fury headlong into Hell Paulo minus sayth Dauid vpon the same occasion habitasset in inferno anima mea A little more saith Dauid and my soule had dwelt in hell Againe The loue to our enemie must encrease by the hate to our selues and those iniuries that thou receiuest from his hand must be vnto thee motiues to loue him and from that wound that he giues thee growes thy cure As Saint Ambrose saith of that of our Sauiour Christ Vulnus inflictum erat fluebat vnguentum A wound was giuen and the oyntment issued out And this you will thinke a hard lesson That a man must learne to haâ—e himselfe The difficultie is plaine but as heauie weights become light when they are counterpoysed by greater so that heauinesse which Nature suffereth in louing her enemie is made light and easie by the counterpoyse of Grace First we are to confesse That this performance is not to bee measured by any naturall force or power of ours for it were great pride to presume That man could naturally deserue so great a reward as is prepared for vs our righteousnes being no better than a stained cloath God not crowning the merits of our Nature but those his gifts of Grace that he conferreth vpon vs. Saint Austen saith That God wrote the Law with his owne hand in token that our power of fulfilling it dependeth in the fauour of his hand The shaft that flies so nimbly through the ayre it is not it's owne lightnesse that causeth it's swiftnesse but the arme that drawes and deliuers it If thou shalt alledge That God hath not his fauour so readie at hand thou doost wrong God who is alwaies so readie at hand that thou canst blame no bodiebut thy selfe Secondly It is so easie and so sweete by those fauours that God affoordeth that a man may verie well say Iugum meum suaue est onus meum leue My yoke is pleasing and my burthen light Si dicebam motus est pes meus saith Dauid misericordia tua adiuuabat When I said my foot is moued thy mercie helped me He had scarce said Lord fauour me but his mercie presently followed him Nunquid adhaeret tibi sedes iniquitatis qui fingis laborem in praecepto Art thou a tyrannicall Prince that by making hard Lawes thou shouldest picke quarrells with thy Subiects and so oppresse and vndoe them No Thou art pittyfull franke and liberall for what thou commandest thou accompaniest with a thousand sweete blessings On the other side againe wee doubt how the old Law beeing so heauie a burthen and our Sauiour Christ adding thereunto a new load vpon the necke of that load it may be said Iugum meum suaue est I answer That there are two kinds of easing of a burden either by lessening the weight or by adding greater strength For a poore weake beast foure Arroba's a certaine measure in Spaine of some sixe gaâ—lons will bee too great a load but for a stronger twelue Arroba's will bee but a light weight And that to the poore beast the burthen may seeme the lighter the better way is to make him fat to put him in heart than wholly to quit him of his lading To him that had beene eight and thirtie yeres benummed our Sauiour sayd Tolle grauatum tuum Take vp thy bed a sickenesse of so long continuance could not but be a great burden vnto him that lay heauily vpon him but God giuing him strength to endure it it seemed light God euermore measures our burthens by his Spirit Diligite benefacite orate Loue do good pray Here are three Beneficia set against three Damna To wit Of our Thoughts our Words and our Workes And in the first place Loue is put Some will not perhappes like so well of it That he must submit himselfe so farre as to do good vnto his enemie and to pray for him But it ought not to seeme ouer burthensome to any for it stands not with reason that Grace should bee lesse powerfull than Sinne in those whose thoughts words and workes tend to what is good Saint Basil compares those that receiue a wrong to the eccho which returns you word for word in the verie same Language and tone as you your selfe shall speake vnto it But heerein lies the difference that in theeccho though the voyce may goe encreasing yet the wrong doth not But in those that thinke themselues wronged that still growes more or lesse as occasion is offered vpon replie of wordes Your Bookes of Duell haue their eccho the lye must be returned with a boxe on the eare a boxe on the eare will require a bastonadoing a bastonadoing the vnsheathing of the Sword and the Sword death God likewise hath his eccho for a cursing hee returnes a courtesie Maledicimur bâ—â—efacimus i. Wee are cursed and yet doe good for hate loue for an ill a good turne God doth not desire of thee That thou shouldest doe more for his sake than thou doost for the Deuills Which mee thinkes is a verie fayre and mannerly kinde of proceeding and such as thou canst not except against If thou canst finde in thy heart to goe see a Comedie meethinkes thou shouldest not refuse to goe heare a Sermon If thou canst giue Liueries to thy Pages it were not much for thee to cloath him that is naked If thou giuest twentie Crownes when thou hast good lucke at play to the standers by it is no great matter for thee God hauing blest thee with wealth to bestow foure vpon an Hospitall If thou canst be content to spend two or three houres in idle and light conuersation it is a small matter for thee to conuerse by Prayer halfe an houre with God it is a thing of nothing Petrus Chrysologus pursueth this Conceit a little further to whom I shall referre you Benefacite his qui oderunt vos orate pro persequentibus vos Doe good to them that hate you Pray for them that hurt you The offended that seekes meanes for his satisfaction shewes hee hath a mind to he made friends and God being willing to be friends with thee hath inuented the meanes of Fasting Prayer Almes but more particularly recommends here vnto thee a Benefacite and an Orate a Good turne and a Prayer Nature teacheth thee to repell violence with violence power by power and the sword by the sword with a Vim vi repellere licet But Grace teacheth vs another Lesson Benefacite his saith she qui oderunt vos orate c. Doe good to them that hate you and pray c. Ill is hardly ouercome with il hatred with malice or bad with worse dealing but with goodnesse and with loue with a Vince in bono malum Ouercome euill with good Plutarch reporteth That the Wind and the Sunne did lay a wager which of the two should first strip a man of his cloaths for this challenge the field was appointed the Wind stoutly bestirres himselfe and furiously sets vpon
c. What thing more naturall than to giue our heart vnto God for those generall benefits of Creator Redeemer and Conseruer and for many other particulars which cannot bee summed vp And yet the Deuill doth blot them out of our hearts and sowes in stead thereof so many ingratitudes as Heauen stands astonished therat Though therfore it be a naturall thing to loue our friend Nam Ethnici hoc faciunt i. For euen the Heathens doe this Yet the Deuill soweth a kind of hatred in our hearts so abhorrible to nature that feigned friendship comes to bee doubled malice And the world is so farre gone in this case that it is now held as strange as happy that one friend should truely loue another Hence is it that the Scripture makes so many inuectiues against false friends Ecclesiasticus saith There is a friend for his owne occasion will not abide in the day of thy trouble Salomon saith Vir iniquus tentat amicum suum i. A violent man enticeth his neighbour In that chapter of false and true friendship so many things are there spoken touching false friends as very well prooue that commandement was not superfluous Diliges amicum tuum And that which Chrysostome sayes doth much fauour this doctrine for that one of the reasons why God commanded man to loue his enemie was to affoord matter of loue to the Will for friends are so rare and so few that it would remaine idle and vaine if wee should not loue our enemies Odio habebis inimicum tuum Thou shalt hate thy enemie Irenaeus Saint Basil Saint Ambrose Saint Chrysostome Epiphanius and Hilary hold That this Law was permissiue like the libell of Diuorce Ad duritiam cordis vestri i. For the hardnesse of your heart So that a lesse euill is permitted for the auoyding of a greater And therefore Saint Austen sayth That God neuer permitted that wee should hate our enemie but his sin As thou doost hate the shadow of a figge-tree or the wall-nut and yet regardest an image that is made of the wood thereof or as thou takest the ring of a fire-pan by that part which is cold and fliest from that which is hot and will burne thy hands In like sort thou must loue thy enemie as hee is the image of God and hate him as hee is a sinner And in another place the same Doctor sayth That God put it in the singular number Odio habebis inimicum tuum i. Thou shalt hate thy enemy signifying thereby that wee should hate the Deuill but not our brother And that wee erre in this our hate for it is no wisedome in vs to hate our enemy who doth vs so much good but the Deuill who doth vs so much harme First then I say That this Law is not of God for God is Loue as Saint Iohn sayth and Loue cannot make a Law of dis-Loue Secondly it is not pleasing vnto God for the Scripture being so full of those good things that hee did for his enemies only to stirre vp mans heart to diuine Loue hee would not command vs to hate them Saint Paul sayth That the bloud of Christ speakes better things than that of Abell For this cryeth for vengeance that for pardon and forgiuenesse The bloud of a dead man is wont to discouer the murderer his wounds bleeding afresh one while it naturally calleth for reuenge another it boyles and breakes forth into flames at the very presence of the murderer another while the vitall spirits which the murderer left in the wounds returne to their naturall place and with great force gush foorth afresh But bee it as it may bee I am sure the bloud of Christ speaketh better things than that of Abell for this discouereth the murderer and that in the presence of those that crucified him prayed vnto God to forgiue them as not knowing what they did Thirdly that it was contrary to Gods intention In Exodus hee commanded that he that should meet with an Oxe of his enemies that was like to perish or an Asse that was haltered intangled he should helpe both the one the other Now hee that wills vs to be thus friendly to a beast what would he wee should doe to the owner thereof Nunquid Deo est cura de bobus Hath God care of Oxen In Deut. God commanded that they should not hate the Idumean nor the Aegiptian who according to Clemens Alexandrinus were their notorious enemies In the Prou. it is said When thy enemy falleth reioyce not at his ouerthrow For God may exchange fortunes and his teares may come to thy eyes and thy ioy to his heart And Eccl. tels vs Hee that seeketh vengeance shall find vengeance And those that haue beene possessed with the Spirit of God haue much indeared this Theame as Dauid Iob Tobias and diuers others Fourthly it is against the law of Nature I aske thee if thine enemie should bee appointed to bee thy iudge thou hauing offended the Law wouldest thou not hold it an vnreasonable thing and wilt thou then bee iudge of thine owne wrongs God is onely a competent judge In causis proprijs i. In his owne matters The rest is force and violence The Gibeonites held themselues wronged by Saul complained grieuously thereof vnto Dauid Dauid demanded of them Quid faciam vobis i. What shall I doe vnto you They replyed Non est nobis super argento auro quaestio i. Our question is not about Siluer and Gold What is it then sayd hee that you would haue Virum qui attriuit nos oppressit inique ita deleredebemus vt neque vnus quidem residuus â—it de stirpe eius in cunctis finibus Israel i. The man that consumed vs him would wee so destroy that not one should bee left of his stocke in all the borders of Israell That there might not so much as a cat or a dogge bee left aliue of the house of Saul But where reuenge is so full of rage and runs madde as it were it is good to take the sword out of their hand and that no man may haue authoritie to reuenge his owne wrongs be the cause neuer so iust and holy Elias slew foure hundred Prophets it was Gods cause but God did not giue him leaue to kill Iesabel who had done himselfe such wrong Saint Peter sentenced Ananias and Saphira but not Herod who imprisoned him and condemned him to death Dauid did not take vengeance of Shimei for feare he should haue exceeded therein as also for that it was causa propria his owne cause The Law of Nature tells vs Quod tibi nonuis alteri ne feceris Doe not that to another which thou wouldst not haue done to thy selfe Tobias notified the same to his sonne Quod ab alio oderis fieri tibi vide ne tu aliquando facias And Ecclesiasticus Learne from thy selfe what is fit for thy neighbour Our Sauiour Christ hath set vs
Vae c. Being al metaphors of the Prophets hauing things in his remembrance Which is more cleerely deliuered by Iob Nunquid sapiens replebit arbore stomachuÌ„ suum i. Will a wise man fil his stomach with that heat that shal burne consume him Which is to say will he charge his memorie with matters of paine torment The proportion then holds thus as the stomach is the storehouse of our corporall food and keeping therein our present meat the bodie takes from thence it 's sustenance whereby it maintaines it's beeing and it's life so the memorie is the Magazin of the soule and setteth before our eyes the obligation wherein wee stand the good which we lose and the hurt which wee gaine And representing thereunto the species and shapes of things past they sometimes worke that effect as they would haue done had they beene present themselues whence is ingendred the loue of God which is that good bloud wherewith the soule is nourished And as from the disorder and disagreement of the stomach painfull diseases do arise and diuers infirmities to the body so from the forgetfulnesse of our memorie rise those of the soule For without obliuion saith Saint Basil our saluation cannot be lost nor our soules health indangered And as when the fuell and fire shall faile mans stomach which is the ouen which boyles seasons our life we may giue that of the bodies for lost so when our memorie shal faile vs we may giue the soule for lost Wherefore it is fit that euery man should take this into consideration Memento homo Remember man c. You haue heard before that the first attribute of man is obliuion The second is basenesse and miserie In Ezechiel the King of Tyre said Deus ego sum i. I am a God but he was answered That he was but a man that is base vile and miserable So Dauid Vt sciant gentes quoniam homines sunt Let the Nations know that they are men i. base and vile And Saint Paul Nonne homines estis i. Are yee not men When we see a man swallowed vp sometimes in the miseries of the bodie sometimes of the soule wee say in the conclusion Hee is a man now if in stead of the gold of the Angells there was found rust and that so fine cloath as that was not without it's moaths and that incorrupted wood without it's worme What will become of those that are but dust Qui habitant domos luteas i. Who dwell in houses of clay marrie they must as fearefull of their owne harme repeat this lesson Memento homo terra es c. Remember ô man that thou art earth c. Ecclesiasticus doth aduise thee to rise vp betimes not to be the last but to get thee home without delay for there thou shalt find enough to doe Praecurre in domum tuam age conceptiones tuas Ieremie councells thee to the same sending thee to this house of durt and mud So much good learning is not to be gotten in the schooles for in this house of clay God reads vnto vs but in the schooles men God did not speake vnto Moses till he had drawne his sheepe aside into the Desart putting his hand twice in his bosome the one he tooke out cleane the other leprous We haue two bosomes to take care of in this life the one of our owne things the other of other mens But the meditation of our owne misery being the more necessarie we must euer haue in our mind this Memento c. A man not knowing himselfe cannot know God now for to know himselfe the next way is to goe out of himselfe and to consider the trace and tracke of those Alexanders and Caesars c. Vbi sunt Principes gentium i. Where are the Princes of the Nations c. Gregorie Nazianzen asketh the question Why God hauing created the soule for Heauen did knit it with so streight a knot to a bodie of earth so fraile and so lumpish And his answer is That the Angells being ouerthrown by their pride he was willing to repaire and to helpe this presumption in man a creature in his superior part as it were Angelical but haâ—ing a heauie miserable body which might serue as a button or stay vnto him that if the nimblenesse of his vnderstanding should puffe him vp yet that earth which clogged his body should humble him and keepe him downe Amongst other stratagems of warre to annoy the enemie with dust and driue him thereby to yeeld is not the least Abacuc reports of a King of the Caldeans hathe made a jeast of walls Towers and Bulwarks because he could reare higher of earth He shal deride euery strong Hold and shall heap dust take it Plutarch tells vs of Sertorius That his enemies hauing fortified themselues in a caue that was inexpugnable to the mouth thereof he laid great heapes of earth and the wind fauouring him he raised so great a dust with his Troups of horse that they presently yeelded The Church finding many of their sons so rebellious that neither misfortunes will reforme them nor stripes keepe them in awe vseth this policie of Dust comming vpon them with a Memento homo Remember man c. In that mountainous Countrey of Biscay there are some antient buildings whose ruines declare them to haue beene heretofore great and goodly things here is a piece of a Tower standing here a vast Hall but gone to ruine there thicke great walls but demolished What houses are these they belong to the Mendoza's or the Velasco's And although these Families haue in other places new Palaces rich and sumptuous Halls with guilded roofes windows galleries Courts paued with Iasper Gardens and Fountaines faire and beautifull yet do they make more reckoning of those old houses because they conserue their memorie and shew the antiquitie of their descent The honours of the world the Estates Lordships Offices and dignities are things as it were of yesterday but that antient house which thou must most reckon of is that thy ruinous house of dust and clay which puts theestill â—n mind Quod terra es in terram conuerteris i. That earth thou art and to earth thou shalt returne There is no man so desperate nor of that boldnesse of spirit but doth shew a kind of feare when Death lookes him in the face And therefore death is termed pale because it makes the most valiant to change colour Iob painting forth such a kind of soule-lesse man saith Quiâ— argueâ— coram 〈…〉 eius i. Who shall bee able to controll this man that neither feares the Law nor his King nor his God The best remedie is to carrie him to the Sepultures of the dead Et in câ—ngerie mortuâ—raÌ„ euigilabit i. He shall be brought to the graues and made to awake and iâ— the looking vpon that sad spectacle will not worke him there is little hope of good to be done vpon
to prayer and so fearing God that an Angel was sent vnto him to illuminate his vnderstanding Of another S. Mathew makes mention who when the lights of Heauen were darkned yet his sight was so cleere that hee saw Christ our Sauiour was the Sonne of God Vere filius Dei erat iste Besides this Centurion we now speake of whose Faith our Sauiour did admire Saint Austen celebrates another Captaine which in the midst of Armes tooke wonderfull care to know the things of God But that we may not weary our selues with counting the good ones one by one heauen it selfe hauing great Squadrons of souldiers this may suffice to honor this kind of Calling not onely for it's Faith but for it's loue and charitie Many did petition our Sauiour for their sicke brethren children and friends but for a Seruant this Centurion onely maketh suit Puer meus jacet in domo Paraliticus My child or my seruant lyeth at home sicke of the Palsey The common saying is Quot seruos tot hostes So many seruants so many enemies Iob complaineth That his seruants would haue eaten him piecemeale Who shall giue vs of his flesh that we may be filled If they then that serue so good a Master be his enemies who shal be his friend Seneca seemeth to make the word Seruant to signifie Indifferencie and that it is in the Maisters choice to make him either his friend or foe In this matter there are some rules of prudence nobilitie and Christianitie The first on the Masters part who are to treat their seruant with much loue and kindnesse like a brother saith Ecclesiasticus and in another place indeering it more Sit tibi quasi anima tua Let him be vnto thee as thy soule or as the Greeke hath it Sicut tu As thy selfe Horace calls a mans friend The one halfe of his soule Sicut viscera mea suscipe Receiue him as my owne bowells saith Saint Paul recommending his seruant Onesimus to Philemon No man is a seruant by nature and being that God might haue made thee of a master a seruant how oughtest thou to respect thy seruant being a master This noblenesse of nature shewed it selfe apparently in this our Centurion Puer meus jacet My child lieth sicke hee cals his seruant Child a word of loue and of kindnesse and signifies in the originall a Sonne And Saint Luke doth expresse it with a great deale of tendernesse Erat illi pretiosus Hee was deere vnto him Condemning those masters which vse their seruants as they doe their shooes who when they waxe old and are worne out cast them out vpon the dunghill Saint Paul calles these Sine affectione Men without compassion who no sooner shall their seruant fal sick but they presently bid away with him to the Hospitall if at the day of iudgment God will lay to our charge That wee did not visit the sick in other mens houses What will become of vs in that day when wee be charged with casting them out of our owne The second That all seruants are not so equall and alike that they should deserue either like loue or vsage Ecclesiasticus saith That as fodder and the whip belong to the Asse so doth meat and correction vnto a sloathful seruant But euermore inclining more to lenitie than crueltie The third That a Master bee not sharpe and bitter for there are manie like vnto Spiders which turne all into poyson good and bad seruice foolish and discreete words are all alike vnto them With some masters saith Macrobius snorting and spitting are accounted discourtesies inciuilitie Saint Austen sayes That it is a pride vnworthie mans heart to looke to be serued with more respect by thy seruant than thou doost serue thy God If euerie one of thy fooleries and misdemeanors God should punish them with the rod of his wrath what would become of thee Seneca writing to Licinius tells him That it is a great deale of wisedome and discretion in a Master to vse his seruants well And Clemens Alexandrinus That a Master must not vse his seruants like beasts that he that doth not now and then conuerse with them and communicate his mind vnto them doth not deserue to be a master The fourth That hee bee franke and liberall and a cheerefull rewarder of his seruants labours For if the light of Nature teacheth vs That wee should bee good vnto our Beasts a greater Obligation lyes vpon vs towards our Seruants Plutarch taxeth Cato Censorinus amongst his many other vertues of this one inhumane action That hee sould away his Slaues when they were old and vnable to doe him seruice as Gentlemen turne those Horses that were for their owne Saddle to a Mill to grind when they grow old and stiffe and are not able to trauell as they were woont to doe In a word a Master must consider That albeit the seruants bee the foot yet the feet are as needfull to goe as the eyes to see And the aduantage that the master hath of the seruant is not of Nature but fortune not by his birth for both haue Adam for their father on earth and God in Heauen Both of them say Pater noster qui es in Coelis scientes quoniam illorum vester Dominus est in Coelis i. Our Father which art in heauen knowing that both their and your Lord is in Heauen Not in his bodie for the Pope is made of no better dust than the poore Sexton nor the King than the Hangman Not in regard of the Soule for the price of their redemption were both alike Not of the vnderstanding for many slaues haue that better than they as Aesop Epictetus and Diogenes Not of vertue for many seruants therein exceed their masters But let vs descend now from the Masters to the Seruants dutie and what rules belong to them The first rule is Faithfulnesse and Loue. Salomon saith He that keepeth the Fig-tree shall eat the fruit therof so he that waiteth vpon his master shal come to honour Instancing rather in the Fig-tree than any other for it's sweetnesse and great store of fruit in token that he that shall sow good seruices shall reap good profit The second That he do not serue principally for his own proper interest for he that serueth for profit only and meerly to make gain of his master deserueth neither cherishment nor fauour A master stands in stead of God now we must not principally serue God for the good which he doth vnto vs but as he is our God The Scripture reporteth of Ioseph That his Master hauing trusted him with the gouernment of his house all his wealth he did not deceiue him of a farthing There are some seruants like your Iuy which suckes out the sap withereth the Tree whereunto it leanes it selfe remaining fresh and greene They are those Spunges which soake vp their Masters wealth making their Masters poore and themselues rich The third That a Seruant
be solicitous carefull and painefull for the sluggard Nature abhorreth and condemneth Vidisti hominem velocem stabit coram Rege i. Seest thou a man diligent in his businesse hee shall stand before Kings Diligence is pretious in all men but most in a Seruant Who can indure a lazie Seruant or a dull Beast The Ball was antiently the Symbole of a Seruant according to Cartaneus The ball one while goes flying in the ayre ouer our heads another runnes as low as our feete but neuer lies still but is continually tossed too and fro And Aristotle sayes That a Seruant is Instrumentum viuum A liuing Instrument and as an Instrument hath not his owne will but is directed by the hand of the Artificer so a Seruant is not to bee at his owne will to doe what himselfe listeth but as he is commanded and employed by his Master If Masters and Seruants would keepe these rules it would bee a happinesse for the Master to haue such a Seruant and for the Seruant to haue such a Master It hath antiently beene doubted Why amongst men so equall by nature God hath permitted so great inequalitie as there is betweene him that serueth and him that commandeth And the reason of this doubt is the more indeered for that seruitude is a thing so distastful held so great an ill that many haue preferred death before it Theodoret answereth thereunto That Seruitude was the curse of Sinne and that the first Seruant in the world was Cham on whom his father threwt his seuere malediction That he should be a Seruant to his bretheren Because he discouered the nakednesse of his father S. Austen saith in his Books De Ciuit. Dei That this penaltie began from the malediction of Eue and that those words Thou shalt be vnder the power of thy Husband implyed subiection and seruitude Saint Ambrose in an Epistle which he writes to Simpliciarius saith That Seruing is sometimes taken for a blessing and hee prooues it out of that which Isaac did to his elder sonne Esau He blessed him that he might serue his brother hauing out of a particular prouidence and loue made Esau seruant to his brother to the end that his harshnesse might bee gouerned by his discretion So that wee see that although the fortune of a Seruant speaking generally is verie bad first because libertie is a great good secondly because to serue a Tyrant is a great euil yet he that hath the good hap to serue a good Master is verie happie for such a Master serues in stead of a Father a Councellor a Tutor And this was this seruants happinesse to haue so good a Master as this Centurion heere spoken of who saith Puer meus jacet c. In domo Paraliticus At home sicke of the Palsie It is a consideration as profitable as often repeated That troubles and afflictions brings vs home to Gods House They are like those officers that follow a fugitiue sonne or seruant who bring him backe againe to his father or his master Many meanes God vseth for to bring vs home vnto him but by no meanes more than by affliction Hunger draue the Prodigall home to his Father Ioaâ—s burning of his corne made him come to Absalon the vntamed Heyfer is brought by the Goade to the Yoke There is no Collirium that so opens the eyes of the soule as miserie and trouble The gall of the Fish recouered Tobias of his eye-sight the darknesse of the Whales bellie brought Ionas forth to the light the stroke of an Arrow made Alexander know he was mortall Wormes made great Antiochus confesse he was no God and the threatning of Elias wrought repentance in Achab In a word Vexatio dat intellectum Castigasti me Domine eruditus sum Affliction causeth vnderstanding thou didst correct me ô Lord I was instructed O! how correction opens those eyes which prosperitie kept shut O! how often doth the paining of the bodie worke the sauing of the soule O! how often doe misfortunes like the rounds in Iacobs ladder serue to bring our soules vp to Heauen God dealing with these afflicted soules as the Gardner doth with the Buckets of his Well who humbles them by emptying them that hee may afterwards bring them vp full And so is that place of Iob to bee vnderstood Hee woundeth and hee healeth i. hee healeth by wounding like your cauteries which cure by hurting It is Gods owne voyce I will smite and I will make whole according to that of Ose Percutiet curabit he strikes the bodie with sicknesse and with that wound he healeth the soule But here by the way it is to be noted That there is a great difference betwixt one sinner and another for he that is hardned in sinne is made rather worse than better by correction And this is that which Esay bewaileth where hee crieth out Woe to the sinnefull Nation a People laden with Iniquitie Why should yee be stricken any more yee will reuolt more and more All the fruit that such kind of wilfull sinners reape from their punishment is to adde sinne vnto sinne like that Slaue who being whipt for swearing falls into blaspheming I haue smitten saith Ieremie your childeren in vaine they receiued no correction And in another place he compares them to reprobate siluer which being put into the Crisol of affliction to be refined and purified remaines fouler than before Others there are that are tender hearted and are as sensible of other mens miseries as if themselues were in the same case and iust so was it with this discreet Centurion Dignus est vt illi praestes i. He is worthie for whom thou shouldst doe this The Elders of the Iewes in Capernaum which were sent by the Centurion vnto Christ to beseech him to come and heale his seruant acknowledged a power in our Sauior of working miracles by that often experience they had made thereof but they did not acknowledge his Diuinitie And therefore they here notifie vnto Christ the great merit and deseruingnesse of this Centurion which if it had beene meerely for Gods sake they might the better haue pleaded it They alledge two reasons to induce him thereunto The first Diligit gentem nostram He loueth our Nation which hee hath many wayes manifested by those his good deeds and actions towards vs and this his loue and kindnesse bindes vs to solicite his cause which good will of his ought likewise to incline you to fauour this his suit The second Synagogam aedificauit nobis He hath built vs a Synagogue whereby hee hath not onely shewed his good affection to the Iewes but his religiousnesse also vnto God Dignus est ergo vt illi praestes Hee therefore deserues this fauour at thy hands Their reasons are both powerfull as well with man as with God for Loue obligeth much Saint Ambrose saith That Nature did ingraue nothing so deepely in our hearts as to loue
him that loueth vs. Saint Austen saith That it is a hard heart that repayes not loue with loue agreeing with that of Marcilius Ficinus That Loue is Tanti pretij a thing so vnualuable that nothing can recompence it but Loue. First From this ground we may gather the foulnesse of our dis-loue towards God Ipse prior dilexit saith Saint Iohn He loued vs first if he had not vouchsafed to loue vs mans brest had neuer had a stocke whereon to graft his loue towards him Hauing therefore lou'd vs first and out of his loue done vs such great and speciall fauours it were extraordinarie basenesse and impietie in vs not to loue him againe hee beeing so willing to accept of our loue Many there are which stand vpon it as a point of honour not to bestow their loue vpon euerie one that seekes their loue but onely vpon those that haue giuen them some pledges of their loue Now if thou doost esteeme thy loue at that rate that thou wilt not conferre it vpon him to whom thou doost not owe it yet oughtest thou haue the honesty to repay thy loue to him to whom thou doost owe it especially being Nature abhorreth that they that loue should not be beloued Moreouer many times thou louest those that neuer loued thee nay euen those that haue hated thee Is it much then that thou shouldst loue him that hath loued thee neuer will leaue off to loue thee and cannot but loue though thou shouldst grow cold S. Bernard saith That we are wonderfully beholding vnto Christ for the treasures of his loue because thereby he gaue vs matter to worke vpon to repay this incomparable good of Loue with Loue. No other of Gods fauours towards vs can we make repayment of in the same coyne onely his loue is left vnto vs to be repaid with loue 2 The second reason is no lesse powerfull He hath built vs a Synagogue For where some seruice hath preceded it is as it were a pledge with God of fauours to bee receiued Howbeit in matter of giuing we can gaine nothing by the hand For Quis prior dedid illi Saint Chrysostome treating of the miracle which Saint Peter and Saint Iohn did at the doore of the Temple called Beautifull vpon that poore Cripple which begged an almes for Gods sake pondereth how boldly and securely they entered to aske a fauour in Gods House who had first exercised their charity vpon the Poore strengthning and preuenting those prayers of the poore with those that they were to make themselues vnto God To this end is it still in vse that the poore lyes at the doore of the Temple as the same Doctor obserueth that the Faithfull entring to aske Mercie of God for to secure their petition that they should first shew Mercy Subuenite oppresso sayth Esay Before thou enterest into my House bestowe thine almes vpon some poore begger or other For my stampe is ingrauen vpon him hee is mine owne picture and therefore see you releeue him And then Venite arguite me i. Come and reason with mee If I shall not then helpe thee challenge me for it Saint Luke recounting the resurrection of Dorcas otherwise called Tabitha sayth That the poore and the widowes came vnto Peter showing him those cloathes and shirts which shee had giuen them Circumdederunt eum viduae flentes ostendentes tunicas i. Widowes compassed him about and showed him their coats c. One sayd shee gaue mee this coate another this smocke and God hauing receiued so many seruices towards the poore from the hands of this holy Woman it is fit that she should find this fauour and that you should not sticke much vpon it to restore her her life and the Text sayth That hee presently raised her vp aliue No lesse to this purpose serues that raising againe to life of the Widows son which nourished the Prophet Elias Behold ô Lord thou hast afflicted a poore Widow that lodged mee and sustained mee for thy sake and therfore thou art bound to repay her this seruice It is one of the abuses of these times that in the day of prosperity thou neuer thinkest vpon the poore bee he thy neighbour or a stranger or if thou dooest it is but to quarrell with him to murmure against him thou neuer giuest him any thing but sharpe words but if thy house shall bee visited with any misfortune of fire or otherwise or with sickenesse thou lookest that hee should come vpon his knees to thee and offer thee his seruice These reasons did the Elders of Capernaum alledge to our Sauiour might haue alledged greater than these as his Faith and his Deuotion But it is noted by Saint Chrysostome That they shewed themselues fooles in alledging the dignitie and worth of this Souldier and forgetting the pitty and humanity of the Lord of Hosts Martha and Mary were much more discreet in pressing him with his Loue. For all other things whatsoeuer that we can alledge on our part are to weake to bind him vnto vs. Ego veniam curabo eum i. I will come and cure him 1. They could not haue desired a sweeter or a speedier answere If a Captaine that hath beene maimed in the warres come to one of our Princes heere of this World to demand his pay or some recompence for his seruice hee shall dye a hundred deaths before they will giue him so much as one poore six-pence But the Prince of Heauen wee haue scarce represented our necessities vnto him but hee presently answereth Ego veniam curabo eum i. I will come and cure him And euen then when hee sayd I will goe and heale him euen then was his health restored vnto him so hand in hand goes Gods Power with his Will Meliora sunt vbera tua vino i. Thy breasts are better than wine sayd the Spouse to her Beloued Wherein wee are to weigh the facilitie and the easinesse wherewith the brest affoords it milke and the paines and difficultie wherewith the grapes yeeld foorth their wine For wee must first gather them then tread them then squiese them in the Presse then poure them from one vessell into another c. And therefore is it sayd Thy milke is of more worth than all the wine in the World not onely for it's pleasantnesse and sweetnesse but for it's readinesse at hand Esay pointing at this readinesse in God sayth Ad vocem clamoris statim respondebit tibi i. Hee will answere out of hand the voice of thy crie Assure thy selfe hee is so pittifull that he will not suffer thee to weepe and mourne But thou shalt scarce haue called vnto him when straight thou shalt haue an answere Whereas to the Princes of this World thou shalt put vp a thousand memorials and shalt haue so many more references order vpon order and yet no order taken for thee But the Prince of Heauen Statim respondebit tibi i. Hee will answere
