them and fed them with the bread of heanen so for vs who are trauellers as all our fathers were in the wildernesse of this world the Lord hath likewise giuen vs Angels food the word of God the spirtuall Manna whereby we liue for euer Now as the former rellised most pleasauntly in their mouthes and contained all toothsome and delightsome taste in it which all other his sweete creatures ioyntly or seuerally coulde affoorde vnto vs So this Manna and diet of our soules is instead of al delights and dainties vnto vs and is like a perfume which hath odour for euery one This the spouse sensibly did taste and feel in the presence of her bride-groom Cantie 1 and therfore she desireth to be still vnited vnto him and that he would kisse her with the kisses of his mouth inasmuch as her loue is better then wine and because of his sweete oyntments for which the virgins loued her Of this ioy our Sauior Christ speaketh in his generall proclamation Math. 11 vnder the comfort and refection vnto which it pleaseth him most graciously to inuite vs by our obedience vnto his word saying vnto vs Come vnto me alye that trauail and are heauy laden and I will refresh you Such therefore as make that the argument of their sorrow which should be vnto them an occasion of great ioy who are grieued and disquieted at the preaching of the word who entertaine a preacher with no other congee then Achab did Elias saying vnto him 1. Reg. 21 art thou come my enemy hanging downe their heads like bul-rushes Isaiah 58. when the ovice of the preacher toucheth their sinnes and with the sword of the spirit launcheth them deeply and cutteth them to the heart saving within themselues Iohn 6 Durus est hic sermo This is a hard saying and who is able to abide it Such I say A similitude may well be likened vnto those who suffer shipwracke at the hauens mouth and the key side the only place of harbour and refuge in such danger But we cannot be ignorant how vntoothsome and vnwholsome this spiritual diet is to the stomacks and affections of the greater sort who are grossely minded A similitude And we maruel not much at it For as swine are not delighted with the smell of sweete hearbs but with the stinking sauour of corrupt carrion so swinish soules regard not the fragrant odour of the sweet word of GOD but they drinke puddle as an asse drinkes water and their pleasure is to wallow in the myre of their sinnes The wicked A similitude who are senselesse and without feeling both of God and godlinesse are like green and moist faggot sticks which are so far from taking hold of the fire put vnder them as thorough the sap that distilleth from them they do extinguish and vtterly ouercome it The hearts of the godly are of the nature and condition of the gun-powder which is presently set on fire by the lest touch but of a sparke that is put vnto it So the fire of Gods word is choaked and smothered in vngodly men being not a fit combustible subiect to worke vpon But it soone maketh a light and bright flame in the soules of his saints as beeing a sulphurous and apte matter vpon which it may extend and exercise his force A kettle of water set on the fire A similitude as soon as it conceiueth the heate thereof expresseth as we see the motion of the fire for albeit it be a heauy and waighty body and so by nature should descend yet when it boyleth it layeth aside his nature and bubbleth ariseth and ascendeth vpward in the manner of fire The bodies of the righteous howsoeuer by nature they are of an earthly and heauy substaunce and so do bend downeward and haue a prospect to the world yet the fire of Gods spirit that burneth within them contrary to their course lifteth them vpward and causeth them to mount vp to heauen Wherefore as Iohn wept vntill the booke was opened Apoc. 5 and so soone as it was opened all the Elders sung so let vs adiudge it to be the greatest cause of weeping when the word is taken from vs and the best occasion that can be of ioy when it is restored and giuen to vs againe Therefore be like vnto this learned Lapidary and learne out the valew and price of this pearle and thou shalt soone find ioy in it It is a memorable example that Socrates in his ecclesiasticall hystory setteth downe of a certaine Abbot who dieting himselfe with bread that was of a grosse and course graine Hist Tripâ—â—â— lib. 8 cap. â— answered thus finely such who would know his reason therof of him I take my whole repast vpon this bread that is so sower so vild mean that nothing but God might be of any pleasure and delightsomnesse with me Oh that we were thus deuoted vnto God and stoode so affected towardes heauenly things it could not be otherwise but that they would expresse their ioyful effects in vs. A similitude For euen as those that walke in the Sunne be the occasion of what it wil must needs be parched and coloured with the Sunne so they that shall walke in the