CERTAINE VErie worthie godly and profitable Sermons vpon the fifth Chapiter of the Songs of SOLOMON Preached by BARTIMEVS ANDREAS Minister of the word of God Published at the earnest and long request of sundrie well minded Christians ESAY 62.6.7 I haue set watchmen on thy walles O Ierusalem which all the day and all the night continually shall not cease yee that are mindfull of the Lord keepe not silence And giue him no rest till he repayre and vntill he set vp Ierusalem the praise of the worlde 2. TIM 2.19 But the foundation of God remayneth sure and hath this zeale The Lord knoweth who are his and let euery one that calleth on the name of Christ depart from iniquitie AT LONDON Printed by Robert Walde-graue for Thomas man 1583. TO THE RIGHT honorable and my very good Lorde Henrie Earle of Huntington Lorde Hastings Hungerforde Botreaux Mullens Moyles of the most honorable order of the garter Knight Lord president of the Queenes Maiesties councel established in the North parts Bartimeus Andrewes wisheth increase of all true honour and the fruition of all those blessed promises which concerne this life and the life to come Amen BEING at the last ouercome right honorable by the long and earnest request of diuers Godly and wel disposed christians to yeeld my consent to the publishing of this to homly and simple a worke I forthwith was resolued in my selfe to dedicate the first fruits of my labour in this kinde of wryting vnto your honour as to a most worthy MECOENAS and conuenient Patron both of all learning and good causes And albeit at the first blush it may seeme some what straunge vnto your honour that I should presume to present you with so simple a gift being vnworthy the view of so honorable a personage and wise Yet because I do it not as one expecting anye temporall benefite or preferment at your hand as the maner of the worlde for the most part in such matters is But as a token rather of my speciall good will and duety towards you and an argument of thankfulnesse vnto God for his graces in you as also to minister some occasion of increase and going forwarde with constancy and Heroicall spirite in so good gracious and Godly wayes as you haue turned your feete to steppe in already I perswade my selfe therefore of your facile and curteous nature and good will in accepting of the same And euen this small duety of wryting is one point of the honouring and gratifying of our betters and those to whom we stand charged from the Lorde to perfourme duties of reuerence and honour Especially when we see the Image of God by the seconde creation to shine in them as it doth breake forth in your honourable and vertuous brest by many worthy and commendable graces and vertues with the plausible approbation fame and report both of the wise and Godly I speake not this as one that would fill the trompe of flattery with the winde of vaine-glorious praise to seeme to speake for your honour to the worlde for that is not my maner sith your vertuous religious and Godlye wayes speake for them selues to your great commendation and your euerlasting praise in Christe Iesus But I speake of the worke of God in you right honorable that God might haue his iust glory in his owne worke and your selfe might also be incouraged with comfort to proceede and increase in that good course so as the worke of God which is begun might be perfited in you For sure it is my very good Lord that the enemy of mankind seeketh to beset as all men so specially those whome the Lorde beginneth to frame to him selfe but chieflyest those that are as it were ouer frayghted with the aboundaunce of the troublesome affayres of this present life by reason of their great calling For they whom God calleth to so great honour riches and dignity are as one wisely wryteth set vpon the mayne sea of occasions in daunger to bee drenched and swallowed vp of the tempestuous rages and surging waues of diuers temptations if the Lorde doe not mightely by his grace support and vnderstay them But when God standeth by them and frameth their heartes to the loue of his truth then doth he reape great honour and glory at their handes VVhich he highly priseth and reckoneth off insomuch that he hath honorably spoken of such by his Prophetes that they shoulde bring much glory to his Church Esay 49.23 60.16 and be nursing fathers and nursing mothers therevnto yea the glory of LEBANON euen of great personages shal come togeather to beautify the place of my sunctuary saith the Lorde for I will glorify the place of my feete Esay 60.13 For the seruice which such shoulde doe to his Church was not a seruile condition but a beautifying of his Church as it is there called and a glory euen vnto him selfe And vndoubtedly blessed are those Princes Nobles honourable and worshipfull who them selues imbracing and obeying the truth sincerely become presidentes and examples in their owne persons to allure others to the fellowship of the church to the loue of the worde and true religion For the fall or vprising of many after a sort dependeth vpon the publique persons whom God hath lift vp in high places ouer others Insomuch as the eyes of the multitude are bene vpon the examples of publique persons Furthermore wee see from time to time howe the Church of God not without great cause accounted highly of such personages as those by whom they receiued speciall blessings from the Lorde So the church of Israel Psal 21.6 made precious account of DAVID that worthy Prince as one that was set of God as blessings for euer Meaning as a benefite and testimony of Gods fauour vpon his people EZEKIAH NEHEMIAH Neh. 1. 