on the Sabboth day and therefore in the Acts. 1 Acts. 1.12 Mount Oliuet is sayd to bee from Ierusalem a Sabboth dayes iourney which Sabboth dayes iourney contained in it as the writers do agree vpon it two miles in distance the which it was lawfull for them to walke on the Sabboth day and therefore in the place before cited in the 12. of Mathew Mat. 12.1 the Disciples were not found fault with by the Pharises for that they trauelled on the Sabboth day but for that they pluckt the eares of corne on the Sabboth day But yet it may bee demanded further for wee are fallen into a labyrinth of questions how comes this permission of a Sabboth dayes iourney seeing all iourneying in the law is expressely forbidden See Exo. 16.29 sayes Moses in Exod. 16. See sayes hee for that the Lord hath giuen you the Sabboth therefore he giueth you on the sixt day the bread of two dayes abide yee therefore euery man in his place let no no man go out of his place on the seuenth day If euery man were commanded to abide in his place on the seuenth day how then comes in this Sabboth dayes iourney Why certainly I can giue no other reason for it but what Oecumenius and Lorinus doe giue and that is that in the time of Ioshua hee commanded it to bee proclaimed that the Arke going before there should be a distance left between it the campe of two thousand cubites by measure as as it is Ios 3. Iosh 3.3 which was the iust distance of two miles whither it was lawfull for the people for to go to visite the Arke euen on the Sabboth day and so may come in our Sabboth daies iourney But yet wee are not thus quite of our question though for still it may be vrged further that this was more then a Sabboth daies iourney for it was aboue two miles that he was to trauell Mat. 4.18 Luke 5.1 Iosh 6.1 Saint Mathew calles it in his 4 chap. the sea of Galilee S. Luke in his 5. chapt the lake of Genesareth S. Iohn in his 6. chapt the sea of Tiberias a broad and large place so that howsoeuer he was still without the compasse of two thousand cubites his Sabboth dayes iourney how may this bee For this we say that our Sauiour Christ he did not iourney on the Sabboth day for the Iewes Sabboth it was our Satterday and that was the seuenth day but this was the first day afterwards changed by the Apostles in memory of our Sauiours most glorious resurrection who dyed vpon the Friday and rose againe the third day which was Sunday and therefore by Saint Iohn in his first of his Apoc. is called Dies Dominicus Apoc. 1.10 the Lords day I was saith he in the spirit on the Lords day that part then of the Commandement the Sabboth day it was but Ceremoniall not Morall for had it beene Morall it had bound vs perpetually to the obseruation of it but wee see it was altered and continues altered vnto this day and so wee haue a gesse of the time which is here set down indefinitely a certaine day though no definitue sentence to conclude it peremptory Now it came to passe on a certaine day It came to passe Heere haue our licentious Epicures and our vpstart Atheists a ground foundation as they thinke to build vp their Chance-medly doctrine in the world that things they come by chance and fortune not by the determinate and deliberate prouidence and disposing of the Almighty For what greater argument of chance can there be say they then that Christ himselfe should in his owne businesse admit of a casualty for the Text is plaine Now it came to passe or it chanced on a certaine day But their foundation it is laid but on a sandy ground for Aristotle long since though but a Heathen Phylosopher yet he could say by the twy-light of nature that ignorantia causarum the ignorance of man was that that made blind fortune a goddesse amongst men for when they saw no reason for many things that came to passe amongst them they did not conceiue that there might be a reason which they thēselues did not see but straight way they deified Fortune made her the author and bestower of thē all vpon the world her that is so brittle a goddesse quae cum spēdet frangitur which is dashed in peeces by the least accident whereas our Sauiour Christs rule is quite contrary for he teacheth vs another doctrine in the tenth of Saint Mathewes Gospell Mat. 10.29 for hee makes Prouidence reach vnto the smallest matters euen vnto the falling of a Sparrow vpon the ground Are there not saith hee two Sparrowes sold for a farthing and yet one of them shall not fall on the ground without the will of your heauenly Father Then much more the weightiest matters such as the Preaching of the Gospell is which is the saluation of the soule of man that shall not be done but by a particular prouidence indeed and that iourney resolued on with mature deliberation Fortune as the world esteemes it it is but an Idoll made for foolish man to