in the meane time the poore Minister hath found the Text and preached it though it takes no successe and it is a Text to be taught all and his Text is Deut. 14.22 Deut. 14 22. Thou shalt truly tithe of all thy increase And he is bound to preach this for how can he preach vnlesse he be maintained and bound because hee heareth God curse where man denieth tithe Reade when you come home with horrour Mal. 3.8 Mal. 3.8 Will a man rob God yet yee haue robbed mee saith the Lord. But yee say Wherein haue wee robbed thee His answer is In tithes and offerings therefore yee are cursed with a curse But I forget my selfe Christs salutation in the resurrection was Peace be vnto you and I bring to you a Gospell of peace Arise therefore thou that sleepest if Christ shall giue thee life let not Adams apple Achans wedge Esaus broth Babylons cuppe Iudas soppe betray thee the snares of Sathan fetters of the flesh chambers of death workes of darknesse chaines of hell enthrall thee arise by Christ to Christ with Christ as if yee had embraced this Gospell of Christ seeing this Gospell is a preached Gospell My second passage Preaching is the ordinary meanes to worke beleeuing It is the Trumpet of Esay the Cymball of Dauid the sound of Aarons bels in the Sanctuarie the sauour of life vnto life vnto them that beleeue It is a speech to men to edification exhortation 1 Cor 14.3 comfort 1 Cor. 14.3 Preaching is the cesterne to conuay life and beleefe to the soule the knife to diuide the Scripture the key of the Kingdome of heauen Ier 23.29 Rom. 1.16 Ier. 23.29 Esay 55.11 Ephâ—s 6.17 Heb. 4.12 a fire Ier. 23.29 a power Rom. 1.16 a hammer Ier. 23.29 a shower Esay 55.11 a sword euen the sword of the spirit Ephes 6.17 A sword sharper then a two-edged sword Heb. 4.12 The Proclamation which the Lord hath vsed by the mouth of all his holy Prophets since the world beganne whereby God hath euer selected a vocation of men to deale betwixt God and man whose preaching in their ministerie is aboue all other Oratorie as the Schooles obserue Aquin. Allâ—rt Dicere infra Docere circa Predicare supra Wee speake of things beneath vs our teaching is of those things about vs but preaching is of things aboue vs. In the Primitiue world the first borne was the Priest and Preacher to the familie Before the Floud Enoch a Preacher of Righteousnesse Iude 14. At the Floud Noah a Preacher of Righteousnesse 2 Pet. 2.5 Before the Law Melchisedecke a King and Priest Gen. 14.18 In the Law Salomon a King a Preacher Eccles 1.1 The Lord neuer intended his word should be laid vp only as the Tables of Moses or the sword of Godliah or the Kings Treasurie in the Temple but ordained an Ecclâ—siasticall Hierarchie for his Church by a Tribe of his chusing to breake the bread of life to his chosen Aaron so honored with the Miter Censor Altar Crowne royall roabes Deut 33.10 and miraculous rod he and his Tribe were inioyned by God to teach Iacob his iudgements and Israel his Lawes Deut. 33.10 The very forme of our preaching was practised by the Leuites vnder the Law Nehemiah 8. verse 2. The meeting of the Congregation verse 3. Place in the street neere the water gate 4. Esra the Priest stood in a Pulpit made of wood 6. His Praier before Sermon the Prophets Amen 5. His opening the booke 8. His reading the Text opening the meaning giuing the sense causing them to vnderstand Thus preaching vnder the Law Vnder the Gospell it was the ministerie of reconciliation the promulgation of the glad tidings of the Gospell and the imploying of the Talent God bestoweth Talentum quod creditum non quod inuentum saith Lirinensis A Talent receiued not deuised Lirinens Then by preaching hearing by hearing faith obtained Neuer was there so large a Commission granted as the Commission of preaching Goe into all Nations Matt. 28.19 And as large was the execution for they preached in euery City Acts 15.21 in euery Church Acts 19.23 in euery place Mark 16.20 at euery time in season out of season 2 Tim. 4.2 to euery creature vnder heauen Mark 16.15 The Gospell was thus generally preached and to the end of the world must be preached From which word preached as out of a fountaine ariseth this streame of Doctrine The preaching of the Gospell is both the especiall ordinance and great blessing of God The reason because it is a light to them that sit in darknesse and a light that God hath appointed to bee carried before his people A light indeede to them that sate in darknesse where the Prince of darknesse and power of darknesse and workes of darknesse and shadow of death did ouerwhelme them There neuer was so great miserie in Israel as when no Prophet to teach them Three especiall remarkable wants all harbingers of woe to Israel No Smith in Israel 1 Sam. 13.19 No King in Israel Iudges 18.1 No Priest in Israel 2 Chron. 