the musician of crotchers the Seminary of equivocations The glutted Epicure dreames of dainty dishes and fat morsells The thirsty drunkard dreames of his licour and behold he drinketh but awake his thirst is not satisfied The vsurer dreames of his trunckes that he is telling his gold and starts as if euery rat were a thiefe breaking in vpon him The timorous dreame that they are flying before ouertaking danger The Lustfull imagines his desired embracings The angry that he is fighting killing spoyling The secure that they are wilstling singing dancing The ielous man dreames of his wiues errors when she lyes chastly by his side The ambitious that he is kissing the kings hand and mounted into the saddle of honour The ouercharged mind dreames of his employment For a dreame commeth through the multitude of businesse 2. Preternaturall and these are either Ad Errorem Terrorem Whereof the first is wrought by Satan Permittente Deo God suffering it The second by God mediante Diabolo Satan being a mediate instrument 1. There are Dreames for Error wrought by the meere illusion of Satan whom God once suffered to be a lying Spirit in the mouth of 400. Prophets Hee working vpon mans affections inclinations and humours causeth in them such dreames as seduce them to wickednes and induce them to wrechednes They write of one Amphiaraus an Argiue Soothsayer that by a dreame hee was brought to the Theban voyage wher 's Hiatu terrae absorbetur he was swallowed vp of the earth So Pharaohs Baker was encouraged to hopefull error by a dreame So was that monstrous hoste of Midian ouerthrowne by a Dreame of a Barley cake that hit a Tent and ouerwhelmed it which was interpreted the Sword of Gideon 2. For Terror Iob sayes that Deus terret per somnia per visiones horrorem incuiit God strikes terror into the hearts of the wicked by Dreames As a Malus genius is said to appeare to Brutus the night before his death or as the face of Hector was presented to Andromache Polydore virgil records the dreame of that bloudy tyrāt Richard 3. that in a dreame the night before the battaile of Bosworth field he thought all the deuils in hell were haling and tugging him in pieces and all those whom he had murdered crying shricking out vengeance against him Though hee thinkes this was more then a dreame Id credo non fuisse somnium sed conscientiam seelerū He iudged it not so much a dreame as the guiltie conscience of his own wickednes So to Robert Winter one of the powder-traytors in a dreame appeared the gastly figures and distracted visages of his cheefe friends and confederates in that treason not vnlike the very same maner wherin they after stood on the pinnacles of the Parliament house 3. Supernaturall such as are sent by diuine inspiration and must haue a diuine interpretation Such were the dreames of Pharaoh expounded by Ioseph the dreames of Nebuchadnezzar declared by Daniel Of these were two sortes 1. Some were mysticall such as those two kings dreames and Pharaohs two officers whose exposition is onely of God So Ioseph answers Are not interpretations of the Lord So Nebuchadnezzar to Daniel Thou art able for the spirit of the holy God is in thee The Sorcerers and Astrologers dearly acknowledged their ignorance with their liues Thus Pharaoh may dreame but it is a Ioseph that must expound it It is one thing to haue a representation obiected to the fantasie another thing to haue an intellectuall light giuen to vnderstand it 2. Others are demonstratiue when the Lord not onely giues the dreame but also withall the vnderstanding of it Such were Daniels dreames these Wisemens Iosephs in this chapter Wherein was a Vision Pro uision a vision what to doe a prouision that no harme might come to Iesus These dreames were most specially incident to the new Testament when God at the very rising of the Sunne began to expell the shadowes of darke my steries And it shall come to passe in the last dayes saith God I will powre out of my Spirit vpon all flesh and your sons your daughters shall prophecie your young men shall see visions and your old men shall dreame dreames Now the Sunne is gotten vp into the midst of heauen the Gospel into the ful strength these shadowes vanish the more light the lesse shadow So that now to expect reuelation of things by dreames were to intreat God to lend vs a candle whiles wee haue the bright Sun The superstitious Papists are s◅ill full of these dreames and find out more mysteries in their sleepe then they can well expound waking The Abbot of Glastenbury when Ethelwold was Monke there dreamt of a tree whose branches were al couered with Monks cowles on the highest bough one cowle that ouertop'd all the rest which must needs be expoūded the future greatnes of this Ethelwold But it is most admirable how the Dominicke Friers make shift to expoūd the dreame of Dominickes mother which she had when she was with child of him that she had in her wombe a wolfe with a