2. Hag. 1.14 Ier. 40. 2. Chr. 35.25 ZERVBBABEL GEDALIAH c. were great blessings to the Church who greatly lamented the losse of thē Also IOSIAH his death was lamented with a doleful lamentation of al the church of IVDA And sure it is that our Church hath great cause to magnifie the mercies of God towards vs in trusting vs with so gracious a IOSIAH as our Soueraigne Princesse ELIZABETH as by whose gouerment the church hath receiued many blessings The losse of whome if our sinns should procure which the Lord keep far from vs would yeeld no lesse occasion for vs to complayne and say then the Churche of IVDA had Lamen 5.20 at the death of IOSIAH when they sayd Our life the breath of our nostrels the annoynted of the Lorde vvas taken in their nets of vvhome we sayd vnder his shadow vve shall be preserued aliue among the heathen Herevnto god hath added further matter of ioy and thankfulnes vnto his Churche in that many nobles worthy personages of this land both learned Godly and wise among whom your honour hath not the least roome are faythfull Patrons of the cause of
with others would easily shew their nature against the people of God if they had oportunitie and yet they are hatched oh pitiful danger and nouâ—ished euen in the lap of the church Thus many Cankers breede in the bowels of the church heresies fonde opinions familists Brounists and such other Thus by such meanes as lamentable it is to see the graft of godlinesse and zeale is hindred And through the neglect of officers magistrates rather then laws these beastes swarme in our Church Also drunkards swearers whores adulterers proude pecockes raylers contemners of God and his word prophanations of the Sabboth and an innumerable kindes both of sinners and sinnes which ouergrow the church as a wildernesse which because magistrates doe not laboure to roote out so carefully as they ought the Lord doth strangely consume som sinners by the fire of his wrath froÌ„ heauen Which al shold be cut off by discipline or at least way bee forced to some reformation Can it be that the Lord wil trust vs any longer with a Lease of his garden we abusing him in such maner so as we greeue the Lords soul with our vnfaithfulnes and cause his soule to hate vs. Esay 1.14 Who bestoweth such cost on vs we prosper so little as hee can gather very few Lillies amongst vs he wanteth the fruit of our hearts and lippes as faith loue feare obedience charity thankesgiuing prayse inuocation hearing his word professing his name c. But some perhaps wil say why it is in as good case as we found it the same discipline laws and doctrine are stil which was in the beginning of her maiesties raign so the Lords garden and church is not impaired and it shal bee left in as good case as it was found and better then heretofore Sure the Lorde doth not plaÌ„t a vineyard let it out to stand or be kept alwaies at a stay but to bee tilled and dressed that it maye grow and prosper to bring foorth more fruite For hee requireth that men bestowe their care labour wisedome and trauail vpon it that hee maye haue it more furnished and fenced For hee tataketh payne him selfe aboute his Churche to that ende that sinne may bee suppressed and Godlinesse aduanced But the Lorde make vs truely thankfull in Christ Iesus for those beginninges and proceedinges of his church which we haue that he hath planted his worde true religion amongst vs countenancing the same his truth with the authoritye and sworde of our gratious Princesse Elizabeth as also with many worthy learned godly and noble Councellers as also other learned Patrons of his Church without whom we should find to our great misery and the spoyle of religion howe hardly the Lordes garden should be at al kept without them But our sinnes yea our contempt and neglect of the word of God and his glory doe hinder the Lorde from blessing vs with that encrease which otherwise wee mighte enioy yea our sinnes betraye the state of our Churche and lande and deserue the losse of so Princely a Deborah and other woorthye personnages wherewith our Church is inriched yea that the Lorde shoulde take away all the walles and defences of our church and land giue vs ouer to the spoile Let vs therefore if we beare any good will to our Church or Countrye labour to purge oure selues from al corruption and to repent vs