fall downe from heaven which consumed them with their fifties And the Apostles themselues having not beene well received in a certaine place said to Christ Wilt thou that we make fire fall from heauen upon that Citie but Iesus diverted and hindered them Wee produce all these examples not to imitate but to shunne them and thereby to make it appeare that wee must not revenge our selues when wee can doe it but rather to doe good to our enemies when they have done us hurt is to make our selues perfect in this excellent vertue of Mercy It is to becom conformable to the Saviour and Redeemer of our soules who seeing and feeling the horrible cruelties of the Iewes againâ—t him hearing the blasphemies which they pronounced against his divine Majestie notwithstanding in stead of revenging himselfe he prayeth his Father and crieth out thus Father forgive them for they know not what they doe That which made Saint Stephens martirdome the more honourable is that in the middest of his torments among a fearefull shower of haile of stones cast against him hee desireth not God to punish his tormentours but rather being possesâ—ed with the spirit of mercie and meekenesse he prayeth to God for them herein imitating his good and blessed Master Iesus Christ saying Lord impute not this sinne unto them As wee read Acts 7.60 If Moses in the precedent examples hath bin seene something too much desirous of revenge we may also reade that many times he hath for given those that had offended him yea and hath mediated and prayed to God for them least hee should have revenged them David having received innumerable offeâ—ces and wrongs of Saul notwithstanding finding him wearie in the Cave having him in his bed at his discretion he forgave him all the injuries and harmes he had made him suffer saying only The Lord is a just Iudge that will avenge mee oâ— mine enemies and will render unto me after the inâ—egrity of my heart The Apostles indeed suffered themselues to be carried away by this sweet desire and appetite of revenge when they would make fire fall from heaven upon that Towne that had offended them but it was because they were fraile and weake men like us when they fell iâ—to their faults and errours but they weâ—e soone rectified and raised up againe by the grace of the holy Ghost so that at length when any gave them injuries they rendered none againe they were whipped and stoned they were cast into prison and yet they blessed and prayed for them that did it and sought by all meanes to Preach the Gospell unto them and to shew them the way of salvation these second examples wee must follow that we may appeare to be the children of God Disciples of Christ and imitatours of his Apostles This noble and godly action of forgiviâ—g our enemies we must practise first if we desire that God shall acknowledge us for his children we must strive to be like him who is the fountaine of forgivenesse who is meekenesse and curtesie it selfe and nothing but mercie Secondly wee must pardon others if wee desire that God shall forgive us since that is conditionall which wee aske him Lord forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespasse against us Now if we doe not forgive men their trespasses no more will our heavenly Father forgive us Math. 6.15 For with the same measure that we mete it shall be also measured unto us againe And that which must the more oblige us to put off the infected and poysonsome coate of cruelty and revenge since it is an abomination to God which he hath prohibited us in so many places of Scripture as Proverb 20.22 Say not thou I will recompence evill but waite upon the Lord and hee shall save thee And Rom. 12.19 Dearely beloved avenge not your selues but give place unto wrath for it is written Vengeance is mine I will repay saith the Lord if then thy enemie be hungrie give him to eate if hee be thirstie give him drinke for in so doing thou shalt heape burning coales upon his head And Ecclus 28. The Lord will be avenged of him that revengetâ— himselfe and hee will keepe carefully his faults for him forgive thy neighbour his misdeedes and when thou shalt pray thy siâ—nes shall be forgiven thee Shall man keepe his wrath against man and aske to be cured by the Lord he will not take pitie of man like to himselfe and will aske pardon of his sinnes â—ince he that is but flesh keepeth his wrath and asketh forgivenesse to God who shall obliterate and blot out his sinnes It is a common saying and proverb There is nothing so sweet as revenge but for my part I cannot perceive this sweetnesse unlesse it bee compared to a well scowred blade of a sword that pierceth and pâ—sseth through easily but at the same time taketh away our lives as the Bees that leave their sting where they strike and with it their life Animasque in vulnere ponunt so when we revenge our selues we leave the sting of our wrath in the wounds of our enemie but wee doe not consider so blinde are we that withall we thereby wound our soules to death Heliodorus tells us of one that said That death would be sweet and welcome to him if he knew that his enemie should also die and of another iealous woman that cryed out O how delightfull would death be to mee if I could fall dead upon the dead bodie of my rivall Plutarch saith very well That of all the wild beasts there is none so savage and cruell as a man