worship and adore and he that will worship any thing euen the meanest of creatures will not neglect it wherein hee thinkes hee sees some shew but as it is indeed in it owne nature it is Ordinaria potestas Dei the ordinary prouidence and direction of Almighty God himselfe by which he brings to passe what himselfe intendeth This iourney here of our Sauiours it is vndertaken with a singular resolution to do good vnto all euen those that were most wicked and prophane So is it Gods goodnesse for to super-abound where the sinne of man seemes for to abound The heart of man for his wickednesse it is termed in Scripture Abyssus a bottomelesse pit according to that of Ezechiel in the 17. of his Prophecy Eze. 17.9 Prauum est cor hominis inscrutabile quis cognoscet The heart of man it is vnsearchable and who shall know it yet the mercy and goodnesse of God it is farre deeper then that that is so deepe as that Saint Paul in the 11. to the Romanes is faine to cry out O altitudo diuitiarum Rom. 11.33 Oh the depth of the riches both of the wisedome and knowledge of God And in regard of his mercies he is termed by the Apostle 1. Cor. 3. Pater misericor diarum 1. Cor. 3.2 the Father not of one or two but of many mercies and the God of all consolation he is called the Father of mercies to pardon all the sinnes that man shall commit against him and the Apostle in the Ephesians tels vs Ephe. 2.7 that when we shall need them he has abundantet diuitia gratia exceeding riches of his grace in store for vs if we our selues will but willingly accept what he shall kindly offer vnto vs. Hee does not take this iourney heere vpon
hath his particular branches there are foure in the first verse 1 The time 2 The meanes 3 His exhortation 4 Their obedience The time Now it came to passe on a certaine day The meanes That he went into a ship with his Disciples His exhortation And hee said vnto them Let vs go ouer vnto the other side of the lake Their obedience And they lunched forth In the second verse there are foure things also The manner of their trauell and the accidents that fell out in their iourney which be in number three The manner of their trauell they sailed But as they sailed The accidents they be three 1 He fell asleepe 2 And there came downe a storme of winde on the lake 3 And they were filled with water and were in ieopardy In the third verse there are two things the feare of the Disciples the power and authority of the Maister The feare of the Disciples 1 And they came to him and awaked him saying Maister maister wee perish The power authority of the Maister 2 Then he arose and rebuked the winds and the raging of the waters and they ceased and there was a calme Now it came to passe on a certaine day c. This word here Now it does not poynt vs out vnto any certaine time as in many other places of the Scripture it does as in Exod. 6. Nunc videbis quae facturus sum The Lord intending for to worke his wonders in the land of Egypt hee sayes to Moses Exod. 6.1 Now thou shalt see what I will do to Pharaoh So Balac the King of Moab desirous for to ridde himselfe of his dangerous neighbours the Israelites in Numb 22. hee sends for Balaam the Southsayer to come in all haste vnto him Nunc igitur veni maledic Num. 22.6 Come now therefore I pray thee come and curse me this people for they are too mighty and too strong for me So old Simeon desirous to be dissolued to be with the Lord he ioyfully sings his Nunc dimittis vnto the world Luk. 2.29 Lord now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace c. So our Sauiour feeling of his death approching he cries vnto his Father Nunc ad to vento now I come vnto thee But heere this word Now it is not as in those places an Aduerbe of time but a Coniunction copulatiue and signifies as much as Et or autem and so the Latine Translation reades it Factum est autem in vna dierum Now it came to passe on a certaine day that is and it came to passe on a certaine day The time is set downe in the following words Now it came to passe on a certaine day there is the time set downe but what day that day was of the week perhappes might bee thought to bee both curious to enquire and ouer-difficult also to be found out he was sent forth into the world to doe his fathers businesse and so earnest was hee in this Calling of his that as the Tragedian speakes in another sence Finis vnius gradus est futurs the end of one busines was but the beginning of another and as the Mathematitian said of the practise of that Art Nulla dies sine linea no day should passe ouer his head without the drawing of a line more so wee may safely say of our Sauiour that no day passed ouer his head in which hee did not make profession of the Gospell vnto the people for hee professeth this of himselfe that in it he tooke his sole delight Ioh. 