of which himselfe was ignorant this honour doth the truth of God require of vs to bring all our senses and wits to nothing to be of it selfe sufficient without meanes to be aboue all difficulties and lets whatsoeuer As therefore when he before expected Izhak from the dead womb of Sara in hope he went beyond hope so now apprehending the same quickening power of God which was able to inspire the ashes of his dead sonne he passeth out of the Laborynth and Maze of the temptation And albeit God tendering our infirmities doe not so seuerely racke and examine our faiths yet it pleased him to shew an example thereof in the father of all the faithfull to bring vs at the least to the common triall thereof For Faith which is more precious than gold cannot without triall take deepe roote downeward nor flourish vpward But this triall touching the Promise leaues not Abraham yet For hauing giuen off his own affection to Izhak and departed with fatherly pitty he must seem to reiect the loue of God which he beheld in Izhak which was to him as a glasse of life and the pledge of all Gods graces and fauours and further the very name of Izhak must moue him which is by interpretation Laughter and telleth him he hath no ioy left He then which was giuen only for matter of joy and comfort being taken away must needes leaue him to sorrow and griefe of heart Eliak being tyred out with afflictions in the heauines anguish of his spirit cryed out to God It is enough Lord take away my soule what am I better than my Fathers Might not Abraham so farre sifted the triall now boyling in the fornace of his heart cry it is enough Lord take away the tentation But now hauing answered all doubts to God and his conscience hee must answere the world and the speeches of men For what will others say An injust father a Butcher of his childe I his owne wife and houshold seruants will condemne him and cast his obedience to GOD vpon him as an action of most vile reproach and extreame cruelty Thus when hee had vanquished the Diuell and Distrust within hee must answere feares and shames and fight without and this was no doubt no small temptation Yet must Abraham farther carry the racke in his heart three dayes iourney in which what is he himselfe but continually sacrificed He must behold his sonne all this while whose sight bindeth all his woes together hee must drinke in Bitternesse with his eyes which cannot be suffered to depart from their griefe To which the words of Izhak My father heere is wood and fire but where is the Lambe for sacrifice make his wounds bleede afresh so that now Abraham is like Ionas in the belly of the Whale in the bottome of the Sea hauing all Gods mighty waues and surges ouer his head Yet that his triall may want no part of extreame agony and anguish the Action it selfe were able to draw out of his eyes flouds of teares and to make the sinews of his armes shrinke in the execution and to make an heart of stone to bleede For albeit in the former trialls hee departed not from his obedience yet it might haue beene that when hee looked vpon the pale face of his onely sonne Izhak which he loved and all these circumstances of sorrow and ruth anew and freshly were presented him and his one heart must endure all these temptations now joyned together like a Wedge to sunder his soule and spirit I say it might haue beene that his resolutions would haue staggered his pitties and compassions which hee cast out returning againe Hee must 〈◊〉 his deere and tender sonne Izhak with cords he must how him on the bloudy Altar to dye in the place of a Beast Hee must first hauing killed him take his bloud and sprinckle it vpon the Altar hee must cut him in pieces and pull out his entralls and wash them and wash his legges and put them vpon the other pieces and his head and burne them all to cinders and doing this he must not blinne hee must shew no face of sorrow And thus wee haue the aged Sire binding his tender childe bound with cordes and hee with a strong arme vnsheathing his sword lifteth his hand on high to fetch downe a mortall stroke on the neck of Izhak when the Angell of God spake Abraham Stay thine hand All this Abraham did at the Commandement of God He did it as if he had had Gods heart and Gods hand for albeit Izhak was not thus slame yet because God onely hindred the execution God alloweth the worke for done and the Scripture beareth witnes by Faith Abraham offred his sonne Izhak And Saint Iames Was not c Abraham iustified by faith when he offered his sonne Izhak Iames Chap. 2. Verse 21. To come then to our second part Wee see in our father Abraham a notable example of obedience He shutteth his eyes to all things else and onely openeth them to Gods word He maketh a way to serue God through all lets through all fleshly impossibilities and being in this way hee trampleth vnder him his owne nature and beateth a path for Gods word out of his owne heart Finally hee regardeth not what men say nor what his owne thoughts can say but hauing receiued his mandate posteth on his journey suffering Gods wisedome to reason for him and Gods omnipotent power and prouidence to worke for him For Abraham was now such a man as might haue hoped for rest in his flesh hee might haue said Lord I haue serued thee these hundred yeares in sufficient trialls of my loue and obedience now I am old giue me now immunity let me be no longer prest Againe he had accesse to God and familiarity he knew God was pittifull and mercifull and easie to be intreated and yet he neuer spake one word for himselfe nor his sonne Izhak He complayned not of his griefe he defired not to haue the burden lessened but as if he had the feete of an Hinde runneth three dayes journey by the way of the commandement till a new Post from Heauen ouertaketh and stayeth him and Gods owne mouth comforted him Thus he which beleeued and obeyed hath found to his and our endlesse comfort that all the trialls through which it pleaseth God to leade vs are no other than steps and staires to raise vs higher into his grace and fauour For the issue of the temptation was to winne a farther obedience from Abraham that God might lift him vp higher and make his Couenant with him irreuocable by swearing by himselfe As if God should say Thou art not yet Abraham so great as I will make thee I haue purpose to aduaunce thee higher Thou mightest be contented with this opinion and forme of obedience but I will ring it further and make thy name more glorious Thus Abraham by thinking to glorifie God hath magnified himselfe and turned his obedience to God to
