themselues vnto them yet are they no other indeed but the Chimeraes and Gorgons heads of ridiculous and fanaticall fopperie From out all these impious and impure routes of pretended purity and perfection the view of the sacred beauty of the true purity and perfection of Christ Iesus doth deliuer vs and teacheth vs that men are deceiued most with shewes and that the diuell when he meanes most mischiefe then doth he as Iezabel did paint and set out himselfe to shew Let vs therefore hence learne important considerations and wise iudgements and let vs trie the spirits whether they be of God or no for all is not gold that glittereth saith the old and true English Adage Is there one that can cunningly expound the Scriptures Do not suddenly beleeue him for so could the caytiffe Caiphas Is an other skilfull in all diuine and humane hearing so was Iulian yet an apostate Hath an other receiued gracious and principall gifts of Gods spirit So had Saule the reprobate Do others know the mysteries of faith of Moses and of the Prophets So knew King Agrippa yet his best was but almost a Christian. Can others foretell and presage things to come So could bawling Balaam being a base hireling Can they cite the Scriptures So could the damned diuel Are they readie in the Fathers of the Church and in the Councels so were the ancient hereticks Faustus Arrius Manichaeus Especially note them if they pretend holy and pure names as do the mahumeticall Saracens at this day boasting that they came of Sara the free woman when as indeed they are Agarens of Agar as Zosomen a thousand yeares agoe obserued And as the Iudaites did call themselues of Iudas the Gaulonite or Galilean who would not endure the name of Lord to be attributed to any creature They themselues being a rabble as the booke of God tells vs of desperate cutthroates Beware then of false prophets and be assured that as many as partake of this beauty are essentially sincere not in words onely but in deeds not in conceit or opinion but in vnderstanding and verity for whatsoeuer they beleeue it is either of nature grace or glory The things of nature they see touch and feele The blessings of grace they reade they perceiue they enioy and ioy in the certaine expectation of glory which euen now they haue a taste of and earnestly long after The things they hope for are not Absolons pillar set vp in the kings dale nor the flower of the poppie the hypocrites hypothesis But those beatitudes which they expect are sure certaine and euen in this life by faith euident The things they ought to do they acknowledge to be the mandates of the highest God Therefore to be performed They know they are iudgements not opinions therefore to be subscribed vnto They are statutes like these of the Medes and Persians therefore not to be repealed they are testimonies and therefore binde the consciences We pray therefore That this name may be sanctified by goodnesse not dishonored by seeming godlines That his will may be done in sincerity not neglected with pretence of purity and that his kingdome may come vnto vs in verity and not we put it from vs in deceitfull integrity For the life of an hypocrite is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a masked mummery not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a knowne veritie His faith is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of things imaginary not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of soliditie His memoriall as a post that hastneth by his good deeds as the trace of a ship in the waters no where to be seene and his glory as the waffing of a birds wings in the aire but her passage appeares not Let the Atheist then tremble hereat for he is indeed the diuels vizard Let the Libertines feare that arose frō Coppin and Quintan in the Low countries being the basery of basenesse Let the begetters and hatchers of new opinions be amazed who more trust their priuate spirit then the streame of iudgement who had rather be the head of a foxe then the taile of a lyon and choose rather with imperious Caesar to be the first and chiefe of meane and beggerly Tarentum then the second of imperiall and triumphant Rome And let vs men and brethren be rauished with the true and matchlesse beautie of our Lord Iesus Gods best beloued our welbeloued and let vs be Reals not Nominals onely knowing that we looke not for an imaginary heauen but for the heauen of heauens the coelum coelorum being alwaies mindfull of that of our Sauiour Vnlesse your righteousnes exceed the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisies that is of all hypocriticall and seeming professors you cannot enter into the kingdome of heauen Come then ye faithfull soules vnto this pure and bright fountaine of grace and his bloud shall purge you from all sinnes past present and to come Come to this pure fountaine for here is the cleane water that Ezechìel speakes of powred out vpon you to purifie you in Gods sight by the inuisible hand of the sacred Trinitie Call