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
as Saint Hierome saith this their slander with a truth The like befell him in the case of the Adultresse when the Pharisees askt him If they should stone her or no to death according as the Law commanded whereunto he answered Let him that is without sinne cast the first stone it is but a slouerâ—ly tricke to go about with foule hands to make another bodie cleane Aristotle faith That the eyes haue no colour nature so holding it fit to the end they might the better receiue and discerne all other colours In like manner he that will reprehend other mens faults must himselfe be blamelesse Dauids sinne was knowne to all the world yet he made confession thereof onely vnto God Against thee onely haue I sinned c. because God onely had the power to punish him For he onely saith Saint Augustine doth iustly punish in whome there is not any thing to be found that deserueth punishment and that man is fit to reprehend another in whom nothing is to bee found worthie reprehension Those of Israell sallyed twice out against those of Beniamin desiring justice at Gods hands of that cruell sinne which they had committed but were both times ouercome Saint Gregorie saith That they went forth against them to reuenge Gods honour and the wrong that was done to their Neighbour but God did not giue them the victorie because they had an Idoll amongst them which they adored Now hee that will punish another mans sinnes must first purge himselfe of his owne sinnes The representing of mans owne sinnes to himselfe is a great Tapaboca or stop-game to play vpon other mens faults To that Sinner who vseth to cast his sins like a wallet ouer his shoulder God saith Statuam contra te faciem tuam I will make thee to see that which thou doost not see and I will bring those sinnes which thou hast throwne behind thy backe before thy face to the end that being ashamed of thyne owne doings thou maist not find fault with other mens actions Woe is me I am vndone saith Esay because I am a man of polluted lips The Prophet had seene God in a Throne of great and wonderfull Maiestie and hee would haue published and proclaimed the same to all the World but hee sayth That he durst not presume to do it because his lips were polluted The Chaldae word is Grauis ore My lips are of too heauie a dulnesse for such high Misteries The seuentie Interpreters render it Vae mihi doleo compunctus My sinnes stop my mouth when I consider myne owne life I dare not question another mans The Pharisee censured Marie Magdalen to be a Sinner and our Sauiour Christ to be no Prophet but our Sauiour setâ—ing before him a reconuention of many grieuous sinnes he left him amased and ashamed God tooke away the poore innocent babe which Dauid had by Beersheba pretending therein according to Theodoret to burie this his sinne vnder ground because he beeing appointed by God to punish Adultrers Murdrers they might not tit him in the teeth say vnto him And why doe you the like Saint Paul askes the question Is God then vniust And he answers thereunto God forbid else How shall God iudge the world If thou shouldest aske a Phylosopher Whither it were possible for God to sinne He would answer It is not possible because he is Causa prima norma vniuersalis The prime cause and vniuersall rule But Saint Pauls answer is That it is not possible that God should sinne because he could not then conueniently gouerne the world For he can hardly reforme sinne in another man who had need to reforme what is amisse in himselfe Three Kings did conspire against the king of Moab they besieged his Citie and he seeing himselfe in a desperate taking tooke his eldest sonne that should haue raigned in his stead and offered him for a burnt offering vpon the wall Cajetan saith That this Sacrifice was not done to the God of Israell as some haue imagined but to those Idols which that King did worship and that after this so cruell an act there insued so great a plague in the Israelites Campe that they were forced to raise the siege Facta est indignatio magna in Israel The Hebrew hath it Ira magna The Vulgar renders it Israel was sore grieued and departed from him and returned to their Countrie but the wrath of God entred into their Armie for that they had sacrificed their sonnes daughters to Deuils according to that of Dauid Sacrificauerunt filios filias suas daemonio By whose example the King of Moab learned to offer this kind of sacrifice and God was highly offended with them for it and therefore would not suffer such as had playd the Idolaters in sacrificing their children to take away the KingdoÌ„s of other Idolaters who perhaps were lesse faulty than themselues Alexander layingit to a Pyrats charge that with two ships he had robbed at sea hee returned him this answere Thou rob'st all the World and no man sayes any thing vnto thee and I who to picke out a poore liuing put foorth to sea but with two poore little barkes must haue theft and pyracie layd to my charge The like answere did a Bishop make to Pope Gregorie the second when hee kept his Sea at Auignon Who giuing him a shrewd checke for that he did not reside in his Bishopricke he told him It is now full three score and ten yeares that the Popes Sea hath beene kept out of Rome and your Holinesse now reprehends me for liuing but three dayes from my Bishopricke To this purpose sutes that answere which Vriah gaue to King Dauid This valiant Captaine tooke vp his lodging and layd himselfe downe to sleepe in the porch of the Kings pallace And the King asking him why he did not goe home to inioy the ease and pleasure of his owne bed He made him this answere The Arke of God dwelleth in Tents and my Lord Ioab Generall of your Army and the seruants of my lord abide in the open fields shall I then beeing but an ordinarie souldier goe into my house to eate and drinke and lye with my wife By thy life and by the life of thy soule I will not doe this thing This was a seuere reprehension in Vriah to his soueraigne For if a subiect shall out of such honest respects refraine from going home to his owne house much more ought the King to haue abstained from lying with another mans wife Nor is that Historie of Iudas much amisse who being Gouernor of the people and finding Thamar great with child would needs execute that law against her of adulterous women But Thamar proued That he that was to iudge others should not himselfe be a delinquent Now wee come to the last reason of this our Sauiours sharpe and quicke answere vnto them There were two Truths prophecied of our Sauiour Christ The one his Meekenesse and Gentlenesse And of
