to his full consistence and strength declined not so we should also grow from faith to faith from grace to grace till we come to our full 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Christ never more afterwards to feele any decay Lastly to shew as St. Augustin probably conjectureth in what age or stature we shall rise againe how young or old soeuer we die namely in that wherein Christ himselfe dyed and rose againe And so much touching the yeare of his age The time of the yeare wherein he suffered was the day of the feast of Passeouer even the fifteenth of the month Nisan For the evening before he eate the Passeouer with his Disciples which by the law of God ought to be done vpon the fourteenth of Nisan the next day after he dyed Here perhaps it will be objected that the Iewes began not their Passeouer till after Christ was crucified as plainly appeares Before the feast of Passeouer supper being ended saith St Iohn And againe It was the preparation of the Passeover and about the sixt houre And yet againe they themselues went not into the hall of iudgement lest they should be defiled but that they might eate the Passeouer Wherevnto I answer that by this it seemes to mee more then manifest that Christ and the Iewes did not both eate the Passeouer at once but our Saviour the euening before and the Iewes the euening after he was crucified What then Did Christ as Lord of the Passeouer prevent the due day prescribed by his Father So some say but very vnprobably For Christ came to fulfill the law therefore without doubt he precisely obserued it How then Surely the Iewes fayled not he For the day of the Passeover and the weekly Sabbath falling immediatly this yeare one after the other they according to their old custome translated the Passeouer vpon the Sabbath and obserued both on one day But our Saviour preferring his Fathers order vnto humane traditions tooke order it should be prepared for him on that very day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in which as St Luke saith the Passeouer ought to be sacrificed So that as we haue said the feast day it selfe was the day of his suffering Then which no time could be more cōvenient or seasonable For as by other Leviticall ceremonies so was he also typed by the Paschal lambe And therefore what time more fitting the sacrifice of the true Lambe then that which presently followed vpon the slaying of the typicall Wherevnto St Paul alluding for euē Christ saith he our Passeouer is sacrificed for vs. Adde herevnto the assertion of some that as Adam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the same day he was created sinned so the same day after the revolution of some yeares mans sin by the death of Christ was done away and hee againe created anew Which if it could clearely and infallibly bee demonstrated would argue a speciall providence of God in the dispensation of this day Adde lastly that at this time all the Iewes wheresoeuer were to appeare at Ierusalem to celebrate this feast before the Lord and that in this regard also it was fit he should at this time suffer that more publike notice might be taken thereof and it the better be divulged and spread abroad And thus also you see in what time and season of the yeare he suffered The consideration of this circumstance of time may serue first to convince the Iewes of obstinate incredulitie For if God haue by his eternall decree determined a set houre vnto the comming and suffering of the Messias that houre be now many hundred of yeares past then is Christ already come or God fayleth of his purpose But that such a precise houre was set and that God cannot fayle of his purpose the Iew knoweth well enough Obstinate therefore needs must he be still denying that the Messias is come Secondly it may serue to confirme and settle our Faith in the truth of the promised seed For they that came before or after the appointed houre could not be the true shepheard but theeues only and robbers But Iesus the sonne of Mary came and suffered in that very time and in him were fulfilled all whatsoever was by the Prophets foretold concerning the Messias He therefore is the true Christ neither are wee to looke for another Thirdly not whithstanding this appointed time wee are to remember for our further consolation that Iesus Christ is yesterday and to day and evermore And therefore as he was virtually the lambe slaine from the beginning of the world so the vertue of his death and passion reacheth downe to these times also and evermore will be available to the iustification of a sinner whosoever shall bee provided of true Faith thereby to apprehend it Fourthly as vnto this particular of Christs passion so vnto other things also as namely our vocation conversion repentance hath he appointed a due time This is called the acceptable time and our Hodie to day which if wilfully we neglect we may with Esau seeke the blessing with teares and never after recover it Take wee heed therefore while it is called to day that we harden not our hearts but harken vnto his voice and duely obey it that wee may be admitted into his rest Lastly as God out of his deepe wisdome so are wee in imitation of God to doe all things in due season For as nothing is contented out of its proper place so nothing is welcome or gratious that is done out of due season It is not every word how true soever that is like an apple of gold with pictures of silver but that only which is Seasonable Learned is the tongue of that man that speaketh a word of comfort in fit time and thrice blessed is hee who like a tree planted by the rivers of waters bringeth forth his fruite in his proper season And thus much touching the time when Christ suffered The next point to be considered is the worke of that houre what