ioy their works are the acts of ioy their thoughts are the springs of ioy their language is the voice of ioy whilst they sing and cry Ioy within the gates of Hierusalem and peace bee on Sion One day in thy Courts is better then a thousand I had rather bee a doore-keeper in the house of the Lord then to liue at ease in the tents of vngodlinesse Can there bee a feast or a bankquet without ioy there shall be the supper of the great King Can there bee a wedding or nuptials without ioy There shall bee the marriage of the Lambe where the Lord shall worke a greater miracle then euer he did in Cana and conuert the teares of outward heuinesse into the wine of inward gladnesse till wee bee drunke with the sweetnesse of his loue and the pleasures of his kingdome hauing as Nyssen writes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A sober kind of drunkennesse for if ioy be an act of loue and the effect of charitie as the Schooles haue determined there must needs bee great ioy where there is so great loue perfect ioy where there is perfect charitie ioy in our owne saluation ioy in the felicitie of our brethren whom wee shall loue as our owne soules by the vnitie of the Spirit But we may not thinke to find out the springs of Nilus or the seuerall grounds of these infinite reioycings O that I had a pitcher large enough to draw the well is deepe and my heart is not able to containe much lesse to present you with the ioyes of that heauenly kingdome Helpe mee with your prayers raise mee with your spirits let not the cry of Rome drowne the cry of Ierusalem the one calls to paine and torment the other calls to ioy and comfort the one calls to a Limbus Patrum the other calls to the garden of Eden The one calls to the fire of Purgatory the other calls to the life of glory the one calls to the triall of your workes in imaginary flames the other calls to the crowne of your workes in reall blessednesse and that by the example of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ Intra in gaudium Domini tui Enter into thy masters ioy Here then is one key more to raise our ioy a little higher and that is a relatiue terme Domini gaudium our masters ioy It skils much who is ioyned with vs in the partaking of any good Some had rather die with their friends then liue with their enemies and the poore Indians chose rather to go to hell with their ancestors then to heauen with the Spaniards If then it bee sweet and comfortable to be in ioy what is it to be with our Lord and Gouernour To enter his ioy to eate and drinke with our master at his table and in his kingdome or rather to make him our meate and drinke that is the bread of life and the well-spring of saluation Yet thus doth God intreate his seruants and there is nothing so deare to him but they shall haue part with him His owne ioy his owne secret his owne sweetnesse his owne comfort his owne robe his owne iustice his owne clothing his owne righteousnesse nay his very life and spirit shall be giuen to them as a seale and pledge of extraordinary grace and speciall fauour Much like that of Cyrus though humane resemblances come short of diuine presidents who neuer liked any dish but he sent part to his friends Semesos anseres semesos panes saith my Author sometime the bread himselfe did eate sometime the meate himselfe did tast from his trencher with this kind and friendly salutation Cyrus tibi ista quod ipsi fuerint iucundissima The King sends you this because he likes it best himselfe and holds it choise and daintie It is a small thing for the Saints of God to reioyce vnlesse it bee in the Lord. The ioy of the creature is transient the ioy of the Creator permanent They must partake of their masters ioy and reioyce in that where his soule delighteth Quo gaudet quod praestat the ioy hee giues and the ioy hee takes the ioy he loues and the ioy he is Whereupon saith Bernard Non aurum pollicetur Dominus the Lord doth not promise gold nor siluer or pretious stones but himselfe He will be our ioy and hee will be our comfort our substantiall ioy our euerlasting comfort our solid ioy our euerlasting glorie and the very crowne of our ioycing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Nyssen speakes the giuer of the crowne and the crowne that is giuen the disposer of the treasure and the treasure that is disposed the merchant that sells the pearle and the pearle that is sold by the merchant from whose golden beames and smiling rayes all the creatures in heauen and earth receiue beauty and perfection The reason is taken from that diuine master of humane knowledge 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the chiefest good is most pleasant