relate But why it hath that denomination seeing Iehosaphat was not there buried but in the Citie of Dauid none of them declarâ— Å¿ Supplem 4. pâ—rt q 88 art 4. Res ondeo dicendum non potest multum per certitudinem sciri sed probabiliter potest colligi ex Scripturis Caluin Gualter in Ioel. Aquinas after he had said what the Iesuite out of him hath repeated and somewhat more yet doth not certainly determine but probably coniecture that to be the place And with Riberaes leaue it is more consonant to the literall sense That God will deliuer his people from the hands of the Assyrians to whom they were now captiuated And that hee might comfort them the more he doth allude to that miraculous victorie t 2 Chron. 20. that God gaue to Iehosaphat For listen Ribera as the Lord did then cause a ciuill discord and mutinie to arise in the Enemies campe wherein the children of Ammon destroyed those of Mount Seir therefore the place was called the valley of Beracah or blessing So is the Lord able to deliuer you out of the Assyrian yoke and to gather you from among the Nations Therefore whether Christ shall iudge in the ayre or on the earth in Mount Caluary or in the Valley of Iâ—hosaphat we place it inter scita Scholae to be discussed in Schoolâ—s not inter articulos fidei to be imbraced as an Article of our beleefe The circumstance of the place where mâ—kes me call to minde the time when the day of iudgement shall be which is â—s much or more vncertaine then the former so sealed vp that u Math 24 3â— of that day and houre knoweth no man no not the Angâ—ls saith our Lord but my Father onely It transcendeth the knowlâ—dge of man It transcendeth the knowledge of Angels and as it seemeth by Saint Markâ— of the Sonne too who addes * Mark 13.32 not the Sonne but the Father Of man there is no maruaile who is ignorant of many things he is bound to know Neither is there any great scruple of thâ— Angels for though they see him that seeth all things yet in him they doe not see all things but thosâ— obiects that concurre to their Beatitude as the x Non 〈◊〉 ad intelâ—â—â—◠〈…〉 alia 〈…〉 14 〈…〉 Schoole-men haue bounded that * 〈…〉 too too large speâ—ch of Gregory All thâ— doubt all the scruple and difficultie lyeth in Christ how he should be said not to know the day of iudgement Some haue thought this clause neque filius to haue beene crowded into the Text by the Arrians and Agnoaetae y Lib. 8. Epist 42 S. Gregory ad Eulogium layeth downe three expositions of the Fathers The first is that it is not to be referred to Christ the head but vnto vs the body as in the Scripture by reason of the mysticall vnion things are viz. Whatsoeuer you doe vnto these you doe it vnto me So it will be Christ knew it not in his members that is the Church knew it not But this is iustly discarded by z Bellar. lib. 5. de anima Christi cap. 5. Bellarmine for if Christ had not knowne it but in his members why doth hee adde no man no not the Angels seeing men and Angels are members of the mysticall body Secondly he knew it not because he hath not made vs to know it As God said to Abraham a Gen. 22.12 Now I know thou fearest me that is I haue made thee and all that know thee for to know it As we say now the Sunne shineth clearely now it is darkned not that euer claritie is separated from the body of the Sunne but that sometimes his light and beames are withdrawne from vs. So we say it is a ioyfull or sorrowfull day not in it selfe but because it is to vs either ioyfull or sorrowfull So our Sauiour knew not thâ—s day because he hath not made vs to know it Thirdly Christ knew this day in natura humanitatis but not ex natura humanitatis The man-Christ knew it but not as man in ipsa but not ex ipsa in the manhood but not by the manhood but speciall priuiledge of reuelation The b 〈…〉 4. q. 1. 〈◊〉 4. 〈…〉 Schoole-men tell vs of a twofold knowledge in Christ in verbo and in genere proprio The first whereby he seeth all things in the eternall Word The second whereby he seeth them in themselues And this againe is twofold either infused or acquisite His infused knowledge was powred into his manhood in the act of his conception when all knowledge the finite creature could be capablâ— of was granted vnto him whâ—reby he discerned all things But besides this he had an acquisite and experimentall knowledge whereby experience acquainted him with many things that practically he knew not before And in this respect if in any may he be said not to know the day of iudgement â—â—â—â—nst Vbiq 〈◊〉 One thing more