thy robes of glory but not thy rags of pouertie They loue him whiles the people cry Hosanna but shrinke backe when they cry Crucifie him All pleaseth them but the Crosse all the faire way of delights they will accompany him but at the Crosse they part They would share with him in his kingdome but they will none of his vassalage The Lyon in a Fable had many attendants and he prouided for them good cheare They like well of this and are proud of their master to whom all the other beastes gaue awe and obedience But it chanced that the Lyon fell into the daunger of the Dragon who had got him downe readie to deuoure him His followers seeing this quickly betake them to their heeles and fell euery beast to his old trade of rapine Onely the poore Lambe stood bleating by and though hee coulde not helpe would not forsake his Lord At last the Lyon gets the victory and treads the Dragon vnder his feet to death Then he punisheth those revolting traytors with deserued destruction and sets the Lambe by his owne side The great Lyon of Iudah feeds many of the Iewes and at this day profane wretches whilest his bountie lasts Christ and none but Christ. But when the Red Dragon hath got him vnder nailed him to the crosse Crucified him dead away goe these runnagates no more peny no more Paternoster If affliction come for Christ his cause they know where to find a kinder Master Backe to the world one to his fraud and hee will ouer-reach others with the sinne of deceitfulnesse though himselfe be ouer-reached with the deceitfulnesse of sinne Another to his vsurie and hee chymically proiects money out of the poores bowels A third to his couetousnesse and hee had rather that the very frame of the world should fall then the price of corne A fourth to his Idols and hee hopes for cakes from the Queene of heauen as if the King of heauen was not able to giue bread If the Lord pinch them with distresse they runne to Rome for succour expecting that from a blocke which they would not tarry to obtaine from the God of mercie Then they cry like the Israelites Vp make vs gods to goe before vs for as for this Moses wee know not what is become of him But at last this Lyon conquers the Dragon ouercomes Sathan his damnation what shall he then say to those Rebelles that would not haue him raigne ouer them But Bring those mine enemies and slay them before me But the poore and pure innocent Lambs that suffer with him shall raigne with him Blessed are they that suffer persecution for righteousnesse sake for theirs is the kingdome of heauen 〈◊〉 The other vse is St. Pauls Let the same minde be in you which was in Christ Iesus What mind is that Humilitie Ver. 7. He that thought it no robberie to bee equall with God humbled himselfe to become Man we should haue found it no robberie to be equall with Deuils and shall we be proud What an intolerable disproportion is this to behold Humilem Deum superbum hominem an humble God and a proud man Who can indure to see a Prince on foot his vassall mounted Shall the Sonne of God be thus humble for vs shall not we be humble for our selues For our selues I say that deserue to be cast downe among the lowest for our selues that we may be exalted He that here cals himselfe the Sonne of man is now glorified they that humbly acknowledge themselues to be the Sonnes of men that is mortall shal be made the Sonnes of God that is immortall In the first of King 19. There was a mightie strong winde that rent the mountaines and brake the rockes but God was not in the Wind the Lord will not rest in the turbulent spirit puffed vp with the wind of vaine-glory There was an earth-quake but God was not in the earth-quake He will not dwell in a couetous heart buryed in the furrowes of the earth and cares of the world There was a Fire but the Lord was not in the fire Hee will not rest in a cholericke angry soule full of combustion and furious heate There was a still soft voyce and the Lord came with it In a milde and humble spirit the God of heauen and earth will dwell The high and loftie One that inhabiteth eternitie will dwell in the contrite and humble soule It is a sweet mixture of Greatnesse and Goodnesse Vt dum nihil in honore sublimius nihil in humilitate submissius When the highest in dignitie are the lowest in courtesie Augustine called himselfe Minimum non solùm omnium Apostolorum sed etiam Episcoporum the least not onely of all the Apostles but of all the Bishops wheras he was the most illuminate doctor and best Bishop of his times Paul thought himselfe not worthy to be called an Apostle and behold he is called The Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not Paul but The Apostle Abraham that esteemed himselfe dust and ashes is honoured to bee the Father of all them that beleeue Dauid sits content at his sheepe-folds the Lord makes him King ouer his Israell But as Humilitie like the Bee gathers Honey out of ranke Weeds very sinnes mouing to repentance So Pride like the Spider suckes poyson out of the fairest flowers the best graces and is corrupted with insolence Vna superbia destruit omnia Onely Pride ouerthrowes all It thrust proud Nabuchadnezzar out of mens societie proud Saul out of his kingdome proud Adam out of Paradise proud Haman out of the Court proud Lucifer out of heauen Pride had her beginning among the Angels that fell her continuance in earth her end in hell Poore man how ill it becomes thee to be proud when God himselfe is humble Is come We vnderstand the person let vs come to his Comming And herein Ecce veritatem behold his Truth Did God promise a Sonne of a virgin Emanuell a Sauiour He is as good as his word Venit he is come Did the sacrificed bloud of so many Buls Goates and Lambes prefigure the expiatory bloud of the Lambe of God to be shed Ecce agnus Dei Behold that Lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world Is the Seed of the woman promised to breake the head of the serpent Behold he breakes the heauens and comes downe to doe it For this purpose the Sonne of God was manifested that he might destroy the workes of the Deuill Did God ingage his word for a Redeemer to purge our sinnes Call his name Iesus for he shall saue his people from their sinnes Against vnbeleeuing Atheists and mis-beleeuing Iewes here is sufficient conviction But I speake to Christians that beleeue he is come Hac fide credite venturum esse qua creditis venisse Beleeue that he will come againe with the same faith wherewith you beleeue he is come alreadie Doe not curtall Gods
in this coherence pardon me if I haue beene somewhat plentifull It was the induction to my Text and the dore thus opened let vs enter in to suruay the building Be not c. The whole may be distinguished into a Caution Reason The caution Be not deceiued God is not mocked The Reason For whatsoeuer a man soweth that shall hee also reape The Caution is partly Disswasiue Be not deceiued Perswasiue God is not mocked You may deceiue your selues you cannot deceiue God These two circumstances make against two defects Error Be not deceiued Hypocrisie God is not mocked The Disswasion Be not deceiued This is the voyce of a friend studying Aut praeuenire errori aut reuocare errantem eyther to preuent a man before he erres or to recall him erring A phrase often vsed by our Apostle Ephes. 5. Let no man deceiue you vvith vaine words Nihil facilius est quà m errare There is nothing easier then to erre There is no man but erres sometimeâ—… in via pedum often in via morum This prouision then is necessary 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Deceits lye as thick vpon the earth as the Grashoppers did in Egypt a man can scarce set his foote besides them But to preuent the deceiuings of sinne is our Apostles intention Hebr. 3. Lest any of vs bee hardned through the deceitfulnesse of sinne Sinne is crafty and full of delusion there is no sinne but hath his couzonage Vsury vvalkes in Alderman Thrifty's gowne Pride gets the name of my Lady Decencie Idolatry as if it dwelt by ill neighbours praiseth it selfe and that for the purest Deuotion Homicide marcheth like a man of valour and Lust professeth it selfe Natures Scholler Couetousnesse is goodman Nabals husbandry and Enclosing Master Oppressors policie We were wont to say that blacke could neuer be coloured into vvhite yet the deuill hath some Painters that vndertake it Euills are neere neighbors to good Errore sub illo Pro vitio virtus crimina saepe tulit By that meanes vertue hath borne the blame of vices faults yea and more then that Vice hath had the credite of Vertues goodnes But be not deceiued When mens wits and the deuils to helpe haue found out the fairest pretexts for sinne Gods iustice strikes off all and leaues Sinne naked and punishable Many pretences haue been found out for many sinnes besides distinctions mitigations qualifications extenuations colours questions necessities inconueniences tolerations ignorances But when man hath done God begins One argument of Gods now is stronger then all ours Thou shalt not doe this Goe study to perswade thy selfe that thou mayest yet at last GOD takes away all thy distinctions when he poures his wrath on thy naked conscience Then where is thy paint If it preuaile not against the Sunne what will it doe against the fire God charged our first Parents that they should not cate of the forbidden fruite If you doe you shall dye The deuill comes first with a flatte Negatiue Non moriâ—…mini Ye shall not dye Then with subtile promises Yee shall be as Gods knowing good and euill But what is the euent They eate and they die are instantly made mortall and should haue died for euer but for a Sauiour GOD bids Saul slay all in Amalek 1. Sam. 15. Smite Amalek vtterly destroy all that they haue and spare them not Yet Saul spares Agag and the fatte cattell Why is this a fault I spared the best of the cattell for Sacrifice to the Lord. Will not this serue No God reiects Saul from beeing King ouer Israel who had reiected God from beeing King ouer Saul Be not deceiued God is not mâ—…ked Consider we here the examples of Uzzah and Vzziah For Vzzah God had charged that none but the consecrated Priests should touch the Arkâ—… Uzzah seeing the Oxen shake the Arke put forth his hand to stay it vp Was this a sinne to stay the Arke of God from falling Yes God proues it he layes him dead by the Arks side For Vzziah God had charged Numb 18. that none should inuade the Priests office The stranger that commeth nigh shall be put to death Vzziah will come to the Altar with a Censor in his hand to offer Incense Why is this an offence to offer to the Lord Yes GOD makes it manifest Vzziah is a Leper to his dying day God had coÌ„manded the Prophet sent to Bethel Thou shalt eate no bread and drinke no water there Well he is going homewards and an old Prophet ouer-takes him perswades him to refresh himselfe No saies the other I must not For so was it charged me in the Word of the Lord Thou shalt eate no bread c. But sayes the old Prophet An Angell spake to me saying Bring him backe that he may eate bread Well he goes Is not a Prophets word an Angels word authoritie enough No the Lord proues it he giues a Lion leaue to slay him Bee not deceiued God is not mocked The Iewes knew that they ought not to despise their Messias He is come Loe now they study arguments against him Iohn 7. Wee know this man whence hee is but when Christ commeth no man knoweth whence hee is And Search and looke for out of Galilee ariseth no Prophet Be these their cauills against Gods expresse charge Hee answers all vvhen he leaues their house vnto them desolate I hope I may take a little sayes â—…ehazi but enough tooke him for it a continuall Leproâ—…e The euill Seruant hath his plea Math. 25. I knew that thou wert a hard man c. Therefore I hid thy talent in the earth loe there thou hast that is thine But what followes ver 30 Cast yee that vnprofitable seruant into vtter darknesse there shall be weeping and gnashing of â—…eeth To come from example to application It is Gods coÌ„mand concerning Princes Touch not mine Anointed The Papists will touch them with the hand of death VVhy they haue warrant from the Pope Gods Word saies not so either in precept or precedent If any King in Gods booke had beene deposed by a Priest all the Schooles and Pulpits would haue rung of it wee should haue had no rule with the Church of Rome But it falls out happily Ut quod praecepto non iubetur etiam exemplo careat That as it is not commanded by charge so nor commended by examples But will they still argue for this shedding of the bloud-royall The gallhouse confutes them heere but their worst confutation vvill be confusion hereafter God sayes thou shalt not put thy money to vsury thou hast found out many distinctions to satisfie thy conscience or rather thy couetousnesse Gods word thy will are at oddes He sayes Thou shalt not thou sayest thou may est On these and these termes Hell fire shall decide the question Relieue the poore saith the Lord. Thou suckest their blouds rather but howsoeuer wilt giue nothing Why may we not doe with our owne vvhat wee list Well
hee thinkes of Preachers as the Deuill sayd of CHRIST that we come to torment him before his time Well then Reioyce sayth GOD Let thy heart cheare thee in the dayes of thy youth But ironice hee mockes when hee sayes so Now quod Deus loquitur ridens tu lege lacrymans What God speakes laughing doe thou read lamenting If God once laughes itis high time for vs to weepe They will not heare God when he preacheth in their health God will not heare them when they pray in their sicknes They would not hearken to him in the Pulpit nor hee to them on their death bed 6. God speakes by his Spirit This spirit beareth witnesse with our spirit c. Perhaps this is that voyce behind vs as it were whispering to our thoughts This is the way walke in it This is that speaking Spirit It is not yee that speake but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you It is this Spirit that speakes for vs and speakes to vs and speakes in vs. It is the Churches prayer Let him kisse mee with the kisses of his mouth Sanctus Spiritus osculum Patris The holy Ghost is the kisse of God the Father Whom God kisseth he loueth Now by all these wayes doth God speake peace to our consciences and say to our soules that hee is our Saluation 1. Hee may speake with his owne voyce and thus he gaue assurance to Abraham Feare not I am thy shield thy exceeding great reward If God speake comfort let hell roare horrour 2. Hee may speake by his workes actuall mercies to vs demonstrate that we are in his fauour and shall not be condemned By this I know thou fauourest mee because mine enemie doth not triumph ouer mee 3. Hee may speake by his sonne Come to mee all that labour and are heauie laden and I will ease you 4. He may speake by his Scripture this is Gods Epistle to vs and his letters Patent wherein are granted to vs all the priuiledges of saluation An vniuersall Siquis Whosoeuer beleeues and is Baptised shall be saued 5. He may speake by his Ministers to whom he hath giuen the Ministerie of reconciliation 6. He doth speake this by his spirit he sendeth forth the spirit of his sonne into our hearts crying Abba Father By all these voyces God sayes to his elect I am your saluation To my Soule Many heare God speaking comfort to the corporall care that heare him not speaking this to the soule They heare him but they feele him not The best assurance is from feeling Come neare let mee feele thee my Sonne sayd Isaacto Iacob let me feele thee my Father say wee to God The thronging Iewes heard Christ but Zacheus that beleeuing Publican felt Christ. This day is saluation come to thy house My Soule There is no vexation to the vexation of the soule so no consolation to the consolation of the soule Dauid in this Psalme calls it his Darling Rescue my soule from their destructions my Darling from the Lyons The same Prophet complained of a great vnrest when his soule was disquieted within him Ionas of a grieuous sicknesse when his soule fainted Ioseph had a cruell bondage when The yron entred his soule So no comfort to the comfort of the soule In the multitude of my thoughts within me Thy comforts haue refreshed my soule The wicked heare tell of Gods mercies communitur audimus verbum salutis but God speakes not to their