been anciently conceived to be of an amorous operation causing love and conducing to coition and conception It is said to be of pleasant smell and colour by some Writers others say It is of a ranck and unpleasant savour Howsoever our Divines conclude Annotac in loc those were not like to be Mandrake Apples which Reuben brought to his mother Leah because at that time of the year which was Wheat-harvest and that was about the beginning of May in those hot Countreys the Mandrake Apples are not ripe But rather that the original word which in the general signifieth amiable imports some flowers of the field such as pleased little children Tremel for Reuben that gathered them was but young having a beautiful colour and withal a delightful smell so that Rachel was taken with a special delight in them and desire of them Some render it Lovely flowers others Violets others Lilies others again Cherries of Jury The Greek and most Interpreters Mandrakes or Mandrake apples It is a plant very amiable Drus according to the name both for sweetness of smell loveliness of the flower and for the peculiar vertue it hath to cause sleep affection and conception The Hebrew word is not used in all the Old Testament but only in Gen. 30. and Cant. 7. in which almost all Interpreters both Jews and Christians do turn 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it Mandrakes It hath allusion to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Loves and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Beloved and it appears by the smell they are said to give that they were lovely and pleasant Aben-Ezra saith that Mandrakes are fragrant and yield a pleasant smell hence Loves and Mandrakes grow both upon one Hebrew root but how they should be good to cause conception he wondreth sith by nature they are cold Austin saith that he made trial and could not find any such operation in them and that Rachel coveted them meerly for their rarity beauty and sweetness Strange assertions there have been concerning this plant Psend Epid. which seem at least dubious or rather false Dr. Browne enumerates four 1. The first a catachrestical or farre derived similitude it holds with man that is in a bifurcation or division of the root into two parts which some are content to call thighs when as fair a resemblance is often found in others And whereas illiterate heads have been led on by the name in the first syllable as expressing its representation others have better observed the Laws of Etymology and derived it from a word of the same language that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spelunca because it delighteth to grow in obscure and shady places 2. The second assertion concerneth its production that it naturally groweth under places of execution arising from fat or urine that drops from the body of the dead which conceit is not only refuted as erroneous in the foundation but in jurious unto Philosophy in the superstruction making putrefactive generations correspondent unto seminal productions and conceiving inequivocal effects and univocal conformity unto the efficient 3. The third affirmeth the roots of Mandrakes do give a shreâ—k upon eradication which is indeed ridiculous for such a noise may be observed in other plants being firmly rooted upon divulsion of parts 4. The last that there follows an hazard of life to them that pull it up or they live not very long after or that some evil sate pursues them A conceit not only injurious to truth being confutable by daily experience but somewhat derogatory to the providence of God And were as the same Author concludeth to introduce a second forbidden fruit and inhance the first malediction making it not only mortal for Adam to taste the one but capital unto his posterity to eradicate or dig up the other It is good therefore to leave these Fables and hold unto the former By these Mandrakes and other sweet smells are held forth Christs Spouse the Church which is the Lords field and garden where all kind of divine and heavenly flowers grow where is variety and abundance of all sweetness and â—ragrancy namely all the sweet incomes of Spirit and life from Christ As also that the Spouse doth entertain Christ with all her sweetness Honoureth him with all her pleasant fruits As the favour love and goodness of God is great which he hath laid up for those that fear him so all the goodness and fruits of the Spirit and grace that flow from them are unto his honour and praise and consecrated unto his use and service And Reuben went in the dayes of wheat-harvest and found Mandrakes in the field Gen. 30.14 Cant. 7.13 and brought them unto his mother Leah c. The Mandrakes give a smell and at our gates are all manner of pleasant fruits new and old which I have laid up for thee O my beloved Serpents Many have too curiously troubled themselves in going about to define the kind or species of the Serpent that deceived Eve some affirm it was a Dragon another a Basilisk a third a Viper and others a common Snake Wherein men still continue the delusion of the Serpent who having deceived Eve in the main sets her posterity on work to deceive in the circumstance endeavouring to propagate errours at any hand There is indeed a great difference of Serpents noted in natural history for some are very little some exceeding great Plin. hist l. 8. c. 14. Seâ—pentum quot colores tot doloâ—es Isidor some according to the signification of the Latine word creep and some fly And some are in the mixture of colours very specious and delightful to the eye and such a serpent it is like the Devil used when he tempted Eve However seeing the Devil made use of that subtil creature as the fittest instrument to bring about that his cursed design it gives us to know that wit unsanctified is a fit tool for the Devil to work withal neither is there a likelier Anvil in all the shop of Hell whereon to forge mischief than one that is learned and lewd Ingeniosè nequam witily wicked Among Serpents mentioned in Scripture two kinds are very famous Nullum animal tantá c lâ—ritate lâ—nguam movet ut Serpens adco ut triplicem liaguam habere videatur cum unam sit Plin. l. 6. c. 37. 1. The Viper whose tongue is present death as we have clear evidence besides what is affected by natural Historians from Scripture Record When a Viper came and fastned upon Pauls hand they looked when he would fall down dead And when John the Baptist would shew how hurtful and dangerous the Scribes and Pharisees among the Jews were the calleth them A Generation of vipers The vipers tongue is worse than the Lyons tooth 2. The Asp A kind of serpent not known in these parts of the world Some write that the biting of an Asp is uncurable and others say that it killeth withouâ—remedy within four hours space Hence The poison of
Christianity it is compared to things made for strength defence Timor nihil aliud est quâ—m murus munimentum turris inexpugnabilisâ— Chrysest Cypr. It is only a wall a bulwark an invincible tower To descend lower Cyprian makes it fundamentum firmamentum spei fidel the basis the stability of hope of faith There is good ground for this assertion Take but it away faith and hope fall I appeal to Bernard Omne virtutum aedificium c. Let the building that consists of all Vertues want it and ere long 't will shatter into pieces Airship without an anchor on the Ocean Bern. is in danger of being overwhelmed with the proud waves so the soul without this fear If a Pope's word be of any value aâ—iâ— is when he tels truth Gregor 22. then shall that of Gregory pass Anâ—hora mentis est pendus timoris The souls anchor is the weight of fear Wherefore Sirach's son did not amiss in allotting the highest place to them that fear God Oh how great is he that findeth wisdom yet there is none above him that feareth the Lord. I know not how true it is that fearful-natur'd men are the most witty But I am sure the filially-fearful are the best religiously affected the most wise for they walk surely to the height of Heaven where they are crowned Kings without end Here Jacob is to be found to his immortal praise who while he lived lived in awe of God like a son now being dead hath a sons portion in a better countrey And thus Jacob was afraid Aquinas Rome's Angelical Doctor gathereth out of Philosophical traditions Aquin. two causes of fear Amorem Defectum love and weakness Love in it self is strong where true but withal fearful if fix'd upon an object not yet obtained but hoped for though upon good presumptions 't is in fear of being croft If fully possest of what it did greatly desire 't is in fear of losing it The more violent this affection is upon the least appearance of a succeeding cross the more perplexities it raiseth and worketh the soul into many rending and jealous cogitations Infomuch that good men because somewhat inclin'd to evil are afraid of missing their he avenly purposes wherewith they are deeply enamored and when they have found God here beneath whom above all they love yet because they are not free from provocations they fear to be deprived of him Never did Heathen Poet sing any thing more truly than did he that left this behind him in this Ovid. Res est solliciti plena timoris amor Love is a thing full of vexatious fear Hence issue those careful thoughts wherewith the heart is cumbred in plotting a perpetuity of that union love hath wrought Weakness again and inability to resist and overcome what may hurt us lays us open under sundry fears Infinite are the events which because not usual prove inductions unto error And such is the impotency of frail man that through the consciousness of his natural defects he is soon dejected Let him have what his heart can wish on earth yet is he heartily afraid he shall not keep it long The thought of a greater Power than is in him raiseth such a dusky cloud of doubts that he is not so well pleased with the sight of his present happiness as troubled with the expectation of a dismal change So variable are our earthly courses that as they afford us no sure footing so neither can they establish unto us any permanent content 'T was the royal word of a wise King inspired of God Eccles All is but vanity and vexation of spirit And the King his father delivers it as the property of the wicked to fear where no fear is Psal 53. When the understanding is infatuated with carnal delights when the judgment fascinated with sinful pleasure what marvel though man become pusillanimous This is the condition of transgressors A glimpse of danger is able to make them stagger like a drunken man or like a Prodigie put them to an amazed stand with a Ne plus ultra The regenerate themselves are subject to the same passion though not in the like measure nor the like manner They commonly stand upon their keeping into whose hearts fear enters not so suddenly yet enters but daunteth not deads not clear Reason and sure Religion preserve them from astonishment Let Satans fiery darts of temptations flie in their face they fear but little flesh and blood will a little tremble but their hearts are not wounded Hence therefore are they so ready to encounter them Zanch. because confident of a glorious issue Let the Chiefest good God appear to them in unaccustomed forms and manifest his propitious presence in an unwonted manner they cannot but fear so awful is his Majesty so weak their nature But when once well acquainted with the ways and courses of the most High grace fortifieth their hearts and maketh passages extraordinary proceeding from him seem familiar at least to them not so full of dread as to others Briefly to be more distinct Love and weakness beget fear The love of God sear initial filial the love of our selves and weakness fear natural weakness and love of the world fear carnal humane servile So then Jacob being strong in love with God which was the act of grace weak in himself which was the propriety of his nature was naturally initially filially afraid Tender is the disposition of men sanctified their affections thoughts actions are for the most part carried in a constant motion within the verge of a religious Providence If peradventure things though good happen out of course beyond expectation they suspect their own indignity in a fear of offending The issue at first sight they see not yet hope the best and in that â—ope are afraid Just Jacobs case He was afraid Musculus faith Musculus because he lodged there that night without a religious regard He dreamed not of the sanctity of the place before he was in it Little did he think that God was there as he was but as he was there Jacob knew that honour was due to him which was not vouchsafed him whence proceeded his fear Which may warn us that wheresoever we are we be religiously behaved as in Gods eye more especially where in token of his love he favourably sheweth himself Calv. in loc This demeanour of this holy Father as one saith condemns him of rashness if not why should he fear but extolleth the goodness of his gracious God who was found of him where he sought him not One renowned for learning judg'd that Jacob hereby modestly intimates more was got than in modesty his hope durst to aspire to which as I take it was the judgment of ingenious Bernard Bern. in dedic Eccles Miratur Jacob dignationis magnitudinem expavescit Jacob admires in his admiration is abasht at the greatness of Gods loving kindness 'T was strange to