that hath the liberty and power to execute his revenge But if wee consider it diligently we shall see thâ—t this impatience and not to be able to beare an injurie is a great infirmitie and weakenesse but as noble hearts and generous aâ—d magnanimous soules doe scorne and despise wrongs so doe they also forgive and forget all kindes of revenge Pericles of all the actions of his life esteemed this the most remarkable that hee had never revenged himselfe for any wrong done unto him And Phocion being puâ— to death unjustly feeling the effâ—cts of that mortall Hemlock to bring him neare to the last period of his life recommended nothing so much to his sonne as this that he should forget the memorie of this offence and that he should never seeke to be revenged for it that in medling with it he would stay the gods from taking in hand the justice of his cause who would questionlesse revenge him of this offence Let us use the same Doctrine though comming from the prophane mouth of a Pagan they are neverthelesse of infallible truth as a Diamond looseth nothing of his value though it be in the dirt let us then practise it and let us remember that whilest we desire to punish our enemies wee doe them a great favour and are reveng'd of our selues for the offence which they have done unto us which would deserue a farre more rigorous
and blood his domesticall enemies that often overcome him and would quite keepe him downe if hee were not upheld and fortified by the spirit of grace and by â—he Almighty hand of God that raiseth and delivereth him The faithfull servant of the Lord is againe called pure in heart because â—ee is such in part already and that besides the great disposition that is in him to tend to his perfection hee already here begins to tast the excellent sweetnes of that delicate fruit whereof he shall hereafter be fully and perfectly satisfied and satiated in Gods Paradise Blessed then are the pure in heart for they shall see God Wee have another circumstance here very pregnant and remarkable to wit that Christ exhorteth us here to be pure in heart and not of our head or hands because that the heaâ—t being the seate of the soule sinne is most busie to vitiate and infect it with his foule and filty corruption which it doth not in the other parts of the body and therefore you see that God doth so strictly command us to keepe our hearts for his part and behoofe saying My sonne give mee thy heart Now to omit or let passe nothing worthy consideration like the inhabitants of Nilus wee will draw water in running We say then that this word heart is diversly taken in the Scripture First it is taken for faith as Rom. 10. For with the heart man beleeveth unto rightâ—ousnesse and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation 2. It is taken for the thoughts and for the gift of regeneration as 1. Epist. of Saint Peter Chap. 3. ver 4. The hidden man of the heart in that which is not corrupâ—ible even the ornament of a meeke and quiet spirit which is in the sight of God of great price and estimation 3. For the understanding as Rom. 2. They shew the worke of the law written in their hearts 4. It is taken for the conscience as in the 1. of Sam. the 24. chap. 5. ver Davids heart smote him because he had cut off Sauls skirt And in the 1. to the Thessal chap. 3. To establish your hearts unblameable in holinesse before God Here is yet another very cleare passage in the 1. Epist. of Saint Iohn chap. 3. ver 2â— If our heart condemne us God is greater then our heart and knoweth all things and if our heart condemne us not wee have confidence towards God And in this last signification it is taken in our Text to wit for the Conscience as if Christ had said Blessed are those that possesse a holy pure and just soule a good cleane and spotlesse conscience David desirous to raise himselfe from his fall and to restore the temple of his body polluted by wicked adultery desired of God a new Altar praying him to create in him a cleane heart and to renew a right spirit within him Psal. 51.12 Iudas Maccabeus having seene the Temple of Ierusalem prophaned by Antiochus his sacrilegious hands he purifieth it destroyes all the Altars where that Pagan had sacrificed to his Idols and called that the renewing of the Temple Our bodies are the living temples of the holy Ghost our hearts the Altars on the which having wickedly sacrificed to the Idols of our passions we must breake them and destroy them by our true repentance and conversion to God who despiseth not a broken and a contrite heart And afterward we must build new ones pure and clean on the which wee must offer to God Hecatombes of Iustice and solemne burnt offerings and sacrifices wherein hee delighteth The Etymologists hold that this word Cor is derived of Cura that is care because that part communicateth sendeth and doth distribute blood and life to the rest of the body Even so all our study all our exercise and occupation should be to seeke the meanes fit for the conservation of our soules for what will it profit a man if hee gaine the whole world and loose his soule Math. 16.26 As soone as the Embrion is conceived the first part which is formed in the heart being as it were the center whence the severall lines are drawne to the circumference of our bodies it is also the first member living and when the paines of death have