so doth it heare and speake it performeth all its naturall actions And so doth it its Morall also more heauily in some then in other some by reason of the temper doth the body in morall actions follow the Soule but yet it followeth And this may be a good reason why God rememiâ—reth here the powers of our Soule and not the parts of our Body But there is a better and that is deliuered by S. Paul The Law is spirituall Christ layeth the ground of that God is a Spirit Ioh. 4. and hee that worshippeth him must worship him in spirit and in truth Now we are sure that there is no hypocrisie in our Charitie if the seate of it bee the powers of our Soule there may be if it bee the parts of our body witnesse the Pharisee to whom Christ not onely directs but fitteth his speech also who made some shew of Charitie to the world but his inwards were full of Hatred in the sight of God for hee was a Tempter And this doth Christ perstringe or strike at in pressing these words of the Law and shewes that God doth not esteeme the outward deede without the inward affection And the Lesson whch wee must all draw from the seate of Charity is this that our outwarid charitable conuersation must bee rooted in our like inward disposition I should now if time would giue leaue carry euery mans eye into his owne bosome there to take a view whether this vertue bee Catholique and Transcendent or no and if hee find any part vnpossest or not improued as farre as it should bee I should perswade him to see it presently amended Nay I should tell you from that which all the world seeth outwardly that few haue Charitie inwardly for if they had how could their eyes bee so full of Adulterie their eares so set open to entertaine slanders and vntruths their mouthes so ouer-flowe with blasphemie and ribaldrie their hands be so exercised with extortion and cruelty Certainely these things could not bee without if Charitie were within And if Charitie bee not a Catholique and Transcendent vertue in vs no hope that it is either Ordinate or Imperatiue these are perfections whereupon the other are raysed as on a foundation But I cannot stand to take this view and quicken your eare onely remember this that if Loue doe not Hatred will take vp this full Soule GOd that hath commanded this extent of Charitie giue vs eyes to see our want and grace whereby to supply the same that so this vertue may be excluded out of no power that hath right vnto them all and the parts of our Body may bee conformable to the powers of our Soule That so no power nor part may appeare deuoyd of Charitie whether in the eyes of God or man AMEN The fourth Sermon MATT. 22. VERSE 37. The Lord thy God THe Scripture that doth commaund Charitie doth withall teach Where it must be seated and vpon whom it must bee bestowed Where it must be seated you haue already heard you are next to heare vpon whom it must bee bestowed And here we find two kinds of persons both capable of our Charitie because they can returne Loue for Loue and it is the propertie of Loue to be mutuall Of these two persons the names are exprest the first is the Lord thy God the second is thy Neighbour But we must farther obserue What is included in these Names the Cause why they must be beloued and Who are excluded by them They are not capable of the Loue due to the Lord our God that come not vnder his name neither are they capable of the Loue due to our Neighbour that are not contained vnder his name Secondly though the Persons onely are named yet are there things also comprehended vnder the names euen such things as haue reference to the Persons and whatsoeuer things are opposite are excluded thereby Touching the first person onely shall I handle these points at this time First then of his name He is called the Lord our God euerie word hath some remarkable thing in it That which is here rendred Lord is in Moses Iehoua but the Septuagint partly because the Greeke tongue hath no Characters wherewith to expresse that word and partly because the signification of it cannot be fully exprest in any Language by any one word vse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the fittest which they could light vpon the Euangelist doth follow them and so doe the vulgar translations But when you heare this word you must not vnderstand it in a popular but in a mysticall sense I will open the mystery vnto you It noteth then two things the one is absolute in God the other is relatiue to his creatures In God it noteth the prerogatiue of his nature which standeth in two things the singularitie and the eternitie thereof Touching the singularity When Moses asked God What is thy name Exod. 3 14. God answered him I am that I am The Scripture calleth him by diuers names sometimes True sometimes Iust sometimes Holy sometimes Mighty c. Wee must no otherwise conceiue of these Names then as being his very Nature Wee call him True and what is his Nature but Truth and Holinesse is his Nature whom wee call Holy the like must bee