them that loue our soules and hate them that loue our sinnes They are these rough hands that must bring vs sauory dishes and carry away a blessing truth is for them now thankes shall be for them hereafter but in the meane time they may not be iudged by the appearance Lastly if we shall iudge friendship by complement salubrity by sweetnesse seruice by the eye fidelity by oathes valour by brags a Saint by his face a deuill by his feet we shall be sure to be deceiued Iudge not therefore according to appearance But that yee mistake not though we may not iudge onely by the appearance yet appearance may not bee neglected in our iudgement Some things according to the Philosopher 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seeme and are are as they seeme Semblances are not alwaies seuered from truth Our senses are safe guides to our vnderstandings Wee iustly laugh at that Scepticke in Laertius who because his seruant robbed his Cup-bord doubted whether hee left his victuals there What doe wee with eyes if wee may not beleeue their intelligence That world is past wherein the glosse Clericus amplectens foeminam praesumitur benedicendi causà fecisse The wanton imbracements of another mans wife must passe with a Clarke for a ghostly benediction Men are now more wise lesse charitable Words and probable shewes are appearances actions are not and yet euen our words also shall iudge vs If they bee filthy if blasphemous if but idle wee shall account for them wee shall bee iudged by them Ex ore tuo A foule tongue shewes euer a rotten heart By their fruits yee shall know them is our Sauiours rule I may safely say No body desires to borrow colours of euill if you doe ill thinke not that we will make dainty to thinke you so When the God of loue can say by the Disciple of loue Qui facit peccatum ex diabolo est Hee that committeth sinne is of the deuill Euen the righteous Iudge of the world iudgeth secundum opera according to our works we cannot erre whiles wee tread in his steps If wee doe euill sinne lies at the doore but it is on the street side Euery Passenger sees it censures it How much more he that sees in secret Tribulation and anguish vpon euery soule that doth euill Euery soule here is no exemption by greatnesse no buying off with bribes no bleering of the eyes with pretences no shrouding our selues in the night of secrecy but if it be a soule that doth euill Tribulation and anguish is for it Contrarily If we doe well shall we not be accepted If we be charitable in our almes iust in our awards faithfull in our performances sober in our carriages deuout in our religious seruices conscionable in our actions Glory and honour and peace to euery man that workeâ—h good we shall haue peace with our selues honour with men glory with God and his Angels Yea that peace of God which passeth all vnderstanding such honour as haue al his Saints the incomprehensible glory of the God of peace the God of Saints and Angels to the participation whereof that good God that hath ordained vs as mercifully bring vs for the sake of his deare Sonne Iesus Christ the iust To whom with thee O Father and thy good Spirit one infinite God our God be giuen all praise honour and glory now and for euer Amen THE GREAT IMPOSTOR LAID OPEN IN A SERMON AT GRAYES INNE Febr. 2. 1623. By IOS HALL SIC ELEVABITVR FILIVS HOMINIS Io 3. ANCHORA FIDEI LONDON ⧠Printed for NATHANIEL BVTTER 1624. TO THE MOST NOBLE AND WORTHILY HONOVRED SOCIETIE OF GRAYES INNE AT WHOSE BARRE THIS JMPOSTOR WAS openly arraigned J. H. HVMBLY DEDICATES THIS PVBLIKE LIFE OF HIS WEAKE AND VNWORTHIE LABOVR THE GREAT IMPOSTOR LAID OPEN OVT OF IER 17.9 The heart is deceitfull aboue all things I Know where I am in one of the famous Phrontisteries of Law and Iustice wherefore serues Law and Iustice but for the preuention or punishment of fraud and wickednesse Giue me leaue therefore to bring before you Students Masters Fathers Oracles of Law and Iustice the greatest Cheator and Malefactor in the world our owne Heart It is a great word that I haue said in promising to bring him before you for this is one of the greatest aduantages of his fraud that hee cannot bee seene That as that old Iugler Apollonius Thyanaeus when he was brought before the Iudge vanished out of sight so this great Impostor in his very presenting before you dispeareth and is gone yea so cunningly that he doth it with our owne consent and we would be loth that he could be seene Therefore as an Epiphonema to this iust complaint of deceitfulnesse is added Who can know it It is easie to know that it is deceitfull and in what it deceiues though the deceits themselues cannot bee knowne till too late As wee may see the ship and the sea and the ship going on the sea yet the way of a ship in the sea as Salomon obserues wee know not God askes and God shall answer What hee askes by Ieremie he shall answer by S. Paul Who knowes the heart of man Euen the spirit of man that is in him 1 Cor. 2.11 If then the heart haue but eyes enow to see it selfe by the reflection of thoughts it is enough Ye shall easily see heare enough out of the analogie and resemblance of hearts to make you both astonished and ashamed The heart of man lies in a narrow roome yet all the world cannot fill it but that which may be said of the heart would more than fill a world Here is a double stile giuen it of deceitfulnesse of wickednesse either of which knowes no end whether of being or of discourse I spend my houre and might doe my life in treating of the first See then I beseech you the Impostor and the Imposture The Impostor himselfe The heart of man The Imposture Deceitfull aboue all things As deceitfull persons are wont euer to goe vnder many names and ambiguous and must be exprest with an alias so doth the heart of man Neither man himselfe nor any part of man hath so many names as the heart alone For euery facultie that it hath and euery action it doth it hath a seuerall name Neither is there more multiplicitie than doubt in this name Not so many termes are vsed to signifie the heart as the heart signifies many things When ye heare of the heart ye thinke straight of that fleshie part in the center of the body which liues first and dies last and whose beatings you finde to keepe time all the body ouer That is not it which is so cunning Alas that is a poore harmelesse peece meerely passiue and if it doe any thing as the subministration of Vitall spirits to the maintenance of the whole frame it is but good no it is the spirituall part that lurkes in this flesh which is guilty of such deceit We must learne of
the iourney and curse of the couetous prophet if God had not stayed him How oft are wicked men cursed by a diuine hand euen in those sins which their heart stands to It is no thank to lewd men that their wickednesse is not prosperous Whence is it that the world is not ouer-run with euill but from this that men cannot be so ill as they would The first entertainment of this message would make a stranger thinke Balaam wife and honest Hee will not giue a sudden answer but craues leasure to consult with God and promises to returne the answer he shall receiue Who would not say This man is free from rashnesse from partiality Dissimulation is crafty able to deceiue thousands The words are good when he comes to action the fraud bewaries it selfe For both he insinuates his own forwardnesse and casts the blame of the prohibition vpon God and which is worse deliuers but halfe his answer he sayes indeed God refuses to giue them leaue to goe He sayes not as it was He charges me not to curse them for they are blessed So did Balaam deny as one that wisht to be sent for againe Perhaps a peremptory refusall had hindered his further sollicitation Concealement of some truths is sometimes as faulty as a deniall True fidelity is not niggardly in her relations Where wickednesse meets with power it thinkes to command all the world and takes great scorne of any repulse So little is Balac discouraged with one refusall that he sends so much the stronger message Mo Princes and more honorable Oh that wee could be so importunate for our good as wicked men are for the compassing of their owne designes A deniall doth but whet the desires of vehement suitors Why are we faint in spirituall things when we are not denied but delayed Those which are themselues transported with vanity and ambition thinke that no heart hath power to resist these offers Balacs Princes thought they had strooke it dead when they had once mentioned promotion to great honour Selfe-loue makes them thinke they cannot be slaues whiles others may be free and that all the world would be glad to runne on madding after their bait Nature thinks it impossible to contemn honor and wealth and because too many soules are thus taken cannot beleeue that any would escape But let carnall hearts know there are those can spit the world in the face and say Thy gold and siluer perish with thee and that in comparison of a good conscience can tread vnder foot his best proffers like shadowes as they are and that can doe as Balaam said How neere truth and falshood can lodge together Here was piety in the lips and couetousnesse in the heart Who can any more regard good words that heares Balaam speake so like a Saint An housefull of gold siluer may not peruert his tongue his heart is won with lesse for if he had not already swallowed the reward and found it sweet why did he againe sollicit God in that which was peremptorily denyed him If his mind had not beene bribed already why did he stay the messenger why did he expect a change in God why was he willing to feed them with hope of successe which had fed him with hope of recompence One prohibition is enough for a good man Whiles the delay of God doth but hold vs in suspence importunity is holy and seasonable but when once he giues a resolute deniall it is prophane saucinesse to sollicit him When we aske what we are bidden our suites are not more vehement then welcome but when we begge prohibited fauours our presumption is troublesome and abhominable No good heart will endure to be twice forbidden Yet this opportunity had obtained a permission but a permission worse then a deniall I heard God say before Go not nor curse them Now he sayes Goe but curse not Anon he is angry that he did not goe Why did he permit that which he forbade if he be angry for doing that which he permitted Some things God permits with an indignation not for that he giues leaue to the act but that he giues a man ouer to his sinne in the act this sufferance implies not fauour but iudgement so did God bid Balaam to goe as Salomon bids the yong man follow the wayes of his owne heart It is one thing to like another thing to suffer Moses neuer approued those legall diuorces yet he tolerated them God neuer liked Balaams iourney yet he displeasedly giues way to it as if he said Well since thou art so hot set on this iourney be gone And thus Balaam tooke it else when God after professed his displeasure for the iourney it had beene a ready answer Thou commandedst me but herein his confession argues his guilt Balaams suite and Israels Quailes had both one fashion of grant in anger How much better is it to haue gracious denials then angry yeeldings A small perswasion hartens the willing It booted not to bid the couetous prophet hasten to his way Now he makes himselfe sure of successe His corrupt hart tels him that as God had relented in his licence to goe so he might perhaps in his licence to curse and he saw how this curse might blesse him with abundance of wealth hee rose vp earely therefore and saddled his Asse The night seemed long to his forwardnesse Couetous men need neither clocke nor bell to awaken them their desires make them restlesse O that we could with as much eagernesse seeke the true riches which onely can make vs happy We that see onely the out-side of Balaam may maruell why he that permitted him to goe afterward opposes his going but God that saw his heart perceiued what corrupt affections caried him hee saw that his couetous desires and wicked hopes grew the stronger the neerer he came to his end An Angell is therefore sent to with-hold the hasty Sorcerer Our inward disposition is the life of our actions according to that doth the God of spirits iudge vs whiles men censure according to our externall motions To goe at all when God had commanded to stay was presumptuous but to goe with desire to curse made the act doubly sinfull and fetcht an Angell to resist it It is one of the worthy imployments of good Angels to make secret opposition to euill designes Many a wicked act haue they hindered without the knowledge of the agent It is all one with the Almighty to worke by Spirits and men It is therefore our glory to be thus set on worke To stop the course of euill either by disswasion or violence is an Angelicall seruice In what danger are wicked men that haue Gods Angels their opposites The Deuill moued him to goe a good Angell resists him If an heauenly Spirit stand in the way of a Sorcerers sinne how much more ready are all those spirituall powers to stop the miscariages of Gods deare children How oft had we falne yet more if these Guardians had not
the field to bee anointed should now bee sent for out of the Countrey into the Court and now hee perceiued God was making way for the execution of that which he purposed hee attends the issue in silence neither shall his hand faile to giue furtherance to the proiect of God He therefore sends his sonne laden with a Present to Saul The same God which called Dauid to the Court welcomes him thither His comelinesse valour and skill haue soone wonne him fauour in the eyes of Saul The giuer of all graces hath so placed his fauours that the greatest enemies of goodnesse shall see somewhat in the holiest men which they shall affect and for which they shall honour the persons of them whose vertues they dislike as contrarily the saints on earth see somwhat to loue euen in the worst creatures No doubt Dauid sung to his harpe his harp was not more sweet then his song was holy Those Psalmes alone had beene more powerfull to chase the euill spirit then the Musicke was to calme passions both together gaue ease to Saul and God gaue this effect to both because he would haue Saul traine vp his Successor This sacred Musick did not more dispell Satan then wanton Musick inuites him and more cheers him then vs He phyes and danceth at a filthy Song he sings at an obscure dance Our sinne is his best pastime whereas Psalmes and Hymnes and spirituall Songs are torment vnto the Tempter and Musick to the Angels in Heauen whose trade is to sing Alleluiahs in the Chore of glory DAVID and GOLIAH AFter the newes of the Philistims Army I heare no more mention of Sauls frenzy Whether the noise of Warre diuerted those thoughtfull passions or whether God for his peoples sake tooke off that euill spirit lest Israel might miscary vnder a franticke Gouernor Now Dauid hath leisure to returne to Bethleem The glory of the Court cannot transport him to ambitious vanity He had rather be his Fathers Shepherd then Sauls Armour-bearer All the magnificence and state which hee saw could not put his mouth out of the taste of a retyred simplicity yea rather hee loues his hooke the better since he saw the Court and now his brethren serue Saul in his stead A good heart hath learnt to frame it selfe vnto all conditions and can change estates without change of disposition rising and falling according to occasion The worldly mind can rise easily but when it is once vp knowes not how to descend either with patience or safety Forty dayes together had the Philistims and Israelites faced each other they pitched on two hills one in the sight of other nothing but a Valley was betwixt them Both stand vpon defence and aduantage If they had not meant to fight they had neuer drawne so neere and if they had beene eager of fight a Valley could not haue parted them Actions of hazard require deliberation not fury but discretion must be the guide of Warre So had Ioshua destroyed the Giantly Anakims out of the Land of Israel that yet some were left in Azzah Gath and Ashdod both to shew Israel what Aduersaries their forefathers found in Canaan and whom they mastered as also that God might winne glory to himselfe by these subsequent executions Of that race was Goliah whose heart was as high as his head his strength was answerable to his stature his weapons answerable to his strength his pride exceeded all Because he saw his head higher his armes stronger his sword and speare bigger his shield heauier then any Israelite hee defies the whole host and walking betweene the two Armies braues all Israel with a challenge Why are ye come out to set your battaile in aray Am not I a Philistim and you seruants to Saul Choose you a man for you and let him come downe to me giue me a man that we may fight together Carnall hearts are caried away with presumption of their owne abilities and not finding marches to themselues in outward appearance insult ouer the impotencie of inferiors and as those that can see no inuisible opposition promise themselues certainty of successe Insolence and selfe-confidence argues the heart to be nothing but a lumpe of proud flesh The first challenge of Duell that euer we finde came out of the mouth of an vncircumcised Philistim yet was that in open warre and tended to the sauing of many liues by aduenturing one or two and whosoeuer imitateth nay surpasseth him in challenge to priuate Duell in the attempt partaketh of his vncircumcision though he should ouercome and of his manner of punishment if in such priuate combats he cast away his life For of all such desperate prodigals we may say that their heads are cut off by their owne sword if not by their owne hand Wee cannot challenge men and not challenge God who iustly challengeth to himselfe both to take vengeance and to giue successe The more Goliah challenges and is vnanswered the more is he puft vp in the pride of his owne power And is there none of all Israel that will answer this champion otherwise then with his heeles Where is the courage of him that was higher then all Israel from the shoulders vpward The time was when Nahash the Ammonite had made that tyrannous demand of the right eyes of the Gileadites that Saul could aske vnasked What aileth the people to weepe and could hew his oxen in peeces to raise the spirits of Israel and now he stands still and sees the host turne their backe and neuer so much as aske what aileth the people to flie The time was when Saul flew forty thousand Philistims in one day and perhaps Caliah was in that discomfiture and now one Philistim is suffered by him to braue aâ—â—â—â—el forty dayes whence is this difference The Spirit of God the spirit of fortitude was now departed from him Saul was not more aboue himselfe when God was with him then he is below others now that he is left of God Valour is not meerely of nature Nature is euer like it selfe by this rule he that is once valiant should neuer turne coward But now wee see the greatest spirits inconstant and those which haue giuen good proofes of magnanimitie at other times haue bewrayed white liuers vnto their owne reproch He that is the God of hosts giues and takes away mens hearts at his pleasure Neither is it otherwise in our spirituall combats sometimes the same soule dare challenge all the powers of darknesse which otherwhiles giues ground to a temptation We haue no strength but what is giuen vs and if the author of all good gifts remit his hand for our humiliation either wee fight not or are foyled Dauid hath now lien long enough close amongst his flocke in the fields of Bethleem God sees a time to send him to the pichtfield of Israel Good old Ishai that was doubtlesse ioyfull to thinke that he had afforded three sonnes to the warres of his King is no lesse carefull of their welfare and
time The outer Temple was the figure of the whole Church vpon earth like as the holy of holiest represented heauen Nothing can better resemble our faithfull prayers than sweet perfume These God lookes that wee should all his Church ouer send vp vnto him Morning and Euening The eleuations of our hearts should be perpetuall but if twise in the day we doe not present God with our solemne inuocations we make the Gospell lesse officious than the Law That the resemblance of prayers and incense might be apparent whiles the Priest sends vp his incense within the Temple the people must send vp their prayers without Their breath and that incense though remote in the first rising met ere they went vp to heauen The people might no more goe into the Holy place to offer vp the incense of prayers vnto God than Zacharie might goe into the Holy of holies Whiles the partition wall stood betwixt Iewes and Gentiles there were also partitions betwixt the Iewes and themselues Now euery man is a Priest vnto God Euery man since the veile was rent prayes within the Temple What are wâ— the bâ—â—ter for our greater freedome of accesse to God vnder the Gospell if wee doe not make vse of our priuiledge Whiles they were praying to God hee sees an Angell of God as Gedeâ—â—s Angell went vp in the smoke of the sacrifice so did Zacharies Angell as it were come downe in the fragrant smoke of his incense It was euer great newes to see an Angell of God but now more because God had long with-drawne from them all the meaneâ— of his supernaturall reuelations As this wicked people were strangers to their God in their conuersation so was God growne a stranger to them in his apparitions yet now that the season of the Gospell approached he visited them with his Angels before he visited them by his Sonne He sends his Angell to men in the forme of man before hee sends his Sonne to take humane forme The presence of Angels is no noueltie but their apparition they are alwayes with vs but rarely seene that wee may awfully respect their messages when they are seene In the meane time our faith may see them though our senses doe not their assumed shapes doe not make them more present but visible There is an order in that heauenly Hierarchie though wee know it not This Angell that appeared to Zacharie was not with him in the ordinarie course of his attendances but was purposely sent from God with this message Why was an Angell sent and why this Angell It had beene easie for him to haue raised vp the propheticall spirit of some Simeon to this prediction the same Holy Ghost which reuealed to that iust man that he should not see death ere hee had seene the Messias might haue as easily reuealed vnto him the birth of the fore-runner of Christ and by him to Zacharie But God would haue this voice which should goe before his Sonne come with a noyse Hee would haue it appeare to the world that the harbinger of the Messiah should bee conceiued by the maruellous power of that God whose comming hee proclaimed It was fit the first Herald of the Gospell begin in wonder The same Angell that came to the blessed Virgin with the newes of Christs conception came to Zacharie with the newes of Iohns for the honour of him that was the greatest of them which were borne of women and for his better resemblance to him which was the seede of the woman Both had the Gospell for their errand one as the messenger of it the other as the Author Both are foretold by the same mouth When could it bee more fit for the Angell to appeare vnto Zacharie than when prayers and incense were offered by him Where could hee more fitly appeare than in the Temple In what part of the Temple more fitly than at the Altar of Incense and where abouts rather than on the right side of the Altar Those glorious spirits as they are alwayes with vs so most in our deuotions and as in all places so most of all in Gods house They reioyce to be with vs whiles we are with God as contrarily they turne their faces from vs when we goe about our sinnes Hee that had wont to liue and serue in the presence of the master was now astonished at the presence of the seruant so much difference there is betwixt our faith and our senses that the apprehension of the presence of the God of spirits by faith goes downe sweetely with vs whereas the sensible apprehension of an Angell dismayes vs Holy Zacharie that had wont to liue by faith thought hee should die when his sense began to bee set on worke It was the weaknesse of him that serued at the Altar without horror to bee daunted with the face of his fellow seruant In vaine doe wee looke for such Ministers of God as are without infirmities when iust Zacharie was troubled in his deuotions with that wherewith hee should haue beene comforted It was partly the suddennesse and partly the glory of the apparition that affrighted him The good Angell was both apprehensiue and compassionate of Zacharies weaknesse and presently incourages him with a cheerefull excitation Feare not ZACHARIAS The blessed spirits though they doe not often vocally expresse it doe pittie our humane frailties and secretly suggest comfort vnto vs when we perceiue it not Good and euill Angels as they are contrarie in estate so also in disposition The good desire to take away feare the euill to bring it It is a fruit of that deadly enmitie which is betwixt Sathan and vs that hee would if hee might kill vs with terrour whereas the good spirits affecting our reliefe and happinesse take no pleasure in terrifying vs but labour altogether for our tranquilitie and cheerefulnesse There was not more feare in the face than comfort in the speech Thy prayer is heard No Angell could haue told him better newes Our desires are vttered in our prayers What can we wish but to haue what we would Many good suites had Zachary made and amongst the rest for a sonne Doubtlesse it was now some space of yeares since he made that request For he was now stricken in age and had ceased to hope yet had God laid it vp all the while and when hee thinkes not of it brings it forth to effect Thus doth the mercie of our God deale with his patient and faithfull suppliants In the â—â—â—uout of their exspectation he many times holds them off and when they leaâ—â— thinke of it and haue forgotten their owne suite hee graciously condescends Delay of effect may not discourage our faith It may bee God hath long granted ere wee shall know of his grant Many a father repents him of his fruitfulnesse and hath such sonnes as he wishes vnborne But to haue so gracious and happie a sonne as the Angell foretold could not bee lesse comfort than honour to the age of Zacharie The proofe of children makes