occurres vnto mee Christ saith not Vbique corpus but Vbicunque not that his body is euery where but wheresoeuer As he tooke on him the nature of man so that nature was finite had all the properties of a created naturâ— therefore had an vbi was contained within the limits the superficies and bounds of place Therefore locall motions are ascribed vnto him in the Scripture where he is said to descend and ascend and goe vnto the Father And after his resurrection Surrexit non est hic He is risen he is not here therefore he is not euery where The monstrous and new sprung error of Vbi quitie as c 〈…〉 carnal cap. 12 Bellarmine excellently obserueth euerteth all the Articles of our Creed that we beleeue touching the manhood of our Sauiour of his conception how could he be contained within the straites of blessed Maries wombe if hee be in all places how was he nayled to the Crosse if euery where how wrapped in linnen cloathes how intombed in a Sepulchre if his body be so spacious that it knoweth no limits how ascended he into heauen and d Acts 3 2â— how doe the heauens containe him if hee bee not contained in any compasse It is true we acknowledge a Communication of properties and that not Rationall but Reall yet not of the natures but personall vnion not inherently in the naturâ—s but personally in the person of the Sonne of God So wee say that Christ is euery where and that the Virgins Sonne created the world not by the propriety of natures but by the communication of properties as e Non per proprietatem naturarum sed pâ—r communicationem proprietatum Lâ—b 3. Sent. diâ—â— 22. â— 2. Alâ—d est diuinitatem communicaâ— humanitati aliud inhabitare Bellar. lib. 3. de Incar Christi cap. 16. Bonauenture acutely Neither are we ignorant of that of the Apostle In him dwelleth the fulnesse of the Godhead bodily yet it is one thing to dwell and another thing to bee communicated because of
not all sleepe but shall be changed in a moment in the twinckling of an eye Hereupon many of the i 〈…〉 10. 〈◊〉 42. Ancient haue thought that some at that day shall passe without death to life though Dauid say Lord who is that man that shall not see death Shall he deliuer himselfe from the power of the graue And the Apostle tells vs that it is a statute agreed vpon in the Parliament of heauen Heb. â—â— Statutum est omnibus mori all to die and so to iudgement But S. Paul seemeth to determine this doubt though a sleepe shall not be yet a change shall be in stead of sleeping Shall not sleep that is so long as others that haue lyon long buried so * 〈◊〉 men Aâ—selm in 1. Cor. 15. Occumenius â—tà dormitio breuissiâ—na non tamen nulla so * 〈◊〉 men Aâ—selm in 1. Cor. 15. Anselmus Shall not all sleepe that is continually but shall be awaked so * 〈…〉 Lorinus to meet in the clouds the Lord of glory The third is of the attendance of the Angels Saints and Martyrs vpon the Lord of glory Saâ—â—â— vâ—â—rtes 〈◊〉 Doâ—â—â—â—â— m Matth. 25 31. Then shall you see the Sonne of man come in glory and the holy Angels with him in the clouds in maiestie and great glory For qualis Rex talis praeparatio Regis sayes the Author of the imperfect perfect worke vpon Matthew and Dignitate domini honorata sit conditio serui The glory of the Iudge shall be eminent in his followers and the Saints shall be glorified in attending vpon the Lord of glory Of this saith the Apostle n Câ—â—â—s 3.4 When Christ who is our life shall appeare then shall we appeare also with him in glory The fourth that by the Eagles are meant all the Saints Sanctâ—â— gâ—â—ere from the first day of the world till the last day o Heb. 11 2â— for they without vs shall not be made perfect These elect Eagles shall come from the foure quarters of the world and shall sit downe with the Patriarkes in the kingdome of heauen Thus we see all agree that by the Eagles are meant the Saints only therefore he saith not the Vultures or such foule Fowles though it be their property likewise but the Eagles are gathered In them to note the regalitie of the Saints And this the p 〈…〉 oâ—d 〈…〉 Glosse obserueth duo quaerentibus vnum respondet of the two labourers in the field the Disciples demand where the one and the other shall be Christ he answers for his that they shall be gathered and leaues them to vnderstand what shall become of them which are none of his they shall be reiected T is true the Eagles doe not rise alone but they shall be gathered alone The Vultures shall appeare the wicked shall arise but to condemnation Damnable is that Rabbinicall conceit that none shall rise but those that shall be saued And the wicked by this corporall death shall be vtterly extinct in soule and body grounding themselues vpon those mistaken words of the q Psal 1.