compassed a man the blood from all parts retires to the heart as to a citadell so that it is also the last part that dieth in us according to that common saying Cor est primum vivens ultimum moriens So when the faithfull of the Lord resolveth to live piously he must cast for a sure and unmoveable foundation the righteousnesse of a pure and cleane conscience which must be the Ocean where all the rivers of hisaffections must runne and tend the corner and fundamentall stone on the which must be edified this his Pilgrimage All the building of this mortall and transitorie life must begin with the just mans beginning and never end till his death when it shall bee augmented and perfected in heaven It was Gods commandement under the law that all Israelites all the seed of Abraham should offer and consecrate to him the first borne both of man and beast now if wee unvayle the letter and consider what it therein figured unto us we may note among other things that God desired by this Decree whose letter and figure is abrogated though the truth and sence of it be eternall that wee should offer and consecrate unto him our hearts which are the first borne of our selues The greatest part of Physitians hold that the soule being generally all over the body hath her principall seat in the heart as the King hath in his Court although his power reach thorow all his Kingdome so that the soule being that very man which God requireth it is then not without reason that God demandeth our heart which is her throne My sonne give me thy heart The heart is knowne to bee the originall of naturall heat now God being a burning fire of love and affection towards his children wee ought to consecrate that part to him for his Tabernacle The heart is red and bloody to shew us the fervencie and zeale that should be in us to Gods service and glory and that our thoughts should alwayes burne with love to him and with charity to our neighbours It is little whence wee may learne not to puffe or swell it with pride but to keepe it alwayes humble and modest Vertues that seeke not afâ—er large and spacious Pallaces but are contented in the narrowest and remorest places His beating and panting is upwards so all our desires and thoughts should tend towards the end of our supernaturall vocation according to the Apostles advice Seek the things that are above The heart is agitated by a continuall motion by reason of his vitall spirits that animate and nourish it So our thoughts should beare and conduct us to the actions of Iustice innocencie and godlinesse and to follow the steps of the Scripture Charity alwayes worketh and is never
possessors of the rich treasures of eternall life where it is farre easier to know what is not there then to discourse what is There there is no death no wearinesse no infirmity no hunger no thirst no heaâ— no cold no corruption no want no mourning nor sorrow Wee have told you what there is not there but what there is there eye hath not sâ—ene â—are hath not heard neither is it entred into the heart of man what God hath prepared for them that love him now becaâ—se these joyes and felicities have not entred into the heart of man therefore man must strive to enter into them God speakes thus by his Prophet Isaiah chap. 32. My people shall dwell in a peaceable habitatoin and in sure â—wâ—llings and in quiet resting places In this blessed life there is a certaine assurance a sure tranquillity a happy eternity an eternall happinesse a perfect charitâ— a perpetuall day â— quick motion in a word all shall be there led and governed by the same Spirit Here let us burne with zeale to ascend to those faire places let us be enflamed with extreame desire of possessing so goodly an inheritance and if our bodies cannot as yet goe thither yet let our hearts ascend up if our soule be as yet bound and fastned within this mortall prison at the least let our faith flie up to those delicious places and there rest and stay untill our soules be perfectly pure cleane and white that one day both in body and soule wee may contemplate Gods divine Majestie and sing eternally with the holy Angels Holy holy is the Lord God of hosts for evermore AMEN O Most bountifull God and most mercifull King wee thy servants and children here prostrate and humbled before the high and holy tribunall of thy sacred and soveraigne Majestie doe ingenuously confesse that we are not worthy to lift up our eyes or our hands towards heaven to call upon thee in our necessities for our sinnes are raised over our heads like terrible mountaines which seeme to threaten and defie thy judgements from the top of their presumptuous impudencie Iniquity hath made our soules as black as firebrands and the transgression of thy divine commaundements hath made our consciences more red then scarlet in a word forgetting thee we haue forgotten our selues and remember but as a dreame our beginning derived from heaven Wherefore O good Iesus O sweet Saviour of our bodies and soules kindle in our hearts the fire of thy divine love and let it be a candle to our feete and a light unto our pathes that wee may safely escape out of these terrible downefalls which threaten unto us death and condemnation wash our soules in the precious blood issuing from thy wounds make them by thy favour whiter then snow and then washed wooll we cannot enteâ— into thy