in this historicall discourse of Christ his trauailing to Ierusalem is thys Hee prooueth that in this place which indeede is the scope and drift of the vvhole Booke viz. to cleere to the world but especially to the vnbeleeuing Iewes that Christ is the only Messias or Sauiour proued so by his birth his life death liuing dying rising and ascending As Iohn the Baptist poynted at Christ the Lambe of GOD purging the sinnes of the world so heere Saint Luke poynts at Christ vveeping for the sinnes of the world When the people of Ierusalem laughed Christ wept as when the Ministrell played Elisha prophecied and therefore this Cittie otherwise famous but in this infamous 2. Reg 3. 15 worthily ranne to ruine and so receiued a true and due recompence for her securitie And when he drew neere the Cutie hee beheld it and wept for it The Schoole-men do note many things in Christ appertaining to saluation Prudentiam in eius doctrina Wisedome in his doctrine Temperantiam in eius vita Temperance in his life Fortitudinem in eius tortura Fortitude in sustaining torments Diuinum numen in miraculis Diuine power in his works Consolationem in dictis Consolation in his words and in this place Compassionem in eius tristitia compassion in his sorrowfulnes for he wept vpon Ierusalem Hee wept To teach vs to weepe and to haue compassion in beholding the lamentable state and condition of our neighbours We must weepe for them as Christ wept for the Iewes and withall hee teacheth vs to weepe for our selues as hee bad the daughters of Ierusalem to weepe for themselues To drawe yet a little neerer to the embowelling of these words for a cleerer narration obserue with me these foure things 1. The person who came that was Christ 2. The place whether he came to Ierusalem 3. The action or rather you may terme it a passion hee wept 4. His admonition in reprehending theyr ignorance and fore-telling theyr fall Now then that wee haue founde out the Myne let vs digge for the treasure The person who came to Ierusalem was Christ And the Scripture doth manifestlie declare how great he was for he was God The Father and I are one Ioh. 10. How humble he was for he was the Sauiour of the worlde His humilitie appeared in taking our nature vpon him Being God it pleased him to become man and to dwell with men hee withdrew himselfe from none no not from the Publicans and sinners That Iesus who was Contempte Mundi a hater of this worlde one that nothing esteemed the pompe and glory thereof for when the Tempter presented before him at one viewe all the kingdoms of the earth Math. 4. Tempter and temptation were both driuen to retire One powerfull worde of Christ quite vanquisht him as Dauid ouercame Golias with one stone when it perced into his temples That Iesus who refused all worldly superioritie and power for when in the sixt of Iohn they woulde haue made him theyr King he conueyed himselfe out of the way Who was mercifull for he forgaue the woman taken in adultery Who was powerful for his words made the souldiours giue backe when they came to take him As in the 4. of Mathewe his worde made the prince of darknesse giue backe when he came to tempt him Who was pittifull this place proueth it He wept That Christ who is called Vera lux the true light for the saued to walke in The Iohn 1 5 Reu 22 16 bright Morning star The flower of lesse The mighty Lyon of the trybe of Iudah The Author and finisher of our fayth That Christ to whō that excellent voyce of glory once sounded from the heauens This is my well beloued sonne in whom I am Luke 3 22 well pleased Hee who was promised by the Father figured in the Lawe spoken of by the Prophets poynted at by Iohn Baptist manifested in the flesh iustified in the Spirit seene of Angels preached to the Gentiles 1. Tim. 3. 16. beleeued on in the world and receiued vp in glory This Christ came to Ierusalem So much briefely is spoken for the person now for the place The place whether Christ came was Ierusalem the Metropolis or chiefe Citty in all Asia by interpretation A vision of peace Yet this people knevve not their peace God had stampt a remembrance of his blessings in the very name of Ierusalem yet could not this people cōsider of it they made no vse of this peace which God had giuen them This Citty had in it many faults in Christes time For first they knewe not theyr peace Secondly they prophaned the Temple of God making it a denne of theeues and a shop of Merchants where it should haue beene the house of prayer Thirdly in it were the Prophets slaine Fourthly it fostered within it the greatest enemies of the Crosse of Christ Fiftly beeing the Citty of the great King it was allotted to destroy the great King Christ Iesus the King of glory This Citty so polluted Christ comes to visite As once God the Father said Come let vs goe downe and visit Babel so heere Christ Gene 11 7 the Sonne sayth to his Apostles Come let vs goe visite Ierusalem In which his comming to Ierusalem we see it first noted by the Euangelist he drew neere the Citty for beeing a Prophet hee would doe as did the Prophets Samuell came neere to Israell Ionas came to visite Niniuie and Christ came heere to visit Ierusalem Hee drew neere to it Hauing first trauailed to Iericho and after to Beth-phage and then to Bethany at last he comes to Ierusalem Wherein wee are to note the great dilligence of Christ to verifie his former words I came to seeke and to saue that which was lost He neuer ceased to doe the will of his Father Beeing but twelue yeeres old he taught in the Temple and disputed vvith the Doctors hearing them apposing them Luke 2 46 We should be armed with like industrious diligence The chyldren of God are euer noted to be eyther going or walking or running Peter during the time of his fall is noted sitting to shew his carefulnes but so soone as hee felt the soule-stirring motions of Gods Spirit calling him to repentance hee Luk. 22. 