Adam as thou damnest all by the first I say Zach. 3.2 thou art not love and shalt light short of my love O hellish blasphemy The Lord rebuke thee Our recreation or redemption is a greater might and mercy than all the rest for in the creation God made man like himself but in the redemption he made himselfe like man Māgna est redemptio cum et precium datur et pecunia non videtur Tertul. Illic participes nos fecit honorum suorum hîc particeps est factus malorum nostrorum In making the world he spake the word onely but to redeeme the world Dixit multa et fecit mira Passus est dura verba duriora verbera The Creation of the world was a work as it were of his fingers Psal 8.3 But redemption is called the work of his Arme Psal 98.1 Also it is a greater work to bring men from sin to grace than being in the state of grace to bring them to glory because sin is far more distant from grace than grace is from glory By Christ we have a plenary redemption of soul and body out of the clawes of Satan As the bird is in the fowlers net so were we in the Devils snare but we may say with them in the Psalme the net is broken and we are delivered yea we are delivered eternally we shall never fall into that bondage again The afflictions whereunto we are incident in this life viz. Sickness poverty malevolent tongues imprisonment death it self c. are temporal but our redemption and joy are eternal Let that comfort us in all the calamities of this life We love them that obtain a temporal redemption for us If a young man be bound prentise to an hard Master for fourteen or twelve yeares and if one should buy out his Apprentiship and set him free would he not take himself much beholden to him If thou wert a Gall-yslave under the Turk and one should rid thee out of it wert thou not much beholden to him We were bound Prentises to Sathan he kept us in his snare at his will and pleasure being his bondmen we should have remained in hell-fire world without end Now Christ Jesus hath redeemed us and made us the free-men of God and Citizens of heaven how are we indebted to him Christ hath brought us out of the Gally of sin and damnation therefore let us sound forth his praises all the dayes of our life In the work of redemption God layes naked to us the tendrest bowels of his Fatherly compassion For by giving us his Son he shewed us all his love at once as it were imbodyed All other spiritual blessings meet in this as the lines in the center as the streames in the fountaine If the Centurion were held worthy of respect because he loved our Nation said they and built us a Synagogue What shall we say of Almighty God who so loved our soules that he gave his onely begotten Son c. The end of our redemption is to serve God we are redeemed from our old conversation not to our old conversation we are bought with the blood of Christ not to serve the Devil our selves the flesh the world we have served them too much already from henceforth we must serve God Heb. 9.14 Christ hath therefore broke the devils yoke saith one from off our necks Servati sumus ut serviamus that we may take upon us his sweet yoke and not carry our selves as sons of Belial Serve we must still but after another manner as the Israelites did when brought out of the Egyptian bondage yet thou shalt keep this service saith Moses Exod. 12.25 Ye are not your own for ye are bought with a price therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit which are Gods 1 Cor. 6.19 20 By his own blood Christ entred in once into the Holy place Hebr. 9.12 having obtained eternal redemption for us In whom we have redemption through his blood Eph. 1.7 Ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold but with the precious blood of Christ as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot 1 Pet. 1.18 19. Thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred Rev. 5.9 and tongue and People and Nation Reconciliation It is the note of Chrysostome upon the phrases of reconciling and making peace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys hom 3. in Colos that the one implieth an enmity the other a war and it is elsewhere asserted that the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all unrighteousnesse and ungodliness of men and consequently against men for all their unrighteousnesse and ungodliness in this respect it is that all men by nature are children of wrath So long as man stood in his integrity there was Pax amicitiae a peace of amity and friendship between God and man but when man sought out many inventions God was most justly provoked to anger Thus at first and ever since sin hath proved the make-bate the kindle-coal that incendiary between the Creatour and his creature The meditation of which may convince us of 1. The odious nature of sin Pro. 6.19 No persons more abominable than the contentious Solomon justly declameth against him that soweth discord among brethren That beatitude of our Saviour Mat. 5.9 carrieth in it according to the rule of contraries a curse Cursed are the peace-breakers for they shall be called the children of the Devil But oh how accursed and hateful a thing is sin which hath broke the peace not between man and man brother and brother only but God and man father and son Let our anger wax hot against that which causeth his wrath to wax hot against us 2. The miserable estate of a sinner Caelestis ira quos premit miseres facit Sen. Trag. because he is under the wrath of God Divine anger is an unsupportable burthen No wonder if the Psalmist put the question who may stand in thy sight when once thou art angry Psal 76.7 Not Angels in heaven Jude 6. Nor great men on earth Rev. 6.15 16. David seeling some drops or sparks of this anger saith there was no rest in his bones by reason of it Those that do not feel have cause continually to be in fear Mind this against Socinians But now by Christ we are not onely reconciled to God but God is also reconciled to us there being a pacification of Divine wrath by Christs death Under the Law the High-Priest made an attonement for the people Levit. 16. So did Christ for his people God and man were fallen out Christ made us friends God was displeased with us he pacified his wrath towards us which the Father by an audible voice winesses from heaven Mat. 3.17 This is my beloved Son In quo hominibus bona volu◠Euthym. in whom I am well pleased That is as Cajetan and others Habeo in
There are many kinds of fear 1. Natural which is the gift of God the ornament of nature by which we are warned and in some sort armed for the avoiding of evil that may befall us 2. Servile whereby goodness is not loved but punishment is onely feared 3. Initial to which he may apply those words in Prov. 1.7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge 4. Filial a fear of God as he is our Father whereby we are solicitous not to lose his favour 5. Worldly and carnal when a man rather than to forsake his own contentment and case cares not to forsake God by forsaking his Commandments Augustus coming ill to his Crown is said to have broken sleeps and used to send for some in talk to pass the night away Caligula the Emperour hid himself when ever he heard the thunder Our fear of God must not be servile but filial Si Domnius ubi timor Malach. 1.6 to this end the fear and love of God are to be mixed Timete cum amore amate cum timore This by some called reverentialis timor by others a chast fear because it is like the fear of a chast wife who feareth to lose her husbands love But the last swayes exceedingly we are too much afraid of man When Gehazi saw the host of the Aramites he cryed Alas what shall we do When Herod frowned on them of Tyre and Sidon they quaked and sought his favour c. At this day if a great man set himself against us and threaten to break our backs If a rich man be our enemy and threaten to sit on our skirts we are in a woful case we know not what to do there is no heart in us Against this fleshy and ungodly fear oppose this buckler The Lord is my helper I will not fear what man can do unto me Such a man threatens me God sends a curst Cow short horns he hath a thousand wayes to curb him God can take the breath out of his nostrils in the twinkling of an eye Overcome him by flies as Pharaoh With one flie as Adrian He can send Wormes to eat him up as he did Herod c What comparison betweene God and man God is a Spirit man is flesh God is strong man is weak God is the Creator man is the creature If God be on our side who can be against us Fear not them which kill the body but are not able to kill the soul Mat. 10.28 but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell Magnanimity A Painter in a rage casting his Pensel from him made such a some for a Mad-dog as he could not otherwise have light upon by Art and industrie Yet reason not rage is as I conceive a fit ingredient towards the making up of this vertue The old age of an Eagle is better than the youth of a lark It is reported of the Cannibals that in a whole age a man shall not finde one that doth not rather embrace death than either by word or countenance remisly to yield one jot of an invincible courage There is none seen that would not rather be slain and devoured than sue for life or shew any fear It was Alexanders great encouragement at his last fatal battel that he was to fight with all the power of Persia at once Mahomet the Persian Sultan enraged with the overthrow of his Army in his fury caused all the ten Captains which had the leading thereof to have their eys pluckt out threatning also to attire all the souldiers that fled out of the battle in womens apparel and so disgraced to carry them about as cowards Famous was the faith and fortitude of Philo the Jew Eusâ—b l. 2. c. 5. one of the Legates sent from them to the City of Rome who after he was excluded threatned and commanded to depart being likewise in danger to receive a mischief from Cajus the Emperour who was much moved and incensed against him yet he being reviled went forth and unto the Jewes which were with him in company he said We ought to be of good chear for by right God should take our part Sith Cajus is angry with us The Lacaedemonians were wont to say It is a shame for any man to flie in time of danger But for a Lacaedemonian it is a shame for him to deliberate Socrates would not hearken to his friend Criton perswading him to shift for himself by a dishonourable flight Necesse est ut eam non ut vivam as Pompey said Much lesse should a Christian when called by God to suffer Go said Luther I will surely go sith I am sent for in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ yea though I knew there were so many Devils to resist me as there are tiles to cover the houses in Worms When Spalatinus had sent to him to enquire whether or no he would go to Worms and appear in the Gospels cause if Caesar summoned him Luth. Epist Omnia de me praesumas said he praeter fugam palinodiam Fugere nolo multò minus recantare it a me confortet Dominus When the Earl of Salisbury being inclosed round with the Army of Sultan Melexala Turk Hist fol. 104. was advised to fly The noble Earl answered no more but God forbid that my fathers Son should run away from the face of a Sarasin Should such a man as I flee Said Nehemiah I am ready said Paul not to be bound only but also to die at Jerusalem for the Name of the Lord Jesus The righteous is bold as a Lyon Prov. 28.1 Pusillanimity Honourable exploits try what mettal we are of as hard weather tryes what health Withered leaves fall off in a wind rotten boughs break when weight is laid on them and earthen vessels when set empty on the fire This cowardly passion of faintheartedness dispirits a man expectorates his manlinesse and exposeth him to the cruel mercy of an enemy Some do account one pair of heeles worth two pair of hands But better of the two to be boldly temerarious than basely timorous As was Hannibal Decad. 5. f. 1. of whom Livy reports that Princeps praelium inibat ultimus concerto praelio excedebat He was first in the battel and last out Want of courage shewes that men like stags have stout and stately heads but want hearts Besides there is this evil in cowerdice that it is catching If thou faint in the day of adversity thy strength is small Prov. 24.10 Deut. 20.8 Isa 35.4 What man is there that is fearful and faint-hearted Let him go and return unto his house lest his brethrens heart faint as well as his heart Say to them that are of a fearful heart Be strong fear not Patience The Patient man is made of a Metal not so hard as flexible his shoulders are large fit for a load of injuries which he bears not out of basenesse and cowardliness because he dare not
all that therein is being himself of opinion that God in Essence one and in himself immutable without change or diversity yet for the manifesting of his omnipotency and power as he had created in the world sundry kinds of people much differing both in nature manners and condition and yet all framed to the image of himself So was he also contented to be of them diversly served according to the diversity of their nature and manners But there is but one true Religion 1. Because there is but one true God the object of true Religion Eph. 4.4 2. Because there but is one end and scope of Christian life and duty and that is eternal blessedness and one way to that mark which is Christ himself and one walking in that way which is Christian practice 3. Because there can be no agreement together of two divers religions no more than iron and clay can be tempered together 2 Còr. 6.14 15 Joh. 4.24 4. Because of the express word of God 1. Commanding straitly that himself be worshipped alone and enduring no compeer Exod. 20.3 2. Prohibiting that no tribe or family man or woman should turn his heart from the Lord to any other God Deut. 29 18. 