But their precedent generation hath denounced a woe against saying Woe be vnto them that either wash or clippe the coine whereon the Lord hath set his stampe Yea your ancestours commonly vsed these words in their donations Let their Ex aribiuis â—alleg Gland accouÌ„t be without fauor in the day of the Lord whether they be our heires or successors who shall dare to diminish or alter the lands reuenues and inheritance that we haue consecrated to the Lord. If the iudgement of your elders be required this impious and iniurious surprising of Church estates hath beene condemned both by Christian bishops and also by Christian Emperors who euer were willing rather to lay downe their liues then that the prosperity of the church should bee impeached or the goods thereof wickedly imbeazeled or diuerted from the godly intendments of her well disposed benefactors But you see beloued that Christs Church hath bene surprised and dispoyled of her possessions that whereas the Psalmist saith The earth is the Lords The men of the earth with their earthly mindes haue left our Lord as the Iewes no place to rest his head so they no land to set his foot vppon Hence are your lacklatines your lacklearnings which you fondly and furiouslie obiect vnto the reuerent Beaupeers of the church the Bishops whereas you your selues haue made such priests by robbing the Church as church-Pyrats by famishing the Church-men in taking away their bread and liuelihood by vsurping the possession of others For who should serue your foure pound fiue pound twentie nobles cures if such were not ordained to holde your plough your Church and parish would lie fallow yea that poor pittance which is left to maintaine a few better qualified persons is so caught and dailie vndermined by bare weather beaten desperate courtiers forlorne Gentlemen Cyclopâ—cal scatizers that al wisdom godlie policie of the reuerend Bishops and faithfull councellers of state vsing their best endeuors vtmost fidelitie is little enough to retaine it so far are they from any hope of a succession or godlie deuoted generation who would studie to promote the wealth of the Church But let this generation know that the world is giuen vp to a reprobate sense and if they follow it they also are in no better estate Good Lord where is the blessing and fruite of the ancient time Happie is he that preacheth to an attentiue eare and to an intelligent heart and an obedient soule Worthy Ridley in one sermon to that famous renowned Christian Prince Edward the sixt preuailed that Christ-Church hospitall the Hospitall of Saint Bartholomews in Southwarke and Bridewell were at once erected But now in an hundred Sermons the ministers of Christ must become like to the Friars Mendicants and yet not so far preuaile euen in this place with this Hono. citie us to purchase entertainement I hope I shall be the last that euer shall mention it And to conclude my blessed brethren seeing that al the things of this world are accursed without Christ seâ— before your eies Paul and Dauid as presidents and motiues to exhort you to resolution Paul was crucified to the world Gal. 6. 14. and the world to him and accounted all things as losse and dung for the lucre Phil. 9. 8 of Christ And Dauid wondred That any man should desire ought in heauen but the Lord or esteeme any thing in earth in respect of his God Let vs not then bee like sucking babes who rather cleaue to their nurse then to their owne naturall mother This world is our drie nurse the Church is our true mother Let vs then that are able to receiue strong meat learne to distinguish But if for al this you despise this counsell set at naught these aduertisments and addict your selues wholly to the world listen and heare how the world will deale with you in the end Serue it neuer so long yet as Churlish Laban dealt with Iacob in bringing foule Leah to his mariage bed insteed of faire Rachel so the world wil promise you gladsomnes but will performe loathsomnesse will promise you the finest and gaiest speciousnes but will performe with you in deceitfull spitefulnes Let the experienced say if by the world they found any thing but worldly care in gaining the world wordly fear in retaining it worldly sorrow in losing it Yea this is the meede of their life and in their death insteed of Tumulus giue them cumulus an heape of stones as had Achan who touched the execrable thing so these haue some painted Sepulcher or some specious or pompous funerall and there is Catastrophe the guerdeÌ„ that the world affords them But you beloued and blessed in the Lord lift vp your hearts to him that praieth for you in whome you are the Sonnes the saints the Princes and Priests the Beloued and the Baptized the Illuminates and Associates of the highest by whose sufferings you