grosse ignorance and the memory with sottish forgetfulnesse so that now wee will indirectly wee iudge darkely and wee remember nothing that is heauenly Hence it comes to passe How our soules are fuller of diseases then our bodies that our bodies are not so subiect to diseases as our soules be to sinnes for pride is the soules tympany when it doth turgescerefastu waxe big and swell through the distaine of others enuie is the worme that gnaweth at the heart then which it is most certaine that Siculi non inuenere tyranui tormentum maius The Sicilian Tyrants did neuer feele a more fearefull torment and wrath is a plurisie that will not be appeased without blood for of the raging man it is most truely said Mad that his poyson cannot others kill He drinkes it off himselfe himselfe to spill And therefore of all the men in the world we are aduised to keepe no company with an angry furious man but as the Poet saith Dum furor in cursu currenti cede furori Ouidius lib. 1. de rem amor Difficiles aditus impetus omnis habet To turne aside from euery furious wight Cause fury will haue passage in despight And Lust is the soules feauer the flames thereof are the flames of fire and the waters thereof are aqua 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the waters of folly and madnesse And in this How the sickenesse of the soule is worse then the sickenesse of the body the sicknesse of the soule doth exceed all the sicknesse of the body for the body hath some respite from its sickenesse but the soule hath none from sinne and euery sicknesse of the body kils it not but euery sinne slayeth the soule for the reward of sinne that is of euery sinne is death saith the Apostle And hence likewise in my iudgement that branch of Pellagianisme taught also by Lactantius that the light of Nature if it were well vsed might make way for Diuine instruction may bee sufficiently confuted for though they teach that man by sinne hath not quite killed his soule but wounded the same like the man that fell among theeues and was left halfe aliue and therefore might Lactan diuin iustit c. 5. That Nature though neuer so well vsed cannot procure the gifts of grace Ephes 2.1.5 Coloss 2.13 saith Lactantius come to the same doctrine that we doe follow Si quae natura ducente sanserunt defendissent If they had constantly maintained those things which Nature taught them yet the Apostle saith here that sinne brings death vnto the Sinner and if death then sure there was no life i. e. no life of Grace in him And so in many other places the Apostle sheweth as much for he saith that we were dead in trespasses and sinnes and that God hath quickned vs by Iesus Christ And therefore it is apparently plaine that at the beginning of our conuersion we are altogether passiue and haue no power in the world to releeue our selues vntill grace hath quickened our soules Ob. But against this it may be obiected that the Apostle saith the Gentiles knew God Rom. 1.21 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so much as might be knowne concerning God that is his eternall power and God-head when they considered him in his workes and therefore the light of Nature was not quite extinguished in them Sol. That sinne extinguished all knowledge of God but what God reuealeth to man I answere that this knowledge of God was not from the light of Nature in them but it was reuealed by God vnto these naturall men to make them without excuse as Zanchius well obserueth for so the Apostle sheweth in the 19 verse of the same Chapter where he saith Deus enim illis manifestauit for God reuealed the same vnto them and therefore I say that the sinne of Adam did quite kill the soule of euery man for the reward of sinne is death and therefore we may all of vs cry out with the Apostle Rom. 7.24 O wretched men that we are who shall deliuer vs from this body of death And here-hence we may also see the iudgement of God threatned in Paradise Gen. 1.17 In what day thou eatest of the tree of Knowledge of good and euill thou shalt die the death to be truely and presently inflicted vpon Adam for though his body seemed to liue yet was his soule separated from God and therefore must needs be presently dead Aug. de ser dom in monte habetur de poenitent distinct 2. But as sinne is three manner of wayes committed as I shewed before so is the death of the soule three wayes inflicted and they are prefigured by those three sorts of dead men which our Sauiour raised in the Gospell as S. Augustine sheweth The first was Iayrus his daughter she was a Virgin â—nd was as yet within the doores and therefore our Sauiour went into the house and put out all the people and vouchsafed to take her by the hand and to say Talitha cumi Damosell Mar. 5.41 Of a three-fold death of the soule I say vnto thee arise This signifieth that soule which sinned onely by consent but hath not yet brought forth the sinne into fact and therefore God will be mercifull vnto such and will not require to shame them before the world but hee will goe in himselfe and accept of their inward repentance for such inward sinnes The second was the Widdowes sonne of Naime and hee was caried out to be buried and therefore our Sauiour in the presence of them all Did touch the Beere and said Luk 7.14 Yong man I say vnto thee arise and he sate vp and began to speake And this signifieth the soule that sinneth in fact and therefore as she publikely sinned so she must be publikely restored and as by her sinne she offended many so by her sitting vp They that publikely sinne must publikely testifie their repentance i. e. by her standing and constancy in grace and by her talking i. e. by her confession of her sinnes she must giue satisfaction vnto many Nam qui publice peccat publice corrigendus publice restaurandus est For he that publikely offendeth is publikely to be reprooued publikely to be restored saith the Law The third was Lazaus John 11. and hee was dead and laid in his graue and therefore Iesus was faine to goe a great iourney to raise him and when he came to him he groned in his spirit and was troubled he wept and he groaned againe Ver. 35. he lifted vp his eyes he prayed and he cryed with a loude voyce saying Ver. 43. Lazarus come forth and then he came forth but how bound hand and foot saith the Euangelist with graue clothes and his face bound with a Napkin so that his friends and standers by were faine to loose him and to let him goe Ver 44. And this signifieth the soule that is accustomed to sinne that is dead and buried in sin and
thy sake CHAP. II. How euery sinne slayeth the soule AS sinne brings a curse vpon all creatures How sinne brought on man a treble death so it brings death vpon all men for the reward of sinne is death and we finde this death to bee three fold 1. A spirituall death of the Soule within the Body 2. A corporall death of the Body by continuall castigation of the same throughout all our life and a finall seperation from the soule at the end of our life 3. An eternall death both of Body and Soule in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone foreuermore The first is set downe in the 8. of Matth. 22. Chrysost hom 11. in c. 6. ad rom Where our Sauiour sayth Let the dead bury their dead i. e. Let those that are spiritually dead in trespasses sinnes as the Apostle sayth burie those that are naturally dead to shew that a sinners body is but the breathing Sepulchre of his sinnefull soule and therfore the Prophet Dauid sayth Psal 14.5 Rom. 3.13 that their throat is an open Sepulchre which yeelds a more loathsome sent vnto the nostrils of God from the corrupted putrified soule then any graue can yeeld vnto the nostrils of man from all its rotten carkases The second is set downe in the 11. of Iohn the 39. John 11.39 where Martha sayth her brother Lazarus was dead and stinked i. e. depriued of the fruition of the soule and therefore loathsome to bee seene and more loathsome to bee smell for experience sheweth vs that how sweete soeuer we be in our life and how soft and tender soeuer our flesh bee most amiably complexioned with that fresh and liuely blood which be deckes the same with the fairest colours and glides vp and downe in siluer veynes yet are the best of these sweetest Ladies but most loathsome stinking carrions within a short space after death all flesh being subiect to corruption Luke 16.24 The third is set downe in the 16. of Luke 24. where Diues being in torments prayeth vnto Abraham to shew that he had a soule and desireth a drop of water to coole his tongue to prooue that he had a body But to speake of these three more fully First Wee must vnderstand that the spirituall death of the soule is two-fold 1. Mori peccatis to die to sinne 2. Mori in Peccatis to die in sinne Macrob. c. 1. in som scip 13. For the first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the whole studie and life of the Philosopher was nothing else but a commentary Hieron ad Heliod ex Platone in Phaedone or preparation for death saith Macrobius Nam mori dicimur cum anima adhuc in corpore constituta corporeas illecebras contemnit for he may bee truely sayd to die whose soule still remayning within the body doth notwithstanding contemne and abstaine from all fleshly delights And this was aymed at by the Philosophers but it was onely attained vnto by the true Christians What it is to die to sinne for they that are Christs haue crucified the flesh and haue mortified the lusts of the same sayth the Apostle these haue eares and heare not the Sirenian notes of sinne nor the flattering suggestions of Satan they haue eyes and see not the alluring vanities of this world any wayes worthy to bee desired for I haue made a couenant with mine eyes Job 31. that they should not looke that is vnlawfully or with any lasciuious desire vpon a maide sayth holy Iob and I sayd I would take heed vnto my wayes sayth the Prophet Dauid that I offend not in my tongue Psal 39.1 and therefore as the Apostle sayth they vse the world as though they vsed it not To die to sinne is a punishment for sinne And although this death be good the onely way to bring vs vnto a better life for hee that will not die before he dieth shall neuer liue when hee dieth yet is this the reward of sinne for had it not beene for sinne we had not needed to take this care and payne Cyprian de duplici Martyrio to fight against our selues yea to Martyr and mortifie our own flesh by chastening our owne bodies to bring them to subiection least we should prooue to be cast-awayes as the Apostle speaketh and therefore the chastisements of the Saints are the punishments of their sinnes For the second to die in sinne What it is to die in sinne is when God forsaketh a sinnefull soule and suffereth the same to lye and die in her transgressions for as the soule is the life of the body so is God the life of the soule sayth Saint Augustine Aug. de ciuit dei l. 13. c. 21. Matth. 4.4 And therefore all those that liue by bread onely and not by euery word which proceedeth out of the mouth of God i. e. which liue the life of nature and not the life of grace they are like those wanton widdowes whereof the Apostle sayth 1 Tim. 5.6 that they are dead while they liue for though the soule be truely immortall yet it hath a kind of death sayth Saint Augustine and that is when God forsaketh the same for sinne and what a heauy case is this Plangis corpus quod deserit anima non plangis animam quam deserit Deus We bewaile the body when the soule is parted and shall wee not bewayle the soule which God hath forsaken sayth Saint Chrisostome Saint Augustine being as then a Manichee and reading the Hystorie of Aeneas and Queene Dido A most excellent consideration of Saint Augustine did weepe as himselfe confesseth when hee came to the death of Dido and therefore after that he was conuerted hee most diuinely sayth ô me miserum c. O wretched man that I was that would bewaile the death of Dido forsaken of Aeneas and did not bewaile the death of mine owne soule forsaken of God so we many times doe weepe for the death of our friends but doe neuer weepe for the death of our owne soules They may say vnto vs as Christ sayd to the daughters of Ierusalem weepe not for vs but weepe for your selues Luke 23.28 and for your owne soules that are dead in sinnes for euery one of vs may say with the poet Atque vtinam lugenda tibi non vita Repentance is the onely meanes to reuiue our dying soules sed esset mors mea Our life is a great deale more worthy to bee bewailed then our deâ—th in as much as the death of the soule is a great deale more lamentable then the death of the body But as wee haue no other remedie for the death of our friends but onely teares Est quadam flere voluptas Expletur lachrymis egeriturque dolor for this is a great ease vnto the afflicted heart and a kinde of comfort vnto the sorrowfull soule so we haue none other helpe for the death of our soules but onely teares Saepe per has