and the marrowes But if the Sword be neuer so sharp what hurt can it doe if there be no hand to strike If Dauid haue neuer so smooth a stone in his scrippe if he want a Sling to throw him out how can hee hit Goliah in the forehead Plutarch writeth of Coriolanus in his life that he vsed his weapons so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the vse made him so familiar that they seemed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if they had beene borne with him or grafted into his hands This benefit we haue from being conuersant in Scriptures that we are able with ease to dart out and sling the word to hit our enemies in their fore-heads For which vse Saint Paul commends Timotheus Because of a childe hee was exercised in holy Scriptures and the word of God in such is like the Arrow in the hand of a Giant which draweth with that vnresistable force that it will diuide the very soule and spirit I should thinke it too little in such a case to haue a strong arme onely both our armes must be strong and practised that our enemy may not know our right hand from our left Plato to good purpose in his Republ. counsailed men to be Ambodexters for this vse in fight And for this Hector is commended 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Of fighting well I know the Art With left and right to hurle a Dart. But if this be required in any fight it is in ours which haue enemies on both sides on the right hand and on the left therefore Saint Paul exhortes vs to haue a the weapons of righteousnes on the right hand and on the left that which way soeuer he strikes we may ward him whether he charge vs on the right hand of prosperitie or on the left of affliction Whether he fight before as a Lion or sleight it behinde like a Foxe whether he assaile vs without b with his men-beasts or within by feares and temptations whether hee reach at vs from aboue by Presumption or from beneath with Despaire I pray God wee be not found such as Milo which when he looked on those armes with which he had wrestled before for the price at the games of Olympus could say of them At hij iam mortui sunt See these armes are now dead The third thing wee require in our Souldier of Christ is a good eye For what vse is there in battell of either courage at heart or strength of hand to him which is blind See this woful experience in Pagans Heathen people which haue profused zeale and constance to fight for hell in the darkenes of their vnderstanding And this is plaine in our aduersaries whom might zeale persistance resolution onely commend wee might take for vndoubted Souldiers of Christ had not blindnesse of heart turned all those weapons and powres of the spirit to fight against God Iudas when that rich Oyntment was bestowed on Christ said c Ad quid perditio haec But we when the whole forces of our soules and spirits are bent and planted to demolish the truth of the Gospell of Christ To what end serueth this waste Therefore in one word our Sauiour saith If thine d eye be wicked all the body is darke For if we misse in the goodnesse of the cause and the rightnesse of intention all is lost And it is to be noted that he saith not Eyes but thine eye For one of our eyes the left eye it mattereth not if that be out the worldly wisedome For I take it Christ intends the right eye For the Diuell would make a couenant with vs like Naash the Ammonite vpon this condition that he may thrust out our right eyes He careth not how quicke-sighted we be to the world onely hee desires to GOD and his truth to make vs starke blinde O eternall God looke vpon vs and visite vs with light from heauen for the earth is full of darkenes and cruel habitations And in this case the word of God is to vs as those Perspicils were to Nero in which he saw the trickes and cunning of the Fensers and their secret wards and thrusts and the conueyance of their Art From hence may wee see that great Fenser and the mystery of iniquities and learne to shunne his fiery darts God grant wee may see in his light I remember Homer when hee speaks of Aiax fighting in a blacke mist vnder a darke cloude how he makes him cry to God for light with such vehemency of passion as I know not if he expresse the like in all his Workes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 loue Father saue the sonnes of Greekes from this darke pitchy night Make cleare the uyre dispell the mist and kill vs in the light Giue vs O Lord the light of Grace remoue from vs all darkenesse of Vnderstanding and kill vs in the light of thy sonne IESVS CHRIST My last part followeth What wee should not be Wee must not be intangled with worldly businesse I take not any of these words metaphorically spoken but in the first and proper sense for bodily fights are but shadowes to this of the spirit which is the onely true fight and say we must borrow words for our better vnderstanding to expresse spirituall things in their