as Iacob vvrastleth with manie great imperfections and spiritual aduersaries in this life he must as a faithful subiect or seruant of God keep the lawe of wrastling appointed vnto him to wit that he minde but one thing forget that which is behind and endeuour himselfe to that which is before followe hard toward the marke but when Israel hath once ouercome all his worldly ghostly enemies is become a perfect man in Christ seeth the Lord in the life to come then he shall as a beloued friend or child of God possesse that inheritance vvhich the father hath by his euerlasting testament written vvith the bloud of Christ Iesus appointed vnto him to wit euerlasting life eternal glory ioy in the holy Ghost the kingdome of heauen The prize of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus O happy happy man art thou and thrice happy man art thou whosoeuer thou art which vvith Iacob dost wrastle keep the law as a faithfull seruaunt for no other ende but only this that with Israel thou maist see God enioy the euerlasting testameÌ„t as a beloued son For when wee shall see God we shal see and what shal we see That which no mortall eye hath seene that we shall see VVe shall see our own selues sitting shining at the right hand of the throne of Maiestie VVe shal see all our deere friends which we haue not seene this many a day embracing vs welcomming vs into Christs kingdom VVee shall see all the noble armie of Martyrs of Apostles of Prophets of Patriarkes shouting day and night and singing out the praises of the lord VVe shall see all the inuincible hoast of Angels of Archangels of Principalities of Dominations reuerently attending vpon the king of glory VVee shall see the king himselfe Christ Iesus disparkling displaying those beames of beautie which are the heauens vvonder and all the Angels blisse If there were no we amongst vs one as faire as euer Absolon was who would not be glad to beholde him But suppose some one were tenne times as fayre as Absolon howe then would men looke gaze vpon him I but if another vvere a hundred times as faire as Absolon what a matter of admiration wold that make Put the case then some one should now step forth shâ—we himselfe a thousande times fayrer then euer Absolon was vvhat wondering what maruailing would there be amongst vs howe would our eyes bee dazeled how would our very mindes be amazed at this sight VVel al this is but a counterfeit but a shadow in respect of the bright-blazing beautie of our spirituall spouse For Christ Iesus is ten times fairer yea a hundred times fayrer yea a thousand times fayrer yea ten hundred thousand times fayrer then all the children of men So that if the whole beautie not onely of all men but euen of all this inferiour Globe were put together in one yet it would not be any way coÌ„parable not onely to Christs glorie but not so much as to the least glorified bodie in heauen And yet all this is but the outside of heauen all thys wee shall see with our bodily eye The inside and the insight is much more glorious For the least glorified body seeing innumerable Saints and Angels more highly exalted then he is hath his ioy doubled trebled beyond all measure multiplied when he coÌ„sidereth that he is loued vnspeakably more by all of them yea by euery one of them then hee can be by himselfe And therefore againe seeing himselfe so deere vnto them hee for his parte likewise as a hote burning coale is set on fire and inflamed with loue and the more he seeth any other excell him in glory the more doth he reioyce and is gladder of his glory then his owne But now when hee lifteth vp his eyes to the glorious Trinitie and seeth how the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost doe eternally and perfectly loue and like and enioye one another in surpassing sweetnes and content then all his affections are swallowed vp in loue all his spirits are rauisht in delight all his desires are imparadized in pleasure In so much as if on the one side were layd the loue of Christ as he is man and of all the Saints and Angels among themselues and on the other side the loue which the least glorified body in heauen beholding the blessed Trinitie breatheth out to GOD this loue would without all comparison excell exceed that as far as light doth darknes or as heauen doth the earth VVherefore for man to see God for Iacob to be called Israel for him that hath bin a seruant to becom a sonne for him that hath kept the lawe to enioy the testament is the highest degree to perfection yea it is the very perfection of perfection it selfe The onely perfect life the onely hye honor the onely godly pleasure the only christian treasure The prize of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus Seeing then blessed brethren seeing wee fight not as they that beate the ayre but