their consciences and they shall see that they must part from all the things that they haue gathered but that not one of those sinnes will part from them which they haue committed and least they should forget them Satan will now open his booke and set all their sinnes before their eyes and then he will bestirre himselfe because he knoweth his haruest is great and his time is but short and therefore he will tell them Matth. 19.17 that if they would haue entred into life they should haue kept the commandements as our Sauiour Christ himselfe doth testifie Rom. 2.13 he will alleage against them that not the hearers but the doers of the Law shall be iustified and he will inferre that if the iust shall scarce be saued it is intollerable for them being wicked men to appeare How Satan discourageth the wicked at their death and what the Preachers of God now cannot beat into the thoughts of these carelesse men this wicked damned spirit will then irremoueably settle in their deepest considerations 1 Cor. 6.9.10 viz. that neither adulterers nor fornicators nor drunkards nor swearers nor vsurers nor extortioners nor lyers nor enuious men nor haters of men nor any such like shall inherit the Kingdome of God and of Christ O then what agonies and perplexities will inuade and teare the wofull hearts of wicked men In that day saith the Lord I will cause the Sunne to goe downe at noone Amos 8.9.10 and I will darken the earth in the cleare day I will turne their feasts into mournings and their songs into lamentations that is they shall be sure then to haue the greatest griefe and vexation when they haue the greatest need of comfort and consolation for I will make all those things that were wont most sweetly to delight them now most of all to torment them the pleasure of sinne shall now turne to be as bitter as Gall and now they shall see that they must die and liue they can no longer and that Satan whom they would not forsake all their life-time will not forsake them now at their death-time but wil be still sounding in their eares Me you haue serued and from me you must expect your wages We read the Deuil assayled the best-Saints Saint Martin Saint Bernard Eusebius Ignatius and others Luke 23.31 and if these things be done in a greene tree what shall be done in a withered saith our Sauiour If he be so busie about the Saints Pet. 4.17 which haue the Angels of God round about them to preserue them Psal 91.11 What shall he doe to sinners who haue nothing but deuils round about them to confound them This is the state of wicked men at their dying day and therefore mors peccatorum pessima of all terrible things the death of sinnefull men is the most terrible Secondly After the seperation of the body and soule How death aequalizeth the bodies of all men then death indeede makes different effects for though it makes the bodies of all alike their dust is so mingled and their bones are so like one another that we know not Irus from Craesus as Diogenes being demaunded by Alexander what he sought for among the tombes sayd he sought for his father Phillips bones but among so many dead mens soules hee knew not which they were yet in respect of the soules How death sendeth the soules of the good to Heauen and of the wicked to hell it worketh very different consequents for it sends the good soules into Abrahams bosome and the wicked soules to hell to be tormented in fire for euermore Now that the efficiente cause of death which is sinne should be the same in all men and that the fruites and effects or subsequents of death should be so different in the godly from all other men we find a treble reason A three-fold reason of the subsequent different effects of death The 1. Is the practise of a godly life 2. Is the meditation of our owne death 3. Is the application of the death of Christ These things as Sampson sayd in his riddle out of the eater bring meate and out of the strong sucke sweetenesse these things doe translate the sting and curse of death into a sweete and a blessed life Of the first Saint Augustine sayth Mala mors putanda non est Aug. de ciuit dei l. 1. c. 21. That to liue well is a speciall meanes to make vs die well quam bona vita praecessit It is impossible that his death should be ill whose whole life hath beene alwayes good quia nunquam Deus deserit hominem quovsque homo deserat deum because God will neuer forsake that man at his death which hath truely serued God throughout all his life and therefore Seneca sayth Seneca in quad epist Ante senectutem curaui vt bene viuâ—rem vt in senectute bene morerer While I was young all my care was to liue well that when I were old I might die well and so let vs doe if wee would die well let vs liue well let vs learne artem viâ—endi the art to liue the life of the righteous and wee shall bee sure to die the death of the righteous for seeing the wages of sinne is death it must needs be that the lesser and the fewer our sinnes be the better our death will be But if we liue like Baalam which loued the gaine and wages of vnrighteousnesse it is vnpossible that we should die the death of Israel for God beheld there was no iniquitie in Iacob Numb 23 21. nor any peruersenesse in Israel and therefore the Lord his God was with him Godly sorrow for sinne and the meditation of our death is the death of sinne Of the second Bosquierus sayth that à culpa natae sunt duae filiae Tristitia Mors hae duae filiae hanc pessimani matrem destruunt Sinne brought forth two goodly damosells Sorrow and Death and these two daughters like the brood of vipers doe eate through the bowells and destroy that wicked mother For First Paenitudine commissa delentur by repentance wee wash away the sinnes that are past and therefore Iohn Baptist sayth O generation of Vipers if you would kill your cruell wicked mother Matth. 3.7 8. that is Sinne bring foorth fruits meete for repentance for that is the onely way for you to escape death and to flee from the wrath to come And Secondly Meditatione mortis futura cauentur by the frequent meditation of death we come more and more to detest and to beware of sinne Aug l. 1. contra Man for so Saint Augustine sayth that nihil sic reuocat hominem à peccato quam frequens meditatio mortis Nothing is so powerfull to make a man hate sinne as continually to consider of this bitter fruit and reward of sinne which is death and Seneca before him sayth the same thing and therefore he aduiseth euery man
Seneca epist 25. efficere mortem sibi familiarem to make death his companion and as his wife that should euer lye in his bosome that by the continuall sight of death he might be euer kept to abstaine from sinne for the couetous man might be the easier drawne to contemne the trash and trumperies of this vaine and transitorie world if hee did beleeue that hee should presently dye for so prophane Esau sayth Loe I die Facile contem nit omnia qui credit se cito moritâ—rum Hieron in ep ad Paulin Eccles 10. Incert autâ—r and what good will my Birth-right doe vnto me So the proud man would let fall his Peacocks feathers if he could thinke that hee is but dust and ashes and that when he dieth hee shall inherite wormes as the wise man sayth Omnia Caesar habet sed gloria Caesaris esse desinit tumulus vix erit octo pedum And that if he triumphed in his life like Caesar to bee the sole Monarch of the world yet would his glory soone fayle when death should locke him vp in his coffin and so of all other sinnes the frequent meditation of death is the onely preseruatiue against them For as one truely sayth of himselfe Quum recordor quod sum cinis Et quam citâ— venit finis Sine fine pertimesco Et vt cinis refrigesco When I thinke I am but dust And how soon to earth I must Bernard in carm Then incessantly I shake And as dust it doth me make So questionlesse if wee did continually thinke of death and fixe that fearefull day of Gods iust iudgement before our eyes it would bee a maruelous great meanes to deterre vs from all sinnes And as the meditation of death doth preuent sinne Bosq p. 12. de finibus honorum so it sweetneth death and makes it farre the lesse terrible vnto vs for if our eyes be dead and weaned from beholding vanities The frequent meditation of death is a great meanes to preserue vs from the feare of death our eares from hearing the Syrens songs of sinnefull pleasure and our hearts especially from the loue of vaine and worldly things then certainely they will not being thus mortified and accustomed with this death to sinne bee any whit afrayd of the death of the body which is the reward of sinne but as a horse that is to runne a race hauing often walked his way before is the more fearelesse to goe on when hee comes at the day of triall so the man that is acquainted with the wayes of death through the daily meditation of death is not afrayd to die when he seeth the day of his dissolution Palladius reports it that an Eremite being at the point to die his schollers and friends asked him if death did not seeme terrible vnto him hee smilingly answered that death was no stranger but a most familiar acquaintance to him it was his manuall and his vade mecum his table-booke which he alwayes carried about him and therefore dying he did but now repeate that his old lesson which hee had beene long in learning O that it were so with euery one of vs that throughout all our life wee would learne to die The application of Christs death is the onely cause that maketh vs happie after death Osee 13.14 that hauing made death present with vs before it comes it may neuer proue terrible vnto vs when it comes Of the third the Diuine veritie sayth that the chiefest cause the onely cause indeed of this different effect of death is the application of the death of Christ for it is he that saith O death I will be thy death O graue I will bee thy destruction and therefore as when Alexander ouerthrew the walles of Thebes Phryne a harlot promised to build them vp againe if shee might ingraue vpon them this inscription 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Alexander battered downe this Wall but Phryne built it vp againe so we may truely say that Eue threw downe these muddie walles of ours but Christ doth rayse them vp for though the wages of sinne are death Rom. 6.23 yet the grace of God brings eternall life through Iesus Christ our Lord. And the manner how he doth deliuer vs and metamorphose death to become life vnto vs he himselfe doth shew when hee sayth if I be lift vp I will draw vp all vnto my selfe i. e. if I die I will destroy the power of death for so the Apostle sayth That forasmuch as the children were partakers of flesh and blood John 8.28 and C. 12.32 Heb. 2.14 15. he himselfe likewise tooke part of the same that through death hee might destroy him that had the power of death that is the Deuill and deliuer them that through the feare of death were all their life time subiect vnto bondage 1 Machah 6.46 Iudges 16.30 and therefore as Eleazer by his owne death did put the great Elephat to death and Sampson by pulling downe the house vpon his owne head did put to death all the Philistines so Christ by his owne death did put the deuills Origen hom 8. in Iohan and all the powers of darkenesse vnto death and therefore Origen sayth that vpon the crosse of Christ two were crucified that is Christ and the deuill but after a diuers manner for Christ was crucified visibly and most willingly for hee layd downe his life himselfe but the deuill was crucified inuisibly and most vnwillingly Matth. 12.29 for this strong man armed was faine to bee bound before Christ could spoyle his house And the Lord speaking of his enemies and saying that hee would be vnto them as a Lion Ose 13.7 would obserue them as a Libbard in the way of Ashur doth foreshew vnto vs both the destruction and the manner of the destruction of these our spirituall enemies for in being like a Lion he sheweth their destruction and in being like a Libbard he sheweth the manner The manner how Christ by death ouercame death how hee would destroy them for it is obserued of the Libbard that he vseth this pollicie to kill those Apes that doe molest him first he lyeth downe as dead and suffereth the apes to mocke him and trample him and to insult ouer him as much as they will but when he perceiueth them to be wearied with leaping and skipping vpon him he reuines himselfe on a sudden and with his clawes and teeth he teareth them all to pieces euen so our Sauiour Christ suffered the deuill and death and all the wicked Iewes like apes to mocke him to tread him and trample him vnder feete to crucifie him to burie him to seale vp his graue and to haue armed Souldiers to watch him that hee should not rise any more and it may be to knocke him on the head againe if he sought to reuiue but when hee saw they had done their worst and that they could doe no more Psal 78.66.67 Hee waked as a giant out of