4. My meate sayes hee is to do the will of him that sent me Iohn 4.34 and to finish his worke And so hauing finished what businesse was conuenient amongst his owne people the next day after peraduenture set forward for this intended iourney of his without so much as mentioning of the day at all and so It came to passe on a certaine day To keepe a Diarie of euery dayes work of his it had bin a labour infinit so many so diuers were the miracles that were wrought by him daily that Saint Iohn testifies of him in his 21 chapter it had been endlesse For sayes hee there are many other things which Iesus did Ioh. 21.25 the which if they should be written euery one I suppose that euen the world it selfe could not containe the bookes that should be written and therefore no Register being kept of them they are poasted ouer vnto certaine dayes Now it came to passe on a certaine day Yet some probable coniecture might bee giuen of the day though no definitiue sentence to conclude it absolute The Latine and the Greeke translations they giue vs a little glimmering light of this same day for they both reade it the selfe same way 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sayes the Greeke text and the Latine text Factum est autem in vna dierum and it came to passe in one of the dayes Now both the Greeke and the Latine tongue doe often reckon One for First as likewise many times does our English Dialect one two three that is first second third c. And the Hebrues they haue no other word to expresse their meaning in and therefore whereas we read it in our English Translation in Gen. 1. and the euening and the morning were the first day Gen. 1.5 the Hebrue Translation reades it Haggi 1.1 the euening and the morning were one day So likewise in Haggai 1. where we reade it in the first day of the moneth came the word of the Lord they say in the one day of the moneth came the word of the Lord hauing no other word to expresse their meaning And the Latine and the Greeke following of the Hebrue phrase for the First say one as in Mark 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mark 16.2 Vna Sabbathorum where our Translation reades it and very earely in the morning the first day of the weeke they came vnto the Sepulchre c. So here it is set downe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one day which day may very well signifie the first day and that is this day But if it were this day how comes it then to passe it may well be demanded that our Sauiour is guilty of the breach of that commandement Remember that thou keepe holy the Sabboth day c. And in it thou shalt doe no manner of worke c. which was so strictly obserued amongst the Iewes as that in the 12. of Mathew the Disciples are reprehended by the Pharises for but plucking of the eares of Corne on the Sabboth day Math. 12.2 Behold thy Disciples they doe that which is not lawfull to doe on the Sabboth day If it were not lawfull for them to plucke a fewe eares of Corne on the Sabboth day then surely much lesse was it lawfull for them to take their iourney on the Sabboth day Yes verily euen on the Sabboth day it was lawfull for them to trauell though not to make any long iourney
him vpon a giddy humour but a discreete deliberation to go vnto them and because he did go therefore here it is said it came to passe Factum est saies the Latine Text it was done so it came to passe Now it came to passe on a certaine day The second thing followes the meanes he went into a Ship with his Disciples Now it came to passe on a certaine day that hee entred into a Ship with his Disciples 1. Mac. 4.9 It is the speech of Iudas Maeccabaeus 1. Mac. 4. that when he was to encourage his Army against Gorgias his souldiers he wils them not to feare their multitude nor to be afraid of their assault mementate sayes hee qualiter facti sunt salui patres nostri Remember sayes he how our fathers were saued in the red Sea when Pharoah pursued them with an Army if euer we should be mindefull of any thing then this particular we should not forget Heere wee haue an example in this same Story of our fore-fathers the Apostles how they and we in them were saued from the danger of a tempest After that our Euangelist had shewed what miracles our Sauiour had acted on the the Land he sets downe now as great a miracle as any of the rest that hee did vpon the Sea that so both earth and Sea might witnesse with him the power and truth of the doctrine that hee Preached to the people Now it came to passe on a certaine day that he went into a Ship with his Disciples He went into a Ship Why what need now had he more of a Ship then at any time else we read he had Was not hee the Lord and God of the water as well as of the Land and could hee not command the one as well as the other Was not this hee that