kinde earthly things doe lend heauenly things words but heauenly things doe lend earthly things signification So they which fight but for earthly things doe not till they haue gotten the victory meddle with the things of this world much lesse should we which goe in warfare for heauen For this implication or stopping at things in the way is a let to the victory which if it came but single and by it selfe were farre more to be desired of a good souldier than any thing which can be had without it But the victory brings in these spoyles with it and whatsoeuer else mans heart can desire especially this victory after which shall be no more warre no enemy left and the purchase shall bring with it all spoyles riches honour security peace triumph glory and blisse eternall If we could consider the benefit and fruit of this victory all the Kingdomes of the earth could not serue to make one fetter to tie vs heere and those greene cords of the loue of riches and worldly pleasure and honour which so binde our desires we should breake as Samson did his Bands like to Towe when it hath felt the fire So absurdly then doe they which neglect this end to which they are called and lie ensnared with impediments of emoluments which lie in the way as if a man being shewed where a rich treasure lay should neglect to digge it forth contenting himselfe with the Rushes and Bennets which grow vpon the ground I will content my selfe onely to resemble these men to such as catch at the spoyles before the enemy is ouerthrowne or the
the spirit their flesh they nourish and pamper their soules they starue and famish neyther laying hold of Gods promise which is the ground wherevpon they stand neyther caring for the word of God which is their foode neyther by Prayers and Meditations raysing vp in them the ayde and strength of faith which is the sword wherewith they must fight So daily the bodie growes stronger as if he should say Who can conquer mee and the spirit weaker crying who shall deliuer mee Lastly we should fight for brotherly loue but we trample it vnder our feete else what doe so many diuisions and schismes Doe wee feare our part is too strong and hauing escaped the sword of our enemies doe we seeke to fall by our owne But the actors of sects doe separate themselues as the onely sanctified and chosen despising all others as Publicanes and Sinners But let me aske where there is among you enuying and strife and diuisions are you not carnall You are not as this Publicane or Sinner are you not worse he is come neere to teare the flesh of IESVS which hath rent his coat But these may suffice God grant that we all which haue ourâ—… profession in CHRIST may haue our minde for CHRIST and not onely resolue to fight this fight for the Kingdome of Heauen in our seuerall stations as we are to ioyne with the honour of God the rescuing of our soules and bodies from the enemies of God but in all our states and callings whatsoeuer publikely to behaue our selues like good labouring Souldiers of Christ our Lord whether we be Counsailours or Iudges or Deligats for peace or inferiour Officers or priuate men or Pastours of the flocke or any wayes called to thinke that to all doth belong this good labour that publique peace and tranquilitie be defended the truth maintayned Religion preserued the good encouraged the wicked punished and aboue all GODS prayse and glory euer magnified Now to God the Father with the Sonne and the holy Ghost be all Power and Dominion ascribed now and for euer Amen THE CALLING OF MOSES The fourth Sermon EXOD. Chap. 3. Vers. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Verse 1. When Moses kept the sheepe of Iethro his father in law Priest of Midian and droue the flocke to the backe-side of the desart and came to the mountaine of God HOREB Verse 2. Then the Angell of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the middest of a Bush and beholde the Bush burned with fire and the Bush was not consumed Verse 3. Therefore Moses said I will turne aside now and set this great sight why the Bush burns not Verse 4. And when the Lord saw that hee turned aside to see God called vnto him out of the middest of the Bush and said Moses Moses And he answered I am heere Verse 5. Then he said Come not hither put off thy shooes from thy feete for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground IF this place of Scripture had moued me to but an intent of handling the seuerall parts according to their just weight and substance I must of necessity haue giuen it ouer and layd this burthen on some other whose shoulders could haue better borne it than mine can and haue chosen some foords and shallowes of other Scriptures through which more easily I might haue waded But sithence I haue no other purpose than to gather from these branches such fruit as hangeth lowest for my reaching I hope I shall offend no reasonable Hearer The generall Scripture which hath in it the Calling of Moses sheweth vs first who called him God Verse 4. Verse 2. The Angell of the Lord secondly the place generall Verse 1. The Desart thirdly the particular place Verse 4. Out of the Bush fourthly the manner of Calling familiarly by name Moses Moses fiftly Moses his readinesse Heere am I sixtly a Prohibition Come not hither seauenthly a Commandement or Exhortation Put off thy shooes from thy feete eightly a reason it may be of both For the place where thou standest is holy ground There is no doubt but as often as God appeared to our Fathers making himselfe manifest by some signe so often hee stouped downe from the height of his Majesty and as wee may thinke went forth from himselfe to come nearer to them For that which is most vnworthy of that Diuine majestie to borrow a Body or a Face of