Temple made the case more foule for this was to make God the cloake of their abhominations and to baptize their Idolatrie with the name of his seruice When Pilat was to pronounce Sentence of death against our Sauiour he said I find nothing in him that deserueth it c. But then the Iewes cried out We haue a Law and according to that Law hee ought to dy though ther could be no law to take away the life of one that was innocent Exceeding great was their wickednes in taking away of his life but much more in making this their wickednesse a Law It was a great sinne in Saul to preserue out of couetousnesse the Heards and Flocks of Amalec but a greater fault to make of his couetousnes Obedience Sacrifice The Hereticke foundeth his Heresie vpon the Scripture the Lawyer his vniust sentence vpon the Law And as a greene glasse the beames of the Sunne passing through it makes all to seem greene so the Flesh turneth to it 's own color the Laws of God preacheth as a Law from God That we should hate our enemie Whence Irenaus inferreth That such Doctors as these are worse than the Deuill for when the Deuill tempted our Sauiour Christ he did not alledge a false Text but a true though ill interpreted but these Doctors doe quote lies Prophetae tui prophetabant mendacium populus applaudebat manibus Thy Prophets preached lies and the people applauded them for it It was said to them of old Antiquitie hath beene held the Fountaine of all good things but more partcularly of Wisedome And therefore God commanded his People to take this for their guide and Master viz. Thou shalt not passe the antient bounds inquire of the dayes of old Remember the times that were long agone And the most antient were euer held as the treasuries of euidences and the Rolles of Records The famousest men of the world haue sought out the antientest for their Instructors for In antiquis est sapientia multo tempore prudentia And for this cause could Salomon say Doe not yee aske why the former times were better for this is a foolish question First because in respect of wisdome that is not said in our times which was not said before Nothing can be said which hath not beene said alreadie The Comicke could say There is no new thing vnder the Sunne and Salomon Nor is any man able to say This is but now come forth Secondly In regard of all other good things for it is manifest that the former times were the better for there is no wise man that doth not bewaile the present Deuteronomie complaineth That the times were ill and peruerse and the People foolish and ill giuen Saint Iohn That wickednesse was grown to it's heigth In maligno est omne c. In a word there is not any Ecclesiasticall Historian nor Ciuile which doth not lament the wickednesse of his Times Plautus commending Wit compares it to Wine which the older it is the better it is Many Authors are not now reckoned of which shall grow famous two hundred yeres hence many Painters get not that commendation they deserue only because they are modern Michael Angelo hid an Image in certaine antient buildings for he knew if it were presently discouered they would haue praised it for an excellent old piece of times past till they had seene his name which he had set thereunto This Doctrine is verie plaine making the comparison from the time of euerie one of those Lawes Naturall Written and that of Grace wherein they were best in their beginnings But if the comparison be generall for all times whatsoeuer howbeit in the order naturall the former were the better because all things grow old and waxe worse and worse as is to be seene in Plants Beasts Men yet in the order supernaturall those times are the better which Saint Paul calleth the latter For although God did many great fauours in those former Ages yet all of them put together did not come neere to the Incarnation and death of Christ and those his blessed Sacraments And therefore Esay said Ne memineritis priorum antiqua ne intuamini i. Doe not so much admire those things that were done in former times for they are all as it were clouded and obscured by these that we now presently enioy And this is prooued now at this day by the perfection of the Law for antiquitie did admit the Law of a mans righting of himselfe when he was wronged of louing his friend and hating his enemie but this is now controlled and reformed Diliges amicum tuum Thou shalt loue thy friend This is a part of that commandement That wee should loue our neighbor and may seeme to be taken out of the nineteenth of Leuiticus where it is said Thou shalt loue thy friend Whence Lyra presumeth they drew that contrarie argument of hating their enemie This former part seemeth to be superfluous First because Nature left not any thing so deepely ingrauen in mans heart as to loue him that loueth vs And therefore a needlesse commandement to impose those things vpon vs whereunto we haue a natural appetite What need we will a man to loue himselfe or a father to affect his children And it being a naturall inclination in vs to loue those that loue vs why should this bee giuen vs in charge Diliges amicum tuum Secondly euery man naturally loues himselfe Nemo vnquam carnem suam odio habuit And therefore God doth not command that I should loue my selfe And my friend is my second selfe or as Saint Austen hath it Dimidium animae meae i. The halfe of my Soule And therefor it was no necessary commaund Diliges amicum tuum Thirdly those things that are most pretious and most rare which haue most reasons for amabilitie as Profit Honour Delight and Honesty it is not needfull that we should bee willed to loue them And as Laertius relates it from Socrates The World hath not any thing more pretious and more louely than a Friend Besides our Sauiour sayth Where our Treasure is there is our Heart And our Friend beeing so rich and pretious a Treasure hee must of force steale away our Heart from vs and therefore superfluous is that speech Diliges amicum tuum Fourthly the essence of friendship consisteth in reciprocal loue as it is determined by Thomas and Damascene And therefore loue is painted with two keys in token that it did open and shut to two hearts And therfore superfluous Diliges amicum tuum Heereunto I answere That mans heart beeing left to it's owne naturall inclination it will doubtlesse render loue for loue But since that the Deuill did roote out that good Seed and sowed Tares therein wee see that in the most naturall and strictest obligations sometimes there growes dis-dis-loue As in brother against brother father against sonne sonne against father and in the wife against her husband
downe the same rule by Saint Mathew and by Saint Luke Innumerable Phylosophers haue repeated the like Lesson Laertius reporteth of Aristotle That giuing an almes to one that had done him many iniuries told him Nature not thy naughtinesse makes me to pittie thee There was amongst the Romans a Marcus Marcellus that pleaded in the Senate for his Accusers A Tiberius Gracchus a mortall enemie of the Scipio's who during that their emnitie defended them in the publique Theatre A Marcus Bibulus who hauing two of his sonnes slaine by the Gabiani and Cleopatra sending the murtherers vnto him returned them backe again without doing them any harm In Athens a Plato whom his scholler Xenocrates accusing of diuers scandalous things said It is not possible That him whom I loue should not loue mee againe A Phocion who dying vniustly by poyson and beeing asked when hee had the cup iâ— his hand What seruice he would command them to his son answered That hee should neuer thinke more of this cup but studie to forget it Many the like are related by Plutarch Seneca Saint Basil and Saint Chrysostome Lastly This being no Law of God neither as he is the Author of Grace nor as the Author of Nature it must needs bee of the Deuill as Origen inferreth For he seeing that God had engrauen in mans heart the law of loue standing out of his pride in competition with God he engraued dis-loue and left it so imprinted in the hearts of many that albeit for these many Ages God hath hammered both Angells and Saints vpon this Anuile he could neuer bring them to softnesse The occasion that might mooue those antient Doctors to this Law was either for that God had commanded Saul that he should destroy Amalec or the vengeance that he tooke of Pharaoh and his People or that of Leuiticus Pursue your enemies and they shall fall before you as if to enter into a iust warre by order from God might allow a man to doe the like to his brother out of his owne will and pleasure Or for that it is commanded in Leuiticus Thou shalt loue thy friend as thy selfe Or as Nicholaus de Lyra hath notedit That they draw this consequence from Aristotle Si amicis bene faciendum est consequens est vt inimicis sit malefaciendum If we must doe good to our friends then consequently we must doe ill to our enemies Thou shalt hate thy enemie Whence it is to be noted That that Law which gaue them licence to hate their enemie does not giue them leaue to kill him though the Deuill many times likes better of a mortall hatred and a desire of reuenge than the death of a man For Hatred is that Loadstone which drawes other sinnes along with it but the killing of a man doth vsually bring repentance with it for the many disasters that attend it Iudas till he had driuen his bargaine for the betraying of his Master had deliuered vp his heart to the Deuill but that was no sooner performed but hee repented himselfe of what he had done Saint Chrysostome calls hatred Homicidium voluntarium Some seeme to sinne meerely out of nature for custome is another nature and these that thus sinne sinne without a will or desire of sinning but he that hates must of force sinne with all his heart Ego autem dico vobÃs Diligite inimicos vestros But I say vnto you Loue your enemies Petrus Chrysologus treating of the profoundnesse of the Scripture saith That though a volume should be written vpon euerie word it were not able to containe all the mysteries belonging thereunto What shall wee say then to this word Ego whose extent and birth is so great that none can qualifie it but God None knows the Father but the Son nor the Sonne but the Father he alone can tel what it is The son for to repaire the affront and infamie of his death said to his Father Clarifica me Pater Father glorifie me And Saint Ambrose hath noted it That the originall word there saith Opinion Credit rather than Glorie as if he should haue said I haue gotten thee ô Father among men an opinion of being the true God requite me therfore in gracing me to be thy Sonne for onely thou canst doe me this honour The mouthes of men and Angells shall talke of his praise but are notable to expresse the greatnesse of this attribute Ego The immensiue greatnesse of the sea is to bee seene in this that so many Riuers and Fountaines issuing out of it they doe not onely not emptie it and draw it drie but doe not so much as lessen it or diminish it one jot Ego euer since the beginning of the world hath been the Theame of the Angels Prophets Euangelists the Saints but could neuer come to the depth of it Damasus did shut vp in seuen verses fortie foure names belonging to this word Ego From hence we will first of all draw the authoritie of the Law-giuer If the authoritie of Kings and Emperours be so great that their subiects at their command aduenture vpon many foolish and desperate actions How much greater is that of God Fulgosus in his Booke de Rebus memorabilibus reporteth That a Prince of Syria indeering to Henrie Count of Campania who was come thither vpon an Embassage the obedience of his souldiers calling to one who was Sentinel to a Tower that he should speedily come vnto him presently leapt downe from off the battlements If a Scipio's Si ego iussero If I shall command you could preuaile so much with his men What shall Gods Ego doe who melteth the Mountaines like waxe The Mountaines did melt away like waxe before the face of the Lord taketh away the breath of Princes and commandeth the sea and the winds and they obey Quis est hic quia venti mare obediunt ei Who is ihis that the winds and the sea obey him who with an Ego sum draweth honie out of stones and oyle out of the hard rocke But I say vnto you I that am the Master of the world who came to reforme the Law and to vnfold the darke places of Scripture I that am Via Veritatis Vitae The way of Truth and Life I that desire more your good than your selues For I know how much it importeth you to loue your enemies and that he that blotteth this loue out of your hearts robbeth you of a wonderful rich treasure I am the Lord that teacheth profitable things and gouerns thee in the way it is I I say that say vnto you Loue your enemies Abraham did forget the bowells of a Father Quia Maiestatem praecipientis considerauit Because he considered the Maiestie of him that commanded Christ our Sauiour doth counterpone his authoritie to that of the Law-giuers of this Law Dictum est antiquis Is was said to them of Old You haue beleeued lying Law-giuers who prescribe it vnto you
diligerent detrahebant mihi They repaid my loue with hate my good actions with iniuries Ego autem orabam But I quitted their wrongs with my prayers Saint Chrysostome saith That God commanding me to pray for my enemie attends therein more mine than his good for the prayer that I make for my enemie that hath done me wrongs heapes coles vpon his head but is a plenarie indulgence for all those that I haue done against my God nor shall any thing at the day of judgement plead harder for vs. Now in another place hee saith That the pleasure that God doth take in the good that we do vnto our enemies is not because they deserue it but because we should not fal into so great a sinne as is hatred and malice Two prayers saith the same Father wee must neuer be vnprouided of one for our enemie another for our owne soule For if thou shalt pray for thy enemie though thou beggest nothing for thy selfe yet shalt thou obtaine of God what thine owne heart desireth Saint Ambrose saith That Dauid in taking care for the sauing of Absalons life Seruate mihi puerum Absalon Preserue me the young man Absalon did assure himselfe of the victorie and that Ioab and his souldiers would crie out Kill the Traitor runne him through c. O what a rich though secret and hidden Mine is the pardoning of our enemie And hereupon hang two things The one how vnpleasing a Petition it would be in Gods eares and how harsh it would sound that we call vnto him for vengeance vpon our enemie desiring that Ioabs dart may strike him through the heart The other is Saint Austens who saith That he that of God shall entreat euill against euill does himselfe that which is euill and it comes by this meanes to be a double euill two euills I say spring from thence The one that he does ill the other That he prayes ill So that when hee that is wronged shall pray vnto God to destroy this ill man God may verie well make him this answer Which of the two doost thou meane for in seeking to kill another thou first killest thy selfe Quando dicis Deus occide malum respondebit Quem vestrum When thou shalt say Lord kill the wicked one he shall answer Which of you Vt scitis filij Patris vestri That yee may bee the children of your Father By louing by doing good by praying and pardoning thy enemies yee shal shew your selues to be the sons of God But the reuengefull the cruell and the mercilesseman is rather a monster than any child of Gods God is Loue and as Thomas prooues it out of Dyonisius it is Gods essentiall name Therefore he that would be the sonne of Loue and yet is a hater of his brother he is a monster and no sonne To those children that are like vnto their parents wee vse to say Gods blessing be with ye and make ye like vnto your parents in goodnesse as in fauour Our Sauiour called the Pharisees Filios Diaboli The childeren of the Deuill because they followed his humours and desire Ille autem homicida erat ab initio And he was a murtherer from the beginning If you will therefore be Gods children yee must be like vnto God Seneca tells That hee did good to him that did him ill and cries out withall What shall I doe What Why that which God did and does for thee who began to doe good to thee when thou didst not know what good was nor how to esteeme it and now thou doost know it and that he still continues good vnto thee yet thou continuest vnthankefull vnto him by not acknowledging his goodnesse That ye may be the children of your Father Saint Iohn sayth That God gaue vs power to bee sonnes of God This filiation wee first receiue in Baptisme and is afterwards confirmed in vs when God shall find this inscription ingrauen in our hearts Diligite benefacite orate vt sitis filij patris vestri i. Loue Doe good and Pray that ye may be the children of your Father I tell thee it is one thing to bee filius a sonne another exercere filiationem i. to performe the office of a sonne A child hath vnderstanding before hee is ten yeares old but he doth not put it in practise But by pardoning thou shalt show by thy workes that thou art of those children of God whom at thy baptisme hee endowed with Grace All men desire to bee like vnto their King Diodorus Siculus reporteth of the Aethiopians that if the King were lame disfigured or blinck-ey'd they would all striue to bee as like him as they could Our Sauiour Christ prayed for his enemies on the Crosse why should yee not imitate him Vt sitis filij i. that yee may bee his children c. The Crosse sayth Nazianzene is that bright pillar of fire in the wildernesse which lights vs along in the night of this life that it may teach vs the way Pro inuidijs meis orationes fundere i. to poure out a prayer against my owne Enuie That ye may bee the children c. Saint Paul hath it Quod si filij haeredes per Deum i. If children then also heires What heires to so great a blessing and will yee loose it for an enemie It will ioy him much to see you suffer so much harme There is nothing grieues a man more than to see his labours lost especially hauing endured great and long toyle Wee dayly see the truth of this in the souldier on the one side his body broken and his cloths torne and ragged on the other readie to famish for want of food In Virgils hall some women are feigned to draw water in siues a fruitlesse labour In the parable of the Sower our Sauiour was verie sory to see three of the foure parts of seed to bee lost and cast away Ezechiel paints out his people in the embleme of a pot which was so fouly furred within that it was impossible to make it cleane Multo labore sudatum est non exibit de ea nimia rubigo neque per ignem i. Much labour hath beene bestowed and yet the scum of it is not gone out no not by the fire Ieremy pictures Babilon sicke and that many Phisitions going about to cure her though they did apply vnto her many costly medicines all their labour was in vaine Curauimus Babilonem non est sanata Multiply thy seruices toward God treasure vp spirituall riches vse all diligence for to keepe a cleane Conscience apply as medicines for to cure thy Soule Teares Fastings Prayers Almes yet if thou doost not forgiue and pardon thy enemie thou doost nothing The Scripture speaketh of Esau that hee could find no place for repentance no though he did seeke it with Teares purposely citing Teares that wee might consider how powerfull they are and the reason was for that he had a purpose to be reuenged on his
friend but he that doth not onely loue his friend but his enemie also hee shall be sure of a double reward Introduxit me Rex in cellam vinariam ordinauit in me charitatem i. The King brought me into the Banquetting house and his banner ouer me was Loue. Origen notes That that which the Soule desires of her Husband is not to loue or to hate for this being a naturall perfection it is not possible it should faile the will is neither idle nor in vaine for it must of force wish either well or ill All the kindnesse that shee desires of her husband is his ordering of his loue for in disorder intollerable errours arise Of all the Predicaments God is the highest and hee ought to bee the principall marke of our well ordered affection Dilexi quoniam audiuit Deus vocem orationis meae i. I loued because the Lord heard the voyce of my prayer Loued Whom hast thou loued A prudent wil which placeth it's felicitie in the obseruance of the Law wee must not aske of it Whom it loueth This is a question to be asked of a Reprobate or Cast-away In a word He that man ought chiefly to loue is God and next man for the loue of God be he friend or be he foe And because when it doth not reach extend it self to our enemie it cannot be said to be perfect loue it is said Estote perfecti sicut Pater vester Be ye perfect as your Father The reason is Because in the rest of the actions of vertue humane respects may come athwart vs one may fast because abstinence importeth his health another giue Almes because he affecteth vaine-glorie a third not seeke to be reuenged for feare of those inconueniences that follow after it a fourth be chast for the auoyding of shame c. But to loue a mans enemie that must onely proceed from our loue to God it must needs be done only for Gods sake and God onely can requite it Secondly he reduceth this perfection to the loue of our enemie because it is a sure pledge for Heauen When Elias and Baals Priests were both of them to offer Sacrifice in triall of the true God it was conditioned That that God that should send downe fire from Heauen vpon the Alter should bee held to bee the true God Baals Priests ball'd vpon him but all would not doe but Elias when he had set vp his Alter with the wood vpon it the beasts about it and had poured water thereupon to the filling vp of the Trench he had no sooner pour'd forrh his Prayer but such great store of fire descended from Heauen that it burnt the flesh the wood the stones and likewise wasted and consumed the water That it should burne the beasts the wood and the stones it was no such wonder but that it should take hold on it's contrarie which is water it was a manifest signe that it was the fire of Heauen That your loue should cleaue to your owne flesh bloud it is not much that it should take hold of the wood and stone that likewise is no great wonder but that it should worke on it's contrarie on one that desires to make an end of thee to consume thee this is loue indeed this is charitie this is the fire of Heauen Thirdly The loue to our enemie doth more discouer the perfection of our loue because it is without any hope of temporall reward Elisaeus filled the widdows emptie cruses with Oyle and thou must replenish with thy loue and good workes those emptie brests that haue nothing in them to deserue it For where there is some deseruingnesse and reason of merit the Gentile the Publican doe the like Fourthly It argueth more perfection for that the loue of our enemie is that glosse which sets before our eyes our owne faults and offences When Shimei reproched Dauid to his face and gaue him such opprobrious language that his Captaines and Commanders that were then about him were impatient of it and would haue killed him Dauid withstood it and would not suffer them to take away his life and the reason was because it put him in mind of his own sinnes and he that lookes well vpon his owne takes no great notice of another mans And this made him to say Peccatum meum contra me est semper My sinne warres more against me than mine enemie Againe though thy enemie doe persecute thee without a cause it is not without cause that thou doost thus suffer for as Tertullian hath it Nullus iniustè patitur No man suffers wrongfully So that thou must not looke so much vpon him that iniures thee as vpon thine owne sinnes for the which God permits them to iniure thee It is Ieremies Who euer said Let it bee done though the Lord command it not Let vs search our owne wayes Take but thy life into examination and thou wilt find that thy sinnes deserue a thousand times more Dauid would by no means consent that his People should reuenge those disgracefull words which Shimei spake vnto him and What was the reason Onely for that he was Gods Instrument S. Austen vpon the 31 Psalme pondering those words of Iob Dominus dedit Dominus abstulit The Lord hath giuen and the Lord hath taken noteth That he did not say Dominus dedit Diabolus abstulit The Lord gaue and the Deuill tooke away For those whips and scourges which God sendeth though they be inflicted vpon vs by the hands of the Deuill yet are we to account them to come from God Out of the whole drift of this Chapter I will inferre one cleere and manifest consequence which is this If to hate our enemie be so much condemned both of Heauen and Earth those excesses and exorbitances which fall out vpon this occasion be it in respect of the time and place or of the person or the act it self or our deepe disaffection they are all of them here condemned Two kind of faults God doth extreamely hate and abhorre The one Of those who haue no measure or moderation in their reuenge saying with the Idumaeans Exinanite exinanite vsque ad fundamentum in ea Raze raze them to the verie foundation They would not haue one stone left vpon another in Hierusalem wishing that they might say Etiam periere ruinae The verie ruines are also perished Wherby it seemeth that mans cruelty would stand in competition with Gods clemencie And that as God is not willing that any man should set a taxe and size vpon his mercie so these men will haue no man to put a rate vpon their reuenge Saint Peter asked our Sauiour Christ How many times hee should forgiue his brother Will seuen serue saith he Our Sauiour answered I say not seuen times but seuentie times seuen times Whence Tertullian hath noted That hee had an eye therein to mans excesse in reuenge Lamech slew Caine and the yong man that waited vpon him and the women going about
many Bookes that are written thereof especially by a Sea of judgement where your shallow wits are vsually drowned Concerning this Article which is so notorious there is not a Prophet an Euangelist a Sybil nor any of the holy Fathers which do not make confession thereof yea the verie Angells said vnto the Disciples This Iesus who was taken from you shall So come where this particle Sic So doth not so much exprimere modum as similitudinem not the true manner of his comming but after what likenesse he shall come Now doth he sit at the right hand of his Father and shall possesse that Throne till that he shall come to iudge the world and make his enemies his footstoole According to that of Dauid Sit at my right hand Vntill I make thy enemies thy footstoole a sentence which was repeated afterwards by S. Paul to the Hebrews Not that the sitting at the right hand of his father shal euer haue any end for as Saint Chrysostome and Gregorie Nazianzen hath noted it the word Vntill doth not point at any set time but the mutation of the place which our Sauiour Christ is to make for that terme of time that the Iudgement shall last himselfe comming thither in person to set all things in order Vsque in diem restitutionis omnium so saith Saint Luke And by reason of the notoriousnesse thereof the Euangelist doth not say that hee shall come but supposeth as it were his present comming with a Cum venerit c. The Sonne of Man Iudiciarie power or this Potestas judiciaria as the Schoole-men call it is proper to all the Trinitie but is here attributed to the Sonne as Wisedome is likewise attributed vnto him which is the soule of the Iudge So that the Sonne as he is God is the eternall Iudge and the Lord vniuersall to whom the Father hath communicated this dominion by an eternall generation Generando non largiendo saith Saint Ambrose But as he is man the blessed Trinitie gaue him this power in tempore by vniting him to our nature Hee gaue him power to doe judgement And Saint Iohn giues the reason thereof Because he is the Sonne of Man it beeing held fit that Man should be saued by Man Gods mercie gaining thereby glorie and Mans meannesse authoritie And therefore it was thought fit that Man should be iudged by Man Gods justice remaining thereby iustified and Mans Cause secured For What greater securitie can man haue than that hee should bee Mans Iudge who gaue his life for Man shedding his bloud on the Crosse for Mans saluation So doth Saint Austen expound that place alledged by Saint Iohn Dedit ei judicium facere quia filius hominis est On the one side here is matter of hope comfort on the other of feare and trembling Who will not hope for pittie from a man and such a man that is my brother my aduocate my friend who to make me rich had made himselfe poore c. But who can hope for any comfort from that man that was iudged sentenced and condemned vniustly by man vnto death Who can hope for any good from that man whose loue man repaid with dis-loue and whose life with death These Yrons are too hard for the stomacke of man to digest it had need of some Ostriches helpe I will not destroy Ephraim because I am God and not Man God is woont to requite bad with good discourtesies with benefits his loue commonly encreaseth when mans diminisheth but mans brest is somewhat streighter laced In a word This his beeing Man is a matter of feare and by how much the more was Mans obligation by so much the more shall the son of mans vengeance bee For the pretious bloud of our Sauiour Iesus Christ and his cruell yet blessed wounds are the Sanctuarie of our hopes especially to those that trust in him and lay hold on him by Faith but for the vnthankefull sinner they shall be matter of cowardise and of terrour and to our Sauiour Christ minister occasion of greater punishment and a more rigorous reuenge Esay introduceth the Angels questioning our Sauior at his entrance into Heauen Quare rubrum est vestimentum tuum sicut calcantium in torculari Why are thy garments ô Lord like vnto those that tread the Wine-presse You say wel for I haue troden like the grapes my enemies vnder foot and my garments are sprinkled and stained with their bloud O Lord this bloudie spoyle would well haue beseemed thee on earth But what doost thou make with it here in Heauen Dies vltionis in corde meo The day will come when I shall bee reuenged at full of those ill requited benefits which I bestowed on my People and all that patience which I then sâ—ewed shall be turned into wrath and endlesse anger Saint Chrysostome interpreting that place of Saint Mathew Sanguis eius super nos Let his bloud be vpon vs and our children saith thus The time shall come that the bloud that might haue giuen you life shall occasion your death it shall be vnto you worse than that Fire of Babylon which the King intended for death though in the end it turned to life The bloud of Christ was intended for life but it shall end in death Hosea saith Vâ— eis cum recesserâ— ab eis Another Translation hath it Caro mea ab eis When the Sonne of mans mercie was come to that heigth as mans thought could not set it higher to wit That God in mans fauour should take mans flesh vpon him woe vnto those men who were vnmindfull of so great a blessing for this extraordinarie courtesie of his being so vnthankfully entertained and so ill requited shall be their condemnation for whose saluation it was intended Cornua eius sicut Rinocerotis saith Deutronomie The Vnicorne is the mildest the patientest beast that is and it is long ere he will be prouoked to anger but if he once grow hot and angrie there is no creature more fierce and furious than he is Ex tarditate ferocior as Pierius vseth it by way of adage Saint Austen collecteth hence another conuenience Euerie iudgement saith he requireth two especiall and important things The one That the Iudge feare not the face of the Mightie The other That he hide not his face from him that is brought before him For the first The Scripture hath it euerie where Regard not the countenance of the Mightie For the second Iob pondering the perdition of a certain Prouince saith That the Iudges thereof would not suffer themselues to be seen The earth is giuen into the hands of the Wicked he couereth the faces of the Iudges And therefore God will not be seene by the damned for by their verie seeing him they should be freed from their punishment and therefore in this respect it was fit that Christ should come to iudge the world as Man In Maiestate sua In his Maiestie The Interlinearie hath it In Diuinitate
gaines Giuing vs thereby to vnderstand That hee that will not bee brought to know God by his soft hand and those sweete fauours of his Mercie shall be made to know him by the whips and scourges of his Iustice. God prospers thy house thou doost not acknowledge it for a blessing hee sends thee to an Hospitall laden with diseases that thy miserie may teach thee to know him He giues thee health thou art not thankefull vnto him for it hee casts thee downe on thy bed and then thou giuest him thankes not ceasing night and day to call vpon him and to praise and blesse his holâ— name And therefore it is truly said The Lord shall bee knowne while hee worketh judgement Our Sauioue like a good Physition tries vs first by his mild and gentle medicines but they doe no good hee therefore turnes ouer a new leafe and applies those vnto vs that are more sharpe and tart whereby we come to know as well his wisedome as his loue The second He began to cast out the Buyers and the Sellers Because no man should presume that the glorious acclamations of a King and of a Messias should endure to permit in his Temple such a foule and vnseemely buying and selling they had no sooner proclaimed him King but he tooke the whip into his hand to scourge them for their offences In a Prince in a Iudge and in a Preacher flatteries and faire words are woont to abate the edge of the Sword of Iustice wherefore to shew That true praise ought the more to oblige a King to vnsheath his Sword he betooke him to his Whip That acclamation and applause of the little children our Sauiour accounted it as perfect and good Ex ore Infantium LactantiuÌ„ perfecisti laudeÌ„ propter Inimicos tuos Yet for that a Prince a Iudge or a Preacher should not bee carried away with the praises of men our Sauiour though applauded in the highest manner that the thought of man could immagine Coepit eijcere Ementes vendentes c. Reges eos in virga ferrea saith Dauid In the name of the eternall Father thou shalt my Sonne be their Ruler their Iudge thou shalt beare in thy hand a Rod of yron which shall not be bowed as are those other limber wands of your earthly Iudges theirs are like fishing rods which when the fish bite not continue strait right but if they nibble neuer so little at the bait presently bow and bend Esay called the Preachers of his time Dumbe Dogges not able to barke And he presently renders the reason of this their dumbenesse They knew no end of their bellie To ear and to talke none can doe these two well and handsomely together and because these Dogges haue such an hungrie appetite that they neuer giue ouer eating because nothing can fill their bellie they are dumbe and cannot barke they know not how to open their mouths The third is of Saint Chrysostome and Theophilact who say That it was a kind of prophecie or foretelling that these legall Offerings and Sacrifices were almost now at an end When Kings and Princes expresse their hatred to any great Person in Court it is a prognostication of that mans fall The wrath of a King is the messenger of death Our Sauiour Christ the Prince of the Church had twice whipt out those that had prouided Beasts for the Sacrifices of his temple which was an vndoubted token of their short continuance it beeing a great signe of death that one and such a one should come twice in this manner to visit them with the Rod. This conceit is much strengthened by the words of our Sauiour Christ â—oretold by the Prophet Esay The time shall come wherein my House shall bee called a House of Prayer and not a Denne of Theeues nor a common Market of buying and selling So that hee tooke these Whips into his hands as a means to worke amendment in his Ministers and to sweepe and make his House cleane The Iudges of the earth saith Saint Hierome doe punish a Delinquent ad ruinampunc but God adcust gationem the one to his vtter vndoing the other for his amendment And therefore he vsed no other weapons to chastise them withall but Rods and Whips which worke our smart but not our death they paine vs but they doe not kill vs. Tertullian is startled and standeth much amased at that punishment which Saint Peter inflicted vpon Ananias and Saphyra and saith That to bereaue them so suddenly of their life to strike â—hem in an instant dead at his foot was the punishâ—ent of a man of one that had not long exercised nor did well know what did belong on the office of a Bishop But our Sauiour Christ being come into the world to giue men life it would not haue suited with his goodnesse to giue them death The fourth reason which all doe touch vpon was The disrespect and irreuerence which was shewne to this his Temple a sinne which God doth hardly pardon And therefore it was said vnto Ieremie Pray not therefore for this People And hee presently giues the reason why It hath committed many outrages in my House Saint Iames aduiseth That the Sicke should call vnto the Priests to get them to pray vnto God for him but for him that should commit wickednes in his Temple God willeth the Prophet Ieremie that hee should not so much as pray for them And Saint Paul saith That those who shall violate the Temple of God God shall destroy them Great is the respect which God requireth to be had to his Temple First In regard of his especiall and particular presence there Saint Austen saith That Dauid did pray be fore the Arke Quia ibi sacratior commendatior praesentia Domini erat For euermore God manifests himselfe more in his Temple than any where else that place beeing like Moses his Bush or Iacobs ladder being therefore so much the more holy by how much the more he doth there manifest himselfe c. Secondly He shewes himselfe there more exorable and more propitious to our prayers According to that request of Salomon in the dedication of the temple That his eares may be there opened And it was fit it should be so as Saint Basil hath noted it for that Prayer is a most noble act and therefore as it requires a most noble place so likewise the greater fauour appertaineth vnto it Thirdly For that Christ is there present in his blessed Sacraments And therefore as Saint Chrysostom hath obserued it there must needs be there a great companie of coelestiall Spirits for where the King is there is the Court. Fourthly For to stirre vp our deuotion by ioyning with the congregation of the Faithfull And a learned man saith That the Temples Houses of God did put a new heart and new affections into mens brests What then shall become of those who refuse these publique places of praying and praysing of God and