arguments as well against the substance of this Law as against the manner of complying with it that there will be necessarily required great fauour and assistance from Heauen for to make any setled and ful resolution amongst so many sundrie and diuers distractions But in conclusion it is the best and the safest councell to adhere to that which is the surest and not to make any reckoning of that course which is now a dayes held in the World not of that which is in vse but that which ought to bee vsed not so much the practise of the Law as of Religion For if the abuses of the world and traditions of men were to tontiâ—ue in force by pleading of custome by that means made iustifiable they would giue the checkmate stand in competitioÌ„ with the laws of God S. Paul saith writing to the Colossians Let your speech be gratious alwayes and poudred with salt that yee may know how to answer euerie man And S. Ambrose expounding this place saith That the Apostle begs grace of God that he might know how to speake with discretion when time place and occasion shall oblige him thereunto As also when vpon the same termes to hold his peace And this is that which I now desire of God If thy brother shall trespasse against thee Here sinne is put downe in the condition of this obligation For it is a kind of monstrousnesse which wee neuer or seldome ought to see Wee stiling that a monster which comes foorth into the world against the Lawes of Nature And in this sence sinne may be sayd to bee a monster because it is against the Lawes of God Ecclesiasticus sayth That God did not wil any man to sinne nor did allow him any time wherein to sinne but alotted him a life and place wherein to serue him and a time to returne vnto him and to repent as oft as hee should offend his diuine Maiestie but to sinne he neuer gaue him the least leaue in the world Dedit ei locum poenitentia He gaue him a place for repentance sayth the Apostle Saint Paul so likewise sayth Iob. And therefore God hauing made the Heauen the Earth and al that therein is he did not then presently make Hell For if Man had not sinned there had bin no neede of it For where no faults are committed a prison is needlesse The Prophet Esay was verie earnest with God that hee would come downe vpon Earth Oh that thou wouldst breake the Heauens and come downe and that the Mâ—â—â—taines might melt at thy presence c. Hee alludeth to that Historie of Mount Sinay where God descended to giue the Law vnto his people with thundering lightening and fire wherewith he strucke such a feare and terrour into them that the people had great reuerence to the Law And therefore this holy Prophet sayth What would they doe if thou shouldest once againe come amongst them A facie tua montes fluerent The proudest of them all would let fall their plumes and humble themselues at thy feete which are here represented in the word Montes or mountaines And those soules which are now frozen and as cold as yce figured in the word Aquae or waters would gather heat and be set on fire With this desire did the sonne of God descend from the bosome of his father but he bringing that humilitie with him that was able to make the highest mountaines to stoope and to bring downe the proudest heart and fire for to burne and dry vp many waters yet mens brests waxed colder and colder and their soules were more and more swolne with pride The Glorious Apostle Saint Paul writing to the Romans That God made his Sonne our propitiation Whome God hath set foorth to bee a reconciliation through faith in his bloud to declare his righteousnesse by the forgiuenes of the sinnes that are passed c. He did exercise vpon his sonne the seuerest Iustice that euer was or shall be seene againe for the remission of precedent sinnes To the end that Man considering how deere our former wickednesse and forepassed sinnes cost our Sauiour Man should be so affraid of offending that hee should neuer returne to sinne any more Some may happily aske me the question Why the death and passion of our Sauiour beeing so powerfull and effectuall a remedie against all kind of vices whatsoeuer yet sinne still reigneth so much in the World as neuer more Wherunto I answere That vpon the Crosse our Sauiour Christ gaue sentence against all whatsoeuer both present past and those that were to come And depriued the Prince of the World of that Seigniorie which he possessed so that all of them were to suffer death and to haue an end But they did appeale from this sentence of death to the Tribunall of our passions And for that they are such interressed such blind Iudges they haue set these our Vices againe at libertie giuing them licence to worke vs as much if not more harme than they did before So that Gods sending of his sonne into the World and his suffering death for our sinnes did not generally banish all vice but did serue rather to some for their greater condemnation If thy brother shall trespasse In te against thee Saint Augustine expoundeth this In te to be contra te and in this sence it ought to be taken for it is the expresse letter of the former Texts as also of those that follow and generally agreed vpon by all the Doctors The Interlinearie hath it Si te contumelia affecerit Saint Peter anon after askes our Sauiour How oft shall my brother sinne against mee and I shall forgiue him Whereupon Theophilact taking hold of this word Contra me notes That if his brother should sinne against God hee could hardly forgiue him Saint Luke deliuers the same much more plainly and cleerely If thy brother haue trespassed against thee rebuke him if hee repent forgiue him If hee offend thee seuen times a day and seuen times a day shall turne vnto thee forgiue him Hugo Cardinalis hath obserued That if the word In te be the ablatiue case then it is the same with Coram te but if it be the accusatiue then it is all one with Contra te and the Greeke doth admit of no Ablatiues In Leuiticus God had said long before Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thy heart but reprooue him And vpon a second admonition Take vnto thee two witnesses and tell it to the Church Manle doe concur and runne along with this sence no difficultie in the world interposing it selfe The second sence which Saint Augustine also treateth of in the same place is If he shall trespasse against thee that is before thee This opinion Thomas followeth and the greater and better part of the Schoolemen howbeit there are great arguments and strong reasons to the contrarie and many graue Authours to whom this sence doth not seeme so plaine as to ground thereupon any diuine
multâ—tude of sinnes And in Leuiticus it is set downe as a Precept belonging to the Law of Nature Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thy heart but thou shalt plainly rebuke thy Neighbour and suffer him not to sinne God hath giuen euerie man a charge concerning hâ—s Neighbour â—s we said before Saint Paul drawes his comparison from the members of the bodie which by the Law of Nature are bound reciprocally to succour one another in case of necessitie And Augustine takes his from the thorne which paining the foot carries after it the eyes eares and hands all the members of the bodie naturally inclining to the repairing of that hurt Another naturall reason which your holy Fathers learned Doctors and great Phylosophers render is That hee that can if he will hinder or put by a hurt that is readie to fall vpon his brother and doth it not is condemned to bee himselfe the hurter and harmer of him Thy poore neighbor is readie to starue and perish through hunger thou beeing able to relieue doost not doe it hee dies thou art his Deaths-man thou art the murtherer of this thy brother Si non panisti â—ccidisti saith Saint Ambrose Thy brother is sinking readie to be drowned thou mayst saue him by reaching out thy hand vnto him thou deniest him thy helpe it is thou that drownest him Thy Neighbors house is on fire it is in thy power to quench it thou wilt not doe it it is thou that hast burnt his house Tell but a Blasphemer a Drunkard or any other lewd liuer of his faults though neuer so fairely neuer so mild and gently he will begin