his father primarily not for hiding these things from the wise that is wise in their owne eyes or wise men after the flesh endued with a wisedome which is earthly sensuall diuellish Iames. 3.15 but because though he suffer the prince of darkenesse to blind the mindes of the worldly wise yet he doth openly shâ—w the glorious light of the Gospell vnto babes that is vnto such as became fooles that they may be wise wholly renouncing their owne wit and solely submitting themselues vnto Gods will If Iesus reioyced in the spirit and magnified the Lord of heauen and earth for vs O what thankes ought our selues to present vnto God for our selues Praise the Lord O my soule and all that is within me praise his holy name For mine eyes haue seene thy saluation and mine heart hath often endited a good matter and my pen sometimes is the pen of a readie writer O father of mercie whereas these things are yet hid from the Iewes and from the Turkes and from the superstitious Heathen and from carnall Christians I haue to the great refreshing of my soule through thy grace sweet Iesu both heard by the Gospell and imbraced the Gospell and preached the Gospell and in some measure practised also the Gospell O my soule praise the Lord and forget not all his benefits I will sing vnto the Lord as long as I liue I will praise my God while I haue any being Psal. 104.33 The sweetest of honie lieth in the bottome I passe therefore from Christs inuocation to the latter part of his Gospell his inuitation In which obserue the mouer Iesus moued all that labour and are laden motion Come take my yoke vpon you learne of me motiues I will ease you yee shall finde rest vnto your soules for my yoke is easie and my burthen light The person inuiting is Iesus he saith heere come not to mine but to me not to my Saints or Angels or Martyrs or Mother but to my selfe Send not other it is my pleasure that ye come seeke not for helpe from other I will ease you Come vnto me for I am the way the truth and the life The way by which and the tâ—uth in which and the life for which all of you come None can come but by me none finde ease but in me none rest in ease but with me Come therefore for I am the way learne of me for I am the truth and ye shall find rest vnto your soules for I am the life Come to me for I am as you see willing in saying come and able to relieue you for that all things are giuen vnto me So that aske and ye shall haue seeke and ye shall finde knocke and it shall be opened vnto you Whatsoeuer ye shall aske the Father in my name he will giue it you None can come to the Father except it bee by the Sonne for no man knoweth the Father saue the Sonne and he to whomsoeuer the Sonne will open him In saying saue the Sonne he doth not exclude the holy spirit being the third person in Trinitie for it is a good conclusion in Diuinitie dictio exclusiua siue exceptiua addita termino personali in essentialibus non excludit ab altera persona diuina God the Father and God the holy Ghost as being all one with the Sonne are in the words nisi filius included and onely the Creator excluded For none know the Father by nature but by the reuelation of the Sonne Wee speake the wisedome of God in a mystery saith Paul which none of the Princes of this world knew hunc magnus Plato nesciuit eloquens Demosthenes ignorauit It is true that wee may know by the light of humane discourse that there is a God for the Godhead is seene by the creation of the world The heauens declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth his handie woâ—ke Psalm 19.1 Yet none know the Father that is a distinction of the persons in sacred Trinity but by the spirit of him in whom are hid all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge Coloss. 2.3 And 〈◊〉 our reuealed knowledge is but imperfect in this life They who saw most of God obtained onely the sight of his hinder parts And in the kingdome of glory when as we shall enioy the beholding of his fore-parts also seeing him euen face to face our knowledge shall not be comprehensionis cognitio sed apprehensionis an apprehending rather then a comprehending of his infinite Maiesty Wee shall not euen in that day know so much of the Father as the Father knoweth of himselfe Sola quippe trinitas in vnâ—atis diuinitate seipsam nouit In this life we shall attaine by Christs grace to such an vnderstanding 〈◊〉 God as is fit and in the world to come we shall â—aâ—e so much as is full euen so much as any created vessel is able to containe yet none shall euer 〈◊〉 comprehend that incomprehensible Trinitie none can as it selfe know it selfe Hâ—â—herto concerning the party calling I am now to speake of the persoâ—s inuited All ye that labour and are lader He doth exâ—â—â—â— â—one who came to bring all vnto the knowledge of the truth â—â—al that lâ—â—our then all that liue For man borne of a woman is full of