his Creatures for a time is yet the greatest vouchsafing wherewith hee can vouchsafe vs and the possiblest meanes he hath to make vs whiles we are here in the flesh attentiue and to wonder at his greatnes The same God doth stoupe downe and bow himselfe to vs when he speaketh and calleth by his word out of the lippes and mouthes of his Prophets and Ministers and there is no difference betweene that trembled Majesty which spake to Moses miraculously and to vs ordinarily But this is the end of extraordinary calling that they haue extraordinary effects to whom God doth appeare by strange and fearefull signes and wonders in them he sheweth more wondred workes of his power Had not God called Moses who could haue perswaded a silly poore man a shepheard in the wildernesse such an one as before fled from the face of one man to oppose himselfe to a mighty kingdome to a whole Nation Had not God inspired how could one naked man with a little wand in his hand whip Pharaoh and his kingdome and smite the whole land and hauing first beaten him with haile and stormes after he had almost eaten him vp with Lice Exodus 8 17. and Caterpillers Exodus 10. 13 after hee had shaken him with thunders and scorched and blasted him with lightnings Exodus 9. 23. powre him out and his whole hoste like dregges into the Sea Now for the calling of Moses wee must consider this followed another calling of his namely his inward calling with which he was called before it was then an outward calling yet not that outward which is opposed to the inward for so many are called But a certaine deputation of a purpose which God would publish and make manifest by him whom by warrant of this calling as by Commission he would authorize to sit in his owne place and to visite Pharaohs house in regard whereof he saith I will make thee Pharaohs God So now Moses considering the highnesse of him that calleth him shall little regard how vilely men esteeme of him being assigned by him before whom not onely all earthly Kings and their kingdomes but the heauens themselues are lovve And againe Moses considering the power of him that calleth him shall now despise his owne weaknes and a thousand slow tongues And further looking into the end for which he is called to deliuer his brethren from their bondage and affliction shall comfort himselfe not onely against the hardnesse of his labour and the obstinacie of blind Pharaoh but against the bitter murmurings of his own brethren
note to whom our Lord speaketh For hee doth not instruct the Magistrates or rulers in their duty which were not present to his Sermon For hee speaketh to his Disciples and the people which had no authority and singling them out a Vobis dico I say to you So the Disciples and the multitude which beare no office are forbidden to reuenge priuate injury offered Fourthly Christs Disciples and the multitude did dreame of an externall and politicall kingdome of the Messiah which should be armed with externall and kingly power and authority and vanquish their enemies but CHRIST here foretelleth that they must looke for no such thing no such bodily Sauiour but rather prepare themselues to suffer smitings on the cheekes and spoyle of goods and bitter injuries and reproach Neyther should-they receiue assistance of the Magistrates themselues which are called the Shieldes of the earth but rather haue layd vpon their backes by them also most grieuous and heauy burthens Fiftly and lastly CHRIST setteth downe heere the forme of his kingdome which is spirituall and heauenly For to the eies of the world his kingdome appeareth not If my Kingdome were of this world then would my Ministers fight for mee that I should not be deliuered to the Iewes Different from this estate are earthly kingdomes which are ordered vnder wholesome defence of Lawes and Authority and power temporall which yet as we haue shewed is the ordinance of God Therefore he which is a Free-denizon of heauen and of the House and Family of God may be also a citizen in an earthly corporation and estate as S. Paul proued himselfe a citizen of Rome and appealed to Caesars Iudgement seate Acts 25. 10. I cannot forbeare to speake whether the Pharises peruerted with falser glossing the law of Moses or our aduersaries the words of Christ. Saint Peter from whom the Pope challengeth his high Supremacie could not finde exemption from the Magistrate allowed him out of these words of Christ but was contented to be vnder authoritatiue correction of heathen rulers so were all the Apostles but Peters successors haue shaken off all authority of Christian Magistrates I pray you of what Scripture sauoreth this Stile To be iudged of none Well let vs graunt the Pope this liberty to be free of all soueraignty temporall and sithence it must needs so be let all the shauen Priests haue immunity from all Secular power And not onely challenge this prerogatiue when the Magistrate may seeme to offer them injustice and wrong but in cases in which themselues stand guilty of most notorious crimes But whence hath he learned to be aboue all authoritie Nay who gaue the Beast with the great Horne power to push Kings out of their Thrones to depose the Magistrate to stop the ordinary course of Iustice to maintaine the subjects in disobedience to assoyle them of their oathes of allegeance and how was it found an act meritorious to murder kings a point of highest godlines to lay wicked hands vpon the annoynted ministers of God If there be any light in the word of God if any truth in the truth hence may we know that man of sinne which is an aduersary and exalteth himselfe aboue all that is God For if the Magistrates be Gods on earth as Christ himselfe saith and shall be shewed the Pope extolling himselfe aboue all