15.3 the last of all the rest most miserable As dolefull as fearfull is Dauids complaint of that time Wee see no tokens there is no Prophet more no man of God in the Land no man that vnderstandeth any more no teaching no Law no peace no God among them because no Priest among them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hâ—mer Iliâ— l. â— All things ouerthwart declining crooked nay cursed The word therefore is a light vnto our feet and a lampe to our paths and the preaching of this word so necessary that as without hearing no beleeuing Rom 10.14 so no hearing without preaching Rom. 10 14. And where no preaching the people perish Pro. 29.18 I denie not that reading is a blessed exercise Reu. 1.3 and blessed is he that readeth Reuel 1.3 A great part of S. Austins conuersion is imputed to his reading of a place of Scripture but sure I am that the Promise is annexed to preaching and S. Austin confesseth Aâ—stin Câ—â—fâ—s that by S. Ambrose preaching he was especially conuerted So in his confession to God may be collected Ad cum Deus per te ducebar nescius vt ad te per cum sciens ducerer Austin It was preaching rather then baptizing wherein our Sauiour was exercised Iohn 4.2 Fecit mira dixit multa saith Bernard hee wrought miracles hee spake Oracles Bern. But as if hee had onely come to the world to preach he proclaimes himselfe Luk. 4.18.19 The spirit of the Lord is vpon mee Luk. 4.18 and hath anointed mee to preach to preach the Gospell to the poore to preach deliuerance to the captiues to preach the acceptable yeere of the Lord. In the Primitiue Church they traueld thirsted hungered laboured sweat and bled and died and compassed sea and land for the obtaining of this Iewell and in that Infancie of the Church hauing found preaching
Maries memoriall A SERMON PREACHED AT St. MARIES SPITTLE on Munday in Easter weeke being Aprill 1. 1616. By DANIEL PRICE Doctor in Diuinitie and Chaplaine vnto the KINGS Maiestie LONDON Printed by Edward Griffin 1617. TO MY DEARE FATHER Mr. THOMAS PRICE Preacher of Gods word in SHREWSBVRY SIR AS Loue descendeth so duty ascendeth Illi debes quod â—abes cui debes quod es Amb. in Lâ—â—c which freeth me from all suspition of flattery in that I dedicate some part of that to you of whom I haue receiued all Saint Augustine attributeth his happinesse to the prayers of his mother Monica as the chiefest meanes vnder GOD of his conuersion and S. Ambrose vpon that of the Apostle Ep. 6. Ep 6.2 Honour thy father and mother which is the first commandement with promise preferreth that blessing which good Parents leaue their children by prayer before all worldly reuenues which they can bequeath them Cyr Al. l. 4. in Gen. Parents beare the image of GOD whom they blesse vpon good grounds such shall be blessed with a long life vpon earth In coâ—lis reposita est maior compensatio cal or they shall haue a greater reward in heauen It was a blessing for which Esau and Iaakob stood in competition You haue more blessings then one or one by GODS effectuall working may worke effectually in more then one which is the subiect of his prayer who euer resteth Your dutifull sonne at command DANIEL PRICE O HOLY SPIRIT OF truth direct mee MATH 26.13 Wheresoeuer this Gospell shall be preached in the whole world there shall also this that this woman hath done be told for a memoriall of her IN Ierusalem there was a poole which in Hebrew is called Bethesda hauing fiue porches a Ioh. 5.2 many glorious things are spoken of that city of God b Psal 87.3 Bethesdas poole is not the meanst of her monuments Tertullian c Tertull. out of the Chalde calles it Bethsetha the house of sheepe and the text saith it was neere to the sheep market Euthymius d Euthym. Beth-hesda the house of mercy and so Tremellius out of the