me with their mouth c. were fulfilled in them O hypocrites Esay prophesied well of you that is of such as are like to you 4. When as it is daily more and more fulfilled as Iam. 2.23 the scripture was fulfilled which saith Abraham beleeued God Abraham assuredly beleeued God before but his offering vp of Isaac was a greater probate of his faith then the scripture was fulfilled that is more and more fulfilled when Abraham thus far trusted in God Now Christ fulfilled Zacharies saying in a literall and plaine sense for he sent for an Asse and rode thereon into Hierusalem that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophet Reioyce O daughter Sion for behold thy King commeth c. S. Iohn and S. Matthew relate not the precise text of Zachary but keeping the sense they somewhat alter the words On the contrary blasphemous Heretikes and Atheists vse to keepe the words of scripture but altogether to change the sense Children full fed often play with their meate so Lucianists of our time play with the food of their soule making the Bible their babble The Lord who will not suffer his Name to be taken in vaine mend or end them As for Heretikes it is alway their custome to make the scriptures a ship-mans hose wreathing and wresting them euery way to serue their turne Non ad materiam scripturas sed materiam ad scripturas excogitant First they make their Sermon and then they looke for a text Herein the Papiâ—ts of later time most offend who doe not only faine new Fathers and falsifie the old Doctors putting out putting in chopping and changing as shall best fit their purpose so that the Fathers as Reuerend Iewell said are no Fathers but their children no Doctors but their schollers vttering not their owne mind but what the Papists enforce them to speake they do not I say wrong humane authors only but also presume to censure and constâ—ue Gods own bookes as they list as Augustine said of Faustus the Manichee Legant qui volunt inuenient aut falli imprudentèr aut fallere impudentèr Hence kill and eate to Peter is a warrant for the Pope to depose Princes It is written Thou shalt goe vpon the Lion and the Adder the young Lion and the Dragon shalt thou tread vnder thy feet therfore the Pope may tread vpon the Emperors neck God made two great lights in the firmâ—ment that is two great dignities in the Church the Priest and the Prince but that which ruleth the day to wit spirituall things is the greater that which ruleth carnall things is the lesser as Innocentius the third disputes in the Decretals and their Glosse further addes out of Pâ—olomie that the Sunne containes the bignes of the Moone seuen thousand seuen hundred fortie foure times and so many degrees iump is euery Prelaâ—e aboue euery Prince Sometime they cite the beginning without the end sometime the end without the beginning sometime they take the words against the meaning sometime they make a meaning against the words and so they do not receiue but giue the Gospell as Maldonate fitly not admit the old scripture but vpon the point coine a new for in controuerted places either they suppresse the words or else not expresse the sense as if a man should pick away the corne and giue vs the chaffe or conuey away the iewels and throw vs the bag The blessed Euangelists had warrant from God and we warrant from them to quote scripture sometime more fully for explication and sometime more shortly for breuitie yet without alteration of the sense though there be some little alteration of the sentence Marlorats annotation is good that our Euangelist and other doe not alway repeate the very words in the Prophets and the Law that we might hereby take occasion to peruse the text and to conferre place with place Let vs then examine the words in Zachary which are these Reioyce greatly ô daughter Sion shout for ioy ô daughter Hierusalem Behold thy King commeth vnto thee They contain 2. remarkable points an Exultation Reioyce greatly c. Exaltation or commendation of Christ as a reason of this exceeding ioy Behold thy King commeth vnto thee iust meeke c. In the former obserue the Persons Exhorting Principall God for the worde of the Lord came to Zachary cap. 1. vers 1. This then is not the word of man but the voyce of God Instrumentall Zachary Exhorted Hierusalem Act reioyce In that Zachary was Gods organ marke the worthines of holy Prophets as being the very tongues and pens of the blessed Spirit and this dignitie belongeth also to their successors Apostles and other Preachers of the word for S. Matthew speakes in the plurall dicite tell ye concluding thâ— Prophets and Preachers whose office is to tell Hierusalem â—hat her King and Sauiour is come into the world to seeke and saue that which is lost Almighty God hath had in all ages either Patriarks or Prophets or Apostles or Preachers a Moyses or an Elias a Zachary or a Paul or an Athanasius or an Augustine or a Luther or a Iewel by whom he spake to his beloued Spoâ—se comfortably Reioyce greatly daughter Sion especially the Lord vseth to châ—se Zacharies that is such as are mindfull of God such as delight in the law of the Lord and exercise themselues therein day and night The persons exhorted are daughter Sion and daughter Hierusalem that is according to the vulgar Hebraisme Sion and Hiâ—rusalem as the sonne of man for man and sonne of floors for floore Esay 21.10 and Psalm 72.4 the childâ—en of the poore for the poore as Augustine vpon that place so daughter Sion daughter Babylon daughter Hierusalem for Sion Babylon and Hierusalem a phrase not strange to the Poet who called the Grecians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now Hierusalem was the Metropolis of the Iewes and Sion an eminent mount adioyning to Hierusalem and at this time the Iewes were the people of God and Hierusalem the citie of God Aâ— Salâ—m was his tabernacle and his dwelling in Sion Whereas therefor S. Matthew Tell ye the daughter of Sion he meaneth vsing a synecdoche Hierusalem And whereas Zachary names Hierusalem he meaneth the Church of God ouer the face of the whole earth of which Hierusalem is a figure and so the text iâ— to be construed typically not topically for this ioy concernes the Gentile so well as the Iew the one as the roote the other as the branch as Paul sheweth in his epistle to the Rom. cap. 11. Indeed Christ is the glory of his people Israel but he is the light of the Gentiles illuminating all such as sit in darknes and in the shadow of death Heere then obserue that Christ is the Churches ioy and only the Churches ioy dumb Idols are the Gentiles ioy Mahumet is the Turks ioy Circumcision is the Iewes ioy
sacraments which are mysteries and Preachers of his faith which is a deepe secret 1. Tim. 3.16 of all other the greatest and yet it is the Ministers proper office with Iohn Baptist to shew the Lambe of God which taketh away the sinnes of the world They are the mouth of God in preaching to the people and againe the peoples mouth in praying to God euen mediators as it were betweene God a man as Moses said of himselfe Deut. 5. I stood betweene the Lord and you to declare vnto you the word of the Lord. This doth intimate how wee should teach and you should heare First how wee should preach If any man speake let him talke as the words of God 1. Pet. 4.11 It is a good obseruation that the Lawyer ought to begin with reason and so descend to common experience and authoritie The Physician he must begin with â—â—perience and so come to reason and authoritie but the Diuine must begin with authoritie and so proceed to reason and experience 2. This may teach you to heare our voyce not as the word of men but as it is indeed the word of God Christ said of the wicked Pharisies in the 23. of S. Matth. Quae dicunt facite Doe as they say but not as they doe Dicunt enim quae Dei sunt faciunt quae sua sunt They doe their owne workes but speake the Lords word And therfore so long as the Preachers deliuer the wholesome words of our Lord Iesus or doctrine which is according to his words you must entertaine them as Angels of God euen as Christ Iesus honouring their place and reuerencing their persons And this I take to be the pith of the first part In the second S. Paul teacheth how wee must not iudge first he reports then reproues their fault His report is in these words Hîc iam quaeritur c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heere among you Corinthians it is discussed and disputed who is a faithful Minister who is vnfaithfull And herein they wrong both God his word and his Ministers God to whom onely iudgement belongs in this case Some peraduenture may iudge of the Ministers eloquence many of his industrie but none of his faithfulnesse which is the chiefe thing required in a steward A man may be fruitfull and yet not faithfull an instrument to saue other and yet be condemned himself for he may preach Christ not for Christ but happely for other respects as the fornicator makes delectation his end not generation so the Preacher adulterans verbâ—m as it is in the vulgar intends not to get children in Christ vnto God but gaine or glorie to himselfe Ye know the men ye know not their minde ye see their fact not their faith onely God knowes the secrets of all hearts Secondly it is an iniurie to Gods word in hauing the faith of our glorious Lord Iesus Christ in respect of persons Iames 2.1 It is not any who who may either priuiledge an error or preiudice a truth if another Gospell hold him accursed although the Minister be an Angell if a truth doe as they say though the teacher be a diuell poyson in a golden cup is as hurtfull as in an earthen pot wine in a siluer bowle no better then in a woodden dish When one faith I am Pauls and another I am Apollos are ye not carnall Is not this grosse carnalitie to set vp Idols in the Church and to worship them in stead of God Thirdly this is an indignitie to the Preachers in that artles men will take vpon them to iudge of art By the lawes of the land a person occupying the craft of a Butcher may not vse the occupation of a Tanner and a Brewer may not deale in the occupation of a Cooper Quod medicorum est promittunt medici tractant fabrilia fabri None prescribe physick but such as are Doctors at least practitioners in the facultie none plead at the common barre but such as are learned in the law yet euerie one as Hierome complaines in an Epistle to Paulinus takes vpon him exact knowledge in Theologie and will teach both Clerke and Priest what they should say what they should doe So that often it fareth with Preachers as it doth alway with fish none so welcome as new come If a stranger happely come among vs albeit he be neuer so weake for his learning neuer so wicked for his liuing yet all the countrie must gad after him and neglect their owne pastors as Christ in the Gospell A Prophet is not honoured in his owne citie and in his owne house This was a soule fault in Corinth Apollos and Cephas and Paul were despised while false teachers were deified Indeed Paul writes in the third chapter of this Epistle as if some followed him and other Apollos himselfe for his plaine doctrine and Apollos for his excellent eloquence But in the sixth verse of this chapter hee saith he applied those things vnto himselfe and Apollos figuratiuely meaning that Peter and Apollos and himselfe were neglected and other vpstart seducers only regaâ—ded he did vse the names of Gods Apostles in his censure for the benefit of the Corinthians For your sake that ye might learne by vs that no man presume aboue that which is written and that one swell not against another for any mans cause So men in our daies are too partiall in hearing and censuring their Teachers as one said Auditories are like Faires the Pedler and the Balladmonger hath more coÌ„pany then the graue rich Merchant Children fooles hang vpon them who sell toyes and neglect those who haue their shops stuft with good commodities and this assuredly doth discourage many Pastors learned and profitable For euery man hath not a magnanimous spirit spernere se sperni to tell his auditorie with Paul I passe very little to be iudged of you For so this fault is reproued in the third verse The false teachers had extolled themselues and disgraced him affirming that his bodily presence was weake and his speech of no value S. Paul therfore hauing the testimonie of a good conscience resolutely tels the Corinthians I little passe to be iudged of them or you or any man Hee saith not I esteeme not at all but I little regard that is not so much respect your iudgement as that I should be discouraged in doing my dutie The witnesse of conscience is more comfortable then the vulgar breath in comparison of the one I little prise the other Or as Gorran It were a great thing to be iudged of such as are spirituall but it is a very small thing to be iudged of you who are thus carnall As Seneca Male de me loquuntur sed mali mouerer si de me Marcus Cato si Lalius sapiens si duo Scipiones ista loquerentur nunc malis displicere laudari est Either of mans iudgement Our
