another the Glory of GOD. Those by all the Workes which in any of them were created This by GODS Resting in it and Sanctifying of it So haue S. Ambrose Chrysostome and Basill in their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And so hath that divine Poet Seigneur du Bartas with a gift of excellencie handled each one of those Daies that well they haue made it to appeare that each of them may lend to other each and all of them may lend to vs though they lend vs too infinit and vnspeakable though ever spoken matter of GODS Glory And in this respect Bodin speaketh very well towards th' end of the first Chapter of his first booke De Republica Deus Opt. Max. cum omnia sapientèr tum illud potissimùm quòd rebus agendis ac negotijs contraheÌ„dis sex omnino dies definiit diem verò septimuÌ„ contemplationi quieti sanctissimae consecraâ—it quem vnuÌ„ ex omnibus beauit cuisoli benedixit vt diem huncfestuÌ„ hilaritèr ac iucundè transigamus in pulcherrima Dei praepotentis opera iudicia iussa intuentes in eius laudibus acquiescamus Where besides the blessednes by GOD himselfe bestowed on that Day which is bestowed on his service that which before we spake of and is expresly proved out of the beginning of the second of Genesis This is also a thing of very singular note That not only the six daies of Gods working I say not The Workes only that GOD made in the six daies but the six daies of GODS Working haue taught man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 too as Aristotle hath distinguished them in his sixth booke of Ethicks and the fourth Chapter But the Seauenth Day hath learned him Contemplation also And this to be the Endc of all trades and occupations of all arts and sciences of all affaires negotiations both civill and domesticall Even vpon the Sabbath Day to keepe it holy to enioy our rest with reioycing in the Lord in pulcherrima Dei praepotentis opera iudicia iussa intuentes in eius laudibus acquiescere and by contemplating the beautifull Workes of GOD his iudgements and his commandements to rest and reappose our selues wholy on the magnifying of GODS name casting away from vs euery thing that presseth downe as the Apostle speaketh the sin that hangeth so fast on vs. That so at the least once in the week we may be fouÌ„d resting and residing in our proper Element without any worldly gravitation This the Heathen men had some glimmering of And therefore how ever they derided metuentem Sabbata patrem yet they themselues though all in darknes as they were busied themselues about such things as the Sabbath Day had taught theÌ„ Hence were they so prolixe in their Contemplation Contemplatiue felicity Hence had they their Dayes of vacation from civill affaires even th' administration of iustice it selfe Ille nefastus erit per quem tria verba silentur Fastus erit per quem lege licebit agi And all this learned they by the sound of the Sabbath Day The sound of the Sabbath Day which had gone out into all lands according to that which is in the next verse saue one vnto my Text. S. Chrysostome in the tenth Homilie of his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 speaking of GODS Resting the Sabbath Day and Hallowing it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If then Beloved it were one of the first Items that ever GOD gaue vs if the law of Nature hath taught it vs if the Day it selfe even this Day so long agoe and now so long time together hath told it vs if it be the Expetible End of all our actions the soveraigne Felicity of this life To dedicate some Whole Day in the week to the worship and service of GOD and to the workes that are spirituall Ought we not ought we not so to doe Though it had never beene expresly written in the ten commandements For One Day telleth another The Fourth Exposition is S. Austins in his eighteenth Sermon De Natali Domini That the Dayes which we in Christianity keepe holy and festivall or otherwise duely and reverently obserue in memorie of any especiall thing concerning Christ doe one certifie another So the Day of Christs Birth the Day of the Purification the Day of th' Annunciation of the blessed Virgin the Day of Christs ResurrectioÌ„ the Day of his Ascension the Day of his Sending the Holy Ghost the Dayes which now we obserue in tokeÌ„ that Christ fasted so many Dayes and Nights for vs Et Christi merito quaeque notata Dies doe one relate and recount vnto another the Glory of GOD his vnspeakeable goodnesse towards vs in calling to our memories witnessing to the world the gladsome tidings of the Gospel Dies Nativitatis diei passionis dies Passionis diei Resurrectionis c annunciat Verbum Illic natum hic passum In illa Angelorum gaudium in ista totius mundi luctum sed tamen omnium in Resurrectione triumphuÌ„ c as S. Austen speaketh One Day telleth c. In the next place it shall not be amisse if we first of all examine the very wordes themselues what they may signifie in the Original conferred too with other languages They are in the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Where all the difference is about the signification of the prefixe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being a note either of the Genitiue or Datiue case and sometimes too by the preposition De or Ad to be expounded Hence some haue vnderstood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in this place as if it were to be interpreted by the preposition De. So Kimhi hath taken it as if we should read it thus One Day telleth of another And then the meaning is That One Day sheweth another day in like sort to follow after him and that there shall be the same reason of the subsequent as was of the precedent day The Sun still continuing on his goodly order and vicissitude of rising and setting So hath One Day told another the Glory of GOD and hath made him knowne not in Israël only but vnto all people Hence Cicero could say Diet noctisque vicissitudo conservat animantes tribuens aliud agendi tempus aliud quiescendi Sic vndique omni ratione concluditur mente consilioque divino omnia in hoc mundo ad saluteÌ„ omnium conservationemque admirabilitèr administrari See how the heathen man here speaketh Sic vndique omni ratione concluditur It is concluded every way by every reason The Glory of God in his providence every thing is a meanes a Medius Terminus to proue to Demonstrate it withall Whether it be the vicissitude of the Day and of the Night or the continuall suite and following of one Day vpon another One Day Telleth another So
VERBA DIERVM OR THE DAYES REPORT OF GODS GLORY As it hath beene delivered some yeeres since at Foure Sermons or Lectures vpon one Text in the Famous Vniversity of OXFORD And since that time somewhat Augmented And is now commended vnto All Times to be Augmented and Amended By EDWARD EVANS Priest and Minister of The Lord Our God PSAL 8. ver 2. Out of the Mouth of Babes and Sucklings c. HAS 2. 24. The Earth shall be or is filled with the Knowledge of the Glory of God as the Waters cover the Sea BERNARD Siquis torpet de Dei Laude certissimum vabetin se experimentum quòd non habeat in se Spiritum Sanctum AT OXFORD Printed by Ioseph Barnes 1615. TO THE HONOVR AND GLORY OF THE HOLIEST OF ALL THE ALMIGHTIE AND MOST HIGH KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS SVPREAME HEAD OVER ALL EMPEROVR OF HEAVEN LIGHTS FATHER DAYES PROGENITOR AND THE INVISIBLE FOVNTAINE OF ALL GLORY In Endevoured Return◠of Thankfulnes For All His Glory Conferred Revealed Exhibited Declared Proffered Promised Expected by to or vpon Any of his reatures Particularly for the Knowledge of Salvation by through the Day-Springs Visitation from on High The Divine VVords Mediation conveighed from Divine to Humane Enunciation and by the Instruments of All kinde of VVords and of any Speech or Language derived vnto people of All Tongues and Languages Especially to the Gentiles and to the Poore People of the Yles and of the North among the rest to vs Britaines English-Saxons Scots and Irish HIS MOST VNWORTHY AND VNPROFITABLE SERVANT POORE WORME OF HIS CREATION SLAVE OF HIS REDEMPTION BABE OF HIS INSTRVCTION EARTH OF HIS EXALTATION AND DVST AND ASHES OF HIS GLORI FICATION BY HIS ASSISTANCE MOST HVMBLY CRAVING MERCIFVLL ACCESSE AND ACCEPTATION DOETH DEDICATE AND CONSECRATE THIS DAYES REPORT AND DECLARATION Faults of Omission and Commission Pag. 31. lin 1. For tations which may not c Read tations which are brought vpon these few words Because I see none of them which may not c. p. 32. l. vlt. p. 33. l. 1. blot out these wordes Et quod visum est in vna aestate principiū est ad sciendum in alia p. 33. l. 25. For their read the. p. 71. l. 15. 20 for That which we falsly call c read That which foolish Io in Plato soone confuted by wise Socrates would haue to be the Subiect of his Rapsodian Art that which we falsly call c. p. 82. l. 9. for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in some copies read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 84. l 6. for Nomanclator read Nomenclator p. 87. l. 26. for who as read who as p. 89. l. 1. for thee read the. p. 92. l. 26. for persectiō read perfection p. 126. l. 1. for And read As. p. 129. l. 24. for Christ Crucified read Christ was Crucified p. 135. l. 9. blot out such ib. l. 10. for Light-Angels read Light Angels p. 162. l. 3. for acquinted read acquainted p. 169. l. 23. for then read even p. 30. l. 11. for Night Issue read Night-Issue THE DAYES REPORT OF GODS GLORY PSALM 19. VERSH 2. One Day Telleth another c. IT is GOD saith the Prophet David that teacheth mā knowledge knowledge of GOD and of himselfe This lesson of Knowledge did man then first begin to take whē he was first taken out of the dust of the earth and began to be a Living Soule Siquidem à primordio reram conditor earum cum ipsis pariter compertus est ipsis ad hoc prolatis vt Deus cognosceretur saith Tertullian For that which was forbidden man in the beginning was not knowledge simply but Knowledge of Good and Evill that which was a privation rather of his knowledge in causing a deprivation of his happie estate This lesson of Knowledge begun to bee taught man in the beginning and yet not as yet ended when the end of all things is at hand hath beene by GOD divers sundry waies delivered vnto man as he that knoweth all things and knoweth all things best knewe it to be most convenient for that Scholler whom hee had made by his word and his commandment yet hath much adoe to make him a Scholler for all his worde and all his commandements First GOD dealt with man as with a child of small capacitie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as S. Chrysostome speaketh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 First GOD spake vnto vs by the world by The Booke of the world or The Booke of Nature by all the workes which he had made This maner of GODS teaching of vs and speaking vnto vs the Prophet David here declareth in the six first verses of this Psalme So then these words of my Text are some part of The Booke of the World where Nights are as it were the Blacke Inkie Lines of learning Dayes the White Lightsome Spaces betweene the Lines where GOD hath Imprinted a very legible Delineation of his Glory And whereby GOD teacheth mā knowledge evē now too after that Knowledge Cognitio Sancta the Knowledge the Holy Knowledge of the Lord is encreased according to the prophecy of Daniel Dan. 12. 4. and that Act. 2. the seaventeenth and the eighteenth verses alleaged out of the Prophet Ioel. Yea even very now doth GOD teach man knowledge by the Booke of the World when as the Booke of his Word lyeth before vs. This booke directing vs vnto that booke and that booke leading vs vnto to this and all to make Good Schollers of vs if such rare and excellent Bookes may beget any learning in vs. It is written then in the booke of GOD wrought by GOD in the booke of the world One Day Telleth another So that whether we wil learne it by wrote or else by the Booke the booke of GOD or the booke of the world we haue our choice Thinke not then my deere Brethren either this or the knowledge of GOD to bee any hard lesson for you to learne and take it not for any Eleophuge or Bricke wall For as yee haue heard it is written not onely in the Bible but in the booke of the world too where are no Turkish Characters no Hebrew points no Greeke manuscript Abbreviations to trouble you much lesse any multitude of Lines or Angles to disharten you Only One Day Telleth another Of which that we may the better bee informed our liues thereby if it please GOD to dispense vnto vs so large a measure of his grace amended and reformed May it please you to obserue with me but two or three things First what is The meaning of these words One Day Telleth another where yee shal perceaue what is meant by The Daies and what by their Telling one another Or if yee list to divide this First Generall Part into two The First shall be of the Meaning of the words The Second of The Maner of the Daies Telling one another The Maner of their Speech
