all Israel there was none to be praysed so much for his beauty from the sole of his foot even to the crowne of the Head there was no blemish in him Christ was a Lambe x 1 Pet. 1.19 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without blemish and without spot without y Lorin in Pet. blemish of originall sin and without the spot of actuall There could bee no spot found in his action nor blemish in his conversation But some may object and say Christ tooke upon him the defects and infirmities of our nature which in us are oft sinfull and so they might be in him To this Aquinas answers z Par. 3. qu. 15. Art 1. Christ tooke our defects upon him to make satisfaction for us to manifest the truth of his humane nature or to be a perfect patterne of vertue unto us But hee could not take upon him any sinfull defects for any of these causes For First sinfull defects could not make satisfaction for sinne as being that wherewith God is displeased Secondly sin could not manifest the truth of his humanity for sinne belongs not to the nature of man but is rather contrary unto it for that was good and made by God but sin is evill and was brought in by the Devill Thirdly it could be no example of vertue as being contrary unto it But Christ tooke not on him all the defects of mans nature for first he tooke not on him a Nicol de Orbell in 3. Sentent dâ—stinct 16 defectus vitiosos sed poenales not the defects of sinne as ignorance and pronenes to evill which was impossible that hee should bee subject unto but such defects as were punishments for sinne as hunger thirst c. Secondly hee tooke upon him not defectus personales sed naturales not personall defects that accompany some particular persons but universall that accompany mans nature But the defects in him did differ from ours in three b August de Civitat Dei li. 14 cap 9. respects First respectu effectus in regard of the effect in us they often disturb reason but in him they did not Secondly respectu principii in respect of the beginning or cause of them in us they often goe before the judgement of reason but in Christ they were alwayes subject to reasons command Thirdly respectu objecti in regard of the object in us affection is not alwaies voyd of fault being often carryed upon unlawfull objects but in Christ it was not so his were like water put into a pure Glasse and ours like water put into a vessell besmeared with durt the more we stirre it the dirtier it is So that notwithstanding his defects that hee tooke from us wee may say of him with the Apostle c Heb. 4.15 Though hee were touched with our infirmities and in all poynts tempted as wee are yet was hee without sinne God sent his Sonne d Rom. 8 3. in the likenes of sinfull flesh flesh in truth but sinfull flesh in likenes not but that hee was so farre from sinne e Six Sen. Annoâ— 244. ex Hâ—ss Com in 3. Sâ—nt d 3 that he had no inclination unto it The first Adam did as I may so speake f Ryseâ—ld on Pet 2 22. make sin in the World the second Adam did take away the sins of the World g John 1.29 and it was necessary that hee that should satisfy for the sins of others should bee free from sinne himselfe The first Adam had a posse non peccare a power not to sinne but the second Adam had a non posse peccare no power at all to sin but hee was Integer vitae scelerisque purus h Horace Hee did no sin neither was guile i 1 Pet 2.22 found in his mouth Neither was it sufficient to manifest the whitenes of his innocency that hee was free from sin but hee was full of holines also Semper manet sanctus in verbis sanctus in actibus suis sanctus in omnibus voluntatibus suis saith S. Cyrill k In Levit li. 12. Christ was alwayes holy in his words holy in his workes holy in his affections And because a sinner cannot make satisfaction for his owne sins therefore hee ought to be holy l Parae in Heb. not legally onely as the Leviticall Priests were holy being consecrated by their legall sacrifices but morally also which the Apostle setts downe m Heb 7.26 in foure Epithetes First hee sayes hee is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sanctus holy Secondly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 innocens innocent free from all naturall corruption which the Priests of the Law were subject unto as well as the people Thirdly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 impollutus not defiled with any actuall sinne Fourthly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 segregatus à peccatoribus separated from sinners that is guilty of no punishment due unto sinners by the