us shake them off as St. Paul did the Viper and say what have I to doe with you my God must be dearer to me then you all Because the kingdome of Aegypt and Gods glory could not stand together Moses refused a kingdome then let us be content to forsake a Lord-ship a small quantity of ground a simple house a little silver and gold for the Lord whatsoever we have be it more or lesse let us count all as dongue for Christs sake In the time of prosperity let us weane our selves from the pleasures and commodities of this life that in the time of tryall and persecution wee may not bee glewed to them as the young man to his riches but may be willing to forsake all for Christs sake and so much the rather because wee know not how nigh tryall is how soone the wind of affliction may rise and make a difference between them that love Christ and his Gospell sincerely and betweene them that love this present world as Demas did If wee have but a little house and land one hundred or two hundred and should bee loath to leave it for CHRISTS sake how would wee leave a kingdome for him as Moses did It must bee Gods worke not our owne Therefore it is said that Moses did it by faith he did it not by any naturall strength or power by vertue of education though he had famous Schoolemasters and was trained up in all the learning of the Aegyptians he did it not by the advice of any witty or politick Achitophel he did it by faith Faith in the promised Messiah mooved him to it As Abraham saw the day of Christ and was glad so Moses saw Christ and the kingdome of heaven by the eye of faith this made him not to set a rush by the kingdome of Aegypt I shall be heyre of a far more glorious kingdome then a straw for Aegypt The kingdome of Aegypt lasts but a while death one day will remove me from it but I shall have a kingdome that cannot be shaken that endures for ever and ever Therefore let Aegypt goe If wee have a true and lively faith in the promises of God a sight of the joyes reserved for the faithfull in the life to come it will withdraw our mindes off from these earthly things A worldly man can never doe it he will say it is good sleeping in an whole skinne a bird in the hand is better than two in the bush I know what I have here I cannot tell what I shall have afterwards but faith is an evidence of things that are not seene This caused the Martyrs in Queene Maries dayes some to leave their Bishopricks as Cranmer Latimer Ridley some their lands and great revenewes as the Dutches of Suffolke some their liberty some their Country for the Gospell and if we have a true and lively faith indeed it will make us to leave all for a good cause therefore let us make this prayer Lord encrease our faith let it bee so strong as that neither riches honour nor any thing else may separate us from thee When not when hee was a Child for then it might have beene deemed to be want of witt and discretion as Children refuse gold and take Apples but when he was great of a good and convenient stature about fourtie yeeres of age when he knew well enough what he did he did it not puerili temeritate sed judicio virili when he was in the prime and flower of his yeeres Young men about fortie are most fit for honour and promotion This may be an admonition to young men to consecrate their best yeeres to the Lord. Wherewithall shall a young man clense his wayes I write to you young men sayes St. Iohn Timothy was exercised in the Scriptures from his Child-hood We read of a young man in the Gospell that said he had kept all the Commandements from his youth he was no swearer blasphemer rayler fighter quarreller stealer cutter whoremonger but our young men cannot abide to heare of godlinesse tell them of forsaking of pleasures and honour as Moses did they cannot abide to heare on that eare As the Devill said to Christ why commest thou to torment me before the time So this is a torment to them When they be old they will thinke of Religion in the meane season they will bee swash-bucklers as Lamech haters as Esau Ruffians with Absalom they will follow their lusts with Amnon It seemes a paradoxe for a young man to be a Martyr to leave the Court the honours and pleasures of this world as Moses did VERSE 25. WHy did hee refuse to be called the Son of Pharaohs daughter did she refuse him or was he in hope of a better kingdome in the world no verily it was put to his owne choyse hee was not compelled to it neither the King nor his daughter gave him over but he gave them over How did he choose it not halfe against his will but rather he had rather a great deale have this than that Which is amplified by the thing elected and rejected What did hee chuse to suffer adversity rather than to reigne in glory Electio ex duobus ad minimum here two things were propounded to Moses choyce pleasure and paine the one is welcome to all by nature the other abhorred of all by nature yet Moses chuses paine and refuses pleasure To Hercules appeared virtuâ— and voluptas the one horrid promising labour and sorrow yet hee chose it A travellour sees two wayes the one fayre that leadeth him quite another way the other fowle that carries him to his journeys end hee chuses rather the fowle way because it is most commodious for him Pharaohs Court was a fine and delicate way the afflictions of the Israelites a foule way yet because that lead to hell this to heaven Moses rather chose it this was not the worke of nature but of faith He chose to be afflicted to be evilly intreated malis premi As if a man should refuse honey and take worme-wood before he lived in honour and dignity now hee chose to live in contempt and disgrace before hee was at a table every day furnished with all delicates now hee comes to his leekes and onyons with the Israelites before he was in all jollity now in all affliction The affliction is illustrated by the companions with whom hee was afflicted and they were the people of God Affliction simply is not to bee chosen but affliction with the people of GOD that is the sugar that sweetens afflictions To bee afflicted with thieves for theft with Traytors for treason with Idolaters for Idolatry hath no comfort in it but to bee afflicted with Gods people is full of comfort for Gods cause he had rather be afflicted with Gods people then to live with the Aegyptian Courtyers in Pharaohs Court which were none of the people of God Then to have the temporary fruition of sinne But the word importing such a fruition as is joyned