obserued in his other Attributes they are all his Nature and and therefore inseparable from him hee must cease to be before hee can cease to bee that which hee is properly called And herein hee differeth from his Creatures whose Vertues are a distinct thing from their Nature and therefore they may bee stript of them and yet continue themselues still a man may cease to be holy iust true and yet bee neuerthelesse a man The reason is plaine hee cannot say as God doth I am that I am his Attributes and his Nature are not all one But this singularitie of Gods Nature doth appeare specially in two compositions with the Attributes whereof none are capable but be The first of which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. looke whatsoeuer perfection hee hath hee hath it of himselfe and is not beholding to any other for it hee is his owne Originall and therefore his is the perfection it selfe he that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Good of himselfe is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Goodnesse it selfe the like may you say of the rest of the Attributes The second Composition is with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all the treasures of wisedome are hid in him hee is Almighty Coloss 2 3. the fulnesse of all perfection is in him In regard of these Compositions it is Iude 15. that the Scripture vseth these Phrases God onely is wise Math. 19 17. 1 Timoth. 6 1â— there is none good but God God dwelleth in light which no man can attaine vnto And indeed no Creaâ—â—â—e hath any perfection which is not giuen it from aboue which commeth not downe from the Father of Lights and that perfection which
that you loue Rom. 13. Chrysost Col. 3. v. 14. 1. Cor. 16.14 which is a debt that semper soluitur nunquam persoluitur Aboue all things let vs seeke after Charitte and let all our things be done in Loue. Yea let vs fall in loue with Loue that so wee may grow therein vntill wee come where it shall be so consummate as that all our life shall be spent in Loue in louing God with all our heart with all our minde with all our soule with all our strength and louing our Neighbour as our selfe THE CONCLVSION OF THE FORMER ARGVMENT DELIVERED IN a Sermon on the twelfth of Saint Marke Verses 32 33 34. And the Scribe said vnto him Well Master thou hast said the truth for there is one God and there is none other but hee And to loue him with all the heart and withall the vnderstanding and with all the soule and with all the strengh and to loue his Neighbour as himselfe is more then all whole burns offerings and Sacrifices And when Iesus saw that hee answered discreetly hee said vnto him thou art not farre from the Kingdome of God And no man after that durst aske him any question OVr Sauiour Christ in the conference which hee had with the Pharisee about the great Commandement Matthew 22. had to doe with a Question and a Questionist The question was good the Questionist was a Tempter therefore he fully yea abundantly resolued the question but he put the Questionist cleane besides his purpose and marred the plâ—t of the Pharisees For they thought either to disgrace or endanger him disgrace him if he were silent or if he did answere to endanger him to those that were of a contrarie opinion But Christ handles the matter so that they sped of neither of these ends for he answeres that they might not disgrace him for ignorance but answers so that he cleane defeats their malice This being but insinuated in Saint Matthew is fully opened by Saint Marke therefore at length to put an end to the Doctrine of the great Commandement whereupon I haue dwelt long I haue chosen these words as the fittest close of that Argument I purpose God willing briefly and plainly to vnfold them vnto you Therein then wee are to obserue Christs discretion in answering and the confusion of his aduersaries by his answere The first point is gathered out of the whole bodie of Christs speech the second out of the euent thereof More distinctly The discretion appeares in that Christ answeres not only secundum veritatem truly but also ad hominem hee fitteth his answere to the Questionist Answeres out of his owne Principles so that he cannot denie it and discouers his sinne that he may be stung with it Touching the confusion of the aduersaries that is double as they were of two sorts For one moued the question the rest plotted it both are confounded but not both alike The confusion of the Questionist is comfortable two wayes comfortable First in regard of his ingenuitie for hee doth acknowledge openly what Christ answeres yea and iustifieth it soundly though with the disgrace of his companions Secondly in regard of the clemencie with which our Sauiour entertaines it First he tooke notice of it he saw that hee answered discreetly Secondly hee encouraged it for hee told the Questionist that hee was not farre from the Kingdome of God Thus was the Questionist confounded His Complices also were confounded