soules Therefore they cannot say with Mary My soule reioyceth This ioy when God speakes peace to the soule is ineffabile gaudium a iubilation of the heart which a man can neither recitare nor reticere neither suppresse nor expresse It giues end to all â—…arres doubts and differences ouercomes the world non-sutes the deuill and makes a man keepe Hilary Terme all his life To my Soule Mine I might here examine whose this Mea is who is the owner of this my A prophet a king a man after Gods owne heart that confessed himselfe the beloued of God that knew the Lord would neuer forsake him holy happy Dauid ownes this meae hee knowes the Lord loues him yet desires to know it more Dic animae Mea say to My soule But let this teach vs to make much of this My. Luther sayes there is great diuinitie in pronounes The Assurance that GOD will saue some is a fayth incident to Deuills The very Reprobates may beleeue that there is a booke of Election but GOD neuer told them that their names were written there The hungry begger at the Feast-house gate smells good cheare but the Master doth not say this is prouided for thee It is small comfort to the harbourlesse wretch to passe through a goodly Citie and see many glorious buildings When hee cannot say Haec mea domus I haue a place here The beautie of that excellent Citie Ierusalem built with Saphyres Emeralds Chrysolites and such precious stones the foundation and walls whereof are perfect gold affords a soule no comfort vnlesse hee can say mea ciuitas I haue a Mansion in it The all sufficient merits of Christ doe thee no good vnlesse tua pars portio hee bee thy Sauiour Happy soule that can say with the Psalmist O Lord thou art my portion Let vs all haue oyle in our Lampes lest if wee bee then to buy beg or borow wee be shut out of doores like the fooles not worthy of entrance Pray Lord say vnto my soule I am thy saluation I am thy saluation The Petition is ended I will but looke into the Benediction wherein I should consider these foure circumstances Quis quid Cui quando Who What to Whom When. Who. The Lord to the Lord Dauid prayes He hath made a good choice for there is saluation in none other Thou hast destroyed thy selfe but in me is thy helpe The world failes the flesh fals the Deuill kils onely the Lord saues What. Saluation a speciall good thing euery mans desire who would not bee saued Euery man would goe to heauen though perhaps hee runnes a course directly to hell Beatus vult homo esse etiam non sic viuendo vt possit esse Man would be blessed though he takes the course to be cursed I will giue thee a Lordship saith God to Esau. I will giue thee a kingdome sayth God to Saul I will giue thee an Apostleship sayth God to Iudas But I will be thy saluation he sayes to Dauid and to none but Saints Indeed this voyce comes from heauen comes vnto earth but onely through the mediator betwixt heauen and earth Iesus Christ. Hee is the alone Sauiour Worldlings possesse many things but haue right to nothing because not right to him that is the heire of all thinges Christ. The soule is the perfection of the bodie Reason of the Soule Religion of reason Faith of Religion Christ of faith A man can warrant vs vpon earth that
shall weepe Satan is a killing master his wages is hell fire But all in grace is liuing and enliuing Idols are dead and neuer were aliue men are aliue but shall bee dead pleasures are neyther aliue nor dead Deuils are both aliue and dead for they shall liue a dying life and dye a liuing death Onely the liuing God giues euerlasting life Ierusalem This is the appellation of the Citie As Canaan was a figure of heauen either of them called the Land of Promise so locall Ierusalem is a type of this mysticall Citie There are many conceits concerning the denomination of Ierusalem Hierom thinks that the former part of the word comes from the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Holy because Ierusalem is called the holy Citie But then there should bee a mixture of two seuerall languages Greek and Hebrew to the making vp of the word The Hebrewes deriue it better they say Sem called it Salem Peace and Abraham Iireh The place where he attempted the sacrifice of his sonne he called Iehouah-Iireh The Lord will see Thus put together it is Ierusalem visiopacis This is more probable then from the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Ierom or from Iebus as Pererius This is euident from the 76. Psalme ver 2. In Salem is his Tabernacle and his dwelling place in Sion So that Salem Sion were both in one place The Iewes haue a Tradition that in one and the same place Cain and Abel offred in the same place Noah comming out of the Arke sacrificed in the same place Abraham offered Isaac in the same place stood Areunah's threshing floore which Dauid bought in the same place Melchisedek the Priest dwelt in the same place Salomon built the Temple and our Lord Iesus Christ was crucified But to let goe ambiguities Ierusalem is a City of Peace This is plaine Melchisedek was King of Salem that is King of Peace Gods Church is a Church of peace That of Plato ouer his dore is worth our remembrance Nemo nisi veritatis et pacis studiosus â—…trabit Let none enter but such as loue peace and truth Saint Paul is bold to his Galathians I would to God they were euen cut off that trouble you Contra rationem nemo sobrius contra Scripturas nemo Christianus contra Ecclesiam nemo pacificus senserit No sober man speakes against reason no Christian against the Scriptures no peaceable man against the Church Hee that is not a man of peace is not a man of GOD. Peace is the effect of patience if men would beare iniuries and offer none all would be peace It is the greatest honour for a man to suffer himselfe conquered in that wherin he should yeeld Be of one mind liue in peace and the God of loue and peace be with you A iust reward if we haue one mind and liue in loue and peace the God of loue and peace shall be with vs. Heauenly This Citie is on earth but not of earth This is not terrestriall Ierusalem She is in bondage with her children She was not onely then vnder the Romane seruitude literally but according to Pauls meaning allegorically shee could not attaine the liberty of the Spirit but abideth vnder the wrath of God and horrour of conscience But this Ierusalem is heauenly I saw the holy City new Ierusalem comming downe from God out of heauen prepared as a Bride adorned for her husband Now it is called Heauenly in three respects Of Birth of Conuersation of Inheritance Ortus coelestis quoad originem progressus coelestis quoad conuersationem finis coelestis quoad translationem Here is all heauenly Ierusalem that is aboue is free the mother of vs all In hoc quòd dicitur sursum originis altitudo quòd Ierusalem pacis multitudo quòd libera libertatis magnitudo quòd mater faecunditatis amplitudo quòd nostrum omnium charitatis latitudo The Church in the Creede hath three properties Holy Catholike knit in a communion The word Aboue intimates she is Holy the word Mother that shee is knit in a communion the word Of all that she is Catholike Ierusalem is a type of the Catholike Church in Election Collection Dilection First for Election The Lord hath chosen Sion That out of all Cities this out of all Nations Ye are a chosen generation a peculiar people enclosed from the Commons of this world Gods owne appropriation 2. For Collection that was walled with stone this hedged in with grace God planted a vineyard in a very fruitfull hill and he fenced it It is well mounded and the Citizens of it linked together with the Bond of peace 3. For dilection Beautifull for situation the Palace of the great King the Sanctuary of his holy worship his Presence-chamber the pillar and ground of the truth There was the seate of Dauid here the Throne of the Sonne of Dauid that openeth and no man shutteth that shutteth and no man openeth A heauenly Citie 1. In respect of her Birth and beginning heauenly For the Lord of heauen hath begate her of immortall seed by the word of truth Art thou a Christian behold thy honourable birth and beginning Was it an honourable stile Troianus origine Caesar Then much more Coelestis origine sanctus Euery Saint is by his originall heauenly Beare thy selfe nobly thou hast a celestiall generation 2. In respect of growth and continuance heauenly Our conuersation is in heauen Wee liue on earth yet saith the Apostle our conuersation is expresly in heauen Our affections are so set on it that wee scarce looke vpon this world wee so runne to our treasure there that wee forget to be rich here but like the Saints cast our money at our feet Act. 4. Corpore ambulantes in terris corde habitantes in coelis Our bodies walke on earth our hearts dwell in heauen To the hating and despising world vvee answere Nil nobis cum Mundo nil vobis cum Coelo Wee haue small share in this world you haue lesse in the world to come 3. In respect of the End Ideo dicitur coelestis quia coelum sedes eius Our soules are neuer quiet till they come to their wished home Thus hath GOD blessed vs with all spirituall blessings in heauenly places The Church in her worst part is below in her best aboue Earth is Patria loci but heauen Patria iuris As Irishmen are dwellers in Ireland but Denisons of England We dwell in houses of clay vvhose foundation is in the dust but are ruled by the Lawes of that supernall Citie Father my will is that those thou hast giuen mee may be with mee where I am Amator mortuus est in corpore proprio viâ—…us in alieno A Louer is dead in his owne body aliue in anothers Animus velut pondere amore fertur quocunque fertur saith August Loue waighes and swayes the soule whither soeuer it be carried Exi
Bullocks and Goates not their owne hearts Therefore the third straine affirmes that Dauid will not onely offer beasts but himselfe I will pay thee my vowes So that in his Gratitude is obseruable Quo Loco Modo Animo In what place Gods house after what manner vvith burnt offerings with what mind I will pay thee my vowes His deuotion is without exception all the labour is to worke our hearts to an imitation I will goe into thy house The first note hath two straines Place Entrance The place he purposeth to enter is described by the Property Domus Proprietary Dominus This house was not the Temple for that was after built by Salomon but the Tabernacle or Sanctuary GOD had his house in all ages as the wise Creator of all things he reserued to him a portion in all things Non propter indigentiam sed in re cognitionem not that hee had need of them but that he might be acknowledged in thē Though he be Lord of all Nations in the world because the Maker of all men yet he reserued a particular number of men appropriated them to himselfe and these he called Suum populum His people Though thousands of Angels stand before him and tenne thousand thousands of those glorious spirits minister vnto him yet he culleth and calleth out some particular men to celebrate his seruice sanctifying or setting thē apart to that office these he calls Suos ministros His Priests his Ministers Though he be a Spirit immortall most rich and Lord of all things the earth is his and the fulnesse thereof yea heauen and the glory thereof If I were hungry I would not tell thee for the world is mine c. yet he reserueth to himselfe a certaine share of these inferiour things and this hee calls Suam sortem his portion His tythes his offerings Though he be Eternall first and last without beginning without end God of all times and yet vnder no time with whom a thousand yeares is but as one day and euerlastingly to be honoured Yet hee reserueth to himselfe a certaine time wherein hee lookes for our generall worship this he cals Suum Diem his day his Sabbaths Though hee be the High and Lofty One that inhabiteth eternity vvhose Name is Holy though infinite and comprehended in no place Yet he sets apart some speciall place wherein his great name shall be called on and this he calls Suam Domum His house So Math. 21. My house shall be called the house of prayer Here I will goe into Thy House God neuer left his Church destitute of a certain sacred place wherein he would be worshipped Adam had a place wherein he should present himselfe to God and God did present himselfe to him Paradise God appeared to Abraham in a place and sanctified it and there Abraham built an Altar for it was holy When hee commanded him to sacrifice his Sonne Isaac hee appointed him a place on a mountaine And on this very mountaine was afterwards Salomons Temple built 2. Chron. 3. Iacob according to the seuerall places hee dwelt in built seuerall Altars to serue God on The Israelites were translated out of Egypt for this very cause that they might haue a place to sacrifice to the Lord. When they were come into Canaan God commanded and directed Moses to make a Tabernacle which was but mobile Tabernaculum to bee dissolued when Salomons glorious Temple was finished Now all these particular places were consecrated to the seruice of God and called Loca Dei Gods Places as Dauid calls this Domum Dei Gods House This is the first note of the straine the Place The next is his Entrance wherein obserue 1. That Dauids first care is to visit Gods house It is very likely that this Psalme was written by Dauid eyther in exile vnder Saul or in persecution by Absalon or in some grieuous distresse whereout being deliuered hee first resolues to salute Gods House Chrysostome in Opere imperfect or whosoeuer was the Author of that booke notes it the property of a good Sonne when hee comes to towne first to visite his Fathers house and to performe the honour that is due to him We finde this in Christ. Math. 22. so soone as euer he came to Ierusalem first he visits his Fathers house He went into the Temple What the Sonne and Lord of Dauid did there the same course doth the Seruant of his Sonne take heere First I will goe into thy House Oh for one dramme of this respect of Gods house in these dayes Shall that place haue a principall place in our affections we would not then thinke one houre tedious in it when many yeares delight vs in the Tents of Kedar This was not Dauids opinion One day in thy Court is better then a thousand Nor grudge at euery penny that a Leuy taxeth to the Church as if Tegumen parietibus impositum was enough bare walls and a couer to keepe vs from raine and aliquid ornatus was but superfluous except it be a cushion and a wainscot seate for a Gentlemans better ease The greatest preparation vsually against some solemne feast is but a little fresh straw vnder the feete the ordinary allowance for hogs in the stye or horses in the stable For other cost let it be Domus opportuna volu◅m a cage of vncleane birds and so it must bee so long as some sacrilegious persons are in it It was part of the Epitaph of King Edgar Templa Deo Templis Monachos Monachis dedit agros He gaue Temples to God Ministers to those Temples and maintenance to those Ministers But the Epitaphs of too many in these dayes may well run in contrary termes They take Tenths from good Ministers good Ministers from the Churches yea and some of them also the Churches from God But here Quicquid tetigero vlcus erit that which I should touch is an vlcer and I will spend no Physicke in immedicabile vulnus vpon an incurable wound but leaue it Enserecidendum Domini to be cut off with the sword of Gods vengeance 2. Obserue the reason why Dauid would goe into Gods house and this hath a double degree To giue him 1. Praise 2. Publike praise 1. Praise Might not Dauid praise God in any place Yes Dauid might and must blesse the Lord in any place in euery place but the place that is principally destin'd to this purpose is Domus Dei Gods House The name which God imposed on his house and by which as it were he Christned it was Domus orationis the house of prayer As Christ Math. 21. deriues it from Esa. 56. My house shall be called the house of prayer Therefore those houses were called in the Primitiue times Dominica the Lords houses and Oratoria houses of prayer deuoted to the praise of God I might heere take iust cause to taxe an error of our times Many come to these holy places and are so transported with a desire