to swagger with you and aske you Who made you sir a Iustice of Peace meddle with that which you haue to doe withall you take more paines than you haue thankes for your labour But hereunto thou or any man else that is thus charitably minded may make them this answer I haue complyed with myne obligation I am a Christian and am bound iâ— charitie and brotherhood to tell you friendly my mind and I can bee but sorie that my councell cannot preuaile with you this I am tyed vnto by the Law of God and of Nature And this position wants no proofes The necessarie circumstances of this precept are many The first is That the sinne which is to be corrected and reprooued by vs bee certaine and well knowne vnto vs and this is prooued out of this word Si pâ—â—cauerit If he shall trespasse c. as it is well obserued by Thomas Wee must not find fault vpon a bare suspition or presumption but must haue a good ground for our reproofe and go vpon an assured knowledge To goe about to pull out a sound tooth and with a sharpe inâ—trument to open the gummes it cannot chuse but be a great torment vnto him that without iust cause is thus cut and lanced No lesse grieuous and paineful is it to hunt after wickednesse in the house of the Iust or as Salomon saith to be a witnesse against thy Neighbor without a cause Many men are like vnto your Ferrets or your Bloud-hounds they go nosing and hunting after faults in other mens grounds and as Iob saith in another place When there is peace they are iealous of treason Of which kind of men Saint Austeâ— saith That prying into other mens faults they doe not looke into their owne And therefore thou oughtest not to be so busie in reprehending what is amisse in thy brother as inquisitiue in correcting thyne owne errours And therefore Saint Bernard giues vs this Item Tam diu quisque sua peccata ignorat quam diu alâ—â—na explorat See how long a man is searching into other mens sins so long is he ignorant of his owne This is the condition of ill natured men and such as complaine of the times and of Fortune The lesse fortunate things goe with vs the more suspitious wee be saith Tacitus And this is a Fate that followes base and abiect minds and therefore the Vulgar neuer put a bridle vpon their jealousies In a word this is a hard course that they take and in all sorts of men blame-worthie but most in those that haue most power for albeit by their place and office they haue freer libertie to inquire yet when their wits are thus a wooll-gathering they shamefully vse to erre qualifying euill for good and good for euill And if mens iudgements grounded vpon good probabilities and faire apparances proue many times false and therefore haue this caueat giuen vs by Christ Nolite sâ—cundum faciem iudicare Iudge not according to the face suspitions will hardly fall out to be true There are some things so notoriously bad that it were foolishnes to think them to be good othersome whom the intention makes to be good or bad but are not so in themselues The Good take these in good part leauing the true iudgement thereof vnto God as Saint Augustine hath noted and the Bad in bad part Mala mens malus animus A good Soule hath good thoughts but a bad Soule bad imaginations idle suspitions and needlesse jealousies wait vpon them Saint Augustine and Saint Hierome are both of opinion That he that suspects ill of others cannot possibly liue well himselfe Dauid desired of God That he would iudge him According to the iudgement of those that loue thy Name and take all things in good part And Saint Iames whispers in thyne eare Wâ—â— art thou that iudgest another man Hee treats there of those that iudge the secret intentions of the heart none but God hauing such iurisdiction ouer it If thy brother fall saith he his sinne is not layd to thy charge and if hee rise againe it is not put to thy reckoning he that now stands may fall and hee that is fallen may rise againe That man from whom we expect least may be a Saint and that man from whom we expect most may be a Sinner for neither is our loue certaine nor our feare secured In Leuiticus God hath commanded That none should serue in his Sanctuarie or presse to offer the bread of his God hauing either too long or too short a nose or a nose that stood awrie Where that nose is taken to be somewhat of the longest which goes nosing and senting after other mens liues and actions and that of the shortest which quickely takes snuffe and frets and fumes at the wagging of a Feather and that to bee crooked which wrests things indifferent and to the worser part And therefore God sayde by Ezechiel That he would cut off the noses and eares of his People and lay his indignation vpon them and deale cruelly with them The second circumstance is That the sinne which wee find fault withall bee grieuous for though light sinnes as Origen hath noted it deserue correction yet we haue not so precise an obligation for the reproouing of them as those that are more heinous In this circumstance sute your
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
preach in the habit of a religious Frier verie deuoutly appearing as an Angell of Light persuading the People to repentance and communicating great comfort vnto them but in the end all his Sermons haue ended in melancholly passions For the Deuills Reuelations runne a contrarie course to Gods for these although they somewhat trouble vs at the beginning yet they end euermore in peace and comfort but those of the Deuill though they begin in joy yet they end in sorrow Si filius Dei es dic vt lapides isti panes fiant If thou be the Sonne of God command that these stones be made bread The first passage of this temptation was the Deuills seeming-pittie and compassion of the great hunger that our Sauiour suffered I was present at thy Baptisme and at that applause which Heauen did then giue thee but now I see how weake and wanne thou art growne through thy too much fasting which makes mee to doubt that thou art not the Sonne of God The Deuill is a great prouoker to Gluttonie he doth solicite the pampering of the flesh hee proposeth the gripings of the stomacke and the aking of the head through too much fasting but all at the soules cost Inimico non credas in aternum i. Beleeue not thy enemie at all Which phrase of speech is principally to be vnderstood of the Deuill for hee neuer offers thee his seruice but to thy hurt Saint Gregorie makes this note That the Deuill taking from Iob his children his houses his heards of cattell and his flockes of Sheepe and in a word all the good things that hee had yet hee left him his wife but onely that she might doe the Deuill seruice Calidè cuncta diripuit calidius adjutricem reserâ—auit It was his cunning to take away all but it was a greater pâ—â—ce of cunning to leaue him his Helpe The Deuill did not doe this out of forgetfulnesse nor carelesnesse nor out of any desire that hee had to leaue Iob any comfort at all for he did not wish him so much good but that hee hoped shee would be a meanes to mooue him to impatiencie and to driue him to despaire True it is that all his fauours tend to make the way easie but at your cost to bring vs to Hell Hee offered our Sauiour bread of stones but on condition that he himselfe must take the paines to mold it Attende tibi à pestifero fabricâ—â— enim malum Beware of a wicked man for c. Si filius es Dei dic c. If thou be the Sonne of God