but their confusion was damnable for they had no more to say they asked him no more questions not because they were euer a whit the better for our Sauiours answere but because they durst not Their malice was ouer-awed they durst not play the Serpents any longer and set vpon Christ with craft and temptation but from this day forward they turned Lions and put him to a cruell death This is the summe of this Scripture the particulars whereof I will runne ouer againe I pray God it may proue for our instruction and edification First then of Christs Discretion it is gathered out of the bodie of his answere which containes not only a truth but truth fitted to the Questionist fitted two wayes First because it workes vpon his owne Principles for Christ keepeth himselfe to the words of the Law and maketh Moses giue the Scribe an answere Now the Scribe was a Doctor of the Law and Moses authoritie was sacred with him Adde hereunto Christs answere was the Scribes owne Tenent as appeares Luke the tenth Where Christ mouing the question another Scribe answereth the very same words of the Law So that he could not denie Christs answere except hee would contradict himselfe The like discretion in working vpon the Aduersaries Principles doth Christ vse in his dispute with the Sadducees about the Resurrection They are said to haue receiued only the siue Bookes of Moses and out of those Bookes doth Christ make good that Article of Faith Saint Paul imitates Christ arguing against both Iew and Gentile Against the Iewes in the Epistle to the Hebrewes where you may perceiue that he taketh most of his grounds out of the Law Against the Gentiles in the Acts Chap. 14 17. where he seeketh no farther then the Creation and the Prouidence to conuict them of Idolatrie The Fathers in the Primitiue Church tooke the verie same course as appeares by Iustin Martyrs Apologies to the Roman Emperours and his Dialogue with Trypho the Iew. The like might be shewed out of Origen Irenie Tertullian Eusebius and others whether they deale with Infidels or Heretickes they presse them still with their owne principles And so must wee for so shall we conclude most euidently against them and if any way this is most likely to preuaile with them A second branch of Christs Discretion is this that his Answere stings the conscience of the Questionist it layeth his sinne open before his eyes For he was a Tempter and to tempt is a worke of Satan which hath his name from hatred So that Christs answere doth vnmaske the Questionist and shew that although the title of a Pharisee and a Scribe the one for Holinesse the other for Knowledge seeme to make neere approches vnto God yet in that he is a Tempter he will be found farre from him if he be measured by the great Commandement the tenour whereof is nothing but Loue. And such a manner of teaching which closely conueys a good admonition to the heart when it seemes onely to informe the head is verie discreet and hath many worthy precedents But enough of Christ Discretion let vs come now to the Confusion of his aduersaries and first to the comfortable confusion of the Scribe which moued the question wherein wee are first to see his ingenuitie double ingenuitie For first he acknowledgeth that Christ had answered right Well Master thou hast said the truth He acknowledgeth it I say which is not onely to know but to confesse openly what a man doth know Yea he confesseth it before his fellowes at
Iosephus reports The fourth and the last inequalitie stands in the materials vsed about the fabricke to say nothing of their qualities certainely those that were vsed about the first Temple did in quantity farre exceede those that were vsed about the second For what comparison could there be between the riches of poore captiue Iewes and of King Salomon that was the most glorious Monarch in the world 1 Chron. 22.14 2 Sam. 8. Adde hereunto the prouision that his father King Dauid made in his time a hundred thousand talents of gold and a thousand thousand talents of siluer and brasse and iron without weight besides what he gaue out of his owne peculium or priuate Treasurie for the former were dedicated out of the spoyles of kingdomes which he conquered three thousand talents of gold of the gold of Ophir and seuen thousand talents of refined siluer besides great abundance of all sorts of precious stones Whereunto adde the offering of the Fathers of Israel fiue thousand talents and ten thousand drammes of gold and of siluer ten thousand talents of brasse eight thousand talents and a hundred thousand talents of iron besides precious stones And put all this together and therewith increase Salomons wealth the totall will bee a summe of infinite value farre exceeding that wherewith Zorobabel was furnisht eyther by the Persian Kings or by his owne countrey-men yea although you adde what afterward was bestowed eyther by Alexander the great or his successours Kings of Syria and those of Egypt Neither will the additions of other