worke will you say The bitter passion of our Lord and saviour Iesus Christ. what Passion The suffering of that punishment which was due to sinne for the satisfaction of his Fathers iustice What was hee a sinner and deserved such punishment No by no meanes For as touching Originall sinne the passage of that was so stopped vp in his conception by the Holy Ghost that it could no way enter into him And for Actuall sinne there was not so much as guile found in his mouth But hee was to suffer for our Sinnes and to satisfie his Father We had eaten sower grapes and his teeth were set on edge yea but what iustice is this that Titius shall sinne and Sempronius be punished The cause is not alike For Christ vndertooke to be our Surety and to satisfie all our debts And to this end the Word became Flesh that being otherwise impassible hee might in it suffer the punishment due vnto vs. But might not God if he had beene
in such ascantling of time there could bee no expounding In the dayes of good King Iosiah the booke of the law which Hilkiah had found in the house of the Lord was read in the eares of all the people but of exposition not a word Ezra also the Priest read the law before the congregation from morning till midday but that his reading was interrupted by interpretation is not so cleare as you are borne in hand For first if any did interpret it was the Levites but that Ezra the Priest and a Scribe so learned should be put to the inferior and baser office of reading and the Levites but pettie ones in comparison advanced vnto the higher and worthier of interpreting seemes altogether improbable Secondly where it is said the Levites caused the people to vnderstand the law that it seemes was done not by way of expounding but by causing the people to stand still in their places and to giue due attention As for that which followes they gaue the sense and caused them to vnderstand the reading it is in the originall thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and may fitly be rendred they made attention and vnderstood the reading referring the distinct reading of the law vnto Ezra making of attention to the Levites vnderstanding to the people And thus doe sundry worthy Divines conceiue of this place All which not withstanding because diverse other great clarkes amongst the rest our late translators are of another mind I may not be too peremptorie herein Yet will I be bold to inferre that vnlesse they can proue that sermons were every Sabbath made in evey Synagogue which I thinke they will neuer proue Preaching in this place will be all one with Reading So will it be also vnlesse they can shew that whatsoever was read was expounded for it seemes by the text that whatsoever was read was preached But as with vs the Psalmes and Lessons and Epistles and Gospells with other parcells of Scripture read every Lords day in our Churches are not nor cannot all at once be expounded but only some small portion so the Petaroths or Sections of the law and the Prophets ordained by Ezra of old to be read in the Synagogues every Sabbath day are as they are set downe by the sonne of Maimonie so large that they could not possibly at leastwise conveniently bee interpreted at one time I presume therefore all was not interpreted which was read yet all was preached which was read wherefore Preaching cannot in this place bee interpreted but only Reading Besides these reasons least any should thinke I stand single and by my selfe alone it may please you to know that I am backed with the authority of sundry graue Divines of whom I will name two onlie with either of whom that one to whom we are referred is no way to be compared The one is reverend Whitgift late Archbishop of the See of Canterbury in his defence against Cartwright the other is learned and profound Hooker the hammer of our Schismatickes whose bookes they are afraid to looke vpon least they be confounded in his Ecclesiasticall Politie These both affirme Preaching in this place to be no other then Reading Whitgift addes that all expositors he could meet withall were of the same mind so that in effect I am warranted with a cloud of witnesses Against all which besides confident asseveration I find nothing opposed saue one only passage out of the second tome of Homilies wherein say they our church doth principallie fasten on this text to proue a distinction betweene Preaching and Reading Wherevnto I answere that the intent of the Homilie is to shew the right vse of Churches and that in them the word of God should be both read and interpreted and to this end are alledged sundry passages out of the Acts together with this text all which ioyntly but not severally conclude what was intended For Act. 13.5 speaketh only of Preaching this text only of Reading and Act. 13.14 of both But how soever the Homilie vnderstand this place sure I am both this booke and the Church of England account of Reading as an effectuall Preaching as shall anon in the due place be demonstrated In the meane season I hope I may be bold out of all these premises to inferre this conclusion that if any haue publikely said that whosoever collecteth out of this text Reading to be Preaching is no better then a seducing spirit giues the lye to his mother the Church of England yea to God himselfe and is mad with reason Hee himselfe at that time spake more out of Passion then reason For a seducing Spirit is not every one that erreth and delivereth what he conceiueth to be true but hee who out of the loue of errour endeavoureth to lead others astray from the truth And ô thou glorious Archangell of the Church of England Whitgift wert thou also a seducing Spirit Or was it true of our Church in thy time which the Prophet spake of his Doctores tui Seductores tui thy teachers are