and vpon such as excell in vertue So likewise wee may reioice with the wife of our youth and disport our selues in good companie we may make Christmas pies and Haruest dinners in a word reioice in euery thing which may further our spirituall reioycing in the Lord. But whether wee eate or drinke or whatsoeuer we doe else all must be done to the honor and glorie of God Reioyce in the Lord alwaies and againe I say reioyce Yea but Christ Mat. 5.4 Blessed are they that mourne Luk. 6.21 Blessed are they that weep This reioycing is not contrarie to that mourning for such as mourne are blessed in being comforted and comforted by reioycing in the Lord. Reioyce saith Christ in that day and bee glad when any shall hate you for my sake the which his Apostles accordingly fulfilled Act. 5.41 They departed from the Councell reioycing that they were counted worthie to suffer rebuke for his Name that Christ would vse them as his buckler and Rom. 5.3 Wee reioyce in tribulations The Father of mercies and God of all consolation comforteth vs in al our afflictions As the sufferings of Christ abound in vs so our consolation aboundeth through Christ. He doth appoint comfort to such as mourne in Sion hee doth giue beautie for ashes oyle of ioy for sorrow the garment of gladnesse for the spirit of heauinesse so that a martyr when he is most mournefull is mirthfull he speakes of his tormentor as Socrates of Anitus and Petus of Nero the Tyrant Occidere me potest laedere verò non potest He may well kill me but he shall neuer ill me Nihil crus sentit in neruo cùm manus est in coelo saith Tertullian Euery cut is a wide mouth to praise Christ as the Martyr Romanus sweetly Tot ecce laudant ora quot sunt vulnera Grates tibi ô praefecte magnas debeo Quòd multa pandens ora iam Christum loquor Blessed are they that die for the Lord because they reioyce in the Lord. No losse no crosse can interrupt our spirituall ioy for as it followeth in the text to be considered it must be continuall alway reioyce The Christian must keepe Christmas all his life though not in his hall yet in his heart alwaies in his minde albeit not alway with his mouth It is a true rule deliuered in the schoole that Gods affirmatiue lawes obligant semper sed non ad semper ad semper velle but not ad semper agere requiring disposition perpetuall and practise so often as occasion is offered Holy iust valiant men are they who can whensoeuer they will and will whensoeuer they ought execute what their seuerall perfections import There is a time for all things and therefore seuerall duties ought to be discharged in seuerall seasons He that saith heere reioyce alway saith in another place pray continually and in all things giue thankes and therefore we need not alwaiâ—s actually pray nor actually giue thankes not actually reioyce in word and outward gesture but as opportunitie shall require If then as time neuer a better time then this holy time neuer greater cause to shout out for ioy then now for that our King comes vnto vs it is our bounden dutie alwaies intentionally bâ—t at this time with Psalms and songs actually No sinne no sorrow must hinder our spirituall reioycing For in all our aduersitie God is euen at hand not onely nigh in his Maiestie though doubtlesse he be not farre from euery one of vs but also nigh in his mercie Psal. 145.18 The Lord is nigh vnto all them that call vpon him A very present helpe in trouble Yea the Lords second comming is at hand when as hee shall iudge and reuenge our cause rewarding vs with eternall happinesse and punishing our aduersaries with euerlasting fire and therefore reioyce alwaies in all things I say reioyce in the Lord for wee cannot alway reioyce in the things of this life The world passeth away and the lust thereof but Christ is euermore the same the beginning and end of all other things himselfe without either beginning or end If then our ioyes obiect be God it may be continuall but if fixed on earthly things exposed to manifold changes and chances it must necessarily be mutable Gaudium in materia conuertibili mutari necesse sit re mutaâ—â So that as the Poet truly Gaudia principium nostrisunt saepâ— doloris Euen in laughing the heart is sorrowfull and the end of mirth is heauines The world is a sea of glasse Apocal 4.6 brittle as glasse tumultuous as the sea but hee that reioyceth in the Lord is like mount Sion which standeth fast for euer If then any desire to reioyce alway let him reioyce in the Lord. And againe I say reioycâ— The troublâ—s of this life aâ—e so great and our patience so little that Paul doubleth his exhortation to presse the duty and expresse our dulnesse and indeed our reioicing cannot be continued except it be multiplied againe and againe reioice therefore for mercies already receiued and againe reioice for mercies hereafter promised For receiued grace first for thy creation Almighty God might haue made thee a dull asse a venemous serpent an vgly tâ—ade whereas he created thee according to his own image and similitude as it were diuinitatis epitome For the world is Gods book and man is Index of that booke or a commentary vpon that text reioice therefore in the Lord say with Dauid What is man that thou art so mindfull of him or the Son of man that thou shouldest visit him Thou hast crowned him with worship and glory thou makest him to haue dominion of the works of thy hands and thou hast put all things in subiection vnder his feete as a ladder whereby men might ascend to the consideration of thy greatnes and goodnes For thy preseruation he might haue denied thee sight as he did to Bartimeus or made thee deafe or dumbe or a cripple as we reade of many in the Gospell and daily see many crying and dying in our streets If the Lord of hosts had not bin thy guard all other creatures his souldiers would haue banded themselues against thee fire would haue deuoured thee water would haue drowned thee mother earth would open and swallow thee quick the stone out of the wall the beame out of the timber would fight against thee but he hath giuen his Angels charge ouer thee to keepe thee in all thy waies he doth defend thee vnder his wings blesse thy going forth and thy comming home blesse the fruit of thy body the fruit of thy ground the fruit of thy cattell euery way so blesse thee that thou maiest alway reioice in the Lord. For thy redemption at this festiuall especially consider with Bernard Quis est qui venit vnde quò ad quid quando quâ meditate on
creature not a Creator therefore not to be worshipped adored as God If good men on earth and glorious Angels in heauen haue refused alway to bee reputed Christ what shamelesse Idolaters are they who say heere is Christ and there is Christ this is Christ and that is Christ The second question is Art thou Elias To which Iohn answers No. Yet Christ saith he is that Elias An Angel from heauen hath answered this obiection Luk. 1.17 Iohn Baptist is Elias in power not in person indued with the like temperance like wisdome like courage Now the Pharisies imagined that Elias himselfe should come not another in the spirit of Elias and therefore Iohn according to their meaning answered truly that he was not Elias How Iohâ— and Elias parallel see Beauxamis Harmoâ— Euangel Tom. 1. fol. 101. Ludolphus de vita Christi part 1. cap. 19. Postâ—l catholic Con. 2. Dom. 4. Aduent Whether Eliâ—s shall come before the great day of the Lords second comming see Luther postil maior in loc and his Maiesties Premonition from the 62. pag. to the 80. The third question is Art thou a Prophet To which Iohn answered also negatiuely Christ said he was more then a Prophet himselfe that he was lesse then a Prophet There are three degrees of humility 1. To submit our selues vnto our betters 2. To giue place to equals 3. To yeeld vnto inferiours All these were found in Iohn he submitted himselfe to superiors affirming that he was not Christ he gaue place to equals answering that he was not Elias he did yeeld to his inferiors in saying he was not a Prophet Yea but Iohn out of his humilitie must not tell an vntruth his father Zacharias in the Benedictus cals him the Prophet of the most high and Christ more then a Prophet Chrysostome Theophylact Euthymius and other Greeke fathers are of opinion that the Pharisies imagined Iohn to be that Prophet spoken of by Moses Deut. 18.15 The Lord thy God will raise vp vnto thee a Prophet like vnto me from among you euen of thy brethren vnto him ye shall hearken The which text must bee construed either of the whole Colledge of Prophets or else of Christ the chiefe of the Prophets and therefore Iohn answered directly that he was not that Prophet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Prophet Rupertus and other Latine Doctors affirme that the Pharisies in this interrogatory desired to know whether his office were like that of Esay Ieremias Amos and the old Prophets vnto which Iohn might answere well that he was not such a Prophet for their office was to foreshew Christ by some works or foretell him by some words vel dictis praesignare vel factis praefigurare saith Rupertus But Iohns ambassage was not to foretell that Christ should come but plainly to tell that Christ was come Thou shalt be called the Prophet of the most high not to prefigure but to goe before the face of the Lord. A Prophet â—s a Preacher of the Gospel not as a Priest of the Law Hitherto Iohn Baptist answers negatiuely shewing what he was not neither Christ nor Elias nor a Prophet Wheâ—ein hee did not satisfie the messengers of the Iewes fully That therefore they might returne a more perfect answere they further importune and presse him to know what he was What saiest thou of thy selfe The which is the fourth interrogatory To this Iohn affirmatiuely declaring what he was I am the voice of a Crier c. There were two chiefe prophecies of him one that he should be that Angel of the Lord and this that he should be the voice of a Crier in the wildernesse Here then Interpreters obserue Iohns humility giuing himselfe the meanest title not Christ not an Angell not a Prophet but onely vox clamantis c. Wherein he liuely describeth a good Preacher of the Gospell hee must be the voice of a Crier in the wildernesse to make straight the way for the Lord. The word of God is a proclamation in writing common to all and the Minister is the voice of the Crier to giue notice to the people that the matter of the proclamation concerneth them and euery one of them Acts 13.26 Men and brethren and whosoeuer among you feareth God to you is the word of this saluatioÌ„ sent To you God raised vp his Sonne Iesus and hath sent him to blesse you by turning euery one of you from your iniquities Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh A Preacher therefore must cry from the bottome of his heart the which is prefigured Ezekiel 3.1 Sonne of man eat this roll and goe and speake vnto the house of Israel Vtter nothing to the people but that which thou hast first digested thy selfe The voice A word is first conceiued in the heart then vttered by the voice yet we heare the voice before wee know the word so Christ the eternall Word was before Iohn and all other Preachers In the beginning was the Word and that beginning was before all beginning yet the world knew not the Word till it was preached by the voice of men and Angels albeit the word in it selfe be before the voice yet vnto vs the voice goeth before the word He that commeth after me was before me Christ then is the Word and euery Preacher of Christ is a voice the which one word confounds all such as being called thereunto doe neglect their dutie of preaching In euery voice specially a Church voice three commendable qualities are required that it bee cleere sweete and high Cleere for as Hierome said Omnia in sacerdote debent esse vocalia All things in a Diuine should preach his apparell preach his diet preach his whole life preach An example in word in conuersation in spirit in faith in purenesse Such a voice was the Baptist his preaching was of repentance and he liued as a penitent as he did boldly speake the truth so constantly suffer for the truth on the contrarie bad manners and false doctrine make harsh and hoarse the loud voice Couetous Iudas had an hoarse voyce filthie Nicolaes an hoarse voyce Simon Magus an hoarse voyce Peter in denying his Master through extreame coldnesse of feare had an hoarse voyce too for a time Manicheus Arius Pelagius all Hereticall Schismaticall Atheisticall teachers are hoarse voyces in Gods quier Iâ—le solus praedicat viua voce quipraedicat vita voce Secondly the Church voice must be sweet euery seed is not to be sowen at euery season in euery ground and so it is in Gods husbandrie The voyce therefore must aright diuide the word which it sings and saies obseruing time and keeping it selfe in tune speaking to the proud boldly to the meeke mildly to all wisely The bels hung on Aarons garment were of pure gold hereby signifying that Aarons voyce should bee no founding brasse no iarring cymball but a sweete ring prouing sweetly reprouing sweetly