62. sits no longer but goeth out The Israelites are recorded to be alwaies Num. 33. trauailing and remouing till they came to Canaan Moses so soone as hee was borne was Exod. 2. 3. cast out among the flagges from thence he was brought to the Kings Court in Egypt After that he was driuen to she to Midian and from Mydian backe againe to Egypt And after all this what long and tedious trauels did hee vndergoe in that long iourney to Canaan Wherein is rightly typed the state of euery religious Christian mans life Our life heere is but a pilgrimage a vanishing vapour that suddainly is lost while a man lookes vpon it and therefore holie men must learne of Moses and of Christ
restoring to his Church that which of right belongs vnto it Giue it beauty ô Lord in sted of ashes rich apparrell in sted of Sack-cloth that yet it may be pronounced which was once proclaimed by the Prophet Aggei The glory of the last house is greater then the glory of the first house He cast out them that bought sold You haue seene Christ reforming the abuses that had crept into this Temple now let vs make a true vse of this to our selues As these grosse corruptions crept into the materiall Temple so the like to these or rather worse then these doe creepe into our spirituall Temples our bodies VVhen wee conuert our bodies to anie prophane vse and doe not glorifie God in them then it may be sayd that wee pollute our Temple When the Magistrate shall be found not to deale truly when he shall not cary cleane hands free from corruptions when he shal peruert iudgement and turne aside out of the right way then it may be sayd hee polluteth the temple of God When the Lawyer or Counseller carryeth not himselfe to his clyent as he ought if he incourage him to proceed in lawe vvith his aduersary when he might work a peace betweene both all for his priuat gaines thinking to becom a purchazer with pooâ—â— mens purses as Gehazy thought to intich himselfe with Naamans gold then doth â—â— pollute the temple of God When the Recorder or Prymitorie doth falsify the record most of al it coÌ„cernes him to be circumspect for the record being falsifyed it may doe harme an 100. yeeres after then he dooth corrupt his conscience and defileth his temple If the Sheriffe shall make a partiall returne of such as must determine matters betweene party and party he prophaneth the temple If the Iurors that are impaneled shall through friendship fauour or feare or being blinded with rewards shall deliuer an iâ—ust verdict they pollute the Temple In a worde this pollution is vniuersall wheresoeuer any kinde of vngodlines shall take place And the soueraine helpe for all this is that which our Sauiour in his owne example hath heere taught vs. When so often as these corruptions shall breake out wee must cast them out betimes as Christ did the buyers and sellers This speedy purging must be effected by the word in the godly Minister and by the sword of authority in the ciuill Magistrate Euery man can best sound his own conscience by sending downe the bucket of Gods spirit into his hart Euery man can best satifie himselfe whether he hath clensed his body by casting out all sin and vanitie and so consecrating it as a holy Temple vnto the Lord or whether hee hath abused it by giuing it ouer to all sensualitie vvith greedines suffering sin and sathan to haue ingresse and egrelle and regresse at theyr pleasures till the graue be possest of his body the wormes of his flesh and the worlde of his goods And so he returne more rotten out of the world then the matter hee was first made of when hee first came into the world Thus you see how the temple of GOD may be polluted and so in time a generall rent be made from the top to the bottome till it be quite destroyed and defaced as that famous Temple of Ierusalem is now defaced and lyeth in the dust But let vs beware how wee runne to the like ruine howe wee destroy this Temple of God not made with hands but by the mightie power of God for feareful is that saying He that destâ— cyâ—th the temple of God him shall God destroy Corruption and sinfulnes are the pullers downe but holines and righteousnes holines I meane towards God and righteousnes I say towards man are the raysers vp of this temple These two are better builders than Noaâ—s vvor-kmaisters that ioyned vvith him in the building of the Arke for they built not for theÌ„selues but for others but these doe build for God and vs. Yea and Christ himselfe worketh in this frame of this spirituall building nay himselfe becomes the head-corner-stone in whom all the building beeing coupled