Satan cares not where he may haue hold of thee so he may haue hold of thee and he cares not by what doore he may enter into thy soule so he may enter in by any doore for as one leake may sinke a ship one wound may kill a man so one sinne especially practised may slay the soule and what auaileth it whether couetousnesse or prodigality precisenesse or prophanesse doe raigne in vs whether on the right hand or on the left hand by ouer-going or vnder-going wee be depriued of saluation for though the by-pathes of iniquity which doe misleade a Christian be very many yet they all meete in one place for the issues of them all Prou. 16.25 are the issues of death saith Saloman And therefore if this roaring Lion hath catcht hold of thine eye that by wanton lookes lookes full of adulteries as Saint Peter speaketh it maketh thee to offend pull it out and cast it off 2 Pet. 2.14 that thou mayest free the rest of thy selfe from eternall destruction and so of all other parts doe as our Sauiour bids thee free thy selfe from Satan Et redime te captum quam queas minimo and free thy selfe as soone as thou canst and as well as thou canst for thou wert better shake off that one sinne then that Satan by that one sinne should take thee into Hell fire and as they vse to doe in besieged Cities where the assault is sorest there they place the stoutest men so doe thou against sinne and Satan striue most to hinder him where he striueth most to enter for so Dauid saith that he refrained from his owne wickednesse i. e. euen from that sinne that he was most of all inclined vnto and so let vs wholly and perfectly rise from all sinnes Thirdly Christ rose constantly without apostacy That we shold so rise from sinne as neuer to fall to sinne againe Reuel 1.18 i. e. hee rose gloriously neuer to die againe for Christ being raised from the dead dyeth no more death hath no more power ouer him and so his epethite is he that was dead is aliue and liueth for euermore So should we rise from sinne neuer to sinne againe not like Lazarus that rose from his graue and dyed againe rise now from sinne and immediatly fall into the same or the like sinnes againe but as we must obey Christ his voyce saying Come vnto me Matth. 11.28 so wee must obey his voyce saying abide in me John 15.4 and as William the Conquerer is said to haue sunke all his ships when he arriued here in England because he would take away all hope of flying backe so must we sinke all sinnes that we may neuer swimme or ride on sinne againe drowne them in the seas dash them against the wals and so shake hands with all sinnes that we neuer returne to any sinne againe for Why Nouatus thought sinnes of recidiuation should not be pardoned though it was an errour in Nouatus to denie remission vnto sinnes of recidiuation that is when a man relapseth and falleth againe into the same sin because the Apostle saith It is vnpossible that they which were once inlightened so raised from sin if they fall away should be renued by repentance and Saint Peter saith Heb. 6. It had beene better for them neuer to haue knowne the wayes of righteousnesse 2. Pet. 2.21 then after they haue knowne it to turne away from the holy Commandemrnts and because we neuer read that either Christ raised the same men twice no not the widdowes sonne whom he pittied nor yet Lazarus whom hee loued nor that the Saints euer fell into the same sins againe after they had them once remitted as Dauid neuer committed adultery againe Peter neuer denied his Master againe Paul neuer persecuted the Church againe after they had these sinnes once remitted though I say this was an error in the Nouatians because the Apostles speake of falling away from Christ by a finall apostacie and not of falling againe into sinne through our carnall infirmity and because the comparison of Christ raising the dead with the raising of vs from sin doth not as no other comparison doth in all things hold aequipage and because the other mens not falling into the same sinnes againe doth but shew that they had a great measure of grace to preserue them from falling and not proue a deniall of renuing grace vnto vs if we should fall againe and they are set downe for our imitation that wee should striue to stand and neuer to fall and not for our desperation if we doe fall into the same sinnes againe yet I say That relapsing into sinne is very dangerous that this relapsing into sinne this returning with the dog vnto his vomit and with the swine to her wallowing in the mire is exceeding fearefull and dangerous for as vulnus iteratum c. nature is tired with the continuall assault of the same diseases and at last is forced to yeeld vnto them if it cannot by some meanes expell them and as the same sore often wounded is very hardly cured so the same sinnes still assaulting our soules will without doubt if they be not extinguished by grace make our last end worse then our beginning And therefore it were well for vs if when we haue risen from sinne we would euer pray to God for grace that wee might neuer fall into sinne againe for otherwise as the old Prouerbe is Conteritur annulus vsu Gutta cauat lapidem non vi sed sape cadendo Sic homo fit Daemon non vi sed saepe cadendo scilicet in peccatum often sinning makes the greatest sinners But if the relapsing into any particular sinne bee so dangerous O then what a fearefull thing is the falling back from our most holy profession surely What a fearefull sinne Apostacie is it is the most remarkable thing in the description of the sinne against the holy Ghost and the most apparant signe of eternall destruction behold the punishments of Apostates that are left for our examples Lots wife was turned into a pillar of salt and the children of Israell that in their hearts were turned back againe into Aegypt had their carkasses left in the wildernesse and no maruell for this is a transcendent sinne and I know no sinne so great as this Herods bloudy murders euen of infants and Neros sauage crueltie euen against the Saints and the most barbarous acts of the most inhumane heathen Tyrants did neuer sound so odious in mine eares as that horrid name of Iulian the Apostata for that must stand as a rule infallible 2. Pet. 2 21. that they are farre better which neuer knew the way of righteousnes then they which once knew it and then turned aside from the holy commandement Beloued It hath pleased God to bring vs out of Aegypt and to vs that walked in darknesse and in the shadow of death Esay 9.2 hath the glorious light of the
comfort Bernard de passione domini c. 46. p. 1236. k. then hee did sorrow and griefe at his passion saith Saint Bernard and therefore we should all of vs plus gaudere propter resurrectionem gloriosam quam dolere propter passionem ignominiosam now say with the Psalmist sing we merily vnto the Lord our God that hath turned our sorrow into ioy that we might sing one of the songs of Sion and woe to that man that doth it not Gregor hom 21. in Euangel quia indignum valde est si in eo die laudes debitas tacuerit lingua carnis quo videlicet caro resurrexit autoris because it is a great indignitie that our tongues should bee silent from giuing praise to God on that day whereon our Sauiour rose from his death saith Saint Gregory And as we should reioyce at the consideration of the resurrection of Christ from the dead so we should likewise reioyce for the resurrection of our owne soules from sinne for as Tobias said what ioy can I haue so long as I sit here in darknesse so may wee say of euery sinner what comfort can he haue whiles he liues in sinne or what fruit can he haue of those things Rom. 6. whereof hee must bee ashamed as the Apostle saith And so much for our resurrection from sinne That the resurrection of Christ is an assurance of our resurrection to eternall life Secondly if wee bee the members of Christ wee shall assuredly rise from our graues and from death vnto the resurrection of euerlasting life quia vt Redemptor noster suscepit mortem ne mori timeremus ita ostendit resurrectionem vt nos resurgere posse confideremus for as our redeemer died that we might not bee affraid of death so he rose againe that we might bee sure of our resurrection vnto life for if the head bee risen then surely the members in their due time must rise and follow after but Christ our head is risen from the dead as I haue abundantly shewed vnto you before and therefore it must be that wee which are his members shall also rise and follow after And lest any man should say sperare de se non debet homo quod in carne sua exhibuit Deus homo that man should not hope for that to himselfe which that God and man performed in himselfe S. Gregory answereth that solus in illo tempore mortuus est tamen solus minime resurrexit although hee died and was laid in his graue all alone yet he did not rise againe alone but hee was accompanied with many others to shew vnto vs that as he died not for himselfe so he rose not for himself but for vs that are his members And therefore though heere we suffer all the miseries of this world though our bodies be but semen terrae esca vermium the dust of the earth and the foode of wormes and though these bodies of ours should be cast into the seas and bee eaten of fishes and those fishes should be caught and should be eaten of men and those men should be burnt to ashes and those ashes cast into the seas yet we mâ—y assure our selues to our continuall comfort and to our refreshment in all miseries that God will collect vs and raise vs vp at the last day and giue vnto euery soule his owne body and then make vs like vnto the glorious body of Iesus Christ And so much for the first lesson 1. Cor. 15. the lesson of Theorie which these women and so likewise all men and women must learne and know That Christ is risen from the dead and therefore that we should rise from sinne and shall rise from our graues to eternall life CHAP. X. What the women are commanded to doe and why and what speciall lessons we may learne for our instruction FOR the second i. e. the lesson of practise How the Angell teacheth the women what they should doe this Angell sheweth vnto these women what they should doe saying ite goe your wayes why stand you heere and goe quickly without delay for it is the Lords businesse Why the women were to tell the Disciples that Christ was risen and cursed be they that doe the worke of the Lord negligently dicite discipulis and tell his Disciples that Christ is risen from the dead Tell his Disciples first quia vos ad praedicandum inferior sexus ad exigendum infirmior because your sex is lesse able to preach Ambros in loc lesse constant to perseuere saith Saint Ambrose secondly because women must not teach for to teach is a note of superiority and women are bound to obey and to learne at home of their husbands and therfore I permit not a woman to teach saith the Apostle thirdly that as man did rashly beleeue the woman for his destruction so he might now happily beleeue these womeÌ„ for his saluation et ecce behold he goeth before you into Galilee Galilee of the Gentiles because now the partition wall that was betwixt the Iewes and the Gentiles is broken downe and the calling of the Gentiles approacheth neere quia transmigrauerat à morte ad vitam and because now hee had passed from death to life and was to passe from this vaine and momentary life vnto that ioyfull and eternall happinesse he saith behold he goeth before you into Galilee because Galilee signifieth transmigration What we shold learne from the Angells instruction to the women or a passage ouer from one place vnto another And so you see the summe of the Angels iniunction vnto the women what they must doe and from hence we may learne these speciall lessons for our instruction First to practise what we know First that we must ioyne practise vnto our profession if wee would be happie for these two must neuer be separated these things if you know blessed are you if you doe them saith our Sauiour And yet it hath beene euer the practise of Satan to seuer those whom God hath ioyned together and therefore in former times he put out the light of the Word preached that men might not know what to do now when he seeth he can hide the light no longer he giues you leaue to know as much as you will as much as Berengarius who is said to know as much as was know-able but he laboureth that you shall doe nothing at all but shew your selues iust like the Grecians Plutar. in Lacoon which knew what was honest but did it not or like the Scribes and Pharisees which said and did not saith our Sauiour But we should consider first that this is one of the chiefest ends why God gaue his Lawes and his Commandements vnto vs that we should doe them for had hee giuen them onely to bee preserued hee might haue lockt them vp in iron coffers God gaue his Lawes not to be talked of but to be kept or had he giuen them to be talked of he might
Deus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If I Depart I will send the comforter vnto you Iohn 16.7 Christ is risen from the deade 1 Cor 15 4 I am tormented in this flame Luk 16 pray continually 1 Thes 5 17 He was broken for or. sinÌ„es Esay 53 5 He shall be calle d the sonÌ„e of God luk 1 35 * And I saw 7 goulden Candlestickes in the midst of the 7 candles iâ— one like vnto the sonne of man clothed w th A garment down to the foot girt about the paps w th A goulden girdle This is etarnall life to know thee to be the true god Iohn 17 3 SEVEN GOVLDEN Candlestickes Houlding The Seauen Greatest lights of Christian Religion Shewing vnto all men what they should beleeue how they ought to walke in this life that they may attayne vnto eternall life By GR WILLIAMS Doctor of Divinity p 36â—9 with thee is the well of life in thy light we shall see light 1624 Printed for Nathaniell Butter Delaram scupâ— THE CONTENTS OF the whole BOOKE 1 The Misery of Man Rom. 6.23 The summe whereof was preached At Pauls Crosse 2 The Knowledge of God Exod. 34.6.7 The summe whereof was preached Before the King at Greene-wich 3 The Incarnation of the Word Ioh. 1.14 The summe whereof was preached At S. Maries in Cambridge 4 The Passion of the Messias Luk. 24.46 5 The Resurrection of Christ Matth. 