If thou art the Sonne of God command as a God Thy Dicere is Facere Dic vt sedeant c. Some graue Doctors are of opinion that this was the sinne of Moses when hee drew water from out the Rocke and not his want of Faith as some other would enforce For Infide â—enitate sanctum fecit illum but his attributing of this miracle to himselfe which was only Gods doing Aâ—dite rebelles Nunquid pâ—terimus de petra educere vâ—bis aquam Heare yee rebellious Can we drâ—w water for you out of the Rocke Can Aaron and I c. This incredulous people said Nunquid poterit Dâ—us parare mensam in deserto i. Can God prepare a Table in the Desert But Moses speaketh in his owne and his brothers name Nunquid poterimus Can we c. Command that these stones Thy Father calls thee Sonne and yet reduceth thee to that miserie that to keepe thy selfe from staruing hee driues thee to that necessitie that thou must of force he compelled to make these stones bread This difference is there betwixt the Sinner and the Righteous That the Deuill persuades the Sinner that hee may make bread of stones â—nd Iudas that hee may make money of Christ But the Righteous will rather die for hunger beeing well assured that God euen in this his hunger is able to sustaine him Command that these stones The Deuill tempts him with stones with such things wherein are scarce to be found any signe of danger For hee alwaies holdeth the victorie to bee so much the more glorious by how much the lesser is the occasion whereby he winnes it Lot flies out of Sodome in the companie of his daughters and hauing escaped that fearefull fire the Deuil tempts the father by his daughters whose raging lust neither the fearefull example of their mother whom their eyes had so lately seene turned into a Piller of Salt nor the Lawes of Reason nor of Nature could once bridle or restraine But you will say they were women and what will not a woman doe to satisfie her longing but that Lot should consent to so vnlawfull an act beeing a man nay and so just a man as the Scripture commends him to be it seemeth somewhat strange Alas good old man his daughters had made him drunke and being so wearie and heauie hearted as hee was to see the lamentable destruction of Sodome it was not much that he should drinke being importuned thereunto they that could not find any water when hee called for it could make a shift to fetch him wine In all that fortie yeares peregrination of the children of Israell we do not read that euer God gaue them wine Twice did he giue them water out of the rocke and twelue Fountaines in Helim hee gaue them likewise Manna and Quailes but not a drop of wine that they saw till they came to the Land of Promise And surely this was thus ordered by the Councell of Heauen for if hauing but water they mutined so often what would they haue done had they had wine When Abraham did thrust the bondwoman out of doores he furnished her with bread and water and Procopius saith That he would not giue her any wine for Agar signifies SuenÌ„a-fiestas A Feast-dreamer And this holy Father would not by giuing her wine encrease the occasion seeing shee dreamed thereon when shee dranke but water But to returne to our purpose Lots daughters tempted their father there beeing in the caue wherin he was no other either possible or imaginable occasion To him that is desperatly minded though ye put away from him and remooue out of his reach all manneâ— of halters and cords for feare hee should hang himselfe therewith yet if he be set vpon it he wil make shift with a garter a hat-band a girdle or some one thing or other to worke his owne destruction If thou be the Sonne of God It was a bold dis-respect of Satans and a presumptuous part in him that hee should make any the least doubt that Christ was the Sonne of God but farre greater impudencie that hee should dare in tempting him to tel him All the world shal be thine if thou wilt but fall down worship me King Ahabs Captaine came to the foot of the Mountaine where Elias then remained and said vnto him Come downe thou Seruant of God for the King hath sent me for thee If I am said
them that this Tempest was miraculous Gods prouidence had before hand prouided a Whale readie to receiue Ionas and when as he thought he should haue beene swallowed vp in the Deepe and that the waters should enter into his soule crying out in his meditations Pelagus â—peruit me vestes terrâ— concluserunt me The â—â—ouds compassed mee about all thy surges and all thy waues passed ouer me c. Then did the Whale open his mouth then when in his affliction he cried vnto the Lord I am cast away out of thy sight the waters compassed me about vnto the soule the depth closed mee round about and the weeds were wrapped about my head then euen then did the Whale open his mouth and swallowing him vp whole into his bellie defended him from the jawes of death Ionas being herein like vnto a delinquent whom the Gaoler takes into his custodie to secure his person Iob saith That God hath girt in the sea on the one side with mountaines and valleys Circumdedit illud terminis suis and on the other side with sand Posuit arenam terminum Maris And as Ionas was shut vp in the Whales bellie as in a prison so was the Whale inclosed in that prison of the Sea Nunquid Mare ego sum aut Caete Am I a Sea or a Whale fish that thou keepest mee in ward Now if God had both before and behind on this side and that side pitcht so many nets for Ionas hee could verâ—e hardly escape him his flying could not saue him but in this Whales maw contrarie to all the lawes of Nature God maintaines and preserues his life If the stomacke of a Whale will digest an anchor of Yron as Tertullian tells vs it must then of force consume Ionas and if instead of aire he drawes in water he must necessarily be choaked But he that deliuered Daniel from the hungrie mouths of Lyons and those three children from the flames of the firie Furnace it is not much that hee should conserue Ionas in the deepest and darkest dungeon that euer liuing man was clapt vp in The wonder was that though himself were prisoner yet he had left vnto him so free an vnderstanding that hee was able to make so elegant an oration to God out of so foule a Pulpit The Prophet did dwell vpon this great miracle which God had vsed towards him and did recouer so much strength and confidence that he stucke not to say Rursus videbo templum sanctum tuum Yet will I looke againe toward thy holy temple I liue in good hope not onely to see my selfe freed out of this loathsome Gaole but to humble my selfe on my knee in thy holy Temple giuing thee thankes for the great mercie and fauour which thou hast shewed towards me For the present I will make this sluttish corner my Oratorie assuring my selfe that from thence my prayers shall be acceptable vnto thee who like some great Prince or Monarch of the world is respected in any place whatsoeuer of thy jurisdiction so that there is no doubt that any thy poorest vassall whatsoeuer may bee heard by thee The Children of Babylon were heard from the Furnace Daniel from the Lyons Den Iob from the Dunghill Dauid from amiddest the Thornes and Bushes And so I make no question but I shall be from the bowells of this Beast In omni loco dominationis eius benedic anima mea Domino O my soule blesse the Lord in euerie place of his power These three dayes Ionas spent in prayer at the end whereof God commanded