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 à radice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies to â—â—e or stand Psalme The wicked shall not rise in iudgement non quod non resurgant sed quod in iudicio non resurgant he saith not that the wicked shall not rise but in iudgement they shall not rise saith r Hieron in Psal â— S. Hierome they shâ—ll not Å¿ Cyriâ—l Hierus Isâ—g rise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Cyrill of Hierusalem As Felons whose fact being euident are placed at the barre not so much to be conuicted as to be condemned Their sins their conscience c. shall so accuse that the Lord Iudge will not make any great inquisition to find out their fault but presently proceede to sentence t Greg. Moral in Iob. lib. 26. S. Gregory obserues that of the wicked and the godly the Eagles and the Vultures there shall be a fourefold manner of proceeding in iudgement First of the wicked Quidam iudicantur pereunt some are iudged and condemned perish by iudgement such as haue drawne neere vnto God with their lips but are farre from him in their hearts u Idem ibid. Professionem fidei retinentes opera professionis non habentes Hold ng a profession of the faith but not works of that profâ—ssion These mens cause shall be heard I was hungry but you fed me not c. Such men shall be weighed in the scales and shall be found to be light shall perish in iudgement Secondly of the wicked Quidam non iudicantur pereunt Are not iudged and condemned perish without iudgement Notorious sinners that would not be curbed vpon any termes Of them the Apostle speaketh * 〈◊〉 2.12 As many as haue sinned without the Law shall perish without the Law x Gregâ— supra Neque enim necesse est lege perimi qui lege nunquam potuit teneri No nec ssitie that the lawlesse liuer should be tryed by a lâ—w as his life knew no law so his death shall be without law shall perish without iudgement Thirdly of the godly whereof Quidam iudicantur regnant are iudged and quitted saued by iudgement Secular men that vse the world are often foyled in the world and recouer by repentance Their cause is heard Esuriuâ— dedâ—stis mihi I was hungry and you fed me c and the sentence pronounced for them Come yee blessed of my Father c. Fourthly of the godly Quidam non iudicantur regnant are not iudged and raigne saued without iudgement Saints that haue transcended ordinarie holinesse hauing abstained from things lawfull because not expedient that they might be the more at liberty to serue the Lord. Such were the Apostles y 〈◊〉 1 â—8 Peter to Christ Ecce reliquimus omnia Behold we haue left all and followed thee Christ to Peter You â—o many as haue thus followed mee shall sit vpon twelue Thrones and iudge the twelue Tribes of Israel Thus wee see the Saints shall not rise alone but shall be saued alone The Eagles onely to the body shall be gathered together It is not amisse in the next place to consider wherein the Eagles doe resemble the Saints and that 's in fiue properties ensuing z Gorrâ—n expos in locum Matth. â—4 The first is The Eagles moolt off their old feathers and so become bald The Saints of God doe so plucke off their sinfull feath rs from the soule that they become bald like vnto the Eagle They crucifie the old man with the lusts weed out sinne by the roots The Prophet Micah exhorting the people to repentance bids them a Micah 1. vlt. to inlarge their baldnesse like the Eagle Mary Magdalen did more then cast her feathers when shee conuerted her eyes her haire her lips feathers of wantonnesse into pledges of Repentance Her eyes that allured
a mans dwelling in a house the house cannot bee said to goe to speake c. but the man dwelling in the house so not the body euery where but the Godhead dwelling in the body There is a being of Essence and a being of Subsistence the Essence of the Humanity is finite because a creature But the being of subsistence hauing none of it owne because it subsisteth in the person of the Sonne of God is infinit so the finite humanity doth infinitely subsist in the Godhead and in a sense may be sayd to bee euery where This with Zanchy doe I conceiue to be the mind of some of the Germane Diuines and especially that learned Chemnitius f 〈…〉 Christs body then is locally in one place but personally in al places Salua vtriusque naturae proprietate