and voluptuous in himselfe because most good most blessed most absolute most perfect and as hee reioyceth in himselfe so wee must reioyce in him The vision of his nature the contemplation of his Dietie where there is fulnesse of ioy and pleasure for euermore It is his brightnesse must clarifie our vnderstanding his goodnesse must sanctifie our affections his fulnesse possesse our hearts and satisfie the vastnesse of our greatest spirits What though Adam were affraid at the voyce of God walking in the garden we shall triumph at the sight of God riding in the heauens Gauâ—isi discipuli viso Domino saith the Euangelist The disciples reioyced when they saw the Lord but the whole world shall be rauished with ioy when they looke vpon Christ not as hee is in his works but as he is in himselfe his Essence his diuinitie with the cleare eyes of loue and knowledge like those creatures in the Apocalyps Which are full of eyes about the throne and amidst the throne about the throne in the sight and comprehension as it were of diuine greatnesse amidst the throne in the tast and fruition of diuine goodnesse O thou bright Sonne of eternall glory that dost create the Saints exhilarate the Elders diaper the heauens serene the elements inspire the Cherubins inflame the Seraphins enlighten the temple of Ierusalem and make glad the Citie of our God thy loue is our ioy thy peace our ioy thine eyes our ioy thy lookes our ioy If thou wert like a bundle of my the in thy sufferings thou art as a heape of Camphire in thy blessings Thou dost cheare vs now but it is imperfectly and as it were by a proxie the proxie of thy creatures the proxie of thy seruants Sometimes the fatnesse of the earth and the dew of heauen sometimes by the comfort of friends and the abundance of thy treasure at most by the pretious influence of thy inuisible graces but thou shalt one day cheere vs by thy selfe the maiestie of thy presence the fruition of thy company the vision of thy person the
power made vs the power of his God-head his weakenesse saued vs the weakenesse of his manhood Therefore may he iustly set his marke vpon vs yet is it not the rubie or the chrysolite or the saphir or the diamond or any other pretious stone that he would stocke and graft in vs but himselfe the image of himselfe more deare and precious then all the world beside O that we did esteeme him as a rich pearle or iewell of great price and incomparable value and not onely so but in this imitate Cleopatra put him into our draft and traiect him into our bowels with the hunger and thirst of righteousnesse We know the zeale of that Theban Captaine when being brought into the campe halfe dead he asked whether his shield were taken by the enemie as if nothing else were to be regarded and when he found it safe he began to kisse it and reuiue againe Such ought to be our zeale toward Christ the shield of our defence and the seale of our redemption What is the Church but as a garden What are we but as spirituall Bees O let vs sucke the flowers and draw the sweetnesse and neuer rest till we haue made a hiue of our soules and bodies that our hearts may be as waxe softened and mollified for the impression of this seale and nothing but this I meane Christ Iesus and him crucified The place he chuseth for himselfe is the heart by faith and confidence the arme by loue and charitable operations and that as a seale or a signet for esteeme and dignity Let me therefore once more beseech you that you would all be keepers of this seale without which nothing is to bee held but chiefly the house of Aaron and the Tribe of Leuie whether God hath placed vs as the signet of his arme iudge you there is peace within our walls and plenteousnesse within our palaces we sit vnder our vines and our figtrees and there is none to make vs affraid our sonnes grow vp as young plants and our daughters as the polisht corners of the Temple our garners abound and are full of all manner of store our sheepe bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our folds our oxen are strong to labour and there is no decay no leading captiue no complaining in our streets Thus hath he put vs as the seale of his heart and as the signet of his arme by the care of his loue and the tendernesse of his affection Not to do the like with him and to answer loue by loue were great inhumanity wonderfull impietie he doth not so with other Nations he rather maketh them as a marke to shoote at in the fiercenesse of his displeasure but let vs neuer forget his abundant louing kindnesse crying with Saint Bernard Sufficit amor Christi the loue of Christ sufficeth in him alone we are rich and haue enough he is very sweet and delectable the rest of our labour the stay of our pilgrimage the comfort of our heauines the pledge of blessednesse That as now we are as the seale of his left hand by temporall fauours so hereafter we may be as the seale of his right hand by his euerlasting mercies Which the Lord grant for the merits of his Sonne to whom with the Spirit three persons and one God be honour and glorie power and maiestie this day and for euer Amen Triumphus CHRISTI Christs Triumph AVG. Ser. de Temp. Didicit coelum portare hominem sub pedibus Christi famulantia aethera iacuerunt THE SECOND SERMON PSAL. 45. 