the Whale to cast out Ionas vpon the Coast of Niniuy And the Whale obaying his Empire crost the Seas many Leagues and there threw the Prophet forth vpon drie Land though full of froathie slime and vnctuous stuffe free from the horror of that deepe and darkesome dungeon From hence did the Gentiles faigne those their fabulous tales of Hercules beeing swallowed vp by another Whale of Arion playing on his harpe riding on the backe of a Dolphine For as it is noted by Clemens Alexandrinus and Saint Basil the Heathen Philosophers did steale these truths from vs founding thereupon their falshoods And giuing credit to their lyes they did not beleeue our truths Many of the Niniuites comming downe to the shoare-side were strucken with admiration to see such a monstrous strange prodigious man and the fame thereof flying to the Citie before they were affrighted with the sad news that hee brought they stood astonished at the strangenesse of the case which questionlesse was a great cause that they did afterwards harken vnto him and giue creditto what he said In the end taking this for his Theame Adhuc quadraginta dies Niniue sâ—â—uertetur â—et forty dayes and Niniuie shall bee ouerthrowne Not threatning onely the ruine of the Citie but also of the Towers Walls Pallaces Citizens Children Women and Old men euen to the very beasts of the field so great was the feare that entred into all their breasts that without any further Miracles laying their beleefe vpon the Prophet they presently gaue beginning to that their great repentance which was the strangest that euer was yet heard of The King layd aside his purple roabes and his rich and costly clothes the throan of his Greatnesse Maiestie and couered himselfe with sacke-cloth and â—ate in ashes causing his clothes of State to bee pulled downe his walls of his pallace to be left naked of their hangings of cloth of Gold and other peeces of Arras beeing no lesse curious than glorious For Sardanapalus was one of the loosest and most licentious men that hee had not his like in all the World The like did all the great Officers of his Pallace the Princes and Wealthyest men of his Citie as also all the faire and beautifull Ladies And there was a Proclamation presently made through all Niniuie by the Councell of the King and his Nobles with expresse charge That neither man nor beast bullocke nor sheep should tast any thing neither feed nor drinke water but that man and beast should put on sack-cloth and cry mightily vnto God To the end that the bellowing of their bulls the bleating of their sheepe goats the howling of their dogs the teares of their children the sighes lamentations of their mothers might mooue Heauen to take pitie of them And aboue all they did cry out most grieuously for their sinnes For albeit they are offences towards God yet are they miseries vnto man and as quatenus peccata so farre foorth as they are sinnes they prouoke and stirre vp Gods Iustice against vs So quatenus they are miseriae as they are miseries vnto vs they incline and mooue our good God to take mercie compassion of vs. The same reason which wrought God to destroy the World the same likewise mooued him neuer to destroy it more Cogitatio hominis prona est ad malum Mans thoughts are proâ—e vnto euill One while hee considers it as an offence vnto
Augustine saith That this Conuersion was an especiall Myracle of Christs affronts and wounds He deliuered vp himselfe to the shame and reproch of the Crosse that he might glorifie this theefe That he might saue a theefe was the intent of his dying betweene two theeues And in another place he saith That he was nayled on the Crosse and suffered his blood to be shed that he might cleanse a will that was growne so aged and foule with sinne Thomas saith That it is Gods great mercie that those that are growne old in their sinnes should be saued For hauing by ill and long custome their taste so quite marred and spoyled they abhor that which should giue them health and dye in the end by the hands of their owne foolish longings On their graues that died by the fire of Gods wrath whilest the flesh of their quayles was yet betweene their teeth this Epitaph was put Sepulchra concupiscentiae For commonly these their masters and their delights are both buryed together And therefore S. Paul saith Now these are ensamples to vs to the intent that we should not lust after euill things as they also lusted The truth is alwayes answerable to the figure and if you prolong your longings as they did in your life time your death like theirs will be likewise bad Saint Bernard treating vpon that place of Saint Matthew The axe is now put to the root of the tree saith That the tree doth for the most part fall to that side whereunto the weight of it's boughs causeth it to incline and that our lustfull longings and desires are the boughs of this tree inclining the contrary way And therefore if a mans whole life shall leane wholly vnto sinne and incline it selfe to wickednesse it must be Gods exceeding great mercie if it fall at last vnto Grace Gods mercy was also the more in regard of this theeues blaspheming of him The theeues likewise reuiled him Saint Augustine Epiphanius Anselme Saint Ierome Saint Ambrose and Beda saith That the plurall number is put here for the singular and that onely one thiefe did blaspheme by the figure Synedoche or Analogia as it seemeth to Saint Augustine which according to Saint Ierome is a figure frequently vsed in Scripture Saint Luke saith That the souldiers gaue our Sauiour vinegre to drinke whereas the rest of the Euangelists speake onely of one Of the calfe Exodus saith These ô Israel are thy Gods Nebuchadnezzar said to the three children Sydrach Misech and Abednego speaking of the Statue of gold Ye will not worship our Gods Dauid treating of Herod and Pilat as appeareth by that of the Acts saith The Kings of the earth band themselues and the Princes are assembled together against the Lord and against his Christ. Saint Paul in his Catalogue which he makes of the Saints saith They stopped the mouths of Lyons Daniel being the onely man that did it so Secti sunt When it was onely Esayas that was sawne asunder Againe Circuierunt me loris which had onely reference to Elias And it is a very vsuall phrase both in the Latine and the Spanish tongue to say Alexandros Annibales Scipiones c. And a maine argument hereof is that sharpe and seuere reprehension wherewith hee rebuked his companion that blasphemed Christ saying vnto him Fearest thou not God seeing thou art in the same condemnation Who if he had blasphemed our Sauiour would neuer haue so roundly reprooued him Of a contrary opinion to this is Saint Ierome Saint Chrysostome Cyril Hilary Thomas Origen Theophilact Euthimius Saint Ambrose and Saint Marke and Saint Matthew seeme to expresse as much in plaine termes but be it in that sence that they would haue it it is but so much the more indeering of Gods mercie who also hath compassion euen of the beasts of the field According to that which Esay prophesied The wild beasts shall honour me the Dragons and the Ostriches because I gaue water in the desert and flouds in the wildernesse to giue drinke to my people euen to mine elect as if he should haue said It is not much that the starres of heauen should praise me or the Quire of Angels or the children of God which are captiuated by their knowledge of