28.5.6 The summe whereof was preached VVithin the Cathedrall Church of S. Paul 6 The Ascention of our Sauiour and the Donation of the Holy Ghost Ephes 4.5 The summe whereof was preached At S. Maries in Cambridge 7 The duty of Christians 1 Thess 5.28 The summe whereof was preached Before the King at Theobalds TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE AND truly Religious PHILIP HERBERT Earle of Montgomery Baron of Sherland and Knight of the most Honourable Order of the Garter and to the most Vertuous and Zealously Religious Lady the La. SVSAN his most deere and louing Wife and to those fiue blessed branches their most sweet gracious and hopefull children the Lord Charles Herbert the Lady Anna-Sophia Herbert Mr. Philip Herbert Mr. William Herbert and Mr. Iames Herbert all grace and happinesse in this life and eternall blessednesse in the life to come RIGHT HONOVRABLE TO you seauen I dedicate these seauen Golden Candlestickes and to whom should I dedicate the same but to you for in your house and by your light I haue composed them and God hath blessed you not onely in making you great through the fauour of Mutable men but especially in making you good through the immutable grace and fauour of himselfe which changeth not and which hath planted his feare in your hearts and diffused those graces into your soules that doe infalliby accompany saluation and make you to shine as you doe for the sincerity of your profession in the truth of the Gospell and the vprightnesse of your hearts which haue bin euer seene void of all double courtly dealing amongst a crooked and peruerse generation whereof I had almost said the greatest part is either basely filled with hypocriticall flattery or most pittifully blinded with idololatricall impiety and as a sure pledge of his pure loue vnto your Honours he hath giuen vnto you such an inestimable gift so many so sweet and so gracefull children which for all good parts and endowments of nature and for infallible signes of grace I dare boldly say it and I may the rather say it because rather then any other I doe more experimentally know it God hath annointed aboue their fellowes * Especially that worthily beloued child my LORD CHARLES HERBERT of whom for h s admired towardnesse I could truly say more then any that know him not would easily beleeue that neither you nor all yours can be sufficiently thankefull vnto God for them so great a blessing it is to haue so many so many such Oliue-branches round about your Table And therfore as God hath blessed your Honors and made you great lights to shine for godly zeale in this wicked declining world and to be patternes of true piety vnto others round about you So I doe assure my selfe you will not disdaine to accept and peruse these my labours which as a small expression of my vnfained thankefulnesse for those manifold testimonies of your loue and fauours vnto me farre I confesse beyond my deserts I doe most syncerely dedicate vnto your Honours for whose compleate happinesse my witnesse is in Heauen that since first I belonged vnto you I haue daily prayed vpon my bended knees and I doe vnfainedly acknowledge that you deserue more from me then I can performe and haue performed more vnto me then I can any wayes deserue from you And therefore I presumed to dedicate these Treatises vnto your Honours not to shelter them from any stormes of maleuolent tongues but to publish that thankefulnesse vnto the world which my heart euer acknowledgeth to be due vnto you For I know it is fit that whosoeuer publisheth any thing vnfit should beare the whole burthen of his owne fault and whosoeuer ventureth to appeare in print must expect the common lot of all Writers to be variously censured of various dispositions Some as Nebuzaradan burnt the Temple Greg. Cur. past 3. p. c. 20. Nazian in pacif 2. but kept the gold will be content to take the matter and yet blame the Author others will reade it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not to better themselues but to censure others In all these I would neuer desire Patrone to defend mee nor feare enemy to depraue me for what is good will defend it selfe and to flatter those whose pennes are silent and their tongues alwayes babling to condemne others in what they cannot mend themselues were impiety and to feare them imbecility for to please all is vnpossible and to indeauour it is folly And therefore I hope you will receiue them as I tender them They be not vnbeseeming to be knowne by the greatest Monarches for they containe not the smoaking fume of humane reasonings nor the meandrian windings of Controuersiall subtilties but the purest lights of all Christian Religion for I saw that as the Athenians were euer desirous of nouelties so to satisfie this Criticke age affecting nothing so well as quiddities too many men haue addrest their mindes to disputable Controuersies and I found though with griefe that the Aduersaries on either side and especially the Pontificials as if there were not Controuersies enough in Religion doe often forge tenents out of their owne braynes and impute them each one against the other and so each Aduersary striues to make the other say what indeed he abhorres to thinke whereby it happeneth that a great part of disputations being about imaginarie Controuersies is but like a skirmishing in the ayre which seemeth furious but striketh no man and is vainely spent to no purpose but to increase Schisme and to inuolue themselues within the thickets of inextricable
manner of his suffering these things 1. So as the Prophets foretold that he should suffer 2. So as the Apostles and his Disciples saw and declared vnto vs that he did suffer And so in respect of himselfe as it is incomprehensible vnto all men This Treatise sheweth 1. The malice of the Iewes 2. The deuotion of the women where is shewed 1. Their number Three and why 2. Their names 1. Mary Magdalen 2. Mary Iacobi 3. Mary Salome whereby is shewed 1. The fortitude 2. The fruitfulnesse 3. The peaceablenesse of the Church 3. The action where is considered 1. The matter a seeking of Christ 2. The manner which was a seeking him 1. Early 2. Earnestly 3. Mournefully 4 Onely 5. Continually 3. The end to embalme him 4. A question resolued how these women or one of them at least being so wicked became so deuout handled at large 3. The office of the Angell 1. In respect of Christ to doe him seruice 2. In respect of the keepere to terrifie them 3. In respect of the women 1. To comfort them 1. By the manner of their apparition 1. In white 2. On the right side 2. By their friendly alloc teach 1. Whom we ought to feare 2. Whom we ought not to feare 3. How we ought to feare 2. To instruct them 1. What they shold beleeue touching the resurrection of Christ where is handled 1. The resurrection it selfe is shewed 1. Neg. that C. was not in the gra 2. Affir that he was risen gone away therfore not there where the corporall presence of Christ is handled at large 3. Illustratiuely two wayes viz. * 1. A Priori from the predictions that Chr. should rise where is shewed 1. Why he was to rise in 1. resp of Sat. 2. res of Man 3. res of Him 2. Why to rise on the third day 1. of his Ene 2. of his Disci 3. of all Ch as ‖ To confirm their faith touching 1. The quality of his Person 2. The certainty of his resur 3. The maner of our restau 4. The declaration of our state and condition 2. A Posteriori from the subsequents of his resurrection and heere is shewed 1. The Iewes reasons why they will not beleeue 2. Our reasons why we beleeue him to haue risen 1. Angelicall assertion 2. Manifold apparitions 3. Many circumstantiall demonstrations 2. The place from whence he rose is discussed where the discention of Christ to hell is shewed the 1. Necessity requiring it 2. Scriptures prouing it 3. The consent of all antiquity confirming it 3 The manner how Christ rose in respect of the 1. The place from the dead 2. The time early 3. Person 1. Truely 2. Perfectly 3. Gloriously 4. The application of the whole doctrine where is shewed that the resurrection worketh 1. Our resurrection from sinne which must bee as his was 1. Speedily 2. Truely 3. Totally 4. Constantly 2. Our assurance of resurrection into glory 2. What they should doe where is shewed how necessary it is to ioyne practise vnto the profession of Christianity This Treatise sheweth 1. The glory or ascention of Christ which is handled 1. By way of exposition 1. Person ascending where is shewed foure sorts of ascenders 1. Angels 2. Diuels 3. Men. 4. God Man Christ Iesus 2. The ascension it selfe is shewed where is more fully expressed 1. Person ascending both in respect of his 1. Humiliation where is shewed 1. That he was in heauen before he descended 2. The extent of his humiliation 2. His exaltation 2. Particular circumstances concerning his Ascension viz. 1. Time 2. Place 3 Manner 3. The place where he ascended into Heauen where is shewed that there is a three-fold Heauen 1. Materiall 2. Spirituall 3. Supersubstantiall where is proued that the body of Christ is locall 2. By way of application 1. For our coÌ„solation which is two-fold 1. That Christ in our flesh is gone to take possession of Heauen 2. That being in Heauen he is not vnmindfull of vs that be on earth 2. For our imitatioÌ„ where is shewed 1. The place from whence we must ascend 2. The meanes how wee may ascend 3. The signes if wee haue ascended 2. The victory of Christ which is vnderstood 1. Passiuely for all our enemies Hell Death Sinne c. 2. Actiuely for all those men that are deliuered from sinne and set at liberty to serue their God 3. The bounty of Christ where is shewed 1. What maner of gifts Christ giueth free gifts to exclude merit 2. What gifts are here meant where is shewed that all gifts of God are either 1. Temporall gifts 2. Spirituall gifts they are 2 sorts viz. 1. To edifie the Church as 1. Ministers 2. Gifts to ministers especially 1. Tongues 2. Knowlege 3. Charity 4. Constancy 5. Contempt of the world 6. Perfect power c. 3. Ministers indued with these gifts 2. To sanctifie our soules which are 1. Common gifts 2. Speciall gifts which are 1. faith which is 1. Historicall 2. Of miracles 3. Temporary 4. Iustifying 2. Hope which is 1. Humane 2. Diuine 3. Charity 4. Prouidence 5. Patience c. 3. How God bestoweth his gifts viz. 1. the gifts for edifying the Church he giues not alwaies alike for 1. In the beginning of the Church visibly where is shewed how the holy ghost appeared viz. 1. Like a cloude and why 2. Like fire and why 3. Like a Doue and why 4. Like winde and why 5. Like tongues and why Where is shewed the filling of the Apostles wiâ—â— the holy Ghost 4. signes of their fulnesse and the effects thereof 2. Now and to the end sufficiently but with our great industry where is shewed how we may know whether we haue the gifts of God or not 2. Gifts for the sanctifying our soules he giues by 1. Hearing the Word 2. Receiuing the Sacrament 1. Baptisme 2. Euchar. 4. To whoÌ„ God bestoweth all these gifts to whoÌ„ it pleaseth him This Treatise containeth 1. A most friendly coÌ„pellatioÌ„ where is handled 1. The vnity of brethreÌ„ where is shewed 1. How deerely Heathen brethren in former times loued each other 2. How little loue and vnity is now among Christian brethren 2. The pollicy of the Apostle in seeking to winne the Thessallonians to pray for them Where is shewed that there be three sorts of Preachers * 1. Discreete 2. Parasites to Princes 3. Flatterers of the people 2. A most Christian request or exhortation wher is shewed 1. The pietie of the Apostle in perswading all men to pray where is handled concerning praier 1. The kindes of prayer 1. In respect of the matter 1. Inuocation 1. To remoue euill 2. To obtaine good †1. grace spirituall blessings 2. peace temporal blessings 2. Thankesgiuing which is inforced by many reasons c. 2. In respect of the forme 1. Mentall 2. Vocall 3. Sudden 4. Composed 5. Conceiued 6. Prescribed 7. Priuate 8. Publique 9. Ordinary 10. Extraord 2. The party to whom we shold pray
of sinne Lanch de operibus dei p. 1. l. 4. c. 11. and so liable to the iust punishment that is due for such a sinne And therefore in the iudgement of the very heathen the will of sinning doth most iustly deserue the punishment of the sinne For It is obserued by Diuines that although Satans power be verie great to corrupt all other faculties of the soule of man as to darken the vnderstanding to dazle the fancie to delude the sences and to prouoke the appetite That Satan hath no power to compell the will yet that hee hath no power to remoue or to turne the will he may tempt and perswade but he cannot compell the same for seeing this is the primum mobile the highest wheele in the frame of our soule that moueth and guideth all our actions and according to which they shall be discerned and iudged therefore in the middest of mans greatest assaults God would not suffer Satan to preuaile and to command the will but hee hath left the same in our owne libertie so that Satan cannot destroy vs vnlesse wee bee willing to destroy our selues and therefore Saint Ambrose sayth Ambros de vita beata habetur 15. q. 1. can Non est Non est quod cuiquam nostram ad scribamus arâ—â—mnam nisi nostra voluntati qui nemo tenetur ad culpam nisi voluntate propria deflexerit There is no reason why any man should ascribe the cause of his miseries to any thing in the world saue onely to his owne will for we perish because we will perish perditio tua ex te Our owne will is the cause of all our woe our destruction is from our selues and from no where else for no man is drawne to sinne neither can it be a sinne vnlesse the agent doth some way yeeld some consent of will for if Satan had power to force the will aliquis iustorum non remaneret then not a righteous man should remaine vpon the face of the earth and therefore are all his temptations called perswasions or suggestions and not compulsions because they are all vsed to make vs voluntary agents to make vs yeeld consent of will for that as I sayd before Non est peccatum nisi sit voluntarium No act can be a sinne any way vnlesse it bee voluntarie some way And therefore as Apollodorus the tyrant dreamed that hee was fleaâ—d by the Scythians and boyled in a seething Caldron and that his owne heart should say vnto him I am the cause of this thy fearefull torments so it is most certaine that there is no damned soule in hell but he may iustly say his owne heart and his owne will sent him thither for let Sathan doe what hee will and let him striue what he can yet if man were true to himselfe The gates of Hell should neuer preuaile against him because no created power is able to compell the will of man And yet such is the power of sinne that although reason should shew vs what is good Video meliora proboque deteriora sequor yet it maketh vs to will onely that which is euill to leaue the incommutable and infallible good and to follow after base and vile affections and then God seeing vs nilling the good and willing the euill he giues vs ouer to a reprobate minde Aug. de l. arbit Vt cum vult homo recte agere non potest quia quando potuit noluit ideo per malum velle perdidit bonum pesse That if we would will well wee cannot because when we could will well we would not and therefore as our first Father Adam so all we that are the sonnes of Adam by willing euill haue and doe loose the power of willing good For Rom. 1.21.24 That our sinne hath depriued vs of all will to doe good As because the Gentiles when they knew God glorified him not as God neither were thankfull therefore God gaue them ouer to vile affections to doe those things that were not conuenient So because when we had our will free and none could command it wee willed euill and not good therefore God in Iustice giues vs ouer to such wilfull greedinesse of sinning that now of our selues we haue not the least will to doe good for if any man willeth good it is from infused grace and not from our inbred will Philip. 