benefactors no not that of Herod make vp the summe I dare say boldly that if all the Christian Kings of the West for so many yeares as the Temple was a building by Salomon should contribute their treasures they could not raise a summe answerable to that which was expended vpon the first Temple and reserue to themselues their Kingly ports as Dauid and Salomon did Neither neede wee out of the incredulitie of the summe as some learned doe question the signification of the word talent as if it signified a lesser summe than commonly it is taken for For to say nothing that it is the same Authour that wrote both the 22. and the 29. of the first of Chronicles and that it is not likely he would vary the sense keeping himselfe to the same word they doe not marke that Dauids offering was the spoyle of many Kingdomes that God promised that Salomon should bee the richest King in the world that the vessels of gold and siluer vsed in the Temple were many thousands as appeares by Iosephus and that there was great store of treasure layd vp there besides 2 Chro. 5. I neede say no more to proue that if we compare fabricke with fabricke we cannot finde therein the truth of these words of Haggai Let vs come then to the furniture that is eyther typicall or spirituall such parts of the furniture as were figures of diuine things and that by Gods owne ordinance were typicall Vpon Diana's Temple at Ephesus Apollo's at Delphi the Capitoline Temple at Rome and many other heathenish Temples there was much gold and siluer bestowed yea and precious stones also but they wanted a typicall relation and therein did the temples of the Iewes infinitely exceede them In these types if we compare Salomons temple with Zorobabels Galatinus Chrysost orat 3. aduersus Iudaos Zorobabels commeth farre short of Salomons The Iewes confesse that fiue eminent things were wanting in the later temple which were in the former 1. the Cloud wherein God resided betweene the Cherubims 2. the Arke with the contents therein whereon the Cloud rested 3. the fire kindled from heauen wherewith all their sacrifices were to be offered 4. the Vrim and Thummim on the breastplate of the high Priest by which hee was inabled to giue out diuine Oracles and ordinarily resolue the Iewes perplexing doubts in peace and warre the fifth was the spirit of prophecie wherewith God furnished diuers other persons whom he sent as messengers vnto the kings and people of Iuda and Israel Now these fiue were the chiefe of all the typicall furniture if Zorobabels temple came short in these fiue there can be no doubt but it was inferiour in types vnto that of Salomons temple What remaines then but that the greatnesse of the glorie here meant must consist in the spirituall and heauenly furniture of the later temple or else there was none at all And indeede it is that which wee finde there we finde Christ in person as in former sermons I haue shewed you and hee is the truth of all those types Of the Cloud for in him God dwelt visibly on earth Cyril l. 4. in Ioh. c. 2. 1 Pet. 2. Rom. 8. Ind. Of the Arke by him God shewed mercie vnto men Of the Fire for by his spirit all sacrifices must be offered that are acceptable vnto God Of the Vrim and Thummim for hee is the word the wisedome of God Finally of the spirit of prophecie for he is the Prophet that was to come into the world and the Reuelation of Iesus Christ is the spirit of prophecie Reuel 1. What shall I say of the table of shewbread Christ is the bread of life of the golden candlesticke Iohn 6. Iohn 1. Reu. 5.8 Christ is the light of the world of the altar of incense it is Christ that putteth sweet odours into the prayers of the Saints of the altar of burnt offerings Psalme 40. Heb. 10. Iohn 1.29 1 Iohn 1.7 sacrifice and offerings God did not desire but he opened Christ eare and gaue him a body hee was the Lambe of God that tooke away the sinnes of the world and his bloud cleanseth from all sinne And what comparison betweene this truth and those types certainely no more than betweene earth and heauen therefore when the truth appeared the type vanished Ier. 3.16.17 It must needs follow then that the glorie of the later temple must needs be greater than the glorie of the former Greater if we insist only vpon Christs apparition in the materiall temple of Zorobabel L. 3. Epist 11. De ciuit Dei l. 18. how much more if with the Fathers St. Ambrose and St. Austine wee enlarge it to the Christian Church in whom Christ abideth And indeed Zorobabels temple beeing voide of the types did represent the Christian Church as Salomons full of them did represent the Church of the Iewes and then marke what St. Paul saith if these two Churches be compared 2 Cor. 3. Euen that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect by reason of the glory that excelleth for if that which was done away was glorious much more that which remaineth is glorious that whole Chapter is a good commentarie vpon my text the Epistle to the Hebrewes is much fuller So then wee must reade and consider this text as directed vnto vs it concernes vs for wee are partakers of that glory And see how God dealeth both with