of hearing that they forget the feruencie of praying and praising God The End is euer held more noble then the meanes that conduce vnto it Sin brought in ignorance and ignorance takes away deuotion The Word preached brings in knowledge and knowledge rectifies deuotion So that all our preaching is but to beget your praying to instruct you to praise and worship God The most immediate proper seruice and worship of God is the end and hearing but the meanes to that end And the rule is true Semper finis excellit id quod est ad finem the end euer excells that which leads to the end Scientia non est qualitas actiua sed principium quo aliquis dirigitur in operando Knowledge is not an actiue qualitie but onely a meanes to direct a man in working Non tam audire quà m obedire requirit Deus God reckons not so much of our audience as of our obedience not the hearers but the dooers are blessed in their deed Indeed Christ saith Blessed are they that heare the Word of God but with this condition that they keepe it The worship of GOD is the fruit of hearing shew me this fruit Our Oratoria are turned into Auditoria and we are content that God should speake earnestly to vs but wee will not speake deuoutly to him I hope that no man will so ignorantly and iniuriously vnderstand me as if I spake against hearing of Sermons frequently God forbid you must heare and we must preach Acts. 6. The Apostles gaue themselues continually to prayer and to the preaching of the Word Where yet Prayer is put in the first place I complaine not that our Churches are Auditories but that they are not Oratories not that you come to Sermons for Gods sake come faster but that you neglect publique prayer As if it were onely Gods part to blesse you not yours to blesse God And hereof I complaine with good company Chrysostome saith that such a multitude came to his Sermons that there was scarce roome for a late commer those would all patiently attend the end of the Sermon But when prayers were to be read or Sacraments to be administred the company was thinne the seates empty Uacua desertaque Ecclesia reddebatur Beloued mistake not It is not the onely exercise of a Christian to heare a Sermon nor is that Sabbath well spent that dispatcheth no other businesse for heauen I will be bold to tell you that in Heauen there shall be no Sermons and yet in Heauen there shall be Halleluiahs And this same end for which Dauid came to Gods house shall remaine in glory to praise the Lord. So that all Gods seruice is not to be narrowed vp in hearing it hath greater latitude there must be prayer praise adoration and worship of God Neither is it the scope of Christianitie to knowe but the scope of knowledge is to be a good Christian. You are not Heathen to aske Quid credendum What must we belieue nor Catechists to demand Quid faciendum What must we doe You know what to belieue you know what to doe Our preaching hath not so much need monere as monere though you also need instruction yet more need of exhortation for you haue learnt more then euer you haue followed Come then hither both to heare God and to praise God As Dauid was not onely here a Praiser but ver 16. a Preacher Come and heare all ye that feare God and I wil tell you what he hath done for my soule 2. Which fitly brings mee to the further exemplyfying of this cause mouing Dauid to enter into Gods house Which was not onely to praise him but to praise him publiquely Otherwise he might haue muttered his orisons to himselfe no he desires that his mouth should be a trumpet of Gods glory as frequently in the Psalmes I will praise thee before the great congregations There are some that whatsoeuer seruice they doe to God desire many vvitnesses of it others desire no witnesses at all The former are hypocrites who would haue all mens eyes take notice of their deuotion as if they durst not trust God vvithout witnesse for feare he should deny it Such were the Pharises they gaue no almes without the proclamation of a trumpet and their prayers were at the corners of streets such corners where diuerse streets met so more spectable to many passengers To these Christ Math. 6. Doe thy deuotion in secret and hee that seeâ—… in secret shall reward thee openly The other haue a little desire to serue GOD but they would haue no witnesses at all They depend vpon some great man that will be angry with it And these would faine haue God take notice of their deuotion and no body else So Nichodemus stole to Christ by night and many a Papists seruant would come to Church if hee were sure his Master might not know of it For hee feares more to be turned out of his seruice then out of Gods seruice To these Christ Luke 12. Be not afraid of them that can kill the body and no more but feare him that hath power to cast into hell yea I say vnto you feare him A man may better lose his Landlords fauour then the Lords fauour his Farme on earth then his manor or mansion in heauen Dauid was neither of these His thankfulnesse shal not be hidden timore minantium nor yet will hee manifest it amore laudantium Neither for feare of Commanders nor for loue of commenders He is neither Timidus nor Tumidus not fearefull of frownes nor luxurious of praises but onely desires to manifest the integritie of his conscience in the sight of God It is the manner of the godly not onely to ruminate in their minds Gods mercies but to divulge them to the bettering of others When vvee yeeld thus to the world a testimony of our faith thankfulnesse in Gods publique honour we prouoke others to harken to religion and inflame their hearts with a feruent desire to partake the like mercies The fame of Alexander gaue heart to Iulius Caesar to be the more noble vvarriour The freedome of our deuotion giues an edge to others Beneficium qui dedit taceat narret qui accepit Let him that giues a benefit be silent let him speake of it that hath receiued it There is that law of difference saith that Philosopher betwixt the dooer of a good turne and the receiuer of it Alter statim obliuisci debet dati alter accepti nunquam The one ought quickly to forget what he hath giuen the other ought neuer to forget what hee hath receiued We are the receiuers and must not forget God gaue the Law to Israel and the Custome of the Saints obserued it What we haue heard and knowne and our Fathers haue told vs we will not hide from our children shewing to the generations to come the praises of the Lord. Indeed there was a time when Christ forbad the
praemium tantis lobâ—…ribus quaesitum lest the reward be lost which thou with much labour hast aymed at It is not enough Quaerere coelum sed acquirere non Christum sequi sed consequi To seeke heauen but to find it not to follow Christ but to ouertake him not to be brought to the gates but to enter in Many will say to Christ in that day Lord Lord haue we not prophecied in thy Name But the Master of the house is first risen hath shut to the doore Either they come too soone before they haue gotten faith and a good conscience or too late as those foolish Virgins when the gate was shut If then wee haue begun let vs continue to entrance Cuiusque casus tantò maioris est criminis quantò prinsquam caderet maior is er at virtutis Euery mans fault hath so much the more discredite of scandall as he before he fell had credite of vertue Let vs beware that we doe not slide if slide that we do not fall if fall that wee fall forward not backward The iust man often slips and sometime falls And this is dangerous for if a man whiles hee stands on his legges can hardly grapple with the deuill how shall he do when he is falne downe vnder his feete But if they doe fall they fall forward as Ezekiel not backward as Eli at the losse of the Arke or they that came to surprise Christ Iohn 18. They went backward and fell to the ground Cease not then thy godly endeuours vntill Contingas portum quò tibi â—…ursus erat Say we not like the woman to Esdras whether in a vision or otherwise when he bade her goe into the Citie That will I not doe I will not goe into the Citie but here I will die It is a wretched sinne saith August after teares for sinne not to preserue innocence Such a man is washed but is not cleane Quia coÌ„missa flere definit et iterum flenda committit He leaues weeping for faults done and renues faults worthy of weeping Think not thy selfe safe till thou art got within the gates of the Citie Behold thy Sauiour calling thy Father blessing the Spirit assisting the Angels comforting the Word directing the glory inuiting good men associating Go cheerfully till thou enter in through the gates into the Citie The manner Through the gates Not singularly a Gate but gates For Chap. 21. the Citie is said to haue twelue gates On the East three gates on the North three on the South three and on the West three To declare that men shall come from all the corners of the World from the East and from the West from the North and from the South and shall sit downe in the Kingdome of GOD. These Gates are not literally to be vnderstood but mystically Pro modo intrandi for the maner of entrance The gates are those passages whereby we must enter this Citie Heauen is often said to haue a Gate Striue to enter in at the strait Gate saith Christ. Lift vp your heads O yee Gates and be ye lift vp yee euerlasting doores saith the Psalmist This is none other but the house of God and this is the Gate of Heauen saith Iacob There must be Gates to a Citie they that admit vs hither are the Gates of Grace So the analogie of the words inferre dooing the commandements is the way to haue right in the tree of Life obedience and sanctification is the Gate to this Citis of saluation In a vvord The Gate is Grace Citie Glory The Temple had a gate called Beautifull Act. 3. But of poore beauty in regard of this Gate Of the gates of the Sanctuary spake Dauid in diuerse Psalmes with loue and ioy Enter into his gates with thanksgiuing and into his courts with praise This was Gods delight The Lord loueth the gates of Zion more then all the dwellings of Iacob This was Dauids election to be a Porter or keeper of the gates of Gods house rather then dwell in the Tents of wickednesse This his Resolution Our feete shall stand within thy gates O Ierusalem Salomon made two docres for the entring of the Oracle they were made of Oliue trees and wrought vpon with the carnings of Cherubins The Oliues promising fatnesse and plenty of blessings the Cherubins holinesse and eternitie These are holy gates let euery one pray with that royall Prophet Open to mee the gates of righteousnesse I will goe into them I wil praise the Lord. This is the Gate of the Lord into which the righteous shall enter In briefe we may distinguish the gates leading to this Citie into two Adoption and Sanctification Both these meet in Christ who is the onely gate or doore vvhereby we enter Heauen I am the doore saith our Sauiour Ianua vitae the gate of life by mee if any enter in hee shall be saued Adoption Is the first Gate We haue receiued the spirit of Adoption Without this passage no getting into Heauen The inheritance of glory cannot be giuen to the children of disobedience they must first be conuerted adopted heires in Christ. The Grace of God is two-fold There is Gratia gratis agens and Gratia gratum faciens This second grace which is of Adoption is neuer in a reprobate not by an absolute impossibilitie but by an indisposition in him to receiue it A sparke of fire falling vpon water ice snow goes out on wood flaxe or such apt matter kindles Baptisme is the Sacrament of admission into the Congregation of Insition and Initiation whereby vve are matriculated and receiued into the motherhood of the Church Therefore the sacred Font is placed at the Church-doore to insinuate and signifie our Entrance So Adoption is the first doore or gate whereby wee passe to the Citie of glory This is our new Creation whereat the Angels of heauen reioyce Luke 15. At the creation of Dukes or Earles there is great ioy among men but at our new creation Angels and Seraphins reioyce in the presence of GOD. Our Generation was A non esse ad esse from not being to be But our Regeneration is A malè esse ad benè esse from a being euill to be well and that for euer Through this gate we must passe to enter the Citie vvithout this death shall send vs to another place No man ends this life well except he be borne againe before he ends it Now if you would be sure that you are gone through this gate call to mind what hath been your Repentance The first signe of Regeneration is throbbes and throwes you cannot be adopted to Christ without sensible paine and compunction of heart for your sinnes The Christian hath two Birthes and they are two gates hee can passe through none of them but with anguish Both our first and second Birth begin with crying Our first birth is a gate into
called a Chariot because it carrieth the soules faculties to all organs and parts of the body and that with wonderfull speed 2. Morally by considering how frequently wee haue transgressed those vertues to which the very Heathen gaue a strict obedience Where is our iustice temperance patience We haue idle designes and idler desires and giue vvay to all euill that may bee either thought or wrought and what we dare not act we dare like Wee lothe like fond sheepe the good pastures of fit benefits and bleat after the brouse of vanities Like erring Planets we keepe not the ecclyptike line of vertuous mediocritie As God hath all good in himselfe all euill onely in knowledge so we on the contrary haue much good in knowledge all euill in our selues 3. Spirituall knowledge goes yet further euen in medullas et penetralia cordis It searcheth the heart and if in that most inward Chamber or in any cabinet thereof it can finde an Idol it brings it forth It sees when the torrent of time beares thee downe the streame of custome what faintnesse is in thy faith what coldnes in thy zeale when the awe of man giues the fear of God a check-mate It sounds the lowest depth of the Conscience and spyeth blemishes in the face of whitest innocence So it brings the best soule downe on her knees teacheth her the necessity of humblenesse and puts this prayer in her mouth Lord be mercifull to me a sinner We haue now done with the Organ of Seeing the vnderstanding or Soules Eye let vs come to the obiect to be seene The hope of his calling and the riches of the glory of Gods inheritance in the Saints The Obiect Is cleare and transparent to a sanctified Eye The Philosophers propound sixe necessary occurrences to our perfect Seeing and you shall see them all here met 1. Firmenesse or good disposition of the Organ that seeth A rolling eye beholds nothing perfectly A Dinahs eye is the prologue to a rauished soule This must be a composed eye stedfastly setled on the diuine obiect saying with Dauid My heart is fixed O Lord my heart is fixed The proposed glory is so infinite that it may well take vp the whole eye for it shall one day take vp the whole man Enter thou good seruant into thy masters ioy it is too great to enter into thee This Obiect is so immense that we cannot well looke besides it 2. The Spectacle must be obiected to the sight the eye cannot pierce into penetralia terrae or sublimia coeli nor can the vnderstanding see into these supernaturall ioyes vnlesse the Lord obiect them to it Hence it is that many neglectfully passe by 〈◊〉 lumine lumen the light for want of eyes to regard it But God here produceth the wardrobe of his glory to the sanctified eyes as if he said Uenite videte Psal. 46. Come and see So Moses Stand still and see the saluation of God So Christ to his Apostles It is giuen to your eyes to see these things to others but by parables 3. That there be a proportionall distance betwixt the organ and the obiect neither too neere nor too far off A bright thing held too neere the sight confounds it be it neuer so bright if too farre off it cannot discerne it God hath sweetly ordered and compounded this difference Those euerlasting ioyes are not close by our eyes lest the glory should swallow vs vp for mortall eyes cannot behold immortall things nor our corruptible sight see stedfastly that eternall splendor Who can see God and liue And though you say it is the soule that sees yet euen this soule whiles it is prisoned in this muddy vaile or rather Iayle the flesh hath by reason of the others impotency and passiblenesse a thicke cloud cast betweene it selfe and