I see foure Temples in this one It is but one in matter as the God that dwels in it is but one three yet more in resemblance according to the diuision of them in whom it pleases God to inhabite For where euer God dwels there is his Temple Oh God thou vouchsafest to dwell in the beleeuing heart as we thy silly creatures haue our being in thee so thou the Creator of heauen earth hast thy dwelling in vs. The heauen of heauens is not able to containe thee and yet thou disdainest not to dwell in the strait lodgings of our renewed soule So then because Gods children are many and those many diuided in respect of themselues though vnited in their head therefore this Temple which is but one in collection as God is one is manifold in the distribution as the Saints are many each man bearing about him a little shrine of this infinite Maiestie And for that the most generall diuision of the Saints is in their place and estate some strugling and toyling in this earthly warfare others triumphing in heauenly glory therefore hath God two other more vniuersall Temples One the Church of his Saints on earth the other the highest heauen of his Saints glorified In all these O God thou dwellest for euer and this materiall house of thine is a cleare representation of these three spirituall Else what were a temple made with hands vnto the God of spirits And though one of these was a true type of all yet how are they all exceeded each by other This of stone though most rich and costly yet what is it to the liuing Temple of the holy Ghost which is our body What is the Temple of this body of ours to the Temple of Christs body which is his Church And what is the Temple of Gods Church on earth to that which triumpheth gloriously in heauen How easily doe wee see all these in this one visible Temple which as it had three distinctions of roomes the Porch the Holy-place the Holy of Holies so is each of them answered spiritually In the Porch wee finde the regenerate soule entring into the blessed society of the Church In the holy place the Communion of the true visible Church on earth selected from the world In the Holy of Holies whereinto the high Priest entred once a yeare the glorious heauen into which our true high-Priest Christ Iesus entred once for all to make an atonement betwixt God and man In all these what a meer correspondence there is both in proportion matter situation In proportion The same rule that skilfull caruers obserue in the cutting out of the perfect statue of a man that the height bee thrice the breadth and the breadth one third of the height was likewise onely obserued in the fabricke of the Temple whose length was double to the height and treble to the breadth as being sixty cubits long thirty high and twenty broad How exquisite a symmetry hast thou ordained O God betwixt the faithfull heart and thy Church on earth with that in heauen how accurate in each of these in all their powers and parts compared with other So hath God ordered the beleeuing soule that it hath neither too much shortnesse of grace nor too much height of conceit nor too much breadth of passion So hath he ordered his visible Church that there is a necessarie inequalitie without any disproportion an height of gouernment a length of extent a breadth of iurisdiction duely answerable to each other So hath he ordered his triumphant Church aboue that it hath a length of eternitie answered with an height of perfection and a breadth of incomprehensible glory In matter All was here of the best The wood was precious sweet lasting The stone beautifull costly insensible of age The gold pure and glittering So are the graces of Gods children excellent in their nature deare in their acceptation eternall in their vse So are the ordinances of God in his Church holy comfortable irrefragable So is the perfection of his glorified Saints incomparable vnconceiuable In situation the outer parts were here more common the inner more holy and peculiarly reserued I finde one Court of the Temple open to the vncleane to the vncircumcised Within that another open onely to the Israelites and of them to the cleane within that yet another proper onely to the Priests and Leuites where was the Brazen Altar for sacrifice and the Brazen sea for washings The eyes of the Laitie might follow their oblations in hither their feet might not Yet more in the couered roomes of the Temple there is whither the Priests onely may enter not the Leuites there is whither the high Priest onely may enter not his brethren It is thus in euery renewed man the indiuiduall temple of God the outward parts are allowed common to God and the world the inwardest and secretest which is the heart is reserued onely for the God that made it It is thus in the Church visible the false and foule-hearted hypocrite hath accesse to the holy ordinances of God and treads in his Courts onely the true Christian hath intire and priuate conuersation with the holy One of Israel He only is admitted into the Holy of Holies and enters within the glorious vaile of heauen If from the wals we looke vnto the furniture What is the Altar whereon our sacrifices of prayer and praises are offered to the Almightie but a contrite heart What the golden Candlestickes but the illumined vnderstanding wherein the light of the knowledge of God and his diuine will shineth for euer What the Tables of Shew-bread but the sanctified memory which keepeth the bread of life continually Yea if we shall presume so farre as to enter into the very closet of Gods Oracle Euen there O God doe wee finde our vnworthy hearts so honoured by thee that they are made thy very Arke wherein thy Royall law and the pot of thine heauenly Manna is kept for euer and from whose propitiatorie shaded with the wings of thy glorious Angels thou giuest thy gracious Testimonies of thy good spirit witnessing with ours that we are the children of thee the liuing God Behold if Salomon built a Temple vnto thee thou hast built a Temple vnto thy selfe in vs We are not onely through thy grace liuing stones in thy Temple but liuing Temples in thy Sion Oh doe thou euer dwell in this thine house and in this thy house let vs euer serue thee Wherefore else hast thou a Temple but for thy presence with vs and for our worshipping of thee The time was when as thy people so thy selfe didst lodge in flitting Tents euer shifting euer mouing thence thou thoughtest best to soiourne both in Shilo and the roofe of Obed-Edom After that thou condescendedst to settle thine abode with men and wouldest dwell in an house of thine owne at thy Ierusalem So didst thou in the beginning lodge with our first Parents in a Tent Soiourne with Israel vnder the law and now makest
greatnesse as this that it conceales men from themselues and when they will needs haue a sight of their owne actions it shewes them a false glasse to looke in Meannesse of stare that I can finde hath none so great inconuenience I am no whit sorrie that I am rather subiect to contempt than flattery 80 There is no earthly blessing so precious as health of body without which all other worldly good things are but troublesome Neither is there any thing more difficult than to haue a good soule in a strong and vigorous body for it is commonly seene that the worse part drawes away the better But to haue an healthfull and sound soule in a weake sickly body is no noueltie whiles the weaknesse of the body is an helpe to the foule playing the part of a perpetuall monitor to incite it to good and checke it for euill I will not be ouer-glad of health nor ouer-fearefull of sicknesse I will more feare the spirituall hurt that may follow vpon health than the bodily paine that accompanies sicknesse 81 There is nothing more troublesome to a good minde than to doe nothing For besides the furtherance of our estate the minde doth both delight and better it selfe with exercise There is but this difference then betwixt labour and idlenesse that labour is a profitable and pleasant trouble idlenesse a trouble both vnprofitable and comfortlesse I will be euer doing something that either God when he commeth or Satan when he tempteth may finde me busied And yet since as the old prouerbe is better it is to be idle than effect nothing I will not more hate doing nothing than doing something to no purpose I shall doe good but a while let me striue to doe it while I may 82 A faithfull man hath three eies The first of sense common to him with brute creatures the second of reason common to all men the third of faith proper to his profession whereof each looketh beyond other and none of them medleth with others obiects For neither doth the eye of sense reach to intelligible things and matters of discourse nor the eye of reason to those things which are supernaturall and spirituall neither doth faith looke downe to things that may be sensibly seene If thou discourse to a brute beast of the depths of Philosophy neuer so plainly he vnderstands not because they are beyond the view of his eye which is onely of sense If to a meere carnall man of diuine things he perceiueth not the things of God neither indeed can doe because they are spiritually discerned And therefore no wonder if those things seeme vnlikely incredible impossible to him which the faithfull man hauing a proportionable meanes of apprehension doth as plainly see as his eye doth any sensible thing Tell a plaine Country-man that the Sunne or some higher or lesser starre is much bigger than his Cart-wheele or at least so many scores bigger than the whole earth hee laughes thee to scorne as affecting admiration with a learned vntruth Yet the Scholler by the eye of reason doth as plainly see and acknowledge this truth as that his hand is bigger than his pen. What a thicke mist yea what a palpable and more than Egyptian darknesse doth the naturall man liue in what a world is there that he doth not see at all and how little doth he see in this which is his proper element There is no bodily thing but the brute creatures see as well as he and some of them better As for his eye of reason how dim is it in those things which are best fitted to it what one thing is there in nature which he doth perfectly know what herbe or flowre or worme that he treads on is there whose true essence he knoweth No not so much as what is in his owne bosome what it is where it is or whence it is that giues Being to himselfe But for those things which concerne the best world he doth not so much as confusedly see them neither knoweth whether they be Hee sees no whit into the great and awfull Maiestie of God He discernes him not in all his creatures filling the world with his infinite and glorious presence Hee sees not his wise prouidence ouer-ruling all things disposing all casuall euents ordring all sinfull actions of men to his owne glory He comprehends nothing of the beautie maiesty power and mercy of the Sauiour of the world sitting in his humanity at his Fathers right hand He sees not the vnspeakable happinesse of the glorified soules of the Saints He sees not the whole heauenly Common-wealth of Angels ascending and descending to the behoofe of Gods children waiting vpon him at all times inuisibly not excluded with closenesse of prisons nor desolatenesse of wildernesses and the multitude of euill spirits passing and standing by him to tempt him vnto euill but like vnto the foolish bird when he hath hid his head that he sees no body he thinkes himselfe altogether vnseene and then counts himselfe solitary when his eye can meet with no companion It was not without cause that we call a meere foole a naturall For how-euer worldlings haue still thought Christians Gods fooles we know them the fooles of the world The deepest Philosopher that euer was sauing the reuerence of the Schooles is but an ignorant sot to the simplest Christian For the weakest Christian may by plaine information see somwhat into the greatest mysteries of Nature because he hath the eie of Reason common with the best but the best Philosopher by all the demonstration in the world can conceiue nothing of the mysteries of godlines because he vtterly wants the eie of faith Though my insight into matters of the world be so shallow that my simplicity moueth pitie or maketh sport vnto others it shall be my contentment and happines that I see further into better matters That which I see not is worthlesse and deserueth little better than contempt that which I see is vnspeakable inestimable for comfort for glory 83 It is not possible for an inferiour to liue at peace vnlesse he haue learned to be contemned For the pride of his superiors and the malice of his equals and inferiors shall offer him continuall ineuitable occasions of vnquietnes As contentation is the mother of inward peace with our selues so is humility the mother of peace with others For if thou be vile in thine owne eies first it shall the lesse trouble thee to be accounted vile of others So that a man of an high heart in a low place cannot want discontentment whereas a man of lowly stomack can swallow and digest contempt without any distemper For wherein can he be the worse for being contemned who out of his own knowledge of his deserts did most of all contemne himselfe I should be very improuident if in this calling I did not looke for daily contempt wherein we are made a spectacle to the World to Angels and Men. When it comes I will either embrace it or
Angels stand in his presence it could not bee but Gods fauour would bee sweeter his chastisements more easie his benefits more effectuall I am not my owne while God is not mine and while he is mine since I doe possesse him I will enioy him 46 Nature is of her owne inclination froward importunately longing after that which is denied her and scornfull of what she may haue If it were appointed that we should liue alwaies vpon earth how extremely would we exclaime of wearinesse and wish rather that we were not Now it is appointed wee shall liue here but a while and then giue roome to our successors each one affects a kinde of eternitie vpon earth I will labour to tame this peeuish and sullen humour of nature and will like that best that must be 47 All true earthly pleasure forsooke man when he forsooke his Creator what honest and holy delight he tooke before in the dutifull seruices of the obsequious creatures in the contemplation of that admirable varietie and strangenesse of their properties in seeing their sweet accordance with each other and all with himselfe Now most of our pleasure is to set one creature together by the eares with another sporting our selues onely with that deformitie which was bred through our owne fault yea there haue beene that haue delighted to see one man spill anothers bloud vpon the sand and haue shouted for ioy at the sight of that slaughter which hath fallen out vpon no other quarrell but the pleasure of the beholders I doubt not but as wee solace our selues in the discord of the inferiour creatures so the euill spirits sport themselues in our dissentions There are better qualities of the creature which we passe ouer without pleasure In recreations I will chuse those which are of best example and best vse seeking those by which I may not onely be the merrier but the better 48 There is no want for which a man may not finde a remedie in himselfe Doe I want riches He that desires but little cannot want much Doe I want friends If I loue God enough and my selfe but enough it matters not Doe I want health If I want it but a little and recouer I shall esteeme it the more because I wanted If I be long sicke and vnrecouerably I shall be the fitter and willinger to die and my paine is so much lesse sharpe by how much more it lingreth Doe I want maintenance A little and course will content nature Let my minde be no more ambitious than my backe and belly I can hardly complaine of too little Doe I want sleepe I am going whither there is no vse of sleepe where all rest and sleepe not Doe I want children Many that haue them wish they wanted It is better to be childlesse than crossed with their miscariage Doe I want learning He hath none that saith he hath enough The next way to get more is to finde thou wantest There is remedy for all wants in our selues sauing onely for want of grace and that a man cannot so much as see and complaine that he wants but from aboue 49 Euery vertuous action like the Sunne eclipsed hath a double shadow according to the diuers aspects of the beholders one of glory the other of enuy Glory followes vpon good deserts Enuy vpon glory He that is enuied may thinke himselfe well for he that enuies him thinkes him more than well I know no vice in another whereof a man may make so good and comfortable vse to himselfe There would be no shadow if there were no light 50 In medling with the faults of friends I haue obserued many wrongfull courses what for feare or selfe-loue or indiscretion Some I haue seene like vnmercifull and couetous Chirurgians keepe the wound raw which they might haue seasonably remedied for their owne gaine Others that haue laid healing plaisters to skin it aloft when there hath beene more need of Corrosiues to eat out the dead flesh within Others that haue galled and drawne when there hath beene nothing but solid flesh that hath wanted onely filling vp Others that haue healed the sore but left an vnsightly scarre of discredit behinde them He that would doe good this way must haue Fidelitie Courage Discretion Patience Fidelitie not to beare with Courage to reproue them Discretion to reproue them well Patience to abide the leisure of amendment making much of good beginnings and putting vp many repulses bearing with many weaknesses still hoping still solliciting as knowing that those who haue beene long vsed to fetters cannot but halt a while when they are taken off 51 God hath made all the World and yet what a little part of it is his Diuide the World into foure parts but one and the least containeth all that is worthy the name of Christendome the rest ouer-whelmed with Turcisme and Paganisme and of this least part the greater halfe yet holding aright concerning God and their Sauiour in some common principles ouerthrow the truth in their conclusions and so leaue the lesser part of the least part for God Yet lower of those that hold aright concerning Christ how few are there that doe otherwise than fashionably professe him And of those that do seriously professe him how few are there that in their liues deny him not liuing vnworthy of so glorious a calling Wherein I doe not pittie God who will haue glory euen of those that are not his I pitie miserable men that doe reiect their Creator and Redeemer and themselues in him And I enuy Satan that he ruleth so large Since God hath so few I will be more thankfull that he hath vouchsafed me one of his and be the more zealous of glorifying him because we haue but a few fellowes 52 As those that haue tasted of some delicate dish finde other plaine dishes but vnpleasant so it fareth with those which haue once tasted of heauenly things they cannot but contemne the best worldly pleasures As therefore some dainty guest knowing there is so pleasant fare to come I will reserue my appetite for it and not suffer my selfe cloied with the course diet of the world 53 I finde many places where God hath vsed the hand of good Angels for the punishment of the wicked but neuer could yet finde one wherein he emploied an euill Angell in any direct good to his children Indirect I finde many if not all through the power of him that brings light out of darknesse and turnes their euill to our good In this choice God would and must be imitated From an euill spirit I dare not receiue ought if neuer so good I will receiue as little as I may from a wicked man If he were as perfectly euill as the other I durst receiue nothing I had rather hunger than wilfully dip my hand in a wicked mans dish 54 Wee are ready to condemne others for that which is as eminently faulty in our selues If one blinde man rush vpon another in the way either complaines of others
oppression comes home and seeing his bagges safe applauds himselfe against all censurers The Glutton when he loseth friends or good name yet ioyeth in his well furnisht table and the laughter of his Wine more pleasing himselfe in one dish than he can bee grieued with all the worlds mis-carriage The needy Scholler whose wealth lies all in his braine cheeres himselfe against iniquitie of times with the conceit of his knowledge These starting holes the minde cannot want when it is hard driuen Now when as like to some chased Sisera it shrowds it selfe vnder the harbour of these Iaels although they giue it house-roome and milke for a time yet at last either they entertaine it with a naile in the Temples or being guiltie to their owne impotency send it out of themselues for safetie and peace For if the Crosse light in that which it made his refuge as if the couetous man be crossed in his riches what earthly thing can stay him from a desperate phrensie Or if the Crosse fall in a degree aboue the height of his stay as if the rich man be sicke or dying wherein all wealth is either contemned or remembred with anguish how doe all his comforts like vermine from an house on fire runne away from him and leaue him ouer to his ruine whiles the Soule that hath placed his refuge aboue is sure that the ground of his comfort cannot be matched with an earthly sorrow cannot be made variable by the change of any euent but is infinitely aboue all casualties and without all vncertainties What state is there wherein this heauenly stay shall not affoord mee not onely Peace but Ioy Am I in prison or in the hell of prisons in some darke low and desolate dungeon Pompon Alger Fox Martyr Lo there Algerius that sweet Martyr findes more light than aboue and pitties the darknesse of our libertie We haue but a Sunne to enlighten our world which euery cloud dimmeth and hideth from our eies but the Father of lights in respect of whom all the bright starres of heauen are but as the snuffe of a dimme candle shines into his pit and the presence of his glorious Angels make that an heauen to him which the world purposed as an hell of discomfort What walls can keepe out that infinite Spirit that fills all things What darknesse can be where the God of this Sunne dwelleth What sorrow where he comforteth Am I wandring in banishment Can I goe whither God is not what Sea can diuide betwixt him and mee then would I feare exile if I could bee driuen away as well from God as my countrie Now he is as much in all earths His title is alike to all places and mine in him His sunne shines to me his sea or earth beares me vp his presence cheereth mee whither-soeuer I goe He cannot be said to flit that neuer changeth his Host He alone is a thousand companions he alone is a world of friends That man neuer knew what it was to be familiar with God that complaines of the want of home of friends of companions while God is with him Am I contemned of the world It is enough for me that I am honoured of God of both I cannot The world would loue me more if I were lesse friends with God It cannot hate mee so much as God hates it What care I to be hated of them whom God hateth He is vnworthy of Gods fauour that cannot thinke it happinesse enough without the worlds How easie is it for such a man whiles the world disgraces him at once to scorne and pittie it that it cannot thinke nothing more contemptible than it selfe I am impouerished with losses That was neuer throughly good that may be lost My riches will not leese mee yea tho I forgoe all to my skin yet haue I not lost any part of my wealth For if hee bee rich that hath something how rich is he that hath the Maker and owner of all things I am weake and diseased in body He cannot miscarry that hath his Maker for his Physician Yet my soule the better part is sound for that cannot bee weake whose strength God is How many are sicke in that and complaine not I can be content to be let bloud in the arme or foot for the curing of the head or heart The health of the principall part is more ioy to me than it is trouble to bee distempered in the inferiour Let me know that God fauours me then I haue libertie in prison home in banishment honour in contempt in losses wealth health in infirmitie life in death and in all these happinesse And surely if our perfect fruition of God bee our complete heauen it must needs be that our inchoate conuersing with him is our heauen imperfectly and the entrance into the other which me thinkes differs from this not in the kinde of it but in the degree For the continuation of which happy societie sith strangenesse loseth acquaintance and breedeth neglect on our part must bee a daily renuing of heauenly familiaritie by seeking him vp euen with the contempt of all inferiour distraction by talking with him in our secret inuocations by hearing his conference with vs and by mutuall entertainment of each other in the sweet discourses of our daily meditations He is a sullen and vnsociable friend that wants words God shall take no pleasure in vs if wee be silent The heart that is full of loue cannot but haue a busie tongue All our talke with God is either Suites or Thankes In them the Christian heart powres out it selfe to his Maker and would not change this priuilege for a world All his annoyances all his wants all his dislikes are powred into the bosome of his inuisible friend who likes vs still so much more as we aske more as we complaine more Oh the easie and happy recourse that the poore soule hath to the high throne of Heauen we stay not for the holding out of a golden scepter to wame our admission before which our presence should be presumption and death No houre is vnseasonable no person too base no words too homely no fact too hard no importunitie too great We speake familiarly we are heard answered comforted Another while God interchangeably speaks vnto vs by the secret voice of his spirit or by the audible sound of his word we heare adore answer him by both which the minde so communicates it selfe to God and hath God so plentifully communicated vnto it that hereby it growes to such an habit of heauenlinesse as that now it wants nothing but dissolution of full glory SECT XXIII The subordinate rules of Tranquillitie 1. For actions OVt of this maine ground once setled in the heart like as so many riuers from one common sea flow those subordinate resolutions which we require as necessary to our peace whether in respect of our actions or our estate For our actions there must be a secret vow passed in the soule both of constant refraining
with thee 9. Thy cheekes are comely with rowes of stones and thy necke with chaines Those parts of thee which both are the seats of beautie and most conspicuous to the eye are gloriously adorned with the graces of my sanctification which are for their worth as so many precious borders of the goodliest stones or chaines of pearle 10. We will make thee borders of gold with studs of siluer And though thou be already thus set forth yet I and my Father haue purposed a further ornament vnto thee in the more plentifull effusion of our Spirit vpon thee which shall bee to thy former deckings in stead of pure gold curiously wrought with specks of siluer The Church 11. While the King was at his repast my spikenard gaue the smell thereof BEhold O ye daughters euen now whiles my Lord and King seemes farre distant from mee and sits in the Throne of heauen amongst the companies of Angels who attend around vpon him yet now doe I finde him present with mee in spirit euen now the sweet influence of his graces like to some precious ointment spreads it selfe ouer my soule and returnes a pleasant sauour into his owne nosthrils 12. My welbeloued is as a bundle of myrrh vnto me lying betweene my brests And though I be thus delightfull to my Sauiour yet nothing so much as hee is vnto mee for loe as some fragrant pomander of myrrh laid betweene the brests sends vp a most comfortable sent so his loue laid close vnto my heart doth still giue mee continuall and vnspeakable refreshings 13. My welbeloued is as a cluster of Cypers vnto me among the vines of Engeddy Or if any thing can be of more excellent vertue such smell as the clusters of Cypers berries within the fruitfulst pleasantst and richest vineyards and gardens of Iudaea yeeld vnto the passengers such and more delectable doe I finde the sauour of his grace to mee CHRIST 14. My Loue behold thou art faire thine eies are like the Doues NEither doest thou on my part lose any of thy loue O my deare Church for behold in mine eies thus clothed as thou art with my righteousnesse oh how faire and glorious thou art how aboue all comparison glorious and faire Thine eies which are thy seers Prophets Apostles Ministers and those inward eies whereby thou seest him that is inuisible are full of grace chastitie simplicitie The Church 15. My welbeloued behold thou art faire and pleasant also our bed is greene NAy then O my sweet Sauiour and Spouse thou alone art that faire pleasant one indeed from whose fulnesse I confesse to haue receiued all this little measure of my spirituall beautie and behold from this our mutuall delight and heauenly coniunction there ariseth a plentifull and flourishing increase of thy faithfull ones in all places and through all times 16. The beames of our house are Cedars our galleries are of Firre And behold the congregations of Saints the places where we doe sweetly conuerse and walke together are both firme and during like Cedars amongst the trees not subiect through thy protecting grace to vtter corruption and through thy fauourable acceptation and word like to galleries of sweet wood full of pleasure and contentment CHAP. II. CHRIST 1. I am the Rose of the field and the Lillie of the valleyes THou hast not without iust cause magnified me O my Church for as the fairest and sweetest of all flowers which the earth yeeldeth the Rose and Lillie of the valleyes excell for beautie for pleasure for vse the most base and odious weeds that grow so doth my grace to all them that haue felt the sweetnesse thereof surpasse all worldly contentments 2. Like a Lillie among the thornes so is my loue among the daughters Neither is this my dignitie alone but thou O my Spouse that thou maiest bee a fit match for me art thus excellent aboue the world that no Lillie can be more in goodly shew beyond the naked thorne than thou in thy glorie thou receiuest from mee ouerlookest all the assemblies of aliens and vnregenerates The Church 3. Like the Apple-tree among the trees of the forest so is my welbeloued among the sonnes of men vnder his shadow had I delight and sate downe and his fruit was sweet vnto my mouth ANd to returne thine owne praises as some fruitfull and well-growne Apple-tree in comparison of all the barren trees of the wilde forest so art thou O my beloued Sauiour to me in comparison of all men and Angels vnder thy comfortable shadow alone haue I euer wont to finde safe shelter against all mine afflictions all my tentations and infirmities against all the curses of the Law and dangers of iudgement and to coole my selfe after all the scorching beames of thy Fathers displeasure and besides to feed and satisfie my soule with the soueraigne fruit of thy holy Word vnto eternall life 4. He brought me into the wine-cellar and loue was his banner ouer me He hath graciously led me by his Spirit into the midst of the mysteries of godlinesse and hath plentifully broached vnto mee the sweet wines of his Scriptures and Sacraments And looke how souldiers are drawne by their colours from place to place and cleaue fast to their ensigne so his loue which he spred forth in my heart was my onely banner whereby I was both drawne to him directed by him and fastned vpon him 5. Stay me with flagons and comfort me with apples for I am sicke of loue And now O yee faithfull Euangelists Apostles Teachers apply vnto mee with all care and diligence all the cordiall promises of the Gospell these are the full Flagons of that spirituall wine which onely can cheere vp my soule these are the Apples of that tree of life in the middest of the Garden which can feed me to immortalitie Oh come and apply these vnto my heart for I am euen ouercome with a longing expectation and desire of my delayed glory 6. His left hand be vnder my head and let his right hand embrace me And whiles I am thus spiritually languishing in this agonie of desire let my Sauiour imploy both his hands to releeue mine infirmitie let him comfort my head and my heart my iudgement and affections which both complaine of weaknesse with the liuely heat of his gracious embracements and so let vs sweetly rest together 7. I charge you O daughters of Ierusalem by the Roes and by the Hindes of the field that yee stirre not vp nor waken my Loue vntill he please In the meane time I charge you O all yee that professe any friendship or affinitie with mee I charge you by whatsoeuer is comely deare and pleasant vnto you as you will auoid my vttermost censures take heed how you vex and disquiet my mercifull Sauiour and grieue his Spirit and wrong his name with your vaine and lewd conuersation and doe not dare by the least prouocation of your sinne to interrupt his peace 8. It is the voice of my welbeloued