our rewarde is so great so exceeding great in heauen therefore as Iacob wrastled all the night long and neuer gaue ouer til about the breaking of the day he was called Israel so let vs wrastle all the night long of this life neuer giue ouer til the day breake the shadowes flye away and we come to the maruailous light sight of God And like as the same Iacob sayde to the Angell I will not let thee goe except thou blesse me euen so let euerie true Israelite say to Christ I tooke hold of him and left him not O Lord Iesus who would leaue thee or who would let thee goe or rather who would not hold thee fast which strengthenest him that holdeth thee fast and makest him perseuere that is strengthened and crownest him that perseuereth and makest him perfect that is crowned Therefore I will hold thee fast and will not let thee goe except thou blesse me that is indeede I will neuer let thee goe because thou doest neuer blesse but onely those that alwayes hold thee fast Holde fast then and Stand fast good beloued once againe I say Hold fast that which you haue that no man take your crowne from you Stand fast in that liberty whereby Christ hath made you free and be not any more entangled with the yoke of bondage But so runne so runne as yee may attayne As yee may attayne Howe is that Mary faithfully patiently constantly vnto the ende A shame it would be and a vile shame for vs if it should be sayd of vs not you doe runne well but you did runne well â—ye vpon it Hauing been hetherto brought vp in skarlet shall wee now embrace the dung Shall we be like those antickes or monsters which are halfe men and halfe beasts Shall wee be like Nabuchadnezzars image which had a head of gold and
signifies stretch our selues to those things which are before And like as Aeolus left all the other winds which might haue beene a trouble to hym with his friend Vlisses to be packt vp in a male kept onely the westerne wind for his owne vse to bring him home into his country so we must reiect all other things which may be as contrary windes to driue vs from the shoare of saluation and retaine onely that westerne winde of the spyrit of God whereby we may Endeuour our â—elues to that which is before and stretch out our sailes so come safelie to the hauen of heauen Euerie thing as Austine testifieth is either a hinderance or a furtherance if it be a hinderance cast it away If it be a furtherance then keepe it For euen as the silke worme keepes her body spare and empty and vses to fast two or three dayes together that she may stretch out her selfe the better and spin her threed the finer so we must Endeuour to bring vnder our bodies and as I may say diet them for the nonce that wee may not any longer weaue the spiders web but with the silk worme spin a new thrid The spiders webb is vinculum the silke wormes thrid vehiculum And like as the viper perceauing her olde skin to bee so stiffe that shee cannot easilie stretch out her self in it strips it quite off after the same sort we which are by nature a generation of vipers must strip off our old skin and perceauing we cannot well do our Endeuour stirre our selues in the armor of Saul wee must with Dauid put it of and put on the armour of light When long warre had bin betweene the two houses of Saul and Dauid at length the house of Saul waxed weaker and weaker the house of Dauid waxed stronger stronger In like manner the spirit must alwaies Endeuour it selfe to that which is before neuer leaue fighting with the flesh till the house of Saul who was a lim of the deuill that is the flesh waxe weaker and weaker and the house of Dauid who was a figure of Christ that is the spirit waxe stronger and stronger Thus the Baptist being but a child waxed stronger and stronger in spirit And yet speaking of Christ and himselfe he sayes thus He must increase I must decrease But the Baptist was borne of olde Elizabeth Christ vvas borne of young Marie Whereby wee see that that which is borne of the olde man which is the flesh must daily decrease in vs and grow downeward but that which is borne of the new man which is the spirit must daylie increase in vs and grow vpward For so indeede Christ in the beginning of the new world increased in wisdome for his mind and stature for his bodie To teach vs that if wee be liuely members of the same body then we must in like sort Endeuour our selues to that which is before and increase and multiply grow vp into him who is the head till we all come to the measure of the age of the fulnes of Christ. The holy ghost also in the beginning of the old world was moued vpon the waters To teach vs that if we be inspired moued by the same spirit then we must in like sort be moued vpon the waters and passe apase ouer the red sea of this world that wee may quickly come to the celestial Canaan