1.13 for God worketh in vs both the will and the deed sayth the Apostle but our naturall will is dead from good for sinne hath so defiled the same that it willeth and affecteth nothing but vile and vaine things and so it compelleth euery part and facultie of the soule to long and lust after euill for the vis irascibilis the irascible distasting and angry faculty which should be as a dogge to keepe away sinne doth now waxe angry at euery vertue and that which should detest euill in his brother doth rage and swell at the reproofe of his Father and the vis concupiscibilis the concupiscible faculty or desiring appetite which should desire nothing but goodnesse and what were iust and honest doth now affect nothing but lewdnesse and what is most vile and abhominable and it cannot doe any otherwise Max. l 1. de charitate Nomquemadmodum passerculus pede alligatus c. For as a little bird tyed by the leg when he beginneth to flie is presently drawne downe againe by the string So the mind of man tyed by base affections if it seeke to mount vp to heauenly thoughts it is presently plucked downe againe by sinne saith Maximus And so you see that Quam non mille ferae quam non steneleius hostis Nec potuit quicquam vincere vincit Adam This will of man which neither mortall enemies nor yet infernall spirits nor any other created thing could subdue is now defiled polluted and wholly corrupted by sinne That no outward enemy can compell our will And therefore I can freely yeeld vnto our aduersaries that wee haue free-will in regard of any outward compulsion for that Satan himselfe cannot compell it for if he could we could not iustly be condemned for doing that vnwillingly which we are wholly and forcibly compelled to doe Our inward naturall corruption is that which draweth our will to sinne but we haue not the least free-will in regard of our naturall corruption for as a stone tumbling downe the hill needes no man to driue it so the will of it selfe is so inclined to euill that of it selfe it can no more affect goodnesse then a stone of it selfe to runne vpwards and therefore Saint Iohn saith of the regenerate Iohn 2.13 that they are not borne of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God Secondly as no action can be good vnlesse the will be right and the will can neuer be right vnlesse the vnderstanding be right as Seneca saith for though the will be the Mistresse and the Commander of
of Empires because that this consideration doth illustrate and confirme vnto vs the song of the blessed Virgin and the Power of the great Creator Qui fecit Potentiam deposuit potentes Which raiseth the poore out of the mire and bringeth downe the high lookes of the proude because his hand is able both to exalt the one and to deiect the other as Aesope being demaunded what God did answered Exaltat humilia deijcit alta He exalteth the lowly and casteth downe the mighty Victor Strig in Iustin epit p. 296. and this may be seene as in all things and in all Ages else So especially in those Empires which wee call the foure Monarchies saith Strigelius And Poet Iuuenal saith Fortuna multis dat nimis nulli satis Si fortuna volet fies de consule rhetor Si volet haec eadem fies de rhetore consul Fortune we see doth giue too much to many The Heathens did falsely ascribe that to Fortune which is true indeed of God And yet alas giues not enough to any If Fortune will thou maist be a Consull made And if that will thou mâ—st vnto thy former trade And therefore Maro considering this admirable disposition of things doth positiuely pronounce Fortuna omnipotens ineluctabile fatum Virgil Aeneid l. 8. That Fortune is Omnipotent and destinies vncontroulable All which Mutato nomine If we change the name of Fortune which was their error to say Te facimus fortuna deam And to ascribe all to chance into the vnchangeable prouidence of God wee finde it to bee most apparantly true and therefore of an vnanswerable validitie to confirme and proue the power of God Secondly for the desperate men All wicked wretches How wicked sinners thinke God cannot forgiue there sinnes Deut. 32. when they are growne vnto the height of sinne or fallen downe into the depth of all iniquity and shall on the one side see God exceedingly angry with them for their sinnes and the fire kindled in his wrath which shall burne vnto the bottome of Hell and on the other side the deuouring Gulph ready to receiue them and to detaine them in euerlasting flames then doe these men not so much 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Atheists without the Knowledge of God as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Infidels without Faith or Hope in God say with wicked Caine Our sinnes are more then can be forgiuen vs for that our iniquities which are so horrible and Gods Iustice which is so vncorruptible hâ—ue such a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 great Gulfe and distance betwixt them that Non bene conueniunt nec in vna sede morantur They can neuer be reconciled and therefore our iniquity can neuer be remitted Neither doe I truely finde these men to be much more stupid then the former whereof I haue euen now spoken for although I finde many men affirming the powerfull Creation of all Creatures others saying the conseruation of the said created things and others the Incarnation of the Sonne of God to bee the greatest worke and argument of Gods diuine Power yet I finde many Diuines not meanely learned most confidently to auerre That to forgiue sinnes is the greatest worke of Gods power the remission of our sinnes to bee simply and absolutely the greatest and most remarkeable worke of Gods power and not without reason neither because it is easier to create a thousand worlds of nothing then it is to forgiue one sinne that is committed for to the bringing forth of all creatures hee did but Speake the word Psal 33.9 and they were made hee commaunded and they stood fast But to obtaine for vs remission of our sinnes multa dixit magna fecit dira tulit hee spake many words he did grâ—at workes and he suffered grieuous wrongs as Saint Bernard sayth for Sinne is such a transcendent thing that as God himselfe in regard of his infinite beautie Heydelpheld C. 2. de deo p. 9. so sinne in respect of its infinite deformitie cannot be defined nor shewed how haynous a thing it is and therefore the Church in the Collect vpon the eleuenth Sunday after Trinity which also I found obserued by Aquinas sayth God which declarest thy Almighty power most chiefly in shewing mercy and pittie And so Christ himselfe Mar. 10.25 that knoweth all things shewing how hard it is for a rich Man to enter into eternall life doth seeme to shew as much and therevpon his Disciples were astonished out of measure saying among themselues verse 26. Who then can be saued Tantae molis erat caelestem condere gentem So hard a thing it was to pardon sinne though we poore blinded fooles That God is able to forgiue sinnes doe esteeme it nothing to sinne But yet against despaire that it is not impossible with God to remit all sinnes our Sauiour brings this reason because all things are possible with God Mar. 10. v. 27. and the blessed Apostle Paul disputing of the incredulous Iewes and saying that they also if they remained not in vnbeliefe should be ingraffed againe into the Oliue tree doth frame his argument from the power of God saying Rom. 11.23 That God is able to graffe them in againe for seeing that as a bough which is cut off cannot graffe it selfe into the tree againe so no more can a man dead through sinne reuiue himselfe any more nor an infidell cast off his infidelitie and poure faith into his owne heart againe therefore the Apostle confesseth this is not of our selues and sheweth that indeed all graces our Conuersion our Faith our Perseuerance and all else are scited in the sole Will and Power of God because he alone doth vinifie the dead and call those things which are not as if they were that is to cause those Men which are dead through sinne to be reuiued againe by grace and those things which are not at all in rerum natura to haue their existens and being his onely word without any labour or paynes but as easily or easier then we doe call the things that are whereof both is entis simpliciter ex non ente productio Parraeus in Rom. C. 11. a production of being out of nothing sayth Parraeus and therefore is vnpossible to bee effected by any created power but not with God because all things are possible with him and therefore is hee able Mar 10.27 Esay 1.18 to make our sinnes that are as red as Scarlet to become as white as Snow Thirdly For the Vbiquitaries they doe conclude that by the omnipotent power of God the man Christ Iesus by reason of the communication of the properties of the one nature vnto the other may be is omniscient omnipresent i. e. euery where in all places euen at one and at the selfe same time for thus Mentzerus reasoneth against Sadeel He that is omnipotent Mentz contra Sadeel p. 269. can be presente where he will but the Man Christ Iesus or Christ as man
is not offended in him Why then O thou incredulous Iew wilt thou not receiue thy Sauiour is it because he came poore without any shew of worldly pompe why that should make all men the rather to imbrace him and the more thankefully to acknowledge him because that he which might haue come in Maiestie Cum caelestibus Attended on by Angels would come in pouerty and haue his bed made cum iumentis among the beasts that perish that so by his comming poore we might be all made rich through him and therefore O Iew I doe aduice thee that as thy Fathers accomplished the decree of God in condemning him so doe thou according to the will of God in beleeuing on him and thou shalt be happy for he that beleeueth in him shall neuer perish To whom with the Father and the Holy Spirit be ascribed all Honour Thankes and Praise both now and for euermore Amen A Prayer O Eternall God who as in all things else so more especially in giuing thy dearest Sonne co-eternall coequall and co-essentiall vnto thy selfe to be made flesh subiect to our humane frailties and in all things like vnto vs sinne onely excepted hast shewed thy goodnesse and thy loue to man to be like thy selfe infinite and incomprehensible we most humbly beseech thee to giue vs grace to know thee and whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ to be the onely true God whom to know is eternall life through the said Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen IEHOVAE LIBERATORI FINIS The Fourth Golden Candlesticke HOLDING The Fourth greatest Light of Christian RELIGION Of the Passion of the MESSIAS LVKE 24.46 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And thus it behoued Christ to suffer YOu haue heard dearely beloued how miserably man is distressed by sinne The coherence of this Treatise with the former Treatises how he may be releeued onely by the Mercy of God and how this reliefe is applied vnto vs by the Incarnate Word for he is the true Samaritan that doth helpe the wounded man he is the blessed Angell that doth stirre the poole of Bethesda and giue vertue vnto the water to heale our sores to helpe our soules But alas this Angell as yet is but descended and the waters are not troubled and this Samaritan is but alighted and the poore semi-semi-dead Traueller is not set vp vpon his horse to be carryed towards his Inne that is hee hath not yet entred into the waters of tribulations to saue our soules from drowning in Hell neither hath he put our sinnes vpon his backe that we being freed from the burthen might walke on towards Heauen this resteth yet behind and this Tragedie is yet vnheard and therefore though he much humbled himselfe by his Incarnation yet is that nothing it is but the beginning of sorrowes in respect of his sore and bitter Passion For to redeeme our soules from sinne the deepe waters must enter into his soule and all our sinnes must be laid vpon his backe and for our sinnes It behoueth Christ to suffer Hic labor hoc opus est And this is that which we are now to treat of Thus it behoued Christ to suffer CHAP. I. Of the manifold vse and commodities that we reape by the continuall meditation of the sufferings of Christ Three things that mooue attention THere be three speciall things that doe vse to moue attention 1. An eloquent Author 2. An important matter 3. A compendious breuity And all these three doe here ioyne and meete together in this Text of Scripture For First the Author of these words is Christ Luk. 11.49 First the Author of these words is Iesus Christ the wisedome of God Wisedome it selfe so incomprehensibly wise that all men wondred at the gracious words that proceeded out of his mouth Secondly the summe of these words is the Tragedy of Iesus Christ Secondly the matter is the Tragedie of himselfe the laborious life and the dolorous death of the Sonne of God the chiefest Tragedy of all Tragedies for the Catastrophe hereof hath the effusion of bloud and the mourning not onely of the Sufferer or Parents and Friends but of Heauen and Earth and all the whole world farre more dolefull then the mourning of Hadadrimmon in Valley of Mâ—gyddo The Actors of this Tragedy are Kings Vice-Royes Dukes Scribes Pharises High-Priests Elders of the people The Actors of this Tragedy the Apostles themselues and others all great Christ the King of Kings Herod the great King Pilate the Vice-Roy Annas and