saith the great Councell g 〈…〉 of Calcedon it hath his vbi not vbique not euery where but wheresoeuer so saith my Text Vbicunque fuerit corpus c. Wheresoeuer the body is thither will the Eagles be gathered together Thus haue I now done with the absolute and Theoreticall explications of this Text passe I now vnto those more respectiue and passionate applications wherein I shall implore for Heauens assistance and your patience for the continuance thereof Obser 1 The Eagles are gathered to the dead body but for food Christ saith * 〈…〉 Comment 〈◊〉 Gorran is the prey of Eagles The Eagle saith Iob h lib 6 3â— seeketh her prey her eyes behold it afarre off her young ones also sucke the blood and where the slaine is there is he The immaculate Body that was slaine the precious blood that was spilt the Eagles and the young ones the faâ—thfull and the faithfull branches doe eate the one sucke the other and are refreshed In the i Ioâ— â—6 35 sixt of Iohn I am saith Christ the bread of life he that commeth vnto me shall neuer hunger and hee that beleeueth on mee shall neuer thirst The Iewes did eate of that food the like to which no Nation did euer eate yet they loathed this spirituall Manna the like to which they neuer tasted This bread saith k Aug. tract 26. in Ioan. S. Augustine is the bread of righteousnesse and accordingly doth our Sauiour speak Blessed are those that hunger and thirst after righteousnesse and to come home to Christ this righteousnesse is Christ l 1 Cor. 1.30 who is made vnto vs righteousnesse saith the Apostle And this righteousnesse is Manna from Heauen Quam dat Deus non quam sibi facit homo Aug. which God giueth not which man doeth This bread then is Righteousnesse this Righteousnesse is Christ this Christ is the Body this Body is a dead Body on which the holy Eagles feed and are refreshed If m Ioh. 6 51. any man shall eate of this bread he shall liue for euer the bread that I will giue is my flesh which I giue for the life of the world If any man eate of it not qui premit dente but qui credit mente not orally by the body but mentally by faith the efficacy of it he shall liue for euer The woman n Ioh. 4. of Samaria when Christ told her of the water that hee would giue which should so quench her thirst that she should neuer thirst againe Lord saith she giue me of this water that I neuer thirst She had but a carnall conceit Let vs lift vp our soules our hearts our affections our all to feed on this bread of life Christ saith non in solo pane c. Mat. 4. Man liueth not by bread alone but by euery word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God Diues fared delicately but his soule was starued one drop of the water of grace would haue yeelded more comfort to his tormented soule then all the variety wherewith here he was satiated How many of vs glut the body with pompous fare and in the interim suffer the soule to perish for want of spirituall food Oh suffer not your soules your selues to perish here is refreshing Aug vt sâ—pâ—â— Qui vult viuere habet vbi viuat habet vnde viuat Hee that would see and liue many good dayes he hath where he might liue wherewith he might liue Labour saith our Lord not for the meat which perisheth but for the meat which perisheth not Sic homo laboret in terra vt postea regnet in Coelo Oh man so labour in this world that thou maist liue in the world to come Behold a Creator become a Redeemer a Redeemer tooke a body that body made a dead body for the Saints to feed on and bee refreshed Obser 2 This property of resorting to the carkas â—s communicated to the Rauens and others yet none named but the Eagles The Eagle o Amb. â—â— expos â—â—lo alâ—a petit humilia deâ—clinquit A p â—aâ—â—â—â—â—us concoâ—â— cap 123. paâ— 84. Princely bird of a piercing sight a swift and lofty flight vnderstanding the Saints who are Kings ouer their affections rule their passions contemne the world and mount aloft after heauenly things Learne of the Eagle two things first to contemne the world Hâ—â—◠〈…〉 she is euer mounting vpwards and sets light by the things that are below She neuer condescendeth to any of these inferiour things but when necessity compels not when superfluity lures her Iust so is it with the Saints of God that vse this world as if they vsed it not wherewith to supply their necessary wants and no farther Such Eagles were Zacheus that left his extortion Matthew his toll-gathering Peter all Nec invtilis commutatio omnia relinquere proco qui supra omnia saith blessed q Ber. deâ—am super Eâ—ce