Gospell is preached O Lord holy and reuerend is thy name y Psal 111.9 blessed be thy name for euer and euer z Leuit. 21.18 There was a time that some sort of people were by proscription banished the temple Cacus Claudus non intrabunt in templum an order among the Iewes neither the halt nor blinde must enter into the Temple which Law seemeth strange not only seeing that Caeci and Claudi among the Romanes as Plutarch a Plut. in vita Coriolam noteth were the surnames of chiefe families of note but also because the Iewes themselues descended originally from the blinde and lame for Isaack the son b Gen. 27.1 of the father of the faith full was blinde c Gen. 32.31 and Iacob the sonne of Isaack himselfe the father o the Patriarches was lame But this custome is antiquited and now not only the doore of the Temple is open but the vetle of the Temple is broken and the master of the feaâ—th whâ—enâ— his seruants into the streetes and lanes of the Cuâ— to bring in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the beggers and maimed and halt and blinde our Churches are opâ—n to receiue the poore d Luk. 14.21 vnto the poore the Gospell is preached they are not onely cured in Bethesdae poole but councelled in this place as in Salomons porch they are not onely cured in the soares of Adames bodie but prepared for the companie of their brother Lazarus in Abrahams bosome e Math. 5.3 and therfore I say with our Sauiour blessed be the poore f Psal 41.1 and with the Psalmist blessed be they that consider the poore g Deut. 33.1 a blessing as ample as euer Moses wished Israel the good-will and blessing of him that dwelt in the Bush h Deut. 33.16 be vpon you all the Lord blesse you with the blessings of heauen aboue the blessings of the deepe beneath the blessings of the fields and fruites the blessing of the barnes and baskets the blessing of City and Countrey and the blessings of both testaments of both lifes of both worlds be vpon you all from this day forth for euermore I am not yet you see entred into the tent of my Text my meditations are yet as the affring betwixt the porch and the altar or rather yet we bee in atrio the entrie I must not go thorough the Temple and neither must I stay at the kings pillar nor the Priests altar the holy ointment in this historie is neither belonging to the Coronation of the King nor Consecration of the Priest nor Dedication of the holy place This storie tels vs of the anointing of our Sauiour and his vnction was rather saith Ierome spiritualis then ritualis Ierom. in Isay hee was a Priest neuer anointed as a Priest and a King neuer anointed as a King God anointed Iesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost saith S. Peter Acts 8.38 God euen thy God hath anointed thee with the oile of gladnesse aboue thy fellowes saith the Psalmist Saul was anointed but with a viall of oile Psal 45.7 1 Sam 10.1 1 Sam. 16.1 Dauid with a full horne of oile but he is anointed aboue hi fellowes with the oile of gladnesse from the crowne of his head to the skirt of his garment Vers 8. Therefore saith Iudas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To what purpose is this waste Anointed by the Father anointed by the Holy Ghost anointed with oile of gladnesse Vnctio spiritualis saith Innocentius agit auget proculdubio quod designat Im. oc de sacr vncti nu What needs this anointing especially from a woman a woman weake by hersex wicked by her sinne a woman if the most and best and ancientest Interpreters bee not deceiued sinfull for her life hatefull for her lust a notorious enormous publike Publican Citie sinner Magdalena lena Magdalen possessed formerly with seuen Deuils Luk. 7.37 she of all others she to be so bold to powre her oile vpon the head of her Sauiour Modest was that miserable woman that trembled when shee touched and durst not touch him but the hemme of his garment This sorrowfull solitarie soule in the spring of her repentance washed his feet with her teares no more but his feet stood behinde him kneeling weeping washing wiping his feet kissing his feet anointing his feet with a box of ointment and behold the dew of her deuotion falleth not the Sunne of righteousnesse draweth it vp Aarons oile was deriued from the head to the feet Luk 7.47 Magdalens oile from the feet to the head Dilexit multum was her first reward She loued much and Loue is not ruled with reason but with loue it neither regardeth what can bee nor what should be done but only what it selfe desireth to do No difficultie can stay it no impossibilitie appall it Greg. de Mar. Magd. Gregory speaketh of her Amanti semel aspicere non sufficit vis amoris intentionem multiplicat vnctionis Loue doubled this duties for Loue is title iust enough and armour strong enough for all assaults it selfe a reward of all labours Affection like a fiery Cherubin flies from anointing his feet to his head Iudas aske no other reason Dilexit multum shee loued much There was no Disciple Sathan could fasten on to betray