Authority of earthly Princes aduanceth himselfe aboue all that is God on earth And if Christ be the King of Heauen which flatly denyeth his kingdome to be of this world The Pope by joyning to the spirituall the temporall sword exalteth himselfe aboue all that is God in Heauen Well I I leaue you to consider further This I dare say hee will take no blowes on the cheeke For our present matter in hand wee stand by these assured that the Magistrates authority is warranted by God and to this end to punish the doers of euill and therefore it is lawfull by authority of Gods word for any that is wronged to seeke that ordinance for redresse onely we are forbidden to auenge our selues Therefore the Widow did not offend which sought the injust Iudge Now priuate reuengings draw friends on both sides and parties and confederacies and so the resisting of the euill is a cause to spread it further But when the Magistrate punisheth no man taketh part no man resisteth no man is offended onely the euill is taken away and the Delinquent by exemplary justice done made a terrour to all offendours But you will say Vengeance is mine saith the Lord. True But God himselfe saith That they which beare rule are Gods And Christ himselfe so interprets that Scripture Therefore when they strike God striketh when they kill God killeth they haue his Sword they haue his Ordinance they haue his Seate they haue a speciall name they haue a speciall annointing from him Therefore they are free from offending when they kill offendours or euill doers of that Law which saith Thou shalt not kill And that commandement of not resisting euill bindeth not them nay rather they highly sinne against God if they resist it not We haue it then most euident what Christ intendeth when he saith Resist not euill For when wee haue receiued wrongs and are destitute of helpe from the Magistrate then ought wee not to auenge our selues and by priuate resistance requite euill with euill but to compose our selues to meekenesse and patience in forbearing to forgiue our enemies and not onely to temper from all outward force but to quench all inward and inordinate heate burning to reuenge We must keepe the peace of Christ either by publique resisting or priuate forbearing And rather suffer the losse of our liues than to haue the sweet fruit of quiet patience destroyed in vs. If spittings smitings woundings killings might shake our hope or take away the comforts of Gods spirit who could be Christs Disciples We may keepe GODS peace in warre no tumult no fire or sword of our enemies can take it from vs. For him wee serue for sauing our soules and for an euerlasting deliuerance And shall we forsake him for an houres paine and a blow on our cheekes Hee that striketh our shadow toucheth not our body And hee that killeth the body toucheth not the soule Must the followers of Christ goe to Heauen by a common way Shall those constant Patients which are in the diet of Saluation feare taking some bitternesse in their potion or letting a little bloud They write that Archimedes had his mind so fixed on a few Mathematicall lines which he drew in the dust that hee attended not while the Citty was fired about his eares But how many thousands of professours of Christ can wee name whose Faith hath beene so fixed in God that they haue despised the cruell siege and battery which the enemies of CHRIST haue laid to their flesh and bloud But because this Doctrine soundeth vnreasonable to eares of
Christi the law of Christ for tables of stone tables of flesh Writing my law in their hearts For circumcision of the flesh Circumcision of the heart in the spirit For annoynting annoynting You haue an oyntment from him that is holy For washing washing so S. Paul Such were you thieues couetous c. but you are washed but you are sanctified Wee haue for outward the inward sprinkling Let vs draw neere c. sprinkled in our hearts from an euill conscience and washed in our bodies with pure water For sacrifice sacrifice to offer spirituall sacrifices to God by Iesus Christ. For Altar we haue an Altar We haue an Altar whereof they haue no authoritie to eate which serue in the Tabernacle For high Priest Iesus Christ which is an high Priest after the order of Melchisedech for euer For Lambe Lambe Behold the Lambe of God which taketh away the sinnes of the world Blood for blood The blood of Iesus Christ washeth away our sinnes Temple for Temple The Lambe is their Temple And for all Christ which is our law our circumcision washing sprinkling annoynting saerifice altar our high Priest our passeouer our temple the fulnesse of all in all To whom with God the Father and God the holy Ghost three persons and one God be all fulnesse of praise honour and glory now and for euer AMEN THE VVAY TO ETERNALL LIFE The seauenth Sermon 1 IOHN Cap. 17. Vers. 3. And this is life eternall that they know thee to be the onely very God and him whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ. WHen the Lawyer stood vp and tempted Christ saying Master what shall I do to inherit eternall life he was made answere him selfe out of the morall law Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thine heart with all thy soule with all thy strength and thy neighbour as thy selfe And heere is set downe the vtmost bound of our actions but if any man should aske but what knowledge is required to eternall life our Sauiour himselfe answereth This is eternall life to know the Father to be the onely very God and him whom he hath sent Iesus Christ. So here is the vtmost limit of our knowledge This Scripture then refuteth the vanity of Sciences to which men are by nature most propense and prone and for all Arts Sciences Learning Wisedome commendeth to vs one which is the Art