sun-shine of Gods word the light of the world I doubt not but that it shall comfort their hearts and warme their soules with the loue thereof and alter their conditions and set a new die and hue vpon them and minister such ioy as they are not able to conceiue CHAP. VII ¶ By the example of this Marchant who did hide his Treasure the necessitie not onely of the hearing of the word but also of the faithfull hiding it in our hearts is manifestly euicted FOrasmuch as this Ieweller wheÌ„ he lighted vpon this Treasure was as carefull in keeping it as hee was ioyfull in hauing it which he euidently shewed in his prouident hiding of it it is argument enough to conclude the necessity not only of the reading and hearing of the word but also of the industrous preseruing it in our harts Without this the immortal seed of gods word A similitude shall neuer take deep root and fructifie in our hearts For euen as the seede that is strowed vpon the furrowes of the earth vnlesse it be ploughed in and buried in the earth that thereby it may take root can neuer spring vp and be fit for the haruest so the word of God vnlesse it may be throughly fixed in our hearts and there abide and remain his ful time it wil neuer yeeld any grain of good works or serue to any profitable pur pose any waie We must not be trewants in the Church of God as Schollers in the schoole or be idle in the church as children in the market who neither buy nor sel but we must heare mark and hide vp that which is taught vs. As the yron steel A similitude so long as it is cold can not be
painted and varnished yet not fully finished they admire the passing perfection of it deeming that nothing can be added further to it but the Painter himselfe seeth well enough hauing a further worke conceiued to himselfe then others can desire how far it is distant from the hue and brauerie which he mindeth to giue vnto it before he hath done with it So thinke we as we will of the beautie of Gods house of the inestimable treasures and pleasures of his kingdome dispearse them and extend them as farre as we may by all imagination we are bleare eyde with Leah and we see with the blind man not yet fully cured Mark 8. men walking like trees things nothing answerable to that they are indeede Before the chiefe workeman hath put his last hand to his image and counterfeit it will shew it selfe wide and distant from our iudgement Some thinke that Coelum which is called heauen commeth of Coelo which is to engraue and so it may well for we see how it is carued graued and adorned round about with glistering and orient starres But I subscribe to them who thinke that Coelum is taken à coelo which is to couer hide and conceale because the treasure laide vp for vs in heauen is couered concealed 2. Cor. 12. and hidden from our knowlege For whenas Paul was snatched vp to the third heauen he vttered more with silence then he could with speech for he plainely saith he heard such wordes which cannot be spoken which are not possible for a man to vtter for indeed mans tongue in such kinds of cases stammereth and cleaueth to the roofe of his mouth so disable it is to vnfold diuine misteries So that our chiefest commendation of them is our silence of them Isai 24. And this vse did the Prophet make of them to himselfe who being ful of secret Reuelations kept them in a dutifull silence to himselfe saying My secretes are to my selfe God his wondrous workes so exceede all number measure and proportion as it is more commendable to conceale them with a godly admiration then to prie into them with a curious inquisition A similitude Set a round bowle or globe in any place which is of that quantitie that may fill the place and will that vast substance thinke you be dragged out of the narrow and strait passages of the doore of that place there is no reason so to thinke the spirituall ioyes of heauen are of that huge capacitie and substance Cui magno nihil est magnum â—eneca there being nothing great in comparisoÌ„ of this great as they cannot enter into the doores of our soules or be drawne through the portall and passage of our lippes The Queen of the South comming from farre to heare Salomons wisedome â— King 10 it perplexed and astonished her and tooke her spirit from her how much more shal the wisedom of the word farre greater then Salomons put vs to filence and amaze vs sodenly Christ informing Nicodemus but in the rudiments of religion Iohn 3 and beginning with him at the first element of our redemption pointing as it were with his finger at the fountaine and head thereof which is the loue of God to mankind he handleth it so as thereby we are not able to see the nature of it for saying thus of it so God loued the worlde that he gaue his onely begotten Sonne this first word so putteth vs to a non plus For how did he loue it he loued it but so as cannot be expressed And he cannot speake otherwise