of oure sinnes that we may bring foorth good fruits such as the lord may haue pleasure in that hee may haue a delight to abide among vs. For it is the sinnes of a land that causeth the Lordes wrath to smoke against the same but our land I suppose haue exceeded the old world Sodom and Gomorrha Israell Iehuda and al landes in straunge sinnes so that if in comparison Ezec. 16.51 Iudah and the inhabitants thereof iustified Sodom for that their sinnes exceeded the sinnes of the Sodomits Then we haue iustified al Nations in comparison of our sins and therefore are in daunger to al the feareful plagues that are mentioned in the booke of God vnlesse we speedely therfore repent I feare we shal tast of such iudgementes as that the stranger that shal come from a farre land Deut. 29.22 shal saye when they see the plagues of this land and the diseases therof wherwith the Lord shal smite it because it shal be fearefully destroyed except they repent Oh wherefore hath the Lorde done thus vnto this lande and ver 24. and ver 25. how feirce is this great wrath And it shal be answered because they haue forsaken the couenant of the Lord God of their Fathers and haue sinned againste the Lorde Let vs al then my deare brethren be humbled with Godly sorrow that may cause repentaunce vnto saluation not to be repented of Being offended with our selues that we haue not sooner and more earnestly inquyred after Christ praying the Lorde to beautifie his Garden and Churche of this land with such sweet flowers as he may please him selfe in vs and we may grow and prosper in al fruites of the spirit I can not finish this chapiter to daye because of time and the matter of the conclusion though in few words yet includeth very comfortable and heuenly matter which cannot in a few words be vttered I wil therfore defer it til to morrow when by Gods grace I shal finish the whole Now the Lord our good God sanctifie our hearts to conceiue the excellencye and féele the sweetnesse of the wordes of the mouth of Christ Iesus that we being our selues purged and sanctified by his word and truth may carefully labour that others with vs may truely be affected towards him that we may ioyn togeather in seeking of Christ so as in the ende finding him in his worde and Sacramentes and feeling of him by his spirite our soules and bodies may become cleane and well tilled Gardens beautified with al heaueÌ„ly fruits of his spirite as that Christ may haue pleasure to walke in vs to dwell and make his abode in vs vnto the ende and in the ende we also may be receiued with him into his heauenly Garden of eternal ioye to dwell continue and abide with him in the company of al the glorious Angels and fellowship of the heauenly saintes in the presence of God his Father for euer and euer Amen Let vs pray c. The fift Sermon or lecture YEsterday we heard beloued a part of the description of Christ concerning his spéech and swéet thing of his mouth with the excellency of his doctrine also the second question of the maydens concerning the place where he vsed with the aunswere betweene which was interlined what fruit came by this conference and how the Godly at Ierusalem were kyndled with loue to Christ by the example of the Spouse whereby she answereth to her companions making them priuy to the place of his abode shewing how the church is his Garden and that he delighteth to be conuersant there yea the soule of euerye
of Gods promise in them selues which concerne euerlasting life yea and desiring to feele that comfort of his loue which for the time they can not feele Which I dare warrant to that soule that feeleth these in truth that they are sure arguments certain and infallible tokens that he is one with Christ For as that member which is a sléepe benoumed brused or hurt do not cease to be a mēber of the body though it looseth some strength for the time but is after recouered to strength and féeling again so euery hurt or wound which the saints of God haue of their infirmities is not by and by a cutting off from Christe For this continual societie or vnity of Christ with his Church is not for a time but for euer not onely in the whole Church but also in euery particuler member thereof Rom. 8.35.38.39 Paule triumpheth in the person of the beleeuers that nothing coulde seperate them from the loue of God which is in Iesus Christ our Lord. Though therfore many od thoughtes or surmises may incumber vs for a time so long as we dislike them in our selues stryuing against them groning for grace of God to suppresse them yet we may boldely saye with the spouse I am Christes and Christ is mine for so long as we hold him ours hauing a true hearty and longing desire after him so long wee are his Of this vnitye commeth necessarily that certainty of perseueraunce and of saluation 2. The certeinety of perseuerance and saluation of the saints which the Saintes of God haue in this life which is the second thing that I noted vnto you out of this conclusion