God begin with those which he meant not to continue but to shew vs we may not alwayes look for one face of things The nurse feeds and tends her child at first afterward hee is vndertaken by the discipline of a Tutor must he be alwayes vnder the spoone and ferule because he began so If he haue good breeding it matters not by whose hands Who can denie that we haue the substance of all those royall lawes which Christ and his Apostles left to his Church What doe we now thus importunately catching at shadowes If there had been a necessitie of hauing what we want or vvanting what we haue let vs not so farre vvrong the wisdom and perfection of the Law-giuer as to thinke he would not haue inioyned that and forbidden this His silence in both argues his indifferencie and calls for ours which vvhile it is not peaceably entertained there is clamour without profit malice without cause and strife without end To my Lady MARY DENNY EP. III. Containing the description of a Christian and his differences from the worldling MADAM IT is true that worldly eyes can see no difference betwixt a Christian another man the out-side of both is made of one clay and cast in one mould both are inspired with one common breath Outward euents distinguish them not those God neuer made for euidences of loue or hatred So the senses can perceiue no difference betwixt the reasonable soule and that which informes the beast yet the soule knowes there is much more then betwixt their bodies The fame holds in this Faith sees more inward difference then the eye sees outward resemblance This point is not more high then materiall which that it may appeare let me shew what it is to be a Christian You that haue felt it can second mee with your experience and supply the defects of my discourse He is the liuing temple of the liuing God where the Deity is both resident and worshipped The highest thing in a man is his own spirit but in a Christian the spirit of God which is the God of spirits No grace is wanting in him and those which there are want not stirring vp Both his heart and his hands are cleane All his outward purity flowes from within neither doth he frame his soule to counterfet good actions but out of his holy disposition commands and produces them in the light of God Let vs begin with his beginning and fetch the Christian out of his nature as another Abraham from his Chaldea whiles the worldling liues and dies in nature out of God The true conuert therefore after his wylde and â—ecure courses puts himselfe through the motions of Gods Spirit to schoole vnto the Law there hee learnes what he should haue done what he could not do what he hath done what he hath deserued These lessons cost him many a stripe many a teare and not more griefe then terror for this sharpe master makes him feele what sinne is and what hell is and in regard of both what himselfe is When he hath vvell smarted vnder the whip of this seuere vsher and is made vile enough in himself then is he led vp into the higher schoole of Christ and there taught the comfortable lessons of grace there hee learnes vvhat belongs to a Sauiour what one he is what he hath done and for whom how he became ours vve his and now finding himselfe in a true state of danger of humilitie of need of desire of fitnesse for Christ he brings home to himselfe all that he learnes and what he knowes he applyes His former Tutor he feared this he loueth that shewed him his wounds yea made them this binds and heales them that killed him this shewes him life and leades him to it Now at once he hates himselfe defies Satan trusts to Christ makes account both of pardon glory This is his most precious Faith whereby he appropriates yea ingrosses Christ Iesus to himselfe whence he is iustified from his sinnes purified from his corruptions established in his resolutions comforted in his doubts defended against temptations ouercomes all his enemies Which vertue as it is most imployed and most opposed so caries the most care from the Christian heart that it be sound liuely growing sound not rotten not hollow not presumptuous sound in the act not a superficiall conceit but a true deepe and sensible apprehension an apprehension not of the braine but of the heart and of the heart not approuing or assenting but trusting and reposing Sound in the obiect none but Christ he knowes that no friendship in heauen can doe him good without this The Angels cannot God will not Ye beleeue in the Father beleeue also in me Liuely for it cannot giue life vnlesse it haue life the faith that is not fruitfull is dead the fruits of faith are good workes whether inward within the roofe of the heart as loue awe sorrow pietie zeale ioy and the rest or outward towards God or our brethren obedience and seruice to the one to the other reliefe and beneficence These he beares in his time sometimes all but alwayes some Growing true faith cannot stand still but as it is fruitfull in workes so it increaseth in degrees from a little seed it proues a large plant reaching from earth to heauen and from one heauen to another euery shower and euery Sun addes something to it Neither is this grace euer solitarie but alwayes attended royally for that he beleeues what a Sauiour he hath cannot but loue him and he that loues him cannot but hate whatsoeuer may displease him cannot but reioyce in him and hope to enioy him and desire to enioy his hope and contemne all those vanities which he once desired and enioyed His minde now scorneth to grouell vpon earth but soareth vp to the things aboue where Christ sits at the right hand of God and after it hath seene what is done in heauen lookes strangely vpon all worldly things He dare trust his faith aboue his reason and sense and hath learned to weane his appetite from crauing much Hee stands in awe of his own conscience and dare no more offend it then not displease himselfe He feares not his enemies yet neglects them not equally auoiding security and timorousnesse He sees him that is inuisible and walks with him awfully familiarly He knowes what he is borne to and therefore digests the miseries of his wardship with patience he findes more comfort in his afflictions then any worldling in pleasures And as hee hath these graces to comfort him within so hath hee the Angels to attend him without spirits better then his owne more powerfull more glorious These beare him in their armes wake by his bed keepe his soule while he hath it and receiue it when it leaues him These are some present differences the greatest are future which could not be so great if themselues were not witnesses no lesse then betwixt heauen and hell torment and glory an incorruptible crowne and
censure of that resolute Hierome Ego è contrario loquar c. I say saith he and in spight of all the world dare maintaine that now the Iewish ceremonies are pernitious and deadly and whosoeuer shall obserue them whether hee be Iew or Gentile in barathrum Diaboli deuolutum Shall frie in Hell for it Still Altars still Priest sacrifices still still washings still vnctions sprinkling shauing purifying still all and more than all Let them heare but Augustines censure Quisquis nunc c. Whosoeuer shall now vse them as it were raking them vp out of their dust hee shall not bee Pius deductor corporis sed impius sepulturae violator an impious and sacrilegious wretch that ransacks the quiet tombes of the dead I say not that all Ceremonies are dead but the Law of Ceremonies and of Iewish It is a sound distinction of them that profound Peter Martyr hath in his Epistle to that worthy Martyr Father Bishop Hooper Some are typicall fore-signifying Christ to come some of order and decencie those are abrogated not these the Iewes had a fashion of prophesying in the Churches so the Christians from them as Ambrose the Iewes had an eminent pulpit of wood so wee they gaue names at their Circumcision so wee at Baptisme they sung Psalmes melodiously in Churches so doe we they paid and receiued tithes so doe wee they wrapt their dead in linnen with odors so wee the Iewes had sureties at their admission into the Church so wee these instances might be infinite the Spouse of Christ cannot bee without her laces and chaines and borders Christ came not to dissolue order But thou O Lord how long how long shall thy poore Church finde her ornaments her sorrowes and see the deare sonnes of her wombe bleeding about these apples of strife let mee so name them not for their value euen small things when they are commanded looke for no small respect but for their euent the enemie is at the gates of our Syracuse how long will wee suffer our selues taken vp with angles and circles in the dust yee Men Brethren and Fathers helpe for Gods sake put to your hands to the quenching of this common flame the one side by humilitie and obedience the other by compassion both by prayers and teares who am I that I should reuiue to you the sweet spirit of that diuine Augustine who when hee heard and saw the bitter contentions betwixt two graue and famous Diuines Ierome and Ruffine Heu mihi saith he qui vos alicubi fiâ—al inuenire non possum Alas that I should neuer finde you two together how I would fall at your feet how I would embrace them and weepe vpon them and beseech you either of you for other and each for himselfe both of you for the Church of God but especially for the weake for whom Christ died who not without their owne great danger see you two fighting in this Theatre of the world Yet let me doe what he said he would doe begge for peace as for life by your filiall pietie to the Church of God whose ruines follow vpon our diuisions by your loue of Gods truth by the graces of that one blessed Spirit whereby we are all informed and quickned by the precious bloud of that Sonne of God which this day and this houre was shed for our redemption bee inclined to peace and loue and though our braines be different yet let our hearts be one It was as I heard the dying speech of our late reuerend worthy and gratious Diocesan Modo me moriente viuat ac floreat Ecclesia Oh yet if when I am dead the Church may liue and flourish What a spirit was here what a speech how worthy neuer to die how worthy of a soule so neere to his heauen how worthy of so happy a succession Yee whom God hath made inheritors of this blessed care who doe no lesse long for the prosperitie of Sion liue you to effect what hee did but liue to wish all peace with our selues and warre with none but Rome and Hell And if there bee any wayward Separatist whose soule professeth to hate peace I feare to tell him Pauls message yet I must Si tu pacem sugis ego te ab Ecclesia fugere mando Would to God those were cut off that trouble you How cut off As good Theodosius said to Demophilus a contentious Prelate Si tu pacem fugis c. If thou flie peace I will make thee flie the Church Alas they doe flie it that which should be therir punishment they make their contentment how are they worthy of pittie As Optatus of his Donatists they are Brethren might be companions and will not Oh wilfull men whither doe they runne from one Christ to another Is Christ diuided we haue him thankes be to our good God and we heare him daily and whither shall we goe from thee thou hast the words of eternall life Thus the Ceremonies are finished now heare the end of his sufferings with like patience and deuotion his death is here included it was so neere that he spake of it as done and when it was done all was done How easie is it to lose our selues in this discourse how hard not to be ouerwhelmed with matter of wonder and to finde either beginning or end his sufferings found an end our thoughts cannot Lo with this word he is happily waded out of those deeps of sorrowes whereof our conceits can finde no bottome yet let vs with Peter gird our coat and cast our selues a little into this sea All his life was but a perpetuall Passion In that he became man he suffered more than wee can doe either while we are men or when we cease to be men he humbled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yea he emptied himselfe We when we cease to be here are cloathed vpon 2 Cor. 5. Wee both winne by our being and gaine by our losse he lost by taking our more or lesse to himselfe that is manhood For though euer as God I and my Father are one yet as man My Father is greater than I. That man should be turned into a beast into a worme into dust into nothing is not so great a disparagement as that God should become man and yet it is not finished it is but begun But what man If as the absolute Monarch of the world hee had commanded the vassalage of all Emperors and Princes and had trod on nothing but Crownes and Scepters and the necks of Kings and bidden all the Potentates of the earth to attend his traine this had carried some port with it sutable to the heroicall Maiestie of Gods Sonne No such matter here is neither Forme nor Beautie vnlesse perhaps 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the forme of a seruant you haue made me to serue with your sinnes Behold hee is a man to God a seruant to man and be it spoken with holy reuerence a drudge to his seruants Hee is despised and reiected of men yea as
himselfe of himselfe a worme and no man the shame of men and contempt of the people Who is the King of glory Psal 24.10 the Lord of Hoasts he is the King of glory Set these two together the King of glory the shame of men the more honour the more abasement Looke backe to his Cradle there you finde him rejected of the Bethlemites borne and laid alas how homely how vnworthily sought for by Herod exiled to Aegypt obscurely brought vp in the Cottage of a poore Foster-Father transported and tempted by Sathan derided of his kindred blasphemously traduced by the Iewes pinched with hunger restlesse harbourlesse sorrowfull persecuted by the Elders and Pharises sold by his owne seruant apprehended arraigned scourged condemned and yet it is not finished Let vs with that Disciple follow him a farre off and passing ouer all his contemptuous vsage in the way see him brought to his Crosse Still the further we looke the more wonder euery thing adds to this ignominie of suffering and triumph of ouer-comming Where was it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act 26.27 not in a corner as Paul saith to Festus but in Ierusalem the eye the heart of the world Obscuritie abateth shame publique notice heightens it Before all Israel and before this Sunne saith God to Dauid when he would thorowly shame him In Ierusalem which he had honoured with his presence taught with his preachings astonisht with his miracles bewayled with his teares O Ierusalem Ierusalem how oft would I and thou wouldest not O yet if in this thy day Crueltie and vnkindnesse after good desert afflict so much more as our merit hath beene greater Whereabouts without the gates in Caluarie among the stinking bones of execrable Malefactors Before the glory of the place bred shame now the vilenesse of it When but in the Passeouer a time of greatest frequence and concourse of all Iewes and Proselytes An holy time when they should receiue the figure they reiect the substance when they should kill and eat the Sacramentall Lambe in faith in thankfulnesse they kill the Lambe of God our true Passeouer in crueltie and contempt With whom The qualitie of our companie either increases or lessens shame In the midst of theeues saith one as the Prince of theeues In â—â—edio latronuÌ„ tanquam latronuÌ„ immanissimus Luthâ—r there was no guile in his mouth much lesse in his hands yet behold he that thought it no robberie to be equall with God is made equall to robbers and murderers yea superiour in euill What suffered he As all lifes are not alike pleasant so all deaths are not equally fearefull There is not more difference betwixt some life and death than betwixt one death and another See the Apostles gradation He was made obedient to the death euen the death of the Crosse The Crosse a lingring tormenting ignominious death The Iewes had foure kindes of death for malefactors the towell the sword fire stones each of these aboue other in extremitie Strangling with the towell they accounted easiest the sword worse than the towell the fire worse than the sword stoning worse than the fire but this Romane death was worst of all Cursed is euery one that hangeth on a Tree Yet as Ierome well hee is not therefore accursed because he hangeth but therefore he hangeth because he is accursed He was made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Curse for vs. The curse was more than the shame yet the shame is vnspeakable and yet not more than the paine Yet all that die the same death are not equally miserable the very theeues fared better in their death than hee I heare of no irrision no inscription no taunts no insultation on them they had nothing but paine to encounter he paine and scorne An ingenuous and noble Nature can worse brooke this than the other any thing rather than disdainfulnesse and derision especially from a base enemie I remember that learned Father begins Israels affliction with Ismaels persecuting laughter The Iewes the Souldiers yea the very Theeues flouted him and triumpht ouer his misery his bloud cannot satisfie them without his reproach Which of his senses now was not a window to let-in sorrow his eyes saw the teares of his Mother and friends the vnthankfull demeanure of Mankinde the cruell despight of his enemies his eares heard the reuilings and blasphemies of the multitude and whether the place were noysome to his sent his touch felt the nayles his taste the gall Looke vp O all yee beholders looke vpon this pretious bodie and see what part yee can finde free That head which is adored and trembled at by the Angelicall spirits is all raked and harrowed with thornes Caput Angelicis spiritibus tremebundum spinis corenatur c. that face of whom it is said Thou art fairer than the children of men is all besmeared with the filthy spettle of the Iewes and furrowed with his teares those eyes clearer than the Sunne are darkned with the shadow of death those eares that heare the heauenly consorts of Angels now are filled with the cursed speakings and scoffs of wretched men those lips that spake as neuer man spake that command the spirits both of light and darknesse are scornfully wet with vinegar and gall those feet that trample on all the powers of hell his enemies are made his footstoole are now nayled to the footstoole of the Crosse those hands that freely sway the scepter of the heauens now carry the reede of reproach and are nayled to the tree of reproach that whole bodie which was conceiued by the Holy-Ghost was all scourged wounded mangled this is the out-side of his sufferings Was his heart free Oh no the inner part or soule of this paine which was vnseene is as far beyond these outward and sensible as the soule is beyond the bodie Gods wrath beyond the malice of men these were but loue-tricks to what his soule endured O all yee that passe by the way behold and see if there bee any sorrow like to my sorrow Alas Lord what can we see of thy sorrowes wee cannot conceiue so much as the hainousnes and desert of one of those sinnes which thou barest wee can no more see thy paine than wee could vndergoe it onely this wee see that what the infinite sinnes of almost infinite men committed against an infinite Maiestie deserued in infinite continuance all this thou in the short time of thy Passion hast sustained Wee may behold and see but all the glorious spirits in Heauen cannot looke into the depth of this suffering Doe but looke yet a little into the passions of this his Passion for by the manner of his sufferings we shall best see what he suffered Wise and resolute men doe not complaine of a little holy Martyrs haue beene racked and would not be loosed what shall we say if the author of their strength God and Man bewray passions what would haue ouerwhelmed men would not haue made him shrinke and what made him
bosome a shrine of God 2 Cor. 12. Know yee not that Christ Iesus is in you saith S. Paul Wheresoeuer God dwels there is his Temple Wilt thou pray in the Temple pray in thy selfe saith Austen Here is the Altar of a cleane heart from which the sweet incense of our praiers as a pleasant perfume is sent vp into the nostrils of God Here are the pure candles of our faith euer burning before God night and day neuer to be extinguished Here is the spirituall Shew-bread the bread of life standing euer ready vpon the Table of the soule Here doth the Arke of the heart in the inwardest of the breast keepe the law of God and that Manna that came downe from heauen Here God dwels and here he is worshipped Behold what need wee care whither we goe while we carry the God of heaven with vs He is with vs as our companion as our guide as our guest No impotency of person no crosse of estate no distance of place no opposition of men no gates of hell can separate him from vs Hee hath said it I will not leaue nor forsake thee We are all now parting one from another and now is loosing a knot of the most louing and entire fellowship that euer met in the Court of any Prince our sweet Master that was compounded of all louelinesse infused this gracious harmony into our hearts now we are saluting our last and euery one is with sorrow enough taking his owne way how safe how happy shall we be if each of vs shall haue God to go with him Certainly my deare fellowes we shall neuer complaine of the want of Masters of friends while we finde our selues sure of him nothing can make vs miserable while we are furnished with him Shall wee thinke hee cannot fare ill that hath money in his purse and shall we thinke he can miscarry that hath God in his heart How shall not all comfort all happinesse accompany that God whose presence is the cause of all blessednesse He shall counsell vs in our doubts direct vs in our resolutions dispose of vs in our estates cheere vs in our distresses prosper vs in our liues and in our deaths crowne vs. And if such felicity follow vpon Gods dwelling with vs in these smokie cottages of our mortality where we through our vnquiet corruptions will not suffer our selues to haue a full fruition of God what happinesse shall there be in our dwelling with God in those eternall Tabernacles of rest and glory Beloued there is no losse no miserie which the meditation of heauen cannot digest we haue liued in the eye of a Prince whose countenance was able to put life into any beholder How oft hath that face shined vpon vs and we haue found our heart warme with those comfortable beames Behold we shall liue with that God in whose presence is the fulnesse of ioy wee haue liued in the soeciety of worthy men yet but men subiect to all passions infirmities self-respects which of vs all can haue escaped without some vnkindnesses detractions emulations Earthly Courts can be no more without these than these can be without corruption there we shall liue in the company of innumerable Angels and the spirits of iust and perfect men Reuel 19.3 neither can there be any iar in these Halleluiahs which we shall all sing to God We haue liued to see the magnificence of earthly Princes and to partake of it in their buildings furnitures feasts triumphs in their wealth pompe pleasures But open your eyes and see the new Ierusalem the City of the great King of Saints and all these sublunary vanities shall bee contemned Here you shall see a foure-square Citie the wals of Iasper the foundations garnished with all precious stones Twelue gates of twelue pearles The houses and streets of pure gold like shining glasse A Chrystall riuer runs in the midst of it and on the banks of it growes the tree of life euer greene euer fruitfull this is for the eye The eare shall be filled with the melody of Angels euer singing Holy holy holy Lord God Almighty The taste shall be satisfied with Manna the food of Angels with the fruit of the tree of life with that new wine which our Sauiour hath promised to drinke with vs in his Kingdome These are the dimme shadowes of our future blessednesse At thy right hand ô God are pleasures for euermore and such pleasures as if they could be expressed or conceiued were not worthy of our longings nor able to satisfie vs Oh that wee could so much the more long to enioy them by how much lesse we are able to comprehend them When S. Paul made his Farewell-Sermon to the Ephesians he fetcht teares from the eyes of his auditors so full of holy passion was his speech especially with that one clause And now behold I know Act. 20.25 that henceforth you all through whom I haue gone preaching the kingdome of God shall see my face no more A sad clause indeed You shall see my face no more The minde of man cannot endure to take a finall leaue of any thing that offends it not but the face of a friend of a companion hath so much pleasure in it that we cannot without much sorrow thinke of seeing it our last But what if we shall meet here no more what if we shall no more see one anothers face Brethren we shall once meet together aboue we shall once see the glorious face of God and neuer looke off againe Let it not ouer-grieue vs to leaue these Tabernacles of stone since wee must shortly lay downe these Tabernacles of clay and enter into Tabernacles not made with hands eternall in the heauens Till then farewell my deare brethren farewell in the Lord Goe in peace and liue as those that haue lost such a Master and as those that serue a Master whom they cannot lose And the God of peace goe with you and prosper you in all your wayes and so fix this Tabernacle in you vpon earth that you may be receiued into those Tabernacles of the new Ierusalem and dwell with him for euer in that glory which he hath prouided for all that loue him AMEN FINIS NOAH'S DOVE BRINGING AN OLIVE OF PEACE TO THE TOSSED ARKE OF CHRISTS CHVRCH A SERMON PREACH'T IN LATINE IN THE CONVOCATION HELD IN SAINT PAVLES CHVRCH TO THE CLERGIE OF ENGLAND AND ESPECIALLY THAT OF THE PROVINCE OF CANTERBVRIE By IOS HALL Deane of Worcester Done into English by R. H. SIC ELEVABITVR FILIVS HOMINIS Io 3. ANCHORA FIDEI LONDON ¶ Printed by IOHN HAVILAND for HANNA BARRET 1624. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE MY SINGVLAR GOOD LORD EDVVARD Lord DENNY Baron of WALTHAM all health and Happinesse RIGHT HONOVRABLE I Might well perceiue by the Author that this Sermon was neuer intended to be published in any other Language than that wherein it was first spoken being in respect of the matter in a sort appropriate to that Auditory wherein it was