for his peoples sake dried vp the red sea and made them to go through as vpon dry land Exod. 14 Ex. 14.22 Is not this the same that when it pleased him walked vpon the water as vpon firme ground Mat. 14.29 and made his Disciple Peter tread there also Mat. 14. Why then but for the passage ouer of a little Lake would he haue a Ship for to ferry him ouer could hee go vpon the Sea when it was boysterous and rough and must he be passed ouer a Lake when it is calme and quiet what meanes this passage of his that he went into a Ship Yes Beloued he could haue done it as well without a Ship as within the Ship had it pleased him but hee saw it more conuenient for him for to do it otherwise Hee could haue either dryed the Lake with his word as hee did the red Sea or haue walked vpon it at pleasure as at other times he did but heere hee would neither of these hee would choose rather to go as a passenger then as a Lord and Commander of what was his owne To dry the Sea with his word or walke vpon it at his pleasure were arguments and tokens of his Diuinity but heere he would be knowne to be a naturall man he came into the world to take vpon him our infirmities and to cure vs by those who long before were wounded vnto death bee was our Physition and we all his Patients now a Physition that cannot skill of his Patients infirmities shall hardly be able to cure those diseases and how shall he be better skilled in our wants then by feeling of them himselfe hee would feele our wants in this as well as beare our infirmities in other matters the Prophet Esay tels vs what he hath done for vs in other matters in the 53 of his Prophecy where he sayes Esay 53.4 Surely he hath borne of our griefes and carryed our sorrowes he was wounded for our transgressions and by his stripes were we healed So heere hee would know our wantes in being passenger in a Fishers Ketch Had our Sauiour remained God alone as he was at the first what comfort on benefite had that bene vnto 〈◊〉 and or if he had taken humane flesh vpon him and not taken our infirmities withall he could not haue beene seene so well in mans miseries as he was but therefore he tooke them that he might be well skilled in them and being skilled in them hee might compassionate them and compassionating of them he might throughly cure heale them all In this one iourney then of our Sauiours he did such things as might truely shew he was truely man and withall he might demonstrate himselfe to bee the Son of the euerliuing God He went into a ship slept that by both he might instruct vs of the want of necessaries that bee in our nature hee rebuked the wind and appeased the Sea that so he might shew vs the power of his Diuinity He went into a Ship but not into the warspite no man of war to do mischiefe withall for though himselfe were come as himselfe professes Luk. 12.49 in Luke 12. I am come to send fire vpon the earth and what is my desire but that it were already kindled yet he would not as our Pirates now adaies do fetch his fire from hel to blow men quick vp into heauen that he hath left for those diuelish helhounds without their greater repentance that as they haue serued others so they thēselues at the last shold be serued blown vp with fire here and perpetually afterwards be burnt in euerlasting fire But he went into a poore Fishers ship a ship of trade and labour that so all things might answere in proportion both his birth life and death all should bee proportionable one vnto the other His birth it was poore and needy a Village for the place an Inne for his house a Stable for his chamber a cratch for his bed what poore beggar amongst men more miserably borne Ierusalē in Scripture is proclaimed to be the Citty of the great King what King greater thē this King of ours who hath both on his vesture on his thigh a name writtē Rex regum Dominus dominantium King of Kings and Lord of Lords yet this great Lord will choose rather to honor with his birth little Bethlem the least amongst the thousands of Iudah then famous Ierusalem the Metropolis of the world litle Bethlē I say shal be honored by his birth whē famous Ierusalem shall dishonor her self by his death passiō In this small village of Bethlem he neither commands Princely Pallaces nor great mans house but contents himselfe to bee borne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Greg. Naz. speakes in a base and a common Inne a place made for the receipt of the meanest company and in that Inne hee takes vp a Stable for his Nursery and a Cratch for his chaire of Estate a poore Carpenter and his wife for his priuy Counsellours an Oxe and an Asse for his common Courtiers thus the mighty God whose Seate is in heauen and the earth is his Footestoole must bee contented with