Law So that his challenge made to his enemies must needs stand good Which of you n John 8.46 convinceth me of sin Habet hoc verbum Christi magnam fiduciam saith S. Origen o In Iohen cum nullus hominum fiducialiter hoc dicere potuerit nisi solus Dominus noster qui peccatum non fecit This saying of Christ is spoken with great confidence and carryes credit with it seeing no man could say so much truely of himselfe but only our Lord which did no sin What was said of Iob might be sayd of him p Job 1.22 In all that hee did hee sinned not neither charged God foolishly i e wickedly His innocency hath been cleered many generations since even by his worst enemies by Pilate that condemned him who accknowledgeth that q Luke 23.14 22. hee could finde no fault in him and pronounceth him guiltles three times before he doth condemne him as guilty And by Iudas that betrayed him who confessed that hee had sinned r Mat. 27 4. in that hee had betrayed innocent bloud So that when Herod and his men of warre Å¿ Luke 23.11 arrayed Christ in a gorgeous or white Robe they did therein after a mysticall manner sufficiently testify both the excellent dignity and the innocent probity of the man declaring plainly against themselves that Christ should rather have been acquitted as an innocent then condemned as a malefactour for in his innocency he did resemble the white colour of the Lily of the Vallies Fourthly the Lily growes and flourisheth among Thornes so Christ when hee was upon the Earth was conversant among sinners Hee conversed with sinners though hee were free from sinne And this sence some t Angelom in loc expound this part of the Text. Vbi per incarnationis sacramentum huc in convallem lachrymarum inter spinas consortia peccatorum descendit lilium effectum se esse testatur When Christ by the mystery of his incarnation did descend into this valley of teares among thorns and sinners he shewed himselfe to be the Lily of the Vallies
cur non licuit hominem sine homine de Maria virgine procreari saith S. Austin x De Tempore Ser. 17 If man might then bee made without mans helpe why should not the man Christ Iesus be borne of a virgin without the help of man Divers have rendred divers reasons why it should be so first because as that woman was a virgin by whom sinne was spread among men as Irenaeus thinketh y Lib. 3 cap. 33. that Eve was a virgin when shee gave her husband of the forbidden fruit so was it fit that she should be a virgin by whom a Saviour should be produced for man for it pleased God that the fall and rising from sinne the salve and the sore should be brought unto us the same z Ludolph de vita Chri paâ— 1 cap. 5. way though not by the same meanes Ceciderat autem homo diabolo destinante serpente exequente dialogo interveniente muliere consentiente a Bâ—da apud Ludolph When man fell the divell appoynted the Serpent obeyed the speech passed betweene the woman and the Serpent and shee consented Contrarily when man was restored Deo destinante Angelo exequente dialogo interveniente virgine consentiente God appoynted the Angell obeyed the speech concurred and the virgin consented Secondly Christs generation was a figure of our Regeneration and it was fit saith Saint August b De Sanctis Ser. 17. that Christ the head should be borne of a virgin to signify that his members the children of God must be borne of a virgin the Church so the Apostle tells the Corinthians c 2 Cor. 11.2 I have espoused you to one husband that I may present you as a chaste virgin unto Christ for Christs Church like his mother is both a mother and a mayd a mother being betrothed to him as she brings forth and brings up many children for him and a virgin as she remaynes spotles before him Thirdly being God d Barrad To. 1. lib. 7 cap 10. it was fit that he should be borne of none else but a virgin and it was fit that a virgin should bring forth none but God Fourthly Christ had a father in Heaven before God was his Father by an ineffable generation and therefore he was not to have a father on earth lest he should have had two fathers Fifthly the truth was to answer to the tipe Melchisedeck was a type of Christ and it is said of him e Heb. 7.3 that hee was without father without mother so Christ was God without mother and man without father Lastly Christ f Sâ—ap Promp Mor. In fest Annunc was to take away sinne which he could not have done if hee himselfe had been borne in sinne and he could not have been free from sinne had he not been borne of a virgin our Saviour himselfe tells us g John 3.6 that which is borne of the flesh is flesh