Tabernacle before wee be cleansed of our faults graunt then unto us by thy mercy one onely drop of this large and vast ocean of thy great compassions wash our roabes in the blood of the Lambe that wee may be made worthy to follow him whither soever he goeth Change our eyes into two lively fountaines of penitent teares which may become a Iordane of griefe and displeasure for having beene so wicked before thy face within the which wee may dip our selues seaven times yea seaventy times seaven times that we may be delivered of the spirituall leprosie of sinne which makes us so â—oule and ugly in thy sight and presence And after thou hast pulled off from us the old man and cloathed us with the new which is with justice and holinesse when thou hast given us the wedding garmeâ—t then we shall sit down with Abraham Isaac and Iacob at the delicate feast which thou hast prepared for us and the which must be kept upon the mountaine of the heavenly Sion where wee shall see thee face to face where we shall be ravished in this contemplation and shall bee quite exchanged and transformed into the extasie of this ravishment Amen The third way to Sion THE CROVVNE OF PEACE AND CONCORD MATH 5.9 Blessed are the Peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God WHen two Kings to decide some quarrell are ready to take Armes they first of all â—nkindle the fire of warre in their subjects hearts through all their Dominions then all is in â—rouble combustion and disorder and all newes are sorrowfull and lameâ—table on the one side you may see desolate Parents poore olde men leaning on the brim of their graves considering with eyes overflowing with teares their deare children whom for the greatnes and multiplicity of their cruell wounds they can scarcely know On the other side you are frighted by the lamentable complaints by the loude cries and pitifull lamentâ—tions of the bewayling widowes over the dead bodies of their dearely beloved husbands In a word there is nothing but fire blood and slaughter to be seene so that one may properly say That Warre the mother of all mischiefe is as it were a feast celebrated to the honour of death to whom are continually offered up many pitifull and bloody sacrifices which she exactly keepes in the grave But when some great Prince or earthly Monarch undertaketh to agree them his Embassadors are every where received with open armes bone-fires and triumphall arches erected in token of that joy and contentment which they receive by their mediation for peace according to that saying of the Lord Blessed are the feâ—te of those that bring tidings of peace Rom. 10.16 Iesus Christ here continueth his Sermon to his Disciples where in a continued order hee sheweth them the perfeâ—tion of blessednesse he maketh them scale the heavens by eight degrees which they must ascend here on earth And having spoken formerly of six hee commeth now to the seaventh saying Blessed are the Peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God Which words by Gods assistance wee will divide into two principall parts 1. the proposition 2. the reason of it the proposition concerneth the Peacemakers and their felicity the reason of this beatitude is to be called the children of God Now for our better understanding of these words let us handle them all severally and let us for a while leave this concrete word Peace-maker and so come to his abstract to wit peace the which is diversly defined according to the severall sorts and degrees of it For there is the peace of the body which is a just temperature of the parts There is a peace of the irreasonable soule which is an inordinate rest of the appetite There is a peace of the reasonable soule which is a moderated consent of the action and understanding There is a peace of the soule and body which is a well governed life and the health of the living creature There is a peace of mortall man which is a well ordered obedience in faith under the government of the eternall and divine law There is a peace of the house which conâ—isteth in a
queâ—tion of Saint Augustine in his Citie of God that is If this filiall feare after the death of the faithfull Children of the Lord remaine with them in Heaven yea or no Those who maintaine the contrary fortiâ—ie themselues from the Apostle Saint Iohn Chap. 4. ver 18. There is no feare in love but perfect love casâ—â—th oâ—â— feare because feare hath tormenâ— and â—ee that feareth is not made perfect in love from whence they argue Where there is perfect Love there is no feare But among the Saints in Heaven there is perfect Love Therefore among the Saints in Heaven there is no feare And from the same â—lace and passage of Saint Iohn they derive and draw another Argument thuâ— All feare is accompanied with torment But in Heaven there is no torment Therefore in Heaven there iâ— no feare They say moreover That this feare should then deprive them of their rest and repose and consequently that they could not enjoy a perfect felicity whiles they were troubled and tormented with any apprehension or feare Others answere That the Apoâ—tle Saint Iohn understands not to speake there of a chast and filiall but of a servile feare and to fortifie and support their opinion they alledge the Psal. 19 9. The feare of the Lord is cleane enduring for evâ—r And Saint Auguâ—tine expounding this sort of