will appeare in the second Generall part One Day telleth another The Litterall sense that Iâ—nscnius bringeth of these words besides the affinitie it hath with some alreadie mentioned inclineth much to that of Dionysius Carthusianus who entertaineth in these wordes that which well he may a Metonymie whereby The Day is said to doe that which is done in the day to Tell that which is told in the day Hence Brentius here translateth Singulis diebus annunciat verbum The knowledge of God encreaseth dayly And according to that last exposition which the Ordinary glosse here bringeth is both by Day Night continued vnto all posteritie The workes of GOD or men by the workes of God doe from Day to Day shew the Glory of his kingdome and talke of his Power So too One Day telleth another Rabbi Schlomohs exposition is like to some before going that every Day and every Night with their coÌ„tinuall course and order doe ioyne together in the celebration of the Power and wisedome of GOD. One Day Telleth another Abraham Ezra taketh the meaning of the words to be the same which before yee heard out of Bucer vpon the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That every day bringeth forth some new worke or other of the Almighties Because every day and so every Night too vttereth discloseth some new matter in which the power wisdome and goodnesse of GOD is in a new maner and after a peculiar sort made manifest Quidam ad eas laudes quas à patribus acceperunt addunt aliquam suam saith Cicero So doth the Day Beloued even every Day besides that which it receiueth of the precedent dayes as of his Auncestors or Predecessors Add still some new matter of his owne whereby GODS name is magnified As if vix ea nostra voco were his motto Who saith that that which was done yesterday is done To Day No more is that our doing much lesse our deseruing which others haue performed Let every man proue his own worke saith the Apostle and then shall he haue reioycing in himselfe and not in another Even as every Day hath something of his owne something done To Day whereby hee gladly sheweth forth GODS Glory as all his Predecessors did One Day tellerh another Of like meaning are these words in the iudgement of some who iudge not amisse neither with that of the heathen mens but whose it is is not yet well determined Discipulus est prioris posterior dies The later Day is the former Dayes scholler or Disciple Hence Bucer here translateth Dies diem docet One Day Teacheth another Omnis res anterior posteriori norman praeministravit saith TertulliaÌ„ Every fore-going thing prescribeth is as t' were a patterne or a samplar vnto that which followeth Inquire of the former age saith Iob. Iob. 8. 8. And I haue considered the dayes of old saith David the yeares that are past Psal 77. 5. Inquire now of the Dayes that are past saith Moses Deu. 4. 32. which were before thee since the Day that GOD created man vpoÌ„ the earth c. And Deut. 32. 7. Remember the dayes of old saith Moses too consider the yeares of so many generations For One Day telleth another To the full meaning and vnderstanding of which words it is as true and all as pertinent too that Prior dies posterioris est discipulus The former day is also the later dayes scholler or disciple One Day telleth another The former day telleth the later and the later the former The first the Chalde Translation seemeth to mee to haue aimed at by their word of Diminution The second also by their word of Addition And this later agreeably vnto that which before yee heard out of Bucer That the Later Day telleth the former Day this the heathen men saw also as well as they did the other Hence is that of Aeschylus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Time as it groweth older and older so it will informe thee better it will teach thee more and more And hence is that of Demea in Terence Nunquam ita quisquam benè subductâratione ad vitam fuit quin res aetas vsus semper aliquid apportet noui aliquid moneat vt illa quaete scire credas nescias quae tibi putâris prima in experiundo repudies This especially if with the Apostle we preferre it to a higher sense may well serue to allay the puffe of knowledge in vs. 1. Cor. 8. 2. If any man thinketh that he knoweth any thing hee knoweth nothing yet as he ought to doe For One Day telleth another Finally if yee will haue the full and whole meaning of these words together according to their farthest bout and circumference respecting especially The Matter of the Dayes Report I must needes hold with them for this one place of holy Scripture who avouched that every passage thereof was Seaventie manner of wayes to be interpreted For I say not that this place of holy Scripture may beare Interpretation seaventy manner of wayes But seauenty times seaventy For Every Day Every way considered telleth every Day every way considered the Ever Ever-Ever lasting Glory of the Lord. So hath One Day told another ever since the beginning So doth so shall so may One Day tell another 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as S. Peter speaketh for Euer and a Day a Day of Evermore And I would it could be more then for Evermore Amen To God the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost three persons one God immortal invisible and only wise even to God who is that he is Be rendred and ascribed all praise honour glory power maiestie kingdome and dominion both now and throughout all Eternity Amen THE DAYES REPORT OF GODS GLORY PSALM 19. VERSE 2. One Day Telleth another c. IN these wordes that which partly appeareth by that which heretofore hath beene saide on them and that which is agreed vpon by all the best Expositors there is contained a Prosopopoeia Elegans Prosopopoeia an elegant Prosopopoeia as Iunius Tremellius and others haue tearmed it Hoc Eructat verbum saith Theodoret on my Text Indicat scientiam Enarrant gloriam Dei non animata esse quae videntur docet verùm est quaedam Prosopopoeia homines docens ab his quae videntur ad opificem qui minimè cernitur pervenire illi hymnorum cantilenam afferre That is This same One Day telleth another and One Night certifieth another and The heauens declare the Glory of God argueth not the Heavens the Dayes or the Nights to be liuing * creatures indued with voice Speech and Language But t' is a kinde of Prosopopoeia whereby men are taught by the visible things of this world to be brought to the invisible Creatour of them and so to bring and sing vnto him praise Glory Thankesgiuing Coelt singult dies eo Deum et eius opera praedicant quòd nobis praedicandi materiam exhibent saith Bucer the
Glory knowne to the whole world by so so preserving vs that Day The like may be said of all the Beauty and Comely ornaments which God hath bestowed not on vs only but vpon all other nations To whoÌ„ he giveth godly Kings and Queenes for Nurses and such like as before out of Ezech. for all which more particularly I referre you to every Dayes Relation To which also and to the Bookes that thereof are written I must for brevitie sake remit you touching the manifold Discoveries of new Countries and People to the vnspeakeable Advancement of Gods Glory and that by One Dayes telling Another whence the Psalter of the Nebiense Bishop hath to the words of my Text and the verses next following especially the fourth verse Apponed a long Annotation of Columbus his voyage and Discovery of the New World or VVest Indies And where wee also may Obserue concerning many other Countries and People besides our owne among them all Virginia how One Day already Telleth and shall still Tell more and more GODS Glory God grant it may vnto another And so much of the Dayes Beautie and Perfection to shew how thereby they shew forth and that most excellently the Glory of GOD. For Omnis causa in sui perfectione effectus maximè honoratur Every Cause is most of all honoured or glorified by the Effects perfection Whence the workemans cunning is most seene and most commended in an absolute peece of worke according to that Ecclesiastic 9. 19. And all this is to learne vs a good lesson by the example of the Dayes and other of Gods creatures to doe but as they doe in setting forth GODS Glory That is to hold vs to our Owne Glory and by that which is our Beautie and Perfection to endeauour to demonstrate vnto all the world what a Beautifull Perfect Creatour We all haue Our best way of Glorifying GOD being even by that wherein our chiefest Perfection doth consist Hence are we by the Scripture so often put in mind of Perfection Mat. 5. 48. Ye shall therefore be Perfect c. Heb. 6. Let vs be led on forwards vnto PerfectioÌ„ Mat. 19. If thou wilt be Perfect c. Luk. 6. 40. Whosoever will bee a Perfect disciple c. Col. 1. 28. That wee may present every man Perfect c. Col. 3. 14. Loue which is the bond of Perfectnesse Col. 4. That yee may stand Perfect c. 2. Tim. 3. 17. That the man of God may be made Absolute being made Perfect And â—am 1. 4. That yee may be Perfect Now wherein this our Perfection consisteth as it is pointed out vnto vs by those places of holy Scripture which suggest vnto vs our Perfection so will it not be vnprofitable to vnfold Ipsius Hominis vera perfectio in subijciendo se Deo ineo venerando potissimum consistit The true Perfection of man himselfe resideth in mans submitting himselfe vnto God in due Obedience in worshipping of him In worshipping of him And indeed To worship GOD what else is it but To Turne vnto God To call vpon him To subiect our selues wholy vnto him To desire endeavour to become as like vnto him as is possible to be made Perfect by him Againe there being a twofold worship of God Externall and Internal and the Outward being ordained for the Inward as an handmaide to atteÌ„d it so the Internall being the chiefest It must needs be that our Chiefest perfectioÌ„ must be included within the Inward worship of GOD. Interiorem autem verum Dei cultum dicimus esse rectitudinem ac perfectionem vitae hominis interioris And the true inward worship of God wee call Vprightnesse and Perfection of life in the inward man So The holier a mans life is the Perfecter is he Sanctitas verò est interioris hominis perfectio qua etiam totus homo perficitur And Holinesse is the Perfection of the inward man whereby is made perfect the whole man And therefore by Holinesse and Perfectnes of life is God best Glorified and most syncerely worshipped The Reason here of is plaine as in the Perfection of other Creatures For this Inward and Chiefe Perfection standing in Holinesse and in all kinde of Vertue and Godlinesse sheweth that much more Holinesse all kinde of Goodnesse belongeth vnto GOD as a neere Attribute who hath attributed so much thereof vnto men as we see shining in their good life 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 1. Pet. 2. 9. That yee may shew forth the Vertues of him that called you And therefore they come short of most rightly Glorifying GOD by their Chiefe Perfection yea and of the true and entire Worship of GOD who more regard the Externall Service of him then this his Internall Worship their owne Perfection who care more to come to Church to heare Sermons to receaue the Sacraments and such like then to keepe themselues holy and blamelesse in life and conversation vntill the Day of the comming of our Lord Iesus Preferring therein the mother of pearle before the margarite the huske before the Diamond their own Outward Perfection before their Inward GODS Externall Worship before his Internall their own slender Glory before GODS and their owne true and perfect Glory And as if GOD were a Body and not a Spirit so they worship him only or else chiefly with Bodily Service which profitteth little And not alike in Godlinesse which is profitable vnto all things and in Spirit and in Truth as hee requireth to be worshipped For so by our Internall acts of Puritie and Righteousnesse we are made more like vnto GOD and therefore more Perfect and therefore better setters forth of GODS Glory by our neerer resembling of him then per actus exteriores by meere and precisely Externall acts of Service which are but dissembling with GOD. Dicet aliquis saith Athanasius Est ergo Gloriae cupidus Deus Nequaquam Nam nullius indiga est rei Divinitas sed vult sanè à nobis Gloriam consequi hoc est à nostris rectis operibus c. Some man will say why is God then desirous of Glory as of a thing which he waÌ„teth No saith he The Diuinity lacketh nothing He hath Glory enough in himselfe as being the Cause and FouÌ„tain of all Glory as before ye heard But t' is his will to be Glorified by vs that is by our good Workes According to that Mat. 5. 16. and the like is againe 1. Pet. 2. 12. That they may see your good workes and Glorifie your Father which is in heaven And this too for our owne good not for Gods For as the Sun hath no need of vs but we of him so God hath no need of our Glorifiyng of him but we haue all neede of the Glory of God of which we all come so short Rom. 3. 23. as Elihu speaketh Iob. 35. 6 7 8. If thou sinnest what doest thou against him Yea when thy
David in the Church according as they are divided by some into 20. by others into 30. Daies of reading them One Day of praying in the Church One Day of Gods service in the Church recounteth vnto another day of like sort or otherwise the Glory of GOD. The service and worship of GOD being by this meanes continued still in the Church his name continually magnified and the glory of his name spread farre and neere by the report of what is done every day in the Church So not to speake of Hiram king of Tyrus and others so came vnto the Queene of Sheba the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord as t' is expressed 1. King 10. 1. And herevpon shee came and blessed the Lord GOD of Solomon as t' is said in the ninth verse So I pray GOD may the fame of King IAMES concerning the name of the Lord be conveyed to the Turks Infidels and to the vtmost parts of the world that so if GOD will they may be wonne to blesse the Lord God of our godly King and Soveraigne So King David made such great and royall provision for the service of GOD 1. Chr. 25. And in the two fortieth Psalme and else where so often hee expresseth his fervent desire to haue the worship and service of GOD daily obserued in the Church Nay so king Solomon built a house for the Name of the Lord GOD of Israel 1. King 8. 20. Which too to build as t' is in the 18. ver was in the heart of king Dauid And he did dwell that he was so minded So minded That so from day to day as it were by One Daies Report vnto anrther the worship and Glory of GOD might be as farre as farre may be dilated extended even vnto the ends of the world This what say I this the daily service of GOD in Churches the rites and ceremonies the riches and solemnities the royaltie and magnificence therein vsed to haue been alwaies very singular meanes of the advancement of the Glory of the most glorious and the holy worship of the holiest Yea truely Beloued and that in Christianitie and when it fared but hard with Christians nor had they such peace plentie so many well munited kingdomes of their owne as now they haue I report me but to the smallest insight in history Let Titus be excepted for being so much moved as Iosephus reporteth with the Temple at Ierusalem And let be vnreckoned in like case Cosröe Aar and Daber kings of Persia And let those who therewithall least of all were moved moue forwarde this cause most of all For Hequin of the Persians the like when they saw that Christianity encreased as they thought too fast then began they to look more narrowly to the Temples of the Christians then to inhibite them the vse of their accustomed solemnities yea and to constraine them vpon those daies in which the worship and service of GOD should haue beene celebrated with most magnisicence to keepe them within the doores of their houses vpon paine and perill of their liues Lastly when all this would not serue then downe tumbled they the Temples theÌ„ selues the Temple of the Resurrection and the like According to the old policie of Nabuchodonosor Antiochus Epiphanes and others So laboured they as mnch as in them lay to barre the Dayes telling one another by this meanes the Glory of GOD. So endeavoured they to make the Day more silent then the Night the night because they loued darknesse more then light Oh then Beloued if not the desire of the hallowing of GODS name which ought to be the first in our desires may moue you to provide diligently yea and as much as in you lieth magnificently too for the daily service of GOD and your every daies frequeÌ„ting of it yet let the Day your daily Orator if you will your Orator too either perswade you therevnto or else beg so much at your hands that you would be so good as to countenance his Report with your presence enrich it with your presents vnto GOD beautifie it with your holinesse and make it happie by your serving of GOD. For if Protarchê° as Aristotle relateth said that the Altar-stones were happie may I not much more account that Day happy wherein GOD himselfe is honoured And if the fervent desire of the creature waiteth when the sonnes of GOD shall be revealed Rom. 8. 