troubâ—e Iob 14.1 Come therefore all ye that labour in your actions and are laden in your passions All ye Iewes who labour vnder the yoke of the law and all ye Gentiles oppâ—essed with the burthen of your sinnes All yee â—hat labour where 〈◊〉 and whensoeuer and howsoâ—â—er afflicted or affâ—â—â—â—d 〈◊〉 misery For these two labâ—ur and lâ—dâ—◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—one conceiue simply the â—â—me signâ—fâ—ing all kind â—f â—â—efe sâ—res and sorrow â—hatsoeuer As in the 6. and 9 Psalmes 〈◊〉 weary of my greamâ—g I am weary of my 〈◊〉 c. To speake more distinctly there is a threefold burthen namely the burthen of â—â—ffliction the law 〈…〉 Christ easeth all such as come to him of all these Concerning the sirâ— great trauâ—ile saith the sonne of Sirach is created for all men and a heaâ—ie yoke vpon the sonnes of Adam euen from the day that they goe out of the mothers wombe till the day that they returne to the mother of all things But Christ a refuge in due time of trouble yea a present helpe doth either take away this burthen froÌ„ our shoulders or else giueth vnto such as come to him abundant strength and patience to beare it Art thou crossed in thy goods it is the Lord who giueth and the Lord who taketh away Cast all your care vpon him and hee will so care for you that this burthen shall be made light and this yoke easie Art thou wronged in thy good name say with Dauid it may bee the Lord will looke vpon mine affliction do me good for Shemi his cursing me this
him as in asking Is it lawfull that tribute be giuen to Caesar or no If hee should haue disputed against the tribute he had offended the Prince if for the tribute displeased the people who did beare this heauie burthen against their wils See Gospell Sund. 2◠after Trinity Againe they digged a pit round about him in bringing the woman taken in adultery before him and demanding what sayest thou for if he should haue condemned her hee might seeme to contradict his owne sayings I will haue mercy not sacrifice learne of me for I am humble and meeke If acquit her he should contrary Moses law Leuiticus 20.10 The adulterer and adulteresse shall die the death See Bernard de passione domin cap. 3. Moreouer Christ on the crosse was digged his side with a speare his hands and feet with nailes and those so bigge that as Socrates reporteth in his ecclesiasticall history Constantine made thereof an helmet and a bridle for his owne vse in warre 4. The Vine is bound vnto the wood and fastened vnto the wall on which it groweth euen so Christ was led away bound vnto Pontius Pilate and nailed vnto the wood of the crosse so fettered and fastened with bonds as that the Church saith of him in the Canticles my well beloued is as a bundle of myrrhe vnto mee Myrrhe being bitter and sharpe doth insinuate the grieuousnes of his passion and a bundle the multitude of his sorrowes And so Christ is vnto the Church a bundle of myrrhe when as shee meditateth on his death and passion how he was bound that shee might be made free how he was beaten that she might escape punishment how hee was broken that she might be healed with his stripes Esay 53.5 5. The Vine being thus planted pruned cut bound digged dunged spreades her branches farre and wide So Christ as calling his followers from East and West hauing the heathen for his inheritance and the vttermost parts of the earth for his possession extends and stretcheth out his branches vnto the sea and this boughes vnto the riuer Christ is the Vine and all Christians are his branches All of vs are by nature drie and fit for nothing but the fire therefore that wee may be fruitfull and liue we must first be grafted into Christ as into a Vine by the fathers hand without his grace we can do nothing and thorough his helpe able to doe all things Philip 4.13 now the diuine vnion is threefold Essential and so God the father is all one with God the sonne and God the holy Ghost personal and so God the sonne being made flesh is vnited to the humaine nature spiritual and so such as abide in Christ and are ioyned in spirit to the Lord are one with Christ the Lord 1. Cor. 6.17 My father is an husbandman The blasphemous Arians obiect here that Christ and God as the vine and husbandman are of diuers natures and that Christ as the vine must of necessity be subiect and inferiour to God which is an hunsbandman Answere is made that a similitude runs not on foure feet but that it standeth vpon one legge principally now the maine drift of this comparison is not to shew what care this husbandman hath ouer the root of the vine but what he doth vnto the branches Euery branch that beareth not fruit he will take away and euery branch that beareth fruit will he purge c. Christ vttered this parable as our mediatour and head of the Church and hee could not haue bin the Churches head except he had bin God and man