thy seducers And thou profound Hooker then whom never any man spake with more reason werst thou also mad with reason And yee both when yee vndertooke the defence of the Politie and government of your Mother did you vnder pretence thereof giue the lye vnto your Mother yea even to God your Father also What shall I say The Lord forgiue these intemperate speeches The best buckler to defend off such venimous arrowes is a good conscience and Christian patience And thus armed I passe to the second part The second Quere is whether Reading be a kinde of Preaching That Reading should be called or counted a kinde of Preaching there is a generation that at no hand can endure Such language they hold to be a foule Solecisme in divinity but the doctrine it selfe a great impeachment vnto Preaching What say they when our Saviour commanded his Apostles to goe into the World and to preach the Gospell vnto all creatures is it not a sottish thing to thinke hee meanes no more then this goe learne to read well then call the people together and read the word vnto them When St Paul saith to the Romans How can they preach except they bee sent doth not this imply that Preaching is more then bare Reading When the Prophet Esay said How beautifull vpon the mountaines are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings that publisheth peace c. Doe you thinke hee spake this of one that should come with a booke in his pocket and read vnto Sion Who saith S. Paul is sufficient for these things Now if Reading be Preaching who is not sufficient for these things Finally When S. Paul chargeth Timothy to preach the word to be instant in season out of season to reproue rebuke exhort withall long suffering and doctrine What meanes he no more then this goe take a care to read well These are their choicest objections out of
Ierusalem behold now and knowe and inquire in the open places thereof if yee can finde a man or if there bee any that executeth judgement and seeketh the truth and I will spare it According wherevnto as it is recorded by S. Luke all those that sailed with S. Paul being in number two hundred seaventy and six soules were giuen vnto him that not one of them in that exceeding dangerous tempest lost so much as a haire from his head When Augustus the Emperour had conquered Mark Antonie and taken the Citie of Alexandria and the Citizens looked for nothing but extremitie the Emperour in the hearing of them all freely pardoned them for Arius sake a Philosopher of that Citie one whom he honoured much for his learning and loved for his vertue If the heathen who knowe not God can for one friends sake remit the offences of many shall not God doe much more for their sakes whom he calleth and counteth his friends Certainely hee will Egypt shall fare the better for Ioseph and the very remembrance of Abraham Isaac and Iacob shall moue God to persist in doing good to their rebellious posterity The charity of the Saints towards the wicked is very great and the praiers they make vnto God for them are many and so available are they that by them oftentimes the arme of God is held from striking them oftentimes his hand is opened to blesse them And thus sometimes God prospereth evill men for a few good mens sakes that liue among them Sometimes againe hee dealeth otherwise with these mixt companies and when he punisheth a wicked nation nor will be perswaded to spare them hee preserueth the godly that they tast not of the common calamitie For sometime he preventeth them by death and taketh them into his rest before the misery come Thus all the Fathers died before the floud came vpon the world and good Iosiah according to the prediction of Huldah the prophetesse was gathered to his fathers and laid in his graue in peace that his eyes might not behold all the evill which God resolued to bring vpon his kingdome For as it is in the booke of Wisdome Because the Lord loueth the soule of the righteous therefore he hastneth to take them away from the wicked and the righteous that is dead condemneth the vniust man that is liuing for God will shake his foundations and lay him vtterly wast they shall be in sorrow and their memoriall perish So that as it is a great signe that God intends to continue his mercies to a nation while as good men remaine among them according to that of old Althes in the Poet Non tamen omnino Teucros delâ—re paratis Cum tales animos iuvenum tam certa tulistis Pectora I see God hath not determined vtterly to destroy the Troians seeing such valiant hearts and braue spirits still rise vp among them so is it as great a token of imminent destruction when the good are taken away and as the Psalmist speaketh their signes are no longer to be seene among them Now as sometimes hee preventeth the righteous by death that they partake not in the punishment of the wicked so sometimes hee prolongeth their life to see it but withall sendeth them strange and miraculous deliverance that they feele it not Thus was Noah delivered by an Arke when all the rest of the world were drowned Lot and his family by a gard of Angells when Sodom and the neighbour Citties were consumed Israel by a speciall protection when the Egyptians were many waies plagued Rahab by a cord of red thred when all the rest of the soule in Ierico were put to the sword the Christians by oracle at Pella in the generall vastity and desolation of Iudea So that God knoweth well how to separate betweene the pretious and the vile and in the greatest perplexities if he please can find an issue and enlargement for all such as he loueth Howbeit almighty God doth not alwaies thus deliuer his Saints but sometimes involueth both good and bad in the same calamity And even as the evill because they are mingled with the good partake with them of