confuting error sweetly confirming the truth sweetly running ouer all the changes of Gods ring mentioned 2. Tim. 4. without any iarre or false stroke sweetly Such a voyce was Iohn the Baptist rebuking Herod hardened in his wickednes rufly taking vp y e dissembling Pharisies bitterly speaking to his own disciples gently singing to euery one the true note fitly and this as Dauid speakes is to charme wisely Thirdly the Church voyce must bee high and that in regard of the Matter of which He speakes regard of the Men to which He speakes And such a voyce was the Baptist also First for the matter he reached many streines neuer sung before Repent saith he for the kingdom of heauen is at hand This note was neuer heard of the people nor sung by the Priests in old time Iohn being more then a Prophet exalted his voyce aboue the Prophets and in a plaine song without any crotchets preached him who is higher then the highest Secondly in regard of the men to whom he spake For as it followeth in the next word hee was the voice of a Crier Now men vse to crie aloud Either When they speak to meÌ„ which are a far off When they speake to men which are deafe When they are angrie Sinners are farre off from God and exceeding deafe and therfore we must be angrie crying aloud and lifting vp our voyce like a Trumpet shewing the people their transgressions and to the house of Iacob their sinnes First sinners are farre off as it is said of the prodigall childe gone into a farre countrey like lost sheep straied out of Gods pastures into Satans inclosures and therfore it is our office not onely to whistle but also to crie Returne returne ô Shulamite returne returne God doth not goe from man but man from God He that saileth nigh a rocke thinketh the rock runnes from the shippe when as indeed the shippe rides and the rock stands still euen so we leaue the waies of the Lord and runne our owne courses and then wee complaine that God is farre from vs and that our crie comes not nigh him It is true that God is farre off from the wicked not because he is moueable for hee is euer the same but because they bee wandring yet they cannot flie from his presence The further from East the neerer vnto the West the more they goe from Gods grace the neerer his iustice saluation is far from the wicked but iudgemen hangs ouer their heads It is our dutie therefore to recall men à Deo irato ad Deum placatum from God as an angrie Iudge to God as a mercifull Father If we draw neere to God he will draw neere to vs as the good father of the prodigall sonne when hee perceiued him a farre off he had compassion and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him It is said in the text that the sonne did go to his father but the father ran to meete his sonne The fathers compassion and mercie was greater then the sonnes passion and miserie Secondly sinners are deafe and therefore wee neede to crie aloud Some will heare but with one eare like Malchus in the Gospell hauing their right eare cut off and only bringing their left eare to the sermon misconstruing all things sinisterly Some stop both their eares like the deafe adder refusing to heare the voice of the charmer charme hee neuer so wisely Psalme 58.5 S. Augustine writing vpon those words hath reported out of naturall Historiographers that the serpent delighting in the darknesse where withall he hath inclosed himselfe claspeth one of his eares hard to the ground and with his taile stoppeth the other lest hearing the Marsus hee should be brought foorth to the light so worldly men stop one eare with earth that is with couetousnesse and the other with their taile that is hope of long life Ieremie therfore crieth O earth earth earth O vnhappie caitiue thou that hast nothing but earth in thy mouth euer talking of worldly wealth thou hast nothing but earth in thy minde euer plotting how to ioyne house to house and field to field nothing but earth in thine hands euer busied about the trifles of this life heare the word of the Lord which chargeth thee not to trust in vncertaine riches but in the liuing God and that thou be rich in good workes euermore readie to distribute while thou hast time stop not thine eare from the crie of the poore with hope of long life but remember what Iob saith in his 21. chap. vers 13. They spend their daies in wealth and suddenly they go downe to hell O foole this night will they fetch away thy soule from thee then whose shall those things be which thou hast prouided Thirdly men speake aloud when as they be angrie so the Preacher ought to be zealous in the cause of God euermore displeased with the sinnes of his people saying with Dauid Doe not I hate them O Lord who hate thee and am not I grieued with those that rise vp against thee Such a crier was S. Peter telling Simon the Sorcerer that he was in the gall of bitternes bond of iniquitie Such a crier was Paul taking vp Elymas O full of mischiefe the childe of the diuell and enemie of all righteousnesse c. Such a crier was Polycarpus who told Marcion that he was the diuels darling And such a crier euery Diuine should bee as a Simon helping to beare the crosse of the distressed and a Barnabas which is the sonne of consolation so like Iames and Iohn stiled in scripture Bonarges which is sonnes of thunder as Ambrose fitly vox and clamor must goe together the voice preach faith the crie repentance the voice comfort the crie threaten the voice sing mercie the crie sound iudgement so most Interpreters expound vox clamantis according to the vulgar Hebraisine vox clamans Yet it is a good obseruation of other that Iohn is not the crier but the voice of the crier for it is Christ who crieth in Preachers he speakes by the mouth of all his holie Prophets he crieth O ye foolish how long will yee loue foolishnes he crieth Repent for the kingdome of God is at hand he crieth Come vâ—to me all ye that are wearied and laden and I will refresh you To day then if yee will heare his voice harden not your hearts but suffer the words of exhortation and doctrine be moued at his crie lest he despise your call As he saith in the first of the Prouerbs Because I haue called and yee haue refused I haue stretched out mine hand and none would regard therefore they shall call vpon me but I will not answere they shall seeke me earely but they shall not finde me Think on this all ye that forget God ye that suffer Christ to stand and knock and crie at the
tombes as Christ aptly Sepulchra quasi semipulchra exteriùs nitida interius foetida Before God but not before men as the male-content and vndiscreet professor by whose euill example the name of God is often blasphemed Neither before God nor men as the shamelesse ruffins and Atheists of the world whose glory is their shame delighting in doing euill and boasting of iniquitie reputing dishonestie no dishonour but the top of their gallantrie So Saint Augustine writes of himself before he was a saint Vbi non suberat quô admisso aequarer perditis fingebam me fecisse quod non feceram ne viderer abiector quô eram innocentior Both before God and men as Elizabeth and Zaâ—harie who were iust before God and vnreproueable before men so must euery Christian abstaine so farre as hee can from all appearance of euill yet this honest care of our cariage must not be to please men but only to praise God As S. Peter interprets S. Paul Haue your conuersation honest that they which speaâ—e euill of you as of euill doers may by your good workes which they shall see glorifie God in the day of the visitation Let your light saith Christ shine before men not onely that they may see your good workes but also that seeing they may glorifie your father which is in heauen Vt hoc ipsum quod homo per bona opera placet hominibus non ibi finem constituat vt hominibus placeat sed referat hoc ad â—audem Dei propterea placeat hominibus vt in illô glorificetur Deus As wee may not conceale from our enemie wisedome and knowledge which are good so much lesse render euill Recompence to no man euill for euill A Magistrate may punish a malefactor and so pro malo câ—lpae render malum poenâ—e But this is not to recompence euill for euill but good for euill because corrections are directions as well to the seer as sufferer the flesh is destroyed that the spirit may be saued A Magistrate then may render euill for euill but a priuate man out of a priuate grudge may not auenge himselfe but rather giue place to wrath The which may be construed of our owne wrath The which may be construed of aduersaries anger The which may be construed of Gods iudgement Of our owne wrath as Ambrose Resiste irae â—i potes cede si non potes An hastie cholerick man is like one that dwels in a thatched house who being rich in the morne through sudden fire is a begger ere night It is extreme folly to doe any thing in furie but wisedome to giue place and space to wrath It was an excellent decree of Theodosius enacted by the counsell of S. Ambrose that execution after a seuere sentence should be deferred thirtie daies vt ira decocta durior emendari possit sententia that all heate of contention allaied if need require the seueritie of the censure might bee qualified and moderated Secondly this may bee construed of our aduersaries anger for as thunder and gunnes hurt not any thing which yeelds vnto their fury but only that which is hard and stiffe so the raging and roring of our foes are best quelled by patience Turne to the brauling curre and he will be more fierce but ride on neglecting him and he will soone be quiet You may turne the prouerbe Veterem iniuriam feres do vitas nouam Thirdly this may bee construed of Gods iudgement and that most fitly for to God onely vengeance belongs and he will auenge our cause The malitious man in reuiling thee doth treasure vp wrath against the day of wraâ—h and therefore giue place to Gods wrath Cast all your care on him â—or he â—â—reth for you Yâ—a but may we not coâ—plaine to the Magistrate for redresse of iniurie yes surâ—ly for he iâ— Gods lieutenant on earth and therefore the vulgâ—r Latine vâ—smâ—tipsâ—s dâ—fendeâ—tes is inâ—uâ—ficient as our Diuines haue well obserued and the Rhemistâ— haue well mâ—nded it râ—ading as we doe reuenge or 〈◊〉 not â—our sâ—lueâ— For we may be so wise as serpents in defending our sâ—lues howsoeuer so innocent as doueâ— in â—ffending other Hee that commits his cause to the Magistrate giues place to diuine iudgement for all superiour powers are Gods ordinance but whosoeuer auengeth his owne quarell steps into the Princes chaire of estate yea Gods owne seate dethroning both and so disturbes heauen and earth Here then is no place for duell a fault as it is vsed in England the Low Countries especiâ—llâ— France for euâ—ry punctilio of honor falsely so called against not only the rules of reason and religion as Bernard notably Quis hic tà m stupendus error quis furor hic tà m non ferendus nullis stipenâ—ijs militare niâ—i aut mortis aut criminis Nam occisor lethâ—â—â—ter peccat occisus aeternâ—liâ—er perit but euen â—gainst the first principles of that art As a Christian may warre in loue so a Christian must iarre in loue so contend with his aduersarie before the lawfull Iudge that the partie cast in the sâ—ite may bee bettered if not in his money yet in his manners and Satan onely conquerâ—d Vt qui vincitur 〈◊〉 incat vâ—nus taâ—tummoâ—o vincatur diâ—bolus Otherwise when wee sue for our rigâ—t out of rancor and malice we commit not our case to God and his deputie the Pâ—ince but make them both our deâ—uties our instruments of reuenge the which is such an horrible crime that Paul calles it a mâ—sterie of iniquitie 2. Thess. 2.7 I say this secret exalting of our selues aboue all that is called God vsing Soueraignes as seruants in our priuate quarels is to play the diuell and the Pope We may not then dissemblingly but simply giue place to wrath An hard saying and therefore Paul doth sweeten it with a louing tearme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dearely beloued as if hee should speake thus It is my loue that I write so much against malice not for your hurt but for your eternall good If you will not beleeue me beleeue God himselfe who saiâ—h in his holy word Vengeance is mine I will repay sâ—ith the Lord. God doth reuâ—nge the quarell of his children vpon the wicked in this and in the world to come In this life so the children who mocked his Prophet Eâ—â—â—â—â— were rent in peeces with beares 2. King 2. So when Hierusalem had killed the Prophets and stoned such as preached vnto her Almightie God was wâ—oth and sent foorth his warriers and destroyed those murtherers and burnt vp their citie Matth. 22.7 Three shamelesse ruffins accused Narcissâ—s a reuerend and holie Bishop of a most hainous crime confirming their accusation with imprecation the first wished if it were not so that he were burnt the second that he might dye of the iandise the third that he might lose his eyes And afterward in processe
