so lowly in his seruice to think so highly of God and so truly of himselfe Aquae descendunt ad valles God giueth grace to the humble to bee frequent at praiers sermons holy quiers as if his cheefe desire were as Dauids was to dwell in the courts of the Lord to bee a friend to the Church and a stay to the Altar as good Iosiah was 4 Reg. 23 Quanto magis arbor abundat fructibus tanto magis inclinatur more any tree doth abound with fruite more doth it bend it selfe to their commodity who are vnder it Thus doth he increase in fauour with God and man Charilaus the peoples ioy all his garments smell of the Sanctuary his fathers ioy as Iacob was to Isaac Who doth not ioy in the smell of this Violet The Prince hath the Corne-care holy workes in his faith as if hee had digested that counsell of the wise-man All that thine hand shall finde to doe Eccl. 9.8.10 doe it with all thy power for there is neither worke nor inuention nor knowledge S. Augustine nor wisdome in the graue Qui vult sine fine remunerari debet sine fine bonum operari hee which would haue endlesse reward 1 Pet. 2.15 must haue endlesse perseuerance for so is the will of God that by well doing you put to silence the ignorance of the foolish men Iob. 29 as Iob did who continued an eâ—e to the blind and a foot to the lame If any enemie thinke heere hee can smell oleum peccatoris I professe to hate it splendiduml ubricum dulce damnosum as yee for slipping and the cup of a whore for poisoning And I dare bee bold to giue in an instance for mine owne defence that of al others we poor despised Ministers haue cause to blesse the daies of the Prince Why so for Christ his Mandrakes haue sweetned his and his Mandrakes haue sweetned ours O heauenly Mandrakes graces of the spirit which dispose to the conception of good workes The Church is Abigaile her fathers ioy and Christ hath lodged with her the Prince is a sonne and heire in the Church and Christ hath lodged with him by spiration of his holy word by inspiration of his holy Spirit that the Prince may say Cant. 5.4 as the Church hath said My bowels were mnooued towards him Heere is our true cause of ioy without sophistically oppilations Therefore seeing his inclination to good workes by those spices of our Sauiour which haue spiced him wee all consent in that concent of the Canticle of Christ Cant. 7.13 Thy Mandrakes haue giuen a smell and in our gates are all sweet things The Princes words are often as the words of the seuenth day words of grace apples of gold in pictures of siluer Prou. 2.11 Leu. 25 his works are as the works of the seuenth yere works of grace a goodly tree full of fruites You may know the tree by the fruites Apoc. 2 and praise the fruites for the smell This smell is as Smirna all sweet myrrhe and wee all are refreshed with the smell of this Corne-care Now then let vs compare Iacob and Iacob Hebrew and English vterinos fratres two twins both in one womb of the Church both as Castor and Pollux Act 28.11 the badge of our Ship Castor is descended and as the Sun gone vnder a cloud he was gathered to his people and is gone to sleep with his fathers Gen. 49.33 What then albeit he sleep he is aliue shall rise againe as the Sun in his faire horizon Exod. 3.6 God is the God of the liuing the God of AbrahaÌ„ Isaac Iaacob But I say Castor is layd down in peace and Pollux is vpon our Ship in daily aduentures for the golden flece When I was of younger yeares Apollonius Theocritus I did reade of the famous Acts of Castor and Pollux in that egregious voyage for the Golden Fleece But what idle dreames were those with all their resolutions to the high resolutions of religious hearts for the golden fleece the fleece of the Lambe the Lambe of God the inualuable righteousnesse of the Lambe of God is the golden fleece Ioh. 1. Iacob and Iacob are both naked as Adam before the Lord without this fleece Consider the amplitude of the honour and efficacie of this fleece Rom. 4. Psal 32. wherewith all our sins are couered Many many thousands haue yeelded vp their blood for this fleece hoc expeditionum Christianarum praetium praemium This hath beene the faire paiment for many Christian aduentures The holy lambe alloweth vs his flesh to feed vs Ioh. 6.1 Tim. 6.8 his fleece to couer vs. Therefore when we haue food and raiment let vs be therewith content Such was Iacobs contentment in his new coate when he got the blessing in his elder brothers coate Christ is our elder brother our first borne a sonne to Iacob yet elder then Iacobs grandfather before Abraham was I am A lambe without spot was this Lambe Ioh. 8 yet that he might lend his spotlesse coate to spotted Iacob hee was slaine from the beginning of the world Apoc. 13.8 Behold then a world of wonders in these two Iacob the elder and the younger notwithstanding sundry generations betwixt them doe both part stakes in Christ either of them haue all their riches of Christ yet neither of them haue all which is of Christ either of them haue all Christ for Christ is not diuided 1 Cor. 3. Rom. 11. neither of them haue all that which is Christs for Christ is not comprehended Christ is the Owner of all in the shippe and of the shippe and all and they both are but partie borrowers of all their parts So that Iacob aboue with Christ in glorie and Iacob below with Christ in grace may both sing with that sweet singer of Israel Psal 142. The Lord is my portion in the land of the liuing But now let vs see the distance of perfection betwixt Christ these two brothers Iacob hath the vine and Christ is the vine Iacob possesseth all those pleasant riches in Christ and Christ possesseth them all himselfe Christ is the vine the true vine which runnes all mercie and life to Iacob and all wither and perish which doe not abide in this vine Ioh. 15. Christ is the Oliue the true Oliue stocke what branch soeuer abideth not in him hath no life in it for the branches beare not the roote Rom. 11.18 but the root the branches all fade and fall away which are not grafted into this Oliue Christ is the rose 1. Cor. 13. of all flowers the rose is cheefest and of all vertues loue the chiefest of those three is loue God is loue and he that dwelleth in him dwelleth in loue out of this habitation there is no health nor safetie Christ is the Lillie Cant. 2. Jsidor the most delightfull Lillie for he which is the Rose is the Lillie I am