Cayphas high Priests Peter and Iudas great Apostles and those that were mute as the Sun the Earth the Stones the Vaile of the Temple and the very Graues did by apparant signes most dolefully bewayle the nefarious death of the Son of God yea more the Angels mourned and the Diuels trembled to behold the same The Theater on which it was acted was Ierusalem The Theater was Ierusalem the very midst and heart of the earth as some imagine according to that saying of the Psalmist Operatus est deus salutem in medio terrae GOD hath wrought saluation in the midst of the Earth Heere is the place where it was acted Hic hic mors vita duello Conflixere mirando Here life and death did striue for victory and here the beholders were men of all Nations Hebrewes Greekes and Romans and the time was their most solemne feast wherein all did â—eete to eate their Paschall Lambe And therefore if there be any Theame that may challenge our eares to lysten and our hearts to meditate vpon the same it is this for this is one of those things that was once done that it might be thought of for euer that it might be had in euerlasting remembrance And the continuall meditation thereof is 1. Acceptable vnto Christ 2. Profitable for vs. For First The continuall meditation of Christs passion what it doth if the rod of Moses which wrought so many miracles in Aegypt and the Manna which fed the children of Israel 40. yeares in the Wildernesse and the Booke of the Law which was deliuered vnto Moses vpon Mount Sinai were to be preserued in the Arke First It is most acceptable vnto Christ as testimonies of Gods loue throughout all generations how much more should we keepe the remembrance of the Crosse of Christ of the Body and Bloud of Christ and of the glad tidings of saluation which we haue by the death of Christ in the Church of God for euermore Our Sauiour gaue but two Sacraments vnto his Church and one of them is chiefely instituted to this end for a remembrance of his suffering for as often as you eate this Bread and drinke this Cup Luc. 22. you shew the Lords death vntill he come 1 Cor. 11.1 And the remembrance of Christs death saith Saint Chrysostome Est beneficij maximi recordatio Chrys hom 8. in Matth. caputque diuinae erga nos charitatis Is the commemoration of the greatest benefit that euer we receiued
shewed vnto you before Saint Luke saith He is not here but he is risen to teach vs that these words are so excellently couched by the Euangelist as they might serue both for a confirmation of his former speech he is not here and also for an assertion and declaration of the chiefest matter that the Angell intended to instruct these women in that is the resurrection of Christ for he is risen CHAP. IIII. That the Messias was to rise againe and why Certaine obiections answered and why he was to rise againe the third day THirdly the Angell doth not onely affirme but he doth also illustrate and confirme this assertion of Christ his resurrection by two infallible arguments First à priori from those typicall instructions and Propheticall predictions which foreshewed that the Messias must rise againe Secondly à posteriori from those cleere demonstrations that doe proue this Christ to haue risen againe For the first he saith that Christ was risen as he said i. e. formerly by his Prophets and lately by himselfe for the resurrection of Christ was not onely prefigured by Adams sleepe by Isaacs laying vpon the Altar by Iosephs imprisonment by Sampsons breaking of the gates of Gaza and such like but in a more plaine and speciall manner it was prophecied and foretold by Moses Dauid and others of the Prophets which spake of the resurrection of Christ and so likewise by our Sauiour Christ himselfe Three speciall reasons shewing why Christ was to rise againe First to manifest Satans conquest Secondly to assure vs of our deliuerance And the reason why the Messias was to rise againe is specially three-fold First in respect of Satan that his subiection might be manifested for he had said that the Prince of this world was to be cast forth this Prince was conquered at his passion but this conquest was manifested at his resurrection Secondly in respect of vs men that we might bee assured of our deliuerance from sinne and Satan and of our iustification before God by the 〈◊〉 vertue and power of his passion for if Christ be not risen from the dead our faith is vaine our hope is vaine our religion is vaine and wee of all men most miserable for in this onely point consisteth the greatest difference betwixt vs and the Iewes and all other vnbeleeuing Gentiles Nam Christum esse mortuum ratio humana concedit for they will yeeld that Christ was dead humane reason might proue that vnto vs Ambros l. 24. c. 26. in Joh. sed eum esse suscitatum ex mortuis omnem fidem rationis excedit but that hee should rise againe from the dead they cannot thinke they will not beleeue because this exceeds the reach of reason and therefore Saint Ambrose saith that although sibi cur resurgeret rationem non haberet he had no reason to rise in respect of himselfe yet there was great reason that hee should rise for the confirmation of our faith and so Saint Paul saith Rom. 4.25 that hee rose againe for our iustification not that any part of the price of our redemption was vnpaid at his passion but that the euidence of our deliuerance was not manifested vntill his resurrection for as hee died to deliuer vs so he rose againe to shew that he had deliuered vs. Thirdly in respect of himselfe Thirdly to shew himselfe a most victorious conqueror of all his enemies that he might shew himselfe a victorious conqueror of all his enemies and a trampler of hell sinne and Satan vnder his feet as of those that could detaine him no longer in their hands and that he might shew himselfe to be the Sonne of God coequall and coeternall vnto his Father for as he was to declare himselfe truly to be the sonne of man by yeelding vnto death so he was to declare himselfe mightily to be the Sonne of God by the resurrection from the dead Esay 53. and as he should be led by Esayas prophecie as a sheepe to the slaughter when he was to be crucified so he should come from the spoile by Iacobs prophecie as a Lions whelpe Gen. 49.9 when he was to rise from the dead and therefore Saint Bernard saith that he Qui agnus extiterat in passione factus est Leo in resurrectione which stood as a lambe at his passion to take away the sin of the world became a Lion at his resurrection to spoile all principalities and powers and to make an open shew of them Collos 2.15 But here it may bee some will say doth resurrection from the dead declare a man to haue conquered death hell and Satan and proue him to bee the eternall and omnipotent Sonne of God 1 King 17.22 Marke 5.41 Luke 7.14 Iohn 11. why then the widdowes sonne of Sarepta the sonne of the Shunamite the daughter of Iairus the widdowes sonne of Naime Lazarus and all that did rise with Christ and appeared to their friends in Ierusalem may be said to be the conquerors of death and the eternall sonnes of God but this is most absurd and therefore resurrection from the dead is no sufficient argument to proue the conquest of our enemies and the diuine omnipotency of our Sauiour Christ Sol. I answere Quod hi resurrexerunt mortui iterum morituri that these men rose when they were dead to die againe after they were raised but Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more saith the Apostle death hath no more dominion ouer him Rom. 6.8 Secondly I say that all those were raised virtute aliorum by the vertue and power of others as the widdowes sonne of Sarepta was raised by Elias That all which were raised from death but Christ were raised by others and died againe the Shunamites sonne by Elizaeus and they did it potestate precaria non propria by a power obtained by prayer not proper in themselues a power non innata sed data desuper not their owne naturally but supernaturally giuen them from aboue and therefore though in their life time they raised others yet being dead they could not raise themselues but our Sauiour Christ did not onely raise others in his life time but also being dead laid in his graue pressed with stones sealed by the Priests watched by the Souldiers That Christ raised himselfe from the dead and sought to be detained by all the power of darkenesse yet hee virtute propria vt victor prodijt de sepultura as a most inuincible conqueror by his owne proper power raised himselfe to life and by the strength of his owne arme hee caused all things Bernard de resur Christ to make way vnto himselfe And this the Prophet Esay in the person of Christ cleerely expresseth saying Esay 63.3.5 I haue troden the wine presse alone and of the people there was none with me and I looked and there was none to helpe and I wondered that there was none to vphold and therefore mine owne arme brought saluation vnto mee
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and descended alone into Hell and brake downe that Rampier wall which had stood from the beginning of the world Athanasius in that Creede which wee doe professe saith that Christ suffered for our saluation descended into Hell and rose againe the third day from the dead this is the Catholicke faith which except a man beleeue faithfully he cannot be saued Saint Augustine saith Aug. ep 99. that Christ in soule was in Hell the Scripture doth sufficieÌ„tly declare so prophesied by the Prophet so vnderstood by the Apostle and so expounded vnto vs and therefore Quis nisi Infidelis nâ—gauerit fuisse apud infâ—ros Christum Who saith hee but an Infidell will deny Christ to haue beene in Hell Saint Hillary saith Hilarius de trinit l. 2 in Psal 138. that because the Law of humane necessity was such that when our bodies were buried our soules were to descend to Hell Ideo istam descentionem dominus ad consummationem veri hominis non recusauit Christ himselfe did not refuse to descend into the same place Pope Leo saith as much and Fulgentius is as plaine as any of them all Fulgent ad Tras l. 3 â—e resurrect dom I might reckon many more but my purpose is not to say what I could in this point onely I say that he descended into Hell not to suffer for that was finished on the Crosse but for the subiection of Satan and the deliuerance of men not of those that were in Hell but of vs that we should not goe to Hell for how can we be deliuered if Satan be not destroyed how is he destroyed if hell be not vanquished Zach. 9.11 for that is the Pallace of his pleasure and the horrour of our soules the pit wherein there is no water but for as much as this is the condemnation of man and the Law of humane necessity that the body should to the graue and the soule to hell for sinne it remained for the full effecting of our Redemption that Christ should thither descend whither man fell by desart of sinne that is into Hell where the soule of the sinner was wont to be tormented and to the graue where the flesh was wont to be corrupted that by the death of the iust temporally dying Fulgen. quo supra Athanas de incar hath the like saying eternall life might be giuen to our flesh and by the soule of the lust descending into Hell the torments of Hell might be abolished saith Fulgentius And so I beleeue this for mine exceeding comfort that now I need not feare any enemy because Christ suffered for my sins destroyed all mine enemies descended into Hell vanquished the Diuels and rose againe the third day to make an open shew of this his most victorious conquest and blessed bee his name for the same CHAP. IX Of the manner how Christ rose and of the particular application thereof vnto our selues SEcondly we are to consider the manner how our Sauiour rose and many other particulars concerning his resurrection but chiefly we should obserue that his resurrection was 1. in respect of the place from the dead 2. in respect of the time earely 3. in respect of his person it was 1. true 2. perfect 3. glorious I will not stand vpon these particulars The application of the resurrection vnto our selues Rom. 10.9 but to apply all vnto our selues that we may reape some fruit by all I must intreat you to remember what the Apostle saith If thou shalt confâ—sse with thy mouth the Lord Iesus and shalt beleeue in thine heart that God raised him from the dead thou shalt be saued for as I told you before that the resurrection of Christ is the only maine vnanswerable argument to proue Christ to be the true Messias and the Sauiour of the world so heere you see the Apostle putteth the true beliefe in our Sauiours resurrection as the onely chiefest point that is necessary and sufficient for our saluation and therefore it is not without cause that the doctrine of the resurrection should be insisted vpon to be preached and manifested by vs and to be learned and beleeued by you That it is not the Theoricke but the applicatiue knowledge of Christs resurrection that will helpe vs. But here wee must know that it is not the bare Theoricke and intellectuall knowledge that Christ is raised from the dead at that time from that place and in that manner as I haue shewed vnto you before is sufficient for our saluation for so the deuils know it and beleeue it too and yet they receiue no fruit nor benefit thereby but it is the practicke experimentall and applicatiue knowledge and beliefe in the resurrection of the sonne of God that is effectuall for the saluation of man Philip. 3.10 11 And therefore Saint Paul prayes that Hee may know Christ and finde in himselfe the vertue and power of the resurrection of Christ for as the rising of the head doth euer cause the rising of all the parts of the body which is vnited vnto the the head so the resurrection of Christ doth euer worke a resurrection of all the members of Christ for so the Apostle teacheth vs Rom. 8 11. If the spirit of him that raised vp Iesus dwell in you he that raised vp Christ from the dead shall also quicken and so raise vp your mortall bodies by that spirit which dwelleth in you That the resurrection of Christians is twofold And we finde this resurrection of vs that are his members to be two fold 1. from sinne and from all the vanities of this world 2. from death and from the corruption of the graue First if wee be the members of Christ then certainely wee are risen with Christ risen I say from the death of sinne vnto the life of righteousnesse and if wee bee risen with Christ then doth our hearts wish and desire those things that are aboue where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God Coloss 3. saith the Apostle and therefore whosoeuer walloweth in sinne and delighteth in the things of this world it is certaine that hee hath not as yet any part or portion in the resurrection of Iesus Christ for if wee bee the members of Christ wee must also rise with Christ and wee must rise as Christ hath risen for otherwise we would all rise That the resurrection of Christ is a patterne to teach vs how we should rise from sinne and from the company of sinners and many doe rise but not as Christ rose and therefore such risers tolluntur in altum vt lapsu grauiore ruant the higher they rise the greater is their fall But we must rise as Christ hath risen and that is as I told you before First in respect of the place from the dead First from the society of the wicked so must we rise from the dead workes of sinne and from all those that are dead in sinne Christ left the dead in their