of a Christian to know the true and liuing God These two compasse in and containe within them all Christian duty knowing and doing first we know God then wee loue him for ignotinulla cupido there can be no desire of that we know not after the Greek Prouerbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Of seeing commeth louing Such as is our knowledge such is our loue If we know God but little we can loue him but a little the more we know him the more we loue him if we know him not at all we cannot at all loue him It is rooted in the nature of all things to desire that which is good and whosoeâ—…er desireth the good doth not rest his desire in any subordinate good for the desire will striue and presse forward for the soueraigne good that good to which all other goodnesse is subordinate neither can it haue rest till it haue attayned to this supreame end of all things Now albeit many desire the good apparant for the supreame good yet the desire in the false entendeth the true good as we see in the heathen people which worshipping false Gods did entend in them the worship of the true and onely God It is another principle in nature for euery thing which hath life to desire and doe all that it can to keepe it selfe from dying for if our life should perish what could the good of life profit vs for no good no not the soueraigne good could any wayes aduantage him that held by no tenure of life to enioy it Here then wee haue the supreame good made manifest to our vnderstanding which good is the true God and to a good eternall wee haue a life proportioned which is eternall that wee may neuer dye to our good nor our good to vs. You shall not then expect that I speake of this Scripture by way of diuision sithence the subiect of my Text is the true and perfect Vnion for other Sciences wee learne first by learning the parts and then the whole This Science wee haue first by being taught the whole the mysterie of the Trinity and then in it all the parts of a Christian life It is all one knowledge for all to know one life for all to seeke one God for all to beleeue in and there is but one way to come to this life which is by knowing the true and onely God I haue heard of a dangerous harbour in our Seas at whose mouth at Goodwins sands out of which the Pilot cannot make forth but hee must sinke in those sands vnlesse he so steere his Ship that he bring two steeples which stand off so euen in his sight that they may seeme to be but one Doubtlesse wee cannot make way in our faith without sinking into endlesse errour vnlesse wee beleeue God the Father and God the Sonne to be the same in substance and the onely true God But is not the holy Ghost with the Father and the Sonne one substance and the same true and liuing God yes but he is our Pilot to guide vs in this way Therefore the Scripture saith They that are led by the spirit are the sonnes of God And in another place Walke in the spirit And againe If you be led by the spirit Therefore Christ himselfe saith of the spirit He shall teach you all things If all things then this truth the ground of all truth the knowledge of the Father and and the Sonne because the spirit searcheth all things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 euen the deepe things of God Neither ought wee more to doubt that the spirit is God because hee brings vs to Christ then that Christ is God because hee brings vs to the Father No man commeth to the Father but by the Sonne for then wee should likewise doubt whether the Father were God because he brings vs to Christ Euery man that hath heard and learned of my Father commeth to me And no man can come to mee except it be giuen him of my Father For this is that clarification of which our Sauiour speaketh in the first verse Father clarifie thy Sonne so doth the Sonne glorifie the Father verse 4. and the holy Ghost which proceedeth from the Father and the Sonne clarifie both the Father and the Sonne that all three persons may be glorified of vs all and that nothing may be more cleare illustrious to our faith then this summe and ground of all truth The Trinitie in Vnitie and Vnitie in Trinitie is to be worshipped So hence we may ascertaine our
consciences that as the Father the Son and the holy Ghost are one God so our faith which beleeueth is one faith our knowledge which apprehendeth this mysterie is one knowledge that is with the same obtute of faith I beleeue in God the Father with the same and no other I beleeue in GOD the Sonne and God the holy Ghost And with the same light of knowledge I know one I know all three Neither doth this Vnion rest here to make our faith one and our knowledge one but to make the knowers one for which our Lord prayed That all which shall beleeue in Christ through the Gospell preached by his Apostles may be one as the Father is in Christ and Christ in the Father that they also may be one in vs. I in them and thou in mee that they may be made perfect in one This then we must take for certaine that in reading this Scripture we must of necessitie vnderstand God the holy Ghost with God the Father and God the Sonne as S. Augustine teacheth Ordo verborum est vt cum patre et filio consequenter spiritum sanctum intelligamus quia c The order of the words is saith hee that by consequence wee must vnderstand the holy Ghost with the Father and the Sonne for the spirit is the substantiall and consubstantiall charity of both the Father and the Sonne because the Father and the Sonne are not two Gods neither are the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost three Gods but the Trinitie it selfe is one God Neither is the Father the same person that the Sonne nor the Sonne the same that the Father is nor the holy Ghost the same that the Father