neuer haue beene Papists But when they cast a mist before the eyes of men then the blind fell into the ditch which doth containe so many grosse corruptions For mine eies haue seene thy saluation For c. Because the holy Ghost by inspiration had de-declared vnto him that he should not die till hee had leene Iesus Christ therefore the same spirit led him to the Temple and shewed that which it promised and hauing seene the same he desired and wished to die and be released from this earthly prison that he might â—iue with God As idâ—e and euill wishes are vaine because they are not according to faith not grounded vpon the word of God so though we aske as cunningly as Iacob and as earnestly as the sonnes of Zebede yet if wee aske Gen. 27. 17. 18 19. 20. c. Mar. 10. 35. 37. Iam. 1. 7. not in saith according to knowledge we cannot obtaine But wee should aske so that we may receiue that we may not returne empty Therfore the ground whereon Simeon setled himselfe to wish for death was that hee had receiued a promise of God that he should be deliuered from this miserable life when hee had once seene the light of the Gentiles the Christ and now hee had seene his Sauiour and embraced the true Messias which was promised by the Father figured by the law spoken of by the Prophets foretold by the Fathers and pointed at by Iohn Baptist For thus he reasoneth Now that I see thy saluation according to thy word and therefore the condition is now performed let thy promise also be fulfilled Now let thy seruant depart c. For mine eyes c. Mine eyes haue seene c. Then we see that Christ was no spirit neither was his body a fantasticall body for if he were a spirit Simeon could not see him and if his body were a fantasticall body then could not he haue embraced him Therfore wee Iohn 11. Luke 29. Iohn 4. Luke 10. Luke 5. see that the words of the Scripture are true which saith that Christ was perfect man in all things sinne onely excepted For he sometime wept as at the death of Lazarus and like wise ouer Ierusalem Sometime he thirsted as at the Well where the woman of Samaria disputed with him and also sometime eate as at Marthaes house as also among Publicans and sinners and in euery thing shewed himselfe to be perfect man Haue seene c. O Lord saith he I desire now to be dissolued and free from the bondage of sin which so long hath inhabited in my mortall body for now he is come by whom thou hast promised to free and set vs at liberty he is come by whom thou hast promised to breake the Serpents head and he is come that will heale our infirmities and giue strength against sin and sathan by faith peace towards God through loue And now saith hee I haue embraced him and thankfully do receiue him I beleeue am perswaded that this is the same Messias whom the Father promised and the Prophets fore-told all Israel longed expected for who is the light of the Gentiles the glory of Israel and the God of the whole world So they which loue the truth of God and waite with desire to bee filled with the knowledge thereof such shall not die vntill they haue their harts desire with contemplation therof Acts 10. Acts 8. For as Peter was sent to Cornelius and Philip to the Eunuch so the Lord will stirre vp such of his seruants as may bee fit instruments to minister the same vnto vs. Iudas indeed died before the time and liued not to see Christ crucified but the Disciples which loued Iesus did see him die like an vndefiled innocent Lambe and that to their exceeding ioy and comfort when they vnderstood how that he suffered death for loue of them and for their redemption Now if Christ cannot hide him from such as hunger after him through loue then what shall we say of our Fathers which liued in the time of ignorance that longed to see his light although they had a mist cast before their eyes Surely such died not till they saw Christ and embraced him in their hearts And this is our iudgement concerning them that died in the time of Popery And likewise as concerning the rest which thought to be saued by Purgatory and Masses after that they are dead we say that they which sleep without oyle in their lampes they die ere they are aware of and ere they wish for it like the Philistines which sent for Sampson to laugh and mocke at him and to sport Iudg. 16. themselues vpon whom the house fell and destroyed them all or the Egyptians which thought that the waters had made passage for them aswell as for the Israeliers Ezod 16. both which died in and for their security because they were not watchfull nor prepared against the Lord called them Haue seene thy saluation Seeing now hee is come for whom Simeon longed what are the troubles that are past and the sorrowes that are come to an end so when wee haue our desires accomplished feeling the sound comfort of the Gospel what should we how may we thinke either on the length of time wherein we waited for them or the tediousnes or also grieuousnes of the troubles whereby wee haue obtained them Haue seene thy saluation As Moses died on the mount where hee saw the land of Canaan so the godly die in the sight of God and in Deut. 34. the contemplation of his glory like Stephen who at the very instant of his death saw the heuens open and Christ Iesuâ— sitting at the right hand of his Father and like Simeon Acts 7. here which desireth to bee loosed and no doubt shortly died viewing ioyfully and so thankfully beholding the Lord of life Beloued you are not ignorant that the great day of the Lord is neer at hand and therfore they that haue not yet seene Christ they that haue not yet embraced him but still sleepe without oyle in their lampes shal sodainly be ouertaken without the wedding garment and shall be cast into eternall torment for euer Haue seene c. There be many sights of Christ all goe not vp to the mount as Peter Iames and Iohn all see not his face with Matth. 