Syriacke the house of benignitie giuing this reason of the name because the Lord did here heale all infirmities for as Saint e Ioh. 5.3 Iohn testifieth in these lay a great multitude of impotent folk of blinde lame withered waiting for the mouing of the water Hither came our Sauiour Expectabant Angeli descensum ecce Iesum noni testamenti angelum saith Beda f Beda they expected the Angell at a certaine time our Sauiour came thither at the solemne time the time of the g Ioh. 5.1 feast h 〈◊〉 Cyrth thinkes this feast to be Pentecost but i 〈◊〉 Irenâ—â—â— and k 〈◊〉 Rupertus tell vs this feast was the Passouer not onely because by the name of the feast the Passouer is commonly vnderstood in the Gospell but also because euery yeere of his preaching heed d some speciall worke against the time of the Passouer at the Passouer he droue out the buyers and sellers out of the temple At the Passouer he fed fiue thousand with the fiue loaues and two fishes at the Passouer he suffered and at the l Beâ—◠〈◊〉 Hâ—rm tom 2. p. 165. 〈◊〉 Irâ—â— Rup Passouer he came to the poole of Bethesda where the blinde and lame and withered and diseased lay Blessed Sauiour in the Synagogue was thy seat thou wast wont to teach in the temple Bir. the ship the mount the desert were thy places of abode o thou fairest of the sonnes of men what dost thou in the houses of the sicke in the Hospitalls of the diseased O thou redeemer of mankinde thou knewest the whole head was sicke and the whole heart was heauy therefore camest thou from the mountaine of spices to this valley of teares All the world was as this poole in all parts whereof as in these porches lay the lame and diseased our Sauiour tooke notice of the infirmities nay tulit nay more sustulit he tooke on him and tooke from vs all our infirmities 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as m Damascen Damascen speakes he tooke on him all our miserable hee tooke from vs all our damnable infirmities left no place vnlookt for to finde vs sought the lost groate in the house lost sheepe in the wildernesse lost son in the world and left no place either vnsought or vnsanctified sanctified the house in his conception the stable in his incarnation the fields by the message of his birth the riuer by the blessing of his baptisme the sea-shore by his teaching the valley by his healing the garden by his praying the Temple when hee was offered and the mount when hee suffered hee hath consecrated and hallowed hospitalls as holy places by Bethesdaes poole and her porches whether at the Passouer the great feast hee entered and cured the man impotent for many yeeres n Ioh. 5.9 Blessed and beloued this day is that scripture fulfilled in our eares this honourable Citie is as Ierusalem this spittle as that poole your hospitalls as those porches this Easter as that Passouer heere are the lame blinde maymed and the diseased shall we now pray that the Angell may descend to moue the waters No the Angell hath descended the blessed Angells of the Lord are witnesses to you that the waters are stird that you haue cast your bread vpon the waters and the blessed spirit of God hath promised o Eccles 11.1 that after many daies you shall finde it Our Sauiour himselfe hath assured you that when two or three p Math. 18.20 are gathered together in his name he will be in the midst of them how much more is hee now present in the great congregation hee neuer saw the multitude but he had compassion on them either hee fed q Mark 6.34 the multitude or taught r Ioh. 6.5 the multitude or Å¿ Math. 4.24 healed the multitude or blessed t Math. 5.3 the multitude In the fifth of Mathew when he had healed them in the vally hee taught them after in the mount and beginning to teach them hee first blesseth them that is his first Sermon wee read of Math. 4.24 Math. 5.3 the first word of that first Sermon is blessing and the first blessing a blessing for the poore u Math. 5.3 The cause of the meeting of this multitude at this solemne Passouer is that this honourable Citie an ancient mother in Israell may receiue a blessing for her blessing poured out vpon the poore Domine ex ore infantium perfecisti laudem as wee may say with the Psalmist * Psal â— 2. Lord wee haue heard and seene that out of the mouthes of these babes and little ones thou hast ordeined strength x Ioh 11.5 and perfitted thy praise Lord wee haue heard and seene the blinde see the lame walke the vlcerated clensed the dease heare and to the poore the