19. hath it not a fervent desire also of his owne felicitie And when is the Daies best happinesse but when the true Diespiter the true GOD whose is the Day and the Night shall be most highly honoured Let then your zeale and assiduitie in the worship and service of GOD make that One Day may make vnto another the more ample and honourable Report of GODS glory For which purpose I exhort every one of you as S. Paule doth the Ephesians and the Colossians that you would speake vnto one another that you would teach one another that you would exhort and admonish one another that you would stirre vp put one another in mind 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by Psalmes and Hymns and spirituall songs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 singing with and without Instruments And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 singing with a comely and graceful kind of thanksgiving 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in your hearts in your strongest affections vnto the Lord. And let me say vnto every soule as Prudentius prudently saith to his owne soule in the Preface of his booke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Saltem Voce Deum concelebret si meritis nequit Hymnis continuet dies Nec nox vlla vacet quin Dominum canat At least wise let vs bestowe our voices sounds and voices vpon the Lord and vpon the celebration of his praises if wee will afford him nothing else Let vs like Rectors of the quire of the Dayes continue on their Telling one another their chaunting and recounting the Glory of GOD by our Psalmes our Hymnes and spirituall songs And that so much the rather because as Theodoret noteth on the words of my Text according as he is translated wee men are here taught illi Deo hymnorum catilenam afferre to bring and offer vnto God songs and hymnes of praises thankfulnesse We I say are here taught it even by this one Days Telling another One Day telleth another The Third Meaning is such as that according to the Infinite variety of GODS works and of the Glorie which he conferreth on them it maketh The Dayes so to Multiply their words That therby The Report of Gods Glory Infinitely passeth through the Treasures of the Deepe doth Infinitly Grow and Spring and Creepe and Goe and Swim and Fly and Fly Vnder and Aboue the Heauens doth Infinitly Moue and Liue Liue for Euer And this Meaning is that every of the Six daies wherein GOD made the world The Seaventh day also wherein he rested do One declare vnto
to which The Meaning of these wordes of my Text shall bee as though wee did read them One Day shall Let or Suffer to tell another One Day shall Bid or Command to tell another One Day shall Make or Cause to tell another One Day shall Vrge Perswade Provoke or Driue on to tell another or Shall Driue on another to tel Shal put him to it or push him on velut vnda impellitur vndâ as one waue is driven forward with another In a word One Day besides his owne Telling shall Adde or Appone the Telling or Impulsiue Cause of Telling of Another or vnto Another Which Adding or Apponing of the Impulsiue Cause here imployed I take to appone my coniecture in a case so doubtfull to be the Cause of the word of Adding or Apponing vsed in the Chalde Translation as even now ye heard Bucers CoÌ„iecture for the Meaning being herevnto also consonant and agreeing The Arabian word Twise Read in this verse is likewise in the Future Tense Although with the Arabians the Future and the Present Tense be contained both in one being otherwise distinguished As also the Hebrew Future Tense is sometimes taken for or to comprehend in it the Present Tense or Time when as there is signified a Continuall Act. It is also put for the Preter perfect Tense and somewhiles too for the Optatiue or Potentiall Moode Yea the Hebrew Future Tense as one saith putteth on the significations of All other Tenses of what Moode LaÌ„guage soever they be Shewing it selfe herein a right Proteus that is Heavenly Descended no Changling for his ChaÌ„geablenes as though it had this Motto Tempora mutaÌ„tur nos mutamur in Illa Tenses or Times are Changed and I the Future am changed into the habite of the Rest So that it being Formed too from the Imperatiue Mood is as it were a rich PaludameÌ„t or Coat Armour in which The Dayes are clad and invested the Embassadours or Heraults at Armes to Proclaime through out Al Times The Report of the Glory of that great Commaunding Lord and Emperour of the Heavens out of whose Imperatiue All Times together with All their Maners and Differences are Formed and Created For so agreeably herevnto One Day out of vpon or according vnto Gods Commandement Telleth another One Day May and God Graunt that it may Tell another yea One Day Doth and that Continually Tell another Againe One Day not onely Doth but Shall Tell another of GODS Glory Shall Doth Doth in that it Shall and Shall in that it Doth Doeth and Shall and therefore Hath told too For what is it that Hath beene That that Shall be and what is it that hath beene done That which Shall be done and there is no New thing vnder the Sunne Is there any thing whereof one may say Beholde this it is New It Hath beene already in the old time before vs. Eccles 1. ver 9. 10. And aske we but of the Heathen men concerning what One Day telleth another 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iom le Iom Iaumi le laumin They will say Nullum est Iam dictum quod non fit dictum prius Seneca in his twelfth Epistle expounding that same Vnus Dies par omni est One Day is as good as every Day or One Day is equall vnto every Day maketh one meaning of it to be Parem esse vnum diem omnibus similitudine Nihil enim habet longissimi temperis spatium quod noÌ„ in vno die invenias lucem noctem alternas mundi vices There is nothing saith he in the longest space of time which you may not finde couched within the compasse of one Day hee vnderstands the Day Naturall light and night the enterchangeable courses and alternities of worldly things As if the present Day the present Time did serue for nothing else but to combine the former Glory of his Maker with that that is to come and so to make his praise to be continuall Secondly we may attend the proper and fruitfull signification of the Hebrew Arabick by their Roots The Roote of the Hebrew is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 scaturivit exvndavit to issue or flow forth Whence is made the word here vsed signifying to speake fluently or currently An ordinary Metaphore as yee know with Cicero Quintilian and others the best for Elocution One Day speaketh Fluently vnto another Sine haesitatione as Moller here speaketh without any stop or stay without any stuttering or stammering with great celerity volubility of speech Even like vnto the Sunne in the 5. and 6. verses of this Psalme which commeth forth as a bridegrome out of his chamber and Reioyceth as a Gyant to Runne his course Here they that doe the worke of the Lord negligently they that doe it at halues may learne to doe it more thoroughly more readily with greater alacrity and with greater industry For alas may it not be applyed even to many a ones Preaching now a daies which the heathen Orator hath of his own profession Atqui vide in artificio per quà m tenui levi quantò plus adhibeatur diligentiae quà m in haâ—re quam constaâ—esse maximam See how many times there is much more diligence vsed in some young schollers declamation then is in a whole and entire Sermon so graund a proclamation as it should be of GODS praises Yea many times there is much more exactnesse curiosity vsed in some vile and base artifice then is in this which yet for sooth we hold to bee the greatest exercise of all One Day telleth another And this Telling is a Preaching as directly out of the Apostle I could proue vnto you And this Preaching is according to the lawes of perfect Oratory O how my thinkes the very law of nature or rather the GOD of nature hath instructed the Daies both naturall Artificiall to Preach the Glory of GOD according to the lawes naturall shall I say or artificiall of perfect Oratory For as if they were ita ornati vt non nati sed à Deo ipso fictifactique esse videantur So so One Day telleth another Many in this place haue much affected to render the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by some worde signifying Eructation or Belching or that which is more homely Hence the vulgar Latin hath Eructat verbum the newer Spanish Translation Reguelda palabra the French also Desgorge propos All these thinking that the metaphore had bin here taken from a full stomacke ex plenitudine ventris as Caietane here speaketh which indeede is taken from the gushing or flowing out of water out of his source or fountaine And therefore t' is but needfull which to this effect the French Annotation here hath vpon the word desgorge So hath the prophet David elsewhere vsed the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Psal 119. the thirde verse of the last letter My lips shall speake of thy praise
heavens and the Dayes are therefore said to declare Gods Glory to praise his workes and to publish the same one vnto another because they yeeld vs matter of so doing Singulis diebus adeâ—que singults momentis Deus manifesta sui testimonie edit corum consideratione in cognitione Deide die in diem proficimus saith Gualter Every day yea and every moment God sheweth forth manifest tokens and testimonies of himselfe by consideration whereof we are from Day to Day more and more furthered in the knowledge of God Nec intelligas saith Caietan coelos narrare annunciare loquendo sed materiam narrationis annunciationis praebendo We may not thinke that the heavens do declare or that the dayes tell one another by speaking but by ministring matter for speech and declaration And as Dionysius Carthusianus speaketh Dicuntur coeli enarrare Gloriam Dei siâ—ut dicuntur benedicere Deo eumque laudare videlicet quoniaÌ„ praebent intuentibus occasionem atque materiam contemplande Creatoris potentiam sapientiam perfectionem The heavens and so likewise the Day the Night are said to declare the Glory of God in that sense that they are said to blesse the Lord and to praise his name to wit because they furnish their spectatours with matter and occasion of contemplating the power wisdome and perfection of their Creatour According to that of Isay Isa 40. 26. Lift vp your eies on high and behold who hath created these things Finally this One Dayes telling to another is like vnto that in the 12 of Iob. v. 7 8. Aske now the beasts and they shall teach thee and the fowles of the heaven and they shall tell thee or speake to the earth it shall shew thee or the fishes of the sea and they shall declare vnto thee Thee and vnto Thee So it is indeed vnto Men for Mans sake for his Learning ad hominus vtilitatem for Mans Profit as Theodoret here speaketh that one day telleth another Illi audiunt tanquam verbum eructuatum saith S. Austin illi tanquam scientiam annunciatam Quodenim ructuatur praesentibus ructuatur They that is men doe heare as it were a word and as it were knowledge vttered vnto them for looke what is vttered is vttered vnto them in their owne persons One day inciteth vs by one thing another by another as anone yee shall heare out of Munster The noise that they make is like the voice of a cryer vnto Vs like an Oyes wherby Our hearing is required Their sounding and resounding their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a catechising vnto vs. In the 145. Psalme wheÌ„ the Prophet David had said All thy workes praise thee O Lord c. They shew the mightinesse of thy kingdome talke of thy power he addeth immediatly the end thereof That thy power thy glory and mightinesse of thy kingdome might be knowne vnto men v. 10 11 12. And how ever it be of that that is done sure we are that what is written is written for our learning Rom 15 4. Let vs therefore obserue for our instruction that which was last spoken of the Dayes Speaking The Maner of it how that it is but by a Prosopopoeia And it may well teach vs our dutie Vs Men Women who only were made to be the speech-sounding letters in the whole Alphabet of the Creation For alas the Day indeed soundeth GODS prayses But how doth it sound them Truely wee must lend a figure to that sounding speech and speaking sound or else it will bee neither sound nor speech Only we wee men and women can truely and properly speake GODS praises if we will We only haue speech and language and haue it only to that purpose Our Tongue and Speech are our only apparant Glory aboue other creatures whence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cauod in Hebrew signifieth both Glory Toung As P. Martyr well noteth in his common place of the Resurrection sect 28. Psal 16. 9. Gen. 49. 6. my Glory that is my Tongue Or is it so rather because our tongue should alwaies be sounding forth the Glory of GOD of GOD who is our Glory Ier. 2. 11. And Let him that glorieth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 glory in the Lord. 1. Cor. 1. 31. And yet see whether the Day be not more forward in sounding forth speaking the praises of our GOD yea eveÌ„ vnto vs our selues rhen are we which should be the only speakers in this lower house of the Parliament of GODS praises For heare what the Prophet David saith in the next verse vnto my Text according vnto most Translations There is neither speech nor language but their voices are heard among them And in the next to that Their sound is gone out into all lands and their words into the ends of the world And as Iunius and Tremellius haue very well translated the former verse Non est sermo neque verba eis sine his intelligitur vox eorum They haue neither speech nor words and yet is their voice very intelligible According to that of S. Chrysostome vpon that The heavens declare the glory of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Tell me how doe they declare the Glory of GOD They haue no voice they are not possest of any mouth tongue they haue none at all How then doe they declare the Glory of GOD By their sight saith he And afterwardes he declareth how 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to wit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 By our seeing of them we fall to thinking to considering of them to vnderstanding this and that out of them And that wheÌ„ we behold such beautifull creatures as are the heavens the Dayes of heauen wheÌ„ we see in the one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Such Beautie such Greatnesse such Height such Site and position such Frame and Fashion so sufficient so long time to endure In the other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 other things as great as those such Coâ—sonancie and Modulation such Order and Moderation so Exact and Curious We should 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Adore and worship him who hath made them such faire and beautifull bodies passing not only our perfect vnderstanding but even our conceits capacitie For if we only looke and gaze on them though to the ende of the Horizon if wee onely note every Horoscope and not apply such admirable sights to their right ende vse his Glory who hath exhibited them vnto vs what great matter quid tanto hiatu dignum haue wee done Even as little children who when they should learne their lessons doe nothing but looke vpon the painted babery of their bookes being loth to bee guâ—ltie of more learning then is the gilt of the cover or the leaues and skilling no more of the Text then the Text hand letters come vnto Lastly getting no more fruit of all their schooling then is vpon the fig tree in the end of their Accidence If either Sight or Hearing or both of