3. Threatning severely to stretch out his hand upon them that swear by the Lord and by Malcham Zeph. 1.5 4. Executing his wrath and displeasure upon this mixture of Religion spewing out of his mouth those that are neither hot nor cold Rev. 3.16 Popish religion saith Were I to chuse a religion to license lasciviousness and gratifie the flesh it should be the Popish Religion said Sir Walt. Rawl that a lewd miscreant or infidel in the businesse of the Altar partakes of the true holy and blood of Christ that men may save the labour of searching for that it is both easy and safe to beleeve with the Church at a venture the bare act of the Sacrament confers grace without faith that the meer signe of the Crosse made by a Jew or infidel is of force to drive away the Devil that Masse in the very work wrought doth not onely pardon our sins in this life but when we lye frying in purgatory that Almes given merit heaven dispose to justification satisfy God for sin that abstinence from some meates and drinks is meritorious that indulgences may dispence with sin afterward to be comitted that one man may deliver anothers soul out of torments So that he that wants neither mony or friends needs not fear the smart of sins O Religion sweet to the wealthy to the needy desperateâ— Valdus of France Wickliffe of England Hierom of Prague and Luther of Germany framed not a new Church but reformed the old they endeavoured and not without happy success to cleanse and scoure restore and reforme those Churches which were foiled filthily with the blemishes of disorder and errour Cardinal Wolsey when bidden not for to fear the King loved him as well as ever he did said that was not the cause of his sadnesse but had he served God as diligently as he had done the King he would never bave forsaken him in his gray hairs Anselmus A godly person seeing a woman curious about her person to please her lover and himself not so diligent to please his God cryed out O miserable man whom so infinite love blessings and riches cannot provoke to such carâ— and diligence of pleasing God Tertul. as the vilest things do make our industry to please the Devil Religion is the greatest enemy to religion the false to the true Favos etiam vespae faciunt Omnia cum liceant non licet esse pium Wasps also make combs though instead of honey we find Gun-powder Traytours against Kings and Kingdomes must be punished in an high degree and great reason But why when hourely we hear high treason against God goes that uncensured so much as with a word The Egyptians worshipped whatsoever they conceived comely And Zenophanes saith if beasts could paint they would pourtray God to their own shape and feature because they can conceive no further Fourteen principal cities in Germany protested for Luther from whence came the name of the Protestant Religion It was the offer of great Cham the Tartarian Prince Tuus Pontifâ—x meus Pontifex 〈◊〉 tuus Lutherus meus Lutherus eâ—â—o Buâ—â—ing of whom Lipsius reports that when Stephanus the mighty King of Poland was departed sent a Legate to them telling them he would be of any religion if he might reign Of Charles the fifth Emperour it is said his actions that seemed most favourable were the most pernicious to Religion However truth of Religion is not to be judged by the prosperity or adversity of the Professours Religion is rather a setler than stickler in Policy if they work otherwise they labour out of their vineyard and move out of their proper spheare Far then is Religion from overthrowing government or everting the degrees of superiority and inferiority that be among men True indeed we are all one in Christo Gal. 3.28 but not in mundo in Christ but not in the world Christ died indifferently for all that is for servants as well as for masters yet the degrees that be in the world must be retained and acknowledged to the end of the world Yet in all ages Religion hath been slandered Elias was called a troubler Paul an Innovator Luther a trumpeter of rebellion Melanchton a blasphemer of God and his Saints Calvin a Mahometan Zanchius an Anabaptist a Zwenckfeldian a Novatian and what not Contra Sychophantae morsum non est remedium Arminius paved his way first by aspersing the fame and authority of Calvin Zuinglius Beza Martyr and other champions of the truth The Papists reported the Waldenses those ancient Protestants to be Manichees Arrians Catharists c. As they do us to be Libertines Enthusiasts Atheists c. Thus they set their mouths against heaven and their tongue walketh through the earth Psal 73.9 But well said one God will cut out such false tongues Psal 12.3 And broyl them upon coales of Juniper Psal 120.4 However Religion is both the bulwark and beauty muniment and ornament of a land Even as Sampsons strength and glory lay in his hair so doth the strength and glory of a land consist in Gods sincere service which if it should be shaved and deprived of though every shower were a shower of gold saith a Divine every stone in the land a pearle every beggar an honourable Senator every fool as wise as Solomon every weakling as strong as Sampson yet for all our wealth honour strength wisdome and glory we shall sing a doleful Miserere with Phineas wife The glory is departed for Religion is gone If any man among you seeme to be religious and bridleth not his tongue Jam. 1.26 27. but deceiveth his own heart this mans religion is vain Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this to visit the fatherlesse and widows
the two Altars in Solomons Temple in the outer Court whereof beasts were sacrificed in the inner Court an Altar of Incense The first representing mortification or slaying of our beastly appetites The second the offering up our prayers Without our spirits be mortified we neither can love to pray nor God love to hear us It was Bishop Hoopers speech before a Christian can be brought to perfection Sic mihi res eadem vulnus opemque feret Ovid. he must first be brought to nothing Unmortified men and women are no creatures fit for God Origen through a grosse mistake made himself an Eunuch Demosthenes put out his own eyes Crates cast his money into the Sea And Thracius cut down his own vines Peccata sepae raduntur sed non eradicantur Sin hath a strong heart and is not easily brought down It is the hardest task in all Christianity yet must be none or we are undone Mortifie therefore your members which are upon the earth fornication c. Colos 3.5 Solitude A solitary condition is a sad condition a sorrowful condition Indeed there is a solitarinesse which is the sweetest part of our lives when we retire awhile from the world from the throng of men and businesse that we may be more intimate with Christ and take our fill in communion with him This is to go alone that we may meet with God in heaven upon earth But to be so left alone that we cannot meet with men is one of the greatest afflictions upon the earth Such solitary times are sad times There is an elective alonenesse or retirednesse at sometimes very useful for contemplation and prayer and thus we are never lesse alone than when we are alone for then God is more specially with us and we with him It is said Gen. 32.24 Jacob was left alone that is he stayed alone purposely that he might have freer communion with God in that recesse and retirement from the creature So the Church gets her into the clefts of the roks Cant. 2.14 Sed quid prodest solitudo corporis si non sit solitudo cerdis Greg. Isaac into the fields Daniel to the rivers side Christ into the Mount Peter up to the leads or house top that they might pour out their prayers and solace themselves with God in secret Thus it is good for man to be alone from the company of man that he may enjoy more fully the presence of God It 's a desirable solitarinesse to talk with God and with our selves Yet solitarinesse is to be well and carefully managed for Satan is readiest to assault when none is by to assist Neither is there a greater tye to constancy than the society of the Saints This the Heathen Persecutors perceived and therefore banished and confined the confessors to Isles and Mines where they could not come together for mutual edification Communion of Saints is to be accounted a point of practice as well as an Article of belief All solitarinesse therefore is not to be affected because it is the hour of temptation I watch Psal 102.7 and am as a Sparrow alone upon the house top Society God is for society he is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the Saints Psal 89.7 Christ sent out his Disciples by two and two Mark 6.7 He himself came from heaven to converse with us therefore we may not like Stoicks stye up our selves A mild affablenesse and amicable conversation is to be preferred before a stern froward austerity or wild retirednesse Man is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the Philosopher a sociable creature or Natures good-fellow Aâ—ist Polit. 1. He that loves to be alone is either a beast or a God Yea one subordinate end of mans creation is that man might live with man in holy society and communion Let two cold flints be smitten together and fire will come forth so let two dul Christians conferre and communicate their soul-secrets and they shall find the benefit of it We see saith a late writer that God will have the sweetest works in nature to be performed with natural help Canst thou bind the sweet influences of the Pleiades Saith God to Job Chap. 38.21 These Pleiades be the seven starres that have all one name because they all help one another in their work which is to bring on the spring and like seven sisters so are they joined together in one constellation and in one company Now the best time of the year the sweetest warmth cometh with those Pleiades And the best time of our life cometh when we keep together in true love and fellowship Optimum solatium sodalitium There is great comfort in good company Quid sit vera amicitia nondum novit qui vult alium esse mercedem quam ipsam saith Austin Lib de Amicitia What true friendship is he doth not as yet know who desireth any other reward than it self No sooner had the Philippians received the Gospel but they were in fellowship to a day Cap. 1.5 Noscitur ex socio qui non dignoscitur exse As sincerity is the life of Religion so is society the life of sincerity Besides Vis unita fortior Jonathan will not go without his Armer-bearer Christ when to begin his passion in the garden took Peter James and John with him for the benifit of their prayers and company though they served him but sorrily Christs Dove is but one Jerusalem is a City compact together The Church is terrible as an Army with banners the gates of hell cannot prevail against her Unity hath victory but division breeds dissolution Quanto plures boni in amicitia constituti sunt tanto status corum melioratur The more they are that unite so they be good the better it is with them We lose much of our strength in the losse of friends our Cable is as it were untwisted Hence David so much bemoans the losse of Jonathan and Paul counts it a special mercy to him that Epaphroditus recovered 2 Sam. 1. Phil. 1.27 I conclude then It s not so much perfection to live immur'd in a cell as to converse with the world and yet live abstracted from it and dead to it for so did Christ Two are better than one Eccl. 4.9 Way Domine sequemur te per te ad te te quia veritas per te quia via ad te quia vita saith Bernard Christ hath paved us a new and living way to God with his own meritorious blood Heb. 10.20 And his flesh stands as a skreen betwixt us and those everlasting burnings Isa 33.14 There are the wayes of Gods 1. Counsel and Decrees past finding out Rom. 11.33 2. Providence and outward administration Psal 145.17 Psal 77.19 3. Commandments or rules of life of two sorts Ways of 1. Worship 1. Practice Furthermore the way of a man in his walking with God is twofold 1. Internal there is a secret path which the soul treads in converse with God which no eye
but they are either false or uncertain therefore I mention them not Witchcraft is fitly called the Black Art for there is no true light in them that use it Isa 8.19 20. They depart from God and his testimony and so tempt the Devil to tempt them And they which in case of Loss or Sickness c. make Hell their refuge shall smoke and smart for it in the end Satan seeks to them in his temptations they seek unto him in their consultations and now that they have mutually found each other if ever they part it is a miracle He is an unspeakable proud Spirit and yet will stoop to the meanest man or woman to be at their command The Witch of Endor is twice in one verse called the Mistress of the Spirit because in covenant with him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dominam Pythonis 1 Sam. 28.7 whereby he may cheat them and their clients of salvation Every one that consults with him worships him though he bow not as Saul did Neither doth that old Man-slayer desire any other reverence than to be sought unto Some have thought Witches should not die unless they had taken away the life of Mankind But they are mistaken both for the act of the Witch and the guilt as also because of the league and confederacie with the Devil which is high treason against God because he is Gods chiefest enemy And therefore though no hurt ensue this contract at all the Witch deserves present and certain death for the contract it self Thou spalt not suffor a Witch to live Exod. 22.18 Vocatio Particularis EVery one ought to be a man of Imployment Every one ought to have some business to turn his hand unto It was said to Adam and in him to Mankind not only as a curse but as a command In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread Gen. 3.19 Not that every man is bound to labour in such an imployment as causeth the face to sweat But thereby is meant serious labour and imployment in some honest Calling Consider 1. The law on Adam binds all his posterity None may eat the bread of idleness 1 Tim. 4.13 2. The state of Innocency endured not idleness 3. God who is the Author of our Being is the Author of our Calling 4. Not to live in an honest Calling is to live unjustly Eph. 4.28 5. Christ himself submitted to the law of Creation for our example 6. The blessing of God on honest labour and his curse on idle persons Yea it is a great blessing when we freely enjoy the exercise of our Callings It is our duty to have a Calling and it is a mercy to go on profitably and peaceably in it The Emperor and the Pope being sained by the smart invention of a Satyrist to be reconciled and both placed in their Majestick Thrones The States of the World are brought in before them First comes a Counsellor of State with this Motto I advise you two Then a Courtier I flatter you three Then a Husbandman I feed you four Then a Merchant I cosen you five Then a Lawyer I rob you six Then a Soldier I fight for you seven Then a Physician I kill you eight And lastly a Priest I absolve you all nine This was his Satyr of his Times Diligence in a lawful Calling is the best remedy against Poverty which oft prompts a man to Theft Seneca said He had rather be sick in his bed than idle That Jonah had a Calling or Occupation it 's plain they took it for granted cap. 1.8 At Athens every man was once a year at least to give account to the Judges by what Art or Trade he maintained himself By Mahomet's law the Grand Signior himself must use some Manual trade Solyman the Magnificent made Arrow-heads Mahomet the Great Horn-rings for Archers c. A Kinsman of the Bishop of Lincoln begging of him to bestow an Office upon him He answered Cosen if your Cart be broken I 'll mend it but an Husbandman I found you and so I leave you Let every man abide in the same Calling wherein he was called 1 Cor. 7.20 Husbandman Great men were antiently much addicted to husbandry as Vzziah 2 Chron. 26.10 and Job cap. 1.3 which Socrates called the horn of plenty And the Romans reckoned that Corn was never so cheap as when men were fetched from the Plough Plin. to govern the Commonwealth Quasi gauderet terra laureato vomere aratro trium phali But now the case is otherwise as Beza complaineth that Husbandry and Shepherdry are left for the basest and simplest men and for such as all others might prey upon Which bringeth to mind saith he that which once I saw painted in a table where the Noble-man had this poesie By my sword I defend you all The Clergy-man By my prayers I preserve you all The Country-man By my labour I feed you all Lastly the Lawyer I devoure you all Issachar is a strong ass couching down between two burdens Gen. 49.14 Physician Physick is either 1. Curative Or 2. Preventive Curative Physick we term that which restoreth the Patient unto sanity Physicians hold that in every two years there is such store of ill humors and excrements ingendred in the body that a vessel of one hundred ounces will scarce contain them and taketh away Diseases actually affecting whether chronical or acute of long or short duration and danger Preventive we call that which by purging noxious humours and the causes of diseases preventeth sickness in the healthy or the recourse thereof in the valerudinary The medicine must not be in the power of the sick but of the Physician The Remedy not fitted to the Malady it increaseth daily The disease being inveterated 't is necessary to proceed slowly in the cure for he that desires to do all together confounds all Paracelsus glorying that he could make other men immortal died himself at forty seven They say there are some Diseases are Opprobria Medicorum Mali mediciest desperare ne â—â—ret Sen. Mat. 9.12 they do puzzle the most learned Physicians and put them to a stand But Christ cures all for Omnipotenti Medico nullus insanabilis occurrit morbus They that be whole need not a Physician but they that are sick Merchant Merchandise well managed is of great use to Kingdoms and States for many reasons viz. For 1. Descrying the counsels and strength of other Nations 2. Procuring the love and friendship of forein Princes and people 3. Exchanging of commodities for Non omnis fert omnis tellus 4. Gaining experience of many great matters 5. Occasioning the building of many fair Cities Let Merchants take heed how they fell by small measures and for great rates Quorum oculos culpa clausit pana aperut neither let their measure want of its due proportion lest God sill it up with his fierce wrath Those that have lived unconscionably shall diâ— uncomsortably at which time their treasures of