and the Sonne whereas the Father the Sonne and the Spirit are three and this very Trinitie is one God Wee haue then by the grace of Christ in these words A Catechisme or Enchiridion for a Christian man contayning in it all the mysteries of saluation all the articles of our faith For at that very instant that wee beleeue God to be the Father maker of the world almighty the onely true and liuing God wee beleeue the incarnation of Iesus Christ we beleeue in the holy Ghost the resurrection from the dead the remission of sinnes we beleeue the holy Catholique Church the communion of Saints and whatsoeuer is written in the law and the Prophets all the contents of the Gospell This one knowledge hath all knowledge in it for as life in that instant that it is life giueth spirit motion seeing tasting feeling and desire to preserue life so as soone as we haue this knowledge wee haue with it all heauenly wisedome and vnderstanding we need not be perswaded to beleeue the Scriptures wee haue the light the feeling the tast of heauenly things and as the light of this Sunne which directeth my going in one place shineth to mee in all places in the house in the field in the Sea in the Desart and in all deepe places so the light of the knowledge of God and Iesus Christ lightneth to mee all things that were in darknesse leadeth me out of all doubts and errours and illuminateth all things that are in heauen and earth But that you mistake me not I doe not deny when we haue receiued this faith but that we haue our farther growing in Christ and encrease in godlinesse by hearing and reading the word by meditation by prayer by receiuing our daily bread and drinke of life in the Sacraments by walking by motion by exercise and labouring in our most holy faith The thing I entend is to shew that all these spring from this fountaine and moue from the power of this life For our bodily life cannot consist or continue without daily foode therefore it is naturall to life to hunger for it daily and by foode wee receiue strength and in our strength we trauaile and labour and doe the things which belong to this life This then is my purpose to shew that all heauenly gifts and powers of the spirit are of the nature of faith So the Apostle By faith we haue an entrance into this grace wherein we stand But first wee liue by faith The iust shall liue by faith By faith we feed therefore the word of God is most properly called the word of eternall life which is the word of faith which wee preach And this word must be mixed with faith and be as meat digested in the stomack of our soules The word did not profit them in whom it was not mixed with faith By this faith we eate the flesh of Christ and drinke his blood which is the bread of life By faith wee are nourished as said Paul of Timotheus which hast beene nourished vp in the words of faith In faith we grow When your faith shall encrease In faith wee haue our strength Strong in the faith By faith wee stand Thou standest by faith By faith we walke For wee walke by faith and not by sight By faith we worke as Saint Paul saith The worke of your faith in power By faith wee resist Satan Whom resist being stedfast in faith By faith wee fight Fight the good fight of faith By faith we conquer and ouercome This is the victorie which ouercommeth the world euen your faith See how S. Paul ascribeth to faith all the patience labours workes striuings assurance hope and the victories of the Saints in the whole Chapter which is the eleuenth to the Hebrewes But here the Scripture speaketh of knowledge not of faith No it cannot vnderstand this knowledge without the light of faith For our knowledge of God is the issue and birth of our faith In all earthly things knowledge maketh faith for all the wise men of this world beleeued no farther then they were led by reason but of heauenly things faith maketh the knowledge for these are aboue reason and captiue our vnderstanding Therefore Saint Paul By faith wee vnderstand c. And Saint Peter I beleeue and know that thou art Christ the Sonne of the liuing GOD. Therefore our faith hath her perfection in this life and knowledge doth surrender to faith heere In the world to come faith shall surrender to knowledge and faith shall bee no more Wee beleeue not heere in part wee know but in part now but wee beleeue all things Then in the life to come vvee shall know all thinges as vvee are knowne Then as Saint Paul and Saint Peter ioyne faith with knowledge so doe wee heere and more then that with Christ himselfe in this Chapter the twentith verse vvee take them both for one for so hee prayeth that they vvhich beleeue in him may bee one euen all that shall beleeue by the preaching of their that is the Apostles word that they be one as hee and his Father are one Now let vs goe forward Hypocrates said truely of the Art of Physicke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