which is the kingdome of God We pray indeede that the kingdome of God may come But the kingdome of God commeth not by obseruation if wee stand still gazing and gaping for it Therefore as Abraham dyd runne from the doore of his Tent to meete the Angells So must we Endeuour to runne forward not onely looking for but also hasting vnto the comming of the day of God that wee may if it bee possible meete the Lorde in the ayre with all his holie Angells if wee would haue his kingdome come VVee pray also that the will of God may bee done in earth as it is in heauen But the will of GOD will be not done if wee will doo nothing Therefore as the Cherubins spread out their winges on high and couer the mercy seate So must we spread out our wings and stretch out or Endeuour our selues and bee alwayes prest and ready to flye as it were to do the will of God if wee would haue his will done in the earth as it is in heauen VVhen God at the first had made a paradise vpon earth hee tooke the man and put him into it to dresse it and keepe it Adam was not enioyned to bestow any bodily labour in dressing it at that time For this was a part of his punishment afterward Neither yet had he neede to keepe it from wild beasts For all these were then subiect and obedient vnto him So that he dressed and kept it by keping those graces which God hath giuen him yea and Endeuouring hymselfe to encrease them continually Therfore the Apostle beseecheth vs also that wee receaue not the grace of God in vaine but that in all thinges wee approue our selues as the seruants of God in much patience in afflictions in necessities in distresses and so forth See yee how many posts props he putteth vnder vs that we may be stayed vp and confirmed in the grace of God How many tooles as it were implements he giueth vs that we may not receaue the graces of God in vaine but that as they are receaued kept in vs so they may be daylie dressed and bettered by vs. For as Saint Peter witnesseth if these things be and abound we shall neither be idle nor vnfruitfull in the knowledg of Christ. Wherevpon Oâ—cumenius obserueth that the graces of God as the flowers of a garden must not onely be kept but also bee dressed that they may haue not onely a beeing but also an abounding Because a man may haue great good things being in him and yet be himselfe like a garden that is kept indeed but not dressed altogether idle and vnfruitfull But if they be both being and abounding in him if hee Endeuour himselfe to goe on further euery day then other then surely he is neither idle nor vnfruitful in the knowledge of Christ. Hereupon Charls the fift gaue this Emblem StaÌ„d not stil but go on further Vlterius as God sais to his guest Superius Sit not still but fit vp higher So the water riseth vp higher and higher which Ezechiel speaks of First to the ankles then to the knees theÌ„ to the loines lastly to the head So the wheat grows vp riper riper which Christ speakes of First there is the blade theÌ„ the eare theÌ„ the full corne lastly cometh the haruest So must we with the water rise vp higher and higher till wee come to the head which is the sonne of God and with the wheate grow
Elias called him went about the bush as we say and would needes goe bid his Father and his Mother farwell before he would follow the Prophet Paul did not so Being called of God hee did not stand temporizing and cirkling and consulting with flesh and blood before hee would followe toward the Marke neither did he fetch a compasse as hee was constrained to doe when he ariued at Rhegium but as hee came with a straight course to Cous so heere straight wayes hee came to Christ. There is but one place in the whole Scripture which may seeme to serue them which serue the time And that is where the Apostle exhorteth vs not to be slothfull in seruice but feruent in spirit seruing the time They that by seruing the time vnderstand taking all oportunities to doe good expound it neuerthelesse thus That wee must apply our selues to the time yet so as in euery inclination and turning we keepe a straight course But all the fathers Origen onely excepted doe reade the place otherwise Ierome by name saith most peremptorily Let others reade seruing the time I for my part will reade seruing the Lord. And this reading in deede is much more agreeable to the text So that heere is nothing sayde in defence of time-seruers For they that are such serue not the Lord Iesus Christ they are not Christ-seruers but they serue their owne bellies and with their glauering and flattering they seduce the harts of the simple and leade them beside the Marke Therfore as fleachers to make their shatts fâ—ie stedily peece them with sugarchest or holy or such like heauy wood so we must adioyne to that aspe or seruice tree or such other light matter