temporall benefits as the shining of the Sun the showres of raine so the good also because they are mingled with the evill partake with them in temporall afflictions Aliquid mali propter vicinum malum the neighbourhood of evill cannot but worke them some evill Both good and bad are one common flesh common flesh as Cyprian saith is subiect to the same common inconveniences and ever will be vntill corruption be swallowed vp of incorruption Hence is it that in the time of famine or pestilence there is a common mortality in hostile impressions and conquests a common captivity in shipwracke at sea a common drowning If then the Sodomites loose the day and bee made prisoners vnto Chedor-laomer so is Lot also if Nebuchadnezzar King of Babilon lead away the Iewes into captivity Daniel and Ezechiell and the three children are lead away also If Totilas overflow Europe with his barbarous troopes Christians are not freer then Gentiles Behold saith the Lord by the prophet Ezechiell I come against thee and will draw my sword out of his sheath and cut off from thee both the righteous and the wicked Also by Saint Iohn he straitly chargeth his people to depart out of Babylon least they be partakers in her plagues Nay if one Achan only trespasse in the execrable thing hee alone perisheth not but wrath falleth on the whole congregation which the heathen poet also obseruing said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 many times a whole citty smarts for the offence of one But this specially if any publike man commit some notorious wickednesse for as when the head akes or is distempered the arme vaine many times is opened so for the offence of Kings and Princes the people oftentimes are punished as appeares in Davids case for whose sinne in numbering the people seaventy thousand of his subiects perished That all these were wicked men and that none of them feared God it is both vnreasonable and vncharitable to imagine and therefore not doubting but that good and bad pell mell were cut off in that pestilence I conclude this point with that aphorisme of the Rabbins When once the sentence of punishment is pronounced and resolued by God and power is given to the destroyer to execute the same he from thence respecteth the person of no man nor putteth difference betweene the iust and the vniust And thus yee see how diversly God dealeth with these mixt societies let vs before we proceed vnto the next point make some vse of what hath beene deliuered First then doe the wicked fare the better for the godly that liue among them and are their prosperities and deliverances to bee imputed vnto them Oh then the extreame folly Oh the monstrous ingratitude of wicked men folly in imputing all the crosses and
The houre is come therefore glorify thy Sonne What Hour vndoubtedly the houre of his bitter passion This appeareth evidently by that of our Saviour Loe the houre is at hand and the sonne of man is betraid into the hands of sinners That also of Saint Iohn They laid not hands on him because his houre was not yet come And yet more plainely by that of our Sauiour where hauing said the houre is come that the Sonne of man should be glorified presently hee speaketh of his death and addeth Father saue mee from this houre but therefore came I into this houre This Houre is here by way of eminence called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the or that houre both in regard of the great work that was to be performed therein as also for that it was long before determined by the Father to that worke But now saith Christ that hour is come that is it is instant and at hand And so indeed it was For the same night that hee vttered this prayer hee was betraid and the next day cruelly executed By which it is evideÌ„t that he was not ignorant of the houre but as he foreknew it so he was ready also to enter into it So that in these two words these three things come to bee considered the Houre the worke of the houre the knowledge he had both of the Houre the worke thereof But before I spake of any of them it is reason wee should shew the force of Christs argument how it followes The houre of my Passion is now at hand therefore thou oughtest to glorify mee Some as namely those of the Church of Rome make the reason of the sequele to be the merit of his passion for that by it hee should deserue his glory Now true it is that Christ both did and suffered many things worthy of most large and ample reward Howbeit for ought we can find in Scripture all was for vs with neglect of himselfe There was no perfection but either hee was already possessed of it or it was now due vnto him by vertue of the personall vnion At the first instant whereof all glorie would haue flowen to his Humanity had it not by speciall dispensation beene staid vntill hee was come to the lowest bottome of his humiliation Which being done and the stay remoued it could not but naturally flow vnto him So that how hee should merit for himselfe cannot well be conceiued without empeachment of his glorious Vnion As for those texts they alledge for proofe all of them shew rather ordinem then meritum that his glory succeeded his passion not that his passion merited his glory For as touching that to the Hebrewes Thou hast loued righteousnesse and hated iniquity wherefore God even thy God hath annointed thee with the oile of gladnesse aboue thy fellowes if it import merit it must be of Vnction and not of finall Glorification which they wil none of indeed cannot be For in the very first instant of his assumption assoone as the Humanity had being the ointment was poured vpon him so that it could not possible be preuented by merit Merit therfore is not the reason of the sequel What theÌ„ Surely the Promise of his Father For it was not the Fathers