top of Aarons head to the beard Psal â—33 2 the skirts of his clothing This blessing of absolute power is Gods onely to giue who at his pleasure can bestow temporall or eternall gifts Sometimes temporall vpon the creatures for man or vpon man in the vse of the creatures Ephes 1.3 Sometimes eternall vpon the Saints as he blessed the elect with all spirituall blessings in Christ chosen before the foundations of the world Aquinas This blessing hath no match and therefore it is said benedicere Dei est causare bonitateÌ„ there is none but God which can create goodnesse in man The other Superiour blessing is by commission to Gods Deputies which blessing is either more-common or more rare The common blessing is praier sent as an Angell to fetch the blessing of God from the top of the ladder in heauen to the foot of the ladder on earth Thus the superiours in the Church for which cause we thinke superiority expedient do pray for the blessing of God inward and outward and ex officio doe shew that God will bestow them wich are necessary This blessing is dayly or ought to bee of Kings to their subiects Pastors to their flocke and Parents to their children The blessing of the King to his subiects Iosh 22 1 Paralip 16 3 Reg. 8 as Ioshuah blessed the Rubenites as Dauid blessed the people in the name of the Lord or as Salomon blessed all the congregation of Israel Thus shall the King prolong his daies in the kingdome and his sonnes in the middest of Jsrael The blessing of the Pastor to the flock Deut. 17.20 Nomb 6.23 Leu. 9.23 Hebr. 7.1 ought to be as Aaron blessed the people at Gods appointment as Moses and Aaron blessed the people when the glory of the Lord appeared and as Melchisedec blessed Abraham the Priest of the most high God met Abraham c. blessed him This blessing when it is directed according to the prescript and allowance of the word of God is then of great power by the power of God annexed by promise The blessing of parents to their children is also of good vse and commendable among vs in England for the good speede commonly obserued in these blessings Apud Britannos inprimis sacra antiquitatis vestigia etiamnum hodie clara in hac parte sunt Hyperius Raedius Britannicarum claritatum speciosus The Britanes are most honourable aboue all Nations for the continuance of this holy ordinance This is without all doubt an holy order which the Lord ordeined from the beginning that children might bee preserued within the compasse of dutifull obedience to their parents and might esteeme greatly of their great office ouer them Moreouer this obseruation beeing a comely correspondence to the fifth commandement doth thereby approue it self that in our religion it should not be neglected or reputed a stranger And this is more manifest by the reasons of the Wise man in which hee lappeth his counsels for the precious estimation of the parents blessing Eccles 3.11 For the blessing of the father establisheth the house of the children and the mothers curse rooteth out the foundations I might here lift vp some monuments on which it hath been proued and written how the blessings curses of parents haue kindled fire of heauen or hell as if Gods will and the parents were all one In this purpose an heathen speaketh as if he had been a Diuine in the skill of secrets Si affirmabit pater aduersus nos pati nos oportet quod ille faciat cuius potestas plus potest God doth iustly effect that which man doth iustly craue But of all blessings by commission that is the highest and of most power which is called the Patriarchall or Propheticall blessing With this blessing Isaac blessed Iaacob and Iaacob after blessed his sonnes This is called a blessing of excellency for that those holy men indued with the spirit of Prophesie did blesse with the blessing of God which could not be supplanted I haue blessed him and he shall be blessed These blessings were as delectable nuts in the Church because in them beeing words of men there was deliuered the blessing of God Cant. 6.10 as the kirnell in the nut So that Iaacob gone towards his blessing might say I went downe into the garden of nuts The Lord had so enacted the couenant of grace with those gracious fathers that it did rest in custodie vt sanctum depositum as an holy pledge deliuered in trust They by their solemne blessing might conuey this treasure to their posterities in whose families the Church and life of saith was to continue till Christ his comming Thus Noah blessed his sonne Sem before and Moses blessed the twelue Tribes after Concerning Noah his blessing the question is asked wherefore that largesse of Patriarchall blessing was bestowed on Sem when as Iaphets fauourable demeanour towards his father was of equall reuerence and care for his fathers honour as Sems was The answer to this question is plaine that the holy ghost did foresee how from Sem should spring Abraham and all his holy followers of whom the most blessed fruite that euer did grow was to come into the world Therefore to Sem was that great Patriarchall blessing conueyed yet had Noah an other blessing for Iaphet as Abraham had for Ismael and Isaac had for Esau This secondary blessing was far short of the first as the light of a starre is short of the light of the sunne Yet this blessing might be inlarged to Iaphet if hee would light his starre at the sunne and dwell within the light of the Church within the tents of Sem according to the condition of the blessing God perswade Iaphet that he may dwell in the tents of Sem. And thus is it happilie with vs Gentiles conuerted and perswaded to fetch our light at Christ in the tents of Sem our blessing is inlarged by him and the Church with his blessing is inlarged by vs. Now then let me shew you how Iaacob the Hebrew and our English Iaacob are a blessed field The superiour blessing is vpon them both and their blessing is made manifest vnto vs in three most worthy allowances The first is for scituation the second for plants and the third for fruitfull vantages of watering In the first Iaacob is a blessed field scited in the sunne the fairest funne the Sonne of God which alway shines A blessed scite is Iaacobs conscience thus neighboured with the sun his conscience is asweet lodging sweetned with the ioies of Christ as his father Abrahams bosome O blessed Iacob thy fathers blessing hath Iodged thee in the bosome of Christ as the spouse in the bosome of her husband Cant. 2.4 Hee brought me into his wine-seller and loue was his banner ouer me God dwelling with Iaacob and Iaacob is two waies One in tabernaculo personali in the flesh of man the other in tabernaculo mistico in the