glory For now wee see through a glasse darkely but then face to face Now I know in part then shall I know euen as also I am knowne The best eye vpon earth lookes but through a glasse a lattice an obscuring impediment Now on the other side lest this obiect should be too farre off that the intellectuall eye could not reach it behold God hath giuen it the first fruits Righteousnesse peace of conscience and ioy of the holy Ghost a prelibation of glory It sees the earnest of the Spirit sealing vs vp to the day of redemption a pledge of those ioyes which otherwise no eye hath seene no eare heard nor heart on earth conceiued 4. It is required that the obiected matter be substantiall not altogether diaphanous transparent but massie and of a solid being Otherwise the sight cannot perceiue nor the minde well conceiue the nature which is so subtil sublim'd but intends it selfe still further till it can acquiescere in materiam visibilem rest it selfe on some visible obiect But this Obiect here proposed is no empty Chimera or imaginary tralucent ayery shadow but substantiall the hope of Gods calling and a glorious inheritance which though natures dull eye cannot reach faiths eye sees perfectly For Hac est fides credere quod non vides And the subiect of this spectacle is by demonstration prooued solid and substantiall because nothing but that can giue this intellectuall eye firme content and complacency How go the affections of man in a rolling and ranging pace from one creature to another now thy heart is set vpon wealth thou wilt haue it though thou digge for it in visceribus both matris filiorum in the bowels of the earth and of the sonnes of the earth Say wealth is come thou art then for honor thy riches are a ladder whereby thou wouldest climbe to dignity Dedecet diuitem esse ignobilem Nobility gotten hath not setled thee thou art trauersing new desires Thy lust presents thee a beauteous paramour vncleane desires now fill vp thy scene and thou playest like that Germane many parts thy selfe a golden Asse a proud Lyon a luxurious Goate Wealth and greatnesse commands thy pleasure thy lust is answered then thou art for musike and so actest a fourth part thou art thine owne fidler Now thy bloud is to be heated with delicates thou must be indulgent to thy throat with lust-prouoking meates and so playest yet another part a Cater to vncleannesse When all is done Non contenta quies non est sedata libido When thou hast thus wandred and beg'd of euery poore creature a scrap of comfort yet thou art but clawed and cloyed with variety with vanity not contented It is al but one little crumme to one halfe dead of hunger Couldst thou passe ouer the vast Vniuerse from the conuexe superficies of heauen to the center of hell yet the immense capacity rapacity of thy desires will not be satisfied Well then did Augustine confesse Fecisti nos ad te inquietum est cor nostrum donec requiescat in te O Lord thou didst make vs for thee and our heart cannot bee quiet till it
must not liue in glory with Christ. Thus farre the Rich man acts now comes in Gods part which turnes the nature of his play from Comike purposes to Tragike euents He behights all peace and ioy to himselfe But God said Thou foole this night shall thy soule be taken from tâ—…e c. The words containe an Agent Patient Passion Question The Agent is God But God said The Patient is the rich Foole. The Passion This night shall thy soule be required of thee The Question which God puts to him to let him see his folly Then whose shall those things be vvhich thou hast prouided The Agent God The Rich man was purposing great matters but he reckoned without his host he resolues thus and thus But God said to him Hence two obseruations 1. That the purposes of men are abortiue and neuer come to a happy birth if God blesse not their conception Man purposeth and God disposeth The horse is prepared to the battell but the victory is of the Lord. It is a holy reseruation in all our purposes Si Deo placuerit If it shall please the Lord. Goe to now ye that say To day or to morow we will goe into such a Citie and continue there a yeere buy and sell and get gaine Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morow Ye ought to say If the Lord will For neither tongue can speake nor foote moue if the Lord shal eneruate them as he did Zaobaries tongue in the Temple and Ieroboams arme when he would haue reached it out against the Prophet In vaine man intends that whereagainst God contends Sisera resolues on victory GOD crosseth it with ouerthrow Yet thinks Sisera Iael vvill succour me For there is peace betweene Iabin King of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite No euen there â—…he arme of the Lord is ready to encounter him a draught of milke shall be his last draught and the hand of a vvoman shall kill him that hath escaped the hand of an Armie The Iewes may say We will flie away 〈◊〉 swift horses But God saith Your Persecutors shall be swifter Senacherib purposeth to lick vp Israel as the Oxe grasse and though he found the Land before him as an Eden to leaue it behind him as Sodome But God said He shall goe home without his errand An hooke in his nostrils shall reine him back The King of Babylon sayes in his heart I will ascend into heauen I will exalt my throne aboue the starres of God and I will be like the most High But God said Thou shalt be brought down to hell to the sides of the pit Hâ—…d made himselfe so sure of Christ that rather then to faile of cutting off the prophecied King he slayes his owne sonne Hee might so but he shall not touch Gods Sonne With what lauish promises do the Spanyards flatter themselues when they baptised their Nauie with the name of Invâ—…nsible England is their own they are already grasping it warme with gore in their clutches But God said Destruction shall inherite their hopes and the remainder of ruine shall be onely left to testifie vvhat they vvould haue done Mens thoughts promise often to themselues Multa magna many things great things they are plotted contriued commenced yet die like Ionah's Gourd when we should expect their refreshing Quia non fortâ—…it Deus because God hath not blessed them Ambition may reare turrets in emulation of heauen and vaine-glory build Castles in the ayre but the former shall haue no roofe as the latter hath no foundation Philip threatned the Lacedemonians that if he entred their Countrey he would vtterly extinguish them They wrote him no other answere but Si If meaning it was a condition well put in for hee neuer was like to come there Si S I non esset perfectum quidlibet esset But in the menaces of angry Tyrants and purposes of hastie intenders there is an If an included coÌ„dition that infatuates all Let our lesson hence be this That our purposes may be sped with a happy successe let vs intend in the Lord for the Lord. 1. Let vs deriue authoritie of our intentions from his sacred Truth which giues rules not onely to liue well and to speake well but euen ad bene câ—…gitandum to thinke well It is a wicked purpose to fast till Paul be killed to wreake malice to satifie lust Inauspicious and without speed are the intents whose beginning is not from God Let no purpose passe currant from thy heart till God hath set on it his stampe and seale of approbation Let his Word giue it a Fiat Whatsoeuer ye doe yea or intend to doe let both action of hand and thought of heart be all to Gods glory 2. Let vs in all our purposes reserue the first place for Gods helping hand Without mee yee can doe nothing saith Christ. But it is obiected that Paul spake peremptorily to his Corinthians I will come vnto you when I shall passe through Macedonia And Dauid I will goe to the house of the Lord. I answere Cor tenet quod lingua tacet they that had so much grace in their hearts wanted not this grace et noscere et poscere facultatem Domini to know and desire the Lords permission You shall neuer take men so well affected to good workes that doe not implore Gods assistance Though they doe not euer expresse in vvord yet they neuer suppresse in thought that reseruation If it please God as Paul doth afterwards in that place If the Lord permit If any will dare to resolue too confidently patronizing their temeritie from such patterns as if their voluntates were potestates let them know that like Taylours they haue measured others but neuer tooke measure of themselues that there is great difference betwixt a holy Propet or Apostle and a profane Publican 2. Obserue that God now speakes so to the Couetous that he will be heard he preacheth another kind of Sermon to him then euer he did before a fatall finall funerall Sermon a Text of Iudgement This night shal they fetch away thy soule For this is Gods Lecture himselfe reades it But God said Hee had preached to the vvordling often before and those Sermons were of three sorts 1. By his Word But cares of the world choake this Seed the heart goes after couetousnesse euen whiles the flesh sits vnder the pulpit This is the deuills three-wing'd arrow wealth pride voluptuousnesse vvhereby hee nailes the very heart fast to the earth It is his talent of lead which he hangs on the feet of the soule the affections that keepes her from mounting vp into heauen with the printed beauty of this filthy Harlot hee bewitcheth their mindes steales their desires from Christ and sends them a whoring to the hote Stewes of hell Thus is Gods first Sermon quite lost 2. By Iudgements on others whose smart should amaze him For God when hee strikes others vvarnes thee Tua
sowsed in a deluge and then after Noahs sacrifice is said to Smell a sauour of rest For this cause they had their Altar of Incense and God commanded a Perfume to be made to him The Lord said to Moses Take vnto thee sweet spices Stacte and Onicha and Galbanum with pure frankincense and thou shalt make it a Perfume pure and holy Both signified that we all stunke by nature and are onely perfumed by the Incense of Christs prayers and righteousnes 2. It is offensiue to his Tasting I looked after all my paines and kindnesse for good grapes and the Vine brought forth wilde grapes When hee comes to taste the vintage of our sinnes they are sowre grapes Yee turne iudgment into wormwood Iustice is pleasant vnto the Lord but iniurie bitter as wormewood So the Iewes serued Christ in stead of wine they gaue him vineger to drink He turned their water into wine they turne his wine into vineger Good workes of faith and obedience are that best wine which we should giue our Beloued that goeth downe sweetly causing the lips of those that are asleep to speak But euill deeds are sowre to his palate 3. It is offensiue to his Feeling so sharp that the Speare Thornes Whips and Nailes were blunt to it Our iniquities were so heauy to his sense that he plaines himselfe burdened vnder them as a Cart is pressed with sheaues The Lord of heauen lay groueling on the earth and as if he were cast into a furnace of his Fathers wrath sweating drops of bloud They are so harsh still to his feeling that he challengeth Saul for wounding himselfe Why strikest thou me Saul strikes at Damascus Iesus Christ suffers in heauen 4. It is offensiue to his Hearing The cry of Sodome and Gomorrah is great because their sinne is very grieuous Our dissensions and quarrels are as iarring in Gods eares as if diuers distracted Musicians should play vpon diuers bad Instrument so many seuerall tunes at one time The confusion of sinnes brought the confusion of languages Gods eare could not endure the distraction of their harts therefore their owne eares shall not distinguish the dissonance of their voyces The cry of bloud and oppression makes so grieuous a noyse to heauen that vengeance must onely quiet it Our murmurings our oathes blasphemies slanders are like the croking of frogs howling of dogs and hissing of serpents in Gods hearing 5. It is offensiue to his Seeing Though thou vvash thee with Nitre yet thine iniquity is marked before me saith the Lord. Our oppressions are like running vlcers our adulteries as most sordid and filthy things The Prophet compares it to the most feculent defilement lothsome turpitude that can be vttered Thou art of purer eyes then to behold euill and canst not looke on iniquity O let vs abhorre that filthinesse which will turne the face of God from vs. Neyther are they displeasing onely to his senses but grieuous to his minde Is it a small thing for you to grieue men but you will grieue God also It is dangerous to anger him that can anger all the veines of our hearts It was the Prophet Esay's complaint of Israel They rebelled and vexed his holy Spirit Yea they are offensiue to his very soule Your new Moones and appointed feasts my soule hateth This he protesteth against recidiuation Heb. 10. 38. If any man draw back my soule shal haue no pleasure in him This is an emphaticall speech and an argument of Gods hearty detestation The wicked and him that loueth violence his soule hateth Therefore he is said to bend his Soule to reuenge Shall not my soule be auenged on such a nation as this 2. Sowre to the Angels for if they reioyce at our conuersion then they grieue at our peruersion How sowre is that sinne which brings griefe vnto the thresholds of ioy They blush at our falls reioyce at our integrity Are they not all ministring spirits sent forth for them who shall be the heyres of saluation Let vs then feast them with integrity not with the leauen of iniquity 3. Sowre to the Saints the Church is our Mother and shee laments to see any childe of her wombe auerse from goodnes Therefore as a louing Mother whose husband was slaine for the safety of her selfe children if she sees any childe transgresse the rules and breake her husbands Testament she tels them of their Fathers kindnesse she describes his deadly wounds and gastly lookes and to make their facts more odious shee sheweth some garment of his embrued with bloud So the Church often offers to our considerations how Christ her deare Loue and Lord was betrayed condemned crucified tels vs our sinnes haue done this that they were the Iudas betraying the Herod mocking the Pilate condemning the Longinus wounding the band of Iewes re-crucifying Christ. Now as Dâ—…do adiur'd departing Aeneas Per ego te has lacrymas c. Per si quid vnquam Dulce fuit nobis horum miserere laborum So our Mother intreats vs yet intreating is too low a phrase for a Mother per talem cruorem per tantum amorem by so precious bloud and by so gracious loue to sinne no more at least to abhor such precipices of sinne and forbeare as it were to choake him with such cursed Leauens 4. Sowre to the sinner himselfe for it euer leaues behinde it a sting of conscience It may taste pleasing and palatable at first but Leuen is not sowrer at last Perhaps our iudgements may be out of taste as men in feuers or Satan that crafty Apothecary hath mingled the potion cunningly yet though saporem amisit venenum retinet poyson is poyson though it come in a golden cup. Esaus pottage went downe merrily but the losse of his birth-right was a bitter farewell Whatsoeuer seruice sin doth vs it shewes vs but an ill-fauoured tricke at the last It brings vs to the dore of Terror and then bids vs shift for our selues It is like Lysimachus his draught of cold water that refreshes him for a moment and captiues him for euer By Salomons rule vexation is intailed to vanity A hedgehogge must dwell in Babylon a pricking Conscience in a prophane brest Thy way anâ—… thy doings haue procured these things vnto thee this is thy wickednes because it is bitter because it reacheth vnto thine heart Salomon hath the like promotion Reioyce O young man in thy youth c. but know that for all these things God will bring thee into iudgement The verse begins with pleasure but ends with terror Sinne will be sowre at the last The Allegory thus opened the speciall treasure or Instruction remaines yet to bee drawne out Wee perceiue what the Leuen signifies and what the Lumpe Now wee must consider the relation betwixt modicum and totum a little Leuen and the whole lumpe A little Leauen leueneth the whole lumpe A little sinne infecteth a great