17. Exod. 33. Iohn 13. 2. Cor. 12. 2. Moses all sleepe not in his lappe with Iohn all are not taken vp into heauen like Paul all embrace him not in their armes with Simeon But as pleaseth God so he sheweth himselfe vnto vs and all that loue him both see him and embrace him To some he shewes himselfe as in a glasse to some generally Mat. 20. to some particularly some he calleth early and some hee calleth late and there is no houre in the day wherein he calleth not some to get labour in his Vineyard To some he sheweth himselfe by Angels to othersome by visions Abraham saw
is in vs more then other men but for your sakes that we might reueale it to you Therfore heare vs euen for this cause because the Lord hath reuealed vnto vs these things for your sakes and good From the calling we come to the charge Arise and goe to Niniue that great c. God commeth and findeth vs all asleepe then he bids vs arise for they are not fit to conuert others which are not yet conuerted themselues according to that saying of Christ to Peter When thou art conuerted strengthen Luk. 22. 30. thy brethren teaching them by your experience Now adaies men take vpon them to reprooue others for committing such things as themselues haue practised and do practise without amendement notwithstanding their diligence in teaching others their dutie they can teach all the doctrine of Christ sauing three syllables that is Fellow me Therefore these are like some Taylors which are very busie in decking and tricking vp of others but goe both bare and beggerly themselues Yet they will not let vs plucke out the more that is in their eyes vntill wee haue plucked out the beame which is in our owne eyes Go to Niniuie Niniuie was the greatest and the antientest Citie in the land of Assyria and the name of it signified Beautifull which name was giuen it rather for the greatnesse and beautie thereof then for the name of Ashur which was the builder and first founder thereof as we reade in the booke of Genesis It had a faire name but foule deedes like this Citie Gen. 10. 12. Goeto Niniuie c. God would not suffer any people to bee vntaught therefore he hath written this name in great letters easie to bee read of all The heauens declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth the work of his hands They haue no speech nor language without them is their Psal 19. 1. 2. 3. voyce heard Their line is gone foorth through all the earth their words into the ends of the world In them Rom. 1. 19. 20. is manifest for all what may bee knowne of God For his eternall power and God head are seene by the creation of the world but especially hee teacheth some by his word also Therefore he sent vnto the old world Noah Gen. 6. Gen. 19. Act. 16. 6. Lot to Sodome Moises to Israel and heere Ionah to Niniuie But when Paul with Silas and Timothy had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia they were forbidden of the Holy ghost to preach the word in Asia Then came they to Mysia and sought to goe into Bithynia but the spirit suffered them not Goe to Niniuie The Iewes would not heare the wod of God by Ionah and therefore the Lord sent him to Niniuie They that griue the spirit quench the spirit Then goes the Prophet from Samaria to Niniuie The word was in Samaria it went thence to Niniuie the Gospell was at Ephesus it is come into England it is gone out of the Citie Reu. 2. 4. 5. 1. Cor. 10. 12. but it may depart from England againe If any thinke that he standeth let him take heede left he fall But the Prophet goes from Samaria to Niniuie that was both to shake off the dust of his feete to witnesse against them their obstinacie and hardnes of heart and secondly to let them see that the wicked Gentiles were more righteous then they in that they repented at the voyce of one Prophet yea and that with one sermon whereas themselues refused and resisted all the holy and worthy Prophets that God sent vnto them And thirdly it may bee to signifie that the Iewes for their contempt and negligence should be reiected and the Gentiles should be receiued into the fauor of God that they might bee an holy and sanctified people vnto the Lord in their trouble That great Citie Niniuie had fifteen hundred towers in it as some doe Ion 2. 4. 