me the benefits that I haue heaped vpon them But that a theefe a villaine one that was bred vp in bushes and lay lurking to doe mischiefe in the thickest of the woods and in mountainous places that such a one should praise and magnifie my name it must haue an Epithite beyond more than much Lastly The diuine prouidenc◠shew'd it selfe in hauing hid and laid vp such it's treasures in a theefe Hast thou entred into the treasure of the snow or hast thou seene the treasures of the hayle which I haue hid against the time of trouble c. In the frozen brest of a sinner and in those stormes of our sinnes as thicke and as hard as hayle God hath hidden and stored vp as Saint Gregorie saith against the day of trouble the great and rich treasures of his grace There were two theeues crucified with him one on the right hand and the other on the left The doubt which in this storie doth most grauell mens thought is That of two theeues which were crucified on either side of our Sauior the one should be saued and the other damned S. Aug. renders two reasons thereof And first of all we are to suppose that there it not any cause of predestination Before that they had done either good or euill I loued Iacob and hated Esau So saith Saint Paul And in another place Hath not the Potter power out of the same masse or lumpe to make one vessell for honour and another for dishonor Some for to serue in the kitchin and some to set vpon the table The iudgements of God are secret which wee must rather reuerence than inquire into crying out with the same Apostle O altitudo aiuitiarum c. Secondly it is to be supposed that of our vocation to faith there is likewise no cause giuen And therefore in this point we must take Saint Augustine along with vs who saith Quare hunc trahat hunc non trahat id est Ad fidem noli iudicare si non vis errare Iudge not why he drawes this man to Faith and not that And here Saint Augustine brings in the example of Pharaoh and Nebuchadnezzar whom God sought to draw vnto him with one and the selfe-same kind of force and violence But the one did follow him that lent him his hand to direct him and the other refused to be guided by him They were both men according to nature both Kings according to their dignitie both had sinned alike Quoad culpam for they had made Gods people slaues and vsed them very ill and hardly and quoad poenam they were both of them punished with stripes from heauen The warning was alike to both but how then comes it to passe That the
They that liue in hardnes of hart are iustly suffered to dye in it Ephes. 4. Aug. Tractat. 31. in Ioan. The excuses of the flesh agaÌ„st this louing of our enemies and their confutation Mathew 16. Mathew 19. Amb. lib. 2 in Luc. Luke 6. To be first in forgiuing is the greatest honour The true child of God thinks it no hard precept to loue hiâ— enemies 1. Cor. 18. The disciples weaknes of Faith The Society of Women though deuout is dangerous Eccl. 24. Eccl. 1. Eccl. 7.16 Basil. Hom. 7. in â—â—am Clem. lib. 1. 〈◊〉 Aâ—aâ— 14. Nazianz. tract de vita 〈◊〉 neâ—â—bus Oâ—at Sap. 14. 1. Reg. 20. Psal. 46.2 Psal. 104.25 Psal. 114.3 Esay 11..15 Iob. 7.12 Prou. 16. Iob. 1â— The Church why likened to a Rocke The greatest persecution of the Church is to want persecution Leo. papa ser. 1. de pet Paul Basil. Esay 5. Crys Psal. 71. Aug. lib. 1. de Ciuit. cap. 8. Seneca lib. quare bonis viris cap. 5. Gods Eyes how to be drawn vnto vs. Esay 43. Sap. 10. Psal. 28. 1. Reg. 27. Esay 52. Abacâ—â— 2. vide cap. de reserâ—cum sero esset Rom. 5. Cor. 17. The excellencie of Patience Greg. hom â—0 in Euang. Chryst. hom 55. in Math. He delights to see his children wrestling with affliction Seneca lib. quare viris cap. 2. Men feare not the sinne but the suffering for sinne The description of Christs Combat with the Deuill (1.) Our Sauiors main end in fighting with the Deuil was to sanctifie our temptations (2.) To free the world from feare A description of the Deuill The maine thing in a Generall is to fâ—ee his soldiers from feare 3. Reg. 4. The Negro's of all nations the most cowardly why (3) To exemplifie his own loue (4.) That we may haue an example to follow Psal. 96. Iob 1. Gods protection a safegard God in a particular maner the God of the faithfull Why God in his prouideÌ„ce ordained a continuall war betwixt Man and the Deuill Temporall victories gotten by fighting Sprituall by flying Psal. 54. Mat. 28. Though wee ought to suffer for Christs sake wee should not yet seeke it Heb. 12. Our Sauiour could not be tempted either by the World or the Flesh. Our Sauiours Fast how differing from that of Moses and Elias Why our Sauiour would bee hungerie Motiues to induce vs to Fasting Ezech. 4. v. 1. The Deuills trade onely to doe Euill His diligence in following it Ephes. 6.12 Virgil. Eâ—e Why the Deuill appeared to Eue in the forme of a Serpent Iob 38.24 He hath a Hooke for euery humor The Deuill a great prouoker to Gluttonie and why Eccle. 11.33 Why God allowed the Israelites no Wine till they came into the land of Promise His malice oftentimes out-runs his wit Miracles why ordained and not now in vse Gods friendship to be preferred before the greatest plenty The more wealth the more woe God makes the Deuils practises the preseruatiues of his Seruants Iob 40. The Deuill was euer a false interpreter of the Scripture The Deuill hath 3. Ginns to intrap man sutableto his three Ages Ambition such a temptation as few are able to withstand Imaginarie things worke more vpon man than reall Why. Two kindes of temptation The Deuill alwayes as busie as a flie in haruest Prou. 11. True Loue neuer without feare The coÌ„ming of Christ to Iudgement Act. â— No smal comfort that Christ shal be our Iudge Againe no small terrour Two properties of a Iudge Iob. 9. v. 24. Luke 9. v. 26. The maiestie of Christ at his comming to iudgemeÌ„t Zach. 14. Esay 33. Eccle. 24. Exod. 1â— Psal. 70. Psal. 98. All shall appeare in iudgement 2. Cor. 5.10 Ezech. â— Abac. 3. 2. Tim. 4. Rom. 2. Apoc. 6. Ezech. 36. Rom. 13. Iames. 2. Tob. 4. A difference of punishment according to the difference of Sinnes Zachar. 12. Esay 28. Psal. 93. Ezech. 12. Prou. 19. Iustification a greater worke than Creation Hag. 1. The greatnes of the Iewish Sacrifices Hierem. 4. Gods maiesty not to bee described Iob. 11. Iohn 5. Whether better a publick life or a priuate Iob 10.18.19 Deut. 18. Merâ—â—e and Iustice the two Poles of Gods gouernment Psâ—al 32. Gods punishment different from those of Earthly Princes Esay 56. Abac. 3. Iob. 25. Vice euer afraid of Vertue Gen. 45. Iob 24. Acts. 9. Acts 13. The Austeritie and Hypocrisie of the Scribes Deut. 6. The wicked behauiour of the Pharises towards Christ. Reasons why our Sauiour thus answered the Pharises The benefits in hauing Christ our maister Esay 30. Sap. 8. Ioel 2. Mat. 22. Luke 18. Luke 20. Scorning a Vice peculiar to the Iewes Ose 14. Lament 3. Acts 1. Eccle. 2. Eccle. 2. The hardnes of a sinfull Heart Hagi â— Mat. 26. Iohn 6. Not more pernicious to himselfe Iohn 5. Deut. 21. Nothing more profitable to Man than the obeying of Gods Will. Coloss. 1. Hypocrites great fauorers of Miracles Esay 8. Rom. 2 The nature of Christs Miracles The difference betwixt Christs miracles and the Deuills (1.) Those of Christ aime at our Good Mans wantounesse in matter of Religion (2.) They are done imparitiuely and with a kind of empire and coÌ„mand Why miracles should be desired More frequent in the time of Grace than vnder the Law Marke 8. Luke 23. 