manifesting himselfe to the world that he was the Messias of the world As if he should argue thus If you belieue not my words yet credit me for my wonders I make the blind to see the deafe to heare the lame to goe I cure all kind of diseases euen with the least touch of my finger and least breath of my mouth I heale the leper I heare the Centurion The leper was a Iew the Centurion a Gentile the leper poore the Centurion rich the leper a man of peace the Centurion a man of warre Insinuating heereby that God is no accepter of persons but that his benefits indifferently belong to men of all nations and all fashions Iâ— Christ there is neither Iew nor Grecian neither bond nor free Yet Christ did first cure the Iew then the Gentile For saluation was offered first to the Iewes he touched the Iew but cured the Gentile with his word He visited Ierusalem in his owne person but healed other nations by the Preachers of his Gospell In the leper 2. things are remarkable the Weaknesse of his body sicke and sicke of a leprosie Vertues of his mind Faith Adoration Wisdome Patience Confession In Christ also two things are to be considered his Mercy that would so readilie Might that could so easily cure this distressed Lazer Aleper All weaknesse originally proceeds from wickednesse either from some defect in our conception or disorder in our conuersation as Mephibosâ—eth had his lamenesse by falling from his nurse so euery man his sicknesse by falling from the Lord. Christ who was free from sinne was also free from sicknesse but vnto men carying about them bodies of sinne diseases are as it were a sermon from heauen wherein Almighty God accuseth of sins and shewes his wrath against sinners But the condition of a leper as we reade in the law was of all other sicke most insupportable First he must liue alone separated from the fellowship of Gods people as vnworthy to come into cleane company Secondly he did weare foure markes to be knowne by his garments torne his head bare his mouth couered and he must cry I am vncleane I am vncleane For griefe whereof assuredly some pined away being forlorne in their sorrow destitute of all good comfort and company Yet this leper indued with a liuely faith is not hopelesse howsoeuer haplesse For he comes and saith vnto the great Physitian of the world Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me cleane though he knew that his sicknesse in the worlds eye was incurable yet he did beleeue that vnto God nothing is impossible He felt his owne misery to be great yet hoped Christs mercy was more great and therefore comes vnto him as Ludolphus aptly Non tà m passibus corporis quà m fide cordis If thou wilt thou canst A strong faith in a weake body Faith comes by hearing and the reason why this leper extraordinarily desired to heare Christ and heare of Christ was his vncleane disease so that the weaknesse of his body brought him vnto the Physitian of his soule Note then here with Paul that all things happen for the good of such as are good It was good for Dauid that he was in trouble good for Naaman that he was a leper for his vncleannesse brought him vnto the Prophet and the Prophet brought him vnto the sauing knowledge of the true God It was good for Paul that he was buffeted by Satan for otherwise peraduenture through abundance of reuelations he would haue buffeted God Of all herbes in the garden as one wittily Rew is the herbe of grace Many times our woe doth occasion our weale for as pride doth breed sores of salues so faith on the contrarie doth often make salues of sores altogether renouncing her owne merit and wholly relying vpon Christs mercie Tanto desiderantiùs ad Christum contendit quòd suam indignitatem immunditiam probè sentiret as Luther and Ferus accord in this and that so truly that as a Papist said If Bonauentura had not been a Romish saint he would haue been reputed an asse So the Protestant if Ferus had not been a Romish asse he might haue proued in the Church a renowned saint The second vertue to bee considered as a fruite of his faith is adoration a spiritual fee for a spirituall physitian as the bodily Doctor must be paied so the ghostly prayed He therefore worships Christ and that with all humblenes of Thought humblenes of Word humblenes of Deede He comes to Christ as a vassall to his Lord Domine non tanquam ad dominum titularem sed tanquam ad dominum tutelarem If thou wilt thou canst Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh and therefore beleeuing in his heart that Christ was the Lord willing and able to helpe confesseth it also with his mouth If it be for my good I am sure thou wilt and I beleeue thou canst attributing all to Christs might and mercie nothing to his owne either worth or woe Vttering this also with humble gesture For as S. Mark reports hee kneeled and as S. Luke he fell on his face teaching vs in prayer to fall down and kneele before the Lord our maker Hee that worships God irreuerently shewes himselfe not a Christian but a Manichee who thought God made the soule but not the bodie Thirdly note the lepers wisedome who did obserue Circumstances of Place not pressing to Christ on the mount but expecting him in the valley Circumstances of Time not interrupting Christ in his sermon or disturbing his auditory Circumstances of Person speaking in a succinct stile Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me cleane Giuing vs to vnderstand that in suing vnto men which are wise and in praying to God who is wisedome we need not vse many but pithie words See Gospel Dom. 2. quadrages The fourth vertue is his patience who was content notwithstanding his extreame miserie to stay Gods leisure and Christs pleasure First seeking the kingdome of God and then desiring that other things might be cast vpon him In y e first place giuing God glory Lord if thou wilt thou canst In the second praying for his own good Make me cleane not as I will but as thou wilt O Lord prescribing neither the time when nor place where nor manner how but referring all to Christ possessing his soule with patience The last vertue to be regarded in this leper is conâ—ession He knew the Pharisies hated and persecuted al such as confessed Christ yet he calles him Lord and worships him as a Lord and proclaimes him in the presence of much people to bee the Lord. It is well obserued that Gods omnipotent power and infinit mercies are the two wings of our deuotion whereby faith in the midst of all trouble mounts into heauen Here the leper acknowledgeth openly Christs omnipotencie for hee saith not intreate
God to make me cleane but if thou wilt thou thy selfe canst and therefore thou art the very Christ neither doth he doubt of his mercie for he saith not make me cleane but if thou wilt make me cleane It is enough to shew my need I coÌ„mit the rest to thy cure to thy care Thou canst doe whatsoeuer thou wilt and thou wilt do y â— which shall be most for my good thy glorie This may teach vs how to confesse our wickednesse to God as also to professe his goodnesse vnto men Our wickednesse vnto God for as Seneca truly Prâ—ma sanitatis pars est velle sanari The first step vnto health is to be desirous of helpe Ipse sihi denegat curam qui suam medico non publicat causam Our sinnes are a spirituall vncleannes and leprosie defiling the whole bodie making our eyes to lust our mouth to curse our tongue to lie our throte an open sepulchre our hands nimble to steale our feete swift to shed blood It is therefore necessarie we should manifest vnto Christ our sores that he may see them and search them and salue them Againe by this example wee may learne to professe the faith of Christ openly Though the kings of y e earth stand vp and the rulers take counsell against the Lord and against his anointed Other happily thinke so but dare not say so Some peraduenture say so though they thinke not so but I beleeue as I speake and speake as I beleeue Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me cleane Hitherto concerning the patient I come now to the physition in whom two things are obseruable 1. His mercie who would so readily 2. His might who could so easily cure such an incurable leprosie And Iesus put foorth his hand He granted that cheerefully which the leper desired earnestly The leper said if thou wilt and Christ answereth I will and as I will I say be thou cleane and as I say I doe His leprosie was immediatly cleansed hee spake the word and it was done hee commanded and it was effected euen with a little mouing of his lips and touch of his finger Here then is comfort for the distressed soule the leper calles and Christ heales him the Centurion comes and Christ helps him Other Physitions are deceiued often themselues and often deceiue others and therefore we venture much when we trust them a little The best physicke as one said is to take no physicke but if wee commit our cause to this heauenly Doctor our venture is without all peraduenture for hee cureth all that call vpon him and easeth all that come vnto him Iesus put foorth his hand and touched him Extendens manum suam quod fuit liberalitatis contra auaros tetigit eum quod fuit humilitatis contra superbos dicens volo quod fuit pietatis contra inuidos mundare quod fuit potestatis contra incredulos It was vnlawfull to touch a leper as we finde Leu. 14. In that therfore Christ touched here this leper he shewes himselfe to be greater then Moses aboue the law When Elisha cured Naaman hee did not put his hand on the place because hee was subiect vnto the law but Christ touched this leper as being Soueraigne of the law So Chrysostome Ambrose Theophylact Ludolphus and almost all other vpon the place Secondly note with Melancthon that morall duties are to be preferred before ceremoniall offices and therfore Christ neglects a ceremonie to saue his brother and that according to Gods owne commandement I will haue mercie not sacrifice The best glosse vpon the Gospel is faith and the best exposition of the law is loue Christ therefore did offend the sound of the law but not the sense Thirdly this intimates that Christ was homo verus and yet not homo merus a very man in touching but more then a meere man in healing with a touch Ambrose pithily Volo dicit propter Fotinum imperat propter Arium tangit propter Manichaeum He did touch the leper to confute Manichaeus denying him to be very man he did vse the imperatiue moode be thou cleane to confound Arius denying him to be very God Fourthly obserue with Cyrillus of Alexandria the preciousnes of Christs humanitie the which vnited vnto the Godhead is the sole salue of all our sores his rags are our robes his crying our reioycing his death our life his incarnation our saluation Fifthly with Aquin to demonstrate that himselfe and none other cured him because himselfe and none other touched him Sixthly with Caluin and Marlorat Christs humility who did vouchsafe not onely to talke with the leper but also to touch the leper According to this example we must learne not to loath any Lazarus as the rich Glutton in the Gospell but rather at it is reported of Elizabeth the Kings daughter of Hungary to make medicines for his maladies and plaisters for his wounds in humanity to relieue the distressed in humility to kisse the very feete of the poore As Christ stretched out his hand to the leper so we should put forth our hand to the needy Let not thine hand saith the Wise man be streâ—ched out to receiue and shut when thou shouldest giue Lastly with Tertullian and other how Christ in this action respected not the letter but the meaning which is the soule of the law The scriptures are not in superficie sed in medulla non in verborum folijs sed in radice rationis Now the reason of the law forbidding the cleane to touch vncleane was lest hereby they should be polluted But Christ could not be thus infected he therefore touched the leper not to receiue hurt but to giue helpe so the text of Paul is to be construed hos deuita The Nouice may not be familiar with an old subtill fox but a iudicious Diuine may confer with an heretike not to peruert himselfe but to conuert his aduersary Christ may touch a leper if it be to heale him and the Minister of Christ may teach an heretike if it be to win him and not to wound the truth I will be thou cleane I will If God will is the stile of man our will being subordinate to Gods eternall decrees in whom we liue and moue and haue our being But I will is the stile of God only who doth whatsoeuer pleaseth him in heauen in earth in sea Ps. 135.6 The commanding terme then I will and imperatiue moode be thou cleane except we reade the text with the spectacles of Arius euidently proue that Christ is God Almighty And immediatly his leprosie was clensed This amplifieth exceedingly Christs greatnesse and goodnesse first in that he cured this vncleane person thorowly then in that he cured him quickly for in all our suits vnto men we desire two things especially that they deale soundly and roundly Christ dealt so soundly with this leper as