the Rose and the Lillie of the field Multiplicis medicinae to open dangerous passages to soften hardnesse of heart to heale wounds Matth. 6. and repell venemous infections O consider this Lillie of the field for our chiefest comforts are in this Lillie Christ is the Violet Matth. 11. the sweetest Violet which groweth lowe by the ground Learne of me for I my selfe am mecke and lowely This violet was remoued from heauen to the earth to raise vs from the earth to heauen Some Philosophers hold opinion that the dew which falleth from the highest part of that Region of the aire worketh deepest vpon the earth for being more oylie and rich matter it doth more fatten the ground and with gentle kisses entice forth the fruites thereof Hosoeuer this be of that dew it is most sure of the fattest dewe lesus Christ This is the dew of the morning which commeth from the highest and falleth lowest euen into the center into the heart of Iacob The dew of heauen is the cause of the fatnesse of the earth else hath the earth no fatnesse idest the diuinitie of Christ is the fatnesse of our humanitie The Lord giue thee of the dew of heauen and the fatnesse of the earth Here here is mans blessed abundance This is Manna Exod. 16. sweet Manna the bread of Angels all about the Church as the dew lay round about the host sweet dew sweet as the violet and the smell of life was in it Christ his humilitie is our glorie and his lowest steppe to death was our high staire to life Yea in his humilitie we are exalted Esa 53. as with his stripes we are healed Behold the smell of this violet But last of all 1. Cor. 15. Christ is the corne eare the right wheat corne which dieth and liueth againe Ioh. 10.18 of it selfe it dieth and liueth againe I haue power to lay downe my life and to take it vp againe and all other liue by this The spirit of grace and the holy Scriptures are the flower of this wheat The disciples of Christ gathered eares of corne on the sabbath day and we here in England euery Sabbath day trauaile through the corne field Jnâ—erlin Rupertus Spicae Scripturarum Spiritum viuificantem habent Sentences of Scripture haue the spirit of life in them Is any man hungrie and can forbeare gathering Ambulant per Sata cum Domino qui in Scripturarum meditatione delectantur Rabanus c. They keepe the Lord company in his corne field which walke on in holy meditations of the Scriptures Iesus went on the Sabbath day through the corne and his Disciples were hungrie and began to plucke the eares of corne and rubbe them in their hands and to eate common walkers sometimes plucke and rubbe but eate not These feele no necessitie of eating else would they eate for hunger as the Disciples did If we be Christians we are farre short of our selues to care onely for necessaries to the body as the Ant or Mouse make their prouision not caring if the soule pine and perish for want of Sabbath daies coâ—ne What shall we say then to the contentious oppositions of proud spirits against the necessitie of such sustenance The Papists themselues some of them will say that the word of God either read or preached doth clense the vncleane enlighten the blind heale the broken and raise the dead Yea sometimes ouercome with the power of the word of God they will confesse a matter of truth Rodolph Francis Verbum Dei maioris efficaciae quà m medicinae vel reliquiae sanctorum The word of God is the sicke mans falue more effectuall then all the drugges of Traditions Wherefore thinke you did the Prophet Esaie deliuer from God that Sermon of the excellent abilitie of the word of God That as raine and snowe maketh the earth to bring forth the budde Esa 55. that it may giue seed to the Sower and bread to him that eateth thus the word of God should hearten and releeue the needie 1. Cor. 9.16 Wherefore did the Apostle so much preferre spirituall riches before carnall and pronuounce a woe against himselfe if he did not preach the Gospel to minister the bread of life to the Church The Lord had commanded him to this seruice and therefore he knew he should be beaten with many stripes Luc. 12.47 if hee did the worke of the Lord negligently Ad hoc Apostolus tenetur quod debuit fecit etiamsi non potuit quantum debuit The Apostle being bound by Gods precept to his office hee ought to doe as much as hee could albeit he could not as much as hee ought A learned man calleth this dispensation Necessitas debiti iustitiae Caietane It is indeed of iustice and dutie to distribute the childrens bread to whom it is appointed And this is the cause why it is called Necessitie of obligation releefe of obligation in respect of Gods commandement of releefe in lew of the peoples want Thus to this purpose was it said That the minister may euer find causes too many to cause him to worke propter populi indigentiam where is more neede to bestow more feed This is the corne which we all neede for a remedie against ignorance Gregorie or errour or sinne or any vnbeleefe therefore come all and taste and smell how sweet the Lord is what varieties of recreations are in the smell of this corne eare Sithence then it is euident that there are such store of gentle contentments in our blessed Sauiour that he is all in all the vine oliue rose lillie violet and corne eare I would begge an Office to bidde a feast Prou. 9. Let me this once take vpon me to inuite guests for wisedom Whosoeuer is simple let him come hither yea whosoeuer is wise let him come hither The King Queene Prince and all the royall Progenie the Nobles Counsellors Iudges Rulers Teachers and all come taste O dor Christi est Spiritus sempiternè recreatiuus and feele and smell the kindnesse of the Lord. He is all word of eternall life here is our feeding he is all mercie and forgiuenesse of sinnes here is our healing he is all fulnesse of grace here is our smelling He is sweet in speaking sweet in smelling sweet in speaking neuer man spake like this man John 7.46 sweet in smelling all merits and fauours of sustentation preseruation and of saluation O blesse Sauiour in the sauour of thy oyntments we will runne after thee that we may be as the King Cant. 1. and the Kings sonne sweet in thy sweetnesse Thus we praise and blesse the smell of the Kings sonne and passe here the first riuer of Paradise all of the sweet smell of mercie Mercies of God to the King in his gift of this sonne mercies of God to this sonne in the gifts of his graces and mercies of God to vs all in both these gifts of the King and