giues a cup of cold water to a Disciple shall not lose his reward This hire and reward is not the stipend of our labours but of Gods loue He giues vs the good of grace and then rewards it with the good of glory It is a reward Secundum quid a gift simpliciter Compare eternall life to the worke looking no farther it is a reward Reioyce and be glad for great is your reward in heauen But examine the Originall from whence it proceedes then it is the gift of God Eternall life is the gift of God through Iesus Christ. He is said to Shew mercy to them that keep his Commande◅ents the very keeping the Commandements is not merit it hath neede of mercy Loe thus the Lord giues grace then praiseth it blesseth it rewards it Christ cloatheth his Spouse with his owne garments the smell of Myrrhe Alloes and Cassia A white robe of his perfect righteousnesse imputed with his golden merits and inestimable Iewels of graces and then praiseth her Thou art all faire my Loue there is no spot in thee When God made the world with all creatures in it he beheld it and Euge bonum behold it is exceeding good so when hee makes a Christian Maiorem meliorem mundo and hath furnished him with competent graces hee turnes backe and lookes vpon his owne workemanship Ecce bonum it is exceeding good hee forbeares not to commend it Now what doth hee specially commend in this conuerted Leper his praysing of God The Leper prayseth God God praiseth the Leper He prayseth in his praysing two things the Rightnesse and the Rarenesse 1. The Rightnesse that he gaue praise to God directed it thither where it was onely due He returned to giue glory to God non mihi sed Deo saith Christ not to me but to God Perhaps his knowledge was not yet so farre enlightned as to know him that cured him to be God therefore bestowed his praise where hee was sure it should be accepted where onely it is deserued on God I seeke not my owne praise saith Iesus but mittentis the praise of him that sent me If I honour my selfe my honour is nothing 2. The Rarenesse and that in two respects 1. That hee alone of tenne blessed God God had but his Tenth it is much if the tenth soule goe to heauen The godly are so rare that they are set vp for markes and signes and wonders as if the world stood amazed at them 2. That hee onely was the Stranger a Samaritan Many great vertues were found among the Samaritans Faith Charity Thankfulnesse First Faith Many of the Samaritans of that Citie beleeued on him Secondly Charity It was the Samaritan that tooke compassion on the man wounded between Ierusalem and Iericho The Priest and the Leuite passed by him without pitie but the Samaritan bound vp his wounds Thirdly Gratitude exemplified in this Samaritan Leper none of the Iewes gaue God praise for their healing but only the Samaritan It was strange that in Gentiles should be found such vertue where it was least looked for Verily I say vnto you I haue not found so great faith no not in Israel The least informed did proue the best reformed Samaritan was held a word of reproach amongst the Iewes as appeares by their malicious imputation to Christ. Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan and hast a Diuell They were esteemed as dogges It is not meete to take the childrens bread and to cast it to dogs And at the first promulgation of the Gospell the Apostles receiued a manifest prohibition Goe not into the way of the Gentiles and into any City of the Samaritans enter ye not It was therefore rare to reape such fruites out of the wild Forrest cursed like the mountaines of Gilboa Let there be no dew neither raine vpon you nor fields of offerings To be good in good company is little wonder for Angels to be good in heauen Adam in Paradise Iudas in Christs Colledge had been no admirable matter to apostate in these places so exemplary of goodnesse was intolerable weakenesse But for Abraham to be good in Chalde Noah in the old world Lot in Sodome for a man now to be humble in Spaine continent in France chaste in Venice sober in Germany temperate in England this is the commendation Such a one is a Lilly in a Forrest of thornes a handfull of wheate in a field of cockle Let me not here omit two things worthy my insertion and your obseruation 1. Gods iudgement and mans do not concurre the Samaritans were condemned of the Iewes yet here nine Iewes are condemned by one Samaritan They that seeme best to the world are often the worst to God they that are best to God seeme worst to the world When the Moone is lightest to the earth she is darkest to heauen when she is lightest to heauen she is darkest to the earth So often men most glorious to the world are obscurest to the diuine approbation others obscure to the worlds acknowledgement are principally respected in Gods fauor Man would haue cleared the Pharise and condemned the Publican when they both appeared in the Temple together the one as it were in the Quire the other in the Belfrey But Christs iudgemēt is that the Publicane departed rather iustified The Iewes thought that if but 2. men in the world were saued the one should be a Scribe the other a Pharise But Christ saith neither of them both shall come there You shall see others in the Kingdome of heauen and you your selues thrust out Some like the Moone are greater or lesse by the Sunne of mens estimation Samuel was mistaken in Eliab Abinadab and Shammah for the Lord had chosen Dauid Isaac preferred Esau but God preferred Iacob and made the father giue the blessing to that sonne to whom he least meant it All this iustifies that my thoughts are not your thoughts neither are your wayes my wayes ◅aith the Lord. 2. Learne we here from Christ to giue men their due praise to them that deserue praise God ◅akes of vices with commination of vertues wit◅◅endation Let vs speake of others sinnes with griefe of their good workes with praise and ioy Of others sinnes with griefe so did S. Paul Many walke of whom I haue told you often and now tell you weeping that they are enemies of the crosse of Christ. So Dauid Riuers of waters ru◅ downe mine eyes because men keepe not thy Law Our Sauiour wept ouer apostate Ierusalem he wept ouer the people beholding them as scattered sheep without a shepheard Who can forbeare weeping to see soules muffled misse-led by ignorance like the babes of Niniuch not able to distinguish the right hand from the left Alas there are innumerable soules that know not their owne estate O pitie them Because thou wilt not heare this my soule shall weepe in secret for thy pride But let vs mention
Libera nos Domine wee are naturally downe do thou O Lord graciously raise vs vp 3. Wee must Arise before we can Goe First arise then goe thy way saith Christ. Hee that is downe may creep like a serpent cannot go like a man Thou art to sight with cruell enemies Not flesh and bloud but Principalities and Powers wicked spirits in high places Thou wilt performe it poorely whiles thou art along on the ground The flesh will insult ouer thee with vndenyed lusts Quicquid suggeritur caeteris aggeritur there is not a sinfull motion suggested but it is instantly embraced and added to that miserable dunghill of iniquity And is not this wretched to haue Chams curse vpon thee to be a slaue to slaues The world will hold thy head vnder his girdle whiles he tramples on thy heart thou shalt eate no other food then he giues thee he will feed thee with bribes vsuries iniuries periuries blasphemies homicides turpitudes none of these must be refused The deuill will tyrannize ouer thee thou canst hardly grapple with that great Red Dragon when thou art mounted like Saint George on the backe of faith Alas how shouldst thou resist him being downe vnder his feet Arise therefore and take the whole armour of God that you may both Stand and Withstand Arise lest God comming and finding thee downe strike thee lower From him that hath not shall bee taken away that he seemed to haue Pauper vbique tacet is a Prouerbe more plentifully true in a mysticall then temporall pouerty We say Qui iacet in terris non habet vnde cadat hee that lies on the ground hath no lower a descent to fall to yes there is a lower place Iudas found a lower fall then the earth when hee departed In locum suum into his owne place Such was that great Monarchs fall How art thou fallen from heauen O Lucifer how art thou cut downe to the ground This was a great descent from heauen to earth But ver 15. Thou shalt be brought downe to hell to the sides of the pit This was a greater descent from heauen to hell Wee esteeme it a great fall ceremonially from a Throne to a Prison and the deuill meant it a great fall locally from the Pinacle to the ground But there is Abyssus inferna a lower precipice Dauid beginnes a Psalme of prayer De profundis Out of the depths haue I cryed vnto thee O Lord. But there is a depth of depths and out of that deepe there is no rising Arise now lest you fall into that deepe then Arise for if thou wilt not thou shalt be raised Si non surrexeris volenter suscitaberis violenter If thou refuse to rise willingly thou shalt be rowsed against thy will If thou wilt not heare the first Surge which is the Ministers voice thou shalt heare the last Surge which is the Arch-angels voyce Dicis Surgam thou saist I will rise but when Modo Domine modò Anon Lord all in time Will not this be a silly excuse at the day of Iudgement I will rise anon Thou must rise in a moment in the twinkling of an eye at the last Trumpe Though thou cry to the Mountaines Fall on me and to the Rockes Hide me yet Nulla euasio thou must arise and appeare There are two voices that sound out this Surge one Euangelicall and that is of mercy yet we drowne this as Italians do thunder by Drums Bels Cannons The other Angelicall and that is of Iustice a voice vnpossible to be auoided This is that last Sermon that all the world shall heare Arise ye dead and come to iudgement Arise let vs now raise vp our selues from corruption of soule that we may one day be raised from corruption of body They that will not rise their soules must must and carry their bodies to iudgement This vvorld was made for man not man for this world therfore they take a wrong course that lye downe there He that lyes downe when he should arise and goe shall rise and goe when he would lie downe He that sleepes in the cradle of securitie all his life sinnes soundly without starting when he once starts and wakes he must neuer sleepe againe The deuill and mischiefe are euer watching and shal man whom they watch to hurt sleepe Hee that would deceiue the deuill had need to rise betimes The Lyon is said to sleepe with one eye open the Hare vvith both the worldling with both eyes of his soule shut He neuer riseth till he goes to bed his soule wakens not till his body falls asleepe on his death-bed then perhaps he lookes vp As sometimes they that haue been blind many yeeres at the approching of death haue seene whereof Physicians giue many reasons so the death-bed opens the eyes of the soule Indeed at that time there is possibilitie of waking but hazard of rising That poore winter-fruit wil hardly rellish with God Miserum incipete viuere cum definendum est It is wretched for a man then to begin his life when hee must end it It is at the best but morosa et morbosa panitentia a wearish and sick repentance wheras God requires a quicke and liuely sacrifice this is as sick as the person that makes it This indeed is not a Conuersion but a Reuersion or meere refuse To raise the secure from their vnseasonable vnreasonable sleepe God doth ring them a peale of fiue Bells 1. The first Bell is Conscience this is the trebble and doth somewhat trouble especially if the hand of GOD pulls it Many thinke of their consciences as ill Debtors doe of their Creditors they are loth to talke with them Indeed God is the Creditor and Conscience the Seriant that will meet them at euery turne It makes a syllogisticall conclusion in the mind Reason like Dauid drawes the sword and Conscience like Nathan knocks him on the brest with the hilts Dauid made the Proposition The man that hath done this shall dnee the death Nathan the Assumption Thou art the man Conscience the Conclusion Therefore thou must die If you heare not yea feele not the sound of this bell suspect your deadnesse of heart for that Citie is in danger where the Alarme-bell rings not 2. The second Bell is the Stint or certaine to all the rest Uox Euangelij the voice of the Gospell This Bell of Aaron is so perpetually rung amongst vs that as a knell in a great mortalitie quia frequens non terrens so cōmon that no man regards it Indeed if some particular clapper ring melodiously to the eare we come to please that rather then the soule Luxurient wits thinke the Scripture-phrase grosse nothing delights them but a painted and meretricious eloquence There are some that vvill not heare this Bell at all like Ieroboam they will not trauell to Ierusalem for a Sermon but content themselues with a Calfe at home Others looke that the Preachers tongue should incessantly walke but let their
the better mistres and worthy of more seruants alas glad to be shrowded in holes your Greatnes now wisheth it selfe so litle that it might not be seene You insatiate couetous that neuer ceased ioyning house to house land to land and possessing whole countryes yet whined for lacke of elbow-roome loe you shall at this day be glad of a hole a darke hollow caue in a rocke for your parlour or more glad if you might be dissolued into nothing They said We haue described the Persons What they were let vs see what they did They said They open their lips to confesse the invincible and inevitable power of Christ. whence derive we two obseruations 1. The sense of present miserie takes away Atheisme Before their mouthes were either shut by silence or opened by blasphemies possessed either with a dumbe or a roring deuill God was not in all their thoughtes or if in their thoughts not in their lips or if in their lips but to his dishonour not named but in their oathes Now loe they speake and make a desperate acknowledgment of that power they erst derided The day of iudgment when it comes shall find no Atheist What those degenerate creatures would not beleeue they shall see they would not acknowledge their maker they shall find their Iudge and cry to the mountaines Fall one vs c. Consider this ye that forget God lest you be torne in pieces when there is none to deliuer you You may forget him during your short pleasure you shall remember him for euer in torture Proceed to speake of him wickedly and like enemies to take his Name in vaine you shall one day fall low before his footestoole not with a voluntary but enforced reuerence You that haue denied God on earth the first voice that shall come from your lips shall be a hopelesse acknowledgment of his maiestie 2. The saying that comes from them is desperate whence note that in Gods iust punishment Desperation is the reward of Presumption They that erst feared two little shall now feare too much Before they thought not of Gods Iustice now they shall not conceiue his Mercie Consciences that are without remorse are not without horror It is the kindnes which presumptuous sinne doth the heart to make it at last despaire of forgiuenes They say Behold God accuseth not they accuse themselues God loues to haue a sinner accuse himselfe and therefore sets his deputie in the brest of man which though it be a neuter when the act is doing is an aduersary afterwards The conscience is like the poise of a clocke the poise being downe all motion ceaseth the wheeles stirre not wound vp all is set on going Whiles conscience is downe there is no noise or moouing in the heart all is quiet but when it is wound vp by the iustice of God it sets all the wheeles on working tongue to confesse eyes to weepe hands to wring brest to be beaten heart to ake voice to cry and that where mercie steps not in a fatall cry to the hils Fall on vs and hide vs. Sinne and iudgment for sinne make the most cruell men cowardly Tyrants whose frownes haue beene death oppressors that haue made their poore Tenants quake at their lookes now tremble themselues would change firmnes with an aspine leafe They that care not for the act of sinne shall care for the punishment Tumidi faciendo timidi patiendo Nero that could not be tired in cutting throtes is soone weary of his owne torment They that haue made others weepe shall desperately howle themselues Cain that durst kill the fourth part of the world at