because hee knoweth Gods loue to be vnspeakable The blessed Apostle entreating of the passion Heb. 12 not being able in particulars to extend it thus generally comprehendeth it Consider him who hath suffered such shame for you But Paul what was this shame why rippest thou not vp his stripes and his blowes his mockes and his mowes the crowne the nailes the speare the crosse because howsoeuer they were liuely and sensible yet were not sufficiently explicable and intelligible We will you likewise to consider of the word as of a Treasure and a Pearle of great price If further we would know the vttermost of his worth the spirit answereth here that it is hidden from vs it is more then any is able to declare The treasure of inward heauenly inspiration the pleasure of diuine celestiall consolation the crowne of glorie laide vp as a reward of our bitter persecution and finally God our father his most gracious compassion by the tongue of men or Angels cannot be spoken of they are hidden mysteries that are too deep for vs. This Treasure is hidden because it hath neede of spirituall Reuelation It is not so hidden but that whatsoeuer is needful to saluation is opened vnto vs. God dealeth not as Poets and Philosophers with the truth who with the darke clowdes of their fabulous inuentions haue so eclipsed and obscured the cleere light therof as the minds of the readers are confounded with them and can giue no iudgement of it Gods spirit hath not so mocked dallied with vs as to set actuaries and penne-men a worke to engrosse such books which being so perplexed can minister no instruction comfort vnto vs in this kind of vaine may Apollo please himselfe â— Pet. 1 God his worde is a light that shineth vnto vs out of a darke place This booke howsoeuer it is sealed vp by the Lion that is of the tribe of Iudah is broken open to vs. Howsoeuer heretofore Exod. 19 vpon the publication and giuing of the law the Lord ouershadowed all Mount Horeb with a clowde and with a thick clowd obscured the temple that was made by Salomon and couered the Arke of the couenant with a vaile 1. Reg. 10 Christ the image and brightnesse of his Father hath dispelled this darknesse chased away this cloud taken away the vaile So that as Elias when he went vp to heauen 2. Reg. 2 left his mantle to Elizeus behind him whereby he diuided the deep waters of Iordan so Christ going vp on high Ephes 4 left his wisedom and gifts among men whereby they might diuide the deepe misteries of the spirit contained in the scriptures If Pharao be nothing skilfull in his dream let him send for Ioseph who is able to interprete it If Nabuchad-nazzar his vision doth perplex him Gen. 41 if he calleth Dauiel he wil presently vnfold it Dan. 2. 4 Ananias will informe and acquaint Saul what he ought to do Actes 9. The Aethiopian Queenes Chamberlaine vnderstandeth what he readeth by the helpe of Phillip So Acts 8. if we find the Scriptures to be hidden let vs send for preachers who may lay them open for vs. But aboue all 1. Cor. 3. let vs pray for the assistance of the spirit of God knowing that it is neither Apollo in watring or Paul in planting that doth vs any good but God that giueth increase wee may haue
haue so filled themselues before with their grosse diet at home as they can eate nothing nor take any pleasure in this banquet when they come Our stomackes are so charged and full of worldly thoughts as we haue almost no roome for any heauenly cogitation Dauid setteth vs out in our colours Psalme 62. and hitteth our vaine right whenas he saith that we are deceitful on the wayghts For from this deceit proceedeth this wrong iudgemēt that we haue of the word when we set the world before it The scales are false and deceiueable two waies First whenas those things that are put into them are weighed hastily and time is not giuen to see the ful weight of thē Or els whenas one part of the ballance or weight is heauier then another we put Gods lawes and our lustes together in the ballance of our foule and we are too hasty and rash a great deale in taking the world to be of more weight and substance then the word Again one part of the ballance is too heauy the heauinesse of the world weighing vs downe and weigheth more with vs then the treasure of Gods spirite Iohn 18. we preferre Barrabas before Christ sinfulnes before dutifulnes gaine before godlinesse If we would discreetly with mature aduice consider of them both not define of them with forestalled affections but heare what God and the world can say indifferently thy voice no doubt will passe on Gods side and this treasure shall be more esteemed of thee then all the treasure that the worlde giueth thee We fight therfore as Paul with the beasts at Ephesus 1. Cor. 25. after the maner of men whilst we dispute the case with those who set all their hope vpon the things of this life and place them before those of the life that is