All men that are begotten of men may say with the Prophet David h Psal 51.5 Behold I was shapen in iniquity and in sinne did my mother conceive me Hee onely was free from originall corruption that came not into the World by an ordinary conception This was figured by many things in the old Testament by the gate of the Sanctuary which was shut and the Lord said i Ezek. 44.1 2. it shall be shut it shall not bee opened and no man shall enter in by it because the Lord the God of Israel hath entred in by it by Solomons Temple that was built k 1 Kings 6.7 without an iron instrument by the stone l Dan. 2.45 cut out of the Mountaine without hands and Aarons Rod that m Numb 17.7 blossomed and brought forth ripe Almonds without seed signifyed that CHRIST should bee brought forth of a virgin without mans seed or hands or helpe Sicut non poterat caro nisi de carne nasci it a non poterat Dei caro de foemineo utero nisi sine generante pro dire saith S. Aug. n De Tempor Ser. 11. As flesh could not bee borne without flesh so the sonne of God could not be borne but without carnall generation He came not into the world by the helpe of man but by the providence of God herein resembling the rose of the common field Secondly the Rose of the Field o Doctor Dove in loc is not inclosed and made private to a few as the garden Rose is but is common to all that will gather it So Christ is not inclosed to a few but is common to all that will lay hold upon him Once indeed before Christs comming Christ might properly have been said to bee the Rose of Sharon when the Iewes were Gods peculiar people Then in Iuda p Psal 76.1 was God knowne and his name was great in Israel God did then choose for himselfe one Vine of all the Trees of the Forrest one Rose of all the Flowers of the Field one Dove of all the Birds of the ayre and one Nation of all the Kingdomes of the World but since his manifestation in the flesh the vayle of the Temple was rent q Luke 23 45. and the middle wall of partition was broken downe r Eph. 2.14 and he became the Rose of the Field And although the Apostles at the first were commanded Å¿ Mat. 10.5 not to goe into the way of the Gentiles nor to enter into any City of the Samaritanes yet afterwards their commission was renewed and they were commanded t Mark 16.15 to preach the Gospell through the World It is well observed v Doctor Boys on the Epist 2. Sunday after Easter that GOD commanded Moses to put in his perfume w Exod. 30 34. as much Galbanum as Frankincense and as much Frankincense as Galbanum to signify that Christ in his oblation on the crosse a sacrifice x Ephes 5.2 of a sweet smelling savour unto God shed as much bloud for the labouring man that followeth the Plow as for the Prince that sitteth on the Throne and that his precious bloud hath greater force in some then in other is not the fault of him that did so well impart it but of them which do so ill imploy it Christ was borne in a common Inne diversorium dicitur quia ibi diversi conveniunt saith Isidore y Apud Gorran he receives like that all comers In medio Templi misericordia est non in angulo aut diversorio In communi posita est offertur omnibus nemo illius expers nisi qui renuit saith S. Bernard z In Purisi pag. 101. The mercy of God was placed in the midst of the Temple not in some nooke or corner it is proffered to all and none goes without it but he that refuseth it for though the Rose of the Field lyeth common to all yet are not all partakers of the benefit of it but onely these that use it for smell or
Revel 19 4. foure and twenty elders and the fowre beasts praysing GOD with our Church and saying Glory be to God on high and in earth peace good will toward men We prayse thee wee blesse thee we worship thee we glorify thee we give thankes unto thee O Lord God heavenly King for all thy blessings bestowed upon us for that thou hast sent thy Sonne Iesus Christ not only to live among men but to dy for men Grant O Lord that we may all be partakers of all the benefits of his passion And that for the same Iesus Christ his sake who as he died for sin so he ever lives to make intercession for sinnes To whom with thee and the Holy Spirit be all honour and glory now and for ever Amen THE ROSE AND LILY. DELIVERED AT THE LECTVRE In ASHBY de-la-zouch in the County of Leicester By WILLIAM PARKS Master of Arts and curat of Chelaston in the County of DERBY 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Discendum propter docendum LONDON Printed by JOHN NORTON 1638. To the Right Honorable FERDINANDO Lord HASTINGS my very good Lord. WHAT