battell wonne whos 's first let is because that ardor pugnandi that alacrity of the minde and heate to fight which should be in a Souldier begins to cease This we see in many worldlings which beganne with a zeale and feruor of the spirit but that heate and burning of the spirit is now abated and retarded They grow colder and colder to heauenly things till at last they shrinke and fall away If they be not starke cold yet they are not hot and of such we may heare the Apostle complayne Demas hath for saken me Secondly being made rich they grow timerous For the nature of these earthly things is to beget diffidence and feares and jealousie because our worldly riches haue many suiters and many competitours which seeke by flattery and sleight to vndermine our estates and pilfer away our happinesse so many enemies not onely of rust and mothes but of a Theeues which breake through and steale so all our study and care is now deriued from heauen to guard and watch these base gatherings that we may justly complayne Our feete are set in the snare What snare In the snare of the Diuell Saint Paul telleth vs b in laqueo Diaboli So these first stole away our zeale and we beganne to faint now they haue taken away our courage and we are turned cowards And now for feare wee durst not speake the truth especially if wee should offend some great person To omit other feares wee will change our religion and profession too rather than suffer losse But say we are not brought to this triall See the rich mans feare when he comes to die I meane not his which hath riches but his which loues riches I say when he comes to the last stroke and should be ful of fortitude for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 now it is come to the crowne What can wee stirre such men vp with the view speculation of heauenly things of which their hearts haue beene so long naked and dispossest Now is the time of feare the thiefe is come which begins to dig through the wall all is full of trouble and terrour When that soule which was the least part of their goods is swallowed vp of Despaire When one poore Ague shakes all the frame of the house as it would sinke all downe into hell when they await the heauy doome of the Physition as the thiefe doth the Sentence of the Iudge when that strong enemy I meane their owne fleagme and spittle hath so wofully besieged their life when groanes and stitches and burnings and shakings begin to hale and pull those fat Bulls out of their rich pastures thus doe they perish that haue renounced this warfare for the Kingdome of Heauen and wrapt and snared their soules in the loue of this present world whose condition was worse then that of Swine to whom life was giuen in stead of Salt to keepe them from stinking and now see what followes we haue lost our courage and our enemies haue found it we haue deuised to tie our selues so fast that they may take vs and carry vs whether they will take we heede then least that which is most dangerous the enemy set not vpon vs while we are sub sarcinis vnder our burthens For that I may conclude wee gather not the spoyles heere for they are not earthly things but Ioy Loue Truth Peace a of conscience and the fruits of the Spirit with the Kingdome of Heauen and life eternall of these rich booties doe our enemies robbe vs and these are gathered in Heauen Againe in this life the fight is not ended No man is crowned vnlesse he haue lawfully ariued Shall we seeke to triumph before the victory Lastly the Souldier must not take the spoyles but the Generall must distribute them which viewes the whole Armie ouer and sees who fight best in their seuerall ranckes and Stations so doe earthly Princes to them which haue deserued bestin the warres To some they giue gifts to some honour and Knighthood to some Lands to some the seate of Iudgement and so doth our Lord IESVS CHRIST looking downe from heauen on such as striue and wrestle for his name and glory to some gifts Him that ouercommeth will I cloth in white aray to some Lands and possessions Goe to thou faithfull Seruant be thou ruler ouer ten Cities to some honour he that shall doe these things and teach them shall be called great in the Kingdome of heauen Some he maketh Iudges You which haue followed me in this generation shall sit vpon twelue Seates and iudge the twelue Tribes of Israell Let these giue vs to consider what our calling is we should fight for the truth but how many fight against the truth as Heretiques with what vehemency of spirits raysing vp all mans reason and force of arguments seeking with allmalice subtilty with extreame rage and cruelty the detorsion of the word of God from it's end vrging Scripture against Scripture Which abuse we seeing may iustly crie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We are wounded and shot through with our owne feathers Our enemies haue said Mutemus clipeos Danaumque insignia nobis aptemus Let 's change our Bucklers while t is night And vnder Greekish Ensignes fight We should fight for God but how many fight against him Atheists Blasphemers Swearers which by their liues doe beare witnesse against God which neuer vse his trembled name but when they sweare and blaspheme as if they would spit him out of their mouthes Such we haue which open their mouthes wide against Heauen we heare them say Our tongues are ours who are Lords ouer vs We should fight against the Diuell we fight for him when we will not confesse our sinnes but iustifie them and say to the Prophets face Nay but I haue not sinned Thus doe we absolue Sathan and condemne CHRIST this makes the Ministers of God as welcome to vs as Eliah was to Ahab Hast thou found mee O mine enemy And as Michaiah was to the same Ahab he neuer prophesieth good to me but euill We should fight against the world but we stand in the worlds defence as couetous men will they suffer the least diminution of their riches nay rather perish mercy dye Almes-giuing waste zeale be forfeited all the treasures of Grace to the vttermost wracke of saluation the losse of Heauen to boote What Counsell what Law can we not finde to recouer an earthly losse But Gods laws are not cared for All our striuings buildings plowings saylings doe obey Hell and the Diuell If we could rippevp the hearts of such we should finde written in them The God of this present world We should fight against the flesh wee are for the the flesh as gluttons adulterours drunkards which in the combate betweene the flesh and the Spirit doe take the flesh her part which contrary to the rule of Saint Paul doe castigare spiritum chastise and subdue