of sores at his gate ever under one Crosse or another If there were no resurrection where this should be righted that sentence of the Psalmist might bee inverted verely there is no reward for the righteous verily there is no God that judgeth in the earth The third pillar is the Solemne funeralls that be in all nations All which are so many glasses wherein wee may behold the resurrection When we goe to a buryall we goe to a sowing the seede that is sowen lies covered in the earth all winter in the spring it shoots up againe and a goodly harvest ariseth of it So the body is sowne in corruption it rises in incorruption more beautifull then ever it was before The fourth pillar is that which Saint Paul urgeth to Christians 1 Cor. 15.12 Christ is risen therefore we shall ryse As Ionas was three dayes and three nights in the Whales belly So Christ was three dayes and three nights in the heart of the earth on Thursday he kept his Maundy he eate the Passeover and supper with his Disciples on good Friday he suffered and was crucified all Saturday being the Iewes Sabbath he lay in the earth on Sunday morning the first day of the weeke the Lords day the Lord Iesus rose triumphantly from the dead and this is the day of his resurrection on this day hee rose victoriously from the dead This is the day that the Lord hath made let us rejoyce and hee glad in it for Christs resurrection is a pledge of ours The first fruits are in heaven therefore the second fruits shall be there the head is in heaven therefore the members shall be there The Husband is in heaven therefore the Wife shall bee in heaven also we shall meeâ—e him with joy in the clouds and be translated with him into the kingdome of glory and abide with him for ever After the resurrection comes judgement it is appointed to men once to dye and then commeth the judgement Death were nothing if there were no judgement The Assiâ—es were nothing if there were nothing if there were no Gallowes no execution but as we must arise so wee must all appeare before the judgement seat of Christ that every one may receive the things done in his body according to that hee hath done whether it be good or bad Let us all thinke seriously of this eternall judgement It is called eternall judgement 1. Because it is of things eternall eternall life or eternall death 2. Because the sentence of that judgment is eternall the force and power thereof remaines ever both to the elect and reprobate they all goe eternally to the place appointed by the Iudge 3. Because the Iudge is eternall 4. Because the persons judged are eternall Some are to enjoy eternall happines some to suffer eternall punishment The judgement it selfe is not eternall that lasteth not ever but the fruit and event of it is eternall Oh that the cogitation of this judgement were deeply fixed in the harts of us all A great number even in the lap of the Church laugh at it in the closet of their hearts the Preachers talke much of a generall judgement that shall be after this life but if God let us alone till that day we shall doe well enough GOD grant we may escape the judgements here a flie for that judgement Yet Felix himselfe trembled at 〈◊〉 when Saint Paul spake of righteousnesse and the judgement to come though he were a judge himselfe he quaked at it Let us all feare this eternall judgement after an holy and religious manner and tremble at it In these judgements we may have Lawyers to plead for us then none shall be for us all against us especially our owne consciences as a thousand Lawyers and witnesses if our sinnes are not washed away in the bloud of CHRIST Therefore let us judge our selves here that wee bee not judged by the Lord hereafter let us bewaile our sinnes here that wee come not into the place where is weeping wayling and gnashing of teeth for ever Let us remember this eternall judgement that it may bee as a bridle to restraine us from sinne That godly Father St. Hierome professed of himselfe whether he did eat or drinke or whatsoever he did this trumpet rang alwayes in his eares surgite mortui venite adjudicium When wee goe to bed in the evening when wee arise in the morning when we are about the affaires of our calling when Satan provokes us to stealing lying coofening purloyning c. Let us remember this eternall judgement let us call our selves to an account for our sins in this world repent seriously of them let us cast away our sins not as we do our coates when we goe to bed and put them on againe in the morning but throw them away and have no fellowship with these unfruitfull workes of darknesse then wee shall have fellowship with Christ both in this life and in the life to come then we shall not need to feare this eternall judgement The Iudge is our SAVIOUR our elder brother our head our husband to whom we are married therefore we may lift up our heads at that day because our redemption is at hand we may rejoyce at his comming for we shal sit on the bench with him and judge the world and reigne with him for ever The Iesuits collect from hence