omnino est certus modus commotionis infantum The mutuall violence breathing on those tenderlings vnborne did presage their separation after their birth The good woman perceiuing a strife in her wombe as of contentious inmates in the Bee-hiue shee went to aske the Lord for the meaning of that strife Gen. 25.22 Seeing it is so why am I thus I may not trouble you with the bundles of opinions how shee was answered or by whom It is needlesse to argue whether it was Sem or Melchizedeck or they both at once or it was Heber or as some thinke it was Abraham as it is most like for circumstance of time place and person His person aboue the rest was of neerest acquaintance of surest faith and euident grace of reuelation for hee was a Prophet Gen. 20.7 The opinion of the most learned is that shee went to aske the Lord in the Science of some famous Patriarch at that time as Abraham was Whosoeuer resolued her the Lord sent her word by him what should betide her and the Church word by her what should befall the Church These are the rare blossomes of Ecce Behold two manner of people shall be diuided out of thy bowels faithfull and vnfaithfull out of one stocke pure and impure fruit of one tree true worshippers and heretickes in one Church sincere holy seruants and prophane counterfeit obseruants as a grape and a brier-berrie both of one vine a lambe and a woolfe both of one damme Beda In Ecclesia sunt ficus vna Christus tribulus spina Diabolus In the Church are both figges and grapes for Christ is both figges and grapes and in the Church are both briers and thornes for the deuill is both briers to catch thorns to hurt Iob. 1. And on a day the sonnes of God came and stood before the Lord and Sathan was also among them Abrahams sonnes are compared to starres and sands Starres are the heauenly sonnes of Ierusalem as Iaacob Sands are filij terrae sonnes of the flesh earthly proud inhabitants of Babylon as Esau Behold it was then posterior dies melior auis the latter day the better bird The elder shall serue the younger Iaacob did excelle his brother 1 iure primogeniturae 2 haereditate terrare sanctae 3 praerogatiua faederis Ecclesiae In the right of the best birthright inheritance and couenant In three faire pre-eminences In the first is signified the spirit of adoption by which we are sealed In the second our heauenly countrie Ezech. 37. Tacita Obiect to which we are called In the third the life of the Church out of which there is no life Here our drie bones are quickned But let this be true that thus the elder prerogatiue was fastened to the younger yet non obstante it could not be true in their specialties because still the elder did preoccupate iurisdiction ouer his brother Yes Respons howsoeuer Esau for a time made a more potent shew for prioritie then the yonger yet was the Prophecie true both in the letter and the mysterie In the letter true for the Idumaeans which were of Esaus issues were tributarie to Dauid which was of Iaacobs generations Some doe vnderstand it Comestor and ingeniously also that Esau did serue Iaacob whilst he did persecute him as the fyle doth seruice to the yron to make it more bright the fanne seruice to the corne to clense it and the furnace seruice to the gold to purifie it The truth is that Esau did Iaacob more good then he meant him as Iaacobs sonnes by selling of Ioseph to vilifie him did promote him to honour Deus aliquandiu impiorum indulget petulantiae sed modum statuit Ecclesiae tandem fontes dilatat Infideles Ecclesiae ruinas in discinctis vinculis intēdunt vt Q. Fabius naues diuidendo aquis immersit Sed Ecclesia vt tyrrhenus lapis integer enatat vt impiorum furores nihil ei incommodasse appareat quin idem propagasse God doth sometime winke at the iniurious attempts of the presumptuous but at his will he doth restraine them and inlarge his Church that her health may shine out of the bond of aduersitie and her enemies blowes ende in her aduantage Here I might reioyce to handle the right hand of Gods prouident power but I must containe my selfe within the limits of Ecce in this place See then the truth in the mysterie aboue the letter Iacob came last but did ouer-flie his brother Esau First that which is carnall then that which is spirituall the old Adam came first and the new Adam came after O melior auis The Eagle bird had Eagles wings and did mount on high aboue his brother Such is his magnificence That the Lord said to my Lord Sit thou at my right hand c. Such is the superioritie of the second Adam that in his exaltation he had a name giuen him aboue euery name The elder must serue they younger and glad may Adam bee that he and his may doe seruice to Christ as the sheaues which did reuerence Iosephs sheafe for in Adam all die but in Christ are all made aliue The Schollers of Pyrene Mystae gentiles and the wanton heads of the Temple infamous at Corinth did obiect that Christ died as did Adam the yonger brother as the elder The Apostle graunteth this for truth that both died yet the difference of their death is notable Both died and paid the wages of sinne Sed mors Adae poenae peccati mors Christi hostia peccati The death of Adam was the penaltie of sinne the death of Christ the redemption of the sinner This prepotencie was worth an Ecce Behold in Christ all things are become new for with his wounds are wee healed Fidelis medicus is est qui pro infirmo mortiferum ebibit remedium vt sanetur infirmus And in the reuewe of Iacob and Esau here is Ecce againe Behold white and blacke good and euill light and darkenesse life and death in two sonnes as if Rebecca's breasts did yeeld two kinds of milke wholesome milke for Iacob as the Hebrew mother corrupt milke for Esau as the Egyptian nurse And now Rebecca's breasts are not like the Equiuocators text both true and false they are both of one wholesome taste one hallowed kind of milke The second testaments are both one sincere milke of the word of God they are both of one truth and spirit of life as there is but one Lord faith baptisme hope and saluation Christus est veritas aeternalis verbum est veritas normalis Christ is the eternall essentiall truth and his word is our rule for truth There is but one God and one word Vnus veritatis fons est Deus verbum vna veritas in omnes filios saliens God is the onely fountaine of truth and his word is the liuing water flowing into his childrens hearts as the pure riuer of water of life cleere as Cristal proceeding out of