burning torch in his mouth Say what they will a wolfe is a wolfe still that order hath euer carried a burning torch to scorch their mother the Church But there is no dreame of theirs with out an interpretation without a prediction And if the euent answere not their foretelling they expound it after the euent If one of them chance to dreame of a greene garden he goes presently and makes his will Or if another dreame that he shakes a dead friend by the hand he is ready to call to the Sexton for a graue takes solemne leaue of the world and sayes hee cannot liue Beloued God hath not grounded our fayth vpon dreames nor cunningly deuised fables but on the holy Gospell written by his seruants in bookes and by his spirit in the tables of our hearts They that will beleeue dreames and Traditions aboue Gods sacred word let them heare and feare their iudgement For this cause God shall send them strong delusion that they should beleeue a lye That they all might be dāned who beleeue not the truth but had pleasure in vnrighteousnes Banish from your hearts this superstitious follie to repose any confidence expectant on dreames But if you desire to make any vse of dreames let it be this Consider thy selfe in thy dreaming to what inclination thou art mostly carried and so by thy thoughts in the night thou shalt learne to know thy self in the day Be thy dreames lustfull examine whether the addictions of thy heart run not after the byas of concupiscence Be they turbulent consider thy owne contentious disposition Be they reuengefull they point to thy malice Runne they vpon gold and riches they argue thy couetousnesse Thus God may be said to teach a man by his dreames still non quid erit sed qualis est not what shall be but what
I giue to the poore The theefe after a long lewd life hath a short happy death and goes from the Crosse to Paradise If these had bene rooted vp at the first Gods Garner had wanted much good wheat He that is now cockle may proue good corne 2. For the excercise of the godly For the reprobate doe not onely fill vp the measure of their sinnes that so not beleeuing the truth they might be damned for their vnrighteousnes making their condemnation both iust and great But they serue also for instruments to exercise the faith and patience of the Saints Babilon is a flaile to bruise the nations at last it selfe shall be threshed They are but the rubbish where with the vessells of honour are scowred the vessell made bright the scowring stuffe is throwne to the dunghill They are Apothecaries to make vs bitter potions for the recouerie of our spirituall health but so that they cannot put in one dramme more then their allowance and when they come to be payd for their bills they find the sum totall their owne vengance They are like shepheards dogges that serue to hunt the lambes of Christ to the sheepfolds of peace but their teeth are beaten out that they cannot worry vs. Frâ—…mit lupus tremit agnus the wolfe rageth and the Lambe quaketh but feare not little flocke he is greater that is with you then all they that are against you Illorum malitia est veâ—…ra militia their malice is your warfare but in all you shall conquer They shall make you better not worse Hence let vs learne 1. Not to flie from the Church because there are some wicked men in it Non propter malos boni sunt deserendâ—… sed propter bonos mali sunt tolerandi Forsake not the good because of the euill but suffer the euill because of the good when we can brooke no imperfection in the Church know then Diabolum nos tumeâ—…acere superbia that the Deuill doth blow vs vp with pride sayth Caluin I hold the Church saith Augustin full of both wheat and chaffe I better whom I can whom I cannot I suffer Fugio paleam ne hoc sine non aream ne nihil sim. I auoid the chaffe least I become chaffe I keepe the floore least I become nothing We sinne all in many things and many in all things let vs flie from all sinnes not from all sinners for then we must goe out of the world out of our selues But I beleeue the holy catholicke Church I beleeue it though through the shadowe of infirmities I cannot see it Intelligit fides quae non vides If it was perspicuous to sence there was no place to faith no vse or excercise of beleeuing But here we walke by faith not by sight All the glory of the Kings daughter is Intus within Psal. 45. shee is glorious within wretched are they that forsake her and when they speake of her blesse themselues that they are fled out of Babel Blind fooles that will not know Ierusalem from Babel Their fault is the more hainous for two causes 1. They seemed our most zealous professors and a lewd seruant is easilyer brook'd then an vndutifull sonne 2. They know so much that their owne conscience tells them Ignorance cannot excuse their separation An ignorant iniurie is in more hope both of amends and mercie All their hote vrging was our purging not from our vices but our good order which