of Alexandria should be ouer Egypt Libya Penâ—â—polis as the Bishop of Rome was ouer his Suburbitarie Churches Doe but beare Polycrates Bishop of Ephesus an old man of aboue threescore solemnly protesting that hee succeeded his Grandfathers and great-grandfathers for seuen successiue generations in the same Episcopall chaire Heare but Irenaus Tertullian Clement Dorotheus Eusebius describing and recording the Bishops of Antioch Alexandria Hierusalem Rome in the vndoubted order of their successions not onely by their numbers but by their names also Certainly neuer day lookt forth since the age of the Apostles wherein the Spouse of Christ wanted the attendance of these Bride-men But what doe I vrge this The Sun is in the heauen and shines there Euen Ierome himselfe though but a Presbyter and a stout Champion of his owne order yet deduceth this difference of degrees from the cradle of the first Schisme from the common decree of the first Church from tradition Apostolicall yea when Saint Paul wrote this to his Corinthians that iarring word had sounded in the Church I am Pauls I am Apolloes I am Cephaes and therefore euen then had these differences beene Differences perhaps in Order you will say not in Degree Yes both in Order and in Power too There were those whom Saint Paul calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Presidents and Rulers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I whom Ignatius calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gouernors Dionysius Hierarchs Cypriâ—â— Ouerseers to whom Saint Paul attributes Power of reformation and correctioâ— to whom the Canons of the Apostles giue the power of sentence or constitution Ignatius chiefely and authority Eusebius out of Egesippus the throne of Episcopality Cyprian the vigor and authority of the Chaire Origen the highest pitch of the Church Ierome a peerelesse and eminent power The Councell of Sardis the height of gouernment and lastly Epiphanius an Order generatiue of Fathers But what doe I gleaning after the haruest of so great Authors as haue discussed this point Oh how oft and with what deepe sighes hath this most flourishing and happy Church of England wisht that shee might with some of her owne bloud haue puâ—â—â—ased vnto her dearest Sisters abroad the retention of this most ancient and euery way best forme of gouernment Which might happily 〈◊〉 so haue taken place if they had met with such a Monarchicall reformation as through the blessing of God waâ— designed vnto vs Now they are faine to vndergoe â—hat administration Prouisionally onely if we may beleeue wise and learned Fregeâ—ill which the necessity of their condition doth for the time cast vpon them The God of heauen raise them vp Queenes for their nurses and Kings for their nursing fathers that they may once enioy with vs this happy blessing of the sequence and subordination of degrees In the meane time I dare with Ignatius professe to put my soule 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. in pawne for the safe obseruation of this excellent order Which if it haue euer not happily succeeded to any region or Church it is the fault of the person not of the institution it selfe which cannot iustly be deemed other than wholsome holy diuine But remember I beseech you in the meane while Reuerend Fathers that these are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ministeries a word raked out of the very dust lest it should not imply humility enough Yee are graced with Honors by the pious munificence of Princes But our Lord Iesus Christ ye know vses to measure your honours by your seruices Ye are Fathers of the Church but Sons of the Bride-chamber Peeres of the State but seruants of the Church Generalls of this warfare but with S. Paul fellow-souldiers Rulers in Gods house but withall fellow-seruants Intreat your Clergie kindly vse them familiarly as knowing your selues to be Fathers in dignity brethren in seruice Ye know the counsell of Saint Ambrose Let those of the Clergy within your charge be as limmes of your owne body God hath called you Starres and Angels Imitate ye the Starres which the higher they are the lesser they are wont to appeare Imitate ye the Angels who though Peeres of heauen yet are wont to approue themselues ministring spirits for the poorest of Gods Saints No spectacle can be more odious than a proud Prelate But heare mee also O yee Laicks take heed of contemning this sacred function These are ministeries indeed but glorious and honourable To serue God is to rule and command And what is it euen to serue you Surely those heauenly Spirits those principalities and powers doe the very same to vs continually whom yet their loue and seruice hath neuer drawne into contempt We beseech you Brethren that you know them which labour amongst you and are ouer you in the Lord and admonish you and hold them deare for their works sake We haue dispatched the Diuersities of Ministeries now followes that of Operations God hath not ordained to himselfe idle seruices but busie and painfull One gouernes another teaches a third doth both teach and gouerne worthy therefore of double honour for his rule for his labour And hee that gouernes sometimes must strike with the rod sometimes with the sword One while hee must kindly allure another while he must sharply punish he must vphold the falling retaine the wauering reduce the wandring And for him that teaches it is not onely the charge of doctrine that lies vpon him but of reproofe of correction of instruction in righteousnesse One while he directs with counsels then he erects with promises then againe he deiects with threatnings he wounds the whole salues the wounded workes alwaies The office of a Bishop is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a worthy worke Whosoeuer playes in this holy Chaire shall once waile in hell Saint Bernard said well in that famous Epistle of his to Henricus Senonensis Many would not so eagerly run to honours if they could thinke them burdens Certainly they would feare to bee crushed with this weight neither would with so much paine and perill gape for euery promotion Thus he But will it please you withall to heare what that pious Censor casts in the teeth of his owne times Sola attenditur gloria non poena Curritur in clero passim c. The dignity only is cared for not the duty Men of all Ages and ranks in the Clergy learned and vnlearned run to spirituall Cures as if they might liue for euer Sine curis when once they haue gotten Cures of soules Doe you marke well this Prophesie for such it might seeme of the Oracle of Clarenall Would to God this were not the very disease of our times There be some delicate peeces that thrust themselues into fat benefices onely that they may make much of one and giue themselues ouer to their pleasure and ease Euen of those mouthes which are sacred to God there want not some which out of a wanton custome sauour of nothing but Indian soot and take more pleasure to put forth a cloud of smoke than
in the graine but in the heart If the hearts of men were not more blasted with couetousnesse and cruell selfe-loue than their graine with distemper of aire this needed not The Barnes and Granaries are full the Markets empty Authority knowes how to remedy this euill how to preuent a dearth in abundance that men may not affamish whom God hath fed and that when God hath giuen vs the staffe of bread it may not bee either hid or broken shortly that our store may not be iudged by the appearance Ciuill Wisemen and statesmen especially may not alwaies looke the same way they would goe like skilfull Sea-men they sometimes lauere and as the wind may stand fetch compasses of lawfull policies to their wished point That of Tiberius was fearefull of whom Xiphiline 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That he sayled euer against the wind of his words But sometimes a good Constantius or Anastasius will wisely pretend what hee intends not As our Sauiour made as if hee went further when hee meant to turne into Emaus The hearts of Kings are as deepe waters wee may not thinke to draine them in the hollow of our hand Secret things to them of whom God hath said Dixi Dij estis things reuealed to vs and our children Euen we meane ones would be loth to haue alwayes our hearts read in our faces Iudge not therefore according to the appearance Diuine In these our speech must dwell If we should iudge according to the appearance we should thinke basely of the Sauiour of the world Who that had seene him sprawling and wringing in the Cratch flitting to Aegypt chopping of chips at Nazareth famishing in the Desert transported by Satan attended by Fishermen persecuted by his Kinred betraied by one Seruant abiured by another forsaken of all apprehended arraigned condemned buffeted spat vpon scourged to bloud sceptred with the reede crowned with thornes nailed to the Crosse hanging naked betwixt two Theeues scorned of the beholders sealed vp in a borrowed graue could say other than Hee hath no forme nor beauty when wee shall see him there is nothing that wee should desire him Who that should haue seene his skinne all dewed with pearles of bloudy sweat his backe bleeding his face blubbered and besmeared his forehead harrowed his hands and feet pierced his side gushing out his head bowed downe in death and should withall haue heard his dying lips say My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee would not haue said Hee is despised and reiected of men yea in appearance of God himselfe Yet euen this while to the cutting of the sinewes of those stiffe-necked Iewes the Angels owned him for their Lord the Sages adored him the Starre designed him the Prophets foreshewed him the Deuils confest him his Miracles euinced him the earth shooke the Rocks rent the Dead lookt out the Sunne lookt in astonished at the sufferings of the God of nature Euen whiles he was despised of men he commanded the Deuils to their chaines whiles base men shot out their tongues at him Principalities and Powers bowed their knees to him whiles he hanged despicably vpon the tree of shame the powers of hell were dragged captiue after the triumphant chariot of his Crosse the appearance was not so contemptible as the truth of his estate glorious Iudge not therefore according to the appearance Should appearance bee the rule how scornfully would the carnall eye ouer-looke the poore ordinances of God What would it finde here but foolishnesse of preaching homelinesse of Sacraments an inky Letter a Priests lips a sauorlesse message a morsell of Bread a mouth full of Wine an handfull of Water a slander-beaten Crosse a crucified Sauiour a militant Church a despised profession When yet this foolishnesse of preaching is the power of God to saluation these mute Letters the liuely Oracles of God these vile Lips the Cabinets of heauen to preserue knowledge this vnplausible Message Magnalia Dei this Water the Water of Life in the midst of the Paradise of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this Bread the Manna of Angels thi Wine heauenly Nectar this Church the Kings Daughter all glorious within this dying Sacrifice the Lord of life this Crosse the Banner of Victory this Profession Heauen vpon earth Iudge not therefore according to appearance Should appearance be the rule woe were Gods children happy were his enemies Who that had seene Cain standing masterly ouer the bleeding carkasse of Abel Ioseph in his bonds his Mistresse in her dresse Moses in the Flags Pharaoh in the Palace Dauid sculking in the Wildernesse Saul commanding in the Court Elias fainting vnder his Iuniper tree Iezebel painting in her closet Michaiah in the prison Zidkijah in the presence Ieremy in the dungeon Zedekiah in the throne Daniel trembling among the Lions the Median Princes feasting in their Bowers Iohns head bleeding in the Platter Herods smiling at the Reuels Christ at the Barre Pilate on the Bench the Disciples scourged the Scribes and Elders insulting would not haue said O happy Caine Potiphars wife Pharaoh Saul Iezebel Zidkijah Zedekiah Median Princes Pilate Herod Elders miserable Abel Ioseph Moses Dauid Eliah Michaiah Ieremy Daniel Iohn Christ the Disciples Yet wee know Caines victory was as wofull as Abels martyrdome glorious Iosephs irons were more precious than the golden tires of his Mistresse Moses Reedes were more sure than Pharaohs Cedars Dauids Caâ—e in the Desart more safe than the Towers of Saul Eliahs Rauen a more comfortable purueyor than all the Officers of Iezebel Michaiahs prison was the gard-chamber of Angels when Ahabs presence was the counsell-chamber of euill spirits Ieremies Dungeon had more true light of comfort than the shining state of Zedekiah Daniel was better garded with the Lions than Darius and the Median Princes with their Ianisaries Iohns head was more rich with the Crowne of his martyrdome than Herods with the Diadem of his Tetrarchate Christ at the Barre gaue life and being to Pilate on the Bench gaue motion to those hands that strucke him to that tongue that condemned him and in the meane while gaue sentence on his Iudge The Disciples were better pleased with their stripes and wales than the Iewish Elders with their proud Phylacteries After this who that had seene the primitiue Christians some broyled on Gridirons others boyled in Lead some roasted others frozen to death some fleaed others torne with horses some crashed in peeces by the teeth of Lions others cast downe from the rocks to the stakes some smiling on the wheele others in the flame al werying their tormentors and shaming their Tyrants with their patience would not haue said Of all things I would not be a Christian Yet euen this while were these poore torturing-stocks higher as Marcus Arethusius bragged than their persecutors dying Victors yea Victors of death neuer so glorious as when they began not to be in gasping crowned in yeelding the ghost more than Conquerours Iudge not therefore according to appearance When thou lookest about and seest on
conscience ye finde nothing and all this by the legier-de-maine of the heart Thus Achan hath hid his wedge and now he dares stand out to a lot Thus Salomons Harlot hath wip't her mouth and it was not she Thus Saul will lie-out his sacrilege vntill the very beasts out-bleat and out-bellow him Thus the swearer sweares and when hee hath done sweares that he swore not Thus the vncleane fornicator bribes off his sinne and his shame and now makes challenges to the world of his honesty It cannot be spoken how peeuishly witty the heart of man is this way neither doubt I but this wilinesse is some of the poyson that the subtile serpent infected vs with in that fatall morsell They were three cunning shifts which the Scripture recordeth of three women as that sex hath beene euer noted for more sudden pregnancie of wit Rachel Rahab and the good wife of Bahurim The first hiding the Teraphim with a modest seat the second the spies with flaxe-stalkes and the third Dauids scouts with corne spred ouer the Well but these are nothing to the deuices that nature hath wont to vse for the cloaking of sinne God made man vpright saith Salomon but he sought many inuentions Is Adam challenged for sinne Behold all on the sudden it is passed from his hand to Gods The woman that thou gauest me Is Saul challenged for a couetous and disobedient remissenesse the sinne is straight passed from the field to the Altar I saued the fattest for a Sacrifice to the Lord thy God So the one begins his sin in God and the other ends it in him Is Dauid bewitched with lust to abuse the Wife the Husband must be sent home drunke to hide it or if not that to his long home in a pretended fauour of his valour Is a griping Vsurer disposed to put his money together to breed a monster he hath a thousand quirks to cozen both law and conscience Is a Simoniacall Patron disposed to make a good match of his peoples soules it shall be no bargaine but a gift he hath a liuing to giue but an horse to sell And sure I thinke in this wise age of the world Vsurers and Simonists striue who shall finde the wittiest way to hell What should I speake of the secret frauds in contracts booties in matches subornation of instruments hiring of oathes feeing of officers equiuocations of answers and ten thousand other tricks that the heart of man hath deuised for the conueiances of sin in all which it too well approues it selfe incomparably deceitfull The false semblance of the heart is yet worse for the former is most-what for the smothering of euill this is for the iustifying of euill or the disgrace of good In these two doth this act of falshood chiefly consist in making euill good or good euill For the first The naturall man knowes well how filthy all his brood is and therefore will not let them come forth but disguised with the colours and dresses of good so as now euery one of natures birds is a Swan Pride is handsomnesse desperate fury valour lauishnesse is noble munificence drunkennesse ciuility flattery complement murderous reuenge iustice the Curtizan is bona foemina the Sorcerer a wise man the oppressor a good husband Absolom will goe pay his vowes Herod will worship the Babe For the second such is the enuy of nature that where shee sees a better face than her owne shee is ready to scratch it or cast dirt in it and therefore knowing that all vertue hath a natiue beauty in it she labours to deforme it by the foulest imputations Would the Israelites be deuout they are idle Doth Dauid daunce for ioy before the Arke he is a foole in a Morris Doth Saint Paul discourse of his heauenly Vision too much learning hath made him mad Doe the Disciples miraculously speake all the tongues of Babel They are ful of new wine Doe they preach Christs kingdome they are seditious The resurrection they are bablers Is a man conscionable he is an Hypocrite Is he conformable he is vnconscionable Is he plaine dealing hee is rudely vnciuill Is he wisely insinuatiue he is a flatterer In short such is the wicked craft of the heart that it would let vs see nothing in it owne forme but faine would shew vs euill faire that we might be inamored of it and vertue vgly that we might abhorre it and as it doth for the way so doth it for the end hiding from vs the glory of heauen that is laid vp for ouer-commers and shewing vs nothing but the pleasant closure of wickednesse making vs beleeue that hell is a palace and heauen a dungeon that so we might be in loue with death and thus both in cunning conueyance and false semblance The heart of man is deceitfull aboue all things Ye haue seene the fashion of this deceit cast now your eies vpon the subiect And whom doth it then deceiue It doth deceiue others it can deceiue it selfe it would deceiue Satan yea God himselfe Others first How many doe we take for honest and sound Christians who yet are but errant hypocrites These Apes of Satan haue learned to transforme themselues into Angels of light The heart bids the eies looke vpward to heauen when they are full of adultery It bids the hands to raise vp themselues towards their Maker when they are full of bloud It bids the tongue wagge holily when there is nothing in the bosome but Atheous profanenesse It bids the knee to bow like a Camell when the heart is stiffe as an Elephant yea if need be it can bid a teare fall from the eie or an almes or iust action fall from the hand and all to gâ—ll the world with a good opinion In all which false chapmen and horse-coursers doe not more ordinarily deceiue their buyers in shops and faires than we doe one another in our conuersation Yea so crafty is the heart that it can deceiue it selfe By ouer-weening his owne powers as the proud man by vnder-valuing his graces as the modest by mis-taking his estate as the ignorant How many hearts doe thus grossely beguile themselues The first thinkes hee is rich and fine when hee is beggerly and naked so did the Angell of Laodicea The second is poore in his owne spirit when hee is rich of Gods spirit The third thinkes that he is a great fauourite of heauen when he is rather branded for an out-cast that hee is truly noble when he is a slaue to that which is baser than the worst of Gods creatures sinne Let the proud and ignorant worldling therefore know that though others may mocke him with applauses yet that all the world cannot make him so much a foole as his owne heart Yea so cunning is the heart that it thinkes to goe beyond the deuill himselfe I can thinks it swallow his bait and yet auoid his hooke I can sinne and liue I can repent of sinning and defeat my punishment by repenting I can runne vpon
ep 13. Nullo concordia glutine aut vnitatis vinculo copulari possunt and that rabble of Opinions which they haue raked together so opposed that it cannot by any glew of concord as Cyprian speaketh nor bond of vnity be conioyned That which Rome holds with vs makes it a Church That which it obtrudes vpon vs makes it hereticall The truth of principles makes it one the error and impiety of additions makes it irreconcileable Neither do 〈◊〉 this late and spurious brood of traditions more oppose vs than it doth those very Principles of Religion which the authors themselues desire to establish Looke on the face therefore of the Roman Church she is ours and Gods Looke on her back she is quite contrary Antichristian More plainly for it is no disputing in Metaphors as Clemens said well Rome doth both hold the foundation and destroy it she holds it directly destroies it by consequent In that she holds it she is a true Church howsoeuer imputed In that she destroyes it what-euer semblance shee makes of piety and holinesse she is a Church of malignants Psal 26.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If shee did altogether hold it she should be sound and Orthodox If altogether she destroyed it she should be either no Church or deuillish but now that she professes to hold those things directly which by inference of her consequences shee closely ouerthrowes she is a truly visible Church but an vnsound In what shee holds the principles we embrace her in what she destroyes them we pitty her error and hate her obstinate The common bond of Christianitie neuer ties vs to fauour grosse errors so much as with silence there is no such slauerie in the deare name of a sister that it should binde vs to giue either aid Eph. 5.11 or countenance to lewdnesse Haue no such fellowship saith S. Paul but rather reproue So wee haue done both modestly and earnestly The same is befalne vs which befell the blessed Apostle we are become their enemies for telling the truth Gal. 4.16 Behold now we are thrust out of doore spet vpon rayled at and when opportunitie serues persecuted with most curious torments And lest any mischiefe should be wanting obstinacie is now at last added vnto error and a cruel rage arising from impatience and now their wickednesse began to please them the more because it displeased vs. And what should we now doe in such a case wee the despised and reiected Patrons of this spirituall chastitie To let fall so iust a cause wee might not vnlesse wee would cast off that God who challenges this plea for onely his To yeeld and giue in were no other than to betray the truth of God and damne our owne soules No course remaines but this one and here is our onely safety with all our courage and skill to oppose the wicked Paradoxes and Idolatrous practises of the Romish Church till either she be ashamed of her selfe or repent that euer she was SECT II. The Commodities and Conditions of Peace BEAVTIFVLL is the name of Peace as Hilary speaketh and truly sacred Hilar. cit a Cal. de vera pacific Iudic. 6.23 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Sam 18.29 Iud. 19.29 1 Chr. 12.18 Luc. 2.14 Ioh. 14.27 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 13.11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iam. 3.18 Rom. 14 19. 1 Pet. 3.11 and such as scarce sauoureth of the earth Neither did the Hebrewes by any other terme choose rather to expresse all happinesse and perfection of liuing Neither is there any thing which the Angels did more gladly congratulate vnto men or which Christ did more carefully bequeath or the Apostles more earnestly enioyne How oft and how vehemently doth the Spirit intreat and command vs to haue peace But this thou sayest is euery mans wish to haue peace but what if peace will not be had Loe then Saint Iames charges vs to make peace by our endeuours by our patience Once made and had what if it will not stay with vs Then Saint Paul bids to follow those things which concerne peace What if it will needs away and hide it selfe yet then Saint Peter commands to follow and inquire after it What if once found it refuse to come as Abrahams seruant presupposed of Rebecca Euen then study to be quiet saith Saint Paul or as the word implies Be ambitious of Peace 1 Thes 4.11 So let the Author of Peace loue vs as we loue Peace Socr. l. 1. c. 4. Socr. l. 3. c. 21. Who is there that would not rather wish with Constantine quiet daies and nights free from care and vexation It was a speech worthy of an Emperour and a Christian that fell from Iouianus about that querelous libell of the Macedonians I hate contention and those that are inclined to concord I loue and reuerence Our aduersaries would make vs beleeue they professe and desire no lesse with an equall zeale of charitie and agreement God bee Iudge betwixt vs both and whethersoeuer persists to hate peace let him perish from the face of God and his holy Angels Yea that this imprecation may be needlesse he is already perished Cypr. de simplic prae l. Ad Pacis praemium venâ—re non possunt qui pacem Dâ—mini discordiae furore ruperunt In Psal 28. For as Cyprian according to his wont grauely they cannot come to the reward of Peace which haue broken the Peace of God with the fury of discord And surely what but the flames of hell can determine the ambition of these fiery and boyling spirits Basil obserues well that Gods fire gaue light and burned not contrarily the fire of hell burneth without light and therefore is well worthy of those who despising the light of truth delight themselues in the flames of contentions Those are the true haters of Peace which doe wilfully patronize errors contrary to the Christian faith So long as wee must dwell by these tents of Kedar wee shall too iustly complaine with the Psalmist Psal 120. I loue Peace but in the meane while they are bent to Warre And as for vs which professe our selues the ingenuous clients of Peace since wee must needs fight it is not for vs to doe nothing For that blessed Quire of Angels before their Peace vpon earth Luc. 2.14 Iam. 3.17 well sung Glory to God in the highest Heauens and Saint Iames describes the wisdome of God to bee first pure then peaceable And that chosen vessell implies no lesse when to his charge of Peace hee addes If it bee possible 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 12.18 That is as impossible to euery good man which ought not to be done as that which cannot bee done neither indeed as the rule of Lawyers runnes can we be said to be able to doe that which we cannot honestly doe God saith S. Paul is not the Author of confusion but of Peace It is a wicked peace it is no peace that necessarily breeds confusion That Peace is worthy of a
of some superstitious old wife or some idle and silly Cloysterer Faine would out charity conceiue so which is still credulous and as the Apostle commands thinkes not euill if Cassander did not directly tell vs that they publikely sing in their very Churches this deuout Antheme O foelâ—x 〈◊〉 per a Nostrapians scelcra Iuâ—e matris impera Redemptori O happy Mother of that Sonne Which hast all our sinnes for done Out of a Mothers right we pray thee Bid our Redeemer to obey thee If all these were not openly approoued by the holy Censors of the Romane Church seuere Controulers of manners yea by the voyces of their owne Popes If at this day witnesse the Muses of Bencius and Bonarcius the Iesuites did not both speake and write thus But let vs leaue these bold impieties if you will to their Bernardines Antonines Bartlemewes of Pisa Turtellines being vs foorth their more sober Diuines Polydores Cassanders Viues Euen their opinions will not downe with vs which teach that the Saints are in any wise to bee prayed vnto Indeede Lib. de Beatit Sanct c. 15. Cass in Cons Ca. de Inuocat Sanct. The same is confessed by Luth. Oecol Melanct Brent see Mort. Apocal. 1.2.12 s 1. the Protestants say as Bellarmine grants that the Saints pray for vs but onely in a generality Bucer said truly that the Saints haue great loue to their militant brethren great desire of their saluation and so doubtlesse haue the Angels But must wee therefore single out any one of those blessed Spirits to aid vs to sue for vs in the Court of Heauen God forbid For vpon what faith must these prayers of ours bee grounded vnlesse perhaps as Hosius saith wee must beleeue in the Saints also yea how sure are we that none of the Saints can either search the heart the fountaine of our Prayers or at once heare tenne thousand of their Suppliants distant in place from each other yea further if as there should bee no limits set to Religion all the world ouer deuout Clients should at once ioyntly commend and prostrate themselues humbly to some one Saint It is 〈◊〉 a swiftnesse of nature as Hierom contends that would serue the turne a true vbiquity as Bellarmine confesses must be required to the hearing of all those prayers What hinders now but that they which of sinfull men haue made Saints should of their Saints make Gods also Besides which of the Prophets which of the Apostles euer commanded this which of the Saints of the former world hath euer done it Or what other if credit may bee giuen to Theodoreâ— did Saint Paul forbid vnder the worship of Angels to his Colossians Or what was the Heresie of the Collyridicus if this must goe for piety That rule of Epiphanius shall be euer a safe course for vs Epiphâ—her 79. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let Mary be honoured but the Father Son and Holy Ghost worshipped Heere is no feare of danger but that wee may goe safely to that God which cals vs to him and prostrate our selues to his Christ our Gracious Sauiour None of the Saints can enuy God this Honour none of them euer did either arrogate it to himselfe or suffer it to be giuen him Neither is there any of them whom God euer allowed either to take it to himselfe or to impart it to others or to accept it quietly being imparted to him by others The Papists therefore may come to vs when they will with safety and aduantage wee may not yeeld to them without manifest danger of Idolatrous dotage SECT XXI Of the Superstitious Heathenish and ridiculous worship of the Papists BVT if any good natured Reconciler shall bee so indifferent as to thinke these weightie points of difference not to be so hainous Socrat. l. 1. cap. 4. but that euery one might secretly maintaine what opinion hee list yet so that as Constantine said to Alexander and Arrius whiles the minds differ the outward peace may be preserued Let him further vnderstand that the continuall practise of the religious worship and seruice of God will euer both raise and proclaime no lesse hostilitie than matter of iudgement In our deuotions and publike exercises of Pietie and places consecrated to this vse there is nothing that can offend either the eye or the minde of a Papist except the barenesse of our walls and the Apostolicall simplicity of Ceremonies An easie fault and such as it is no praise of their ingenuitie to winke at For long since haue those clauses of our publike Liturgie beene purposely blotted out which in our Grand-fathers dayes did but lightly touch this galled fore of Poperie But contrariwise in the Popish Churches there is scarce any thing either said or done whereof we can with a cleere and vnwounded conscience be either partakers or witnesses Their very wals kill vs dead but their ridiculous or demonicall seruice who can endure We honour as wee ought the deare and happy memory of the Saints and chiefly the Leader of that heauenly Quire the blessed Virgin the Mother of God and whatsoeuer she can thinke not to be dishonourable to her selfe and her Lord and Sauiour we will most gladly giue it her to the full Neither will we only glorifie God in his Saints as Augustine hath taught Durand to speake but wee will magnifie the Saints as opportunity serues for their excellent graces and worthy acts both in God and in themselues wee will admire extoll and what wee may imitate their singular constancie faith sanctitie as Sidonius said of his Claudian No Tombe can either Soule or glory shroud Sidon in Epita Claud. Mamert But to digge vp their holy bones that I may borrow Luthers word out of their quiet graues and to fall downe before these wormeaten Monuments of the Saints to expect from them a diuine power whether of cure or of sanctification equally to respect Francis his Coule 〈◊〉 Combe Iosephs Breeches Thomases Shooe as Erasmus complaines with the Sonne of God himselfe can seeme no better to vs than an horible impiety Neither can wee abide either to deifie men or to canonize beasts It seemes that Cardinall could abide it well in whose Garden is yet to be seene this Epitaph which hee wrote vpon his too dearly-beloued Bitch This Tombe for then deare Bitch I builded haue Poem Illustr Port. Italor in That worthier wert of Heauen than a Graue Wee prophane Huguenots cannot skill of worshipping Martins Boots or Georges Scabbard or Crispiâ—s Paring knife or which they say is kept in a certaine Towne of Liguria the Tayle of that Asse which Christ rod vpon Mores in Scot. Orig. Pap. or ROCHES Dogge or Antonies Swine and surely he had need of a very thicke Hide that can doe this But in earnest say wee should yeeld these adorations to bee lawfull and godly What Macurius amongst so many woods of counterfeit trees can shew vs the true Crosse or what Heleus amongst such heaps yea Hils of Iron