feare saith Non enim est timor exterrens à malo quod accidere potâ—st sed tenens in bâ—no quod amitti non potest This kinde of feare makes us not apprehend any evill which can befall us but makes us so to keepe fast good that wee may not lose it And afterwards he againe addeth Timoriâ— Casti nomine ea volâ—ntas significatâ— est quo nos necesse erit nolle Peccare non solicitudine necessitâ—tis sed tranquillitate câ—aritatis He sayes that by this name of chast feare is signified the will whereby it is necessary that we will not sinne not for the care of necessity but for the tranquillity of Charity Hee then concludes that indeed Servile feare cannot enter into Heaven but onely the filiall and yet notwithstanding it must be after it hath lost the effects which it produceth in this present life to wit this naturall apprehension whereby shee feares that the soule falls from the State of Grace No no this feare in Heaven shall be but a perfect reverence honour and piety and a full and absolute devotion which wee shall beare to the service of GOD whereby every one seeing the divine Majestie shall profoundly and perfectly study to serue and honour him in all reverence And for this cause it is why the 70. Interpreters have turned Timorem Dei the feare of God into this Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to wit Dei pietatem the piety which we beare to God and so it remaines true which the Prophet David had said long before The feare of the Lord is cleane enduring for ever In this Elementary world the feare of God is the most assured way to goe to celestiall Hierusalem Those who have not beene to a place if they foolishly rashly runne athwart fields they then runne a great hazard to goe astray and to lose themselues among woods or bryars or peradventure to fall into the hands of cruell and mercilesse theeves So those who will ascend to the top of the holy Mountaine of sacred Sion If they arâ— not curbed and retained by the golden bridle of the feare of God If without wisedome or judgemeâ—t they runne over craggie rockes full of thornes and bryars for such are the wayes to Siâ—n Heaveâ— without doubt they will fall into the errour of precipiâ—es or else they will serve for prey or fewell to eternall flames The feare of God is the pledge and seale of his love and favour the which hâ—e placeth and planteth in the midst of our hearts when he will call us to him and câ—nserue us to his service For he hath united and tyed us to hiâ— with the linkes and chaynes of his love in his owne house Hee for ever makes us his domesticall servants yea his heires and adoptive children and in this quality hee makes vs to enter into the inheritance of eternall life above in Heaven with Iesus Christ his only welbeloved Sonne who is our eldest Broâ—her Neither are they phantastick imaginations or light presumptions which must make us bâ—leeve these things for it is God himselfe which hath pronounced â—hem by his Prophet Ieremy Chap. 22.39.40 I will give them onâ— hearâ— and one way that they may feare â—e for ever and I will make an everlasting covâ—nant with them that I will not turne away from them to doe them good but I will put my feare into their hearts that they shall not depart from me The feare of the Lord takes place among the rarest presents and richest Iewels which the Holy Ghost discovereth to his Elect and it is the entry to the greatest which is wisedome it selfe for as Salamon saiâ—h truth The beginning of wisedome is the feare of God For when the Holy Ghost will operate in the heart of any man hee then stampes and maâ—kes him with his seale which is the feare of God and then conducts him by degrees â—nto the very last point of perfection which is wisdome or the perfect knowledge of sacred mysteries as wee read in the Prophet Iereâ—y Chap. 11.2 The spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him the spirit of wisedoâ—e and understanâ—ing the spirit of counsell and might the spirit of knowledge and the feare of the Lord. The old proverbe â—aith truly That feare and diffidence is the mother of security for when we feare our enemie and are vigilant over his actions then we prevent his ambushes avoyd his power Let us remember that Sathan the deadly enemie of our soules watcheth still at the doore of our hearts as a roaring Lyon attending to devoure his prey so that if wee have not still the feare of God before our eyes to avoyd the nets and ginnes which he layes in the way for us we shall become his prey and food But if we stand upon our guards and no way feare his assaults or threatniâ—gs then hee will inâ—allibly fâ—y from us both with hast and shaâ—e For God commonly bestoweth his graces and favours to those who feare to offend him and hee distributeth and imparteth his richest treasures to those that serve him with reverence feare and trembling Wee reade Acts 2. That when the day of Pentecost was fully come they were prey to that olde Serpent the devill The auncient Pagans have perfectly and truly depaynted feare when they said it was all environed with fire and flames as Love and so they understood of corporall and Mundane or worldly feare and likewise of divine feare concerning their false imaginary Gods Here we will doe as Nâ—â—h did Wee will make use of sinners to build the Arke of our salvation or as Salomâ—n did of the timber stones of