5. Good lucke haue thou with thine honour ride on for the word of truth and meekenesse and righteousnesse CHrist is the end of the Law saith the Apostle yea and of the figures and of the Ceremonies towards him they all looke from him they receiue their accomplishment and perfection He is the Moses that shewes vs the true God and teacheth vs his Law He is the Ioshua that destroyeth our enemies and brings vs vnto Canaan He the Dauid that smote Goliah He the Solomon that built a temple a temple I say not made with hands but eternall in the heauens Where then shall I go for the meaning of these words but to that vniuersall center of euery line within this sacred volume Non recedamus à lapide angulari saith Austin There is no departing from the corner stone vnlesse we meane to loose our way Christ is the landmark and boundary of this and other prophesies what though Dauid write vnto the King or speake of his sonne It is the beloued Sonne of God that lyeth in the bosome of the Father that is the subiect of his prediction Thus doth one wheele run within another as in the vision of Ezechiel Christ in Solomon and grace in Christ for what the Apostles saw in the flesh the Prophets behold in the spirit and if euer Dauid were the pen of another mooued by the holy Ghost and set a worke by the finger of that eternall Maiestie to write and speake not after the will of man but after the will of God it is now whilst vnder the shadow of termes indefinit he proclaimes honour and felicitie with the flourishing increase of triumphant exaltation to the Lord and to his annointed and that for his words sake that Euangelicall word the word of the Gospell Good lucke haue thou with thine honour ride on for the word of truth and of meeknesse and of righteousnesse Referre my Text to Solomon you haue a bene diction referre it vnto Christ you haue a prediction it wisheth well to Solomon and there it is Oratio it speaketh well of Christ and there it is Oraculum Not shewing what he would haue done but what should be done by the rod of his power and the scepter of his Dominion Good lucke haue thou with thine honour What then do you obserue in the land-scope of these words But the dew of Hermon lying vpon the hill of Sion honour attended with felicitie the promise of felicitie as the dew of Hermon the sublimitie of honour as the hill of Sion Good lucke haue thou with thine honour Or rather if you please a golden branch on the top of Libanus the flower and the leafe thereof is honour the fruite and sweetnesse is felicitie Good lucke haue thou with thine honour The expansion and stretching forth is encrease Ride on with thine honour The roote and body is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a word of truth Good lucke haue thou with thine honour ride on for the word of truth and of meeknesse and of righteousnesse O the blessed foundation whereon the Apostle builds gold and siluer and precious stones honour and felicitie with the ioyfull succession of victorious power and royall soueraignty It is a word of truth and confirmes his promises it is a word of meekenesse and prayeth for his enemies it is a word of righteousnesse and iustifies his seruants Hee was crowned with honour in the worke of our redemption he was aduanced to ride
and men of Israel get ye into the holy place the closet of your hearts the secret of your consciences looke vpon the wine that runnes and the hony that streames from the treading of the grape and the opening of the rocke consider the sharpnesse of his death if there were any sorrow like vnto his the sweetnesse of his loue if there were any mercy to be compared with his and let your spirits melt and bleed and distill and bee power'd forth into a sweet ointment and great libution for the merit of his death and the benefit of your redemption Martialls Flie play'd so long vnder a tree that at length it was wrapt in amber and congeal'd in the drops that came from the boughs Sic modo quae fuerat vita contempta manente Funeribus facta est nunc praetiosa suis The best of vs are but wormes let