vvas gone forth had frequent visions of his Maker So whiles in our affections we remaine here below in our Cofers wee cannot haue the comfortable assurances of the presence of God but if wee can abandon the loue and trust of these earthly things in the conscience of our obedience now God shall appeare to vs and speake peace to our soules and neuer shall we finde cause to repent vs of the change Let mee therefore conclude this point with that diuine charge of our Sauiour Lay not vp for your selues treasures on earth where moth and rust doc corrupt and theeues breake thorow and steale but lay vp for your selues treasure in heauen Thus much of the Negatiue part of our charge Wherein wee haue dwelt so long that we may scarce soiourne in the other But trust in God Trust not but Trust The heart of man is so conscious of his owne weaknesse that it will not goe vvithout a prop and better a weake stay then none at all Like as in matter of policy the very state of Tyrannie is preferred to the want of a King The same breath therfore that withdraws one refuge from vs substitutes a better and in stead of Riches which is the false god of the world commends to vs the true and liuing God of heauen and earth Euen as some good Carpenter raises vp the studs and in stead of a rotten groundsell layes a sound The same trust then must we giue to God which wee may not giue to riches The obiect onely is changed the act is not changed Him must wee esteeme aboue all things to him must we looke vp in all on him must we depend for all both protection and prouision from his goodnesse and mercy must we acknowledge all and in him must we delight with contempt of all and this is to Trust in God It was a sweet dirty of the Psalmist which we must all learne to sing Bonum est confidere in Domino It is good to trust in the Lord Good in respect of him and good for vs. For him It is one of the best pieces of glory to be trusted to as with vs Ioseph holds Potiphar cannot doe him a greater honour then in trusting him with all And his glory is so precious that he cannot part with that to any creature all other things hee imparts willingly and reserues nothing to himselfe but this Being life knowledge happinesse are such blessings as are eminently originally essentially in God and yet Being he giues to al things Life to many Knowledge to some kindes of creatures Happinesse to some of these kinds as for Riches he so giues them to his creature that hee keepes them not at all to himselfe but as for his Glory whereof our trust is a part hee will not endure it communicated to Angell or man not to the best ghost in heauen much lesse to the drosse of the earth Whence is that curse not without an indignation Cursed bee the man that trusts in man that maketh flesh his arme yea or spirit either besides the God of Spirits Whom haue I in heauen but thee Herein therefore doe wee iustice to God when we giue him his owne that is his glory our confidence But the greatest good is our own God shewes much more mercy to vs in allowing and inabling vs to trust him then we can doe iustice in trusting him For alas hee could in his iust iudgement glorifie himselfe in our not trusting him in taking vengeance of vs for not glorifying him Our goodnesse reaches not to him but his goodnesse reaches downe to vs in that our hearts are raised vp to confidence in him For what safety what vnspeakable comfort is there in trusting to God When our Sauiour in the last words of his Diuine Farewell Sermon to his Disciples would perswade them to confidence Iob 16. vlt. he sayes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so doth the Angell to Paul in prison a a word that signifies boldnesse implying that our confidence in God causeth boldnes and courage and what is there in all he world that can worke the heart to so comfortable and vnconquerable resolution as our reposall vpon God The Lord is my trust whom then can I feare In the Lord put I mâ— trust how say ye then to my soule Flee hence as a bird to the hils Yea how oft doth Dauid inferre vpon this trust a non confundar I shal not be ashamed And this case is generall That they that but their trust in the Lord are as mount Sion that cannot be moued Faith can remoue mountaines but the mountaines that are raised on faith are vnremoueable Here is a stay for you O ye wealthy great worthy of your trust If ye were Monarchs on earth or Angels in heauen ye could be no way safe but in this trust How easie is it for him to inrich or impouerish you to hoyse you vnto the seats of honor or to spurne you down What mynes what Princes can raise you â—â— to wealth against him without him Hee can bid the winds and Seas fauour your vessels he can bid them sinke in a calm The rich and the poore meet together God is the maker of both Pro. 22. Ye may trade and toyle and carke and spare and put vp and cast about and at last sit you downe with a sigh of late repentance and say Except the Lord build the house they labour in vaine that build it It is in vaine to rise early and lye down late and eat the bread of sorrow Vnto how many of you may I say with the Prophet Haggai Ye haue sowne much and bring in little ye eat and haue not enough ye drink but ye are not filled ye cloâ—th you but ye â—e not warme and hee that earneth much puts his gaines into a broken 〈◊〉 And whence is all this Ye looked for much and loe it came to little when yee brought it home I did blow vpon it saith the Lord of Hosts Behold how easie a thing it is for the God of heaâ— onto blast all your substance yea not onely to diminish but to curse it 〈…〉 and to make you weary of it and of your selues Oh cast your selâ—e◠〈…〉 those Almighty hands Seeke him in whom onely you shall fiâ—d 〈…〉 happinesse Honour him with your substance that hath honored you with it Truâ—â— in riches but trust in God It is motiue enough to your trust that he is a God all arguments are in folded in that one yet this Text giues you certaine explicit inforcements of this confidence Euery one of these reasons implying a secret kind of disdainfull comparison betwixt the true God and the false perswade you to trust in God Riches are but for this world the true God is Lord of the other and beginnes his glory where the glory of the world ends therefore trust in him Riches are vncertaine the true God is Amen the first and the last euer like himselfe therefore trust in
that large and reall Map of the World thou didst thus abridge it into this little table of Man hee alone consists of Heauen and Earth Soule and Body Euen this earthly part which is vile in comparison of the other as it is thine O God I dare admire it though I can neglect it as mine owne for lo this heape of Earth hath an outward reference to Heauen other Creatures grouell downe to their earth and haue all their senses intent vpon it this is reared vp towards Heauen and hath no more power to looke beside Heauen then to tread beside the Earth Vnto this euery part hath his wonder The head is nearest to heauen as in place so in resemblance both for roundnesse of figure for those diuine ghests which haue their seat in it There dwell those maiesticall Powers of reason which make a Man all the senses as they haue their originall from thence so they doe all agree there to manifest the vertue how goodly proportions hast thou set in the face such as tho oft times we can giue no reason when they please yet transport vs to admiration What liuing glasses are those which thou hast placed in the midst of this visage whereby all obiects from far are clearely represented to the mind and because their tendernes lies open to dangers how hast thou defenced them with hollow bones and with prominent browes and lids And lest they should be too much bent on vvhat they ought not thou hast giuen them peculiar nerues to pull them vp towards the seat of their rest What a tongue hast thou giuen him the instrument not of taste only but of speech how sweet excellent voices are formed by that little loose filme of flesh what an incredible strength hast thou giuen to the weake bones of the iawes What a comely and towre like necke therefore most sinewy because smallest And lest I be infinite what able armes and actiue hands hast thou framed him whereby he can frame all things to his owne conceit In euery part beauty strength conuenience meet together Neither is there any whereof our weaknesse cannot giue reason why it should be no otherwise How hast thou disposed of all the inward vessels for all offices of life nourishment egestion generation No veine sinew arterie is idle There is no piece in this exquisite frame whereof the place vse forme doth not admit wonder and exceed it Yet this body if it be compared to the soule what is it but as a clay wall that encompasses a treasure as a woodden boxe of a Ieweller as a coorse case to a rich instrument or as a maske to a beautifull face Man was made last because he was worthiest The soule was inspired last because yet more noble If the body haue this honor to be the companion of the Soule yet withall it is the drudge If it bee the instrument yet also the clog of that diuine part The companion for life the drudge for seruice the instrument for action the clog in respect of contemplation These externall workes are effected by it the internall which are more noble hindered contrary to the bird which sings most in her cage but flyes most and highest at libertie This my soule teaches me of it selfe that it selfe cannot conceiue how capable how actiue it is It can passe by her nimble thoughts from heauen to earth in a moment it can be all things can comprehend all things know that which is and conceiue that which neuer was neuer shal be Nothing can fill it but thou which art infinite nothing can limit it but thou which art euery-where O God which madest it replenish it possesse it dwel thou in it which hast appointed it to dwell in clay The bodie was made of earth common to his fellowes the soule inspired immediately from God The body lay senselesse vpon the earth like it selfe the breath of liues gaue it what it is and that breath was from thee Sense motion reason are infused into it at once From whence then was this quickening breath No ayre no earth no water was here vsed to giue helpe to this Worke Thou that breathedst vpon man and gauest him the Holy Spirit didst also breathe vpon the bodie and gauest it a liuing Spirit we are beholden to nothing but thee for our soule Our flesh is from flesh our spirit is from the God of spirits How should our soules rise vp to thee and fixe themselues in their thoughts vpon thee who alone created them in their infusion and infused them in their creation How should they long to returne backe to the Fountaine of their being and Author of being glorious Why may wee not say that this soule as it came from thee so it is like thee as thou so it is one immateriall immortall vnderstanding spirit distinguished into three powers which all make vp one spirit So thou the vvise Creator of all things wouldest haue some things to resemble their Creator These other creatures are all body Man is body and spirit the Angels are all spirit not without a kind of spirituall composition Thou art alone after thine owne manner simple glorious infinite no creature can bee like thee in thy proper being because it is a creature How should our finite weake compounded nature giue any perfect resemblance of thine Yet of all visible creatures thou vouchsafest Man the neerest correspondence to thee not so much in the naturall faculties as its those diuine graces vvherewith thou beautifiest his soule Our knowledge holinesse righteousnesse vvas like the first copie from which they were drawne Behold we were not more like thee in these then now we are vnlike our selues in their losse O God we now praise our selues to our shame for the better wee were we are the vvorse as the sonnes of some prodigall or tainted Ancestors tell of the Lands and Lordships which were once theirs Onely doe thou vvhet our desires answerably to the readinesse of thy mercies that we may redeeme what we haue lost that we may recouer in thee what we haue lost in our selues The fault shall be ours if our damage proue not beneficiall I doe not finde that Man thus framed found the want of an helper His fruition of God gaue him fulnesse of contentment the sweetnesse which hee found in the contemplation of this new workmanship and the glory of the Author did so take him vp that he had neither leisure nor cause of complaint If Man had craued an helper hee had grudged at the condition of his Creation and had questioned that which he had perfection of being But hee that gaue him his being and knew him better then himselfe thinkes of giuing him comfort in the creature whiles hee sought none but in his Maker He sees our wants and fore-casts our reliefe when wee thinke our selues too happy to complaine How ready will he be to help our necessities that thus prouides for our perfection God giues the nature to his creatures Man must
wood which now before-hand burnt inwardly with the heauenly fire of zeale and deuotion And now hauing kissed him his last not without mutuall teares he lifts vp his hand to fetch the stroke of death at once not so much as thinking perhaps God wil relent after the first wound Now the stay of Abraham the hope of the Church lyes on bleeding vnder the hand of a father what bowels can choose but yearne at this spectacle which of the sauagest Heathens that had bin now vpon the hill of Moriah and had seen through the bushes the sword of a Father hanging ouer the throat of such a sonne would not haue been more perplexed in his thoughts then that vnexpected sacrifice was in those briers yet he whom it neerest concerned is least touched Faith hath wrought the same in him which crueltie would in others Not to be moued He contemnes all feares and ouerlookes all impossibilities His heart tels him that the same hand which raised Isaac from the dead wombe of Sarah can raise him againe from the ashes of his sacrifice with this confidence was the hand of Abraham now falling vpon the throat of Isaac who had giuen himselfe for dead and reioyced in the change when suddenly the Angell of God interrupts him forbids him commends him The voice of God was neuer so welcome neuer so sweet neuer so seasonable as now It was the tryall that God intended not the fact Isaac is sacrificed and is yet aliue and now both of them are more happy in that they would haue done then they could haue been distressed if they had done it Gods charges are oft-times harsh in the beginnings and proceeding but in the conclusion alwayes comfortable true spirituall comforts are commonly late and sudden God defers on purpose that our tryals may be perfect our deliuerance welcome our recompence glorious Isaac had neuer been so precious to his father if he had not been recouered from death if he had not been as miraculously restored as giuen Abraham had neuer beene so blessed in his seed if he had not neglected Isaac for God The only way to finde comfort in any earthly thing is to surrender it in a faithfull carelesnesse into the hands of God Abraham came to sacrifice he may not go away with dry hands God cannot abide that good purposes should be frustrate Lest either he should not doe that for which hee came or should want meanes of speedy thanksgiuing for so gracious a disappointment Behold a Ram stands ready for the sacrifice and as it were proffers himselfe to this happy exchange Hee that made that Beast brings him thither fastens him there Euen in small things there is a great prouidence what mysteries there are in euery act of God! The onely Sonne of God vpon this very hill is laid vpon the Altar of the Crosse and so becomes a true sacrifice for the world that yet he is raised without impeachment and exempted from the power of death The Lamb of God which takes away the sins of the World is here really offred and accepted One Sauiour in two figures in the one dying restored in the other So Abraham whiles he exercises his faith confirmes it and reioyces more to foresee the true Isaac in that place offered to death for his sinnes then to see the carnall Isaac preserued from death for the reward of his Faith Whatsoeuer is dearest to vs vpon earth is our Isaac happy are we if we can sacrifice it to God those shall neuer rest with Abraham that cannot sacrifice with Abraham Of LOT and Sodom BEFORE Abraham and Lot grew rich they dwelt together now their wealth separates them Their societie was a greater good then their riches Many a one is a loser by his wealth who would account those things good which make vs worse It had been the duty of yong Lot to offer rather then to choose to yeeld rather then contend who vvould not here thinke Abraham the Nephew and Lot the Vncle It is no disparagement for greater persons to begin treaties of Peace Better doth it beseeme euery sonne of Abraham to winne vvith loue then to sway with power Abraham yeelds ouer this right of his choise Lot takes it And behold Lot is crossed in that vvhich he chose Abraham is blessed in that which vvas left him God neuer suffers any man to leese by an humble remission of his right in a desire of peace Wealth hath made Lot not only vndutifull but couetous he sees the goodly Plaines of Iordan the richnesse of the soyle the commoditie of the Riuers the situation of the Cities and now not once inquiring into the conditions of the Inhabitants hee is in loue with Sodom Outward appearances are deceitfull guides to our iudgement or affections they are worthy to be deceiued that value things as they seeme It is not long after that Lot payes deare for his rashnesse He fled for quietnesse with his Vncle and finds Warre with strangers Now is he caried prisoner with all his substance by great Enemies Abraham must rescue him of whom hee was forsaken That vvealth which was the cause of his former quarrels is made a prey to mercilesse Heathens That place which his eye couetously chose betrayes his life and goods How many Christians whiles they haue looked at gaine haue lost themselues Yet this ill successe hath neither driuen out Lot nor amended Sodom hee still loues his commoditie and the Sodomites their sinnes wicked men grow worse with afflictions as vvater growes more cold after an heat And as they leaue not sinning so God leaues not plaguing them but still followes them with succession of iudgements In how few yeares hath Sodom forgot she vvas spoiled and led captiue If that wicked Citie had been warned by the sword it had escaped the fire but now this visitation hath not made ten good men in those fiue Cities How fit was this heape for the fire which vvas all chaffe Onely Lot vexed his righteous soule with the sight of their vncleannesse Hee vexed his owne soule for who bade him stay there yet because he was vexed he is deliuered He escapeth their iudgement from whose sinnes he escaped Though he would be a ghest of Sodom yet because hee would not entertaine their sinnes he becomes an Host to the Angels Euen the good Angels are the executioners of Gods iudgement There cannot be a better or more noble act then to doe iustice vpon obstinate Malefactors Who can be ashamed of that which did not mis-beseeme the very Angels of God Where should the Angels lodge but with Lot the houses of holy men are full of these heauenly Spirits vvhen they know not they pitch their Tents in ours and visit vs when we see not and when we feele not protect vs It is the honour of Gods Saints to be attended by Angels The filthy Sodomites now flocke together stirred vp with the fury of enuy and lust and dare require to doe that in troops which to act single
vpheld vs whether by remouing occasions or by casting in good instincts As our good indeuours are oft hindered by Satan so are our euill by good Angels else were not our protection equall to our danger and wee could neither stand nor rise It had beene as easie for the Angell to strike Balaam as to stand in his way and to haue followed him in his starting aside as to stop him in a narrow path But euen the good Angels haue their stints in their executions God had somewhat more to doe with the tongue of Balaam and therefore he will not haue him slaine but withstood and so withstood that hee shall passe It is not so much glory to God to take away wicked men as to vse their euill to his owne holy purposes How soone could the Commander of heauen and earth rid the world of bad members But so should hee lose the praise of working good by euill instruments It sufficeth that the Angels of God resist their actions while their persons continue That no man may maruell to see Balaam haue visions from God and vtter prophecies from him his very Asse hath his eyes opened to see the Angell which his Master could not and his mouth opened to speak more reasonably then his Master There is no beast deserues so much wonder as this of Balaam whose common sense is aduanced aboue the reason of his rider so as for the time the prophet is brutish and the beast propheticall Who can but stand amazed at the eye at the tongue of this silly creature For so dull a sight it was much to see a bodily obiect that were not too apparent but to see that spirit which his rider discerned not was farre beyond nature To heare a voice come from that mouth which was vsed onely to bray it was strange and vncouth but to heare a beast whose nature is noted for incapacity to our reason his Master a professed Prophet is in the very height of miracles Yet can no heart sticke at these that considers the dispensation of the Almighty in both Our eye could no more see a beast then a beast can see an Angell if he had not giuen this power to it How easie is it for him that made the eye of man and beast to dimme or inlighten it at his pleasure And if his power can make the very stones to speake how much more a creature of sense That euill spirit spake in the Serpent to our first Parents Why is it more that a spirit should speake in the mouth of a beast How ordinarily did the heathen receiue their Oracles out of stones trees Do not we our selues teach birds to speak those sentences they vnderstand not We may wonder we cannot distrust when we compare the act with the Author which can as easily create a voice without a body as a body without a voice Who now can hereafte plead his simplicity and dulnesse of apprehending spirituall things when he sees how God exalts the eies of a beast to see a spirit Who can be proud of seeing visions since an Angell appeared to a beast neither was his skinne better after it then others of his kind Who can complaine of his owne rudenesse and inability to reply in a good cause when the very beast is inabled by God to conuince his Master There is no mouth into which God cannot put words and how oft doth hee choose the weake and vnwise to confound the learned and mighty What had it beene better for the Asse to see the Angell if he had rushed still vpon his sword Euils were as good not seen as not auoyded But now he declines the way and saues his burthen It were happy for peruerse sinners if they could learne of this beast to run away from fore-seene iudgements The reuenging Angell stands before vs and though we know we shall as sure die as sin yet we haue not the wit or grace to giue backe though it be with the hurt of a foot to saue the body with the paine of the body to saue the soule I see what fury and stripes the impotent prophet bestowes vpon this poore beast because he will not goe on yet if he had gone on himselfe had perished How oft do we wish those things the not obtaining whereof is mercy We grudge to be staid in the way to death and fly vpon those which oppose our perdition I doe not as who would not expect see Balaams haire stand vpright nor himselfe alighting and appaled at this monster of miracles But as if no new thing had happened he returnes words to the beast full of anger voyd of admiration Whether his trade of sorcering had so inured him to receiue voices from his Familiars in shape of beasts that this euent seemed not strange to him Or whether his rage and couetousnesse had so transported him that he had no leasure to obserue the vnnaturall vnusualnesse of the euent Some men make nothing of those things which ouercome others with honor and astonishment I heare the Angell of God taking notice of the cruelty of Balaam to his beast His first words to the vnmercifull prophet are in expostulating of this wrong We little thinke it but God shall call vs to an account for the vnkind and cruell vsages of his poore mute creatures He hath made vs Lords not tyrants owners not tormenters hee that hath giuen vs leaue to kill them for our vse hath not giuen vs leaue to abuse them at our pleasure they are so our drudges that they are our fellowes by creation It was a signe the Magician would easily wish to strike Israel with a curse when hee wished a sword to strike his harmelesse beast It is ill falling into those hands whom beasts find vnmercifull Notwithstanding these rubs Balaam goes on and is not afraid to ride on that beast whose voice he had heard And now Posts are sped to Balac with the newes of so welcome a ghest Hee that sent Princes to fetch him comes himselfe on the way to meet him Although he can say Am not I able to promote thee yet hee giues this high respect to him as his better from whom hee expected the promotion of himselfe and his people Oh the honour that hath beene formerly done by Heathens to them that haue borne but the face of Prophets I shame and grieue to compare the times and men Onely O God bee thou mercifull to the contempt of thy seruants As if nothing needed but the presence of Balaam the superstitious King out of the ioy of his hope feasts his gods his prophet his Princes and on the morrow caries him vp to the high-places of his Idol Who can doubt whether Balaam were a false prophet that sees him sacrificing in the mount of Baal Had he beene from the true God he would rather haue said Pull me downe these altars of Baal then Build mee here seuen others The very place conuinces him of fashood and Idolatry And why seuen Altars What