vpon God that he may wash you with hysope of grace here that you may be truly cleane as all his people are and that in the end he may present you beautifull and blamelesse in his displaied glory in the bright and white eminent robes of his owne righteousnesse in Christ our onely mediatour and perfecter And then doubtlesse our soules shall yet further see euen in this life another glimpse of this surpassing beautie for our beloued is not onely white but ruddie also white in purenesse ruddy in zealous loue towards vs both seraphicall and cherubicall herein both wholy passible and wholy amiable Let vs reuiew then this his zealous loue in the mystery of the colour prefiguring his passion and in the history of the substance performing the forespoken prophecies There is a threefold red 1. a skarlet red 2. a roseall red 3. a purple red all prefiguring this our welbeloued in his sufferings and really performed in him Who is this that cometh from Edome that is frō this cursed earth saith Esay with red-coloured clothes of Bozrah that is with trophies of victory and triumph c. There is skarlet red Esay 63. 1. I am the rose of the field and the lillie of the vallies saith Christ of himselfe there is roseall red Cant. 2. 1. And in the Gospel we reade that his enemies put a purple garment vpon him to portend his purple death This colour was also prefigured in the red sea that saued Israel in the red cowe in the sacrifices in the red cord in Reahabs window the secure hostage of warre in the red threed about Zarahs arme in his birth of whose pedegree Christ descended Oh our welbeloued is a violet in humilitie a lillie in puritie a rose in suauity You see the colour behold also the substance and performance of this zealous loue which to display vnto you I shall be bold to take vp
faith the one of the obiect as that there is a life euerlasting that Christ died for the sinnes of the world Both certaine by the promise of God Yet this is small comfort vnlesse the other certainety of the subiect also be assured vnto vs. To wit that this euerlasting life is prepared for me and that Christ died for my sinnes This indeed is the vndoubted worke of faith Dauid could saie Blessed is the man whose sins are forgiuen Yet this is but Christ in the whole cloth as we may say but Paule had learned to turne Dauids quorum into his owne ego and say whereof I am cheefe and so cut himselfe a garment therof to couer his owne wretchednes For he well knew that as many as were baptized into Christ had put on Christ. So you see he is fitted as a garment to weare and not to gaze vpon The reason of this certainty is this Because faith maketh that present which is absent Therfore by the Spirit of God faith is called The euidence of things not seene Neither is this certainety of hope but of knowledge For S. Iohn saith We know that when he shall appeare we also shall appeare in glorie And S. Paule testifieth that the Spirit assureth our spirits that we are the sons of God Doubtlesse therefore most restlesse and most vnquiet is the mind of that man which doubteth of Gods loue For what auaileth it thee be thy estate neuer so happie if it be miserable to thy selfe What comfort is it to a king to weare a crowne of gold albeit in great happinesse of estate if he be not perswaded of the enioyment therof What sound solace is it to any Christian to know that there is a life euerlasting yet knowes not whether he shall heare Come ye blessed or go ye cursed it being a very dictate of nature That no man is happy but he that so thinketh himselfe The felicity thereof consisting not in the happy expectation but in the present perswasion Thus then you see the appropriation of this loue how necessarie it is and not onely herein but in all other inducements of godlinesse S. Augustine recordeth that he was conuerted by reading that of S. Paule Rom. 13. Not in chambering and wantonnesse strife and enuying but put on the Lord Iesus So S. Augustine applied the Scripture to the particular reformation of his owne life And Alipius S. Augustines louing consort applied the beginning of the 14. Chapter to the Rom. to the end that S. Augustine might thereby recouer confirme him that wauered and staggered in the holy faith of Christ Iesus So the spouse here appropriateth Gods deere loue to her owne affections whereby we may learne That to a deuoted and truly religious soule Christ Iesus applied is the onely loue and life O heare a godly soule speake in her diuine phrases to Christ Iesus applying him to euery part to her mouth saying Let him kisse me with the kisses of his mouth that her words might be gracious and seasoned by the salt of the spirit of God 2. To her breasts My beloued is as a bundle of myrrhe vnto me he shall lie betweene my breasts that by alwaies meditating on him she might not be drawne aside to the by-paths of follie and vanity 3. To her affections Set me as a seale vpon thine heart that she might neuer be without his impression 4. To her actions And as a signet vpon