vs not despise to be as this Flie still houering about the tree of the crosse and the ointment of his bloud till wee be wrapped and closed and buried and entombed in the pretious amber of his bleeding wounds and the sacred gum of that tree which growes in the midst of Paradise For if we suffer with him we shall raigne with him and if we bee conformed to the similitude of his death we shall bee transformed to the image of his glory Effundam de spiritu meo saith God the Father I will powre out my Spirit vpon all flesh Effudi de sanguine meo saith God the Sonne I haue powr'd forth my bloud for all flesh See the price of your redemption and the pledge of your saluation by this ye enter the holy place and are assured of that kingdome where neither height nor depth nor things present nor things to come nor life nor death nor any other creature shall bee able to separate vs from the loue of God which is Christ Iesus O Lord enflame this loue in vs and crowne this hope on vs for the bitter death and meritorious passion of thy Sonne and our Sauiour to whom with the Father bee ascribed all honour and glorie power and dominion throughout all generations Amen Sanctorum GLORIA The glory of the Saints GREG. Mor. lib. 6. Quia in hac vita discretio operum erit in illa discretio dignitatum LONDON Printed for ROBERT ALLOT THE FOVRTH SERMON MATH 19. 28. Ye which haue followed me in the regeneration when the Sonne of man shall sit in the throne of his glorie yee shall also sit vpon twelue thrones iudging the twelue tribes of Israel I Know not whether that of Theodosius do sauour more of wisedome or abound more with the sweetnesse of deuotion sure I am it is most pious and Christian Gaudeo magis c. I reioyce more to be a seruant of the liuing God then to be a Monarch of the whole earth For as his yoke is easie and his burthen light so is his protection mightie and his seruice honourable witnesse that of our Sauiour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if any man serue me the Father will do him honour It pleased Satan to vpbraid Iob with a numquid Deum gratis colit Doth Iob serue God for nought We may heare the same and neuer bee ashamed or rather pronounce without question Non colimus Deum gratis we do not serue God for nought Hee is our reward our great reward our exceeding great reward as hee doth encourage Abraham in the 15. of Genesis and therefore let me take vp the eccho of that double voyce Consolamini consolamini be comforted be comforted all ye that labour and trauell vnder the burthen of his crosse bee it father mother wife children house lands or whatsoeuer ye leaue for his names sake ye shall receiue an hundred fold and at length inherit life eternall For we haue a good master and there is ioy in the expectation of the righteous good in his promises good in his threatnings whether hee amend vs with his punishments whether hee strengthen vs with his comforts whether hee adorned vs with his graces whether he crowne vs with his mercies euery way good vnto vs. Not a man of you shall depart from the Court of his tabernacle or the presence of his maiestie without a gladsome heart and a chearefull countenance Whence is that of sweet Bernard Non Isaac sed aries molietur Though we be neuer so much affraid it is not Isaac but the Ram that must bee sacrificed it is not the delight and pleasure of our soules that shall be taken from vs for that indeed is Isaac but it is the obstinacie and contumacie of our spirits that must bee tamed in vs for that indeed is the Ramme that stuck in the bush and is neuer without the prickling thornes of anguish and vexation Do we serue God it is God that serues vs Doe wee honour the Lord it is the Lord that doth honour vs and will do more when my text shall be verified Yee that haue followed me in the regeneration when the Sonne of man shall sit in the throne of his glorie yee shall also sit vpon twelue thrones iudging the twelue tribes of Israel These words are a gracious promise made to the Apostles but extended to the Gentiles and do concerne the whole familie of God for as they exclude Iudas though present when Christ spake by reason of his Apostasie so they include vs though many generations after Christ spake through faith in his mercie Will ye know the substance of the promise They sit and iudge Sit vpon twelue thrones There is the state and maiestie of their wonderfull exaltation Iudge the twelue tribes of Israel There is the eminencie and prerogatiue of their infinite iurisdiction Will ye learne the circumstance of this promise It is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the consummation and renouation of the whole world when he