Christ then as touching his manhood was inferiour to the father Iohn 14.28 My father is greater then I yet equal as touching his Godhead Ioh. 10.13 I and my father are one coequal in might and mercie So the text here God the father as an husbandman purgeth euery branch that beareth fruit vers 2. and God the sonne likewise doth the same vers 3. now are yee cleane thorough the words which I haue spoken vnto you So that Christ as God is an husbandman so well as his father he purgeth and pruneth the boughes of the vine so well as he vna enim operatio patris filij Ioh. 5.19 Whatsoeuer the father doth the same things doth the sonne also Euery branch that beareth not fruit in me he taketh away Christ exhorting his followers to continue stedfast in the faith argueth a paena praemio from the punishment of such as abide not in him and from the reward of such as abide the punishments of hypocrites and false Christians which abide not in him are Seuen Seuen 1. They beare no fruit 2. Bearing no fruit they bee cut away from the Vine 3. Being cut away from the Vine they bee cast out of the Vineyard 4. Being cast out of the Vineyard they wither 5. Being withered men gather and fagot them 6. Being made fagots they bee cast into the sire 7. Being cast into the fire they burne in that vnquencheable flame where the worme dyeth not and the fire neuer goeth out First they beare no fruit for saith our Sauiour as the branch cannot beare fruit of it selfe except it abide in the vine no more can yee except yee abide in mee for without me can you do nothing The Pelaegian hereticks affirmed à Deo habemus quod homines sumus à nobis ipsis autem quod iusti sumus that we are men we receiue from God that we are good men commeth from our selues but truth it selfe here contradicit dicit a branch cannot beare fruit of it selfe c. This one clause saith Augustine corda instruit humilium ora obstruit superborum it comforts a poore publicane but it confounds a proud Pelagian And that other sentence without me can ye do nothing confuteth also the Semipelagian I meane the Papist auowing that a man hath a power of free will in his owne nature which once being stirred and helped can and doth of it owne selfe cooperate with grace The word nothing makes very much against this opinion as Augustine noteth vpon the place For Christ said not sine me parum potestus facere sed sine menihil now that wee may the better vnderstand this controuersie man is to be considered in a foure-fold estate to wit Instatu In statu Confectionis as hee was created In statu Infectionis as he was corrupted In statu Refectionis as he was renewed In statu Perfectionis as he shall be glorified In the first estate we giue to the will of man a liberty of nature Adamus enim acceperat posse si veller sed non habuit velle quod posset In the third we grant a libertie of grace for if the sonne make you free ye shall be free indeed Iohn 8.36 The spirit of Christ which is free Psalm 51.12 giueth liberty to the captiues and openeth the prison to
An EXPOSITION OF THE FESTIVALL EPISTLES AND Gospels vsed in our English Liturgie Together with a reason why the Church did chuse the same By IOHN BOYS Doctor of Diuinitie The first part from the Feast of S. ANDREVV the Apostle to the Purification of blessed MARY the Virgin Psalme 151.1 Laudate Dominum in Sanctis eius LONDON Printed by EDVVARD GRIFFIN for William Aspley 1615. TO THE MOST REVEREND FATHER IN GOD GEORGE BY the diuine prouidence Lord Archbishop of CANTERBVRIE Primate of all England and Metropolitane c. My very good Lord. I Finde three sundrie readings of the first words in the last Psalme Praise God in vis Saints praise God in his sanctitie praise God in his Sanctuarie God is to be praised in his Saints as hauing out of the riches of his mercie bestowed on them eminent gifts of grace the which as their bequeathed legacies and onely true reliques are to be remembred often in Gods Church vnto Gods people that as B. Latimer speakes wee may worship the Saints in following their good examples And so these three lines meeting in one center intimate that the most holy being donor of euery good and perfect gift ought to be magnified in his Sanctuarie for his sanctitie conferred vpon his Saints whereby they shined as lights in this heauen on earth and now shine like starres in heauen of heauen For this end I haue begun and I hope to finish an exposition of the Festiuall Epistles and Gospels vsed in our English Liturgie The which howsoeuer herein I may seeme bold yet am I bound to dedicate vnto your Grace for many respectiue considerations especially for this one because your honourable disposition in the middest of a crooked nation is euermore to be both a patron and a paterne of vnfained sanctitie Thus humbly beseeching the Lord to blesse and your Grace to sauour these my labours I rest Your Graces seruant in