when they could not effect they purged themselues out of our companie And their very malice did vs good for I am sure we haue beene euer since the cleaner They send vs word of many vnreformed vncensured euills among vs for which they separate It cannot be denyed it cannot be auoided but that among so many millions of men there will be some lepers but what must their vncleannes needs infect all Certè nullius crimen inficit nescientem Let me not participate of their sinne not shunne the Church because they are in it yea I am commanded to come though they be there If a man will come vnworthy the sinne is his but if I come not because he comes the sinne is mine God sayes to the wicked guest How cammest thou in hither not to the prepared How came you in with such a guest His fault cannot dispense with my dutie nor shall my dutie be charged with his fault But our euills are innumerable I would to God they were lesse yet I am sure the Gospell is faire though our liues be fowle Our profession is good though many mens conuersation be full of euill And yet the number of our euills is somewhat abated by their absence we cannot complaine of all euills whiles we want them To the vncleane they say all things are euill yet they are content to take some euill from vs. They will eate victualls yea and eate them vp as if for anger rather then hunger They will purse vp our moneys take advantages of their forfeted bonds and plead a prouidence in it their owne prouidence they meane and so though not pray with vs yet pray vpon vs. If all our things be euill I perceaue they loue some of our euill Let them goe they from vs not vs from our selues But rather 2. Seeing there are wolues among the Lambes let vs be wise to saue our selues and patient to suffer others The good are for thy comfort the wicked for thy excercise let thy life be good to the consolation of the one and conuiction of the other Non valdè laudabile est bonum esse cum bonis sed bonum esse cum malis For as it is a wretched fault not to be good among the good so it is a worthy prayse to be good among the euill Let your light so shine that others may glorifie God for your good and be ashamed of their owne euill You are the light of the world if there be any dimnesse in your shining the whole Countrey is full of snuffers In the Temple were golden snuffers we haue not many of those to make vs burne brighter but base stinking ones that would rather put vs out 3. Let vs abhorre wicked societies knowing that they shall be conuented againe in hell There must be some acquaintance with them must be no familiarity A meare commerce with them is not vtterly in it selfe vnlawfull but dangerous Factum licitum prohibetur propter vicinitatem illiciti Thou hadst better lose a good bargaine at a worldlings hand then purchase some of his wickednesse The second Chariot of Egypt taught Ioseph to sware by the life of Pharaâ—…h Let them see thy good life heare thy gratious words thy true detestation and wise reprehension of their wickednesse Gods seruants would haue all serue their master that they might haue the more companie with them to heauen But let thy delight be with the Saints on earth and with those that excell in vertue Let vs meete now in synceritie
the Popes gaine He must be Iudge yea he shall be an vnerring Iudge Yet if the Pope haue this infallibility I wonder what need there is of Councells Here they fly to distinctions as to familiar spirits The Pope may erre Argumentatiuè not Definitiuè in his chamber not in his chaire Personaliter non Formaliter as man not as Pope How proue they such an exposition of the Scripture Here they fly to the Pope hee so expounds it How prooue they the Pope cannot erre Here straight they fly back againe to Scripture Peter I haue prayed for thee that thy faith shal not faile These hang gether like a sick mans dreame Insequeris fugio Fugis insequor Yet thus they conclude against their own wills whiles they only proue the Pope by the Scripture spight of their teeth they preferre the Scripture aboue the Pope If this be so that the truth of the Gospell being professed belieued obeyed among vs manifest vs against all aduersaries to be true members of this Generall assembly then two subordinate questions offer themselues collaterally here to be handled First whether corrupters of our Truth and disturbers of our peace are to bee tolerated Secondly whether for some corruptions of doctrine or vices in manners it be lawfull for any of vs to make separation from vs. 1. Seditious and pestilent seedsmen of heresies are to be restrained If a little leuen sowre the whole lumpe what will a little poison do If Paul to his Galatians could not endure Christ and Moses together how would he to his Corinthians endure Christ and Belial together Hee sticks not to ingeminate Anathema's to them that preached another Gospel The Papists cry out against vs for persecution they that shame not to bely the