are seperated and distinguished with works of saluation from the residue of the world through whom God dwelleth in you by the liuerie and seison of his gratious spirit in this life and will after this life is ended be in full possession of you both in soule and bodie eternallie in the glorious rest of heauen To moue you now therfore to are solution to leaue this world all worldly fleshly and diuelish practises of the worldlings and such as are ex diametâ—o contrariant to all heartie and vnfained Christians to cleaue vnto the Lord that doth thus pitie you in praing for you honour you in making choice of you froÌ„ among others and in gracing you by vouchsafeing to receiue you as pledges of his fathers loue and accounting you as his own I cannot propone a more forcible motiue to stir vp and quicken your hearts to a sad serious thankfulnes then to put you in minde that you certainely are the people that Christ hath praied for euen you I meane the faithfull of this Land and state who haue sought the Lord in sinceritie and hearty deuotion And that I may not now in the Epilogue of this my weake endeuour send you farre backe I shal desire you to looke and with open and displaied eies beholde the louing kindenes of the Lord toward our kingdome and countrie euen in the memory view of our whole nation and all Christendome How escaped we the furious and mischeeuous complotments of manie weightie and malitious deadly enemies in all the peaceable raigne most happie and neuer enough admired gouernment of that deere Lady our late soueraine Qu. Elizabeth of pretious memorie Did not Christ pray for vs when all those secret designements popish thunder Cardinal conspiracies Iesuiticall proiects and domesticall treacheries were discouered set vpon the stage Did not Christ pray for vs when our state tottered at the decease of our late Soueraigne and to the wonder of al the Christian world did as an earthquake shake settle in a moment when all nations about vs stood looking at the things likely to ensue What frustrated the Popish prophecie of Worthing toÌ„ the Iesuit when forespeaking as he hispaniolized traitor wished That the fall of one Ladie would be the raising of an other Meaning that the death of Ladie Elizabeth would bee the Diadem of Izabella Infanta Eugenia Clara who brought to scorne also the surmise of Weston the Iesuite another false prophet who seeing his fellow WorthingtoÌ„s spel take no effect went on and tooke longer time as the manner of bankrupts is and said That the sinnes of England were not ripe at the death of Weston de tripl offic Queen Elizabeth But when England had fulfilled the measure of her sinnes as the Ammorites did then would the Lord vtterly destroy vs. Which Gen. 15. 16 prophecie of his doubtlâ—s intended the powder Treason which if it had beene effected then had Weston deserued to haue been notified with a red letter in the list of Anabaptisticall prophets But then euen then also Christ Iesus praied for vs and Worthington with his coopse-mate Weston are found lyars and we our prince and people are maruellously and miraculously deliuered from the sulphurous blast complotted at Rome proiected at Rhemes fortified at Doway practised in England yea and that which was some certain yeeres in intendment and purpose was frustrated in a moment Oh then seeing not onely the whole land but euen the very particular person here present can capitulat in specie what great things the Lord hath done for them where in we now reioice let it be sufficient for me to commemorate in generall and for euerie one of vs in indiuiduo to commune with his owne heart and write this lesson there with the pen of a Diamond that neither day nor night tide nor time weale nor woe may obliterate or blot out the character of his diuine lesson and angelicall consolation but resolue that our whole life bee a deuoted sacrifice of thankfulnes seruice to the liuing God of eternal maiestie through Iesus Christ our faithful intercessor to whom with God the father God the sanctifying spirit be rendred al power praise might and maiestie this day and euermore Amen The very God of peace sanctifie you 1. Thes 5. 23. throughout and I pray God that your spirits soules and bodies may bee kept blameles vnto saluation through Christ Iesus this day and euermore FINIS