reliqâ—â—mus c. Bernard A happy change to leaue all for him who is worth more then all for what fruit or profit is there in coueting those things that will away Quae etsi non deserant deserenda sunt saith r Leo ser 5. in Epâ—pâ— Dom. Leo. Say they leaue not vs yet we must take our leaue of them The Eagles catch not at flyes the Saints catch not at the flies of this world that flie away and leaue nothing behinde them but remorse of conscience Quod tangit the thing that did touch them with pleasure passeth Quod angit the sting that pricks them still remayneth How much doe many that would be accounted Eagles degenerate from these celestiall Eagles that are so grafted so linked to the world so screwed so glewed to their riches When they are awake they sigh how to come by riches when they are a-sleepe they dreame how to preserue them securely And so nec vigiliae laetae nec somnus securus saith Saint Å¿ Hom. de mis duabus Viduts Chrysostome neither quiet when they are awake nor well at ease when they are a sleepe Contemne contemne this world If riches increase set not thy heart vpon them t Praefat. affix
's a louing call Come ye a diuine blessing Come yee blessed a fatherly affection Come yee blessed of my Father a retribution of reward receiue yee an assignment of a kingdome Receiue you the kingdome a preparation of glory prepared for you eternall predestination from the beginning of the world I haue chosen you from the beginning of the world therefore haue prepared you glory haue prepared glory therefore haue assigned you a kingdome haue assigned you a kingdome for you are my sonnes and I am your Father I am your Father therefore you are blessed you are blessed therefore come yee What a Iubilee of ioy will this cause in their blessed hearts They cannot but say within themselues Thy word O Lord is sweeter vnto vs then the honie or the honie combe Veâ— 4â— And in the sentence of condemnation euery word striketh dead vnto the heart First a separation from God Goe yee a malediction Goe yee cursed a prison Goe yee cursed into the sharpnes of the paine Goe yee cursed into fire The durance of the same into eternall fire the grim societie with the deuill and his angels This is durus sermo a hard speech who can endure it No repealing of this sentence no appealing from this Iudge Now the Lambe speakes in mercy who will not heare it Then the Lyon shall roare in iustice who will not feare it Remember this remember thine end and thou wilt not sinne Dauid made Gods iudgements his obiect his eyes were neuer off them h Psal 18.22 all his iudgements are in my sight And Solomon the sonne trode his fathers footsteps i â—â—â—â—s 3.17 I said in my heart God shall iudge the righteous and the wicked So all the Saints with S. Hierome seeme to heare alwayes the trump to sound with arise yee dead and come to iudgement Here is a memento for all great and small shall arise great and small are to remember it to both of which I am a debtor and now with Gods permission my debt I will discharge First you whom the Lord hath made great 1. To great ones An exhortation to the Iudges by communicating a parcell of his Regiment looke vpon him who is vnto you author exemplum he that did erect you is a patterne to direct you your authority is great your place eminent your charge is great and let me speake it with your fauour your account shall bee great Cum crescunt dona crescunt rationes donorum Greg. when our talents are enlarged our account is increased the beasts and such vnreasonable creatures non iudicantur quia non iudicant Ber. They are not iudged because they cannot iudge it is not so with man whom he hath indowed with reason to discerne and so made euery priuate man a priuate Iudge much lesse with those whom hee hath set apart to be Iudges S. Bernard to k Lib. 1. de Consid Eugenius Papa Blanditur cathedra sonat tibi officium non otium doth the chaire flatter thee it cals to mind thy duty not idlenes What though thou art seated in an eminent place where thou ouerlookest all Enim vero prospectus iste procinctum parit non somnium it tels thee thou hadst need to looke about thee what place left for retired thoughts where causes and cases non leges sed lites Solicitudes and vexations of minds and spirits are still before you Et finis horum quid nisi aranearum telae Vt supra The same Father demands of the same man when art thou free Vbi tutus Vbi tuus where art thou safe where art thou thy selfe Are not you alwaies possessed with cares troubles tumults whither will you turne