of the Spouse For looke of what condition the roote and stock is concerning the vnity and abiding of the same condition and nature are the braunches but Christ the true root and Vine is eternal therfore his Church or company of the beleeuers which are the braunches of that Vine are eternal The head is eternal therfore the body and members are eternal The foundation of that spiritual house neuer decayeth therfore neyther the building The husband of the Church is euerlasting and can not perishe therefore the company of the beleeuers which are his wife can neuer perishe For the reason of the consequence of these argumētes standeth in the nature of those qualities that are in God and not in the nature of the things them selues For as Christ can not cease to be eternal no more then his father can so the state of the godly can not cease to be eternal vnles God and Christ shoulde cease from their eternity For whatsoeuer quality is resident in the nature of God is alwais the same because the Godhead is not mutable nor contrary in it selfe but alway like it selfe Wherefore vnlesse God and Christ shold cease to be them selues the Church or beleeuers which were elect before al time can not cease to be eternal in so much as the loue wherewith he loueth his eternal and chāgeth not For Io. 13.1 Those whom he loueth to the ende he loueth them So that the Godly which haue once in truth tasted of the loue of God can no more perishe then the loue of God it selfe can perish or his mercy come to an end This causeth the spouse in the confidence of Gods fauor to assure her selfe that Christ is hers Now as this is true in the whole Church that it is permanent and can not perishe but be saued So is it true in euery member wherby they may be assured of saluation in them selues and of their perserance How soeuer the Papists would hold soules in vnstablenes in suspence and doubt of their saluation alway Certaine it is that in some measure the children of God haue assuraunce of their saluation in this life though not at al times alike nor al men alike assurance That the Church or elect in general can not but be saued there is no man I suppose that doubteth But if any doubt I wil set down such proofs as come into my mind wherin the perseuerance of the elect shal easily appear but we must looke into thē with the eyes of faith for the eies of reason are not able once to looke vp into these misteries of faith psa 125.1.2 They that trust in the lord are as mount Sion which standeth fast for euer can not be remoued Also psa 89.30 God promiseth his mercies shal be eternal to Dauid after hee addeth that if his children sin Then I wil visit their transgressiō with the rod their iniquity with strokes Yet my louing kindnes wil I neuer take from him nor falsify my truth This being true in Dauid is also true in euery beléeuer Esa 43.4.7 he sheweth that as God maketh a precious account of his people loue them so they should be called by his name intitled to his inheritance he could not neglect their saluatiō but he must also neglect his own glory Likewise in his 49. chap he inferreth the church Esai 49.14 and verse 15 cōplaining that the lord had forsaken thē but the lord answereth that his loue surpasseth the dearest loue of mothers towards their children so as he can not forget them vnles he forget him self In so much as He hath grauen them in the palme of his hands and they are euer in his sight and verse 1◠The Lord Christ affirmeth Math. 16.18 That as the church is founded in him self So it should neuer perishe neither the gates of hel should preuail against it The like certainty of the saluation of the beléeuers our sauiour Christ auoucheth Ioh. 10. ver 28.29 That they which are his sheepe obey the voice of his worde shal neuer perish but haue euerlasting life Confirming his assertion by a reason drawn frō the nature of God his father that it was as impossible for any which truly beléeued in christ Iesus obeyed his voice to perish as it was for God his father him selfe to be ouercome which cā neuer be therfore nether can the beleeuers be frustrate of life saluation For he reasoneth that because his father he is one his father was of al power absolut that none cold euer master him or preuaile against him therefore none could euer master him or preuail against him therefore none could preuail against Christ him selfe being equal with his father in infinit power Therefore also consequently none can preuaile against the saluation of his elect which are in Christ Iesus So that God hath layde vp the saluation of euery beleeuer in him selfe in the heauens 1. Pet. 1.4.5 without the reach of Sathan hel the Pope and sinne so as we can not be defeated of it Yea none can depriue any of the Godly and faithful of their saluation vnlesse they first robbe God of his infinite power set Christ a side from that glory wherewith his father hath glorified him Yea shal I speake further But in reuerence of Gods frée grace the