that was in the forme of a seruant shall take vpon him the forme of a Iudge and that in a Throne of glorie But vpon what termes haue we so great honour Is it giuen to any without condition No 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They are such as follow him and obserue his doctrine Not all that leaue all but all that follow him Ye that haue followed me in the regeneration when the Sonne of man shall sit vpon a throne of glorie shall also c. Here then we haue first a president of Christian imitation Ye that haue followed me Secondly a reward of blessed enthronization Shall sit vpon twelue thrones and iudge the twelue tribes of Israel Last of all the determinate point and terme of this glorie and perfection it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the renouation and instauration of the whole world when the sonne of man shall declare himselfe to bee the Sonne of God in a throne of glorie Yee that haue followed me in the regeneration when the sonne of man shall sit vpon a throne of glorie yee also shall sit vpon twelue thrones iudging the twelue tribes of Israel My whole
temporall blessings are for the most part Catholike and Vniuersall bestowed promiscuously without exception yet grace and peace and righteousnesse and adoption are neuer giuen to the reprobate For there is no peace vnto the wicked saith my God but fightings without and frightings within as the Apostle noteth they fly when none doth pursue and are afraid where no feare is Horrendum quatiente animo tortore flagellum well are they compared to a raging sea that neuer rests whose waters cast out mire and dirt their desires as winds that stirre and raise their passions their passions are as waues that turmoile and tosse their soules their soules are as ships that float to and fro and are carried vp and downe with restlesse motion and violent agitation in the midst of their bodies For as Bees are driuen away with smoake forsake their hiues so the coales of wrath and the stifling fumes of choaking enuie do remoue and exterminate the diuine sweetnesse of Christian peace and quietnesse Whence is that of Chysologus Haeretici in ira Christiani in pace Simeon is glad Herod is troubled the sheepe of Christ are quiet Wolues are inraged the Angels reioyce and are exalted the Diuels tremble and are confounded The Arke of Gods Church is safe and lyeth at Anchor the barke of Infidels floates and lies in continuall danger I remember in the reigne of Selymus when a Persian Embassadour came to entreate peace of the Turkes a desperate fellow discharged a shot and would haue slaine him being taken and examined hee neuer changed countenance but replyed hee was an enemie to his Lord and most vnworthy any peace the like answer shall be giuen to the wicked when they seeke for peace and the Lord will sweare they shall not enter into his rest Looke vpon the troubles of their heart and consider their manifold distractions who is able to expresse the stroakes and the scourges the wounds and the torments that make them bleede within the furies that haunt their breast and twine as snakes about them the seuerall pleits of the writhen thoughts and perplexed cogitations They are cursed in the field and cursed in the Citie cursed in the fruit of their land and cursed in the fruit of their bodie their children perish and neuer behold the Sunne their cattell are smote with lightning and their flocks of sheepe with hot thunderbolts their vineyards are destroyed with hailestones and their mulbertie trees with frosts the Caterpiller eates their grasse and the Grashopper their labour the Lord doth smite them with Feuers and Agues and blastings and mildewes and neuer leaue till they be destroyed the Lord doth cast vpon them the furiousnesse of his wrath trouble and displeasure with the immission of diuels and incursion of euill spirits For they are enemies of God and most vnworthy of this peace that peace which is here published and confined to his seruants 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To men of good will Not to men of good vnderstanding onely For knowledge puffes vp but to men of good will For charitie buildes vp Not to men of good deeds onely for sometimes they may bee hypocriticall and Pharisaicall but to men of good will for they are perfect and Angelicall Such as embrace Christ willingly and receiue his word ioyfully with true loue and hearty deuotion These are quadrati lapides as Saint Austin square stones that neuer fall howsoeuer they be turned Their life is like the breeding of those Halciones which makes their nest in the sea as long as the one liues the other breeds there is a great calme and