Scriptures will not blush to bely vs. Their prosperity their riches their numbers among vs directly proue that a man may be a Papist in England and liue But if their religion turne to treason shall it scape vnpunished A Papist may liue a Traitor may not liue To perswade that a Christian king at the Popes will may yea must be decrowned or murdered is this the voice of Religion or Treason If this be conscience there is no villany if such an act merite Heauen let no man feare Hell I would aske a Papist vvhether he be not bound by his religion to execute the Popes doctrinall will whether if he bid him kill his King hee may refraine from that sacred bloud and not sinne If he refuse treason he is not constant to his Religion if hee keepe his Religion hee must not sticke at any act of treason So that who knowes whether this day a mere Papist may not on the Popes command to morrow be a Traytor But say they this a supposition as likely as if Heauen should fall the Pope will neuer command it I answere that Popes haue commanded it But we hope his present Holinesse will not we were in a pitious case if our securitie was no better then your hope God blesse our gracious Soueraigne from euer standing at the Popes mercy Why should such Seminaries of heresie and Incendiaries of conspiracie be suffered What atonement of affection can there be in such disparitie of Religion when some cry God helpe vs others Baal heare vs. They to Angels and Saints wee to the Lord that made Heauen and Earth But the euent hath often prooued which of these could best heare prayers As in that memorable fight on the Leuant Seas of fiue English ships against eleuen Spanish they crying for victory to our Lady wee to our Lord it seemes the Sonne heard better then the Mother for the victory was ours The Common-vvealth that stands vpon legges partly of yron and partly of clay is neuer sure One wombe held Romulus Remus in peace one kingdome could not containe them But euery mans mind is as free as the Emperors Conscience is a Castle and there is nothing so voluntarie as religion faith comes by perswasion not by compulsion Yield all this and say with Tertullian Nihil minus fidei est quà m fidem cogere And with Bernard Suspendite verbera ostendite vbera Make a man in error rather blush then bleede But if they breake the foundation Non ferendi sed feriendi First speake to the Conscience by good counsell but if that eare be stopt shake the whole house about it Speake to the eares of the inheritance of the liberty of the body by mulct by prison by exile Let the Liberty say to the Conscience For thy sake I am restrained let the Inheritance say For thy sake I am empouerished let the Body say For thy sake I am afflicted But because heresie dies not with the particular person but kills also others and Centum inficit dum vnum intersicit And because it strikes at the life of a Christian that is his Faith For the iust shal liue by his faith Therfore pereat vnus potius quà m vnitas Haretici corrigendi ne pereant reprimendi ne perimant Heretikes are to be corrected lest they damne themselues to be restrained lest they damne others Persecutio facit Martyres haeresis apostatas plus nocuerunt horum togâ—… quà m illorum galeae Persecution made Martyrs heresie makes Apostates the Heretikes words haue done more hurt then the tyrants swords Apertè sauit persecutor vt Leo haereticus insidiatur vt draco Ille negare Christum cogit iste docet Aduersus illum opus patientià aduersus istum opus vigilantia The persecutor rageth like a Lyon the heretike insinuates himselfe like a serpent To deny Christ he compels this man instructs Against the former wee haue need of patience against the latter of vigilance Excommunication bondage exile haue bin thought fit punishments for heretikes fire and fagot is not Gods Law but the Popes Canon-shot An heretike dying in his heresie cannot be saued therefore Luther thinkes hee that puts an heretike to death is a double murderer destroying his body with death temporall his soule with death eternall But saith Augustine Diligite homines interficite errores Loue the persons kill the errors Presume on the truth without pride striue for it without rage Seueritas quasi sâ—…ua veritas but verity and seuerity doe not agree Fire and sword may put to death heretickes but not heresies See heere the difference betwixt the Papists proceedings against vs and ours against them They dye not among vs for refusing our faith but vs they burned not for denying any article of faith but for not beleeuing Transubstantiation So strange an Article that Bellarmine himselfe doubts whether it may bee proued from Scripture or no but that the Church hath declared it so to be But though faith be aboue reason yet it is not against reason This is my body saith Christ. Hoc This bread this Pronoune demonstratiue they will haue to demonstrate nothing Hoc aliquid nihil est How then this nothing is my body not this bread but this nothing