all dutie IOHN BOYS S. ANDREVVES DAY The Epistle ROM 10.9 If thou knowledge with thy mouth that Iesus is the Lord and beleeue in thy heart that God raised him vp from death thou shalt be safe c. THE Gospell and Epistle chosen for this Fesâ—iuall intimate the true reason of our Church in celebrating the memories of the blessed Apostles and Euangelists vnto Gods honour namely because they were fishers of men ambassadours of peace preachers of good tidings euen the disposers of the riches of God in Christ indiffâ—rently to men of all sexes and sorts in that their sound went out into all lands and their words into the ends of the world and so by consequent principall instruments of God in the worke of our saluation and eternall happinesse Which our Apostle sheweth heere by this Sorites or gradation Whosoeuer â—allâ—th on the name of the Lord shall be saued Inuocation is by faith Faith is by hearing of the word Hearing is by the Preachers And Preachers are sent of God c. Ergâ— such as haue learned Christ in their minde beleeuing vndoubtedly with their mouth acknowledging him vndauntedly for their Iesus ought to praise God in his Apostles as being after Christ immediately the first and vnder Christ absolutely the chiefe Trumpetors of the Gospell which is the power of God vnto saluation In the whole text two points are remarkable Cansa causatâ— the means of our iustification and herein a Proposition If thou knowledge c. verse 9. Proofe 1. From a sufficient enumeration of the principall heads of Christianitie Faith for to belâ—eue with the heart instifieth Good works to knowledge with the mouth c. vers 10. 2. From the testimonie of the Prophets Esay Whosoeuer beleeueth on him c. vers 11. Ioel Whosoeuer doth call c. vers 13. Causa causae the meane for these meanes and that is the preaching of the Gospell in this respect aptly termed the word of faith vers 8. If thou knowledge S. Paul hauing in the Chapter afore sufficiently discoursed of the reâ—ection of the Iewes A priore from Gods absolute decree shewing mercie on whom he will and whom he will hardening he commeth in this present to demonstrate the same point â— postâ—riore from their obstinate incredulitie stablishing their owne righteousnesse and not submitting themselues vnto the righteousnesse of God in Christ apprehended and applied by faith only declaring it selfe in a twofold act one which is outward to confesse with the mouth another which is inward to beleeue with the heart Some confesse but beleeue not as hypocrites other beleeue but confesse not as timorous and Peter-like professors in the daies of persecution other doe neither confesse nor beleeue on Christ as Atheists other both confesse and beleeue and they be true Christians A bare confessing with the mouth is not enough except thou beleeue with thine heart Esay 29.13 This people come neere to mee with their mouth and honor me with their lips but haue remoued their heart farre from me c. Neither is it sufficient vnto saluation only to beleeue with the heart vnlesse thou confesse with the mouth according to that vnauoidable sentence Math. 10.33 Whosoeuer shall denie me before men him also will I denie before my father which is in heauen Now though in nature beleeuing with the heart preceed confessing with the tongue yet Paul mentioneth acknowledging in the first place for that wee doe not know the faith of such as beleeue but by their confession according to that of S. Iames I will shew thee my faith by my workes Heere then obserue that to confesse the Lord Iesus is necessary both in respect of other and our selues In respect of other as being herewith armed in the times of persecution and instructed in the daies of peace Christ is the fountaine of the waters of life faith in the heart is as the pipes and cesterne that receiue in and hold the water and confession with the mouth as the cocke of the Conduit that lets out the water vnto euery commer And therefore let your light so shine before men as that they may see your good workes and glorifie your father which is in heauen Againe to confesse that is to praise Christ in thy words and to doe whatsoeuer appertaineth vnto his worship is needfull in regard of our selues in that a true faith is neuer idle but alway working by loue Galath 5.6 For although it iustifieth alone yet is it no more alone then the heat of the Sâ—nne which alone warmes the earth is seuered from light â—or then Christ is diâ—â—oined from his spirit Calâ—â—â— apud 〈◊〉 de Iustist at lib. 1 cap. 15. § Caluinus or men a hand when it alone doth apprehend any thing is separated from the bodie Luther apuâ—â— Sanderâ—m de Iustis◠〈…〉 4 cap. 4. This doctrine makes against the 〈◊〉 in o'd time defending this 〈◊〉 Iura peruira secretum