pascat eos so saith Ezechiel I will set vp a Sheepheard ouer them and he shall feed them Saint Peter calls him Principem pastorum and he prooues himselfe to be a Sheepheard by his going forth to seeke after this lost Sheepe And if we mean to haue our habitation in Heauen to be of the same Fold with the Saints we must first be this Sheepheards Sheepe vpon earth before wee can come to be his Saints in Heauen For albeit the Iust beare the name of Sheepe as is noted by Saint Hierome Saint Augustine Saint Gregorie and Saint Cyprian yet all that haue this name shall not come to Heauen for many of Sheepe shall become Wolfes First The proportion of our Sauior Christs giuing to his the name of Sheep and of Lambes consists first of all in their innocencie and simplicitie whereof the Sheepe and the Lambe are the true symbole and hieroglyphicke as it is prooued by Saint Gregorie and Saint Cyprian in the place before alledged Quid per Oues nisi â—nnocentia designatur What but innocencie is pointed at by Sheepe saith Saint Gregorie Oues nominat vt innocentia Christiana Ouibus aequetur He calls theâ— Sheep to shew that Christian innocencie should equall that of theirs saith Saint Cyprian When the Angel with that his naked Sword in his hand went making that fearefull slaughter amongst the Israelites Dauid humbly kneeling on his knees makes his mones vnto God and saith Isti qui Oues sunt quidfecerunt What haue these poore Sheepe done these innocent Lambes it is I that haue sinned smite mee and not them Let thy hand I pray bee against mee and my fathers House but spare these thy Sheepe who syllie harmelesse Creatures haue no way offended thee Secondly This proportion consists in that wonderfull obedience which the Sheepe carrie to the Sheepeheard who with a word or a whistle bridleth their appetites and keepes them within their bounds not offering to stray into strange Pastures This is that which Dauid said His eare was obedient to me And our Sauiour Christ My Sheepe heare my voyce Thirdly In that those that are lost and gone astray shew their discomfort by bleating and following from hill to hill from pasture to pasture path to path the steps of his Sheepheard lifting vp his head and bending his eare on the one side and listning whither he can heare the sound of his voyce and many times he will leane one eare to the ground the better to helpe his attention Saint Ambrose saith That one of the greatest pledges that a Sinner can desire of his Predestination is to be like vnto the lost Sheepe to shew himselfe sad and heauie when he misseth his Sheepheard that should protect him and looke well vnto him to make his moane send out sighes and sobs like so many bleaâ—ings to follow the tracke of his footsteps to listen to his whistle to hearken to his voyce and to giue eare vnto his call for that sinner that shal do so it is an euident token that he was borne for Heauen Fourthly There is nothing in a Sheepe whatsoeuer it be but is good profitable as the flesh the bloud the milke the wooll and the fell but nothing that is hurtfull besides it is a most fruitfull creature Oues fatosae abundantes in faetibus suis Our Sheepe bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our streets The just man is likewise full of goodnesse and full of profit in his words and in his workes in his thoughts in his wealth in his pouertie in his health and in his sickenesse but nothing in him that is hurtfâ—ll Saint Paul reckoning the conditions and properties of Charitie repeateth first the good that it doth Patiens est benigna est c. Loue suffereth long it is bountifull c. And anon after he enumerateth the euills which it doth not Non aemulatur c. Loue enuieth not Loue doth not boast it selfe it is not puffed vp it doth no vncomely thing it seeketh not her owne things it is not prouoked to anger it thinketh no euill it reioyceth not in iniquitie c. Fiftly It 's patience and gentlenesse when they sheere him and robbe him of his Fleece turning him this way or that way when they bind his legs or otherwise vse him hardly and put him to paine he scarce offereth to bleat or open his mouth he goes as willingly to the Butchers blocke as to his greene pastures and when the Butcher puts his knife to his throat hee beholds him with a gentle and louely looke In a word Esay endeering the infinite patience of our Sauiour Christ could not find any comparison fitter for him than that of the Sheepe and the Lambe Sicut Ouis ad occisionem ductus est sicut Agnus coram tondente se obmutuit He went like a Sheepe to the slaughter and like a Lambe before the shearer hee opened not his mouth This then is the nature and qualitie of the mysticall Sheep of the Church Caeduntur gladijs c. They are smitten with swords yet neither murmure nor complaine Sixtly Saint Basil and Saint Ambrose both affirme That the Sheepe ordinarily do eat and chew the cud but then most of all by a naturall instinct when Winter drawes on and then he feeds a great deale faster and with more eagernesse as diuining that through the inclemencie of the Heauens and the bitternesse of the cold he shall not find feeding sufficient for him And this is a lesson for vs to teach vs what we are to doe The Sheep of Christs flocke vsually are to seeke for their feeding in the pastures of Vertue either by ruminating meditating or contemplating but when they see death approching neere vpon them they must fall more speedily and more earnestly to their meat for when the Winter of death shall come vpon them they will not find whereon to feed And therefore worke righteousnesse before thou die like vnto the Ant who prouides in the Summer against the rigour of the Winter Quoniam non est apud inferos inuenire cibum In hell there is no meat to be got for any money and the hunger in Hell is so strange that the Damned feed vpon their owne tongues For these his Sheep God came into the world Quantum ad efficaciam though he came also for all the whole world in generall Quantum ad sufficientium effectually for His but sufficiently forall And it is a fearefull thing to thinke on which is noted by Saint Bernard to wit That he that shal not be a sheepe in this life shall after death be damned to Hell Sicut Oues in inferno positi sunt They lie in Hell like sheepe and death gnaweth vpon them As here we take the fleece from off our Sheepe and leaue them naked and poore so there the Wolfe shall be fleeced of his riches and of all the pleasures and comforts that hee tooke in this world and be left not only naked but full likewise of
of them for many houres together especially in such an age as this wherein nothing is blotted more out of our remembrance than Christ crucified The Diuell sought to worke this wickednesse in the hearts of the Iewes Eradamus eâ—m de terra viuentium Let vs rase him out of the Land of the liuing Let there be no memoriall of him in the World let him be blotted out of our hearts by our vices And he hath got so much ground vpon vs that euen wee that are Preachers of his word dare scarce treat vpon the occasions of this his passion For one foole or other will not sticke in one corner or other to murmure out this his malitious censure That we show more passion in our preaching than in preaching his passion But the truth is that when in a battaile the Standard goes to the ground the Souldiers likewise fall with it And that there is no matter no subiect so soueraigne nor so diuine where good wits haue flourished and displayed the Ancient of their powerfull Eloquence than in the passion of our Sauiour Saint Paul neuer tooke any other Theame than Praedâ—camus Chrstum crucifixum Wee preach Christ crucified But we must chew it and digest it wel it is not to be swallowed downe whole for then it will doe vs no good Lactantius Firmianus treating of the Lambe which God commanded to be eaten in Exodus which was a figure of that Lambe which was crucified on the Crosse sayth That albeit hee commanded that they should eate it in hast in regard of the hast which the Iewes and the Gentiles should make in his iudgement and in his death yet notwithstanding he willed them to haue a care that they should not breake so much as a bone of his bodie And beeing it was to bee diuided amongst many they must of force be driuen to cut it in peeces and to eat it very leisurely beholding and charily considering the ioynts and ligaments of the least bones Wee must therefore leisurely and considerately meditate on that History which beeing well and truely weighed is the generall remedie to all our sores and diseases It is that true Fishpoole which healeth all our infirmities It maketh the Couetous man liberall in seeing the God of loue stript naked for our sakes of all that hee hath The Glutton Christs gall and vinigar makes temperate and teaches him to fast The Chollerick man our Sauiours patience makes milde and gentle The Reuengefull man his sufferings makes him to pray for his enemies The Proâ—â— man his humility makes him to be as lowly as the worme that lyes vnder our feet Humiliauit semetipsum vsque ad mortem crucis Hee humbled himselfe to 〈◊〉 death of the Crosse. If thy Crowne puffe thee vp with pride behold in rebuâ—â— thereof the Prince of Heauen with a Crowne of thornes vpon his head If thy great troupes and traines of followers which like so many Bees swarme abâ—â—â— thee behold the King of Heauen and Earth betweene two Theeues If thy beauty behold the greatest that God euer created slabbered and bespalled with the loathsome spittle and filthy driuell of the Iewes If the authority of a Iudge behold the vniuersall Iudge who in a few houres is posted ouer to so many Tribunalls and without any lawfull trial and nothing iustly to be laid against him dies notwithstanding by the sentence of Pilate If the praise and applause of men behold his scornes and his reproches Opprobrium hominum abiectio plebis If disasters infirmities or any other paine or torment whatsoeuer doe grieue and afflict thee What torment can bee grieuous in comparison of that torment of his Cantabiles mihi erant iustificationes tuae in loco peregrinationis meae Saint Ambrose vnderstands by Iustificationes those torments of our Sauiour Christ and saith That when Dauid was banished and persecuted hee sung of them as hee went vp and downe in this his exile to comfort himselfe and to beare his banishment and persecution the better calling that to mind which he was to suffer for him Fasciculus Myrrhae dilectus meus inter vbera mea commorabitur My Beloued is a bundle of Myrrhe hee shall lodge betwixt my brests That thy bitter Cup ô Lord which thou didst drinke of hath driuen out all bitternesse and sourenesse from forth my brest I made mee a bundle of Myrrh of thy torments which serue as a sweet and fragrant Nosegay to refresh and comfort my heart The Passion of Christ as it is in the Apocalyps is the booke of Life All the bookes of all the Libraries in the world all the Schooles and Vniuersities put together neuer taught that which this booke teacheth Saint Augustine saith Lignum morientis Cathedra fuit Magistri docentis There was neuer any Schoole in the world like to that of the Crosse nor any Master like vnto Christ that hung thereupon Saint Paul cries out O foolish Galathians who hath bewitched you that yee should not obey the truth to whom Iesus Christ before was described in your sight and among you crucified He had set before the Galathians Christ vpon the Crosse presenting himselfe vnto them so naturally and so to the life as if they had seene the verie originall it selfe as it stood all begoared with bloud in Mount Caluarie And that vnlesse they were mad men bewitched or starke fooles they could not but be taken and captiuated therewith nor for their liues refuse to loue him and beleeue in him If Saint Paul made him so rich and so glorious by his eloquence What a pretious peece must it needs be when Christ himselfe by suffering in those his delicate limbes did limne it forth vnto vs at his death his thornes his nailes his wan visage his bored hands and feet and his wounded side vttering more Rhethoricke in that last Act and Scaene of his life than all the eloquence of Paul or the pennes of the whole World since were euer able to expresse The second Saint Chrysostome saith That our Sauiour sought to oblige them vnto him by giuing them such a particular account that he was to suffer and to die out of his especiall loue towards them as also all Mankind and that this therefore ought not to giue them occasion to withdraw their respect from him or that he should thereby lose any one jot of his reputation among them Mori hominis est sed velle mori Dei i. To die is of man but to be willing to die of God And because herein I pretend your good I ought to lose nothing with you by losing my life One of the greatest indeerements of his loue was That hee did esteem it as a reward of all his indured troubles and torments that he should not lose his worth with vs. This made him to say Happie is that man who shall not thinke lesse worthie of me than I deserue Tertullian controlled an Hereticke that denied the diuinitie of our Sauiour Christ the cobwebs of the cratch the pouertie
the Cowle that makes the Monke is verified of all Estates But as the richnesse of the garnishing addes not any finenesse to the Sword the comparison is Seneca's so a mans cloathes doe not better his being nor adde any worth to him that weares them but though he be not bettered in his being yet hee is so much bettered in his seeming that a man had need of some particular reuelation to know which is which and to whom we owe a respect and reuerence To a Coward who like Hercules had lapt himselfe in a Lyons skinne Diogenes said If thou didst but see how ill this weare doth become thee thou wouldst blush for shame You shall haue a finical Taylor fling away his money and peraduenture is worth halfe so much more vpon a Silken suit as if honour did consist in Silke and if you find fault with him for this his vanitie his answer will be vnto you My neighbour Fulano goes thus and thus and I scorne but to goe as well clad as hee my purse and my credit is as good as his when God knowes he comes farre short of him in both and this vanitie hath vndone many a man Pharaoh and his People marched through the bottom of the sea and the occasion of this his so bold aduenture was That he had seene the Israelites goe that way before him O yee foolish Aegyptians Had yee God for your Captaine Had yee the Rod of Moses to diuide the waters and to make them stand like walls on either side The like may I say to this Taylor Hast thou as good meanes as thy neighbour Esaâ— going forth to meet Iacob who came from Mesopotamia after a few brotherly embracements and other kind complements of their loue each to other Esau entreated his brother that he would goe along with him and beare him companie But Iacob made this discreet answer vnto him Sir I beseech you to excuse me I must needs wait vpon my children and my flocks and if to do you seruice I should bring them out of the way they are in they would all perish When the vanitie of one that is more powerfull and wealthier than thy selfe shall inuite thee to follow his humor and call vnto thee to go side by side with him thou wilt if thou beest wise make vse of Iacobs excuse telling him If I shall runne this course I shall ruine both my children and my estate Seneca writing to Lâ—cilius tells him If thou conforme thy selfe to what Nature will bee well contented withall thou shalt be rich but if what Vanitie will egge thee vnto thou shalt be poore Clemens Alexandrinus hath a particular Discourse vpon this Argument and that so large and so full that it seemeth he had beene in all the houses of the Citie where he dwelt and had diligently obserued what had past in euerie one of them To what end saith he serueth a Bed with pillars of siluer and pommels of gold if thou sleepest as well if not better in one of Wood To what end serue Curtaines of silke interwouen with gold and Quilts curiously embroydered if those of woollen keepe thee warmer To what end a Cup of Crystall if one of Glasse will as well serue the turne For to dig into the earth thou wilt not make thee a Spade or Mattocke of siluer because that were a superfluous and needlesse thing As needlesse and superfluous a thing is it to haue a Bed of Yuorie Ebonie c. But which is worse than all the rest Saint Chrysostome saith That for to feed our vanities wee neuer want meanes nor moneys but to pay our debts or to bestow an Almes or to relieue a friend in necessitie there is no money to be found One of the greatest charges and most without excuse which God will charge your rich and powerfull men withall is God hath giuen thee all this thy present prosperitie which thou enioyest thy Lands thy Rents thy Lordships thy Tenants thy Gold thy Siluer c. And that God who hath thus blest and prospered thee in the World standing poore naked and hunger-starued at thy doore thou hast faire Liueries for seruants rich furniture for thy horses siluer Garrotes or Wrests to packe vp and fasten thy Sumpter vpon thy strong backed Mules costly Banquets for thy friends but not so much as a rag or a crum to bestow vpon him who hath thus inriched thee with all these Inexcusabilis es ô Homo Neither thou nor all the World knowes how to make answer to this obiection Saint Hierome makes the like complaint discoursing of those Ladies whose Coaches may rather be said to be of gold than guilded whose necks are laden with chains of Pearle their fingers with Diamonds and that they should liue thus in their jollitie plentie and Christ die at their doores for hunger it is such a charge that when it comes to be laid home vnto them it will admit no excuse Epulabatur quotidiè splendidè He fared diliciously euerie day Many of Gods Saints haue made Feasts and Banquets for their Kinsfolkes and friends as Abraham Tobie Iob and others but these their Feasts were modest and moderate they were great but not often And neither can or will any man make dayly Feasts vnlesse it bee such a one as makes his bellie his God and thinkes that he was borne for no other end but to pamper vp the flesh and to make much of himselfe Euerie vice whatsoeuer is as a linke to a chaine which drawes many other after it but that of Gluttony of all other is the most tyrannous and the most violent First of all It drawes dishonestie after it as heretofore hath beene prooued Saint Paul doth so wedge and glew these two vices together as if they were but one and the selfe same thing Non in conuiuijs impudicitâ—â—s And in another place he saith That eating prouoketh the bodie and that the bodie desireth and lusteth after eating Secondly It spoyles and marres the tongue as Saint Gregorie prooueth it There are two things saith Salomon that are able to nay doe ouerthrow the World a Slaue sitting in the Kings Throne that is one of them the other a Foole whose bellie is glutted with meat and whose head is full of wine And if too much eating and drinking make the most discreet and best aduised man to lose the reyns of reason what will it worke vpon a foole Thirdly It doth darken the Vnderstanding as Saint Chrysostome hath noted it alledging the example of Esau who after he had eaten and drunken his fil made light reckoning of the selling of his birthrigh The fogges and vapours of the earth cloud Heauen those of the stomacke Reason What greater blindnesse saith Lucian than that of the Tast extending it selfe no further than foure fingers bredth in the palate Earth Sea and Ayre are not sufficient to satisfie the same Aristotle reports of Philogonus That hee desired of the gods That they would giue him such a necke
One Angel was enough to ouerthrow a mountaine one onely sufficeth to mooue these coelestiall Orbes but it is Saint Chrysostomes note That Euerie one was glad to put a helping hand to so worthie a burthen â— this As many earnestly thrust themselues forward to beare a foot a leg or an arme of some great Monarch In â—inum Abrahae Into the bosome of Abraham Some vnderstand by this his bosome the neerest place about Abraham As in that of the Euangelist All the Apostles supt with our Sauiour Christ but Saint Iohn onely leaned his head in his bosome And in that other Vnigenituâ— qui est in sinu patris c. The onely begotten who is in the bosome of the Father As also that A dextris At his right hand So likewise Many shall lie downe with Abraham Isaac and Iacob And the Church singeth Martinus Abrahae sinu laetus excipitur Mortuâ—s est autem Diues sepultus est But the rich man died and was buried The Greeke makes there a full point and then presently goes on In inferno autem cum esseâ— in tormentis But when he was in hell in torment But of Lazarus it is not said That they buried him whither it were for that he had no buriall at all or for that beeing so poore and miserable a creature Earth made no mention of him as Heauen did not of the rich man But we read of the rich man Sepultus est He was buried Hitherto did reach the jurisdiction of his riches and the peculiar of his prosperitie great Ceremonies watchfull attendance about his Corps many Mourners Doles to the Poore Tombes of Alabaster Vaults paued with Marble Lamentations odoriferous Ointments pretious Embalmings Funerall Orations solemne Banquets In all this I confesse the rich man hath a great aduantage of him that is poore But in this outward pompe lies all the rich mans happinesse and when hee hath entred the doores of darkenesse and is shut vp in his graue like the Hedge-hogge hee leaues his Apples behind him and nothing remaines with him but the prickles of a wounded conscience his howlings his lamentations weeping gnashing of teeth and whatsoeuer other torments Hell can affoord Diuitiarum jactantia quid contulit nobis The ostentation and glory of riches what good doth it bring vnto vs O would to God that I had bin some poore Sheepheard O how too late haue I fallen into an account of myne owne hurt O World would to God I had neuer knowne thee He died and was buried There is no felicitie so great that can diuert the euill of Death let the rich man liue the yeares of Nestor the ages of Methusalem in the end hee must descend into the graue The cleerest Heauen must haue it's Cloud and the brightest day must haue it's night the Sunne though neuer so shining must haue it's setting the Sea though neuer so calme must haue it's storme If the good things of this life were perpetuall they that are in loue with them might pretend some excuse but beeing that worldly pleasure is a Wheele that is alwayes moouing a Riuer that is alwayes running a Mill that is alwayes going and grinding vs to dust How canst thou settle thy selfe sure thereupon The highest places are the least secure the Moon when she is at the full foretells a waine and the Sunne when it is at the heigth admits a declination the house the higher it is built the more subiect it is to falling And the Nest saith Abdias that is neerest to the Starres God doth soonest throw it downe The rich man died He tells not how he liued but how he died for death is the eccho of mans life and he hauing led so cruell and so mercilesse a life what good could he hope for at his death Quoniam non est in morte qui memor sit tui laboraui in gemitu meo c. The first part Reason prooueth vnto vs The second Weeping howling In my life time I aske God forgiuenesse for my sinnes For the man that is vnmindfull of this in his life God doth not thinke on him at his death Many call vpon God at the houre of their death and it makes a mans haire to stand an end to see a man carelesse in so dangerous a passage only because Death is the eccho of our life Others will cal vpon Iesus but as that crucified Theefe that dyed without deuotion For that heart which is hard in his life is likewise hard in his death Cum esset in tormentis When he was in torment c. Here is an indefinite tearme put for a vniuersall For albeit euery one of the damned doe suffer the full measure and weight of his sinnes and acording to Saint Austen and Saint Gregory suffer most in that particular wherein they most offended And that therefore the rich man did suffer more in his tongue than any other member of his bodie yet notwithstanding there is not any one that is dâ—mned which doth not generally suffer in all his whole bodie and in euery part of his soule For as Heauen is a happinesse that imbraceth all happinesse so Hell is a misery that includeth all miseries There was neuer yet any tyrant in the world in whose prisons and dungeons all torments were inflicted at once But in that of Hell there is not any torment which is not felt at one and the same instant The body that shall generally suffer And for this fire and cold will suffice which are generall torments The soule shall likewise generally suffer sorrow and paine not only because the fire shall burne it which though corporall yet shall it's flames haue an operatiue vertue and working vpon the soule but because all hope being lost of any kind of joy whatsoeuer there shall therein be deposited all the reasons that may be of sorrow and of miserie Likewise there shall be particular torments for the sences of the bodie for the faculties of the soule the eyes shall enioy so much light as shall serue to see fearefull Visions so sayes Cirillus Alexandrinus and on the other side they shall suffer such thicke and palpable darknesse that they shall imagine them to be the ghastly shadowes of death Saint Chrysostome saith That they shall see the huge and infinite numbers of the Damned taking notice of all those that conuersed with them in their life time as fathers grandfathers brothers and friends And if the varietie multitude that are in a deep dungeon if the ratling of their chains the clattring of their shackles their hunger their nakednesse the noyse coyle confusion which they make cause a horrour in as many as both see and heare it what a terrour then will it be to see the miserable torments and to heare the fearefull shriâ—kes and pittifull outcries of those that are damned to the bottomlesse pit of hell The eares will suffer with their howlings their lamentations their blasphemies their cursings their ragings their dispairings
That he thought himselfe exceedingly bound to the seruice of our Sauiour Iesus Christ that he had ordained him a Preacher and an Apostle and a Teacher of the Gentiles in Faith and veritie and that he had trusted him with the ministrie and defence of his Church being that he had persecuted and blasphemed him heretofore Young Tobias said vnto the Angell Raphael Albeit I should spend all my life in thy seruice yet should I not satisfie that obligation which I haue to serue thee These are the respects of noble brests and he that shall thinke vpon these things truly may consider with himselfe how much greater benefits fauours he hath receiued from Gods hands He went into a farre Countrie He got him away to Heauen where for the loue which he beares to his Vine he thinkes himselfe a stranger The Disciples which went to Emaus said vnto him Tusolus peregrinus in Ierusalem Art thou only a stranger in Ierusalem Wherein they spake truer than they were aware of calling him by the name of Stranger when as hee was now glorified For as long as he liued here vpon earth he was contented for our sakes to be a stranger in heauen And though hee himselfe were in heauen yet his Spouse was on earth O Lord where then art thou Where I would bee there where my Spouse is Vbi thesaurus ibi cor Where a mans treasure is there also is his heart Nazianzen cals vs The Riches of God And this saith he we are to esteeme as a singular fauour Quia nos pro diuitijs suis habet That he will vouchsafe vs so much honor as to account vs his Riches And we are not onely his Riches but his Delight and Recreation Et delitiae meae esse cum filijs hominum I made it my pleasure to remaine among the children of men Though my head were rounded with Starres and circled about with a Crowne of infinite Glorie yet did I humble my thoughts as low as Man And here are we to ponder on the particle Et And if Kings haue a care of their Parkes and make great reckoning of their Gardens and houses of pleasure for that they are their entertainment and recreation How much more ought God to esteeme of his Vine holding it to bee his Riches his Pleasure and Delight Cum autem tempus Fructum appropinquaret misit Seruos vt acciperent Fructus When the time of the Vintage was at hand he sent his Seruants to the husbandmen to receiue the fruits thereof Here you see how he did wait til the season that this his Vineyard was fit to yeeld him Fruit and that the time of the Vintage drew neere Not before for it were meere tyrannie to demand that which is not yet due vnto thee Nor after for so a Lord may runne the hazard of loosing his Fruits vnlesse his Farmer be the honester man Euery Plant hath it's due time and season to yeeld it's Fruit and albeit our season bee the whole terme of our life yet there are some seasons so precise that not to giue Fruit therein is held to be a wonderfull bad signe God commanded his People That when they came to inioy the Land of Promise they should offer vnto him of the first of all the fruit of the earth This was a strict and precise occasion in them and in vs as oft as we begin to enioy Gods fauours and blessings towards vs. And this conceit is comprehended in this verie Parable which is here deliuered vnto vs. To receiue the Fruits thereof And here first of all it is to bee noted That in this he did not doe them any wrong in the World What wrong doth that man doe to a Vineyard that hath planted and pruned it if he at the time of it's Frâ—â—t require Grapes What wrong doth the Pope to the Cardinall the Bishop and the Chanon or the King to his Minister or the Generall to his Frier to craue of them That they shall complie with their Obligations especially if the Superiour comply as he ought with his Who planted this Vineyard Who hedged it about Who made a Winepresse therein Who built a Tower to it The husbandmen No it was God Is it much then that hee should looke for the Fruits thereof Secondly God herein did them a great and singular fauour For Saint Paul saith That these Fruits are Loue Ioy Peace Long suffering Gentlenesse Goodnesse Faith Meekenesse and Temperance And being these are the Fruits that we should bring forth yet hee is pleased to call them his Fruits for in all our actions he principally desireth our good and our profit God being equally honoured in punishing the Bad as in rewarding the Good If thou be righteous what giuest thou vnto him or what receiueth he at thyne hand What addest thou to his glorie saith Iob and Thomas for if he desires our praises our thanksgiuings and our seruices he doth not so much pretend therein his owne glorie as our good for he is fulnesse of Glorie it selfe But by praising and seruing of him we acknowledge him to be our God and therein submit our selues to his diuine will whereby we come to receiue a great reward Saint Augustine saith That when we make vowes and promises vnto God he commaunds vs strictly to performe them not because that he hath any need that we should fulfill them but because in fâ—lfilling of them we shall reape the fruit of them and the more we giue vnto God the more still we haue Benignus exactor est non â—genus non vâ— crescat ex redditis sed vt crescere faciat redditores Nam quod eis redditur reddente additur Hee is a louing not a needie exactor not to increase his owne rentâ— but to increase ours not to raise them but vs For what we render vnto him he renders it backe to vs with aduantage To receiue the Fruits thereof The griefe of it was That he sonding his Seruants at the time of it's Fruit they could scarce finde a bunch in all the Vineyard they were not able to gleane any thing out of it Non est botrus ad commedendum saith Micheas My Soule desired the first ripe Fruits but there is no cluster to eat Perijt sanctus de terra The good man is perished out of the earth and there is none righteous among men In a place that is generally infected you shal scarce find a sound man so likewise in this Vine be it in the Law Naturall in the Law Written or in the Law of Grace you shall hardly meet with good Fruit. For to meet with a good and righteous man you must looke and looke againe first search this and then that other Stocke and when you haue done all ye can doe in stead of sweet grapes you shall gather those that are soure and in stead of wine haue the gall of Dragons and the poyson of Aspes But some perhaps will say That the husbandmen were not
hee said Quid faciam What course shall I take with these men Secondly He intimates a strange kind of sorrow arising from this perplexity If I am Lord where is my feare If I be a father where is my honour In the end hee resolued with Gaifas Let my Sonne die He indeered as much as he could the force of his loue sending him to saue these Murderers from death but this could not appease their malice To slay his Prophets was more than a great malice but to take away the life of his onely Sonne and heire was excessiue Saint Hierome saith There was no weight no number no measure in the ones clemencie nor in the others malice This was a Consummatum est a fulnesse of his meâ—cie a fulnesse of their malice Verebuntur filium meum They will reuerence my Sonne Saint Luke addeth a Fortè thereunto And the Greeke Originall a Forsitan Howbeit it may goe for an Affirmatiue as well as Vtique Forsitan petisses ab eo ipse dedisset tibi aquam c. And so againe Si crederitis Moysi crederetis forsitan mihi If yee had beleeued Moses yee would likewise haue beleeued me And so it sorts well with that Text both of Saint Mathew and Saint Marke who absolutely say Verebuntur filium meum They will reuerence my Sonne In neither of these is a May bee or a Forsitan and onely to signifie the great reuerence which was due vnto him Where by the way Saint Chrysostome hath noted this vnto vs That God for all these their outrages did desire no furtheâ— satisfaction from them than to see them abasht and ashamed ofthis their ingratitude and crueltie Benigno Domino sufficiebat sola vindicta pudoris misit enim confundere non punire It was their blushing not their bleeding that he desired hee wisht their shame and not their confusion Parum supplicij satis est patri pro â—â—lio God is so kind and louing a Father that hee thinkes a little punishment enough for his Children Saint Bernard saith That the whole life of our Sauiour Christ from the Cratch to the Crosse was to keepe vs from sinning out of meere shame and that his maine drift euer was to leaue vs confounded and ashamed of our selues that our sinnes and wickednesse should force God against his will to punish vs For he takes no delight in the death of a Sinner Ecclesiasticuâ— makes a large memoriall of those things which ought to make a man blush and be ashamed of himselfe Be ashamed of whoredome before a father and mother be ashamed of lies before the Prince and men of authoritie of sinne before the Iudge and Ruler of offence before the Congreation and People of vnrighteousnesse before a companion and friend and of theft before the place where thou dwellest before the truth of God his Couenant to lean with thine elbows vpon the bread or to be reproued for giuing or taking of silence to them that salute thee to look vpon an harlot to turn away thy face from thy Kinseman or to take away a portion or gift or to be euill minded towards another mans wife or to solicite any mans mayd or to stand by her bed or to reproach thy friends with words or to vpbraid when thou giuest any thing or to report a matter that thou hast heard or to reueale secret words Thus mayst thou well be shamefaced shalt find fauour with all men This Erubescite must be the burthen of the Song to euerie one of these Versicles It is a foule and a shamefull thing to doe any of these things in the presence of graue persons to whom we owe a respect Much more foule in the presence of God who stands at thy elbow in all thy actions But foulest of all to commit these things in the presence of the Sonne of God whome his Father sent to bee thy Master thy Tutor and nayled him to the Crosse for thy sinnes that thou mightst bee ashamed to commit the like againe considering the great torment that he suffered for thee Some deuout picture or Image doth sometimes restraine a desperate sinner from committing some foule offence What would it worke then with him had God himselfe stood there present before him It may be they will reuerence my Sonne Say that wee take this Fortâ— or Forsitâ—â— in the same sence as the words themselues sound it is a point worthie our conâ—ideration That the innumerable summe of those infinite fauours which God did to his Vineyard should end in a Peraduenture and stand vpon hap-hazard A man may thinke it somewhat strange That God should come to any place vpon vncertainties but God is so good a God that he doth not so much proportion his blessings by the measure of his Wisedome as his Loue not that he doth not certainly know what we will be but because he would faine haue vs to be what we should be For if he should reward vs according to those our actions which he in his prescience and eternall essence foresees will come to passe Who of vs should be left aliue or who of vs should bee borne Onely the Innocent saith Theodoret should then be fauoured And therefore rather than it should bee so he was willing to put it vpon the venture how or what we might prooue heereafter He knew before hand that Lucifer should fall that Adam should sin that Saul should turn disobedient that Iudas should sel him betray him yet did he not forbeare for all this to throw his fauours vpon them S. Ambrose asketh the question Why Christ would make choice of Iudas when as he knew before hand that he would betray him And his answer thereunto is That it was to justifie his loue and to shew the great desire that he had that all should bee saued yea euen Iudas himselfe And therefore knowing his couetous disposition hee made him his Purse-bearer that he might shut the doore to his excuses and that he might not haue iust cause to say That he was in want lackt mony so was forced out of meere necessitie to betray and sel his Master which otherwise he would neuer haue done but the deliuering ouer the Purse vnto him tooke away that obiection Well then What can this Traitor say for himselfe That Christ did not countenance him as he did the rest or that hee made light reckoning of him Neither will this hold water for hee had made him an Apostle hee was listed in the rolle with the rest hee wrought miracles as well as his Fellowes receiued many other fauours from his Masters hands The same reason may serue as well for the Iewes as Iudas For our Sauior knew that they should put him to death yet for all this would not he cease to shew his loue vnto them Hic est haeres venite occidamus eum nostra erit haereditas This is the heire come let vs kill him and let