together groweth to a holy temple in the Lord. It followeth For it is written My house is the house of prayer but you haue made it a denne of theeues Christ in these words yeelds them a reason why hee threwe them out hee makes them acquainted with their sinne it was for defiling the Temple My house is the house of prayer but you haue made it a denne of theeues Sin till it be knowne cannot be shunned We shal the sooner be drawne from doing euil when we shal looke into the nature of it and the danger that shal insue of it Christ proueth to their faces the greatnes of theyr sinne which they could not deny nay they must needs condemne themselues in it vpoÌ„ this so manifest a profe produced by our Sauiour It is written Eyther implying a notable ignoraunce in not knowing the Scriptures or an obstinate wilfulnes in them for not performing obedience to the Word By these two as by speciall instruments of wrath sathan worketh mightilie in the children of disobedience by them millions of soules are chaind vp brought vnder sathans seruitude It is written As if hee should haue said Haue you neuer reade that Scripture that speaketh thus c. The Lawyer who woulde needes know what hee must doe to inherite life had thys aunswere How readest thou Christ sendes him to the Word to finde out the life that hee looked sor and so to these buyers and sellers that polluted the Temple Christ speaketh in like manner How reade you It it not written Aâ—y house is the house of prayer why goe yee about then to make it a denne of theeues You erre saith our Sauiour in the twelfth of Marke not knowing the Scriptures and heere he telleth these prophaners that they Mark 12. Math. 22. erred in polluting the temple for that they knew not the Scriptures In the fourth of Mathew he droue away the deuill with one word Scriptum est and heere with the same word he driues before him these buyers sellers out of the Temple I woulde the Papists did learne but thys one thing froÌ„ Christ onely to plead Scriptumest in all theyr Counsels writings and conferences for then all controuersies in religion would quickly be decided â—inde vp the testimony saith Esay seale vp Esay 8 16. the law among my disciples If they teach not according to this lawe it is because there is no light in them If any man bringeth not with him this learning receiue him not to house nor bid him so much as God speede 2. Iohn 1. Christ brings his warrant out of Scripture to teach vs to doe the same other authorities cannot build vp our holy faith As the sunne is not discerned but by his owne light so no spirit can interpret Scripture but by the same spirit that wrote it Goe not out of this field to gleane said Boas
DEMEGORIAI Certaine Lectures vpon sundry portions of Scripture in one Volume By Lewys Thomas 1. Christ trauailing to Ierusalem 2. Christ purging the Temple 3. The history of our Lords birth 4. The True-louers Canticle 5. The Propheticall Kings Tryumph 6. The Anatomy of Tale-bearers 7. Peters persecution and his deliuerance 8. Heauens High-way PHILIP 3. 13. 14. Brethren I count not my selfe to haue attained vnto it but one thing I doe I forget that which is behind and indeuour my selfe to that which is before and follow hard towards the marke for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus AT LONDON Printed by I. R. for Edw. White and are to be sold at the little North-doore of Paules at the signe of the Gunne 1600. To the Right Honourable Sir Thomas Egerton Knight Lord Keeper of the great Seale of England and one of her Maiesties most honourable Priuie Counsell Lewis Thomas wisheth continuance of health and perfect happines RIght Honourable and my very good Lord the rich tast of your honours kindnes and speciall affection towards me the most vnwoorthy of a thousand but principally your godly and zealous care in planting a learned Ministerie throughout this Land haue specially called vpon me for this dutie by presenting to your Honours selfe these few labours the late fruites of my second birth which long agoe had beene strangled in ipso partu as it were bad not the carefull respect of your Honours acceptance reuiued them beeing almost liuelesse I recommend them to your Lordships safe protection protesting that with them I will be alwayes prest to performe all such duties to your Honour as God shall inable mee vnto both in praying for your health and increase of zeale to the comfort and maintenaunce of his poore flocke which I resolue is the end and onely ayme of all your honourable purposes Thus beeing ouer-bolde but in an honest cause I take my leaue commending you to God and to the word of his grace which is able to build you vp further and to giue you an inheritance Acts. 20 32 among them that are sanctified Your Lordships to commaund L. Thomas These Texts of Scripture are handled in this Booke ¶ Christ riding to Ierusalem 1 And when he was come neere the Citty he beheld it and wept for it saying o if thou hadst knowen euen in this thy day the thingsthat belong to thy peace Luke 19. 41. ¶ Christ purging the Temple 2 Iesus went into the Temple of God cast out them that bought and sold in the Temple and ouerthrew the tables of the money-changers and the seates of them that solde doues saying It is written My house is the house of prayer but you haue made it a denne of theeues Math. 21. 