will that ignominie should alway rest vpon the sonne or that the slâ—â—es as it were of Glory should still be stopt against him Wherefore he promised When he should make his soule a sacrifice for sinne he should see his seed and prolong his daies and the pleasure of the Lord should prosper in his hand so that hee should see of the travell of his soule and be satisfied Yea he sware vnto him and repented not of it Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchizedeck that is who by performing the office of his Priesthood should passe into his eternall and glorious kingdome And vpon this ground it is that our Saviour affirmeth Christ ought first to suffer and then to enter into his glory And hence also it is that here he saith The houre is come glorifie thy sonne as if he should say more fully thou hast bound thy selfe by promise yea and by oath too that when by suffering I shall haue finished the worke of redemption for which thou sentest me thou wouldest fully satisfie me with glory Now the houre of my passion is come and I am ready and willing to vndergoe it Remember therefore thy promise and performe it For vnlesse thou wilt faile of thy word and fayle of thy word thou canst not because thou art truth it selfe thou must needs glorifie me And thus you see both the reason and necessity of the sequele in this enthymeme Whence we are lessoned first to imitate Christ and with him to ground all our prayers and hopes vpon our Fathers promise For he is omnipotent and can true wil performe Vnto Godlines he hath made the promise both of this the other life Liue we therefore godlily then feare we not boldly to approch vnto the throne of grace and to charge him with his promise both for the one and for the other thou hast promised and therefore glorifie me Againe as Christ could not haue ignominie and shame alwaies to rest vpon him but that obice remoto the stay and let being remoued Glory would surely flow vnto him by reason of the hypostaticall vnion so by vertue of the mysticall vnion we haue with Christ obice remoto assoone as the let and stay is done away it cannot be but that forthwith from him Glorie should bee deriued vnto vs. That let is Sinne. Sinne being crucified and slaine by death when we are ready to yeeld vp the ghost but specially when the day of resurrection is come we may say with Christ Father the houre is come glorifie thy sonne Lastly if we will 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 raigne with Christ in glory we must first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 suffer with him in humilitie Hee bare the Crosse before he could weare the Crowne we are predestinated to be conformed vnto the image of the Sonne And wee also in our flesh must fulfill the remainders of the afflictions of Christ if we will be glorified with him But of this enough Now let vs resume the three particulars aboue mentioned to be considered And first of the first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the or that houre that is the houre decreed determined vnto the Passion of Christ. For hee that is the creator of time hath ever reserued the disposition thereof in his owne power And as hee hath ordained of all that shall come to passe euen to the lighting of a sparrow and the fall of a haire so vnto every thing hath hee set a season and a time to every purpose vnder heauen If to every thing and purpose then much more to this worke as being a businesse of greatest weight and consequence And seeing as the
David and Abraham he wept for the miseries which he foresaw would fall vpon them and for preventing of them often would he haue gathered them vnder his wings as the hen doth her chickens but they would not he I say would and they would not Oh the bowels oh the compassion oh the perfectioÌ„ of Christianity wicked men are hard hearted towards vs our bowels yearn melt towards theÌ„ they curse vs we blesse them they afflict and persecute vs and we desire to keepe off all trouble and sorrow from them except that sorrow which will worke vnto them such ioy as shall neuer be taken from them This is a hard lesson to flesh blood yet hitherto must we come or we passe not beyond Scribes and Pharisees and except our righteousnesse exceed theirs we cannot possibly enter into the kingdome of heaven Againe as no man no not the wicked ought to bee strangers vnto our affection so least of all those that are of the same faith with vs. Wee should be like Hippoâ—raâ—es twins weeping together and laughing together In the body of man if but a finger ake all the rest of the members are sensible of it can we be members of the mysticall body of Christ and haue no feeling of the miseries of our brethren If any man offer to strike at our head the arme presently lifts it selfe to ward of the blow and shall not we if God shake the sword of his heavy displeasure against any of his children speedily lift vp our hands vnto him by the importunity of our prayers turne away the plague that it light not vpon them Certainely they that are not touched with compassion in the dangers of Gods Saints are not the true Children of Abraham and because they refused to be advocates for them in the day of need neither shall themselues finde an advocate that will open his mouth to speake for them in the day of their extremity Lastly seeing Abrahams desire is rather that evill men be spared then the good destroyed and his hart inclineth so much vnto pittie it lessons you my Lords also that although through hope of impunity yee may not giue liberty to sinne yet should you rather incline to too much mildnesse then severity In doubtfull matters it is not only more iust but more safe also to follow the favourablest construction and more Christian like is it in such a case to let the