from their birth Many collections to this purpose the destroying Angell in the pestilence in Dauids time sheathed his sword not ouer the house of a Iewe but ouer the house of Araumah a Iebusite a Gentile The Arke was brought home not to Dauids house but to the house of Obed Edom a Gittite a Gentile Before Abrahams buriall place was purchased of a stranger a Gentile the place to build the Temple bought of a stranger a Gentile the field on which the Iewes bestowed Iudas 30. peeces was bought to bury strangers Gentiles Iob from Hus Ruth from Moab Rahab from Iericho Salomons wife from Egipt the famous Queene from Sheba first fruites of the Gentiles the Wisemen that came to Christ the Centurion the honourable Souldier Zacheus the great Vsurer Stephen the first Martyr Cornelius the Captaine Simon the Tanner Queene of Candaces Eunuch were all Gentiles I deny not but some parts of the Gospell were knowne to the heathen before they were preached that Christ should be borne the Sibills foretold it that hee should bee the Redeemer Tully de diuinatione Of his miracle Tacitus is not silent in his 5. booke Of the Wise-mens starre Pliny in his 2. booke Of the Innocents Macrobius in his Saturnals that Christ was the word Plato in Timaeo that by this word all things were made Amitius the Platonist acknowledgeth that Christ suffered Dionisius the Atheist But this was not enough our Sauiour that would haue all men saued and to come to the knowledge of the truth would haue all the ends of the world to heare of the saluation of our God He sent the Apostles to all nations Peter into Antiochia Iohn into Asia Iames to Syria Andrew to Scithia Phillip into Gallia Thomas into Parthia Bartholomew into Armenia Mathew in Ethiopia and Simon Zelotes into Mesopotamia and vnto this Land 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 either Saint Paul as Theodoret affirmes or Saint Peter as Baronius or Ioseph of Arimathea as most deliuer So that it is not only as the Psalmist sang Praise the Lord ye house of Leui praise yee house of Aaron praise the Lord yee house of Israell but praise the Lord all yee Nations praise him all yee Gentiles all they that feare the Lord praise the Lord in all places of his Dominion praise the Lord Psal 117.1 for the sound of the Gospell is gone out into all the earth and the preaching thereof vnto the ends of the world from which light of the Gentiles we gather this light of Doctrine Doct. That all the world shall see the saluation of our God the Reason because hee will haue all inexcusable send to al come to all preach to all in all places of his Dominions It was his Law in Deut. Deut. 10. 10. that no Citty should be destroyed before he offered Peace vnto it and though hee alwaies haue his iudgement ready his bow bent his arrowes prepared his sword sheathed his cuppe mingled his weapons burnished yet before his storme of iudgement he sends a showre of mercy warning before woe Euen Niniueh and Tyrus and Babylon and Sodome had warning before hee will iudge the world with righteousnesse he will shew them the light of his countenance his way shall bee knowne vpon earth his sauing health among all nations But is this fulfilled it was Dauids prophesie their sound is gone into all Lands Psal 19.5 Psalm 19.5 Esayes proclamation Hearken ô yee Iles heare yee people that dwell from farre Esay 49.1 Math. 28.20 Esay 49.1 Christs iniunction Go teach all nations Math. 28.20 Remission of sinnes shall be preached to all nations Luk. 24.47 Mark 16.20 Luk. 24.47 they preached euery where Mark 16.20 It is true Quoad ad vitam creauit ad veniamre dimere voluit I will poure my Spirit saith God vpon all flesh and againe all flesh shall see the saluation of God and all the ends of the world haue seene the saluation of our God Chrysostome Euthimius Theophilact Euscbius Anselme affirme this generall publication and Chrysostome vpon Math thinketh it was accomplished before Ierusalem was demolished But Origen and Ierome and Ambrose and Austin and Gregory and Bede and the Authour of the imperfect worke vpon Mathew and most of the Moderne thinke that this