GOD who is our Glory as t' is in the Psalme We wander in vanitie follow after Lyes Take we heed of Consuming on our lâ—sts of making provision for the Flesh to fulfill the Lusts thereof of any longer wooing of the world Flattering of the Flesh Making Suit to Hell and Courting of the Diuel Such Wooing will proue to bee our Woeing not by taking away of any O but by adding a thousand Woes vn to vs all Such Sowing to the Flesh and Sow-wallowing in the Mire will proue to be our Reaping of Corruption vnrecoverable pollution Such Suit wil proue The Deeps Swallowing of vs vp Such Courting our Carting vnto Hell In a word Such Glory will be to our shame Such Minding Earthly Things will bring Damnation in the End the rather because wee so little regard Every Dayes Continuall Suite vnto vs and Telling one another if not to the contrary yet that it should be to the CoÌ„trary One Day Telleth another S. Chrysostome with whom Theodoret agreeth also vnderstandeth these wordes mainely and especially of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Dayes and Nights Houres of them both The Greek words are more emphatical then that so many English may maâ—ch them For if I say Order it is too little if Comelinesse or Comely Order if Goodly Moderation or Right Temperature all is too little For iudge yee what the rest may be when as the least of them all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is according vnto Plato more then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is too much for any English word to answere This their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it may be gathered out of that which out of S. Chrysostome and otherwise hath already beene alleaged so it is farther expressed by S. Chrysostome when he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. who is so vnblessed and retchlesse which seeing so great and so exact an Eucrasie in the Houres and such a stable and stedfast order of the Day and of the Night c. And a little before 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What should one speake of the goodly Eutaxie of the Houres how like maidens dancing in a round very handsomely curiously they succeed one another and by little and little and without any stirre in the world the inmost convey theÌ„selues vttermost the formost hindermost and middlemost doe all shift places one with another and yet for all this doe never stand still but doe still stand in their iust distances Et positae spatijs aequalibus horae Here that may be assumed How beautifull are the feet of theÌ„ which bring glad tidings c. How beautifull 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 how hower-like And then are they faire and beautifull indeed The same in effect hath Theodoret vpon my Text in these words according to the Latin Translation Cùm nox atque dies ad hominum vtilitatem crescant atque decrescant cumque à se invicem tempus mutuentur rursus debitum sibi vltrò â—itròque reddant providentiam quae ipsis inest ostendunt The Day and Night so as wee see growing longer and shorter increasing and decreasing borrowing time one of another and againe duly repaying one another what they borrowed and all this too for mans behoofe doe thereby shew the providence of God which is in them This 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this indissoluble order This vnceasable interchangeable vnchangeable succession of the Day and of the Night GOD hath sufficiently declared vnto vs Gen. 8. 22. saying Hereafter seed time harvest and cold and heat and Summer and Winter and Day and Night shall not cease so long as the Earth remaineth And by his Prophet Ieremy c. 33. v. 20. calling it there his Covenant of the Day and of the Night that cannot be broken If you can breake my covenant of the Day and my covenant of the Night that there should not bee Day and Night in their season Then may my covenant bee broken with David my servant c. And in the 25 th verse If my covenant be not with Day and Night and if I haue not appointed the Order of heaven and earth c. And Pâ— 8â— v. 29 30. My covenant shall stand fast with him His seed also will I make to endure for ever and his throne as the Dayes of heaven As the Dayes of heaven And. v. 35. His seat is like as the Sunne before me And. v. 6. Hee shall stand fast for evermore as the Moone and as the faithfull witnesse in heaven The faithfull witnesse This faithfull witnesse witnesseth vnto vs our vnfaithfull witnessing of GODS Glory This never broken covenant of the Day and of the Night teacheth vs to keepe the covenants of the Lord inviolable One Day Telleth another Lastly if the Dayes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seeme not faire and beautifull enough of themselues looke we then on the Nights vicinity and vicissitude For as by the neere adioining Darker Lights or Windowes which are in the Body of the Church the great Chancell-window-Light is more conspicuous as the Light Learning of the Priest matched with the Ignorance of the people is in shew more eminent and as the Raven approaching neere with his blacke opposition maketh the plumage of the Caystrian Swanne to looke more white So L' architecte du monde ordonna qu à leur tour Le iour suiuist la nuict la nuict suiuist le iour as that Divine French Poët hath sweetly vttered God the great Architect of the World hath appointed the Day and the Night still to follow in their turnes one immediatly after the other to adde so much the greater grace and lustre to the cleere brightnesse of the Day by being so neerely followed by the darke shadow of the Night So Beloved if we looke vpon the foule inconveniences of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 confuse disorder and vnruly vntemperatnes we shall finde the Dayes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be more faire and necessary markes of our imitation especially if S. Paule stand by and giue aime with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let all things be done honestly with comelynesse with decency and in order 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 taÌ„ haec quà m alia saith S. Ambrose as well those things there expressed as others things whatsoever And reliqua quae apud cosdem nulla vel ratione vel ordine geruntur castigat saith Athanasius according to the Latin Translation Th' Apostle there blameth not only the things there mentioned but any thing whatsoeuer should be done by theÌ„ against either reason or good order Then we must take heed how we walke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inordinately as the same Apostle speaketh 2. Thes 3. 6. that by the example of the Day which in so good order telleth another One Day telleth another Now to
end in the same manner that I begun with the Manner of the Dayes telling one another with their Harmony together I beseech you let it not bee verified of the Day in respect of vs which Clemens Alexandrinus hath of the grashoppers in respect of Eunomus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They sang vnto the All wise God a better song and made him better melody by wrought then did Eunomus withall his skill and modulation So let not the Dayes Harmony being but in such a Manner being but by wrought exceede ours who learne by the Book too the word of God yea and who haue the Law of God to teach vs too The vndefiled Law of God converting the soule The Testimony yea the Testament of the Lord which is sure giueth wisdome vnto the simple The Statutes of the Lord which are right and reioice the hart The Commandement of the Lord which is pure and giueth light vnto the eies The Iudgements of the Lord which are true and righteous altogether More to be desired are they then gold yea then much fine gold sweeter also then hony the hony combe Moreover 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 etiam over aboue that he is taught by the Booke of Nature or the Booke of the World by them is thy servant taught in keeping of them there is great Reward Teach vs them and teach vs by them and by the other O Lord God which teachest man knowledge Teach vs O Lord how to keepe them keepe thou that great Reward for vs which by They keeping of them thou hast purchased for vs O Lord our Strength our Redeemer THE DAYES REPORT OF GODS GLORY PSALM 19. VERSH 2. One Day Telleth another or One Day telleth a word vnto another c. AT the first handling of these words Right Worshipfull and all alike welbeloved in Christ Iesus I proposed to your godly considerations 3. generall parts The first was the Meaning of the words The second the MaÌ„ner of the Dayes speech The third the Matter or the Subiect of their speech About the two first were spent the two first Sermons Now remaineth that by GODS gracious assistance and your great good patience the rest be taken vp by the Matter or the Subiect of their speech The Subiect then if we take it more properly is that which we falsely call the Subiect of Logick even Res Omnes All Things Which Logitians like Sophisters mainetaine to bee the End of Logique For then Res Omnes All Things beareth with them no other meaning then Res Aliquae Some Things For so they expound their Res Omnes to be Rerum omnium conceptus qui primi conceptus siue primae notiones appellari solent And hee should be a mad fellow that should take the conceipts or names of things to be All things and so impiously collect that more liuing things haue beene of mans making then of GODS because in the second of Genesis man gaue the other living things their names although GOD gaue them their formes whence they had both to be and to be named And so it will proue in the end that Res Omnes All things are not Logicks Subiect no not any Thing at all is the Subiect thereof vnlesse Logicke will bee content to take things in conceipt or Names insteed of things as wont it is to be fed with Demonstrations when as some other carieth away the Effects They must then leaue Res Omnes All things to be the Subiect of One Dayes speech vnto another the Subiect of his Glory who made All things out of Nothing and by working on so barren a Subiect gaue each Day as plentiful a Subiect to declare on as all Things are And yet if we take the Subiect more improperly for the End t' is but one thing that is here the Subiect even The Glory of GOD that endlesse Ende wherefore all things are and doe continue This therefore is no Adequate Subiect with which neither All things nor All Reports can match in Exequation much lesse can make any true ExaggeratioÌ„ thereof but only by a true Antiphrasis This Subiect also if we goe no farther theÌ„ The Booke of the World or The Dayes Grammar is the Only Part or Parts of Speech that the Day hath As it were to teach vs That all the parts of our Speech should bee so declined and vndeclined in respect of Good and Evill That they should at no time swerue or Decline from Gods Glory This the Grammar of the Scripture Telleth vs too That whatsoever we doe wee should doe all to the Glory of GOD And That Our Speech should be so seasoned as that it may Minister Grace vnto the Hearers And here first I admonish all who vndertake any Matter or Subiect to speake or to write of especially the Poets and Criticks of these dayes to learne here of the Dayes what Matter to treat to write of Especially wheras they are not ignoraÌ„t that God hath created every man for his Glory Isa 43. 7. And therefore not to imploy his wit or weare out his time otherwise What a shame then is it for ChristiaÌ„ Poets to choose vnto themselues no better Subiects then they doe the most of them in so much that t' is a shame even to name those things whereof they write A great scandall Beloued to Christianitie and a fowle eie-sore to those that are without Happily to make the best of it Quicquid agunt homines votum timor ira voluptas Gaudia discursus nostri farrago libelli est But as for GOD and their Creatour hee is as farre off from their Matter as they are farre off from him who notwithstanding as Theognis saith is to bee proposed to vs in our poetrie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 First and Last and betweene both And here I cannot but commend vnto you and to your imitation Saluste Du Bartus a Poet aboue the ordinary levell of the world for the choice of his subiect most rare and excellent and such as is the Dayes Subiect here in my Text. Or else shall I rather commend vnto you our Prophet David here who throughout this whole Booke of Psalmes maketh the praise and glory of GOD to be stil the sugar-burden of his song the inscription of the whole booke being The Deciphering of Gods Praises But where shall I find a Criticke whom I may coÌ„mend vnto you for the like so like are they all vnto those of whom t' is said in the Psalm 78. 33. Their daies did he consume in vanity They wast their wits spend out their whole life time many of theÌ„ in vaine toyes and trifles A worthy Subiect surely to treate of whether it ought to be Vergil or Virgil Carthaginâ—enses or Carthaginenses Preimus or Primus Intellego or Intelligo And in that verse of Invenall Qui Laccdaemonium pitysmate lubricat orbem whether it be to be read pitysmate or pygismate or pitylismate or pedemate or poppismate or pyreismate