out presently into cheerefull songs Cantemus Domino let vs sing vnto the Lord for hee hath triumphed gloriously the Horse and his Rider hath hee throwne into the Sea but presently after their provision fayling them in the very next chapter Exod. 16.3 Exod 16. they murmure against Moses and mutter against the Lord and faine they would returne to their Bricke-making in Egypt so wee whilst hee bestowes wealth and riches and glory honor and the like vpon vs all that while wee thinke wee haue gotten all with a song wee cease not to say with Dauid in the 81 Psalme Cantemus Domino Psal 81. â— sing wee merrily vnto God our strength make a cheerfull noyse vnto the God of Iacob all is well and as we would haue it but if hee once try vs with the touch-stone of aduersity if he make vs to go through fire and water we suddenly change the coppy of our countenance and in stead of giuing thankes wee say with Iob in the third of that Booke Iob. 3.3 Pereat dies in quae natus sum nox in quae dictum est conceptus est homo Let the day perish wherein I was borne and the night when it was sayd a Man childe is conceaued let them follow that list for wee for our owne parts haue enough of the seruice of the Lord. Christ our Sauiour he hath farre more followers of his resurrection then of his passion of his glory then of his troubles but his Disciples yet aboue all his followers they remained firme with him and would not forsake him Hee went into a ship with his Disciples And so S. Paul tels them what they are to looke for in recompence againe 2. Cor. 1.7 in 2. Cor. If they shall be partakers of his sufferings they shall bee partakers also of the consolation Our Sauiour here he carries his disciples vnto the sea that so hee might trye them in all kindes before he sent them forth to harden them against all stormes of affliction that should blowe and to teach them to contemne the vanities of this world In the world there are sudden alterations he would haue them altered with none he would haue them to be men of courage and beare adversity as well as prosperity Will you see the changes of the world I will onely giue you one instance Act. 14. Paul and 〈◊〉 Acts 14.11 at their first enâ—â—â—â—e into Listra they haue much a doe to containe the people from doing sacrifice vnto them as Gods â—he Gods say they are come downe to vs in the likenesse of men whereas at the 19 verse againe of the same chapter for the good that Paul did amongst them vers 19. they stone him with stones and throw him out of their Citty a sudden alteration As great an alteration is this here with the Disciples Our Sauiour he honors them with his company he giues them power ouer vncleane spirits but here hee tries them with the perill of their liues Hee went into a shippe with his Disciples Hee went first his Disciples followed after the Maister hee must be the first that must shew example vnto the Scholer and what hee would haue his Scholer learne that he must teach him by example as well as by precept It is reported of Abimelech a Prince and leader of Israell in Iudg. 9. Iudg. 9.48 that intending to burn Sichem hee tooke an Axe in his hand and cut downe a bough from a tree and laid it vpon his owne shoulders saying vnto his souldiers Quod me vidistis fucere 〈◊〉 facite what you haue seene mee doe make haste and doe the like teaching them by example to do what he would haue done and certainly the disciple will doe it much more willingly when he sees his Maister doe the same before his face and if there be a maister in mischiefe he shall be able to do more hurt by his onely example then a number of others by all the wholesome precepts that they can reade therefore if we be wise let vs with Mary choose the better part and so we shall be sure to be profitable indeed The third thing followes his exhortation Let vs goe ouer to the other side of the lake The power of our Sauiour as he was the Creator vnto his disciples and they his creatures it was very great what might he not haue commanded them to doe he created them by his word and therefore might haue commanded them by his word also to hime executed and fulfilled the vtmost of his will the Potter he may do as he list with his clay no man to controll him and God dispose as it pleaseth him of man and none to aske the question why hee doth so hee might haue sayd vnto his Disciples get you ouer vnto the other side of the lake or follow me vnto the otherside of the lake and they were to obey for he was their Lord and they his seruants he to command and they to do him seruice and in equity and iustice this hee might haue done without any preiudice at all vnto any one of them at all euen the chiefest and best beloued But yet such is the loue of God vnto those that be his and appertaine vnto him as that he will do he will euermore doe in loue and amity he will not stiffely command but