teacheth vs when he saith Learn of me for I Mat. 11 29 am meeke and lowly in heart and yee shall finde rest vnto your soules Lastly in bearing the Crosse not a woodden Crosse or a golden crucifixe or an Agnus Dei or any such Romish rudiment or guileful merchandize but a constant purpose of holie life which is indeed the bearing of the Crosse for 2. Tim. 3. 12. whoso will liue godlie in Christ Iesus shall suffer persecution and haue crosse as much as his backe will beare which crosse wee must take vp not auoide or shun and follow Christ Iesus The second reason is taken from God the fathers possession of vs in these words for they are thine We are God the fathers whether wee looke backwards or forwards backwards both by Ioh 15. Election and also by Creation By Election for so it is said You haue Eph. 1. 4. not chosen mee but I haue chosen you and that before the world was By Creation so saith the Psalmist Thy hands haue made mee and fashioned me and in such an admirable Psa 119. 73 manner as hee hath denied to all others his creatures for hee hath made vs after his owne Image If we looke forward wee are his by Sanctification and Glorification By Sanctification for so he saith to the church of Laodicea Behold I stand at the doore and knocke If any man heare my voice and open the doore I Apoc. 3. 2â— wil come in vnto him and banquet with him and he with me What is this knocking but his calling vnto vs by his word workes and benefits what is this doore but the closet of our hearts what is this hearing but our obeying what is this opening but the readinesse of our soules My heart is ready saith Dauid This comming into vs but his being in vs by his holie spirit whereby he taketh liuery and seison of vs What this banquetting he with vs and we with him but the continuall feast of a good and a godlie conscience And by Glorification wee are his for his wee were we are and shall be for euer and euer All the promises in Christ 2. Cor. 1. 20 being Yea and Amen Attend then the summe of both the reasons We are the gifts of GOD to his sonne therefore his freely supremo iure in the highest right Paul precheth it in one verse by a most heauenlie and diuine speech of degrees where hee saith All things are ours and prooueth it by enumeration of particulars in an admirable gradation Whether it bee 1 Co. 3. 21. 22. 23. Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death whether they be things present or things to come euen all are yours and you Christs Christ Gods Oh holie honour oh diuine consolation Behold I say and looke with your eies of faith vnto this angelicall dignitie and bee rauished in the spirit with this surpassing and exceeding fauour of God in giuing vs wretches vnto his Sonne as if his Sonne were not compleat without vs as if there were no better things to bestow in the whole frame of nature vpon his beloued then vs miserable dust-creeping creatures And as though hee had forgot all other creatures of heauen and of earth and set his eie of fauour and affection vpon vs onely Man and Angels fall the Angels Iud. ver 6. are reserued in chaines of darkenesse vnto the great day of the Lord. But for man he ordained a Sauiour remembred wherof he was made according to his tender compassion multitudes of his mercies saued him and gaue him to his Sonne that through him hee might haue fauour toward man delight in him and bee one with him O ye blessed of the Lord note then in the first reason that God giueth to his Sonne no prophane Atheist cursed Achrist or irreligious wanton or that person who shall say in his heart religentem esse oportet religiosum nefas as if it were a piaculum to be deuoutly religious 2. Nor any remisse and carelesse companion who hath as much care of his brothers soule as of his owne and saith in Cains cursed voice Am I my Brothers keeper no indeed how can he bee his brothers keeper when he hath no regard of his owne keeping who can suffer Christ to bee crucified daily before his eies and not bee mooued therewith 3. Nor any imperious ruffian for God resisteth the proud 4. Nor any such as flie the Crosse who would with Balaam die the death of the godly but will not liue their life would haue Angels in their end conuey them into Abrahams bosome but all their life care not for God nor Angell Saint nor Diuell And further learne out of the second reason 1. Of your Election That hee hath elected you in Christ which excludeth all merit Ephes 1. 2. That hee hath chosen you in himselfe therefore hee found nothing in vs worthy of election or remembrance 2. Of your Creation that wee wholly giue ouer our selues vnto him who hath made vs that we may bee guided and ruled by his holy and heauenlie directions 3. Of our Sanctification that wee quench not the 1. The. 5. 19 spirit of Gods good motions that he kindleth in vs nor despise that blessed grace whereby we are sealed to Saluation 4. Of our Glorification that we set our affections on heauen and heauenly things not Col. 3. 