a blow euen his owne brother dares afterwards not looke a man in the face lest he should be slayne Who durst be more impudently bold with God then Iudas when he betrayed his onely Sonne to murderers yet after the treason who more cowardly then Iudas he becomes his owne hangman The curse that followes sinne makes Presumption it selfe to shudder But what madnes is it not to complaine till too late If our foresight were but halfe as sharpe as our sense we should not dare to sinne The issue of wickednes would appeare a thousand times more horrible then the act is pleasant Let this teach vs now to thinke of the Iustice of God as well as his mercie that herafter we may thinke of his mercie as well as his Iustice. The mercie of God is abused to encourage lewdnes and wretched men by Christs merits are emboldned to committe that for which he dyed but so men may runne with mercie in their mouthes to hell They that in life will giue no obedience to the law shall in death haue no benefite by by the Gospell When they gaue themselues ouer to lying swaring coueting c. they were wont to cry Mercie mercie now loe they feele what those sinnes are and cry nothing but Iustice Iustice they cannot thinke on mercie They that haue abused mercie must be quitted with vengance The good now sing With thee O Lord is mercie therefore thou shalt be feared The reprobates sing at last with thee O Lord is iudgment with thee is storme and tempest indignation wrath confusion and vengence and therefore art thou feared These necessary occurrences thus considered let vs passe to their Inuocation wherein is exemplified their Error Here we must obserue To what For what they call To what They are Mountaines and rockes vnreasonable yea insensible creatures whence we may deduce two inferences a negatiue and an affirmatiue 1. Negatiuely it is cleare that they haue no acquaintance with God therefore know not how to direct their prayers vnto him If their trust had beene in God they needed not to fly to the Mâ—…aines So Dauid sweetly Psal. 11. Ia the Lord put I my trust how then say you to my soule Flie as a bird to your mountaine It is Gods charge Call vpon me in the day of trouble and I will deliuer thee and thou shalt glorifie me But Rom. 10. How shall they call on him in whom they haue not beleeued Or beleeue in him they haue not knowne and how should they know him but by his word Alas those mutuall passages and entercourse of meanes they haue euer barred themselues They would neither suffer God to trouble them by his word nor would they offer to trouble him by their prayers They will not call vpon him nor will they heare him calling vpon them Therefore as those that neuer were in the companie of God they know not how to addresse themselues to him but rather to rockes and mountaines As extremity discerneth friends Verè amat qui miserum amat so it distinguisheth a man in himselfe A suddaine disturbance giues a great try all of a Christians disposition For as in a naturall man at such an affrightment all the bloud runs to the heart to guard the part that is principall so in a good man at such an instance all the powers
ten Tribes come to Iudah not Iudah goe to them Ishbosheth to Dauid not Dauid to Ishbosheth The Gospell must be preached though hell breake out into opposition and we must keepe faith a good conscience though persecutors print in our sides the markes of the Lord Iesus 3. That the fruit of the Gospell is so farre from allowing carnall peace that it giues Dissention It hath euer beene the destinie of the Gospell to bring commotion trouble and warres though no doctrine teacheth so much peace Math. 10. I came not to sâ—…nd peace but a sword Not that the Gospell of it selfe causeth warres for it maketh peace betweene God and man man and man man and his inward soule but it ouerturneth the tables of the money-changers spoileth the Banke of vsurers will not let Herod keepe his Herodias barres Demetrius of his idolatrous shrines puls the cup from the mouth of the drunkard denounceth confusion to the oppressor vnuizardeth painted hypocrisie and discouers the vgly face of fraud to the world therefore it hath enemies euen to the effusion of bloud and endeuourd extirpation of all that professe it So that partly this proceeds from our owne corruption that cannot endure the light because our deedes are euill and partly from the malice of Sathan who by the growth of the Gospell looseth his Iurisdiction For looke how much ground Christianitie gettes that bloudie infernall Turke looseth So that neither can the Deuill so vncontrollably lead men to quiet damnation neither can the euill heart bee so securely euill For the Gospell informes the vnderstanding the vnderstanding tels the conscience and the conscience will not spare to tell men their wickednesse Though Gods hand forbeares to strike outwardly the conscience smites inwardly and the former vniust peace is broken by a new iust war Men shall by this meanes know hell before they salute it and discerne themselues in that broad way that leads to damnation Safe they may be they cannot be secure Thus the Gospell begets all maner of enemies forraine ciuill domesticall Forraigne the Deuill who now makes apparant his hornes as if it were high time to bestirre himselfe Hee sees he cannot lead soules to his blacke kingdome in a twine-threed as hee was wont without reluctancie he must clap irons vpon them and bind them with his strongest tentations Ciuill the world which erst ticed vs on as a baite doth the fish not knowing that there is a hooke so neere the iawes wee tooke it for a kind and familiar friend but now it is descried and described for a very aduersary Domesticall thy owne bosome is disquieted and thou must muster vp all the forces of thy soule to take the Traytour that lurkes within thee thy owne flesh This is a neare and a deare enemie yet we must fight against it and that with a will to subdue it denying our selues and forsaking our delighted lusts and pleasures The godly must be faine to sit like the Nightingale with a thorne against their brest If they scape conflicts abroad they are sure to haue them at home and if forraigne and profest aduersaries should giue ouer their inuasions yet this domesticall rebell lust must with great trouble be subdued After which spirituall combate our comfort is that in the end the victorie shall be ours It shall not haue rule ouer them that feare God neither shall they be burnt with the flames thereof Hence we learne fiue vsefull lessons 1. That we haue neede of Patience seeing we know that the law of our Profession binds vs to a warfare and it is decreed vpon that all that will liue godly in Christ shall suffer persecution When Fire which was the God of the Chaldeans had deuoured all the other wooden deitie Canopis set vpon him a Caldron full of water whose bottome was full of holes artificially stopt with waxe which when it felt the heat of that furious Idol melted and gaue way to the water to fall downe vpon it and quench it The water of our patience must onely extinguish this Fire nothing but our teares moderation and sufferance can abate it But this patience hath no further latitude then our proper respect for in the cause of the Lord wee must must be iealous and zealous Meam iniuriâ—…m patienter tuli iniuriam contra Sponsam Christi ferre non potui Our owne iniuries wee must bury in forgetfulnes but wrongs to the Truth of God and Gospell of Iesus Christ we must striue to oppose and appease Patience is intollerable when the honour of God is in dangerous question Otherwise we must consider that by troubles God doth trie and exercise our patience Ideo Deus misit in terram bonam separationem vt malâ—…m rumperet coniunctionem Therfore God sent on earth a good separation that he might dissolue an euill coniunction 2. That wee must not shrinke from our profession though we know it to be the fewell that maintains this fire Daniell leaues not his God though he be shewed the Lyons nor those three seruants their integritie and abomination of the Idoll though the heat of the fire be septupled Let the Pope spue out his execrations interdictions and maledictions for his holie mouth is full of curses yet keepe wee our faith it is better to haue the Pope curse vs then God His curse is but like Domitians thunder if you giue care to the crackes and noyse it seemes a terrible and hideous matter but if you consider the causes and effects it is a ridiculous iest Reuolt not from the Gospell from thy faith and innocencie and though he curse the Lord will blesse Balaam could say Quomodo maledicam ei cui non maledixit Dominus How shall I curse him whom the Lord hath not cursed Rash and headlong iudgement hurts not the person de quo temerè iudicatur against whom it is denounced but him that so indiscreetly iudgeth Qui conantur per iram aliena coereere gra uiora committunt To correct other mens errors in anger is to commit a greater error then theirs Let not the thunders of malignant opposers disharten thy zeale The iust shall liue by faith but if any man draw backe my soule shall haue no pleasure in him 3. That we thinke not much of the troublous fires that are thus sent to waite vpon the Gospell He that gaue vs that blessed Couenant meant not that wee should sticke at these conditions It is enough to haue this Passeouer though we eate it with sower herbes to enioy the Lillie though among thornes Let the Iewes fret and Deuils run mad and many giue ground to these persecutions yet say we with Peter Master whether shall we goe from thee thou hast the words of eternall life He is vnworthy of Gods fauour that cannot goe away contented with it vnlesse he may also enioy the fauour of the world It is enough to haue the promise of a Crowne albeit we climbe to it by the Crosse. The ancient Christians vsed to
them casting vp white and red earth in abundance Wherewith his amazed eyes growing soone enamoured he desires a participation of their riches They refuse to ioyne him in their gaines vnlesse he wil ioyne himselfe in their paines Hereupon he fals to toyling digging deluing til some of the earth fals so hea uie vpon him that it lames him and he is able to goe no further There he dies in the sight of that Citie to which he could not goe for want of feet looseth a certaine substantial gift for an vncertain shadow of vaine hope You can easily apply it God of his gracious fauour not for our deserts giues man his creature a glorious Citie euen that whose foundations are of Iasper Saphyre and Emerald c. He doth more directes him the way to it Goe on this way Walke in loue He begins to trauell and comes within the sight of heauen but by the way he spies worldlings toyling in the earth and scraping together white and red clay siluer and gold the riches of this world Hereof desirous he is not suffered to partake except hee also partake of their couetousnes and corrupt fashions Now Mammon sets him on worke to digge out his owne damnation where after a while this gay earth comes tumbling fo fast vpon him that his feet be maimed his affections to heauen lost and he dyes short of that glorious Citie which the king of heauen purchased with his owne bloud and gaue him Thinke of this ye worldlings and seeing you know what it is to be charitable put your feet in this way Walke in Loue. There be yet others whose whole course is euery step out of the way to God who is Loue and they must walke in Loue that come vnto him 1. There is a path of Lust they erre damnably that call this the way of Loue. They turne a spirituall grace into a carnall vice and whereas Charitie and Chastity are of nearer allyance then sound these debauched tongues call vncleanesse Loue. Adulterie is a cursed way though a much coursed way for a whore is the high-way to the Deuill 2. There is a path of malice and they that trauell it are bound for the Enemie Their euill eye is vexed at Gods goodnes and their hands of desolation would vndoe his mercies Other mens health is their sicknes others weale their woe The Iesuites and their bloudy Proselyts are pilgrims in this way We know by experience the scope of their walkes Their malice was strong as Sauire in saxa but they would turne Ierusalem in aceruum Lapidum into a heape of stones Yea such was their rage that Nil reliqui fecerunt Vt non ipsis elementis fieret iniuria they spared not to let the elements know the madnesse of their violence They could not draw fire from heauen their betters could not do it in the dayes of Christ on earth therefore they seeke it they digge it from hell Flectere cùm nequeunt Superos Acheronta movebunt Here was a malicious walking 3. There is a counterfeit path the Travellers make as if they walked in loue but their loue is dissimulation It is not dilectio vera true love which S. Ioh. speakes of nor dilectio mera as Luther not a plaine-hearted loue They will cosen you vnseene and then like the whore in the Proverbes wipe their mouthes and it was not they Their art is Alios pellere aut tollere to giue others a wipe or a wound Iudas-like they salute those with a kisse against whome they intend most treason 4. There is a way directly crosse to loue which neither obeyes God for loue keepes the commandements nor comforts man for loue hath compassion on the distressed These haue feete swift enough but swift to shed bloud Destruction and miserie are in their wayes They are in Zedechiahs case both their eyes are put out and their feete lamed with the captiue chaines of Satan so easily carried downe to his infernall Babilon These are they that devoure a man and his heritage Therefore Christ calles their riches not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 things without them as if they had swallowed them down into their bowels The phrase is vsed by Iob He hath swallowed downe riches he shall vomit them vp againe God shall cast them out of his belly When this vomit is given them you shall see strange stuffe come from them Here the raw and vndigested gobbets of vsurie there the mangled morsels of bloudy oppressions here fiue or sixe impropriate Churches there thousand acres of decayed tillage here a whole casket of bribes there whole houses and patrimonies of vndone orphans here an Inclosure of commons there a vastation of proper and sanctified things Rip vp their conscie nces and this is the stuffing of their hearts These walke crosse to the Crosse of Christ as Paul sayth they are Enemies cursed walkers Whereupon we may conclude with Bernard Periculosa tempora iam non instant sed extant the dangerous times are not comming but come vpon vs. The cold frost of indevotion is so generall that many haue benūmed ioynts they cannot walke in loue Others so stiffe and obdurate that they will meete all that walke in this way and with their turbulent malice striue to iustle them out of it Therefore David prayes Preserue me from the violent men that haue purposed to ouerthrowe my goings Let vs then vpon this great cause vse that deprecation in our Let any From pride vain-glory hypocrisie from envy hatred malice all vncharitablenes Good Lord deliver vs. I am loth to giue you a bitter farewell or to conconclude with a menace I see I cannot by the times leaue drinke to you any deeper in this cup of Charity I will touch it once againe and let every present soule that loues heauen pledge me Walke in loue The way to life everlasting is loue and hee that keepes the way is sure to come to the end We knowe that we haue passed from death to life because we loue the brethren For this are the workes of mercie charity piety and pitty so much commended in the Scriptures by the Fathers with so high titles because they are the appoynted way wherein we must walke and whereby we must worke vp our owne salvation Therefore the Apostle claps in the necke of good workes laying vp in store for themselues a good foundation against the time to come that they may lay hold on eternall life Thereby wee lay the ground of saluation in our consciences and take assured hold of eternall life He that goes on in loue shall come home to life This comforts vs not in a presumption of merite but in confident knowledge that this is the way to glory wherein when we find our selues Walking wee are sure we are going to heauen and sing in the wayes of the Lord Great is the glory of the Lord.