Gospell was not then or is now so generally knowne because this is the last signe of the last dayes Cyrill Damascene Cyrill Damascen Theodoret. Austin in hunc locum Theodoret expound those places non adhuc esse vniuersalitatem praedicationis sed esse implendā hanc vaticinationē successione temporis Austin to this purpose verba Matthei non adhuc completa sed esse complenda Aquinas to the same purpose Vera sunt Mathei verba Reuel non respectu generalis praedicationis sed propter certitudinem diuinae praeordinationis It is Saint Ambrose obseruation that the Elders spake to the Lambe Redimisti nos ex omni tribu lingua populo natione non dixit omnem tribum omnem populum omnemlinguam herein incomplete generis distributio as in this go teach all nations that is some of all But this auswere is not full The best answere of the former Authors is Thomas vtitur praeterito pro futuro or this Euangelis fama in omnibus gentibus praedicatur at Ecclesia in omnibus Gentibus non adhuc aedificatur Aust ad Hesich And Zanchius concludeth all Certum est Euangelium ad omnes gentes pertinere non adhuc ad omnes pernenire for in the time of Saint Austin there were as he witnesseth some Nations quos nec acceperant neque andiuerant For the Gospell in the primitiue Church was Orbis ludibrium opprobrium And long after in the time of Prudentius Prudent Nunc dogmanobis Christianum nascitur post euocatos demum inde consules It was a Prophesie euery age fulfilleth a peece of it the neerer the world to the consummation the more generall should be the Gospells publication Minut. Fel. Ingratinos saith Min Faelix we are vnthankfull the Gospell groweth more ripe in our time Copern some think the sun euery yeer descendeth so much neerer the earth certainely the Gospell in euery age shineth more plentifully in the world The Gospell shall be preached through the world blessed are they that haue a hand to helpe such a worke That it is by Scripture said to haue beene preached to all nations that speech is to be referred either to Prophecie or to be vnderstood by the Synecdoche or Hyperbole Certaine it is that yet it is not so preached as certain that this Gospel shall be preached Lyra vpon the words of Christ go teach all nations Lyra. Hic diuulgatio Dominicae resurrectionis behold by this Commislion a diuulgation of Christs resurrection and of all the parts of the Gospell that euer haue beene published none more generally then this The Scribes asked a signe Christ giues them no signe but of the Prophet Ionas Math. 12.39 the Pharises they
is no determination it is no article of our faith flesh and bloud is blinde in the best things we see but in part wee prophesie but in part Onely I wonder that this loud sounding solemne Prophesie of this Gospell and this work and this woman should be so stifled and strangled by the crooked lines of contrary Interpreters This woman saith my Text from whom as from the wombe of my Text we receiue this Doctrine Doct. the Lord giueth much honour to the woman as to the weaker vessell in that his spirit recordeth the least holy duties performed by women the Reason is to manifest that as the woman was the occasion of sinne and death so by Christ shee is made together coheire of the grace of life Sure Gods Spirit hath some especiall end in it to giue comfort and encouragement to that weake sex by taking an Inuentory of the particular acts in Scripture performed by women not onely the chamber prouided by the Sunamite for the Prophet 2 King 4.10 but a nights lodging afforded Ioshuas spies 2 King 4.10 by the Inne-keeper Rahab Iosh 2.1 Iosh 2.1 and a small measure of oyle and meale by the widdow to Elias 1 Kings 17.14 these are vpon record and loose not their reward Magdalens box Maries choice 1 King 17.14 Marthaes cheerfull entertainment the Sulamite Sunamite Caananite the woman of Samariahs pitcher the poore widdowes mite are not forgotten which is enough to put the life of religion into the hearts of women to see euery little dutie of theirs so well accepted And sure many of them haue beene both partakers of great mercy and instruments of Gods glory as in their owne lifes which as lamps gaue light to their vnbeleeuing Husbands so in gouerning their familie and in instructing their children so was Bathsheba a blessed mother