tonitrua quibus coloni in aruis affliguntur ita è co dibus malorum parentum euoluuntur pssimi filij suis vicini◠cruente infesti nor washed nor saulted c. Good tutors and teachers should performe the offices of good mid-wifes to your children these to helpe them in their generation those to further them in their regeneration This is the cause that there are among vs so many young Amorites and Hittites for want of holy education Amorites and Hittites a bitter people cruell rebels yet pratlers which dare so vaunt themselues that they are euen an astonishement vnto vs. But may I bee so bold heere to aske another question What are such parents better then Tantalus Cambyses or Lysimachus One of them killed his sonne of pride another of furie and the third of foolish loue The popish father is right as Lysimachus who by the cursed perswasion of a cruell step-mother killed his sonne his valiant sonne Agathocles Haud ero securus dum sit tibi tanta securis O Nouerca Roma thou hast intised many a father to murder his owne child and many children to reuolt from God a tender hearted father Papa caput est ecclesiae vt caminus est Domi in se fumos Jesuiticos recipiens et effundens vt enecet Ier 39.3 Apoc. 18 Deut. 13 Deut. 18 and the true Church a most louing mother Yes by thy instigations as the stings of the Hornet thou hast set to worke many a Ragmag and Neregall These as a close couered candle haue secretly kindled fire vpon christian States to melt and dissolue all holy gouernment Ah thou hast imployed Ragmag and Neregall with all the rest of the Princes of the King of Babell to teare off the life or religion or peace or all from Ierusalem O Nouerca Roma Queene mother thou saiest thou art a Queene but thou art a dreamer a deceiuer a charmer a regarder of times a counsellour with euill spirits a step-mother as those Lurida terribiles miscent aconita Nouercae alwaies tampring with poyson for Gods children Menander Did not the Poet dreame of thee in those words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There is not a worse mischiefe then a wicked step-mother Per ea quae sunt placida suadēt foeda 3 Reg. 18.4 4 Reg. 11.1 Quae dedit infidus mella venena puto Let thy sisters either Phaedra or Medea be thy Iudges how thou hast raged against Kings children or thinke of them of whom thou art more certaine in holie writte how thy sisters Iesabel and Athaliah shall rise against hee in the great day for killing the Prophets and the Kings linage Thus died the mild French King before thus followed the puifant French King after and both died of their mothers knife If then the sunne haue reueiled this way of a Serpent vnder a stone is not Rome hasharsheol a Wolfes house Vbi cascus cascam duxit and your good mother a bloud-sucker You tell vs daily that your father is holy his name is holinesse but your mother is a murtherer De Papa quam plurims quod de hircosis dicunt quo redolentioribus sese odoramentis fumigauerint eo tetrius olent hyrcum Ita pater iste mendax quo sacratioris titul◠laruam iudueril eo gra uiorem expirat mephitim eius fallacitas and therefore we thinke your fathers holinesse is to blame The Diuell hath a wide circle compassing the earth and that Strix of Rome is angry as the Bore which whets his teech because his circuit is not as large as the Diuels Who seeth not also that Satan and his holinesse are agreed to marke all with their blacke cole and brand them for Heretikes which blesse themselues with Gods blessing out of their reach Therefore to requite the Popes kindnesse I dare presume to take a little more roome to wrastle one fall with his holinesse for the wrong done to this name of holinesse I know well that the Popes solliciters haue much confidence in their Champion as the Philistines had in Goliah yet must hee needes fall which will stand on his tiptoes vaunting himselfe against Gods cause as hee did and more blasphemous then Rabshakeh arrogate to himselfe the Title which is proper to God This name of God the type of his incomparable perfection Exod. 28. was engrauen onely in gold the golden letters beeing as the letters of a seale to signifie him who onely by himselfe is of himselfe It was his proper name which being holinesse it selfe is able to make others holy God is more able to make Aaron holy then fire is able to make the mettall hot or the sunne able to infuse his heat into the day both these creatures may be restrained by God but the Creator by none God can with hold the naturall powers from the strongest Exod. 3. Iob. 40.4 and the fairest so that the fire shall not burne in the bush nor the sunne shine in Egypt God can illuminate man with the light of life and none can forbid it Canst thou restraine the sweet influence of the Pleiades or loose the bands of Orion hath man an arme like God Shall then challenge of equalitie with God in his matchlesse name be made by a weake and sinnefull man whose foundation is dust and his daies vanitie Some of the learned thinke it was the ineffable name of God which was engrauen on the plate of gold and so they write of the opinion of some of the Rabbines which being granted then the name there written cannot bee the Popes What if Aaron did beare this name in the Myter vpon his fore-head yet was it borne not as Aarons owne name but his Master his name whom Aaron serued as it is written Holinesse to the Lord. Let mee yeeld as much vantage as a wrastler may and lend the Pope that hold of an ancient father S. Hierom. Exod. 28.38 Totam Pontificis pulchritudinem Dei vocabulum coronet protegat But why so that Aaron may beare the iniquitie of the offerings c. This is plaine which was in speciall commanded for Aaron and none other wherein he was the singular type of Christ and of none other who onely could take away the sinnes of the world and none other Ioh. 1 2. Cor. 5.18 Ibidem to reconcile the people to God We poore Ministers haue the ministerie of reconciliation giuen vnto vs but none are reconciled to God but by Iesus Christ for God was in Christ reconciled the world to himselfe And he which hath the highest place in the ministration must be holy but he cannot be Holinesse he must be true but he cannot be the Truth these are Gods preheminences Therefore is this name Gods onely and properly Quarto modo to signifie that soueraigntie which is aboue the Popes capacitie But what needeth this attempt will some say to cast him downe who hath so often cast himselfe downe like a blinde man who cannot see or a drunken man which