you from them l Cicero pro Archia Poeâ—a pernoctant vobiscum peregrinantur rusticantur day and night at home and abroad they euer attend you Certainly to a man that soberly considereth these things Your Honours are rather to be pittied then enuied And he rather commiserateth your daily incumbrances then repineth at your splendent dignities My Reuerend Lords though these cares continually beat at your doores yet let contemplation of spirituall things modestly prompt you That withdrawing your selues from the sea of worldly affaires you may with the Israelites m Exod. 14.13 stand still vpon the shoare and see the saluation of the Lord. St. Agustine spends a noble Chapter n lib. 10 de ciuitate Dei cap. 9. of a noble worke wholly vpon this subiect Though many are tyed so to attend worldly affaires that in neglect thereof they should neglect their duty to Prince and Countrey yet none are so to bee oppressed with businesse as to forget their duty to God He is not worthy to bee a Bishop qui praeesse dilexerit non prodesse that loueth more to command then to be commodious He is not worthy to be a Iudge that loueth more the praeheminence of his place then to doe good in his place Wherefore Ocium sanctum quaerit charitas veritatis Loue of heauens truth desires a holy leisure Negotium iustum suscipit necessitas charitatis necessity of earths charity vndertakes iust affaires So carry your selues betwixt contemplation and action Vt nec subtrahatur ista suauitas nec opprimat illa necessitas that the necessity of your actions doe not eclipse the sweetnesse of your meditations nor your meditations cause you to slacke your iust occasions Giue me leaue to commend vnto your thoughts two things The first the greatnesse of your authority as God hath lent you part of his power so part of his title o Psal 82. I haue said you are gods and hee hath an eye after you for it is in the same Psalme He iudgeth in the midst of gods or in the middle he iudgeth the gods as * Hieron expos Psal 81. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hierome reades it and the Originall Hebrew will beare it Awake then ye men of God that are placed in the presence of God how dares corruption approach bribery draw neere peruerting of iustice enter into the presence of the all-seeing eye thinke on this The Lord doth behold your actions The 2. thing to be remembred is that you haue this treasure in earthen vessels A strange and true Epithite you are mortall gods Be not puffed vp with your high authority and title you shall dye like men you shall rise like men you shall giue an account like men you shall bee iudged like men your now ouer-seer shall be then your Iudge and who is present at your actions shall sentence you accordingly Remember you amongst these Eagles shall be gathered together Secondly to the small to all remember that of Saint Peter p 1. Pet. 3.10 When the heauens shall passe away with a great noise the elements shall melt with feruent heat and the earth burne vp what manner of men ought you to be in holy conuersation and godlinesse Suppose now you should see as God knoweth how soone you shall see
the heauens to vanish with a great noise The Elements with feruent heat to be dissolued and the earth in a fierie flame Tell mee what holy thoughts and chast conuersation would then possesse you Saint q Aâ—â—â—arrat iâ— Psal 49. Augustine expounding those words of the Psalme Our God shall come fire shall goe before him and in his presence a mighty tempest Doth saith he the fire and tempest fright vs let vs be changed and there is no cause of feare ignem palea timet auro quid facit The Chaffe of sinne shall be consumed the gold of piety shall be refined stipulas ad te congeris veniet ignis Why heapest thou to thy selfe combustible matter Cast away thy sin the fire hath not whereon to burne wherewith to worke T is very obseruable Christ neuer treats of this subiect but he addes a speciall caueat In Saint Mathew hee concludeth with the good r Math. 24 45. and bad seruant the one expecteth his Masters comming and is blessed Th' other smites his fellows eates and drinkes with the drunken and is accursed And in this Chapter Remember Å¿ Luk. 17.32 Lots wife desist not in doing good lest in looking backe to Sodome Thou art intercepted thy affections metamorphosed and thou neuer turne from Sodom Forget not the sodainnesse of his comming as a thiefe in the night nothing more vnexpected as the Lightning nothing more swift as the twinckling of an eye nothing more speedy t Luk. 17.26 