to Salomon Loys to Timothy Maxima to Basill Monica to Austin Pulcheria to Theodosius Helena to Constantine in the sex where sinne hath abounded Grace hath superabounded But none of all that sex the blessed Virgin onely excepted hitherto euer receiued such an honour as this woman many daughters haue done vertuously but thou excellest them all Pro. 31. I deny not but Sathan that blasted Paradise hath much blemished the honour of this sex hee made choice of a woman to bee the first engine and in Paradise by this wheele he turned about the world and since Dalila was the trappe for Sampson the daughter of Pharaoh for Salomon Iesabell for Ahab almost all the heresies though fathered by men yet furthered by womens wit Helena furthers Simon Magus stratagem Phioumena her Apelles Montanus hath his Prisca Donatus his Lucilla Priscillinus his Galla Arius assisted by Constantines sister and Nicholas the Deacon hath a consort of such Companions and of all Creatures that euer GOD created there bee no such ensnaring attractiue loadstones and loadstarres to Superstition and Idolatry as women Yet as Ieremy spake of the figges the good figges were very good Iâ—r 24.3 and the euill were very euill Ier. 24.3 So the good women are very good and such were those holy women in old time who trusted in God And as the Deuill neuer found of such an engine as the woman so neuer such an enemie agaâ—nst him as the woman Piumsane faithfull and pittifull â—uâ—â—n and sanctified is this sex saith Austen and the honour done by our Sauiour vnto them hath much exalted the humble and meeke for besides that the Virgin concceiued him and Elizabeth in the house prophesied of him euery passage of his life had some women to attend him Hanna in the Temple reioyced to see him and Magdalen at the table washt and annointed him and Martha with a great feast entertained him and Mary her Sister poured ointment on him and Iohanna and Susanna and many women ministred of their substance to him the Daughters of Ierusalem wept for him sundry women with infinite sorrow attended him at the crosse when his Disciples fled from him and women came to the graue though Ioseph and Nichodemus had bestowed a hundred pound of Mirrh and Aloes as well applied as Art or Deuotion could deuise yet women came to embalme his body and whom they found wanting to annoint they sought weeping to lament This honourable testimonie of this holy woman giueth full assurance of our Sauiours acceptance of the seruice of that sex if they be sanctified seeing hee ioynes with this Gospell this woman and this worke The Vse whereof should incite all Christian women to serue the Lord that in the day of retribution Vse they may receiue reward from the Lord. S. Austen maketh this Vse Quum foenum eruerit slos deciderit Austin verbuaâ— Domini manebit when the grasse and grace of beauty and the flower of mortall frailty shall fall the word of the Lord shall endure for euer Christian Matrones be yee ambitious of the beauty of the daughter of Zyon and remember yee that supercilious sailes of vanitie and vaine glory as they are the vnfitting fashion of the Court so the worst infection of the Citie Much ornament is no good signe painting of the face argues an ill complexion of body a worse mind Truth hath a face both honest and comely and lookes best in her wone colours The Lord threatneth in Esay to ransacke the womens wardrope and to take away the tinkling ornaments and their caules and round tires Esay 3. and chaines and bracelets and musters and bonnets and headbands and tablets and earnings and mantles and wimples and Iewells and hoods and vailes and crisping pinnes and threatneth Aâ—sten lamentation and mourning and desolation to those daintie Creatures that sate at ease in Sion God is the same your sinnes the same your warning the same Nuptae Susannam Anna vidus virgines Mariam cogitent saith Austen I might remember you how hatefull the memorie of some women are a Diblaim or Dido Infaelix Dido nulls bene nupta marito Such are the sexes curse and the earths dregges of corruption I might remember you of our Debora blessed Elizabeth a woman after Gods owne heart the glory of the Christian and enuie of the Infidell world who was such a nursing mother to our Land and Church that the cause of Religion doth