11. write and a hundred twenty thousand little children as it is noted in the end of this story therefore it may well be called a great City but the greater it was the more vngodly it was For as one man taketh sicknesse of another so one man is infected by the wicked wordes and ill example of another and so taught to sinne the more till the measure of sinne be full And cry against it c. First God biddeth him Arise and shake off all impediments then to goe and call them to the battell and now he bids him cry out against them and so terrifie them Euery Prophet is a crier as appeareth where the Lord biddeth Esay to lift vp his voice like a trumpet Euery Esay 48. 1. Prophet must both bee plaine and bold and this many times maketh the poore seruants of God to speake their mindes as plaine and bold as if they sate in iudgement Iohn was a voyce a voyce would not serue he was Luk. 3. the voice of a cryer and yet hee could not make all the crooked straight nor the rough plaine And because all the Preachers of the Gospell should cry that is preach zealously in the second of the Actes it is written The Holy ghost came downe in fire and tongues but this fire is quenched and the tongues are tied vp so that they that should cry are starke dumbe but though they cannot speake they can see they can see if a great benefice fall though it be an hundred miles off and Pharaoh had more care of his sheepe then wee haue of our soules If Preachers were not deafe they needed not to crie one to another but such is the dumbnesse of Preachers and the deafenes of all sorts of hearers that there is great slownesse of followers so that there is but little good done and but a few fruits gathered If ye were not deafe we neede not to crie but because yee be dull of hearing therefore wee cry with mouth with heart with hand with foote and with all the powers of our bodies vnto you and yet how little do you regard it But are not ye commanded to heare as well as we to cry Yet the cocke croweth when men are asleep Mat. 36. 70. 72. 74. Prou. 28. 9. yea the cocke croweth and still Peter yet denieth his Master Before you cry vnto the Lord heare what the word crieth vnto you and let not your workes crie for vengeance while your tongues cry for mercie When men heare the Preacher speake against pride hypocrisie couetousnesse or anie other sinne then they looke one vpon another as though it belonged not vnto them but who can say his heart is cleane And cry against it Our sins buffet God on euerie side as the Iewes buffeted Christ first on the right side then on the left side and neuer leaue till they haue prouoked him to cry against vs. When God cries then we should weepe considering wherefore hee cries for there is nothing that can prouoke the Lord to cry but sinne
and the glory of thy people Israel THis is the sweet song of olde Father Simeon wherein is set forth the ioyful and peaceable death of the righteous after that they haue embraced Christ Iesus with heart and mind vnfainedly as hee did seeing their death is to bee the beginning of a better and more ioyfull and pleasant life then the former But before we proceed further in it let vs heare a little of that which went before The Euangelist saith verse 25. And behold there was a man in Ierusalem whose name was Simeon this man was iust and feared God and waited for the consolation of Israel and the holy Ghost was vpon him And a reuelation c. Simeon feared God Religion may wel be called feare for there is no Religion where feare is wanting for the feare of the Lord is the beginning of wisedome and this Prou â— 7. priuiledge hath God giuen to those that feare him that they neede to feare nothing else And waited for the consolation of Israel Simeon also waited for the consolation of Israel vntill hee had embraced in his armes him whom hee so long longed to see and feele How many waiters bee there in the world yet few wait as Simeon did but some wait for honours some for riches some for pleasures some for ease some for rewards some for money some for a deere yeere and some for a golden day as they call it but Simeon waited and expected with many a long looke vntill he had seene and embraced Christ Iesus the light of the Gentiles the glory of Israel the saluation of all that with a faithfull and zealous affection and loue doe waite for his comming to the comsort of the afflicted and to the terrifying of the wicked and vngodly which haue not already waited neither embraced him as Simeon did And waited for the consolation of Israel Faith in all afflictions doth lift vp her head waiting in assured hope beyond all hope and seeing the clouds scattered ouer her head yet she is euer comfortable to her selfe saying anon it will bee calme and although all the friends in the world doe faile yet it neuer faileth nor fainteth but euer keepeth promise in that which by the verity of the spirit of God it assureth vntill her ioy bee fulfilled All are not Israelites that are born of Israel Simeon Rom. 9. 6. was an Israelite indeed for hee waited for the Messias from God with patience and expectation so the spirit of God dwelleth alwaies with them which alwaies say Thy will be done 26 And a reuelation was giuen him If we wait as he did the spirit will assure vs as it did him that we shal see God before we die and they that long in faith to see the ioyes of heauen the spirit assureth and promiseth faithfully vnto them that they shall see it 27 And he came by the motioÌ„ of the Spirit in to the Temple Simeon came into the Temple at this time by the prouidence of God The worldlings will call it chance but Pro. 16. 