he would launch no further into the Sea than he might be sure to return safe to the Haven Yet if we were right Christians indeed we will be content and that with joy to part with all we have in the world for Christ and his Gospel He that loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me much less is he worthy of Christ that loves his goods more than him Consider 1. God gave us all why shall he not have all if he require it Cun they be bestowed better than on him that gave them 2. We shall have better in the room Who will not change for the better Heb. 10.34 Those goods tarry but a while we may lose them by casualties in this life at least when Death comes these endure for over He maketh his bargain ill that buyeth a future hope Certa amittimus dum in certa petimus Plaut with a present loss and parts from a certain possession to make an uncertain purchase What was once spoken in a witty and fit comparison made by a Turk to shew that the loss of Cyprus was greater than the loss of the battel of Lepanto in these words viz. That the battel lost was unto Selymus as if a man should shave his beard which would ere long grow again Turk Hist fol. 885. But that the loss of Cyprus unto the Venetians was as the loss of an arm which once cut off could not be again recovered declaring thereby the great inequality of the loss This is very applicable to mans spiritual condition All outward losses by labour and leisure may be recovered for the world hath its ebbings and flowings But a soul once lost can never be recovered It 's a loss 1. Incomparable Vestigia nulla retrorsum 2. Irreparable Out of Hell there 's no Redemption Ye took joyfully the spoiling of your goods knowing in your selves Heb. 10 34. that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance Poverty Pauper ubique jacet Poverty is both an affliction Nihil habet infalix paupertas durius in se Quà m quòd ridiculos homines facit and makes a man to be afflicted and troden upon Men go over the hedge where it is lowest The weakest go to the Wall As frost strikes Valleys when higher grounds scape free so famine and the misery of disorder is first felt by the poorer sort Yet poor men are not to be contemned Great men saith one are but the greater letters in the same volume and the poor the smaller Now though those take up more room and have many times more flourishes yet they put no more matter nor worth into the word which they compound than these do Furthermore a poor man may be a rich Christian and a rich man may have a poor soul Grace will make a poor man rich sin will make a rich man poor Rev. 2.9 compared with Chap. 3.17 The Lamb and the Dove are chosen for Sacrifice when the Lion and Eagle are passed by Levi that had no portion among his brethren had the Lord for his portion Lazarus is taken into Abrahams bosome when Dives is hush'd down into Hell Yea whereas among men Divitum nomina sciuntur pauperum nesciuntur Sine nomine tur ba. Or as lâ—vy Ignota capitae Et saepe virtutis fortnna however men forget the poor they will be sure to remember the rich mans name and title yet with God it is otherwise for the poor man is known to God by name he hath a proper name Lazarus whereas the rich man is called only by an Apellative name Dives Therefore let not the Eunuch say I am adry tree for I will give him an everlasting name Be not discouraged though outwardly mean And let not the rich be contented with common bounty until they have the tokens of special mercy You may have an estate and others may have higher priviledges This is not the favour of Gods people You may be rich in this world but poor in the world to come Though here you swim and wallow in a Sea of wealthy pleasures yet there you may want a drop to cool your tongue Ye have the poor alwayes with you Matt. 26.11 Debt When the Prophet Elisha multiplied the Widows oyl he bade her Go sell the oyl and pay the debt and live thou and thy children of the rest To shew unto us debts must be paid The Persians reckoned these two very great sins Viz. 1. To tell a lye 2 To be in debt By the twelve Tables of Rome Gell. l. 1. c. 1. he that owed much and could not pay was to be cut in pieces and every Creditor was to have a piece of him according to the debt This was harsh But certainly if we would set our affairs in order with men we might consecrate our selves more freely to God and prevent a world of intricate troubles to our posterity we leave behind us Obligations do mancipate the most free and ingenuous spirit A certain Italian Gentleman being asked how old he was Answered that he was in health And to another that asked how rich he was Answered that he was not in debt Intimating he is young enough that is in health and rich enough that is not in debt Ow no man any thing Rom. 13.8 but to love one another Wound Antiquity reports Illad in the Heroique times they used Weapons of Brass as in the encounter betwixt Diomedes and Hector Which seems to proceed from a willingness to avoid deadly wounding for from a styptique faculty in this more than in Iron Arist the cure of what it hurts is affirmed more easie and the mettal it self As a Surgeon maketh an incision to let out the imposthumed matter and then heals up the wound again So God lanceth us not except need be and he hath a salve for every sore a medicine for ever malady being both a Father Ah quà m velim alios amare â—on meâ— Luth. in Genes and a Physitian And yet most people are of that countrey-mans mind who being on his sick-bed advised by his Minister to take in good part his present pain as a token of Gods love answered If this be his love I could wish he would love â—hers and not me God never makes a wound too great for his own cure The power of God to save it as great as his power to destroy His healing power and his wounding power are of the same extent His justice cannot out-act his mercy both are infinite Nay the woundings and smitings of God are preparatories for our care and healing It is said of Christ that with his stripes we are healed Isa 53.5 And it is in this sense a truth that we are healed with our own stripes We are healed with the stripes of Christ meritoriously by our own stripes preparatorily the stripes of Christ heal us naturally our own stripes heal us occasionally Or his in the act ours in the event Dejicit
put upon him nor any limit-lines drawn about him A great Prince once said That he had a circle indeed about his head meaning his Crown but he would not bear it to have a circle about his feet he must go which way himself pleased and do whatsoever his soul desired Yet there are circles drawn about all the powers of the world only God hath none That which is most sinful in man is most holy in God to act according to his own Will Gods Will is sometimes done against mans will he compelling the Devil and his limbs sometimes though against their wills to serve him and his servants Thus Haman must cloth Mordecai in royal apparel c. full fore against stomack be sure he could rather have torn out his heart and eaten it with salt but how could he help it Saul pronounceth David more righteous than he Judas and Pilate give testimony to Christs innocency These are the servants of the high God which shew unto us the way of salvation said the Pythonisse concerning Paul and his Companions Acts 16.17 Canes lingunt uscerd Lazari 'T is the duty of man to submit himself unto 2 Sam. 3.36 Placet mihi quod regi placet and acquiesce in the mind of God The mind of God rests and we ought to rest in his mind Whatever pleaseth God should please us A gracious heart tastes sweetness in Gall and VVormwood considered under this notion as it is the VVill of God he should drink it or feed upon it Thy Will be done in earth Mat. 6.10 as it is in heaven Persecution Gods people are most fitly resembled unto sheep 1. Because they are humble Herba trabit ovem 2. Harmless 3. Profitable 4. Ruled by their Shepherd 5. Led into pastures and folds 6. And they are obnoxious to many dangers to Wolves Bryars Thieves Dogs So Many are the troubles of the righteous but the Lord delivers them out of them all Many can be content to be Gods sheep provided they may wear golden fleeces However happy are the sheep that have such a Shepherd Excellent things are spoken of the Church of God a woman clothed with the Sun crowned with the Stars treading upon the Moon yet travelling in birth pursued with the Dragon ready to be devoured both her self and little babe But heaven sung her triumph against the accuser of the brethren and he was cast down which accused them before God both day and night To accuse before men is much but before God Now and then to be accused is much but day and night Thus it happeneth to the children of God while nature disrobe us of corruption Quater luctatus est Jacob in utero cum Esau in via cum eodem in Mesopotamia cum Laban in Bethel cum Angelo To teach us if we will be true Israelites we wust arme our selves against all assaults at all times places persons For speaking against sin Elias was hated of Ahab Isaiah as they say was sawn asunder of Manasses Jeremiah stoned by Tahaphanes Stephen stoned of the Jews John beheaded of Herod Ignatius delivered to lions and Chrysostom hated of the Clergy De persecutione in Hybernia Epist l. 2 Epist 36. de quâ omnes ejus Episcopi Gregorio scripserunt rescripsit Gregorius Quòd dum non rationabiliter sustinetur ne quaquam proficit ad salutem nam nulli fas est retributionem praemiorum expectare pro culpâ debetis scire Sicut beatus Cyprianus dixit quod Martyrom non facit poena sed causa Dum igitur ita sit incongruum nimis est de eâ vos quam dicitis persecutione gloriari per quam vos constat ad aterna praemia minimè provehi The Jesuites have alwayes boasted of their bonds imprisonment and Martyrdome Luke 23.41 but it would be good for them to know there be vincti Diaboli and vincti Christi That speech delivered by him on the Cross would better befit them We indeed suffer justly for we receive the due reward of our deeds And yet I find that very few if any at all of latter times have been imprisoned or put to death simply for Religion if they could have kept their fingers out of treason De fimpl Praelat they might have kept their necks out of the halter I wish they may listen to that of Cyprian Ardeant licet flammis c. What though they give their bodies to be burnt though they be cast to wild beasts Non erit illa fidei corona sed poena perfidiae non religiosae viâ—tutis exitus gloriosus sed desperationis interitus The Donatists likewise complained of their persecution as the Brownists Sectaries Quid laudas panam at nou ostandiscausam and Bedlam-Quakers upon slight occasions have done and do amongst us But as Austin told them Ye suffer Non propter Christum sed contra Christum Persecutionem patimini non à nobis sed à factis vestris Christ was whipped that was persecution Christ whipped some out of the Temple that was no persecution Ishmael mocked Isaac and that the Apostle calleth persocution but Sarah beat Hagar and that he calls no pesecution It is said to be the custom of a certain people in Ethiopia called the Atlantes Solin Plin. frequently mentioned in divers Histories who living under the torrid Zone in an extream hot climate used to curse the Sun when it arose because it scorched them with vehement heat This made them in love with the night and hate the day Many saith father Latimer will follow Christ usque ad ignem exclusivè not inclusivè Against a great battel in Greece Xerxes would sit in presence to the encouragement of his souldiers and caused scribes to sit by him and note down how each one plaid his part It is a glorious thing to say with Paul for the hope of Israel am I bound with this chaine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Chrysostome there can be no greater thing to glory of than this The Apostles themselves gloried in it that they were counted worthy to suffer for the name of Christ It was the Queen of Bohemiah's Motto Intra fortunae sortem extra imperium Persecutors may kill but cannot hurt saith Justin Martyr The more we are mowen down by you the more we rise up said Tertullian Beleeve me said Philpot Martyr there is no such joy in the world Act. Mon. as the people of Christ have under the crosse when our enemies imprison our bodies they set our souls at libertie with God when they cast us down they lift us up yea Siccur se victum gaudeat hostis habet Ovid. Trist l. 2. when they kill us then do they bring us to everlasting life And what greater glory can there be than to be at conformity with Christ which afflictions do work in us I praise God said another that ever I lived to see this day and blessed be my God and merciful Father that ever he gave me a