our Sauiour but Iudas the bagge was a curse to Iudas as well as the soppe at the supper Iudas that carried the bagge was hee as a Ioh. 12.4 S. Iohn tels vs that repined at the bountie of the loue and labour of this woman Iudas censures it our Sauiour commends it Iudas murmureth Let her alone Why trouble ye the woman saith our Sauiour Wherefore is this waste saith Iudas It is a good worke saith our Sauiour it might haue beene giuen to the poore saith Iudas The poore yee haue alwayes but mee yee haue not saith our Sauiour It might haue beene sold for much saith Iudas In that she hath powred this ointment on my body she did it for my buriall saith our Sauiour and addes this for a Corollarie Wheresoeuer this Gospell shall be preached through the whole world there shall this that this woman hath done be told for a memoriall of her Our Sauiâ—ur gaue many gratious testimonies of many in the Gospell Iob. 1.17 of Nathaniel Behold a true Israelite of the Centurion I haue not found such faith in Israel of the b Canaanite O woman great is thy faith of the sinfull woman Magdalen Much is forgiuen her because c Luk. 7.47 shee loued much But all these are farre short of Maries sweet smelling memoriall A time there was that our Sauiour commended d Luk. 10.42 Mary for her hearing him aboue Martha for entertaining him Mary hath chosâ—n the better part which shall not be taken from her Non opus reprehâ—ndit sed munus aistinxit saith e Aug. de verl is Domâ—â—i ser 27. Austine But now Mary takes vpon her Marthaes dutie and is as
the insinuations of other vices open and plaine but priuy and craftie creeping vpon a man with a Spanish low complement binding the eyes with a cobwebbe vaile of vanitie and then with a false key of self-selfe-loue opening the heart to draw in that Spirit which turneth Angells into Deuills Beloued your alabaster box is faire see your ointment be sweete Hierem. In hoc genere Marmoris vnguenta seruantur illibata saith Ierome farre be it that in an alabaster box there should be poison or in the censor of your incense an vnsauory persume yee haue annointed the feet of Christ and I hope great is your reward in heauen yet the sinner did so much Faemina peccatrix in ciuirate shall I say the sinfull Citie hath done no more then that infamous sinner in the Citie I will not I must not I hope I may say the holy Citie the Cittie of God hath annointed the head and feete of her Sauiour to the glory of God this worke that yee haue done is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a good worke these little ones are the Lords feet let not the best heere despise one of these little ones for I say vnto you that in heauen the Angells doe alwaies behold the face of the Father which is in heauen Let other places bee honoured for other blessings in them Venice for riches Bononia for fruits Naples for nobilitie Millane for beauty Rauenna for antiquity Florence for pollicie but of all Christian Cities This of yours for this Nurserie of your Insants and Orphans hath excelied I denie not but besides this many other Porches of Bethesdas poole are blessed by you when I come to the memoriall which is as the Mart ye shall haue the Catalogue But this is the best and most blest of all your good workes It was a lamentable crie in Ierusalem Parvuli panem petunt nemo est qui frangit illis The children crie for bread and there is none to giue it them the children the younglings sucklings babes Lament 4. and latter births they that could neither stir to get it nor labour to gaine it Parvuli panem petunt the weake sicke infant innocent tenderlings not able to continue fasting nor to succour themselues by feeding in Ierusalem they perished nothing in the Lamentation more lamentable But here they are nourished blessed be the Lord our Ierusalems brests be not drie dearth hath not threatned death plentie bountie mercie had fed these poore children Gods promise grace and glory will reward it I will not presse you that are so gratiously forward nor tell you that somewhat is wanting yet that Ierusalem was plagued for not building of her decayed Temple which was the glory of her Cittie nor encite by any arguments further then Haggai inciteth you Hagg. 1.9 I will not tell you that Christendome hath not a more glorious foundation then you haue to worke vpon for you are sure to builde vpon faith Pauls Church All that I moue is this that this vncleane leprous idolatrous place may be clensed no time so fit as the Passouer the first time that Christ came into the Temple Christ draue the buyers and sellers out of the Temple and Rupertus tells vs it was at the Passâ—uer It is questioned why Mary Magdalen in Luke came to Christ being such a sinner Pupertus lib. 5. in Iohan. with a box of oinâ—ment and answered vnguenta attulit quis nouit quod peccata ante DeuÌ„ fattâ—la ideo adducit vnguenta oderifera Beloued yee had neede to present your selues to God the many sinkes of sinnes in this Cittie they onely bring the plague Gods