to enioy for euer and euer Now yet further to encourage our going let vs thinke vpon our company Foure sweet associates go with vs in our Iourny good Christians good Angels good works our most good Sauiour Iesus Christ. 1. Good Christians accompany vs euen to our death If thou go to the Temple they will go with thee Many people shall say Come and let us go vp to the Mountaine of the Lord to the house of the God of Iacob If thou say Come let vs build vp the walles of Ierusalem they will answer Let vs rise vp and build So when Ioshua protested to Israel do what you will but as for mee and my house we will serue the Lord they ecchoed to him God forbid that we should for sake the Lord to serue other gods we also will serue the Lord. Thou canst not say with Elias I am left alone there be seuen thousand and thousand thoâ—…sands that neuer bowed their knee to Baal 2. Good Angels beare vs company to death in our guarding after death in our carrying vp to heauen Angelis mandauit He hath giuen his Angels charge over vs There are malicious deuils against vs but there are powerfull Angels with vs. That great Maiestie whom wee all adore hath giuen them this commission Are they not all ministring spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall be heires of saluation An Angell counsels Hagar to returne to her Mistresse an Angell accompanies Iacob in his iourney an Angell feeds Elias an Angell pluckes Lot out of Sodome Gaudent Angeli te conuersum illorum sociari consortijs The Angels reioyce at our conuersion that so their number might haue a completion 3. Good workes beare vs company Good Angels associate vs to deliuer their charge good workes to receiue their reward Though none of our actions bee meritorious yet are none transient none lost They are gone before vs to the Courts of ioy and when wee come they shall welcome our entrance Virtutis miseris dulce sodalitium What misery soeuer perplexeth our voyage vertue and a good conscience are excellent company 4. Lastly Iesus Christ beares vs company Hee is both Via and Conuiator the way and companion in the way When the two Disciples went to Emaus Iesus himselfe drew neere and went with them If any man go to Emaus which Bernard interpreteth to be Thirsting after good aduice he shall be sure of Christs company If any man entreate Iesus to goe a mile he will go with him twaine None can complaine the want of company whiles his Sauiour goes along with him Truely our fellowship is with the Father and with his Sonne Iesus Christ. There we finde two Persons of the blessed Trinity our Associates the Father and the Sonne now the Holy Ghost is not wanting The grace of the Lord Iesus Christ and the loue of God and the communion or fellowship of the Holy Ghost be with you all Amen Goe we then comfortably forward and God will bring vs to our desired Hauen But Pauci intrant pauciores ambulant paucissimi perâ—…nt Few enter the way fewer walke in the way fewest of all come to the end of the way their saluation Men thinke the way to heauen broader then it is But straite is the gate and narrow is the way which leadeth vnto life and few there bee that finde it All say they are going to glory but the greater number take the wrong way A man somewhat thicke-sighted when he is to passe ouer a narrow bridge puts on spectacles to make it seeme broader but so his eyes beguile his feete and he fals into the brooke Thus are many drowned in the whirle-poole of sinne by viewing the passage to heauen onely with the Spectacles of flesh and bloud They thinke the bridge broad so topple in Happy eyes that well guide the feete and happy feet that neuer rest going till they enter the gates of heauen Thus much for the Pasport now we come to The Certificate Thy faith hath made thee whole Wherein Christ doth comfort and encourage the Leper First he comforts him that his faith was the meanes to restore health to his body then thereby hee encourageth him that this faith encreased would also bring saluation to his soule I might here obserue that as faith is onely perceiued of God so it is principally commended of God The Leper glorified God and that with a loud voyce there was his thankfulnesse he fell downe at Christs feet there was his humblenesse The eares of men heard his gratitude the eyes of men saw his humility but they neither heard nor saw his faith But how then saith Saint Iames Shew mee thy faith Himselfe answeres By thy workes It cannot be seene in habitu in the very being yet may easily be knowne in habente that such a person hath it No man can see the winde as it is in the proper essence yet by the full sailes of the ship one may perceiue which way the winde stands The sap of the tree is not visible yet by the testimony of leaues and fruites we know it to be in the tree Now Christ sees not as man sees man lookes vpon the externall witnesses of his gratitude and humility but Christ to that