ashamed it is Salomons And Ecclesiasticus saith Laugh not with thy son leâ—t thou be sorie with him and lest thou gnash thy teeth in the end Giue him no libertie in his youth and winke not at his follie Bow downe his necke while he is young beat him on the sides whilest he is a child lest he wax stubborne and be disobedient vnto thee and so bring sorow to thine heart c. Men ought to be verie circumspect in giuing too much licence and libertie to young Gentlemen whilest they are in the heat and furie of their youth and that their wanton bloud boyleth in their veines It is no wisdome in parents to giue away their wealth from themselues and to stand afterwards to their childrens courtesie Giue not away thy substance to another lest it repent thee no not to thine owne children For better it is that thy children should pray vnto thee than that thou shouldest looke vp to the hands of thy children To this doubt satisfaction hath formerly beene giuen by vs in a Discourse of ours vpon this same Parable but that which now offers it selfe a fresh vnto vs is That albeit the Father saw that his libertie his monys his absence would be his Sonnes vndoing yet hee likewise saw his amendment his repentance and what a future warning this would be vnto him And so hee chose rather to see him recouered after he was lost than violently to detaine him and to force him to keepe home against his will which would bring forth no better fruits than lowring and grumbling Saint Augustine saith That it seemed a lesser euill to God to redresse some euills than not to permit any euill at all Melius judicauit de malis benefacere quam mala nulla esse permittere God would not haue thee to sinne neither can he be the Author of thy sinnes but if men should not commit sinnes Gods Attributes would lose much of their splendor Saint Paul speaking of himselfe saith That God had forgiuen him though he had beene a persecuter and blasphemer of his holy Name c. And why did hee doe this Vt ostenderet omnem patientiam gratiam My sinnes saith he were the occasion that God pardoned me and his pardoning of mee was the cause of the Worlds taking notice of his long suffering and his great goodnesse This may serue for a verie good instruction to those that are great Princes and Gouernours of Commonwealths and may teach them how to punish and how to beare with their subiects and it belongeth no lesse to the name of a good Gouernour to tollerate with prudence than to punish with courage And Salomon giues thee this caueat Noli esse multum justus Et not thou iust ouermuch Congregatis omnibus When he had gathered all together What a strange course was this that this young man ranne First of all hee leuelled all accounts with his father shutting the doore after him to all hope of receiuing so much as one farthing more than his portion If he had left some stocke behind him that might haue holpe him at a pinch if he should chance to miscarrie in this his journey for he was not sure that he should still hold Fortune fast by the wing he had done well and wisely but he made a cleane riddance of all as well mooueables as immooueables Et congregatis omnibus c. Secondly What a foolish part was it in him to leaue so good a Father and so sweet and pleasant a Countrie being both such naturall tyes of loue to Mans brest The loue of a Father is so much indeered in Scripture that great curses and maledictions are thundred out against vnlouing and vnkind childeren And the loue of a mans Countrie is such a thing saith Saint Augustine that God made choice to trie of what mettal Abraham was made by such a new strange kind of torment as to turne him out of his Countrie Egredere de Terra tua de Cognatione tua Goe from thy Land and from thy Kindred Saint Chrysostome saith That euen those Monkes which left the world for their loue to God and to doe him seruice did notwithstanding shew themselues verie sencible of their absence from their natiue soyle and their fathers house But those sorrowes and lamentations which the Children of Israell made when they were on their way to Babylon indeere it beyond measure If I forget thee ô Ierusalem let my right hand forget her cunning If I doe not remember thee let my tongue cleaue to the roofe of my mouth yea if I prefer not Ierusalem in my mirth c. But much more fearefull is the resolution of this young man in the thing that is signified thereby To wit That a Sinner shall so exactly summe vp all his reckonings with God that he shall not haue any hope at all left him neither in his life nor his death of one onely dramme of mercie There are some Sinners that giue their wealth to the World but not all some giue God their lips but not their hearts some their memorie but not their will some their will but not their vnderstanding some are dishonest and yet Almesgiuers some couetous and yet deuout like those Assyrians which liued in Samaria who acknowledged God his Law yet worshipped Idolls But to giue all away as the Prodigall did is a desperate course Besides It is a miserable case that this Prodigall should not bee sencible of leauing so good a Father as God of renouncing so rich an Inheritance as Heauen and of being banished for euer from so sweet and pleasant an habitation But he is so blind that he loueth darkenesse and abhorres the light which is a case so lamentable that it made Ieremie to crie out Obstupescite Coeli Be amazed 〈◊〉 Heauens Profectus est in Regionem longinquam He tooke his journey into a farre Countrie No man can flie from God per distantiam loci be the place neuer so farre off no distance can bring vs out of his reach If I ascend vp vnto Heauen thou art there if descend into Hell thou art there also And certainly if there were any one place free from his presence all the Prodigals of the world would make that their Rendezuous and liue there Ionas flying from God left the earth and entred into the sea where there were so many Serjeants waiting to arrest him who tooke hold of him and threw him into prison that darke dungeon of the Whales bellie So that there is not any thing saith Anselmus in the Concaue of Heauen which can escape the eye of Heauen no though a man should flie from East to West and from the South vnto the North. So this Prodigall flying from his Fathers house fell vpon a poore Farme flying from Fulnesse lighted vpon Hunger and these were Gods executioners appointed to punish his follie Into a farre Countrie He came to the Citie of Obliuion whose Inhabitants are without
thy hired Seruants Gilbertus the Abbot saith That these were verie humble and submissiue thoughts as he was a Sonne but somewhat too affronting for so free and liberal a Father say his deseruings were neuer so poore neuer so meane such weake hopes and such a base opinion could not but bee a great iniurie to so good and gratious a Father Gregorie Nazianzen saith of him Others cannot receiue more willingly than he giues cheerefully To the Couetous and to the Needy there is not any content comparable to that of receiuing yet greater is the contentment which God taketh in giuing He reuealed to Abraham his purposed punishment vpon Sodome and onely because he should beg and intreat for their pardon and this Patriarke was sooner wearie in suing than God in granting And if God did demand his Sonne of him it was not with an intent to haue him sacrifice him for hee diuerted that Sacrifice but to take occasion thereby to giue him a type of the offering vp of his owne Sonne giuing a shadow of desert to that which came not within the compasse of desert What says the Abbot Guaricus He that gaue his sonne for the redeeming of Prodigalls What can he denie vnto them God is so liberall saith Tertullian that hee loseth thereby much of his credit with vs for the World gaines a great opinion when with a great deale of leisure and a great deale of difficultie it slowly proceeds in doing good but God he loseth this respect through his too much facilitie and frankenesse in his doing of his courtesies The Gentiles saith this learned Doctor judging of Faith by outward appearances could not be persuaded that such facile and mean things in outward shew could inwardly cause such supernaturall effects and such diuine Graces as in that blessed Sacrament of Baptisme When he was yet a great way off c. The Prodigall desired that his Father would intertaine him into his seruice as an hired seruant and hee had no sooner sight of him but he ran with open armes to receiue him and was so ouerioyed to see him and made him that cheere that the Prodigall knew not how now to vnfold his former conceiued words Saint Iohn in forme of a Citie saw that coelestiall Ierusalem and saith That it had twelue gates and in each of them an Angell which did typifie two things vnto vs The one That the gates were open The other That the Angells shewed the content they tooke in expecting our comming to Heauen When thou doost not like of a guest thou wilt get thee from the doore but if thou loue him thou wilt hast thither to receiue him But this his father did more for he no sooner spied his sonne afarre off but he hasted out of his house to imbrace him presently puts him into a new suit of cloaths that others might not see how totterd and torne he was returned home But God went a step further than all this for hee repaires to him to the Pigges-stie to put good thoughts into his head Loue vseth to make extraordinarie haste in relieuing the wants of those persons whom wee loue And forasmuch as God loueth more than all the Fathers besides in the world hee made greater hast than any other Father could Inclinauit Câ—elos descendit Hee bowed the Heauens and came downe That he might not detaine himselfe in descending he made the heauens to stoope Salomon saith of Wisedome That none shall preuent her diligence and care Though he rise neuer so early to seeke her a man shall alwayes find her sitting at his doore Assidentem enim illam foribus tuis inuenies So it is with God he is still readie at hand to helpe vs wee no sooner seeke him but he is found Lord for thy mercie sake preuent vs still with thy louing kindnesse and by bringing vs to a true acknowledgement of our sins lead vs the way to life euerlasting THE EIGHTEENTH SERMON VPON THE THIRD SVNDAY IN LENT LVC. II. Erat Iesus eijciens Daemonium And Iesus was casting out a Deuill c. IN this Gospell is contained that famous Miracle of one that was possessed with a Deuill beeing deafe blind and dumbe As also the applause of the People the calumnie and slander of those Pharisees who did attribute it to the power of Belzebub Our Sauiours defending himselfe with strong forcible reasons The good old woman who blessed the wombe that bore our Sauiour and the Paps that gaue him sucke Whose name was Marcella With whom the fruit of this Miracle endeth Erat Iesus eijciens Daemonium To vnweaue the Deuills Webs and vndoe his Nets is a worke so sole and proper to Gods omnipotencie that if the Deuills malice had not intangled the World therewith Gods goodnesse had not come to vnknit it And this I hold to be sound Diuinitie First Because it is the opinion of the most antient and grauest Doctors Secondly For those places of Scripture it hath in it's fauour As that of Esay Is it a small thing that thou shouldest be my Seruant to raise vp the Tribes of Iacob and to restore the desolations of Israel But Saint Iohn doth expresse this more plainly Christ came into the world to this end that he might destroy the workes of the Deuil Now Dissoluere is properly to vndo a deceit that is wrought Dissolue colligationes impietatis Cancell those Obligations Bonds Schedules Acknowledgments which thou hast vniustly drawne thy Creditours to set their hands thereunto Omnem Cautionem falsâ—m saith Symmachus disrumpe The Septuagint read it Omnem Scripturam iniquam Saint Hierome Chirographa And to the end that the drift of this Language may be the better vnderstood it is to be noted That a man when he sinnes sells himselfe to the Deuill making this sale good vnder his owne hand writing The Deuill hee buyes and the Man he sells and the Damned confesse as much in Hell Wee haue driuen a bargaine with Death and haue made a couenant with Hell And if the Deuill had proceeded herein fairely honestly and according to Law and Iustice this knot would hardly haue beene vnknit but for that he is a Father of falsehood of deceit and of cosinage there are three great annullities to be found in this his Contract First An enormious excessiue losse buying that Soule for little or nothing which cost an infintte price Gratis venundati estis Secondly A notorious cosinage in that he promised that which hee was not able to performe Sicut Dij Thirdly Mans being vnder yeares it beeing a ruled Case That any such sale without the consent of the Guardian is of no validitie in Law And that too must be for the benefit of the Ward Fourthly That he that inhabits another mans house if he vse the same amisse the Law takes order that he bee turned out of it Now the Deuill inhabiting this house of man makes a dunghill thereof and besides payes no rent for it to the Bodie
it came to passe that they called it his Countrie and his Citie Secondly Because he there first began to preach the Gospel fulfilling therein saith Saint Mathew that Prophecie of Esay The darkenesse shall not be according to the affliction that it had when at the first he touched lightly the land of Zebulon and the land of Nepthalie nor afterwards when he was more grieuous by the way of the sea beyond Iordan in Galilee of the Gentiles The people that walked in darkenesse haue seen a great light they that dwelt in the land of the shadow of death vpon them hath the light shined Thirdly For those many miracles which he wrought therein as that of him that was sicke of the Palsey and let downe from the house top that of the dumbe man that was possessed with a Deuill that of the Centurions Seruant that of the woman who touching the hemme of his garment was cured of her bloudie Fluxe which shee had beene sicke of so many yeares before Heere did he raise vp the daughter of the Archisynagoguian and heere did hee giue sight vnto the Blinde besides many other vnmentioned by the Euangelists Fourthly After his Resurrection hee threw a thousand fauours vpon that Countrie A few paces from that Citie he appeared to Peter Thomas and Nathaniel who had fisht all night and caught nothing willing them to cast the Net out vpon the right side of the Ship And as Brocardus reporteth it vpon a stone of that riuer he left the print of the soles of his feet three seuerall times With these his fauours he had stirred vp such enuies and jealousies in those of his own Countrie that they said vnto him Physition heale thy selfe But our Sauior Christ directed all these to the Nazarites good to the end that these their jealousies might master their incredulitie and rebellion and put spurres to their desires A father hath two sonnes one much made of the other neglected and disgraced this kind vsage makes the better beloued of the two obstinate churlish and vnquiet And because that jealousies and enuie may breake this his hardnesse of nature and mollifie this his stubborne condition he calls this slouenly tatter'd and despised child of his and sayes vnto him Thou art my sonne and my beloued This faire kind of course did God first take with the Iewes For his loue to them did he plague Aegypt diuide the sea drowne Pharaoh rob the Aegyptians of their Iewells suffered not their garments to grow old nor their shooes on their feet to weare out fed them with bread from Heauen gaue them water out of the rocke a Piller seruing them by night for a Torch by day for a Tent In conclusion these his ouer great fauours and courtesies toward them made them so hard hearted and so vnthankfull that they prouoked God by a Calfe giuing thereunto the glorie of their deliuerance out of Aegypt This their adoring of a Beast was a strange kind of beastlinesse God hereupon called this ragged child vnto him and threw his loue vpon the Gentiles who liued before in disfauour and disgrace and said vnto the Gentile Thou art my sonne You see him now cast off that was yesterday a Fauourite and carries that thom in his bosome which doth continually pricke him And therefore it is sayd I will giue them a Spirit that shall sting them a worme that shall still lie gnawing at the verie heart of them Yesterday God had his house his habitation among the Iewes his name was called vpon by them but now you see them cast off trodden vnder foot trampled on hated abhorred infamous without honour without a Citie without a Temple without Prophets The calling of the Gentiles the miracles that are wrought amongst them the many fauours that are affoorded them are so many nayls driuen through their soules with tears guttring downe their cheekes they now crie out with Ieremie Our Inheritance is turned vnto strangers Saint Ambrose saith That God did doe this of purpose that through an emulation of zeale the Iewes might bee conuerted vnto Christ. Which is all one with that of Saint Paul Through their fall saluation commeth vnto the Gentiles to prouoke them to follow them In a word To be thrust out of fauour and to haue another come in grace in his roome cannot but be a great torment and affliction to the partie disgraced Quanta audiuimus What great things haue wee heard The reasons which they may alledge for themselues are these First of all Amongst those good seeds which God hath sowne in our brest one is The loue of our Countrie Many haue preferred it before the loue of friends kindred parents nay before themselues their estates and liues Thomas saith That next vnto God we ought not to beare so much loue to anything as to our Countrie he prooues it to be an heroicall vertue to enioy that name for the which we respect God to wit Pittie And they that denie this loue vnto their Countrie we hold them to be men deuoyd of pittie barbarous and cruell Saint Augustine in his Bookes De Ciuitate Dei Thomas and Valerius Maximus quote many examples of men most famous in their loue to their Country As of one Codrus whose enemies hauing receiued answer from the Oracle That if Codrus should be slaine in the battell they should lose the victorie entred in disguise of purpose to be killed Of Curtius who for Romes safetie desperatly leaped into that deepe pit Of Sylla's Host in Praeneste who taking that city by force of Armes and making Proclamation That all the Citisens should be put to the sword saue his host said I wil not receiue my life from him that is the destroyer of my Countrie Of one Thrasibulus whom the Athenians went forth to receiue with so many Crownes as they were Citisens Numberlesse are those examples which wee find in prophane stories And in those that are sacred we meet with that one of Dauid and that other of Iudith who aduentured their liues for their Countrie In a word Nature as Saint Hierome saith planted this loue with that deepe rooting in our brests that Lucian said That the smoke of our owne Chimnies was farre better than the fire of other mens And Plutarch affirmeth That euerie man commends the ayre of his owne Country Hierocles stiles this loue a new God and our first and greatest father Silius Italicus introduceth a father notifying to his sonne That not any fouler sinne did descend vnto Hell than a mans opposing himselfe against his owne Countrie This loue being so due a debt and so deseruing our pittie it causeth no small admiration that Christ our Sauior should grow so cold toward his owne Countrie and multiplie such a companie of miracles vpon other the Cities of Iudea and Israell and performe so few in Nazareth where he was bred Secondly This difficultie is increased by the Nazarites iust request alledging That since he had preached in his owne
Cures in other Countries when as thou sufferest thyne owne Countrimen and thyne owne Kinsefolke to be sicke The like argument was vsed by the Scribes and Pharisees at the foot of the Crosse This man saued others and cannot saue himselfe How should we beleeue that by his power he freed so many beeing hee cannot free himselfe Let him come downe from the Crosse and saue himselfe then we will beleeue he is the Sonne of God Our Sauiour Christ prooued this their incredulitie by two examples The one Of Elias who when the Countrie was much oppressed with Famine God sent him to a woman of Sydonia to the end that she should sustaine him And this poore Widdow woman hauing in all her house nothing more in the world but a little meale onely with one words speaking of the Prophets mouth spent a great part thereof in making a Cake for him baking it on the embers repairing Elias his present necessitie with the hazard of her owne life and her sonnes and hauing so much reason as she had on her side to doubt of the Prophets promise That she should neither want meale nor oyle till it should rain in Israell For Elias not being able to succour himselfe shee might verie well suspect with her selfe How he should be able to relieue others This was a great and wonderfull excellencie of Faith it is much celebrated by S. Ambrose and Saint Chrysostome and our Sauiour Christ counterponeth it to the incredulitie of Nazareth The second example is of Naaman the Syrian who beleeued that she-slaue of Israel who told him There was a Prophet in Samaria that could cure him of his Leaprosie and crauing leaue of the King because he was Captaine generall of all his men of Warre he came to the Land of Israell to seeke out Elisha bringing great gifts and rich presents along with him and washing himselfe in Iordan seuen times though at first he beleeued that with his word onely hee was able to cure him he left with his disease the errour of his Idolatrie In a word hee well deserued that the Prophet should heale him but those Leapers of his owne Countrie did not deserue the like fauour for their incredulitie And other Cities receiuing the benefit of his miracles these that were his owne Natiues missed of them The word Audiuimus doth condemne them For this alone was sufficient for their Faith Fides ex auditu Faith comes by hearing and the Gentiles had no other testimonies Besides Nazareth was made partaker of many powerful testimonies as that testimonie of S. Iohn of that voyce from the Father of the comming down of the Holy-Ghost in the likenesse of a Doue as also those Testimonies of the Scripture which were seene to be fulfilled in him besides the testimonie of his Doctrine For he taught them as one hauing authoritie and not as the Scribes And the testimonie of his life that was so blamelesse that as Thomas saith it did qualifie his Doctrine So that his life was a greater testimonie than his Doctrine and his Doctrine than his Miracles And hee that will not beleeue the more will hardly beleeue the lesse The sixt In not shewing any miracles amongst them hee shewed therein the more loue to his Countrie For if these his miracles would haue done Nazareth any good this their accusation might haue seemed somwhat iust but being that they would haue turned to their hurt and beeing that this their enuie towards him would from a great good haue drawne greater hurt and from a great fauour greater ingratitude and more incredulitie the lesse he did the more was his loue This did our Sauiour vtter by Saint Iohn If I had not done those workes which none after euer did they should haue no sinne And by Saint Mathew our Sauiour said the like of Iudas It had beene good for him that hee had neuer beene borne And Saint Peter saith of him that was conuerted That for to put his hand to the Plough and afterwards to looke backe it had beene better for him that he had neuer begun to walke in the way of godlinesse S. Augustine saith That God grants vs many things when he is angrie with vs which when he is friends with vs he denies vs. So that he shewed himselfe a greater friend to the Nazarites by denying them those miracles which they desired than if he had granted their request because they would haue serued but for their farther condemnation The Seruant that knowes his Masters will and doth it not shall bee beaten with many stripes Vapâ—labit multis saith S. Luke but he that knows it not and therefore does it not Vapulabâ—t paucis This mans punishment shall bee small in comparison of the others Saint Chrysostome saith That a bad Christian is like a treacherous Souldier who being honoured and well payed by his King turnes Traitour and ioynes with his enemie And Guaricus the Abbot saith That to carrie a mans selfe in the Church like a Christian and to talke like a Christian but to liue like a Gentile is to march vnder Christs banner and to take part with Antechrist And for these kind of men God hath stored vp treasures of his wrath The seuenth reason was The Nazarits foolishnesse in desiring miracles without any profit vnto them at all Fiue sorts of persons required miracles but got them not 1 The Deuill in that his temptation Dic vt lapides isti panes fiant 2 The Pharisees Alij tentantes signum de Coelo quaerebant 3 King Herod Quis est iste de quo ego talia audio 4 The rich Miser Pater Abraham mitte vnum ex mortuis c. 5 The Nazarites Fac hic in patria tua Whatsoeuer Miracles he had bestowed on these they had been all cast away In antient times God wrought some miracles where his Omnipotencie seemed most to appeare As in making the Sunne stand still and in diuiding the Sea in twaine Others wherein his Iustice seemed most to appeare as in the Flood the burning of Sodome and the swallowing vp of Dathan and Abiram c. But when he came into the World in all his miracles his Mercie seemed most to appeare For he wrought not any one miracle but was for mans benefit respecting more others good than his owne fame And in Capernaum where he wrought so many miracles Saint Basil and Saint Hillarie both affirme that out of that Citie he chose many of his Apostles and Disciples Beeing no more than what is declared in that verse of Dauid Principes Zabulon Principes Nepthtalim to whose Tribes Capernaum did appertaine as appeareth out of that place of Saint Mathew Leauing Nazareth he went and dwelt in Capernaum which is neere the Sea in the borders of Zabulon and Nephtalim That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esayas the Prophet saying The land of Zabulon and the land of Nepâ—htalim by the way of the Sea beyond Iordan Galile of the Gentiles
likewise beeing the greatest in Nature and Essence ought to bee the greatest in our Loue and Affection Next vnder God enter those goods of Heauen of Earth And Good being the marke whereat our Loue shoots our greatest Loue should direct it selfe to the greatest good And this is to obserue an order and good temper in our Loue. Now touching the disorder of our Loue our Sauiour sayd Hee that loues Father or Mother more than mee is not worthie of mee Againe In not louing God to whom wee owe so much loue this excesse in the contrarie may turne to immodestie and impudencie And make vs breake out with those Cast-awayes in Iob into these desperate termes Get thee farre from vâ— we will haue no knowledge of thy wayes Besides In imploying our loue so wholely vpon the Creatures we may chance to choake that loue which we owe to the Creator Saint Austen expounding that place of Iohn Loue not the World neither the things that are in the world saith That our heart is like vnto a vessell which if it be filled full with the World it cannot receiue God beeing like to that peece of ground where the Tares did choake the Wheate So that of force wee must emptie the vessell and weede well the ground of our hearts that the loue of God may fructifie in vs. This inordinate loue doth set the heart like a Calenture on fire From the heart come all our euill thoughts and goe festring through the faculties of the soule And â—inne when it is finished bringeth foorth death saith Saint Iames. She was taken with a great Feuer As there are diuers kinds of Feuers so haue they a correspondencie with the diuers infirmities of the soule your young men are soone rid of their Feuers especially if their fits bee not violent but an old woman that is taken with a great Feuer wil hardly recouer her health A prisoner will easily shake off slight and slender shakles but those that are double chained and double bolted he will hardly free himselfe from them One single stick is easily broken but more beeing bound together verie hardly A threefold cord is hardly broken The like reason may be giuen of old sinnes vpon which custome hath drawne a necessitie Saint Austen treating of the State of his owne sinnes sayth That he was fast fettered with three strong chaines The one of his owne Will The other of an ill Custome that he had gotten The third of a kind of necessitie which did keepe him as it were by force in this so hard and cruell slauerie Tenebat me dura seruitus They besought him for her The motiues of this intercession were First For that this good old woman was of so sweet a disposition and so louing a nature Which was much in so old a woman and no small matter considering shee was a Mother in Law It may be Mothers in lawe in those dayes were more louing and better beloued than they are now And one great argument thereof is That our Sauiour Christ should put the loue of the Mother in law and Daughter in law in one and the same degree with that of the Children Parents as it appeareth in that place of S. Mathew I came to set a man at variance against his Father the Daughter against her Mother and the Daughter in law against her Mother in law Where you see he links them together all in one chaine And so it ought to be For if the Husband and the Wife by Matrimony remaine one flesh the Daughter in law ought likwise to be so with the Mother in law though not in the selfe same degree wholly and altogether The second motiue was the intreatie of the Apostles who as Saint Marke maketh mention interceded for her And such pittifull hearts and tender bowels as theirs were beeing sought vnto by so good an Hostesse who desired so much as she did to serue them could not chuse but take pittie of her and speake a good word for her Besides the miserable paine she was in might haue moued the hardest heart to compassion much more theirs whose eyes had seene in what an ill taking she was in And kind hearts are soone sencible of those sorrowes which the eyes shall impart vnto them They bâ—sought him for her In the intercession of Holy men God attends two things The one That we persuade our selues that they are preuailent with God and that they can effect much with his diuine Maiestie The other That he is well pleased that we should make vse of them for the honour that hee receiues thereby the good that we reape by it A King is well pleased that men should haue recourse to his Fauorit the more to honor him It was a great honour to Christ saith Gregory Nazianzen that he was the Mediator betwixt God and Man Saint Cyril giues the same attribute to the Apostles and Deutronomie to Moses Medius fui inter Deum vos I stood betweene the Lord and you But here is the difference That the Saints haue need that others should intercede for them but our Sauiour hath no such need sed accedit per teipsum ad interpellandum pro nobis Al other Mediators are through our Sauior Christ that prayer which hath not this mediation Saint Augustine saith That in stead of remoouing sinne it reneweth sinne And Saint Ambrose That Christ ought to be the Mouth by which we are to speake the Eyes by which wee are to looke and the Hands by which wee are to offer In a word The Saints of God are verie powerful with God through Christ our Lord. And therefore it is said Whatsoeuer yee shall aske the Father in my name shall be granted vnto you Some make a doubt Whither this be to be vnderstood of the Saints that are liuing or those that are dead That it is meant of the liuing there are many proofes thereof in Scripture To Iobs friends God said Goe to my seruant Iob and my seruant Iob shall pray for you for I will accept him c. Abimilecke hauing taken away Sarah and God threatning him with death and the King pleading ignorance in his excuse God said vnto him Giue Abraham his wife againe and he shall pray for thee and thou shalt liue Moses by his intercession procured the pardon of sixe hundred thousand persons The People said vnto Samuel Doe not thou cease to pray for vs. Saint Stephen prayed for those that stoned him to death And by his prayer saith Saint Augustine Paul was reduced to the Church In the Ship the same Apostle by prayer preserued the liues of two hundred seuenty six persons Saint Basil cites that place of Dauid The eyes of the Lord are vpon the Righteous his eares are open vnto their crie Those two sonnes which Ioseph had in Aegypt Ephraim and Manasses the one signifying forgetfulnesse the other Prosperitie Iacob adopted them for his owne Sicut