thine arme that she might neuer be destitute of his directions The reason is For loue is as strong as death iealousie as cruel as the graue Much water cannot quench it neither can the floud drowne it whence ensueth a whole resignation Therfore I am my beloueds and he is mine Thus the true spouse Dauid likewise in the same case I am thine ô Lord hide not thy commandements from me Dauid was now neither for sinne nor for Sathan nor for the world nor for the flesh nor for his owne selfe but for the Lord totally by resignation fully by affection And verily how can it be otherwise but that a religious soule should thus wholy deuote it selfe to God in all sacred affection if it call to mind but these motiues following First what Ieremie saith how the Lord speaketh when he considered whereof the sonnes of men were made and weighed that they were but dust and therefore in his mercie to them he said it and not to the Angels that fell Shall they fall And not arise shall they turne away and not turne againe Here is rising from the gulfe of hell and returning from the bondage and captiuitie of the diuell assured vnto vs by promise in Gods preuenting mercie Secondly when we shall remember that God hath omitted all his other creatures of heauen and of earth and as it were neglected them and hath set his loue onely vpon vs yea the Angels that fel he hath reserued in chaines of darknesse for the iudgement of the great day and yet saued a remnant of the sonnes of men Thirdly when it shall call to mind that to all other creatures God hath giuen a direct motion to content themselues in their now being but to man a circular motion that we should onely seeke our felicitie in him in whom we had our beginning Fourthly that forasmuch as Gods grace is giuen vs for our guide in this dangerous world which ouercometh infallibly the world the diuell and the flesh holdeth the truth inseparably against all heresie and schisme and leadeth indeclinably into the Paradise of God we should with all deuoted thankfulnesse entertaine this holy blessednesse Fiftly seeing that we may by holy faith as in a christall mirror behold the whole holy and vndeuided Trinitie in this worke of louing sauing and sanctifiing grace we should as those that had newly receiued their eye sight after a long blindnesse be rauished with ioy and comfort For see God the father so loued vs that he gaue his onely begotten sonne c. that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but should haue euerlasting life God the sonne so loued vs that he would die for vs God the holy ghost so loued vs that he maketh request for vs with sighes vnutterable in our soules Who would not then gather hence diuine affections according to the measure of grace giuen vnto vs calling to mind the precept of Christ which is the summe of all Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thine heart and with all thy soule and with all thy mind that is saith S. Augustine Loue him with all thy right reason with all thy earnest affection and with all thy strongest powers loue him with all thy vnderstanding with all thy will and with all thy memorie loue him wisely that thou be not deceiued by the diuell in an angell of light Loue him sweetly that thou be not allured by the wicked and bewitching world Loue him
the cloud that led the people of God in the wildernesse was darke toward the Aegyptians but bright and lightsome toward the Israelits So if our Gospell be hid it is hid to them that are lost for now the booke is opened and the seales loosed By Baptisme the second seale we put on Christ Gal. 3. 2. For as many as are baptized into Christ haue put on Christ are engraffed into him by the Spirit Rom. 6. For if we be graffed into him by the similitude of his death euen so shall we be in the similitude of his resurrection It being the lauacre of regeneration both priuatiuely and positiuely priuatiuely in forgiuing our sinfulnesse and positiuely in conferring his owne righteousnesse vpon vs begun by sanctification perfected by glorification This blessed seale of sacred baptisme being vnto vs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Clemens Alexandrinus calleth it the counterpoise of all deadly venime of corruption being also the diluuium peccati as Nazianzen cleapes it the deluge of sinne the water of adoption so Basil and the purgatory of life so Chrysostome These vertues being not in the element nor in the weight of the worke nor in the intention of the Baptizer but onely in the bloud of Christ which purgeth vs from sinne and shame By the third seale to wit his Passion we are reconciled to God the Father and sealed to euerlasting life Behold the wounds of Christ hanging vpon the crosse his precious bloud shed in his agony of death the price of our redemption Behold againe his head on the crosse inclined to heare vs pray his heart opened that we might see his deare loue his armes stretched forth to embrace vs his whole body exposed to shame scorne and torture to redeeme vs. His descent