sap of faith in the heart which sent forth those fruits Thy faith hath saued thee The words distribute themselues into two principall and essentiall parts The Meanes Thy faith Effects Hath made thee whole The meanes is partly Demonstratiue Faith partly Relatiue Thy faith The Quality and the Propriety the Quality of the meanes it is Faith the Propriety it is not anothers but Thy faith Faith This is the demonstratiue quality of the meanes of his healing But what was this Faith 1. There is a faith that beleeues veritatem historiae the truth of Gods word This we call an Historicall Faith but it was not this faith King Agrippa beleeuest thou the Prophets I know that thou beleeuest 2. There is a faith that beleeues Certitudinem Promissi the certainety of Gods promises that verily is perswaded God will bee so good as his word that he will not breake his couenant with Israel nor suffer his faithfulnesse to faile vnto Dauid yet applyes not this to it selfe but it was not this faith 3. There is a faith that beleeues Potestatem Dicentis the Maiestie and Omnipotencie of him that speakes so the deuill that God is able to turne Stones into brâ—…d so the Papist that he can turne bread into flesh and cause one circumscribed body to supply millions of remote places at once But it was not this faith 4. There is a faith beleeues se moturam Montes that it is able to remoue Mountaines a miraculous faith which though it were specially giuen to the Apostles In my name shall they cast out deuils take vp Serpents cure the sicke by imposition of hands say to a Tree
eye Faith like the Hand layes vnremoued hold on Christ Hope like the Foote walkes toward him in an holy expectation patiently enduring all wrongs in hope of sweet issue Sight which belongs to the Eye shall fully apprehend him when it is gloryfied In this bright knowledge we shall all meete Our present knowledge shall be excelled by our future in 5. differences 1. In qualitie this is an abstracted knowledge of Christ absent that a plenary knowledge of Christ present Ex abstractiua fit intuitiua notitia The light of a lampe vanisheth when the glorious sunne appeareth If our knowledge were mundus eruditionis a world of learning yet is it but eruditio mundi the learning of the world of narrow bounds in regard of the knowledge in heauen 2. In quantitie euen that we know now shall be known then in a greater measure The orbes elements planets plants the herbes of the field parts of our own bodyes we know now but alas weakly in regard of that perfection which this future life shall giue vs. Indeed the Christian for his owne sauing health knowes so much as is able to make him euerlastingly blessed for he knowes Christ his Sauiour and that is eternall life But then he shall know him in a higher measure and perfectly see those things now vnconceaueable Paul heard vnspeakable words in his rapture aboue which below he confesseth not possible for man to vtter 3. In perfection or maturitie Our knowledge heere growes from degree there it shall be one and the same receauing or requiring no augmentation They goe from strength to strength how long till they appeare before God in Sion 4. In continuance Earthly knowledge is momentany all skill in tongs and arts is like the authors mortall and shall come to an end The most famous Artists haue often either mette with a derogate name or beene buried in obliuion The study of Christ is onely eternall and shall not be abrogated but perfected we shall know then as we are knowne 5. In vnitie various dissonant and not seldome repugnant is humane knowledge indeed not worthy the name of knowledge for it is Opinion Man is contrary to man yea man to himselfe this same vnum sentire to be of one minde is difficult if not impossible to be found Though wee ayme our knowledge at one marke yet some shoote on the right hand some on the left some short others shoote ouer hauing a knowledge that puffeth vp Whose learning hath in it some poyson if it be let goe without the true correctiue of it But at this expected day we shall all meete in an vnitie of knowledge Of the Sonne of God That eternall Sonne of God who in the fulnesse of time became for vs the Sonne of man shall then be more clearly knowne to vs. We now beleeue his truth of perfection we shall then see his perfection of truth We shall brightly apprehend the vnconceiueable mysterie of him who is Filius Dei sine matre filius hominis sine patre the Sonne of God without mother the sonne of man without father If any aske whether our knowledge shall extend no further then to Christ our Sauiour There is no doubt but as we know our elder brother set in his throne aboue all the powers of heauen so we shall also knowe the rest of our fraternitie Loue is a grace that neuer fades and therefore shall haue knowledge to make way before it We shall loue the Saints I may inferre wee shall know them Peter knew Moses and Elias on the Mount whom yet