loue of God in electing the fellowship of the holy Ghost in comforting is far from them so long as they continue in their sinnes and vnbeliefe so long they be traitours enemies rebels vnto the King of all Kings he proclaimes war and they can haue no peace Thinke on this ye that forget God Yee that ioine house to house and lay field to field till there be no place for other in the land ye that rise vp early to follow drunkennesse and are mighty to powre in strong drinke Ye that speake good of euill and euill of good which put light for darknesse and darknesse for light c. Agree with your aduersary quickly while you are in the way seeke the Lord while he may be found and call vpon him while he is nigh O Ierusalem Ierusalem thou that killest the Prophets and stonest them that are sent vnto thee Suffer the words of exhortation harden not your heart but euen in this day heare the voice of the Crier confesse thy rebellion and come in to the Lord thy God for he is gentle patient and of much mercy desire of him to create in thee a new heart and to giue thee one drop of a liuely faith one dram of holy deuotion a desire to hunger and thirst after righteousnesse Suffer not thine eies to sleep nor thine eie lids to take any rest vntill thine vnrighteousnesse is forgiuen and sinne couered vntill thy peace be made with God and thy pardon sealed O pray pray that thou maist haue this peace O pray pray that thou maiest feele this peace for it is the third kinde the peace of conscience betweene man and himselfe There are foure kinds of conscience as Bernard hath well obserued 1. A good but not a quiet 2. A quiet but not a good 3. Both good and quiet 4. Neither good nor quiet The two good belong properly to the godly the two bad vnto the wicked whose coÌ„science is either too too quiet or else too too much vnquiet in neither peace non est gaudium impijs as the Translators of the Septuagints reade non est gaudere impijs There is no ioy to the wicked Somtime their conscience is too too quiet as Paul speakes euen feared with an hot iron when habit of sin takes away the sense of sinne when as men are past feeling in a reprobate sense giuen ouer to worke all vncleannes euen with greedinesse Ephes. 4.19 This is no peace but a numnesse yea a dumbnesse of conscience For at the first euery mans conscience speaks vnto him as Peter to Christ Master looke to thy selfe Her prick-arrowes as the shafts of Ionathan forewarne Dauid of the great Kings displeasure but if wee neglect her call and will not lend our eares while she doth spend her tongue this good Cassandra will crie no more Now it fareth with the maladies of the minde as it is with the sicknes of the bodie When the pulse doth not beate the bodie is in a most dangerous estate so if conscience neuer prick vs for sinne it is a manifest signe our soules are lulled in a deadly sleepe That schoole will soone decay where the monitor doth not complaine that armie must necessarilâ—e be subiect to surprise where watches and alarums are not exactly kept that towne is dissolute where no clocks are vsed â—o likewisâ—â—ur little citie is in great perilâ— when our conscience iâ—â—ill and sleepie quiet but not good tunc maxime oppugnaris si tâ— nescis oppugâ—ari saith Hierâ—me to Heliodore None so desperatly sicke as they who feele not their disease Saint Augustine notably Quid miserius misero non miserante seipsum and Bernard Ideo dolet charitas mea quòd cùm sis doleâ—dus non doleas inde ma is miseretur quòd cùm miser sis miserabilis tamen non es and Hierome to Sabinian Hoc plango quòd te non plangis When the strong man armed keepes â—is hold the things that are possessed are in peace Where Diuines obserue that vngodly men already possessed with Satan are not a whit disquieted with his temptations As God is at open war so the diuell is at secret peace with the wicked but yet saith Hierome tranquillitas ista tempestas est This calmâ— of conscience will one day prooue a storme For as God said vnto Cain If thou doest ill sinne lieth at the doore Where wickednesse is compared to a wilde beast which dogs a man wheresoeuer hee goeth in this wildernesse And albeit for a time it may seeme harmlesse for that it lieth asleepe yet at length except men vnfainedly repent it will rise vp and rent out the very throte of their soules A guiltie conscience being once roused and awaked thoroughly will make them like those who lie on a bed that is too strait and the couering too short who would with all their heart sleepe but cannot they seeke for peace of minde but there is no peace to the wicked sâ—iâ—h my God As the coÌ„science was heretofore too too quiet so now too too much vnquiet As godly men haue the first fruits of the Spirit and certaine â—asts of heauenly ioyes in this life so the wicked on the contrarie feele certaine flashings of hell flames on earth As there is heauen on earth and heauen in heauen so hell on earth and hell in hell an outward hell and an inward outward in outward darknesse mentioned in holy Scripture where there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth at this feast as Bishop Latymer wittily there can bee no mirth where weeping is serued in for the first course gnashing of teeth for the second Inward hell is an infernall tormenting of the soule void of hope faith and loue this hell the diuels haue alwaies in theÌ„ and reprobate forlorne people carrie about theÌ„ insomuch that they can neither disport themselues abroad nor please themselues at home neither comforted in companie nor quiâ—ted alone but in all places and times Erinnys conscieâ—tiae so Melancâ—hon calles it hellish hags and infernall â—uries affright them Auâ—ustine in his â—narration of the 45. Psalm thus liuely describes the wofull estate of a despairing sinner Fâ—giet ab agro ad ciuitatem à publico ad domum à domo in cubiculum He runnes as a mad man out of the field into the citie out of the citie into his house from the common roomes in his house to his chamber from his chamber into his studie from his studie to the secret closet of his own heart ecce hosteÌ„ suum inuenit quo confugerat seip sum quò fugiturâ—s est and then last of all he is content least of all himselfe being greatest enemie to himselfe The blinde man in the Gospel newly recouering his sight imagined trees to be men and the Burgundians as Comiâ—aeus reports expecting a battell supposed long thistles to be launces so the
wicked in the darke conceit euery thistle to be a tree euery tree a man euery man a diuell afraid of â—uery thing they see yea many times of that they doe not see Polydore Virgil writes that Richard the 3. had a most terrible dreame the night before Bosworth field in which hee was slaine hee thought all the diuels in hell halled and pulled him in hideous and vgly shapes Id credâ— non fuit somnium sed conscientia scelerum I suppose saith Polydore that was not a fained dreame but a true torture of his conscience prâ—saging a bloodie day both to himselfe and all his followers The penner of the Latine Chronicle de vitis Archiepiscoporum Cantuariensium in the life of Archbishop Hubert records a will of a couetous oppressor in this forme Lego omnia bona mea domino regi corpus sepulturae animam diabolo The godly mans will alway runnes in this stile Terram terra tegat daemon peccata resumat Mundus res habeat spiritus astra petat I bequeath my bodie that is earthly to the earth my sins which are diuellish vnto the diuell my goods that are worldly to the world my soule that is heauenly to heauen but this vnhappie wretch in great despaire yeelded vp his coyne to the King whom hee had deceiued and his soule to the diuell whom he had serued It is written by Procopius that Theodoricus as he was at supper imagined he saw in a fishes head the visage of Symmachus a Noble man whom hee had vniustly slaine with which imagination he conceiued such terror as that he neuer after enioyed one good houre but pining away ended his vnfortunate daies Cardinall Crescentius the Popes Vicegerent in the Chapter of Trent on a time writing long letters vnto Rome full of mischiefe against the Protestants and cause of Religion had a sudden conceit that the diuell in the likenesse of a huge dogge walked in his chamber and couched vnder his table the which affrighted him so much as that notwithstanding the counsell and comfort both of friends and Physitians hee died a disconsolate death To conclude this argument the diuell Iudas out of the hell of his conscience was Bailiffe Taylor witnesse Iurie Iudge Sheriffe deaths-man in his owne execution Thus as you see the wicked haue no peace with man no peace with God no peace with themselues The very name of peace betweene man and man is sweete it selfe more sweete like the pretious ointment vpon the head of Aaron that ranne downe vnto his beard and from his beard to the skirts of his clothing Yet the peace of conscience is farre sweeter a continual feast a daily Christmas vnto the good man as the rich Epicure Luke 16. so the godly fareth deliciously euery day The man that trusteth in the Lord is fat saith Salomon he feedes himselfe on the mercies of God and merits of Christ. And so the peace of God passeth all these for it passeth all vnderstanding without which one gift all other are rather curses then blessings vnto vs. As Cyril excellently Dominâ— priuante suo gaudio quod esse potest gaudium It is the consolation of Israel and solace of the Church Reioyce greatly ô daughter Sion shout for ioy ô daughter Hierusalem for behold thy King commeth vnto thee That God is our God that Christ is our Christ that the King of all Kings is our King that he is reconciled vnto vs and we to him is a ioy surpassing all ioyes a iubilation as the Scripture termes it which can neither be suppressed nor yet expressed sufficiently How wretched then are the wicked in being debarred of all this sweete of all this exultation of all these iubilees of ioy for if they can haue no peace abroad no peace at home no peace with themselues no peace with other no peace with man no peace with God assuredly the proposition is most true There is no peace to the wicked Yea but you will say there is none good except God all of vs are gone astray if we say wee haue no sinne the truth of God is not in vs. Of what kinde of wicked is this then vnderstood Answere is made that this onely concernes incorrigible malicious impenitent senselesse sinners For when once men feele their sinnes and repent for their sinnes grieuing much because they can grieue no more then in such as sinne aboundeth grace superaboundeth all things worke for their good euen sinne which is damnable to other is profitable to them occasioning repentance neuer to be repented Remember the speech of God to Rebecca The greater shall serue the lesser Albeit our spirituall enemies are stronger and our sinnes greater then we yet they shall serue for our good the greater shall serue the lesse God who can bring sweet out of sower and light out of darknesse shall likewise bring good out of euill Such offenders haue peace with men so far as is possible with all men indeuoring to keep the vnity of the spirit in the bond of peace Secondly being iustified by faith they haue peace toward God in Christ Rom. 51. Lastly Christ dwelling in their heart they want not peace of conscience but abound with ioy in the holy Ghost Rom. 14.17 When sinners are rather passiue then actiue in sinne when it is rather done on them theÌ„ of them albeit their conscience accuse them of the fact yet it doth not condemne them of the fault and so there is all kind of peace to the penitent no kind of peace to the wicked impâ—nitent saith my God Hitherto concerning the thing proclaimed I come now to the person proclaiming in these words saith my God The subordinate proclaimer is Esay the principall God himselfe As heretofore the Prophet so now the Preacher is not onely the mouth of God as Luther cals him but as Iohn Baptist said of himselfe The very voice of God For albeit we speake yet it is Christ who by vs and in vs calleth vnto you 2. Cor. 5.20 See Epist. dom 3. Gospel dom 1. and 4. in Aduent If then the Lord hath said it let no man doubt of it Heauen and earth shall passe but not a iot of his word shall passe he is not like man that he should lie or like the Sonne of man that he should deceiue Yea that we might the better obserue it Almighty God hath spoken once and twice as it is in the 62. Psalme For the Lord had made this proclamation once before in the 48. chapâ—er at the last verse So that as Augustine in the like case verba toties inculcata vera sunt viua sunt sana sunt plana sunt One text repeated twice pressed againe and againe must needs be plaine and peremptory And assuredly beloued if we further examine the person of this Chiefe we shall finde him able to make this war because God and willing to maintaine this war because My God