body to glorify his name All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution 2 Tim. 3.12 Censuring Momus reliquorum omnium irrisor reprehensor qui cujusque vitia carpit turpitudinis infamiae dedecoris notas ut maculas accuratissime observat obâ—icit reprehendit hinc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dedecus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 reprehensibilis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ridicule loquor Erat autem nocte matre somnopatre progenitus ut docet Hesiod Cui nihil placet quamvis exactum decies castigetur ad unquem What a rash thing it is when any thing dislikes us to blame the whole body for one blemish or wart Intemperate tongues cause God many times to take away the Word but wisdom is justified of her children Those that have a blemish in their eye think the sky to be ever cloudy and such as are troubled with the Jaundise see all things yellow so do those who are overgrown with malice and hypocrisy think all like themselves Curiosi ad cognoscendum vitam alienam desidiosi ad corrigendum suam Aug. Caligula did not believe there was any chast person upon earth The greatest censurers are commonly the greatest hypocrites Those that are most inquisitive about other mens manners are most carelesse of their own As any one is more wise he is more sparing of his censures And a gracious heart is alwayes ready to cast the first stone at it self Thou hypocrite first cast out the beam out of thine own eye Mat. 7.5 Detrahere aut detrabentem audire auditâ— scilicâ—t placentiae quid horum damnabilius sit non facilè dixcrim Uterque diabolum habet iste in linguâ ille in aure and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brothers eye Reproach Plato commendeth the Law of the Lydians that punisheth detracters as they did murtherers And indeed there is a murther of the tongue as well as of the hand How many clip the reputation of others as coyn to make them weigh lighter in the ballance of mens esteem this is no better than to bury them while they are alive It is a marvellous great grace to be disgraced for Christ Tom. 2. p. 323. Quanto plùs contumeliarum pro Christo tulerimus tantò nos manet gloria major said Zwinglius To suffer for Christ saith Latimer is the greatest promotion in this world Speak not evil one of nother brethren James 4.11 If ye be reproached for the name of Christ happy are ye c. 1 Pet. 4.14 Mocking There are tongue-smiters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 à ladendo inquinando famam alterius probr is maledictis Haec â—ritur ex cordis irâ malitiâ Corenim felle livoris amarum per linguae instrumentum spargere nisi amara non potest as well as hand-smiters such as maligne and molest Gods dearest children as well with their virulent tongues as violent hands This is collateral blasphemy blasphemy in the second table and so it is often called in the New Testament God for the honour he beareth to his people is pleased to afford the name of blasphemy to their reproaches as importing that he taketh it as if himself were reproached Religion was long since grown as it is also at this day among many not more a matter of form than of scorn In our wretched dayes as the Turks count all fools to be Saints so many with us account all Saints to be fools He is a fool we say that would be laughed out of his coat but he were a double fool that would be laughed out of his skin that would hazard his soul because loth to be laught at A man that is mocked is under the meanest estimation and greatest contempt It is fundamentally opposite to the fundamental lawes of love It is an addition to affliction yea one of the greatest afflictions wounding not only the name but the Spirit It was one of the greatest afflictions amongst the sufferings and cruel persecutions that the Saints endured yea it was one great part of the sufferings of Christ he was mocked and used like a fool in a play they put a robe on his back a reed in his hand and crown upon his head And when he hung on the crosse finishing the work of our salvation they in highest scorn bid him save himself Haefamae leniter volant non lenitèr violant We have various examples of Gods hand upon mockers Ishmael mocking Isaac is punished with ejection Gen. 21. Reditus ecclesiis eripuit sacrasmis additis se Christianos expeditiores facere ad regnum caelorum quiâ— Galiâ—aeus magister ipsorum dix erit beatos esse pauperes c. Pezel in Sleid. Machiavel that scoffing Atheist rotted in the prison at Florence Jearing Julian had his payment from heaven he was in his time counted and stands upon record to this day among the greatest of sinners an Apostate from Christ Whose Apostacy brake out chiefly at his lips and the very spirit of his malignity against the Gospel of Christ appeared in mocking the Christians When we had taken away their estates he said it should not trouble you to be poor your Master was poor and he said Blessed are the poor And when he had caused them to be smitten your Master saith he hath taught you That whosoever shall smite you on the right cheek you must turn to him the other also Thus he turned the holy counsels of Christ into profane jests Sir Thomas Moor qui scopticè scabiose de Luthero religione reformata loquebatur lost his head One mocking at James Abbes Martyr as a mad man for that having no money he gave his apparel to the poor some to one some to another as he went to the stake he lost his wits for it Act. Mon. fol. 1904. What 's truth said Pilate to our Saviour in a scornful profane manner not long after which he became his own deaths-man And Appian that scoffed at Circumcision had an Ulcer at the same time and in the same place Surely God is the avenger of all such A scoffer saith Chrysostem is bomine pejor worse than a man as the scoffed that beareth it well is Angelis par saith he an Angels peer The favourablest persecution saith one of any good cause is the lash of lewd tongues whether by bitter taunts or scurrilous invectives which it is as impossible to avoid as necessary to contemn But let us bravely contemn saith another worthy all contumelies and contempts for conscience sake taking them as crowns and confirmations of our conformity to Christ If Demetrius hath testimony of the truth that 's enough let Diotrephes prate what he pleaseth And others had triall of cruel mockings Heb. 11.36 Resolution in Persecution A Spanish Cavalier who for some fault was whipped through the principal streets of Paris and keeping a sober pace was advised by a friend to make more hast
cap. 44. nulla sanitas indefessa nihilancommodi omnia ad voluntatem there is no infirmity there is health without weariness there is no discommodity there all things fall out to our own hearts desire This is that to which our Saviour doth invite us Come unto me Mat. 11. all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest Thirdly hereby he hath strongly ratified the merits of his life and death in that he there by them never ceaseth interceding for the faithful never faileth in applying of them to the faithful Tot habet linguas pro nobis lequentet quot vulnera prâ— nobiâ— accepit Fr. Joh. de Combis l. 4. â—sp 24. he hath also so many tongues speaking in our behalf as he received wounds for our sakes He is never from the sight of God but always in action before him pleading for us by the mystery of his holy incarnation by his holy nativity and circumcision by his baptisme fasting and temptation by his agony and bloody sweet by his crosse and Passion by his precious death and buriall by his glorious resurrection and ascension So that as Johannes de Combis a Friar Minorite doth observe Ibi nulla potest esse repulsa ubi tot concurrunt amoris in signia there can be no denyal given where so many tokens and pledges of true love are met together Wherefore considering our misery was extream great and universal our enemies exceeding strong and maliciously bent and that the blessings we desire were above our reach in the highest heavens Questionlesse such an High-Priest became us Of all debasements that of our Saviours was the lowest of all advancements that of him the highest He bowed the heavens and came down to the earth where he was a worm he left the earth and became higher than the heavens he descended into hell the lowest of all places and now sitteth on the right hand of God the highest of promotions We have such an High-Priest who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens 'T is St. Ambrose assertion that this sitting on Gods right hand Heb. 8.1 intimates no other thing nisi honoris aqualitatem than an equality of honour of authority that he hath an equal stroke with the Father in the government and administration of all things God himself gave him this place in heavenly places far above all Principality and power and might and dominion and every name that is named not onely in this world but also in that which is to come Eph. 1.20 21. Quantum inter flellas luna minores Cap. 1.3 4. When he had by himself saith the Apostle to the Hebrews purged our sins he sate down on the right hand of the Majesty on high being made so much better than the Angels as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellént name than they Those heavenly spirits are subject unto him who at his incarnanion was made a little lower than they so in his glorification he is made far higher even in that nature wherein he was made low So that now being Crowned with glory and honour all things are put under his feet all rule is put into his hand This is the reason why all the Angels of God worship him and why we ought in the service of our spirit and subjection of our consciences devoutly adore him adore him who is God adore him who is man which adoration in the judgment of acute Zanchius is not to be directed simply to the humane nature considered in itself aâ— essential unto it Zanch. l. 2. de tribus Elohim c. 1. pag. 38. but as it is personally united to the God-head through which union together with the God-head of the Son it is adored and worshipped with Divine honour Saith that famous English Divine if any misconceiving this doctrine Mr. Perkins shall charge us with an Idolatrous worshipping of the creature I say with Athanasius in his Epistle to Adelphius cited by Matthias to this same purpose Athanas they shall know at length Nos qui deminum in carne adoramus nen creaturam adorare sed createrem corpere creato indutum that we who do worship the Lord in the flesh worship â—ot the creature but the Creatour clad with a created body That honour then and homage which we give him in the humblest manner tendit in infinitum looks unto him that is infinite as the proper object that bounds our divine service to whom 't is due in the highest respect being higher than the heavens For the greater glory of our Saviours man-hood some from these words do attribute unto it an Vbiquity a being in every place at one and the same time and not in heaven onely as if in his glorification there were a transfusion of the proprieties of the God-head into the humanity How far this is from truth may be easily judged Sceundum esse naturale Christus non est ubique secundum esse Personale Christus est ubique Pract. of Piet. P. 15. 1. By this that Omnipresence is a proper attribute of the divinity no way at all communicable to corporeal substances which as they are limited with terms of essence by their definition so of place by circumscription for although our Saviours body be highly promoted and come to the height of so much perfection as it is capable of yet hath it not lost the nature of a body he is still as God so man whom as man according to St. Peters doctrine must the heavens contain untill the times of restitution of all things Act. 3.21 2. By this that hereupon doth follow an abolishment of all inferiority and an equality establisht between the creature and Creatour as if either there were an erection of another Deity or as if the essence of the humanity were converted by an unheard of Transubstantiation exceeding that of the Papists in their Mass into the essence of the Deity so that now they remain no more distinct matures in him but one and the self-same and Christ is supposed to be no longer man but altogether God for where there are the properties of any thing there of necessity must the essence be supposed to be they are inseperable Wherefore seeing the grosse nay blasphemous absurdities of this erroneous position grounded upon the misinterpretation of this and the like texts we may not conceive because Christ is made higher than the heavens than the Angels themselves in glory according to the humane nature that presently that nature must be Deified and fill all places at once as if the glory of Christ as man did not exceed that of Angels unless as man he did partake of the ubiquitie of the God-head But to let this go as no ways affected with unnecessary wrangling whereby to disquiet mens Christian thoughts my intention is to endeavour the elevation of our affections to the seeking of those things which are above and above all of Christ who as