that the Christians had a Catechisme delivered to them by tradition which they learned before they were acquainted with the Scriptures If every one should pick his faith out of the Scripture there would be madd rule Indeed if they had such heads as the Papists have that are bold to call the Scripture a nose of Wax But to answer 1. These Hebrewes to whom St. Paul writeth were exercised in the Scripture for Rom. 3.2 Vnto them were committed the oracles of God 2. Here is nothing in this Catechisme but is derived out of the Scripture 3. How shall men picke their faith out of the Pater-noster Ave-Mary c. being in an unknowne tongue Here wee have a short Catechisme consonant to the Scripture that was used in the Primitive Church Such as is at this day the Lords prayer the ten Commandements and the Articles of our beliefe These be profitable points but we that professe the Gospell must not always be in these they are to be propounded continually in the Church unto Children to them that bee rude and ignorant but Christians must not dwell in these wee must bee carryed to perfection till wee come to a ripe age in CHRIST IESUS wee must be able to answer all Heretickes and gaine-sayers and to defend the sacred truth of Christ his Gospell against them all VERSE 3. LEst hee should seeme to have presumed upon his owne strength when he said let us be lead forward to perfection here he referreth all to God that must be the leader of us all hee must give us feet to walke to perfection by Wee both we that are to teach and you
beginning 1. In Christ which was from all beginning In principio that is in filio but that is impertinent The Seventie have interpreted the Hebrew word aright for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Suidas recordeth doth signifie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 involucrum because when the booke is rolled up in a Scrowle it comes to a kinde of head In the Scrowle of the Booke that hath the forme of an head The Scripture is called one booke because though it containe diverse bookes yet it agreeth as if it were but one no dissonance in this booke There is never a booke in all the Bible but testifieth of CHRIST It is written of him Gen. 3. The seede of the woman It is written of him in all the bookes of Moses in the Historicall bookes in the Psalmes and in all the Prophets therefore to fulfill these writings CHRIST came in the flesh Matth. 26.54 hee would not escape death that the Scripture might be fulfilled To doe thy will CHRIST came not only to doe the generall will of God comprised in the Law but to doe his particular will also as the Mediatour of mankinde to dye for man Luk. 22.42 Ioh. 4.34.6 38. hee offers himselfe to death Ioh. 18.5 hee comes as a Lamb to dye for us he offers himselfe to the butchers Oh the unspeakeable love of Christ If it be to ascend to honour and preferment then we will say loe I come If any say here is a 1000l l for thee wee answer readily Loe I come but if it bee to goe to the Gallowes there to be hanged for another man who will say loe I come CHRIST was now going to the Crosse there to be hanged betweene two thieves for us that were no better than thieves robbing God of his glory yet he sayes loe I come I am here Father to doe thy will and to dye for sinfull men Who can sufficiently expresse this love It may be one durst dye for a good man but who will dye for bad men for those that be his enemies as we were CHRIST ' s ô admirable love the love of CHRIST should constraine us and cause us to say loe wee come in the like case Lord Iesu wouldest thou have mee to goe to prison for thy sake Loe I come Wouldest thou have me to loose all my goods for thee and thy Gospell wouldest thou have mee to bee banished out of my Country nay to be burnt to dye an ignominious death for thy sake loe I come I am ready sayes Paul not only to be bound but to dye at Hierusalem for the name of the Lord Iesus Oh that the like affection were in us If any call us to goe to the Ale-house wee are ready to say loe I come I will bee with you out of hand If any call us to a foolish and wanton interlude loe I come wee flye speedily but if it bee to doe the will of GOD especially to suffer any thing for the name of CHRIST then wee draw backe wee have marryed a Wife wee are wedded to our pleasures we cannot come But let us in some measure goe as cheerefully about Christ's businesses as hee did about ours when He went to dye for us and said loe I come Our Saviour Christ is onely to be found in the Scripture hee is the principall object and scope of the Scripture the Scripture is a glasse wherein we behold Christ Ioh. 5.39 to him beare all the Prophets witnesse Ought not all things to be fulfilled that are written of mee in the booke of the Psalmes In Plutarch it is written of all the famous men among the Grecians and Romanes In Xenophon it is written of Cyrus In Caesars Commentaries of Caesar. In Herodotus of Darius In Ambrose of Theodotius and Valentinian In Eusebius of Constantine that religious Emperour But in the Scripture it is written of CHRIST the author and finisher of our salvation without whom wee can have no comfort in any thing whatsoever This should enflame us with the love of the Scripture this booke should bee our delight day and night Yet a wonder it is to see the perversenesse of our nature We had rather almost bee reading of any booke be it never so ridiculous of any fabulous History whatsoever of Robbin-hood c. then the Scripture Yet here we may finde Christ to the everlasting comfort of our soules All the bookes in the world are not worthy to be named the same day with this booke Timothy learned the holy Scriptures from a child so let us all doe that wee may learne Christ without whom