or piteremate And a thousand such like phluaries foolish vnlearned questions which engender strife envie raylings backbitings evill surmisings vaine disputations and which are vnprofitable and vaine as S. Paul speaketh nothing concerning any man much lesse a Christian mans life as ill befiâ—ting his Discourse Vnlesse they thinke that GOD hath placed them here in this world for an end so vaine and frivolous and not rather with the Prophet David As long as they liue to praise the Lord as long as they haue any being to sing prayses vnto our God yea and alwaies to bee talking of his worship his Glory his Praise and wonderous Workes Psalm 145. 5. This Glory of GOD to bee the Subiect of One Dayes Speech vnto another This Praise of his to be the price they all intend and contend for in all their conference was every where pointed at in my former Sermons One Day telleth another That which One Generation is said to tell another yea and which all the workes of GOD are said to shew and to talke of in the 145. Psal Where v. 4. One Generation shall praise thy workes vnto another and declare thy power And v. 10 11 12. All thy workes prayse Thee O Lord c. They shew the Glory of thy Kingdome and talke of thy power And looke what the Heavens are here said to declare in the first verse of this Psalme The Heavens declare the Glory of God and Psal 97. 6. The Heavens haue declared his Righteousnes what the Firmament is here said to shew v. 1. The Firmament sheweth his Handy Worke Of that also is it here to be vnderstood that One Day Telleth another So that what for the infinitenesse of GODS Glory for who can expresse the noble acts of the Lord or shew forth all his praise Ps 106. 2. And The Lord is great and caÌ„ not worthily be praysed Ps 96. 4. And The glorious Name of God excelleth aboue all thanksgiuing and praise Nehe. 9. 5. And what for the manifold Workes of God O Lord how manifold are thy Works Ps 104. 24. eveÌ„ as manifold as All Things are I find my selfe in a narrow streight whilst I haue vndertaken vnto you more then I can performe For so it is that in lesse theÌ„ an houre I must tell you if I should tell you all what every Day telleth vnto every Day every Houre vnto every Houre yea every 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 every Moment of time vnto every Moment According to that which hath beene deliuered in the explicated Meaning of the words of my Text. And that were more then to tell you the many diverse coÌ„binations of each letter of all the Alphabets in the world with each other letter although wee should take the same letter as often in the same word as it is possible For more infinite are the Things theÌ„selues the letters of the Alphabet of GODS Glory among which All Dayes and Nights too like so many Sunne and Moone-Letters must haue place theÌ„ are all the Letters of all the Words of all the Languages in the world There is neither speech nor laÌ„guage where their voice is not heard Nay there is not any letter of any language in the world but maketh one of the wordes of Gods Glory and many words may be made of it to that purpose And well wee may recount vnto you some one word or some of the words which One Day telleth another but all the words we cannot because we know not all the letters of this Alphabet So that when I labour to tell you every thing that One Day telleth another it fareth with me as sometimes it did when I thought to haue numbred a great flocke of fould residing vpon a great River whilest I began to tell a great troope that were risen there rose vp still more and more even in the telling of them mingling themselues so thicke together and flying so fast one after another that what with their fast flying some one way some another every way a great cry my memory and sight were so distracted that my whole designe was broken of For so so many are the Dayes so fast following one vpon the other so diversly shewing forth Gods Glory so full fraught with the messages thereof so abounding still more and more with matter of Gods Glory even Dum loquimur whilest we speake vnto you and whilest they speake one vnto another that it will be more then we shall be able to do in so short a time to point at some two or three of those excellent Reports whose wel appointed infinitenesse hath disappointed my farther yea well neere infinite intendment First therefore of the Glory of God in Generall and then of some excellent Particulars therof both being the matter of the Dayes Report and the Subiect one way or other of their Speech The Glory of God is that most absolute paragon of perfection whereby he is truely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Damascen speaketh superperfect aboue and before all perfection That Divine Excellency whereby he is superexcellent eminent aboue al things yea aboue Excellencie it selfe or any name that is named not in this World only but also in that that is to come Eph. 1. 21. That infinite Sea of Essence as S. Basill and Damascen call it Which also Damascen elswhere tearmeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Being beyond all Being a more then Divine Divinity Againe t' is cleped by him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Power aboue all power as also speaketh the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 farre aboue all power and Might In a word His Omnipotent Infinite and Eternall Being And this is proved by the enterchangeable putting of God himselfe and of his Glory for the same As Psal 108. 5. Set vp thy Selfe or be Thou exalted O God aboue the Heavens and thy Glory aboue all the Earth But most evidently by the answere God gaue to Moses Exod. 33. Where when Moses desired to see Gods Glory no saith God Thou canst not see my face for there shall no maÌ„ see Me and liue Where we are advertised that as to see Gods Glory is to see God himselfe so his Glory can be no moreknowne then can himselfe in his owne nature This 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this naturall Glory of God as others of the Fathers and the Schoolemen so also Damascen well saw and saw also that the Naturality thereof maketh a maine difference betwixt the Glory of God and of other things of the Creatour the creature where he saith Móyos 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He only is truely Glorious as not having his Glory froÌ„ any other as with vs they say Honor est in honorante Epictetus in the first chapter of his Enchiridion reckoneth Glory to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in respect of vs but Himselfe being the cause and fountaine of all Glory and Goodnesse This maketh the difference
impressum conspiciatur There is no one thing but is somewhat like vnto God for that every Effect must needs be somewhat like his Cause Hence it is that there is nothing in the world in which appeareth not some print of Gods beautifull footing and some impression of his goodnesse And another saith Dei Essentia omnium aliorum ab ipso similitudinem continet And Propria vniuscuiusque natura consistit prout aliquo modo diuinae perfectionis est particeps The Essence of God conteineth the Similitude of al things els And The proper nature of every thing consisteth in some way participating the divine perfection And againe Nihil est in vllo effectu quin excellentiùs in prima causa inveniatur There is nothing in any Effect which is not to be found after a more excellent manner in the first Cause of all that is in Godâ— who as the Schoolemen well mainetaine Rerum omnium perfectiones supereminentèr in se complectitur In a sort more then eminent compriseth the perfections of all sortes of things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cropping the top of every vertues flower to apply that of Pindarus more rightly vnto the worlds Creatour in as much as he is a higher king then Hiero. And herevpon haue the Schoolemen built their two fold Diuinity or Theology Affirmatiue Negatiue By the former whereof they attribute the perfection of every thing vnto God Againe by the latter which is the Negatiue they in some sort thwart and crosse the Affirmatiue shewing some obliquity therein But so as Anaximander Milesius shewing the obliquity of the Zodiack is therefore said Rerumfores aperuisse For certainly this Negatiue Divinity which else is called Divine Ignorance openeth yet wider vnto vs the knowledge of Gods glory by his works All whose perfection though by Divine Assertion it belongeth vnto God yet is he by the Negatiue Diuinity none of all their perfections no not the perfectest of them all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Damascen God is not any thing at all not because he is not at all but because he is aboue all even such a Transcendent whose being is aboue all being according to that which formerly hath beene declared Hence too the Negatiue Theologie is by them and by the Fathers reckoned the truest and the surest Excellent and Superexcellent Negations taken from things visible and within our reach most fitly truely and illustriously bowing and rebounding to the praise of GODS perfection and raysing in our viewe the sparkles and the spangles of his Glory The Glory of the Creatour being declared by his surmouÌ„ting his Creatures in the fairest of their Glory and at the highest pitch of their perfection they with their then going downe lifting vp the ballance of GODS praise for perfect Beautie and Glory To instance in the Day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Clemens Alexandrinus by occasion of the words of my Text The Lord himselfe is many times called Day And in another place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he giueth a reasoÌ„ why the Word or Sonne of God is called Day saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hee is the Word that giueth light vnto things hidden and in obscuritie by whome every creature was brought vnto light and being and so is he called Day And t' is a good rule of Dionysius de Divin Nom. cap. 10. yeelding also another reason hereof 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God is so to be called Time and Day and Aeternitie and such like as is agreeable and befitting vnto God as not being mutable or moueable with any motion and in his continuall working abiding alwaies in himselfe the selfe-same and as being the Cause and Author of Dayes of Time and of Aeternitie For which cause saith Dionysius immediatly before as also for that he is indeed the Time and Eternitie of all things in regard of the puritie of their perfection and because of his being before all Dayes all Time and all Eternitie God is in the seaveÌ„th of Daniel called the Ancient of Dayes The Ancient of Dayes a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Aeternitie of God And therefore the Dayes made choice of to Adorne and set forth the Eternitie of God And herein appeareth greatly the Glory of GOD The Day it selfe being so full of Beautie and Perfection Which as heretofore it hath beene shewed so hath it alwaies been acknowledged by man This was not very obscurely intimated by Iob who Iob. 42. 14. called the first of those three faire daughters of his Iemimah that is Day it may be too quarum quae longè pulcherrima Neither was it vnacknowledged by the Heathen that which was collected by them as otherwise so also by that goodly order heretofore specified of the Day and Night continually succeeding one the other Hence for their Beautie and Comelinesse haue they also likened theÌ„ rather vnto women then to men As appeareth by the propounding expounding too of that Riddle in the life of Aesop where t' is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Day and Night two women enterchangeably succeeding one another And yet for all this That the Day is so Faire Beautifull in the eies of the whole world hee that made the whole world must needs be fairer And that so infinitly beyond comparison as that the Day it selfe is no Day but Night in this respect yea and that GOD himselfe is no Day but infinitely aboue all Dayes perfections and therefore a more excellent kinde of Day As also what ever else it bee that the Day or any other of GODS creatures declareth to be in God it declareth it to be in him after a more excellent maner Psal 89. 30. His seed also will I make to endure for euer and his throne as the Dayes of heaven Where the Dayes resemblance of Eternity argueth the true Eternity of God yet so as that he is not so but more then so Eternall Non eius aeternitatis est hic Mâ—ndus cuius aeternitatis est Deus Mundum quippe fecit Deus sic cum ipsa creatura quam Deus fecit tempora esse coeperunt Et ideo dicuntur tempora aeterna non tamen sic sunt aeterna tempora quomodo aeterna est Deus quia Deus est ante tempora quia fabricator est temporuÌ„ saith S. Austin in his first booke against the Manichees the second Chapt. And hee seemeth to haue taken it out of Dionysius in the place cited where the same in Greeke is to be found the English of both is this This world is not of the same Eternity with God For God made the World Time took his beginning with that which God created in the beginning And therefore though time may in some sort be saide to be Eternal yet is it not so Eternall as is God for that God is before all Time in as much as he is the maker thereof And vpon