before he neuer saw why then should we not know them in heauen and if them why not other of our glorified friends If nothing but that which is earthly and sauours of corruption shall cease and fall off like Eliah's mantle then knowledge must needs remaine being a diuine grace pure and euerlasting as the soule But seeke we to know the Sonne of God here to be our Sauiour and without doubt hereafter we shall know him to be our glorifier Whereunto To a perfect man Before hee speakes in the plurall number of a multitude We shall All meete noweby a sweete kind of Solaecisme he compacts it into the singular all into one We shall All meete to a perfect man Here lie three notes not to be balked 1. This shewes what the vnitie of the Saints shall be one man Here they are sometimes sayd to haue one heart one soule there they shall be one man That not a carnall corruptible sinfull man for he may dissent from himselfe but a perfect man Not materially for there shall bee distinct bodies and soules still as here but metaphorically in regard of the neuer-iarring harmonie Oh sweete musicke where the symphonie shall exceedingly delight vs without diuision without frets 2. The whole Church is compared to a man we haue often read it compared to a body here to a man As in other places to a Body cuius Capâ—… est Christus whose Head is Christ so our Apostle here ver 16. speaketh of our growing to the Head which is Christ. So in this place to a Man cuius anima est Christus whose soule is Christ. Now the soule in the body encreaseth not augmentatiuely but secundum vigorem transfusing into the bodie her vertuall powers operations more strongly Christ is euer the same Heb. 13. Iesus Christ yesterday and to day and the same for euer In this soule there is no mutation but the body encreaseth with the encrease of God For as Christ encreaseth the strength of his grace in vs so we grow to perfection 3. Full perfection is onely reserued for heauen and not granted till we meete in glory then shall the Church be one perfect man We may be now mundi saith Aug. cleane yet still mundandi to be cleansed Not so perfect but still glad of mercie Our puritie is not in facto but in fieri inchoate not finished though begunne All our righteousnes consists in the not imputation of our sinnes Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not iniquitie Summa perfectio imperfectionis confessio Our greatest cleannesse is the free acknowledging our vilenesse The other immunitie shall be when there are no passions in men no lusts capable of sinne nowe it is well if wee liue without scandall without eruption though not without corruption Non sine culpaâ—…ed sine querela And so the commendation of Zacharie must be vnderstood which calleth him righteous walking in all the commaundements of the Lord blamelesse He liued blamelesse in the worlds eye not in the Lords If thou shouldest marke iniquitie O Lord who shall stand Especially when his eye of iustice onely shall looke vpon it Vae etiam laudabili vitae hominum si remota misericordia discutiatur Woe to the most commendable life of man if mercie bee remooued when it is examined It is enough to proue Zacharie a sinner in that hee
they were iustified credendo in venturum Christum by beleeuing in the Messias to come So Luke 2. Simeon is sayd to waite for the consolation of Israell To day to our selues His mercie is euerlasting his truth endureth from generation to generation The same gracious Sauiour that he was Yesterday to our Fathers is he To day to vs if we be to day faithfull to him All catch at this comfort but in vaine without the hand of Faith There is no deficiencie in him but is there none in thee Whatsoeuer Christ is what art thou He forgaue Mary Magd. many grieuous sinnes so hee will forgiue thee if thou canst shed Mary Magdalens teares He tooke the malefactor from the Crosse to Paradise thither he will receiue thee if thou haue the same faith He was mercifull to a denying Apostle chalenge thou the like mercie if thou haue the like repentance If we will be like these Christ assuredly will be euer like himselfe When any shall proue to bee such a sinner he will not faile to bee such a Sauiour To day he is thine if to day thou wilt be his thine to morrow if yet to morrow thou wilt be his But how if darke death preuent the morrowes light He was Yesterday so wert thou he is to day so art thou hee is to morrow so perhaps mayest thou not be Time may change thee though it cannot change him He is not but thou art subiect to mutation This I dare boldly say He that repents but one day before he dyes shall find Christ the same in mercie and forgiuenesse Wickednesse it selfe is glad to heare this but let him bee faithfull on his part as God is mercifull on his part let him be sure that he repent one day before he dies whereof he cannot be sure except he repent euery day For no man knowâ—… his last day Latet vltimus dies vt obseruetur omnis