all learning is not worth a straw VERSE 8. IN the former place of the testimony above cited When the Messiah said He reckons up all to shew the debility of them all Not because they were offered by wicked men in which respect they are sometime rejected by God as Isai. 1.13 but because there was no power in them to take away sin No though they were offered by the constitution of the Law VERSE 9. THen when those sacrifices would not serve the turne Iesus Christ. Which those sacrifices cannot doe Whereupon the Apostle concludeth that the first being taken away the latter is established The legall sacrifices being removed CHRIST 's sacrifice alone remaineth as forcible to the putting away of sinne Here we see it is not enough to read and alleadge Scriptures but wee must deduce arguments out of them for the confutation of errors and the establishing of the truth The Apostle here by this testimony out of the Psalme overthrowes the doting opinion of the Iewes which sought justification in circumcision and in the sacrifices of the Law And by the same hee confirmes this truth that wee are saved by the onely oblation of our Saviour Christ. The like must bee practised by us wee must not sleightly read the Scriptures but make an holy and profitable use of them An argument derived out of the Scripture is of more weight then all the authorities of men VERSE 10. BY the which will that hee came to doe by the exequution of which will Sanctified that is made pure from all our sins the holines of Christ being imputed to us He shewes in particular what will he meanes that speciall will of God that the body of his Sonne should be offered up for us And that not often as the sacrifices were in the Law but once That one oblation was sufficient for all by this wee obtaine remission of sins justification sanctification in this life and eternall glorification in the life to come Christ was but once offered and that bloudily the unbloudy sacrifice of the Masse hath no Scripture to leane upon Not by the offering up of the body of an heyfer a Goatea Sheepe c. which were offered up often in the time of the Law Christ's body once made By this alone we are sanctified and by it alone we stand as holy and unblameable before Gods Tribunall seate We are sanctified by baptisme instrumentally Ephes. 5.26 we
of honour and so consequently an embracing analysis 24 of dishonour the which is amplified by the circumstance of time when he did it The honour refused by him was the title and appellation of Pharaohs daughters Sonne the time when he refused it was when he was of mature age Being great not in credit and estimation though that bee true for Moses was in great repute with all but in yeeres that is the native signification of the Hebrew word Gadal and Saint Stephen being a good commenter expoundeth it when he was full fortie yeeres of age This the Holy Ghost mentioneth least this his refusall should be adscribed temeritati or imprudentiae Young men want knowledge and experience often times they doe they cannot tell what if they had had moe yeeres on their backes they would have beene wiser and many times they doe that rashly upon weaknes and impotency of affection which they repent them of afterwards many a young man in a proud conceit of himselfe refuses a living which he would gladly have afterwards and cannot Moses did not so make this refusall Hee was great in yeeres of a ripe and mature age wise circumspect considerate enough yet he refused c. He denyed disclaimed that title horruit aversatus est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Chrysost. expounds it Whether he did deny it in words is not expressed in Scripture peradventure he did The Aegyptians saluted him gladly by that name here comes our young Prince the Kings daughters Sonne he disclaimed and said I am not the Sonne of Pharaohs daughter I am such a womans Son which is an Hebrew I am an Israelite I am no Aegyptian I had rather be accounted the Son of a meane woman of the Israelites then the Son of the greatest Lady in Pharaohs Court If he did it not in words at the least in deeds he is declared by his deeds in the visiting the Israelites in taking their part in revenging their wrongs to be an Israelite not an Aegyptian Pharaohs daughter had done much for him shee saved him from drowning shee paid for the nursing of him shee brought him up at her owne proper cost and charges shee put him to Schoole trained him up in all the learning of the Aegyptians she adopted him to be her Son and now doth he thinke scorne to be called her Son No doubt but hee was thankefull to her for all the kindnesses she had shewed him and behaved himselfe reverently and dutifully to her honour thy father and mother She had beene as a mother to him and out of all question hee honoured her yet hee would not honour her above God he was appointed by God to be the deliverer of the Israelites out of Aegypt Israel was the Church of God to them the promises were made the Aegyptians were a prophane company strangers from the covenants therfore though he might have gained a kingdome by it he would not be in their Calendar he professed plainely he was an Israelite one of Gods chosen people he was none of Pharaohs daughters Sonne hee was the Sonne of GOD by faith in the promised Messiah Hester concealed her people when shee stood on a kingdome yet Moses for a kingdome will not conceale his the time was now come when he was to open himselfe to the world what hee was hee set not a straw by that magnificent title in comparison of the affinity and consanguinity hee had with Gods people Together with this title he refused all the appendices that belonged to it the crowne of Aegypt all the honours riches profits and pleasures that were appertaining