13. Mat. 10. 39. the Euangelist would not chop that in because it is manifest that al things come to passe by the prouidence of God without which there is nothing done By this prouidence Rebecca came forth to wait on her fathers cattell Gen. 24. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. when Abrahams seruant praied and looked for her coÌ„ming that he might take her for Isaac to marry withal By this prouidence Saul was annointed king by Samuel 1. Sam 9. 20. 10. 1. when he had no such thought in his heart but went about seeking for his fathers asses that were lost And he came by the motion of the spirit The diuell led Christ vnto the top of an high mountaine that hee might shew him the glory of the worlde which deceiueth vnstable minds so would he doe you if you would be led by such a guide but I would not haue you to marke the vaine motions of such a spirite which leades to nothing but to vanity and pride for after he hath led you to the top and allured you by carnall pleasures as much as hee can if you then fall downe to worship Mammon embrace the world the same spirit will afterward lead you nay rather cast you downe from the top of all vnto hell Therefore I beseech you and heartily entreat you that you would bee the seruants of God and seruants of the spirit of God to be led by it to obey it and to do nothing contrary to his will that you can refraine but all those good things which you would were done by you and go thither whither you would come for all would come to heauen but all will not goe to heauen If you will all heare I will teach you all yea J wil vndertake this heare and mark my words and you shall be led by the power of the spirit to our Lord Iesus Christ And I pray to the Lord that I may neuer preach to the condemnation of any among you all yea I wish that euery one of you were more zealous and more godly then my selfe But to whom shall I compare you euen to the vagabond Iewes of wâ—â—â—â— Luke mâ—ntioneth in the Actes that they tooke vpon them to abiure euill spirites by the name of Iesus whom Paul preached to whom the Acts. 19. 1. 14. 15. 16 euill spirits answered saying Iesus we know and Paul we know but who are yee and those which had the euill spirits ranne vpon them and ouercame them so that they sted out of that house naked and wounded and thus the diuell preuailed against them at that time because they sought to worke with an others instrument and preuaile with an others weapon If they would haue said In the name of Iesus whom we preach they might haue preuailed but they thought it sufficient that Paul preached him though they neuer professed him And so we leane vpon an others staffe and thinke to be saued because God saueth others We shall be dealt withal as were those vagabond Iewes for he will answere such I know and such I know but who are yee Therefore it behooueth vs all to pray vnto the Lord that hee would furnish vs with weapons to encounter against all the euill motions of the spirit of Sathan that we may ouercome and not be ouercome and put to flight like those vagabond Iewes but that we may haue oyle alwaies in our lamps burning and alwaies armed with watchfulnesse against our enemies lest Sathan steale vpon vs vnawares in the darke and lead vs to fulfill his lusts and spoile vs and strip vs and leaue vs starke naked 27 And he came by the motion of the spirit into the Temple c. If we would thinke that his spirit doth leade vs into the Temple we would marke very diligently the motions thereof when we are there whether it speaketh to vs in our owne soules by the mouth of the Minister of God who is
consciences quiet and also ioyfull in Christ free from the feare of that death they haue deserued and assured by death to passe to that life which God to all faithfull hath promised earnestly wish to die in feruent loue of God and zeale of his glory that so they may cease from offending their good God and neuer cease magnifying his mercy shewing thereby that they are weary of the seruice and bondage of Sathan and sinne and assured after death to enioy the true life most fully glorifying God and most perfectly pleasing him for euer and therefore also they desire death not shortning their life but waiting his leisure and calling thereby glorifying God as in their liues they haue done and sought to doe For man was not borne at his owne will and therefore may not die at his owne pleasure Therfore they beg it of God referring themselues euer to his good will when where and how by death they shall glorifie him stil desiring it but neuer wilfully procuring it If any obiect that Sampson pluckt the house on his owne head as well as on the Philistines we must vnderstand that Sampson was a figure of Christ and therfore as it were offring himselfe to God a sacrifice first praied and then glorified God at his death more then al his life in killing so many of Gods enemies And because they waite the Lords leasure they not only wilfully murder not themselues but are carefull also lest foolishly vnwittingly they hasten it For all they are guilty of their owne blood that either by foole-hardie rash or vnwise behauing or with surfets drunkennesse or any intemperat vsing of themselues shorten their life Yea though they tender their liues neuer so deere yet are they in the guilt because they willingly vse the meanes that brings death Simeon had seene much in his many daies but when he saw Christ he was vnwilling to liue any longer to see more His desire accomplished his long longing at length is satisfied his feruent expectation with free ioy now fulfilled It is enough saith Simeon that I haue seene my Sauiour as Iacob said It is enough that my son Gen. 45. 