dies Therefore sayth Augustine we know not our last day that wee might obserue euery day To day therefore heare his voyce Thâ—… hast lost yesterday negligently loosest to day wilfully and therefore moyst loose for euer ineuitably It is iust with God to punish two dayes neglect with the losse of the third The hand of faith may be withered the spring of Repentance dryed vp the Eye of Hope blind the Foot of Charitie lame To day then heare his voyce and make him thine Yesterday is lost To day may be gotten but that once gone and thou with it when thou art dead and iudged it will do thee small comfort that Iesus Christ is the Sâ—…e for euer For euer to our Children He that was yesterday the God of Abraham is to day ours and will bee for euer our childrens As well now the light of the Gentiles as before the glory of Israell I will be the God of thy seed sayth the Lord to Abraham His mercie is 〈◊〉 them that feare him frâ—… generation to generation Many parents are â—…ollicitously perplexed how their children shall do when they are dead Yet they cosider not how God prouided for them when they were childreÌ„ Is the Lorâ—… 〈◊〉 shortned Did he take thee from thy mothers brests and whâ—… thy â—…arents for sooke thee as the Psalmist saith became thy Father And cannot this experieÌ„ced mercy to thee perswade thee that he wil not for sake thine Is not Iesus Christ the sâ—… yesterday to day and for euer I haue beene young sayth Dauid and 〈◊〉 now old yet haue I not sâ—…ne the rightâ—…s forsaken that is granted nay nor his seed begging bread Many distrustfull Fathers are so carking for their posteritie that whiles they liue they starue their bodies and hazard their soules to leaue them rich To such a Father it is said iustly Diâ—… es hâ—…di pauper iâ—…psque tibi Like an ouer-kind Hen he feeds his Chickens and famisheth himselfe If vsurie circumuention oppression extortion can make them rich they shall not bee poore Their follie is ridiculous they feare least their children should be miserable yet take the onely course to make them miserable For they leaue them not so much heires to their goods as to their euils They doe as certainely inherite their Fathers sins as their lands God layeth vp his iniquitie for his children and 〈◊〉 â—…fspring shall waâ—… a â—…sell of bâ—…d On the contrâ—…ry The good 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aâ—…d lâ—…ndeth and his seed iâ—… blâ—…ssed That the worldling thinkes shall make his posteritie poore God sayth shall make the good mans rich The Precept giues a promise of mercie to Obedience not onely confined in himselfe but extended to his sâ—…d and that euen to a â—…sand generations Trust thâ—… Christ with thy children when thy friends shall 〈◊〉 vsurie 〈◊〉 no datâ—… oppression be condemned to hell thy selfe roâ—…en to dust the world it selfe turned and burned into Cinders still Iesus Christ is the same Yesterday and to-day and for 〈◊〉 Now then Reu. 1. 〈◊〉 Grace and Peaâ—… are from him Which is and Which 〈◊〉 and Which is to come So Glory and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 him Which iâ—… Which was and Which is to come euen to Iesus Christ the saâ—… Yesterday today and for eâ—…r GODS BOVNTIE OR The blessings of both his hands Prov. 3. 16. Length of dayes is iâ—… her right hand and in her left hand riches and honour BY Wisedome here the consent of Diuinâ—… vnderstandeth the Sonne of God the Sauiour of Man In the first to the 〈◊〉 he is called the Wisedome of God In 〈◊〉 are hid all the treasures of Wisedome and Knowledge Wisedome is formerly commended for her Beautie here for her Bountie Length of dayes is in her right hand in her left riches and honour Conceiue her a glorious Queene sitting in 〈◊〉 throne of Mâ—…iestie and â—…lling her children about her to the participation of those riches which from euerlasting shee hadde decreed them Not to trauell farre for distribution the parts of this Text are as easily distinguished as the Right hand from the Left Here be two Hands and they containe two sorts of treasures The Right hand hath in it Length of dayes the Lest riches and honour The right hand Is vpon good reason preferred both for it owne worth whereby it excelles and for the worth of the treasure which it containes It hath euer had the dignitie as the dexteritie Length of dayes Is the treasure it holds This cannot be properly vnderstood of this mortall life though the sense may also stand good with such an interpretation For by me sayth Wisedome thy dayes shall be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the yeares of thy life shall be increased Wisedome is the mother of abstinence and abstinence the Nurse of health Whereas voluptuousnesse and Intemperance as thâ—… French Prouerbe hath it Digges the owne gâ—…e with the teeth But all a mans Wisedome cannot keepe him still aliue The wise man dyeth as the foole sayth Salomon And the Father of Salomon excludes it from hauing