graues and walked among the liuing and I would to God wee could leaue the company and society of those that doe still lie wallowing and stinking in the graues of sinne and ioyne our selues vnto those that liue the life of grace for as hee was a mad man possessed of a deuill that had his abiding among the tombes so are all they no better then mad men and possest of deuils that haue their conuersation with those that are dead in sinnes and therefore I aduise all that would liue with Christ to follow the councell of the Apostle not to bee companions of them that are dead in sinne but as Christ rose and left the dead so doe you rise and leaue these dead and deadly sinners Secondly in respect of the time Secondly to rise quickly from sinne Eccles 12.1 Christ rose speedily without delay he rose earely before the morning watch so should we rise from sinne and as Solomon saith Remember our Creator in the dayes of our youth before the euill dayes come when wee shall say wee haue no pleasure in them And yet it is a fearefull thing to consider how many men do put off and delay their repentance and amendment of life vntill our latest dayes for we serue the world and follow after the lusts of our owne flesh while we are young and we put all the burthen of seruing God vpon our weake and feeble and decrepit age wee sacrifice the flowers of our yeeres to sinne and Satan the finest the fairest That God will hardly accept late seruices tendered vnto him and the fattest beasts but to God wee thinke it is enough to giue the blinde the halt and the lame the withered and wrinckled and barrennest times of our life but God will haue none such for hee refuseth such sacrifices in his Law and therefore surely he will not easily receiue such in the time of the Gospell for as there were three paiments of first fruits among the Iewes the first was primitiae spicarum the first fruits of their eares of corne and this was paid earely about Easter the second was primitiae panum the first fruits of their loaues when their corne was conuerted into bread and this was somewhat earely too about Whitsuntide and the third was primitiae frugum the first fruits of all their latter fruits in generall and this was very late about the fall of the leafe in September and in the two first paiments which were offered earely God accepted a part for himselfe but in the third paiment which came late God would haue no part at all euen so if we offer the first fruits of our young yeeres earely vnto God he will accept it for himselfe but if we giue our best yeeres vnto Satan and offer the last yeeres vnto God I say no more but he will not easily receiue them and no maruell quia labore fracta instrumenta c. for to what end and with what face can any man bring those instruments to worke in Gods vineyard which are blunted and broken in the seruice of the world or with what honesty can we offer that vnto God which we would be ashamed to offer vnto a man for who would offer a lame horse a disordered clocke or a torne booke vnto his King and yet our flesh is our beast the course of our life is our clocke and the history of our actions is our booke and shall wee offer our flesh vnto God when it is lame and tired with excesse of wantonnesse shall wee commend our liues vnto him when as the whole course of the same is out of order or shall wee present the story of our actions vnto him when as a thousand sinnes of our owne for which wee should bee sorrowfull and a thousand blessings of God for which we should be thankefull are quite defaced and torne out of our memory or if we should offer such vnto God why should we thinke it strange that he should reiect them Because late seruice is seldome true seruice quia temperantia in senectute non est temperantia sed impotentia intemperantiae for continency abstinency temperancy and such like in old age are no vertues but a disability to be vitious so to leaue good fellowship when thou art sicke and many other sinnes when thou art old is not a leauing and forsaking of thy sinnes but thy sinnes haue lâ—ft thee like parasites in aduersity Nullus ad amissas ibit amicus opes If thou couldest haue cherished them any longer longer they would haue continued with thee And therefore seeing it is good for a man to beare his yoke in his youth as Ieremy saith because age is vnfit for burthens let vs not be like the persecuters of the Iewes which laid the heauiest yokes vpon the ancientest men let vs not reserue the weight and burthen of our repentance vntill our latter age but if we would haue God not to remember the sinnes of our youth let vs remember God in the dayes of our youth and specially seeing we know not whether God will heare vs in our age or not because we would not amend our liues in our youth and because indeede whatsoeuer is done then is commonly done amisse let vs herein imitate our Sauiour Christ to rise early from the bed of sinne and to say with that Princely Prophet O God thou art my God Psal 63.1 early will I seeke thee And there be two maine reasons Two speciall reasons to moue vs speedily to forsake all sinne that should moue vs to rise hastily and speedily from sinne 1. The nature of sinne For 2. The vncertainty of our life For First Sinne in the Soule is like a staine in a garment the longer it remaines in it the harder it is taken out of it Vidi ego quod fuerat primum medicabile vulnus Desertum longae damna tulisse morae For as in the diseases of the body the longer they be vncured the more the body is in dangered or as we see in a fire Flamma recens parua sparsa recedit aqua A little water quenches a sparke but much water will hardly quench great flames Euen so it is in the maladies of the Soule Ecclus. 5.7 the longer wee continue in sinne the harder we can leaue sinne And therefore let vs make no tarrying to turne to the Lord our God Math. 2.16 but as Herod dealt with the Infants so let vs deale with sinne kill it while it is young It is recorded of Roffensis that when Henry the eight sent to him for his consent and approbation to suppresse some superfluous Abbies he told him that on a time the Axe sent vnto the Trees of the Forrest onely for so much wood as would make it but a handle and in requitall it would pâ—re and prune off all rotten and fruitlesse branchâ—s that did nothing else but cumber the Trees and hinder the liuelier branches to beare forth better fruit the request seeming reasonable was vnquestionably
wallow and therefore beholding the goodnesse and seueritie of God on them to whom hee giues no grace seueritie but towards thee to whom he bestoweth his gifts goodnesse if thou continue in this goodnesse doe thou praise thy God and pray for them that for his sake that is ascended vp on high and hath led captiuitie captiue God would be pleased to bestow his gifts and graces vnto men that so all men may ascribe and giue all praise and glory vnto him which was and is and shall be through him which was dead and is aliue and liueth for euermore Amen A Prayer O Most gracious God which hast giuen thine only Sonne Iesus Christ to die for our sinnes to rise againe from the dead to ascend vnto Heauen to prepare a place for vs and to send vs thy holy spirit to fill our hearts with all heauenly graces which are necessarie for the gathering of thy Church and the sanctifying of our soules to prepare vs vnto eternall life we most humbly beseech thee to giue vs that grace to be truly thankfull vnto thee for all thy graces Increase our faith stirre vp our hope and kindle our loue both towards thee and towards all men for thy sake and because all graces are begotten increased and preserued by the hearing of thy Word and receiuing of thy blessed Sacraments we pray thee O Lord to giue vs grace to heare thy Word attentiuely to beleeue it faithfully and to receiue thy Sacraments worthily that so being filled with thy spirit we may despise all worldly vanities and haue our conuersations in Heauen while we liue on earth and at last bee receiued into that Kingdome which thou hast prepared for them that loue thee through Iesus Christ our Lord Amen IEHOVAE LIBERATORI FINIS The Seuenth Golden Candlesticke HOLDING The Seuenth greatest Light of Christian REIGION Of the duty of CHRISTIANS 1 THESSAL 5 2◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Brethren pray for vs. I Haue shewed thee O man The coherence of this Treatise with all the other Treatises how man behaued himselfe towards God offending his Maiesty with hainous sinnes and I haue shewed thee what God hath done for sinfull man how hee sent his onely begotten Sonne to be made man to suffer paine and sorrow and to die a cursed death for man thereby to ouercome all our enemies sinne death and hell to arise from the dead to assure vs of our deliuerance to ascend into heauen to prepare a place for vs and to send his holy and blessed Spirit into the hearts of men to fit them with the gifts and graces of the same to prepare them for heauen that the poore man might bathe himselfe in the poole of Bethesda and be made perfectly whole that the wandering sheepe might bee reduced and brought home vpon this mans shoulders and that sinfull man might be reconciled and revnited vnto God againe And therefore now Quid nisi vota supersunt what remaineth sauing onely prayers to render thankes vnto God for this great kindnesse and to aske those things that hee requisite for vs and to teach vs how to doe the same I haue chosen to treate of this short Text Brethren pray for vs. It is a Text independent either of precedent or subsequent matter and it containeth points of piety points fit to bee preached and fitter to bee practised by your sacred Maiesty by the worthiest Nobles by vs Priests by all men and therefore da veniam Imperatâ—r I humbly craue attention but a short time to dilate vpon this short Text Brethren pray for vs. I may say of it as Saint Hierome said to Paulinus of the Catholike Epistles of Saint Peter Saint Iohn Saint Iames and S. Iude Eas breues esse pariter longas that they were short in words but full of matter for herein our blessed Apostle as was said of that famous Hystorian Verborum numero sententiarum numerum comprehendit in this paucity of words hath couched plenty of matter the parts are two The diuision of the Text. 1. A most friendly compellation Brethren 2. A most Christian request or exhortation pray for vs. Out of the first I note two things 1. His affection whereby we are taught to liue in vnity 2. His discretion whereby wee may obserue a Christian pollicy not such as is abusiuely though commonly so termed in the world but such as is ioyned with true piety And in the second I obserue likewise two things 1. The action pray which is a worke of piety 2. The extention for vs which is an act of charity And so you see that from this short Text we may learne 1. Vnity 2. Pollicy 3. Piety 4. Charity Brethren pray for vs. CHAP. I. Of the diuers sorts of Brethren and how this teacheth vnitie FIrst Brethren is verbum amoris a word full of loue Of the vnity of brethren but it is diuersly taken in the Scripture For First Aug. ser 61. de tempore sometimes Omnem hominem per fratrem debemus accipere saith Saint Augustine we ought to vnderstand euery man by the name of brother as he that hateth his brother i. e. he that hateth any man is a man-slayer Secondly Sometimes it signifieth those of the same nation as Moses went out vnto his brethren Exod. 2.11 and saw an Egyptian smiting an Hebrew one of his brethren Thirdly Sometimes cognatos Scriptura dicit fratres Aug. l. 1. locut de Gen. Math. 12.4.7 Mar. 3.32 the Scriptures calleth our kinred by the name of brethren as behold thy brethren stand without desiring to speake with thee Fourthly Sometimes it is put for the sonnes of the same parents as Heua bare againe his brother Abell and Caine said Am I my brothers keeper Gen. 4.2.8.9 v. Fiftly 1 Cor. 1.26 Sometimes we vnderstand those of the same religion and profession as you see your calling brethren Et sic fratres dicti Christiani and so all Christians are called brethren saith Saint Augustine and so Saint Paul meaneth in this place Brethren pray for vs for otherwise he was an Hebrew of the seed of Israel of the Tribe of Beniamin 2 Pet. 1.10 and they were Grecians of Thessalonica the Metrapolitane City of Macedonia built by Philip king of Macedon and so called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aug. ser dom in monte fol. 343. of his victories obtained in Thessaly in which respect also he called his owne daughter Thessalonica as Suidas saith but they were all Christians and therefore brethren and therefore the deerer one to another because Christian brethren Quia maior est fraternitas spiritus quam sanguinis because the fraternity or brother-hood of Christians which is in respect of the Spirit that begetteth vs with the same immortal seed in the wombe of the same mother the Church to bee brought forth and brought vp as children to the same Father which is in heauen is a great deale more excellent then the brotherhood of flesh and bloud Nam