light Afterwards reigning how often and admirably was she the whole Realme delivered from the raging of their enimies No sooner a Rebellion then easily repressed No traiterous designe but opportunely discovered ether by the parties own confessioÌ„ or otherwise after a straÌ„ge sort No conspiracie by divlish association and witchery so strongly compacted which by the divine prudence and providence was not by and by confronted and confounded No invasion so mightily addressed which by the powerfull goodnes of the Almighty was not soone countermaunded and the authors thereof mightily distressed danted endangered by weake meanes No Plague so contagious and general which by the mercifulnesse of God hath not quickly wonderfully ceased No dearth so direfull which ere long by the mercifull hand of God hath not beene eased No rumour of warre which was not still from time to time and in short time stilled and appeased Last of all The Day of her death which aforetime had beene deemed dreadfull to the whole land was by the extraordinary worke of Gods wisdome so converted into a ioyfull catastrophe as that that very Day yeelded vs vnspeakeable matter of magnifying the great Goodnesse loving kindnes of our God Who against that Day had provided vs of a religious a gracious and a learned king one as not without rovall issue to take away that former feare so not then to learne or vnaccustomed to sway a scepter Him I say had God provided vs yea preserved also aforehand for vs that for the farther good and preservation of this kingdome he with his rightfull title shoulde succeede the last Queene therein and that so peaceably as that not so much as one sword should bee drawne no nor one Word vttered or muttered against him And as he succeeded thus peacebly so he should be even a Salomon for peace making vs at peace withall the world and at peace too within our selues by the happy vnion of both these kingdomes God by meanes of him making Great Brittaine as a â—itie that is at vnity in it selfe and making peace within her Walles and plentiousnesse within her palaces But since the time of his Maiesties reigne a time as yet of small spaciousnes God adde thereto the length of many Dayes and yeeres how mightily God hath preserved him and in him this whole Iland is fresh enough in your memories You cannot yet forget vnlesse vee too much forget God the deliverance froÌ„ the treason of Watson the rest The deliverance of vs all from that great Plague and ceasing it wherewith in the beginning of his Maiesties reigne God for a short time chastised vs. Or if ye might forget these so quickly yet shall not that late most hideous horrible intended Massacre by gunpowder the 5. Day of November last shall not that I say continue for ever in our memories as if it had beene there Written and engraveÌ„ with a pen of yron and with the point of a diamond for ever That so that 5. Day of November may still remeÌ„ber vs of the Mercy and Iudgement of the Lord in that Massacre Mercy in that it was but inteÌ„ded IudgemeÌ„t in that it might was neere to haue beene perfourmed Which what do we say that it was inteÌ„ded In which the match and powder were almost already tended which should haue blowne vp at once and in one instant the Kings Maiesty the Queene Prince and States of Parliament where this Iland should haue seene the whole body of her inhabitants cut off at one blow vnius populum pereuntem tempore mortis yea where there should haue beene for them all even in the deliberation of common affaires Communis rogus ossibus astra Misturus One common fiery blast that should haue blowne vp their bones into the firmament An attempt beyond that of Salmoneus Dum flammas Iovis sonitus imitatur Olympi For here the vniversall Estate of three kingdomes which so many yeeres together had stood quiet pleasant happy and yet had never before reioyced in a condition so happy plausible and well governed as was that whereon it was at that day with great surety reapposed had in a moment of time not beene disturbed only but vtterly dissipated and consumed In imitation for the Divle doth counterfaitly imitate and emulate the things of God in imitatioÌ„ I say of that last Day end of Time when in the twinkling of an eie Vna Dies dabit exitio multosque per annos Sustentata ruet moles machina Mundi Then Inquire now of the Dayes that are past which were before thee since the Day that God created man vpon the earth and aske from the one end of heaven vnto the other if there came to passe such a great thing as this or whether any such like thing hath beene heard And if I may be so bold to apply that which followeth too Did ever people heare the voice of God speaking out of the midst of a fire as we haue heard and lived And that in the 36. verse Out of heaven he made vs heare his voice to instruct vs vpon earth he shewed vs his great fire and we heard his voice out of the midst of the fire The fire yea Beloved such a fire that should haue beene as never the Israelites heard of Their Dayes can tell ours of such a fire as was never heard of before and ours againe can requite theirs with the Report of such a fire of gunnepowder as heretofore hath not beene heard of They lived so ever praised be God doe we too our King Queene Prince States State all are as yet in perfect estate God shewed theÌ„ his great fire vpoÌ„ earth And so in the vaute he shewed vs the wood and gunpowder ready for the fire which he had well neere kindled in his wrath The voice of God spake vnto them out of the midst of the fire And so it did and doth vnto vs all by the Dayes Report the Report we haue heard of our deliverance liverance the 5. Day of November out of the midst of so furious a fire Yea the voice of GOD speaketh vnto vs to this whole Land this whole vnited Iland as vnto them in the same Chapter Take heed to thy selfe keepe thy soule diligently that thou forget not the thinges which thine eies haue seene and that they depart not out of thine heart all the dayes of thy life but teach them thy sons and thy sons sonnes Forget not the Day the 5. Day of November wherein thou wert so strangely delivered and learne therby to feare me all the Dayes that thou shalt liue vpon the earth Teach thy children saying as t' is in the Psalme This is the Day which the Lord hath made or as others read This is the Day in the which Lord hath made hath made a mighty deliverance for vs his people of this Land and hath made his
Tongue the Speech as is most approued that first was in the world and in the which Gods Word was written in the midst not only of that Babels Confusion nor only of the Aegyptiacall Affliction of the Hebrewes but also of that after Confusion Mixture of the Language of the Hebrews in their Idolatrous Familiaritie Commerce with the Assyrians and in their Babylonish and Chaldeish Captiuities It appearing thereby and One Day telling another That not only The Word of the Lord endureth foreuer but also that Speech and Language in which The Worde of the Lord Spake or was Deliuered is so farre forth kept inviolable to the End of the world One Day telleth a Word or Speech vnto another Hereout issueth now farther into our discourse and consideration Extraordinarie Miraculous Speech whereby GOD for the farther Ordination of his praise hath afforded vnto men most wonderfull Instructions That so they with whom the Word of GOD spoken by the Ordinarie Admirable Speech and Language of Men of the World will not prevaile yet by the vttering of it by Extraordinarie and Miraculous Speech aboue the Speech of Men or the Personous Personated Speech of the World may bee enforced to the Ever Hallowing of his Name Hence was the Guift of Speaking Diverse Languages so miraculoussy bestowed on the Apostles Act. 2. for the Promulgation of the Glorious Gospell of Iesus Christ and of the wonderfull Workes of GOD. To which as to a most strangely vouchsafed meanes we that are partakers of the Gospell and of the Spirit of Grace owe no lesse then that Participation and therefore owe the giuing of Great Glory vnto God in that behalfe In respect whereof One Day doth so tell the Glory of GOD vnto another That diverse induced also by that Rom. 10. 18. Where the 4th verse of this Psalme is alleaged haue by the Dayes here in my Text vnderstood Christ and his Apostles Christ Telling his Apostles as formerly ye heard or else Christs Twelue Apostles who like vnto the Twelue Houres of the Day by that Light that he the Brightest Sunne infused into them especially by the Effusion of His Holy Spirit and conferring the Guift of Diverse Languages vpon them Preached The Knowledge of Saluation to people of All Tongues and Languages And here wee may note their vnthankfulnesse and rash iudgement who contrary to the Rule of the Apostle 1. Cor. 14. 39. dislike and forbid Speaking with Tongues so farre forth as that one Word or Sentence in the Church in another Tongue then theirs although with Interpretation annexed doth offend them They being of like Superstition for their owne Tongue as others are and haue beene for the Hebrew Greeke and Latine And they who before could not be suffered to haue any Service in their owne Tongue now not willingly suffering any one Word in Sermon or Bible to be out of their owne Tongue When as the retaining of some Words in another Language especially by common vse and Explication vnderstood maketh much for A dification and for the Glorious Building of Gods Praise For to omit many other reasons those Wordes yea or Sentences are they not like vnto the Reserved Manna a Signe and Memoriall vnto vs that Beleeue of Gods Good Will towards vs in that he hath made choice of vs also to call vs to the knowledge of the Truth by meanes of Diuerse Tongues Vnderstood and Interpreted in that from former Darknesse he hath brought vs to such plentie of Light in him and hath by the Report of his Glory so richly and Superabundantly furnished vs with Knowledge in our own Tongue That we haue now somewhat to spare from our owne necessarie vses to lay vp in his Glorious Golden pot in Signe of Thankfulnesse Like as doth our Mother Vniversitie whose Latin seemeth now to bee turned into Gold Gold of GODs Glory whilst in the time of the Spirituall Vintage of Good-Wine it doth of late make Latine Hymnes of GODs Glory to be the Prefixes of the Latine Sermons of His Glory Wherein among other commēdable ensignements appeareth a Signe of Thankfulnes vnto GOD. Without which it is to be feared least GOD returne vs among others That Signe of his displeasure To speake vnto vs with men of other Tongues and with other Lips and that the rather because of our Iudaizing that is our Obstinacie our Vnbeleefe and Disobedience in regard of The Report of GODs Glory which Every Day bringeth vnto vs both in our Owne other Languages In so much that still it may bee said of all in generall They haue not all Obeyed the Gospell and Lord who hath beleeued our Report Yea When the Sonne of Man commeth shall he finde Faith on Earth notwithstanding so many wayes of speaking and so many kindes of Tongues and Languages by the Hearing and vnderstanding of which in all their variety variety Extraordinary and Miraculous GOD hath laboured to make Men to Beleeue For hence it is too that GOD hath divers times spoken vnto Men by Angels Angels And would no other serue the turne Would not all the Speach and Languages spoken by all the People of the Earth and manie of them Priests and Prophets too suffice Is man so bad a Scholler so dull of Hearing and of vnderstanding Then hath he so much the more to answere for if nether the Speach of Angels may make the word of God to fructifie within him For the word of God Spokē by Angels was stedfast and every Transgression and Disobedience received a iust recompence of reward And If so saith the Apostle How shall we escape if we Neglect so great Salvatiō which at the first begā to be Spoken by the Lord c And chap. 1. ver 2. God hath in these last Dayes Spokē vnto vs by his Sonne c his Sonne Heire whose speach of all others we should Reverence Here is the Speach of one that is Greater then the Angels And will you heare the Speach of those that are Lesser thē the Angels All shewing forth the powerfulnesse of his Speach that is the Greatest and conferring a still Apposite Apposition to his Glory One Day telleth another For that God hath sometimes made the Dumbe to speake and taught an Infant in an Instant to Speake wisely And whē not to speak of All the Dumb that Christ endowed with Speach he made the Children to Cry in the Temple Hosanna to the Sonne of David Mat. 21. 15. To which Christ him selfe vers 16. applyeth that of the 8. Psalme Out of the Mouth of Infants or Babes and Sucklings hast thou Prepared Ordeined Fitted Fitly composed and according to the Hebrew Founded thy praise A weake Foūdation to build vpon especially Such a worke of Such a Founder The Foundation being sometimes no better then a Babell or Confusion But so did he sometimes out of a lesse matter by as much as Nothing is lesse then Any Thing make All Things
and All Things to His Glory So is his power made perfect through weaknes 2. Cor. 12. 9. So hath he chosen the Foolish things of the world to Confound the Wise and the Weake to confound the Mighty c. 1. Cor. 1. 27. That no Flesh should Glory in His presence It is there also worth the observation how that those words Out of the Mouth of Infants c are inserted in the Second verse of the 8. Psalme betweene the first and third verses in which the Prophet magnifieth Gods Glory in consideration of the Heauens such like workes of his and his Ordeining As also the words of my Text are in the second verse of this Psalme interposed betweene the first verse and the rest in which the Heauens too and such like Creatures are brought in for the Declaration of Gods Glory As though the Heavens too and the Dayes of Heauen the Sunne the Moone the Starres the Firmament and the rest were to be reckoned among those Babes and Infants out of whose Mouthes together with others hee hath Appointed the predication and perfect Composition of his prayses And as though that second verse of the 8. Psalme might serue to Parallell my Text in the Dayes Parliament of Gods Prayses And here we may not omit to bring in the Sunne and the Moone the Dayes the Nights as it were Kings with their Nobility in their Extraordinary Attire and Parliamentall Robes most wonderfully and Miraculously Testifying the Glory of their Creatour our Redeemer Among other things so Strangly Enacted by them we haue in most infallible Recorde That Worke that Strange worke of the Lords That Act of his that Strange Act of His Isai 28. 21. Whereby the Sunne at His Bidding stood still in Gibeon and the Moone in the Valley of Aialon The Sunne that otherwise in This Psalme fo Swiftly with such Alacrity Runneth his Course yet There by the same Commanunding power had no power to proceede was put to a Demurre Abode in the midst of the Heaven and Hasted not to goe downe for a Whole Day And there was no Day like that Day before it nor after it Iosh 10. 12 13. When One Day was as Long as Two Ecclesiasticus 46. 