the Christ. In fauour of the second to wit That they did not know him wee haue on our side the temptation of our Sauiour Iesus Christ for if the Deuils had known him they would not haue tempted him Secondly They knowing him to bee the Christ and the Messias they must likewise know him to bee the naturall Sonne of God for the Deuils could not be ignorant of that in Hel which the most learned in Iudaisme had attained to here on earth Thirdly and it is the reason of that glorious Doctor Saint Hierome No man hath known the Father but the Sonne and he to whom the Sonne was willing to reueale it If the Father then did not reueale his Sonne to the Deuills nor the Sonne himselfe reueale the same why then surely they could not know him But some one will say That the Sonne did reueale himselfe to the Deuils not by infusing any light of Faith into them as hee did into those three Kings that came vnto him from the East and to the Prophets that were before them nor the light of Glorie as hee hath to the Blessed but by the light of his miracles and prophecies and by some secret and hidden signes of his presence for that is S. Austens opinion which the Deuils might better attaine vnto than men And this reason sufficiently proueth That they knew him before they tempted him yea that they knew him euen from his birth for then did they presently perceiue in Iesus Christ our Saâ—ior and Redeemer Miracles Prophecies and great signes of God And albeit the miracles were not then so many as those which he wrought afterwards when he had vnfolded and spred abroad the sailes of his Omnipotencie yet a few were enough to make the Deuill who hath so great an insight into naturall causes to conceiue and see how farre short Nature came in this great businesse Fourthly The glorious Apostle Saint Paul treating of our Sauiour Christ by the name of Wisedome saith That none of the Princes of this World knew him for had they knowne him they would neuer haue crucified him And this may likewise be vnderstood of the Deuill whom our Sauiour stiles the Prince of the world but in case it be vnderstood of men the Earth not comming to the knowledge thereof to whom God might haue reuealed it hell could hardly know it In this doubt there are me thinkes two truths that are most certaine The one That the Deuill had not a full and assured knowledge that our Sauiour Christ was the naturall Son of God for his knowledge was not the knowledge of Faith nor any cleere vision but onely opinion And as a man of verie great vnderstanding being without the light of Faith howbeit by the miracles and prophecies of our Sauiour Iesus Christ he might happely beleeue that hee was the Sonne of God yet some one doubt or other will be stil remaining that he may not be that promised Sonne So the Deuil euer since our Sauior Christ was borne had many and those strong suspitions that God was become Man These jealousies and suspitions were dayly by so much the more increased in the Deuill by how much the more our Sauiour Christ went dayly discouering the signes and tokens of his Diuinitie till at last seeing himselfe as it were conuinced by the euidence thereof that he might put himselfe out of this perplexitie he first goes about to tempt him and afterwards to solicite his death And this is the opinion of that glorious Doctor Saint Hierome vpon the eigth Chapter of Saint Mathew where he saith That all the Deuils did beat vpon this haâ—â—â— went nosing and winding of it out and were wonderfull both fearefull iealous of the same but that none of them did assuredly know so much And Saint Augustine in his bookes De Ciuitate Dei saith That our Sauiour and Redeemer Iesus Christ manifested himselfe so far forth to the deuils as himself was willing and he would no more than what was fitting thought that fitting which was sufficient to daunt and terrifie them to free those that were predestinated from his tyrannie And this was the tracke that they did treâ—d in and all that they could gather out of his miracles and former prophecies Gregorie Naziaâ—â—â—â— saith That the Deuils had a great deale of knowledge of the paines torments which they did feele when our Sauiour Christ did cast them forth of the bodies which they had possessed And of this knowledge that is to bee vnderstood which is here deliuered by Saint Luke Because they knew him to be Christ. The other That God did hold this their knowledge in suspence in doubt by taking flesh in the wombe of an espoused Virgine Which was purposely done as Ignatius saith that hee might bee concealed from the Deuill for otherwise the Deuils could hardly be ignorant that he was the Sonne of the Virgine Marie and not the Sonne of Ioseph THE XXIII SERMON VPON THE FRYDAY AFTER THE THIRD SONDAY IN LENT IOHN 4.5 Venit Iesus in Ciuitatem Samariae quae dicitur Sychar And Iesus came into a Citie of Samaria which was called Sychar IN matter of Conuersion this action of our Sauiours seemeth of all other the most famous for the manifesting of Gods mercy In matter of Faith we know verie well That hee that shall seeke him as he ought shall find him And of this Truth God hath giuen many testimonies in Scripture They that seeke meâ— early shall find me And in another place If thou seekest her aâ— silâ—er and searchest for her as for Treasures thou shalt find her And elsewhere it is said Seeke and yee shall find knocke and it shall be opened vnto you Wee know likewise that some haue found him that haue not sought him I was found of them that â—â—â—ght me not but none did light on him with so little labour and at so cheape â— rate as this Samaritane S. Paul was tumbled off from his horse on the ground and was strooken blind the Adulteresse passed through a purgatorie of 〈◊〉 and confusion Marie Magdalen for her part poured forth a sea of teares and the good Theeâ—e was faine to betake himselfe to a great deale of faith loue patience and hope but this woman I know not what labour or paines it cost her more than the letting downe of a Bucket and rope into the Well to draw a little water That such a dishonest woman as this was whom fiue husbands could not suffice and had entertained a Ruffian or Swash-buckler to be her companion and champion that so base and vile a woman as shee was consider her which way you will in her linage her fortune her life her behauiour her age oâ— whatsoeuer else that sauours of basenesse that Christ should make choice of her to publish his name to bee as it were one of his Euangelists and Preachers of his Gospell cannot but appeare to the World to be one of the greatest demonstrations of
Gods both bountie and goodnesse This made Esay to crie out Good newes good newes I bring you I haue ioyfull tydings to tell you Fountaines haue gushed forth in the Desart waters haue shewne themselues in the Wildernesse and riuers appeare where there was nothing before but drie land Grace doth vsually follow the steps of Nature and though ordinarily your Brookes and your Riuers keepe themselues within their owne bounds and precincts yet sometimes they leape out of those beds that were purposely made for them and ouerflow those brinkes that bind them in watering those thirstie places that stood in need of their refreshing Iust so stands the case with Grace for although it commonly keeps it's vsuall and ordinarie course yet now and then it swells aboue it's chanels and riseth out of it's bed making the wildernes a poole of waters the barrainest grounds most fruitfull and the greatest Sinners the greatest Saints And heere some one perhaps will say I will wait for the like comming of Gods mercie but let me tell him whosoeuer he be That this is not a going for water to the Fountaine but that the Fountaine should bee brought home vnto vs. It is sufficient that wee haue so franke and free a God that will now then conferre these his great fauours vpon vs without our seeking of them But what will not he doe for thee if thou shalt seeke him with thy whole heart Such a one our Sauior compares to that Merchant which sought after pretious pearles of inestimable value Wherein he notifieth vnto vs that extraordinarie diligence wherewith we are to seeke after him and this is that Via Regia or the Kings Highway in which we must walke if we mean to find him and this was the track that was troad in by all the Saints of Heauen Hi sunt qui venerunt ex magna tribulatione c. These are they which came out of great tribulation c. Others our Sauiour compareth to hidden Treasure which is found by chance and seldome hapneth and this it was this womans good lucke to light vpon which was reuealed to some few but from thousands of others hidden and concealed c. He came into a Citie of Samaria called Sycar The Saints doe render two reasons of this journey Saint Cyril saith That newes was brought vnto the Pharisees That Christ had more Disciples than Iohn Baptist though Christ himselfe did noâ— baptise which raised such an inraged enuie in the hearts of them that it comming to our Sauiours knowledge he left Iudea and went for Galilee Being inforced to passe through the midst of Samaria Wherein he gaue to the Ministers of the Gospell a twofold Lecture The one That they ought sometimes to preferre sufferance before boldnesse and rather to dissemble some feare than to show themselues too forward and to flye from the sword of anger than to oppose themselues against the edge thereof And therefore it is sayd If ye bee persecuted in one Citie flye into another Many account it a great point of valour and that they prooue themselues to bee stout men in standing stiffely to their Cause and maintaining it with an vndaunted resolution but this is rather Weakenesse than Fortitude For in some occasions the greatest Victorie is to suffer himselfe to be vanquished The other and let this be the second occasion of our Sauiours iournie That the Minister of Gods word who is to loue all to desire all should bee saued and that all should haue the hearing of the Gospell not to sow all the seed of Gods word in populous Cities Clemens Alexandrinus compareth our Sauior to the Sunne which inlightneth the World expelleth Darkenesse augmenteth Plants fomenteth Flowers breeds Gold in the veines of the Earth Pearles in the shells of the Sea inricheth and beautifieth all Creatures and leaues no corner of the earth which hee doth not visite and comfort with the beames of his light and splendor The Pharisees murmuring that our Sauiour Christ cured the sicke on the Saboth he said vnto them My Father worketh hitherto and I worke It is said in Genesis He rested from all his worke which he had made True it is that God had then put an end to all the workes of his Power but not to all the workes of his Loue. For in doing good deedes the three diuine persons neuer take any rest And as his loue in it selfe is perpetuall so doth it still continue towards his Creatures Dionisius stileth Loue Mobile incessabile â—eruens superferuens He might likewise haue termed it Vniuersale for there is not that worme whereunto it 's vertue doth not extend it selfe In a word As that Husbandman in the Gospell did not leaue out any part of the land but did sow the same all ouer so our Sauior Christ did plough that holy Land which had the happines to haue him set his feet thereon and did sow in it the seed of his Word and by his Apostles did afterwards spred the same abroad through all the World and here now fals himselfe a worke at Sichar And there was Iacobs well That the memorie of dead friends should be so powerfull with God as to make him affoord fauours to the liuing it is much But that the places where his friends liued should worke this effect vpon him it is more than much But the Wel of Iacob teacheth vs this truth the good fortune that this woman had to find our Sauiour sitting there where Abraham had erected an Altar vnto God where he had receiued those great promises for his posteritie where Iacob digg'd that Well which was a great reliefe to that Citie God treating of annointing Dauid King willed it to bee done in Hebron And why there more than in any other place Abulansis renders this reason That that people did not deserue so good a King as Dauid but a Tyrant like his predecessors And because in Hebron Adam Abraham Isaac and Iacob were there interred he would that it should be in Hebron that the place might supply that defect which was wanting in the peoples desert Our Sauior Christ being born in Bethlem the Angells came to tell the tidings thereof to the Sheapheards And why to the Sheapheards What aduantage haue they of Grace Nature or Fortune aboue other men Saint Ierome sayth That the antient Patriarchs had fed their flockes in those fields and that in this as likewise in Rachels beeing buried there consisted this their happinesse So that not onely the Saints of God but those places wherein they liued or dyed will be a meanes for thee to meet with God As in the place where sinners meet as in your Conuenticles of Heretickes and Witches the Deuill comes amongst them offering them imaginarie fountaines of delights So in holy places thou shalt presently meet with God who will offer thee fountaines of liuing waters c. Tertullian treating of the Amphitheaters where men went in to kill one another sayd Tot daemones quot 〈◊〉
fountaines of Loue to consider in God The one In his Creating of vs. The other In his Redeeming of vs. In creating vs hee poured forth the rich treasure of his Loue Thy hands made mee and fashioned mee c. The Beasts Birds and Fishes could not say so much All the rest of the creatures had their beeing God onely speaking the Word Ipse dixit facta sunt But when he came to the creation of Man he sayd Faciamus hominem c. Tertullian and Saint Austen are of opinion That God tooke the forme of Man vpon him because he had created him after his owne image and likenesse Wherein hee manifested most strange pledges of his loue not only because he was the workemanship of his owne hands howbeit Aristotle saies that euery man beares a loue and affection to that which his owne hand hath planted and for which he hath taken paines As God sayd vnto Ionas Thou weepest and takest on for thy Gourd for which thou hast not laboured neither madest it to grow but for the good affection that he had placed vpon man and for that he had taken Mans likenesse vpon him But much more are wee bound vnto him that he hath redeemed vs. He created vs by his power but he redeemed vs by his loue so that we owe more to his loue than his power His taking of our weakenesse vpon him was our strengthening Thy power did create me but thy frailtie did refresh me said Saint Augustine He calls our Redemption a second Creation And as we vse to sing in the Church What benefit had our birth beene vnto vs if we had not receiued the fruits of Redemption So likewise may we say What good would our creation haue done vs if wee must haue perished had we not had the profit of Redemption Secondly For to put a Sinner in some good hope assurance for why should not I relie vpon Gods loue being that he hath taken such a deale of pains forme and hath wearied out himselfe to giue me ease Zacharie represents our Sauiour Christ vnto vs with wounds in his hands and asking the question What are these wounds in thy hands How camest thou by them or Who gaue them thee This answer is returned Thus was I wounded in the house of my friends Rupertus Galatinus are both of opinion That this is a metaphor drawne from a Labrador or Husbandman who hath his hands hardned and a kind of callum or thicke skinne growne vpon them through too much labour So that seeing Man was condemned for his offence to dig and plough the earth Christ vndertooke that taske for him as one that was willing to suffer for his friends I am a Husbandman for Man taught me to be a Heardsman from my youth vp for to ease them of this burthen I was willing to beare their punishment He then that shall take such pittie and compassion of me he that shall vndergoe such a deale of trouble for my sake makes me to haue a strong hope and beleefe that he will denie mee nothing Iacob wrestled all night with God the Patriarke in that strugling got a lamenesse and God grew so wearie that he cried vnto him Let me goe But Iacob answered I will not let thee goe except thou blesse mee Was this a good time thinke you to craue a blessing Yes marry was it for I standing in need thereof and God waxing wearie for my sake What shall I aske that hee will denie mee Thirdly Christ shews himselfe wearie to the end that by this his great pains he might saue the sinner from perdition Saint Augustine saith Fatigatus Iesus quia fidelem populum inuenire non poterat That Iesus was wearie because he could not find out a faithfull People The Sheepeheard that seekes after his lost sheepe may wearie out himselfe verie much in seeking of him out but much more will hee find himselfe so if he doe not find him It is not so much Gods paines that hee takes but our sinnes and our wandring so farre out of the way from him that makes him so wearie And if a Sheepe had but the vnderstanding to know the paines that the Sheepheard takes the care and wearinesse that accompanies such a strange kind of stragling besides his being indangered of being deuoured by that Wolfe the Deuill which lies in wait for his destruction he would bee better aduised and fall a bleating after his Sheepheard Christ Iesus and hasten into the Fold Fourthly The feare of a mans own hurt and condemnation for though God now shew himselfe vnto thee wearie and as it were quite tired out in seeking after thee who refusest to be found while it is day thou shalt see him hereafter in pompe and maiestie to thy great feare and terrour Now he calls vnto thee inuites thee and intreats thee to come vnto him now thou findest him heere sitting and staying to see if thou wilt come vnto him beeing meruailous willing and readie to doe thee good and to supplie thy necessities hee is now all pittie and mercie but hereafter he will bee all rigour and justice Nothing hath put God to halfe that paines as hath thy sinnes it is they that haue wearied him they that haue wounded him and they that haue crucified him and if therefore now thou shalt not take the benefit of these his paines wounds and crucifixion they shall hereafter condemne thee For you was my side opened and yee would not enter in saith Saint Augustine my armes were spred abroad to embrace yee but yee would not come neere me and therefore these my wounds shall be the Atotrney to accuse you and the Witnesse to condemne you and all those things which heeretofore did represent vnto you reasons of confidence and assurance shall now driue you into the depth of desperation and make you call vnto the Mountaines with a Cadite super nos Fall vpon vs and couer vs. The Quaile keepes a mourning and complaining in her kind of language when shee sees the Sunne and the Condemned they will likewise howle lament when they shall see Christ in the Heauens The Angells did aske Who is this that comes from the earth so glorious and so bloudie I haue fought a bloudie battell here vpon earth triumphing like a Conqueror ouer the Deuil Death c. But then they replyed and asked him What bloud and wounds in Heauen to what end I pray you They are memorialls of the wrongs I receiued And in the day of vengeance I shall say vnto you Behold the Man whom yee haue crucified Ye shall then take notice of these wounds of this Crosse of myne So that those things that are now our strong tower our defence our protection our assurance and our loue shall be our feare our cowardise and our condemnation In Exodus God commanded That they should not seeth the Kid in the milke of it's Damme Lyra and Clemens Alexandrinus make this Glosse thereupon That
hath appointed and preordained through which you may receiue that blessing which God before all ages was determined to giue vnto you So that Prayer is that rope or cord by which we draw vp water from that deepe Well of Gods euer flowing bountie Lastly another doubt is put whether shee were willing to beg this liuing Water or no at Christs hands For the sinner will euerie foote bee crauing of the goods for the bodie but for those of the soule he often stands vpon a Forsitan being carelesse whether he haue them or no. It is our dayly petition that God would giue vs the dayly bread of this life but take not so much care for that of the other The sons of Reuben of Gâ—d in passing ouer Iordan saw certain fields that were verie fertile and fruitfull and those pastures seeming good vnto them for their flockes besought Moses and the Princes of the people that they might haue the possession of them loosing the desire of their promised Land In like manner the sinner will be well content to take for his inheritance and possession the forbidden fields of the humane delights of this world and forgoe the desire of those that are heauenly and diuine If thou knewest the gift of God When the rich denies the poore a cup of cold water a morsell of bread an old shirt or the like a man may say vnto him Si scires donum Dei If thou didst but know what thou deniest and to whom thou deniest Now thou doost not know so much neither doost thou thinke so much but the time will come when God shall say vnto thee Thou sawest mee hungry and gauest me not to eat To such as were wearie thou hast not giuen water to drinke hast withdrawn bread from the hungrie A Cauallero comes into the Church kneeling vpon one knee like a fowler when he makes a shoot at a fowle casting his eye on euery side of the Church rowling them this way and that way O! if thou didst but know whome thou adorest or if thou couldst but see the reuerence wherwith the Angels stand in Gods presence The Merchant he wil swear and forsweare for his commoditie The Souldier hee will turne Turke vpon point either of profit or of honor The Gamester vpon euery bad cast or euery little hard carding will curse and blaspheme O! if thou didst but know whose name thou takest in vaine in that foule mouth of thine or that thou wouldst but consider whom thou blasphemest c. Lord thou hast not wherewith to draw and the Well is deepe There is not any Historie that can more indeere the great reckoning that God makes of a soule than to see how our Sauiour Christ doth here suffer and indure the ignorances of this vile foolish woman Doe but weigh consider the Maiesty which God doth inioy in Heauen not as he is in himselfe for Mans imagination is but a thimble-ful in comparison of the incomprehensiblenesse thereof but as the Scripture paints him foorth vnto vs. Daniell reckons vp his pages by thousands his seruants by hundreds of thousands the Heauen of Heauens sayth Salomon are straight and narrow Pallaces for his dwelling Excelsior Coelo est The wheeles of his Caroch are the wings of the Cherubins After that Iob had spent many Chapters in expressing his power and relating his famous Acts hee addeth Omnia haec ex parte dicta sint viarum eius We heare little and wee know lesse But if God should thunder out his greatnesse who were able to abide it Quis poterit sustinere But that this God onely Good onely Holy onely Mightie onely Mercifull and onely Infinite should entertaine talke so long with a poore silly woman beeing so lewd a creature and of so euill a life showes what a wonderfull great loue he beareth to a distressed soule Thou hast not wherewith to draw and the well is deepe Let vs suppose that the waters in sacred Scripture as befâ—re hath beene sayd did signifie troubles And let vs likewise heere deliuer vnto you that they also signifie pastimes and delights And not onely humane but diuine so farre as to become the Symbolum and signe of happinesse That they signifie humane happinesse we may ground it vpon this reason that they are inconstant fugitiue transitory and slide away as water Omnes morimur quasi aqua dilabimur sayd the woman of Tekoah to King Dauid Wee must needs dye and we are as water spilt on the ground And this Truth may be verified as well in mens persons as their goods They haue forsaken me the fountaine of liuing waters to digge them pits euen broken pits that can hold no water Qui bibit c. sayth Iob Which drinketh iniquitie like water Quasi aquam super aquam refectionis educauit me c. saith the Psalmist He maketh me to rest in green pastures and leadeth me by the still waters They are likewise the symbole or signe of happinesse First Because Water is the Mother of fulnesse and aboundance For that land that is without Water voyceth out famine and hunger Sicut terra sine aqua tibi Secondly Because nothing else can satisfie quench our thirst when we are taken with the Calenture of Gold of Iewels and Pretious-stones and then will the soule crye out for Water Thirdly Because nothing in comparison of Water can sute so wel with a thirstie appetite This truth beeing supposed the Samaritan woman vttered one most certaine and approued Experience And one most grosse and foule Ignorance The Experience is this That the Water of humane content must be drawne out of so deepe a Well and with that strength of the arme that not any thing can cost vs more deere in this life Dalila placed her content in knowing where Sampsons strength lay and the Scripture sayth that she did sweat and toyle and take no rest till she could come to the bottome of this Well Ad mortem vsque lassata est It was death vnto her til she had obtained her desire Saint Ambrose compareth humane pleasures and delights to the Serpent who all his life time goes trailing his bellie vpon the earth and eateth and licketh vp the dust therof Boaetius compares them to the hony in your Bee-hyues which although it bee sweete yet it leaues a painefull sting sticking in vs. Seneca doth celebrate that saying of Virgil who cals them Mala mentis gaudia The water that came vp to Tantalus his chinne and glided away by him signifieth as much And to take such a deale of paines in the pursute of these transitorie pleasures and delights as it betraies our Ignorance so it makes vs to thinke that the sweet tast of this liuing water is tyde to the rope and bucket Whosoeuer drinketh of this water shall thirst againe But whosoeuer drinketh of the water that I shall giue him shall neuer be more athirst Our Sauiour here sets downe the aduantages which the liuing
filias suas Daemonijs For myne owne part I confesse saith this holy Saint in all humilitie That as the young Heifar being accustomed to eat and tread out the Corne takes the yoke patiently so doe I come to these duties of a Christian and of a religious man more out of custome than deuotion Would to God that what this Saint said of himselfe in humilitie might not too truly bee said of many Christians amongst vs who submit themselues to the yoke of the Law for the feeding of their bellie and out of long custome Adducunt ei mulierem deprehensam in adulterio statuerunt eam in medio They brought vnto him a woman taken in adulterie and set her in the middest c. This woman was peraduenture drawne to commit this foule sinne out of the assurance that she had that this businesse would be closely carried and out of that good loue and affection which shee bare to the Adulterer and hee to her who happely had sworne vnto her That for her sake hee would bee content if need were to lay downe a thousand liues But this loue did end in leauing her vpon the Bulls homes with danger both of her life and honour and this secret came to light in the sight of all Hierusalem There are foure manifest truths in matter of secrecie The first Not to relie vpon secrecie because Nihil opertum quod non reâ—detur There is nothing so closely carried which is not at last brought to light the reaâ—on is because there is no sinne be it committed in neuer so secret a corner which doth not come forth in the end and vtter it's voyce aloud in the gates of the citie So God said vnto Cain presuming that that fratricide of his because it was done in secret should haue beene buried for euer and neuer haue come to light If thou doe well thou shalt be rewarded for it if ill sinne lieth at the doore And when Cain made himselfe as if he had been ignorant what was become of his brother Abel the Lord said vnto him The voyce of thy brothers bloud crieth vnto mee from the earth And in Scripture it is an ordinarie kind of language to say That our sinnes doe crie out for vengeance When one of Ioshuahs souldiers hid a wedge of gold Nicholaas de Lyra noteth That the originall word signifieth likewise a Tongue for though it were hid and buried vnder ground yet did it crie out Iob painteth forth the warinesse of an Adulterer He waiteth for the twilight and saith No eye shal see me and disguiseth his face Like the Owle he comes not abroad till it be darke night he pluckes his hat downe in his eyes he muffles his cloake about his face he first lookes on this side and then on that lest any one should chance to espie him In a word such lewd liuers as these like vnto your wilde beasts keepe themselues close watching for the darkenesse of the night In ipsa pertransibuut omnes bestiae agri Thou makest darkenesse and it is night wherein all the beasts of the Forrest creepe forth and so it is with these beastly minded men Salomon makes another kind of description thereof A man breaketh Wedlocke and thinketh thus in his heart Who seeth me I am compassed about with darkenesse the walls ouer mee no bodie seeth mee whom need I to feare But the truth is That Walls haue eyes as well as eares besides the eyes of the Lord are ten thousand times brighter than the Sunne beholding all the wayes of men the ground of the deepe and the most secret parts And this man that thinks himselfe so close and so cunning that no eye can find him out shall bee punished in the streets of the Citie and shall be chased like a young horse-Foale and when hee thinketh not vpon it he shall be taken thus shall he be put to shame of euerie man because hee would not vnderstand the feare of the Lord. Saint Augustine saith That none seeke to carrie these kind of businesses more secretly and more cunningly than your married woman that hath a care of her reputation and honor but she also for all her slie cariage shall bee brought out into the Congregation and examination shall bee made of her children her children shall not take root and her branches shall bring forth no fruit a shameful report shal she leaue and her reproch shall not bee put out Salomon after hee had made mention of foure things that left no signe behind them nor were to be traced out or followed by the track to wit The way of an Eagle flying through the ayre of a Serpent gliding through the Rock of a ship sailing through the sea of the wayes of a young man in his youth hee further addeth Talis est via mulieris adulterae The way of an Adulteresse may verie well be likened vnto these for that great artifice and cunning wherewith she dissembleth this her treacherie as being only priuie to this her foule play and wiping her lips she sits downe full gorged at her husbands boord and tells him that shee will fast contenting her selfe with bread and water to the end that by this her fasting and leading a godly life shee may gaine a good report and be free from the razors of malicious tongues but in the end as before we haue said Nihil occultum quod non reueletur Nothing so secret which shall not be reuealed For Sinne euermore leaues a print behind it like those footsteps of Baals Priests those steps of our forefather Adam that coare of the cut Apple that choaked all Mankind and those crummes and reliques of their feastings who said Nulium sit pratum quod non pertranseat lâ—xuria nostra Let there be no meadows in which our ryot may not reuell The Deuill who assures vs most of secrecie takes off this cloake which he casteth ouer vs and discloseth these our secret sinnes when he hath a mind to open our shame Dauid beeing a wise and discreet King tooke extraordinarie care for the concealing of his adulterie Forsitan tenebrae conculcabunt me tu fecisti abscondite hee carried the businesse so closely that he thought it should not be discouered but by those Letters that he wrote vnto the Generall of his Armie That he should put Vrias in the forefront of the battaile and where the greatest danger of death was Ioab smelt out Dauids drift and shewed the Kings Letter to some of his Captaines who did blaspheme God for that he had set a King ouer them who for to satisfie his lust set so little by the life of so braue and valiant a Souldier and so seruiceable as Vrias was and so well deseruing of his Maiestie The second That though a sinne be kept secret from the eyes of men yet is it not possible that it should bee hid from the all-seeing eye of God The Sunne hath not so cleere an eye-sight as God hath The Sunne
which he makes of Fasting puts this difference betwixt paying that which thou owest and giuing of almes to the Poore to whom thou art not indebted that the one is in profit of him that receiues it the other in profit of him that giues And therefore in Scripture Almes is called Benedictio A Blessing which is that which augments our wealth Secondly Our Sauiour was willing that they should gather vp the fragments to the end that the greatnesse of the miracle should be the more notorious and that they should see of fiue loues twelue baskets full of what remained besides that which they carried away in their bosomes their sleeues and their pockets especially your women and your children And howbeit some of them might keepe them as reliques of this so rare and strange a wonder yet the diligence therein vsed might bee verie wise and deuout Saint Chrysostome giues vs this note That albeit this miracle ought to haue left a firme and assured confidence in euerie one of them yet they were so wholly forgetfull thereof that our Sauiour was driuen afterward to put them in mind thereof and taxe them of this their obliuion There are other morall reasons giuen for it writ by diuers vpon this place which I purposely omit When the men had seene the miracle that Iesus did said This is of a truth the Prophet that should come into the world They considering the greatnesse of the miracle but not so much potentiam as qualitatem nouitatem the power as the quatie and noueltie thereof they cried out This is the Prophet whom the World expecteth Saint Augustine saith That greater is that miracle which God worketh vpon the multiplication of their wheat haruest but because it is so common they make no great wonder of it It is natural vnto vs more to admire new than great things Seneca treating in his Naturall Questions of our extraordinarie comets which do so much amase the world saith That the Heauens the Stars the Planets strike no admiration into vs though it bee a meruailous and strange worke because wee see it is so ordinarie with vs. The Sunne is the fairest Creature that euer God dispatched out of his hands Vas admirabile opus excelsi yet the beautie of it's beames doth not draw on any admiration but it's Eclipses because they are rare and seldome So likewise in the harmonie and concord of the Heauens their influences and their Starres together with their disposition and the beautie of the Orbs Knowest thou the course of Heauen c. The Greekes expound this place of the Clouds Who can declare the nature of the Clouds Who it 's musicke and harmonie Who can make the musicke of the Thunder to cease or stop the course of the Lightning c. And all these though they be such strange wonders do not mooue vs to admire them but vpon any change or alteration wee stand astonished at the noueltie thereof When Iesus therefore perceiued that they would come and take him to make him a King c. Our Sauiour Christ had gained so much good loue and opinion amongst them by this his kindnesse that he had shewed toward them that after the people were dismissed as Euthimius hath obserued it they determined to make him their King not onely offering him the Crowne but seeking perforce to set the same on his head And if the consideration of his miracles had beene the occasion thereof they could not haue taken a more discreet resolution and not onely they but all the world had a great deale of reason to put their helping hand thereunto For first of all he is painted forth to be so wise that all Ierusalem was strucken dumbe at the wisedome of his words Secondly Hee was as faire and beautifull to see to as the Sunne in all his glorie Thirdly He was of that force and power that he did driue out of his temple with whips and scourges the greatest power of the world Fourthly He was so open handed so liberall and so bountifull that with fiue Loaues and two Fishes hee did fill the bellies of fifteene or twentie thousand persons Fiftly He loued man so well that for his sake hee willingly layd downe his life and offered vp his most pretious bodie and bloud vpon the Crosse. So that there beeing so many strong and forcible reasons to draw vs to loue him Who would not willingly make choice of him to be their King But let vs that are Christians acknowledge him to be our King and shew our selues so louing and obedient vnto him that we seruing him in holinesse and truenesse of life and wholly relying vpon his loue and fauour towards vs may come at the last to be heires of that his heauenly Kingdome Which God grant for his mercies sake THE XXVI SERMON VPON THE MONDAY AFTER THE FOVRTH SVNDAY IN LENT IOHN 2. MAT. 21. MARC 11. LVC. 10. He found sitting in the Temple sellers of Sheepe Oxen and Doues c. OVr Sauiour went vp to Ierusalem to the Passeouer entring into the temple where the law was read where the Laitie did pray he met with a most base vile market where they sould Sheepe Oxen Kids and Doues Money-changers and Vsurers hauing their bankes Wherewith inraged like a Lyon he sets vpon the owners of them vpon the beasts birds and tables and making him a whip of the cords that bound their fardles or those halters wherewith they tied their beasts there was neuer any Roman Cohort that did that as hee did hee ouerthrew their tables scattered their moneys downe on the ground and falling to whipping and scourging of them he chased them out of his fathers House Saint Hierome and Saint Chrysostome reckon this of all other to be the greatest miracle that euer our Sauiour wrought preferring it before the giuing of sight to the Blind of hands and feeâ— to the Lame of life to the Dead c. And without doubt it is a thing much to be wondred at that one single man and such a one as amongst the Iews especially those of the Temple was held in such base esteeme should venture to trample them vnder his feet and to whip both great and smal and that not any one of them should dare to open his mouth against him Which was such a discoâ—ering of his Omnipotencie and Godhead that wee must imagine it to bee a most foule fault in them either not to acknowledge him to be their Messias or not to lay hold on him and bind him in bonds for a mad man as they afterwards said Sure he is mad He found them in the Temple selling Sheepe and Oxen c. The Messias was prophesied in the dayes of Iudaisme to be mild gentle louely and peaceable Quâ—rite mansuetum saith Zephaniah Ieremie Quasi Agnus mansuetus Esay Reparabitur in misercicordia solium eius And in another place Declâ—nabo quasi fluuium Pacis For his first comming was to bee in all mildenesse