all that is therein euermore willing to fight in this quarrell The red sea did ouerwhelme proud Pharaoh and all his host euen all his horses his chariots and horsemen Anno 1588. the sea and fish in the sea fought against the superstitious Spaniard enemy to God and his true religion a wonderfull worke which ought to be had in perpetuall remembrance I say wind and water ouercame that inuincible army prepared for our destruction in such sort that the popish Relator heâ—reof confessed ingenuously that God in that sea-fight shewed himselfe a very Lutheran and meere Protestant The floods and inundations which happened in diuers parts of this kingdome within these few yeeres here should not be passed ouer with dry eyes If the Lord had not according to his infinite greatnes and goodnesse fettered the waters of our seas as Xerxes did the waters of Hellespontus If God had not gathered the waters together on an heape and laid them vp in the deepe as in a treasure house Psalme 33.7 If hee had not spoken to the flood IIitherto sâ—â—lt thou goe but no further and here shall it stay thy proud waues assuredly there had followed a great doomesday to this Iland The waters saw thee O Lâ—rd the waters saw thee and were afraid Blessed be the Lord God euen the God of Israel which only doth wondrous things and blâ—ssed be the nâ—me of his Maiesty for euer and let all the people 〈◊〉 Amen Amen I passe to the shore to drie land which opened and swallowed vp quicke Corâ—â—h Dathâ—n and Abâ—ram In this one Prouince are sundrie rankes of fighting souldiers armies oâ— fell dragons of hissing serpents of roring lions of deuouring wolues of other wilde beasts in the forrest and cattell vpon a thousand hils all which named and all other not named are readie with force and furie to crush the wicked and at Gods alarum to breake them in pecces like a potters vessell Euen the least of these creatures is strong enough if God set them to fight an host of frogges an armie of grashoppers a swarme of flyes able to dismay Pharao and all his people a few rats troubled all the citizens of Hamel a few wormes deuoured Herod a little gnat choked a great man yea the greatest monarch in his own conceit Adriâ—n the Pope The very senselesse creatures haue sense and feeling of the wrong done to God In Siloam as we reade in the Gospell a tower fell vpon eighteene pâ—rsons and slew them In Rome fiftie thousand men were hurt and slaine with the fall of a Theater as they were beholding the games of the Sword-players Anno 25. Reg. Elizâ—b the scaffold about Parisgarden vpon a Sunday in the afternoone fell downe which instantly killed eight persons and hurt many moe A faire warning to such as profane the Sabbath and delight more in the crueltie of beasts then in the workes of mercie which are exercises of the Lords day The time will not suffer me to name much lesse to mufter all the rest of Gods warâ—iers on earth I will only remember one whom I thinke you feare most namely the plague fitly called by the Canonists bellum Dei contra homâ—es the warre of God against men and by the Scripture the sword of God and arâ—oâ—r of his anger In the yeere 1006 there was such an vniuersall plague thoroughout the whole world that the liuing were not able to burie the dead as Sigisbertus and other report Anno 1342. there was in Venice such a pestilence that the hundreth person was scarsly lâ—ft aliue insomuch that the State made a law that whosoeuer would come and dwell at Venice two yeeres he should instantly be made free About the yeâ—re 1522. there died of the plague in Millaine fiftie thousand within the space of foure moneths In Norwich from the first of Ianuarie to the first of Iuly 57104. In Yarthmouth within the space of one yeâ—re 7052. In London and the liberties thereof from the 23. of December 1602. vnto the 22. of December 1603. there died of all diseases as was accounted weekely 38244. whereof of the plague 30578. and from that time to this day the Citie not yet free This last yeere past as appeares in your own bils there died 2262. Lay this heauie iudgement to your heart heare this proclamation againe and againe There is no peace to the wicked As the stones of the field are in league with the righteous and the beasts at peace with the godly they may dwell safe in the wildernes and sleepe in the woods Ezech. 34.25 so contrariwise the stone shall crie â—ut of the wall and the beame out of the timber against the wicked Habacuk 2.11 Their sinne begets their sorrow their faults increase their foes euen their tables are made snares and their iâ—orie beds accusâ—rs and their seeled houses witnesses against them all things which were giuen for blessings are become curses vnto them and that which is most strange beside these two great bands of souldiers one common in earth another select in heauen there is yet a third of rebels euen of the very diuels in hell for albeit they be reserued in euerlasting chaines vntill the iudgement of the great day yet God infinite in his power and wisedome who brings light out of darknesse doth make good vse of these bad instâ—uments It is said in the first of Sam. chap. 16. that the euill spirit of the Lord vexed Saul it was Gods spirit which came vpon Dauid but it was a malignant spirit which was on Saul and yet this spirit is called sâ—â—riâ—us Domini the spirit of the Lord because the Lord sent that euill spirit and suffered it to torment Saul as Augustine and Lombard haue well expounded that place So likewise wâ—e reade in the Gospell that the foule spirits made some dâ—ase some dumbe casting one into the water another into the fire all which actions as they were actions proceeded from God for the Scripture tels vs plainly there is no power but of God Happily some will say the diuels assault the good so well as the bad We wrestle saith Paul against principalities against powers against the prince of darknes for Satan goes about like a roring lion seeking whom he may deuoure Answere is made that God suffers Satan to tempt his children onely to trie them but suffers him to tempt the reprobate so farre as to destroy them the temptations of the good are instruction of the bad destruction vtter ruine of bodie and soule In what a miserable case then is euery wretch irrepentant drawing iniquitie with cords of vanitie and sinne as it were with cart-ropes heaping vp wrath against the day of wrath For the number of his enemies is without number the number of the blessed Saints is innumerable Apocalyp 7.9 After these things I beheld and loe a great multitude which no
the works of darknesse put on tender mercy kindnesse humblenesse of mind which are weapons of light It is due debt that you should be followers of God forbearing one another and forgiuing one another as Christ forgaue you See epist. dom 3. quadrages The Nouelists except against our Seruice Booke for omitting here two titles holy and beloued Our answer is that the word elect implies the rest for if elect then beloued and holy The Church omits not the greater and infers the lesser as the Churches of Scotland and Middleburge call Gods heauy iudgements vpon the wicked a little rap Psal. 74.12 and bread of affliction broâ—ne bread Psal. 127.2 Contrary not onely to the Geneua Bible but euen Câ—luins exposition of the place If these friuolous obiections be their aqua coelestis to keepe life in their fainting cause we may toll the passing bell and ere long ring out to the funerall Let the word of Christ That is the Scripture the Gospell especially so called in respect of three causes Efficient for he speakes in the Prophets and Apostles I am he that doth speake behold it is I. Materiall for hee is the contents of all the Bible shadowed in the Law shewed in the Gospell vnam vocem habent duo Testamenta The word of the Lord containes nothing but the word which is the Lord. Finall as being the end of the whole Law scope of all the Prophets euer since the world began Wherefore seeing the Scriptures haue Christ for their author Christ for their obiect Christ for their end well may they be called the word of Christ. Dwell We must not entertaine the word as a stranger giuing it a cold complement and so take our leaue but because it is Gods best friend the Kings best friend and our best friend we must vse it as a familiar and domesticke receiuing it into the parlor of our heart making it our chamber fellow study fellow bed fellow Things of lâ—sse moment are without doore the staffe behind the doore sed quae pretiosa sunt noâ— vno seruantur ostio things of worth are kept vnder many locks and keyes It is fit then that the word being more pretious then gold yea the most fine gold a peerlesse pearle should not be laid vp in the Porters lodge onely the outward eare but euen in the cabinet of the mind Deut. 11.18 Ye shall lay vp these my words in your heart and in your soule so the word that now doth plenteously dwell among you may dwell plenteously in you Plenteously Reade heare meditate with all attention exactly with all intention deuoutly with all diligence throughly Iohn 5.39 Search the Scriptures Esay 8.20 to the law to the testimony Apocalyps 1.3 Blessed is he that reades and heares and keepes the words of this prophecie not onely reade nor onely heare nor onely meditate but all sometime reade to rectifie meditation and sometime meditate to profit by reading Lectio sine meditatione arida meditatio sine lectione erronea It is reported of Alphonso King of Spaine that hee read ouer all the Bible with Lyraes postil fourteene times And Augustine writes of Antonius an Egyptian Monke that hauing no learning he did by hearing the Scriptures often read get them without booke and after by serious and godly meditation vnderstand them This one word plenteously confutes plenteously first ignorant people who cannot secondly negligent people who will not reade and heare thirdly delicate people who loath the Scriptures as vnpleasant preferring the Poets before the Prophets admitting into their house the writings of men before the word of God fourthly perfunctory students in the Bible turning ouer not the whole but some part and that so coldly that as it is said of the Delphicke Oracle quoties legitur toties negligitur a lesson is no sooner got but it is forgot fiftly couetous people who will not giue to their Pastor plenteously that the word may dwell in them plenteously Nehemia complained in his time that the Leuites for want of maintenance were faine to leaue the Temple and follow the plow And Saint Augustine made the like complaint in his age whereupon in processe of time Clergy men inuented such points of superstition as were most aduantageous vnto them Hence they â—aked heil and found out Purgatory to make the Popes kitchin smoke an inuention not knowne vnto the Greeke Church for the space of 1500. yeeres after Christ and but of late knowne to the Latine Hence praier for the dead indulgences and other new trickes of popery which are more for the Priests belly then the peoples benefit God of his infinite goodnesse forgiue Britans ingratitude in this kind and grant that the burning lamps in our Temple may be supplied with sufficient oile that the light of Israel goe not out Sixtly this condemes Enthusiasts despising the word and ministery Seuenthly the Marcionits and Manichees reiecting Moses and the Prophets Last of all and most of all the Papists in denying the vulgar translations of Scripture to the common people Let the word of God dwell in you that is in all you Priest and people Non in nobis modo sed in vobis as Saint Hierom peremptorily Hic ostenditur verbum Christi non sufficientèr sed abundantèr etiam laicos habere debere docerese inuicem vel monere The word must dwell in vs Ergo the Bible must be in our house It must dwell plenteously Ergo we must reade daily but as it followes in the text With all wisdome The Papists as well in the Church as in the street chant scripture plenteously but because their hymnes are not in a knowne tongue it is without vnderstanding The Brownists in their bookes and sermons often cite scripture plenteously but it is not in wisdome Learned Origen notes well and where hee doth well none better that heretikes are scripturarum fures great lurchers of holy writ but they so wrest it that as Hierom speaks Euangelium Christi fit euangelium hominis aut quod peius est dâ—aboli Table Gospellers are full of text It is ordinary to discusse diuinitie problemes euen at ordinaries a custome very common but by the censure of our Church no way commendable For the 37. Iniunction forbids all men to reason of diuine scripture rashly and the greatest part of Archbishop Cranmers preface before the Church Bible is spent against idle brabling and brawling in matters of Theology And a graue Diuine much esteemed in our daies held it better for venturous discoursers of predestination and sinne against the holy Ghost that they had neither tongues in their heads nor hearts in their breasts then that they should continue in this irreuerend vsage Manlius reports how two meeting at a tauerne contended much to little purpose about their faith One said he was of Doctor Martins religion and the other sware he was of Doctor Luthers