Thucidides affirmes experience proves true 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that hearing is not lyable to any account but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whatsoever a man speakes but especially writes it layes him open to others censure unto which J have now exposed my selfe and crave your Lordships protection Your Honour must not expect any high straynes in this Sermon Haud facile emergunt quorum virtutibus obstat Res angusta domi As it is J desire your Lordships acceptance of it as an expression of some part of that duty and service J owe your Honor. The God of mercie poure downe his mercies on your Lordship your Honourable Lady and hopefull children Which shall alwaies be the praier of Your Lordships in all duty and service WILLIAM PARKS THE ROSE AND LILY. SOLOMONS SONG 2.1 J am the Rose of Sharon and the Lily of the vallyes WHat the Queene of Shebah told Solomon that a 1 Kings 10.6 7. though it were a true report which shee had heard of him yet the one halfe was not told her so may I say unto you concerning this Text though it bee a true report you have heard of him that is greater then Solomon b Mat. 12 42. yet the one halfe is not told you For this Text is a most fertile and fruitfull Field conteyning variety of no lesse profitable then pleasant Flowers from whence I have already brought you a Posy made of Roses and now give me leave from the same Garden to present unto you a Posy composed of Liles The Lily is next in nobility to the Rose saith Pliny c Lib. 2 cap. 5. and therefore as I have shewed you wherein Christ resembles the Rose so must I now shew you how hee is the Lily of the vallyes The writers d Arist Pliny Dodan of the nature of things have written much in the commendadation of the Lily affirming it to bee a most fine Flower both for fragrant smell and curious colours And many Princes did beare it in their crests and Escutchions but I leave this for Heralds to discourse of and for Herbalists to discusse and shall onely shew you that Christ resembles the Lily in these fowre respects First the Flower of the Lily is lifted upward and open toward Heaven but toward the earth it is close and shut so Christ had his mind open toward Heaven set on heavenly things but he alwayes neglected and contemned earthly things Secondly the leaves of the Lily spread outward and bend downward so Christ extended his benefits downward even to his enemies Thirdly the whitenesse of the Lily may signify Christs eternity or his innocency Fourthly the Lily growes among thornes and Christ when hee was upon the Earth was conversant among sinners in these respects hee shewed himselfe to bee the Lily of the vallyes And first of the first the Flower of the Lily is open toward Heaven but close toward the earth so Christ had his affections open toward heavenly things but he neglected earthly As Christ was sometime e Luke 2.51 subject to his Mother so was he alwayes obedient to his father He that f John 3.31 came from above did set his affections on things g Colos 3.2 above This Lily had alwayes the eyes of his affections open toward heaven it being his chiefest care to doe his heavenly fathers h Luke 2.49 busines but close shut toward earth and earthly things There are three i Ludolph de vita Christi part 1. cap. 67. things that hinder us from having the eyes of our soules open toward Heaven but Christ was free from them all First quando oculus nimis occupatur circa sensibilia when the eye is too much imployed about sensible objects namely when the affection is set on earthly things for then is the eye of the soule dazled with the dust of covetousnes but Christ had no mind of earthly riches but as hee had none so he did desire none Secondly quando nimis occupatur circa delectabilia when it is too much taken up with delightfull things the carnall desires of the flesh for then the eye is blinded with the fire of concupiscence but Christ was free from that and it is such a sinne that the divell himselfe would not tempt Christ by that though hee tempted him by riches and the glory of the World k Mat. 4 Thirdly quando nimis occupatur circa sublimia when it is intent on lofty things namely ambitiously taken up with the pompe and glory of the World for then the eye is darkned with the smoake of pride but Christ was free from that for he l John 6.16 fled from those that would have made him King So that he had no worldly riches to clog him no carnall pleasures to allure him no ambitious thoughts to stop him nor any of those to hinder him for having his eyes and thoughts