kindly intreate at their hands Let vs go ouer vnto the other side of the lake Ecclesia Dei vinea Dei grandis nimis sayes Saint Bernard the Church of God sayes he it is Gods vineyard great and high in the account of the Lord and great reason indeed is it if we consider it throughly as wee ought that so it should be great yea very great in his estimate who hath bestowed such cost care continually about it his own right hand hath planted it his deere heart blood hath redeemed it he hath watred it with his word hee hath caused it to shoot forth by his grace he hath made it plentifull and aboundant by his spirit and can wee thinke that all this cost of his will not make him to haue a regard vnto it Yes surely he hath both had and at this day hath so great a care ouer it as that in the aboundance of his loue hee hath married himselfe vnto his Church hee now is our husband and the Church is his spouse and thinking with himselfe that that vnity is too little for it he hath moulded vs all into his owne body so that now as S. Paul speakes Eph. 5.30 Eph. 5. wee are the members of his body of his flesh of his bones and therfore must needs loue vs with an exceeding loue for it is the same S. Pauls note in the same chapter vers 29. that yet it was neuer heard that euer any man hated his owne body but nourished and cherished it and therfore can do no lesse then speake kinde vnto it Let vs go ouer c. Hence forward then when we
awaked in which regard the Prophet Dauid as weary of his long sufferings willing to be releiued in his distresse he is faine to cry aloude and earnestly as it were to wake him out of the sleepe that he is in to come vnto his succour Psal 44.23 For thy sake are wee killed all the day long we are counted at sheepe for the slaughter therefore awake why sleepest thou ô Lord Arise c. An earnest admonisher we see and one that will not be silent hee doubles and trebles his speech Awake sleeepe not arise that if he were fast indeed yet his earnestnesse at the last would cause him to awake and to speake truth God for the most part seemeth for to sleepe that so he might be awaked by our earnest intreaties for God as Saint Augustine notes amet nimium vehementes is so delighted with our prayers as that many times hee does deny vs our suites that he might heare vs continue earnest in our prayers And againe if he should vpon euery motion that we make vnto him grant vs our requests his benefites at the last would come to bee contemned of vs we know it here an ordinary practise among men cito data cito vilescunt wee accompt it scarce worth the taking that is not twise worth the asking therefore before he grant vs hee would haue vs bee earnest with him in deed to awake him with our prayers if perchance hee should seeme to bee a sleepe But when we haue awaked him what then is there any redresse to bee had at his hand Why yes furely euen the same party that we mentioned euen now hee found it at his hands he was deliuered out of his distresse Saul the persecutor fals deadly vpon his owne sword both to the destruction of soule and body and Dauid the distressed inioyes the Kingdome Daniel is made protector of the Kingdome and his accusers and enemies throwne into the Lyons den though he sleepe heere for a time amongst vs yet one day hee will awake againe and whereas all the time of his sleepe he hath plaid the Lambe bene patient in his reuenge yet when he shall awake he shall rouze himselfe like a Lion for to right himselfe of al his enemies which if it be not in this world yet in the world to come wee know it shall be to their greater condemnation Noah we know he slept a while and suffred the scoffes and abuses of his wicked sonne Cham but when he awaked what then then Maledictus Canaan then he pronounces a fearefull curse vpon him for his lewdnesse Gen. 9.25 Cursed bee Canaan seruant of seruants shal he be so I say if not in this world yet at the end of the world our Sauiour he shall curse his enemies with a terrible curse a curse of curses Ite mal dicti Mat. 25.41 Go yee cursed of my Father into euerlasting fire a terrible and a fearefull curse from which God keepe vs all But yet so he slept not here in this place his sleepe now it was a voluntary naturall sleepe But as they sayled hee fell a sleepe The reason of sleepe in naturall men it is yeelded by the Heathen Phylosophers and chiefly by Aristotle the eldest sonne of nature there are two causes saith hee of sleepe in man Fumus ascendens in cerebellum the ascending of the fumes and vapours vp out of our stomacke into our head and so surprizing of the braine or else Corporalis naturae fatigatio the ouerwearying of our body with labour and trauell both which were truely in our Sauiour and yet neither the cause of this sleepe of his he had them both truely in him