vsuall with God to take the wilie in their owne craftinesse and therefore seeing Herod mocked the Wisemen it pleased the Lord to direct the Wisemen in such a course that they likewise mocked Herod The craftie Fox deluded the Wisemen in telling them he would if after their diligent search hee should vnderstand where he was adore the babe for his intent was sauire non seruire to woorie not to worship that innocent Lambe And the Wisemen deluded Herod in returning to their Country not by Hierusalem as they went but another way Then Herod seeing hee was mocked of the Wisemen was exceedingly wroth and sent foorth men of warre c. for when once tyrants cannot preuaile with craft they come to crueltie when Politicians Rhetoricke failes Carters Logicke must doe the feat Great bodies are discerned easily with a little light but small things are not found in the darke without a great light God the Father in the Creation of the world is so glorious and so great that the little light of nature sheweth his handie worke Psalm 19.1 but God the Sonne in our Redemption is so little that we need a great starre to direct vs vnto the babe Iesus lying in a manger a large measure of faith and grace to finde the great God made a little childe No maruell then if Herod could not finde seeing he did seeke not in faith as hoping to be saued by Christ but in furie meaning to destroy Christ. And the reason heereof is rendrâ—d in this present Chapter at the 3. verse When Herod heard of Christs birth at Bethlehem hee was troubled and all Herusalem with him as fearing that this babe being lineally descended from the seed of King Dauid should in time challenging the Scepter of Iudea thrust him out of his kingdome Successor instat pellimur Satelles i fâ—rrum rape Perfunde Câ—nas sâ—nguine Mas omâ—is infans occâ—deâ— Scrutare nutricum â—inus Interâ— materna â—berâ— Ensem cruenter pusiâ— O foolish Herod wilt thou not suffer the King of heauen and earth and the whole world to reigne in â—uâ—ie wilt thou be so barbarous as fearing thy successour to kill thy Sauiour Well maiest thou seeke but thou thalt not see the destruction of his Kingdome for his Scepter is a right Scepter and his Trone is for euer and euer Well maiest thou destroy the bodies of poore children but their liues are hâ—d with the babe Iesus in God and â—o thy mischiefe shall turne to mercie Quoâ— Rex impius eximit maâ—do Christus inserit Carlo for they died for him who was to die for them and so death had no conquest ouer them Moriuntur propter Christum qui 〈…〉 facit vt ipsâ— miâ—â— morte teneri possent Herod represents the deuill who stands before the woman in the wildernesse great with childe readie to deuoure her babe Hee knew that the seed which should breake his head was to be borne of the Iewes and therefore caused Pharao to murther all the Hebrew males Exod. 1. and stirred â—p Haman to destroy the whole Nation of the Iewes Ester 3. and Athalia to kill all the sonnes of Dauid 2. Kings 1â— and here so soone as the noise was of Christs birth hee did cut the throats of all the children in Bethlehem and in all the coâ—sts thereof from two yeeres old and vnder Mystically Satan as soone as he seeth in anâ—â— any good motion he stands as Herod here ready to kill it although it be neuer so little a babe In Râ—man as there a voice heard That is in excelso for the voice of bloud is loud and câ—ieth euen from earth vnto heauen euery murther is sacriledge for that our bodie are the temples of the holy Ghost 1 Cor. 6.19 Herod then at once committed many foâ—le sacriledges in slaying so many both in towne and countrey who were so great innocents in being so little children that as Prudentius excellently Locum minutis aâ—rubus Vix interemptor invenit Que plagade seendat patens Iugloque maior pâ—gio eâ—t This barbarous outrage caused lamentation weeping and mourning that is lamentation of the mothers weerâ—â—â— of the children and such a mourning on all sides as that the cry penetrating the clouds and knocking at heauen gate did enter into the cares of the Lord of hostes Horrendis grauiter Coelum pulsasse querelis The Epistle Rom. 4.8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sinne c. OVr Apostle conâ—â—mes in this Chapter that do 〈◊〉 which hee deliuered in the former namely 〈…〉 of the Law but freely 〈…〉 and this he prooues in our text by 〈…〉 â—â—pecially 1. From 〈◊〉 monie 〈◊〉 is the man c. 2. From 〈◊〉 example Wee say that faith was imputed vnto Abraham for righteousnesse c. Now Paul mentioneth Abraham and Dauid in this controuersie because their workes were most glorious among the Iewes in somuch as they called Abraham father and Dauid is stiled a man according to Gods owne heart The paterne then of Abraham accounted righteous before God by faith and the precept of Dauid affirming that our blessednesse consists in the remission of our sinnes and not in the perfection of our vertues are both exceeding fit and well accommodated vnto the present purpose Blessed is the man