settled on heavenly things Hee was not like the Basiliskes which Pliny m Lib. 8. calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because they looke downward and cannot turne their countenance upward toward the Firmament but rather he was like the fish which Albertus as I remember makes mention of that had but one eye placed in his pole so that he alwayes looked upward minding things above but hee did altogether neglect if not contemne all earthly things Which will the better appeare if we consider his poverty in his birth in his life and in his death First in his birth Exigua magni pompa puerperii saith S. Cyprian n Serm. de nati Christi There was but small pomp at this great birth he was borne in so meane a manner that the cratch was his cradle the o Luke 2.7 manger his chamber and the stable his Inne If the Sun of God will needs come and dwell among the sons of men Kings palaces me thinks were bad
The Pharisees did wonder to see Christ u Mat. 9.11 eating with Publicans and sinners but it was no greater marvell to see our Saviour Christ conversant upon earth among sinners teaching them then it was to see the Devill with our first parents in Paradice tempting them He was the Physitian of soules as you have already heard and sinners were his best patients and why then should he forsake their company No hee shuns them not but hee converseth with them and feeds with them and calls them to come to be cured Miraris Iudaee saith Chrysologus w Ser. 29. cur Christus misceatur convivio peccatorum qui propter peccatores nasci voluit non recusavit occidi Oblatras cur peccatorum Vinum bibat qui pro peccatoribus suum sanguinem fudit dost thou admire O thou Iew why Christ should eat with sinners who would bee borne for sinners and refused not to dye for them Dost thou murmure that he wil drink the wine of sinners which poured out his blood for sinners What marvell is it if hee doth eate at the table with sinners that suffered death on the Crosse for them Never did the Physitian leave the patient that hee would heale nor God forsake the sinner that hee would save It was Christs office x Mat. 9.13 not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance not the righteous for there were none so righteous that have no need of his comming Si homo non periisset filius hominis non venisset saith St Augustin y de Tempor Ser. 8. If man had not sinned the Sonne of man had not come or else not to call the righteous ironice z Chrys Hierom. apud Barrad that is not the Scribes and Pharisees which did justifie themselves and thought themselves to have no need of the Physitian but were just and righteous in their owne conceits thinking all to bee bad but themselves Like unto whom were those Heretickes the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Eusebius Pamph Eccles Hist in the primitive Church that thought themselves onely to bee pure and accounted all to bee sinfull but onely those that were of their owne impure sect And these were the Fathers and predecessors of the factious Schismatickes who at this day do walke in their steps accounting all reprobates but them of their owne tribe But he calls those sinners that feeling their sins acknowledge themselves to bee sinfull But as the Lily though it grow among Thorns yet it loseth none of the whitenesse of his colour or fragrancy of its smell so Christ though hee conversed among thorny sinners yet hee reteyned still his innocency neither did hee converse with them b Jansen Concor cap. 33. to confirme them in their sinnes but to convert them from them Though hee did goe upon c Prov. 6 28. coales yet was he not burnt Though hee touched pitch d Eccles 13.1 yet was hee not defiled with it though hee had fellowship with the proud yet was not hee like unto them though hee were conversant with thornie sinners yet was hee not infected with their sins that kept on still the white Robes of his innocency therein resembling the nature of the Lily of the Valleys And now I come to the limitation of his second attribute to the first subject of the Valleys I am the Rose of Sharon c. Christ is not c Doctor Dove in Loc. the lofty Cedar but the lowly Lily not of the high Mountaines but of the low valleys that is humility it selfe Suorum Deus altissimus suorum Christus humillimus as God of all others is a patterne of Majesty so Christ of all others is a spectacle of humility Hee was an example of humility in these respects f August de Civ Dei li. 14. nascendo conversando praedicando miracula faciendo moriendo In his birth in his conversation in his preaching