the fourth seale was the death of death and the death of the diuell who had the power of death the ruine of the gates of hell that they might neuer preuaile against his people the triumph ouer darknesse and the defiance of all hellish power and principalities By his resurrection the fift seale our corruption putteth on incorruption the bandes of death are broken the horror of the graue is turned to sweete repose and sacred rest in the Lord. By his ascension the sixt seale reuealed is opened an entrance to heauen for vs from whence before wee were exiled He is entred himselfe not in his owne name but in ours according as he himselfe saith I go to prouide you a place Ioh. 14. In a word he ascended to fulfill all things the earth with his mercie hell with his iustice and the heauens with his glory The mission of the holy Ghost being the seauenth seale hath furnished the Christian Church of the redeemed with the seauenfold graces of his glorious spirit Gregory vpon Ezech. saith that seauen ascents or steps were to go vp into Ierusalem the holy citie mystically signifying the seauen graces of Gods spirit tending to the perfection of Christian glory The first of these gifts is filiall feare making vs humble The second Christian pietie making vs mercifull The third diuine knowledge making vs discreet The fourth sacred intelligence causing vs to be prouident The fift is the wisdome of God making vs prudent The sixt fortitude setting vs free The seauenth counsell making vs wise to saluation in euery occurrence These graces of Gods Spirit are also signes vnto our brethren and seales vnto our selues of our heauenly perfection For by his reuealed Natiuity wee as new borne babes in the second birth must desire the sincere milke of the word to feede our soules therby vp to eternall life By baptisme we learne to confesse our sinnes to God and turne our misdeeds outwards as the Scolapendra doth her entrals to wash them By his passion onely to reioyce in the crosse of Christ whereby the world is crucified vnto vs and we vnto the world By his descent into hell to remember that we couet not lest we fall into temptation and snares of the diuell By his resurrection to striue that we may haue part in the first resurrection so shall not the second death touch vs. By his ascension to seeke the things that are aboue where now Christ our treasure is and not the things beneath And by the sending of his graces whereby the loue of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Spirit which is giuen vnto vs that all things may be consecrated to Gods glory Which things that we may performe behold Christ the chiefest in heauen hath opened the book that we might know them and loosed the seales that we might do them Woe therefore be vnto them to whom his booke is yet shut and those seales yet vnloosed for our Gospell is hid to none but to them that are lost Christ Iesus is also the chiefest to be found on earth In the Reuelation of S. Ioh. Chap. 7. there are 144000 sealed by twelues Christ is sealed in the tribe of Iuda in whom also the rest are sealed to be the associats of the Lambe according to that ancient prophecy of Iacob Gen. 49. saying that the Scepter should not depart from Iuda vntill Silo come And against Dan he prophecieth thus O Lord I haue waited for thy saluation meaning Christ. Thus the Chaldaean paraphrasts I will not here mention the pourtraiture which Pub. Lentul sent vnto the Senate of Rome describing the lineaments of our Sauiour as he was vpon earth That he was gracious in aspect of a smooth brow of an aburne haire long and wauing at his backe like a Nazarite with a parted beard and the whole frame of his blessed body being incomparably beyond all men that euer were both in feature and fauour For I am not ignorant how apocriphall that relation is in sacred history and how grosly the Papists abuse themselues and others in the table painting limming of that Lord of life according to the rude hand of many an idle lozel that dares aduenture to pourtray that sacred beautie But what a one the Scripture mystically hath decyphered and described him to be that willingly will we looke vpon and behold with awfull eyes of feare and diuine reuerence And therein also we shall see him the chiefest of ten thousand The Psalmographer in the 45. Psal. setteth him out in the person of Salomon to be of surpassing beauty in the dignity of his forme For he was fairer then the sonnes of men Gracious in his speech for grace was powred from his lips valiant in his acts for he was mighty in renowne powerfull in his facts for his arrowes pierced the hearts of his enemies splendent in his royalty his throne being for euer and his scepter a scepter of righteousnesse it selfe Magnificent in his whole deportment for all his garments smell of Myrrhe Aloes and Cassia The beauty of Ioseph Dauid and Absolon are recommended in Scripture but the first had an alluring beauty the father and the sonne goodly to be looked on but in Christ it was the beauty