18. Ioseph liueth How much more then should wee bee satisfied with this and in all thankfulnesse rest in it that we haue seene Christ not as Simeon in weakenes and basenesse but victorious most glorious ouer sin death and hell triumphing and are more assured then Iacob was that hee not as Ioseph vnder Pharaoh in Egypt liueth but in heauen with his Father in highest maiestie raigneth Lord ouer all hauing all power both in heauen and Ioh. 17. 14. 1. Iohn 3. 3. Rom. 8. 18. earth and moreouer where he is thither shall wee come and be like him and with him as fellow-heires reigne in the kingdome of our Father for euer Simeon knew Christ as soone as he saw him and embraced him as soone as he knew him and enioyed him as soone as he embraced him so some know the word of God as soone as they heare it and beleeue it as soon as they know it and feele the comfort of it as soone as they beleeue it But others heare it as though they heard it not like deafe adders which stop their eares at the voyce of the charmer So Pharao would not heare the voyce of Moses nor Baals Priests the voyce of Elias and others Exod. 5. c. 1. King 18. though they know it yet will not beleeue it as if God were vntrue so all malitious wretches that preserre the pleasures of sinne before the glory of God and others though they beleeue it yet can they not either presently or when they will feele the comfort of it much lesse the ioy which is offred by it namely the heart oppressed the desolate afflicted soule The seede is not cast all on a heape but it is cast abroad therfore where be the fruites of the spirit that you haue brought forth For the spirit of God is not like a dead potion in the stomacke which worketh not neither can we haue this spirit in vs and feele it not For if thou hast it it will leade thee as it did longing Simeon as wee haue hitherto seene to the Temple and when thou art there it will leade thee to Christ and when thou hast receiued and embraced him it will possesse thee with ioy and so with thankfulnesse and godly care to keepe him and to entertaine him and to be obedient vnto him nay also with a longing to bee loosed hence and euermore perfectly to please him Therefore beloued iudge your selues that ye be not iudged of the Lord. Thy seruant The godly would not leaue this priuiledge for all the riches in the world for that they are the seruants of God fellowes to princes and Angels for wee serue him whom Dauid Salomon Ezechias Iosias serued yea to whom a thousand thousands Dan. 7. 10. euen innumerable Angels minister Heb. 12. 22. euen him who is most blessed for euer Euery seruing man beares the cognisance of his master vpon his sleeue What then will the Lord say when he commeth and findeth vs marked with the badge of Sathan Surely he will say giue vnto Sathan Exo. 12. 22. 23. Eze. 9. 4. 11. Re. 10. 7. 3. 5. 6 that which is Sathans But all the houses of Israel are sprinkled with the blood of the Lambe and all mourners in Ierusalem are marked and all the chosen are sealed with the seale of the liuing God Well was it said the poore receiue the Gospell The young men are more forward in the trueth and more zealous then the aged the sonne then his father the seruant then his Master Once the younger Brother stole away the blessing from the elder therefore the elder hated him euen for his zeale And when was Iacob hated more then he is now When was he so hated and persecuted as he is now by Esau Yet in the old time men were more zealous in their age then euer wee heare of them to be in their youth yea they were zealous in the Lords businesse Age hindreth not Noah from building of the Arke when God commanded him age hindered not Simeon Gen. 5. 32. 6. 22. from reioycing and mirth when he beheld and embraced the Lord Iesus Christ Then old Simeon embraced Christ and he enioyed him with hearty ioy in zeale but now where is old Simeon There be but few of them to be seene comming to the Temple to receiue Christ but Dan. 1. 8. 1. Sam. 2. 3. 1. Ti. 4. 12. Phil. 10. Mat. 21. 15. now young men receiue him yong Simeons young Daniels young Samuels young Timothies and young Onesimus and the young infants beginne to speake againe The young haue him they are zealous and J hope they wil keepe him though old men neglect him Sathan thou hast too much for nothing already In peace c. Christ brings peace with him not the peace of the world but that peace which passeth all