By blessed in the Psalme Paul vnderstands heere iustified for iustification is blessednes begun glorification blessednesse perfited In this life blessednesse is but begun and therefore Dauid faith in the cited Psalme For this shall euery one that is godly make his prayer vnto thee in a time when thou mayest bee found And Christinioyneth vs daily to pray for giue vs our trespasses in the world to come blessednesse is consummated for when we shall haue no more sinne then we shall haue no more sorrow Whose vnrighteousnesse is forgiuen Some distinguish thus iniquities are forgiuen in Baptisme couered in repentance not imputed in martyrdome Other thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are transgressions against the word written according to that 1 Iohn 3.4 and so the Iewes hauing Gods Law did offend 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are trespasses against the rule of nature not ingrauen in stone nor written with inke but imprinted in the conscience and so the Gentiles hauing not the law were sinners Other thus originall iniquities are forgiuen in Baptisme quoad Culpam and actuall transgressions are couered in loue quoad pâ—nam or iniquitâ—tâ—t are faults of infidelitie called in holy Scripture sinne Catexâ—chen Iohn 16.8 He will reproâ—â— the world of sinne that â— as Christ expounds himselfe of vnbeliefe peccata are faults in manners as other our sins are forgiuen in respect of the wrong done to God and couered in respect of the shame due to vs vt sic velentur nâ— in indicio reuclentur For in sinne three things are to be
his workes of creation and redemption and preseruation of his people though he may not read Gods priora yet he may know Gods poâ—teriora beholding him in his wonders in his words in his sacraments in his sonne principally being the brightnes of his glory and expresse character of his person as Christ in our text he that hath seene mee hath seene also my father I am in the father and the father in mee Hereby prouing himselfe to be God 1. For that we must only beleeue in the Creator and not in any creature 2. Because God only knowes the secret perturbation of the heart and if ye beleeue that I am God ye must also confesse that I am a present helpe in trouble willing and able to relieue you for if God be with you who can stand against you Why then are your hearts troubled as if he should haue said albeit I am to suffer death as man yet I will on the third day raise my selfe againe from the dead as God it is expeâ—hent for you that I dye for your sinnes and rise againe for your iustification and so prepare a place for you in my fathers house that where I am there you may be also mansionsâ— Saint Paul hauing at large disputed of the resurrection in his first Epistle to the Corinthians 15. Chapter prouing that the dead shall rise againe by manifest and manifold arguments taken out of the bookes as well of nature as of Scripture concludeth in fire therefore my beloued brethren 〈…〉 sumoutable 〈…〉 alwayes in the 〈◊〉 of the Lord for as much as we know that your labour is not in vaine So Christ in the Gospell vnto his â—ollowers In the 〈…〉 and all the wicked of the world â—all hate you for my names sake they shall scourge you in their Synagogues and persecute you from City to City not affording to much as an hole Wherein to rest your head in peace yet let not your hearts be troubled as long as in my fathers house there be mansions and I goe to prepare a place for you The Church militant on earth is often called in holy Scripture Gods house wherein he hath a great many mansions as dwelling in our hearts by faith and we likewise haue many places of preferment some being Apostles and some Prophets and some Euangelists and some Pastors and Teachers Ephes 4.11 It is true that God and we too dwell here but it is saith Iob in houses of clay whose foundation is in the dust or as Paul speakes in earthly tabernacles set vp to day and pulled downe to morrow non habemus hic manentem ciuitatem in this world we haue no continuing City For our kingdome which cannot be shaken Heb. 12.28 Our habitation which is euerlasting Luke 16.9 Our inheritance that fades not away 1. Pet. 1.4 Our dwelling place mentioned in our text by Christ is not made with hands but eternall in the heauens 2. Cor. 5.1 Our best houses on earth albeit neuer so gorgeous and neuer so glorious hauing if it be possible walles of gold and windowes of Saphire are not withstanding no better then Innes for strangers and pilgrimes 1. Pet. 2.11 Our mansions and places of abode for euer are in Hierusalem aboue which is without either death or danger Apocalyp 21.4 Wherefore seeing we beleeue in God and looke for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our Sauiour Christ who when he commeth againe shal reciue vs vnto himselfe that where he is in his fathers house there we may be also