to the Crowne A strange and admirable refusall being with Pharaohs daughter hee might live in all ease rest and quietnes none durst give him a foule word much lesse offer him any wrong in deed He flourished in the pomp and honour of the world all the Court reverenced him capped and bowed to him by reason hereof he was in some probability of the Crowne hereafter for Iosephus writeth she had no naturall Sons of her owne but intended to make him her heyre yet this regall title with all the golden appurtenances he refuses Quis nisi mentis inops oblatum respuit aurum much more quis respuit oblatum regnum men will doe any thing for a kingdome yet he desires to bee counted one of Gods people how meanly soever he lived in the world An admirable faith This he did not when hee was under age in his minority but when hee was of full age and capable of a kingdome if it had descended to him Iosephus recordeth that when he was a Child Pharaohs daughter glorying exceedingly in his beauty and towardlines presented him to the King her Father who to please his daughter withall set the Crowne on Moses head the which he suffering to slip off and fall on the ground stamped it under his feete which the South-sayers of Aegypt presaged to bee ominous to the kingdome That he did when he was a boy if it be true but now being a man of compleat age he contemneth as it were the crown of Aegypt he sets not a straw by it because God had called him to another kingdome It is not a thing unlawfull to appertaine to the Court of earthly Princes or to be reputed in the number of their Sons When David was urged by Sauls servants to take Michal the Kings daughter he said to them seemeth it to you a light thing to be a Kings Sonne in Law but he did not say doe yee not know that it is an ungodly thing to be a Kings Sonne in Law Ionathan was Sauls Sonne Salomon Davids Hezekiah the Sonne of Achaz Iosiah of Ammon CHRIST said no man can serve God and Mammon but he never said no man can serve God and Caesar or all yee that will be saved come out of Kings Courts and Pallaces Sundry of the deere Children of God have beene advanced to great honour and dignity in them Ioseph was Ruler of all the land of Aegypt David was Lord Keeper to Achish King of the Philistims Nehemiah was butler to Artaxerxes Daniel was the second man in the kingdome of Babylon Hester was Wife to Ahasuerus a ruler of one hundred twenty seven provinces and Moses himselfe who now refused to be called the Sonne of Pharaohs daughter was afterwards Sonne to Iethro Prince of Midian Riches are excellent things honour and promotion is a glorious thing God oftentimes bestowes them as tokens of love on his Children hee made Abraham rich and he gave David a name like the name of the great men on the earth but if either GOD or they must be forsaken away with all the riches all the kingdomes of the world The Devill offered Christ all the kingdomes of the earth but he would none of them When the Virgin Mary tooke more on her then became her Christ said to her woman what have I to doe with thee so if honour or promotion riches or pleasure draw us from God let
tamen possunt probare quod dicant let them speake that can speake yet so as they prove that which they speake Ego me istaec ignorare confiteor I confesse I am ignorant of these things Let the like humility bee imitated of us all Let no man presume to understand above that which is written The Scripture makes mention of Arch-Angels Michael the Arch-Angel disputed with the Devill about the body of Moses An Arch-Angell shall sound a Trumpet at the last day 1 Thes. 4.16 Some interpret it of a created Angell that hath the title and office of an Arch-Angell onely for a time for the accomplishment of some weighty and extraordinary worke no perpetuall superiority above the rest Cornelius à lapide saies it is Gabriel who as hee did foretell CHRIST 's first comming to the Virgin so hee shall publish his second comming to the world Saint Ambrose and Aquinas are of that opinion Yet that Arch-Angell rather is CHRIST who is termed Michael our Prince Daniel 10. ult The name is sutable to him and to no other Micha ael Who is like to God Almightie none so like him as his Sonne the ingraven forme and character of the Father 3. For their wisedome and knowledge it is admirable The devils know much 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 much more doe the good Angels they have matutinam vespertinam scientiam as Augustine speakes their morning and evening knowledge their morning knowledge they have by creation and a continuall contemplation of GOD their evening knowledge they have by observation from the creatures and a diligent inspection into the Church They bee no fooles they be wise guides that have the custody of us 4. For their power it is wonderfull surpassing the power of evill Angels for it is very probable that as the rest of their gifts so their power is weakened since their fall 5. For their office it is to serve God and the Lambs wife the Church they performe many fruitfull offices to us As Souldiers they pitch their Tents about us defending us from the devill and his Angels Isai. 5. I have hedged in my Vineyard that is Custodia Angelorum Gainas sent a great multitude in the night to burne the Emperors Pallace at Constantinople a multitude of Angels met them in the forme of armed men of a great stature they supposing them to bee magnum strenuum exercitum ranne away As nurses they hold us in their armes Psalm 91.12 that wee dash not our foote against a stone Some interpret it to bee Christ the stone of offence but it is to bee extended to all dangers whatsoever They comfort us in our griefes sorrowes and calamities though we bee not able to discerne it An Angell was