my fortitude consume Midian Gideon did not so much doubt before as now hee feared Wee that shall once liue with and be like the Angels in the estate of our impotency thinke we cannot see an Angell and liue Gideon was acknowledged for mighty in valour yet he trembles at the sight of an Angell Peter that durst draw his sword vpon Malchus and all the traine of Iudas yet feares when he thought he had seen a spirit Our naturall courage cannot beare vs out against spirituall obiects This Angell was homely and familiar taking vpon him for a time a resemblance of that flesh whereof he would afterwards take the substance yet euen the valiant Gideon quakes to haue seene him How awefull and glorious is the God of Angels when he will be seene in the state of heauen The Angell that departed for the wonder yet returnes for the comfort of Gideon It is not the wont of God to leaue his children in a maze but he brings them out in the same mercy which led them in and will magnifie his grace in the one no lesse then his power in the other Now Gideon growes acquainted with God and enterchanges pledges of familiaritie He builds an Altar to God and God conferres with him and as he vses where he loues imploys him His first taske must be to destroy the god of the Midianites then the Idolaters themselues Whiles Baals Altar and Groue stood in the hill of Ophrah Israel should in vaine hope to preuaile It is most iust with God that iudgement should continue with the sinne and no lesse mercy if it may remoue after it Wouldst thou faine be rid of any iudgement Inquire what false Altars and groues thou hast in thy heart downe with them first First must Baals Altar bee ruined ere Gods be built both may not stand together The true God will haue no society with Idols neither will allow it vs. I doe not heare him say That Altar and groue which were abused to Baal consecrate now to me but as one whose holy ielousie will abide no worship till there be no idolatry he first commands downe the monuments of superstition and then inioynes his owne seruice yet the wood of Baals groue must be vsed to burne a sacrifice vnto God When it was once cut downe Gods detestation and their danger ceased The good creatures of God that haue been profaned to Idolatry may in a change of their vse be imployed to the holy seruice of their Maker Though some Israelites were penitent vnder this humiliation yet still many of them persisted in their wonted Idolatry The very houshold of Gideons father were still Baalites and his neighbours of Ophrah were in the same sinne yea if his father had been free what did he with Baals groue and Altar He dares not therefore take his fathers seruants though hee tooke his bullocks but commands his owne The Master is best seen in the seruants Gideons seruants amongst the idolatrous retinue of Ioash are religious like their Master yet the misdeuotion of Ioash and the Ophrathites was not obstinate Ioash is easily perswaded by his sonne and easily perswades his neighbours how vnreasonable it is to plead for such a god as cannot speake for himselfe to reuenge his cause that could not defend himselfe Let Baal plead for himselfe One example of a resolute on set in a noted person may doe more good then a thousand seconds in the proceeding of an action Soone are all the Midianites in an vprore to lose their god They need not now bee biâ—den to muster themselues for reuenge He hath no Religion that can suffer an indignity offered to his God GIDEONS Preparation and victory OF all the instruments that God vsed in so great a worke I finde none so weake as Gideon who yet of all others was stiled valiant naturall valour may well stand with spirituall cowardise Before he knew that he spake with a God he might haue iust colours for his distrust but after God had approued his presence and almighty power by fetching fire out of the stone then to call for a watery signe of his promised deliuerance was no other then to powre water vpon the fire of the Spirit The former tryal God gaue vnwished this vpon Gideons choice and intreaty The former miracle was strong enough to carry Gideon thorow his first exploit of ruinating the idolatrous groue and Alter but now when he saw the swarme of the Midianites and Amalekites about his ears he calls for new ayde and not trusting to his Abiezrites and his other thousand of Israel hee runnes to God for a further assurance of victory The refuge was good but the manner of seeking it sauours of distrust There is nothing more easie then to be valiant when no perill appeareth but when euils assaile vs vpon vnequall tearmes it is hard and commendable Not to be dismayed If God had made that proclamation now which afterwards was commanded to be made by Gideon Let the timerous depart I doubt whether Israel had not wanted a Guide yet how willing is the Almighty to satisfie our weake desires What taskes is He content to be set by our infirmity The fleece must be wet and the ground dry the ground must be wet and the fleece dry Both are done that now Gideon may see whether he would make himselfe hard earth or yeelding wooll God could at pleasure distinguish betwixt him and the Midianites and powre downe either mercies or iudgement where he lists and that he was set on worke by that God which can command all the Elements and they obey him Fire Water Earth serue both him and when he will his And now when Gideon had this reciprocall proofe of his insuing successe he goes on as he well may harnessed with resolution and is seen in the head of his troupes and in the face of the Midianites If we cannot make vp the match with God when we haue our owne asking we are worthy to sit out Gideon had but thirty thousand souldiers at his heeles the Midianites couered all the valley like Grashoppers and now whiles the Israelites thinke We are too few God sayes The people are too many If the Israelites must haue looked for victory from their fingers they might well haue said The Midianites are too many for vs but that God whose thoughts and words are vnlike to mens sayes They are too many for me to giue the Midianites into their hands If humane strength were to be opposed there should haue needed an equality but now God meant to giue the victory his care is not how to get it but how to lose or blemish the glory of it gotten How iealous God is of his honour Hee is willing to giue deliuerance to Israel but the praise of the deliuerance he will keepe to himselfe and will shorten the meanes that he may haue the full measure of the glory And if he will not allow lawfull meanes to stand in the light of his honour how will
may take his full scope and deny his backe and belly nothing but he that hath once conceiued that blessed burden whereof Samson was a type must be strict and seuere to himselfe neither his tongue nor his palat nor his hand may run riot Those pleasures which seemed not vnseemly for the multitude are now debarred him We borrow more names of our Sauiour then one As we are Christians so we are Nazarites the consecration of our God is vpon our heads and therefore our very haire should be holy Our appetite must be curbed our passions moderated and so estranged from the world that in the losse of parents or childreÌ„ nature may not make vs forget grace What doth the loosenesse of vain men perswade them that God is not curious when they see him thus precisely ordering the very diet of his Nazarits Nature pleads for liberty religion for restraint not that there is more vncleannes in the grape then in the fountain but that wine findes more vncleannesse in vs then water and that the high feed is not so fit for deuotion as abstinence Who sees not a cerâ—mony in this coÌ„mand which yet carries with it this substance of euerlasting vse that God and the belly will not admit of one seruant that quaffing cramming is not the way to heauen A drunken Nazarite is a monster among men Wee haue now more scope then the ancient not drinking of wine but drunkennesse with wine is forbidden to the Euangelicall Nazarite wine wherein is excesse Oh that euer Christians should quench the Spirit of God with a liquour of Gods own making that they should suffer their hearts to be drowned with wine and should so liue as if the practise of the Gospell were quite contrary to the rule of the Law The mother must conceiue the only Giant of Israel and yet must drinke but water neither must the childe touch any other cup. Neuer wine made so strong a Champion as water did here The power of nourishment is not in the creatures but in their Maker Daniel and his three companions kept their complexion with the same diet wherwith Samson got his strength he that gaue that power to the grape can giue it to the streame O God how iustly doe we raise our eyes from our tables vnto thee which canst make water nourish and wine enfeeble vs Samson had not a better mother then Manoah had a wife she hides not the good newes in her owne bosome but imparts it to her husband That wife hath learned to make a true vse of her head which is euer ready to consult with him about the messages of God If she were made for his helper hee is much more hers Thus should good women make amends for their first offence that as Eue no sooner had receiued an ill motion but she deliuered it to her husband so they should no sooner receiue good then they should impart it Manoah like one which in those lewd times had not lost his acquaintance with God so soone as he heares the newes fals downe vpon his knees I doe not heare him call forth and addresse his seruants to all the coasts of heauen as the children of the Prophets did in the search of Elias to finde out the messenger but I see him rather look straight vp to that God which sent him My Lord I pray thee let that man of God come againe As a straight line is the shortest the neerest cut to any blessing is to goe by heauen As we may not sue to God and neglect meanes so we must sue to God for those meanes which we shall vse When I see the strength of Manoahs faith I maruell not that he had a Samson to his sonne he saw not the messenger hee heard not the errand hee examined not the circumstances yet now he takes thought not whether he shall haue a sonne but how hee shall order the sonne which he must haue and sues to God not for the son which as yet he had not but for the direction of gouerning him when he should be Zachariah heard the same message and crauing a signe lost that voice wherewith he craued it Manoah seeks no signe for the promise but counsell for himselfe and yet that Angell spake to Zachary himselfe this onely to the wife of Manoah that in the Temple like a glorious spirit this in the house or field like some Prophet or Traueller that to a Priest this to a Woman All good men haue not equall measures of faith The bodies of men haue not more differences of stature then their graces Credulity to men is faulty and dangerous but in the matters of God is the greatest vertue of a Christian Happy are they that haue not seene yet beleeued True faith takes all for granted yea for performed which is once promised He that before sent his Angell vnasked will much more send him againe vpon intreaty those heauenly messengers are ready both to obey their Maker and to relieue his children Neuer any man prayed for direction in his duties to God and was repulsed rather will God send an Angell from heauen to instruct vs then our good desires shall be frustrate Manoah prayed the Angell appeared againe not to him but to his wife It had been the shorter way to haue come first to the man whose prayers procured his presence But as Manoah went directly and immediatly to God so God comes mediately about to him and wil make her the meanes to beare the message to her husband who must beare him the sonne Both the blessing and the charge are chiefly meant to her It was a good care of Manoah when the Angell had giuen order to his wife alone for the gouerning of the childes diet to proffer himselfe to this charge How shall we order the child As both the Parents haue their part in the being of their childreÌ„ so should they haue in their educatioÌ„ it is both vnreasonable vnnatural in husbands to cast this burdeÌ„ vpon the weaker vessel alone it is no reason that she which alone hath had the pain of their birth should haue the pain of their breeding Though the charge be renued to the wife yet the speech is directed to the husbaÌ„d the act must be hers his must be the ouersight Let her obserue all I cammanded her The head must ouer-look the body it is the duty of the husband to be carefull that the wife doe her duty to God As yet Manoah saw nothing but the out-side of a man and therefore offers the Angell an answerable entertainement wherein there is at once Hospitality Thankfulnesse No man shall bring him good newes from God and goe away vnrecompenced How forward he is to feast him whom he tooke for a Prophet their feet should be so much more beautifull that bring vs newes of saluation by how much their errand is better That Manoah might learne to acknowledge God in this man he sets off the proffer of his thankfulnesse from
fore-seeing that which hee should not bee able to auoid Foolish men giue away their soules for nothing The itch of impertinent and vnprofitable knowledge hath beene the hereditary disease of the sonnes of Adam Eue How many haue perished to know that which hath procured their perishing How ambitious should wee bee to know those things the knowledge whereof is eternall Life Many a lewd Office are they put to which serue wicked Masters one while Sauls seruants are set to kill innocent Dauid another while to shed the bloud of Gods Priests and now they must goe seeke for a Witch It is no small happinesse to attend them from whom we may receiue precepts and examples of vertue Had Saul beene good hee had needed no disguise Honest actions neuer shame the doers Now that hee goeth about a sinfull businesse hee changeth himselfe hee seekes the shelter of the night hee takes but two followers with him It is true that if Saul had come in the port of a King the Witch had as much dissembled her condition as now hee dissembleth his yet it was not onely desire to speed but guiltinesse that thus altered his habit such is the power of conscience that euen those who are most affected to euill yet are ashamed to be thought such as they desire to be Saul needed another face to fit that tongue which should say Coniecture to me by the familiar spirit and bring me vp whom I shall name vnto thee An obdurate heart can giue way to any thing NOTVVITHSTANDING the peremptory edict of Saul there are still Witches in Israel Neither good Lawes nor carefull executions can purge the Church from Malefactors There will still bee some that will ieopard their heads vpon the grossest sinnes No Garden can be so curiously tended that there should not bee one Weed left in it Yet so farre can good Statutes and due inflictions of punishment vpon offenders preuaile that mischieuous persons are glad to pull in their heads and dare not doe ill but in disguise and darknesse It is no small aduantage of Iustice that it affrights sinne if it cannot be expelled As contrarily wofull is the condition of that place where is a publike profession of wickednesse This Witch was no lesse crafty than wicked shee had before as is like bribed Officers to escape inditement lurke in secrecy and now shee will not worke her feares without securitie her suspition proiects the worst Wherefore seekest thou to take wee in a snare to cause mee to dye Oh vaine Sorceresse that could bee wary us auoid the punishment of Saul carelesse to auoid the iudgment of God Could wee fore-thinke what our sinne would cost vs wee durst not but be innocent This is a good and seasonable answer for vs to make vnto Satan when hee sollicites vs to euill wherefore seekest thou to take mee in a snare to cause mee to dye Nothing is more sure than this intention in the tempter than this euent in the issue Oh that wee could but so much feare the eternall paines as wee doe the temporary and bee but so carefull to saue our soules from torment as our bodies No sooner hath Saul sworne her safetie than shee addresseth her to her Sorcery Hope of impunitie drawes on sinne with boldnesse were it not for the delusions of false promises Satan should haue no Clients Could Saul be so ignorant as to thinke that Magick had power ouer Gods deceased Saints to rayse them vp yea to call them downe from their rest Time was when Saul was among the Prophets And yet now that he is in the impure lodge of Deuils how senselesse hee is to say Bring me vp Samuel It is no rare thing to lose euen our wit and iudgement together with graces How iustly are they giuen ouer to fottishnesse that haue giuen themselue ouer to sinne The Sorceresse it seemes exercising her coniurations in a roome apart is informed by her Familiar who it was that set her on worke shee can therefore finde time in the midst of her Exorcismes to binde the assurance of her owne safetie by expostulation She cryed with a loud voyce why hast thou deceiued mee for thou art Saul The very name of Saul was an accusation Yet is he so farre from striking his brest that doubting lest this feare of the Witch should interrupt the desired worke hee encourages her whom hee should haue condemned Be not afraid Hee that had more cause to feare for his owne sake in an expectation of iust iudgment cheeres vp her that feared nothing but himselfe How ill doth it become vs to giue that counsell to others whereof wee haue more neede and vse in our owne persons As one that had more care to satisfie his curiositie than her suspicion hee askes what sawest thou Who would not haue looked that Sauls haire should haue stared on his head to heare of a spirit raised His sinne hath so hardened him that hee rather pleases himselfe in it which hath nothing in it but horror So farre is Satan content to descend to the seruice of his seruants that hee will approue his fained obedience to their very outward sences What forme is so glorious that hee either cannot or dare not vndertake Here Gods ascend out of the Earth Else-where Satan transformes him into an Angell of light What wonder is it that his wicked Instruments appeare like Saints in their hypocriticall dissimulation if wee will bee iudging by the appearance wee shall bee sure to erre No eye could distinguish betwixt the true Samuell and a false spirit Saul who was well worthy to bee deceiued seeing those gray haires and that Mantle inclines himselfe to the ground and bowes himselfe He that would not worship God in Samuel aliue now worships Samuel in Satan and no maruell Satan was now become his refuge in steed of God his vrim was darknesse his Prophet a Ghost Euery one that consults with Satan worships him though hee bow not neither doth that euill spirit desire any other reuerence than to be sought to How cunningly doth Satan resemble not onely the habit and gesture but the language of Samuel Wherefore hast thou disquieted me and wherefore dost thou aske of mee seeing the Lord is gone from thee and is thine enemy Nothing 〈…〉 pleasing to that euill one than to be solicited yet in the person of Samuel hee can say Why hast thou disquitted wâ—â—e Had not the Lord beene gone from Saul hee had neuer coâ—ne to the Deuillish Oracle of Endor and yet the counterfetting spirit can say Why dost thou arke of 〈◊〉 seeing the Lord is gone from thee Satan cares not how little hee is knowne to bee himselfe he loues to passe vnder any sonne rather than his owne The more holy the person is the more carefully doth Satan act him that by his stale hee may ensnare vs. In euery motion it is good to try the spirits whether they be of God Good words are no meanes to distinguish a Prophet from a Deuill
them either the blessings or crosses of their parents To heare what his sonne should bee before he was to heare that hee should haue such a sonne A sonne whose birth should concerne the ioy of many A sonne that should be great in the sight of the Lord A sonne that should bee sacred to God filled with God beneficiall to man An harbinger to him that was God and man was newes enough to preuent the Angell and to take away that tongue with amasement which was after lost with incredulity The speech was so good that it sound not a sudden beliefe This good newes surprised Zacharie If the intelligence had taken leisure that his thoughts might haue had time to debate the matter hee had easily apprehended the infinite power of him that had promised the patterne of Abraham and Sara and would soone haue concluded the appearance of the Angell more miraculous than his prediction Whereas now like a man maskered with the strangenesse of that he saw and heard hee misdoubts the message and askes How shall I know Nature was on his side and alledged the impossibility of the euent both from age and barrennesse Supernaturall tidings at the first hearing astonish the heart and are entertained with doubts by those which vpon further acquaintance giue them the best wel-come The weake apprehensions of our imperfect faith are not so much to be censured as pittied It is a sure way for the heart to bee preuented with the assurance of the omnipotent power of God to whom nothing is impossible so shall the hardest points of faith goe downe easily with vs If the eye of our mind looke vpward it shall meete with nothing to auert or interrupt it but if right forward or downeward or round about euery thing is a blocke in our way There is a difference betwixt desire of assurance and vnbeliefe wee cannot bee too carefull to raise vp to our selues arguments to settle our faith although it should be no faith if it had no feete to stand vpon but discursiue In matters of faith if reasons may bee brought for the conuiction of the gaine-sayers it is well if they bee helpes they cannot be grounds of our beliefe In the most faithfull heart there are some sparkes of infidelity so to belieue that we should haue no doubt at all is scarse incident into flesh and bloud It is a great perfection if wee haue attained to ouercome our doubts What did mis-leade Zacharie but that which vses to guide others Reason I am old and my wife is of great age As if yeares and drie loynes could be any let to him which is able of very stones to raise vp children vnto Abraham Faith and reason haue their limits where reason ends faith begins and if reason will be encroching vpon the bounds of faith she is streight taken captiue by infidelity Wee are not fit to follow Christ if wee haue not denied our selues and the chiefe peece of our selues is our reason Wee must yeeld God able to doe that which we 〈◊〉 comprehend and we must 〈◊〉 that by 〈◊〉 faith which is disclâ—â—med by reason Hagar must be driuen out of doores that Sara may rule alone The authoritie of the reporter makes way for beliefe in things which are otherwise hard to passe although in the matters of God we should not so much care who speakes as what is spoken and from whom The Angell tels his name place office vnasked that Zacharie might noâ— thinke any newes impossible that was brought him by an heauenly messenger Euen where there is no vse of language the spirits are distinguished by names and each knowes his owne appellation and others Hee that gaue leaue vnto man his image to giue names vnto all his visible and inferiour creatures did himselfe put names vnto the spirituall and as their name is so are they mighty and glorious But lest Zacharie should no lesse doubt of the stile of the messenger than of the errand it selfe He is at once both confirmed and punished with dumbnesse That tongue which mooued the doubt must be tied vp He shall aske no more questions for fortie weekes because he asked this one distrustfully Neither did Zacharie lose his tongue for the time but his eares also he was not only mute but deafe For otherwise when they came to aske his allowance for the name of his Sonne they needed not to haue demanded it by signes but by words God will not passe ouer slight offences and those which may plead the most colourable pretences in his best children without a sensible checke It is not our holy intirenesse with God that can beare vs out in the least sinne yea rather the more acquaintance we haue with his Maiestie the more sure we are of correction when we offend This may procure vs more fauour in our wel-doing not lesse iustice in euill ZACHARIE staied and the people waited whether some longer discourse betwixt the Angell and him than needed to be recorded or whether astonishment at the apparition and newes with-held him I inquire not the multitude thought him long yet though they could but see a farre off they would not depart till hee returned to blesse them Their patient attendance without shames vs that are hardly perswaded to attend within whiles both our senses are imployed in our diuine seruices and wee are admitted to be coagents with our Ministers At last Zacharie comes out speechlesse and more amazes them with his presence than with his delay The eyes of the multitude that were not worthy to see his vision yet see the signes of his vision that the world might be put into the exspectation of some extraordinarie sequell God makes way for his voice by silence His speech could not haue said so much as his dumbnesse Zacharie would faine haue spoken and could not with vs too many are dumbe and need not Negligence Feare Partialitie stop the mouthes of many which shall once say Woe to mee because I held my peace His hand speakes that which he cannot with his tongue and he makes them by signes to vnderstand that which they might reade in his face Those powers we haue we must vse But though he haue ceased to speake yet he ceased not to minister Hee takes not this dumbnesse for a dismission but stayes out the eight daies of his course as one that knew the eyes and hands and heart would be accepted of that God which had bereaued him of his tongue We may not streight take occasions of withdrawing our selues from the publike seruices of our God much lesse vnder the Gospell The Law which stood much vpon bodily perfection dispensed with age for attendance The Gospell which is all for the soule regards those inward powers which whiles they are vigorous exclude all excuses of our ministration The Annuntiation of CHRIST THe Spirit of God was neuer so accurate in any description as that which concernes the Incarnation of God It was 〈◊〉 no circumsâ—â—ncâ— should bee omitted in
that Story whereon the faith and saluation of all the World dependeth Wee cannot so much as doubt of this truth and bee saued no not the number of the moneth not the name of the Angell is concealed Euery particle imports not more certainty than excellence The time is the sixth moneth after Iohns Conception the prime of the Spring Christ was conceiued in the Spring borne in the Solstice Hee in whom the World receiued a new life receiues life in the same season wherein the World receiued his first life from him and hee which stretches out the dayes of his Church and lengthens them to Eternitie appeares after all the short and dimme light of the Law and inlightens the World with his glory The Messenger is an Angell A man was too meane to carry the newes of the Conception of God Neuer any businesse was conceiued in Heauen that did so much concerne the earth as the Conception of the God of Heauen in Wombe of earth No lesse than an Arch-Angell was worthy to beare this tydings and neuer any Angell receiued a greater honour than of this Embassage It was fit our reparation should answer our fall an euill Angell was the first motioner of the one to Eue a Virgin then espoused to Adam in the Garden of Eden A good Angel is the first reporter of the other to Mary a Virgin espoused to Ioseph in that place which as the Garden of Galile had a name from flourishing No good Angel could be the Author of our restauration as that euill Angell was of our ruine But that which those glorious spirits could not doe themselues they are glad to report as done by the God of Spirits Good newes reioyces the bearer With what ioy did this holy Angell bring the newes of that Sauiour in whom wee are redeemed to life himselfe established in life and glory The first Preacher of the Gospell was an Angell that office must needs be glorious that deriues it selfe from such a Predecessor God appointed his Angell to be the first Preacher and hath since called his Preachers Angels The message is well suited An Angell comes to a Virgin Gabriel to Mary He that was by signification the strength of God to her that was by signification exalted by God to the conceiuing of him that was the God of strength To a Maid but espoused a Maid for the honour of Virginitie espoused for the honour of Marriage The marriage was in a sort made not consummate through the instinct of him that meant to make her not an example but a miracle of women In this whole worke God would haue nothing ordinary It was fit that she should be a marryed Virgin which should bee a Virgin-mother Hee that meant to take mans nature without mans corruption would bee the Sonne of man without mans seed would bee the seed of the woman without man and amongst all women of a pure Virgin but amongst Virgins of one espoused that there might be at once a Witnesse and a Guardian of her fruitfull Virginity If the same God had not bin the author of Virginity and Marriage he had neuer countenanced Virginity by Marriage Whither doth this glorious Angell come to finde the Mother of him that was God but to obscure Galile A part which euen the Iewes themselues despised as forsaken of their priuiledges Out of Galile ariseth no Prophet Behold an Angell comes to that Galile out of which no Prophet comes and the God of Prophets and Angels descends to bee conceiued in that Galile out of which no Prophet ariseth He that filleth all places makes no difference of places It is the person which giues honour and priuiledge to the place not the place to the person as the presence of God makes the Heauen the Heauen doth not make the honour glorious No blind corner of Nazareth can hide the blessed Virgin from the Angell The fauours of God will finde out his children wheresoeuer they are with-drawne It is the fashion of God to seeke out the most despised on whom to bestow his honours we cannot runne away as from the iudgements so not from the mercies of our God The cottages of Galile are preferred by God to the famous Palaces of Ierusalem he cares not how homely he conuerse with his owne Why should we be transported with the outward glory of places whiles our God regards it not We are not of the Angels diet if we had not rather be with the blessed Virgin at Nazareth than with the proud Dames in the Court of Ierusalem It is a great vanitie to respect any thing aboue goodnesse and to dis-esteeme goodnesse for any want The Angell salutes the Virgin he prayes not to her Hee salutes her as a Saint he prayes not to her as a Goddesse For vs to salute her as he did were grosse presumption For neither are we as he was neither is she as she was If he that was a spirit saluted her that was flesh and bloud here on earth it is not for vs that are flesh and bloud to salute her which is a glorious spirâ—t in Heauen For vs to pray to her in the Angels salutation were to abuse the Virgin the Angell the Salutation But how gladly doe we second the Angell in the praise of her which was more ours than his How iustly doe we blesse her whom the Angell pronounceth blessed How worthily is she honoured of men whom the Angell proclaimeth beloued of God O blessed Mary hee cannot blesse thee he cannot honour thee too much that deifies thee not That which the Angell said of thee thou hast prophesied of thy selfe we beleeue the Angell and thee All Generations shall call thee blessed by the fruit of whose wombe all Generations are blessed If Zachary were amazed with the sight of this Angell much more the Virgin That very Sex hath more disaduantage of feare if it had bin but a man that had come to her in that secrecie and suddennesse she could not but haue bin troubled how much more when the shining glory of the person doubled the astonishment The troubles of holy mindes end euer in comfort Ioy was the errand of the Angell and not terrour Feare as all passions disquiets the heart and makes it for the time vnfit to receiue the messages of God Soone hath the Angell cleared these rroublesome mists of passions and sent out the beames of heauenly consolation in the remotest corner of her soule by the glad newes of her Sauiour How can ioy but enter into her heart out of whose wombe shall come saluation What roome can feare finde in that brest that is assured of fauour Feare not MARY for thou hast found fauour with God Let those feare who know they are in displeasure or know not they are gracious Thine happy estate cals for confidence and that confidence for ioy What should what can they feare who are fauoured of him at whom the Deuils tremble Not the presence of the good Angels but the temptations of the euill