2. on earth and earthly things but seek those things which are aboue where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God Thus by degrees haue we ascended Iacobs ladder lifted vp our thoughts vnto the highest heauens euen to our holy and heauenly Mediator Christ Iesus And now I must end this Song of Sion the diuine solace of the religious soule and descend from heauen to earth euen vnto the second generall part the woe of the worldlings in these words I pray not for the world Wherin note three obseruances 1. The person I. 2. The exception I pray not 3. The designation for the world First of the person As in the former part wee considered him in his name and nature so now let vs looke vpon him in his offices to cleere the obiections of Cauillers namely how it is consonant to his diuine offices of King Priest and Prophet that hee should not pray for the world First then of his kingly office How sorteth it therewith that he being a King should come into the world and not pray for it Indeede some erroneous Iewes dreamed that the kingdome of the Messias should bee a temporall estate And there were a rout of heretikes called Herodians flatterers in Herods Court who pretended Herod to bee the true and vndoubted Messias Yea the very Disciples of Christ also were in a quandarie of this surmise when they asked Christ whether now he would restore the Kingdome to Israel Act. 1. 6 But Christ himselfe answereth this obiection very plainely where he saith That his Kingdome is not
the good of the elect for whose sake onely this world continueth that their number may bee full and accrue vnto the Lord. Blessed be the maiestie of our God for euermore But O Lord may we be so bold as to enquire a reason why thou that diddest sacrifice thy selfe for the sinnes of the world wilt not pray for the world Surely blessed and beloued in the Lord I will not conceale that from you which the Lord hath reuealed He praieth not for the world the first reason may be drawne from a mandatorie prohibition The second from the Communion of Saints The third from distinction of diuine knowledge and the fourth from Christs owne foreknowledge First therefore as Mat. 12. there is a sinne irremissible so there are sinners not to be pardoned nor prayed for Concerning which sinne the prohibition is 1. Ioh. 5. 16 There is a sinne vnto death I say not 2. Cor. 4 4 that thou shouldest pray for it Secondly it is said That the Deuill is the God of this world What Communion then hath Christ with Belial or light with darkenesse 1. Ioh. 5. 19 Thirdly GOD hath giuen this knowledge vnto his Children that they know themselues to be of God and the whole world lieth in wickednesse What then hath 1. Cor. 4. 9. 13. Christ to doe with the stoole of wickednesse Fourthly Christ foresaw that this world should murther his Saints make theÌ„ the gazing stocke of the world account them as the riffe raffe of the world and treade them vnder foote as the of â—couring of all things Secondly Christ foresaw that the wicked world should deale more cruelly with the coate of maintenance of the Church then did the Romish Souldiers with Christs coat who cast lots for it but this world diuides and rents and teares it into peeces and well is he that can get a peece albeit it profiteth him not nay although all the rest he hath be cursed for it That coat which the souldiers cast lots for was without seame wouen from the top to the bottome The souldiers were wise who saw if it were diuided it would roue and be to no benefit they therefore became aduenturers who should haue all But this politike world which seeketh to deuoure religion delaieth not the time in lotterie but euery one snatcheth and catcheth some by violence as wilde beasts and Boares of the forrest and cormorants of the world some by craft and subtiltie as Foxes nip the blossoms of the Lords vine vntill it die againe Thirdly Christ foresaw that the wretched world should not onely vnmannerlie exclude the Lord of life out of doore albeit hee knocketh and desireth entrance but also that it wold deale clownishly with him as did the inhumane Gergesens who willed him to depart out of their Coasts The vse of this exception is that wee enter into no associations and leagues with this wicked world for it is deliuered vp into three fearefull traditions or rather desertions First vnto the lusts of a wicked heart Secondly vnto vile affections Thirdly Rom. 1. into a reprobate sense The Psalmograph therfore bids vs haue nothing to doe with the stoole of wickednesse which imagineth mischiefe as a Law And the Apostle proclaimeth the Lords will saying Come 2. Cor. 6. 17. 