opinion whereas Martin and Luther were but one So many men moue many doubts in many matters hauing neither will to heare nor skill to conceiue the state of a controuersie and then as Augustine said of Petilian the Donatist Multa dicendo nihil dicunt aut potius nihil dicendo multa dicunt The word of Christ must dwell in vs plenteously but in all wiidome we must heare it in all wisdome reade it in all wisdome meditate on it in all wisdome speake of it in all wisdome preach it in all wisdome not only in some but in all wisdome for all is little enough considering the Lord will not hold him guiltlesse who taketh his name in vaine Teaching and exhorting This clause may be referred either to that which went before or to that which followes after to that which went before Let the word of Christ dwell in you so plenteously with all wisdome that yee may both instruct and exhort your selues vnto euery good worke for doctrine and exhortation are two principall vses of the Scripture 2. Tim. 3.16 For doctrine the law shewes euery man in his vocation what actions are acceptable to God and the Gospell teacheth how they be acceptable namely by faith in Christ. Let the word of Christ therefore dwell in you so plenteously with all wisdome that it may be a lanterne to your feet and a light to your paths a direction how to serue God in holinesse and righteousnesse all the daies of your life For exhortation the word must so dwell in vs as that wee may stirre vp one another to godlinesse Esay 2.3 Heb. 3.13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so to put it and print it in our mind that it may not onely be profitable to our selues but vsefull also to other in publike which is the Pastors office in priuate which is euery Christians duty This also may be referred vnto the words following as according to most expositors our Church here Teach and exhort your owne selues in Psalmes c. where Saint Paul describes the Christians musicke both for the matter Psalmes hymnes spirituall songs the maner sing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. Psalmes and hymnes Some distinguish these by their obiect affirming that hymnes are laudatory for the glorious Angels in heauen sing not Psalmes but hymnes Hominum est psallere Deum hymnis efferre angelorum Spirituall odes are peculiar songs accuratelie framed by the Church according to her seuerall exigence Psalmes are of sundry matters and arguments exhortatory consolatory precatory deprecatory But I follow that other distinction of Hierom and Luther vnderstanding by the first the Dauidicall Psalmes by the second the songs of Moses Debora Zacharias Mary Simeon mentioned in the Bible by the third godly hymnes inuented by the Christians of that age called spirituall respectu termini à quo as proceeding from Gods spirit respectu terminiad quem as edifying our spirit containing spirituall matter and melody for the comfort of our soule not any carnall or wanton dittie to nourish the lust of our flesh And therefore the Papisticall hymnes in an vnknowue language are not spirituall respectus termini ad quem in that they neither instruct nor exhort much lesse ribald ballads instructing in vanity exhorting to villany Luther Zanchius Marlorat construe this of singing in the Church as well as in priuate for Gods holy people haue vsed in all ages euen frō the primitiue time vntill this day to sing in the publike congregation the Psalmes of Dauid hymnes of Zacharias Simeon Mary spirituall songs composed by deuout Doctors according to the seuerall occasions of the Church and therefore Come holy Ghost sung at the consecration of our Bishops Te Deum of Saint Ambrose the Creed of Athanasius vsed in our Liturgy are warranted both by Gods precept and his peoples practise With grace I finde three constructions of this one clause for grace by grace with grace Sing to the Lord for grace receiued as Paul Ephes. 5. Speake to your selues in psalmes and hymnes and spirituall songs making melody to the Lord giuing thanks alway for all things And in the next verse following here What soeuer yee doe in word or deed doe all in the name of the Lord Iesu giuing thanks to God the Father by him Euery good and perfect gift is from aboue comming downe from the father of lights Ipsum minus munus est the least gift is a grace the meanes to get and preserue grace proceeds altogether from grace for if God withdraw his mercy we presently fall As a staffe which if a man take and set vpright vpon the ground so long as he holds it with his hand it stands vpright but so soone as he withdrawes his helpe though he neuer push it downe it will fall o◠it selfe Ascendat ergo gratia vt descendat gratia Let our thanks ascend vp vnto God that his grace may descend downe to vs. By grace Man is not onely the Temple of God as Paul speakes but as Clemens Alexandrinus the timbrell of God Now the timbrell cannot found except it be touched It is then the spirit of God that makes our pipes to goe God saith Athenagoras is the bellowes and we the organs A man may sing to the diuell to the world to the flesh without this grace but he cannot sing to the Lord but by the Lord. Our musicke may bee songs but not spirituall songs except they bee guided by the spirit This should teach vs in our Psalmes and hymnes to praise God for his grace when wee feele it and often to pray to God for it when wee feele it not With grace That is with a gratious dexteritie with delight and profit both vnto our selues and other Vnto our selues for as it is a ioy to the iust to doe iustice Prouerbs 21.15 so a grace to the godly to bee ioyfull in the Lord to serue the Lord with gladnesse and to come before his presence with a song to sing the Psalmes of Dauid with the spirit of Dauid the song of Mary with the spirit of Mary Te Deum of S. Ambrose with the spirit of S. Ambrose Againe with grace to other Ephes. 4.29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth but that which may minister grace that is instruction and consolation to the hearer vttered in such manner and method that it may bee well accepted euen of the most vntoward We must not sing our own crochets out of tune without rule witlesse and senselesse songs All that we sing all that we say must be gracefull Et prodesse volunt delectare poetae And if Poets how much more Prophets Hee that doth preach and pray without a grace doth the worke of the Lord negligently though he preach euery day and pray euery houre In your hearts As our mouth must shew foorth his praise so our soule must
which is not a reward os merit but of mercie not of debt but of fauour as it appeares here by the persons Of whom God the Father Through whom the Steward God the Sonne To whom to the labourers yet so that the last be paied first and the first last When euen All our time of labouring in the vineyard is termed in this and other places of holy writ a day Behold now the day of saluation Exhort one another while it is called to day Now our whole pilgrimage on earth is called a day in two respects especially 1. For the shortnesse of our life 2. For that after this our day is spent wee shall no longer worke All our time is but a day and that a short day a winters day for our eternal night is infinitly longer then our temporall day and alas it is but a little part of this little day that we worke Multum temporis eâ—ipitur nobis plus subducitur plurimum effâ—uit exigua pars est vitae quam nos viâ—imus It is the least part of our life that we truly liue for wee spend our youth which is our morning in toyes and vanities and our old age which is our afternoone for the most part is lost in carking and caring for things of this life so that there remaineth only the noone of our day As Epaminondas aptly we must salute young men with good morow or welcome into the world old men with good night because they bee leauing the world only those of middle age with good day Let vs examine then how we spend our noone Though honest men vse not to sleepe at noone yet all wee being labourers in Gods haruest and vineyard ordinarily sleepe almost halfe our time Other houres we waste in eating other in playing and that which is worst of all most of all in sinning all which time wee cannot properly bee said to liue for as the scripture teacheth vs plainly bad workes are not the workes of light but of night and darknesse a day mispent is lost amici diem perdidi Similis Captaine of the guard to the Emperour Adrian after he had retired himselfe and liued priuatly seuen yeeres in the countrey confessed that hee had liued only 7. yeers and caused to be written vpon his tombe Hic iacet Similis cuius aetas multorum annorum fuit ipse septem duntaxat annos vixit So many religious men haue numbred their yeeres not from the day of their birth but of their new birth from their beginning of their regeneration and repentance reputing all that time lost which was idly misspent in the market of the world so that whether we consider our life of nature or life of grace our whole time may well be called a short day Secondly a day in regard of our eternal night in which we cannot worke for there is no grace in the graue nor health in hell I must worke the workes of him that sent me saith Christ while it is day the night commeth when no man can worke When euen is come the Lord of the vineyard shall say to his steward call the labourers and giue them their hire This euen is either euery mans end or else the worlds end the particular houre of our death or the general day of iudgement at both which as well the loiterer as the labourer shall receiue his reward The next point to be discussed is what Giue them their hire The word hire doth exceedingly trouble the Papists for they cannot or at least will not vnderstand how eternal life may be both a reward and a gift whereas it is demonstrated in holy Scripture that the immortall crowne of glorie is called a reward secundùm quid only but a gift simplicitè◠if we compare life euerlasting to the worke and looke no further it is called a reward Matth. 5.12 Great is your reward in heauen but examine the first original from whence the worke it selfe also proceedes and all is meerely and wholly gift eternall life is the gift of God through Iesus Christ our Lord whereas the blessed Apostle said the wages of sinne is death If there were any merits in our workes the sequell of his speech should haue been The wages of righteousnesse is eternall life hee saith not so but the gift of God is eternall life and so by that which he doth not say as also by that which he doth say sheweth that there is no place for merit If then it be of grace it is no more of works otherwise grace is no grace Gratia non erit gratia vllo modo nisi sit gratuita omniâ—odo Grace is not grace in any sort if it be not free in euery sort In this controuersie the scriptures and fathers and many learned Papists are on our side God saith in the law that he will shew mercy to such as keep his commandements Ergo rewâ—â—â— is giuen of mercy to them that fulfill the law Christ saith in the Gospell It is your fathers pleasure to giue youâ— kingdome And Paul The sufferings of this life are not worthy of the glory in the life to come The most iudicious and the most indifferent for both parties among the fathers is Augustine who repeates in his works often this one golden sentence Deus coronat dona sua non merâ—aâ—â—â—â—râ— God crowneth his owne gifts not our merits according to that of Dauid Hee crowneth vs with compassion and louing kindnesse Eternall life should be rendred as due vnto thee if of thy selfe thou hadst the righteousnesse to which it is due But of his fulnesse wee receiue not onely grace now to liue iustly in our labours vnto the end but also grace for this grace that afterward wee may liue in rest without end Haec est gratia â—ratis dâ—â—a non meritis operantis sed miseratione donaxâ—iâ— Origen saith he can hardly be perswaded that there can be any worke which by debt may require reward at Gods hand in as much as it is by his gift that wee are able to doe or thinke or speake any thing thatiâ— good Marke the Hermite saith He that doth good 〈◊〉 â—â—ng reward thereby serueth not God but his owne wâ—â—◠〈…〉 the words of my text The Lord of the vineyard 〈…〉 hire not as paying a price to their labour buâ— powâ—ing forth the riches of his goodnesse to the◠〈…〉 chosâ— without works that euen they alâ—o who 〈…〉 with much labour and haue receiued no mâ—re 〈…〉 may vnderstand that they haue receiued a 〈…〉 not wages for their worke So Saint 〈…〉 in Rom 8. Greg. Magnus in Psalm 〈…〉 1. dâ— interpell cap. 1. in Luc. lib. 8. c. 17. Fulgentius ad Monimum lib. 1. Many learned Papists agree with vs also both in their positions and practise Bernard in his sermon vpon the Annunciation said that the merits of men are not such as that life eternall