Religion And therefore if the church reuerenced highly accounted of such if the godly teachers of the church commended such and gratifyed them by wryting of some such duety as the Apostle IOHN did the elect Lady and HIEROM 2. Ioh. 1. that vertuous Lady LETA GAVDENTIA to incourage them in the truth to shew their thankfulnes for them vnto God why may not we in our times likewise gratify our noble worthy personages with some such duty to shew forth our thankfulnes and reuerence towardes them as also to minister occasion by such means as we can of further proceeding in all religious and godly wayes with zeal to aduance gods glory in his church For we should all step out for the defence and aduancement of Gods gospell glory For the true honor of al men standeth in this chiefly that they imbrace the word which is the wisdome of God sith without religion there is no true honour Therfore Prou. 8 VVisdome layeth claime to all the honor kingdom of princes Pro. 8.15.16.18 as without whom they wanted al true honor Yea she challengeth to her selfe al true wisdome councel vnderstanding strength and honour c. Also els where SOLOMON a prince of greatest honoâ—â— wisdome setteth down plainly Pro 4.8 ver 14. that they which imbrace wisdome shal haue great honor they which exalt her shal be exalted theÌ„ selues For God crowneth them with honour which honour his word But strippeth al such naked of honor renoum before him which do not honor his word Therefore the gouernours of Israel were charged to be alwayes conuersant in the booke of the law day night that they might learne to feare the lord their God Deu. 17.19 adding a great reason that by such meanes they should prouide for their own safety and for the good estate of their posteritie Verse 20. Yea it was promised to DAVID as a speciall prerogatiue that so long as hee helde the Lord to be his Father and made him his God by trusting in him and imbracing the testimonies of his word Psa 89.26 ver 28.29 that the Lorde would not fayle him but establishe his couenaunt with him yea and with his seede for euermore So that such as set their delight in the word of God carry with them store of blessinges from the Lord both for them selues and for their posterity And we see that the Lorde doth not otherwise promise to prosper the affayres of men then as they are carefull to know his will in his word Hereof it was that the Lorde promised the lyke successe vnto IOSHVA For after he had incouraged him to obey his worde Iosh 1.7 ver 8. shewing that therein stoode all true prosperity he addeth this exhortation Let not this booke of the Lawe depart out of thy mouth but meditate therein day and night that thou mayest obserue and doe according to all that is wrytten therin then shalt thou make thy way prosperous and then shalt thou haue good successe For the Lorde knew that sith IOSHVA stood in great perill of temptation euery way by the reason of the waightynesse of his calling and dignity therefore also he sheweth that hee had greatest neede of the meanes to vnderstay himselfe and to be acquainted with the Lordes priuy Councell reuealed in his worde to direct him in all his actions So DAVID made the worde of God his Councellers Psa 119.24 without whom he woulde doe nothing For he knew that it behoueth such to imploy their honour glory estimation riches and credite as handmaydes to further Gods glory And then no doubt they are to expect greate blessinges from the Lorde with immortall prayse and euerlasting honour with Christ Iesus I doubt not therefore right honourable but all these blessinges shall be accomplished vpon you as also vpon your posterity sith you loue and imbrace the religion of the true God and the truth of his worde who will not see you want that honour that he hath promised to his most excellent Saintes And now here I present vnto your Honour this poore Tallent of myne which may it please you to accept at my hand as of one that wisheth all happynesse vnto you and yours in the Lorde humbly crauing that your fauourable wisedome would supply the wants of this thing and that this so simple a gift as it is may be accepted of you rather for my good meaning in the thing and the ende wherefore I doe it then for the vallue of the thing it selfe Doing your honour to vnderstande that you are not to expect any flourishing speeches garnished with Rhetoricall flowers and figures or any cunning sleightes of mans wisedome or paynted eloquence with affected wordes but hauing an eye to the matter and not to the maner to expect a simple and plaine handling of that which is intreated off For my desire is not to be seen in the heighth and intricate questions of mans wisedome but in the basenesse and simplycity of the Gospell that it may appeare in the power thereof Thus right honourable surceasing from adding any further wordes of discourse and remayning ready to vndergoe all lawfull duetyes towardes your honour which God any maner of wayes shall inable me to