1. Kings 6. Acts 17. Curious hearers reproued Sermons should be seasoned more with Salt than Sugar Cant. 6. The Nature of Enuie Pâ—al 33. 3. Kâ—ngs 2. Esay 2. Esay 1. Mat 3. Acts 7. Psal. 78. Esay 1. Ezech. 16. Vertue is not Hereditarie Psal. 99. Psal. 49. Psal. 143. Mat. 3. Osâ— 2. Ezech. 16. Ier. 3. Esay â—7 Sin vndermineth the Soule by degrees 1. Tim. 1. Heb. 13. Christs resurrection the greatest Miracle 1. Cor. 1. Luke 22. Math. 26. 1. Cor. 1â— Esay 13. God doth not alwaies grant our desires and why Ephes. 4.9 Gen. 7. Exod. 24. Deut. 9. 1. Reg. 30. â— Reg. 19. Gen. 9. Apoc. 2. How the Niniuites shall rise vp in iudgement against vs. The greatnes of Niniue Gen. 10. Ionas from whence descended Iosh. 11. Esay 1. Hier. 1. Prou. 25. Esay 34. 2. Kings 19. Reasons mouing Ionas to flie Ier. 10. Ezech. 27. â— Kings 11. 2. Chron. 9. Esay 50. Amos 7.12 The Deuills tyranny ouer his followers Acts 17. Ezech. â—0 Why Ionas would be cast into the Sea Long life an enlargement of Sinne. In casting a man away no delay too long Iob. 7. In all aduersities our practice must be Prayer The Niniuites repentance Gen. 6. Gen. 8. Math. 11. 1. Kings 10. 2. Chron. 9. Ionas effected more in three dayes then our Sauiour did in thirty yeares Repentance not to be deferred The woman of Canaans Faith How Christ called the hope of the Gentiles Ob. Sol. Ob. Sol. Psal. 142. Ioel. 3. Ezech. 27. Esay 23. Psal. 87. Gen. 8. Leuit. 24 The force of Prayer Hier. 7. Ioâ— 9. Luke 16. Prou. 31. Luke 19. Vertue neuer more eminent than when it shines among the Vicious
all tongue 88 A false interpreter of Scripture 89 Hee hath three ginnes wherewith to entrap man sutable to his ages ibid. A great Bragger but a meere Bankrupt 90 Compared to a flye 91 His imprisonment 92 304 His tyrannie ouer those that follow him 134 286 Alwayes foyled by his owne weapons 269 God alone must vntye his knots 283 and desolue his bargaines 284 and ouercome his strength 287 The way to punish him is to prayse God 289 Why God permits him to rage against Man 292 Till hee bee out of vs no good can enter in 293 The Deuills haue their seuerall imployments 294 All at vnitie against man 298 No Theefe nor Tyrant to the Deuill 299 His competition with God 301 How hee is sayd to possesse what hee hath in peace ibid. Why called the strong man 303 and why the prince of the world ibid. The casting out of Deuills not alwayes a signe of the comming of Gods Kingdome 302 Three sorts of persons possessed with Deuills 304 Whether the Deuills knew Christ or no. 384 c. His rest is to doe mischiefe 304 God turnes his trickes to mans aduantage 306 He can do nothing against vs without vs. 585 Discourse What discourses Christians should vse 218 Disobedience Man shall be condemned for it by all the creatures 380 c. Doctrine Christs doctrine both pleasing and profitable 462 Dogge A name which in holy writ implies the lowest basenesse 157 Dumbe Dumbnesse in a Christian the greatest miserie 288 Dumbe ministers the Deuils best agents 289 Dust. The period and the principle of all things 7 E Earth THe basest of all the Elements 7 Eloquence The force of it 547 Enemies Not to be hated for diuerse reasons 43 47 48 but loued by the example of Pagans 44 of Christ. 52 59 Onely Gods instruments to punish our sinnes 57 Excuses of the flesh against this louing of our his Enemies and their confutation 59 Gods child thinkes it no hard precept to loue Enemies 60 Not safe trusting an Enemie 639 Enuie The Nature of it 125 Earthly things more enuied than spirituall 183 A godly kind of enuie 202 Three mischiefes arise from enuie 320 A dangerous Beast 328 Enuie and Loue alike humorous in making contrarieties 342 The boldest of all Vices 353 and the most venemous 356 A fortunate Vice to others vnfortunate to it selfe 539 Neuer greater than among brethren 556 Hard to be cured 564 Eye The office of the eye 578 How Gods Eyes may be drawne vnto vs. 66 A weeping eye causeth a bleeding heart 170 The eye is the store-house of fauour 432 Difference of eyes ibid. The eye of diuine Pitie euer fixed vpon our pouertie 474 478 The eye is the hearts market place 479 The epitome of man ibid. A great misleader of the heart 482 Gods paine in curing it 483 The power of the eye 613 F Faith IT hath two wings Prayer and Almes 22 The Centurions Faith 34 The Woman of Canaan 142 Faith how said to be great 36 The weakenesse of it in the Disciples 61 The power of it liuely 158 Things aboue the reach of reason hard to bee beleeued 178 Without faith in Christ no remission of sins 199 No true knowledge of Christ without Faith 385 Christ respects not our Knowledge but our Faith 400 Fasting The antiquitie of it 11 The efficacie of it 12 79 What to be obserued in Fasting 13 What to be auoided 14 Three sorts of Fasters 20 True Fasting 21 Our Sauiours Fasting differed from that of Moses and Eliah 78 Motiues to Fasting 79 Feare The occasion of many cruelties 191 Nothing in the world but wee ought to feare it 225 Feare tyes a man to his duty 248 The feare of the Lord a strong defence 249 A discreet feare better than a forward boldnesse 387 Feast The feast of Tabernacles why instituted and how solemnised 544 Three feasts of Dedication among the Iewes 557 The feast of Fire 559 Flatterie Hated of God 116 Fly See Persecution No flying from God 134 138 560 578. Flight in Winter 560 We must fly to God 504 Friend Friendship Wherein true friendship consisteth 313 It is not found amongst kindred or brethren 556 Three sorts of friendship 632 A true friend hard to be found 429 430 False friends whereunto compared 509 G Generall THe maine thing in a General is to free his souldiers from feare 71 73 Gentiles Their calling 38 269 Glorie The Glorie to come how excellent 186 Glutton Gluttonie Gluttons compared to Serpents 395 Gluttonie of all Vices the most dangerous 237 It ill beseemes a Ruler 395 God A sure Pay-master 21 His Maiestie not to be described 107 Euer readie to helpe his children 30. c. His Bountie towards his suppliants 30. How wee should behaue our selues towards him 34 His helpe neuer comes too late 68 Why he deferreth it sometimes 69 Particularly the God of the Faithfull 75 His friendship the surest 86 Hee makes the Deuils practises our preseruatiues 87 His children why called Sheepe and Lambes in holy Writ 154 He proportions his fauours and dis-fauors according to our capacitie 156. and as hee pleaseth 166 The least of his fauours not to be valued 157 His respect in comforting the distressed 164 He pittieth when none else will 170 174. He preuents our necessities 172. How he may beseene of men 184 c. Signes whereby to know whether wee seeke him 202 c. When he may be sayd to be absent from vs. 256 He lookes for fruit where heebestowes his fauours 258 266 He requires nothing of vs but what is for our owne good 258. and he requires notmuch 259 Our destruction greeues him more than his owne dishonour 261 Hee labours our conuersion 266 267 He substracts his blessings when we proue vngratefull 270 His Bountie 282 Why called the hidden God 308 By weake meanes he confounds the mightie ibid. More to be honoured than our Parents 318 His workes and wayes must be reuerenced not discussed 322 Sometimes most our friends when hee denies vs what we aske 323 No respecter of Persons 327 Protects his children otherwise in the new Law than he did in the old 360 Why called the water of Life 401 Euer forward in releeuing our necessities 435 His fauours seldome come single 502 He neuer forskes his friends 503 We must fly to him in all extremities 504 c. Why he appeared to Moses in a Bush. 515 His honour must euer bee preferred before our owne 535 His counsels are vnsearchable 550 Not partiall in bestowing his fauours 554 The way to fly from God is to fly vnto him 578 The onely Lord of all 597 c. No striuing against him 606 Not called the God of any man while hee liueth 609 He delayeth not his fauours 628 His reward exceedeth our requests 628 629 His absence terrible 633 He hath two Houses 635. Good Neuer truely liked till vtterly lost 543 If publike to be preferred before the priuat 181 185 594 Gospell Milder than the Law 346 Grace