to come For what is the nature condition of beasts but to looke vpon the ground whose whole care is to satisfie their bellies and to couch in the holes and caues of the earth Such mens case is extreamely miserable Num. 16. and they are in the taking of Dathan and Abyron Psal 106. whom the earth deuoured For doth not the earth deuoure vp him whose whole cogitations are fixed vpon earth whose desires onely are of earthly things whose eies doe looke neuer aboue the earth who hath no feare of God no hopes of his promises no beleef of the soules immortality and no expectation of any future felicitie Surely faith Origen wheresoeuer thou seest such tell them flatly to their faces that the earth hath deuoured them CHAP. IX That God and the world cannot goe together THE practise of this Merchant concludeth this point whom I should not hold wise for doing away the world for the purchase of heauen if heauen and this world might be enioyed together By selling therefore one for the buying of the other it is insinuated that he was not able to keepe them both together There be many states and gouernements vpholden ordered by sundry constitutiōs differing each from other yet are they not so contrary but a man may haue his freedome in diuers of them together but God lawes and mans lawes the lustes of the flesh and the desires of the spirit the Ark of the Lord and the Philistines Dagon God and Mammon 1. Sam. 5 Math. 6 2. Cor. 6 Christ and Belial light and darknes are at such enmity and deadly food between them as no composition or conclusion of peace is to be looked for between them For the nature of things disclaimeth it our ciuill course of life gainsaith it and the Scriptures euery where flatly are against it What motions and commotions are in the ayre between lightning and thundring heat and cold without reconcilement euer to be had experience often sheweth vs. Light succeedeth darknes Math. 9 and darknes light and they two will neuer be consorted and matched together Old wine and new vessells cannot agree the patching of new cloth with old can not be sutable There were laws and statutes in this behalf enacted that cattell shuld not be permitted to ingender with those of diuers kinds that our fields should not be sowed with sundry kinds of seed Leuit. 19 and that a garment of Linsie wolsie which is of two substances that are contrary should not be worne of vs. A weake Oxe and a strong 1. Cor. 6 cannot draw equal yokes Iacobs voice and Esaus garment are easily distinguished the kingdom of God cannot go in fellowship with the kingdom of this world 1. Cor. 10 we cannot be partakers of the table of the Lord and the table of the diuel The Scriptures do make that report of the Samaritanes 2. King 17 which we admire and laugh at that with the worship of God they adored and worshipped their prophane idolls Is not this the bias and fashion of the world it will seeme holy and professe both a knowledge and seruice of God but they will not leaue couetousnes which is worshipping of images they prostrate themselues before the idol of this world This kind of people doth take two crosse and contrary waies and do go out of the way and their labour is in vaine A similitude For what voyage can he make who intending one way goeth another pointeth at heauen and looketh to the earth Et manu committit solaecismum erreth with his finger with such doth Elias expostulate the case thus censureth their folly 1. King 18. How long will ye halte between two opinions if God be God worship him but if Baal be God follow after him The Lords iealousie burneth like fire against such deceitful people vtterly to consume them who wil be vnited and wil marry themselues vnto these two contrary commāding husbands hauing espoused vs to Christ before who is our only husband For thus he breaketh out into this deep protestation I wil cut off the remnant of that place Soph. ◠that sweare by the Lord and sweare by Malcham Whenas Pharao could permit the Hebrew people to sacrifice to the Lord so as they would sacrifice out of the land of Aegypt Ho there saith Moses Exod. ◠this may not be indured to sacrifice vnto God the abhominations of the Aegyptians Superstition cannot possibly stand with true religion The lawes of God may not be lincked with the lusts of this world The Philistines tooke great paines hereabouts to couple their Dagon 1. Sam. 8 with the Arke of the couenant but it could not be effected For Dagon fell groueling to the ground before the Arke and could not stand before it The Israelites neuer knew what heauenly Manna meant Exod. 16 before all their meale which they carried from Aegypt was vtterly spent vntill thou hast consumed the worldly affections looke not to be partaker of Gods heauenly blessings The stomack that is distmpered with diseases A similitude and surcharged with euill humors relliseth and tasteth not the sweetnes of his meat The