because in deed hee was truely man but heere in this place as the Diuines teach he slept voluntary as being Lord and Commander of his Humane Nature As hee is then the Keeper of Israel the Creator and Preseruer of man-kind he cannot sleepe but as hee is a Man and himselfe made a creature sleepe was requisite and necessary for him But yet here I say hee slept voluntary he slept because hee would sleepe hee was Lord of his Nature and might commande it which is not in vs for many of vs oftentimes would sleepe but cannot and sometimes againe when wee would willingly watch our eies are most heauy and ouercharged with sleepe Illam noctem rex duxit in somnem saith the Text Ester 6. Ester 6.1 That night the King would faine haue slept but could not And againe the Disciples in the 26 of Matthew Mat. 26.43 they could not refraine from sleeping when they would haue watched and hee came and found them asleepe againe for their eyes were heauy But in Christ our Sauiour there was no such naturall imperfection in the Wildernesse as long as hee fasted so long it may bee credibily thought that hee watched also both which wee know to bee aboue the course of ordinary nature and in the sixt of Luke Luke 6.12 hee continued a whole night in prayer vnto his Father and yet wee do not reade that hee was ouercharged with heauinesse in the morning hee could sleepe when he list and hee could watch as long as hee list and yet no impediment vnto his body but heere hee sleepes voluntary that so he might giue way vnto a miracle But as they sayled hee fell a sleepe Mark 4.38 Saint Marke recording of this same Story tels vs that he did sleepe In puppi super ceruicale Hee was saith he in the hinder part of the Ship a sleepe vpon a pillow after his paines taking of Preaching the Gospell vpon the Land hee takes his reasonable rest in the ship vpon the water hee rested his head vpon a pillow not stretcht himselfe out at length vpon the Epicures bed of ease but onely laid himselfe downe that so he might bee vp againe vpon all occasions hee was like in this businesse vnto himselfe poore and wanting not hauing so much as a boulster of his owne to lay vnder his head but is faine to borrow the Marriners pillow so are his birth his life and death the one proportionable vnto the other and so much for this first Accident heere in the iourney Hee fell a sleepe The second followes And there came downe a storme of winde on the Lake What a storme of wind come downe on the Lake and Christ our Sauiour in the midst of it Credendumne est ea ventos fuisse audacia and is it possible that the winde should be so audicious as to disturbe either the Sea or the Ship in which the Lord both of heauen and earth was carried in that they should come violently rushing on and aske no leaue of their Lord and Maister Oh no but rather as it was in the tempest that Ionas was tossed in Iona 1.4 The Lord saith the Text there sent out a great winde into the Sea and there was a mighty tempest in the Sea so that the Ship was like to be broken So in
cause of his double Appellation here in this place it was the feare of the Apostles that infused it selfe into them and the earnest desire that they had to be deliuered from their imminent danger was that that made them double their speeches vnto him Master Master What wee heartily wish for we often repeate Helpe Helpe we cry in time of danger Rescue Rescue in time of distresse So is it here with our Apostles in this place in this time of feare when the storme raged and the seas went high Volvuntur vt aequora montes as the Poet speakes one billow tossed them vp as high as heauen and another suddenly drenched them in the botome of the deep When life almost had quite forsaken them and death was ready to seize vpon them then they cry vnto him Master Master Qui nescit orare discat nauigare saith the Latine Prouerbe if there be any so pampred here vpon the land as I am afraid many thousands there are that haue forgot their duties vnto the Lord neuer think of him but when they borrow his name to sweare by let them go to sea and if they bee not past grace quite so that they haue not as the Apostle speakes Cauteriatam conscientiam a seared conscience that can feele no touch of remorse hee shall bee taught once a day at the least to call vpon the name of the Lord. And they came vnto him and awaked him saying Master Master we perish Our life though it be in a dangerous place as Saint Ambrose telles Quam diu in salo isto tam diu inter naufragia so long as we liue in the sea of this world so long also wee are in continuall danger of shipwrack to be spoyled and we our selues doe continually so ouercharge our soules and bodies both with sinne as that euery day we presse deeper and deeper towards the bottomlesse pit of hell Yet such is the friendship that