that thou hast not receiued Wherefore O man if thou be to receiue eternall life it is indeed the wages of righteousnesse but to thee it is grace to whom righteousnesse it selfe is also grace That God cals it is his mercy that thou commest at his call it is his mercy that thou dost labour when thou art come it is his mercy that thou art rewarded for thy labour it is his mercy By the grace of God I am that I am and his grace which is in me was not in vaine but I labored more abundantly then them all yet not I but the grace of God which is with me The Epistle 2. COR. 11.19 Ye suffer fooles gladly c. SAint Paul was so modest in his owne cause that hee cals himselfe the greatest sinner and the least Saint but in Gods cause perceiuing that his personall disgrace might tend to the generall hurt of the Church and scandall of the Gospell he doth boast with the prowdest In whâ—â—soeuer aâ—â—â— tâ—an is bold I am bold also Not out of vaine glory to commend himselfe but out of a iust necessitie to stop the mouthes of other especially to confound the false teachers He doth therefore first confer then prefer himselfe before them all He compares himselfe with them in that which is lesse commendable namely for his birth and ancientry 〈◊〉 are Hebrewes euen so â—m I they are Israelites euen so am â— they are the seed of Abraham euen so am I whereas they reioice after the flesh I will reioice also vers 18. As he doth equall himselfe with them in things carnall so prefer himselfe before them in things spirituall in that which is more worthy praise to wit in his Apostleship First in generall They are the Ministers of Christ I speake as a foole I am more put apart to preach the Gospell of God not by man but by Iesus Christ. In more particular he doth extoll himselfe aboue them all in two points especially 1. For that he suffered moe troubles as he sheweth in this scripture 2. For that he receiued mo graces as he declareth in the next Chapter His troubles here mentioned are partly such as himselfe assumed of his owne accord such as other imposed on him In stripes aboue measure SupramoduÌ„ virtutis humaâ—â— supra modum coÌ„suetuâ—inis humanae In prâ—â—â—n more plenteously in death ofâ— of the Ieâ—s sâ—ue times I receiued forty stripes saue one Thrice was I beaten with rods I was once stoned I suffered thrice shipwracke night and day haue I been in the deep sea in perill of watâ—rs in perill of robbers in ieopardie of mine owne nation in ieopardâ— among the heathen inperils in the Citie in perils in wildernesse in perils among false brethren c. Outward Labour watching hunger thirst fasting cold nakednesse Inward I am cumbred daily and take care for all the congregations c. The naturall man is comforted in three things especially quiet rest liberall diet good apparell For rest Paul did labour much euen with his owne hands night and day watching osten preaching sometime till midnight Acts 20.7 For diet he sometime was in hunger and thirst vpon want 1. Cor. 4.11 and often he did fast for the â—aming of his body 1 Cor. 9.27 For apparell he was in cold and nakednesse the one hurtfull to himselfe the other hatefull to the world For his inward afflictioâ— he tooke care for the whole Church exceeding solicitous for their spirituall temporall good spirituall who is weake in faith or good works and I am not grieued insirmis factus sum infirmus I became weak to the weake that I may win the weake So the Prophet Oh that mine head were full of water and mine cies a fountaine of teares that I might weepe day and night for the slaine of the daughter of my people Concerning defects in temporall good he saith Who is offended that is afflicted and I burne not in heat of compassion All this Saint Paul doth hedge in with a preface before Yee suâ—â—er fooles c. And a protestation after vers 31. The God euen the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ which is blessed for euermore knoweth that I lie not In the preface Saint Paul doth tax the Corinthians folly for that they suffered and that gladly the false teachers to tyrannise ouer their persons and purses eitâ—er secretly defrauding or openly deuouring their estate whereas the good Apostles in the meane while who preached liberty of conscience and sought not their owne but that which is Iesus Christ were neglected and despised As it was in Corinth it is in England the craftie Iesuit and dissembling schismatike preuaile more with the people then the true Protestant Preacher Our popish Ladies are so wise that they suffer the Iesuit to bring both their credits and consciences into bondage to deuoure their husbands estate to take what they list inioyning penance to other while they pamper themselues and exalt their order aboue all either Priest or people So the Schismatike gaines by losse as in familiar letters it is the best rhetoricke to vse no rhetoricke carere figuris sigurat epistolam And as Sciâ—io said he was neuer lesse alone then when he was alone so the factious haue neuer so much liuing as when they haue no liuing But the Protestant Pastor is kept often from his own which all lawes of God and men hold his due by prohibitions and vniust vexations or else paied with insupportable grudging and enuie Some will happily complaine with Innocentius Iustitia nisi venit non prouenit neque datur nisi vendatur So that as trauellers obserue Diuines are lesse regarded in England then in any nation of the world either Christian or heathen Saint Paul in his protestation calles to witnesse the most mercifull and most mighty that he speaks nothing but the truth He that knoweth all knoweth I doe not lie The Lord is to be feared because God to be loued because the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ to be praised because blessed for euermore By this great good glorious Lord whom I dare not abuse because great will not because good may not because glorious I protest that all is true which I haue said or shall say It appeares then in his preface that he dealt wisely in his protestation that hee dealt truly Some commend themselues truely but not wisely moe commend themselues wisely but not truly Paul here doth both approuing himselfe before God and men before God in speaking so truly before men in speaking so wisely The Gospel Luke 8.4 When much people were gathered together and were come to him out of all cities he spake by a similitude The sower went out to sow c. OVr Sauiour Christ in this Scripture propoundeth a parable expoundeth a parable In the propounding three points are regardable the Occasion When much people c. vers 4. Parable
The two Testaments are two pence bearing the same Kings image though not of the same stampe for all things being now fulfilled written by the Prophets of the Sonne of man our Sauiours picture ingrauen in the Gospell is more full and cleere then that imprinted in the law Now God hath shewed vs the light of his countenance Psal. 67.1 Let vs therefore search the Scripture for that is the way to Christ and Christ is the way to God For hee shall be deliuered vnto the Gentiles and shall bee mocked Hee did particularly foretell the manner of his suffering that his disciples might see that as God he did foresee these things that they might be strengthened at his Crosse when as they should vnderstand all things to be fulfilled as they were told by Christ and foretold by the Prophets That he should be betraied was foretold Psal. 41.9 mocked was foretold Ps. 69. v. 7.12.22 spitted on was foretold Esay 50.6 scourged was foretold Esay 53.5 put to death was foretold Psal. 22.17 Christ was deliuered vnto the Gentiles as we reade in the Gospell especially by three Iudas the Iewes Pilat By Iudas out of couetousnesse as the text expresly What will ye giue me and I will deliuer him to you For a little siluer and that not paied but onely promised he sold his friend yea that which is worse his Master yea that which is worst of all his Maker See the Gospell the Sunday before Easter By the Iewes out of malice Matth. 27.18 Pilat knew well that for enuy they deliuered him By Pilat through feare for the Iewes said vnto him If thou set him free thou art not Caesars friend for whosoeuer maketh himselfe a King speaketh against Caesar. And therefore Pilat chose rather to crucifie the Lord eternall then to displease Caesar a Lord temporall In like sort all couetous all malitious all cowardly professors betray Christ daily The couetous who make their coine their Creed and their penny their Pater noster and their bils their Bible betray Christ with Iudas It is but what will you giue them and they will deliuer vp the Gospell vnto you Enuious men who persecute the Saints and disgrace their graces betray Christ in his members with the Iews euen for meere malice speaking to their Christian brother as Antoninus Caracalla to his naturall brother Sit diuus modò non vinus Cowardly profâ—ssors vse to betray Christ with Pilat For as soone as tribulation or persecution commeth for the word they feare more the threats of Caesar an earthly Prince who can kill onely the body then the wrath of God who being King of all Kings is able to destroy both body and soule in hell The second point touching Christs passion is illusio Now Christ was mocked in foure places especially 1. In Caiphas house where the keepers blindfolded him and smote him on the face and asked him saying Prophecie who is it that smotâ— thee In Herods company when as the souldiers arraied him in white In the Common hall where they stripped him and put vpon him a scarlet robe In Golgotha when he was crucified First as Saint Matthew in the 27. Chap. by the passengers wagging their heads and saying Thou that destroiest the Temple and buildest it in three daies saue thy selfe c. Then by the Scribes and Pharises Hee saued other but he cannot saue himselfe Last of all some peruerted his words affirming that he called for Elias when as he praied Eli Eli c. The popish Clergy mocke Christ with Caiphas in that they blindfold the people by denying them the Scriptures and then mocke them for their ignorance Samson hauing his eiâ—s out was a laughing stocke to the Philistins and so the blinde laymen are the Priests pastime Though a Iesuit or a Seminary buffet them euery day yet can they not prophecie who smote them Either Samson must pull downe the Colledges of these Philistins or else he shall neuer see but thorow their spectacles They mock Christ with Herod who retaine foule consciences in a white rochet who conforme themselues in habit but reforme not themselues in heart The Babylonian whore mocks Christ with the souldiers in putting on skarlet betokening zeale and charity when her actions are cruell and bloudy They mocke Christ with the Iewes in Golgotha who distort the words of Scripture for their aduantage making Elias of Eloi Like the popish dolt who reading the subscription of Pauls 2. Epistle to the Thessalonians in the vulgar Latine Missa fuit ex Athenis instantly cried out that he had found a plaine text for the Masse Or like that foppish Anabaptist who gathered out of Christs words in English Goe and teach all nations and baptise c. that it is not lawfull for a Clergy man to ride on a faire palfrey much lesse as the Bishops in a stately coach Or as that Fen-man alias Fin-man standing vpon a marsh customâ— iustified his not paiment of Tithes out of Paul Custome to whom custome but his Pastor replied aptly the Churches of God haue no such custome So the blasphemous mouth spits on Gods face the tyrants openly crossing the Gospels proceeding scourge Christ and all such as slide from the profession of the faith are said in scripture to crucifie againe the Sonne of God And therefore the Church hath allotted this Gospell for this weeke most fitly For at this Carniual gut tide many deliuer Christ vnto y e Gentiles in their chambering and wantonnes drunkennes gluttonie making such as are no Christians to blaspheme Christianitie seeing such vncomely behauiour and mad meriments among profâ—ssors of holy religion As a louing wife which hath her husband slaine to moue compassion in the Iudges and to make the fact most odious and hatefull tels of his deadly wounds and describes his gastly lookâ—s and shewes some garment of his embrued in blood so the Church at this time doth offer vnto our considerations how Christ her deare Loue was betraied and mocked and spitted on and scourged and put to dâ—ath hereby recalling vs from our horrible sinnes which as another Iudas betray Christ as another Herod mock Christ as another Pilate condemne Christ as another Longinus wound Christ as another band of Iewes recrucifie Christ. And the third day he shall rise againe Christ is large in â—he report of his ignominie but short in this of his gloâ—ie for he deliuered fiue points as concerning his humiliation but he remembers onâ—ly two yea for the matter but one touching his exaltation And the third day hee shall rise againe Yet this one is the locke and key of all Christian faith on which all other articles of holy beleefe depend See before the Creed and after the Gospell on Easter and S. Thomas day The Prophets vsually mingle the sweet of Christs exaltation with the sower of his humiliation as Gen. 49.9 Esay 53.7 8. Psal. 4.9