admission surely our iudgment shall be so much the greater by how much better we know whom we haue excluded What doe we cry shame on the Bethleemites whilest we are wilfully more churlish more vnthankfull There is no roome in my heart for the wonder at this humility He for whom heauen is too strait whom the heauen of heauens cannot containe lâ—es in the strait cabbin of the wombe and when he would inlarge himselfe for the world is not allowed the roome of an Inne The many mansions of heauen were at his disposing the earth was his and the fulnes of it yet he suffers himselfe to be refused of a base cottage and complaineth not What measure should discontent vs wretched men when thou O God farest thus from thy creatures How should we learne both to want and abound from thee which abounding with the glory and riches of heauen wouldest want a lodging in thy first welcome to the earth Thou camest to thine owne aâ— thy owne receiued thee not How can it trouble vs to be reiected of the world which is not ours what wonder is it if thy seruants wandred abroad in sheeps skins and goats skins destitute and afflicteth when their Lord is denied harbour how should all the world blush at this indignity of Bethleem He that came to saue men is sent for his first lodging to the beasts The stable it become his Inne the cratch his bed O strange cradle of that great King which heauen it selfe may enuy O Sauiour thou that wert both the Maker and Owner of heauen of earth couldst haue made thee a Palace without hands couldst haue commanded thee an empty roome in those houses which thy creatures had made When thou didst but bid the Angels auoid their first place they fell downe form heauen like lightning and when in thine humbled estate thou didst but say I am he who was able to stand before thee How easie had it bin for thee to haue made place for thy selfe in the throngs of the stateliest Courts Why couldest thou be thus homely but that by conteÌ„ning worldly glories thou mightst teach vs to contemne them that thou mightst sanctifie pouerty to them whom thou callest vnto want that since thou which hadst the choice of all earthly conditions wouldst be borne poore and despised those which must want out of necessity might not thinke their pouerty grieuous Here was neither friend to entertaine nor seruant to attend nor place wherein to be attended onely the poore beasts gaue way to the God of al the world It is the great mystery of godlines that God was manifested in the flesh and seene of Angels but here which was the top of all wonders the very beasts might see their Maker For those spirits to see God in the flesh it was not so strange as for the brute creatures to see him which was the God of spirits He that would be led into the wildernesse amongst wilde beasts to be tempted would come into the house of beasts to be borne that from the height of his diuine glory his humiliation might be the greater How can we be abased low enough for thee O Sauiour that hast thus neglected thy selfe for vs That the visitation might be answerable to the homelines of the place attendants prouision who shal come to congratulate his birth but poore shepherds The kings of the earth rest at home and haue no summons to attend him by whom they reigne God hath chosen the weake things of the world to confound the mighty In an obscure time the night vnto obscure men shepherds doth God manifest the light of his Son by glorious Angels It is not our meannesse O God that can exclude vs from the best of thy mercies yea thus far dost thou respect persons that thou hast put downe the mighty and exalted them of low degree If these shepherds had beene snorting in their beds they had no more seene Angels nor heard newes of their Sauior than their neighbours Their vigilancy is honored with this heauenly vision those which are industrious in any calling are capable of further blessings whereas the idle are fit for nothing but temptation No lesse than a whole Chore of Angels are worthy to sing the hymne of Glory to God for the incarnation of his Sonne What ioy is enough for vs whose nature he tooke and whom he came to restore by his incarnation If we had the tonges of Angels we could not raise this note high enough to the praise of our glorious Redeemer No sooner doe the shepherds heare the newes of a Sauiour than they run to Bethleem to seek him Those that left their beds to tend their flocks leaue their flocks to inquire after their Sauior No earthly thing is too deare to be forsaken for Christ If we suffer any worldly occasioÌ„ to stay vs froÌ„ Bethleem we care more for our sheep than our soules It is not possible that a faithful heart should heare where Christ is not labour to the sight to the fruition of him Where art thou O Sauiour but at home in thine owne house in the assembly of thy Saints Where art thou to be found but in thy Word and Sacraments yea there thou seekest for vs if there we haste not to seeke for thee we are worthy to want thee worthy that our want of thee here should make vs want the presence of thy face for euer The Sages and the Starre THe shepherds and rhe cratâ—h accorded well yet euen they saw nothing which they might not contemne neither was there any of those shepherds that seemed not more like a king than that King whom they came to see But oh the Diuine Maiesty that shined in this basenes There lies the Babe in the stable crying in the manger whom the Angels came downe from heauen to proclaime whom the Sages come from the East to adore whom an heauenly Star notifies to the world that now men might see that heauen and earth serues him-that neglected himselfe Those lights that hang low are not far seene but those which are high placed are equally seene in the remotest distances Thy light ô Sauiour was no lesse than heauenly The East saw that which Bethleem might haue seene oft times those which are neerest in place are farthest off in affection Large obiects when they are too close to the eie doe so ouer-fill the sense that they are not discerned What a shame is this to Bethleem the Sages came out of the East to worship him whom that village refused The Bethleemites were Iewes The wise-men Gentiles This first entertainment of Christ was a prâ—sage of the sequell The Gentiles shall come from far to adore Christ whiles the Iewes reiect him Those Easterlings were great searchers of the depths of nature professed Philosophers them hath God singled out to the honor of the manifestation of Christ Humane learning well improued makes vs capable of diuine There is no knowledge wherof God is not the Author he would neuer haue
rather choke than nourish vs Let him withdraw his hand from his creature in their greatest abundance wee perish Why doe we therefore bend our eyes on the meanes and not looke vp to the hand that giues the blessing What so necesary dependance hath the blessing vpon the creature if our Prayers hold them not together As wee may not neglect the meanes so wee may not neglect the procurement of a blessing vpon the meanes nor bee vnthankfull to the hand that hath giuen the blessing In the first assault Sathan moues Christ to doubt of his Fathers Prouidence and to vse vnlawfull meanes to help himselfe in the next hee moues him to presume vpon his Fathers protection and the seruice of his blessed Angels Hee grounds the first vpon a conceit of want the next of abundance If hee be in extreames it is all to one end to misleade vnto euill If wee cannot be driuen drowne to despayre he labours to lift vs vp to presumption It is no one foyle 〈…〉 put this bold spirit out of countenance Temptations like waues breake one in the â—eke of another Whilâ—â— wee are in this warfare wee must make account that the repulse of one temptation doth but more to another That blessed Sauiour of ours that was content to bee led from Iordan into the Wildernesse for the aduantage of the first temptation yeelds to bee 〈◊〉 from the Wildernesse to Ierusalem for the aduantage of the second The place doth not a little auayle to the act The Wildernesse was fit for a temptation ariâ— from want it was not fit for a temptation mouing to vain-glory The populous Citie was the fittest for such a motion Ierusalem was the glory of the World the Temple was the glory of Ierusalem the Pinacles the highest peace of the Pinacle there is Christ content to be set for the opportunitie of tentation O Sauiour of men how can wee wonder enough at this humilitie of thine that thou worthless so fâ—rre abasâ— thy selfe as to suffer thy pure and sacred Body to bee transported by the presumptuous and malicious hand of that vncleane spirit It was not his power it was thy patience that deserues our admiration Neyther can this seeme 〈◊〉 strange to vs when wee consider that if Sathan bee the head of wicked men wicked men 〈◊〉 the members of Sathan What was Pilate or the Iewes that persecuted thine innocence but limmes of this Deuill and why are wee then amazed to see thee touched and locally transported by the head whe wee see thee yeelding thy selfe ouer to bee crucified by the members If Sathan did the worke and greater mediately by their hands no maruell if hee doe the lesse and easier immediately by his owne yet neyther of them without thy voluntary dispensation Hee could not 〈◊〉 looked nâ— thee without thee And if the Sonne of God did thus suffer his owne holy and precious Bodie to bee carryed by Sathan what wonder is it if that Enemie haue sometimes power giuen him ouer the sinnefull bodies of the adopted Sonnes of God It is not the strength of faith that can secure vs from the outward violences of that euill one This difference I finde betwixt his spirituall and bodily assaults those are beaten backe by the shield of faith there aduise not of such repulse As the best man may bee lame blinde diseased so through the permission of God hee may bee bodily vexed by an old Maâ—yer Grace was neuer giuen vs for a Target against externall afflictions Mee thinkes I see Christ hoysed vpon the highest Battlements of the Temple whose very roofe was an hundred and thirty Cubits high and Sathan standing by him with this speech in his mouth Well then since in the matter of nourishments thou will needs depend vpon thy Fathers Prouidence that hee can without meanes sustaine thee take now further trial of that Prouidence in thy miraculous preseruation Cast thy selfe downe from this height Behold thou art hereiin Ierusalem the famous and holy Citie of the World here thou art on the top of the pinacle of that Temple which is dedicated to thy Father and if thou bee God to thy selfe the eyes of all men are now fixt vpon thee there cannot bee deuised a more ready way to spred thy glory and to proclaime thy Deitie than by casting thy selfe head long to the Earth All the World will say there is more in thee than a man and for danger there can bee none What can hurt him that is the Sonne of God and wherefore serues that glorious Guard of Angels which haue by diuine Commission taken vpon them the charge of thine humanity since therefore in contract them mayest bee both safe and celebrated trust thy Father and those thy seruiceable spirits with thine assured preseruation Cast thy selfe downe And why didst thou not O thou malignant spirit endeuour to cast downe my Sauiour by those same presumptuous hands that brought him vp since the descent is more easie than the raysing vp was it for that it had not beene so great an aduantage to thee that hee should fall by thy meanes as by his owne falling into sinne was more than to fall from the pinacle still thy care and suite is to make vs Anâ— to our selues of euill thou gainest nothing by our bodily hurt if the soule bee safe Or was it rather for that thou couldst not I doubt not but thy malice could as well haue serued to haue offered this measure to himselfe as to his holy Apostle soone after but hee that bounded thy power tether'd thee shorter Thou couldst not thou canst not doe what thou wouldst He that would permit thee to carrie him vp binds thy hands from casting him downe And woe were it for vs if thou werâ— not euer stinted Why did Satan carry vp Christ so high but on purpose that his fall might bee the more deadly so deales hee still with vs he exalts vs that wee may bee dangerously abased Hee puffs them vp with swelling thoughts of their owne worthinesse that they may bee vile in the eyes of God and fall into condemnation It is the manner of God to cast downe that hee may raise to abase that hee may exalt Contrarily Satan raises vp that he may throw downe and intends nothing but our deiection in our aduancement Height of place giues opportunity of tentation Thus busie is that wicked one in working against the members of Christ If any of them bee in eminence aboue others those hee labours most to ruinate They had need to stand fast that stand high Both there is more danger of their falling and more hurt in their fall Hee that had presumed thus farre to tempt the Lord of Life would faine now draw him also to presume vpon his Deitie If thou bee the Sonne of God cast thy selfe downe There is not a more tryed shaft in all his quiuer than this a perswasion to men to beare themselues too bold vpon the fauour of God Thou art the Elect and Redeemed
of God sinne because grace hath abounded sinne that it may abound Thou art safe enough though thou offend bee not too much an aduersarie to thine owne liberty False spirit it is no libertie to sinne but seruitude rather there is no libertie but in the freedome from sinne Euery one of vs that hath the hope of Sonnes must purge himselfe euen as hee is pure that hath redeemed vs Wee are bought with a price therefore must wee glorifie God in our bodies and spirits for they are Gods Our Sonne-ship teaches vs awe and obedience and therefore because wee are Sonnes wee will not cast our selues downe into sinne How idlely doe Satan and wicked men measure God by the crooked line of their owne misconceit Ywis Christ cannot bee the Sonne of God vnlesse he cast himselfe downe from the Pinacle vnlesse hee come downe from the Crosse God is not mercifull vnlesse he honour them in all their desires not iust vnlesse hee take speedie vengeance where they require it But when they haue spent their folly vpon these vaine imaginations Christ is the Sonne of God though hee stay on the top of the Temple God will be mercifull though wee mis-carry and iust though sinners seeme lawlesse Neither will hee bee any other than hee is or measured by any rule but him selfe But what is this I see Satan himselfe with a Bible vnder his arme with a Text in his mouth It is written Hee shall giue his Angels charge ouer thee How still in that wicked One doth subtilty striue with Presumption Who could not but ouer-wonder at this if hee did not consider that since the Deuill dare to touch the sacred Body of Christ with his hand hee may well touch the Scriptures of God with his tongue Let no man henceforth maruell to heare Heretikes or Hypocrites quote Scriptures when Satan himselfe hath not spared to cite them what are they the worse for this more than that holy Body which is transported Some haue beene poysoned by their meates and drinks yet either these nourish vs or nothing It is not the Letter of the Scripture that can carry it but the Sence if wee diuide these two wee prophane and abuse that word wee alledge And wherefore doth this foule spirit vrge a Text but for imitation for preuention and for successe Christ had alledged a Scripture vnto him hee re-alledges Scripture vnto Christ At leastwise hee will counterfeit an imitation of the Sonne of God Neither is it in this alone what one act euer passed the Hand of God which Satan did not apishly attempt to second If wee follow Christ in the outward action with contrary intentions wee follow Satan in following Christ Or perhaps Satan meant to maâ—e Christ hereby weary of this weapon As wee see fashions when they are taken vp of the Vnworthy are cast off by the Great It was doubtlesse one cause why Christ afterward forbad the Deuill euen to confesse the Truth because his mouth was a flander But chiefly doth he this for a better colour of his tentation Hee gâ—ds ouer this false mettall with Scripture that it may passe current Euen now is Satan transformed into an Angell of light and will seeme godly for a mischiefe If Hypocrites make a faire shew to deceiue with a glorious lustre of holinesse wee see whence they borrowed it How many thousand soules are betrayed by the abuse of what word whose vse is soueraigne and sauing No Deuill is so dangerous as the religious Deuill If good meate turne to the nourishment not of nature but of the disease wee may not forbeare to feed but indeauour to purge the body of those euill humours which cause the stomach to worke against it selfe O God thou that hast giuen vs light giue vs cleare and sound eyes that we may take comfort of that light thou hast giuen vs Thy Word is holy make our hearts so and than shall they finde that Word not more true than cordiall Let not this diuine Table of thine bee made a snare to our soules What can bee a better act than to speake Scripture It were a wonder if Satan should doe a good thing well He cites Scripture then but with mutilation and distortion it comes not out of his mouth but maymed and peruerted One peece is left out all mis-applyed Those that wrest or mangle Scripture for their owne turne it is easie to see from what Schoole they come Let vs take the word from the Authour not from the Vsurper Dauid would not doubt to eate that sheepe which hee pulled out of the mouth of the Beare or Lyon Hee shall giue his Angels charge ouer thee Oh comfortable assurance of our protection Gods children neuer goe vnattended Like vnto great Princes wee walke euer in the midst of our guard though inuisible yet true carefull powerfull What creatures are so glorious as the Angels of heauen yet their Maker hath set them to serue vs Our adoption makes vs at once great and safe Wee may bee contemptible and ignominious in the eyes of the world but the Angels of God obserue vs the while and scorne not to wait vpon vs in our homeliest occasions The Sunne or the light may wee keepe out of our houses the aire we cannot much lesse these Spirits that are more simple and immateriall No walls no bolts can seuer them from our sides they accompany vs in dungeons they goe with vs into our exile How can wee either feare danger or complaine of solitarinesse whiles wee haue so vnseparable so glorious Companions Is our Sauiour distasted with Scripture because Satan misse-layes it in his dish Doth he not rather snatch this sword out of that impure hand and beat Satan with the weapon which he abuseth It is written Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God The Scripture is one as that God whose it is Where it carryes an appearance of difficultie or inconuenience it needs no light to cleare it but that which it hath in it selfe All doubts that may arise from it are fully answered by collation It is true that God hath taken this care and giuen this charge of his owne hee will haue them kept not in their sinnes they may trust him they may not tempt him here meant to incourage their faith not their presumption To cast our selues vpon an immediate prouidence when meanes faile not is to disobey in stead of beleeuing God we may challenge God on his Word wee may not straine him beyond 〈◊〉 wee may make account of what hee promised wee may not subiect his promises to vniust â—â—minations and where no need is make triall of his Power Iustice Mercy by deuises of our owne All the Deuils in hell could not elude the force of this diuine answer and now Satan sees how vainely hee tempteth Christ to tempt God Yet againe for all this doe I see him setting vpon the Sonne of God Satan is not foyled when he is resisted neither diffidence nor presumption can fasten vpon Christ he shall
reiected as ill onely Hushaies was allowed for better he can liue no longer now that he is beaten at his owne weapon this alone is cause enough to saddle his Asse and to goe home and put the halter about his owne necke Pride causes men both to misinterpret disgraces and to ouer-rate them Now is Dauids prayer heard Achitophels counsell is turned into foolishnesse Desperate Achitophel what if thou be not the wisest man of all Israel Euen those that haue not attained to the hiest pitch of wisedome haue found contentment in a mediocrity what if thy counsell were despised A wise man knowes to liue happily in spight of an vniust contempt what madnesse is this to reuenge another mans reputation vpon thy selfe And whiles thou striuest for the highest roome of wisedome to runne into the grossest extremitie of folly Worldly wisedome is no protection from shame and ruine How easily may a man though naturally wise be made weary of life A little paine a little shame a little losse a small affront can soone rob a man of all comfort and cause his owne hands to rob him of himselfe If there were not higher respects then the world can yeeld to maintaine vs in being it should be a miracle if indignation did not kill more then disease now that God by whose appointment we liue here for his most wise and holy purposes hath found meanes to make life sweet and death terrible What a mixture doe we find here of wisedome and madnesse Achitophel will needs hang himselfe there is madnesse He will yet set his house in order there is an act of wisedome And could it be possible that hee who was so wise as to set his house in order should be so mad as to hang himselfe That he should bee carefull to order his house who regarded not to order his impotent passions That hee should care for his house who cared not for either body or soule How vaine it is for a man to be wise if he be not wise in God How preposterous are the cares of idle worldlings that preferre all other things to themselues and whiles they looke at what they haue in their cofers forget what they haue in their breasts The Death of ABSALOM THE same God that raised enmity to Dauid from his owne loynes procured him fauour from forainers Strangers shall releiue him whom his owne sonne persecutes Here is not a losse but an exchange of loue Had Absalom beene a sonne of Ammon and Shobi a sonne of Dauid Dauid had found no cause of complaint If God take with one hand he giues with another whiles that diuine bounty serues vs in good meat though not in our owne dishes we haue good reason to be thankfull No sooner is Dauid come to Mahanaim then Barzillai Machir and Shobi refresh him with prouisions Who euer saw any child of God left vtterly destitute Whosoeuer be the messenger of our aide we know whence he comes Heauen shall want power and earth meanes before any of the houshold of faith shall want maintenance He that formerly was forced to imploy his armes for his defence against a tyrannous father in law must now buckle them on against an vnnaturall sonne Now therefore he musters his men and ordaines his Commanders and marshalls his troupes and since their loyall importunity will not allow the hazard of his person he at once incourages them by his eye and restraines them with his tongue Deale gently with the yong man Absalom for my sake How vnreasonably fauourable are the warres of a father O holy Dauid what meanes this ill placed loue this vniust mercy Deale gently with a Traitor but of all traitors with a Sonne of all sonnes with an Absalom the gracelesse dareling of so good a father and all this for thy sake whose Crowne whose blood he hunts after For whose sake should Absalom be pursued if he must be forborne for thine He was still courteous to thy followers affable to sutors plausible to all Israel onely to thee he is cruell Wherefore are those armes if the cause of the quarrell must be a motiue of mercy Yet thou saist Deale gently with the yong man Absalom for my sake Euen in the holiest Parents nature may bee guilty of an iniurious tendernesse of a bloody indulgence Or whether shall we not rather thinke this was done in type of that vnmeasurable mercy of the true King and redeemer of Israel who prayed for his persecutors for his murderers and euen whiles they were at once scorning and killing him could say Father forgiue them for they know not what they doe If wee bee sonnes we are vngracious wee are rebellious yet still is our heauenly Father thus compassionately regardfull of vs Dauid was not sure of the successe there was great inequality in the number Absaloms forces were more then double to his It might haue come to the contrary issue that Dauid should haue beene forced to say Deale gently with the Father of Absalom but in a supposition of that victory which only the goodnesse of his cause bade him hope for hee saith Deale gently with the yong man Absalom As for vs we are neuer but vnder mercy our God needes no aduantages to sweepes vs from the earth any moment yet hee continues that life and those powers to vs whereby wee prouoke him and bids his Angels deale kindly with vs and beare vs in their armes whiles wee lift vp our hands and bend our tongues against heauen O mercie past the comprehension of all finite spirits and onely to be conceiued by him whose it is Neuer more resembled by any earthly affection then by this of his Deputy and Type Deale gently with the young man Absalom for my sake The battell is ioyned Dauids followers are but an handfull to Absaloms How easily may the fickle multitude bee transported to the wrong side What they wanted in abettors is supplied in the cause Vnnaturall ambition drawes the sword of Absalom Dauids a necessary and iust defence They that in simplicity of heart followed Absalom cannot in malice of heart persecute the father of Absalom with what courage could any Israelite draw his sword against a Dauid or on the other side who can want courage to fight for a righteous Soueraigne and father against the conspiracie of a wicked son The God of Hosts with whom it is all one to saue with many or with few takes part with iustice and lets Israel feele what it is to beare armes for a traiterous vsurper The sword deuours twenty thousand of them and the wood deuoures more then the sword It must needs be a very vniuersall rebellion wherein so many perished What vertue or merits can assure the hearts of the vulgar when so gracious a Prince finds so many reuolters Let no man looke to prosper by rebellion the very thickets and stakes and pits and wild beasts of the wood shall conspire to the punishment of traitors Amongst the rest see how a fatall Oke hath singled