doe I humbly commit your honourable Lordship with the right honourable that vertuous Lady the Countesse your wyfe euen to our good and mercifull God who euermore preserue you and yours in al blessed safety both of body and soule be present with you gouerne and guyde you by his gratious spirite and heape vpon you all heauenly blessings and shew forth the riches of his grace vppon you that you may holde out with all constancy in his truth vnto the ende so as you glorifying him in this lyfe may be receiued vnto eternal glory and felicity with him in the lyfe to come through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen Your honors humble to command in the Lord Bartimaeus Andrewes To the Christian Reader IT was not in vaine Christian reader that the ancient fathers of the Church worthy and Godly wryters vsed alwayes preuentions in some preface or Epistle before their workes to reclaime their writinges from suspition and reproch in so much as the Church of God neuer wanted enuious malicious and captious aduersaries who with their slaunderous tongues and dispightfull lawes sought to teare in pieces or by Zoylous vpbraydings to blemishe or by reprochfull speeches and lyspings to cancell the credite of whatsoeuer was godly wisely carefully and to good purpose penned downe by them These times yeelde occasion of no lesse suspition of like intertainment to be giuen to good thinges written for the comfort and help of the simple and ignorant especially wheÌ„ they are to proceede from so vnworthy an instrument and so vnskilfull an indictor as my selfe when the writings and workes of so famous godly men haue gone before as great torchelights or as the Sunne at noone dayes and I to come after in so
but sow pillows vnder the elbowes of the daintie and wanton people preaching peace to them to whom the Lord hath not spoken peace The Church of God hath alwayes had daungerous Prophetes Apostles and teachers which haue troubled the church besides those which seduced the people with false doctrine For I am fully perswaded that the false Prophets which Ezekiel and other Prophets of God spake against or the fals Apostles in Pauls time which he speaketh of to the Corinthians PhilippiaÌ„s were not al of theÌ„ so called simply for that they preached fals doctrine but in respect of their misapplying and abusing of doctrine As for example to preach peace and to cause to mourne is lawfull but to preach peace to the wicked or apply mourning to the godly c. is falsly to handle the truth So to preach Christ is lawfull but when it is done of vaine glory or contention or to adde bondes to the saints of God it is euil to the person that so doth Yet Paule reioyced that Christ was preached though of contention c. and sure he would not haue reioyced if false doctrine had beene taught by them So we haue many no doubt which are voyd of the spirite of iudgement to applye doctrine but handling it vncunningly smit wound the Godly but flatter and strengthen the wicked which is no doubt a great and feareful sinne which Ezekiel complayned of in his 13. Chapiter We must be wise to handle the word and not mingle chaffe with wheat as Ieremy speaketh Chapter 23.28 Hereof it commeth that the false and vnfaithful teachers do rather beat backe and discourage those that seeke earnestly after Christe then further them For they enuy that the simple sort should grow in knowledge least their euil life couetousnesse ambition flattery and vnfaithfulnesse in their calling should be found out Therefore the ignoraunt ministery they seeke to holde men in ignoraunce still or keepe them at a stay or at least way would abuse aucthority to molest and suppresse the zealous and Godly But this should not discourage men from inquiring after God stil If therefore any such thing should befal to any of vs eueÌ„ at the haÌ„ds teachers of the Church let vs not maruaile for it must be so in the Church of God that they which are perfect may be knowne And I perceiue euen here among you in these parts that as the Lord hath begun a good worke in many so it goeth hardly forwarde by the reason of some daungerous watchmen ministers enuying the successe of the worde preached But learne of the spouse here to inquire the more earnestly after Christe in his word of those which are careful in wisdome to teach Such there haue bin alwaies in the Church of God shal be yea euen of those many times which hold not the smallest roomes in the church So we sée Amaziah Amos. 7.10 who enuied the simple sincere preaching of Amos. Therefore he complained of him to the king saying Amos hath coÌ„spired against thee the land is not able to beare his word c. And subtily like a fox in the mean time counselled him to fly the land for he thought his pomp honor would decay if Amos proceeded because the people resorted to him but what followed reade the chapiter Hoshea the Prophet chapter 5.1 complained of such in his time saying that iudgment was against the Priests