anger and your danger come not without your ointments kisse the sonne least he be angry and yee perish from the right-way offer sweete ointments and in a sweete place sanctifie your selues and your ointments and place yee present it in A woman perfumed a Lepers house once and the house hath smelt of the sauour euer since at length persume this place and doe this and whatsoeuer you doe to the glory of God This is the this that receiueth the commendation for this act the Author a woman is honoured which is my next part This that this woman hath done This woman A sâ—â—n Euae à Diabolo mutuarit peccatum Eue the first woman tooke vp sinne from Sathan vpon her bare word Adam by consenting vâ—aduisedly subscribed to the bond vsura creuit posteritati saith Austen but the burthen of the interest euer since lay heauy on their posteritie the woman was first in the transgrâ—ssion but no wonder for if Lucifer an Angell first fell in heauen it is not strange that a woman fell in earth in Paradise was the quarrell euer since was the battle the Serpent lost the field though the won an lost the garden God gaue the woman the honour and the victorie in the day of battle Semen mulieris the seede of the woman shall breake the Serpents head all the quarrell since is for the broken head Draw thy sword and slay mee Iudg 9.54 saith Abimelech to his Armour-bearer when a woman had wounded him that they say not A woman slew him Iudg. 9.54 Sathan was as Abimelech wounded by a woman In all the Scripture yee haue scarce any example of any woman that wounded a man but still she aimed at the head When Iael slew Sisera shee nailed his head to the ground Iudg. 4.21 Iudg. 4 21. When Sheba rebelled and Ioab besieged him a woman crieth to the Captaine The head of Sheba shall be cast ouer to thee 2 Sam. 20.21 2 Sam. 20.21 Iudg. 13.8 When Iudith slew Holofernes she smote away his head from him Iudg. 13.8 When the woman slew Abimelech she cast a peece of a milstone on his head Iudg 9.53 Iudg 9.53 I am neither friend nor stranger to strange Allegories These be semblances of the womans breaking the Serpents head But the woman in my Text is anointing her Sauiours head a worke that no woman did but she and therefore she to bee honoured among women Yet who this woman was wee may sooner question then know Nec siue ex curiositate siue ex praesumptione disquirere cupiamus saith Kemnitius and his counsell is good Kemnitius hanu Euang. in bunc locum presumption and curiositie in questions are to be auoided yet the Truth is so to bee embraced as that negligently to refuse knowledge is a dull superstition The wise should neither bee Scepticks nor Guosticks Curiositie is dangerous Ignorance is odious Oculos habemus Talparum non Aquilarum It is true and it is our miserie yet to haue no eyes or hauing to stop our eyes is base blindfolded Idolatrie Maries face is not as Moyses face it hath no vaile wee may looke vpon it and aske Magdalen art thou Lazarus sister or shall wee looke for another Vnlgatissima opinio Kemnitius saith Kemnitius ipsam fuisse peccatricem illam It was the most commonly knowne opinion that this
these If euer yee had pitty on the fruite of your wombes take pittie on your soules pamper not your bodies to murther your soules Cloath not Hagar with the colour of the Rainebow and let Sara the soule the Kings daughter sterue Flatter not your selue worms made your cloathes worms eate your bodies Alas wantons and wormes-meate what be yee what shall become of yee if ye neglect the message of saluation No oyle for your lampes no ointment for your heads Holinesse should become the house of God for euer if ye are his ye are his houses to dwell in and nothing can better become yee then holinesse Beautie natures frailtie affections fancie cannot better become yee Apparell nakednesse garment follies garnish Adams fig-leaues and beasts leauings cannot better become yee Gold and siluer the Wise-mans drosse but the Miserables darling the earths gifts and mineralls garbage cannot better become ye Wit vertues wanton fooles wonder vices friend and the worlds fauorite cannot better become ye Embrace annoint kisse loue solace onely in the contemplation of your sauiour No snake in this garden no worme in that gourd be ye amiable as Rahell wise as Rebecca obedient as Sara diligent as Martha but withall religious as Mary who receiued this Testimonie wheresoeuer I am at length come to her memoriall my third circumstance of the second part Saint Chrysostome makes mention In 1 Cor. 4. hom 14. of the women of Corinth who had a custome to set vp lights or tapers at the birth of euery childe with proper names and looke what name the taper bare which lasted longest in the burning they transferred that name to the childe our Lord hath put vp a burning lampe for a perpetuall monument of Mary her name and her ointment shall neuer haue an end Quanto huius seminis benedictio satio parca messis abundans Augusta vena spatiosi maris quantum pretium praetiosae meris