18. out from among them and seperate your selues saith the Lord and touch none vncleane things and I will receiue you and I will be a father vnto you and you shall bee my Sonnes and daughters saith the Lord Almightie But let vs consider farther First who are here designed by the world and secondlie why they are so described Concerning the first who are signified by the world As the passion of Christ so the praier of Christ sufficient for all but not effectuall to all sufficient for all it is the current of the fathers That one drop of the blood of the sonne of God was sufficient to expiate the sinnes of the whole world but albeit the sonne of God did sweate bloud in an Agonie yea not drops but clots of bloud and that in such quantitie that it trickled downe to the ground to blesse the earth which was accursed Yea and seas of pretious bloud issued in his glorious passion from his hands and feete yea and from his verie heart yet there is a cursed and wretched He. 10. 29. generation which treade vnder foote the Sonne of God and count the bloud of the Testament as an vnholy thing despise the spirit of grace Of these the blessed Apostle telleth the Church Phil. 3 18. 19. of Philippi weeping That they are are the enemies of the crosse of Christ whose God is their bellie whose glorie is their shame whose end is fearefull damnation which minde worldly things Rightly therefore are they designed by the world So doe the ancient interpret world For I will not detaine you with the manifold acceptions of this word world and the promiscuous vsage thereof I pray not for the world That is saith Bernard for them that wholly addict and addresse themselues to the world I pray not for the world That is saith Ierome for the wicked and euill men of the world I pray not for the world That is saith Augustine for these that follow and pursue the concupiscence of the flesh In all this wee may inferre that the world here is directly opposed to the disciples and followers of Christ Iesus and so Saint Iohn taketh the world in his Gospell where hee saith Christ came into the world and Iohn 1. 10 the world receiued him not So that nothing can be more contrariant to Christ and true Christians then these that are heere designed by the world which will appeare vnto vs most euidently in the part following wherein wee may examine the resemblance why they are signified by the world Which is first in respect of the parts Secondly in regard of the causeâ— of the world First in the parts both Firmamentarie and Elementary In the Firmamentarie parts of the world they are fitly resembled vnto the Eclipses and Meteors In the Elementarie parts to their corruption and rebellion Secondly in the causes to two onely the Materiall and the formall cause As for the other as they know not so they care not to know or consider But let vs returne to the Firmamentary part In the Firmamentary world there bee Eclipses of Sunne and moone For wheras the Moone receiueth her light from the sunne it hapneth that in the full the Moone being in the head or taile of the Dragon vnder the Madix of the sunne that the Iohannes de Sacro busto de Sphaera earth will be enterposed between the sunne and the Moone so that the shadowe of the earth falling vpon the bodie of the Moone causeth her not to bee seene in our sight Such is the Eclipse of the wicked in this world For by the Moone is resembled the church which is alwaies eclipsed vnto the vngodly by the shadow of
bird that flieth parteth indeed the aire with her wings and swift flying and as an arrow which is shot at a marke leaueth no token or note of their going through so your life is spent in a dreame and you leaue no print or signification that you haue liued thankfully to your God Hence is it that your hope is lesse either being like the vaine hope of Absolon who reared vp a pillar in the kings dale so you some pompous Pyramis or gay tabernacle of clay in the earth or like the hope of the Hypocrite which is resembled to the flowre of the poppie which euery blast scattereth so all your hopefull proiects in this world are prostrated by euery blast and tempest of aduerse casualtie Hence is it that your charitie is lesse then little either toward God or toward your Brethren Frst toward God Heretofore the King of the earth came to Cottages of the men of God and called them Fathers Oh 2. King 13. 14. my Father my Father the Chariots of Aegypt and the horse-men of the same But now the seruants of Christ must bee suters to the vassailes of Princes to bee admitted vnto theÌ„ Secondly towards your brethren nothing but enuie malice and all vncharitablenesse against which we may truely pray as the Church doth Good Lord deliuer vs. The conclusion then if you wil be pleased attentiuely to hearken yea but a very little shall instantly follow in this one illatiue That whatsoeuer is in this world if it be not enioyed in Christ Iesus is anathematized and accursed A view heereof we may behold in Iericho at the sacking of which citie Ioshua is enioyned to beware of the execrable thing for the whole citie and all therein was accursed sauing that onely which was consecrated to the Lord and the thing was not onely execrable in it selfe but it made them also accursed that touched it Semblably are all the thinges of this world which are possessed without Christ execrable both in their possession vse imployment and end and the owners also thereby anathematized What then beloued in the Lord 1 Cor. 10. 