Confession the Aduisers shew how little grace there is in that Sect how vnlikely they are vnto King Dauid and vnto Iames and Iohn Howsoeuer they did let vs be of the old Patriarke Iacobs minde and say of them as he sayd of his sonnes Simeon and Leui they were Brethren in iniquity My glory enter not into their secret and my honour be thou not vnited to their Assembly Let vs not auenge our selues but giue place vnto wrath knowing that vengeance belongeth vnto God and hee will repay But if wee haue bitter zeale let vs not boast Wee lie against the truth as Saint Iames speaketh Hoc nomine ijs à quibus iniurias accepimus sublimiores simus ostendamus quid illos daemones doceant quid Christus nos erudiat In a word Nazianâ—â—â— Let euery man be slow to wrath seeing the wrath of man doth not accomplish the righteousnes of God And thus much of the Case of Conscience A second vse that we should all make of this Storie thus applied is to be stirred vp hereby vnto heartie thankfulnesse for our Deliuerance If wee did congratulate our first restitution to the Gospel by Queene Elizabeth how must we also our continuation thereof and preseruation therein in the dayes of King Iames that hee hath not suffered the Destroyer to haue his will against vs he hath saued our soules and saued our bodies the Destroyer aimed at the ruine of both Their first intent was to make vs drinke of their golden cup of poyson to make vs fall downe and worship their Idoll But not speeding of that because it pleased God to continue our Soueraigne a constant Defender of the Truth they attemped a second ruine the ruine of our bodies But Iesus hath Saued vs from both he hath saued vs from being corrupted with their Heresies he hath saued vs from being Destroyed by their malice So that wee may say Blessed be the Lord which hath not giuiug vs as a prey vnto their teeth Wee can neuer more feelingly receiue the Eucharist then vpon this occasion there is present our Iesus he inuiteth vs to partake of him And wee that haue Seene let vs also taste how good the Lord is and praise him because wee finde that all are so blest that put their trust in him I end The summe of all is The Church is subiect to the Crosse and Christians must looke to suffer and must not be ashamed to suffer for Christ But in suffering they must remember not to recompence euill for euill but to ouercome euill with good So did Christ so must Christians both in Word and Deed. O Lord that by thy Words and by thy Deeds hast taught vs to spend the heate of our zeale in the constant profession of thy Truth not in the bloody persecution of our foes giue vs grace to possesse our soules in patience and let the bloud of our deadliest enemies be precious in our sight So shall we beare the character not of the Destroyer but of the Deliuerer and hauing happily escaped all plots of our destruction in thy House with songs of prayse blesse thee O Iesu the only constant Author no lesse of our temporall then of our eternall Saluation A SERMON PREACHED AT St ANDREWES IN WELLES ONE DOING PENANCE FOR JNCEST PSALME 50. VERSE 21. These things hast thou done and J kept silence thou thoughtest that J was altogether such a one as thy selfe but J will reproue thee and set them in order before thine eyes THE Argument of this Psalme is an heauenly Assises whereof we haue here the Apparance and the Indictment the apparance made at it and the indictment read in it The Apparance is great whether we respect the Iudge or the iudged the Iudge GOD the iudged the Church of the Iewes both are set forth GOD in Maiesty whether you respect his owne Person or Attendants the Church with her prerogatiues as she is consecrated to GOD and hath couenanted with him And the conclusion is that this Church notwithstanding yea the rather for her prerogatiues shall be arraigned before that Iudge But what is her Arraignment Surely the transgression of the Law so much of the Law as containeth GODS seruice for this she shall be arraigned and receiue iudgement also as we are taught in my Text. In my Text then we are to obserue two things First how farre the Iewes are guiltie Secondly how GOD proceedeth against them How farre they are guilty appeares in the first words These things c. which are relatiue and repeat the enormous sinnes that are distinctly specified in the words that goe before For these sinnes GOD proceeds against them after much Patience which the Iewes abused vnto such Vengance as against which they shall haue nothing to except GODS Patience is gathered out of his silence I held my tongue the Iewes abuse hereof GOD testifieth to their face thou thoughtest that I am altogether such a one as thou art This abuse is insufferable therefore GOD threatneth Vengance I will reproue thee such Vengance as against which they shall not be able to except I will