sent to comfort our Saviour Christ when he was in his agony in the Garden Luk. 22.43 There was one Theodorus a young man that was cast into a scalding lead an Angell in the similitude of a man stood by him with a napkin in his hand that wiped the drops of sweat that trickled downe his body insomuch as it seemed to him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a pleasure rather than a conflict as he himselfe after reported to Ruffinus They observe our doings and behaviour 1 Cor. 11.10 they grieve if we doe ill and rejoyce in our well-doing Luc. 15.10 They make us rhetoricall nitor eloquii per bonos Angelos ministratur the glory brightnesse of eloquence is conveighed unto us by the good Angels They keepe us carefully while we be alive and at our dying-day they take our soules and carry them up into Abrahams-bosome as they did the soule of Lazarus and Greg. in his Dialogues names many holy men whose soules were seene after a visible manner to be carried by the Angels into heaven The Angels sung at the funerall of the Virgin Mary Nicephor lib. 15. cap. 14. They be apparitores Dei as Lactant. calleth them Gods Apparitors for Mat. 24.31 They gather the elect together from the windes and bring them to God at the last day I but you bring us into a fooles Paradise We see none of these things performed by the Angels What then we must walke by faith not by sight Thou seest not GOD yet thou beleevest there is a God thou seest not thine owne soule yet beleevest thou hast a soule So though we see not the Angels ministring to us yet let us believe it It is divinely and elegantly set forth by Bernard Quid si non videmus obsequium cùm experiamur auxilium what though we see not their service when we have experience of their aid quid si non mereamur aspectum cum sentiamus effectum What though we behold not their ministration with our eyes when we feele the fruit and effect of it in our lives This is the Lords doing and it ought to be marvellous in our eyes What am I O Lord said David and what is my fathers house that thou hast brought me hitherto What are we miserable sinners wormes-meat dust and ashes that the high and holy Angels should wait on us This is Gods unspeakable goodnesse his Name be blessed and magnified for it The last question remaineth whether every one of GOD's elect have a particular Angell or not The greatest part of the Fathers affirme that we have Among the Greeke Basil Naz. Theod. Chrys. Theoph. Among the Latin Origen Ierome Aug. Greg. Yet there is some discrepance betweene them Greg. sayes that we have two a good one ad nostri custodiam for our preservation an evill one ad nostri exercitium for the exercising of us Yet the greater sort contend but for one and there is a controversie about that one whether he be assigned to us à nativitate or à baptismo from our birth or from our baptisme Origen disputes it in utramque partem Zanchius a late Divine thinks that both may wel be conjoyned together Extraordinarily as the Lord sees it meet and expedient we have many Angels for our protection yet ordinarily every one of Gods elect hath a particular Angell appointed to him from his cradle to his grave The principall places whereon they build are these 1. Gen. 48.16 The Angell which hath delivered me from all evill blesse the children In the Hebrew it is not Maloac but ham maloac 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ille Angelus that Angell 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christ Iesus the Prince of Angels which oftentimes appeared to Iacob and delivered him and especially at Bethel insomuch as he stiles him selfe The God of Bethel Gen. 31.11.13 This Angell is expresly called GOD Vers. 15. The God that hath fed me all my life long to this day blesse thee he that fed him sayes Chrys. and he that delivered him is all one 2. Mat. 18.10 Cajetan the Cardinall hath a remarkable annotation on that place bene nota note it well Non dixit singuli Angeli eorum sed Angeli eorum not
twaine 7. Wee must bee as innocent as doves A dove hath but one mate Hee speakes there of a woman whose first husband was an heathen hee would not have her to marry a heathen againe if shee marryed a Christian hee should be as her first husband because the former being an infidell was as no husband 8. 1 Tim. 3.2 A Bishop must bee blamelesse the husband of one wife c. This tyes all Christians as the other to rule the house well to be no strikers no evill speakers not to be given to wine to be the husband of one wife at once for Polygamie began at that time to be frequent in Asia Howsoever some have unadvisedly declamed against them the Scripture allowes second marriages 1 Cor. 7.39 Loquitur indefinite sayes Saint Augustine de bono viduit ca. 12. he doth not say if her first husband but husband whether first second or third c. 1 Tim. 5.11.14 Yonger widdowes S. Paul would not have to bee admitted to office in the Church because they might marry and hee wishes them to marry and beare children Our Saviour CHRIST Iohn 4.18 reprooveth the woman of Samaria for keeping a paramour instead of an husband but he doth not checke her for having had five husbands Hierome de monogamia makes mention of a man that had buried twenty wives and of a woman that had two and twenty husbands No question but all marriages are lawfull yet as Saint Paul sayes all things are lawfull but all things are not expedient There is more inconveniency in regard of diversity of children of the diverse disposition of sundry wives and husbands c. in the second marriages then in the first therefore greater care wisdome circumspection is to be used in them Yet as God hath ordained mariage for all so all may flye to it Notwithstanding because the time is short as the Apostle