Enableth vs to doe what Nature cannot 50 The order of it different from that of Nature 108 Not obtained without diligence 166 H Haire HAire hath bin hurtfull vnto many  Harlot The price of a Harlot no lasting portion 397 Her manners ibid. Hardnesse of heart In the Iewes without paralelle 206 They that liue in it iustly suffered to dye in it 58 117 Markes whereby to know a hard heart 296 A hard heart can neuer be mollified 537 Health Life is no life without it 239 Heart It cannot loue and hate both at once 117 Mans heart Gods temple 557 c. Of the whole man God desires only the heart 369 What is vnderstood by heart 371 It hath many enemies and all within it selfe ibid. The heart of the Earth what 130. Hearers Curious hearers reprooued 124 Heauen The ioyes of it 194 Not purchased without violence 230 391 545 In our passage to it no tyes of Nature to be regarded 311 The glorie of it 627 Hell The paines of it how dreadfull 244 c. All other paines but pastimes to these 453 Honour Despised of Christ. 327 Neuer without it's burden 35 Gods children more ambitious to deserue it than inioy it 192 Earthly honours brooke no partnership 228 The desire of honour not alwayes to bee condemned 327 Honours where no merit is addes but to our shame 554 Desired of all 555 Hope More prevailent with man than feare 190 The nature of both 619 Sathans practise to depriue Iob of his hope 620 Hospitalitie Pleasing to God 375 God the onely keeper of it 443 Humilitie Twofold one of the Vnderstanding another of the Will 33 The onely way to Heauen 217 No Humilitie like our Sauiours 635 Hunger A great temptation 80 Why Christ would hunger 78 Hypocricie Feignes the good it hath not 15 A kind of Stage-play 16 The Hypocrite hath no hope of Heauen 18 The danger of hypocriticall and luke-warme Christians 268 301 Hypocrisie straines at a Gnat and swallowes a Camell 262 368 I Ego I. A Word of great authoritie 45 Iealousie A true symptome of basenesse 338 Iewes A jealous and enuious people 315 Gods many fauours toward them 316 Their subtiltie and incredulitie 565 566 The murderers of all Gods Saints 602 In nature both like the Bore and the Beare 604 Ignorance A maine cause of all our euill 401 591 Images What difference betwixt the maker of them and the worshipper 151 Incredulitie A maine let to Christs miracles 322 Incontinencie Is a Sinne which hath two properties 570 Informers Like the flyes of Aegypt in a common weale  Ingratitude The first fault that euer was committed 143 Neuer vnpunished of God 144 No cut to vnkindnesse 224 God substracts his blessings from the vngratefull 270 It is vsually the requitall of goodnesse 330 The Embleme of it 383 568 To returne euill for good a diuelish sin 635 Inheritance Gods inheritance may run a twofold danger 248 Iniuries Must be patiently digested 47 When and how to beforgiuen 333 c. To suffer them is true noblenesse 533 Intercession Not to be vnderstood but of the liuing 379 Two things required to make it effectuall 378 Ionas Whence descended 132 Reasons mouing him to flye 133 Why he would be cast into the Sea 136 The Marriners charitable affection towards him 137 Iugde No small comfort that Christ shall bee our Iudge 94 Two properties of a Iudge 95 He must not be rash 137 Iudges must incline to mercie 421 A good Iudge compared to a Crane 458 Iudgement Why attributed to Christ. 94 Iudgement how to be guided 471 c. All shall appeare in iudgement 98 The day of Iudgement desired of the Iust. 99 Pilats Iudgement against Christ. 640 The most vniust that euer was 641 Iudas Foolish two wayes in the sale of our Sauiour 634 The vilenesse of his fault ibid. Iustification A greater worke than either the creation of the World or of Angels 294 572 The first step to it is mercie and pitie 397 Set out by diuers apt similitudes 573 582 K Knowledge See Learning Wisedome TO know thy selfe the beginning of perfection 480 L Lambes A Name attributed to the iust and why 154 Law Whereunto vsefull 40 The law of Taliation 46 Lawes if many gainefull to some but losse to the most 363 Learning See Wisedome Not gotten without labour 464 c. God the giuer of it 466 Lent Why called the Spring of the Church 10 Liberalitie Must be waited on by Frugalitie 444 Life This life onely a procession of quicke and dead 489 True life is to meditate on death 1 4 490 c. Short life content with short allowance 8 542 Whether better a publique or a priuat life 107 An euill life the losse of Faith 128 Long life the enlargement of sinne 136 Life seldome wearisome to any 174 The euills of this life are onely seeming euills 179 180 Life without health no life 239 Why desperat sinners are suffered to liue long 241 Nothing permanent in this life 243 This life is onely toyle and labour both to the wicked and the iust 396 Light Twofold 188 The excellencie of that light which is spirituall 189 Christ why called the Light of the World 517 The benefit of this Light ibid. c. Reasons why some hate and shun it 519 What is meant by Light of life 522 Looking-Glasses Why placed about the Lauer in the Temple 526 Lord. A name implying Honour and Power 32 Loue To loue our selues wee need not be commaunded 42 We must loue our enemies 43 The causes why we cannot 49 How our loue must be ordered 56 The perfection of it how to be discouered 57 Neuer without feare 92 How God should be loued 377 Gods loue is alwaies working 388 435 475 c. 477 It cannot be repayd but with loue 475 No loue where no reliefe 503 Gods loue seene by his delayes in punishing 513 Loue and Hate transforme a man alike into their obiects 564 Nothing more tedious to one that loues than the absence of what he loues 633 Loue triumpheth ouer God himselfe 635 Lyar Lying The World the Flesh and the Deuill all lyars 528 The mischiefe of lying 529 M Madnesse TWofold 604 Magistrates Should bee free from what they punish in others 360 457 Like sheepe-heards they should feed their flockes rather than fleece them 437 In choice of State ministers what ought to be regarded 441 Magistrates should be bold in reforming publique abuses 454 c. More heede the conuersion of the offendor than the correction of his offence 455 Two things they should specially looke vnto their conscience and their fame 526 They must be examples 527 Christ in his proceeding against the Deuill a patterne for all magistrates ibid. That Common-wealth is lost in which the magistrates and their ministers are both bad 563 They should euer haue Gods Laws before their eyes 588 Ill Rulers sent by God to punish the people 600 They should account no time their owne but other mens 631 Malice Will