which we are all made of the sweet sugarchest of the holy ghost that we may not be vnsteadie as arrowes of aspe nor yet slothfull in seruice but feruent in spirit seruing the Lord. Saint Ambrose reporteth that the Bee beeing to flye home to her hiue and fearing least if she should be taken by the way with the wind shee might perhaps bee blowne about in the ayre counterpeizes her selfe with a little stone and so flies straight home This may teach vs also what we ought to doe We must not be wauering carried about with euery blast of doctrine like a reed shaken in the wind but as the Bee is balaunced with a little stone so wee must be built vpon the chiefe corner stone and grounded vpon a rock and established with grace that howsoeuer the rayne fall or the floods arise or the winds blow or what times soeuer come yet wee may stand fast in the streete which is called straight alwayes following Christ directly toward the Marke To come nowe to Newters they may be compared to a Weauers shittle which if it goe forward one way presently goes backward againe as much another way Or to a Weauer himselfe such an one as Penelope was who would doe and vndoe weauing that in the day time which shee did vnweaue in the night But contrariwise sayth our Apostle If I build againe the things that I haue destroyed I make my selfe a transgressor As if he shold say If I weaue and vnweaue if I build and destroy I make my selfe a Newter and so consequently run beside the Marke For no man doth more transgresse then he that is doubtfull and vncertaine in religion one while putting his foote forward another while pulling it backward againe God sayth to his people which come to worship him in his temple That he which entreth in by the way of the North gate shall goe out by the way of the South gate and he that entreth by the way of the South gate shall goe forth by the way of the North gate hee shall not returne by the way of the gate wherby he came but they shall goe forth ouer against it Thus the wise men which came to worship Christ returned not home the same way they came but returned home another way For it was behoofull that beleeuing nowe in Christ they should not walke any more in the wayes of their olde conuersation but that taking a new course they should leaue all their former errors goe forward continually toward the Marke Among those sowles which are counted abhominable the Sea-mew or the Gull is one Nowe this is vncleane because it liues in both elements both in the water and in the earth swimming as a fish and yet flying as a bird And certainely those wise men shold haue been such fooles and such gulls as these are if they had worshipped both circumcision which is an earthly rudiment and also Bapâ—â—sme which is administred by water by the holy Ghost For the holy Ghost sayth if you be circumcised Christ shall profit you nothing As if hee should say If you goe backward againe to the circumcision of Herod hauing gone thus far forward to the baptisme of Christ you make your selues Newters and shall neuer come to the Marke The Iewes were charged not to weare a garment of diuers sorts as of linnen and woollen together Hath God care of Oxen and hath he not much more care of preachers Hath God care of those garments wherewith our bodies are couered and hath he not much more care of those vertues wherewith our mindes are adorned Yes verely wee must so vnderstand it that by this Iewish lawe we are all charged not to runne with old clouted shooes vpon our feet when our feete should be newe shod with the preparation of the Gospell of peace not to sow a peece of new cloath into an olde garment when old things are now past and al things are become new In one word not to haue a linsie woolsie religion or a parcht moath-eaten conscience but to weare such a faire cognisance of certainty and constancie vpon our coate as all men may see that without any newtrality or hipocrasie we follow hard toward the Marke and sincerely serue God Therefore as Theseus beeing guided by Ariadnes threed which shee tyed at the entrance into Dedalus labyrinth escaped all the danger and error of it euen so wee must make Christ the doore by which we must enter into the labyrinth of all our affaires and tye Rahabs threed at this entrance and follow it all the way that so wee may be safe and goe in and out and finde pasture For to goe in and out after this sort is not to goe forward backward but to go only forward Seeing whether we goe in by remembrance of Christs mercies or goe out by consideration of our own miseries whether we goe in by faith or goe out by good works whether we goe in by life or goe out by death alwayes we finde pasture that is heauenly comfort in Christ alwayes we goe forward alwayes wee follow toward the Marke Now for Humorists S. Paul aduiseth vs