much preaching and too much Sun-shine together Perpetua aestas omnia exurit but the danger is more ne perpetua hyeme omnia rigerent lest cold religion should be closed vp in frozen hearts and in the want of the warmth of the word of God this times deuotion become cold and dead as ice When I remember this miscreant conceipt it seemeth to me like a fowle serpent with a great bellie full of young ones all deuourers of faith Thus may you more easily vnderstand our Sauiours question When the sonne of man commeth shall he find faith on the earth who knoweth not that faith may be starued for want of the waters of comforts and pined for want of food and choaked for want of spirit if thou withdrawest thy breath then we are gone Psal 146.4 Thus mans breath departeth he returneth to the earth and his thoughts perish What then must wee haue nothing but reading of the most sure word of the Prophets 2. Pet. 1.19 to take heed vnto Yes beloued I would be loth to say that we should be acquainted with no other businesse but reading expounding or hearing the word of God as those Heretickes erred which would haue nothing but praying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I grant there must be Ortus occasus Solis a time to speake Eccles 3.7 and a time to keepe silence a time to sowe and a time to mowe Yet the word of God as the Sunne may not be too long downe lest there be too much darkenesse and cold ignorance and indisposition to good manners And for a parting blowe to those wise men whose wisdom descendeth not from aboue Iam. 3.15 but is earthly sensuall and deuillish I would commend one answer more to them more to the purpose Their comparison is not well ioynted because of the oddes betwixt Nature and Grace Psal 58.5 The truth is cleare against all adders which stoppe their eares that albeit there can be too much Sun it is pittie that euer faire weather should doe harme too much prosperitie and blasts of winde yet can there neuer be too much faith loue Matth. 8.26.14 31.16.8 obedience neuer too much grace Therefore are there so many complaints of too little manifold prayers that grace may be multiplied vpon the Church Now must I speake of the third field 1. Pet. 1 2. in which Gods seed is sowen This field is the soule of man Ezech. 8. this is Gods field All soules are mine The Lord soweth seeds of grace purposely in our soules that they may growe and out-growe our sinnes as seeds are sowen in their seasons to out-grow the weeds Therefore euery one which is borne of God doth no sinne 1. Ioh. 3.4 Psal 47.1 because his seed remaineth in him Heere then let all English people clap their hands sing lowd vnto God with a cheerfull voyce for this one instance of a Princely soule In the troupes of many miraculous coniunctions and oppositions you may all behold some strange ones here Rare coniunctions of Maiestie and Humilitie of Youth and Wisdome of Temperance and yeares of lust to sin What Halcyons dayes in summer It is reported that the Halcyon doth breed in winter and then there are daies of peace then warres cease in all the world In the daies of winter of old age then sinnes cease in microcosmo the force of carnall desires are not so fierce against the soule When the Almond tree shall flourish concupiscence shall be driuen away Eccles 12.5 But Halcyons daies in summer in youth health strength and plentie peace and so brietie in the times of strong rebellion insurrections and skirmage a passing coniunction This can come to passe but onely one way by which it is thus come to passe The Prince is fastened to the head Coloss 2.19 knit with bands and ioynts and increasing with the increasing of God Without exception this is a singular example of ioyfull astonishment as S. Peters deliuerance was to be exempt out of the chaines of darknesse Acts 12. when his friends thought his enemies were too strong against him Is it not a wonder in our daies infidelitate epicurismis luxuriante ac saepius ad atheismum vrgente yet this incomparable Prince as a pillar of Gods house to stand fast and as a mount that cannot be remoued There are a thousand young plants in the Kingdome shaken as reeds and daily wauering are carried about with euery wind as clouds without water Ephes 4.14 Iude 12. yet still the Prince groweth as an heauenly plant which cannot be plucked vp Looke on him all yee prosapiae nobiles all whosoeuer ye be of noble pedegree generous progenie or religious ancestors are not his actiue vertues before you so many Heroes all singing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now stirre and quit your forces well Jste primus prodijt in Scenam vt vos sequamini To cut out sinne and cast downe hell And now look on him againe where you may perceiue an opposition like rare as is the coniunction duellum perpetuum a most martiall combat betwixt opportunitie and sinne These two are commonly in league alter in alterius iactantes lumina vultus soothing vp one another as mutuall flatterers We shall seldome see these two to meet at any time without shaking of hands as friends and hardly are they separated if the barres of law be not strong and of sound vse against them Such is the common greeting betwixt them as betwixt Prosperity and Pride which are seldome perswaded to part company There is one greeuous sorrow with which may parents are painted that our youth doe beare in their thoughts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not virgins but curtesans Now the least euill word to young men takes fire youth is vt ignis ad torrem as hastie to sinne as the dry brand to be kindled There is no need of vnchaste songs and wanton plaies to intice youth to wantonnes for they are apt to euil Et quia facilè vulpes pirum comest as wise to doe wickedly as the Fox for his prey Marke then Plautus Luke 16.8 here is an happy marke for you all worth your aime pearelesse youth with prudence to flie from euill when as at the same yeeres others doe basely flie to euill Is not his praise and statue iustly raised who doth mortifie his vnruly affections when with such strong enemies many of the strong young men are slaine Many of the beautifull women strong men haue perished in the power of those enemies that the Prophet may sigh and lament O that mine head were full of water Ierem. 9.1 and mine eies a fountaine of teares that I might weepe day and night for the slaine of the daughter of my people Verily this young Prince doth with great ioy draw waters out of the welles of saluation that though thousands fall on his right hand Esay 1◠3 Psal 91.7 and ten thousand