princes because ye are as a snare on Mizpeb and as a net spred vpon Tabor Meaning that both the Magistrates and the Priestes of Israel deuoured the people and sought to intrap them as the fowlers in those mountaines layd snares for the byrdes Also the Scribes Pharises and Priestes of the Iewes which retained the chiefest dignities titles in the Church were most noysome to the same so as the scripture was verified saying Psa 118.22 Mat. 21.42 The stone which the chiefe builders refused is become the head of the corner This certainly is a great offence to many when they see Christ abused of any of the rulers and great Doctors in the Church Oh say they I can tell some of the graue fathers Doctors of the Church and wise learned men yea some also of countenance and authority like not very wel of these great teachers nor of these gadders to sermons and fewe such will resort to the Sermons c. Therefore I wil doe as they doe they are as wise as the beste as learned and as well thought of as any of them all Thus the poore and miserable people are hindered from Christ by such meanes But Christe Math. â—1 acknowledgeth his fathers wisedome herein that he hath reuealed those high and heauenly misteryes to the simple and hidde them from the wise prudent of this world And Paul 1. Cor. 1.26 affirmeth that not many noble the Lorde hath called or wise men after the fleshe but God hath called the foolish things of the worlde to confound the wise c. Howbeit the Lord make vs truely thankfull God hath beautified our soyl and Church of England with many nobles godly magistrates which countenaunce the truth the Godly teachers and are a wal to theÌ„ hath also inriched this his Church with many Godly learned and worthy men and that of countenaunce and titles which preferre the Gospel of Christ Iesus Notwithstanding as I sayd such there haue beene and shal be some in the Church euen of great ones which shall molest the same And because this doctrine which discouereth the ambition and hurtfulnesse of some persons in the Church is hardly disgested I must he came beyond my vsual order to insert some authority of the fathers in a worde who I suppose shall more tollerably bee heard then my selfe Saint Barnard in the 33. Sermon vpon these Canticles sayth From whom shal the Church hide her selfe All are friendes and all are enemies all kinsfolke and all aduersaries all houshold seruauntes yet there is none at peace they walke in the honour of the Lords goodnesse to whom they do no honor Hereeby he sheweth afterwarde how many inconueniences come in the Church thereby come their pomper pride couetousnes Thereby sayth he their purses are filled therefore they couet to be Princes of the Church c. Such thinges saith he come not lawfully but because they are occupied in the affayres of darkenes c. Also Barnard els where in sermone de Pauli comissione Alas lord these are the first which do persecute thee which we see to affect the highest roomes in the Churche they haue taken the arches from Sion they occupy the Castle and haue by power set the Citye on fire their conuersation is miserable the subuersion of the people is pitifull Furthermore Saint Hierome vpon the 9. chap. of Hoshea saith I doe not find in the auntient histories any other to haue seperated the Church and seduced the people from Gods house then the Priestes Prelates which are placed of God to be the
any of his Sayntes Oh howe fayne woulde I that I were as readye and able to doe as much good in furthering of Christs Kingdome as anye of vs haue furthered the kingdome of Sathan and sinne before oure calling Oh that you all present had suche taste with mee of the excellencye of Christe Iesus as you might all saye with one voyce I will goe with you and will seeke Christe with you Oh that my sinnes and yours woulde permit the Lorde to blesse my laboures among you this day as also at all times and in other places of his Churche As some soules might bee gayned to him by my poore mynisterye that it may bee the ioy of my hearte Yea woulde to God that manye soules among you mighte bee so affected vnto Christe in trueth being turned from your owne wayes that ye might say as Dauid did to Abigail Blessed be the Lord God of Israel who sent thee this daye to meete vs 1. Sam. 25.32 blessed bee this day Blessed bee this sermon or counsel and blessed be thou which haste kept mee this daye from suche an euill c. and caused mee to haue a sight disliking of my former life such a tast of Christ Iesus that I vtterly abhorre my self for my sinnes hartely imbracing Christ Iesus vowing hereafter to indeuour to walke in al the wayes of God I speake grosly vnto you brethren and abase my selfe to mooue your affections to the loue of God for the loue of Christ Iesus euen constrayneth me there vnto for your good Let no man therefore abuse my homelinesse of speech in this point being to your edifying and gayning of glory vnto God But let vs I praye you beloued consent togeather