guilty escape then to condemne the innocent It is much safer for a man to render account of his mercifulnesse then of his cruelty Nero in his fiue first good yeares when he was to subscribe to the condemnation or execution of any was wont to say Quâ—m Vellem nescire literas would to God I could not write a letter Nay God himselfe saith Why will yee die ô yee house of Israell and as I liue I will not the death of a sinner And therefore it should be your delight also suffundere potius quam effundere sanguinem rather to bring bloud into the face then to shed it out of the body Cuncta prius tentanda sed immedicabile vulnus Ense recidendum ect ne pars sincera trahatur all other waies must first be tried but if the wound grow incurable it is better to cut off a part then to hazard that which is â—ound too And so much for the second part which is Abrahams affection The third and last part is the Argument whereby hee would both warrant his owne affection and perswade God to be of his minde and is laid downe in these words Should not the iudge of the whole world doe right that is as we haue shewed the iudge of the whole world must needs doe right The reason stands thus To enwrap the good together with the wicked in the same punishment seemes not to be iust and therefore neither maiest thou doe it for thou art the iudge of the whole world must doe right Surely if so to enwrap good and bad were vniust God may not doe it and the argument followes necessarily But is it vniust so to doe Abraham seemes to make no doubt of it for he goes not about to proue it and yet we haue in the first part clearely demonstrated that God oftentimes doth so What then is there any vniustice with God God forbid yea let him be iust in all his sayings cleare when he is iudged In rebus divinis magna caligo said Cato in many of Gods actions there is so much obscurity that we see not the reasons of them yet this is certaine Occulta esse causa potest iniusta esse non potest the reason of them may be secret but vniust it cannot be For he is essentially iust even iustice it selfe and in rebus divinis ratio facti est voluntas facientis in divine actions the will of the doer is sufficient to iustify the deed For the will of God is the prime rule of iustice and to seeke higher is to seeke a former then the first which is meere folly whereas therefore I finde a reason I will praise him where I finde none I will admire him and acknowledge my selfe that am but a bubble but a shadow but the dreame of a shadow rather to faile in vnderstanding then God in iustice Howbeit in this point we haue sufficient reason to cleare the iustice of God For which of the Saints of God is without sinne And which of them hath not deserved by sin to be severely punished Suppose they liue vnblamably in the sight of men yet the eye of God that trieth even the heart and raines beholdeth much folly and iniquity in them Doe they not together with the wicked too much loue temporall things Too much I say though happily not so much Doe they not liue too familiarly with them never rebuking them nor shewing any dislike of their wicked courses Questionlesse they doe and therefore no marvell if partaking in the same sin they partake also in the same punishment et amara sentiant quia amari esse noluerunt drinke with them of the same bitter cup because for their amendment they would not bee sharpe and bitter vnto them The action of God being thus cleared from vniustice what shall we say of Abraham and his assertion I might dispatch him in a word and say let God be true and every man a lier saue that I desire to dismisse him with all reverence and as farre as I can to free him from blame also Shall I say then with some that he speaketh in the opinion of infidels who thinke it a high point of vniustice so to involue both good and bad together I cannot for it becometh not the father of the faithfull to presse vpon God the arguments of vnbeleeuers Shall I say his meaning is that it cannot every way and in all respects bee alike to both without vniustice This indeed I confesse would be great vniustice but God never suffers it to be so Sub vno igni aurum
the dispenser whereof is this great iudge of the whole world who nor can nor will doe otherwise then right In that day saith the Scripture shall the Lord himselfe come downe from heauen with a shout and a throne shall bee set in the clouds and the auncient of daies shall sit thereon whose garment is white as snow and the haire of his head like the pure wooll his throne is like the firy flame and his wheeles as burning fire a fiery streame shall issue and come forth before him thousand thousands shall minister vnto him and ten thousand thousands stand before him the iudgement shall be set and the bookes opened Then shall the Archangells trumpet sound and the dead shall rise and the Angells shall goe forth and gather both good and bad together and we all must appeare before the tribunall of Christ that every man may receiue the things done in the body according to that he hath done whether it be good or evill and the wicked shall goe into everlasting paine and the righteous into life eternall Goe too now yee Epicures yee Stoicks yee Philosophers that are so wise in your owne conceit and account the preachers of iudgement no better then Bablers goe too yee mockers and scoffers of this last time who say where is the promise of his comming For since the Fathers died all things continue alike from the beginning of the Creation non alium videre paeres aliumue nepotes the world which our ancestors saw of old is the same which wee their posterity see now Goe to I say eate drinke make you merrie crowne your heads with rose buds before they be withered delight your selues in the tabâ—et and harpe enioy the