in his working of miracles and in his dying First in his birth Hee chose not his descent from the mighty Monarchs of Assyria Greece and Persia but of the contemptible and despised Iewes and among them hee chose not any rich Parents to bee borne of but a poore Virgin espoused to a poore Carpenter What greater abasement could there bee then that hee which thundred in the Cloudes should cry in the Cradle that hee should put off the glorious Robes of his immortalite and put on the base ragges of our mortality that hee which was cloathed with Majesty and honour should bee cloathed with swadling clowtes that hee that in Heaven was GOD not subject to his Father in earth should bee man subject to his Mother that Mary that was a sheepe should bring forth a Sheepherd that hee which was the Father or Mary should become the soone of Mary this mystery is so great and the humility so wonderfull that as Saint Bernard saith it g In vrgil Nativ is mirabiliter singulare singulariter mirabile wonderfully singular and singularly wonderfull There is so great humility in CHRISTS birth that S. Augustine saith h Ser. 18. Nat Omnis hujus nativitatis schola◠humilitatis est officina the whole Schoole of Christs nativity is a shop of humility Secondly hee shewed his humility in his conversation because though hee did no sinne i Destruct vit yet hee tooke upon him the punishments for sinne most humbly undertaking the infirmities of the body and defects of the soule that are not sinfull as to bee weary hungry sorrowfull c. And though he were Lord of all yet hee becomes servant to his owne Disciples and k John 13.5 washeth their feete telling them l Luke 22.27 that hee is among them as one that serveth Whence some m Barrad Stella conjecture that Christ did use to serve them being at meat Thirdly hee shewed his humility in his preaching because hee sought not his owne glory but the glory of him that sent him And hee tells his Disciples n John 14 10. The words that I speake unto you I speake not of my selfe And when hee chose his Disciples to preach unto the World hee chose not rich and learned men but poore simple silly Fisher-men Had Christ chosen such as Aristotle and Demosthenes to preach the Gospell they would have sayd they were so learned that they might easily convince they were so eloquence that they might easily perswade but hee chose unlearned Fisher-men to confound the learned Phylosophers that the glory might not be given to the meanes Forthly hee shewed his humility in his working of miracles because when hee did great miracles hee commands the parties on whom they were wrought not to divulge them When hee cured one of the leprosy o Mat. 8.4 and restored sight to the blind man p Marke 8 26. hee chargeth them to tell no man Mundavit leprosum Dominus jussit eum nulli hoc fateri hoc fateri docens quam esset alienus ab aura
gloriae pompaque jactantiae saith Saint Chrysostome q Apud Barraa In doing those miracles which Christ would not have told he shewed how farre hee was from vayne glory and seeking prayse of men but in those miracles that hee would have to bee divulged hee shewes how free hee was in seeking glory to GOD for hee bidds the man that was freed from his legion of divells to shew r Luke 8.39 how great things not hee but God had done for him And all the time of his life wherein hee wrought his miracles hee went about doing of them he rode not in any stately manner but went on foot neither do I read that hee did ride at all but once when hee rode upon an Asse s Mat. 21.25 into Hierusalem And when he sate Nun quam in sede nec in pulvinari sed in ipsa superficie terrae modo in montibus modo apud fontes sedet docet saith St. Chrysostome t Hom. 67. in Mat. Christ sate and taught not on any couch or chayre of state sometimes on the mountaines sometimes by the fountaines alwaies on the superficies of the earth Fiftly Christ shewed his humiltty in his dying It was great love and as great Humility for him to be cloathed with the vaile of our nature and to undertake the infirmities of our feeble nature yet it was greater love and humility too for him to be compassed with the shadow of death and to undergoe the penalty due to our sinfull nature What humilitie could bee greater then that the Lord of life should suffer a shamefull and ignominious death that hee that was gloria Angelorum should become opprobrium hominum he that was the glory of Angells should be made the u Psal 22 6 scorn of men and despised of the people Thus Christ knowing that humilitie did suite well with the head when the body was sicke with pride bowed w Psal 18.9 the heavens and came downe there was the humilitie of his Godhead not putting it off but clothing it with the raggs of flesh And from his birth to his buriall from the time of his being borne in another mans stable untill the time of his being buried in another mans tombe he alwaies shewed the humility of his manhood never ceasing untill his head were laid under the earth his foot-stoole So that wee may say of him with St. Bernard x De Pass Dom. Nemo illo sublimior nemo humilior there was none more lofty none more lowly none more high and none more humble then he he humbled himselfe saith the Apostle y Philip. 