in one to seeke after Christ with his Church til we haue founde him out that we may safely assure our selues of his loue to the ende as the Spouse doth afterwarde which grace God for Iesus Christ his sake graunt vnto euery one of vs Now followeth the aunswere to the second question of the maydens in this conference verse 18. My beloued is gone downe into his garden to the beds of spice to feed in the gardens and to gather Lillies Some make this verse the beginning of the sixt chapiter But I read this and the verse following with the fift chapiter For that they haue most proper relation to al the matter going afore in this 5. chapiter and is alienate and vtterly impertinent to the matter following in the sixt chapiter Especially sith it is a knitting vp of al the matter of her complaintes in her beginning and comming on also a ful conclusion of her loue a fit answere likewise to the second question in the dialogue and conference had with her companions and so a ful conclusion of the whole She signifieth to her companions that her loue is descended into his garden and Church on earth being conuersaunt amongst men in his owne person sometime also by his Ministers by his worde and Sacraments finally by his spirite properly in his saintes For by these meanes Christ is sayd to be come down among his and to be resident in his Church euen to the ende of the worlde For Christ is not of the number of the non residentes but testifieth to his Church saying Feare not I am with you to the endes of the worlde Solomon vseth a figuratiue or metaphorical speech borrowed from the cituation of Ierusalem that they went down hil and discended to go to their out gardens for Sion was a great hil whereon the Citye was built In this answere also the church hath relation to her former suit made to Christ chap. 4 ver 16. that he woulde come to his garden and eat his pleasant fruit also to the aunswere which was giuen her that he had taken possession of his riches and was come into his garden so that as Christ is in heauen with all his riches so is hee also in his garden on earth solacing himselfe and gathering daily fruite in his church Ioh. 15.16 by his ministers whom he sendeth that they may bring foorth more fruite for true it is that albeit Christ hath all riches in him selfe and needeth not any yet doth he gather fruite in his church at the handes of his seruauntes In so muche as they yeelde obedience vnto him and are in this respect called the firste fruites of his creatures because they are consecrate sanctified and set apart from the worlde Sathan and sinne to serue the Lorde and are called his Portion and inheritaunce in manye places But the fruite which they yeelde is not their owne proper or naturall in them but supernaturall and from aboue springing out of the fountayn of the Lords good pleasure and will is also framed graffed nouryshed and increased in them by his worde preached For all these thinges the cause efficiente the instrumentall meanes with the effecte thereof is pithily comprysed in fewe wordes by the Apostle Iames in the firste Chapter of his Epistle at the 18. verse where he sayth Of his owne will begate hee vs by the worde of trueth that wee shoulde bee as the first fruites of his creatures Also the graces of Gods spirit are called fruites Gal. 5.22 The qualities likewise necessarily incident to repentance are caled fruits Mat. 3.8 Which metaphoricall speeches import the God looketh to reape fruite at our handes in his church that we may grow from faith to faith from strength to strength from grace to grace til we come to ful ripenesse in Christ Iesus to be gathered into his barne of eternal felicity in his comming These fruites that the Lorde gathereth and reapeth at oure handes are his owne then insomuch as he worketh them in his saints that he may receiue his owne with aduantage crowning his owne workes in vs. It were expedient therefore that we labour to be fruitful in all heauenlye knoweledge and obedience that Christe comming downe to visite his Garden or church as it is set down in the sixt Chap. ver 10. he finde vs not empty or fruitlesse that he should haue no pleasure in vs and so bee forced to cast vs vp to the spoyle Sure it is the more is the pity the Lorde should find but smal fruite among vs if he should suruey our Churche in this land Hee hath lent vs the name of his Church and giuen vs a lease of his garden 21. yeres hath added to that three yeres more from yeare to yeare but alas we haue bene il tennants to the Lord his church is little stored by vs his hedges walles are as it were pluckt down by manye lying in decay For where true discipline shold build vp the breaches of the Lords fence should keepe out the noisom beasts the lion the wolf the bear the swine doggs such hurtful cattel and beasts we ah alas haue this gardē of the Lord hindred by such Lions woolfs priuy scorpions foxlike papists swinish Athists brutish belly gods enuious dogs which al