set thy sinnes in order before thine eyes You haue heard the substance of these words which I must now enlarge and apply as this present occasion doth require The first point then is the Indictment which sheweth how farre the Iewes were guiltie it is expressed in the first words These things hast thou done whereof euerie one is remarkable These things are relative words and repeat the Challenge that is made vnto the Iewes in sundry former verses the summe whereof is That they were guiltie of transgressing the Law The Law so farre as we haue to doe with it is partly Ceremoniall and partly Morall within these two is concluded the seruice of GOD. The Ceremoniall cherisheth the Morall and the Morall quickneth the Ceremoniall yea the Ceremoniall is a sensible description of the Morall and the Morall is a discreet limitation of the Ceremoniall when they goe together they worke both a sincere and a sober seruice of GOD sober in regard of the Ceremonie sincere in regard of the Moralitie But we must marke that the Ceremoniall and the Morall Law differ as the Soule and Body of man the body is of small vse if it be seuered from the Soule so is the Ceremoniall Law if it be seuered from the Morall Secondly the body is inferiour to the Soule euen so is the Ceremoniall Law inferiour to the Morall so that if it be a fault to neglect the Ceremoniall it is a much greater to breake the Morall Law Lo then the Indictment stands vpon two Branches a Seperation and a Transgression a Seperation of the Ceremoniall Law from the Morall and which is worse a manifold Transgression of the Morall with these two sinnes GOD chargeth the Iewes Both are great sinnes The Seperation is for GOD in his seruice commanded that our Soules should concurre with our bodies that our Affections should speake vnto him as well as our tongue
both to our faith and to our manners and from our most wise and most holy GOD nothing could proceed that was not most righteous and most true Out of this Principle doth MALACHI worke the reparation of a breach which the Iewes had made vpon the seuenth Commandement The breach was Polygamie or multiplying of wiues whereof the reparation is a reducing of them to the first institution of marriage and this is done in those words that now I haue read vnto you Herein we haue first a Text of the Law And did he not make one Then a Sermon of the Prophet made thereon yet had he the residue of Spirit And wherefore one Because c. But more distinctly In the Text of the Law we will consider First the matter that is contained in it then the manner how the Prophet doth vrge it The matter sets before vs a Worke and a Workmaster The worke is the making of one the Workmaster was he both clauses are darke because the words are short To cleere them we must supply out of Genesis and there we find that this one was one Adam and the he that made him was the Lord God GOD made one out of one male he made one female by creation and by coniunction he made that female to be one againe with that male out of which he tooke her This is the matter The manner of the Prophets arguing the Text is powerfull that which in Genesis is a plaine narration is here turned into a question and in such questions the Holy Ghost doth report himselfe vnto the Consciences of those that heare whether to their knowledge he speake not truth So must you vnderstand those words did he not make one Hauing proposed his Text the Prophet maketh a short but a full Sermon hereupon for it consists of a doctrine and an exhortation The doctrine openeth the reason of GODS worke and the Prophet argues in effect thus GOD made but one was it because he could make no more or because he would make no more Certainly not because he could not for he had aboundance of Spirit then it was because he would not And indeed all GODS workes ad extra as the Schooles call them the workes of Creation Prouidence Redemption are all arbitrarie they come from his Will but such a Will as is not blind it is guided by his Wisedome and his Will prescribes nothing whereof his Wisedome cannot yeeld a reason and sometimes he is pleased to shew that reason to vs who otherwise are bound to rest satisfied with the signification of his holy Will Therefore the Prophet goeth on in his arguing wherefore one What is the reason of this Will of GOD And he answereth by the direction of GODS Spirit that it was expedient it should be so two wayes expedient First Expedient in Nature God sought for seed he would haue men multiply and increase which could not be except he had made one and if he had made more then one it could not well haue beene Secondly It was expedient in Grace also for though GOD would haue men multiply yet would he not haue them multiply otherwise then beseemed the children of GOD he sought a holy seed For these ends was GOD pleased thus to order his workes and vpon this doctrine of the ends doth the Prophet ground an exhortation it consists of two parts because in the case of mariage