his arrand is to the Court He is the maggot of pride begot out of corruption and lookes in an office as the Ape did when hee had got on the robes of a Senator 2. Their flatterie or trecherie they embrace whiles they sting They lie in 〈◊〉 greene grasse and vnder sweet flowers that they may wound the suspectlesse passenger Here I will couple the Serpent with the Flatterer a humane beast and of the two the more dangerous And that fitly for they write of a Serpent whose sting hath such force that it makes a man die laughing So the flaâ—…erer tickles a man to death Therefore his teares are called Crocodile lacrimae the Crocodiles teares When hâ—… weeps he wounds Euery frowne he makes giues his Patron a vomite and euery candle of commendation a purge His Church is the Kitchin his tongue is his Cater his yong Lord his God whom at once he worships and worreys When he hath gotten a lease he doth no longer feare his master nay more he feares not God 3. Their ingratitude they kill those that nourished them And here I ranke with Serpents those prodigies of nature vnthankfull persons Seneca sayes they are worse Venenum quâ—…d serpentes in alienam perniciâ—…m proferunt fine sâ—… continent Noâ—… ita vitium ingrâ—…itudinis continetur The poyson which a Serpent casts out to the danger of another he retaines without his owne But the vice of ingratitude cannot be so smoothered Let vs hate this sinne not onely for others sake but most for our owne 4. Their voracitie they kill more then they can eate And here they would be commended to the Ingrossers who hoord more then they can spend that the poore might stâ—…ue for lacke of bread Such a man if he be not 〈◊〉 a Serpent a Deuill then man makes his Almanacke his Bible if it prognosticate raine on Swithiâ—…s day he loues and beleeues it beyond the Scripture Nothing in the whole Bible pleaseth him but the storie of Pharaohs dreame where the seauen leane Kine did eate vp the seauen fat ones Hee could wish that dreame to be true euery yeare so hee might haue graine enough to sell. He cryes out in his heart for a deare yeare and yet he is neuer without a deare yeare in his belly Salomon sayes the people shall curse him and I am sure God will not blesse him but hee feares neither of these so much as a cheape yeare 5. Their hostilitie and murderous minds they destroy all to multiplie their owne kind And for this I wil bring the depopulator to shake hands with serpents For he cannot abide neighbours If any man dwels in the Towne besides himselfe how should he doe for elbow roome There are too many of these Serpents in England I would they were all exild to the wildernes where they might haue roome enough and none to trouble them except of their owne generation Serpents They complaine eagerly against our negligence in discouering new parts of the world but their meaning is to rid this land of Inhabitants They haue done their best or rather their worst when as in my memorie from one towne in one day were driuen out aboue threescore soules harbourlesse succourlesse exposd to the bleake ayre and vnmercifull world besides those that could prouide for themselues But the Lord of heauen sees this the clamours of many poore debters in the Dungeon of many poore labourers in the field of many poore neighbours crying and dying in the streetes haue entred the â—…ares of the Lord of hoasts he will iudge it Thou hast seene it for thou beholdest mischiefe and spite to requite it the poore committeth himselfe vnto thee thou art the helper of the fâ—…herlesse 6. Lastly their enâ—…itie against Man whom they should reuerence which we sorely found and cannot but thinke of quotiâ—…s 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…picati pâ—…i as often as we remember that â—…ieapple Aeliaâ—…s and Plâ—…e report that when a serpent hath killed a man he can neuer more couer himselfe in the earth but wanders vp and downe like a forlorne thing the earth disdaining to receiue into her bowels a man murtherer The male doth not acknowledge the â—…ale nor the female the male that hath done such a deed Since therefore they rebell against Man whom they should honour let me yoke with them Traytours Seminaries and Renegates that refuse allegiance to their Lieges Soâ—…algnes Will they say 〈◊〉 Prince may loose Ius regni the right of his kingdome per 〈◊〉 regnandi by raigning with iniustice 〈◊〉 and so they are absolued of their obedience But how haps it that the Scripture neuer knew this distinction Saul though guiltie of all sinnes against the first Table yet exsolo 〈◊〉 â—…is châ—…ctere might not bee deposed but Dauid cals him Christum Doâ—… the Lords Annointed If the Prince be an offender must they punish Who gaue them that authoritie No â—…cit 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 quòd Deum expectâ—… 〈◊〉 It is enoâ—…gh for him that he looke for God to bee his Iudge O but when the Popes excommunication thundâ—…rs it is no sinne to decrowne Kings So super stâ—…tiously they follow the Pope that they forsake Christ and will not giue Câ—…sar his due They are the fire brands and bustuaries of Kingdomes Serpents hidden in Ladies and Gentlewomens chambers in a word long spoones for traytors to feed with the Deuill You see also now Quid 〈◊〉 There is poyson in Serpents now told you leaue that there is Wisedome to be learned from Serpents before shewed you studie that Euery vice you nourish is a venemous stinging serpent in your owne bosomes If you will haue hope of heauen expell those Serpents I haue read of a contention betweene Scotland and Ireland about a little Iland either chalenging it theirs It was put to the decision of a French-man who caused to be put into the Iland liuing Serpents Arbitrating it thus that if those Serpents liued and prospered there the ground was Scotlands if they died Irelands If those serpentine sinnes lusts and lewdnes liue â—…d thriue in your hearts Satan will chalenge you for his dominion If they perish and die through mortification and by reason of the pure aire of Gods holy Spirit in you the Lord seales you vp for his owne inheritance I haue giuen you the Raines at large let me giue but one pull at the Curbe and you shall goe The Cohibition is Be harmelesse as Doues In Doues there be some things to be eschewed many things to be commeÌ„ded one thing to be followed The Doue is a timorous and faint hearted creature Ephrâ—… is like a silly Doue without heart Be not ye so In Doues there are many things commendable but I will but name them regarding the limits of both my Text and Time 1. Beautie By that name Christ prayseth the beauty of his Spouse Thou art fayre my Lâ—…e my Doue c. Thou â—…ast Doues 〈◊〉 within thy lâ—…kes And the Church prayseth her Sauiour His eyes are as
the eyes of Doues by the riuers of water washed with milke â—…d fitly set as a precious stone in the foile of a Ring A white doue is a pleasing sight but not like a white soule 2. Chastitie Nescit aduâ—…erij flaâ—…am inteâ—…erata Columba The Doue knowes not the luxurious pollution of an adulterate bed Who euer saw Doue sicke of that lustfull disease Happie bodie that hath such continencie and blessed soule which shall be presented a pure virgin to Iesus Christ. They are virgines and follow the Lambe whether sâ—…euer he goeth 3. Fruitfulnesse Most moneths in the yeare they bring forth young The faithfull are in this respect Doues for faith is euer pregnant of good workes trauels with them and on all occasions brings them forth 4. Amitie They loue their owne mates not changing till death giue one of them a bill of diuorce Gâ—…mit â—…urtur the turtle groanes when hee hath lost his mate Nature teacheth them what Reason aboue nature and Grace aboue Reason teacheth vs to reioyce with the wiues of our youth 5. Vnitie They liue feed flie by companies Many of them can agree quietly in one house Euen teaching vs how good and pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in vnitie That as we haue one hopâ—… so to haue one heart Therefore the holy Ghost came downe in the likenesse of a Doue of all birds and it was the Doue that would not leaue Noahs Arke But these are but circumstances my Câ—…nter is their Innocence Columba simplex est animal felle caret rostro non lâ—…dit Other fowles haue their talons and beakes whereby they gripe and deuoure like vsurers and oppressors in a Common-wealth The Doue hath no such weapon to vse no such heart to vse it They write that she hath no gall and so free from the bitternesse of anger Talem Columbam audiâ—…imus non talem hominem We haue heard of such a Doue not of such a Man Who can say he hath innocent hands and a simple heart Indeed none perfectly in Gods sight yet some haue had and may haue this in part by the witnesse of their owne consciences Samuel could chalenge the Israelites to accuse him Whose â—…xe haue I taken Whom haue I defrauded Of whose hâ—…d haâ—…e I receiued any bribe And Iob sweetly My heart shall not condemne me for my dayes If I haue lift vp my hand against the fatherles let it be broken If I reioyced at the destruction of him that hated me For that is true Innocence sayth Augustine quae nec inimico nocet that hurts not our verie enemie If my land cry against me or the furrowes thereof complaine Let thistles grow in stead of wheat and cockles in stead of barley How few amongst vs dare thus plead So Dauid O Lord thou knowest mine innocencâ—… O blessed testimonie This is Munus aâ—…eneus a wall of brasse about a man In 〈◊〉 sperâ—…re bonum nisi innocens nâ—… potest To hope for good in the middest of euils no man can but the Innocent He goes fearlesse of danger though not secure Impauidum ferient ruinae Neâ—… suspectus est paâ—… quod se non 〈◊〉 fecisse He cannot looke to suffer that wrong which he knowes hee hath not done Innocence sayth Chrysoft is free in seruitude safe in danger ioyfull in bonds Cum humiliatur erigitur â—…um pugnat vincit cum occiditur coronatur When it is cast downe it is raysed vp when it fights it conquers when it is killed it is crowned This is that â—…elesnes which must be ioyned with the Serpents Wisedome So Paul to his Romans I would hâ—…ue you wise vnto that which is good and simple concerning euill This is an excellent mixture sayth Gregor Vt simplicitatem 〈◊〉 astâ—…ia serpentis instrueret vt serpentis astutâ—… simplicitas coluâ—…â—…emperaret That the wisedome of the Serpent might instruct the simplicity of the Doue that the Doues simplicitie might temper the Serpents policie So â—…eda on the first of Iob. Iob is sayd to be simple and vpright simple in innocencie vpright in discreet equitie Simplex quia alijs non lâ—…dit rectus quia se ab alijs non corrumpi 〈◊〉 Simple in that he did not hurt others vpright in that he suffered not himselfe to be corrupted by others Non mulâ—…ùm distat in vitio aut decipere aus decipiposse There is small difference in that vice which either deceiues or may be deceiued The one is weakenesse the other wickednesse This is that grace to which the gates of heauen stand open Innocence But alas where shall the robbers and workers of violence appeare What shall become of the vsurer No creature in heauen or earth shall testifie his innocencie But the sighes cryes and grones of vndone parents of beggard widdowes and Orphanes shall witnesse the contrary All his money like Hempe seede is sowed with curses and euery obligation is written on earth with inke and bloud and in hell with bloud and fire What shall become of the Encloser of Commons Who shall plead his innocence Hedges ditches fields and townes the weeping of the poore the very lowings of beastes shall witnesse against him Where shall fraud cosenage racking of rents iniurie periurie mischiefe appeare You may conceale your craft from the eyes of man defraud the minister beguile your neighbour impouerish the Common-wealth vnperceiued vnpunished but know that the Lord will not hold you innocent I conclude Make you the picture of Innocencie and hang it in your houses but especially draw it in the table of your hearts Let it bee a Virgin faire and louely without any spot of wrong to blemish her beautie Let her garments be white as snow and yet not so white as her conscience Let the teares of compassion drop from her eyes and an Angell holding a bottle to catch them Let her weepe not so much for her owne afflictions as for the wickednes of her afflicters Let the wayes be milke where she sets her foote and let not the earth complaine of her pressure Let the Sun offer her his beames the clouds their raine the ground her fruits euery creature his vertue Let the poore blesse her yea let her very enemies be forced to prayse her Let the world be sommoned to accuse her of wrong and let none be found to witnesse it Let peace lie in her lappe and Integritie betweene her brests Let religion kisse her lippes and all Lawes reuerence her Patience possesse her heart and humilitie sit in her eyes Let all Christians make her the precedent of their liues and studie the doctrine that her mouth teacheth Let the Angels of heauen be her guardians and the mercie of God a shield of defence vnto her Let her tread vpon iniurie and stampe the Deuill and violence vnder her feete Let her greatest aduersaries Oppression and Hypocrisie flie from her presence Let rapine malice extortion depopulation fraud and wrong be as farre
he is Not future euents but present condition may be thus learned Neither day nor night scapes a good man without some profite the night teacheth him what he is as the day what he should be Therefore said a Philosopher that all waking men are in one common world but in sleepe euery man goes into a world by himselfe For his dreames doe signifie to him those secret inclinations to which hee thought himselfe a stranger though they were home-dwellers in his heart Euen those fancies are speaking images of a mans disposition And as I haue heard of some that talke in their dreames and then reueale those secrets which awake they would not haue disclosed So may thy dreames tell thee when thou wakest what kind of man thou art The hypocrite dreames of dissimulation the proud woman of paint and colours the theefe of robberie and booties the Iesuite of treasons Let them aske their very sleepe qualeâ—… sint what manner of men they arâ—… For so lightly they answere temptations actually waking as their thoughts doe sleeping Thus onely a man may make good vse of his dreames Here let vs obserue that God doth sometimes draw men to him suis ipsorum 〈◊〉 by their owne delights and studies No doubt these Magi were well acquainted with dreames it being amongst Ethnickes and Peripatetickes a speciall obiect of diuination Therefore there is a booke bearing the name of Aristotle De diuiâ—…ne pâ—…r somnium Many â—…ors these men had swallowed by dreames now behold in a dreame they shall receiue the truth So God called them by a Starre whose profession was to relie too much on the Starres Quare per Stellam vt per Christum ipsa materia erroris fieret salutis occasio Why by a Starre that through Iesus Christ the very matter of their error might be made a meanes of their saluation Per 〈◊〉 illâ—…s vocat quâ—… familâ—…ria illis consâ—…tudo fecit God cals them by those things which custome had made familiar to them They that are stung with Scorpions must be cured by the oyle of Scorpions Thus God allures men to him as Fishermen 〈◊〉 with such baites as may bee somewhat agâ—…ble to them Paul is occasioned by the Alâ—… 〈◊〉 the vnknowâ—… God to make knowne the true God the 〈◊〉 Iesus Doth Dauid loue the Sheepe-folds he shall be a Shepheard still From following the eâ—…s great with yong he brought him to feed Iacob his people and Isrâ—…ll his â—…ritance Doth Peter loue fishing he shall goe a fishing still though for more noble creatures to catch souleâ—… Doe these Magicians loue Starres and Dreames behold a Starre and a Dreame shall instruct them in the truth of God Old Isâ—… takes occasion by the smell of his Sons garments sauouring of the field to pronounce a spirituall blessing The smell of my Sonne is as the smell of a field which the Lord hath blessed Ierome notes of Amos that he begins his Prophecie with roaring The Lord shall roare from Sion Because he being a field-man kept the woods where hee was wonted to the roaring of Lyons Iudaei