let vs say with Dauid â—â— by art thou so heauie O my soule and why art thou so disquieted within mee O put thy trust in God and hee shall one day satisfie thee with the plenteousnes of his house for there is not only roome for Christ in Gods house but also place for all his followers the mansions of heauen are many the least of all his souldiers if they fight a good fight and continue faithfull vnto death is rewarded with an incorruptible crowne of glory hauing for his inheritance no lesse then a whole kingdome Againe these mansions are many because the Saints in heauen haue diuerse degrees of glory So Paul 1. Cor. 15.41 There is another glory of the Sunne and another glory of the Moone and another glory of the Starres for one Starre differeth from another in glory so likewise in the resurrection of the dead A great vessell and a little dipped in the same well hold notwithstanding diuers measures according to their capacity so in Gods house euery chosen vessell of honour is filled vp to the brim with the water of life but the better hath vndoubtedly the bigger mansion he that held more charity here shall haue more clarity hereafter Yet as Au gustine notes vpon our text Non erit aliqua inuidra imparis claritatis quoniem regnab it in omnibus vnit as charitatis I goe to prepare a place for you It is said Matth. 25. 34. That the mansions in Gods house were prepared before the foundation of the world how then is it true that Christ at this time goeth to prepare a place Answere is made that the mansions indeed are prepared from all eternity but the men who shall inhabit them as yet were vnprepared It was expedient therefore that the redeemer of the world should die for their sinnes and rise againe for their iustification and ascend into heauen to take possession of this kingdome and to set open the doores of these prepared mansions vnto his followers as also to send vnto them a conforter and a conductor euen the spirit of truth who might leade them in the right way to this place So Saint Augustine acurely Parat quodammando mansiones mansionibus parands mansores Hee prepareth a place by making men sit for the place For election is in Christ and through Christ and so consequently none come to the Father but by the Sonne wee passe by the kingdome of grace to the kingdome of glory for without holinesse it is impossible to see God Touching other readings I referre you to lansen concord cap. 134. and Erasmus annot in loc Lord we know not whether thou goest S. Thomas and S. Philip were so good proficients in Christs schoole that their master in the former chapter at the 10. verse said of them and of the resâ— of their fellowes excepting Iudas the traitor ye are cleane and Saint Peter as the mouth of the company professed openly to whom shall we goe thou hast the words of eternall life and we beleeue and know that thou art the Christ the sonne of the liuing God And yet their faith in the houre of tentation as you see was so weake that Saint Thomas said Lord we know not whither thou goest And Saint Philip Lord shew vs thy Father and it sufficeth vs. Now these things
doth not only subsist in his diuine nature but also by his diuine nature whereas hee doth not subsist at all by the manhood but in the manhood onely for the word was in the beginning when the manhood was not God of the subâ—tance of his Father begotten before the worlds man of the substance of his mother borne in the world as Athanasius in his Creed And therefore Christ alway was is and euer will be with vs in his spirit though absent in his body for a cloud on this day tooke him vpon high out of our sight whom the heauens must containe till the time that all things bee restored which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy Prophets since the world began I conclude this argument in S. Augustines glosse Videte ascendentem credite in absentem sperate venientem sed tamen per misericordiam occultam etiam sentite praesentem The Gospell MARK 16.14 Iesus appeared vnto the eleuen as they sat at meate c. ALbeit religion be not tied vnto time yet can it not be planted or exercised without a due diuiding and allotting out of time for it Euery Church therefore chuseth vnto it selfe a certaine time for publike prayers and for the preaching of the Gospell and for the celebration of the Sacraments And for as much as it is kindly to consider euery great blessing of God in the day wherein it was wrought it is well ordered by the true Churches as well ancient as moderne to solemnize the memoriall of Christs natiuity circumcision passion resurrection assension and sending of the holy Ghost on certaine set holy daies euery yeere ne volumine temporum ingrata subrepat obliuio saith Augustine lest happily the maruelous workes of our gratious Lord should be forgotten in a while which ought to be had in a perpetuall remembrance Now