As it was in the daies of Noah so shall it be in the daies of the sonne of man Noahs time and ours alike in sinne alike in eating drinking alike in chambering and wantonnesse The Preachers tongue would be defiled Christian eares would be offended at the nomination of those things that are done in secret The face of the world in Noahs time was growne so filthy with sin that the Lord was constrained to wash it with a flood The drosse of sinne in our time doth so abound that it must be purified with fire And as then the vnexpected flood came and swept them all away so the vnlooked for fire shall come when many least dreame thereof Noahs Fabricke was a reall Sermon therefore Saint Peter stiles him the Righteous Preacher How many Noahs Math. 3. and Iohn the Baptists cry vnto vs Now is the axe laid c. Me thinkes I heare the sons of Lamech scoffing at Noah and his Arke saying what meaneth this fellow to saile on drie land yet they could not laugh him out of his faith we daily heare the scoffes of the insensible wicked at religious exercises but Woe vnto you that laugh now for you shall howle and lament Me thinkes I see the sonnes of Lamech how they came wading to the Arke middle-deepe crauing admittance but were denied Methinkes I foresee the Hic-scorners of this age knocking at Heauen gate crauing an entrance but are repelled with a Depart from me ye workers of iniquity Is then the houre so sodaine and nigh at hand what meaneth sinne thus to flourish still gluttonie still carnality sensuality still still pride still vsury oppression grinding of the poore still all and more then all I say no more but with Iohn the Baptist Repent and amend for the kingdome of God is at hand When these Eagles shall be gathered together The fourth Exposition THere is yet the fourth sense of these words which I haue reserued for a conclusion of all and that is Gregories anagogicall sense who interpreteth them of the life to come Christ with his body is corporally ascended into heauen thither shall the Eagles bee gathered v Qâ—ia â—oeâ—estâ— sedi incarnatus veâ—er redemptor praesideo electorum animas cum caâ—ne soluero ad coelesti quoque sâ—b â—uaâ—â— Greg. moâ—al in Iob. lib. 39. cap. 14. Hee is enthronized in the heauenly seat thither will he lift vp his chosen also This is that which hee speaketh in x Ioh. 12 26. Iohn Where I am there shall my seruant be and in the Apocalyps To him that y Reu. 3. last ouercommeth will I giue to sit with mee in my throne Our throne Christs and Christs the Fathers throne where we shall sit not without him but with him with me in my throne None shall bee with him but his seruant none shall sit on his throne but he that ouercommeth none shall be gathered but the Eagles There shall our Eagles eyes behold him face to face The Angels see him and yet desire to see him Satiantes desiderant desiderantes satiantur Greg. they behold him their fill yet stil desire to behold him and in his sight there is fulnesse of Ioy. This Pomgranate without dead seeds this Rose without prickles this wine not mingled with water In Gods presence the Seraphims burne with charity the Cherubims are splendent with knowledge The Quire of Saints and Angels sing Lauds Hymnes and spirituall songs Peter at a glimpse of this glory in the holy Mount cryeth out Bonum est it is good for vs to be here then Ecce quam bonum how good a thing it is to bee here for euermore Philip by a heauenly instinct saith Ioh. 14.8 Lord shew vs the Father and it sufficeth God is all-sufficient to suffice Honours riches c. are insufficient They that haue mounted to the top of theÌ„ thinke still vnum deest one thing is wanting to perfection Oh miserable men how gape we after transitory and insufficient glory and neglect that onely which is immortall You haue your fruit in holinesse saith the Apostle but the end is eternall life Rom. 6. Bonus finis vita aeterna quae finem non habet a good end indeed of whose goodnesse there is no end there ioy without sorrow clarity without obscurity securitie without wauering plenty without surfet Who will not mount with the Eagles to bee gathered to this glory Infuse infuse into our hearts thy grace ô Lord that with the wings of Faith Hope and Charity we may flie vnto thee that we with all thy Eagles may be gathered to thy Kingdome with thy Sonne there to liue for euermore To whom and vnto thee ô Father with thy blessed Spirit three persons one inuisible and indiuisible God be praise and glory for euermore AMEN Laus Deo qui dedit velle perficere FINIS