people He giueth pleasures vnto Kings pascit thronos Cyril potestates virtutes angelos who feedeth Patriarks Kings Prophets and the Princes of beleeuers Thus may you perceiue blessing and blessednesse well met in him who hath in himselfe such power of blessing that he can make others blessed This happinesse is the high crowne of immortality which wee all desire to reach as Hester did the top of her husbands Scepter The meanes whereby this blessing is inclined to vs Hester and the staires whereby wee climbe vp to it are mercies and graces gifts of Gods blessing In these the Lord beckneth to vs to come to him as Ahashuerosh held out the golden Scepter to the Queene So Hester drewe neere and touched the top of the Scepter Many naturall men haue troubled themselues in vaine with many examinations of this blessednesse to proue what it is I may not stand here to rip vp the secrets of profound Philosophers from whose curious eies were hidden those treasures which they neuer found Therefore they neuer had true peace Psalm 14.3 for the way of peace haue they not knowne they are all gone out of the way Their highest point neerest to our truth is this that man hath no true blessednesse vntill hee be ioyned to the first of all things that can be vnderstood This is an high flight and far beyond the sublunary thoughts of baser mindes yet far short of the mount of true Diuinity God is blessednesse it selfe and to bee vnited vnto God is the perfect blessednesse of man in Iesus Christ Emanuel to knowe him confesse him and delight in him But God is the obiect of mans faith not the subiect of his intellect the heart of man is too narrow a circumference to compasse God in his vnderstanding Therefore is Gods name incomparable I am that I am in the Present tence whom no power can shift out Some haue translated more properly I will be who I will be to shew that God is able of himselfe to hold his being and happinesse against all rebellion Stabilisque manet daens cuncta moueri To this purpose is that spoken of God Dei esse est Gregory dissimiliter nunquā esse with God is no variablenes Here then let vs acknowledge by faith more then all those deepe schollers could reach by reason that our blessednesse is in our vnion with God Phil. 4.7 our peace which passeth all vnderstanding Among the secrets in the reueiled word these two are great One the hypostaticall vnion of two natures that the word is made flesh The other is our spirituall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nisi vna persona esset Deus et homo non rectè diceretur Dominus gloriae crucifixus est our sure copulation with Christ without confusion That is a mystery beyond naturall capacitie only entertained by faith in the Church This is also a great mystery resembled in short patternes of the head and members knit of the husband and wife vnited In this exact and present worke there are two bonds one on Gods part the other on ours Ex parte Christi Sp. S. ex parte nostra fides nostra est vnionis vinculum Thus by the twist of Gods holy spirit and our hallowed faith we are made one with Christ and he is made vnto vs redemption sanctification wisdome and righteousnes 1 Cor. 1.29 Wherefore are these wonders come to passe but for our happinesse which cannot be had any where but in God the fountaine of blessednesse There doe wee daily tender vnto God that paiment of soueraigntie which we may not yeeld to any other God is sufficient so is none but he sufficient of himselfe so is none but himselfe sufficient for himselfe and for others so is none other sufficient for himselfe and for all and so are not all beside him put all together This is our God Lord who is like vnto thee Qui sedet in coelo repletiue that heauen and earth are full of the maiestie of his glory Psal 71.19 Ephes 1.23 This is our God worship him all yee gods who sits aboue and holdeth blessednes a faire marke in his hand for vs all to runne vnto 1 Cor. 9. We must all runne this life is the course heauen is the goale Expectat nos Deus pater vt haeredes filius vt fratres Sp. sanctus vt vnctos And here we are made a spectacle to the world to Angels and to men Will you behold two runners Iacob and Iacob both running after the Roe Christ is the Roe which runs before them both in the race of happinesse like a Roe on the mountaines of Bether So did Iacob runne and hath obtained by faith so doth Iacob runne that he may obtaine by faith Heb. 11.21 Lord let him so runne that he may obtaine O all yee vacant triflers of the world why stand you heere idle as the men in the market place What stand you for gazing one on another as Iosephs brethren We must all labour in the vine yard that we may receiue wages all striue that we may be crowned all bee exercised that we may be in breath non incipientibus sed proficientibus We must be I organimous that we may continue to the end be blessed Thus did the Apostle runne and continue to his ioy I haue finished my course qui amat ardentius currit velocius loue and great reward makes labour light the reward is blessednesse But it is high time to step out of this digression from the marke to the meanes from beatus to benedictus There are apparant vnto vs in holy Scripture diuers blessings of diuers kindes Some are of the Superiour to the inferiour some of the inferiour to the Superiour and some of the equall to the equall All these haue their speciall distinctions and vse When the vnderling doth acknowledge the goodnesse of the Superiour and sendeth vp to him thankes and praise for his kindnesse Psal 103 1 Psalm 148 this seruice is called the blessing of reuerence Thus the Prophet doth blesse God My soule blesse thou the Lord. And such a sacrifice of praise is that in the melodious hymme of our praier book O all yee workes of the Lord blesse yee the Lord. The other blessing betwixt equals is termed benedictio charitatis when one good christian doth pray for an other as Saint Peters counsell is blesse and Saint Pauls yea blesse I say and curse not But heere I may but touch and goe The first blessing of the Superiour to the inferiour hath this branch also as blessing of absolute power and blessing of authority committed more or lesse Blessing of absolute power hath in himselfe his preferment aboue all blessings as heauen which droppeth on the highest trees hath his preheminence aboue all effusions and drops of trees or mountaines Euery good and perfect gift discendeth downe from aboue to the parts below from heauen to earth as the precious ointment went downe from the