willing their torment they may be made most sensible of paine and by the obedible submission of their created nature wrought vpon immediately by their appointed tortures Besides the very horrour which ariseth from the place whereto they are euerlastingly confined For if the incorporeall spirits of liuing men may bee held in a loathed or painfull body and conceiue sorrow to bee so imprisoned Why may wee not as easily yeeld that the euill spirits of Angels or men may be held in those direfull flames and much more abhorre therein to continue for euer Tremble rather O my soule at the thought of this wofull condition of the euill Angels who for one onely act of Apostasie from God are thus perpetually tormented whereas we sinfull wretches multiply many and presumptuous offences against the Maiestie of our God And withall admire and magnifie that infinite mercy to the miserable generation of man which after this holy seueritie of iustice to the reuolted Angels so graciously forbeares our hainous iniquities and both suffers vs to be free for the time from these hellish torments and giues vs opportunitie of a perfect freedome from them for euer Praise the Lord O my soule and all that is within me praise his holy Name who for giueth all thy sinnes and healeth all thine infirmities Who redeemeth thy life from destruction and crowneth thee with mercy and compassions There is no time wherein the euill spirits are not tormented there is a time wherein they expect to be tormented yet more Art thou come to torment vs before our time They knew that the last Assises are the prefixed terme of their full execution which they also vnderstood to be not yet come For though they knew not when the Day of Iudgement should be a point concealed from the glorious Angels of heauen yet they knew when it should not be and therefore they say Before the time Euen the very euill spirits confesse and fearfully attend a set day of vniuersall Sessions They beleeue lesse then Deuils that either doubt of or deny that day of finall retribution Oh the wonderfull mercy of our God that both to wicked men and spirits respites the vtmost of their torment He might vpon the first instant of the fall of Angels haue inflicted on them the highest extremitie of his vengeance Hee might vpon the first sinnes of our youth yea of our nature haue swept vs away and giuen vs our portion in that fierie lake he stayes a time for both Though with this difference of mercy to vs men that here not onely is a delay but may be an vtter preuention of punishment which to the euill spirits is altogether impossible They doe suffer they must suffer and though they haue now deserued to suffer all they must yet they must once suffer more then they doe Yet so doth this euill spirit expostulate that he sues I beseech thee torment mee not The world is well changed since Satans first onset vpon Christ Then hee could say If thou be the Sonne of God now Iesus the Sonne of the most high God then All these will I giue thee if thou wilt fall downe and worship me now I beseech thee torment mee not The same power when hee lists can change the note of the Tempter to vs How happy are wee that haue such a Redeemer as can command the Deuils to their chaines Oh consider this ye lawlesse sinners that haue said Let vs breake his bonds and cast his cords from vs How euer the Almighty suffers you for a iudgement to haue free scope to euill and ye can now impotently resist the reuealed will of your Creator yet the time shall come when yee shall see the very masters whom ye haue serued the powers of darknesse vnable to auoid the reuenges of God How much lesse shall man striue with his Maker man whose breath is in his nostrils whose house is clay whose foundation is the dust Nature teaches euery creature to wish a freedome from paine the foulest spirits cannot but loue themselues and this loue must needs produce a deprecation of euill Yet what a thing is this to heare the deuill at his prayers I beseech thee torment me not Deuotion is not guilty of this but feare There is no grace in the suit of Deuils but nature no respect of glory to their Creator but their owne ease They cannot pray against sinne but against torment for sinne What newes is it now to heare the profanest mouth in extremitie imploring the Sacred Name of God when the Deuils doe so The worst of all creatures hates punishment and can say Lead me not into paine onely the good heart can say Leade mee not into temptation If wee can as heartily pray against sinne for the auoiding of displeasure as against punishment when wee haue displeased there is true grace in the soule Indeed if wee could feruently pray against sinne we should not need to pray against punishment which is no other then the inseparable shadow of that bodie but if we haue not laboured against our sins in vaine doe wee pray against punishment God must be iust and the wages of sinne is death It pleased our holy Sauiour not onely to let fall words of command vpon this spirit but to interchange some speeches with him All Christs actions are not for example It was the errour of our Grand-mother to hold chat with Satan That God who knowes the craft of that old Serpent and our weake simplicitie hath charged vs not to enquire of an euill spirit surely if the Disciples returning to Iacobs Well wondred to see Christ talke with a woman well may wee wonder to see him talking with an vncleane Spirit Let it be no presumption O Sauiour to aske vpon what grounds thou didst this wherein wee may not follow thee Wee know that sinne was excepted in thy conformitie of thy selfe to vs wee know there was no guile found in thy mouth no possibilitie of taint in thy nature in thine actions Neither is it hard to conceiue how the same thing may bee done by thee without sinne which wee cannot but sinne in doing There is a vast difference in the intention in the Agent For on the one side thou didst not aske the name of the spirit as one that knew not and would learne by inquiring but that by the confession of that mischiefe which thou pleasedst to suffer the grace of the cure might bee the more conspicuous the more glorious so on the other God and man might doe that safely which meere man cannot doe without danger thou mightest touch the leprosie and not be legally vncleane because thou touchedst it to heale it didst not touch it with possibility of infection So mightest thou who by reason of the perfection of thy diuine nature wert vncapable of any staine by the interlocution with Satan safely conferre with him whom corrupt man pre-disposed to the danger of such a parle may not meddle with without sinne because not without perill It is
may well stand with gracelessenesse Many a one would be liberall of their purses if they might be allowed to be niggardly of their obedience As God so his Prophet cares not for these waste courtesies where hee sees maine duties neglected More piety would haue done well with lesse complement The man of God returnes a blunt and peremptory deniall to so bounteous an offer If thou wilt giue me halfe thine house I will not goe in with thee neither will I eate bread or drinke water in this place Kindnesse is more safely done to an Idolater then taken from him that which is done to him obligeth him that which is taken from him obligeth vs his obligation to vs may be an occasion of his good our obligation to him may occasion our hurt the surest way is to keepe aloofe from the infectiously wicked The Prophet is not vnciuill to reiect the fauour of a Prince without some reason He yeelds no reason of his refusall but the command of his God God hath charged him Eate no bread nor drinke no water nor turne againe by the same way that thou camest It is not for a Prophet to plead humane or carnall grounds for the actions of his function He may not moue but vpon a diuine warrant would this Seer haue look't with the eyes of flesh and blood hee might haue found many arguments of his yeeldance He is a King that inuites me his reward by enriching mee may benefit many and who knowes how much my further conuersation may preuaile to reforme him how can he be but well prepared for good counsell by miraculous cute how gainfully should my receit of a temporall courtesie be exchanged with a spirituall to him All Israel will follow him either into Idolatry or reformation which way can be deuised of doing so great seruice to God and the Church as by reclaiming him what can yeeld so great likelihood of his reclamation as the opportunitie of my further entirenesse with him But the Prophet dares not argue cases where hee had a command what euer become of Ieroboam and Israel God must bee obeyed Neither profit nor hopes may carie vs crosse to the word of our Maker How safe had this Seer beene if he had kept him euer vpon this sure ward which he no sooner leaues then he miscaries So deeply doth God detest Idolatry that he forbids his Prophet to eate the bread to drinke the water of a people infected with this sinne yea to tread in those very steps which their feet haue touched If this inhibition were personall yet the grounds of it are common No pestilence should bee more shunned then the conuersation of the mis-religious or openly scandalous It is no thanke to vs if their familiarity doe not enfeoffe vs of their wickednesse I know not what to thinke of an old Prophet that dwels in Bethel within the ayre of Ieroboams Idol within the noyse of his sacrifices that liues where the man of God dares not eate that permitted his sonnes to bee present at that Idolatrous seruice If he were a Prophet of God what did he now in Bethel why did hee winke at the sin of Ieroboam what needed a Seer to come out of Iuda for the reproofe of that sinne which was acted vnder his nose why did he lye why did his family partake with Idolaters If hee were not a Prophet of God how had he true visions how had he true messages from God why did he second the menacing word of that Prophet whom he seduced why did he desire that his owne bones-might be honoured with his Sepulcher Doubtlesse he was a Prophet of God but corrupt restie vicious Prophecie doth not alwayes presuppose sanctification many a one hath had visions from God who shall neuer enioy the vision of God A very Balaam in his extasies hath so cleare a Reuelation of the Messiah to come as scarce euer any of the holiest Prophets yea his very Asse hath both her mouth miraculously opened and her eyes to see and notifie that Angell which was hid from her Master Yea Satan himselfe sometimes receiues notice from God of his future actions which else that euill Spirit could neither foretell nor foresee These kinds of graces are both rare and common rare in that they are seldome giuen to any common in that they are indifferently giuen to the euill and to the good A little holinesse is worth much illumination Whether out of enuy to heare that said by the Seer of Iuda which he either knew not or smothered to heare that done by another which hee could not haue effected and could not choose but admire or whether out of desire to make tryall of the fidelitie of so powerfull a Messenger the old Prophet hastens to ouertake to recall that man of God who had so defied his Bethel whom he finds sitting fame and weary vnder an Oake in the way taking the benefit of that shade which hee hated to receiue from those contagious groues that he had left behinde him His habit easily bewrayed him to a man of his owne trade neither doth his tongue spare to professe himselfe The old Prophet of Bethel inuites him to a returne to a repast and is answered with the same words wherewith Ieroboams offer was repelled The man of God varies not a fyllable from his message It concernes vs to take good heed of our charge when we goe on Gods errand A deniall doth but inuite the importunate what he cannot doe by entreatie the old man tries to doe by perswasion I am a Prophet also as thou art and an Angell spake to me by the word of the Lord saying Bring him backe with thee into thine house that he may eat bread and drinke water There is no tentation so dangerous as that which comes shrouded vnder a vaile of holinesse and pretends authoritie from God himselfe Ieroboam threatens the Prophet stands vndanted Ieroboam fawnes and promises the Prophet holds constant now comes a gray-headed Seer and pleads a counter-message from God the Prophet yeelds and transgresses Satan may affright vs as a fiend but he seduces vs as an Angell of light Who would haue lookt for a lyer vnder hoary haires and an holy mantle who would not haue trusted that grauity when there was no colour of any gaine in the vntruth Nothing is so apt to deceiue as the fairest semblances as the sweetest words We cannot erre if we beleeue not the speech for the person but the person for the speech Well might this man of God thinke an aged man a Prophet an old Prophet will not sure bely God vnto a Prophet No man will forge a lie but for an aduantage What can this man gaine by this match but the entertainment of an vnprofitable guest Perhaps though God would not allow mee to feast with Ieroboam yet pitying my faintnesse he may allow me to eate with a Prophet Perhaps now that I haue approued my fidelity in refusing the bread of Bethel God thinks good
then thy fathers and thou shalt liue to honour him Toile and sorrow haue lulled the Prophet asleepe vnder his Iuniper tree that wholesome shade was well chosen for his repose whiles death was called for the cozen of death comes vnbidden The Angell of God waits on him in that hard lodging no wildernesse is too solitarie for the attendance of those blessed spirits As hee is guarded so is hee awaked by that Messenger of God and stirred vp from his rest to his repast whiles hee slept his breakfast is made ready for him by those spirituall hands There was a cake baked on the coales and a cruse of water at his head Oh the neuer-ceasing care and prouidence of the Almigâ—tie not to bee barred by any place by any condition when meanes are wanting to to vs when we are wanting to our selues when to God euen then doth hee follow vs with his mercy and cast fauours vpon vs beyond against expectation What varietie of purueyance doth he make for his seruant One while the Rauens then the Sareptan now the Angell shall be his Cator none of them without a miracle Those other prouided for him waking this sleeping O God the eye of thy prouidence is not dimmer the hand of thy power is not shorter onely teach thou vs to serue thee to trust thee Needs must the Prophet eate and drinke and sleepe with much comfort whiles hee saw that hee had such a guardian attendant purueiour and now the second time is he raised by that happy touch to his meale and his way Arise and eate because the iourney is too great for thee What needed hee to trauell further sith that diuine power could as well protect him in the Wildernesse as in Horeb What needed hee to eate since hee that meant to sustaine him forty dayes with one meale might as well haue sustained him without it God is a most free Agent neither will be tied to the termes of humane regularities It is enough that hee knowes and approues the reasons of his owne choice and commands once in forty dayes and nights shall Elijah eate to teach vs what God can doe with little meanes and but once to teach vs what hee can doe without meanes Once shall the Prophet eate Man liues by bread and but once Man liues not by bread onely but by euery word that proceeds out of the mouth of God Moses Elijah our Sauiour fasted each of them forty daies and forty nights the three great fasters met gloriously in Tabor I finde not where God euer honoured any man for feasting It is abstinence not fulnesse that makes a man capable of heauenly visions of diuine glory The iourney was not of it selfe so long the Prophet tooke those wayes those houres which his heart gaue him In the very same Mount where Moses first saw God shall Elijah see him one and the same caue as is very probable was the receptacle to both It could not bee but a great confirmation of Elijah to renue the sight of those sensible monuments of Gods fauour and protection to his faithfull predecessor Moses came to see God in the Bush of Horeb God came to finde Elijah in the Caue of Horeb What doest thou here Elijah The place was directed by a prouidence not by a command Hee is hid sure enough from Iezebel hee cannot bee hid from the all-seeing eye of God Whither shall I goe from thy Spirit or Whither shall I fly from thy presence If I ascend vp into Heauen thou art there if I make my bed in Hell behold thou art there If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the vttermost parts of the Sea euen there shall thine hand finde me and thy right hand shall hold mee Twice hath God propounded the same question to Eljiah Once in the heart once in the mouth of the Caue Twice doth the Prophet answer in the same words Had the first answer satisfied the question had not beene re-demanded Now that sullen answer which Elijah gaue in the darknesse of the Caue is challenged into the Light not without an awfull preface The Lord first passeth by him with the terrible demonstrations of his power A great strong wind rent the Mountaines and brake the Rocks in pieces That tearing blast was from God God was not in it So was hee in it as in his other extraordinarie workes not so in it as by it to impart himselfe to Elijah it was the vshier not the cariage of God After the winde came an Earthquake more fearfull then it That did but moue the aire this the earth that beat vpon some prominences of earth this shooke it from the Center After the earth-quake came a fire more fearfull them either The other affected the eare the feeling but this lets in horrour into the Soule by the eye the quickest and most apprehensiue of the senses Elijah shall see Gods mighty power in the earth aire fire before hee heare him in the soft voice all these are but boistrous harbingers of a meeke and still word In that God was Behold in that gentle and mild breath there was omnipotency there was but powerfulnesse in those fierce representations There is not alwaies the greatest efficacie where is the greatest noise God loues to make way for himselfe by terrour but he conuayes himselfe to vs in sweetnesse It is happy for vs if after the gusts and flashes of the Law wee haue heard the soft voice of Euangelicall mercy In this very mount with the same horror God had deliuered his Law to Moses and Israel It is no maruell if Elijah wrap his face in his Mantle His obedience drawes him forth to the mouth of the Caue his feare still hides his head Had there not beene much courage in the Prophets faith hee had not stood out these affrightfull fore-runners of the diuine presence though with his face couered The very Angels doe no lesse before that all-glorious Maiestie then vaile themselues with their wings Farre be it from vs once to thinke of that infinite and omnipotent Deitie without an humble awfulnesse Feare changes not the tenour of Elijahs answer Hee hath not left one word behinde him in the Caue I haue beene very iealous for the Lord God of Hosts because the children of Israel haue forsaken thy Couenant throwne downe thine Altars and slaine thy Prophets with the sword and I euen I onely am left and they seeke my life to take it away I heare not a direct answer from the Prophet to the demand of God then hee had said I runne away from the threats of Iezebel and here I hide my head from her malicious pursuit His guiltinesse would not let him speake out all Hee had rather say I haue beene iealous for the Lord God of Hosts then I was fearfull of Iezebel Wee are all willing to make the best of our owne case but what hee wants of his owne accusation hee spends vpon the complaint of Israel Neither doth he more bemone
to take him There are Spies vpon him whose espials haue moued their anger and admiration Hee is descried to be in Dothan a small towne of Manasses A whole Armie is sent thither to surprise him The opportunitie of the night is chosen for the exploit There shall bee no want either in the number or valour or secrecie of these conspired troupes and now when they haue fully girt in the village with a strong and exquisite siege they make themselues sure of Elisha and please themselues to thinke how they haue incaged the miserable Prophet how they should take him at vnawares in his bed in the midst of a secure dreame how they should carie him fettered to their King what thankes they should haue for so welcome a prisoner The successor of Gehezi riseth early in the morning and sees all the Citie encompassed with a fearfull host of foot horse charets His eye could meet with nothing but woods of pikes and wals of harnesse and lustre of metals and now hee runnes in affrighted to his Master Alas my Master what shall wee doe Hee had day enough to see they were enemies that inuironed them to see himselfe helplesse and desperate and hath onely so much life left in him as to lament himselfe to the partner of his miserie He cannot flee from his new master if he would he runnes to him with a wofull clamour Alas my Master what shall we do Oh the vndanted courage of faith Elisha sees all this and sits in his chamber so secure as if these had onely beene the guard of Israel for his safe protection It is an hard precept that hee giues his seruant Feare not As well might hee haue bid him not to see when he saw as not to feare when he saw so dreadfull a spectacle The operations of the senses are not lesse certaine then those of the affections where the obiects are no lesse proper But the taske is easie if the next word may find beleefe For there are moe with vs then with them Multitude and other outward probabilities do both lead the confidence of naturall hearts and fix it It is for none but a Dauid to say I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people that haue set themselues against me round about Flesh and blood riseth and falleth according to the proportion of the strength or weaknesse of apparent meanes Elishaes man lookt about him yet his Master prayes Lord open his eyes that they may see Naturally we see not whiles we doe see Euery thing is so seene as it is Bodily eyes discerne bodily obiects onely spirituall can see the things of God Some men want both eyes and light Elishaes seruant had eyes wanted illumination No sooner were his eyes open then he saw the mountaine full of horses and charets of fire round about Elisha They were there before neither doth Elisha pray that those troups may be gathered but that they may be seene not till now were they descried Inuisible armies guard the seruants of God whiles they seeme most forsaken of earthly ayd most exposed to certaine dangers If the eyes of our faith be as open as those of our sense to see Angels as well as Syrians we cannot be appalled with the most vnequall termes of hostilitie Those blessed Spirits are ready either to rescue our bodies or to carie vp our soules to blessednesse whether euer shall bee enioyned of their Maker there is iust comfort in both in either Both those Charets that came to fetch Elijah and those that came to defend Elisha were fiery God is not lesse louely to his owne in the midst of his iudgements then hee is terrible to his enemies in the demonstrations of his mercies Thus guarded it is no maruell if Elisha dare walke forth into the midst of the Syrians Not one of those heauenly Presidiaries strucke a stroke for the Prophet neither doth hee require their blowes onely hee turnes his prayer to his God and sayes Smite this people I pray thee with blindnesse With no other then deadly intentions did these Aramites come downe to Elisha yet doth not he say Smite them with the Sword but Smite them with blindnesse All the euill he wishes to them is their repentance There was no way to see their errour but by blindnesse He that prayed for the opening of his seruants eyes to see his safe-gard prayes for the blinding of the eyes of his enemies that they might not see to doe hurt As the eyes of Elishaes seruant were so shut that they saw not the Angels when they saw the Syrians so the eyes of the Syrians shall bee likewise shut that when they see the man they shall not see the Prophet To all other obiects their eyes are cleare onely to Elisha they shall bee blind blind not through darknesse but through misknowledge they shall see and mistake both the person and the place Hee that made the senses can either hold or delude them at pleasure how easily can hee offer to the sight other representations then those which arise from the visible matter and make the heart to beleeue them Iustly now might Elisha say This is not the way neither is this the Citie wherein Elisha shall bee descried He was in Dothan but not as Elisha hee shall not be found but in Samaria neither can they haue any guide to him but himselfe No sooner are they come into the streets of Samaria then their eyes haue leaue to know both the place and the Prophet The first sight they haue of themselues is in the trap of Israel in the iawes of death those stately Palaces which they now wonder at vnwillingly carie no resemblance to them but of their graues Euery Israelite seemes an executioner euery house a Iayle euery beame a Gibbet and now they looke vpon Elisha transformed from their guide to their common murderer with horror and palenesse It is most iust with God to intangle the plotters of wickednesse in their owne snare How glad is a mortall enemy to snatch at all aduantages of reuenge Neuer did the King of Israel see a more pleasing sight then so many Syrian throats at his mercy and as loth to lose so faire a day as if his fingers itched to bee dip't in blood hee saies My father shall I smite shall I smite them The repetition argued desire the compellation reuerence Not without allowance of a Prophet would the King of Israel lay his hand vpon an enemy so miraculously trained home His heart was still foule with idolatry yet would he not taint his hand with forbidden blood Hypocrisie will bee still scrupulous in fomething and in some awfull restraints is a perfect counterfeit of conscience The charitable Prophet soone giues an angry prohibition of slaughter Thou shalt not smite them Wouldest thou smite those whom thou hast taken captiue with thy sword and with thy bow As if he said These are Gods captiues not thine and if they were thine owne their blood could not bee shed
strike many terrors into our weaknesse we could not be dismayed with them if wee did not forget our condition Wee haue not receiued the spirit of bondage to feare againe but the spirit of Adoption whereby wee cry Abba Father If that Spirit O God witnesse with our spirits that wee are thine how can wee feare any of those spirituall wickednesses Giue vs assurance of thy fauour and let the powers of Hell doe their worst It was no ordinarie fauour that the Virgin found in Heauen No mortall Creature was euer thus graced that hee should take part of her nature that was the God of nature that hee which made all things should make his humane body of hers that her wombe should yeeld that flesh which was personally vnited to the Godhead that shee should beare him that vpholds the world Loe thou shalt conceiue and beare a Sonne and shalt call his name Iesus It is a question whether there be more wonder in the Conception or in the Fruit the Conception of the Virgin or Iesus conceiued Both are maruellous but the former doth not more exceed all other wonders than the latter exceedeth it For the childe of a virgin is the reimprouement of that power which created the World but that God should bee incarnate of a Virgin was an abasement of his Maiestie and an exaltation of the creature beyond all example Well was that Child worthy to make the Mother blessed Here was a double Conception one in the wombe of her body the other of the soule If that were more miraculous this was more beneficiall That was here priuiledge the was her happinesse If that were singular to her this is common to all his chosen There is no renewed heart wherein thou O Sauiour art not formed againe Blessed bee thou that hast herein made vs blessed For what wombe can conceiue thee and not partake of thee Who can partake of thee and not be happie Doubtlesse the Virgin vnderstood the Angell as hee meant of a present Conception which made her so much more inquisitiue into the manner and meanes of this euent How shall this bee since I know not a man That shee should conceiue a Son by the knowledge of man after her Marriage consummate could haue bin no wonder But how then should that Sonne of hers bee the Sonne of God This demand was higher how her present Virginity should bee instantly fruitfull might bee well worthy of admiration of inquirie Here was desire of information not doubts of infidelitie yea rather this question argues Faith It takes for granted that which an vnbeleeuing heart would haue stuck at She sayes not who and whence art thou what Kingdome is this where and when shall it bee erected But smoothly supposing all those strang things would be done shee insists onely in that which did necessarily require a further intimation and doth not distrust but demand Neither doth shee say this cannot be nor how can this be but how shall this be so doth the Angel answer as one that knew he needed not to satisfie curiositie but to informe iudgement and vphold faith Hee doth not therefore tell her of the manner but of the Author of this act The Holy Ghost shall come vpon thee and the power of the most High shall ouer-shaddow thee It is enough to know who is the vndertaker and what he will doe O God what doe wee seeke a cleere light where thou wilt haue a shaddow No Mother knowes the manner of her naturall Conception what presumption shall it be for flesh and bloud to search how the Sonne of God tooke flesh and bloud of his Creature It is for none but the Almighty to know those workes which hee doth immediatly concerning himselfe those that concerne vs hee hath reuealed Secrets to God things reuealed to vs. This answer was not so full but that a thousand difficulties might arise out of the particularities of so strange a message yet after the Angels Solution wee heare of no more Obiections no more Interrogations The faithfull heart when it once vnderstands the good pleasure of God argues no more but sweetly rests it selfe in a quiet exspectation Behold the Seruant of the Lord bee it to mee according to thy Word There is not a more noble proofe of our Faith than to captiuate all the powers of our vnderstanding and will to our Creator and without all sciscitations to goe blindfold whither he will leade vs All disputations with God after his will knowne arise from infidelitie Great is the Mysterie of godlinesse and if wee will giue Nature leaue to cauill we cannot bee Christians O God thou art faithfull thou art powerfull It is enough that thou hast said it In the humilitie of our obedience wee resigne our selues ouer to thee Behold the Seruants of the Lord bee it vnto vs according to thy Word How fit was her wombe to conceiue the flesh of the Sonne of God by the power of the Spirit of God whose brest had so soone by the power of the same Spirit conceiued an assent to the will of God and now of an Hand-mayd of God shee is aduanced to the Mother of God No sooner hath shee said bee it done than it is done the Holy Ghost ouer-shaddowes her and formes her Sauiour in her owne bodie This very Angell that talkes with the blessed Virgin could scarce haue bin able to expresse the ioy of her heart in the sense of this diuine burden Neuer any mortall Creature had so much cause of exultation How could shee that was full of God bee other than full of ioy in that God Griefe growes greater by concealing Ioy by expression The Holy Virgin had vnderstood by the Angell how her Cousin Elizabeth was no lesse of kinne to her in condition the fruitfulnesse of whose age did somewhat suit the fruitfulnesse of her Virginitie Happinesse communicated doubles it selfe Here is no strayning of courtesie The blessed Maid whom vigor of age had more fitted for the way hastens her iourney into the Hill-countrey to visit that gracious Matron whom God had made a signe of her miraculous Conception Only the meeting of Saints in Heauen can paralell the meeting of these two Cosins The two Wonders of the World are met vnder one roofe and congratulate their mutuall happinesse When wee haue Christ spiritually conceiued in vs wee cannot bee quiet till wee haue imparted our ioy Elizabeth that holy Matron did no sooner wel-come her blessed Cosin than her Babe wel-comes his Sauiour Both in the retyred Closets of their Mothers Wombe are sensible of each others presence the one by his omniscience the other by instinct He did not more fore-runne Christ than ouer-runne Nature How should our hearts leape within vs when the Sonne of God vouchsafes to come into the secret of our soules not to visit vs but to dwell with vs to dwell in vs THe birth of CHRIST AS all the actions of men so especially the publike actions of publike men are ordered by God