12. ¶ The history of our Lords birth 3 When Iesus then was borne in Bethleem in the daies of Herod the king wise men came from the East to Ierusalem saying where is he that is borne king of the Iewes for we haue seene his star in the East are come to worship him Math. 2. 1. 2. ¶ The True-louers Canticle 4 Heerein is loue not that wee loued God but God loued vs and sent his Sonne to be areconciliation for our sinnes Beloued if God so loued vs wee ought also to loue one another 1. Iohn 4. 10. 11. ¶ The propheticall Kings tryumph 5 This is the day which the Lord hath made let vs reioyce be glad in it Psal 118. 24. ¶ The Anatomy of Tale-bearers 6 Thou shalt not walke about with tales among my people Leuit. 19. 16. ¶ Peters persecution and his deliuerance 7 And when he saw it pleased the people hee proceeded further tooke Peter also c. Acts. 12. 3. 4. ¶ Heauens high-way 8 Sirs what must I doe to be saued And they said Beleeue in the Lord Iesus and thou shalt be saued thine houshold Acts. 16. 30. Christes trauailing to Ierusalem Luke 19. 41. c. And when he was come neere the Cittie hee beheld it and wept for it saying oh if thou hadst knowne euen at the least in this thy day those things that belong vnto thy peace but now are they hid from thine eyes c. IN the seauenth of Eccles and 4. verse it is written That it is better to goe into the house of mourning than into the house of feasting and therefore I haue chosen a tragicall Text sounding foorth nothing but passions and mournful notes like the tunes of those banished Israelites Psal 137. vpon Babilons banks The first voice that euer proceeded from Adam our progenitor after his fall was a voyce compounded of sorrow and feare Gen. 3. 10. when God called vpon him while hee hid himselfe among the trees of the garden all Adams children ought to bee like Adam passionate and sorrowfull making theyr whole life sutable to theyr infancie as wee all come to the worlde by a sorrowfull conception In the 33. of Genesis Iacob coulde not meete his brother but their eyes must streame forth teares And in the 23. chap. we finde Abraham the Patriarch an old man in yeeres a verie childe in teares mourning weeping In Iosiah his time whole multitudes are recorded to goe out and weepe before the Lord. Not to stand vpon particulers which are not necessary in so cleere a truth Christ Iesus the very mirror of sorow is in this place presented vnto vs weeping pittifully vpon Ierusalem Wherein wee are by the way to note the differences betweene the godly the wicked betweene the children of God the children of this world The godlie are euer noted rather sorowing then reioycing rather bewailing lamenting theyr sinfull condition than solacing themselues with the vaine pleasures of this transitory life VVee finde not them at any time either Gen 9 22. Mar 6 22. Dan 5. 2. sporting it like Cham or dauncing like Herodias or carowsing like Belshazar Search the volume of holy Writ from Moses vnto Iohn that saw so many misseries in Pathmos and wee shall finde a contrary humour and another kinde of affection raigning in the righteous Moses as hee was drawne vp from the waters so hee shewed himselfe in the course of his life to be as it were quite swallowed vp with the ouerflowing waters of affliction and he prayed God to race him out of his booke that he had written in the 32. of Exod 32. Exodus Dauid watered his couch with continuall teares Paule wept for the Corinthians 2 Cor 2. Luke 22. 62 Peter went out to weepe bitterly for denying his Lord. And to come to our example in thys place Christ Iesus though hee were the Sonne of GOD shewes himselfe in thys to be also the sonne of man he shed many a salt teare ouer Ierusalem VVho among vs can be so deuoted and so solde ouer as it were to sinfull vanitie now to be sporting seeing Christ our Lord so heauy and passionate The generall proposition vvhich Saint Luke vrgeth
did raine If any Citty bee so then hath God poured this blessing vppon vs and our Citties of England in an extraordinary measure It is seene in the wealth the peace and godly securitie that wee haue nowe a long time inioyed Euery man now liues vnder his owne Vine and vnder his owne figge-tree so that our houses may seeme vnto vs so many Tabernacles of rest It is seene in the peaceable gouernment in the whole frame of our Christian policie Euery good man weigh with himselfe the long tranquility great plenty peaceable libertie which God hath giuen vs during the raigne of our most gracious Soueraign making our daies like the daies of Salomon in whose time siluer was as plentifull as 2. Chr. 9. 