11. shall we doe vpon whom the ends of the world are fallen The spirit of God hath not left vs either 1. Cor. 7. 8 comfortles or councellesse Pauls counsell and exhortation is Vse the world as if you vsed it not and that both in action and affection not in action no not so much as Rom. 12. 2. in fashion Fashion not your selues like vnto this world for you see the fashioÌ„s of this world hath vndone many and caused them to forget God their Creator their countrie and comely fashion yea themselues and their posteritie so sicke and frantike haue many beene of the fashions of this world which are accursed as it is apparant by their witlesse and wicked ends who haue turned themselues into all fashions like the Camelian saue the good and honest fashion Neither in your affection cleaue vnto the world For the beloued Disciple forbids you to loue the 1. Ioh. 2. 15 world or any thing therein vnlesse your loue be in God and for his sake The reason he yeeldeth is a map or view of the world which hee capitulateth in a Hypothesis 1. Io. 2. 16 If any loue the world this loue of the father is not in him For all that is in the world as the lust of the flesh the lust of the eies and the pride of life is not of the Father but is of the world And lest either fashion which now is accounted the forme of the world as if it gaue that being for many thinke they are not vnlesse they bee in the formall fashion of the world or lust which is esteemed the frame of the world should annihilate or vilepend this diuine Councell the spirit of God vrgeth further First to the fanaticall fashionable That the 1. Cor. 7. 3 fashion of this world vanisheth Secondly 1. Joh. 2. 17 to the lustfull That the world it selfe passeth away and the lust thereof Will any obiect that this is but hearesay Why then attend to an eie witnesse I haue seene the wicked saith Dauid flourish like a greene Bay tree there is one in the fashion and I passed by loe he was gone his place knew him no more ther 's the fall of the fashion The life of these being a very dreame euen like vnto a hungrie Esa 29. 8. man dreaming for lo he eareth and when he awaketh his soule is â—â—â—ptie or like as a thirstie maÌ„ dreameth loe he drinketh but when he awaketh his soule is faintie Euen so is the issue of fashion and lust vanitie of state and Imbecillitie of strength Al the followers fauorites wherof put their gaines as the vnthriftie seruant did his earnings Hag. 1. 6. euen into sacculum pertusum a bottomlesse bag no sooner in but out Fitly therfore is the state and coÌ„dition of this world resembled to Ionas gourde quae statim statim perijt And Saint Paul concludeth That while we are in the bodie that is attending the bodie onely as if wee had no soules we wander 2. Cor. 5. 4 a Pilgrimage from the Lord. We must therefore pray that wee may goe out of the bodie and so rest with the Lord eternallie But if Paul were in the flesh did preach this doctrine 2. Tim. 4. 10. yet Demas will forsake him and Christ to embrace this present world as his deare darling and sole delight Many and manifolde are the multitudes which make such account of this world that they can by no meanes be wooed from it let the melanchollie schollers say what they will And therefore is it that so many haue turned religion into pollicy wherby that prouerb is verified The Daughter hath deuoured the Mother Religion hath bred peace and peace praies and tires vpon religion Hence is it that so many church-robbers tyrannize vpon the reuenues and goods of the â— Danaeuâ—â—n Aphorism Politic lib. 1. Church being indeede no better flatter themselues how they lust but Pyrats by land mother murtherers and vsurpers of others goods Pyrats by land more inhumane and tyrannicall vnto the Christian Church then the Pyrats by â—ea Ward and Dansker to the Report of â—o â—ota â—le pâ—râ—ts Christian common-wealth Those taking by open violence these encroching and entring by cunning practise sinister pretence Mother murtherers they are also for if the church bee our mother and they take away the bread and liuely-hood from her wherby she fainteth sickneth dieth What are they but mother murtherers and of the generation of Vipers Lastly they are vsurpers of others goods for he is a Vsurper that appropriateth others goods vnto himselfe But these Church robbers do claime not onely interest but also lawfull possession and vse of Christs goods in that they rob him in tythes and offerings which he calleth his what are they then but Vsurpers encrochers vpon others tenures and interest