vnto vs the milke of their Doctrine The other That euerie one ought to acknowledge and confesse That whatsoeuer good he enioyeth is of God The Riuers returne againe vnto the place from whence they come The riuers of our good doe flow from that immense Sea by loue and are to returne by thankes Vt iterum fluant That they may flow againe and neuer grow drie And this may prooue as a generall rule and approoued truth in all those blessings that befall vs. But more particularly ought we to acknowledge the same that are Preachers of Gods word for he that praiseth himselfe and priseth his owne worth this is my opinion cannot hope for any fruit of his labours Neither is he that planteth any thing neither hee that watreth but God that giueth the increase That Gardner is a foole or a mad man that doth attribute to his dib to the water of his Well to the labour of his hands and the sweat of his browes the floures and fruits of his garden it is not thou nor thy paines but Heauen that giues thee all that thou hast What hast thou that thou didst not receiue And in the eighth Chapter he saith Qui putaâ— se aliquid scire nondâ—m cognouit quemadmodum oporteat scire If any man thinke that he knoweth any thing he knoweth noâ—hing yet as hee ought to know Aristotle first putteth downe Modâ—m and then Scientiam the meanes first and the knowledge afterwards And the Apostle saith That he that presumes that he knows is not yet come to the means of knowing Thinking themselues wise they are become fooles The wisest men haue euermore beene the meekest and the humblest in Saint Augustine humilitie and wisedome suted so well together that no man was able to iudge which was the greater Salomon said of himselfe Surely I am more brutish than any man and haue not the vnderstanding of a man and the reason of this acknowledgment is for that if a man looke well into himselfe the wisest that is will hold himselfe a foole We are not sufficient of our selues to thinke so mâ—ch as a good thought but if a man looke once into God he will acknowledge all to be from God Saint Augustine comâ—ares him that preacheth to the Sowers seed-leape and as the seed-leape hath not whereof to boast of the sheafes of Corne nor of those mowes of wheat that are storâ—d vp in the barne no more hath the Preacher for carrying Gods Word in his mouth Quis credet saith Esay auditui nostro Saint Chrysostome saith That he confessed that what he preached was not of himselfe but of God Oliuam vberem pulâ—hram speciosam fructiferam vocauit Dominus nomen tuum ad vocem loquelae grandis exarsit ignis in ea combusta sunt fruteta eius Saint Gregorie saith That this fat faire fruitfull Oliue is a faire fruitfull Preacher fruitfull for the fruit of his works and faire for the elegancie force of his words but feeble weake in regard of his flatteries which are that great voycewhich setteth on fire burneth and destroyeth the fruit We will magnifie and exâ—oll our owne tongues There are some kind of Preachers who thanke their tongue for their preferment God-a-mercie tongue it is that that hath got me this my honour it is that that hath raised me to such high place nor am I to serue or magnifie any other Lord or Master than this Nolite loqui sublimia gloriantes Saint Chrysostome saith That Vaine-glorie is that moath that fretteth and consumeth the sublimest and highest things And therefore Nolite loqui sublimia gloriantes Saint Augustine saith That he that preacheth in a high straine and flies through the thickest clouds and highest mysteries of Diuinitie had need of the jesses of Humilitie lest through vaine-glorie soaring too high he scortch his wings and like Phaeton come tumbling downe The eyes of the Spouse her Beloued compares to the eyes of a Doue For amongst all other Birds the Doue lifts vp her eyes vnto Heauen when she feeds as if she did giue God thanks for the good she receiueth and euer since that she returned with a greene Oliue branch in her mouth to Noahs Arke she hath been taken for a thankefull Bird as on the contrarie the Crow is held to be an vnthankefull Carrion Of this thankefulnesse or grateful acknowledgement there are many symboles or emblems in humane Authors as in the Sunne-Dyall with all the houres specified therein by distinct figures with a hand poynting out this Letter vnto vs In vmbra desino that is to say To the Sunne doe I owe my motion and beeing As likewise in the Shell full of pearle lying open to the Sunne and the dew of Heauen with this word or motto Rore Diuino that is By the helpe and fauour of the Sunne of Righteousnesse for without this diuine dew there is no vertue in our selues As also that of the Oliue amidst the craggie cliffes without rooting or moysture with this wreath comming out of it A Coelo My happinesse is from Heauen Seneca saith That he that acknowledgeth a debt by words which he cannot satisfie by deeds hath paid what he owes And Cicero renders the reason thereof It is not all one saith hee to pay the debt of a benefit receiued as that of money for this is not paid till the money be restored but hee that doth acknowledge a benefit and confesseth a kindnesse being not otherwise able to make satisfaction hath alreadie made repayment Of this kind are the fauours conferred by Kings which we can no otherwise requite than by our seruing magnifying of them And therefore much more those that come from God from whose free hand we receiue whatsoeuer good we enioy nor are we able to repay it in the same money but by our seruing him and magnifying his holy Name According to that of Dauid Sacrificium laudis c. I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thankesgiâ—ing and will call vpon the name of the Lord and will pay my vowes vnto him in the presence of all his People in the Courts of the Lords House and in the midst of thee ô Ierusalem will I praise the Lord. If any man shall doe his will he shall know of the Doctrine c. Your damnable Will is the occasion of your miserable blindnesse if yee would but doe the will of my Father you would then know that my Doctrine is his In humane speculatiue sciences the Vnderstanding goes before the Will but in that knowledge which the Diuines call Mysticall which is the wisedome of Heauen the Will is first And therefore Saint Augustine saith That the knowing of a Doctrine is the reward as it were of beleeuing it Vnderstanding is the reward of Faith if thou vnderstandest not beleeue And Esay Vnlesse yee beleeue yee shall not vnderstand It is the priuiledge of the deepest mysteries of our Faith to beleeue them before we know them He that
custome amongst men not to make requitall of that care and loue which hath bin shewn vnto them A Goldsmith makes a cup for you you pay him for the weight of his plate according to it's ounces and for the fashion according to it's workemanship but you doe not pay him for his loue vnto you for Loue is so noble a thing that it cannot be repayd but with Loue. And if mans loue cannot be repayd much lesse Gods but if it dasheth thee out of countenance to see what a deale of loue God expresses towards thee that he makes thee the mark wherat he aimes al his care yet at least shew thy selfe so thankful as to satisfie him for thy workemanship as thou wouldest the Goldsmith for the fashioning of a peece of plate whither he had by chance or purposely made it for thee God demanded of Iob Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth As if he should haue said Because thou camest not then into the world thou maist haply thinke that I made this so faire a fabrick either by chance or for my own pleasure Ludens in orbe terrarum and not purposely for thee but I would haue thee to know that I made this so princely a pallace for thee furnishing it with all things fitting for thee and that if I had not foreknowne that thou shouldst enioy the same I would not haue made it But if thou shalt not repay mee for my care and my loue that I made thee for the end of this so great a worke yet thankefully accept of the worke iâ— selfe because thou art hee that receiuest benefit thereby Our Sauior as he passed thus along was verie angrie and much offended but he had no sooner met with this blind man but his anger was alayed and grew more calme and milde In Caiphas Court a sea of iniuries affronts came tumbling in vpon him and euen then in this great inundation that brake thus violently in vpon him he no sooner turned his eye aside vpon Peter and beheld those two Fountaines of teares that flowed from his eyes but that he presently seemed wonderfull well contented The booke of Canticles introduceth the Beloued speaking to his Spouse I haue mixed my myrrh with my spice ô friends drink of my wine yea drinke aboundantly ô Beloued for the end of his bitter draughts prooued to be a most pleasant wine for our palats In any other brest than that of our Sauiour the stones of the Pharisees would haue made a great noyse but malice is a verie shallow water but goodnesse a verie deepe Sea A stone in a shallow Well wil make a great noyse will dash the water about thyne eares but in a deepe Well you shall scarce heare the sound thereof But this comparison is somewhat of the shortest for it is one thing to suffer and another in suffering to take compassion But the goodnesse of our Sauiour Christ did patiendo compati non solum erat patiens sed compatiens Saint Bernard saith That he did not only suffer ill but did requite ill with good Retribuebant mala pro bonis odium pro dilectione mea They returned euil for good and hatred for my loue But to return good for euill is the highest round of Vertues ladder Salomon saith That wisdome is fairer to behold and more beautifull than the Sunne Speciocior est Sole For the Sunne is eclipsed by the darkenesse of night but the wisedome of the Father neither malice nor iniurie nor any other affront can cloud or darken it but serueth oftentimes as an occasion to beame forth greater fauours vpon vs. Saint Bernard compares our Sauiour Christ to the Bee which alwayes labours and takes pains for other folkes profit a swarme of Bees lights in thy garden leaues thee honie-combes and waxe all this not costing thee so much as one crum of bread But this comparison likewise comes a little too short for the Bee being offended stings thee But our Sauiour Christ inriching our house with worldly goods and heauenly blessings doth not hurt vs though we prouoke him neuer so much to anger he brings vs in Honie but leaues no sting behind him Better and more proper is that comparison of the Vine whereunto our Sauiour compares himselfe Ego sum vitis vâ—ra I am the true Vine which if you cut and prune it yeelds you a hundred for one As Iesus passed by he saw c. Here pittie ouercame passion and clapt a bridle on the hastinesse of his anger for pittie neuer blots out those businesses that require hast Dauid marched in great hast with his souldiers after certaine theeuish Amalekites that had burnt and spoyled Zicklag in which hot pursuit hee found an Aegyptian in the field who was readie to giue vp the Ghost for he had eaten no bread nor dranke any water in three dayes and three nights Whereupon Dauid made a stand relieued him and restored him againe to life for the which he well repayd this his kindnesse for he brought him to the place where these theeues were eating drinking and dancing for ioy of the spoyle they had taken from whom Dauid recouered all that the Amalekites had taken away Some spitefull man will not sticke to say We are now as pittifull not considering in the meane while with himselfe that he would neuer forgoe a Play to go heare a Sermon neuer omit other his worldly businesse to goe visit an hospitall or to giue an almes to the Poore Iob complaineth That when he sate scraping his sores vpon the dunghill his brethren past along by him not so much as once vouchsafing to looke vpon him but hasted speedily by him like the downfall of a water from a rocke which swiftly glideth downe to the bottome of some low valley Praeterierunt me sicut torrens in conuallibus The seuentie Interpreters render it Non respexerunt They did no whit respect him nor so much as offer to looke after him Imagine saith Thomas that foure goe hand in hand together all one way and that one of them fals into a pit whilest the rest passe on and let him alone In like maner might Iob say that his brethren dealt so with him being that neither nature neerenesse of bloud old acquaintance nor long bred friendship could moue their hearts to pittie or their eyes to teares Iesus saw a man that was blind from his birth And his Disciples asked him saying Master Who did sinne This man or his parents that he was borne blind c. This is an old feâ—tered wound that we tooke in the fall of our first parents to be too curious in other mens faults and too forgetfull of our owne Saint Chrysostome saith That there is scarce one to be found euen amongst those that are most perfect which are not infected with this vice If a man walke abroad in a morning into the fieldes his neighbors inheritance is more in his eye than his owne and
them That the one flyes like an arrow out of a bow and cuts the waues with a swift wing and that the other is a slugge and sayles very slowly And therefore of the way of a Ship in the sea and of a young man running on in a wanton course whereunto may be added the vncertaintie of the day of our death Salomon saith That they were things too wonderfull for him and past his finding out Efferebatur He was carryed out The word Efferebatur is worthy our consideration it being a plot and deuise of the diuell to carry the dead out of their Cities to bee buried for to blot the memory of the dead out of the minds of the liuing In the remembrance of death the Saints of God found these two great benefits The one Amendment of life The other Happinesse in death Touching the former it is by one common consent agreed vpon by the Fathers That the perfection of our life doth consist in the continuall meditation of death Plato called Philosophie Mortis meditationem A meditation of death affirming That the whole lesson of our life was to learne to dye The like saith Gregory Nazianzene Many Saints and Doctors haue demurr'd vpon this point In that God should deferre till the day of iudgement the reward of the body this may seeme an inequalitie to some but there is none at all in it For the dust and ashes of the body doe perswade and preach vnto vs the contempt of the world Asahel beeing slaine by Abner lying dead on the ground as many as came to the place where Asahel fell and dyed stood still as men amased This is that valiant Captaine this that vndoubted Souldier There is nothing that doth so quel the courage of Man and daunt his spirits as death it is natures terrour Those Spies that were sent out to discouer the Land of Promise were strucken into a great feare and amasement at the sight of those huge and monstrous Gyants In comparison of whom said they we seemed as Grashoppers Dreading that they were able to deuoure them aliue and to swallow them downe whole And therefore made this false relation at their return The land through which we haue gone to search it is a land that eateth vp the Inhabitants thereof but the people that raised this euill reporr died by a Plague More truly may it be said of Death That hee deuoureth the Inhabitants of the earth this is he that tameth the fiercest Gyants That dreame of Nabucadonezars which might haue beene powerfull receiuing it by reuelation to make him abate his pride and lay aside his arrogancie the Deuill presently blotted these good thoughts out of his remembrance The like course doth the Deuil now take with vs. He doth not go about to persuade vs as he did our father Adam that we are immortall But in two things he goes beyond vs and is too cunning for vs. The one That our death shall be delayed God saith Mors non tardat Death lingers not The Deuill sayes Tardat It lingers Moram faciet It loyters My Lord will delay his comming said the seruant in the Gospell But this feined supposition was his certaine perdition Ezechiel did prophecie the ruine of Ierusalem and the death and destruction of her Citisens telling them their desolation was neere at hand There shall none of my wordes be prolonged but the word which I haue spoken shall be done saith the Lord God But the Deuill did otherwise persuade with them making them to say The vision that hee seeth is for many dayes to come And hee prophecieth of the times that are farre off The wanton woman in the Prouerbes which inuited the yong man to her bed and boord sought to intice him by this meanes The good man is not at home hee is gone a long journey Therefore let vs take our fill of loue c. From this vaine hope of life ariseth that our greedinesse and couetousnesse to inioy and possesse the goods of this life And a little beeing more than enough for him yet it seemeth vnto man much cannot suffice him And it is an euill thought in man and much to be pittied that a man should afflict himselfe for that which neither hee himselfe nor all his posteritie shall liue to enioy O foolish man doost thou thinke thou shalt returne to liue againe in those goodly houses that thou hast built and to reinioy those pleasant gardens and orchards that thou hast planted No But mayst rather say to thy selfe These my eyes shall neuer see them more Why then so much carke and care for three dayes or thereabouts The Romans would not build a temple to Death nor to Pouertie nor Hunger judging them to bee inexorable gods But more inexorable is Death for man neuer returnes againe from Death to Life And therefore the Antients painted Death with the Tallons of a Griffine Saint Luke painting foorth the vigiles of the day of Iudgement and the anguish and agonie of the World he saith That many shall waxe fearefull and trouble their heads to see and thinke on those things Which shall befall the whole World Pondering in that place that they shall not bee sensible of their owne proper danger nor the aduenture wherin they stand of their saluation or condemnation yet cease not to afflict themselues with the losse of the World and that the world shall be consumed and be no more But ô thou foolish man if thou must dye return thither no more what is the world to thee when thou art at an end the World is ended with thee And if thou beest not to inioy it any more what is it to thee if God doe vtterly destroy it And all these euils arise from the forgetfulnesse of Death Hee liues secure from Danger that thinkes vpon the preuenting of Danger Saint Chrysostome expounding that place of Saint Luke He that will follow me must take vp his Crosse dayly and so come after mee Signifying that what our Sauiour pretended was That we should alwayes haue our death before our eyes I dye dayly saith the blessed Apostle Saint Paul My imagination workes that dayly vpon me which when my time is come Death shall effect There is no difficultie that is runne through at the first dash and there is not any difficultie so hard to passe through as Death A Shooe-maker that he may not loose the least peece of his leather or make any wast of it casts about how he may best cut it out to profit tries it first by some paper patterne c. Plutarch reporteth of Iulius Caesar that he beeing demaunded which was the best kind of Death Answered That which is sudden and vnlooked for Iulian the Emperour dying of a mortall wound gaue thankes vnto the gods that they did not take him out of this life tormenting him with some prolix and tedious sickenesse but by a hastie and speedie death And for that they doe not
fro with it's vnruly appetites is al one Et vita inter Effoeminatos Another Letter hath it Scortatores The connexion is good for Youth runnes it selfe quickely vpon the Rockes of death through it's sensualities and lewdnesse of life There are two daughters of the Horse-leech which still crie Giue giue And the Wiseman pointing them forth vnto vs saith The one is Infernus The other Os Vuluae The Graue the one and Lust the other And the Wiseman did linke these two together with a great deale of conueniencie and fittingnesse for if Lust bee neuer satisfied the Graue lesse This truth is likewise made good forasmuch as the Scripture stileth Sinne Death If I doe this I must die the death So said Susanna to the Iudges that made vnlawfull and dishonest loue vnto her And Cain seeing himselfe charged with fratricide at that verie instant he gaue himselfe for a dead man Whosoeuer shall meet me will kill me Youth then beeing a house whereinto the raine doth drip so fast and at so many places it is no meruaile that life should cease and soone decay It is prouerbially said Loue is as strong as Death And as Loue doth vsually set vpon Youngmen so doth Death and where Loue striketh Youth Death may spare his Dart. The Antients painted a Youngman starke naked his eyes with a Vaile or Bend before them his right hand bound behind him and his left left at libertie and Time followiâ—â— him close at the heeles and euer and anon pulling a thred out of the Vaile Hee was drawne naked to shew with what little secrecie hee had vsed his delights and pleasures with his right hand bound behind him to expresse that he did not doe any thing aright his left free and at libertie signifying that he did all things aukwardly and vntowardly he was portrayed blind because he doth not see his owne follies but Time goes opening his eyes by little and little day by day brings him to the true knowledge of his errors And he that was dead sate vp and began to speake The Dead presently obeyed the voyce of the Liuing And hee sate vp God cryeth out aloud to those that are dead in their Soules yet doe they not obey his voyce Arise thou that sleepest c. Hee began to giue thankes vnto him that had done him this so great a fauour Thou hast deliuered mee ô Lord from the dooâ—es of death and therefore I will celebrate thy prayses and magnifie thy name in the Gates amiddest the Daughters of Syon It is Saint Chrysostomes note That the word Doores is put here in the plurall number because many are the dangers out of which God deliuereth a sinner That all may speake of thy praise and talke of thy wondrous workes And there came a feare vpon all It may seeme to some That the word Loue would better haue become this place and beene fitter for this present purpose and occasion All a man would thinke should rather haue expressed their loues vnto him sung forth his prayses and offered their seruice vnto him In those former punishments of a World drowned and ouerwhelmed with Water of a Sodome burned and consumed with Fire it was verie fit and meet that it should strike feare and amasement into all But in such a case as this What should cause them to feare Hereunto I answer That nothing doth strike such a feare and terrour into man as the great and wonderfull mercies of God A Roman Souldier told Iulius Caesar It much troubles me nor can I be heart-merrie as oft as I thinke on the many fauours that I haue receiued from thy liberall hand but doe rather hold them as so many wrongs and iniuries done vnto me for they are so beyond all requitall that I must of force proue vngratefull which makes me to feare that thou wilt proceed against me for a heinous offendor in this kind In like manner so many are the mercies of God towards man and so infinite that they may be held as Vigiles of his future seuerer Iustice. Iacob did in a manner vtter the same sentence against himselfe Minor sum cunctis miserationibus tuis The least of thy mercies is greater than all my merits nor can the best seruices that I can doe thee make satisfaction for the least of those fauours which I haue receiued from thy bounteous liberalitie Grant ô Lord that what is wanting in our owne worthinesse may bee made vp in the mercies and merits of our Sauiour Iesus Christ To whom with the Father c. THE XXX SERMON VPON THE FRYDAY AFTER THE FOVRTH SVNDAY IN LENT IOHN 11.1 Erat quidam languens Lazarus Now a certaine man was sicke named Lazarus of Bethanie c. PEtrus Crysologus calls this Signum signorum Mirabile mirabilium Virtutem virtutum The signe of signes the wonder of wonders and the Vertue of vertues or the power of powers Saint Augustine Miraculorum maximum The myracle of myracles which of all other did most predicate and blazon forth Christs glorie Saint Hierome preferres it before all the rest that he wrought here vpon earth By this prenda or pledge of his Diuinitie Death remained confounded the Deuills affrighted and the lockes and barres of Hell broken Genebrard That it is the voice of a Crier which goes before a Triumpher who makes Death the triumphant Chariot of his Maiestie and glorie That a valiant Warriour should make a braue and gallant shew on horsebacke hauing his Courser adorned and set forth with curious and costly Caparisons it is not much but to seeme handsome and comely in Deaths palenesse weakenesse and foulenesse beeing so ghastly a thing to looke on God onely can doe this Ante faciem eius saith Abacuc ibit mors Death â—â—all flie before his face Christ doth deliuer vs from a double death the one of the soule the other of the bodie He deliuered them from their distresses Death is swallowed vp in victorie He that drinketh takes the cup in his hand and doth therewith what it pleaseth him so did our Sauiour deale with Death therfore he called it a cup drinking the same vp at one draught wherein he dranke a health to all Beleeuers Saint Bernard vpon this occasion saith of him Mirabilis potator es tu Thou art a strange kind of drinker O Lord before thou tastedst of this cup thou saidst Transeat Let it passe and after thou hadst dranke thereof thou saidst Sitio I thirst The Flesh was afraid but the Spirit got the victorie ouer Death with that ease as a good Drinker doth of a good cup of drinke when he is verie thirstie In a word Not onely because this was a myracle wrought vpon a dead person that had lien foure dayes buried in his graue but because the sacrilegious councell of the Scribes and Pharisees had layd their heads together and plotted the death of our Sauiour Christ as also in regard of those other circumstances That the deceased
merit it is rather an affront than an honor They giue thee an office or some dignitie because thou hast presented them with some foolish bable or other or hast carryed a shooe-clout in thy pocket to wipe such a Noble mans shooe it is an infamous Title both in the giuer and the receiuer They doe thee some fauour for kindreds sake and because thou art of their blood it is a Title of little honour to him that receiues it and of lesse Christianitie in him that giues it They preferre thee to be the Princes seruant what good does that doe thee It is so base a Title That no Noble Spirit will desire it Thou gettest thy pretension by offering thy loue and seruice to this or that Court Lady it is a dangerous pretension Thou art raised by such a Lord because thou hast serued him in his vnlawfull pleasures this is a damnable Title God conferres his fauours vpon no other Title than a mans owne proper vertue Vpon Noah But why Because thou wast vpright before me in thy generation And in the day of iudgement who are they that shall be rewarded and why shall they be rewarded Come ye blessed of my Father receiue a Kingdome For I was hungry c. Vpon this Title is grounded the reward of a good death Blessed are they that dye in the Lord for their workes follow them Not because he was an Apostle a Prophet a Doctor a Confessor a Prince a Prelat can he pretend a reward but because he was a good Christian and did all the duties belonging thereunto Their works follow them as a handmaid doth her Mistres or a Page his Master If thou wilt haue honour striue to win it Your Antients set two vessells before Iupiter The one of exceeding sweet liquor the other exceeding sower and no man could come to taste of the hony vnlesse he did first trie the gall The Romans had two Temples adioyning each to other one of Honour the other of Vertue but there was no comming to that of Honour but by that of Vertue My time is not yet come but yours is alwayes ready I expect eternall and perdurable glory but yee short and momentary in regard of mine Christ must suffer and so enter into glory But this time is not yet come for you Your time is alwayes ready That season sutes best with you that is seasoned with honours and pleasures This is the North-starre of the world All sayle by it S. Augustine in his bookes de Ciuit. Dei prooueth with great elegancie That the Romans had not any God which they so much adored as that of Honour and for the Author of this truth he alledgeth Salust Ista ergo landis auiditas cupido gloriae omnia illa miranda fecit laudabilia scilicet atque gloriosa secundum existimationem hoâ—â—num This greedines of humane glory triumphed ouer all the rest of the things in Rome and not onely in Rome but in Greece And in most of your other Nations there was not a Captaine or Philosopher which did not eclipse all the other vertues that he inioyed with the shadow of this desire of Honour This did Seneca Plutarch Aristotle and Plato pretend And Socrates himselfe who did so much blazâ—n his pouertie and seem'd to take a pride in it came to be an Idolater of Honor and Fame This pill they swallowed downe and conceiuing a kind of immortality to be lapt therein cram'd their conceits therewith making the discommodity of life dangers sweats troubles c. seeme sauoury vnto them Which is a kind of birdlime which clingeth so close to our hearts that Gods greatest Saints do complaine and bewaile the great difficulty in being loosed and freed therefro Saint August did intreat of God with teares and sighes that he would free him from this plague Domine sine secatione tentamur tu nosti de hac re ad te gemitum cordis mei flumina oculorum meorum And if a Saint so humbly minded as none more doth thus weepe sigh and groane what shall become of him that is as arrogant as hee is ignorant And in another place this Sacred Doctor saith The purer thou art from this vncleannesse the liker shalt thou be vnto God And in an Epistle of his hee saith That by how much the Moone is more full and faire in our eyes it participateth so much the lesse of the same which is all one with that of Ecclesiast The light thereof diminisheth vnto the end and groweth wondrously in her changing These words seeme to carry a contrarietie but it is not so for the Moone doth decrease to our seeming towards the end of it's waning and yet euen at that very time it increaseth wonderfully receiuing from the Sun by the contrary part a far greater light It seemed then to these kins folke of Iesus Christ our Redeemer That the Feast of Ierusalem was a fit time for to gaine much honour and therefore said vnto him Depart hence and manifest thy selfe to the world Whereunto hee answered ye desire to see me in great honour and estimation with the world expecting out of my reputation and credit to reape vnto your selues a temporall reward but I doe rather desire to see my selfe dis-esteemed of the world because thereupon dependeth your spirituall promotion Saint Bernard discoursing how the blessed Virgin Mary and the glorious Saint Ioseph went to seeke Iesus when he was lost when he was 12 yeare old amongst his kindred and acquaintance saith That many miscarry by their kinsfolks means And I my selfe haue known many Prelats of very good parts and extraordinarie gifts of whom I haue beene afraid that their kinsfolke haue beene the cause of their condemnation and casting downe into hell For it is a wofull case That for 200 Ducats pension which a Prelat bestowes on a Student hee should oblige him to run ouer all the Diuine Seruice and not to leaue out so much as any one prayer and that he should confer on a kinseman thirty thousand Ducats pension without obliging him to pray a Pater-noster or say an Aue-Mary Two bloody mischiefes come vnto vs by our brethren and kindred The one in point of precedencie Enuie working most vpon those that are brethren especially if one get the start of the other or chance to be preferred before him As the History of Iosephs brethren proueth it vnto vs who for those his dreames of his future prosperity put him down into a pit and sold him away So stood the case in Abimilecks busines who for Superiorities sake and that hee might raigne slew at once 70 of his brethren Holy king Dauid could not escape this mischiefe His brethren could haue eaten him as we say with salt to see that he should pop forth and enter into the field with that mettall and courage against that great Gyant Goliah himselfe being the least amongst his brethren And was it not so I pray with Abel and Cain For a brother
and let his desire fall What Moses art thou now turned coward What had it been to thee to haue lost thy life for to behold God face to face We find afterwards that desiring pardon for his People he said vnto God O Lord pardon this People though thou blot my name out of the booke of Life Wouldest thou not forgoe thy life to see Gods face and wilt thou part with this and that other life for thy people That was a particular good this a common and a Gouernor ought mainly and especially to haue an eye vnto that Those Cowes which carried the Arke to Bethshemish neuer turned their heads at the lowing of their Calfes because being guided led along with the loue zeale of the common good they forgat their particular longings and desires He that gouernes must fix his eâ—e vpon this White without turning it aside through the importunitie of wife childrâ—n or kinsfolke c. The Romans will come This was but to giue a colour to the violence of their enuie and malice All the world is a Maske or disguise Dionysius the Tyrant entring into a Temple of Idols tooke away from the chiefest amongst them a cloake of gold and being demanded Why hee did it his answere was This cloake is too heauie for the Sommer and too cold for Winter Taking likewise a golden beard from Aesculapius he said That his father Apollo hauing no beard there was no reason his sonne should weare any all which was but a maske for his couetousnesse Simâ—lata sanctitas duplex iniquitas Hence come our contrarie nick-naming of things tearming good euill and euill good sweet sowre and sowre sweet The tyrannie and crueltie wherewith Pharaoh afflicted Gods people he stiled it wisedome Come let vs deale wisely Iehu called that passion and spleene which he bare against Ahab Zeale Behold my zeale for the Lord. Those perills of life whereinto Saul put Dauid he proclaimed to be Gods quarell Goe and fight the Lords battells And here the Pharisees call this their conspiracie a Councell and their priuat profit Zeale c. Yee perceiue nothing at all neither doe yee consider c. This was Caiphas speech as for Ioseph of Arimathea of whom Saint Luke saith That he did not consent to the councell and â—eed of them And for Nicodemus and Gamaliel it is verie probable that they had no finger in the businesse but as it is in the prouerbe The head draweth the rest of the bodie after it as the Primum mobile doth the rest of the Heauens and therefore he sayd Yee know nothing for that when in a Commonwealth a Citisen differs in his opinion from a companie of impudent and wicked persons and liues therein with God and a good conscience presently they say Que sabe poco That he is a man of no vnderstanding and knoweth not what hee speakes The reason that Caiphas renders is this It is expedient for vs that one man die for the people rather than that the whole Nation should perish At that verie instant when the High-Priest was to pronounce this decree the Holy-Ghost and the Deuil mooued him therunto both at once the one directed his heart the other his tongue but in Caiphas his purpose and intention it was the wickedest Decree and the most sacrilegious determination that was euer deliuered in the World God could not bee well pleased with Caiphas for desiring the death of the Innocent nor yet displeased with his death for that it was decreed in the sacred Councel of the blessed Trinitie That one should die for the sinnes of the people But in God and Caiphas the ends were diuerse this out of malice to our Sauiour that out of loue to Mankind Nor is it inconuenient that one and the selfesame proposition should haue a different sence and meaning Destroy this Temple and I will build it vp againe in three dayes The Pharisees vnderstood this of the materiall Temple but our Sauiour Christ of the Temple of his bodie That which thou doost due quickely Our Sauiour Christ spake this of Iudas his treating to sell him but his Disciples vnderstood him as concerning the preparation of the Passeouer And so in this place It is fit that this man should die saith Caiphas that we may not become captiues to Rome and Heauen saith It is fit that hee should die because the whole World should not perish The persecution and death of a Martyr turnes to the Martyrs good but to the Tyrants hurt Surely the Sonne of man goeth his way as it is written of him but woe be to that man by whom the Sonne of man is betrayed it had beene good for that man if he had neuer beene borne Heauen could not inuent a more conuenient meanes than the death of Christ for our good but the world could not light on a worse meanes than the death of our Sauiour Christ for it 's owne ill Caiphas treated of temporall libertie the Holy Ghost of spirituall libertie Caiphas of the safetie of his owne Nation the Holâ—-Ghost of the sauing of the whole world And therefore Saint Iohn addeth Non solum pro Gente or as the Greeke Text hath it Pro ea Gente sed vt filiâ—s Deâ— qui erant disperâ—i congregaret in vnum Not onely for that Nation but that hee might gather the children of God together that were dispersed throughout the world Origen hath obserued That Caiphas prophesied but that he was no Prophet First Because one action of a Prophet doth not make the habit or denomination of a Prophet Secondly because he did not attaine vnto the sence and meaning of the Holy-Ghost the knowledge whereof in point of prophesie is necessarie S. Ambrose saith That Caiphas pretended one thing vttered another therefore that he sin'd in the sentence which he pronounced because hisintent was bad vniust as it was with Balaam who as he was a Prophet could not curse the people of Israell but as they were particular persons they did sinne and erre so that the Holy-Ghost seruing himselfe with the tongue of Caiphas as the instrument the High-Priest did but determine that which the Holy-Ghost had before decreed Whence we may take occasion to weigh and consider the good and the ill of an intention since that one and the selfe same words are so good and so ill Saint Augustine pondereth vpon those words of Saint Paul Qui filio proprio suo non pepercit sed pro nobis omnibus tradidit illum Who spared not his owne sonne but gaue him for vs all to death This word Tradidit is verified both of the Father and of the Sonne Tradidit semetipsum pro me He deliuered vp himselfe for me As also of Iudas Qui autem tradidit cum dedit signum He gaue them a signe that was to betray him And of Pilat Tradidit voluntati eorum He deliuered him vp to their will The deliuering of him vp was all one and the same but