received more in the second Adam than we lost in the first Where sin abounded grace did much more abound Rom 5.20 In Adam we lost our native innocency in Christ we receive absolute perfection and integrity in Adam we lost Paradise on earth in Christ we receive the Kingdom of heaven the true Paradise of God at whose right hand are pleasures for evermore How then can that infinite mercy repel us from him when we come unto him being now made partakers of his nature much rather being reconciled we shall be saved by his life Rom. 5.10 And this is called the glory of his grace whereby we are made accepted in the beloved in whom we have redemption through his blood even the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace Eph. 1.6 7. Gods goodness appears in his justice worthy of admiration for the God of mercy as he was inclined so was he content to pardon sinners if it might stand with the unblemisht reputation of his exactest justice That therefore his justice might not suffer his mercy brought to passe the incarnation of his Son thereby to satisfy his justice and appease his wrath Rom. 3.25 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Him hath God set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past hence he is said to dy for us that is in our stead which taketh away condemnation Cap. 8.34 and bringeth peace to undoubted salvation Cap 5.10 Here is plenary satisfaction to God for us and a peaceful reconciliation betwixt God and us Hence 't is said that he was made sin for us that is a sinner 2 Cor. 5.21 which cannot be but either interna pollutione by an inward infection which was impossible to him vel externâ reputatione by an outward repute and estimate which was no otherwise than by undergoing the punishment due to us which he hath done as was meet by which Gods justice is everlastingly immutably and fully satisfied and we perfectly saved Hence he is said to bear our iniquities Isa 53.4 which is not tollerantia patientiae the bearing of patience though he did bear them patiently but by bearing them he took them away behold the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world neither is it sola poestas auferendi peccata 1 Pet. 2.24 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 onely an authentick power or authority of taking away our sins but which is far more he actually bare our sins in his one body on the tree that is submitting himself to divine censure and justice did suffer the punishments of our offences by which we passe from death to life for by his stripes we are healed by his death we are saved Hence he is said to have paid for us the price of our Redemption we are bought with a price faith the Apostle whereby is intimated our captivity and subjection unto the just vengeance of the Almighty We were debters unto him and were broke like bankrupts upon the matter despoil'd of all good we had and disenabled to pay the price of our redemption which the Son of God undertaking saith of himself Mat. 20 28. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 2.6 that he came to give his life a ransome for many whereof the Apostle making use saith that Christ our Mediatour gave himself a ransome for all The Apostles All are those Many mentioned by the Evangelist Hence he is said to be an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour Ephes 5.2 Such a one as hath wrought a perfect reconciliation and an eternal peace betwixt God and us his justice satisfied our sins pardoned our souls saved Such a one as all sacrifices before him were but his shadows and for any to be after him is but needless and most unlawful for he after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever sate down on the right hand of God and by that one offering hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified Thus to satisfie the justice of God and secure us Heb. 10.12.14 the Sonne of God is sent from God into the world and went stitch-through with the work of our redemption So that it is compleat and cannot admit the least exception nothing in it being defective nothing superfluous To close up this point admire the wonderful temper of Gods mercy and justice which no creature could find out before God did manifest it and none now it is made manifest can fully apprehend it In sending us a Saviour God was merciful that he might be just and just that he might be merciful For in his mercy he sent him he gave him to us in his justice he made him a curse he punished him with death for us which he triumphantly overcame he made him sin for us that knew no sinne to the end that through his mercy again we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him Cor. 5.22 Wherefore with holy David unto thee O God do we give thanks unto thee do we give thanks for that thy name is near thy wondrous works declare Psal 75.1 The works of thy mercy the works of thy justice are exceeding wonderful in our reparation Thy Name thy nature is near unto us in thy Son Nomen i.c. Numâ—n who being the true IMMANVEL God with us hath wrought and accomplished our deliverance Not unto us O Lord not unto us but to thy Name give the glory Tibi gloria nobis lucrum let the glory be thine now the gain is ours Glory be to God on high Thus much concerning the first thing imported in this Glory which is a pious admiration of Gods infinite Wisdom Power and Goodness The second thing imported in this Glory is a religious honour due to God which is evermore the necessary consequent of pious admiration We honour our Benefactors the best we may as the benefit bestowed and the love of the Benefactor doth require and the greater the benefit the greater is the Benefactors love and the greater his love the greater honour is due to him from the receiver Great out of doubt is the Gift God sent to us freely confer'd upon us it is a Gift of an heavenly nature of the highest vaine his own only begotten Son him hath God given that aâ— many as believe in hiâ— should not perish but have everlasting life Seeing then that he graciously vouchsafed to honour us so highly so lovingly we cannot in modesty in honesty in piety but highly honour him again who is the highest Being then upon the point of honour I must fixe upon those two points wherein this honour doth consist which are 1. Obedience not fained but real 2. Divine worship or adoration of him First then because God hath sent a Saviour into the world to visit us his people from on high and to redeem us from below the nethermost hell we are to render all sincere obedience to him
And therefore we will begin with Civil Peace The Heathen Philosopher tells us that man by nature is a sociable creature Arist Polit. because reasonable who indeed is rather so when guided by Religion for that labours to preserve unity which being broken society is dissolved Hence it is the speech of a Father Debemus ut corpori sanitatem puritatem cords sic fratri pacem We are indebted as to our bodies for health to our hearts for purity so for peace to our brother The noblest weapon man can conquer with is love and gentlest courtesie it gets the victory without ere a blow given Geometricians teach that Sphaerical bodies touch not but in puncto in a point Ram. Geomet and therefore more subject to fall Thus haughty spirits sweld up with over-weening self-self-love when they meet together by a proud touch soon over-turn one the other Whereas all of us great and small should be like hollow spheeres the one within the other the greater in love embracing the lesser Without peace the frame of nature cannot stand Mundus amissa pace Gregor Nazian mundus esse desinit saith Gregory Nazianzene the world which is chain'd together by intermingled love would all shatter and fall to pieces if charity would chance to die if peace were alwayes disturbed by discords Monarchies degenerate into Anarchies or Tyrannies Cities lie level with the ground Kingdomes are depopulated Nations wasted whose memories lie buried in the dust families consumed whose names are perished and glory rotted Whereas Peace that bringeth prosperity Salustius would have preserved all Concordia res parv◠crescunt discordia res magnae dilabuntur saith Salust It is the inscription of the Dutch coin verified in them little things by concord increase and grow great by discord great things become little and decline apace Scylurus the Scythian lying on his death-bed knew well the power of Peace by giving unto his sons a bunch of arrows to break which being bound fast together they could not do but being taken asunder they did with ease a witty Emblem of the strength of Peace wherewith the Gentiles were so much enamoured Cicero as that the Heathen Orator could say Iniquissimans pacem justissimo bello antefero in his opinion the unjustest Peace is to be prefer'd before the justest warre But I am not of his mind I know the Apostles limiting condition Rom. 12.18 If it be possible as much as lieth in you live peaceably with all men There must be nothing wanting that 's good on our part whereby either to procure or preserve Christian Peace Herein the Serpents wisdom and the Doves innocencie are to be inseperable We may not consent with any wherein they dissent from God for in so doing we do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fight against God and work our selves to nothing Wherefore the Apostle writing to the Hebrews Heb. 12.14 joyns in his holy exhortation Holinesse and Peace follow peace with all men and holinesse without which no man shall see the Lord. Melior est talis pugna quae Deo proximum facit Gregor Nazian quà m pax illa quae separat à Deo infinitely better is that dissention which makes a man near to God than that Peace that separates from God for ever It is not the Peace the world giveth but that sacred Peace that God giveth we must embrace Wherefore saith the Apostle let the peace of God rule in your hearts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sit certaminis Moderator to the which also ye are called in one body Colos 3.15 Out of which words we may collect That a godly Peace is to be entertained Where we have the office of Peace to which we must submit our selves and that is to rule in our hearts and the motive thereunto which is twofold Gods Ordination and our spiritual affinity to which we are called in one body First It must rule in our hearts The heart is the proper seat of the affections Arist de Generet Corrups and if the Philosopher be to be credited it is the Metropolis of the soul If there be any combustion in man raised by the tumultuous passions of anger hatred malice and revenge it is begun in the heart there they have their habitation To aswage therefore the impetuous sury of these rebellious humours and to prevent the fearful mischief that comes by their unrulinesse the peace of God must bear sway there the whole man will be the better brought into good order when the heart is well governed and never till then Many may make a fair pretence of friendship but it is never unfeigned unlesse hearty the words of their mouth may be Psal 55.21 as the Psalmist speaketh smoother than butter but warre may be in their hearts their words may be softer than oyle yet may they be drawn swords Erasmus that cut smoothly Aliud corde aliud ore hypocritically and basely they think one thing they speak another Of this smooth-fac'd malice Nazianzene complains in his twelfth Oration Pax ab omnibus laudatur à paucis servatur Orat. 12. all praise peace but few keep peace Wherefore did peace but rule in the heart all heart-burnings and sullen contention would soone come to a final Period and all outside dissimulation would be quickly all out of fashion As we have seen the office of Peace note now the motive thereunto You are called unto it in one body When Christ came into the world he became the corner-stone that joyns Jew and Gentile together who before were divided for now both by him making up one mystical body according to that Ephes 2.14 He is our peace who hath made both one and hath broken down the middle wall of partion between us so that by this act Christ hath bound us all to the peace and to good behaviour that so we may keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace There is no member of the body that will do any ill office to any of his fellow-members so we being called to be members of the Church of Christ 1 Cor. 12.25 should make no division in the body but should all have the same care one of another This was Prophetically foretold by a pithie Embleme by beating of swords into ploughshares Isa 2.3 and spears into pruning-hooks in the time of the Gospel And it is notably prefigured by the peaceable habitation of wild beasts and tame together Isa 11.6 as the Wolfe and the Lamb the Leopard and the Kid the Calfe and the young Lion the Cow and the Beare It is a sweet harmony that the sympathy of affections and peace begets in us whom the Spirit unites together And in whom this sympathy and peace is not Aut stupida sunt membra Daven in Colosens aut ne omnino quidem membra hujus corporis cujus caput Christus saith Reverend Davenant either they are senceless and stupid members or no members at all of that
heartily cry in a low straine of humility Pecoav◠against thee thee 〈◊〉 O Lord have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight If we can confidently set up our whole rest in our Redeemers alsufficiency we may presume that according to his promise he will extend his mercy and his favour unto all of us For this very purpose did he send his Son unto us that he might be well pleased with us in him in whom alone he is well pleased and was content from all eternity with the death of his Son to manifest in the fulness of time his good will towards men This is the reason why the Prophet Isaiah cals the year of Christs Nativity Isa 61.2 or the whole time of the Gospel The acceptable year of the Lord for the Lord accepts of us in him and no otherwise than as we are in him and being in him he gives us of his good will a secure conduct through all the various casualties of mortality wherefore saith the holy singer Thou Lord wilt blesse the righteous Psal 5.22 with favour wilt thou compasse him as with a shirld To make good this his good will further unto us he hath together with his Son made us a deed of gift of all things Rom. 8.32 For he that spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all would not but with him also freely give us all things Should I go about to describe the immense amplitude of my Gods liberality my words would rather extenuate than enlarge it not being able to reach to so holy a slrain as the excellency and worth thereof requires His love beside his gifts is boundless without all limits of time from eternity to eternity I use the Apostles words as wanting of mine own for a fit expression he did praedestinate us before the foundation of the world unto the Adoption of Children Eph. 1.5 6 7. by Jesus Christ to himself according to the good pleasure of his will to the praise of the glory of his grace wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved in whom we have redemption through his blood the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace Whereupon it is to be infer'd that without Christ there is no hope of mercy God in him expresses his good will to us in him we are elected by him called through him saved In solo dilecto suo Jes◠Christo Robertus Stephous in glos Deus charos sibi reddit quotquot in hoc selegit faith Stephanus in his gloss as many as God hath selected out of the world to be a peculiar people to himself are indeared unto him in his dear Son So that every one that belongs to the election of grace according to the dispensation of his immortal riches may truly say as Abraham did to Sarah it may be well with me for thy sake and my soul shall live because of thee The Lord when he looks upon his Son and on us in him remembers mercy You may be pleased to call to mind what use the rain-bow serves for which is a pregnant figure of Christ our Saviour whereby we are inform'd to use the words of a reverend Prelate that when either the dark blackness of ugly sin Dr. Babington Bish of Worcester in Gen. 9. or the thick clouds of grief and adversity do threaten unto us any fearful overthrow we should clap our eyes upon our