soule of man Heere may you see the mysteries applied which before we admired In the manhood of Christ his body is become bone of our bone heere is our pleasant scituation and our sweete neighborhood This lodging of Christ maketh all the faithfull smell sweete the maiestie of his diuinity beeing at rest with our humanity in his holy incarnation For this fauour Iaacob and Iaacob may either of them say Cant. 1.11 4 Reg. 20 Ioh. 11 4 Reg. 2.21 Whilest the King was at his rest my Spicknard gaue the smell thereof Heere Hezechias his sicke body recouered and Lazarus his dead body reuiued that before and this after in the same power Heere our bitter waters are made sweet in our earthly current that Christ may say to Iacob I haue healed this water death shall no more come thereof nor barrennesse to the ground Christ as a kinde phisitian did vouchsafe to lodge in the sicke mans bed that by the touch of his body the poore patient might be healed Thus the sicke are cured as the diseased woman was by the touch of his garment when vertue went out of him Luke 8.46 4 Reg. 13.21 Eucherius And the dead are restored as the corps recouered life by the touch of Elishaes bones Excellens recuperatio per excellentissimū recuperatorē the vantage of the faithfull Man was much shaken torne and cast downe in euerie ioint of his building no mans merits could fasten againe one mans ioints Christus venit in carnem God became man to repaire man and to make vp all his breaches In his incarnation hee came to Iacobs house as the holy visiters into Abrahams tent as a special friend which brought good prouision with him all his strength skill and goodnesse to doe for Iaccob all kinde of good The second dwelling which Christ hath with Iacob is in tabernaculo mistico by his word sacraments graces tokens of his loue by his spirit the bond of vnity and comfortable seale of his sure habitation thus is Iaacob a blessed field Behold I am with you to the end of the world Matt. 28.20 Deus accubuit in arca figuraliter in Iacobo realiter here is a reall and a royall presence Gratia Dei nos iustificans inest Deo subiectiuè nobis obiectiuè the power and victory of the life and death of Christ is vpon all the borders of the Church Heere is her pleasant scituation scited within the worthinesse of her redeemer within the court of honour of all his inestimable merits and mercies The Churches gaines by this proximity with Christ is the communication of all his participle graces as courtiers gaine many gifts not figures onely but actuall rewards at the Kings hand by vicinity and neere attendance vnto him Sancti fide illustrati gratiam in Deo intuentur vt oculi lumen in sole eiusque effecta in cordibus sentiscunt Cant. 1.13 Haimo Psalm 51 A faithfull heart hath a singular delight to thinke how Iaacob may raise his glory and pleasure in this royall presence as the spouse doth My beloued is as a cluster of Camphire vnto me in the vines of Engaddi Engaddi habet arbusculas liquorem balsami desudantes heere are the most holy drops of most precious Balme trickling into our consciences to refresh and ease them in their burning sores Here is our cleane heart and our right spirit here we heare of ioy and gladnesse that the bones which were broken may reioice Heere wee haue our happy benedictions out of this circumfluent spring our blessinge which are worthily decanted in Psalmes and ioyfully published in Anthemes of the giuer and receiuers The giuer is God only and the receiuers are Saints onely God is the giuer only a quo nil nisi bonum vt a sole nil nisi pulchrum who onely giueth that only which is good The Saints are receiuers only and none other haue any interest or are capable Ioh. 8.36 The Saints onely are free if the Sonne haue made you free then are you free none other haue any right in the liberties of christian liberty Thus much for the scituation of the Saints of Israel and England The second blessing of Iaacob and his brother is in respect of plants the most louely plants the tree of knowledge and the tree of life both planted in Iaacob This is eternall life to know thee c. Here is the beauty of Paradise Ioh. 17 Ioh. 17.1.22 God in Iaacob and Iaacob in God The glory that thou gauest me I haue giuen them that they may bee one as we are one and thus Iaacob and all the Saints are one Paradise Here the Lord made to grow euery tree pleasant to the sight and good for meat Genes 2 the tree of life and the tree of knowledge in the middest of the garden Christ Iesus in the heart of Iaacob in the middest of Paradise This is the ancient stocke in whom all plants consist and from whom all the vigorous plants doe grow and spred in the Church Coloss 1.17 2. Pet. 1.3 Rom. 8.32 Gal. 5.22 vt supra out of his godly power wee haue all things which pertaine vnto life and godlinesse Therefore might it well be said If ye haue Christ how shall ye not with him haue all things Loue Ioy Peace Long-suffering Gentlenesse Goodnesse Faith Meekenesse Temperance These are plants which our heauenly father hath planted daily increasing with the increase of God in this garden Iudah 1 Sam. 23.23 that a little one shall become a thousand all faire and strong as the thousands of Iudah and the strong men of Dauid The third blessing of the field is by the daily watering of the plants All Iaacobs heauenly gifts which hee hath receiued from the father of lights are daily watered with shewers from heauen Shewers from heauen of such holy waters which which our Sauiour watered his Disciples Iohn 15.3 Now are yee cleane through the word which I haue spoken vnto you So long as we are clasped and barke bound in the vncleane scurfe of our corruption we cannot prosper in religion but in the washings of God we being cleansed and purified are more prosperous and louely before the Lord. 1. Cor. 6.11 Thus were the Corinthians bound in their sinnefull pollutions till they were clensed and purified by the spirit of our God And thus is Gods garden daily watered and washed againe with daily distillations of Christ his sweat sweet satisfaction to the law for Iaacob Luke 22.44 his sweat like drops of bloud trickling downe to the ground Downe to the ground to the Church the pillar and ground of truth Psal 133 3 his sweat did fall downe vpon it as the dewe of Hermon which falleth on the mountaines of Sion The precious passion of our holy ransome as a welcome cloud to refresh and comfort our barren and drie ground is daily melting vpon the Church in daily praiers sermons readings and conferences Thus is our field blessed