the Father and the Sonne did this out of their mercy and loue to the world but Iudas and Pilat out of hatred treason and iniustice Saint Ambrose saith That that murmuring about the oyntment Vt quid perditio ista vnguenti facta est What needed this waste was vttered by Iudas and the Disciples in one and the same words But in them they proceeded out of a good mind but in Iudas out of auarice for the Disciples had therein a respect to the poore For this oyntment muttered they might haue beene sold for much and beene giuen to the poore But Iudas out of the profit that he might haue made thereby vnto himselfe by filching some of it away if he had come to the fingring of it Saint Hilary expounding that saying of our Sauiour Christ Pater maior me est My Father is greater than I saith That it being heard from Arrius his mouth it sauoured like gall but from our Sauiours mouth like hony In Corinth certaine Exorcists sonnes of the Prince of the Priests would take vpon them to cast out an euill spirit Pessimum the Text stiles him Who did demand of them Who gaue you licence to execute this Office Vos autem qui estis What are ye Iesus I acknowledge and Paul I know but who are ye And the man in whom the euill spirit was ranne on them and preuailed against them so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded Saint Paul did cast out diuels in the name of the Lord Iesus Christ and these men likewise did vse the name of the Lord Iesus Christ How comes it then to passe that the successe was so contrary I answer The intention was different Their words were the same but not their intent It is expedient for vs that one man dye The naturall consideration of this place is the conueniencie of Christs death It was expedient for heauen earth angels men as wel the liuing as the dead Wherof I haue treated at large elswhere This spake he not of himselfe Saint Augustine Hoc in eo egit propheticum Chrisma c. The gift of prophesie made him to prophesie his owne euill life and that hee did prophesie ignorantly and foolishly Saint Chrysostome Vide quanta siâ— c. The grace of prophesie toucht the high Priests mouth but not his heart Whence Saint Chrysostome doth inferre how impertinently the Heretikes doe impugne the liues of the Priests with an intent and purpose to ouerthrow the force and power of Ecclesiasticall dignities and their sacred command and authoritie Moses his doubting did not hinder the gushing of the water out of the rocke nor the malice of Caiphas Gods good purpose Of Treacle the Physitians say That it hath a little touch of poyson in it and it being it's naturall condition and propertie to flye to the heart though it be hurtfull one way yet it carryes it's remedy with it So in like maner the holy Ghost made vse of Caiphas his tongue as the instrument of letting forth that diuine blood whose shedding was our saluation Of a leaud wicked fellow Plutarch reporteth That he vttered a very graue sentence and that Lacedamonia gaue order that it should be ascribed to another Answering to our à semetipso non dixit This was not a bird of his hatching Iob seemeth to bee somewhat mooued and offended That God should ayde the wicked in their distresse Thinkest thou it good to oppresse me and to cast off the labour of thine hands and to fauour the Councell of the wicked But the diuine prouidence is wont to make vse of the Councels of Tyrants and such as are enemies thereunto but does neuer assist and helpe them forward Saint Paul telleth vs That some did preach our Sauiour Christ through enuie others for opposition sake and by way of contention and saith withall In hoc gaudeo gaudebo In this I doe and shall reioyce And Christs Disciples aduising him that some did cast forth diuells in his name made them this answer Nolite prohibere Forbid them not For the indignitie and vnworthinesse in the person of the Minister doth not destroy the grace of his function and dignitie This spake he not of himselfe From so bad a man could not come so deepe a Mysterie onely God could put this so rare a conceit into his head as the deliuering vp of a Sonne for the redeeming of a Slaue Iesus therefore walked no more openly among the Iewes Seeing death now neere at hand he withdrew himselfe reading a Lecture therein vnto vs That when we are about to die and drawing on to our last home we should abandon the world and retyre our selues Remitte mihi saith Dauid vt refrigerer priusquam abeam amplius non ero Giue me leaue ô Lord to dispose of my selfe and to render thee an account of my life before I goe hence and be seen no more For to propound your cause before a Iudge you prepare and addresse your selfe vnto him before hand and shall you be negligent and carelesse when you are to appeare before God Amongst the Iudges of the earth you haue a Vista and a Reuista Hearing vpon hearing a primera segunda instancia a first and a second instance But with God you cannot enioy the like benefit his Court allowes no such course The Motto that is written there ouer his Tribunall is an Amplius non ero I shall bee no more We may not die twice for to amend in our second death the errors of our former life There is no reuersing of iudgement no appealing from this Iudge to that or from one Court to another That which wil concerne and import thee most is That thou condemne thy selfe before God condemne thee and that thou kill sinne in thee before God kill thee in thy sin This is the onely way to secure danger and to kill death Many sit vp so long at play that at last they are faine to goe to bed darkling This our liuing in the world is a kind of playing or gaming whose bed is Aeternitie Walke while ye haue light least the night come vpon you and darknesse ouertake you Study to giue ouer thâ—â—â—lay in some good time do not continue your sports in this world to the very 〈…〉 â—â—oppling out of the candle least ye runne the danger of going to bed darkeling He went thence into a country neere vnto the wildernesse c. If it goe ill with thee and that thou canst not liue well and quietly amongst some men flye from the societie of them Our Sauiour Christ hyes him to the wildernes amongst the beasts and carries his Disciples thither with him holding their fellowship to be lesse hurtfull and dangerous Frater fui Draconum saith Iob I am a brother to the Dragons and a companion to the Ostriches Inter Scorpiones habitaui saith Ezechiel I dwelt among Scorpions Albeit by their habit and shape they seeme to be men they are indeed no better than
man Irenaeus saith That God setteth vp some because they are worthy to beare rule others because they are vnworthy But where there is a good Gouernour that Common-wealth he fauoureth Phocas was a most cruell Emperour of Constantinople whereupon a holy Monke in a corner of his Cell thus complaineth vnto God Cur fecisti eum Imperatorem Why didst thou make him Emperour Who had no sooner made his mone but he heard a voyce from heauen saying Non inueni peiorem I could not finde a worse In Thebes there was a great Hypocrite which was euen ready to die out of the great desire he had to be a Bishop who had scarce obtained that dignitie but that he fell a spoyling the Common-wealth but an Angell told him That hee was not made Bishop because he deserued to be a Bishop but because that Common-wealth deserued not a better Bishop According to that of Iob Hee causeth the Hypocrite to reigne for the sinnes of the land Being all one with that which Ieremy said of his people Dabo eos inferuorem vniuersis regnis terrae propter Manassem filium Ezechiae Anastasius reades it Per Manassem For as a good King is a great cause why God with a gracious eye doth looke vpon his people so a bad king is the meanes that he vseth for the punishing of them Saint Gregorie the Archbishopricke of Milan being void wrot to the Clergie that they would obliege God by prayer and by fasting to giue them a good Pastor For as God is pleased with his people so he giues them Prelats accordingly The Queen of Sheba considering the wisedome of Salomon said That nothing did more manifest Gods loue towards his people of Israel and the desire of their perpetuitie than in hauing giuen them so wise a Gouernour And Iosephus reporteth That he being but twelue yeares of age when he first began to gouerne the people listening to that sentence which he gaue at his first sitting in iudgement touching the two women that contested about their child Let the infant be cut in twaine Many laughed at it deeming it to be a childish sentence but afterwards wisely weighing the discreet course that hee had taken in iustifying the truth without any further proofes or testimonies they then cryed out De coelo elapsus This King is sent vs downe from heauen And albeit the heauens planets and starres are to mans seeming farre off yet in regard of those influences which they cause in inferiour bodies they are neere at hand And albeit they are incorruptible yet doe they affoord great fauours to corruptible things If heauen behold vs with a propitious eye and the planets with prosperous aspects the earth doth enioy much fruitfulnesse and abundance But contrariwise our soules are not subiect to those materiall heauens but to those heauens of our Prelats and Gouernours Behold I create a new heauen and a new earth This may bee vnderstood of the Ecclesiasticall Estate and the Secular of Superiours and Inferiours When these heauens affoord a prosperous light the earth is beautifull pleasant plentifull and fertile And so on the contrary Ieremie saith I beheld the earth and loe it was emptie I beheld the heauens and could see no light in them What light then could there bee in Ierusalem when as Annas and Cayphas were the high Priests The high Priests consulted that they might put Lazarus to death Saint Augustine saith That this deuise and drift of theirs was deriued from the diuell and from hell There are some thoughts that are ingendred and bred in our flesh as the rust in the yron the rottennes in the wood the moth in the cloth and the worme and mytes in butter and in cheese Our flesh is a durtie puddle which sends forth such foule and thicke vapors from it that if you doe not make great hast to expell and driue them thence they will quickly cloud and darken the light of the vnderstanding It is sicke of the kitchin the gutter whitherall the dust and sluttishnesse of the sences gathers and meetes together to make such a stinke and stoppage that the water of Gods grace can hardly get through and cleanse the same it is a most grieuous and heauie burthen not onely because it is so painefull and intollerable but also because it is ineuitable All the plagues of Aegypt were remooued by Moses his prayer saue onely the flyes And these are those our thoughts and cogitations being inexcusable as importunate and troublesome which are ingendred in this our body of flesh Euery one beares about him his particular affection and the Idol which his heart adoreth This man his pleasures that man his profit one his honour another his grace and fauour with his king some their great and strong Alliance others their daintie and delicious fare And euerie one of these is like vnto the beast that is tyed to his racke and manger whereon his thoughts doe continually feede This is that same Trahit sua quemque voluptas Euery man is wedded to some one kinde of pleasure or other The Schoolemen set downe two sorts of thoughts The one which flesh and blood produceth The other which are sowne in vs. Cogitatio innata And Cogitatio ab alio lata That which is bred in vs. And that which is otherwise brought vnto vs. Some hearbes grow vp in the earth ofthemselues others are sown So some thoughts haue their breeding in mans brest others are sowne there and it must of force follow that they are sowne eyther by the diuell or by God Of those of the diuell Saint Paul saith Let no temptation take hold on you but that which is humane That the verie thought of some extraordinarie beautie should trouble and disquiet thee the thought of thy Princes fauour of Signiorie or any other temporall good this is a humane temptation but the killing of Lazarus and the selling and betraying of our Sauiour Christ is a diuellish temptation And therefore Saint Iohn saith That the diuell had put it into Iudas his heart that it was hee that had sowne this bad seed there and thrust this thought into him But whether or no this thought be of the flesh or of the diuell sure I am that it is the generall doctrine of the Saints That we should not nourish any euil thought nor let it like a bottome of yarne waxe warme in our hand Esay complaineth of his people That they conceiued mischiefe and brought foorth iniquitie that they hatched cockatrice egges and woue the spiders web that he that eateth of their egges dyeth and all that which is trod vpon breaketh out into a serpent As out of an Aspick 's egge saith Aristotle being kept warme and cherished is hatcht the Basiliske so from our thoughts taking warmth from the heat of consent is bred the Basiliske of sin This is for the sheepe to breed vp the wolfe or to giue sucke to that toad which shall venome thy brest and work thy death The Greeke Text
put Lazarus to death This their rage and furie can not bee sufficiently indeered Esay saith Wee roare all like beares and mourne like doues These are both extreames The Beare is a very furious beast the Doue very mild and gentle the one doth shake the mountaines with his roarings the other scarce throbs forth her mournings from her brest the one if you rob her of her young ones is all rage and fiercenesse it selfe Like a Beare robbed of her Whelpes the other is softnesse and gentlenesse it selfe who if you take away her young vseth no other resistance but mourning and a soft murmuring and therefore Osee saith that she hath no heart It was noted of this people That they were like doues that mourned with their friends but like furious beares towards their enemies What greater furie than to seeke to kill Lazarus What madnesse more notorious Marsilius Ficinus saith That there is a twofold madnesse One of the braine The other of the heart The one long the other short The one makes men madd the other angry Aulus Gellius reporteth of the Sclauonians That when they are angrie they kill like the Basiliske with their verie lookes Ecclesiasticus saith That Enuie and Wrath shorten the life and bring age before the time Salomon saith That three things mooue the earth and that the fourth is not to be endured pointing out the fourth to bee a Slaue that is made his Masters heyre for a Slaue being seated in honour growes to be so insolent that it is a thing insufferable Better may this bee verified of the appetite which being a Slaue if it once through wrath rebell against reason it treads it vnder foot captiuates it and ill intreates it Because that for his sake many of the Iewes went away and beleeued in Iesus One of the greatest miseries that can befall a soule is To make good the occasion of ill As one of the greatest pledges of Gods loue is to take occasion from ill to doe good so one of the greatest pledges of malice is to take occasion from good to doe ill God gaue vnto the children of Israel the gold and siluer of the Egyptians whether it were in requitall and payment of their troubles or that he was Lord of all and so might dispose thereof as hee listed and of this gold and siluer they afterwards made a calfe giuing thereunto that glorie and worship which was due onely vnto God Osee saith they did the like with Baal I multiplyed their siluer and gold which they bestowed vpon Baall God gaue them a brazen Serpent to the end that by looking thereon they might be healed of the bitings of the Serpents From this fauour they tooke occasion to commit Idolatrie offering incense thereunto as vnto God till such time as Ezechias brake it in peeces God doth proceede by contrary courses From Adams sinne he tooke occasion to redeeme the world and as it seemeth to Saint Augustine if Adam had not sinned God had not come in person to redeeme him And Saint Gregory calls it Foelix peccatum A happy sinne because it brought with it so soueraigne a Redeemer And in many other occasions we may say that of a sinner which Esay saith Recepit de manu domini duplicia pro omnibus peccatis suis. And that which Dauid saith ofan vngratefull people Pro iniquitate vide tentoria Aethiopiae Hee there summes vp the many and great fauours which he had receiued and in euery one of them we shall find pro iniquitate They consulted to put Lazarus to death The blanke and marke whereat they shot was to darken and eclypse the name of our Sauiour Christ and to cast a cloud ouer that glory which could not possibly but shew it selfe in seeing Lazarus to be raised vp from death vnto life This dammage the Lord did repaire with two great honours The first That most solemne triumph wherewith they receiued him wherof we shall treat hereafter The second of certaine Gentiles which came according to the custome to the feast Leo the Pope saith That the Romans made a religion of it to adore the seuerall gods of all Nations and therefore they intreated Saint Philip that he would be a meanes that they might haue a sight of our Sauiour Christ and that they might bee admitted to speake with him Saint Philip communicated this matter with Saint Andrew and they both acquainted our Sauiour therewith And Iesus answered The houre is now come that the Sonne of man shall bee made manifest The Apostles did not vnderstand the mysterie thereof but our Sauiour Christ tooke that his comming to be the despertador de su muerte the awaker and reuiuer of his death For although he imployed both his life and his person in Israel yet his death was to draw the Gentiles to his knowledg and obedience And these Gentiles being so desirous to see him and to talke with him taking this to be the Vigile of his death and vocation of the Gentiles Hee told them Now is the houre come wherein the Son of man is to be glorified not onely amongst the Iewes but the Gentiles also Hee calls his death his glorification For albeit to dye be weakenesse yet to dye as Christ dyed was vnspeakeable valour and vertue Hee neuer shewed himselfe more strong than when hee was most weake and neuer lookt sweeter than when death was in his face Hee had hornes comming out of his hands And there was the hiding of his power Those hands which were nayled to those armes of the Crosse were those hornes wherewith hee ouerthrew the power of the world and of hell Iacob said of Simeon and Leui at the houre of his death In their selfe-will they digged downe a wall which the Seuentie translate thus Eneruauerunt taurum They weakened a Bull By this bull vnderstanding our Sauiour Christ. First for it's beautie Quasi primogeniti tauri pulchritudo eius His beauty shall be like his first borne bullocke Secondly For that as the bulls strength lyes in his hornes so did Christ discouer his strength vpon the Crosse Ibi abscondita est fortitudo eius Thirdly because according vnto Pliny the Bull looseth his fiercenesse when hee but sees the shadow of the Figge-tree And our Sauiour Christ shewed himselfe most weake when hee saw the shadow of the Crosse desiring pardon then of his Father for his enemies who like dogges against a Bull had with open mouth set themselues against him Many dogs are come about mee But hee repayd though not allayd their rage with this so louing and so sweet a prayer Father forgiue them c. The Pharisees seeing themselues thus mockt and deluded and that their plots and intentions tooke not effect they brake foorth and sayd Perceiue yee not how we preuaile nothing and how that the world goeth after him And albeit Saint Chrysostome saith That these speeches were vttered by his friends thereby to persuade the Pharisees that
they should not tyre out themselues any longer in persecuting of him seeing it was to no end but all went crosse with them Saint August yet saith That they were the speeches of his enemies which bemoned their owne disgrace and misfortune There could not bee any blindnesse more foule and beastly than that of the high Priests and Pharisees who hauing had so many tryalls how little their power and their trickes could preuaile against our Sauiour Christ that all this while they could not perceiue that this was Gods businesse against which nor counsell nor wisedome can preuaile Saint Peter preaching Christs resurrection the high Priests and Pharisees called him before them notifying vnto him That he should not any more touch vpon that point but hee told them That he was bound rather to obey God than man And perceiuing his resolution Dissecabantur cordibus suis They burst for anger when they heard it and consulted to slay both him and his companions But Gamaliel a Doctour of the Law being there present and one that was honoured of all the people aduised those that sat there in Councel to put the Apostles forth for a little space out of the Councell house which done he then said vnto them Men of Israel bee well aduised what ye doe concerning these men Time will prooue whether this be a Truth or a Lye that these men vtter It is not long since that one Theâ—des boasted himselfe to be a Prophet who was followed by some foure hundred Disciples but in the end he was condemned to death and they al which obeyed him were scattered and brought to nought After this man rose vp Iudas of Galilee and drew away much people after him but he in the end also perished and all his followers And therefore I now say vnto ye forbeare a while and refraine your selues from these men and let them alone For if this their doctrine be of men it will come to nought but if it be of God ye cannot destroy it In a word Time will bring this to light but to go about to take away their liues now from them were to set your selues to fight against God The like did the Prince of the Ammonits deliuer to Nebuchadnezzars Lieutenant Generall at the Siege of Bethulia If God fauour and protect this people all Nebuchadnezzars forces are not able to subdue them And this was that which made Iob so confident Be thou on my side and let all the world be against me I care not Saul did vse all his best endeauours and employed all the force and strength he had to worke Dauids death one while in his owne person seeking to nayle him with his Speare to the wall another while by setting vpon him with his souldiers but neuer yet could the power of a King preuaile without Gods permission against a silly flye Gods protection is aboue all his workes so the Princes of the earth the high Priests the Pharisees the Clergie and the Laytie did cry out against Christ but were forced to say in the end We preuayle nothing at all They were strangely blinded that they could not perceiue Gods power herein Lord so open our eyes that we may see the light of thy glorious Gospell To whom c. THE XXXIX SERMON MAT. 26. MARC 14. LVC. 22. IOH. 18. Of St. Peters Deniall and Teares OF Peters deniall there are two opinions as opposite as false The one That Peter had lost his Faith Grounding the same vpon the testimonie of Saint Ambrose Postquam Petrus fidem se perdidisse defluit maiorem gratiam reperit quam amiâ—it After that Peter had bewailed his lost faith the grace he found was more than that he lost And in that our Sauiours reprehension to his Disciples at his departure to heauen Hee reprooued their vnbeleefe and hardnesse of heart Where he excepted not Peter This opinion is primarily contrary to those words of our Sauiour Christ I haue prayed for thee Peter that thy faith might not faile thee Secondly it is contrary to naturall reason For to passe sodainly from one extreame to another though God doth it by extraordinary wayes yet neyther Nature nor Art nor the Diuell doth it be it either from ill to good or from good to ill Nemo repentè turpissimus said the Poet. The sanctitie of Peter sure was one of the greatest and to passe sodainely from a Saint to an Infidell which is numbred amongst those sins that are the most hainous it cannot sinke into my head Besides Faith is like vnto your Ermine who had rather mori quam foedari rather dye than durtie it selfe And therefore Faith is cloathed in white a colour wherein the least spot or soyle shewes foulest Corresponding with that of Saint Paul Hauing the mysterie of faith in a pure conscience The conscience wherein Faith is to reside must be pure and cleane and as it goes soyling so it goes lessening and losing it selfe And as is the blood of the soule and the last humour which is vomited forth as it is to be seene in those that are sea-sicke so is it in the vertues of Faith Peruenit gladius saith Ieremie vsque ad animam The sword hath entred euen vnto my soule Saint Ierome That the sword is come vnto the soule Quando nihil in anima vitale reseruatur When there is not any vitall thing that is reserued in the soule when all goodnesse is gone out of it But Saint Peter was not come to that desperate passe his case was farre otherwise And if Saint Ambrose say That he lost his Faith he vnderstood thereby that loyaltie and fidelitie which Peter ought better to haue kept or that confession of his faith which vpon that occasion he was bound to haue made according to that of Saint Paul With the heart we beleeue vnto righteousnesse but with the mouth wee confesse vnto saluation And for that reprehension which our Sauiour Christ bestowed vpon his Disciples at his departure for heauen it is a cleere case that it was not directed to Peter as appeareth by the words following where it is said That the rest when they were told by the women that he was risen from the dead it seemed vnto them as a feigned thing neither beleeued they them But Peter was one of the first that ranne vnto our Sauiours Sepulchre and reuealed to the rest the glorious resurrection of his Lord and Sauiour Other Doctours excusing Peter say That in this Deniall he spake Amphibologically his words carrying a doubtfull or double meaning and yet might admit a good construction and this opinion S. Ambrose S. Hilary and S. Cyril toucht vpon but the truth is that S. Peter did grieuously sinne therein and that he had lost his loue but not his faith Some treating of the occasions that made God to turne his eye from Peter some they say were on Peters part others on our Sauiours And the first and chiefest occasion was Saint Peters confidence and
he presently reply'd thereupon Though I should dye with thee yet will I not denie thee but you see how this his courage was afterwards cooled Which presumption of his when he saw his great weaknesse he humbly bewailed with many a bitter teare which turned to his exceeding great good And this reason is confirmed by Saint Chrysostome who saith That God permitted Peter to denie his Master that he might thereby learne to relie more vpon God than himselfe Saint Peter gaue lesse credit to Christs words than his owne resolution but the successe thereof did put him out of his errour Leo the Pope saith That God did suffer Peter thus to fall that the holiest might take heed not to trust too much to their owne strength Euthimius further addeth that this negation of his was as it were a Fiador or suretie against anie bosting or glorying in those so many miracles which were afterwards to bee wrought by Peter Saint Paul saith of himselfe That the pricks that he had in his flesh did serue as so many Piguelas or lines to your hawkes iesses that hee might not sore too high being puffed vp with these his many reuelations Ne magnitudo reuelationum extollat me The third shall be of Leo the Pope who saith That God did permit in Peter so great a sin Vt in Ecclesia remedium poenitentiae conderetur For the better founding and establishing in the Church the authoritie and efficacie of repentance The like reason is rendred by Saint Ierome By Peters fall saith he was manifested the vertue of repentance against the poyson of sinne which is all one with that of Saint Paul I was a blasphemer a persecuter c. And God was content to giue way thereunto for the better instruction of those that were to beleeue hereafter He that makes treacle tryes it first vpon his owne child c. God sent Ieremie to the Potters shop that he might see how the broken vessell was to be new molded againe and come out better than before And shall not I be able to do as much with you as the Potter with his clay Where it is to be noted That as the clay oftentimes receiues a better forme and fashion than at first and for more honourable vse So saith Saint Chrysostome and Euthymius Peter was made much the better by this First because it was a very good warning vnto him not to presume any more on himselfe And therefore Christ asking him whether he loued him He durst neither say I nor no. Secondly because God pardoning this his disloyaltie it was but a further inflaming of his loue and setting his heart more on fire in the zeale of his seruice according to that saying of our Sauiour Christ He little loues to whom little is forgiuen In a word it was a fulfilling of Abacucs prophesie If thou didst heretofore tread one step in the way of death thou shalt now tread ten for it in the way of life Then he began to curse himselfe and to sweare c This his negation or deniall was foretold by Dauid I looked on my right hand and beheld but there was none that would know me As also by Ieremie They haue denyed the Lord and said it is not he S. Peter had learned in the schoole of Christ Let your Communication be yea yea and nay nay The maid asked him if he were not one of Christs Disciples He answered I am not But she reply'd vnto him Thou art For thy speech doth bewray thee But he that he might auoid all spies or any further inquirie Began to fall a cursing c. How now Peter Art thou well in thy wits knowest thou what thou doest Thou that sawst thy Sauiour so glorious in Tabor Thou that confessedst him to be the Sonne of the liuing God Thou whom hee called together with thy brother Andrew to be fishers of men Thou to whom he stretcht foorth his hand in the sea to saue thee from drowning doest thou not know him I know him not O Peter lament thy ignorance for thou hast beene more cruell to thy Master than all they that conspired against him and laid their heads together to torment him for as for them some bound his hands others his necke others spat in his face these buffeted him those platted thornes on his head others pulled him by the beard and tugged him by the haire one pierced his side but thou didst runne him through the heart O Peter saith Saint Augustine What is become of your courage now What of your great brags What of this your protestation and strong resolution I will lay downe my life for thee And of that your Why should I not follow thee and die with thee There was no torment that troubled Iob so much as that his friends should forsake him My friends and familiar acquaintance stood afarre off from me Dauid was not so sensible of any of all his persecutions as that of his sonne Absalon And Iulius Caesar tooke it not halfe so tenderly at any of the other Traytors hands as of his sonne Brutus and therfore said vnto him when he stabd him Et tu quoque Brute Ha Brutus art thou in this Conspiracie Gentiles and Iewes Ecclesiasticks and Seculars Patritians and Plebeyans did all conspire against Christ but none of those iniuries that they offered him toucht his heart so neere as Peters Deniall of him That Iudas should sell him betray him and deliuer him vp into his enemies hands that the high Priests Herod and Pilat should desire his death and consent thereunto it was nothing because they hated him and were his professed enemies But that Peter should denie him to whom he had made such glorious promises and hauing so often made offer vnto him of his life that he should play the Renegado and deale thus and thus c. Then the Lord turned backe and looked vpon Peter and Peter went out and wept bitterly Saint Luke like a good Painter drawes me Peter first with a cole but now he giues him his more liuely colours The first variegation and garnishment that he giues this peece was our Sauiour Christs looking back vpon Peter How he looked on him we haue handled elsewhere The effect which this his looking on him wrought was the making of his heart to melt like waxe and the turning of Christs eye the turning of Peters eyes into two fountaines The Astrologers say That he that is borne in the aspect of Mars is sterne and cruell in that of Iupiter mercifull and courteous in that of Mercurie industrous and eloquent The beams of the sun inlighten the ayre dispellclouds fertilize the fields breeds pearles in the shels of the riuers corall in the bottome of the sea gold siluer and other mettalls in the veynes of the earth and like a well ordred clocke gouernes all the world What shall the Son of righteousnesse doe then with the beames of his Eyes Sidonius Apolinaris reports of those of Thracia That for to signifie the
vertue and power of the eyes of our Sauiour Christ they did paint a sunne whence three Raies or bright-shining beames brake forth the one raising vp one that was dead the other did breake a stonie heart and the third did melt a snowie mountaine and the Motto was this Oculi Dei ad nos The beames of Christs eyes raise vp the dead breake rocks and melt snow A facie tua saith Esay montes defluent The fire which they hid in the transmigration of Babylon the children of Israel found at their returne turned into water but exposing it to the beames of the sunne it grew againe to be fire to the great admiration of the beholders which is a figure of Saint Peter who through his coldnes became water but the beames of the Sonne of righteousnesse raised a great fire out of this water Pliny reports of certaine stones in Phrygia that being beaten vpon by the beames of the sunne send forth drops of water But the beames of the Sonne of righteousnesse did not onely from this Petra or stone Saint Peter draw teares but whole riuers of water According to that of Dauid Which turneth the rocke into water-pooles and the flint into a fountaine of water Saint Ambrose seemeth to stand somewhat vpon it why Peter did not aske forgiuenes of his sins at Gods hands Inuenio saith he quod fleuerit nō inuenio quid dixerit lachrymas lego satisfactionem non lego I find that he wept but do not find what he said I read his teares but read not his satisfaction The reasons of this his silence and that he did not craue pardon of God by word of mouth are these First because he had runne himselfe into discredit by his rash offers and afterwards by his stiffe deniall and therefore thought with himselfe That it was not possible for him to expresse more affection with his mouth than he had vttered heretofore Etiam si oportuerit me mori tecum non te negabo c. And that tongue which had deny'd him to whom it had giuen so good an assurance could neuer as he thought deserue to be beleeued And therefore our Sauiour questioning him afterwards concerning his loue he durst not answer more than this Thou knowest ô Lord whether I loue thee or no. Secondly he askes not pardon by words because the pledges of the heart are so sure that they admit no deceit And for that Lachryma sunt cordis sanguis Tears are the hearts blood S. Ambrose therfore saith Lachrymarū preces vtiliores sunt quā sermonū quia sermo in precando fortè fallit lachryma omnino non fallit The prayers of teares are more profitable than of words for words in praying may now and then deceiue vs but teares neuer S. Chrysostome saith That our sinnes are set downe in the Table-booke of Gods memorie but that teares are the sponge which blotteth them out And indeering the force of teares he saith That in Christs souldier the noblest Act that he can do is to shed his blood in his seruice Maiorem charitatem nemo habet c. For what our blood shed for Christ effecteth that doth our teares for our sinnes Mary Magdalen did not shed her blood but she shed her teares And Saint Peter did not now shed blood but hee shed teares which were so powerfull that after that hee had wept hee was trusted with a part of the gouernment of the Church who before hee had wept had not gouernment of himselfe for teares cure our wounds cheere our soules ease the conscience and please God O lachryma humilis saith Saint Ierome tuum est regnum c. O humble Teare thine is the kingdome thine is the power thou fearest not the Iudges Tribunall thou inioynest silence to thine accusers if thou enter emptie thou doest not goe out emptie thou subduest the inuincible and bindest the omnipotent Hence it is that the diuell beareth such enuie to our Teares When Holofernes had dryed vp the fountaines of Bethulia hee held the Citie his and the Diuell when he shall come to dry vp the teares in our eyes when he hath stopt vp those waters that should flow from the soule of a sinner hee hopes he is his Elian of Tryphon the Tyrant reports of this one vnheard-of crueltie Fearing his Subiects would conspire against him he made a publike Edict that they should not talke one with another and being thus debarr'd of talking one with another they did looke very pittifully one vpon another communicating their minds by their eyes And being forbid by a second Edict that they should not so much as looke one vpon another when they saw they were restrained of that libertie likewise wheresoeuer they met one another they fell a weeping This seemed to the Tyrant the damnablest and most dangerous conspiracie of all the rest and resolued to put them to death The diuell is afraid of our words afraid of our affections but much more afraid of our teares O Lord so mollifie our sinfull hearts that whensoeuer we offend thee our words our affections and our teares may in all deuotion and humilitie present themselues before thee crauing pardon for our sinnes Which we beseech thee to grant vs for thy deare Sonne Christ Iesus sake To whom with the holy Spirit be all prayse honour and glorie c. THE XL. SERMON The Conuersion of the good Theefe MAT. 27. Cum eo crucifixi sunt duo Latrones vnus a dextris alter a sinistris There were crucified with him two theeues one at his right hand an other on his left THere are three most notable Conuersions which the Church doth celebrate That of Saint Paul That of Mary Magdalen That of the good Theefe The one liuing here vpon earth The other now raigning in heauen The third dying vpon the Crosse. Of all the rest this seemeth to be the most prodigious and most strange First because Mary Magdalen saw many of our Sauiour Christs myracles heard many of his Sermons and besides her sisters good example might worke much good vpon her Secondly Saint Paul saw Christ rounded about with glorie more resplendent than the Sunne had heard that powerfull voyce which threw him downe from his horse and put him in the hands of that dust whereof hee was created But the Theefe neither saw Miracle nor Sermon nor example nor glorie nor light nor voyce saue onely Christ rent and torne vpon the Crosse as if hee had beene as notorious a theefe as those that suffered on either side of him Againe How much the quicker is the motion and the extreames more distant repugnant and contrarie by so much the more strange and wonderfull is this change and alteration This theef was a huge way off from either beleeuing or louing our Sauiour Christ and that hee should now on the sodaine and in so short a space passe from a theefe to a Martyr from the gallowes to Paradise must needs be an admirable change Mira mutatio saith S.