2.8 and became obedient unto death even the death of the Crosse in all his humilitie shewing himselfe to bee the Lily of the Vallies Now because it is not enough for us to feede on the Word as the Israelites might z Deut. 23 24 25. on their Neighbours Grapes and Corne while they were in their Vine-yards or Fields but might carry none away with them I shall briefly therefore shake some of the Boughes and give some of the Fruit of that which hath been delivered to every one that will carry it away with him First therefore in that CHRIST resembles the Flower of the Lilies and is open towards Heaven but close and shut towards earth wee may from thence learne to know the seat of our affection to set our affections a Col. 3.1 2. on things above and to seeke those things and not the things on earth Christians receive their name from Christ Et operae pretium est quod sicut sunt haeredes nominis ita sint imitatores sanctitatis saith S. Bernard b Seaten pag. 496. It is fit that as they are heires of his name so they should bee imitaters of his nature and conversation Conversatio autem Christi apertè docet praesentia contemnere ad futura spem dirigere saith the same Father c Pag 17.23 But the conversation of Christ doth plainly teach us to contemne present riches and to love future not to mind things present but to place our hopes on things to come Secondly let us shew our love to Christ by pitty and compassion Christ resembling the leaves of the Lilies did extend his love downeward toward us let us extend our love upward toward him As Christ shewed his love every way to us so let us shew our love every way to him hee loved us even when hee was dying let us love him all the time wee are living Christus quanto pro me vilior tanto mihi charior saith S. Bernard d In Epiph. Ser. 1. The more vile the Sonne of God Was made for us so much the more deare should hee bee unto us Domine Iesu dilexisti me plus quam te quoniam mori voluiâ—li pro me c. pudeat non redamare te pro tanto amore tuo e S. Augustine O Lord Iesu thou hast loved me more than thy selfe in that thou wouldest vouch safe to dy for me it would be a great shame for me not to love thee againe for this thy so great love Thirdly Christ was an example for us to imitate in our conversation and that in three respects First in innocency we may learne from him to bee f Mat. 10.16 wise as Serpents and innocent as Doves Secondly as Christ was conversant with sinners but not defiled with sinne so though wee live in the midst of a sinfull generation with Noah yet let us not participate with the evill of the time or place or company where wee live I doe but touch of these things by way of application to this subject because I must speake more of them by way of explication in the next Thirdly and lastly Christ is a patterne unto us of humility Remember that Christ is a Lily of the Vallies God g Angelom in loc is the God of humble men and humility was taught us from him by precept and patterne Puderet te forsan imitari hominem humilem saltem imitare humilem deum saith S. Austin h In John Tract 23. Thou wouldst bee ashamed perhaps to imitate an humble man yet at least imitate a humble God Men are ready to allow Court fashions and the greater the personage the sonner is the fashion followed Now Christ our King tooke on him the fashion of humility and all that meane to bee accepted in his court must weare the same fashion For Quid detestandum amplius quid gravius puniendum quam ut videns deum coeli parvulum factum ultra apponat homo magnificare se supra terram Intolerabilis impudentiae est ut ubi sese exinanivit Majestas vermiculus infletur intumescat saith S. Bernard i Flores â—eâ—n pag. 2133. What is more to bee detested what more worthy to be punished then that man which seeing the God of Heaven to become little on earth should exalt himselfe above earth It is an intolerable impudency that where Majesty became