pleasures that are present let not the flower of life passe by walke in the waies of your owne heart and in the sight of your owne eyes but yet know that for all these things God will bring thee to iudgement I remember that a gallant of this stampe some time said vnto a reverend Prelate what if there bee no iudgement to come are you not then a very foole to barre your selfe from the pleasure of this present life to whom the Prelate and what if there be a iudgement to come are not you then a very foole for the short pleasures of this present life to barre yourselfe from those eternall ioyes of the life to come Thou vaine man art thou infallibly certaine thou shalt not come to iudgement is there no scruple no doubting remaining in thee to the contrary I know thou wouldest faine haue it so that thou maist sinne withall impunity howbeit I am sure thy Conscience doth so counterchecke thee that thou canst not but doubt thereof In a case so doubtfull vnto thee what folly nay what madnesse is it for time to hazard eternity and for a few fading pleasures to adventure thy selfe vpon endles woe and misery The wise heathen could say Longum illudtempus cum non ero magis me movet quam hoc tam exiguum the long time which shall be after this life doth more affect me then this short life If it bee possible let it affect thee also if not sit still in the chaire of scorners scoffe on thy fil and seeing thou wilt not beleeue that fire is hot vntill it burne thee thou shalt one day be convinced that there is a iudgement when thou shalt feele the intollerable torments of those flames that never shall be quenched In the meane season let vs who haue better learned Christ and know the terror of the Lord let vs I say prepare our selues against this great dreadfull day of the Lord giuing all diligence that we may be found of him in peace without spot and blamelesse And to this end let vs alwaies haue it in mind and with Saint Hierom ever be meditating therevpon Quoties diem illum considero saith he toto corpore contremisco siue enim comedo siue bibo siue aliud facio semper videtur tuba illa terribilis sonare in auribus meis Surgite mortui et venite ad iudicium as often as I thinke of that day I tremble every limbe for whether I eate or drinke or doe any thing me thinkes I heare that terrible trumpet sounding in mine eares arise yee dead and come to iudgement If any thing in the world will make a man sober and keepe him within his bankes it is the consideration hereof Thinke of this I beseech you and thinke of it seriously all yee that heare me this day Yee Iudges of the land be yee wise and learned serue the Lord and kisse the sonne doe right to the poore and fatherlesse deliver the poore and needy and saue them from the hand of the wicked doe nothing vniustly accept no mans person execute iustice without bribery and partiality for your selues must come vnto iudgement and as you iudge so shall yee be iudged Yee lawyers and advocates see that yee entertaine none but good causes sell not breath only for your fees spin not matters out at such a length for your owne advantage in every cause deale conscionably and honestly for your selues shall need an advocate in that day to speake for you quando plus valebunt pura corda quam astuta verba when a good heart shall farre more availe then cunning and plausible words Yee Priests and Levites of the Lord feed yee diligently the flocke whereof the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers strengthen the weake heale the sicke binde vp the broken bring againe that which was driven away seeke that which is lost be instant in season out of season thrice happy are you if your Lord when he cometh finde you so doing for you shall stand in iudgement and hauing iustified many yee shall shine as the starres for ever and ever And yee the rest of my brethren whatsoeuer whether gentle or vngentle rich or poore take heed to your selues also and for these outward vanities of birth and wealth see that yee neither despise nor envy one another In that day not the first but the second birth will be regarded and a good conscience will bee more esteemed then a full purse Watch therefore be sober flee vngodlinesse and worldly lâ—sts and follow after righteousnesse piety faith loue patience meekenesse doe good and be rich in good workes laying vp in store a good foundation for your selues against the time to come that ye may obtaine eternall life Then shall yee not need with guilty reprobates to hang downe your countenances and to request the hills to cover you from the wrath of the terrible iudge for ye shall earnestly long for his speedy comming and at his appearance shall yee lift vp your heads for ioy knowing that your redemption draweth neere and that now is to bee pronounced that more then ioyfull sentence Come yee blessed of my father inherit yee the kingdome
rutilat palea â—umat in the same fire gold glifters and chaffe smokes pari mâ—tu exagitatum et exhalat horribiliter coenum et suaviter fragrat vnguentum with the same agitation and stirring mire sends forth a loathsome stench and ointment a sweet savour In like manner the same afflictions are vnto the wicked arguments of Gods wrath an act of revenge the satisfaction of iustice an earnest penie of eternall torment and if they take away life a firy thunderbolt driuing them downe into hell but vnto the Godly the chastisements of a louing father corrosiues vnto the flesh exercises of their vertue wormewood vnto the teat to weane them from the pleasures of this world and if they bring death with them a firie chariot transporting them vp into heaven So that in the same punishment neither is the same end intended nor the same effect wrought tantum interest non qualia sed qualisquisque patiatur so