rain-bow Christ Jesus and be assured that although that blacknesse of sin be never so great yet in him and by him it shall be done away and never have power to undo us Although those mists and fogs of adversity be never so thick yet shall they by him as by a hot and strong sun be disperst and never able to drown us The greatest rain we know shall end ere it come to such a flood again and so shall these things before we fall Ecce signum behold Christ is put for a sure signe and token of Gods good will towards men But now I will close neerer and shew what in his good will he hath done for our souls I can pass by Gods sending of his Son as presupposed being the occasion of this blessed ditty but I can never pass by our restitution unto grace by him the greatest act of good will that ever was for when sin had overblackt us with such deformities as left no part cleare when we stood in direct point of diameter to his holyness and could not avoid the sentence of condemnation through his tender mercy the day-spring from on high did visit us and the light of his countenance did shine upon us to give light unto us that sate in darknesse and in the shadow of death and to guide our feet into the wayes of peace Whereby we now stand on firmer and fairer terms of happiness and prosperity than before our first declination There is a more established safety in the condition we have by Christ in Christ than in that first wherein we were lest unto our selves For we fell from that first from this last we cannot and being fallen from that a better a surer cannot be compassed but by him Soul and body were so debilitated through the corruption of our degenerated nature and we so desperately praecipitate in sinful deliberations as that we could not help our selves in this time of need Potui per me sancte Pater offendere sed non valui per me placare saith Aug. in his Manual O my God I could easily offend thee Aug. Manuale cap. 8. by my self but by my self never appease thee nor expiate my offence God therefore unwilling to strive with man for ever who for ever without his mercy he found inclin'd to mischief in a relenting affection remembring we are but dust Pathetically pities our case and in his good will sends us a Redeemer for which the Angels sing Beleeve me O ye servants of my God beleeve me my God can as soon cease to be God which is impossible as cast away his eyes of pity and mercy from us but like as a father pitieth his children Psal 103. so doth the Lord the Workmanship of his hands Blesse the Lord O my soul saith David and all that is within me bless his holy name Bless the Lord O my soul and forget not all his benefits who forgiveth all thine iniquities who healeth all thy diseases who redeemeth thy life from destruction who crowneth thee with loving-kindness and tender mercies Boys Postil Ephes 3. The love of God saith one in his Postils is like a Sea into which when a man is cast he neither seeth bank nor seeleth bottom Accordingly saith the Apostle The length the breadth the depth and the height of this love passeth all humane knowledge And as his love is thus without all measure greater by infinite degrees than that of Jonathan to David so are his favours innumerable It was a Martyrs speech worthy registring to posterity To
of such difficulty that if he withdraw the supporting assistance of his active Spirit from us we cannot hold out Do we preach 't is as the Spirits gives us utterance do we pray the Spirit helpeth our infirmities do we beleeve he increaseth our faith and helps our unbelief do we live the life of grace Christ liveth in us by his Spirit Are we constant in our profession and holy exercises of Religion that constancy cometh from above by the effectual working of the divine power In all these his grace is sufficient for us and in doing them his Spirit worketh with us Thus much concerning Gods good will towards men expressed in spiritual matters As for his good will in temporal it is as clear as the sun we need no demonstration But because the extraordinary favours of God may not slip out of our memories think upon our deliverance from that intended invasion in eighty eight how that part of the invaders became as weak as water and part were over whelmed in the depths of the sea alive like Pharaoh and his host Think upon that horrid work of darkness the Gunpowder plot how vain the conspiratours were in their imaginations The Lords stretched out arme overcame the one his all-seeing eye discovered the other See thy RegÃna Dierum and by his Providence were both brought to nothing Think upon the Stupendious works of Divine Providence in the wonderful safegarding and happy restoring of our gracious King to which I have abundantly spoken upon occasion Without doubt all these and infinite more are sensible tokens of Gods good will in Christ toward us Wherefore 1. We may with comfort confidently approach to the throne of grace where we may receive of the Father whatsoever we ask in his Sons name for for his sake he will deny us no good thing seeing that in him he beares good will toward us Thus much the occasion of this text may assure us of which is the incarnation and birth of our Saviour It being the foundation of all our joyes and all good things we enjoy By it God comforts Adam the seed of the woman shall break the serpents head Jacob is comforted by the vision of a ladder reaching from heaven to earth and the Angels ascending and descending by it the mystery whereof may be this The ladder is Christ the foot of it on earth noteth his humanity man of the substance of his mother born in the world the top reaching to heaven noteth his divinity Job 19.25 God of the substance of his Father begotten before all worlds perfect God and perfect man by which union of natures he hath joined earth and heaven together that is God and man The going up and down of Angels by the ladder sheweth how by Christ the service of Angels is purchased unto us all which accordeth with that in Joh. 1.51 Verily verily I say unto you faith our Saviour hereafter ye shall see the heaven open and the Angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man Job again comforts himself in this that his Redeemer of his own flesh as the word signifieth liveth In the Old Testament they which sought to God came to the Ark or Propitiatory and there were they heard and received Gods blessing Now Christ God and man is instead thereof his Godhead being the fountain of all good things and his flesh or Manhood a pipe or conduit to conveigh the fame unto us Wherefore let us rejoyce in God our Saviour and comfort our selves in his good will towards men Moreover 2. We may the better bear temptations and afflictions and slight the assaults of the world That which in Spaniards deserveth the greatest commendations is an unmoved patience in suffering adversity accompanied with a settled resolution of overcoming them This if we attain unto in Christianity will shield us from despair and distrust for we may be well assured that God to his distressed servants is the neerest when he seemeth furthest then sweetest when he seemeth sowrest and then up in wrath to revenge our wrongs when the world doth think he hath forgot us For still he beares goad will towards us Lastly we must acknowledge Gods good will through Christ to be the sole cause of all our happiness It is a true Maxime in Divinity Publisht in Austins time Vniversa salus nostra Aug. Ned. Cap. 34. magna miserecordia tua Our safety on earth our salvation in heaven proceed from thy abundant mercies O Lord. Thus the Father the Son and the holy Ghost do all join together in one immutable resolution to prove their good will towards men The issue whereof cannot be but exceeding good For as Astronomers do well observe that when three of the superiour lights do meet in conjunction it bringeth forth some admirable effects So now seeing that these three infinite lights of the world three persons of the Deity are met together in one good-will towards men this benevolous aspect produceth this admirable effect that all true beleevers shall be hereby exalted into glory For which with thankful hearts we ought ever to pay the tribute of obedience And in assurance whereof to rest in Gods promises which can never faile In his name I end as I did begin To whom as the Angels did before us and duty ever binds us be rendred all honour and glory both now and for ever Amen The Necessity of CHRISTS PASSION AND Resurrection ACTS 17.3 Christ must needs have suffered and risen again from the dead I Am induced by these words to relate the greatest wonder of the world wherein is comprehended the profoundest Mystery of our salvation That the Son of God should become the Son of man that the Lord of glory should come in the forme of an humble and dejected servant that the Sun of righteousnesse should be deprived of light and then that the sole Author of our life should be put to death Weigh but the reason and the wonder is the greater It was for our redemption all this was effected and can there be a greater wonder then that he that knew no sin would putting on mortality suffer unutterable tortures both in soul and body and be content to die to save those that knew nothing but sin certainly there cannot be a greater wonder The most professed enemy to sinners herein did become to sinners the most professed friend He is ready to save who might be more ready to destroy But mercy binds the hands of justice and justice is overcome of mercy The eternal wisdome beholding from above with the gracious eye of pay the forlorne estate of mankind after their apostasy and treacherous violation of the sacred Covenant contrived a project not to be contrived by the Art of man whereby our Redemption should be wrought and liberty obtained Gods love to us did exceed our sins Our sins are not so great are not so many but his love can cover them and his mercy pardon them And where men come
speaking unto Abraham he saith That in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed It was necessary necessitate praecepti by the necessity of precept Hitherto are referred the Types of Christ which were significant intimations of his succeeding passion As Abrahams offering up his son Isaac the brazen Serpent erected in the Wildernesse according to that John 3.14 As Moses lifted up the Serpent in the Wildernesse even so must the Son of man be lifted up The Paschal Lamb was a type hereof for Christ is called the Lamb of God John 1.29 that takes away the sins of the world Besides this the Prophets did precisely foretel the particulars of his suffering how his familiar friend should betray him Psal 41.9 What price he was sold at for thirty pieces of silver Zech. 11.12 What became of these thirty pieces ver 13. What time he should suffer Daniel How his Disciples forsooke him and Peter denied him Psal 38.11 Zech. 13.7 It was foretold that he should be falsely accused Psal 41. That the great ones of the world should plot his fall Psal 2. His silence is noted Isa 53. So are the spittles wherewith they defiled his face Isa 50. And the buffettings and smitings that he suffered at their hands Isa 53. The Reed in his hand the mockings and reproaches the Vinegar and Gall the parting of his rayment the piercing of his hands and feet and sides the staring upon him and wagging their heads his crucifying betwixt two thieves and his last parting with the very words he used then were precisely revealed by God to the Prophets and set down by them in Scripture Our Saviour himself saith Luk. 9.22 that the Son of man that is himself must suffer many things and be rejected of the Elders and chief Priests and Scribes and be slain Caiphas being high Priest prophesied as much John 11.50 That it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people and that the whole nation perish not And as the Poet speaks Vnum pro multis dabitur caput It was necessary necessitate indigentiae by the necessity of our want We stood in need of his sufferings without which we could not be saved for without the shedding of blood Hebr. 9.22 there is no remission It was the ordinance of God from eternity that by blood we should be redeemed and no otherwise Not that he could not redeem us otherwise but that he would not otherwise deeming this way the most convenient And therefore lastly It was necessary necessitate commoditatis by the necessity of commodiousness and conveniencie There was no better away to free us from sin to work our salvation to reconcile us to God than by the sufferings and death of the Son of God I doubt not but God in his infinite wisdom might have used another means for the saving of our souls besides this but lest we disparage Gods judgment we cannot say but this was the most convenient and best because it was the determination of his will before all time Which was the reason that Saint Cyprian aver'd this Non reconciliare Deo potuerit exules damnatos quaelibet oblatio nisi sanguinis hujus singulare sacrificium not every oblation could reconcile such unto God as are banished from the presence of God and worthy of condemnation but only the peculiar and only propitiatory sacrifice of the blood of Christ The necessity of this conveniencie consists in these respects beside freedome from sin and reconciliation to God 1. In that it serves for the manifestation of the love of God to us according to that Rom. 5.8 God commended his love toward us in that whiles we were yet sinners Christ died for us And herein is the love of Christ also commended greater love can no man shew than to lay down his life for his friends but Christ did his for his foes Now it was necessary for us to have assurance of the favor of God which is given us by the death of his Son 2. In that it serves for an example to us of obedience to the pleasure of our heavenly Father Of humility of constancie of righteousnesse and of other vertues and graces manifested in his Passion 1 Pet. 2.21 Christ suffered for us leaving us an example that ye should follow his steps 3. In that it served to procure for us with a great deale more conveniencie Hebr. 10.20 justifying grace and eternal glory by a new and living way which he hath consecrated for us through the vail that is to say his flesh 4. In that there is brought upon man a greater necessity of keeping himself free from sin being that he understands that he is redeemed with the precious blood of Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 6.20 The Apostle saith that ye are bought with a price therefore glorifle God in your body and in your spirit which are Gods The consideration of Christ's death should be a means to deteine us from transgressing the Divine Ordinances and to keep us within the compasse of his Law Passe the time of your sojurning hear in fear for as much as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold from year vain conversation but with the precious blood of Christ as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot 1 Pet. 1.17 18 19. 5. In that it serves for the greater dignity of man That as man was deceived seduced and overcome of Satan So Satan might be overcome by a man And as man deserved death so death might be overcome by a man the man Christ Jesus 1 Cor. 15.57 Thanks be to God saith the Apostle which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ And thus much of the necessity of the sufferings of Christ of the necessity of Gods Decree of his Promise of precept of our want and of conveniencie Here is no coactive necessity whether he would or not to suffer for he saith I lay down my life for my sheep He did suffer willingly yet his sufferings were not so voluntary as that they became arbitrary in his choise that is he might choose to suffer or not to suffer for Amâ—s Si Christi passiones nullâ fuissent lege impositae nihil pertinerent ad satisfactionem Now listen to the effects that these sufferings of his wrought for us By them we are freed from sin For He loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood Rev. 1.5 And the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin 1 John 1.7 And from the power of Satan We meritted to be delivered up unto Satan the justice of God did so require it The Devil himself endeavoured to stop from us the way to life but the death of Christ opened the way for us and did exceed that power that was given to Satan of God by the righteousnesse of Christ he was overthrown Now saith our Saviour shall the Prince of this world be cast out And