we owe a double respect one to our selues another to our mate The respect we owe to our selues is that we must watch ouer our better part take heed to our Spirit The respect we owe to our mate is we must not violate the faith plighted to her let no man deale treacherously with his wife especially if she be the wife of his youth that is he married her when he was young the longer they haue beene marryed together the more back-ward should they be from dealing falsely one with the other You see the particulars of the Text and of the Sermon that we may better vnderstand them and their fitnesse for this occasion I will open them a little more fully I pray GOD I may doe it profitably also Come we then to the Text of the Law to the matter contained therein I will not trouble you with the diuers translations and varietie of interpretations suitable thereunto leaue that to the Schooles our CHVRCH hath made a choyce and that choyce agrees well with the Originall we will rest contented with that and according to it frame our obseruations I told you that the words set before vs a Worke and a Workemaster yet neither doth plainly appeare they are onely pointed at here but exprest Gen 1. whence I supplyed the name of ADAM and the name of GOD whereof the first is the Worke and the second the Workmaster so that then the words will sound thus God made one Adam Let vs take these parts asunder The name of ADAM is not to be vnderstood vulgarly but as the Holy Ghost vseth it and so it comprehends both sexes so we read Gen. 1. GOD created ADAM male and female made he them in the 5 of Genesis more plainly God made man male and female and called them Adam so that the name ADAM being but one is commonly two the male and the female As they are one in name so are they in nature also we read Gen. 2. that GOD made the female out of the rib of the male for he would haue her to be like him De Paradiso Cap. 10. and he confest her to be bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh Nec illud otiose saith St AMBROSH it is worth our marking that GOD did not make the woman of the same Earth whereof he made man but he made EVE of the rib of ADAM to giue vs to vnderstand that there is but one body in them both and that one body the onely Fountaine of all mankind Plat. Do Conuiuio Leo. Heb. The Platonists Androgunos is but a corruption of this truth As man was by creation made two but of like substance and so continued still one both in name and nature so by a second work they were made yet more one that is by marriage Gen. 2. for that maketh two one flesh two I say the Septuagint adde that word vnto MOSES his Text and CHRIST approues it in the Gospel Math. 19◠1 Cor. 6. Eph. 5. St PAVL therein followeth CHRIST and the words of marriage are the man shall cleaue to his wife therefore doth the Apostle call the wife 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the husband 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 7. Lesse then one there could not be and be a naturall propagation and more then one there should not be and that propagation be orderly But this onenesse is principall or accessorie the principall is onenesse of coniugall power and coniugall affection Coniugall power for though in other things the man is superiour to the woman the husband to his wife Rom. 7.1
saith the Apostle that you are the Temple of God speaking of our whole person But lest question should be made of any part in the sixth Chapter he distinctly expresseth both Body and Soule He that is ioyned vnto the Lord is one Spirit with him that is cleere for our soule And lest we should vnder-value our worser part Know you not saith he that your bodyes are the Temples of the Holy Ghost So that no question can be made of either part of our person both are liuing stones 1 Pet. 2. and built vp into a Spirituall House And if we be Spirituall Houses then God is in vs of a truth 2 Cor. 6. for so the Apostle collecteth Ye are the Temples of the liuing God saith GOD and I will dwell in them and walke in them St Peter is not afraid to say 2 Pet. 1. We are made partakers of the Diuine nature and the Fathers that we are deified Although there be no personall vnion betweene vs and GOD as there is in CHRIST yet such a mysticall one there is that Philo Iudaeus his words are verie true Deus est animae bonorum incola malorum tantum accola though GODS generall influence be wanting to no Creature yet his gratious inhabitance is the prerogatiue of the Church And all they to whom GOD commeth so neere haue presently erected in them an Oracle and an Altar the Spirit by the Word reuealeth their eyes to see the maruailous things of GODS Law they are all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They haue an vnction that teacheth them all things 1 Iohn 2. 