this torment and miserie vpon his sacred person In finem dilexit eos Vnto the end hee loued them The neerer his death grew the greater grew his loue That comparison of the riuer is not much amisse which takes it's head or beginning from a small fountaine and by little and little goes increasing till in the end it seemes to be a Sea We cannot say that there was any thing little or small in our Sauiour Christ but in some sort taking from his infancie it may comparitiuely bee thus vnderstood His loue was little at the first it began to purle forth in those his teares in the cratch it went on drawing more water in his Circumcision in his exile into Aegypt in his fastings prayers penitences sermons myracles and when hee came to wash his Disciples feet and to giue vnto them his body and blood then was it full sea with him The Iewes did put this question How can this man giue vs his flesh to be eaten Saint Augustine tells vs I will tell you how In the beginning was Loue that Loue was with God God was that Loue and this may serue as an answer to all questions that may be demanded in this kind And as in all other things from his childhood he went to our seeming growing vp still more and more so did his loue likewise goe dayly increasing euen to the houre of his death shewing that he loued vs vnto the end When a mountaine takes fire at first the fire is but small but by degrees growes greater and greater till it comes at last like another Aetna to be a mountaine of fire Ieremy saith That he saw a seething pot The pot by little and little comes to take heat till at last it falls a boyling but the fire vnder it may be so great that it may bubble and runne ouer throwing out all that is within it In our Sauiour Christs breast the fire of his loue did alwayes seeth and boyle apace but in the end this fire grew to so great a flame that it threw out that his flesh and made that his blood to ouerflow which was knit to his soule and Diuinitie That man which Ezechiel saw in the first chapter of his Prophesie one with his feet standing vpon a Saphyre who was all fire but from the head to the girdle the fire was secret and hidden but from the girdle downward euen to the very feet all was on a bright flame His feet stood vpon a Saphyre which is the colour of heauen to shew vnto vs the blessednesse which he did inioy from the very instant of his conception as also to signifie vnto vs that all the life of our Sauiour Christ was a flaming fire of Loue. But in those his younger yeares it was for a while as it were smothered and repressed but afterwards brake forth into those flames that when his houre was come and that he was to dye Those whom he loued he loued vnto the end Some haue sayled ouer the whole Mediterranean haue toucht vpon the coasts thereof and entred vp into it's riuers Others haue past the Streight and arriued at the Cape de buena Esperance of good Hope There was a man that rounded all the world as if he had stood in competition with the Sunne but for all this his Nauagation was not at an end Euery day more countries are discouered but in the sea of Loue there is not that place which the Ship of the Crosse hath not sayled into Omnis consumptionis vidit finem in finem dilexit eos He saw the end of all consumption and loued them vnto the end Aristotle sets downe in his Ethicks three kinds of friendships Honestum Vtile Iucundum That is grounded on Honestie Profit and Pleasure That which is grounded vpon profit will cease when that ceaseth Thou hast a friend that furnisheth thee with moneyes no longer furnish thee no longer a friend So sayes Seneca in an epistle of his to Lucilius That which is founded vpon pleasure and delight liues or dyes as those delights liue or dye in vs. But that which makes Honestie it's ayme that endureth for euer My friend saith Seneca I ought to loue him so well as to follow him in his banishment to releeue him in his necessities and if need were to dye for him Saint Augustine saith that Seneca liued in the time of the Apostles and that it is very probable that he had some communication with Saint Paul and that the Apostle related vnto him what our Sauiour Christ did for his That he accompanied them in their banishment inricht them with the riches of heauen and in the end layd downe his life for them This is that In finem dilexit eos He loued them to the end A great loue can neuer indure a long absence Theodoret saith That Saint Peter hauing heard from Christs owne mouth a Ter me negabis Thou shalt denie mee thrice He would faine haue fled many Leagues from that occasion but that his loue was so great that he held it a lesse ill to denie him by following him than to confesse him by flying from him He tooke so much pleasure in his presence that he chose rather to hazard the losse of his soule than of his beloued sight Holding it a lesse vnhappinesse to denie than not to be in the eye of him whom he loued so dearely Saint Bernard treating of that petition which Moses made vnto God Either blot me out of the booke of life or spare this people giues vs this note out of that place That so great was the loue which the Prophet bare to that people that albeit God did offer him to be chiefe Gouernour ouer a farre better and greater people yet could he not endure to be diuorced from them nor to absent himselfe from their companie and therefore made choise rather of this so sad and grieuous a resolution Aut dele me de libro vitae c. ô Lord either pardon them or condemne me My loue towards them can better abide death and hel than their absence Plut. saith That Loue is like Iuie which if it cleaue but to a stone or an old wall will rather dye than forsake it Christ said vnto his Disciples Vnlesse I goe hence the comforter will not come vnto you All their felicitie consisting in the comming of the Holy Ghost But I goe to prouide a place for you Nobody but I can open the gates of heauen vnto you Our Sauiour said Lift vp your gates ô ye Princes c. Where S. Chrysostome obserueth That it had beene sufficient had he but onely said Open the gates But he did not say Open but take the gates away heaue them off the hookes For heauen that is neuer shut against any hath no need of gates His Disciples might haue said vnto him Lord since we shall receiue so great a good by thy departure Fuge assimulare Caprae hinnuloque ceruorum Yet so great was their loue vnto
him that with teares in their eyes they desired rather their owne hinderance than his absence Many nations of the world made their gods prisoners chaining them fast with strong yrons For in seeing themselues to bee forsaken by them they presently accounted themselues but dead men Pausanias reporteth that the Lacedaemonians had tyed fast the Statue of Mars with cords of silke And Alexander ab Alexandro saith That Hercules was bound fast with fetters of gold And Plutarch in his Problemes recounteth the like of Apollos Image And the sacred Scripture deliuers vnto vs That Micas the Idolater followed with teares in his eyes those theeues which had stolne away the Idols belonging to his house or his houshold gods And Laban vpon the like occasion pursued Iacob For it is impossible that any bodie should suffer or endure the absence of his God Two powerfull Loues therefore wrestling and strugling in the breast of our Sauiour Christ The one to returne to his father from whence he came The other not to depart from his Spouse here on earth his Loue did lay a plot how he might goe away and yet stay And this was the vpshot of his Loue. When the diuell had now put in the heart of Iudas c. It is noted by Saint Iohn That at the same time as our Sauiour Christ was busied about the performing a point of that so meeke and lowly a humilitie as his washing of his Disciples feet and communicating vnto them his body and blood the very same time did the diuell enter into Iudas his breast Saint Chrysostome addeth Admirans dixit That the Euangelist spake this as it were in the way of admiration Cum diabolus misisset in cor When the diuell had put it in his heart c. Our thoughts are like grauell stones got into the shoo which Satan puts into mans heart and made such hast to thrust them into Iudas his heart that he was much perplexed and troubled therewith some few dayes but the batterie continuing he fell at last to a finall resolution and when he was resolued what he would doe himselfe made the offers of selling our Sauiour Christ. Quid vultis mihi dare What will you giue me In which sale of his two notable follies are to be noted The one His selling of his Sauiour vpon trust S. Marke and S. Luke say They promised to giue him money The other His selling of him at so low a rate standing to their curtesie what they would giue him The diuell offered our Sauior Christ all the whole world But Iudas was so base That he went away well contented with three Blanks being willing to play at small game rather than to sit out For he that is a couetous wretch euen with the diuell himselfe looseth his credit And therefore the Church stiles him a very Pedlar the basest and worst of merchants Iudas mercator pessimus Saint Gregorie saith That Iudas did banish from the world three things of great price and value The one True Loue For euer since that false and treacherous kisse of Iudas mens affections haue likewise growne to be false and loue to be counterfeit and feigned vsing strange disguises Many imbracing those in their armes whose throats they cut in their hearts The other Vertue For hypocrisie puts on a shew of Sanctitie maskes her selfe with Holinesse and dissembles good desires The third Feare For he that is nor afraid to betray God What will he stand in feare of Gregorie Nazianzen saith That in selling our Sauiour Christ hee lost all the right and claime that he had to his blood for no man can challenge any right to that which he sells so that he did vtterly renounce all kind of remedie or anie soule comfort whatsoeuer Saint Bernard saith That by committing treason against the Lord both of heauen and earth he had so highly offended therein that neither of them would giue him any reception or entertainement at his death onely hauing hanged himselfe the Element of the Ayre kept him tottering there to his further disgrace When the diuell had put it in his heart There are some sinnes so foule and so enormious that for to cease vpon them a man had need to haue Iudas his heart and the diuells hands He that is weake and fraile may sinne out of a naturall inclination or some long continued custome and euery occasion will be sufficient to make him flye after his game as the Hawke doth after hir prey c. But to doe ill to him that doth vs good we had need of the helpe of a Iudas or a diuell Ioseph being woed by his wanton Mistrisse told her Quo modo potero Being bound vnto my Master with so many chaines of his loue and kindnesses towards mee How can I doe him so great a wrong Saul was much more beholding to Dauid than Ioseph to Pataphar yet the diuell tooke strong hold of him Spiritus Domini malus vrgebat Saul But let no temptation take hold on you but that which is humane He layeth aside his vpper garments S. Ierom in his Epistle to Celancia saith Nihil est imperiosius amore There is nothing of more power and command than loue Pharaoh leauing ouer the gouernment of Aegypt vnto Ioseph said vnto him Without thee shall no man lift vp his hand or his foot in all the land of Aegypt It may seem that God said the like to Loue who drew God downe from heauen to liue here vpon earth It was Loue who led him along through the streetes to Mount Caluarie triumphing there ouer his power It was Loue and onely loue O Loue if thou be so imperious as to triumph ouer God himselfe Who shall bee able to resist thee Absque tuo imperio c. Without this Loue we can neither stirre hand nor foot no not breath or liue one houre He layeth aside his garment Well did he repay that kind loue of theirs in casting their clokes before his feet when he road in Triumph through Ierusalem carrying palmes in their hands And he in stead of washing the palmes of their hands disdained not to stoope so low as to wash their feet Saint Bernard saith That the Spouse did complaine that the Gards of the Citie had taken her cloake away Tollerunt pallium meum Do not ye therefore complaine if ye bee stripped starke naked for Gods sake since he was pleased to lay aside his garments to doe you seruice He began to wash the Disciples feet He had said before Knowing that the Father had giuen all things into his hands And Hilarie addeth Etiam proditorem So that God hauing put Christ into Iudas hands Christ puts himselfe vnder Iudas his feet O Iudas saith he though thou hast giuen thy heart vnto the diuell yet I pray thee giue me thy feet that I may bath them with the tears of mine eyes Thou hast put all things vnder his feet The birds of the ayre the beasts of the field and the fishes
Catelli 137. For make marke 414. For Abulansis Abulensis 388. For Luuriabantur Luxuriabantur 122. For Bulzebub Beelzebub 125. For Sunne Sonne 31. For Stauit Stabit 166. For hath that 4. There may be some other litterall escapes but such as an ingenious nature will willingly excuse because they may be easily corrected FINIS Num. 13.23 True life is to meditate on death 1 In boasting himselfe to bee what he is not Lib. de Resur Carn cap. 9. 2 In promising himselfe to be what he cannot Iob. 15. Basil. Bibliothâ—â—ca Sanct. Patâ— Tom. 1. Serm. â— Ezech. 28. Psal. 9. 1. Cor. 3. Eccl. 32.11 Habacuc i. v. 10 Iob. 21. v. 32. Sapient 7. v. 5. Psal. 39. v. 3. Meditation like gunpouder Esay 45.9 Iob. 10 9. Psal. 78 3â— Iob. 14 3. Baruc. 3. The meditation of what we are subdues in vs 1 Our Pride August de Verb. Dom. Serm. 10. Pride what manner of sinne Psal. 19.13 S. Chrysost. Homils in cap. primuÌ„ Ioannis Ezech. 4.1 Esay 16. Pride what kind of sinne Earth the basest element 2 Our Voluptuousnesse 3 Our Couetousnesse Aug. q. super Exod. Cap. 5. How Repentance is to beâ— formed Rom. 12.1 Eccl. 33. â—â— Prou. 12.10 Amb. lib. 2. dâ— Pâ—nitent Moderate Recreations lawfull Chrys. Hom. 1. in Genes Homil 5. ad Popul Bern. Serm. in Cap. Ieiâ—nij Aug. Ser. 55. 69. de Tempore 1. Cor. 10.31 The antiquit of Fasting Not Fasting the cause of all euillâ— Amb. li. de Hel. de Ieiunio cap. 4. Tertul. Tract de Ieiunio What to bee obserued in Fasting Greg. Mor. lib. 19. ca. 13. Hypocrisie in Fasting Iob. 41.30 Wherein differing from Faith Hier. 2.34 S. Ber. Ser. S. Bon. Ventura Esay 5. v. 18. Ric. lib. â— 12 Patri cap. 50. Mat. 8. v. 29. Popular applause not to be affected Chrys. Serm. 7. Mat. 20. v. 13. 1. King 8.19 Worldlingâ— condemned of the World The Hypocrite hath no hope of Heauen Psal. 34.9 Psal. 45.13 Leuit. 10.19 Baruc. 3.34 2. Cor. 7. Baruc. 2. Leuit. 22. Deut. 32.27 Psal. 1â—5 v. 1. Rupert in Gen. c. 2. 20. Esay 38. True fasting Greg. in Euan. Chrys Hom. 1. de Ieiu nio Chrys. Hom. 3. ad Popul Ber. Ser. 4. Bas. 1. inter Varias Hier. in c. 58. Esay Epist. ad Celan Amb. Ser. 33. tempore The vanity of worldly Treasureâ— Hilar. Cant. 5. in Math. Chris. sup Epist. ad Rom. ca. 10. Senec. Ep. 110. Mat. 13. Th. 1.2 Art 1. ad 2. Onely Coueâ—â—usnesse forbidden Sen. de Remedfort Of giuing Almes Mat. 29. Luc. 12.33 Faith hath two wings Praâ—eâ— and Almes to lift heâ— vp to Heaueâ— Tob. 12. Mat. 9. Luc. 4. Aug. Ser. 6. de verb. domini dâ— conâ—ens Euang. lib. 2. cap. 20. 3. King 20. 2. Reg. c. 8. Vice hard to be remoued Egesâ—p lib. 4. cap. 4. Marke 15. Mat. 26. Of Seruants Iob. 31. v. 31. Eccl. 33. Eccl. 7. Mâ—cr li. 1. c. 11. Austen lib. 1. de decem cord Senec. Epist. 47. Alex. 3. Ped. 11. Duties of Seruants Prou. 27.18 Prou. 22. v. vlt. Cart. lib. de Deorum imaginibus Theod. lib. 2. de Prou. Aug. lib. 19. de Ciuit. cap. 15. Benefit of Affliction 1. Reg. 14 Hier. 31. Iob. â— v. 18. Ose 6. v. 2. Esay 1.4.5 Ierem. 2. Ier. 6. Amb. lib. 2. de Offâ—â— Aug. li de Cath. rudinus c. 4. Marsil in Com. Pl. c. 8. Chrysost. Com â— Serm. de Mart. s. Acts 3. Good seruice neuer vnrewarded with God Acts. 9. The surer motiue his owne Loue. Gods bountie towards his Suppliants Cantic 1.2 Eccl. 9.10 The poore more respected of God many times than the rich Psal. 72.14 Phisitions taxed that will not visit the poore Masters likewise who neglect their Seruants being sicke Fulgent Epis. ad EugippiuÌ„ Luc. 23. v. 34. Mat. 27. v. 46 Iohn 20. Iohn 4. Iohn 5. Iohn 10. Gods Spirit the best Schoolmaster 〈…〉 Ser. 1. 〈◊〉 Greg. Hom. 30. in Eâ—ang Chrys. Ser. 15. Eâ—cles 11.21 Aug. Ser. 6. de Verb. Dom. Amb. Ser. 89. 1. Cor. 11. The Centurions Faith Hier. Mat. 8. Orig. Hom. 15. in diuers Chrys. Hom. 27. No honor but hath it burthen Esay â— Aug. Epis. 101. ad Exod. Aug. li. 1. de gen Cont. Manich. c. 8. Aust. li. de gen cont Manich. cap. 8. Th. 3. p. q. 1â— Aust. Ser. 74. de Temp. Faith how said to be great Mat. 8. Marke 9. Math. 9. Iohn 5. Hiero. lib. adâ—ers Lusif Chrisost. Hom. 22. Imperâ— The calling of the Gentiles Deut. 28. v. 43. Mat. 1â— Nothing but disorder in this world Deut. 32. Deut. 33. Esay 1. Hier. 7. Sinne euer most odious when masked with Religion Deut. 32.33 Eccl. 7. Eccl. 1. 1. Ep. Ioh. ca. 2. Aug. Epist. 14.4 Cons. c. 6. Th. 1.2 q. 6. Art 5. Dam. li. 2.3 paral c. 105. Eccl. 6.8 Prou. 16.29 Ireâ— li. 4. c. 27. Bas. Hom. in Psal. 14. Amb. Ser. 5. in Psal. 118. Chrys. Hom. 16 Hier. epist. ad Hâ—â—â—t Tertul. li. de Patient Epiph. Her 33. Hil. Can. 4. in Mat. Aug. li. 19. Contr. Faâ—s c. 24. Aug. Sâ—r. 59. de Temp. to 10. 1. Iohn· 1. Heb. 12. Deut. 2.3 Cle. Alex. lib. 2. Strom. Prou. 24. Eccl. 28. Psal. 7. Tob. 4. 2. Reg. 21.5 Reuenge beelongs onely to God 3. Reg. 18. Eccl. â—1 Maâ— 7. Plut. li. de Vtilab inimi capienda Senec. lib. 1. de Clem. Basil. Hom. ad Adolesc Chrys. Hom. 80. in Mat. Arist. 1. Top. cap. 8. Crys Serm. 65 Ambr. 4. de fid cap. 6. Fulg. li. 1. cap. 1. Psal. 58. Mat. 8. Esay 48. Gen. 1â— Gen. 31. ibi Pet. Comestâ—r Simon Met. Tom. 1. de S. Niceph. Arist. Ethic. Aulus ca. 1. Alex. li. 6. c. 10. Aust. li. de Ser. in mon. ca. 34. Plut. de pietat grat fra Reasons why there should be no difference among Christians Amos 2. v. â— Geâ— 27. Eccle. 28. To loue our Enemies is against nature Iob 6.11 Acts 9. Ieremie 6.53 Sap. 18. Basil. Serm. de ira The causes why we cannot loue our enemies Psalme 92. Amb. Ser. 3. in Psal. 118. Exodus 31. Chrys. ser. 12. Seneca lib. 3. de beâ—ef Câ—rys hom 3. de Saul Dauid A milde proceeding preuaileth vpon the fiercest Persons The example of our sauiour to moue vs vnto it Psal. 69.12 13. Serm. de Proditor Iuda Chris. Hom. li. 4. in Gen. Imperf Hom. 4. in Mat. Hom. 27. ad populuÌ„ Ambr. in Apoâ— Dauid To be a child and to exercise the duties of a child not all one Diodor. de Fabulis Antiquis c. 4. Ezech. 24.12 Gods omnipotencie seene most in his Mercie Hugo Vict. l. 6 de anima 3. Reg. 24. The practise of Mercie brings with it the greatest glorie 1. Reg. 11. Christ patieÌ„ce more staggered the Deuill than all his miracles 2. Reg. 3.29 Cant. 2. v. 4. Our loue how it is to be ordred and disposed The perfection of our loue how to be discouered Our Enemies are but Gods Instruments who by them doth punish vs for our sins Hatred should not bee immortall
into a garden Euery mans soule is a vineyard to him selfe and he must dresse it The hasard wherunto the Vine-yard of the soule is exposed The vine hath no bounds no more hath the will of man The spouse compared to the vine Cant. 8.5 Gods absence from vs is nothing else but his conniuing at our sinnes From Gods conniuence growes our presumâ—tion and his seuerity Gods wrath the longer deferred the fiercer Trust is euer the surest tye Luke 19. Math. â—5 1. Tim. 2.7 Deut. 2â— Euery man may claim the fruit of his owne labors God requireth nothing at our hands but what is for our owne good Iob. 35 7. Micah 7.1 Ob. God is no racking Landlord Sol. He requâ—â—es of vs but a little Ezech. 33.6 7. Ministers in this world must expect nothing but hard measure Gods mercy is euer in competition with mans malice God in his punishing of man desires more his blushing than his bleeding Ecâ—lâ— 41.17 Gods Loue ceaseth not for mans wickednesse Nothing worse than a couetous man Ose 5.10 No vice more seuerely punished than Couetousnesse Amos 1.13 3. Reg. 20. No vice so hard to be reformed as Couetousnesse 1. Kings 22. Psal. 1. Gods course in punishing of sinne is to reuenge the lesser with the greater 1. Mac. 1. 2. Tim. 2. Sinners are vsually taken in their owne Snares Why the blood of Christ was not shed in the Vineyard Esay 65.5 Math. 27.6 Ezech. 28. Ezech. 16. God labours euery way the conuersion of a sinner Ierem. 6.8 Gen. 9.15 Esay 34. God omits no meanes to bring vs to himselfe Deut. 20.10 2. Kings 20. Many Christians now worse enemies to Christ than were the Pharisees 4. Kings 17.33 Gods punishments of two sorts Psal. 6.1 Ierem. 10.24 Selfe loue the ouerthrow of man Prou. 21.30 Iob. 40. Psal. 118.21 The translatioÌ„ of Gods kingdome from the Iewes to the Gentiles Esay 5. Osee 3.4 Ieremy 12.7 Math. 23.38 Eccl. 10. Prou. 2.22 Dâ—â— 6. Dan. 4. 3. Reg. 14.15 3. King 16. 4. King 9. God substracts his Blessings wheÌ„ we proue vngratefull 1. Reg. 2. Esay 22. 1. Kings 2. The distrubution of the matter This world is nothing but a mixture of good euill Prou. â— Eccl. 2 18. The wicked loue not to bee checkt in their proceedings Psal. 123. Psal. 10.12 Iob 22.13.14 Too much liberty the bane of youth Prou. 29.15 Eccl. 30. â—0 Eccl. 33.20 Eccl. 7 1â— Psal. 137. To forget God is to goe into a far cuntry Prou. 3. Iudg. 1. â—â— Psal. 38. Malach. 2. 3. Reg. 14. Prou. 3. Esay 38. Ier. 13. Lament 4. The wicked whereunto compared No miserie so great but sin will reduce vs vnto it Ierem. 17 Psal. 32. Ose. 5.4 The posture of a sinner is to lye groueling The remembrance of fore-passed felicity a great means to bring vsto Repentance Confession in Gods Court the onely way to Absolution Sinne is an offenceto God a wound to our owne Soules Psal. 25.10 Gods bountie often causeth our neglect The Angells reioyce at our comming vnto Heauen God aloâ—e must vntie the Deuills knots Esay 49. Coloss. 2.14 Diuersreasons why Christ paused vpon the casting out of this Deuill (1.) On our part (2.) Reasons on the Deuils part Psal. 126. Psal. 86. Gen. 3. Apoc. 9. Ephes. 6. (3) Reasons on Christs part Iob 40.20 Luc. 11. Mat. 12. Without confession no true comfort Osee. 13. The Deuils craft is to shut vp our mouths from Confession Gen. 39. Wis. 10.1 Dumb ministers the Deuills best agents Ose. 4.8 4. Kings 7.9 Iob. 2.5 Why God permits him to be so mischieuous 2. Mac. 3. Iosh. 2.9.11 1. Tim. 1.20 Esay 6. Two things required in euery true Penitent The iustifying of Soules a greater act of mercie than the creating of Angells Iob. 3. Luk. 16. Ierem. 1. Esay 14. Mat. 9. Mat. 12. Esay 29. 1. Reg. 2.5 Rom. 2. Esay 65.2 Rom. 10. No scourge to that of the Tongue Mat. 9. Prou. 26.4.5 The Deuills though at discord amongst themselues do yet vnite their forces against Man Iob. 41. Iam. 4 1. The word Sathan what it implyeth Mat. 1 â— No Theefe nor Tyrant to the Deuill Tyrants are euer their own torturest Reasons by which the deuill assures himselfe of peaceably possessing his spoiles Ob. Sol. Ill must betide all neutralls betwixt God and Sathan Apoc. 3. The casting out of Deuills not alwaies a signe of the comming of Gods Kingdome Acts 19.14 Wisd. 14. Prou. 5.22 Why Sathan is stiled the Prince of the world 1. Cor. 10. Luke 22.53 Apoc. 20. Luke 8. The Deuill finds no rest but where he may doe mischiefe Three sorts of persons possessed with Deuills Rom. 8.38 No creature so hurtfull to man as sinne A lesser ill to be possessed in bodie than in soule 1. Cor. 5.5 1. Tim. â— 20 Ose. 10 11. To thâ—esh in Scripture is to rule with tyranny Isa. 25.10 Esay 45.15 God is woont by weake means to confound the Mightie Christs conception in the heart is presently discouered Eccle. 30.3 Christs pedigree the noblest of longest continuance The Virgin not blessed for bearing Christ but beleeuing in him To bee the wife or daughter of a King a greater honour than to be his Mother Iohn 3.29 Nothing more fierce than the fury of the people Eccle. 26.5 Esay 61.7 Luke 4. Esay 26. The glory of Capernaum Esay 9.12 Iohn 21. Deut. 31. Rom. 11. T is naturall in all men to loue their Country Esay 61.1 Marc. 6.5 Luc. 10. Math. 11. Luke 14. Christs works of two sorts Why our Sauiour would worke no miracles in Capernaum Act. 7. Exod. 2. Num 23. Exod. 15. Num. 14. Num. 16. 1. Kings 19. Esay 65. Hier. 20. 3. Reg. ca. vlt. Micah 2. Luke 4. The nature of 〈◊〉 Admiration waits not but on things that are rare Math. 4. Iud. 9. To chalâ—enge any thing froÌ„ God as due is the way to go without it Psal. 30. Wisd. 1. Coloss. 1. Eph. 1 Esay 4â— Iob 11.7 Math. 13. Morc 6. Incrudelity a maine stop to Christs Miracles Math. 7.29 God somtimes neuer more our friend than when he denies vs our requests Mat. 26. â— Pet. 2. Luk. 12. Miracles neuer wrought but where Good was likely to ensue Mâ—th 4. The seueral conditions of Christians in seeking their Saluation Luke 9. Mark 9. Miracles not necessarie to Saluation nor sufficient The desire of honour 〈◊〉 alwaies to condemned 2. Cor. 11. God in the disâ—ensing of his fauors respects no persons Prou. 15.12 Amos 5.10 Enuie a dangerous beast Anger a sin no lesse hurtfull than Enuie Prou. 17.3 Prou. 27.4 The Nazarits base demeanor towardâ— Christ Ieuit. 4. Act. 7 Our Sauiour neuer any where so ill treated as in Nazareth How Christ is sayd to haâ—e passed thorough them We ought to pâ—ay against sudden death Sap. 4. Esay 30. God oft defers his punishments that our sins may grow to maturity Offences how and when to be forgiuen and reproued In treating of diuine matters we ought alwaies to craue the assistanâ—e of