many other words to his neuer-dying-praise for that faith wherwith he beleeued wherby he should be saued and the thiefe vpon the Crosse desired onely to be remembred when Christ came vnto his Kingdome That God giueth more then we pray for but Christ granted him that day to be with him in Paradise and those blinde men which besought Christ onely to restore their naturall sight whereby they might see the light of the Sunne had also the spirituall eyes of their soules opened whereby they did beleeue in the Sonne of God and so that man in the Gospell whereby we may vnderstand euery sinfull man desired but 3. loaues only to entertain his guest but his friend that is God Luke 11.8 did giue him as many as he needed to shew vnto vs that Christ is such a bountifull Master that if we pray vnto him he will not onely giue vs what meane things we aske but also many more excellent heauenly things which hee knoweth to bee needfull for vs Yea Thirdly he doth not onely giue vs what we aske and more then we aske but he giueth vs also farre better things then wee aske Act. 3.5 for as Saint Peter gaue the lame Creeple the health of his body when he desired but a little almes to releeue his want So God giueth vs the health of our soules That God giueth vs better things then we desire when we desire the wealth of the world he inricheth vs with Heauenly treasures when we craue worldly vanities because it is the property of God saith Saint Bernard Dare prius quod potius to giue vs first what is best for vs And therefore whensoeuer we pray to God for any thing we may be sure our prayer will neuer bee fruitlesse but will certainly bring vs either those things that we aske or things far better for vs then the things we aske for God seeth that we desire many times such things as wee our selues afterwards should finde they had beene hurtfull to vs We know not what is good for our selues if we had obtained them euen as many times we giue great thankes vnto God that many things were denyed vnto vs which we desired of him and therfore God doth well and he doth good vnto vs in denying what we desire when we desire things hurtfull for our selues And yet because our prayers shall neuer returne emptie away from God Quid prosit vel obsit nouit medicus non aegrotus Christ giueth vs those things that are healthfull for vs when we aske for things hurtfull if we aske them as we ought to doe for a man may pray rightly and yet for things hurtfull because we know not what is good for our selues And therefore Saint Augustine saith excellently well Quod multis propitius deus non tribuit quod volunt vt tribuat quod vtile est that God denieth many times his Saints with whom he is well pleased what they would haue that he may bestow vpon them what they should haue Aag serm 54. Quia audit deus suos ad necessitatem non ad voluntatem Because God heareth his seruants to giue them what they neede and not what they craue God sheweth his loue many times in denying vs. And so it is apparant that as quaedam concedit iratus God granteth some things vnto the wicked when he is most angry with them as he did the Quailes vnto the Israelites of whom the Psalmist saith that while the meat was in their mouth the wrath of the Lord came vpon them and consumed the wealthiest in Israel Ita quaedam negat propitius so he denyeth many things to whom he loueth as he denied Elias when he desired to die 1. Reg. 13.4 and the sonnes of Zebedee when they desired to sit Mark 10.35 the one on his right hand and the other on his left hand in his Kingdome that is in a temporall Monarchie which they dreamed of And hee doth this vt meliora tribuat that he may bestow farre better things vpon them then they desired for themselues for so we finde he denied Elias to die so meanely that hee might carrie him vp in a fierie Chariot most gloriously and so hee denied the sonnes of Zebedee that temporall honour which they desired that they might both sit on his right hand in eternall felicitie Secondly Many other excellent fruits of prayer as prayer is most profitable to obtaine what is desired so it is most auaileable to preuent iudgements threatned against vs as we may see in the examples of the Niniuites and so likewise to remoue iudgements inflicted on vs Ier. 26.19 as we may see in Iames 5.18 and in Reg. 8.53 Thirdly prayer is most auaileable to preserue and to nourish all spirituall graces Luke 23.32 Colloss 1.9 for by this Saint Peters Faith was preserued and the Collossians knowledge was increased as the Apostle sheweth Fourthly prayer is the chiefest meanes to weaken sinne in vs and to procure our sinnes remitted vnto vs as our Sauiour himselfe sheweth when he teacheth vs to pray vnto God to forgiue vs our trespasses as wee forgiue them that trespasse against vs. Fiftly prayer Sanctifieth the creatures for our vse and maketh them to become vsefull and healthfull 1. Tim. 4.5 which otherwise might proue pernitious and hurtfull vnto vs. Sixtly prayer ouercommeth all creatures it diuided the red sea it stopped the heauens it opened the same againe Prayer ouercommeth all things it brought Ionas from the Whales bellie Daniel from the Lions den and Saint Peter from the dungeon it ouercomes all men quia plus valet vnus sanctus orando quam innumeri peccatores praeliando one man praying will auaile more then many men fighting saith the Glosse vpon the prayer of Moses when Iosuah fought with Amalech and it ouercomes the verie diuels which goe not out but by prayer and fasting for as Christ made a scourge of smalle cords to driue the buyers and sellers out of the Temple so the prayers of a christian consisting of many petitions is like that scourge of small cords able to driue out all diuells all sins from the soule of a christian which is the Temple of the holy Ghost Gen. 32.26 Prayer only preuaileth with God Seuenthly prayer preuaileth against God himselfe for I pray thee let me goe saith God vnto Iacob for the day approacheth not so saith Iacob I will not let thee goe except thou blesse me O Iacob wilt not thou let God go no saith he except he blesse me I but will God take this well at thy hands that thou wilt not let him goe O yes for he saith my delight is to be with the sonnes of men and so Iacob preuailed with God and his name was called Israell And I would to God that wee would also wrastle with God by prayer as neuer to let him go vntill he blesse vs for then we shall be sure hee will not goe at all
the offender 37 Curious questions not to be discussed 627 RA. RAge of the Iewes against the dead corps of Christ 482 Christ onely raised himselfe from the dead 552 RE. Regenerate men haue a double being 6 Repentance the best meanes to reuiue our dying soules 51 52 Repentance killeth sinne 82 God no respecter of persons 91 God easie to be reconciled 191 Men cannot repent when they will 242 Christ would not reueale himselfe vnto the world all at once 259 Certaine resemblances of the Trinity seene in the creatures 273 Christ how he reconcileth vs to himselfe 297 How the word God resembleth our outward and inward word 308 God reuealed many things concerning himselfe to the Gentiles 313 The Deuils reuealed many things concerning God to the Gentiles why 313 315 Christ would not reueale his seruants shame 466 Reiection of the Iewes grieued Christ 454 Regeneration not needfull vnto Christ 364 To receiue the outward Sacraments and not the grace of the Sacraments is nothing worth 681 Heretickes receiue neither Christ nor the Sacraments of Christ 682 Worthy receiuers of the Sacraments receiue Christ and all his graces 682 We may receiue Christ without the Sacraments 680 Request of the thiefe how soone granted 487 What small things God requireth of vs. 99 To relye on God in afflictions how safe 489 Redemption foure-fold 500 To redeeme vs how dearely it cost 50 Our redemption paraleleth our creation 557 Resurrection of Christ shewed by the Angell 543 Resurrection of Christ manifesteth the conquest of Satan deliuerance of men and Christ to haue ouercome all his enemies 551 Resurrection of Christ the third day foreshewed 553 How ascribed to each person of the Trinity ibid. Resurrection of Christ the third day confirmeth our faith in foure respects 556 Certainty of Christs Resurrection shewed in his rising the third day 557 Resurrection of Christ the third day is a patterne of our condition 544 Resurrection of Christ sought to be hindered by the high Priests 563 Resurrection of Christ beleeued of vs for three respects 566 Proued many wayes 567 c. Resurrection of Christ a patterne to teach vs how to rise from sinne 587 A cause of great ioy 598 An assurance of our resurrection to eternall life 598 Resurrection of Christians twofold 586 Relapsing or often falling into the same sinnes how dangerous 549 RI. Riches haue destroyed many men and what euill they doe 73 Riches or pouerty whether best ibid. No man truly Rich. â—81 Christ truly rich ibid. God loueth righteousnesse 90 The more righteous we be the more subiect to be afflicted 434 Christ to rise againe for three reasons 550 Typicall Testimonies that Christ should rise the third day 554 Christ himselfe shewed that he should rise the third day ibid. To rise from the dead greater then to descend from the Crosse 562 We should rise truly from sinne and from all sinnes 591 592 Ro. Rossensis his parable to Henery the eight of the axe that came to the trees for a handle 589 SA SAcraments a most excellent meanes to beget grace 679 They shew all that the Scriptures teach ibid. Euery sacrifice should be perfect 341 Sacriledge what a fearefull sinne 241 Saints preserued from sinne by the power of God 178 More glorious in aduersity then prosperity 207 They alwayes prayed to Christ 283 Saints at their death supported by God 447 Salomon speaketh of a two-fold generation of Christ 288 His words the Lord created me how vnderstood 286 Salomons posterity for his sinnes were finished in Iechonias 399 Saluation how we ought to thirst after it 488 Saluation by none but by Christ 501 Rabbi Samuel what he saith concerning Christ 579 Sanctification what it is 208 Samosatenian heresie 363 Satan how said to ascend 910 He lifteth vp the wicked to destroy them 612 His subtilty to deceiue the people 644 He ought to be spied before he comes too neere vs 13 He is the Father of sinne 14 He suggesteth sinne diuers wayes 12 He laboureth to conceale the light either of preaching or of applying Gods word 18 How he handleth the wicked at the time of their death 80 He cannot doe what he would 178 How he alwayes laboureth to vilifie the person of Christ 304 His insolency against Christ 322 His enuy against Christ and why 493 494 Without satisfaction no sinne can be pardoned 163 SC. Holy Scripture wholly true 215. 216 The best warrant for all Preachers 606 Scourging of Christ how grieuous it was 475 Christ how scoffed vpon the Crosse 481 SE. To search too farre into Gods essence is not safe 124 Seede of the parents the substance of the whole man 340 Seed of the man whether it falleth into the substance of the childe 340 God seeking after vs should make vs to seeke for him 181 God not to seene with any materiall eyes 117 Wee shall not see Gods essence in heauen but in the face of Iesus Christ 118 All men are euer seeking something 524 Godly men seeke onely for God â—25 Many seeke him amisse 526 Many seeke Christ amisse ibid. How we ought to seeke for Christ 526 521 c. That we cannot seeke for God vntill God doth seeke for vs. 529 Why the wicked seeke not God 531 Sensitiue facultie soone defileth the reasonable soule 17 Christ not sent by way of command 301 Seneca what he said 66 Sentence of Christ his condemnation 478 Senate of Rome lothe to derogate from the worth of Augustus 504 To serue sinne a most grieuous slauerie 22 Seruetus his heresie 343 To serue God the greatest good that wee can doe vnto our children 253 It procureth all blessings to vs. 132 Not to serue God heapeth all plagues vpon vs. 133 We were redeemed and preserued that we might serue him 132 It is the onely way to perpetuate our posterities 399 Late seruice God will hardly accept and why 587. 588 The seauen words of Christ vpon the Crosse 486 SH Shamefull handling of Christ how it grieued him 450 Shame of sinne cast off wee are almost past hope of goodnesse 20 Shedding of mans blood what a heauie sinne 240 Shepherds why first informed of the birth of Christ 412 SI Sight of sinne is no sinne 15 Sicknesse of the soule how worse then the sicknesse of the body 63 A signe why giuen by Judas 461 Signes how we may know whether wee bee ascended any thing towards heauen or not 632 Signes of a faithfull teacher 466 Similies expressing how the word alone assumed our flesh 327 A simile of Damascus and Theodorus shewing how the two natures of Christ though vnited doe remaine inconfused 388 Sinne is so vgly that at the first the sinner himselfe would faine conceale it 18 To be resisted at the first 23 It blindeth vs that we cannot perceiue it's vglinesse 42 At last it tormenteth the consciences of all sinners 42 How vgly and loathsome it is 47 Euerie sinne payeth the same wages 46 Sinnes the diseases of the soule 63 It extinguished all knowledge of God