1 Cor. 2. yea they haue the verie mind of Christ yea the same Spirit that erecteth the Oracle erects an Altar also an Altar of Incense in their hearts which sendeth forth Prayers intelligibiliter suaueolentes Spirituall but acceptable vnto GOD. as Origen answereth Celsu◠obiecting to the Christians that they had no Altars And how can we want an Altar of burnt sacrifice when our broken and contrite hearts offer vp our bodies a liuing sacrifice holy and acceptable to GOD which is our reasonable seruice of him This is enough to let you vnderstand that we are if we are Christians Houses of God answerable vnto Christ I would it were enough also to perswade vs so to esteeme our selues as such grace requireth at our hands for what an improuement is this to our persons and what a remembrance should this be to euerie one to keepe his Vessell in honour but more of that anon I must first speake a little of the description of the Market it is in my Text called an House of Merchandize GOD that made vs Men made vs also sociable and vsed our wants as a Whetstone to set an edge vpon that propension but we should liue together as Merchants ordered by commutatiue Iustice whose Standard is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it requireth that men barter vpon euen tearmes otherwise one man will deuour another and the Common weale cannot continue To preuent this mischiefe GOD hath appointed distributiue Iustice the vertue of the Magistrate who dispencing praemium poenam Reward and Punishment should set euerie man a thriuing but suffer no man to thriue to the preiudice of others The euill of the dayes wherein we liue doe giue me occasion to complaine not onely that there is varietie of corruption in Trades dangerous because some are ouer-thriuing but also of the decay of Trades no lesse dangerous because there are so many thousands that haue no meanes to thriue at all Gouernours giue order for Houses of Correction and no doubt but if they were better vsed vagrants might be restrayned thereby but there must be moreouer an increase of Trades that must employ the Common-people multiplying as they doe in this blessed time of peace while the Gentleman depopulates the Countrey and the Vsurer and Victualer are become the chiefe Trades-men of Incorporations what wonder if contrarie to GODS Law and the Kings the whole Land be filled with miserable poore There is no true at least no full remedy for this euill but they to whom the care of distributiue Iustice is committed must reuiue and quicken the Commutatiue and make our Land according vnto that good opportunitie which GOD hath giuen vs an House of Merchandize This by the way vpon occasion of the phrase where out you may gather that in the Market the world taketh vp most of our thoughts and our dealing there is for worldly things Hauing sufficiently opened the description of the Temple and the Market The difference betweene them is euident to a meane conceit he will easily apprehend that the one place is Heauenly the other Earthly the one for the Communion of Saints the other for the Common-weale in the one place we need be no more then Men in the other we must shew our selues to be the Children of God And is it not a great fault to confound these things which GOD hath so distinguished Surely it is and it was the Iewes fault CHRIST doth open it as he doth forbid it for if we may beleeue the Rabbines the Law was pronounced in the eares of Malefactors while stripes were layed vpon their backes and it is most likely that while CHRIST expelled the Merchants with his whip he spake these words vnto them Make not my Fathers House an house of Merchandize Let vs come then to this Prohibition The best places are subiect to abuse Heauen was and so was Paradise no wonder then if the Temple be And seeing abuse can be excluded no where we must be watchfull euerie-where yea the better a place is the more doth the Diuel solicit vs to abuse it because he will doe GOD the more despite and worke man the more mischiefe Therefore the better the place is the more circumspect must we be It is a soule fault to dishonour GOD any where but specially in his owne House In estimating our owne wrongs we aggrauate them by this circumstance Esay 26 Ier. 11. and shall we neglect it when we ponder the sinnes we commit against GOD Nay rather the greatnesse of our contempt ariseth with the greatnesse of his Maiestie which appeareth in that place and the more gratious he sheweth himselfe there the more gracelesse are we if we yeeld him not a due regard Now what doth that due regard require at our hands Surely that we bring not so much as the world into the Temple we may not doe legitima in illegitimo loco saith St Austin we may not doe lawfull things in a place appointed for better vses Caelum est Caelum ingrederis Nilus the Temple is Heauen as you are taught before when thou entrest the Temple thou must suppose thou art entering into the Kingdome of Heauen Now in Heauen there is neither eating nor drinking marrying nor giuing in marriage buying nor selling therefore we must neither thinke of nor meddle with these things while we enter into that place 1 Cor. 11 Haue you not