owe more to that one Queene then to many Kings that were before her But the time as well as the feast keeps Passouer and I follow All women must needs confesse that they can neuer honour him enough who hath honored them so farre as to make them the first witnesses of his resurrection Hugo and hath as Hugo obserueth principally deserued the loue of women in that hee vouchsafed to be borne of a woman that when it was granted to no man to be the father it was performed to a woman to bee the mother of Christ wherefore ye Ladies which like the lyllies of the field toile not nor spinne not and yet Salomon in all his royaltie not arraied as one of
and labours at the charges of the said Hospitall of men women and children to the number of 100 persons wherof 60 and vpwards are poore boyes taken out of diuers Parishes and streets of this Citie and now bound Apprentises in the said Hospitall to be made freemen of this Citty at the end of their seuerall Termes I haue but one word more my last part but one word Wheresoeuer of which but a word Wheresoeuer the place vnlimited infinite 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wheresoeuer Salomons fame neuer went further the circuit of the Sunne is not greater 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vbicunque vbique The Church was as Noahs Arke Abrahams progenie Iobs familie Nebuchadnezors furnace Eliahs complaint but now God is knowne vpon all the earth his sauing health among all Nations The Apostles were latent which the doore shut the Christians silent their liues couped the Antebunni hymni and priuate Liturgie were solitarie now God euen our owne God hath blessed vs and all the ends of the world shall feare him This Gospell this woman this worke this memoriall shall be wheresoeuer A blessed worke that is so emblazoned Indi Scitha Thraces Sauromatae Roffensis detribus Magdal quique Mauritaniam quique Orthigias Insulas habitant quod in domicilio pauperis factum est à muliere magna voce praedicant saith Chrysostome Et vix pro Christiano habeatur qui non tenuerit nomen eius saith Gregory A holy worke it was that was so honoured and it so continued so repeated saith Roffensis Singulis annis per totum Christianitatis orbem in celeberrimo Paschae Festo per tot Sacerdotum bursas per tot Pontificum linguas per tot praedicantium tubas hunc de Maria hymnum pronunciars Wheresoeuer this Gospell is preached That not onely already Peter at Antioch and Iohn in all Asia Iames in Ierusalem and Paul at Rome Philip at Caesarea and Marke at Alexandria haue long since honoured this happy worke of Mary That Timothy at Ephesus and Titus at Crete Polycarpus at Smyrna Paulinus at Nola Primasius at Vtica Eucherius at Lyons Chrysostome at Constantinople Cyprian at Carthage Ambrose at Myllaine Austine at Hyppo The glorious company of the Apostles the goodly fellowship of the Preachers the noble armie of Martyrs the holy Church throughout all the world wheresoeuer doth knowledge this memory of the ointment of Mary and that the memoriall thereof doth attend the Gospell Whence issueth this last conclusion Where the Gospell of Christs Passion and Resurrection is preached Doct. there the necessitie of good workes should be vrged The Reason because they be the manifest signes of our faith and beleefe of the Gospell of Christ Faith is shewed by workes the tree by the fruit the streame by the fountaine the light by the Sunne Our Sauiour is he that hath done to vs great things whereof wee may reioyce and holy is his Name We must performe some seruice for him to glorifie his Name He hath beene made poore to make vs rich holy is his Name They that be rich should for his sake succour the poore to glorifie his Name Our Sauiour did euer some good worke at the Passeouer which was the greatest Feast of the whole yeere and the greatest worke of our Redemption hee performed at this Feast of the Passeouer Holy is his Name The act the feast the time the meeting the glad tidings the Gospell of this Passeouer this Gospell at the Passeouer should bring forth some fruit to glorifie his name To conclude therefore this last point Vse the vse hereof is to stirre vp all of vs to imitate their first practise who first heard this doctrine of Christs Passion and Resurrection Acts 2.23.24 Peter preached