Châ—ists assension is the consummation of all that which he did and taught whilest hee dwelt among vs aptly tearmed by Bernard Fâ—lix clausula totius lienerarâ— sily Dei the very Sabbath of all his labour in the working of our redemption He laboured six daies and then he rested on the seuenth His natiuity was the first his circumcision was the second his presentation in the Temple the third his baptisme the fourth his passion the fifth his resurrection the sixth and then followed his ascension in which hee was receiued into heauen and now sitteth at the right hand of God as hauing finished the whole worke for which hee came into the world Dauid saith of the naturall Sunne it reioyceth as a Grant to runne his course it goeth forth from the vtter most parts of the heauen and runneth about vnto the end of it againe and there is nothing hid from the heate thereof The which as Augustine and other haue noted may be well applied vnto the supernaturall Sunne Iesus Christ the sonne of righteousnesse As a Gâ—ant he did runne his course there you haue his incarnation and peregrination in the flesh his circuit was from the vttermost part of heauen vnto the end of it againe There you haue his resurrection and ascension nothing is hid from his beate there you haue his sending of the holy Ghost in the forme of fiery tongues Act. 2.3 As a Giant he ran his race for he first descended into the lowest parts of the earth and then ascended from aboue all heauens that he might fulfill all things Ephes. 4.9.10 Wherefore seeing Christs ascension is the complement of all his doings and of all his doctrines our Church is worthie to be honoured in making this festiuall one of the chiefe holidaies in the whole yeere In the Gospell allotted for this holy Thursday two points are most obseruable namely Christs goodnesse toward his Apostles in his Apparition Iesus appeared vnto the eleuen Correction and cast in their teeth c. Commission Goe ye into all the world c. Consolation These tokens shall follow c. Ascension So when the Lord had spoken vnto them hee was receiued into heauen c. The Apostles obedience toward Christ and they went forth and preached euery where c. Iesus appeared vnto the eleuen Hee had often appeared vnto his followers after his resurrection and now he manifested himselfe to the eleuen Apostles as they sat at meate Wherein hee did appeare like himselfe full of meekenesse and mercy giuing vs assurance that he will be present with vs orationi incumbentibus at our meetings in the Temple Quando nec recumbentibus quidem dedignatur adesse seeing he vouchsafed his companie to his Apostles in their meates at the table It is reported Luk. 24.43 that he did eate with them also now this comestion as the Schoolemen out of the Fathers haue disputed was not egestatis but potestatis He did eate to feed our soules and not to fill his owne bodie being after his resurrection immortall and impassible That which he did eate was not as Durandus imagined turned into the substance of his body for as Gregorie the great disputes out of S. Paul Rom. 6.9 Christ being raised from the dead dreth no more death hath no dominion ouer him his glorified body needed no sustenance to preserue life Neither was this eating as other thinke a seeming onely to take bread and fish and honie but it was a true comestion albeit assuredly there followed no digestion or ordinarie eiection And so by consequence he did not eate to nourish his owne flesh but onely to cherish our faith in that great article concerning the truth of his resurrection Or hee did in this appearing eate with his Apostles at the table familiarly that he might hereby the better imprint in their hearts a memoriall of his sweet loue toward them Or he did appeare to his Apostles at meate to signifie that he giueth our food in due season and that he filleth all things with his plenteousnesse Psal. 145.15 And cast in their teeth their vnbeleefe The Patriarks and Prophets and Apostles instruct vs not only by their vertues but also by their infirmities As there the Disciples vnbeleefe turned in fine to the confirmation of our Creed Dubitatum est ab illis ne dubitaretur à nobis vndoubtedly some did doubt the diuine prouidence sweetly so disposing that all other might bee put out of doubt And therefore Thomas in beleeuing Christs resurrection so flackly did vs hereby more good then Mary Magdalene in beleeuing so quickly because Christs correction of his fault occasioned further direction for our faith Infidelit as bona quae seculorum fidei militauit See Gospell on Saint Thomas day The world doth exalt first and then humble Prou. 14.13 The end of the worlds mirth is heauinesse But God on the contrary first humbleth and then exalteth As Christ here first humbled his Apostles in rebuking their vnbeleefe and hardnesse of heart and then he doth exalt them in making the whole