materiall is it not what the paines are as what the partie is which â—uffereth What shall we say then This that Abrahams argument is rather passionate then demonstratiue yet such as holy men oftentimes vse in their devotions to God and that without sin Cast mee not off from thee saith David Why not Because I am the workemanship of thy owne hands The reason followeth not for many such haue beene cast off True yet is it a motiue of affection for what pittie is it for one to cast away his owne workemanship So in this case Oh saith Abraham destroy not the righteous with the wicked rather preserue the wicked for the righteous sake Why so Because the iudge of the whole World should doe righteously It followeth not as we haue shewed True not necessarily yet pittying the Sodomites and hauing no better plea for so bad a people he vsed it to stirre affection alas that the righteous should be consumed with fire brimstone from heauen together with the wicked and that by him who is the iudge of the whole world should doe right But whatsoever become of the Consequence and whethersoever it were either defect of iudgement or abundance of passion that framed it sure I am the Antecedent which he layes for his foundation is sound good The iudge of the whole world should doe right and of this briefly and in a word In all states and commonwealths for the better ordering of them and that vice may be suppressed and vertue maintained and every man peaceably and quietly enioy his owne Iudges are in severall places ordeined to heare all causes and according to iustice and equity to determine them Among these there is one who is soveraigne and aboue all vnto whom appeale from all other may be made from whom no appeale vnto any vnder heaven may be made But how many villanies are there committed in the world which never come to the knowledge of the magistrate and so escape without punishment How many noble and vertuous actions are there done whereof no notice is taken or if it be yet the authors neither are nor will be knowne and so passe vnrewarded Iudges themselues doe they not oftentimes either vpon errour and mistaking as men or for fee and favour as corrupt men pervert iustice If appeale be made vnto the supreame power what redresse many times none at all they being the worst of all men witnesse Sardanapalus Caligula Nero Heliogabalus and the like All which considered it cannot bee imagined but that there must needs be an vniversall iudge over the whole world to call all men of what degree soever to account and to render vnto every one according to his workes reward to whom reward and punishment to whom punishment is due This iudge whosoever it be must needs bee of infinite knowledge of infinite wisdome of infinite power Of infinite knowledge to take notice of all the actions of all men whensoever and wheresoever Of infinite wisdome to discerne the sinceritie or hypocrisie of every action and according to the degree of good or evill in them so to proportion iudgement Of infinite power to see the sentence notwithstanding the greatnesse of any yet to be duly executed Of this knowledge this wisdome this power who is there in the world but only God and therefore who can be this vniversall iudge of the whole world but only hee Hee it is whom Abraham vnderstands here when he saith Should not the iudge of the whole world doe right as appeares by that of Saint Paul alluding herevnto Else how shall God iudge the world and this is so cleare a point in Christian religion that he is no lesse then an infidell that beleeues it not As cleare a point is it that this iudge in all things doth right I or as wee haue shewed he is essentially iust and whatsoever he doth of the necessity of his nature must needs be so So that as the Sunne cannot possibly bee the cause of darknesse nor the fire of coldnesse nor a sweet fountaine send forth bitter streames no more can be who is iustice it selfe doe any thing that is vniust Hence is it that in scripture he is stiled the righteous Iudge and that Saint Paul saith Absit Farre be it from vs to say there is vnrighteousnesse with God This notwithstanding some Atheist happily who thinkes the Intelligence that moues the wheeles of this nether world to bee not Divine Providence but Blinde Fortune only will obiect and say If there be such a generall iudge of the whole world and he so iust a judge how comes it to passe that so many wicked men liue and die without punishment As for example that bloudy and sacrilegious tyrant of Sicilie Dionysius Him as Cicero saith never did Iupiter dart with his thunderbolt nor Aesculapius kill with a miserable and lingring sicknesse but he died quietly in his bed and in triumphant manner was brought into his graue and the power which by horrible wickednesse hee had gotten he left to his sonne as a iust and lawfull inheritance To this I answere first if men could see the secret stripes and lashes which a guilty conscience inwardly giues the soule of the wicked they would never thinke that they escaped without punishment For certainly Qui peccâ—t paenam meruit qui meruit expectat qui expectat iam dedit he that sins deserues punishment he that deserues it lookes for it whosoever lookes for it already feeles it Secondly if God here in this world publikely should reward the good and punish the wicked men would thinke there were no other happinesse nor misery then that of this life As therefore God sometimes holdeth his Sessions here on earth iudging the wicked and causing publike execution to be done vpon them that men may know there is a God that iudgeth the earth so sometimes he reserueth them vnto the generall affizes of the last day to teach vs that besides temporall there is an eternall reward and punishment to be expected after this life