John 12.31 1 John 3.8 for this purpose the Son of God was manifested to destroy the works of the Devil The works of the Devil are sin and death for by him came sin into the world and death by sin Again we are hereby freed from the punishment of sin which is death He did bear our griefs and carried our sorrows Isa 53. He was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his striper we are healed He poured out â—is soul to death and bare the sin of many Now we are freed from the punishment of sin two wayes 1. Directly because his passion was a sufficient and superabundant satisfaction for the sins of the whole world Wherefore Thomas-Aquin Exhibita satisfactionâ— sufficienti tollitur reatus paenae saith Aquinas upon the exhibition of a sufficient satisfaction the punishment is quite taken away So that God cannot punish that again in his servant that he hath already punisht in his Son 2. Indirectly Ambros super Beati immacalati in as much as the passion of Christ is the cause of the Redemption of sin which is the cause of punishment Ille suscepit mortis servitutem ut tibi tribueret aternae vitae libertatem Moreover by the sufferings of Christ our reconciliation with God is wrought and our peace is made with him for ever We were reconciled to God by the death of his Son Rom. 5.10 and that two wayes 1. By removing of sin whereby we were made his enemies Ephes 5.2 2. By offering up himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour Lastly hereby the gate of heaven is open for us We have boldness to enter into the holyest by the blood of Jesus Hebr. 10.19 for he went before us to prepare a place for us that where he is we might be also So that now he hath obtained for us eternal salvation By way of desert he hath deserved that by him we should be saved By way of satisfaction for the greatness of his love out of which he suffered for the dignity of his life which he laid down for us it was the life of God and man and for the generality and weight of sorrows and paines that he suffered for us hence he is a sufficient satisfaction called the Propitiation for our sins Heb. 9.26 Verse 15. At Paris ut vivat regnetque beatus cogi posse negat Hor. Epist 1. 1 Joh. 2.2 By way of sacrifice which was meritorious deserving life for whom he suffered death In the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself And by way of redemption for he was engaged for us and paid the utmost farthing for which end he was sent into the world God sent not his Son into the world to condemne the world but that the world through him might be saved Joh. 3.17 Saved from sin from the power of Satan from death Hence called our Redemption and we come to be at peace with God and in that peace we enter into heaven to be partakers of those joyes that are at Gods right hand for evermore Having waded thus farre I seale up this discourse with a pathetical conclusion in way of application O how far is the love of God extended to us miserable sinners He was provident before our fall to find out away whereby to be saved after we fell His Son must die to save us from death He must fall into the hands of sinners that we may not fall into the hands of Satan And if he have thus given us his Son how shall he not with him give unto us all things We may conclude for certain we shall want nothing for the furtherance of our salvation since that he with-held not his onely Son from us Let this love of God to us extract love from us to God As he bought us dear with the losse of his Son so must we think nothing too deare to part withal to gain our God We must be content to lose our life and all than to lose our God who is all in all for the gaining of life and all Seeing that Christ ought to have suffered for our sins we may well grieve that we should be the authors of his death and yet rejoyce that we have escaped Gods fearful vengeance by his sufferings Grieve then my beloved for your sins for which Christ died Royard in Postill and go and sin no more And let your soules magnify the Lord and rejoyce in God your Saviour Non gaudere ingratitudinis est non dolere crudelitatis saith Royard not to be glad for Gods mercy and Christ's love in redeeming us is a point of ingratitude not to grieve that we gave occasion of his death is a point of the greatest cruelty Let us then grieve together with him that we may reigne and rejoyce together with him Gods decree is unutterable he ordained that Christ should die and Christ did die He promist it and 't is fulfill'd He revealed it and 't is so come to passe He is as good as his word Heaven and earth shall passe away but not the least tittle of his word shall go unfulfilled What therefore soever God hath determined concerning any one shall certainly fall out so there is no avoidance What he hath denounced against sinners let them expect it for they shall surely have it Our God is a God of truth You may collect out of this discourse that Christ is a perfect and sufficient Redeemer Heb 10.14 on whom alone dependeth our salvation For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified As Moses said to the children of Israel the Lord shall fight for you and you shall hold your peace So I may say that Christ onely fought for us we did nothing whereby to acquire a life that is endless Wherefore if we will be perfectly saved rely upon the Redeemer of Israel for he is onely the Captain of our salvation Look up as sometimes the Israelites on the brazen serpent upon him stretched out upon the crosse where he is ready to receive all that come unto him and beleeve in his name Caput Christi inclinatum ad osculandum cor apertum ad diligendum brachia extensa ad amplexandum totum corpus expositum ad redimendum August lib. de virginit he hath his head bended down to kisse you his heart opened to love and affect you his armes stretched forth to embrace you his whole body exposed to redeem you Consider of what great consequences these things are that Christ hath done for your soules weigh them in the ballance of your hearts Vt totus vobis figatur in corde qui totus pro vobis fixus fuit in cruce that he may be wholly fastned to you in your hearts who was wholly fastned for you on the crosse Let us go forth therefore unto
ye not then defiled with the contaminating and for did customs of the world but as ye are separated from all others to an holy emploiment so do not ye degenerate but let your light so shine before men that they seeing your good works may glorifie your Father which is in heaven Know that the eys of all men are fixt upon you If covetousness pride luxury drunkenness or any other vice reign in any of you if any of you be of a dissolute life whose conversation is not ruled by the doctrine ye teach ye are but miserable creatures Be assured Pope Innoc. lib. 3. de S. Altar myst that Quisquis sacris indumentis ornatur honestis moribus non 〈◊〉 quanto venerabilior apparet hominibus tanto indignior redditur apud Deum saith one God contemns him and will reward him according to his work For It is not every one that cries Lord Lord that shall enter into the kingdom of heaven but only they that do the will of my Father saith Christ Take heed therefore to your lives If you preach well and live ill you do but build with one hand and pull down with another And thus much for the Caveat as it respects our selves Now of the Caveat briefly as it respects the Church of God Take heed to all the flock c. A Minister hath the custody of many souls and if any perish through his means he is liable to Gods judgments As therefore we come provided with Knowledge so with a resolution to propagate and diffuse it Knowledge in the best of us not communicated to the building up of the Church in holiness is like costly materials prepared for the erecting of some sumptuous building yet to no use the loss whereof is irrecoverable It stands us upon therefore to be instant in season and out of season to be Instructers of the flock committed to our charge both in doctrine and manner of living The reason hereof rendred in my Text is substantial in that we are made Overseers of the flock The word interpreted Overseer is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hence saith one Nomen Episcopi plus sonat oneris quà m honoris But I take it here in a larger signification than it is commonly used All Ministers are Overseers of that Flock the charge of whose souls is committed to them They are their Spiritual Tutors unfolding unto them the secret mysteries of Divine knowledge They must inform them if ignorant reform them if erroneous reprove them if dissolute confirm them if weak in the faith They are called Watchmen to watch for their souls salvation that they be not carried away with every wind of dectrine that they run not into absurd enormities but that they hold fast the profession of the faith in holiness and righteousness all the days of their lives They are called Pastors whose calling is to use all diligence to feed their flock and protect them from eminent mischiefs by a careful foresight or present needful power The Symbole of this say some is the Bishops Crosier the Spiritual Shepherds staff which is acutus in fine ad pungendum pigros rectus in medio ad regendum debiles retortus in summo ad colligendum vagos sharp in the end to prick up the slothful and make them nimble right in the midst to govern the weak but crooked in the top like a hook to gather the dispersed or such as go astray They are called Gods Stewards whose office is faithfully to provide all things necessary for his family They are called the Light of the world whose property is to discover things hid in darkness They by their knowledge dispel the clouds of ignorance by their holy conversation the works of darkness All things that are discovered are made manifest by the light for whatsoever doth make manifest is light hence they shew the house of Judah their sins Eph. 5 13. and the house of Jacob their thrnsgressions They are called Stars Fixt in the right hand of God tanquam in firmamento suo as in their heaven Stars have their light from the Sun so you not originally from your selves but derivatively from the Sun of Righteousness Your knowledge proceeds from the revelation of Jesus Christ who was in the bosom of the Father and must be communicated to the world And to this end they move perpetually about the world so ought you about the Church that all therein may be partakers of the light of life Wonderful are the effects and powerful the operation that the Celestial bodies have by their influences upon the Elements and upon those things compacted by them So questionless the effects wrought by the powerful preaching of the Gospel which is the power of God unto salvation by such whose conversation is in heaven as Divine stars are far superior unto them The operation I am sure more effectual because more spiritual For as the Stars beget life in things void of life and cause vegetation by their heat So they by their precepts beget saith in those that are dead in sins and trespasses which is the soul of the soul by which we live unto God for Faith cometh by hearing and the just lives by his faith Furthermore by the propagation of the Gospel by preaching the Church of God grows and all therein as tender plants and trees of righteousness bring forth the fruits of eternal life Lastly The fixt Stars candem sempet inter 〈…〉 disstantiam they keep the same proportion of distance to each other The like harmony must be among us that all of us together may declare the glory of God They are called Angels to whom God hath given charge over his people to protect them Heb. 1. ult For as they are ministring Spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation so are Ministers wherefore saith the Prophet How beautiful are the feet of those that bring the glad tidings of peace What shall I say more They are called Fathers All these names import labour in them to whom they are ascribed So that great must be the pains that we must take with the Flock the Church of God over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you Overseers A word to the people I beseech you brethren to know them which labour among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you and to esteem them very highly in love for their work sake 1 Thess 5.13 Apud Graecos majori in honore babebantur Philosophi quà m Oratores Illi enim rectè vivendi c. Lactantius The Grecians gave greater respect to their Philosophers than to their Orators because these taught them how to speak but those how to live well And sâ—ffer the word of exhortation Heb. 13.22 God must send ere man can go And here is Gods care of man his love to man God comes not in his own proper person He speaks not in his own proper voice So great is the Majesty of the one that