No Iustes nor Olympiads nor Iubiles nor ages nor Plato his longest yeare nor the long liued motion of the ninth spheare shall terminate or antiquate this memoriall In this Gospell I should looke for a monument vpon Christs sepulcher Esay It was Esaies Prophesie gloriosum erit eius sepulchruÌ„ Alexander may haue Europe and Asia and all the world represented on his Tombe Cyrus on his Hic PersaruÌ„ Domitor Themistocles on his En memoranda facta Themistocles yet neither Alexander against Barbarians Themistocles against the Persians Emilius against the Macedonians Marcellus against the Scithians or Scipio against the Carthaginians had euer the like victory in the field as Christ had in the graue nor doth this victorie want a memory euer vpon the monument of his Sepulchre For as Alphonsus had this Alphonsus iacet hic so Christs Sepulcher this inscription Luk 24.6 Surrexit Christus nonest hic That memoriall is by an Angell but Christs memoriall is by Christ himselfe A more ample memoriall then euer Christ gaue any neither Peter first called nor Iohn best beloued nor Iames his neere kinsman none of these pillars as Paul calleth them had such a Pillar erected as Maries memoriall Christ buildeth a memoriall out of Maries box because she poured her oyle on his body and this is a memoriall not of him but of her Erasmus obserueth that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a solemne monument an honourable memoriall Chrysostome on Mathew wonders at the eternitie of this memoriall nec insignis persona nec multitudine testium celebrata nec in Templo nec in Theatro sed in domo in domo leprosi confecta No noble personage not done in the Temple or Theatre or before a multitude of witnesses but in a priuate house in the house of a Leper when the Disciples were onely present and yet saith Chrysostome the famous deedes of Kings and Emperours is silenced they which built cities erected wals fought battles attained Trophies subdued nations though they erected statues and made ordinances for celebrating their memorialls yet their memoriall is perished with them when as this act of this woman is recorded and this is the woman whose praise is in the Gospell A priuate woman in a priuate manner in the priuate house of a Leper to poure out a small box of ointment on Christs head Say her loue was great and her act was good and her oyntment were pretious notwithstanding that of Claudian in greater acts hath beene true Minuit presentia famam quanto magis illam minuit notitia Fame is an infection acts reported are either portentious beyond truth and by bignesse they breake or else so cankered with the rust of vntruth as being lessened they liue not It is true many haue sought honour by building wherein they haue thought to leaue perpetuall monuments and what are all these but Mâ—â—â—mons ryots and times ruines making the earth to groane vnder the burthen it beareth Where is Neroes house of gold or Dioclesians hot bathes or Anthonies water workes or Augustus forum or Cornelius Theatre or the Amphitheatre of Statilius or Dianas Temple or the Mansolian Tombe or Octanias gate or Liuias gally or Apolloes Church or Iupiters Capitoll It is a very poore monument how immense how sound that lime and stone and wood and timber and dust and ashes must pile for a memoriall to posteritie when time and storme and winde and weather and moath and rust and ruine doe corrupt it There was a monument bestowed on a Viceroy of Spaine Propter nos nostram salutem descendit ad inferos and many such great ones to the shame of their posteritie deserue no better memorie When as Maries ointment smels sweete ouer all the world whose memoriall yeelds this Doctrine The good workes of Gods Saints shall bee had in euerlasting remembrance The reason Doct. because they shall bee exemplary to posteritie and incitements to Gods glory In Nehemiah 3. there is a list of the Benefactours that built the wall of Ierusalem Neh. 3. not onely their families and their Tribes but their trades the Marchants and the Goldsmiths are twise named the whole trade and company are named and one in the 8. verse and Apothe earies sonne is named and after seuerall men and euery mans seuerall worke The righteous saith Dauid shall be had in euerlasting remembrance Psal 112.6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 blessed and long liued saith Chrysostome Blessings are on the head of the Iust the memory of the iust is blessed Pro. 10.7 the remembrance of Iosias as the composition of a perfume Eccles 49.1 The heathen thought for euer to be remembred for their famous inuentions Cadmus for letters Pithagoras for numbers Sidonius for measures Aesculapius for medicines Lycurgus for Lawes Arte for arts Hercules for games but how few take notice of this fame when that the godly neglected on earth are registred in heauen and emblasond by Gods sentence and sanction Non sic impij non sic the vngodly are not so they perish and stinke and rot the countenance of the Lord