to some deuout men of euery Nation vnder heauen that Iesus whom they had crucified and slaine God had raised him vp from the dead This was this Gospell Obserue from the 41. verse the fruit of this preaching they gladly receiued this word 3000. soules were added to the Church in the 44. they beleeued and sold their possessions and goods and parted them to euery man that had need Here was the fruit of their faith Doct. the true vse of the Doctrine of Christs Death and Resurrection Beloued let the same minde be also in you The Christian Primitiues were no Possessiues the poore did not enuie the rich non enim ita diuites none were so rich saith Chrysostome the rich did not despise the poore for none were so poore They sold possessions to releeue the necessities and wants of the Saints To doe good therefore and to distribute forget not for with such sacrifices God is pleased Conclusion And such sacrifices this day haue ye offered Our Sauiour at the Passeouer saith Rupertus Râ—ert fed the 5000. the number is great that yee haue fedde cloathed cured LONDON is rep esented here like Lâ—dia the purple seller or as Dorcas full of gooâ— woâ—kes and almesdeeds whâ—ch shee hath done Theâ—â— poore men and widdowes and children shew the garments and coates which Dorcas hath made Stant inopes viduâ—ij greges â—râ—câ—ia morserant Exunijs enera a suâ—s Behâ—ld the beauty of this daughter of Syon as an orchâ—rd of sweet fruits or a garden of sweet flowers as Râ—ses or Lyâ—ies as a bed of violets so doe these poore Orphans and Iâ—fâ—nts and indigent soules appeare this day in â—his place before God and men and Angels This Citty as Mary hath powred out her ointment on the body of our Sauiour and annointed the feete in these his members and for this this whole land is filled with the odour of your ointment Posteritie wiâ—l honour your memory the Christian world in the dayes of your Childrens children shall reioyce in your memoriall Not fame onely but God shall make you a monument that shall neuer haue an end I hope you haue also annointed Christs head at this solemne meeting by celebrating the great feast of Christs resurrection to the glory of God the Father the same minde should be in vs the same minde should be intended by vs it was his end it should be our end To end all then if this be our end why should we doubt but the Angell wil descend at this time into the poole of Bethesda and some impotent man that neuer yet did good may bee healed Some dry withered-couetous hand may be cured You haue duely obserued Christs rule in the feast now you keepe the feast you haue called the poore and the same and the blinde This feast is the time that the Iewes kept their feast of first fruits The first fruits of Zacheus faith are found Luk. 19.8 Behold Lord the halfe of my goods I giue to the poore If Zacheus be dead without issue yet at least let euery one doe some good euery one carry home some spikenard to embalme their bodies for the buriall euery one bring forth some fruit of the resurrection euery one adde somewhat to the ioy of the Angels in heauen If all the Angels reioyce at the conversion of a sinner ô what is the ioy at this feast in heauen for the resurrection of our Sauiour Euery tree and plâ—nt and fruit and flower and herbe for the vse of man creepes out of the earth to celebrate the resurrection of Christ Doth God cloth the grasse of the earth the lillyes of the field how much more careth he for you ô yee of little faith Let euery one at this feast of first fruits bring forth some fruit worthy amendment of life Euery one hath his talent euery one shall beare his owne burthen euery one shall stand before the Tribunall seat of God euery tree that bringeth not forth good fruit shall be hewen downe and euery mans blood shall be on his owne head and tribulation and anguish shall be on euery wicked soule but glory honour and peace and immortalitie to euery man that worketh good and to the Israel of God and all shall liue to the glory of God the father Glory be to this God the Father to Christ Iesus his Sonne our Sauiour and to the Holy Ghost his Spirit our comforter as it was in the beginning so now let it be in this place and in all congregations of the Saints this day and all the daies of our liues for euermore Amen Amen FINIS