27 stones and Cedar trees like the wild figge-trees that are abundant in the plaine These so great blessings from her deriued vnto vs ought in no wise to be forgotteÌ„ for they are indeed for number so many for valew so great as the like haue not beene seene almost in any age First in hauing the true light of the Gospell so shining among vs so publiquely receiued so vniuersally professed so freely preached Againe in giuing vs a Prince so vertuous borne among vs with such peace defending vs against them that would deuour vs vvhat coulde God doe more for his Vineyard then hee hath done so that wee may sing with Dauid Peace is within our gates and plenteousnesse within our Palaces And againe Mercy and truth haue met together righteousnes and peace haue kissed each other And again Non est auditus Armorum sonitus in vrbe That may be truly spoken of vs vvhich Zephany coulde not iustifie of the people in his time Our Princes are not as roaring Lyons our Iudges are not like rauening VVolues that leaue not the bones till the morrowe Our Prophets are not light and wicked persons polluting the Sanctuarie and wresting the law The iust GOD is in the midst of vs he will doe no iniquitie So many England seeme these infinite blessings that I haue spoken of duly considered like Eden the pleasant garden planted by the Lord. Since God hath performed these great things for vs which no tongue of man or Angell is sufficiently able to eternize let vs be thankfull and let our gratitude be testified by our obedience least it be saide of vs that Ierusalem is no better then Samaria When Iacob in the 28. of Genesis avvaked out of his sleepe at Bethel hee sayde Surely the Lord is in this place and I was not aware So if when God shall testifie his presence among vs in his manifold blessings and we take no notice of it in acknowledging neyther him nor them we may well say as Jacob did Of a surety God was in this place we were not aware Let vs acknowledge them now wee haue them for it will be too late when they shall be taken from vs. Bring forth fruites saith Iohn woorthy of repentance So bring forth good works worthy of these blessings Wee would all seeme to be hanged with leaues let vs rather shew that we are hanged with fruites least we be like the fruitelesse Figge-tree least wee be like Chorazin Beth-saida where Christ wrought many miracles yet they remained faithlesse I beseech you brethren in the bowels of Iesus Christ make much of the Worde which is preached among you for it is euen your life So termed by Moses in the 32. of Deut. If you will haue a care of your peace if you will haue Christes eyes to distil with no teares if you will not greeue the Spirit of God by whom yee are sealed to the day of redemption let Ierusalems ruine be to you a cause of rising This profit shoulde bee made of others harmes like the honny that Sampson found in the dead Lyon Oh that this heere threatned to Ierusalem were written vppon the tables of our harts with an yron penne or the poynt of a Dyamant that it might neuer be forgotten Oh that we would yet learne to know our peace and the time of our visitation Yet there is time to consider our selues yet is the acceptable time yet is the day of saluation yet the Sunne of righteousnes shineth God calleth to the waters of life Yet hee cryeth in our eares Be lifted vp yee gates and I will enter in saith the Lord and be open vnto me ye euerlasting doores and the King of glory shall come in The same Christ our Lorde in the 3. of Reuelation and 20. verse saith I stand at the doore and knocke if any will heare my voyce and open to mee I will come in and sup with him I end in a word with this short exhortation As when God made the light and had it from the darknes he sayd Bonum est it is good When he had made the firmament the earth and the seas he sayd bonum est it is good When hee had made the trees hearbes and plants and all creatures hee said still bonum est it is good But hauing finished his work of creation taking a perfect view of al that he had made finding that all things did agree sute together after a kind of heauenly harmony and more then Geometricall proportion then he pronounced Valde bonuÌ„ est it was exceeding good So when good profitable lawes shall be established among vs it may be said bonuÌ„ est When Magistrats minister righteous iudgements dealing truly vprightlie in their offices it may be said bonum est it is good WheÌ„ the Minister preacheth the word of truth in season and out of season and the people doe diligently heare and reforme theyr liues accordingly it may be sayd bonum est But when there shall be a musicall consent as it were and a mutuall harmonie of all â—hese together where such matters are duly performed practized in a Christian policie it may be said Valde bonum est it is exceeding good And all this will bee easily brought to passe if wee doe but consider of our peace Now the very God of peace sanctifie vs throughout I pray God that our soules and bodies may be kept blamelesse to the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ purging the Temple MATH 21. 12. And Iesus went into the Temple of God and cast out them that bought and solde in the Temple and ouerthrewe the tables of the money-changers the seates of them that sold Doues saying It is written My house shall be called the house of prayer but you haue made it a denne of theeues IN euery action of Christ we may learne to saue our soules and to shunne those thinges that are enemies to the Spirit of GOD. By his heauenly doctrine wee learne heauenly wisedom by his practize of holy life example of well liuing by his miracles our fayths confirmation and here in this place by his entrance into the Temple we learne deuotion He entered into the Temple Within this Temple were his professed