is contracted betweene the body and the soule by the long familiarity and acquaintance each of other as that they are loath to part and leaue each others company They desire to continue longer together if longer it might be and they care not what shifts they vse for the enioying their desire That made Saint Peter to deny his Maister because hee thought it would call his life in question And all the Disciples for feare of death withdrew themselues from our Sauiours company because they saw those friends must part that had liued so long combined together Terrible and fearefull it is vnto man to thinke of the dissolution of soule and body Anima absoluitur corpus resoluitur as Saint Ambrose speakes where the soule is freed and set at libertie the body againe resolued into the first principles This is that which the natural man cannot endure to heare of and therefore vpon the very thought of it hee is ready with the Apostles to cry out for helpe Master Master wee perish indeed But yet this was not the onely cause though of their crying out in this place though that might helpe to set an accent vpon it for they knew that there was a necessity by nature laid vpon thē once for to dye Intrasti vt cocires was a condition annexed to our creation We must make roome for others as well as others before haue done for vs. And so much the Heathen Poet could say Omnes vna manet nox calcanda semel via lethi they must not thinke much to vndergoe that which all are enioyned necessarily vnto Equalitie is the chiefe ground-worke of equitie and who can complaine to be comprehended where all are contained especially when they shall consider the extraordinarie benefite that death shall bring with it viz. the taking away of sinning any further Death it was once laid vpon man as a punishment for sinning quo die comederis c. what day soeuer thou shalt eate of the forbidden fruit thou shalt certainly dye Death there is appointed as the punishment to sinne but now it is giuen as a benefite and remedy vnto man to keepe him from sinning any further Morere ne pecces dye soone that thou mayst not sinne more against thy maker Quod tunc timendum fuit vt non peccaretur nunc suscipiendum est ne peccetur saith S. Aug. what was once feared is now a benefite vnto mankinde But the feare of eternall death was that that did amaze them more then any of the other particulars spoken of before To perish both in body and in soule and that eternally too this is that that would make thē awake him quickly To perish when they were but Semi-christiani halfe Christians like Agrippa in the 26 of the Acts Act. 26.28 thou perswadest me almost saith hee to Paul to bee a Christian to perish when they were but newly initiated into the Schoole of Christ before they knew the mysteries belonging to their saluation necessarily was that that made them cry out aloud They were ignorant in the fundamentall poynts for the Holy Ghost doth testifie of them in diuers places That they knew not the Scriptures that they vnderstood not that saying of his that they knew him not yet to bee the Messias and then how fearefull a matter it was for them to dye vnresolued you your selues by your selues may easily iudge This feare here of eternall perishing made them cry so earnestly to bee deliuered from the feare of death Maister Maister we perish in our bodies but which is fearefull to be thought vpon also we perish euerlastingly in our soules in hell In our bodily conflicts here vpon the earth either the sence of paine is quite taken away by death or else if our nature bee strong and lusty it soone in wrestling ouercomes the paines of death but in this second death the death of the soule the griefe remaines for euermore that so our nature might be afflicted without any end and our nature indures also that for euer it might bee punished in the endlesse flames for transgressing against so infinite a God neither shall faile neither nature nor paine that so both may bee eternall vnto the wicked The first death doth separate the vnwilling soule from the body but the second death keepes the soule though much vnwillingly for euer in paine together with the body from which paine God for his Christ Iesus sake keepe vs all Amen And so we are come to the finall conclusion of these same words Then he arose and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water and they ceased and there was a calme Hitherto our Sauiour hath beene patient in these troubles and rested himselfe quietly in these stormy gusts both of winde and water but now he begins to bee a Master indeed and takes vpon him both the bridling of the one and of the other he rebukes the winde and appeases the raging of the troubled water and at his rebuke they both cease and there is a calme But before we come to the appeasing of this