speaketh contracted into a more narrow roome than it was before Let them that have wives be as if they had none Let us use this world as if we used it not for the glory and pleasure thereof fadeth away So much of the estate Now let us come to the bed and use of mariage The estate peradventure is honourable but the bed is dishonorable nay sayes the Holy Ghost Bell. l. 1. de Sac. Bapt. c. 5. sayes there is turpitudo immundities in the act of mariage abusing that place Apoc. 14.4 Where it is apparant the Spirit of God metaphorically cals all the Elect Virgins that shall triumph with the Lambe in the life to come Otherwise no maried persons should be in Heaven Men may be defiled with women that be Harlots but not with an holy and religious use of their wives And the bed undefiled Either the Verbe substantive may be supplied in the middest of the sentence and then the sense runneth thus And the bed is undefiled meaning the mariage bed it is no polluted bed as the bed of adulterers and fornicators is it is no polluted thing or else the beginning of the Verse must be repeated and bed undefiled is honorable whereunto I doe rather leane because such repetitions are usuall It is a profitable caveat to married folkes instructing them how to behave themselves in the bed of mariage They are so at all times and in all places to carry themselves as that no dishonesty be admitted into that honourable estate nothing that is repugnant to the Law of nature or Christian modesty is to be committed No doubt but that a great liberty is permitted to them that be maried they may have their lawfull sports and honest recreations one with another Isaac sported with Rebeccah neither did he incur any just reprehension for it If he had thought he had beene in the sight of Abimelech he would not then have shewed such familiar tokens of love yet wheresoever they be they must doe nothing but that which may be warrantable by the Law of Nature and the Word written As the Psalmist speaketh Whither shall I goe from thy presence If I climbe up into heaven thou art there c. So all maried persons may say within themselves in the middest of all their delights Whither shall I goe from thy presence If I walke abroad with my wife into the fields and pleasant pastures thou art there if I sit with her at the Table or by the fire side thou art there if I be with her in my chamber and bed thou art there therefore I will doe nothing in this estate which may be displeasing in thy sight This is the bed undefiled that is honourable and well-pleasing unto the Lord. God grant it may be so among us all The bed it selfe is undefiled As they bee put together in the Church so they may meet together in the bed for the procreation of children that may be mutuall comforts to them both and may be as Olive branches round about their Table which may be profitable members both in Church and Common-wealth and Citizens of Heaven Yet let them take heed they be not drowned in the pleasures of mariage Let them not say with him in the Gospell I have maried a wife therefore I cannot come I cannot pray heare sermons reade the Scriptures c. A wife is appointed as an helper to further thee to Heaven not as an hinderer to keepe thee out of Heaven That may suffice for the commendation of mariage now to the condemnation of all uncleane persons that neglect or violate mariage Whoremongers Graec. fornicators when either the one or both parties be unmaried then it is either simple or joynt fornication The Greeke word is derived of the verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies to sell such as sell their bodies as victuallers doe their meat so doe fornicators They make a sayle of their bodies from Christ unto whom it is due unto an harlot that hath no interest in it Adulterers The filthinesse committed betweene maried persons which is more detestable GOD. Which is the Lord of Hosts having all creatures in Heaven and Earth to be his executioners whensoever it pleaseth him Though the Magistrate be negligent in punishing of them yet GOD will judge them Iudge That is metonymically he will punish the cause being put for the effect There is a but against them Iustice is good but unjust dealing is nought So mariage is honourable but fornication and adultery is abominable What need I have a wife of mine owne when I may borrow of another man I but Whoremongers and Adulterers GOD will judge GOD judgeth them sundry kinde of wayes in this life and in the life to come In this life 1. His judgement is on their soules which are translated from GOD to the Devill Wine and adultery take away the heart the heart of an adulterer is more on his Harlot than on God and that is a fearefull judgement A covetous man makes his money his God and an adulterer makes his queane his God 2 His judgement is
is to the company of the faithfull in thy city which may well be Corinth for it was a factious citie full of Sects and Schismes The vulgar translateth it Scripsi forsitan peradventure I had written But Erasmus guesseth shrewdly and truely The word Forsitan was foisted by some unlearned Clarke into the text I wrote saith Saint Iohn to the Church And he speakes it by the way of a Prolepsis Gajus must reply Why Didst thou not write to us all this while about the entertaining of these men I wrote saith Saint Iohn but my writing was not regarded This Epistle of Saint Iohns is not now extant no more peradventure are some which Saint Peter and Saint Paul wrote But wee have so much Scripture by divine providence as is sufficient to salvation we neede not flie to unwritten verities Now let us take a view of the partie resisting He is described by his name and by his peevish quality His name was Diotrephes Some read Dietrepe Quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 overturning God then it fits him well for he was an overtwharter of God and all godlinesse but it is Diotrephes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nourished by God And Homer cals Kings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iupiters nurse children and indeede God hath a speciall care of Kings This man had a glorious name Conveniunt rebus nomina saep◠suis. Sometimes men have sutable names The Name of Iesus agreed wonderfull well to our blessed Saviour for he saves us from our sins and there is no Saviour besides him Timotheus and Philotimus were both answerable to their names both pure worshippers of God But some times mens names are different from their doings Iudah is a good name of Iudah a praiser of God yet he that betrayed Christ had that name Simon is a good name Shamaang Obedience yet Simon Magus was disobedient the fountaine of all heresies So this Diotrephes had a good name but he himselfe was a bad man Good names may be meanes to make men good but they doe not make them good without the blessing of God Almightie 2. He is described by a vicious qualitie that was in him hee loved to have the preeminence among them Hee doth not say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that hath the preeminence but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that loves preeminence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 riches are good but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the love of riches is naught Wine is good but the love of wine is naught He that loveth wine shall not be rich Love it we may moderately but not immoderately The world is good and all things that be in it as they be the creatures of God but the love of the world is evill The upmost places in the Synagogues were good but the Pharisees were evill to love them Eminencie in the Church is good but wee must not love it desire it affect it with a proud minde and ambitious heart as Diotrephes did A paritie in the Ministery is dangerous It is the mother of Sects and Schismes Ex aequo super omnes Ecclesiae fortitudo solidatur Sed Petrus caput constituitur ut Schismatis tollatur occasio The solliditie of the Church is equally founded upon the doctrine of all the Apostles yet Saint Peter was made the head of the Church for the avoiding of Schisme Neverthelesse there is not one Oecumenicall Bishop over the whole world or over all Christendome Major est authoritas orbis quam urbis saith the same learned Father The authoritie of the world is greater than the authority of one citie Vbicunque fuerit Episcopus Wheresoever a Bishop is whether at Rome at Eugubium at Constantinople at Rhegium at Alexandria or at Tais ejusdem est meriti ejusdem sacerdotij he is of the same desert and the Priesthood is the same yet there must be Bishops to have authority over others to preserve the peace of the Church to see that all doe their duties in their severall places and to be as a wall of defence for them that be under them If there were not some in high places in favour with Kings and Princes the rest of the Clergie would soone be troden under foote as the little rivers submit themselves to the greater so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith St. Basil it is necessary it is profitable for the inferiour Ministers to subject themselves to the superiour as were Aaron and his sonnes so sayes S. Hierom are Bishops Priests or Elders Aaron was above his sonnes and Bishops are above them yet both under God and the King let not them that be above 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 contemne them beneath in the vallyes let not them that be below carry themselves insolently towards them above Bishops and Priests saith Ignatius sunt tanquam chordae in Cithara colligatae as strings tyed together in an harpe if they jarre there will be unpleasant musicke Preeminence is laudable the affectation of it is damnable to be called a Bishop is commendable Sed velle vocari to will it to have an irresistible will to it is discommendable they that will be rich fall into divers snares and temptations so they that will be in high places whether God will or no ensnare themselves ere they be aware There be many retinacula pulbackes to hold us from that 1. It is devill-like he was high enough at the first he would needes be higher therefore he was cast low into the bottomelesse pit of hell and all proud aspiring persons fall into the condemnation of the devill 2. It is not Christ-like he was called to it he intruded not himselfe he invites us to humility by precept Learne of me I am humble and meeke by practise he washed his Disciples feete though he were Lord of all yet he became a servant to all he respecteth it in his followers when they stood upon greatnesse hee sends them to a little child to learne to be little he that is greatest among you let him be your servant 3. It is the joy and glory of all good ministers that they have beene no intruders I have not thrust in my selfe to be a Prophet to this people Lord thou knowest the Lord of the harvest must thrust labourers into the harvest none must thrust in himselfe 4. It is a weighty charge an heavie burden hee that desireth the office of a Bishop desireth a worthy worke Opus non dignitas labor non deliciae opus per quod humilitate decrescat non fasti gio intumescat It is a worke not a dignitie a labour not a delicacie a worke I say that should make a man decrease by humilitie not increase and swell in pride a worke for the which a fearefull account is to be made they watch over your soules as they that must give an account if God call us to that worke let us entreate him to give us strength in some measure to discharge it let us