signa quaerunt Doe the Iewes seeke a signe Why Christ will there euen among them worke his Myracles Doth Augustine loue eloquence Ambrose shall catch him at a Sermon All things shall worke to their good that are good Omnia etiam peccata All things euen their very sinnes sayth Augustinâ—… 〈◊〉 in his Essayes writes that a libidinous gentleman sporting with a Courtezan in a house of sinne chanced to aske her name which she sayd was Mary Whereat he was stricken with such a remorse and reuerence that he instantly not onely cast off the Harlot but amended his whole future life Well-beloued since this is Gods mercie to allure vs to him by our owne delights let vs yeeld our selues to be caught What scope doth thy addiction leuell at that is not sinfull which Gods word doth not promise and afford What delight can you aske which the Sanctuarie giues not Loue you hunting learne here to hunt the Foxes the little Cubbes those craftie sins sculking in your bosomes Would you dance let your hearts keepe the measures of Christian ioy and leape like Iohn the Baptist in Elizabeths wombe at the saluation of Iesus Delight you in running Paul sets you a race So runne that ye may obtaine You shall haue good company Dâ—…id promiseth that he will run the way of Gods commandements Peter and Iohn will runne with you to Iesus Loue you Musicke Here are the Bels of Aaron still ringing the treble of Mercie and the tenor of Iudgement Leui's Lute and Dauids Harpe There are no such songs as the songs of Sion Would you be merry Reioyce in the Lord alwayes and againe I say reioyce If euer you found ioy like this ioy the peace of conscience and ioy of the holy Ghost backe againe to the world Louest thou daintie cheare here be the best cates the body and bloud of thy Sauiour the bread of life no hunger after it Wilt thou drinke much Drinke my wine and my milke drinke yea drinke abundantly O Beloued Bibâ—…e 〈◊〉 as the originall imports drinke and bee drunken with loues pledge the health that Christ begun euen asauing health to all nations Are you ambitious there is no preferment like that to be had here in the Court of the King of Kings Dauid iudged it no little thing to bee Sonne in law to a King but what is it then to bee a King Desire you stately buildings Alas the whole world is but a Cottage a poore transient Tabernacle to the Mansions promised by Christ. Lastly are you couetous Yet I need not aske that question but take it as granted Why then here is gold more precious then that of Arabia or of Hauilah rust or theefe may distresse that this is a treasure can neuer be lost What should I say more What can winne you Which way soeuer your desires stands God doth allure you The best thinges in earth or in heauen are your baite With these doth the Lord seeke you not for any need that he hath of you but for your owne saluation When the fairest of all Beloueds doth thus wooe vs let him winne vs and espouse vs to himselfe in grace that wee haue the plenary marriage in glory You see the Manner of their Warning The Matter That they should not returne to Herod Why not to Herod Because the Lord now lets them see his hypocrisie For howsoeuer he pretended Ver. 8. to come and worship him yet he intended not seruire but sâ—…uire not to honour him but to murder him He cals the Wisemen priuily as if hee quaked at the propagation of this newes for it came vpon him like the pangs of death He commands them to inquire de infante not de rege of the babe not of the King for that title galled him to the heart That I may worship him Dirum facinus tingit colore pietatis
suffer commit c. What. The Soule and the keeping thereof The Soule is a very precious thing it had need of a good keeper For what is a man profited if he shall gaine the whole world and loose his owne soule We trust the Lawyer to keepe our Inheritance the Physitian to keepe our body the coffer to keepe our money shepheards to keepe our flockes but the Soule had need of a better keeper Howsoeuer it goes with thy libertie with thy loue with thy land with thy life be sure to looke well to thy soule that lost all is lost The bodie is not safe where the Soule is in hazard Non-anima pro corpore sed corpus pro anima factum est The soule is not made for the bodie but the bodie for the Soule He that neglects the better let him looke neuer so well to the worse shall loose both He that looks well to the keeping of the better though he somwhat neglect the worst shal saue both The Body is the instrument of the soule it acts what the other directs so it is the externall actuall and instrumentall offender Satan will come with a Habeus corpus for it But I am perswaded if hee take the Body hee will not leaue the Soule behind him To whom To God he is the best Keeper Adam had his Saluation in his owne hands hee could not keepe it Esau had his Birth-right in his owne hands hee could not keepe it The Prodigall had his Patrimonie in his owne hands he could not keepe it If our Soule were left in our own hands we could not keepe it The world is a false keeper let the soule runne to ryot hee will goe with it The Deuill is a Churlish keeper he labours to keepe the soule from saluatiō The Body is a brittle inconstant keeper euery sicknes opens the doore and lets it out God onely is the sure keeper Your life is hid with Christ in God This was Dauids confidence Thou art my hiding place thou shalt keepe mee The Iewells giuen to thy little children thou wilt not trust them with but keepe them thy selfe O Lord keepe thou our onely one doe thou Rescue our soule from destructions our Darling from the Lyons Trust vs not with our owne soules wee shall passe them away for an Apple as Adam did for a morsell of meate as Esau did for the loue of a harlot as that Prodigall did Lord doe thou keepe our Soules Now the Christian patient must commit the keeping of his Soule to God both in Life Death 1. Liuing the Soule hath three places of being In the body from the Lord in the Lord from the body in the body with the Lord. The two last are referred to our saluation in heauen either in part when the Soule is glorified alone or totally when both are crowned together Now the soule must be euen here in the Lords keeping or else it is lost If God let goe his hold it sinkes It came from God it returnes to God it cannot be well one moment without God It is not in the right vbi except the Lord be with it It is sine sua domo if sine suo Domino Here be foure sorts of men reprouable 1. They that trust not God with their soules nor themselues but relie it only vpon other men 2. They that will not trust God with their soules nor others but onely keepe it themselues 3. They that will trust neither God with their soules nor others nor keepe it it themselues 4. They that will neither trust others with their soules nor themselues but only God yet without his warrant that he will keepe it 1. They that trust their soules simplie on the care of others they are either Papists or prophane Protestants The Papist trusts Antichrist with his soule he 's like to haue it well kept If Masses Asses can keepe it for so the Iesuites terme their secular Priests it shall not bee lost The deuill fights against the soule the Pope interposeth an armoury of Agnus Dei's sprinklings crossings amulets prayers to Saints But surely if this Armour were of proofe S. Paul forgot himselfe in both these places where he describes that Panoply or whole armour of God He speakes of a plate of righteousnesse for the breast shooes of patience for the feete the shield of Faith the helmet of saluation the sword of the Spirit To the Thessalonians indeed hee somewhat varies the pieces of armour but in neither place doth he mention Crosses Crucifixes aspersions vnctions c. Or they will trust the Saints in heauen with their soules Sancta virgo Dorothea tua nos virtute bea cor in nobis nouum crea What that Prophet desired of God they as if they were Ioth to trouble the Lord about it and could haue it neerer hand beg of their Saint Dorothy to create a new heart within them Such a rithme haue they to the Virgin Mary Virgo mater maris stella Fons hortorum verbi cella ne nos pestis aut procella peccatores obruant But the Saints are deafe non audiunt They would pray them to forbeare such prayers they abhorre such superstitious worship They that were so iealous of Gods honour on earth would be loth to robbe him of it in heauen So our carnall professors onely trust the Minister with their soule as if God had imposed on him that charge which the Prophet gaue to Ahab keepe this man if by any meanes he be missing then shall thy life be for his life But indeed if he doe his duty in admonishing If thou warne the wicked of his way to turne from it if he do not turne from his way he shall die in his iniquitie but thou hast deliuered thy soule 2. They that will not trust others with their soule but keepe it themselues They wrapit warme in the nest of their own presumptuous merits as if good workes should hatch it vp to heauen But the soule that is thus kept will be lost He that wil goe to heauen by his own righteousnes and climbers by no other ladder then his owne Iust workes shall neuer come there The best Saints that haue had the most good workes durst not trust their soules with them I know nothing by my selfe yet am I not hereby iustified In many things we sin all All in many things many in all things And the most learned Papists whatsoeuer they haue said in their disputations reserue this truth in their hearts otherwise speaking in their deaths then they did in their liues Now non merita mea sed misericordia tua not my merits but thy mercies O Lord. All our life is either vnprofitable or damnable therfore O man what remaines Nisi vt in tota vita tua deplores totam vitam tuā but that during al thy life thou shouldest lament al thy life workes cannot keepe vs but grace let them boast of perfection we cry for
pardon they for merits we for mercies they for iustifying workes of their own we only for our sweet Sauiour Iesus Christ. 3. They that will neither trust others with their soule not keepe it theÌ„selues but either do sell it for ready money as Esau sold his Birthright Iudas 〈◊〉 Iesus Or pawne it for a good bribe some large teÌ„ptation of profit pleasure or honor they will not sell it out-right but morgage it for a while with a purpose that seâ—…dome speeds to redeeme it Or loose it walking negligently through the streets of this great Citie the world their soule is gone they are not aware of it Or giue away their soule as do the enuious and desperate haue nothing in lieu of it but terrors without horrors within they serue the deuills turne for nothing 4. They that will trust God with their soule but haue no warraÌ„t that God will keep it They lay al the burtheÌ„ vpon the shoulders of Christ meddle no more with the matter As if God would bring them to heaueÌ„ euen whilst they pursue the way to hel or keep that soule for the body when the body had quite giuen away the soule He neuer promised to saue a man against his will As he doth saue vs by his Son so he comands vs. to worke vp our saluation with feare trembling He that lies still in the myrie pitt of his sin trusts to heauen for helpe out without his owne concurring endeuour may hap to lie there still 2. Dying there is no comfort but to trust the soule with God So Dauid Lord into thy hands I commit my spirit So Steuen Lord Iesus receiue my spirit with these words our Lord Iesus himselfe gaue vp the Ghost It is iustice to restore whence we receiue It is not presumption but faith to trust God with thy spirit The soule of the king the soule of the beggar all one to him Dauid a king Lazarus a beggar God receiues both their soules From giuing vp the Ghost the highest is not exempted from giuing it into the hands of God the poorest is not excepted There is no comfort like this when riches bring aut nequam aut nequicquam either no comfort or discomfort when the wardrobe furniture iunkets wine offend thee when thy money cannot defend thee when thy doctors feed themselues at thy cost cannot feed thee when wife childreÌ„ friends stand weeping about thee where is thy helpe thy hope all the world hath not a dramme of comfort for thee this sweetens all Lord into thy hands I commend my soule Thou hast redeemed me O thou God of truth Our Spirit is our dearest iewell howle and lament if thou thinke thy soule is lost But let thy faith know that is neuer lost which is committed to Gods keeping Spiritum emittis non amittis Duriùs seponitur sed melius reponitur That soule must needs passe quietly through the gates of death which is in the keeping of God Woe were vs if the Lord did not keepe it for vs whiles we haue it much more when we restore it While our soule dwels in our breast it is subiect to manifold miseries to manifest sinnes temptations passions misdeedes distemper vs in heauen it is free from all these Let the soule be once in the hands of God nec dolore pro peccato nec peccato prae dolore torquetur it is neither disquieted with sorrow for sinne nor with sinne which is beyond all sorrow There may be trouble in the wildernesse in the land of promise there is all peace Then may we sing Our soule is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the foulers the snare is broken and wee are escaped Inuadit Satanas euadit Christianus It is there aboue the reach of the deuill There is no euill admitted into the citie of heauen to wrastle with the citizens thereof Death is ready at hand about vs we carry deaths enow within vs we know we shall die we know not how soone it can neuer preuent vs or come too early if our soules bee in the keeping of God Man was not so happy when God gaue his soule to him as he is when he returnes it to God Giue it cheerefully and then like a faythfull Creator that thou giuest to him in short paine hee will giue thee backe with endlese ioy And so we come fittly from the Comfort of our Integritie The Boldnesse of this Comfort As vnto a faithfull Creator Wherein our confidence is heartned by a double argument the one drawne ex maiestate the other ex Misericordia from Maiestie from mercie His greatnes a Creator his goodnes a Faithfull Creator 1. Creator not a stranger to thee but he that made the. It is naturall to man to loue the worke of his owne hands Pigmalion dotes vpon the stone which himselfe had carued But much more naturall to loue his owne Images his children the walking Pictures of himselfe the diuided pieces of his owne body God loues vs as our Creator because his owne hands haue fashioned vs. But creauit vermiculos hee also made the wormes yeeld it and therefore non odit vermiculos hee hates not the very wormes Creauit Diabolum hee made the deuill no God made him an Angell hee made himselfe a deuill God loues him vt naturam as he is a nature hates him vt Diabolum as he is a corrupted nature an euill a deuil But we are not onely his creatures the workmanship of his hands but his children so Adam is called The sonne of God His owne Image fecit hominem in similitudinem suam he made man after his likenes in his Image We are more then opus Dei the meere worke of God for Imago Dei the very Image and similitude of God We may therefore be bold to commend our soules to God as a faithfull Creator Diuerse men haue that for their God which neuer was their Creator The proud man makes his Honour his god the couetous makes his gold his God the voluptuous makes his belly his God now whereas God not onely charged in the first Precept Thou shalt haue no other Gods before me but added further in the next Thou shalt not make to thee any Image or Similitude of any thing whether in heauen aboue or earth beneath or water vnder the earth c. These three sinnes seeme to crosse God in these three interdicted places For the proud man hath his Idol as it were in the aire the couetous man hath his Idol in the earth the drunken Epicure hath his Idol in the water Let them take their Gods to themselues let no Rachel that hath married Iacob steale away Labans Idols Our Creator is in heauen boldly giue thy soule to him who should better haue it then he that made it 2. The other argument of our comfort is that he is Fidelis a Faithfull Creator He is faithfull to thee how vnfaithfull soeuer thou hast beene