is narrow and strait this is Christ the k Luc. 14.6 Way the Truth and the Life whosoeuer followeth not this Path wandereth from the Truth and therefore looseth aeternall life as the Way so the maner of running is but One it must be without ceasing stoppe or stay l Mat. 10.22 for onely hee which continueth vnto the end shall be saued For the third the same Apostle saith m Ephe. 6.14 Stand therefore your loynes girded about with Veritie Now what else is it to stand but to be n
of the earth and wilde beasts and creeping things and fowles of the heauen for in this life the Elect and the Reprobates are mixt together as the Iewes and Iebusites in old Hierusalem but it shall not be so at the last day for when our Sauiour comes to Iudgement hee shall like a Shepheard separate the Sheepe from the Goates his Reapers shall gather the Tares and binde them in sheaues to burne them but gather the Wheate into his barne and the true Israelites that haue done his Commandements shall haue right in the tree of life and enter in through the gates into the Citie but without shall be Dogges and Enchanters and Whore-mongers and murtherers and Idolaters and whosoeuer loueth or maketh lyes This Separation shall be as the Springes of Lebanon to the righteous but as the Waters of Marah to the vngodly as sweet as honie and the hony-combe to the true beleeuer but as bitter as Gall and wormewood to the Infidell In this world the commixion of the Good and the Euill is euill for the Good but good for the Euill First it is euill for the Good to liue amongst and conuerse with the wicked for which cause Dauid complaineth saying Woe is me that I am constrained to dwell with Mesech and to haue my habitation amongest the Tents of Kedar but on the contrary part it is good for the Euill because the Euill by the Good are shielded from many plagues if z Gen. 18.32 ten righteous men had bene found in Sodome God would not haue destroyed it for the tennes sake and one * Gen. 39.5 Ioseph was the cause that the blessing of the Lord was vpon the whole house of Potiphar This life is a time of weeping and mourning to Gods Children but a time of laughing and dauncing to the Sonnes of Beliall the Righteous mourne to see the Vngodly daunce and the Reprobate laugh to see the Elect weepe a Eccles 3.1 But as all things haue their appointed time and are subiect to change and alteration euen so the estate of Men for when that Generall Separation shall be made then they that haue sowne it teares shall reape in ioy and to such whose Seed-time hath beene Mirth a haruest shall befall of weeping and gnashing of teeth As one heauen cannot hold b Apo. 12.7.8 Michael and the Dragon nor one Temple c 1. Sam. 5. Gods Arke and Dâ—â—gon nor one ground beare both the Oke and the Oliue no more shall the glorious Citie New Hierusalem containe both the Sheepe and the Goates the pure in heart and the polluted in soule no no Within onely the Lambe shall be and the blessed Virgins his followers but without shall be dogges These two words Within and Without are like Hercules Pillars vpon which was written Nil vltrà Nothing further for in them we see the end of all flesh Within shewes the Map of heauen Without declares the Topographie of hell Within promiseth life euerlasting Without threatneth death aeternall d Exod. 28.30 The two words Vrim and Thummim being by Gods appointment written vpon the brest of the High Priest were to put him in minde of Zeale and Knowledge two essentiall and necessarie vertues in the Ministers of God so these two Within and Without being Characters of Separation doe intimate vnto vs the glorious Estate of the Righteous and the miscrable Condition of the Wicked in the world to come First Within like a Remembrancer puts vs in minde of that felicitie which the Apostle calleth a Mysterie because e 1. Cor. 2.7.6 The things which eye hath not seene neyther eare hath heard neyther came into mans heart are which God hath prepared for them that loue him oh then thrice happy are the Elect which shall be free Denizons in Paradise and coheyres with Christ in his Kingdome enioying f Iohn 16.22 a ioy which none shall take from them euen the g Mat. 25.21 ioy of their Lord being with him to behold his glorie whose presence shall be to them saith Austin tanquam Cythara Speculum Balsamum Mel Flos like a Harp for their hearing like a Glasse for their seeing like Balme for their smelling like Hony for their tasting and like a Flower for their touching the Meditation hereof worketh in the Regenerate strange effects First as the sweet sound of h 1. Sam. 16.13 Dauids Harp did driue away the Euill Spirit from King Saul and as the i Exod. 15.25 Wood which Moses cast into Marah changed the bitternesse of the Water into sweetnesse so though the righteous be enuironed and encompast with a thousand bitter afflictions in this life and be euen heauy loaden with crosses laid on them by Sathan and the world yet when they cast vp their eyes to heauen the bright and glorious countrie of the soule as Zoroastres cals it then is their Wormewood turned into hony and their griefe of minde into gladnesse of heart because they know that a time shall come when the Saints that are now eclipsed by the shadow of aduersitie k Dan 12.3 shall shine like the Sunne and the Starres of the Firmament and they that now weare Sackcloth with Dauid hairecloth with Eliah and garments of Camels hair with Iohn Baptist shall be cloathed with long white robes made white in the bloud of the Lambe Secondly as the sight of the blood of grapes made the Elephants of King Antiochus fight more furiously so euen the very thought of heauenly ioy stirres vp the mindes and the hearts of the Righteous to fight a good fight to runne a good race and to offer violence to the Kingdome of heauen by taking paines to heare Gods word preached in season and out of season by praying continually by beating downe the flesh and keeping it in subiection by Fasting and Abstinence by sweating blood and water and watring their Couches with teares had it not beene for the remembrance of Chanaan a land flowing with milke and honie the barrennesse of the Wildernesse would haue broken the hearts of the people of Israel our life is a pilgrimage and the World is a Wildernesse through it the way to the land of Promise is straite and hard to find Is not this enough to daunt and dismay a Passenger but hope of beeing at the last within the gates of the holy City cheares vp the Christian pilgrime armes him with patience against all dangers and hope once to bee separated from the societie of dogges causeth him to thinke Christs yoke sweet and his crosse a tree of Life Secondly this word Without points vs to Hell the habitation of Deuils the hold of all fowle spirits and a cage of euery vncleane and hatefull bird k Esay 30.33 which of old is prepared for the wicked and by Almighty God is made deepe and large the burning whereof is fire and much wood As was the banishment of Adam and Heuah out of Paradise such shall bee the exile of Dogges God to debarre