wonderfull serennitie Beware then of enuie and the Lord deliuer vs from hatred malice and all vncharitablenesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Basil as God is loue and he that dwelleth in loue dwelleth in God so the Diuell is hatred and he that abideth in hatred abideth in the Diuell O yee that feele the arrowes of God sticke fast in you returne into your hearts and examine your consciences see whether your will bee good or bad rectified or depraued If the Lord make way to his indignation and giue your life to the destroyer if your riuers be dryed vp and your waters turned into bloud if the heauens bee as brasse ouer your head and the earth as iron vnder your feete if yee haue dust for raine for dew ashes if your sheepe be giuen to the enemy and your labour to the stranger if your hearts boyle with anguish and the sorrowes of death compasse you round about thinke it is for lacke of this good will because yee haue not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Good will towards your maker good will towards your neighbour If yee had good will ye would not be so much disquieted They are men of good will that are the vessels of peace and the subiect of this blessing and the good will that dwelt in the bush will dwell in none but such as haue good will In this God is like that Romane Emperour Odit pallidos macilentos His soule doth abhorre such as are leane with enuie and pale with malicious wickednesse O that diuine charity were shed abroad in our hearts by the holy Ghost and the vertue thereof spread as a veine through the body of our Church O that our soules were as the Pallace of Salomon and the midst thereof paued with loue toward the daughters of Hierusalem Then would the Lord couer vs all the day long and we shall dwell in safetie then would hee lie betweene our shoulders and wee should be as Ioseph that was separate from his brethren Beloued I may say of these breasts as Christ doth of the Churches Meliora vino â—bera Thy breasts are more pleasant then wine The breasts of pietie and deuotion the breasts of mercie and compassion the breasts of true loue and Christian affection I would to God I could see them run and flow as spouts and conduicts in the midst of your habitations And me thinks I do to the honour of God and the abundant increase of your rest and quietnes Yet this is not enough vnlesse yee adde bowels vnto breasts breasts will soone dry vp if they bee not fed with the melting of our bowels and therefore saith the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Put yee on the bowels of compassion that as Christ was inuested in our flesh so we might be inurserated with his bowels the tender bowels of mercie louing kindnes If thy heart rise against thy neighbour remember the peace thou hast with God if thy soule delight in honour think of the glory that is giuen to the Lord. Non venit Dominus vt impleret aqua Hydrias sed vt animas spiritus sancti gratia irrigaret saith Ambrosius the Lord is not come to fill our water pots with wine but to water the soules of men with the graces of his spirit that we might haue peace with our selues good will towards others and the sacrifice of praise for him that dwelleth in the highest Neuer was that of the Psalmist more fitly vsed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let the heauens reioyce and the earth be glad Let the earth be glad for there is peace in it Let the heauens reioyce for there is glorie in the highest Let the earth be glad for hee that was heauenly was made earthly Let the heauens reioyce for he that is earthly was and is heauenly and let both take vp that which the Angels sung vnto the sheepheards Glorie to God on high on earth peace good will towards men when the Angels sang Christ was naked on the earth now we sing he is glorious in the heauens Therefore doth our solemnitie exceed theirs and we may better say Glorie to God on high on earth peace good will towards men I reade of one Pope that would haue none reade this verse but onely the Priests but we know that all the elect are Kings and Priests to God A royall Priesthood a holy Nation purchased redeemed with his bloud and therfore let vs ioyne in this dochologie and neuer rest saying Glorie to God on high on earth peace good will towards men I will shut vp all in that closure of the Apostle Now the very God of peace sanctifie you throughout and I pray God that your whole spirit and soule and bodie may bee kept blamelesse vnto the comming of our Lord Iesus To whom with the Father and the Spirit bee in honour and glorie in the earth as it is in heauen till the earth mooue and the heauens forget their motion Amen Amen FINIS