4. One Day went beyond it selfe in Lauding the Lord and lost his owne proper Name in Magnifying the Name of the Creatour For how should it haue any longer the Name of Day that was so much Longer then a Day was nether Artificial nor Naturall Yet is it stiled Such a Day as the like was never before it nor after it A Day of more then Ordinary Continuance in his Luminous Voluminous Expositiō of his Makers Glory by observing his Ordinance And therfore Dignified with the Name of None-Such and to be of an Higher Order then the rest Here men may learne to preferre the Glory of Gods Name before their owne To approue themselues the Ministers and Servants of Reporting Gods Honour by their Honour and Dishonour by Evill Report and good Report That the losse of Name or Reputation for God and Godlynesse for the Glorious Gospels sake in the Service of ether shall be with manifold advātage restored them in this Life and that that is to come Lastly that the best way to get Extraordinary Precedencie and Reputation and an Excellent Name aboue others is by Exceeding others in Paines and Industry by Extraordinary Points and Exploits of Gods Service by Keeping his Commaundements whether in things Ordinary or Extraordinary with Ordinary and Extraordinary Endeavour All this we are better taught then by all this even by The Day and Sunne Christ Iesus who as he was imployed in the Most Extraordinary Works of GODS Glory and therein demeaned himselfe with Most Extraordinary Obedience and losse of Worldly Reputatirn not Seeking his Own Glory so is he also Most Highly Exalted hath obtained Most Extraordinaoy Appellations a Most Excellent Name and A Name aboue Every Name vnto The Glory of God the Father Another strāge Work of Gods Enacted by the Sun by the Day was The Suns not Stāding Still as before but Going Tē Degrees Backward in the time of King Hezekiah A wōderful Retrogradatiō of the Sū that was so Sensible in a Sū Diall A strange Reiournemēt of the Suns Dayes Iourney of the Iournal or Day-Booke and of the Dayes Parliamēt of Gods Glory On which both the Sū his People are still ready to Dance their Attendance whether it be by Tracing Ordinarily Forward or Extraordinarily Backward or else by Stāds Pauses Supernaturall Yea and the Sun-Day the best of all others is the best of all others for this Dauncing Hee that went more then Ten or Ten Thousand Degrees Backward by his Humiliation is our best leader and teacher in Going Forwarde in Standing Still and Going Backward and in Going Forward by Standing Still Going Backward When as yet we Men and women the Glory of GOD Inviting and Commanding vs will not Daunce will neither Goe Ordinarily Forward in our Callings with Perseverāce nor crossing our Corrupt Nature Stand Still with Extraordinary Patience nor Goe Extraordinarily Backward with Humilitie A third thing Enacted was The Darknes which when Christ Crucified was over all the Earth from the Sixt Houre vnto the Ninth Houre When as The Sun was Darkned Luk. 23. 45. Darkned with a Super naturall Eclipse both in respect of the Cause thereof and of the Time that it Lasted The Cause whether it were The Moone Miraculausly Capering to and fro from the point of Opposition to Closing in Coniunction with the Sun or whether the Moone then Interposed betweene Mens Sight and the Sunne was the Iniquitie Infidelitie Crueltie and Ignorance of the Iewes which was then and afterwards at the Full And was then hath beene ever since too neere allied to the Taile Head of the Old Dragon As also the Indignity and Compassion that the Sunne the Moone and the Day were then moued withall not induring as it were to hold the candle or to giue Light at the offering of such hainous Iniury to their Creatour no nor to shew thēselues in their Ordinary Glad and Light Garments but being themselues also clad in Sad Mourning Weedes of Darknesse where they saw such Deeds of Darknesse and The Lord of their Light to be so full of Dolours Solisque Labores And their Sun to be so pained in his being pawned punished for vs The Day as it were Disdaining and Disclaiming those Houres to be any of his wherein The Lord of Glory should be Crucified being contented for Christs sake to loose by an Eclipse Three Howres of that little Time of his life that consisteth but of Twelue The Cause of that Contentednesse of The Day was another if not the only Cause of that Eclipse namely That men might thereby the better Scan The Glory and The Power of Christs Deitie That as the Sunne was then so Extraordinarily and
Supernaturally Obscured so he was an Extraordinary and Supernaturall Sun The Sunne of Righteousnesse that Suffered That as whē the Sunne is Eclipsed The Taile or Head of the Dragon is very Neerely Touched so the Eclipsing of This Sun and Sonne of God by his Humiliation and Sufferings should thereby proue to bee His Godheads Breaking of the Serpents Head That the Ordinary Sun Gaue Place and hid his head as it were from God Almightie when That Sun was once Exalted no higher thē The Crosse That well may the Ordinarie Sunne Shew his Greatest Countenance in his Lowest Estate yet he cannot shew so great Power in his Highest as Christ shewed in his Lowest That His Setting may haue that which of Two others is versified of it selfe alone best verified Mira cano Sol occubuit Nox nulla sequuta est A wonder t' is to Tell Sun set no Night befell Yea and this Sunnes Setting was such as brought More Day and Greater Light vnto the whole World then ever the Sun of the World did to One Halfe of the World at the Highest point of his Liberall Distribution of Light vnto the Day That His Descending was to such a Place where the Serpent Pythō might haue lyen safe enough for ever any other Phoebus being able to come neere to hurt him Lastly That as the Brightnesse Glory of the Temporall Sun doth after a sort Demonstrate the Supernaturall Splendor and Glory of that Eternall according to what heretofore hath bin spoken so the World being thus Depriued of the Sun and Day-Light by a Supernaturall Eclipse argueth The Departure of the Eternall Sun out of the World by a Strange way a Way whereof his Godhead was vncapeable and yet a Way Supernaturally munited with such Coūtermands of Nature as were competible and possible to none but the Divine Nature This Dionysius Areopagita being a Philosopher was able to collect out of that Eclipse Who as History relates being in Athens and seeing there that strange Eclipse brake out into these words Either the God of Nature doth now suffer or else the World shall be Dissolued The Athenians too themselues as t' is reported by the strangenesse of that Eclipse coniectured somwhat more then ordinary concerning The Godhead and The worshipping of him though Ignorantly and therevpon erected an Altar with that Inscriptiō To the vnknowne God Act. 17. 23. Out of all which there arise vnto vs these ēsuing Lights of Instruction Articles of Admonition drawn out of the Parliamentall Act of the Darknesse of One Day That not the very Bonds of Nature or of Naturall Affection should tie vs so fast should bee so deere or goe so neere vnto vs as The Glory of GOD in our Obeying his Commandements his Countermands And that we should be like our Father Abraham who vpon the Appearing of the Command of The God of Glory Got him out of his Countrey from his Kinred from his Fathers house vnto another countrey and from place to place not Knowing whether he went Heb. 11. 8. vntill he came where he had not a foot of inheritance Yea and causing Naturall Affection to stoope to the Affecting Effecting of GODS Glorious Commād he Offered his Sonne his only Sonne Isaac And yet woe is vs that are so farre off from Forsaking Father Mother and the rest that Naturally we are addicted vnto for the procuring of GODS Glory that wee will not at his commandement Offer vnto him that which costeth vs little or nothing and is not Repugnant but Agreeable to any but our Corrupt Nature That we are very blameable that will not loose or rather finde for Hee that so looseth his life shall finde it some few Dayes or Howers of our Life that consisteth of so many yeeres in the Maintaining of Gods Glory That we take heed of Iewish Infidelitie Crueltie Iniquitie Ignorance and more then Iewish Crucifying Againe vnto our selues The Lord of Glory and making a mocke of him For feare least if our Deeds draw neere againe to the Taile or Head of the Old Dragon in being like vnto Darknesse and Symbolizing with the Divle or his Members God strike vs with more then Aegyptian Darknesse and the Light that now GOD bee Glorified we haue be taken from vs our Sun Moone be Eclipsed our Day bee turned into Night and the Length of our Dayes both here and in the Land of Promise be elipped off more then Three Houres or Three Dayes That wee should gladly Suffer together with Christ that being conformable to his passions Wee may also Reigne together with him That we ought To Conforme our selues vnto the time of Christs passion not to passe it in mirth and iollitie but in weeping for our selues in chastising of our selues by true Poenitencie without Sparing of our selues our Sinfull selues who by our Doings haue put Christ to his Sufferings The most seasonable and reasonable celebration whereof is not in Feasting but in Fasting Praying Praysing Preaching and the like neither in standing farre off in worldly Opposition but in Drawing neere with Soul and Body vnto the Righteous Sun who is neerer to vs then the Heavens even so Neere as in our Hearts and in our Mouthes Rom. 10. and as that In Him we Liue and Moue and haue our Being Act. 17. Likewise To be Serviceable and Applyable vnto the other Dayes of the Lord the Dayes with Especiall Happines Destinated Appointed for the Service of the Lord The Declaration of his Glory for some Extraordinary Benefits bestowed on his Creatures Thē to Reioice with them that Reioice not to be like to those who according to the Arabiā proverb Loose a Margarite vpon the Festivall Day yea thē loose the vnion of the Spirit so t' is to be feared the most precious pearle of the Kingdome Heaven Whilest they can not brooke the Church or some that are in it or the way vnto it vpon the Holy Dayes when especially we ought to goe though it were a farther a harder way from the vtmost partes of Iury to Ierusalem from the blindest corner of Dissension to the sight of peace from our owne Houses to GODS House and the place where His Honour Dwelleth Then and There Spiritually-Supernaturally to Leape For Heaven To it From that which is most Opposite vnto it To resigne our Worldly Businesses and Delights which by the Interposition of Earthly Cogitations doe disioyne separate vs even vpon the Sunday from our Lightest Sū and Brightest Day as it were by the whole length of the Diameter of Heavenly and Eternall Things That it behoveth vs to hasten away from those points of Opposition wherein we Christians ether Prince or People stand while Christ is Crucified to Spirituall vnity and Coniunction the better to reclaime or represse the common professed Enimies of Christ and to debarre them of their meanes of wronging Gods Glory That we beware of Giving our holy Light vnto Dogs and casting the Pearles of the
were not so yet the Cause of retaining it being so ordained is not none at all We know not all the Divels craft his purpose may be againe to induce and then to maintaine old heresies As at this day we see Arrianisme about to creepe into the Christiā world againe and now and then to peepe vp his head And t' is not good for vs to bee vnprovided of our former furniture and because we haue no warre to fling away our weapons Againe another reason of not relinquishing or disvsing this most excellent Epiphoneme is that which now we haue in hand even the oftner repetition and more frequent commemoration of the Glory of God the Father the Sonne and the Holy Gbost A reason sufficient if it had beene even of the first ordeining of it And so drawing neerer to my Text to you too Beloued Beloued I beseech you that you would bee very frequent in giuing Glory vnto God by your words and communication and to bee so farre from thinking it tedious and tiresome vnto you to bee alwaies cōversant in this one Subiect as that you would esteeme it the chiefe Glory of your Speech to haue it seasoned with the often mention of Gods Glory thinking your lippes so much the happier the oftner his Praise the praise of his Glory passeth through them Haec placuit semel haec decies repetita placebit For how else may you be thought loath to bee alwaies conversant in setting forth Gods Glory by your good Conversation to which also wee are all bounden and of which wee spake before to whom it shall be so tedious to be tyed but in words only to so Glorious a Subiect About which we should bee alwaies turning and returning tanquam rota versa reversa sempèr circa idem centrum like a wheele about the same point or centre continually yea and which ought to bee vnto vs as a charmed circle where all our spirits for ever should be enchanted So should wee bee reputed worthy instruments of Gods Glory plectratum semper instrumentum c and like an instrument alwaies ready strung obediently to sound forth and to resound what song our master requireth the song of his own Praise and Glory though he demand it never so often One Day telleth a word vnto another The word of God and so the Glory of GOD too The Word of GOD is either 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mentall or Enuntiatiue This word of God is The revealed will of God That the Inmost word the Minde or Essentiall will of God This Verbum Christi That verbum Christus as S. Austin speaketh Either of these words is by One Day told vnto another 1 For the first it is manifest first out of that Ps 119. Lamed v. 1. O Lord thy Word endureth for ever in heaven Then Revelatio fit non solùm per doctrinam sedetiam per opera The wil of God is revealed not only by Doctrine but by the workes of God too According to that in the 19 th and 20 th Verses of the first to the Romanes And that in the 17 th and 18 th Verses of the tenth to the Romanes where the Apostle saith Hearing is by the Word of God But I demand haue they not heard No doubt their sound went out through all the Earth their words into the endes of the World alleaging the 4 th Verse of this Psalme Where wee may note how the Apostle proueth The Hearing of the Word of God by The Hearing of their words as if their Words were the Word of God Their words that is The Dayes Words too among the rest which necessarily and most naturally must be meant by that place in this Psalme How they had any Word of God which they might be said to heare who happily were not within hearing of the Prophets or Apostles S. Chrysostome teacheth vs as in the already alleaged places out of him in my second Sermō so also at large on the first chapter to the Romanes where hee saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c Did God send downe a voice from heaven vnto them No. saith he But that which might prevaile more with them then such a voice that did he hee set forth his Creatures and displaied them openly to the view of all that they by their sight vnderstanding the sightlinesse of things visible might so mount vp to the invisible God And againe in that which next shall bee alleaged out of S. Chrysostome As also Athanasius in the Fragments of him saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And afterwards 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Haue those workes creatures of God which are mute dumb yet no voice or speech at all Yes saith he their admirable feature is a kind of talking of theirs and their beautie and Eutaxie or goodly Order is as it were a sound or voice of theirs Hence arise two Observations One touching our selues the other concerning the Heathen For our selues by this Word of God reported by the Dayes wee may note how negligent wee are or else how ignorant of the Whole Word the whole Revealed word of God The things revealed belonging to vs and to our children for ever Deut. 29. 29. for as if there were no Word of God but only writtē in paper so passe we over lightly what ever of Gods word is written imprinted stamped and engraven in his workes Whereas this also ought highly to be esteemed and regarded by vs. Especially whereas the Booke of the Scripture is the renewing repairing and restoring of the Booke of the World like vnto the renewing of the two Tables of the Testimony Exod. 34 after that the first were broken And t' is no good part in a Scholer as soone as he hath a new Booke straight waies to fling away the Old especially hee hauing not yet throughly learned the old For GOD hath indeed set the World in their hart yet cannot man findout the works that GOD hath wrought frō the beginning even to the end Which one of late though no Divine yet divinely hath interpreted of the Supreame and Summary law of Nature And when wee haue done all that we can to finde out Gods Glory by his Workes we may still say with Iob Lo these are part of his waies but how little a portion heare we of him And as t' is in Ecclesiasticus cap. 43. v. 30 31 32 There are hid yet greater things then these be and we haue seene but a few of his workes The other Observation concerneth the Heathen How inexcusable this Word of God reported by the Dayes maketh them An Observation drawne by S. Chrysostome out of my Text and the Texts about it as appeareth by his exposition on the twentith verse of the first to the Romanes where hauing alleaged the first part of the first verse of this Psalme he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. What will the Heathen say at that Day can they say O God we knewe thee not wee heard not of thee No did saith he never heard yee the Heavens speaking vnto you by their sightlinesse and the excellently composed harmonie of all things souÌ„ding shriller then any trumpet never saw you the manner of the Day and of the Night how still they continue on their course c. Athanasius also vpon the Title of this Psalme saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What saith he to the Heathen c. to the Heathen For because t' is the Worde of God too which One Day reporteth vnto another and yet for all that they haue not beleeued The Dayes Report therefore are they altogether without excuse for not Beleeuing when they heard the word of God O but if wee had heard That Word of God which you haue heard the Revealed Written word of God then we might haue beleeued O no it is not likely GOD at all times and in all ages providing for all men the fittest meanes in respect of themselues of their times to bring them vnto GOD because he would haue all men saued Therefore as t' was said of the Iewes Luk. 16. 31. If they heare not Moses and the Prophets neither will they be perswaded though one rise from the dâ—ad a gaine So may we say of the HeatheÌ„ If they would not heare the workes of God if not the Report that the Dayes and other of Gods Creatures gaue forth touching Gods Glory neither would they haue beene perswaded if they should haue had heard Moses and the Prophets That which was made manifest in many of theÌ„ who questionlesse had beene made acquinted with the Books of Moses and yet continued still in their Infidelitie Then how much more inexcusable are the Atheists and Infidels of these later times who haue heard The Report that one Day maketh to another of The will of God Revealed not only by his Workes but per doctrinaÌ„ per inspirationem by Doctrine and hy Inspiration too For the whole Scripture is giuen by Inspiration of God and is profitable to Teach c. 2. Tim. 3. 16. Which whole Scripture they haue had long ere this by One Dayes Report vnto another promulgated and proclaimed vnto them And so haue they had Another word to teach theÌ„ too another Word of God another Word which One Day telleth to another Nor only haue they had the Doctrine of Moses and the Prophets to instruct them but of the Apostles too nor of those only but of him that taught them too even of Christ himselfe and therefore as yet of Another word of God too another Word which One Day telleth to another Another Yea and anothergates Word of God is this of which wee are now to speake in the next place being now as it were carried backe againe into the maine Sea of GODS Glory The Dayes here in my Text seeming to smile out a certaine willingnesse to haue the whole course of their Discourse there determined like as when Oceano properant se tingere Soles One Day Telleth a word vnto another A Word By Telling of whose Glory the Dayes haue gain'd the greatest Glory of their whole Report Report now iumping ioyning hands with that Report of the Prophet Isaiah where he saith Lord who hath beleeued our Report c. which Report to report vnto you of whose Glory it was I leaue to S. Iohn chap. 12. v. 41. A Word of which as in his Common place and as his Expanse and Pertingencie together with GODS Glory is extended over all and beyond all Encomiasticall Explication much already hath beene spoken And yet as in his Proper place of Circumscribing Glory I haue more to say of Him which I haue thought vpon Ecclesiasticus 39. 12. A Word more Significant then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Daâ—ar is in Hebrew A Word that signisieth a Thing whereby all Words doe Signifie A Thing before All things in whoÌ„ All things consist Col. 1. 17. A word Strong of Almighty Operation Cause of All things and by whom All Words and Workes Arose and were Raised vp from Nothing A Word that is The Day Spring from an High that hath visited vs. Luk 2. v. 78. out of whose Strength comes forth Sweetnesse A Word that is a Branch or Sprout Zach. 3. 8. 6. 12 overspreading the whole world aimed at by the Branches of Signification of the Dayes Telling and that as the Prophet saith shall Grow vp out of his place and shall cause Others to growe and Arise vp by Him and with him A Word that is the Standing Standert Roote of Iesse that being Lifted vp draweth all men vnto him into his Glorious Rest Vs especially The Gentiles that Trust Seeke vnto his Ensigne whom also he hath receaued to The Glory of GOD as the Apostle speaketh Rom. 15. where he withall maketh Christs Arising a Refuge to the Gentiles A Light vnto Them and a Ruler over Them to be an Especiall point of GODS Glory That the Gentiles might Glorifie GOD for his Mercy c. And therefore I might by no meanes omit to touch this point in this Relation of GODS Glory no nor to touch the mindes of vs Gentiles with This Points Admonition how that vpon iuse cause it is especially required of vs Gentiles to Glorifie the Lord. And therefore let vs all herevnto for ever by your Amendment in Obeying his Commandements say Amen A Word That is Alpha and Omega The Beginning and the End of all the Alphabet of all the words works that wee or any other can Speake or Doe vnto GODS Glory A Word So Beginning That So was In the Beginning and Before The Beginning of All Worlds That In him By him and Through him is not only the Source the Beginning but the very Being of Dayes and Nights and the rest of GODS Creatures And So that never will any Day or Night nor should any of his Of spring make an End of Talking and of making Shew Declaration of His Beginning His Beginning that causeth the Creatures Perfectst Being His Beginning and making of an End To whom and For whom are All Things and their Ends. Whose Making of an Ende shall giue Beginning to their Greatest Glory and Happinesse which is an Everlasting view of The Greatest shew of GODS Glory when in the End of the Alphabet God shall be All in All 1. Cor. 15. 28. Most Admired for his Great Goodnes Ω how Great and Ω how Good Most Richly and Gloriously Beseene and Seene of All. One Day telleth a word vnto another 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This Word is the Lord saith Clemens Alexandrinus So Iustin Martyr vnderstandeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Doctrine and the Appearing or Comming of Christ to be here vttered revealed and reported S. Austin also on the Title of this Psalme
saith De Iesu Christo haec dicuntur These things are spoken of Iesus Christ. And on my Text by the word Word he vnderstandeth Plenitudinem â—ncommutabilis Sapientiae Det quod verbum in principio Deus a pud Deum est The Fulnesse of the vnchangeable Wisdome of God which word was in the Beginning GOD with GOD. In like sense Arnobius and many others haue taken the Word which here One Day is said to tell another Especially those who haue interpreted these words Allegorically whereof ye heard in my first Sermon To this Exposition are fitting among other things the Springs of the Arabian Root There also bespoken for this Service Neither is the Word Omer therevnto vnsutable being as hath beene said onely of the Singular Number Even as Christ also himselfe is One and Singular One Seed Gal. 3. 16. One Mediatour and One Saviour One as hee is GOD One as hee is Man and One as he is both GOD and Man One as GOD One as The Onely Begotten Sonne of GOD And therefore One too in the Assumed Humanitie by vnitie of Person So still One and But One word as before ye heard but such a One as is better then all others being well Learned will make you the greatest Scholers in the world Yee need not nay yee must not goe so farre as to the Plurall Number to Learne more then One such word to become as Singular Scholers as S. Paule was who Esteemed not to Knowe Any thing saue Iesus Christ and him Crucified Si Christum Discis satis est sicaetera Nescis Si Christum Nescis nthil est sicaetera Discis Learne Christ and thou art Blest no matter for therest Saue Christ Learne All the rest to Saue thou waÌ„tst the Best And no marvaile for this Word is Proper onely vnto him who Knoweth All things to know the Proprieties of this Word is a true Impropriation of the Benefit of All Knowledge Yea the very Etymologie of this Word is True Reason Word-Truth and Word of Truth enough to make True Schollership And if the Words of Men doe so further vs in the way of Learning and Knowledge how then shall not this most Curious and Exact word this Lordly Word this Word of the Lord and Proper word of God being once learned prosper with vs to the Command of commendation for our Learning If Men Scholers words such Skilfull prayses haue What must Lord Master Makers word that All Skill gaue If Made words of Made Men such skil make-praises haue What word that skild Skild MeÌ„ to Make Kild to Saue In this and every respect Apolinarius doth well reÌ„der this Word here in my Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Honoured or a pretious word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chosen or Choice and Pretious S. Peter calleth him and hee is called by Hermes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Holy word Of this indeed most Choice most Holy most Honourable and most Pretious Word of GOD Two things 1 The One How this word is by One Day told vnto another 2 The other That the Dayes by recounting this word doe most of all recount Gods Glory 1 Touching the first t' is an excellent place of Athanasius against the Gentiles where he saith Iuvat creaturam ipsam contra illos citare testem clamantem quodammodo autorem opificemque summ Deum Patrem Domini nostri Iesu Christi apertè praedicantem And a little after Nempe enim haec ipsa constantia praedicat insinuatque Patrem verbi suum esse opificem ac Deum dum absque vlla coÌ„tradictione ipsius paret imperio sicut divina quoque Lex admonet dicens Coeli enarrant Gloriam Dei c It liketh me well saith he to produce as witnesse against the Heathen the Heavens and the Firmament the Day the Night yea and the whole state of things created as it were or well neere openly proclaiming and pronouncing God the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ to be their maker and creatour For this their stablenesse continuance alwaies after one sort signifieth and denounceth the Father of the word to be their maker and their God whilest they still obey his saying of the word without any word of contradicting or gainsaying That which also Gods word telleth vs where t' is said The Heavens declare the Glory of God and the Firmament sheweth his handy Worke One Day telleth a word vnto another c. Diverse and sundry waies is this Word by One Day told vnto another as by the ResemblaÌ„ce that every Day hath of the Creatour and therefore of this Word also This being that word of the Lord by which the Heavens and the Dayes were made Psal 33. 6. and Ioh. 1. 3. this Word being that Wisedome of the Lord by which he hath laid the foundation of the earth and that Vnderstanding through which he hath established the HeaveÌ„s Prov. â— 19. Of the Resemblance of the Creatours Glory enstamped in the Dayes already hath beene spoken To which we may adde that of Theophilus Antiochenus lib. 2. Who saith that those three first Dayes which were before the creation of the two great Lights 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Are types and models of a Trinity of God and of his Word of his Wisedome So that this Word was that Day first declared in which Gods Wisedome first declared it selfe vnto the world by making the first Day the works thereof by such a word of Wisedome and in such wisedome of his word And in like sort was this word declared by the rest of the Dayes of the Creation declared was it in their Creation Also afterwardes this Word was that Day excellently published pronounced in which he first was promised for the Redemption of the world Then againe froÌ„ time to time from Day to Day continually how often by types figures by shadowes and resemblances by visions and by prophecies was this Word still forshewed yea and shewed forth vnto the world So that it was no marveile if by the Dayes so so reporting this Word vnto the world the very heathen men themselues had such knowledge of this heavenly word as they had For Fuerunt Prophetae non ipsius in quibus etiam aliqua inveniuntur quae de Christo audita ceeinerunt sicut etiam de Sibylla dicitur c. saith S. Austin in his begunne Exposition on the Epistle to the Romanes There were certaine Prophets and yet none of Gods Prophets nether in whom are some things found concerning Christ which after they had heard they also sang of reported among whom was Sibylla Which saith S. Austin I should not easily haue beleeved but for that of a certaine famous Poët among the Latins meaning Virgil Vltima Cumaet venit taÌ„ carminis aetas c. And S. Austin hath afterwardes in the same place how that th' Apostle knew ea in